The next day, around two in the afternoon.
Naoki and Merlin finally arrived at the city.
"What a quiet and desolate city." Naoki commented, sensing the surroundings, which felt utterly lifeless.
Merlin explained the situation of Kutha from behind: "This place was destroyed without warning after the Three Goddess Alliance appeared. One day, communication from Kutha suddenly stopped. When Leonidas led his team there, not a single living person remained in the city."
"No signs of resistance, no blood, no wounds, no traces of anything. All the residents died as if they were asleep."
"That must be the work of the Three Goddess Alliance." Naoki said. "A large-scale mass death like this… it could only be the Goddess right beneath our feet now."
In the Age of the Gods, the upper world, the Underworld, and the heavens were actually on the same plane, all on the surface of the world, until they vanished after the Age of the Gods separated from humanity. Thus, one only needed to dig into the ground to reach the Underworld.
And in this Mesopotamian land, the entrance to the Underworld was located in Kutha.
"The Goddess beneath our feet… You mean the Mistress of the Underworld, Ereshkigal?" Merlin frowned. "The only Sumerian God left in the world today is Ishtar, and she's joined the Three Goddess Alliance… Ah, so that's how it is."
"Exactly."
No need to spell it out. When dealing with someone like Merlin, a small hint was enough for him to piece together the whole picture.
In Sumerian mythology, Ishtar was the Mistress of the Heavens, while Ereshkigal was the Mistress of the Underworld. Though they were sister Goddesses, they could also be considered two sides of the same God.
Ishtar manifested as a Pseudo-Servant by possessing Tohsaka Rin, arriving in this Singularity for unknown reasons. When she manifested, Ereshkigal, her other half, also manifested and joined the Three Goddess Alliance, returning to the Underworld to begin her Human Destruction Plan.
And the first city she destroyed was Kutha.
"So, we've been mistaken all along. Ishtar isn't actually one of the Three Goddess Alliance?"
"Yeah, but given her behavior, it's an understandable mistake."
After all, she was a foolish Goddess who occasionally came to cause chaos in Uruk, and Ishtar herself had no intention of clarifying. As a result, she was completely misunderstood.
"After we return, I'll ask King Gilgamesh to make an announcement. Now…" Merlin tapped the ground with his staff. "Since one of the Three Goddess Alliance is underground, don't you want to deal with her now? Like you did with Quetzalcoatl."
Ereshkigal was invincible in the Underworld. Both Servants and Gods would lose their powers there. This was a privilege Ereshkigal gained from being forcibly bound to the Underworld since birth.
The only one who could face her was a living being. Naoki qualified for this. And in terms of divinity and authority, her power was mid-tier among Gods. Against Naoki, who could even challenge a Main God, she would likely fall quickly.
That way, two pillars of the Three Goddess Alliance would be crushed. All that would remain was the Magical Beast Goddess beyond the Northern Wall.
"That makes sense… After we find the Tablets of Destiny, Merlin, you take them back first. I'll open a gate to send you back. Then, I'll head to the Underworld alone to visit the Underworld Goddess."
"Oh?" Merlin stroked his chin, then grinned like a mischievous friend eager for a show: "Don't tell me… Natsukawa, are you planning to flirt with this Goddess too? You really don't discriminate."
"Get lost!" Naoki immediately flipped him off. "Gilgamesh gave us three days, and we also have to go to the Persian Gulf to investigate the water quality. We need to find the Tablets of Destiny and send them back today. Then I have to rush to the Persian Gulf after dealing with the Underworld matter. The schedule's tight."
Merlin laughed: "Haiz, that's what they call 'the capable get more work.' Gilgamesh really trusts you. The Persian Gulf… you're not crazy enough to go straight there and defeat 'that one,' are you?"
"I know my limits. That one isn't a target I can defeat alone."
Naoki gave a wry smile: "Besides, she's not a target I can defeat. Ten years ago, maybe, but now I can't."
The Evils of Humanity are evils that will be defeated by humans. Only humans can defeat them.
But Naoki is a fairy.
As the price for becoming a fairy and gaining great power like Imaginary Manifestation, he lost his human identity, and with it, the qualification to truly save the world.
That's why Goetia said, when they first met, that Naoki's hands could never touch him.
"So, do you regret it?" Merlin asked. "You, who once had the potential to save the world, have now completely lost that qualification."
"No way. If I regretted it, I wouldn't have chosen to become a fairy ten years ago. I'm very satisfied with my current state, without a shred of regret. Besides, saving the world isn't something I have to do alone."
Fujimaru Ritsuka.
In the final battle of the Human Order Incineration, Naoki would do everything in his power to create an opportunity for her to defeat Goetia. He wouldn't let Roman sacrifice himself, Mash sacrifice herself, or Fou lose his intelligence.
"My thoughts are the same as yours, Merlin. Rather than a Bad Ending (BE), I prefer a Happy Ending (HE). I've already seen one BE, and now I want to rewrite that BE into an HE. For that, I'll do everything I can."
Naoki had made this decision ten years ago.
"Alright… let's start searching for the Tablets of Destiny. We've been talking about irrelevant topics. Time's limited. Let's split up and move. I'll share my sensory abilities with you through Magecraft so we can search faster."
"Yeah, let's do it."
Merlin followed Naoki's lead.
When the other party had already made all their decisions and preparations, an observer like him, who had stepped back, didn't need to do anything more. He just needed to watch quietly as always until the end and provide help when necessary.
For example, tying up his other self, who might run off at any moment, and tossing her onto Naoki's bed.
(Hmm, I'll keep an eye on my other self like that from now on.)
Merry, far away in Uruk, had no idea she was being set up like this.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
"She's coming. A bit slower than expected."
[Won't you go meet her? She's your friend.]
"No need. She'll come on her own. You heard it too. Just wait. Besides, I'm looking forward to her expression when she sees me."
[You mean the surprise?]
"Yeah."
[In that case… I'll greet her first. Is that okay?]
"Sure, but wait until that troublesome guy leaves."
[Good point.]