Typemoon: Starting Out as the Lion King [172]

Credits: placid

"The reason is quite simple. Through Quetzalcoatl, I learned about the Covenant of the Goddesses—a pact of non-aggression and fair competition over this land, formed by three goddesses. Among them is the goddess of the underworld, Ereshkigal," Alaric explained. "This covenant restricts the actions of the goddesses. Regardless of the righteousness or wrongness of their motives, these three goddesses are fighting for this land with their agendas. Therefore, I must stop them."

"Stop goddesses? Just you? Or are you counting on that Golden Guy?" Ishtar crossed her arms and naturally floated upward, looking down on Alaric.

"Naturally. Even if I fail, others will follow in my footsteps. To move forward, these goddesses will be my obstacles," Alaric said slowly, fixing his gaze on Ishtar.

As Alaric mentioned, even if he failed to stop Ereshkigal, the goddess of the underworld, or failed to defeat Gorgon, the beast goddess, there would still be successors to accomplish these tasks—namely, the Chaldea Security Organization, which had already solved six Singularities. Among them, the most important individual was Fujimaru Ritsuka, humanity's last Master, who would soon arrive in this land.

If Alaric were to fail, he could entrust these tasks to Fujimaru Ritsuka with peace of mind. However, this time, Alaric would not wait for Chaldea, unlike the Lion King, who had to rely on Bedivere to return the Holy Sword to regain her humanity.

Now, Alaric understood that the goddesses appearing in Mesopotamia could be dealt with through words or actions. If his current power was insufficient, he would keep growing stronger until he could defeat the divine.

After dealing with three—no, four—goddesses, Alaric was determined to meet Tiamat face-to-face. To keep moving forward, no one would be allowed to hold him back.

Ishtar, unable to discern Alaric's resolve, said lightly, "It's simple. Just go to the Underworld. Once you're there, you'll meet that idiot, Ereshkigal."

"Go to the Underworld—" Alaric's gaze sharpened at her words. This was no easy matter.

Ereshkigal, the goddess of the underworld, had been stationed in the Underworld since birth to guard the souls of the dead. Her mastery of the Underworld was unparalleled, but it came at the cost of being unable to leave it. For Alaric to descend into the Underworld was akin to walking into a trap. In the Underworld, Ereshkigal's combat power could crush most gods—she might even be invincible.

Moreover—

Alaric stared at Ishtar. He recalled the myth where Ishtar herself descended into the Underworld to bring Ereshkigal out, only to have her divine powers stripped away, her clothes torn off, and her body riddled with spears. Even Ishtar, with her full divine form, had suffered such a fate. What chance did Alaric have?

But this was no reason for Alaric to stop.

Still, besides fearing Ereshkigal's overwhelming power in the Underworld, Alaric had concerns about what might happen if he went there himself. Quetzalcoatl had mentioned that he had encountered and interacted with Tezcatlipoca in Mictlan, the resting paradise of the dead. Regardless of the differences between pantheons, the Underworld was the realm of the dead. If Alaric entered it, would something unpredictable occur?

"I'll ask those two when I return—"

There had never been a problem Alaric couldn't solve. Even though the journey to the Underworld was fraught with difficulty, Alaric relied on his extraordinary wisdom to find a solution.

At this moment, two people were waiting for him back in Uruk.

The first was Merlin, the Flower Magus who had observed the world from his tower for centuries, boasting unparalleled mastery of magecraft and a vast reservoir of knowledge. The second was Gilgamesh, humanity's oldest hero, who had personally entered the Underworld and safely returned. As a veteran of the Underworld, Gilgamesh's experience could provide invaluable guidance to Alaric.

But aside from descending into the Underworld, Alaric also noticed another potential route. Ereshkigal had previously taken physical form to act in the world, and this was unlikely to be a one-time miracle. If Alaric could discover the pattern of Ereshkigal's materialization, he could meet her in the mortal realm without having to recklessly descend into the Underworld.

Even so, Alaric decided to prepare for both possibilities to avoid unforeseen complications.

"Then, Goddess Ishtar, I ask you to tell me the location of the Underworld."

In this era where gods and humans had not yet been fully separated, the Underworld seemed to have a tangible location. But Alaric, unfamiliar with its whereabouts, could only seek answers from the goddess before him.

"You want me to tell you where the Underworld is? That's easy," Ishtar said with a mischievous smile. "All you have to do is swear loyalty to me and kiss my feet—"

Ishtar raised her delicate foot playfully, holding it out before Alaric. "Not only will I tell you where the Underworld is, but I'll also help you open its gate~"

Seeing that Alaric didn't move, Ishtar added even more enticing conditions. At this moment, she seemed like a red devil with the appearance of a goddess, attempting to ignite a desire in Alaric's heart and make him submit.

In response, Alaric merely smiled faintly. Following the rhythm of his dragon heart, he reached out toward the dainty foot before him.

The sensation was smooth and delicate, like white jade. Even smaller than Alaric's palm, the sole of Ishtar's foot rested gently in his hand. A faint fragrance lingered in the air—the scent of Ishtar, or more accurately, Rin Tohsaka.

Kneeling on one knee, Alaric lifted his gaze slightly, tracing the line of her pale leg upward until his eyes met Ishtar's mischievous ones.

As the goddess of beauty, Ishtar embodied all that was alluring, a deity who toyed with humanity. If not for Rin Tohsaka's personality resisting her, she wouldn't have fled in embarrassment the day before. Even so, Alaric could still see a faint blush on Ishtar's face.

Now a fusion of Ishtar and Rin, the latter's influence would always remain.

Thinking of this, the corners of Alaric's mouth curved upward. Maintaining eye contact with Ishtar, he gently lifted her foot.

A soft sound accompanied by warmth marked the first contact between human and goddess.

"—"

The moment the contact occurred, Ishtar's entire body shivered, goosebumps rising as she instinctively scanned her surroundings.

Unlike Ishtar, Alaric's eyes widened slightly as unfamiliar magic energy flowed into his dragon heart, becoming part of his power.

An indescribable sense of euphoria surged through him, comparable to his first encounter with true Ether in the Age of Gods. It was unforgettable.

"This is—divine energy," Alaric thought.

The power unique to gods, the very essence of divinity.

Although Alaric and Ishtar had clashed many times, their physical contact during the battle had never produced this effect. But now, through this act of submission, Ishtar's divine energy was being absorbed by his dragon heart.

Desire. Hunger. Possessiveness. Love.

In an instant, countless emotions flooded his heart. The longing he had felt for Tiamat and the Lion King resurfaced.

With a sudden cry of surprise from Ishtar, Alaric stood abruptly. His gemstone-like eyes, responding to the rhythm of his dragon heart, locked onto the most accessible way to claim divine energy.

Before Ishtar could react, Alaric cupped her pale face in his hands.

Without further ado, Alaric leaned down and captured her lips in a forceful kiss. His tongue darted out, seeking entry into her mouth.

In the year 2655 BCE, in Mesopotamia, a foreigner committed an act of rebellion against the goddess of beauty, offering her a gesture that defied both gods and humans.