The most famous aspect of the Mesopotamian underworld is the Seven Gates of the Underworld.
The Venus goddess Ishtar once ventured into the underworld. Though the exact details are unclear, it is known that the Seven Gates severely weakened Ishtar's power, eventually leading to her defeat by Ereshkigal.
Now, it was Ophis who invaded the underworld. Guided by Ereshkigal, she passed through all seven gates.
The actual experience was... underwhelming.
The primary function of the Seven Gates is to suppress power. Each gate reduces strength by about one-seventh of Ishtar's original power. For Ophis, who is currently incomplete, this suppression is significant, but it takes about two minutes to fully recover from the effects of the last gate.
So, Ophis would wait for a minute or two after passing through each gate before continuing to the next.
The guards stationed at each gate were ineffective against Ophis, as they couldn't breach the automatic defenses of the King's Treasury. Thus, they did not consume much of her energy.
What worried Ophis the most was that Ereshkigal might attack her immediately after she stepped through the final gate. Fortunately, as a goddess, Ereshkigal still adhered to some semblance of moral integrity.
Ereshkigal's idle threats at least provided Ophis with the time she needed to recover.
Meanwhile, on the surface, Ophis was nearly overwhelmed by Ereshkigal's attacks.
Although the situation hadn't completely reversed, it had come close.
Ophis was being suppressed, particularly by the magic cannon barrage—a tactic Ereshkigal excelled at!
The gods had granted Ereshkigal supreme power in exchange for her sacrifice.
Ereshkigal now controlled the underworld entirely.
From a distance, Ereshkigal could only cause Orpheus trouble by making the surrounding energy explode, which could be mitigated by a defensive spell, given Orpheus's infinite magic supply.
But now...
Ophis truly understood what it meant to be at odds with the entire world.
The death energy kept condensing and assaulting Ophis with relentless streams of fire.
There was no room to dodge, no intervals, and attacks were fired continuously from every direction without blind spots.
"What's wrong? You can't defeat me by just hiding in your shell!"
At this moment, Ophis was encased in a purple magic sphere. The energy of death battered against her magic. While it couldn't penetrate, it was gradually eroding it.
Simultaneously, Ophis's magic power was being constantly replenished.
Given that Ophis was incomplete, the outcome of this contest depended on who exhausted their magic first. The result was almost inevitable.
Ophis needed to find a way to break the deadlock.
She narrowed her eyes.
Although Ophis wasn't worried about the current situation, as Ereshkigal's power exceeded her expectations, she had means to break the stalemate.
The Sword of Separation Ea...
However, using it might disrupt the next phase of her plan, so it was best to avoid it if possible.
Given Ereshkigal's current strength, a head-on battle was not a viable option. Even if a complete Ophis were to engage, it would be a protracted struggle, unlikely to produce the outcome Ophis desired.
Instead, she resolved to handle it in a more cunning manner...
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"Humans, you know this is Tiamat's domain, yet you dare to act recklessly here?"
The giant snake woman hissed as she looked down on the Chaldeans.
"Oh really? Since your divinity has waned, can't you just accept it obediently?"
Merlin clicked his tongue and mocked the Gorgon, who scowled in response.
This hit a nerve with Gorgon.
She had initially dismissed the humans, but a massive axe had recently flown in from somewhere, destroying her temple and severely weakening her divinity.
For gods, divinity isn't entirely synonymous with strength, but the two are closely linked.
Previously, Gorgon, Altera, Arjuna, Jeanne d'Arc, and Medea's assistance could barely contain the opposition. Now, facing the same group, she would have to consider escaping.
Everything seemed to be falling apart...
Gorgon calmed herself as she reflected on her situation.
"I am an Avenger."
Gorgon murmured, her gaze fixed on the Chaldeans.
Among the Masters and Servants of Chaldea, she also noticed Quetzal, her former favorite Servant. Though she might have been furious about this, it mattered little now.
The Chaldeans listened as Gorgon spoke, not interrupting.
Ritsuka's goal was to understand the enemy first, then refute and eventually defeat them. It was natural to let Gorgon express herself first.
Fortunately, before most battles, the antagonist typically reveals their thoughts.
So, Chaldea and the others listened to her final words as expected.
"Everything has been taken from me, the things I loved have slipped away, and what I should have protected has vanished. There is no redemption, no desire, and even the meaning of my existence has disappeared. Even I have been reduced to ashes... The only thing that drives me now is revenge."
Gorgon spoke calmly, her words carrying the weight of a desire to burn everything.
Ritsuka and the others knew of Gorgon's myth. While the monster seemed innocent in her past life, it didn't justify her wish to destroy humanity.
Seeing Mash about to speak, Gorgon suddenly sneered.
"This little girl probably doesn't understand the ugliness of humanity at all, living every day in ignorance and bliss."
"…"
Mash opened her mouth but couldn't refute it.
Indeed, she couldn't grasp Gorgon's feelings. Despite her own troubles, she was surrounded by people who cared for her deeply.
"That girl over there is different, isn't she? My creator, the one who made the Avengers, is human. If you agree with my views, just nod. If you're willing to follow that principle, I will raise you as a Master. Everything you do is meaningless. The era of mankind has ended. You have no reason to fight for humanity. This is the Goddess's whim, right? After it's all over, exile the last human to the desolate wastelands..."
The goddess of warfare extended this invitation to Ritsuka.