"But... this is my duty."
Ereshkigal lowered her gaze, her refusal ringing hollow against her true desires.
"I have no desire to go outside."
"Then I'll just have to take you by force."
Jiang You, frustrated by her stubbornness despite her exposed desires, decided to take the initiative. "It's not that you want to do this; it's me forcing you. The Age of Gods is over. You deserve a long vacation."
"But..."
Ereshkigal wanted to explain that it was impossible—as the Goddess of the Underworld, she was bound to remain there; this was a fundamental law of Sumerian mythology. Only Jiang You, possessing Authority surpassing even Anu, the Father of the Gods, could override it. But she quickly realized something was amiss; she had been subtly led astray by Jiang You.
"No! Why did the conversation drift this way?! I came here to stop you from acting recklessly!"
"Isn't this better? After all, we're not enemies."
Jiang You pointed out that Ereshkigal had practically jumped into his face—how could he not pull her out?
"Absolutely not! We are enemies! Take this seriously!"
Ereshkigal shouted, utterly exasperated by Jiang You's flippant attitude. "We've only met a few minutes ago! Stop saying things like that right off the bat! And stop acting like you've already won! I'm a Goddess! A Goddess!"
"Then let the victor decide!"
Seeing that the cooldown for interrupting the Duel had expired and Ereshkigal's next attack would be considered a Duel invitation, Jiang You roared and lunged at her.
Even though Jiang You's attack was full of openings, Ereshkigal remained vigilant, channeling her full power. This was the man who had defeated Quetzalcoatl; underestimating him would be a fatal mistake.
"If I end up killing you, I won't apologize!"
Ereshkigal channeled magical power into the weapon in her hand and hurled it at Jiang You. She then retreated swiftly, assuming he would close the distance, given his apparent melee-focused fighting style. This suited her perfectly, as her combat style leaned heavily towards spellcasting. By leveraging the Underworld's terrain, she could easily restrict Jiang You's movements.
Just as she prepared a wide-area spell attack, she noticed Jiang You hadn't even bothered to dodge. This attack was merely a feint, impressive in its scale but requiring minimal magical power. Ereshkigal had only intended to bait him into evading.
"You..."
Ereshkigal began to speak, only to see her weapon ricochet harmlessly off Jiang You. Despite being a divine construct, it hadn't even scratched his skin!
"Condition met! Let's duel!"
Jiang You had successfully achieved his goal. With his roster of servants growing, he would soon no longer need to resort to feigned attacks to initiate duels. He could simply summon his entire force and crush anyone who refused to duel outright.
Jiang You LP: 4000
Ereshkigal LP: 4000
"Is this your Noble Phantasm?"
Ereshkigal realized the laws of her Underworld domain had been overwritten. Though they were still within the Underworld, this region was now beyond her control.
"Building your Deck based on the holder's experiences... No wonder you were able to defeat Quetzalcoatl. You don't need conventional strength; everyone must abide by the rules of your world."
Even Great Gods must adhere to the laws of the world. Without magical power or tools to maintain flight, they too would be subject to gravity's pull. But Jiang You was different; he could turn gravity itself into a Card with a written effect.
"That's why I said I'd take you with me."
After all this time, Jiang You had come to realize that the Duel mechanic transcended all other rules. He was utterly confident in this.
"So, what do you say? Will you come with me?"
Ereshkigal was tempted. Having never left the Underworld, she longed to walk upon the earth and see landscapes she had never beheld. But to so easily accept a male stranger's invitation upon first meeting? Wouldn't that make her seem too cheap?
"You certainly have the qualifications to fight Tiamat, but your Noble Phantasms are also tied to your inherent power! So, defeat me first!"
Ereshkigal reasoned that if she could emerge victorious, she could then demand Jiang You take her with him in the triumphant posture of a victor.
"If you can't even get past me, how could you possibly hope to oppose Tiamat?"
"Then it's a deal."
Jiang You chuckled. Ereshkigal had already agreed. Now it was time to beat her to her knees.
"You know, you said exactly the same thing as Quetzalcoatl."
"S-shut up."
Ereshkigal puffed out her cheeks, clearly annoyed that her line had been stolen. "Since I initiated this trial, I'll go first!"
The Duel began. Both players drew five cards from their Decks.
"First, as the Goddess of the Underworld, I must establish my domain! I activate the Field Spell Card 'Underworld'!"
The Duel Space remained unchanged, as they were already in Ereshkigal's Underworld. "While this card is on the field, my opponent cannot activate Servant effects from the Graveyard!"
"Next, the effect of 'Underworld'! Once per turn, send the top five cards of your opponent's Deck to the Graveyard. For each Servant sent to the Graveyard by this effect, I Special Summon a 500/500 'Undead Token' to my field!"
Though it smacked of insider betrayal, at least it sealed the servant's Graveyard Effect.
Jiang You watched helplessly as Kiritsugu Emiya was sent to the Graveyard, unable to draw a card. It was agonizing. Kiritsugu had returned to his warm home without leaving behind any catalyst—a major offense. Jiang You vowed to beat him senseless when he went to Fairy Tristan for the card later.
"Alright, three servants in total. I'll summon three Undead Tokens to my field!"
As Ereshkigal summoned them, three transparent skeletons draped in white veils rose from the ground. Lacking legs, they floated in the air, their classic design instantly recognizable—the kind that drops lanterns.
Undead Token
1-Star Assassin, Attack Power 500 x 3.
"Now, I'll Tribute two Undead Tokens, releasing them to Tribute Summon Ereshkigal from my Hand!"
Countless spear cages erupted from the ground, and the ghostly flames representing souls blazed brightly. Amidst this fiery spectacle, the goddess of the Underworld slowly descended.
Ereshkigal
9-Star Lancer, Attack Power 3200.
She was just barely immune to the effects of the chains of heaven. Considering Gilgamesh, even at his peak, had struggled against her in the Underworld, where she possessed Major God-class power, this was entirely reasonable.
"My own effect!" Ereshkigal nodded in satisfaction as she reviewed her card panel. "While there's an 'Underworld' card on the field, I can't be destroyed by effects or in battle!"