"Ophis, I'm back!"
Some time later, Enkidu emerged from the trees, landing lightly beside Ophis. She paused, scanning the area with a puzzled expression.
A divine presence lingered in the air—pure, yet immensely powerful.
"Eh? Did someone else… no, did a god just come by?"
Ophis thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Yes."
"I see…" Enkidu sighed wryly. Judging by Ophis's calm demeanor, it must've been the sort of god who failed to catch her attention. Knowing her, Ophis probably didn't even understand why the deity had appeared in the first place.
A god showing up so soon after the Humbaba incident couldn't mean anything good—especially since Ophis was the kind who'd ignore anyone she didn't deem worth responding to. Such behavior was bound to rub proud gods the wrong way.
Enkidu had never met a god who truly upheld order from beginning to end, despite how many of them liked to proclaim themselves "Lawful Good."
It was practically a miracle that no signs of battle marked this spot.
"Ishtar," Ophis said suddenly.
"Eh?" Enkidu blinked in surprise.
"She called herself Ishtar. What's wrong, Enkidu?"
Seeing Enkidu's startled expression, Ophis tilted her head slightly.
"No, I'm just surprised you volunteered information like that, Ophis."
"Because it felt important…" Ophis shook her head. "Ishtar looks just like the statue in the city plaza."
The statue in Uruk's main square depicted Inanna—the city's guardian goddess. Even Ophis, while managing the city's affairs, had learned that much.
Enkidu already knew that Ishtar was Inanna, Uruk's protector. What truly surprised her was that Ophis had consciously made the connection.
Ophis was highly analytical, yes—but that didn't mean she analyzed everything around her. Quite the opposite. Unless something genuinely interested her, she could stand before both the goddess and her statue without ever realizing they were related.
For her to notice this time meant one thing—
Ophis was paying attention to Ishtar.
Could it be… that Ishtar had somehow piqued her interest?
Enkidu frowned slightly. She knew this goddess—one exceptionally skilled at seduction.
Don't tell me… Ophis got seduced?!
"Enkidu, would a city's guardian deity ever harm the city she protects?" Ophis's sudden question pulled Enkidu out of her spiraling thoughts.
Seeing the seriousness on Ophis's face, Enkidu quickly refocused.
"Generally speaking, direct 'harm' is impossible…"
She gave a wry smile.
"However, if you replace 'harm' with words like 'punish,' 'warn,' or 'teach a lesson,' it happens quite often."
Her tone then grew more alert.
"Ophis, are you saying that goddess might harm Uruk?"
"Probably… not."
Ophis shook her head and turned toward Uruk.
"But…"
Her expression clouded with rare uncertainty.
"I don't fully understand yet… Let's return first, Enkidu."
"Understood."
Seeing Ophis unusually serious, Enkidu didn't press further. But just as Ophis was about to set off, Enkidu suddenly remembered something and hurried to stop her.
"Wait, Ophis!"
Ophis paused mid-step and turned back, blinking in confusion.
"Here!"
Enkidu ran up to her and gently placed a flower crown on her head.
"This is for you~"
Patting Ophis's head fondly, she explained with a soft smile,
"I picked purple flowers. The red and black ones that go best with your robe felt a bit too ominous."
With that, Enkidu raised a small mirror formed from earth and held it up.
"How is it? Pretty, right?"
Ophis gazed at her reflection, expression unchanged. She didn't feel anything in particular—and besides, wearing something like this didn't seem very practical for combat.
Still...
When she wore it, an inexplicable calm settled over her, much like the quiet comfort she always felt from Enkidu's smile.
Gently touching the flower crown on her head, Ophis gave a small, silent nod.
Enkidu's smile brightened even further as she clasped Ophis's hand.
"Then, let's head back together—to Uruk!"
...
"What… is going on here?"
Enkidu's voice trembled with barely contained anger as she surveyed the land.
Logically, with Humbaba defeated, the farmland ravaged by her rampage should have been gradually recovering. Yet reality showed the opposite.
The newly sprouted crops had withered completely, and the once-fertile soil was now cracked and desolate, split open by deep, unnatural fissures.
"What happened?"
Expressionless as ever, Ophis beckoned a nearby passerby to question him directly.
But from the ordinary citizens, they learned little beyond the surface: "A strange drought began two days ago, and earthquakes split the ground."
The priestess, however, provided a clearer account.
"It was a divine bull that descended from the heavens!"
Back in the palace's main hall, kneeling before Ophis, the young woman spoke with trembling reverence.
"Two days ago, I personally witnessed that majestic being descend from the sky. The moment it touched the earth, the crops withered and the ground quaked, turning into what you now see."
"…In a sense, it's as expected."
Enkidu exhaled slowly, suspicion already taking root.
The Bull of Heaven—the personal beast of the chief deity, Anu. And Anu's greatest weakness was his indulgent affection for his troublesome daughter, Ishtar.
Though "pet of the gods" sounded unimpressive, the creature's owner was no ordinary deity, but the supreme god himself.
Naturally, as Anu's cherished beast, the Bull of Heaven's power far surpassed that of most lesser gods.
"Yes! The Bull doesn't stay in one place—it roams near Uruk's outskirts, usually within five kilometers of the city. If needed, we priests can attempt divination to predict where it might appear next."
Even as she reported, the priestess's expression wavered between awe and fear.
The Bull of Heaven was sacred, yet now it endangered countless lives. Whether it should be slain or spared could only be decided by these two.
Enkidu listened in silence, then furrowed her brow in thought.
"So that's how it is… Wait—Ophis, where are you going?"
Ophis stopped mid-step and turned, tilting her head slightly.
"To take the divine bull's head. You dislike it too, right, Enkidu?"
"Wait, wait, wait… Priestess, please leave us for a moment."
The priestess bowed and quietly withdrew, though confusion flickered in her eyes.
Once the hall was empty, Enkidu turned back, her tone unusually firm as she gripped Ophis's shoulders.
"Ophis, listen to me carefully. This is a very important decision."
Her gaze was sharp, searching.
"Do you… truly intend to defy the gods?"