What did death feel like? Rovi did not know, for he had never truly experienced it.
Yet at this moment, he sensed the aura of the Underworld from this world.
Cold and desolate.
Yet it did not seem frightening. Instead, it was like a hand lightly brushing across his face, so gentle that it stirred an urge to rest.
Eternal slumber was disappearance.
This was also what Ereshkigal, as the Goddess of the Underworld, did most often within the netherworld.
She gave the souls of the dead their rest.
And the winds of the Underworld brought this very kind of harm to all living things.
Although Rovi had completely transformed into the "Key of Heaven," which allowed him to move freely through any environment, theoretically, he would not die from this.
But after the last incident, he had learned his lesson—at the very least, he now fully understood how to activate and deactivate his own ability.
So now, he naturally deactivated it.
And allowed himself to come into contact with the aura of eternal slumber.
Of course, this alone was not enough to let Rovi rest within it completely—death was always only a transition for him, never salvation.
So the moment his palm touched that deep current of air, Rovi steadied himself and continued forward... toward Ereshkigal on the other side.
His steps were resolute, and his gaze did not waver in the slightest.
Even as the cold winds of the netherworld stripped away his skin and withered his features, making him seem to age a hundred years in an instant.
He transformed at once from a young man into an old man on the verge of death.
But... I said it already. I wasn't joking!
What he meant could not have been more obvious.
You can leave if you want.
Just take me with you, please!
Really—
I want to die!
Rovi would never let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip away.
And so, beneath that conduct and that gaze, Ereshkigal, who had taken possession of the body after Ishtar relinquished control, could not help but waver.
Why... was he doing this?
Even if he had to face death head-on, endure the erosion of the netherworld's aura, and force himself through his fear of death, did he still want to see her, abandoned by all the gods?
The Goddess of the Underworld covered her face, her thoughts too tangled to put into words.
If Rovi knew what she was thinking right now, he would surely reply, "No, you misunderstand. I'm just sweet-talking you. You're not in my heart."
But unfortunately, Rovi had no ability to read the mind of a Goddess of the Underworld, nor could he decipher Ereshkigal's thoughts through layer upon layer of black wind.
So Ereshkigal had very obviously misunderstood.
Her emotions were complicated.
But she felt that she still could not meet Rovi.
Through the memories Ishtar had left behind in this body, she already knew Rovi's identity.
He was Uruk's youngest Divine Priest.
He was also the King of Uruk's aide.
Though still young, he already held a distinguished status among mortals and had achieved remarkable things.
He was different from her.
Death had always been lonely, and it was also ominous.
So Ereshkigal could not, and even less did she wish for him to lose all of that because of her.
But what the Goddess of the Underworld did not know was that Rovi was actually... rather enjoying this.
The feeling brought by the winds of the Underworld was not painful. The farther forward he went, the more this living shell of his was overcome by a drowsy sensation.
He knew that if he continued downward, he would inevitably die before he even got close to Ereshkigal.
A painless death,
Was that not exactly what he had dreamed of?
Such opportunities were rare—Rovi's steps became even firmer, and Ereshkigal's heart wavered even more because of it.
Stop.
Stop quickly.
Why did he have to go this far?
If Rovi stopped, he would no longer suffer the erosion of the netherworld's aura, and might even recover completely—because she had long been accompanied only by mindless undead, because death was all that surrounded her, Ereshkigal was in fact the gentlest person toward life.
Though she had never been influenced by humanity, she still treated every soul with kindness.
Whether living or dead.
Thus, she had never intended to harm Rovi.
Yet she had never imagined that Rovi would do this much for her.
Alongside her worry came a greater sense of being moved.
No one had ever done this much for her.
No one had ever been so dismissive of death... for her.
"He's very good, isn't he?"
A voice almost identical to her own sounded beside the Goddess of the Underworld's ear.
It was Ishtar, concealed within the body, speaking to her. "Though he's an idiot... that spirit is still very rare."
"Even those most devoutly faithful to the gods rarely disregard death for a god's sake."
"He probably really likes you."
"Ereshkigal."
Of course Ereshkigal knew.
From that young priest's actions alone, she could feel his "feelings" for her.
Avoiding him no longer seemed possible.
What should she do...
"You're so hesitant, and you call yourself the mistress of the Underworld!" Ishtar's disdainful voice sounded beside her ear. Though her words carried envy and sounded somewhat sour, she said, "Show the courage you had when you killed me—Ereshkigal!"
Ereshkigal had once killed Ishtar.
Ishtar had once entered the Underworld, originally only to accompany Ereshkigal, who had just fallen into the realm of the dead. But because she expressed herself poorly, an argument arose, and the Goddess of the Underworld, within her own divine domain, killed her.
Though Anu later revived her, the incident still left a shadow over Ishtar. Even now, she remained bitter about it and did not dare set foot in the Underworld again.
The Ereshkigal who had acted back then had been exceptionally decisive.
Back then...
That was right.
Had she not longed for someone like this to keep her company at that time?
Why was she avoiding him now?
The Goddess of the Underworld suddenly understood.
"Thank you... Ishtar."
"Hmph, it's nothing. Consider it a small compensation for what I said wrong back then. For this goddess, it's an effortless matter!"
As their thoughts echoed, Ereshkigal raised her head.
Her crimson eyes gazed through the black soil of the Underworld at the man walking toward her, whose body was growing heavier and older, though his steps remained steady.
Rovi also saw the red light in the darkness.
He saw the goddess's eyes.
His entire body had already withered, and he was so old he barely looked human... yet he was even more ecstatic.
I'm finally going to die!
But in the very next second, the darkness before him abruptly vanished, and the goddess hidden behind it suddenly revealed her form.
Golden hair rippled, a red cloak swayed endlessly, fair and supple legs supported a soft, graceful body, black fabric tightly wrapped around her curving hips, outlining their gentle contours. Her waist narrowed delicately, her chest curved softly. Because they shared the same body, the goddess naturally bore the same appearance as Ishtar, but the aura she displayed was entirely different.
Deep and gentle.
A quiet girl whose presence made one feel safe and peaceful.
But Rovi felt no peace at this moment. He merely felt baffled.
What are you trying to do?
Why is my body recovering?
Hurry up and give me back the aura of the Underworld...
Why are you hugging me?
Rovi looked at Ereshkigal, who had suddenly embraced him.
Softness surged against him.
The girl spread her arms.
She pressed herself into his embrace... as though she were embracing the world.
At this moment,
The girl who symbolized death finally found the courage to embrace one who did not fear death.
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