The Persian Gulf.
After flying out of the Underworld's hole in Kutha, Naoki headed straight here.
Accompanying him was Ishtar.
"What are you doing here?"
Ishtar asked, leaning on Ma'anna.
Naoki pointed to a nearby observation post overlooking the Persian Gulf: "Gilgamesh asked me to investigate the water quality here—since Tiamat is sleeping in the Persian Gulf, analyzing the water might tell us something."
"More importantly, why are you following me? Shouldn't you be heading back to your Mount Ebih?"
"Got a problem with that?"
Ishtar smirked and raised an eyebrow: "Besides, going back to Mount Ebih now would be so boring. I'd rather tag along with you. My instincts tell me that wherever you go, something interesting is bound to happen."
"Call it a spice for my dull life."
In this regard, Ishtar was right.
Though things had calmed down recently, Naoki was still prone to getting dragged into all sorts of strange events. Even when he stayed at home, trouble would find him. The situation had only slightly improved since he joined Chaldea.
Was it because she was a Goddess? With just one glance, she could see the oddity in Naoki's nature.
Sighing softly, Naoki landed in front of the observation post: "Do whatever you want, just don't cause me trouble—I'm going into the observation post to meet the researchers. What about you?"
"I'll wait outside. The people inside would probably be scared half to death if they saw me. After all, I'm a Goddess."
"Fair enough."
After saying that, Naoki walked into the observation post. Once he was inside, Ishtar dropped her smile, turned around, and sat on Ma'anna directly above the Persian Gulf.
Saying she wanted to tease Naoki was only one reason. More importantly, Ishtar wanted to confirm the truth of Naoki's words.
Tiamat was now sleeping beneath the Persian Gulf.
"It's hard to believe… that Mother has returned."
Ishtar had always thought she was the only Sumerian divine being present in Mesopotamia, but unexpectedly, Ereshkigal and now Tiamat had appeared…
"Mother wants to destroy humanity."
Gazing at the last rays of the setting sun nearly swallowed by the horizon and the deep Persian Gulf under faint light, Ishtar felt a heaviness in her heart.
The situation was truly becoming troublesome.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Time passed quickly, over an hour.
As the sky turned completely dark and the moon hung high above.
On a beach by the edge of the Persian Gulf.
"So, you're here."
Naoki's voice came from a distance.
Ishtar, who was napping under a tree, looked at him irritably: "I waited forever. Are you done? By the way, why are you carrying so many cans?"
"Oh, these?"
Naoki shook the cans in his hands and explained: "They're filled with Persian Gulf seawater to take back to Uruk. The water quality investigation here seems to be a routine task. Gilgamesh sends people here every so often."
"But Gilgamesh didn't tell me specifically what to do before I came—he just said to come here. Luckily, the researchers at the observation post knew what to do, or I'd have been completely clueless."
Sending someone here without specific instructions—Naoki wasn't even sure if this could be called Gilgamesh's trust in him or not.
Setting the cans down and sitting beside Ishtar, Naoki looked out at the Persian Gulf in the distance: "What did you see here?"
"Nothing, just passing the time. Though I could go straight back to Mount Ebih, I said I'd wait for you outside, so it'd be rude to just leave."
"You care about things like that?"
"Ugh—!"
A vein pulsed on Ishtar's forehead: "I'M ASKING YOU! Do you think I'm some idiot who doesn't care about others' feelings at all? Sure, my original divine self might've done something like that, but the me influenced by this body wouldn't."
"So, you're a Goddess who actually understands others' feelings but doesn't necessarily bother to consider them?"
"It's more like there's no one worthy of me bothering to consider. After all, I'm a Goddess—why should I cater to the thoughts and feelings of ordinary humans?"
As she spoke, Ishtar added an explanation: "But you're a special case. Feel honored—you're the first person whose feelings I, Ishtar, am willing to consider. Remember to pass this down to your descendants as a divine decree."
"Is your attitude a family heirloom?"
Naoki gave a wry smile: "But thanks for considering my feelings—So, what's your impression after observing Goddess Tiamat?"
"Not much of an impression."
After a brief pause, Ishtar said casually: "Why, are you planning to ask me to fight Mother too, like you asked Ereshkigal?"
"Half and half." Naoki smiled. "Once Goddess Tiamat appears, I probably won't have any free time. But besides Tiamat, there are also countless Lahmu. I don't have the extra energy to deal with them. I'm hoping you can help me handle them when the time comes."
Lahmu?
The children born from Mother.
"That's not a problem… How do you plan to fight Mother? You seem to have something planned. Do you really have a plan to take on Mother?"
"Of course."
"You actually do!?"
Seeing Ishtar's shock, Naoki smiled: "Well, it's just an idea for now. There's still a lot of preparation to do. Only after all the preparations are complete and there's enough time will it be possible to defeat Goddess Tiamat—Honestly, I'm just trying to do what I can."
In a way, Naoki was similar to Ereshkigal, but unlike Ereshkigal, who wanted to bear everything alone, Naoki had learned to share the heavy burden on his shoulders with others.
After all, saving the world wasn't a one-person job.
Plus, he couldn't save the world in the truest sense anymore.
(Until all preparations are complete, I'll do my best to hinder Goddess Tiamat's progress, and after that—)
"—!"
At that moment, a strong Mana reaction suddenly appeared within Naoki's perception range. It came from a figure moving at high speed, heading straight toward him and Ishtar.
After a brief moment of thought, Naoki stood up: "Sorry, Ishtar, please watch these water cans for me."
"Huh? What are you going to do?"
"Just going to greet an unexpected visitor."
As he spoke, Naoki looked up at the sky.
Under the pitch-black night sky, a figure floated high in the air, gazing down at the two below.
Long green hair, a beautiful face that didn't seem male or female, a flowing white robe, and crystal-like purple eyes—
"Didn't expect we'd meet in a place like this. Is this what they call fate?"
"Kingu."