Finally, after answering 'Ereshkigal,' Naoki and Ishtar were permitted to pass through the Gate of the Underworld, as well as the six gates that followed.
After crossing the final gate, Naoki let out a soft sigh: "That was such a hassle. They asked seven times in a row which was better, Ishtar or Ereshkigal—is that what you call a just and rational gate?"
Though he had anticipated the situation would be like this, Naoki felt a bit irritated. Ereshkigal was truly competitive with Ishtar, even though he hadn't even met her yet, and the situation was already this heated.
"How would I know?" Replied Ishtar, now shrunken to the size of Naoki's palm, with a resigned and annoyed expression as she perched near his ear.
The questions she faced when descending to the Underworld back then were completely different. The only possibility was that Ereshkigal had used her authority in the Underworld to alter the Gate of the Underworld's mechanisms or directly intervened in the gate's judgment.
In either case, it showed her rejection and resentment toward Ishtar.
(I shouldn't have come to the Underworld this time… But still, I can't leave now.)
Having passed through the seven Gates of the Underworld, Ishtar's Authority and Divinity had been completely stripped. She could only return to her original form if Ereshkigal restored them. Even for her own sake, Ishtar had to stick with Naoki until the end.
Flying and landing on Naoki's shoulder, Ishtar patted his cheek: "From now on, I'm completely useless. You have to fight on your own and protect me with all your strength."
"You should also watch out for your own protection."
"Then what do I need you for?"
Ishtar casually treated Naoki as her personal bodyguard. At that moment, another massive chain shot out from somewhere, striking directly at Ishtar, startling her and causing her to dart into Naoki's clothing.
*SMACK!*
Shattering the chain with a punch, Naoki frowned: "Since earlier, I've been meaning to ask—are these chains also part of the Underworld's punishment mechanisms?"
In his memory, the Underworld shouldn't have mechanisms like this. Moreover, the pattern of these chains' appearances was odd. Except for the first hit he took, the other chains only appeared when he and Ishtar were bickering, and they always targeted Ishtar.
It felt like an attack specifically aimed at her.
The more he saw these chains, the more familiar they seemed to Naoki—not just visually familiar, though there was a slight resemblance, but more in the sense of familiarity upon contact, as if he had once been very close to these chains… or to the person using them.
But this was the Underworld; there shouldn't be any acquaintances of his here.
Besides, the seven questions from the Gates of the Underworld earlier were also strange, with parts that appeared abruptly, as if hinting at something.
"How would I know?"
Ishtar, peeking out from Naoki's collar, shook her head: "At least I've never seen chains like these. They don't seem to be a product of the Underworld itself. But since they're attacks aimed at me, I'll keep hiding here to avoid getting whipped out of nowhere."
"Instead of getting whipped, you might get torn apart—Don't bite me, that hurts."
"Hmph!"
Ishtar snorted coldly, then pointed into the distance: "Keep following this path, and we'll reach the deepest part of the Underworld. Ereshkigal is there. Though all Goddesses build their own temples, she probably doesn't have one, so you don't need to worry about her being overly strong. Finish her off quickly and cleanly."
All Goddesses had their own temples, whether to gather faith or to strengthen themselves. Especially at the end of the Age of Gods, temples helped Goddesses wield their authorities more effectively.
However, Ereshkigal had no temple of her own because she was the Queen of the Underworld. In the Underworld, she was already an invincible existence and didn't need a temple's enhancement. If anything, the Underworld itself was her temple.
Thus, the deepest part of the Underworld was always barren, with nothing there. Even when Ishtar reached the deepest part of the Underworld before, it was empty—only a gloomy Goddess was there alone, creating a prison of spears and imprisoning souls to toy with.
Logically, that's how it should be.
Due to the limitations of the Underworld's nature, Naoki's perception abilities as a fairy were hindered, insufficient to sense the actual situation in the deepest part of the Underworld.
Thus, Naoki could only rely on his knowledge of the deepest part of the Underworld to speculate.
However, just as they arrived at a point where they could see the deepest part of the Underworld, the sight before them left both of them stunned in place.
"Flowers?"
Ishtar's tone was filled with disbelief.
The base of the Underworld, which should have been empty, was now covered with a vast, endless sea of flowers?
How could this be? Could Ereshkigal have created it using her authority? But aside from the fact that she wasn't a Goddess of Vegetation and lacked the ability to make the Underworld bloom, the fundamental issue was that Ereshkigal had no knowledge of flowers whatsoever!
She was a being who, since birth, had been made the foundation and dedicated to the Underworld, never leaving it for thousands of years. She knew nothing of the upper world, and naturally, she didn't know what flowers were.
An Ereshkigal like that couldn't possibly create such a vast sea of flowers in the Underworld.
"This sea of flowers…"
Like Ishtar, Naoki was momentarily shocked upon seeing the sea of flowers. But his shock wasn't just because the flowers were in the Underworld—it was because he recognized this sea of flowers.
Or rather, he had seen, even visited, this sea of flowers before.
More than ten years ago, in a dream world suspended beneath the Crimson Moon, he had accidentally stepped into this sea of flowers, and there he made first contact with one of the most important people to him.
"Arcueid…?"
Naoki unconsciously uttered the name.
In the next moment, amidst the sea of flowers, a blonde girl in a long white dress slowly revealed herself. Under Naoki's gaze, she gradually shifted to her familiar appearance—the girl next door in a white top and black skirt, smiling and waving at him.
"Yup, I've been waiting for you for a long time, silly Naoki."
"Long time no see~~~"