Typemoon: Starting Out as the Lion King's Personal Knight [395] (Patreon)

Looking up at the sky from underground, today seems like it will be the last day...

The goddess thought quietly to herself.

But—the taste of earth, the scent of flowers, the colors in the wind, the heights of the sky...

Everything lingering in her memory was so vivid.

It was the world she had once desperately longed for and wanted to know.

‘In the end, everything was only as I’d heard it described.’

Proud of everything about herself, the goddess said, “If that's all there is, the underworld is in no way inferior! Most importantly, the surface is full of living things—it's far too messy!

It made me realize that my underworld is hundreds of times quieter, and it's spacious and clean too!”

The goddess of the underworld thus comforted herself.

But her time with a certain someone was an experience she could never erase.

Even the goddess of the underworld would admit it was a beautiful experience.

But—the flowers that bloomed so beautifully had already vanished, and everything that could prove their existence was gone.

The grieving goddess recalled how she had tried many times in the underworld to make flowers bloom.

The results were miserable. Even after thousands of years, not only did the flowers fail to bloom, not a single seed sprouted.

[You don't need to feel sad about it.]

[The underworld is a barren land, not because of your incompetence.]

Dumuzid always said this to her, and all she could do was hold back her tears and gaze at the sky.

[The underworld doesn’t need flowers.]

[Because they are not necessary in any way.]

Back then, she would stubbornly reply: [I don’t want flowers anyway. If they bloomed in this dark earth, that would be the real tragedy—]

...

Gurgle, gurgle.

Immersed in the abyss.

I abandoned the me that could have been reborn through this vessel.

...How strange. Normally, I'd be crying from loneliness, but now, inexplicably, I smile.

Just the thought that this will be the last time makes the corners of my lips rise.

Once lonely, I now laugh with joy.

Goodbye, memories of the surface.

Thank you, first friends. Thank you for those wonderful exchanges.

Gurgle, gurgle.

If I could gaze up at the starry night sky again, would I still hear your stories?

Ah, but—

By then, I probably wouldn’t be who I am now.

——

Walking alone in the underworld, Alaric’s expression was calm, already prepared for what was to come.

To the goddess of the underworld, who chose to bear everything alone, Alaric could only feel a little—

If he was right, Ereshkigal’s authority was now aimed at Chaldea.

After all, to destroy herself, she would have to erase all records maintaining spiritrons—not just Alaric, but Chaldea itself.

She would have needed time to gather power, but because of Alaric’s arrival, the release was forced ahead of schedule.

Alaric didn’t know if Chaldea had transferred Ritsuka Fujimaru, and with no time to lose, he decided to settle things before that could happen.

And as Alaric expected—

After Alaric anticipated the underworld’s hostility and arrived in this underground realm, Ereshkigal aimed her authority at the distant Chaldean human order preservation institution.

What now bloomed in Chaldea was a thing called plague.

Neither Servants nor humans could escape it.

In this deathly plague, all life would weaken and die; the time limit was—

Seven days.

Reaching the final gate of the underworld, Alaric did not see the powerful enemy Merlin had mentioned; not a single Servant response appeared.

Alaric didn't care, and decisively crossed the gate, reaching the abyss.

It was a void world, with nothing but a stretch of fresh water.

The water’s surface could ripple, but he could not sink into it.

Realizing this, Alaric understood that as a living person, without a guide, he could not descend the abyss or find Ereshkigal soaking below.

“Did you think a living being could sink to the bottom of the abyss without a guide?”

A familiar voice rang out—it was Nergal, the Gallu spirit: “Without Enki, the abyss is not the origin, but void. To sink into this sea means to return the soul to nothingness. Humans with bodies cannot melt into the sea. Likewise, humans cannot fly in the sky.”

“Aren’t you coming out?”

Unperturbed, Alaric scanned the surroundings, hearing Nergal’s voice but seeing no one.

As if hiding in fear.

In a previous battle, Alaric had already defeated Nergal once.

Though he didn’t use the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception—since this was the underworld, everything he saw was dead—and Nergal’s association with the underworld meant Alaric couldn’t perceive his death.

But under Alaric’s demonic sword, Nergal was still vanquished.

Yet now, this situation meant Nergal hadn’t been truly destroyed, or perhaps couldn’t be destroyed.

“It's useless. We are the malice rooted in the underworld, the voices longing for a new underworld.”

The still-unseen Nergal said: “We cannot be killed; only the lord of the underworld can suppress us!”

Alaric curled his lip, no longer paying attention to the cowardly, hiding Nergal.

He already had a grasp of this so-called god’s lingering malice.

Even if he couldn’t destroy it, it posed no threat to him.

Now, the only thing Alaric needed to worry about was the underworld’s influence.

If he lingered too long, his fate energy would run out; that would be a real problem.

Even Alaric had no way to deal with the loss of fate energy, unable to resist this intangible drain.

When that time came, his only way out would be to leave this world.

Just as he was pondering how to dive into the abyssal water—

Beep beep.

A long-unused communicator suddenly lit up, and on the screen was none other than the golden king—

“Alaric. Looks like there’s a lot to talk about, but now isn’t the time for chit-chat.”

It was not the young tyrant, but the wise king of his later years.

“King Gilgamesh. Oh right, you have experience descending into the underworld and even retrieved the herb of immortality from the abyss. You must know what to do, right?”

Realizing this, Alaric smiled: “Almighty King Gilgamesh, tell me the way.”

“Hmph. If you want to dive into the abyssal water, you need to add weight. Didn’t you see something like the sand of the underworld on your way in?”

Gilgamesh snorted, fatigued but speaking quickly: “Anyway, you need the sand of the underworld. Figure it out yourself.

Also, Chaldea is under attack by Ereshkigal, and can probably hold out for seven days.

One more thing: Ereshkigal won’t last until the seventh day. She’ll disappear before Chaldea is destroyed.”

Beep beep.

As if reaching his limit, Gilgamesh abruptly ended the call after leaving these words.

Alaric only raised an eyebrow at the news that Chaldea was attacked. The information that Chaldea’s death and Ereshkigal’s end would come soon was surprising, but not enough to shake his focus.

He pushed the thought aside, not dwelling on it.

The priority now was to dive into the abyssal water below.

As for the sand of the underworld Gilgamesh mentioned, Alaric thought for a moment and found the answer: “Sand of the underworld, huh? That works. I’ve observed that sand before.”

With that, Alaric raised his hand and activated Imaginary Manifestation.

Imaginary Manifestation, as the name suggests, is the ability to make the imaginary real.

It interferes with the occurrence probability of various phenomena, forcibly making the impossible happen.

The principle is probability theory.

It can also be explained with the marble phenomenon—putting equal numbers of black and white marbles in a bottle and shaking them up. They don’t separate into neat rows like a chessboard but rather pour to either side.

Even when governed by the natural law of [50% chance for black or white], things still happen that make you suspect someone is meddling.

If you can interfere with probability, then manifesting the sand of the underworld isn’t out of the question.

Since this is the underworld, even the abyss should have a chance of holding the sand of the underworld.

Buzz!

Under Alaric’s deliberate guidance, the sand of the underworld appeared in his hand.

It wasn’t a large amount, but in the underworld, it held extraordinary significance.

Clutching the sand, Alaric stepped forward and plunged into the abyss.

Gurgle, gurgle!

No longer a feather that could not sink, the abyssal water rose past his ankles, knees, waist,

chest, until it swallowed him whole.

Boundless darkness began to invade his vision.

It was more than just a visual block; this water’s power was also erasing Alaric’s body.

The sand of the underworld allowed Alaric to dive as a living person but offered no protection.

Realizing this, Alaric did not hesitate and kept diving.

After dozens of minutes, as he went deeper, the pressure on him grew more and more terrifying.

But upon hearing a familiar voice, Alaric knew none of it was in vain.

“Amazing, a human ignored my warning and came to a place like this.”

The goddess of the underworld spoke, her form unseen.

At the bottom of this freshwater sea, vision was completely blocked. Even Alaric’s senses could not spread, diluted by the water.

Only the goddess could observe him one-sidedly.

Though he couldn’t see her, Alaric spoke through the water: “I’m here to find you, Ereshkigal.”

His words were calm, almost like a casual conversation.

But this casualness and irreverence seemed to anger the goddess.

“This is the third time you’ve called my name. Just for that, you’d normally be executed.”

The majestic words of the goddess came through the water.

The angry goddess of the underworld might be like a prison, her divine power overwhelming.

In this underworld, she was absolute authority.

There was no need to elaborate—Alaric had witnessed and experienced that authority.

But instead of punishing him, she shifted the topic: “Sigh. Whatever the reason, anyone who can reach the bottom of the abyss at least deserves my respect.

Before this spear pierces you, let me ask out of understanding:

Why have humans come here? Why do you stand before me?”

Even now, the mistress of the underworld maintained her principles.

Those with courage deserved respect.

Even if they offended the goddess, their presence was permitted for a moment.

Faced with her question, Alaric showed no hesitation.

Though the incident had come suddenly, once he realized it was because of Ereshkigal, Alaric didn’t hesitate to enter the underworld.

Through encounters with Dumuzid and Merlin, he had learned of Ereshkigal’s situation.

To this goddess who chose to endure everything, Alaric had only one thought:

She must be saved.

No other feelings; simply, she must be saved.

No reason, not even pity—just someone he could not abandon.

“Of course, I came to see you, Ereshkigal.”

Alaric smiled. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“I see... But—even like this, you can still casually call my name?”

At his answer, the goddess with the divine spear revealed herself.

Even in this dark abyssal water, her form was clear.

Not much different from the goddess who once possessed Rin Tohsaka, perhaps only more decayed.

Once a beautiful girl, her face was now completely rotten, flesh clinging to bone.

Not just her face, but her body was decaying everywhere, like a walking corpse.

The opposite of Ishtar, the goddess of beauty.

“Melted away by the water, huh—”

Alaric immediately understood the source of Ereshkigal’s decay: dissolved by the abyssal water.

Seeing Alaric unmoved, the goddess continued: “I don’t know you. I have no memory of fighting beside you.

I heard of Chaldea and you from Nergal. As long as you exist, I can’t disappear.”

Silent majesty spread—truly divine.

Ereshkigal said slowly, “This is troublesome. In my weakened state, I cannot rule the underworld. I bear you no grudge, but for the underworld, I must erase you.”

Alaric was also on her hit list, not just Chaldea.

But since he wasn’t in this world before, the underworld hadn’t found him.

But as Alaric tried to return, the underworld’s hostility swept in.

“So you’re going to die either way?”

Having learned from Gilgamesh that Ereshkigal would die before Chaldea’s destruction, and hearing her words, Alaric asked, “Then why are you trying to destroy Chaldea? Wouldn’t the result be the same if you didn’t?”

“It’s different. I feel a threat from those who made me like this. Whether I exist or not, Chaldea and you are in danger. As the lord of the underworld, I must fulfill my duty.”

The goddess who never gave up her responsibility said, “Before I disappear, I have to settle my sins.

Before you die, wouldn’t you also settle your affairs? It’s the same. I intend to use my last strength for the underworld, then vanish.”

It was a pure, flawless heart—something even Alaric could not reach.

The solitary goddess was not aloof by choice, but because she stood at the end, guarding the finish.

The living could not touch her, the dead could not communicate; she bore everything, and so was called solitary.

“So you’re planning to disappear?”

Alaric could not accept this silent sacrifice. “Even if it means your death, you’ll destroy Chaldea?”

“This—”

Ereshkigal hesitated, about to reply, when her body froze.

An unknown voice came from within her.

[You’ve worked hard until now. From here, I’ll take over.]

[This underworld is the last home of the gods after their decline, a darkness humans cannot comprehend.]

[If you truly want the underworld to continue, follow my instructions. Then the underworld will become a place of suffering for the dead.

A terrifying paradise, a world of death, dust, maggots, and plague!]

That voice was unmistakable: the hateful remnant of the god Nergal.

‘So he’s everywhere, huh.’

But to reside within Ereshkigal—

In less than a breath, Alaric had the answer.

He said, “It’s the power of Nergal that Ereshkigal inherited, right? After losing to Ereshkigal in the underworld, Nergal left his malice behind—resentment.

And now, because Ereshkigal is weakened, you’re becoming active. The Nergal residue she possesses relies on Nergal’s authority as a vessel, gaining form. It’s a split soul of the god Nergal, right?

All this is because Ereshkigal is weak—if she weren’t, there wouldn’t be two kings of the underworld.”

Ereshkigal had gotten Nergal’s authority, but it never truly belonged to her.

When the balance tilted, problems arose.

[That’s right. The kind Gallu spirit is Ereshkigal, and the evil Gallu spirit is me.

Both are faces of the underworld, both reveal its future.

God’s good and evil are beyond human judgment, and even good choices can destroy the world.]

[Come, Ereshkigal. Now is the time to fulfill your duty. Kill him; disappear completely.]

The words whispered like a devil. That already-rotten Ereshkigal, her face and expression obscured, was silent for a moment, then said, “I’m not the Ereshkigal you know. I am the fallen mistress of the underworld. The powerless should bow out. Before that, I must settle my wrongs.

Knight from a distant land, I have witnessed how bravely you descended here, but you have disturbed the underworld. I must judge you myself—”

A declaration from the lord of the underworld; divine might surged to its peak, vast and boundless.

Even the abyss seemed to boil in an instant!

Terrifying red lightning roared through the water, spears like Noble Phantasms shooting at Alaric!

Buzz!

Almost instantly, an aurora surrounded Alaric, twisting the water and all the spears, deflecting and whittling them away!

But this was a drop in the bucket—Alaric now faced Ereshkigal, invincible in the underworld!

Even the primordial goddess Tiamat could only corrode the underworld to weaken Ereshkigal, never fight her head-on!

Nergal watched gleefully, his pent-up frustration finally released and mocked: [Hoo-hohohoho! See? You never stood a chance from the start! In the underworld, nobody can defeat Ereshkigal!

You’ve learned this lesson many times, yet you keep descending—how foolish are you? Is your head stuffed with wheat?]

The mocking laughter echoed in his ears.

Ereshkigal paused in her attack and said, “Sorry. Let me apologize for Nergal’s rudeness, but it’s understandable—you're reckless, not cunning.

Let me ask again—why have you come here?

To save Chaldea from Sumerian fever? Or to avoid your death?”

Hurry.

Say something different.

The goddess wished for this.

But reality would not oblige. Alaric’s voice echoed at the bottom of the abyss.

“To see you, Ereshkigal.”

His answer never changed; he had only one purpose.

Calm words, but unyielding will. The underworld goddess whispered, “Thank you for wanting to save me. I’m sorry, but—I have no right to accept your kindness.

Because I have abandoned, I have lost that important reason—”

This was an unforgivable sin—not unforgivable by others, but by herself.

Absolutely unforgivable—

“That reason, huh—”

Hearing Ereshkigal’s whisper, Alaric understood Dumuzid’s meaning.

He smiled.

Then he took out something he’d received not long ago—a green fruit.

As soon as Alaric took it out, Nergal instantly understood: “Ereshkigal’s other half? Impossible! Who gave you—?!

Forget it! Kill him, Ereshkigal! Don’t let this human keep talking nonsense!”

That thing must never return to Ereshkigal’s body.

Otherwise, all their efforts would be wasted!

But—

Ereshkigal did not heed Nergal’s words but stared blankly at the shining, dazzling thing in Alaric’s hand.

Ereshkigal stammered: “But—that, I—am very interested.”

What is it?

Just looking at it made Ereshkigal’s heart race.

But Nergal was not pleased: “Enough! Give me your body, let me deal with him!”

This must not be allowed!

As Nergal tried to seize Ereshkigal’s body and destroy Alaric—

Golden light flashed in the abyssal water, driving away even darkness.

“No can do. The package must be signed for in person.”

The golden sheep blocking Alaric said coolly, “Retrieving Ereshkigal’s memory and keeping it safe is my job. I’ll even waive the packaging fee.”

Seeing Dumuzid, Alaric raised an eyebrow.

So he was just the courier.

Dumuzid probably didn’t deliver it himself because of Nergal.

As Alaric expected, upon seeing Dumuzid, Nergal shrieked: “You—Dumuzid the sheep god?! No wonder I couldn’t find you! What did you do this time?”

“I don’t want to hear your nonsense. I don’t get along with that dumb bull. Anyway, knight, you made it here, so leave the rest to me.”

Dumuzid called out, “O fearsome Ereshkigal!”

“Eh?”

Startled by Dumuzid’s tone, Ereshkigal stared blankly.

“Now’s the time to return to your true self. The power you once gained from Nergal—

The sun’s brilliance will awaken now, at this very moment.”

Dumuzid, who had waited for this, said, “Don’t you think now’s the time?

If these memories are irreplaceable for you, then you will surely shine.

Noble goddess of the underworld, you once knew nothing of the sun, nothing of shining things, nothing of your longing.

But now, maybe you can do it.”

With that, Alaric released the glowing fruit, which naturally returned to its owner.

For Ereshkigal, it was an unprecedented shock.

Her body, mind, and even divinity trembled.

This green memory—perhaps the most precious time in her long life.

The one most affected was Nergal, who wanted Ereshkigal’s body.

“Damn! What is this? The memory is even stronger now?!”

Even his self wavered. Nergal soon realized the truth and shouted, “You used the Water of Life on this—”

Memory alone couldn’t do this; Nergal sensed Dumuzid had added something extra to the package.

A mystery that could even affect gods.

“Dumuzid! Whose side are you on?! We’re both gods of the underworld—both left out in the cold!”

Enraged, Nergal roared, “Have you forgotten the humiliation and anger from being bullied by Ishtar and Ereshkigal?!”

Years of resentment exploded.

But Dumuzid the golden sheep shrugged it off: “Whoa, dangerous, dangerous. Time to turn into a snake and run away.”

With that, Dumuzid, who had just arrived, quickly fled the seafloor.

“Dumuzid!!!!”

In a torrent of grief and rage, the divine spear shone with blinding light.

“Whoa—are we being torn apart? This light—!”

Nergal, inside Ereshkigal, was covered by endless light, voice trembling.

A lively answer rang out: “That’s right, you guessed it—I’ve returned to my true self!”

Ereshkigal shouted, “And this light is the sun’s heat! To honor you, I gave it a name!

Underworld Sun, proof of peace in the barren land!

Temple of Heat, Kigal-Meslamtaea!”

Full of spirit, Ereshkigal noticed someone and stammered: “A-and, about that human over there!”

“Cool spear.”

Alaric smiled.

As he spoke, Ereshkigal’s embarrassment evaporated and she started to complain.

“Wait, that’s not it! You say whatever you want. Ahem, of course, I feel even stronger now.

But now’s not the time to talk about that. Even though I’m happy, there are things to do.”

She turned to face the separated Nergal, now just lingering malice in Gallu form.

“Damn, you separated me! Are you giving up your duty, Ereshkigal?

Are you still clinging to that pathetic spirit origin?!”

Nergal roared, “Do you think leaving the underworld makes you free?

Do you think abandoning the underworld lets you go to the surface?

That—will never be allowed! All the grudges in the underworld’s vortex won’t allow it. Only by your disappearance can the underworld be reborn!”

Hatred, fury, boundless anger burned.

Nergal could not accept this outcome.

“You’re mistaken, god Nergal!

I haven’t abandoned this spirit origin, but—I’m not staying for myself, I’m staying to protect the underworld!”

Hearing Nergal’s rage, Ereshkigal’s golden eyes blazed: “It was only after hearing your plan that I realized my mistake.

My mistake wasn’t breaking a goddess’s vow, but the foolishness of almost handing you the underworld!”

Now, Ereshkigal realized how foolish that choice would have been.

She almost made a decision that would harm others.

“I can’t give you the underworld, because all you want is a place to stay.

You just want a world to show off your authority. How could I hand over the underworld to a god like you!

This is the land of souls after death, a place of silent nostalgia for life!”

Brandishing her spear, Ereshkigal proclaimed: “Anyone who disturbs this peace, even a god, I will show no mercy!

I am the mistress of the underworld, Ereshkigal of the deep earth!

In the name of this title, I will completely purge the malice of Nergal!”

The following battle was simple.

Separated from Ereshkigal, Nergal was just residual malice, easily erased.

The water rippled as Ereshkigal emerged, blushing, glancing at Alaric drying his clothes nearby:

“You managed to swim up on your own, impressive.”

“I’d rather fly off like Dumuzid. Isn’t he a sheep? How does he move at Mach speed underwater?”

Alaric looked puzzled, glancing at the golden sheep. With his speed and the underworld’s effects, he was almost impossible to follow.

“Uh, Dumuzid’s here?”

Noticing the golden sheep, Ereshkigal blinked in shock: “I wasn’t seeing things, huh.”

“He seems lively enough.”

Stretching, Alaric looked at Ereshkigal and grinned: “Hmm, how does it go—smile and good fortune will come?”

“That’s true. But there’s not much time left.”

Dumuzid said, “I was going to Chaldea for help, but since this gentleman arrived first, I’ll match the timeline to Chaldea and him.

Once the date changes, he’ll probably return to his own time. Stay too long, and Lord Alaric won’t be able to leave.”

“Is—is that so?”

Ereshkigal asked in alarm, “Wait, what time is it? 20:43—wait, there’s still time?”

“Of course.”

Dumuzid replied matter-of-factly: “A few hours is just enough for a feast.”

“A feast, huh? How about lamb?”

Alaric eyed Dumuzid then turned to Ereshkigal with a laugh: “This is probably the last time we’ll meet this year. That memory before didn’t count as a gift. Since it’s Christmas, I should give you a present.”

“Eh?”

Unable to follow Alaric’s logic, Ereshkigal just stared as he approached, taking her hand.

“Eh, eh, eh, eh???”

Her cheeks instantly flushed as she remembered the physical contact she’d felt through Ishtar’s synchronization.

Her pale face reddened, but she made no move to pull her hand away.

Taking the goddess’s hand, Alaric smiled and released his unique dream.

It was a miracle called the right of man—a wish that could twist the world.

A pure white stellar dream soared from the abyss to the peak of the underworld.

Starting from Alaric and Ereshkigal, a sea of pure white flowers covered the abyss, climbing ever higher.

The flower sea swayed, highlighting the one and only flower of the underworld.

Ereshkigal had tried to plant flowers in the underworld, but always failed—flowers were unnecessary here.

But to Alaric, even one flower made the underworld whole.

“Ereshkigal, Merry Christmas.”