Ishtar had died once in the underworld; every god among the Anunnaki knew this.
Ishtar knew exactly what kind of place the underworld was, and she knew even better what kind of person her sister was.
The underworld was a desolate, terrifying, freezing place with nothing but bluish-gray stones, blue Garula spirits, and strange lanterns. After returning from the underworld, Ishtar had even wondered whether something was wrong with her head—why had she wanted to turn a place like that into her territory? What use was that?
As for Ereshkigal, her dear sister.
She was a gloomy, capricious bastard!
She had only wanted to seize her authority and throne! Yet Ereshkigal had actually killed her! And hung her up!?
If her father, the moon god Nanna, had not warned her not to provoke Ereshkigal again, and the water god Enki had not advised her otherwise, coupled with the fact that she truly did not want to die a second time, she would surely—
Though Ishtar hated to admit it, she really could do nothing before Ereshkigal.
Thus, she had never mentioned the matter openly, nor had the other Anunnaki gods brought it up. After all, it was the greatest humiliation. If Ishtar had not been one of the Seven Gods of Fate, Enlil might even have...
She gritted her teeth. Enkidu's awakening gave her a very bad feeling.
That Annanu... What right did he have to survive in the underworld?
She summoned her servant Shamhat and instructed her, "Go and bring Kurgarru and Galatur here. I have an important task for them."
"Understood, my goddess."
"Annanu."
The divine power within Ereshkigal's body was in an unstable state; Annanu could sense it.
Yet he was a little speechless.
As the goddess of the underworld, how had she managed to empathize with