In the deserted temple, a small area of the once peaceful space seemed to ripple slightly. Ophis emerged from it, looking somewhat embarrassed. She staggered slightly as she landed on the ground, nearly falling.
"Call..."
As purple magic surged from the ground and enveloped Ophis, the feeling of weakness that had plagued her vanished almost instantly.
"Call Siduri over here."
After transmitting her voice through magic to the guards outside, Ophis collapsed onto the throne.
Though she understood the necessity of her actions, she wasn't used to feeling weak.
As an entity of infinity, weakness was a foreign concept to her. As long as she wasn't struck by a decisive blow or faced with a means to disrupt her infinite nature, accumulating damage or fatigue was meaningless. Though she could be hurt and expend energy in battle, those were merely facets of her infinity—subtracting from infinity still left infinity.
Yet now, she had chosen to fragment that infinity.
"Hey, what's wrong with you?"
To Ophis's surprise, it wasn't Siduri who arrived first but the goddess Ishtar, who stormed in, clearly agitated.
"It's Ishtar… Have you finished exploring the south?"
"What on earth are you talking about? You gave off an entirely different impression!"
Ishtar's frustration was evident. During the battle, Ophis's aura had momentarily mirrored Enkidu's, creating an unsettling blend of their presences.
To Ishtar, it was like a nightmare. She and Enkidu, while technically sisters, had completely opposing values and didn't get along. Despite their few encounters, her impression of Enkidu had always been negative.
In Ophis's view, Ishtar was likely the reason Enkidu had become so bothersome. From Ophis's perspective, Enkidu's actions were justified, and Ishtar's personality was more likely to cause trouble.
Ishtar, on the other hand, despised Enkidu. For her, it was a calamity if Ophis's aura suddenly aligned with Enkidu's.
"Never mind that for now," Ishtar said, quickly walking down the hall to stand before Ophis. She grabbed Ophis's right hand.
"Can you at least explain this?"
The state of Ophis's right arm was a mix of torn skin, golden light that had damaged the flesh, and purple magic that was still mending the wounds.
"This is excessive. You can feel pain too, right?"
Ophis's body was composed of energy, yet she still experienced sensations, including pain. The body was essential for perceiving the world, and a lack of sensory perception would make it incomplete.
"Just block it out."
Ophis tilted her head. While she could convert sensory inputs into energy, she wasn't completely devoid of feeling.
Ishtar sighed silently.
"Forget it. You won't change."
Ishtar took a seat nearby, looking at Ophis's arm with curiosity.
"What's with that arm?"
The sensation it gave her was unmistakably linked to the Heaven's Lock. The strange red energy was particularly intriguing.
"This guy has so many secrets…"
Ishtar licked her lips, her interest piqued. She was determined to explore anything that captivated her, even if it meant eventually discarding it.
Ophis, however, was different.
"I feel like if I keep probing, I'll be dragged in too…"
Ishtar sighed again, unable to grasp Ophis's motives. She had witnessed Ophis release the Bull of Heaven before, and even though Ishtar had indirectly killed Enkidu, Ophis held no anger towards her.
This perplexed Ishtar, who had been eager to see Ophis's emotions and reactions.
Despite her curiosity and the desire to pry further, Ishtar had realized that pursuing Ophis too closely might lead to uncontrollable consequences. Thus, she maintained a cautious distance, keeping their relationship at the level of acquaintances.
Now that she had been summoned again, Ishtar considered forming an alliance with Ophis rather than being an enemy, recognizing the potential benefits.
"This body is surprisingly more emotional… It seems to attract trouble, especially when it comes to beings like little girls."
Ishtar shook her head.
"So what's next? Your hand doesn't seem to be healing anytime soon. Do you really need to rest here?"
Ishtar was about to leave when Ophis spoke.
"Indeed, I have a favor to ask of you, Ishtar."
"What is it?"
"After you return from the southern jungle, I'll need you to take me to the underworld."
"Ha?"
Ishtar was taken aback.
The underworld... where that troublesome sister resides?
"Is that so? But the underworld is dangerous, even for someone nearly invincible like myself. You seem to be quite weakened right now. Wouldn't it be suicidal to venture there in your condition?"
Ishtar regarded Ophis with a serious expression.
"Although I'm reluctant to admit it, you're now a crucial part of Uruk. Your life is not just yours alone, understand?"
Ophis smiled, revealing a confident expression.
"Don't worry, Ishtar."
"So it's not you I'm worried about…"
Ishtar began to speak, but Ophis interrupted.
"I've considered this since the last battle with Enkidu."
"Hmm?"
Ishtar was puzzled.
"Ishtar has it the other way around. Uruk, its people, and my life all belong to me… No, they belong to me."
"Ha?"
Ishtar was truly stunned now.
"Are you really Ophis? This change is too dramatic. Even I wouldn't dare be so arrogant with Father God around."
Ophis didn't elaborate but continued to smile gently.
"Ishtar, you underestimate me. Infinity is not merely a part of me; it is my essence. So even if I discard my infinite power, I remain infinite. Compared to my infinity, the underworld is nothing."
Ophis's declaration was final.