Y/n felt himself manifesting within his mindscape. When he opened his eyes, he found himself staring directly into the blazing eye of the being that hung in the sky of his mindscape.

Y/n: "... Uh... Y' ymg' mgr'luh?"

The being kept staring down at him before a black tentacle wrapped around his head. The grip wasn't tight, so Y/n knew this wasn't a violent gesture in nature. Then the tentacle was retracted before the being spoke.

"̵͇͉̒Y̷̤͗ơ̵̹̞̊u̴̳͘r̶̨̝͌̈́ ̷̝̒s̶͉̎p̴͔̄̕é̴͔́e̵̖̦̋͂c̵̜̾ḧ̴̘̰́̄ ̸̨̻̐̈́n̷̛͇̮̐è̴͙e̴̼͌̒d̸̬̟̀s̵̠̅͊ ̷̜̂w̵̱̐ớ̷̰r̴̬͌͊k̵̜̗̎͋.̵͙̭̏"̷̤̉

The voice that echoed forth from the creature's maw was gurgled and difficult to understand. It seemed to understand that Y/n was having a difficult time deciphering its speech. As such it held a tentacle up to him and looked through the magician's mind. It saw all the pain, but discarded it. To this creature, it was unimportant. It needed a new form. One which would allow it to speak clearly with the magician.

After some searching and compiling various human appearances, the being decided on a form and its body convulsed as all of its eyes closed. Its gargantuan body collapsed in on itself before Y/n found a man standing before him with glowing red eyes, pale skin and long, white hair. He spoke in a smooth voice that seemed calm, but hid an endless storm of pure evil within his tone.

???: "Ah, I believe this would be easier to communicate, yes?"

Y/n: "Y- Yeah. So who might you be?"

???: "Hm, you are the one who my granddaughter calls her mate."

Oh.

OH.

Y/n: "... Oh fuck, you're Azathoth."

Azathoth: "Yes. I am."

Y/n: "I thought existence was supposed to end should you wake up."

Azathoth: "Who said anything about my being awake? I still slumber outside the confines of what you regard as existence. This is a mere lucid dream for me."

Y/n: "I'm just thankful you didn't decide to take on a female form. That woulda been fucky to deal with."

Y/n didn't notice the Cheshire cat smile that threatened to split Azathoth's face as his form collapsed again while Y/n wasn't looking. The magician froze as the once deep, smooth, male voice turned into a more sultry yet regal female voice.

Azathoth: "Do you mean like this?"

Y/n stared for a while before speaking plainly.

Y/n: "Well, if it isn't the consequences of my own actions."

Azathoth chuckled before returning to its male form and allowing his hair to flow freely.

Azathoth: "Ah, having no true form can be rather entertaining. Anyway, I assume you know why it is that I have come here?"

Y/n: "Did Chiyo say something?"

Azathoth tilted his head.

Azathoth: "Chi...yo?"

Y/n: "Oh, I'm talking about Shub."

Azathoth: "Ah. Yes, Shub-Niggurath. Indeed, when last I spoke with her, she spoke highly of you. For her to refer to you as her mate is something that not many that live can speak of. Normally she kills those she breeds with, so the fact that she has kept you alive is impressive. Then again, your so-called divinity may be a contributing factor to your continued survival."

Y/n frowned, despite the fact that this was his mindscape, Azathoth had every possible advantage. In terms of Power, Azathoth was levels of magnitude stronger than he was.

Azathoth smirked however and lifted a single finger to Y/n's face.

Azathoth: "I see you understand the gravity of your situation. Fret not however, I am not here to kill you. For one to garner the mother goat's full attention as you have is not something to take lightly. As such, I shall personally be your mentor in our ways. You still have a fragment of Shub-Niggurath within you after all. So you can be taught to be a harbinger of the outer gods."

Azathoth was about to continue when he saw the sun cresting the oceans waves in the horizon of Y/n's mindscape.

Azathoth: "Hm. We will begin your lessons at the next opportune moment. Probably while you are in combat. I believe in learning on the job after all."

Y/n: "Oh yeah, that inspires SO much confidence."

Azathoth: "And so it should. You will be learning from the... Wait a minute... WHO CAME UP WITH THAT TITLE!?!? BLIND IDIOT GOD!? AHF' MGEP SHUGNAHOTHH!?!?"

Y/n: "When in doubt, blame Lovecraft."

Azathoth: "Who? Oh, that disciple. Little shit."

Y/n felt himself being shaken awake, so he bid farewell to the primordial outer god as he turned to meet the other spirits.

Naunet and Bailong instinctively moved away from Azathoth as he joined their gathering.

Azathoth: "I see there is some distrust. I assure you that I am not here to harm anything or anyone. Well, unless the boy is in the middle of a lesson. In which case, his foes shall be the ones harmed."

The others seemed either nonplussed or unamused. That was until Cailleach slammed a large tankard full of beer down on the stone table that the gods and Bailong were meeting at.

She sent Azathoth a smirk. A challenge.

Cailleach: "Let's see how much drink ye can handle, Eldritch Horror Spawn."

Azathoth smirked before taking the tankard and downing the whole thing in a single gulp.

Azathoth: "It will take more than that to affect me."

Cailleach: "CHALLENGE FUCKIN' ACCEPTED!!"

Back in the real world, Y/n opened his eyes and found Quetzalcoatl smiling down at him while she gently stroked his hair.

Y/n: "... I have several questions."

Quetzalcoatl: "Oh? Is this unwelcome?"

Quetzalcoatl pulled her hand away until Y/n spoke again.

Y/n: "... I didn't say stop."

The goddess giggled, but before she could do anything, Ishtar popped her head into the tent.

Ishtar: "Yo, you getting up?"

Y/n: "*sigh* Suppose I should. It's another three hours on foot to Uruk."

Ishtar: "Good thing I'm flying then isn't it?"

Y/n deadpanned at the goddess before deciding to choose violence.

He got out of his tent with Quetzalcoatl before seeing Ishtar hovering with Maana in the air. The others were all getting packed up and ready to go when a golden light erupted above them. Ishtar looked up and stared with her mouth agape as Vimana descended from the gate of Babylon.

Y/n: "We're takin' the speedy way back. Hop on everyone."

Merlin: Why couldn't we have taken this to begin with!?"

Y/n: "Cuz fuck you, that's why."

Everyone clambered onto Vimana as Y/n took a seat on the throne in the middle of it. Once everyone was ready, they sped off towards Uruk. Upon their arrival back in the city, Y/n saw Semiramis storming over to them. She then relentlessly flicked Quetzalcoatl's forehead.

Something Y/n noticed however was the sense that something was wrong. That was when he saw Siduri running at them with a look of distress.

She stumbled as she got to where the group was standing, however Y/n managed to catch her.

Y/n: "What's wrong Siduri?"

Siduri: "It- It's terrible! King Gilgamesh has..."

Y/n raised an eyebrow before Siduri led everyone to the throne room where Archer Gil sat upon the throne.

Gilgamesh: "You arrive at an opportune moment, mongrels. It seems a Gallu spirit has taken my caster self's soul to Kur. You will need to face Ereshkigal to retrieve him."

Siduri: "This is horrible... We'll surely go back to that time..."

Gilgamesh: "ARE YOU COMPLAINING ABOUT MY RULE!?"

Y/n: "Wouldn't surprise me, to be honest, Gil."

Gilgamesh: "Cheeky bitch! Either way, I shall hold the fort here until you return. I assume you know a way to get to Kur?"

Y/n: "I got one of a few methods in mind."

Ishtar: "I also have a way in. But we'll need to go elsewhere."

Y/n: "Kutha, right?"

Ishtar: "Exactly. I suggest we only bring a small group."

Arcueid: "I'll go."

Ophelia: "As will I. Zhuge, you'll act as our group support unit."

Zhuge: "What of Chen?"

Ophelia: "Machine Gong can stay here and help the others."

Y/n: "Femerlin and Zerkerlot, I want you two with me."

Heracles: "Master, with all respect due. Do you not think me a better option?"

Y/n: "Ishtar?"

Ishtar: "No, I think you'd be a bad decision to bring. Kur strips any divine beings of their authorities. You'd be getting weaker the closer we get to Ereshkigal."

Heracles stood silently before mulling it over for a moment.

Heracles: "Then allow me to take Leonidas' place at the wall until your return."

Gilgamesh: "We need servants acting as Generals anyway. Any that remain here will be sent to the wall in order to help reorganise the soldiers."

With that said, Takasugi, Zerkerlot, Femerlin, Zhuge and Justeaze were to head with Y/n and the others to Kur.

Those that remained were swiftly sent off to the northern wall to help defend against demonic beast attacks.

While on the road to Kutha, Y/n had an internal conversation with Naunet. Mostly about mundane things about what the gods were like that he hadn't met. Apparently Seth was a raving lunatic that would fall under the Berserker class while Osiris was easily Ruler class. Apophis was apparently another Foreigner, which made Y/n curious if Azathoth knew anything about it.

However their conversation was cut short as the group arrived in Kutha just before sunset.

Ishtar: "Alright. This is the place. Y/n, you said you have a way into the underworld? Let's hear what it is."

Y/n: "Ophelia, you could summon Anubis and he could carry us."

Ophelia: "Problem with that is that it would take us to the Egyptian underworld."

Y/n: "Hm... And Cronus would take us to the Greek underworld."

Azathoth: "I can get us in."

Y/n: "You can?"

Azathoth: "Quite easily. Allow me to walk you through the process."

Y/n was surprised as Azathoth began taking him through the necessary steps in order to break into Kur. The blind idiot god was very different from Chiyo. While Chiyo was the type of person to teach someone by having them do it over and over again while giving next to no advice or criticism, Azathoth was the exact opposite. He carefully outlined the things to be careful of and what results one should look for when he explained the steps.

Azathoth: "The first thing you must do is attune yourself to your power as a foreigner class. You should feel a wave of cold for a few seconds, but that is natural."

Y/n nodded and closed his eyes for a few seconds. When he opened them again, Ophelia and Arcueid stepped back from shock. Ophelia had seen Y/n's Foreigner power before, however she could feel that it was amplified to an insane degree. Not to mention his eyes were no longer glowing softly, rather they were like flashlights of blue energy.

Azathoth: "The next step is to use your power over the abyss to reach out and wrench the entrance to Kur out of the Earth itself. Feel the cold of the void around your fingertips. You should feel something solid, like stone, that is what you are looking for. Once you feel it, take hold of it and do not let go."

Y/n followed the instruction. He saw a black mist forming at the tips of his fingers as he reached into the abyss. The cold within the mist was biting as he reached further. Azathoth was on hand to provide advice since he was extremely familiar with the abyss.

Eventually he found something like stone within the cold.

Azathoth: "That's it. Now take hold of it and wrench it from the abyss."

Y/n did as instructed once again and he felt reality around him beginning to rumble as a stone gate was forcibly pulled from the black mist of the abyss. Everyone else backed up as they saw the jet black tendrils that had the gate in their grip.

Y/n collapsed to his knees from exhaustion and the tendrils retreated back into the abyss.

Azathoth: "Very good. I recommend taking five minutes or so to regain your breath. I see my granddaughter was rather unhelpful in teaching you the ways of the abyss. No matter. I shall take it upon myself to do so in her stead."

Y/n did as Azathoth suggested and took some time to get his bearings, Chiyo's teaching was a beginners crash course which got him the basics like attacking with abyssal tendrils and such, however Azathoth was like the college degree in abyssal fuckery.

Once he was ready to go, he pushed open the gate to Kur and the group walked inside. The first thing that they noticed was that it was bitingly cold, or as Zerkerlot put it...

Zerkerlot: "IF I DIDN'T HAVE MY ARMOUR, MY FUCKING NIPPLES WOULD BE AT LEAST THREE FEET AHEAD OF ME RIGHT NOW!!"

Arcueid: "Oh come on now. It's not that bad."

Ophelia: "Arcueid, no offence, but your default state is deathly cold."

Arcueid: "Huh. No, you've got a point. I keep forgetting you guys are all warm-bodies."

Ophelia: "HOW DO YOU FORGET THAT!?"

Ishtar: "Come on, let's get a move on. We should find the seven gates down here. They'll each ask a question that we have to answer honestly. Only then will we be let through."

Azathoth: "Well that sounds utterly boring. No mental trauma of any kind? What kind of underworld is this!?"

Y/n: "One that doesn't put you face to face with an incomprehensible being on limitless proportions and that's constantly shifting its form."

Azathoth: "Don't you get smart with me, boy."

Takasugi: "So... Is anyone gonna address the eldritch fuckery that Y/n pulled?"

Ophelia: "I've known he can do things with the abyss thanks to Chiyo. But she never mentioned teaching him how to do that."

Y/n: "I'm learning as I go here. Chiyo didn't teach me much of anything to be fair. I only recently got a crash course in my Egyptian powers thanks to Naunet. Still gotta get Bailong to teach me more of his water dragon abilities."

The group did a quick head count to make sure everyone had passed through the veil alright before they headed in.

Y/n: "You good over there, Tsun-Tsun? Ya look a bit pale."

Ishtar: "WHAT KIND OF NICKNAME IS THAT!? But... I'm fine. What has you suddenly so concerned about me?"

Y/n: "Because you came down here before. Each of the seven gates stripped you of your authorities - your clothes - and you were then impaled multiple times by Ereshkigal's spears. It took the god Ea himself to get Ereshkigal to release you. Though it meant that Dumuzid had to take your place if I'm remembering the poem right."

Ishtar: "Gh! You're certainly well read up on my story, aren't you?"

Y/n: "I tend to like knowing who I'm dealing with. I was already familiar with your myths, but I asked Shamhat to refresh my memory while I was in the Eanna temple."

Ishtar: "Oh joy, so you're freshly read up."

Y/n smirked before the goddess stopped as the group came to a stone arch.

Ishtar: "This is the first of the gates."

Before Ishtar could say anything more, the symbols on the sides of the gate began to glow and a familiar voice echoed from it.

???: "Hear me. Hear me. Standards of Beauty are fickle and fleeting, the sky and the sea, the earth and the underworld all beautiful in their own ways. But who is more beautiful, Ishtar or Ereshkigal?"

Y/n: "That's Ereshkigal's voice."

Ishtar: "HUH!? These weren't the questions I got asked when I was down here last!"

Arcueid: "Hm. This is a tough one since we haven't seen Ereshkigal. But I'm gonna say Ishtar The sky is often more appealing than the underworld after all."

Ishtar: "Y- Yeah! Exactly! You hear that, Ereshkigal! I am the mo- GAH!!"

Ishtar was immediately struck with lightning when Ereshkigal's voice echoed from the gate again.

Ereshkigal: "Buffoon..."

Y/n: "We're in Kur now. So we gotta play to Ereshkigal's rules, right? So the answer here is Ereshkigal."

As soon as Y/n finished his sentence, the gate opened and the group was allowed to pass.

Arcueid: "Y/n, are you sure about saying Ereshkigal's more beautiful? We haven't met her before."

Y/n: "No. YOU haven't met her before. I know Ereshkigal well. She's a shy person, but she means well. Likely she's really lonely down here all the time, so hopefully our little visit's gonna cheer her up some."

Ophelia and Arcueid were both surprised by Y/n's tone. He spoke of Ereshkigal as though they were old friends.

Though they had no idea how long they spent down in the darkness, but they eventually reached the fourth gate. Turns out Y/n's method of answering Ereshkigal was the better option since Ishtar seemed to be on Ereshkigal's shitlist at the moment.

When they were about to hear the gate's question, a familiar laugh drew their attention to their left. Ophelia and Arcueid breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Caster Gilgamesh walking out of the shadows.

CasGil: "Fuhaha! Good! Excellent! I see my other selves were smart enough to send people to assist me in escaping the underworld."

Ophelia: "We found him! This means we can go, right?"

Y/n: "HAHAHA! No. We're in Ereshkigal's realm now. We leave only under her jurisdiction. Well, I could bust us out using the abyss... But I want to see how Ereshkigal's doing." 

CasGil: "Hm. Very well! We shall demand the goddess herself to free me from Kur's hold!"

Caster strutted up to the gate and as the gate began to ask it's question, he simply cut in and answered with the most Gilgamesh answer he could possibly come out with.

CasGil: "A riddle!? Fuhaha! There is no need for thought then! The answer is obviously me!"

Y/n chuckled as Ereshkigal denied Caster entry and called him an idiot for even attempting that one.

He looked at his pocket and saw Ishtar, now utterly tiny, poking her head out.

Ishtar: "You mention me to him, I will break your dick."

Y/n: "I don't see how you could do that from in there."

Ishtar: "Once we're back in the realm of the living. That's when your dick gets snapped like a twig."

Y/n chuckled as the group headed further in. Finally, they managed to pass through all seven gates of the underworld and they found themselves at the bottom of Kur, in Ereshkigal's palace.

Y/n motioned for everyone else to stand back when Ereshkigal's voice echoed from all around them.

Ereshkigal: "So you have come to this place and have answered the questions... But... I wish to ask one more."

Y/n: "Then ask it, Ereshkigal. Let me relieve any doubts from your mind."

There was a moment of silence before the goddess spoke again with an uneasy tone.

Ereshkigal: "The world is not always so black and white as people make it out to be. Some people are just victims of circumstance. With this in mind... Is Ereshkigal... Am I evil?"

Y/n knew the answer without needing to speak any words. He chuckled to himself before stepping forward. With every step, he felt himself getting colder but still he pressed on.

Ereshkigal: "Will you not answer me?"

Y/n: "I don't need to. You already know the answer to that question."

Y/n reached his hand out as he reached the centre of the open area that was Ereshkigal's palace. He tapped into the abyss and caused reality at his fingertips to collapse, revealing the goddess standing in the middle of the room. Her eyes widened as she felt his hand rest against her cheek.

Y/n: "What you ask isn't something I can answer. You're the only one who can make that distinction. But if you really want my opinion, you're not evil."

Ereshkigal was stunned into silence as Y/n smiled down at her.

Ereshkigal: "I-..."

Before Y/n could say anything more, the sound of a sword slashing through something was heard and Ereshkigal fell.

Y/n's eyes widened and briefly burned a furious crimson until he saw who was standing behind Ereshkigal.

Y/n: "Ziusudra... You'd better have a good explanation for what you just did or so help me Abzu, I'm gonna beat your ass!"

Ziusudra said nothing but motioned to Ereshkigal as she stirred from her unconscious state. She then shot straight up with a start.

Ereshkigal: "What just happened!?"

Ziusudra: "Twas not the life of the goddess that this sword cleaved away. Twas instead her connection to the three goddess alliance."

Ereshkigal: "My... Connection to the alliance?"

Ziusudra: "Indeed. O kind Ereshkigal. Yours is the care that all life shall find itself in in the end. Side not with those who would harm thy charges in life."

Y/n's mind then clicked. That manner of speaking. More importantly, that voice. He knew them from somewhere.

Y/n: "Camelot... I know you!"

Ziusudra: "Dost thou speak to me?"

Y/n: "Drop the pretense, Hassan-I-Sabbah. I know it's you under that hood."

The others were taken aback by Y/n's proclamation of Ziusudra's true identity. However the old man laughed until a blue flame burned away his cloak and flesh and a veil of darkness descended upon him, revealing his true form to the group.

Arcueid: "FFFFFFUUUUUUCK, he's so cool!"

Zerkerlot: "SECONDED! FUCK YOU! YOU DON'T GET TO BE THAT COOL!!"

Y/n: "So that's the second grand servant."

Hassan: "I was summoned so that thou may use me as a weapon against beast II. However circumstances have changed."

Y/n: "We may still need ya though. Beast VI is still kicking after all. While Noah's good, having the literal angel of death on our side will also be a massive boon."

Hassan: "Thou proposeth a contract."

Y/n: "I know grand servants can't form contracts with mages. But I'm not a mage."

Hassan's glowing blue eyes didn't react and he simply raised his sword to Y/n's chest. Even through the cloth of his mystic code, Y/n could feel the rust on the blade.

Hassan: "Magician or not. By becoming mine contractor, the station of grand must be relinquished."

Y/n sighed, but was ultimately nonplussed by this. He knew what he was getting himself into. Besides, he himself was a beast so it wouldn't make much sense for a grand servant to enter a contract with him.

Y/n: "Alright. Then if Beast VI gets out of hand, I'll call for you."

Hassan nodded before disappearing into the darkness. Y/n then turned his attention back to the blonde goddess.

Y/n: "Ereshkigal. You should come with us. See the human world with your own eyes."

Ereshkigal: "I... I cannot. I am the mistress of the underworld. I must remain with the souls of the dead here."

Y/n: "Then at least release the souls of those that died of exhaustion recently. Caster included."

Ereshkigal sighed, but ultimately relented as the souls of those who had been taken by Gallu spirits were returned to their bodies. Caster Gil then began to ascend towards the ceiling of Kur.

CasGil: "Fuhahaha! About time! I shall expect to see you all in the Ziggurat by tomorrow at the latest!"

As his laughter faded, Ishtar popped out of Y/n's pocket and glared at her sister.

Ishtar: "Honestly, you should get out more, sister."

Ereshkigal: "HEY! I'VE CONSTANTLY GOT THINGS TO DEAL WITH!"

Ishtar: "THEN TAKE A DAY OFF!"

Ereshkigal: "YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I DO THAT I JUST CAN'T DO THAT!"

Y/n sighed as the sisters bickered before he saw a small blue flame making its way over to him. He tilted his head and walked over to it before kneeling to it's level.

The little flame then spoke in a voice that caused Y/n to stumble back from out of fear.

???: "Are... We... Safe...?"

Y/n began to hyperventilate. He knew that voice all too well.

???: "Is... It... Over...?"

That voice. So hollow. So dead. So young.

???: "Did... We... Make it... Home...?"

Y/n was paralysed by what he was hearing. He knew that voice so vividly and he knew it for one reason.

???: "Are... You... Still... Me...?"

Y/n couldn't find his own voice, it was caught in his throat. The flame spoke in the voice of a child who had been through hell. It spoke in a voice that he knew.

That flame spoke in his own voice from when he was young.

Ereshkigal saw what was happening and walked over before a cage formed around the flame.

Y/n: "Wait."

Ereshkigal turned as the flame spoke again, causing her eyes to widen.

???: "Did... We... See... Outside... Again...?"

Y/n: "... Yeah. Yeah we did. We saw so much more too."

???: "We... Did?"

Y/n: "Yeah. We met so many people and we grew so much."

???: "Hah... Then... I... Can... Sleep...?"

Y/n: "Yeah. Sleep. Dream of all the things we've seen in our life."

There was a weak, childlike laugh from the flame before it dimmed and Ereshkigal put it's soul cage with the others. Y/n had to take a moment to reorient himself.

Arcueid and Ophelia walked over with the servants to make sure Y/n was okay.

Ophelia: "What... What was that?"

Y/n: "That, Ophelia. Was the life I managed to escape. The part of me that died by my father's hand I suppose you could say."

Ophelia's eyes widened when he said that, however she now understood why Y/n was so paralysed. She was about to say something when Y/n suddenly stood up from where he was.

Y/n: "Right. Gilgamesh wants us back in the Ziggurat, yeah?"

Ishtar: "That's what he said."

Y/n smirked at the goddess before reaching out and manifesting the abyss as he reached for the gate of Kur. He found it and brought it to them before pulling it open, revealing the human world on the other side. Specifically right inside of the throne room of the Ziggurat.

Y/n: "Fast travel, anyone?"

Takasugi: "Well it certainly beats walking!"

Takasugi laughed as he walked through followed by Zhuge, Zerkerlot and Femerlin. Justeaze remained behind as Arcueid and Ophelia walked through into the throne room. Y/n then turned to her.

Y/n: "Something the matter, Justeaze?"

Justeaze: "... No. It's something we can discuss later. Gorgon will be attacking soon, so we must be ready for her."

Y/n nodded as Justeaze walked through the gate.

He was about to walk through himself when Ereshkigal gently grabbed his jacket.

Y/n: "Something the matter, Eresh?"

Ereshkigal looked up at the magician with curious eyes before speaking.

Ereshkigal: "Listen, uh... Thank you. For, y'know. Relieving my doubts."

Y/n: "It's no problem, Eresh. I should be the one thanking you after all."

Ereshkigal: "Me?"

Y/n: "Yeah. Thanks to you, I was able to put my old life to rest at last."

Ereshkigal was speechless, however as Y/n turned to leave, she quickly embraced him. Y/n was about to speak when he felt something wet on his back.

Y/n: "Come on now. A goddess shouldn't cry over something like this."

Y/n turned and separated Ereshkigal from him before holding her hands and smiling at her.

Y/n: "When we've finished our business in this singularity. When we summon you to Chaldea, then you can cry."

Ereshkigal was silent, but she nodded before looking up at the magician. Her eyes widened as she saw a single, crimson tear roll down the side of his face before he turned and walked through the gate. When the gate dissipated, the golden light from the throne room faded with it, leaving the goddess alone in the cold of Kur.

She was saddened, but this was her choice to be here. When she was needed though, she would be more than ready to aid the magician.

As she turned to walk back into the centre of her palace, she felt a slight headache when a vision invaded her mind. She was standing just inside of a small workshop with a young magus within it. From inside the nearby house, she could hear the familiar voice of Gorgon as well as some voices that she didn't yet know.

When she pulled herself out of that vision, a warm smile spread across her face.

Ereshkigal: "So that's why I felt so warm around you...

... My master."

End of Chapter.

Next Time: The Serpent Who Seeks Vengeance.