Boom────
The shrine, once meticulously maintained with every detail in order to serve the gods, now lay in ruins.
"The attack even avoided those dead miko? I don't understand what the point is."
Ereshkigal slowly rose from his awkward position, a mocking smirk on his lips.
"I will beat you to a pulp and make you return the souls I've taken."
Ophis stood atop the ruins, several purple magic circles floating behind her, facing Ereshkigal.
"Even though they did something wrong, like summoning 'us'?"
"They broke the king's law, and as a king, I must punish them. On the other hand, they followed divine commandments, so as a goddess, it is unreasonable for you to kill them."
Ophis answered Ereshkigal's question calmly.
"Really? Even so, you summoned me out of nowhere. You're quite impatient, aren't you?"
"I think it's more efficient this way."
Ophis's already dark expression grew darker.
"Perhaps the love I borrowed isn't as strong as divine faith, but as long as the strength is sufficient, that's fine."
Staring intently at Ereshkigal with burning eyes, Ophis's voice was filled with suppressed anger.
"Only the victor has the right to speak, so you cannot deny Enkidu's 'love.'"
"Oh, that's quite overbearing, though I feel you have more reasons than just that."
Ereshkigal spoke casually as a large, uniquely-shaped machete appeared in her hand. she deflected a magic cannon fired by Ophis and leaped back to avoid five consecutive attacks.
"Even if we set that aside..."
Leaping down from the ruins of the witches' residence, the magic circles behind Ophis dissipated, replaced by dozens of golden ripples, from which weapons with cold light emerged.
All of these were powerful enough to cause direct damage to the gods.
"As the god of Sumei, you allied with foreign gods and attacked your own people. As the city god of Kuta, you slaughtered its inhabitants. For these crimes, let me use my kingship to judge you."
"Yes, this sin is so grave that even I, who committed it, can scarcely understand it."
To Ophis's surprise, Ereshkigal responded this way. Despite her unchanged expression, there was an inexplicable sense of solemnity.
"Nonetheless, welcoming all humans and souls into the underworld and collecting them is my existence and destiny. Therefore, I will fulfill this duty without reservation, and I have no regrets or self-blame!"
As Ereshkigal declared, black fog representing death began to spread around her, and she pointed her weapon at Ophis.
"If you want to stop me, come! Destroy my power, my divinity, and my existence! To deny the gods as evil, to deny the evil of the gods—this is how humans have always survived, and this is the way humans have endured and considered good for millennia!"
Just as Ereshkigal had said from the beginning.
Gods are unreasonable and merciless.
Because of this, when their intellect is low, ignorant people can attribute all unreasonableness, all lack of compassion, and all misunderstandings to the gods, living their lives with an open mind.
This is tragic, but from another perspective, it can also be seen as a form of happiness.
"Is this what you think..."
Ophis whispered, then shook her head.
"It may be a very gentle approach, but it is too arrogant."
With a slight wave of her hand, dozens of weapons instantly targeted Ereshkigal.
Ereshkigal remained calm. He skillfully wielded the oddly shaped weapon in his hand, deflecting all the weapons aimed at him, and allowed the rest to create successive massive explosions around him.
The explosions were due to the magical power endowed by Ophis's Treasure, not the inherent power of the weapons. This level of magical explosion could not harm Ereshkigal, who had god-level magic resistance.
Although she easily withstood the attack, Ereshkigal's eyes widened in surprise when a huge golden spear floated beside Ophis.
The spear had mysterious runes engraved on it, exuding strong divinity. The power surrounding it was not overwhelming, but it was incredibly difficult to resist.
Ereshkigal recognized it as the power of fate.
"You want to deny the resilience and intellectual development of humans with your own strength and even take on the humble, sinful, and ignorant sides of humanity. Just you, just you gods, are too arrogant."
Picking up the golden spear, Ophis declared.
"Then I will use this 'Great God's Declaration' to pierce through you and your arrogance."
Ophis chuckled to herself. Was it a bad habit she had picked up or simply an involuntary reaction when facing someone like Ereshkigal?
She had no interest in exploring this further. The body in front of her was not Ereshkigal's true form, but even if it was just a fragment of her consciousness, it was enough for Ophis to lock onto her.
There was no need to know her exact location. With the gun in her hand, even without aiming, she could strike through her body in the underworld across the long river of fate!
Although it was impossible to kill her, it would at least silence her for a while...
"Shoot her—"
"Then who will take responsibility if you do?"
Ereshkigal's sudden roar stunned Ophis.
Coincidentally, the barrier Uruk had just established shook violently, causing Ophis, who had been focusing most of her attention there, to shift her focus momentarily.
"Chance!"
Ereshkigal seized the opportunity, quickly flying upwards.
"Whispering sound..."
Ophis snapped back to her senses, ignoring the curse-like malice she suddenly felt. She tried to step back as several chains emerged from the golden ripples, but Ereshkigal was faster.
"No matter what, I will drag you into the underworld!"
Phew!
"Umm!?"
In a somewhat surprised moment, Ereshkigal, disregarding her image, pierced Ophis with her weapon and threw her to the ground. Then, lowering her head, she pressed her lips against Ophis's in a startling display of intimacy.