Logically, Ereshkigal had never appeared before Jiang You, nor had Ishtar. He shouldn't have been able to capture them within the range of his Noble Phantasm.
However, the Three Goddess Alliance's agreement was to kill Gilgamesh, with the Goddess who obtained the Holy Grail gaining dominion. The Holy Grail was the objective, forming the conditions for the Holy Grail War, so Jiang You's Noble Phantasm automatically affected all three Goddesses.
As a result, Ereshkigal's Noble Phantasm was interpreted as a Duel invitation, pulling Jiang You into her Underworld domain.
"E-E-Eresh?"
The colossal ghost let out a surprised yet bashful sound. Addressing someone by a shortened name was a remarkably intimate gesture, and she had never encountered anyone so forward in her entire existence.
"Ereshkigal—shortened to Eresh, no problem, right?" Jiang You asked.
"No... wait, that's not the point!"
Ereshkigal's current objective was to pull Jiang You's soul down to halt the mass assault of Heroic Spirits on Uruk. She had no time for idle chatter.
Although Ereshkigal was the Goddess of the Underworld, her authority had been compromised by the influence of other goddesses and the Incineration of the Human Order. Not all human souls now reached her realm upon death. Otherwise, she could simply wait for everything to end rather than personally dragging souls down one by one in this wretched manner.
Now that Jiang You had recognized her, Ereshkigal dropped her disguise.
Having descended using Rin Tohsaka's body, Ereshkigal's appearance was identical to the original except for her golden hair.
"Do you even realize what you're doing? And why would Quetzalcoatl agree to such a thing?" Ereshkigal immediately grilled Jiang You. While it was highly unusual for a living body to manifest directly in the Underworld, this was her domain, where she possessed authority approaching that of a Great God. She felt no fear of any potential danger here.
"Because she lost to me, of course. She initially refused too, you know."
Quetzalcoatl had even launched a direct attack, her killing intent palpable.
"She lost to you?" Ereshkigal hadn't expected such a simple explanation. She scrutinized Jiang You carefully, secretly tensing in preparation. On the surface, he seemed like a third- or fourth-rate servant, but the fact that he could bypass her authority and follow the network cable to attack her meant he was far more than he appeared.
"Even so, she shouldn't be helping you!"
It was an open secret that two of the Three Goddesses were traitors, though one Gorgon remained unaware.
"Because I have the ability to handle Tiamat."
Though he wasn't sure he could win, Jiang You believed he could. If necessary, he'd just try again and play the right strategy card. With King Hassan at his side, he wasn't worried.
"So it's Tiamat? That explains it."
Ereshkigal nodded, then frowned. "Are you mocking me? Tiamat's Spirit Origin is far beyond what a mere servant like you could handle."
"But Quetzalcoatl had the strength to confront Tiamat head-on, and I defeated her. Why can't I do the same?"
Jiang You hadn't fully grasped that Tiamat hadn't been fighting at full strength. Quetzalcoatl had been attacking a Beast without the will to attack.
"You don't understand 'Beasts.' Even now, here in the Underworld, neither I nor Quetzalcoatl could possibly defeat her."
The moment Ereshkigal manifested, she had sensed Tiamat's terrifying Spirit Origin. The Three Goddess Alliance claimed to be fighting for control of Mesopotamia through the Holy Grail War, but their true aim was to stabilize Gorgon, who had fused with Tiamat's Divinity. "Besides," she added, "did you just say something truly outrageous?"
While players casually referred to Tiamat as "Tiamom," to Ereshkigal, the term carried far deeper implications. She had begun to suspect Jiang You's true identity.
"Anyway, I won't let you leave. Stay here until this is over. You can wander around freely, but without my permission, you can't leave the Underworld. The Underworld is cut off from the Mortal Realm... Of course, if you get bored, you can always chat with me."
Ereshkigal pretended to mention this casually, but in reality, there were no other sentient beings in her domain. She was the one who craved conversation.
"Even though I do like you quite a bit and would enjoy chatting with you properly."
With someone like Ereshkigal, directness was key. While she and Ishtar both had tsundere traits, their emphasis differed. Ishtar leaned toward the tsun (arrogant) side, while Ereshkigal was more dere (affectionate).
"However, I refuse to be manipulated. Everything is prepared; I can't let something like this stop me now! So, I reject you!"
"Li... like?"
As expected, Ereshkigal's face flushed crimson. As the Goddess of Death, she had never encountered such a situation. Her only imagined scenarios involved being praised for her diligent work, not receiving such a direct declaration of affection.
Jiang You glanced at the message, a flicker of disappointment crossing his face. Just as I thought, it's not that simple. Shyness is shyness, and Affection is Affection. They can't be conflated.
Ereshkigal quickly regained her composure, brandishing her spear at Jiang You with forced severity. "Even if you say that, I won't let you leave the Underworld! If you try to escape again, I'll lock you in the Soul-Binding Spear Cage!"
"Escape? I have no intention of escaping! I'll defeat you fair and square and walk out of here with my head held high."
Jiang You switched his Deck to Hassan's, anticipating that Ereshkigal, as a Death God, would need to use the Banished Zone.
Ereshkigal let out a soft snort through her nose, finding Jiang You's confidence excessive. This is the Underworld, my domain! "Just accept your fate. Unlike Quetzalcoatl, who appeared as a servant fighting on foreign soil, this is my home turf. You stand no chance against me in the Underworld. If you behave yourself, I might even treat you as a guest."
"Don't get too cocky now. Let's start the Duel!" Jiang You activated the Duel Space.
"I'm not just leaving—I'm taking you with me. You must be lonely living in this eternally dark place, right?"
"How did you know...?" Ereshkigal regretted the words the moment they left her lips. Did I just admit it?
She quickly clapped a hand over her mouth, her face paling slightly. Her dignity as a goddess was about to crumble.
"You even secretly used Rin Tohsaka—the body you share with Ishtar—to sneak out while Ishtar was asleep. There's no need to hide it. Just tell me if you want to go or not. If you agree, you can walk freely outside."
Jiang You resembled the kind of villain who exploits others' weaknesses for profit.
"So, it's not that you're keeping me here, but rather that you're coming to me."