Chapter 513

The group entered the Underworld.

"This is the world of death in the Age of Gods... It's physically connected to the mortal world, rather than being a dimensional realm or something?"

The girls sighed with emotion.

"Of course. In the age of gods, heaven, earth, and the Underworld were all on the same scroll."

The afterlife and the celestial realm only became metaphysical entities after they entered your human world.

Ishtar began explaining the setting of the Underworld in the Age of Gods to Ritsuka and Mash.

The goddess seems rather high-spirited today; perhaps she's trying to hide her inner unease, Shirou thought.

Soon, the group arrived at the plain where countless gun cells were located.

"What is that? Countless points of light are floating inside the cage..."

Ishtar raised an eyebrow. "... It's best not to get close, those are the souls of humans who have died on Earth."

"!!"

The goddess Venus continued, "Ereshkigal imprisoned the souls of mankind in a gun cage."

The souls imprisoned inside can never return to the earth.

When the body dies completely, the soul gradually thins and eventually disappears, but Ereshkigal does not allow this.

That guy would lock up the human souls he liked in cages and keep them by his side for tens of thousands of years to amuse himself.

Of course, a prisoner's soul is not free.

Humans would feel cold if they didn't have a physical body. Extremely cold.

Therefore, only in the soul state will the ice start to form from the hands and feet.

Finally, it turned into a living block of ice. The pain was so intense that it felt it would be better to simply disappear.

But the soul imprisoned in that cage will not disappear.

"It will be this suffering forever, until Ereshkigal gets tired of it."

"So, the souls of those who weaken and die on earth are also here?"

Ishtar nodded. "I think so, there are more gun cells than before."

It must have been added after joining the "Three Goddess Alliance"... Does that guy want to build a kingdom of the dead?

She shouldn't have been such a cruel goddess before.

"Gilgamesh's soul is not here."

Shirou looked around the Spear Prison Plain and then spoke.

"Can you tell, Mr. Shirou?" Ritsuka asked curiously.

Ishtar explained on Shirou's behalf, "Because it's that guy, even if he's just a dead soul, he should still be Gilgamesh, right? You'd spot him at a glance."

Having found nothing on the Spear Prison Plains, the group decided to head to the Temple of Ereshkigal.

To get there, one must pass through the seven stone gates of the Underworld.

Although Shirou had indeed heard of the myth, he was not harassed by the Gate of the Underworld during his imprisonment underground...

It must have been Ereshkigal who secretly let me pass, right?

However, Shirou wasn't alone this time, so the Gate of the Underworld were working properly.

Answer this question.

Answer this question.

A cold female voice came from inside the door, seemingly echoing directly into the depths of one's soul, sending chills down one's spine.

"O fool who once forsaken the goddess and fled the Underworld, yet shamelessly returned—"

"Let's answer the question about the nature of the soul's existence--"

"Hmm? It sounds like you're questioning Shirou?"

Ishtar blinked, a hint of delight in her eyes. "You actually specified the respondent? Looks like Ereshkigal holds a grudge against you!"

"Hmm... that seems to be the case."

The red-haired boy swallowed hard: Is Ereshkigal angry?

"But don't worry, I'm on your side! Let's conquer the Underworld together!"

Ishtar happily wrapped her arms around the boy's and pressed her soft chest against him.

"Next, you'll face a choice between two options."

The Gate of the Underworld are fair and rational gates that question the good and evil of souls.

Good and evil are equally valuable; only the value of the human being who makes the choice changes... Therefore, no option is necessarily correct.

Either way, there will be an annoying test, so just choose the option that seems easier to you.

"I understand." Shirou nodded.

"The first question is for Shirou, the one burdened with grave sins—"

"The first point is that although the standards for a wife seem to vary widely, there are still some absolute ones."

Black can overcome white, and earth can overcome heaven; since that's the case—"

"Ereshkigal or Ishtar, which goddess is more suitable to be a wife?"

"Wait a minute, this is different from the previous problem, isn't it!?"

Ishtar's eyes widened. "Wait, Shirou! This door seems to be malfunctioning..."

"Of course it's Ereshkigal!!"

Shirou answered loudly without hesitation.

"Betrayed on the very first step!?"

Ishtar let out a piercing scream.

"Mr. Shirou, without any hesitation."

"Hmm, as expected of Mr. Shirou, he shows no mercy."

The girls whispered amongst themselves, gaining a deeper understanding of Shirou's sadistic tendencies.

"Haa... haa... haa... ah, really? I must have misunderstood, this is psychological warfare!"

Ishtar shook the young man, who was supposed to be her husband, violently. "I... it must be like this, right?"

"If we just praise Ereshkigal, the enemy will become weaker... right!?"

"Of course," Shirou replied.

"So why are you hesitating? Where did your decisiveness go?"

As Ishtar relentlessly pursued him, the stone gate to the Underworld slowly opened, and a large number of evil spirits poured out from the other side.

These evil spirits were very weak, far weaker than the ones Shirou and Ana defeated.

Just as Ishtar predicted, the enemy's strength would decrease as long as the "correct" answer was entered.

Mash and Ritsuka wiped out the evil spirits effortlessly.

"Alright, let's head to the next door... What's wrong, Miss Ishtar?"

"Hmm... I have to go through the portal."

Ishtar's expression was somewhat stiff.

It seems her past journey to the Underworld left a very bad impression on her, and she still feels lingering fear to this day.

"It's okay, it doesn't look like there's any trap... Nothing happened when I came here."

The girl with the shield spoke from the other side of the door.

"All right."

Ishtar took a deep breath, closed her eyes as if facing death, and flew violently through the stone gate of the Underworld, then—

"Ouch!?"

The goddess Venus, floating in the air, suddenly shuddered, her face flushed red, and she began to tremble.

"Miss Ishtar!? What's wrong? What happened!?"

"Shirou- san... you shouldn't be playing around like this." Ritsuka pouted unhappily.

Shirou frowned. "What did I do??"

"Ouch, that hurts! Actually, it's not that painful... it feels a little numb..."

Ishtar thought she was going to die from being struck by lightning, but she found that wasn't the case.

"It's nothing, I just felt a strange electric shock when I went through the door."

Nothing actually happened... Wait, isn't something a little strange?

Ishtar looked down at her body. "My body... has shrunk?"

Just when everyone was at a loss --

"Indeed, you've come to a profound understanding of your own folly, haven't you, Ishtar?"

A gigantic Gallu Spirit appeared above them like Shadow.

"!!"

A sudden, chilling sensation, even penetrating to the soul, made the girls who were seeing the giant Gallu Spirit for the first time realize one fact—

"That's Ereshkigal, the goddess of the Underworld...?"

"That's right, it's Ereshkigal, the ugly goddess of plants and decay..."

The goddess Venus cried out as if facing a formidable enemy, "What have you done to me, Ereshkigal!"

The giant Gallu Spirit's Shadow spoke.

"Ishtar, you have failed to enter the Underworld. As long as this mythical fact remains, you cannot escape the curse of the Underworld."

Symbolizing the crown of the wilderness. Reed measuring ruler. Glass jewelry. Beaded necklace. Gold bracelet. Charm brooch.

And then there's the final noblewoman's attire; I took these seven treasures from the past you.

This rule still applies today.

Since you have lost the Authority over the corresponding treasure, your physical body must bear the debt.

Do you understand? Every time you pass through a door, you get smaller.

Each time, one-seventh of their divinity is taken away.

Upon passing through the second gate, one will transform into a lower-level deity.

When you pass through the fourth gate, you will become a spirit lower than Gallu Spirit.

And in the end, it will become a powerless flying insect, a pathetic butterfly that I can crush with a single hand.

Ishtar gritted her teeth and cursed at the dissipating phantom, "Terrible taste! You've become even more twisted, Ereshkigal!"

But if you think this will stop me, you're sorely mistaken.

I was already mentally prepared for this... Let's go, Shirou!

Ishtar took the boy's hand.

Shirou was somewhat surprised.

Rather, I was surprised when she stormed into the Underworld.

In mythology, Ishtar is a supreme Goddess of Heaven, and she would never challenge a battle she feels she can lose.

Did he grow up because he left his father?

Tokiomi a while, don't you?

After that, everyone successfully passed through the remaining six doors.

Every question posed by each stone door is devoid of objectivity and impartiality.