81) Ereshkigal, the Goddess of Underworld.

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Poseidon Pov

"Hahahahaaha!!!!", at this moment, a laughter rang out, with Ishtar rolling on the ground," Bastar-Bastard died laughing!!! He never saw this coming did he? Hahaahahaaha!!!!", Ishtar said very amused with both King Gilgamesh's death and the way he died. Meanwhile Ritsuka's group panicked and I asked Siduri," When was the last time he slept?"

The woman became stunned and she looked at me confused," Maybe yesterday? No- Maybe last week? No-Maybe a month ago? Yes! Last time I saw him sleeping was a month ago!", she answered and everyone became silent, of course except one who was having full fun of the situation. "Hahaahaahaha!!! I will save this moment in my memory!! Hahahaha!!", said Ishtar rolling on the ground, garnering disgust of many people.

Seeing the look of people Ishtar glanced at annoyed Amara, and quickly said," Don't worry too much!! That guy has a habit of going underworld back and forth, he should be revived by the next day's dawn...probably", she looked away nervously obviously doubtful of her own words, " It won't be easy this time though, previously gods needed him so they tolerated is behavior, but with age of Gods near the end they won't help him even if they can and, it depends on the decision of the Goddess of Underworld", Merlin added.

" Precisely, that's why someone needs to go underworld and get him back", Quetzalcoatl said, and the Jalter quickly came forward and knelt," Lord, give me your orders I will get that golden haired bast-*Ahem* I mean Gilgamesh alive and kicking", she said correcting the way she called him. " Yes, just order us My Liege", Artoria chimed in, and I said," Well, I will be visiting the underworld then as well. Scathach, Jeanne and Amara you three stay here, meanwhile Artoria, me, Jalter and Ishtar will get his soul".

" What!!! I want to come as well! Daddy please!!", Amara pleaded as she grabbed my arm between her breasts, I sighed and patted her head. " Amara, be a good girl and stay here. Out of everyone here you are the only one who can keep this place safe if things go wrong", I said and looked at Quetzalcoatl who gave me a teehee and looked away knowing well she had been exposed. Her Macana is an EX-rank Noble Phantasm, and it can nullify any attack once in a year. 

I came to learn about this secret ability of that weapon due to the courtesy of my Unique Skill Investigator, in simple words to prove her words of 'Lucha Libre' being the greatest she unleashed a decisive move against Ishtar's attack, which while couldn't kill the Tiamat, was enough to destroy her weaker form of 'Femme Fatale'.

" Very well!! I shall not disappoint you daddy!", Amara said very pleased with my praise and Scathach rolled her eyes at her antics, she was childish, but I liked it. I liked my childish daughter Amara, she was just too cute. " Lord Poseidon, please come back quickly", Ana said as she tugged my cloth and I nodded, patting her head and she melted with bliss.

" Do not worry, It won't take much time", I said and looked at Ishtar who looked at me hesitantly, not keen on the idea of visiting underworld where her twin sister, Ereshkigal resided. " Um, if I were to visit underworld, I might rather make your situation worse- You see me and my sister aren't on the best of terms", she said fidgeting her fingers.

I looked at her annoyed," Listen here, there is no need to be scared. We will be going with you, and each one of us is more than capable to handle us", I said and she nodded realizing what I said was true, considering how Amara, could actually kill her it was very correct. In Fate Gods lived in a higher dimension, so they possessed the similar type of Immortality that heroic spirits possessed, but not to mention Amara, even Artoria due to her powers can kill any being, or at least version of it permanently.

Finally, we left for the underworld, after reaching quite a distant from the Babylonia, Ishtar destroyed a part of the ground deep enough to create a path between the mortal world and Underworld. Once we reached inside her the body of Ishtar started shrinking," Damn it!!", she said as she became a Chibi version.

" Haha, you look quite funny in this form, chibi goddess", Jalter said as she flicked her fingers at her making her fly away," I don't like this!!!", she protested and I grabbed her," Enough of the banter everyone, First let's find out Gilgamesh and then we shall meet Ereshkigal", I said and she nodded not minding my grip, knowing well I was actually the most reliable out of everyone here. I left the hold of her, and then used a spell to locate Gilgamesh.

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3rd Pov

" Sooo I have come to Underworld again", Gilgamesh said as he looked around, then he erupted in a laughter," This time I died while standing as well!!! Hahahaha", he said and then paused," Damnit!! I don't have time for such things!! I need to return to world of living quickly!!", he stood up and quickly started walking, he had visited underworld quite a few times, so he wasn't unaware of paths.

" Hm?", Gilgamesh looked at the beings approaching him and smile appeared on his face," Haha! To think you would miss this king's radiance so much! That you will descend to underworld the very next moment!!", he said and Artoria looked at him with a disgust." Ewww, who the heck missed your radiance? I am just obeying the will of my Lord, and well how was it? This time you died laughing!!", Ishtar mocked him.

He grunted and said," It doesn't matters, I died because on top of not sleeping properly for past one month, Ereshkigal is sucking souls from Babylon, if not for my lack of sleep she wouldn't have pulled my soul that easily!", a smug expression appeared on Ishtar's face as she said," Really? For all I know you died because of laughing too hard, and you can't change it!!"

Gilgamesh decided to ignore her, though he knew she had got him. ' But well, I guess dying of laughter isn't bad all things considered ', he thought and Poseidon said," It's time we meet Ereshkigal", Gilgamesh just nodded. Jalter meanwhile asked telepathically,' My Lord is getting that Goddess on our team really that important? Even if we don't have her, we still have quite a number of powerful servants. '

' It isn't simple Jalter, Tiamat is mother of Life, and she wields the laws of the world at a terrifying degree, with an ability to alter the very laws of the world itself. The best place to fight her is undoubtedly in a world that will reject her very existence or rather weaken her. She is on a whole another level, thus even with our current prowess it is wrong to say we can surely kill her ', he replied and both of them understood it.

Poseidon could have well revived Gilgamesh using his magic but instead decided to venture into the underworld to ally with Ereshkigal, one of the beings that could be game changer in their entire fight. Protagonist aka Ritsuka Fujimaru is supposed to be lucky as hell, but with his existence his so called luck is already pretty much in dust, and the chances of Beast II winning is higher than ever.

Thus, they made their ways to a checkpoint, and then next moment Artoria pierced through it using Rhongomyniad. " It's done, my Liege", she said coming beside him, and then they continued, and destroyed all the obstacles that came on their path. Finally, they reached her palace and they were greeted by the wrath of the Goddess of the Underworld.

"You insolent beings!!", a huge skeleton appeared in front of them as her red eyes glared at them." How dare you trespass the Underworld!!!", she said, and Gilgamesh floated above them and then came a bit far. " Hu-Ereshkigal! We are here to talk!", Ishtar said wanting to discuss with her but it only fueled the anger of Ereshkigal," Vanish!! You impudent sister of my own!!!", she said.

A huge golden lance appeared in her hand, the entire Underworld trembled as if responding to her anger. She willed it, and several chunks of rocks separated from the underworld and shot at the supersonic speed, but Poseidon simply walked forward and shrugged his arm at each of the striking rock, smashing them into pieces.

Dozens of light covered his body as he casted one spell after another silently. Jalter charged at her breaking the sound barrier, her flag tightly held in her fingers, she swung at it her, who blocked it using her own spear. Gilgamesh floated as dozens of golden portals appeared behind him, and a few weapons came out of those portals and struck at her supersonic speed.

"Ugh!!!", she screamed as Jalter teared her limb off due to her attempt to block the invading projectiles. " Ereshkigal, I am the Lord of the Seven Seas, Poseidon and hereby I request you to grant us an audience! We do not wish you any harm, so cease your attack! Not to mention you should know better than anyone, you do not stand any chance against us", Poseidon said as he summoned his trident in his hand.

" Hahaha!! Tell me!! Tell me!!", she screamed, her amputated bony hand regenerating rapidly, her eyes turned blue as they burned with flames," Look around yourself!! Desolate! Barren! Silent! Dark!! That's the underworld!! That's the place I have been given the reign for my freedom to ever this place snatched!! The ones who decided were gods like you, I can see it! God from another land, you must be one of the rulers of your pantheon, standing above all the Divine, deciding the life of countless on your whims!!", she said and then paused.

Her spear made of golden light turned red," My life was decided the moment I was born, trapped within this place called underworld, my only companion being the souls that I can't even understand!! For thousands of years, I have been living in this place, dying to see the flowers that she can see!!", she said as she pointed at chibi Ishtar.

" She was given all the glory! All the riches!! She could trample upon the lives of countless as she pleased, while I remained trapped here, dying to just see flowers that even lowest of beings walking above in the land of living could see, touch and feel as they pleased", she said as the entire Underworld quaked, her figure floated a bit higher.

" But, this is my destiny, my duty! And I shall fulfill it wholeheartedly, for losing the chance of ever seeing living, the Underworld had been granted to me! Even Gods who decided my destiny can't do so within this land! So you who defiled these lands! Die!! ", she said throwing her spear, and Artoria came in front of Poseidon and stopped her attack.

Poseidon sighed," You do not make any sense, Ereshkigal", he said angering her further, "Answer my call, Meslamtaea! Know the Blessing of Kur! Appear, O scorching shrine! This is Kur Ki Gal Irkalla!! ", she said unleashing her Noble Phantasm, she summoned her spear back and started rotating it above her, thunder cracked around her. The souls trembled seeing her Divine Wrath.

"Rhongomyniad", muttered Artoria as her Lance pierced through the attack of Ereshkigal, peeling the layers of the world, creating a gap within the underworld connecting to the world of living. The Underworld stopped quaking as Ereshkigal fell from the big bony body, " Uhh!", a blush formed all over the face as she looked at them embarrassed.

" Ereshkig-", Ishtar tried to speak but Ereshkigal shouted," Shut up!! You all are the same!! Same as them!!", suddenly Poseidon approached her and slapped her. She looked at him again to find him glaring at her," Will you be quiet for a moment?! We didn't wanted to fight you, if we had, you would have been dead", he said.

She became silent knowing it was the truth, she shared Ishtar's memories and thus she knew these Gods were more than capable of killing her. That's why she decided to take souls of humans silently from Babylon, it was but a coincidence that Gilgamesh was pulled into, or rather he truly died. She didn't joined the Three Goddess Alliance as the original, but rather decided to stay low and silently observe till she could save the humanity by storing all their souls in underworld.

" Also, you are indeed right. I am a God that can decide the lives of countless, and I am more than willing to use these powers. I don't care about anything else other than me, my lovers, my daughter and my goals, I can doom the entire humanity if it is for any of those", he said as he grabbed her neck and lifted her, she choked as he glared at her.

" Right now, my goal is to save humanity from the extermination, and I need your help in it. If you are so weak that you can't disobey those gods, I will damn them. I will slaughter them if you so desire, but in return I demand your help, and if you are not willing, then we will leave. As long as you don't intervene in my fairs, you can do whatever", he said.

Her face was covered with a blush and Poseidon left the hold of her neck, causing her to fall down. She looked at him with moist eyes," Tell me your decision, now", he said, she shuddered seeing his cold face. ' So scary!!! ', she thought, but then she pondered about his words. ' He will kill those gods if I want? ', she thought and blush spread all over her face.

' That's so romantic!! ', she further thought, when she manifested at first, she had dreamed of having an romantic encounter, with a man who will accept her for who she is. Unfortunately, she couldn't leave underworld and could only search through Ishtar's memories, and he is the only person that came closest to it, but knowing he was a God, same as others, she decided to discard the notion of it.

' But now I look, isn't he charming?! ', she thought and looked at him, his face wasn't cold anymore, though she could see annoyance on his face. ' Don't tell me he realized my feelings?! ', she thought, her blush deepening and she then sighed. " I- No, Forgive me for my outburst. Truth to be said, I was annoyed and just wanted an outlet for all my grievances", she said standing up.

" If there is anything that I want, it will be but to preserve humanity. But, I would selflishy take up your offer, can I just- Just once see the land of living? That's all I desire, and I shall assist you in return", she said trying to look majestic, but her blush on her face gave away. ' Great, Master finally calmed down this sister of mine! ', Ishtar thought, then frowned thinking there was something wrong that she couldn't put up a finger on it.

Unknown to her, she was being converted in a very subtle way.

To be continued...

(Author's Note: Give me your powerstones!!)