"...Is it similar to Enkidu again? I remember you described that saint in a similar way," Ereshkigal said with a helpless sigh.
"But there's still a difference, right?" Ophis nodded.
To the gods, Enkidu was simply a tool created to balance the power between humans and their king. But after being taught by the holy priestess, Enkidu came to understand emotions and love, ultimately turning away from the gods. This irony—"God does not understand human nature"—is hard to ignore.
Even the holy priestess, who was closest to the gods among humans, did not truly love the unpredictable gods. In the end, gods are just embodiments of nature, but the priestess loved all of nature.
Her mission was to teach Enkidu, the Chain of Heaven, rationality and wisdom. But how could one simply teach a wild beast? Out of love for Enkidu, the priestess united herself with him, not to be reborn through him, but to impart human emotions. Slowly, bit by bit, she integrated everything of herself into Enkidu.
Eventually, the human priestess disappeared, and Enkidu, with her wisdom, body, and even emotions, was born. Was she the priestess or the Chain of Heaven? There was no need to ask. She was Enkidu, who inherited the priestess's feelings while retaining the essence of the Chain of Heaven.
Enkidu was different from Jeanne d'Arc and even more different from Lily. However, that noble heart was the same, which gave Ophis a similar feeling. Perhaps this was true for all saints.
The same applied to Altria. Though she seemed to be this world's King Arthur, her nature was closer to that of a saint.
Ophis sighed inwardly. Enkidu wanted her to inherit this love, but it was difficult for Ophis to bear such noble emotions.
Without Enkidu, the old Ophis might have chosen to sacrifice Uruk entirely in a battle to the death against those who dared to invade her territory. Even with her current change, Ophis would likely choose to give up on others, select the best humans, and find a way to establish a safe environment to rebuild humanity.
However, Ophis now loved the world, the earth, nature, and the humans born from it. It wasn't the distant, detached love of a god, but the love of a companion who was born on the same land—a love she struggled to understand.
"Ereshkigal, do you love humans?" Ophis suddenly asked.
"…Why ask such a question out of nowhere?" Ereshkigal replied calmly, and Ophis just shook her head.
"What does God's love look like?"
"…"
Ereshkigal stared at Uruk for a long time before speaking again.
"In the most primitive times, God had no love," she said, her eyes flickering with the light from Uruk.
"Love between gods, and the feelings between gods and humans, are ultimately more about desire. Have you ever heard of a god marrying a human out of love?"
Without waiting for Ophis's response, Ereshkigal continued.
"There are gods who deeply love humans, but that's just a logical error—a mistake caused by too much power."
"An error...?"
"Take my foolish sister, for example. She presides over war, harvest, love, and beauty. She claims to love humans, yet she also loves human wars. To humans, she is completely mad."
"…"
Ophis remained silent.
"Well, I don't think this 'error' is entirely wrong," Ereshkigal added, her tone softening.
"Isn't that what we gods are like? All unreasonable things can be blamed on us. Whether it's a mistake or madness, we can love if we want to love, and hate if we want to hate. There's no need to question it, right?"
"Yeah…"
Ophis half-closed her silver-gray eyes, thinking for a moment before turning to Ereshkigal.
"Then, Ereshkigal."
"Wha—? Why are you suddenly calling me that? I didn't say you could call me that…"
Ignoring Ereshkigal's reaction, Ophis continued, "Do you love anything, Ereshkigal?"
"…We're back to this question again…" Ereshkigal sighed and stood up, looking down at Ophis.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you. I'm not like my foolish sister. Let me reintroduce myself—I, Ereshkigal, am the goddess of the underworld, the mistress of the underworld, and the manager of death. I hate all living beings and only love what belongs to me—the souls of the dead. That's right, I only care for the dead. Does that satisfy you?"
"Yeah…"
Ophis exhaled, standing up to face Ereshkigal.
"You're really not honest with yourself, are you?"
"What does that mean?"
"Nothing, just what it sounds like..."
"Baffling!"
Ignoring Ereshkigal's outburst, Ophis narrowed her eyes slightly.
"The foreigners have appeared, and the road to the future is no longer shrouded in fog."
"…oh?"
Ereshkigal suddenly grew serious, staring at Ophis.
"What are you trying to say, King of Uruk?"
"It's time for the halted gears to start turning again. Don't you think the war should continue, one of the three goddesses?"
Ophis said this with a smile.
"Are you declaring war on me?"
Ereshkigal narrowed her eyes, the oppressive aura of a god filling the air as the surrounding plants began to wither.
"Ereshkigal, wait in the underworld. I will break through the seven gates."
Ophis was unaffected by the breath of death and continued to smile faintly.
"How arrogant! Even my foolish sister would lose all resistance after passing through the seven gates and wouldn't be able to fight me. How far can you go?"
Ereshkigal sneered, her blood-red eyes flashing with the light of death.
"Just wait and see… When I defeat you, tell me the truth about your purpose and what you really think."
Ophis calmly met her gaze, undeterred by the aura of death.
Ereshkigal's body trembled slightly, but she quickly snorted coldly.
"Then let's see. If you die in the underworld, I won't let you go like I did with my foolish sister. Your soul will stay in the underworld forever!"
Throwing her red cape over her shoulder, Ereshkigal bypassed Ophis and walked away.
"I'll be waiting for you on the throne of death."
"Just wait patiently."
Without looking back at Ereshkigal, Ophis slowly made her way down the hill, heading back to Uruk.