"Urgh—"
Crack—
Boom!!!
Annanu's eyes blazed with golden light. Sitting atop Abzu's head, he pressed both hands against Abzu's brow, pouring out every last bit of his magical power to suppress him.
Abzu tore apart the golden substance binding his body, but Annanu immediately replenished it, sealing Abzu away once more.
Abzu roared, clearly unwilling to remain in the Underworld.
"Damn it!"
Annanu's expression twisted viciously. His fingertips had sharpened, even piercing Abzu's scalp and sinking beneath his skin.
Yet Abzu's frenzied movements showed no sign of slowing.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom—!!!
"Uwaa—th-this can't be suppressed any longer!" Ereshkigal clutched a spear in her hand, knocked to the ground by the violent tremors caused by Abzu. Tears welled in her eyes as she spoke.
Her voice carried an unmistakable tremor and despair.
Abzu had awakened in the Underworld, and she had been summoned by the Counter Force into this Singularity. She had witnessed Abzu's madness from beginning to end.
Annanu and Enkidu's seal had indeed been effective at first, but Abzu's power was recovering, and his resistance to Annanu and Enkidu's powers had continuously increased. By now—
No matter how hard Annanu tried to suppress Abzu, he could no longer do so.
Crack—
A fissure appeared in Annanu's thick layer of restraints.
Crack—
The crack spread.
Crack—
The fracture covered the entire seal.
Ereshkigal's pupils abruptly contracted.
"Annanu! Get back here!"
She cried out herself hoarse, frantic with worry.
"Urgh—"
Annanu also realized that something was wrong. He pulled his hands free and prepared to flee, but—
Hum—
Bang—!!!!!!
"Uwah—"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH—!!!!"
Abzu broke free of his restraints.
Annanu was flung away directly, spinning wildly through the air, utterly unable to stop himself.
Boom!!!
"Argh—!"
He slammed into the wall of the Underworld. Annanu finally came to a stop, crying out as