What He Sought
After recording Ishtar's humiliating moment, Ereshkigal finally returned to her faithful Underworld.
"Dumuzi, carve this shameful scene of Ishtar into stone statues, and place one at every gate of the Underworld! Haha, I want every soul to see this greedy goddess's disgraceful state clearly."
"Ereshkigal, I've said it many times, I'm just a sheep, I can't do that kind of thing, neither with hooves nor horns," the golden sheep protested weakly, but then his tone changed.
"Speaking of which, has there been any change in your body? Is this... your physical body?"
As Ereshkigal's gloomy, rambling trash can and punching bag, Dumuzi keenly sensed that something was wrong with Ereshkigal.
"Yes, now I can leave the Underworld without Ishtar. This has been quite an unexpected turn of events." Ereshkigal stretched out her hand, looking at her physical body, her tone full of emotion.
It was indeed full of surprises. Ninkigal's intervention caused all her constraints to disappear, and the body that Bai Mo created for her was clearly superior to the one she had shared with Ishtar before.
This is partly due to the Asura Way's formidable vitality, and partly due to the environment at the time— the Sea of Imaginary Numbers, a place where anything is possible because it is unobservable.
Through a series of unexpected events, Ereshkigal fulfilled the wish that Iskandar had longed for, obtaining a body capable of containing the goddess's core.
"This is truly something to celebrate. Now you can leave the Underworld directly, right?"
Dumuzi spoke to Ereshkigal, but she immediately rejected his suggestion.
"How could that be? I'm not some shameless, reckless person like Ishtar. I'm here to properly fulfill my duties in the Underworld."
Even though she had the option to leave, Ereshkigal remained steadfast in her sense of duty. Though somewhat stubborn, Ereshkigal consistently tried to help humanity in her own way.
"You know that's not what I meant, right? Even if humanity wins in the end, the Age of Gods will still fade away. But you can save yourself from extinction thanks to this body."
Dumuzi changed the subject and continued, "The thing I'm talking about that's worth celebrating is this: I can finally be free! YES!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Ereshkigal's high heel kicked him squarely on the forehead, and the golden sheep rolled to the side like a ball.
Dumuzi knew that this was how he would be treated if he spoke the truth about Ereshkigal.
Ereshkigal hugged her knees, carefully considering Dumuzi's words. Theoretically, it was possible, but what kind of impact would it have if a god lived into the modern era?
It's unlikely that the Counter Force would simply stand by and do nothing.
If the Alaya Consciousness knew about this, it would most likely just chuckle.
This is such a trivial matter.
"No, no, no, this is too dangerous! It would have a huge impact on the development of Human Order! And we can't ignore the Underworld either..."
"But is this really a good idea? That outsider will keep moving forward, right? What if he gets away? Won't I continue to be tormented by you? NO!"
Dumuzi spoke with ruthless words, then turned around and saw that Ereshkigal had somehow appeared beside him, raising her foot and stomping hard on his golden wool.
"Stop! If you're wearing high heels, the wool cushioning won't be effective at all!"
"Then you'd better suffer! What nonsense are you spouting? He and I... she and I are just business partners, nothing more..."
No, he still possesses Issei of the Authority of the Underworld. Logically speaking, shouldn't he also bear some responsibility for the Underworld? Should I arrange a position for him or something...?
Upon hearing Ereshkigal's words, Dumuzi below let out a cold, emotionless laugh:
"Although I expect to receive an even harsher beating for saying this, I still have to say it: Nonsense, even Ishtar wouldn't dream such a dream."
He then received an even more brutal beating, just as he had hoped.
After an unknown amount of time, Ereshkigal suddenly stopped moving. Her brows were furrowed as she stared into the distance, where countless souls were wailing in heart-wrenching agony, as if they were being torn apart by five horses.
"What's going on?" Dumuzi's voice was no longer emotionless; it was filled with a sense of crisis and tension.
"They've started their operation over there. I didn't expect their first stop to be my Underworld instead of Uruk?" As she spoke, Ereshkigal immediately informed Bai Mo of the situation through the contract.
She was still filled with doubt. Why was Enlil fixated on the Underworld? Logically speaking, her Underworld had no strategic value whatsoever, so why had it become the primary target?
Unless the Underworld is destroyed, she is virtually impossible to kill. Her opponent also lacks the authority to suppress her, so why would they deliberately provoke her?
But the situation didn't allow her to think too much; the opponent had arrived!
A dart-shaped wind blade hurtled towards her with incredible speed, severing all the soul cages in its path. She had only sensed her opponent a second ago, and the attack was already upon her the next.
"The Heavens Have the Absolute Sea!"
With a delicate shout, the Underworld instantly unleashed a powerful force, suppressing the power of the attack.
The double-headed spear was held horizontally in front of him, its spinning light lance acting as a shield to block the fatal blow. In the Underworld, Ereshkigal was practically invincible, and since Enlil was still the God-King of Sumer, he would be subject to the constraints of the Underworld.
The piercing friction sound sent shivers down Ereshkigal's spine. Even though her divine power was constrained by the power of the Underworld, the difference in Magnetic Field Power was still enormous.
Gale howled, and the force of eight hundred thousand horses shattered Ereshkigal's double-headed spear. The resulting Gale was like a whirlpool in the deep sea, and within it, a figure rapidly approached Ereshkigal.
A black light flashed, and Enlil, wielding a long, jet-black sword, aimed straight for Ereshkigal's neck.
Success!
Enlil thought to himself, but the next moment a threat of death came rushing towards him. Enlil felt a chill on his neck, as if he himself was about to be beheaded.
Gale howled, and a blurry figure suddenly appeared in the wind. The next moment, Mad Giant Shark mad shark seemed to be charging at its prey, about to bite Enlil's head off!
As the wind shifted, Enlil's figure shot backward like a boomerang.
A cold light appeared deep within the Underworld, as if it would cleave the entire Underworld in two. Enlil raised his sword to clash with it. The dark sword energy and the blinding cold light collided, and a powerful force erupted, as if it would destroy the entire Underworld.
As the power dissipated, Bai Mo stood before Ereshkigal, sword in hand. Without turning around, he said, "I'm not too late, am I?"
Seeing that familiar figure, Ereshkigal felt a sense of relief and let out a deep breath, saying, "No, you've arrived just in time."
Enlil looked at the black longsword in his hand. A nick had appeared on the blade, from which purple blood was flowing. The smooth weapon seemed to be trembling slightly, as if it were alive.
He stared at the smooth blade, at his neck, where a clear bloodstain ran.
If he hadn't retreated, he would probably have been beheaded by Bai Mo with a single blow. This fact made his eyes calm, yet it was as if a storm was about to break.
Magnetic Field Power appeared around his neck, Cellular Regeneration.
"What a pity, I almost killed you, Ereshkigal. As a god, to associate with humans, it seems you've been away from heaven for too long, have you completely fallen?"
Enlil said coldly, his eyes full of disdain.
"I'll return those words to you verbatim. So you finally dare to show your true form? Too bad, if you hadn't backed down, I would have finished you off with a single strike." Bai Mo stood before Ereshkigal, his tone as cold as an ice cave, facing the King of Gods.