"…Human… Order?"
After quietly uttering the words, Ophis blinked, returning to her senses.
Moments earlier, a series of fleeting images had flashed through her mind—vivid yet disjointed—accompanied by that strange phrase.
Most of the scenes were hazy, vanishing almost instantly, but one stood out clearly—
…The ruins of Uruk?
She couldn't be mistaken. The view matched the landscape Enkidu had once shown her.
Was Uruk destroyed?
Had it already become like that?
Or was it… something that had yet to happen?
If Enkidu, already burdened by grief, were to see Uruk in ruins…
The thought made Ophis rise to her feet.
"What's wrong, Ophis?"
"…No, nothing."
She shook her head and sat back down.
Almost as soon as she'd felt the urge to confirm Uruk's safety, another vision surfaced—this time showing the city perfectly intact. A calm voice whispered in her mind, assuring her that Uruk would not face danger anytime soon.
Clairvoyance… perhaps?
Ophis was familiar with that kind of magic, yet this sensation felt oddly different.
"Ne~, Ophis, what's that in your hands…?"
Enkidu had leaned closer, curiosity overcoming her hesitation.
She hadn't meant to interrupt Ophis at a time like this, but the power radiating from the so-called "fire poker" was overwhelming. She couldn't resist asking while Ophis still seemed present.
"Ea," Ophis said simply.
"Ea? Is that… the stick's name?"
Ophis nodded.
"I-Is that so?"
"Mm. Probably a sword meant for splitting heaven and earth… something with that kind of concept."
"Eh? That's amazing… Ophis got something really special."
Smiling warmly, Enkidu reached out to pat Ophis's head, genuinely happy for her.
"Mm…"
Ophis nodded faintly, though her thoughts were still tangled with the earlier visions.
Then Enkidu suddenly stood.
"?"
Meeting Ophis's questioning gaze, Enkidu smiled brightly.
"Ophis got something so wonderful—it deserves a little celebration, don't you think? I'll go make more food."
Before Ophis could reply, Enkidu skipped away cheerfully.
"…"
Enkidu would never harm animals just for a meal; at best, she'd bring back more apples. What kind of celebration was that?
Ophis didn't dwell on it and sank back into thought.
But her quiet didn't last long.
"Yahooo───!"
The sudden shout snapped her attention up—just in time to be tackled by a stranger.
"Uwaah! I already thought you were adorable from afar, but up close you're even cuter!!"
The newcomer eagerly pressed Ophis's face into her ample chest, rubbing against her without restraint.
Even as she endured this unexpected "breast-wash," Ophis's expression didn't change. She simply and wordlessly kicked the woman away.
"Aiya—!"
"Who?"
Ignoring the woman's exaggerated cry, Ophis stared blankly at her.
Normally, she wouldn't have cared at all—but after glimpsing Uruk's destruction, she found herself uncharacteristically alert.
In appearance, the woman looked about twenty, with flowing golden hair and striking red eyes. Her outfit was so revealing it could hardly be called clothing—paired with a silk sleeve on her left arm and something like a thigh-high stocking on her right leg, accentuating her sensuality even further.
If not for the sacred-looking crown atop her head and the ornate jewelry adorning her body, Ophis might have mistaken her for a wandering courtesan.
Of course, beneath that dazzling exterior lay an overwhelming divine presence—radiant as the sun—and a power that couldn't be concealed.
"Hehe~"
As if she'd already forgotten her earlier cry, the woman pushed herself up and sat casually, one finger brushing her lips. Every subtle movement should have seemed indecent, yet from her it exuded effortless allure.
"Now listen carefully! This one's name is Ishtar, one of the great gods themselves!"
"..."
Head held high, Ishtar waited proudly for a reaction. None came. When she finally glanced forward again, Ophis had already wandered off, now seated beneath a distant tree, staring blankly into space.
Ishtar's eyebrow twitched.
She was used to seeing people struck dumb before her beauty, left dazed and breathless. But while Ophis's eyes were certainly dull and unfocused, her gaze wasn't even on Ishtar.
"Tch. I knew you had little response to the outside world, but I didn't expect it to be this bad…"
Faint ripples shimmered briefly across Ishtar's form.
"…Looks like forcing a descent into this plane won't last much longer…"
The world itself had begun to reject the presence of gods.
That was precisely why the gods—arrogant and complacent though they were—had sent down the Wedge.
"Tch…"
Clicking her tongue, Ishtar glared at the unresponsive Ophis.
The gods had grown impatient with the Wedge's inaction and had finally sent her—Ishtar, the goddess of beauty and war, whose charms worked equally well on men and women—to seduce her.
They'd even promised generous rewards.
But… success was clearly impossible. Ishtar had known it the moment she laid eyes on Ophis—and the feeling was confirmed when she'd been effortlessly kicked aside.
Unlike Enkidu's innate "Hero-King Understanding EX," Ishtar could sense something of Ophis's nature because, in a way, they were alike.
A dragon and a goddess—both utterly self-centered beings at their core.
Ishtar pursued whatever caught her interest, heedless of anyone else's feelings.
Ophis ignored whatever failed to interest her, without so much as a glance.
Two extremes: similar in essence, yet fundamentally opposed.
Having failed to capture Ophis's attention, Ishtar knew influencing her now would be nearly impossible.
She had expected as much—but it still rankled.
More importantly—
Instead of being the one to attract Ophis's interest, she now found herself drawn to Ophis.
A faint smile touched her lips as her crimson eyes glimmered with a predator's curiosity.
Rejection wasn't new to a goddess like her—but being ignored entirely? That was a first.
At the very least, she would make Ophis look at her—
Even if the emotion behind it was hatred, that was fine.
Defiling a pure, untouched canvas… wasn't that a thrilling thought?
As for the mission the gods had given her—she'd already thrown that aside completely.
---
T/N: Ea is being referred to as a fire poker :sob: