"What do you think of this sight?"
"Are you, Ishtar...?"
The voice that kept echoing in her ears was so familiar that Ophis recognized it instantly. However, something felt off. The person behind her seemed a bit more stable, though only slightly. The strong smell of death and darkness was completely opposite to the usual presence of Ishtar.
Turning around, Ophis saw a girl who was both familiar and unfamiliar. She resembled Ishtar, but her hair was golden instead of black, and her clothing was no longer as revealing. Instead, she wore a combination of a black dress and a red cape—though it was still somewhat revealing.
This was indeed the same body that Ishtar had possessed. Ophis was certain because the body still carried the "aura" of Uruk, specifically the taste of Ophis herself. Despite this, Ophis knew this was not the same goddess. One was 'yang' and the other 'yin'—completely different in essence. Although some gods might share such characteristics, Ishtar was not among them.
"Oh, you can tell the difference right away."
The girl who looked like Ishtar chuckled.
"Not Ishtar... Ereshkigal?"
After a few moments of contemplation, Ophis confirmed the identity of the person before her. This was not a difficult deduction. Ereshkigal, Ishtar's sister and one of the twin goddesses, was known in this era. The deaths of these witches and the reports from Kuta City pointed towards Ereshkigal, the goddess of the underworld, as the culprit.
The souls of these witches had been drained, and it was highly likely that the same had happened in Kuta City, where Ereshkigal was the patron goddess.
"Well, it's no fun to be recognized so quickly."
Ereshkigal's expression turned serious.
"Indeed. I am Ereshkigal, ruler of death, mistress of the underworld, trampler of sacred peaks, and one of the pillars of the 'Three Goddesses Alliance.'"
Alliance of Three Goddesses?
Ophis took note of this term.
"So, you still haven't answered my question. What do you think when you see this scene?"
"Thoughts?"
Ophis looked around at the lifeless bodies of the witches and tilted her head.
"It feels meaningless."
To Ophis, this was just another example of the gods' actions—meaningless on the surface. Slaughtering people, destroying cities, and ruining countries seemed pointless. Even if humanity was destroyed, the gods would gain nothing but the fleeting pleasure of destruction.
Originally, Ophis thought this was just the gods' way of punishing humans or dying with them after their sealing. But after meeting Ishtar, she realized that Ishtar's perspective was different—perhaps due to the incomplete summoning or a lower overall IQ.
Comparing Ishtar to Ereshkigal, Ophis felt that most of the intelligence had shifted to Ereshkigal. Though she could not confirm the identities of the others, her evaluation of the gods' actions as meaningless remained unchanged.
Ereshkigal's face grew cold, and her tone was filled with mixed emotions.
"In your eyes, the actions of gods like us seem to have no meaning. We do what we want without reason. To humans, gods appear unreasonable and merciless."
Ereshkigal stared directly into Ophis' eyes.
"That is why I cannot agree with you, King Ophis of Uruk. I cannot accept your approach of ending the Age of Gods!"
"Yeah?"
Ophis responded somewhat indifferently. The egoism of the gods did not concern her. Since the other party could not align with her views, war seemed inevitable.
"You are right. You think too highly of humans."
But Ereshkigal's next words confused her.
"They are not even human beings. Do you really believe they can face the age without gods so unprepared?"
Ereshkigal's mocking smile was evident.
"Humans are not as weak as the gods believe."
There was a brief silence before Ophis replied.
Usually, she would not bother to engage in conversation, especially with an enemy. She would have used her magic cannon to deal with the situation directly. However, Ereshkigal's words sparked an inexplicable urge in Ophis to explain her views.
The fact that Ereshkigal saw through her inhumanity so easily was not a concern for Ophis. It was easy to discern with a little knowledge.
"In the eyes of gods, humans may seem as fragile as ceramics, but I believe they are much more resilient than the arrogant and inflexible gods."
"Is that so? Is this the result of your observation, Prologue?"
Ereshkigal's mockery lessened but did not completely disappear.
"If you, the human king, say so, it might be true. But if you are not human, why do you help humans?"
Ophis was silent for a moment before answering.
"…I love humans. That reason alone is enough."
"Ha... with that borrowed 'love'?"
Ereshkigal laughed loudly.
"How ridiculous! How arrogant! Who do you think you are? How can a mere borrowed emotion compete with the eternal will of gods like us? How can you rival the proud faith of gods like us?"
Ereshkigal's tone was filled with undisguised contempt.