The underworld, where Ereshkigal was situated, had already been shattered. The land, separated from the material world, was melting into magma in many areas due to the intense heat from the magic.
Enveloped in the swirling energy, Ereshkigal's face turned pale.
Just moments ago, as she injected death energy into Ophis and the explosion occurred, Ophis's reaction had suddenly vanished.
...Dead?
It seemed impossible.
A sense of emptiness gnawed at Ereshkigal, and she bit her lip in frustration.
But then, her expression changed abruptly. She rolled forward, sweeping her spear horizontally in a defensive maneuver.
Ereshkigal's expression froze as several golden ripples expanded outward, summoning countless treasures filled with powerful energy. If she had not reacted in time, she would have been pierced by these weapons. Despite her quick response, the weapons still penetrated the gaps around her, forming a barrier.
At the same moment, spikes infused with strong death energy erupted from the ground, surrounding the black-robed figure that had appeared behind Ereshkigal.
Now, Ereshkigal was half-kneeling, her spear held backward, while Ophis stood behind her, holding both the Sword of the End and the Spear of the Underworld against their necks.
Both of them frowned slightly.
Ereshkigal couldn't fathom how Ophis had appeared behind her. The situation was too bizarre.
In her perception, Ophis had directly "entered" the underworld and materialized behind her.
But that should be impossible. Not only was Ophis already in the underworld, but entering it also required Ereshkigal's control. Though she might not be able to fully prevent it, she could still interfere.
Upon closer inspection, Ereshkigal realized...
I see. You waited until now to use it?
Ophis felt a surge of anxiety.
It wasn't a complete failure, but it wasn't a success either.
No barrier could contain the Ouroboros, and Ophis naturally possessed its unique method of movement.
The Ouroboros was perfect in its isolation from the world. It was not difficult for it to separate itself from the world. This isolation allowed Ophis to move freely, as the Ouroboros was always "next door" to any location in the world, just a single step away.
However, in the underworld, things were different.
While the walls of the underworld were not as formidable as the world itself, Ereshkigal had near-total control over it.
This made it nearly impossible for Ophis's process of "leaving" and "entering" to escape Ereshkigal's detection.
Though Ereshkigal couldn't intercept her, she could delay Ophis's entry or disrupt her positioning. As long as Ereshkigal could detect Ophis's methods, she had plenty of ways to counter them.
It was a single chance, and even if Ereshkigal reacted immediately, she would have had little time to think of an intercept.
Now it seemed that even the chance Ereshkigal had seized hadn't succeeded. Ophis had managed to enter despite Ereshkigal's efforts to delay her.
The god and the dragon faced each other in a tense stalemate.
The treasures Ophis wielded had the power to kill gods. A few strikes would have certainly been fatal for Ereshkigal. But the surrounding spikes, filled with potent death energy, seemed to be a formidable trump card of Ereshkigal's own.
Neither dared to make a move.
"Puff—"
Suddenly, Ereshkigal laughed.
Ophis tilted her head, confused.
"How foolish! Our fight is pointless."
With that, Ereshkigal retracted the Lance of the Underworld and dispersed the surrounding spikes, raising her hands in surrender.
"I admit defeat. This is not only your home turf, but you also can't use your full strength, right? Since I can't defeat you despite all these advantages, it's only fair to acknowledge your superiority."
Ereshkigal had already accepted her loss at the moment Ophis's death was imminent.
Ophis remained silent for a moment before waving her hand, dismissing the treasures.
"But even in defeat, my goal remains unchanged. I will gather the souls of the living into the underworld, rule over the dead, and establish my kingdom of the dead. To achieve this, I will obtain the Holy Grail."
Ereshkigal chuckled and spoke.
"So, how will you stop me? The answer is simple: just do it. I won't resist."
Ophis opened her mouth to respond but suddenly changed expression.
The next moment, a powerful wind pressure erupted from her right hand.
"Enuma Elish──"
The red storm coalesced into a sharp blade, slicing directly towards Ereshkigal!
Seeing this, Ereshkigal's expression twitched.
Damn it, I told you to kill, and you actually did. Is this how it's supposed to go? Even if you were going to kill me, could you have at least prepared me mentally?
At that moment, Ereshkigal felt a fatal sense of crisis from behind.
But she had no time to react. A black sword light flashed, followed by a red storm exploding. The already troubled underworld continent was once again engulfed in chaotic energy.
Ophis's face darkened.
The attack was a simulation of Ea's wind blade, known for its devastating power. The sudden explosion must have been due to an unexpected obstacle.
Her index finger moved, and several treasures emerged from the golden ripples behind her.
As the energy turbulence began to subside, the first sight that met Ophis's eyes was Ereshkigal lying on the ground, making Ophis's expression even darker.
A burst of magic power dispersed the surrounding smoke and dust.
Then, a hunched figure in a black robe emerged.
Ophis clenched the Sword of the End.
Had she not accidentally triggered the power of fate... No, if fate hadn't directly warned her, she would never have noticed this individual.
It's never that simple…