Crossover Anime: I, Shirou Kotomine, King of Uruk

Chapter 228 Alone, a Conversation in the Depths of the Underworld

Chapter 229 Alone, a Conversation in the Depths of the Underworld

Kotomine Shirou was speechless.

He used to laugh so hard when he watched the scene where Ishtar and Fujimaru Ritsuka were together.

But when he experienced it firsthand, he couldn't laugh at all.

That's so embarrassing.

There are seven similar doors in total.

In mythology, Ishtar suffered greatly at these seven gates when she entered the underworld.

When she passed through the seven doors by answering questions, she had no strength left.

Finally, he appeared naked before Ereshkigal.

And was easily killed by the opponent.

Therefore, these seven doors are actually extremely prestigious, but it was unexpected that they would be used by Ereshkigal in this way.

Perhaps only Ereshkigal, the mistress of the underworld, could do such a thing.

Faced with these naive questions, Shirou Kotomine quickly passed through the seven gates and ventured deeper into the Underworld.

But when he passed through the seven doors and was about to search for Gilgamesh, he suddenly discovered that his spatial magic eye had lost its effect.

He could no longer see anything outside his normal field of vision.

"It seems the goddess really dislikes abilities like clairvoyance."

Kotomine Shirou shook his head helplessly.

Clearly, his spatial magic eye had been sealed by Ereshkigal.

Only Ereshkigal, the mistress of the underworld, could accomplish such a thing.

She has absolute control over the underworld.

If someone who falls into the underworld offends her, they truly cannot live and cannot die.

Although the power of the Space Mystic Eyes was sealed, Shirou Kotomine didn't really care, since the existence of the Space Mystic Eyes didn't have a significant impact on his combat strength.

This is not his decisive ability.

However, there are also some difficult problems to solve.

That is, after the Space Mystic Eyes were sealed, Shirou Kotomine's space teleportation ability was also sealed.

Therefore, he will no longer be able to leave the underworld using spatial teleportation abilities.

He could no longer continue searching for Gilgamesh.

Fortunately, Shirou Kotomine did not intend to leave this place through spatial teleportation; he came here not only to save Gilgamesh.

He also planned to bring Ereshkigal into his camp.

"By then, I will naturally have a way to leave the underworld."

Kotomine Shirou paused for a moment before continuing to walk forward.

"From now on, all I can do is keep moving forward."

Kotomine Shirou thought to himself as he walked.

Following the stone path beneath his feet, Shirou Kotomine soon reached the end.

It was a desolate platform.

Logically, this should be the temple of Ereshkigal.

But there's nothing here.

This is the underworld, the final resting place for all things that wither and die.

"I've arrived, Ereshkigal. Since you sealed my ability to leave, you must have been waiting for me here long ago."

"If that's the case, why hasn't it appeared yet?"

Kotomine Shirou shouted loudly.

The next moment, as if in response to Shirou Kotomine's call, a vast power surged from the ground and gradually coalesced into a physical form.

At the same time, the surrounding temperature dropped rapidly.

A sense of decay enveloped Shirou Kotomine.

Soon, the environment here became so bad that ordinary people could no longer survive.

When that vast power condensed and finally materialized before Shirou Kotomine's eyes, what appeared to him was a gigantic skeleton.

She wore a veil, and her lower body resembled a snake's tail.

He was also holding an equally enormous light gun in his hand.

The divine majesty quickly permeated the surroundings, and for a moment it seemed as if the air itself had frozen.

"Fear it, pray it!"

An unfamiliar voice emanated from the skeleton.

"Fall into despair, humans! I am the administrator of death, the mistress of the underworld, the one who treads upon the sacred peaks—Ereshkigal!"

The Skeleton Queen appeared majestically before Shirou Kotomine.

She announced her real name, warning those before her.

Upon hearing this, Shirou Kotomine immediately fell silent.

After giving her opening remarks, Ereshkigal fell silent, waiting for Shirou Kotomine's reply.

So she also fell silent.

For a moment, the two stared at each other, and the atmosphere around them froze.

Just as Ereshkigal was becoming increasingly embarrassed and impatient in the silence, a burst of laughter suddenly rang out, causing her already anxious face to quickly turn crimson.

"Pfft, hahaha!"

Holding his stomach, Shirou Kotomine burst into loud laughter.

Although he had guessed that Ereshkigal might make her appearance in this way, when she actually appeared in this form, Shirou Kotomine couldn't help but burst into laughter.

He had been holding back that laughter for a long time.

He wanted to burst out laughing as he passed through the seven doors.

In the end, I managed to endure it with great difficulty.

But at this moment, I couldn't hold back any longer.

"What are you laughing at!"

Ereshkigal shouted angrily.

She was already on the verge of losing her composure due to Kotomine Shirou's silence, but his laughter instantly broke her defenses.

I'm laughing at your current appearance!

With difficulty straightening his back, Shirou Kotomine pointed at Ereshkigal's current appearance and said with a smile, "What kind of weird cosplay are you doing? You've come up with such a bizarre look."

"This is my true form, the true image of Ereshkigal, the mistress of the underworld."

2

"My attempt to hide my intentions has been exposed," Ereshkigal explained loudly.

"No, I don't believe it!"

Rubbing his stomach, Shirou Kotomine retorted, "I may not understand gods, but I do understand magic."

"Ereshkigal, since you descended with Ishtar, you two should look the same, only differing in temperament and clothing."

"So you can't possibly look like this."

"Besides, I've seen your true form. Although you're talking to me in Ishtar's body, I can see through that body to your true appearance."

"So don't even think about lying to me!"

As a sorcerer, Shirou Kotomine has a deep understanding of spirits.

After all, the spirits have now become an important part of his fighting force, which is why he was able to see through Ishtar's appearance to Ereshkigal's true spirit form.

"What?! You've seen what I really look like!"

Ereshkigal quickly became flustered.

Upon hearing Shirou Kotomine's earlier speculation, Ereshkigal still harbored the idea of ​​continuing to resist.

But after hearing what Shirou Kotomine said next, she couldn't help herself.

Because he dared not meet with Kotomine Shirou, he was afraid to expose his true feelings to him and that he would not be able to carry out his mission firmly.

That's why Ereshkigal put on this facade for himself.

But she had already been exposed.

No wonder Shirou Kotomine was laughing so happily.

Thinking about these things, Ereshkigal's face turned even redder, and steam even rose from her face.

She felt extremely ashamed.

The Queen of Bones began to shatter, then turned into light and condensed into Ereshkigal's body.

When everything dissipated, the real Ereshkigal appeared before Shirou Kotomine.

She does indeed have the exact same face as Ishtar.

But she had completely different long blonde hair.

Furthermore, her attire was not as revealing as Ishtar's; she wore a black top and a red cloak.

At first glance, it exudes a sense of queenly solemnity.

However, she kept her head down, not daring to meet Kotomine Shirou's gaze.

Seeing this, Kotomine Shirou immediately stepped forward.

"This should be considered our first real meeting, Ereshkigal."

"In that case, let me introduce myself again. My name is Kotomine Shirou, and I am a traveler."

Shirou Kotomine extended his palm to Ereshkigal.

Seeing this, Ereshkigal's face turned even redder, and steam continued to rise from her head.

"I...I am...Ereshkigal...a...goddess."

Ereshkigal placed his trembling hand on Kotomine Shirou's, his voice becoming somewhat stammering.

"Then please give me your guidance."

Kotomine Shirou smiled and grasped Ereshkigal's hand.

"Please, please guide me!"

Feeling the touch on her palm, Ereshkigal immediately shuddered, and startled, she cried out loudly.

Realizing his actions a moment later, Ereshkigal quickly fled from Shirou Kotomine's sight.

She crouched in the corner with her back to Kotomine Shirou, constantly berating herself in her mind.

Upon seeing this, Shirou Kotomine couldn't help but laugh.

Ereshkigal looks absolutely hilarious.

"Let's talk, Ereshkigal."

"I haven't forgotten my original intention," Shirou Kotomine said softly to Ereshkigal.

Although Shirou Kotomine's voice was very soft, it sounded incredibly loud in the quiet environment.

Ereshkigal, who was squatting on the ground, trembled again.

After a moment of silence, she stood up.

The shyness and nervousness she had just felt had now faded from her face.

With unwavering conviction, she turned around and looked earnestly at Shirou Kotomine.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Why did you join the Three Goddesses Alliance?"

Shirou Kotomine got straight to the point.

"My purpose?"

Ereshkigal muttered the same phrase over and over again.

Then she raised her head and said seriously, "I want to kill all the humans in Mesopotamia before the other goddesses do, and collect their souls into the underworld."

"I want to take all souls into my palm and make them my possessions."

"You're lying!"

Kotomine Shirou made a decisive judgment.

"I'm not lying, this is my honest opinion."

Ereshkigal persisted in his opinion.

"No, that's a lie. I once told you that Ereshkigal was a gentle goddess in my eyes, but your reason now is full of narrow-mindedness, arrogance, and selfishness."

"But it lacks gentleness!"

"That's just your own opinion. The goddess Ereshkigal was always this kind of narrow-minded, arrogant, and selfish goddess!"

Ereshkigal shouted loudly.

The roar seemed to have exhausted all her strength.

Even the corners of her eyes were filled with tears.

Seeing this, Shirou Kotomine fell silent again, and Ereshkigal also fell silent.

She lowered her head, unwilling to continue looking at Shirou Kotomine.

This is precisely why she was unwilling to meet Shirou Kotomine in his true form and planned to descend in the form of the Skeleton Queen.

She lacked communication throughout her long life.

Therefore, she is not good at lying.

"You really love to belittle yourself."

"I can only sigh helplessly," said Shirou Kotomine.

"Ereshkigal!"

Suddenly, Shirou Kotomine shouted out Ereshkigal's name.

The loud voice immediately roused Ereshkigal from her inner turmoil, causing her to look at Kotomine Shirou once more.

"Ereshkigal, I have come here to communicate with you, not to fight you or to judge you or anything like that."

"You might not think that way, but after we talked that night, I considered you my friend, so I want to know what you really think."

"At this moment, I am fighting for the survival of Uruk, but you are standing against me. Even so, I do not want to be your enemy."

"So I want to communicate, to communicate with you, to communicate with you openly."

"I want to try to reach a consensus through communication and then stand on the same side, whether you come to me or I come to you, instead of this confrontation."

Kotomine Shirou shouted loudly to Ereshkigal.

These words reflected his true thoughts.

He didn't want to be her enemy.

I don't want to fight her either.

All Shirou Kotomine wanted to do was communicate.

Knowing everything, he was well aware that Ereshkigal, Kotomine Shirou, Fujimaru Ritsuka, and others all shared the same goal.

It's just that they intend to use different methods.

This is something that can be fought for.

"6

""

"Friends?"

Hearing Shirou Kotomine's words, Ereshkigal felt a warmth in his heart.

The word "friend" was precious to her.

She has never had any friends.

Instead, he has been living here alone since birth.

She really wants friends.

But I never received it.

"The world of Mesopotamia is about to be destroyed, and no one can stop this destruction. Therefore, I will collect all human souls into the underworld, so that they can continue to exist."

Lowering his head again, Ereshkigal softly uttered his own words.

That's right, that's Ereshkigal's goal.

Even though her methods may seem cruel to humans, her goal is to protect humanity in this world.

Since humans can no longer live on Earth in physical form, she, as the mistress of the underworld, will protect them and ensure their eternal existence in the underworld.

Therefore, before that mass extinction occurs, Ereshkigal must kill all the humans on Earth and take their souls to the underworld for preservation.

Upon hearing Ereshkigal's words, Shirou Kotomine immediately smiled.

Ereshkigal's true purpose was, of course, known to Shirou Kotomine.

But he still hoped that it was Ereshkigal who said it himself.

Only in this way can it be said that she has opened her heart.

Only someone like her could listen to what Shirou Kotomine said.

"As expected, my feeling was right, you are a gentle goddess!"

"..." Shirou Kotomine said with a smile, placing his palm on Ereshkigal's head.