The Underworld
"Stay calm, King of Heroes. This is no time for panic. Hide in the shadows. Meditate. Achieve the pinnacle of Presence Concealment EX..."
Gilgamesh muttered to himself in the gloom. My soul remains intact, even if I have—through a series of unfortunate events—technically died. There is still hope. I must place my faith in the Chaldean troupe... in Ea... and in my own foolish, living self.
"Still," he hissed, "to assassinate me without my knowledge is the height of cowardice! A truly despicable deed, Ereshkigal—!"
Eridu – Thirty Minutes after the Lucha Match
"Cheers!!"
"Man, Rikka really pulled it off! Today is a day for celebration! Truly festive!"
"The flashy movement, the breakfalls... it was a far cry from Pankration, but you've mastered it perfectly, Master."
"I was worried sick... but you did well, Rikka."
"Alright! Next, we train Mary!"
"Indeed. We cannot show favoritism to one disciple over another."
"I'll start drafting the menu immediately."
「Aaaaaa, Aaaaaa...」
"You seem happy, Mother," Enkidu said softly.
「Humanity... surpassing the Gods. So happy... so happy...」
"...I see." Enkidu's expression softened, though a shadow lingered in his eyes. Even if humanity rejects you, would you still say that? Your wish... I think I'm beginning to understand it.
「Surely, if it is them... they will... Aaaaaa.」
"Now then," Enkidu announced, returning to the present. "Let us reassess our situation. Thanks to our Master's spirited efforts..."
"The Goddess Quetzalcoatl is now our ally! That's all you need to know, sí!"
The Sun Goddess laughed brightly, her cheerful aura radiating like a second dawn. The avatar of the sun, having reached a mutual understanding with Rikka, gave a playful wave.
"Of course, I'll pick up the rest as we go, so no need for long explanations. King of Heroes, Gilgamesh—and..."
She shot a sparkling wink toward 'Ea.'
"My apologies for not greeting you sooner. Your cheering was wonderful! ¡Gracias!"
—¡Gracias, Luchadora!
Ea replied with matching enthusiasm, having clearly absorbed the passionate spirit of the ring.
(Mexican... the land of tacos. I like it.)
"Very well," Enkidu continued. "Our objective remains that axe. The massive Axe of Marduk."
It stood—or rather, loomed—before them. The weapon Marduk once used to cleave heaven from earth. A colossal implement with the weight of a continent, far beyond the reach of any mortal hand.
"Moving it isn't impossible, but we cannot afford to slow Marduk's pace. We must return to Uruk with all haste."
"Something wrong? You look a bit... pale."
—It's, well. The Mapo Tofu... it reached the Wise King's lips...
「?」
—A-Anyway! Since it's here in Lady Quetzalcoatl's territory, we can come back for it later! For now, we need to use Marduk to get back to Uruk immediately!
"I see... there are complications? Understood. Leave the Axe of Marduk to me." Quetzalcoatl offered a reassuring peace sign. Her quick wit and deep understanding were a godsend. The group bowed in gratitude.
"What are you doing, staring at that golden idiot like that, you Latin transplant?" Ishtar cut in, pouting. "Don't bother appealing to him. His taste is the absolute, bottom-of-the-barrel worst."
"Hahaha! Don't hold a grudge, Ishtar," the King's spirit form laughed. "When you put it that way, I can't help but feel a little embarrassed."
"You don't sound sincere at all! A man who could snub the Goddess of Beauty has no eyes for quality anyway, you moron!"
"How uncouth... even a village girl has more grace than this. I wonder why the gods of Mesopotamia ever saw fit to deify this creature..."
—She's certainly... free-spirited, isn't she, Ishtar-sama?
"Indeed. Do you see my struggle now? This is the city goddess of Uruk! Mark my words: in all of history, there hasn't been a single instance of her actually protecting the city!"
(He's so certain...)
"(Oh, we're keeping the 'other soul' a secret? Then I shall play along.) Hello, Ishtar. Is this our first meeting? Your output seems rather... inefficient for a goddess of your stature."
"There are reasons for that," Ishtar snapped, waving off Quetzalcoatl's greeting. "Mostly thanks to that golden idiot over there. If I let my guard down, my body feels like it'll fly apart. Anyway—we've traded blows a few times as enemies, haven't we?"
"Ya! We're allies now! Don't be so cold, Ishtar! Smile more! Brightly, like the sun!"
"Mind your own business. Glowing indiscriminately is so tacky. A radiance should be blinding, yes, but its blessings should only be for the chosen few—that is how a Goddess of Beauty ought to be. I don't just 'sparkle' constantly like you."
"Big talk for someone whose own pet bull cut ties with her."
(I wonder when she'll realize her mistake... this is going to be fun.)
—But hearing the pride of a god directly is impressive. I shall record it as wisdom.
The King smirked, Fou looked exasperated, and Ea nodded with total sincerity.
「FUUUUU————」
No one commented on the fact that Marduk had begun venting heat of its own accord.
"Hmph. You're surprisingly humble for your nature," Quetzalcoatl mused, looking at Ishtar. "Is that your true self? Or the influence of your human vessel? Either way, to see you learn modesty is a once-in-a-divine-lifetime event. I bless your good fortune. You've made a good encounter. You too—King of Heroes."
—Yes!
"...Hmph. I won't deny it. There is no need."
Ea beamed, and the King nodded with a satisfied smile.
"Can you stop with the condescending attitude?" Ishtar huffed. "You're the one who got poisoned by human culture. What even is 'Lucha Libre'? You're treating a Space Shuttle like a go-kart. To people actually trying to run a serious race, you're more of a nuisance than the Incineration of Humanity!"
"Oh? Is that so?! 'Space Shuttle' sounds like a powerful flying technique! ¡Excelente!"
"It wasn't a compliment, it was an insult! Ugh, this goddess is hopeless. The Pro-Wrestling Virus has rotted her brain."
(Look who's talking. It's literally written into your DNA.)
"Mmm, that barb had the distinct, nameless sharpness of a certain blacksmith."
—P-Please... no more roasts, I beg you...
Ea curled into a ball, covering her face in embarrassment.
"You two are like sisters," Rikka noted, looking at Quetzalcoatl and Ishtar.
"EXCUSE ME!?"
「Well, she's not entirely wrong. Both of you share an affinity for the planet Venus. Ishtar is the Morning Star, and Quetzalcoatl is identified with Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli, the Aztec personification of the dawning Venus.」
"The Tla-what-now?"
"Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli-sama! It is a bit of a mouthful, isn't it?"
「Basically, you're related.」
"On that note," Enkidu added, "Lord Marduk is a deity of Jupiter. If we invoked his Jovian authority, we could wield even greater power—but let's save that for later."
"Lord Marduk... the Sun God who defeated Tiamat. A god of sorcery, agriculture, and a hero..."
"He is much like you, Winged Serpent—a being with a multitude of faces."
"I had to do everything myself because there was no one else," Quetzalcoatl explained. "As the generations passed and specialized gods appeared, I handed off those roles. But I can see the King of Heroes' resolve. To summon the full power of the Great God Marduk into this world..."
"The principle is the same as yours," Gilgamesh's spirit replied. "Provide a suitable vessel, have a noble soul offer the prayers, and create a keystone to anchor the divine power. I have designated Chaldea as that anchor. To destroy Marduk, one would have to destroy Chaldea... an impossibility."
(...A noble soul? Does he actually have someone like that in mind? No way. For him to acknowledge someone... that soul would have to be a miracle of human history. I wouldn't have missed someone like that.)
—Achoo! (Ea sneezed)
"To be so blind to the obvious is the mark of a master jester, Beast."
(I'm starting to actually like this guy.)
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