Third Underworld: Xoxoauhqui

I heard you're heading to Metztitlán.

I have some experience with the journey to the seventh stratum. Would you mind if I came along as your guide?

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I agree! We won't have anything to fear as long as you're there with us, Tepeu!

Hey, new line working all right? Can you guys hear me?

Yup! Loud and clear, Meunière.

Mictlān's magnetic field is pretty strong. In fact, every stratum has its own atmospheric density, magical energy concentration, and background radiation levels.

Luckily, over the past few days, Professor figured out a way for our comms to actually adjust their signal to suit the environment.

We still won't be able to contact each other while we're in the underworld, since its levels seem to be similar to Singularities in certain ways, but otherwise, we should be good to go.

Then we should be able to communicate while you're in the seventh stratum. That's great. We'll support you as best we can from here.

You're leaving too, Lady Nito!? Aw man, we're gonna miss you! But I guess you've gotta go, since it's the seventh stratum!

I mean, the eighth stratum's Camazotz's hideout! If he shows up again, it's gonna be up to you to defeat him!

Take care of Big Bro Fujimaru and Big Sis Mash for us!

Of course. That poor excuse for a necromancer is no match for me.

And once we conclude our business in Metztitlán, we'll return to your city.

It would be a shame to let this new fame go to waste!

So when I get back, we're going to hold the Nitocris Cup we talked about last night!

Wooo! I can't believe we're gonna have another xokta ceremony! Nothing can stop us now!

(I only beat Camazotz because it was essentially a bad matchup for him. I had a number of advantages going on.)

(But if we were to run into Tlāloc the rain god again...I don't think I could defeat her as I am now.)

Good morning! Sorry I'm late!

I went down to look at the shops first thing in the morning, and I lost track of time.

And they were even out of the thing I was looking for! Just goes to show that you should prep for an adventure ahead of time...

Not to worry, Kukulcan. I have everything we'll need for camping out.

We're all good to go. I've been guiding Fujimaru and Mash since the first stratum, after all.

Then I guess I just need to come along for the ride. Good job, Tepeu.

Of course I'll do the best I can...but why do you sound so happy about this?

Because you've never been proud of any of your accomplishments before. This proves you've gotten better at asserting yourself and showing us when you're serious.

Hmm. I don't know that I agree with that. You two wouldn't either...would you?

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Me too. You may not have realized this yourself, since you're such a naturally gentle soul...

...but you clearly feel a great deal of responsibility for the jobs you accept and results you produce.

I-I see. Well, the thing with my glasses wasn't really meant to convey my emotions.

I made these myself. They help me avoid looking upon things I shouldn't.

Still, hearing what you both had to say just now was wonderful. I hope I can remember this moment perfectly forever.

Okay, we should probably get going. It should take us about two days to reach the seventh stratum from here.

We should be pretty safe with this lineup, but make sure you all stay sharp on the road anyway!

ond them. K the hukti!

Oh geez, we're already in trouble! What the hell are they thinking!? Are they TRYING to burn down the whole jungle!?

I guess this means we've entered their territory, the fifth stratum!

Even so, I can't believe they tried to blast us with fire before we even got close to them! Do they just not care about the jungle, or the animals that live in it!?

You too, Master!?

I thought I made out some of what they were saying just now as well.

We all may have woken up at the same time, but the ocelomeh's language and how they exchange information must be changing rapidly.

It's incredible how quickly they adapt, especially without the Malla's protection.

...

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This is no time to be scoping things out! See that guy? He's the leader around here! The captain of their squad!

We'd best take him out right now or he's gonna be a thorn in our side for who knows how long! All right, you guys better turn that machine gun into scrap metal and pawn it off on Koyanskaya!

Yeah, way to go! I wish I could've joined in the shoot-out too, but my Noble Phantasm's kinda meant for reeeally big baddies.

Besides, we've gotta do what we can to conserve Mash's magical energy!

Of course. Corn is considered the flesh of the gods. It's been modified to grow anywhere and everywhere in Mictlān.

It's also one of the deinos' primary source of energy, second only to the sun.

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As luck would have it, we have an excellent harvest today.

Tomorrow, we will be entering the sixth stratumthe third underworld.

While I'm accustomed to it, the rest of you will be seeing the galactic sand dunes for the first time.

So tonight, I want you all to get plenty of nutrients and rest up for the trek across them.

I also have some sauce Baker was kind enough to prepare for us on the Storm Border.

Huh? You're putting that black water on our holy corn? It looks kind of evil to me... What is it, exactly?

It's called "soy sauce." If you brush it over corn before cooking it

Well, see the result for yourselves.

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???

Kukulcan, maybe that's enough. You'll give yourself a terrible stomachache if you overeat.

(Then again, she's eaten ten times her body mass in corn already, so maybe there's no sense worrying.)

All good here! Tepeu, another helping!

I've been missing out on this tasty treat for a hundred thousand years, so I've gotta make up for lost time, yes!

...Man, Proper Human History is just downright devious. You're recklessly crazy!

Why would you invent something that makes corn taste this good!? Do you WANT the whole world's supply devoured!?

Well, I won't let that happen! I'm a god, you know!

If it ever looks like we're about to run out of corn for good, I'll do everything in my power to make sure we don't!

Ah, so this is culture shock. Terrifying. It seems we have a new possible cause of extinction on our hands.

I'll look after Kukulcan, so don't worry about her. Enjoy your after-dinner chat.

Deinos never really cultivated much in the way of culinary techniques, so I guess this is all very new and exciting for her.

I'm glad the roast corn made her so happy, though.

I expected she'd like it since she's humanoid like us, but it's good to get confirmation.

...You know, Da Vinci, it may be a little late to be asking this, but...

...if Kukulcan is this Lostbelt's god, why DOES she look like a human and not like a deinos?

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I don't blame you for wondering.

Whenever humans imagine beings superior to themselves, they usually think of giants or beastmen.

Their tendency is to mix the familiar human form with characteristics no ordinary human could possess.

By that standard, you'd expect Kukulcan to look a lot more like a deinos than a human.

Hear me, evil roast corn! Your days are numbered! I swear not to rest until every last kernel of you is in my belly!!!

Uh... (Are we sure she's not actually a dinosaur?)

Don't, Habetrot. I understand how you feel, but that's not nice to say.

Okay, I was hoping to gather a little more information first, but this seems like a good opportunity to move up our schedule and hold an emergency briefing.

It's gonna be kind of heavy for an after-dinner conversation though, so be ready for that.

All right, I'm not gonna keep you waiting any longer.

I'm sure you've been wondering about the origins of Mesoamerica in the magecraft world...

...and why the Seventh Lostbelt turned out the way it did.

We should have discussed that at the start, so on behalf of Chaldea, I'm sorry it took this long to get to it.

But, while we maybe took the scenic route to get to it, the time has finally arrived!

Are you ready, everyone? Are you ready, Fujimaru!?

Then let's get this episode of Da Vinci's Mythology Corner started!

First off: Fujimaru.

I believe Mash already told you about Proper Human History's Chichén Itzá, and the relationship between Maya and Aztec mythology, right?

Do you remember what she said?

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Very broad strokes, but since we're discussing the Lostbelt, I guess a basic understanding will do for now.

Then taking all that into consideration, let's go over our journey so far.

We originally infiltrated the Seventh Lostbelt in South America to finally settle the score with the Foreign God.

But after breaching the storm wall, instead of the South American continent we expected to see...

...we found Pangaea, the massive supercontinent that once contained all Earth's landmass.

Immediately after, the ground split open, revealing what I can only describe as a light we don't yet understand.

That light struck the Storm Border, sending it crashing down into this underground world known as Mictlān.

And as you'd expect from its name, Mictlān strongly reflects the characteristics of Central America, rather than South America.

That's most likely because this Lostbelt's rootsthat is, the basic idea underpinning it, comes from Central America in Proper Human History.

So, it would be more accurate to refer to this world as the Central American Lostbelt rather the South American Lostbelt.

True. But its surface coordinates are still in South America, so let's just stick with "South American Lostbelt."

Now, here's my first observation. Let's dig a little deeper into Central American mythology.

In addition to being closely tied to the natural world, Central American mythology also tried to focus on an astronomical perspective; they took a great interest in outer space.

In fact, there are still lots of depictions of rockets pointed towards the sky that remain in Mesoamerican murals and relics today.

Why is that? The magecraft world has a theory.

They think the Mayan civilization's interest in outer space may have started with a figure who already knew plenty about it.

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Yup, It came from outer space, but it wasn't the kind of creature you're probably imagining.

Sixty-six million years ago, during the fifth of the big five extinction events...

...an enormous meteorite crashed into the Yucatán Peninsula in Central America.

The resulting shock wave is believed to have become a massive heat wave which covered the entire planet...

...effectively ending the dinosaurs' time as Earth's dominant life-forms.

I understand deinos are different from dinosaurs, but I've also been told their bodies are equally strong and durable.

So if this event wiped out the dinosaurs and changed the entire ecosystem, it must have been quite the disaster.

Yup. The earthquake created by the meteorite's impact exceeded a magnitude of eleven, and the resulting tsunamis were easily over three hundred meters tall.

Recently, some people have come to believe that another meteorite landed in West Africa at around the same time...

...but either way, there's no question about the impact on the Yucatán Peninsula. There's just too much evidence of it.

There's the hundred and sixty kilometer crater along the peninsula. Iridium, a rare metal, was discovered there too.

And above all, the enormous underground cavern that was clearly formed by a meteorite impact.

You see, there are lots of springs called "cenotes" in the Yucatán Peninsula.

They're essentially very deep pits with groundwater bubbling up at their bottom, which made them crucial sources of water.

And one of the reasons these cenotes formed in the first place was a result of the changes the meteorite impact had on the bedrock.

Which explains why so many of the cenotes are connected to each other underground, like a giant ant colony.

See? This means there must have been a massive underground world running beneath the Yucatán Peninsula as far back as sixty-six million years ago.

For the people living there at the time, the underworld of Xibalba from Maya mythology was very real.

Over time, this underworld myth was brought into Aztec mythology as well, where it was reborn as Mictlān.

And the magecraft world believes that the primal fear the locals had of Mictlān wasn't a product of legend...

...but because that very real fear was inscribed upon their DNA.

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No, they were perfectly normal except for one additional factor.

The Yucatán Peninsula meteorite was absolutely chock-full of resources.

And I don't just mean the kind of rare metals that are nearly impossible to find on Earth.

I mean matter, or even life-forms, that didn't exist on Earth at all.

What I'm saying is, aliens arrived on the same meteorite that hit the Yucatán Peninsula.

Yup. Dead serious. Although, I guess calling them aliens miiight be overselling it.

I know it's hard to believe, but it's the only explanation that makes sense.

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At any rate, the meteorite came with intelligent life from another planet.

We don't know whether they used life on Earth as host bodies, like parasites, or if they outright fused with them. Either way, this intelligent life arriving on Earth resulted in the rapid rebirth and development of advanced life on the planet.

What's more, it did so in ways beings like ourselveswho reproduce sexuallycould never duplicate.

These extraterrestrials had to multiply quickly, over a large area, and without pause so they could cover all of Earth.

And the best way they could do that was via the natural world's most abundant form of life: plants.

This means the beings which arrived with the meteorite weren't conscious beings, but fungi with the ability to store and convey information.

They parasitized Earth's plants and helped them to develop their seeds. Once humans came around, they were revered as the incarnations of nature itself.

Those are the roots of all Mesoamerican gods. They would attach to just about anything and lend them their power.

At times, they probably appeared as natural forces themselves.

Sometimes, I bet they used animals as their host bodies. Other times, I wouldn't be surprised if they used humans.

In time, the people who would eventually form the Mayan civilization were born. Those who were most compatible with the fungi became priests, kings, and sometimes gods.

So basically, in the magecraft world, it's believed that it was these fungi...

...which gave the Mayan people their visions of outer spacethe fungi's homeworld.

So, these aliensthese visitors attached to the meteorite from sixty-six million years agowere the origin of this civilization's gods...

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Da Vinci, when you say "fungi" are you talking about the mushrooms we know today?

Well, recently, there HAVE been theories that all fungi on Earth not only share a common language...

...but that they also communicate through their own underground network. A topic for another time.

In retrospect, calling them "fungi" may have been misleading. They more closely resemble the roots of a plant than anything else.

Imagine microscopic life-forms that operate entirely via nerve tissue, and you'd have the right idea. I'd guess they looked a lot like living filaments.

Anyway, while these fungi, or plant roots, or whatever you want to call them, were able to store and convey information, they weren't able to achieve conscious intelligence on their own.

It may sound bad, but in many ways, they were like a virus that needs a host body to survive.

I think that, by attaching to a host, these beings were able to advance that host's species and secure a livable biosphere.

A Carrier of the Gods...

I've heard there's a family in the Mage's Association who's been watching over Mystic fungi from the Age of Gods for generations. Is it the same kind of thing?

Yup. The origins may be different, but the Carriers of the Gods follow the same logic.

The result is humans infected with divine blood who can manifest Mystics from the Age of Gods here in modern times.

It doesn't get much rarer than that.

In Aztec mythology, Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca often appeared as humans despite being gods.

But, if Quetzalcoatl was actually god filaments using the king of that age as its host body, then it all makes sense.

First, these aliens attached themselves to plants, which caused plant life to flourish. This resulted in Central and South America's massive jungles and rainforests.

They then used the plant roots spread out underground as a nervous system to cultivate all around the world. Over time, they noticed the emergence of humans, Earth's prime species, and oversaw the end of the Age of Gods.

When these beings' own time ran out and they accepted they would never return to their home in outer space, they decided to entrust their hopes and dreams to their "children" inhabiting the Earth's surface: humans.

And that is the story behind the Mayan and Aztec civilizations.

Their mythology still remembers Earth's big five extinction events, yet doesn't portray them in a negative light.

It's a mythology focused on the rebirth of species, filled with the will to overcome even the worst world-ending disaster.

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Kukulcan is asleep now, so I overheard your discussion.

If I understand you correctly, Da Vinci, you're saying that human history diverged based on the species...

...these extraterrestrials chose to carry on their wish to return to their home.

In Proper Human History, they chose humans, and in this South American Lostbelt, they chose deinosus.

Does that mean this Lostbelt began after the mass extinction event sixty-six million years ago?

I-if so, this Lostbelt would have the longest history of any of them...by far.

No, for that matter, it would mean this Lostbelt's prime species has been developing for even longer than Proper Human History...

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's all correct.

(But, there's still a lot we don't know... It's safe to say the meteorite that crashed on the Yucatán Peninsula marked the point where this Lostbelt began.)

(But I can't see what happened after that. Why does Kukulcan look human instead of like a deinos?)

(Why did this Lostbelt's god filaments choose to parasitize deinos and not humans?)

(The dinosaurs would have also been wiped out during the fifth big extinction event.)

(So if the filaments were going to choose any species to parasitize, surely they would have chosen mammals, the dominant form of life, just like they did in Proper Human History.)

I'm sorry. I'm pretty sure I've at least got the broad strokes right.

I probably could've inferred a little more if Holmes were here, but this is the best I can do on my own.

I see. So you need more information to make additional inferences. Hmm.

Why don't we try looking at it from a different angle? We may not know why the god filaments chose the deinos...

...but do we know the basis for our being chosen?

Oh sure, that much is pretty clear. Before I go on, I'd like to just go over some facts.

Fujimaru.

Based on the information we've gathered so far, what can you say about the deinos?

Yup. They of course have the same musculature as dinosaurs, they can camouflage themselves like chameleons, they can communicate telepathically...

Yup. They of course have the same musculature as dinosaurs, they can camouflage themselves like chameleons, they can communicate telepathically...

Whoa, you noticed! Impressive!

Okay, now let's go over the rest of the answer.

They of course have the same musculature as dinosaurs, they can camouflage themselves like chameleons, they can communicate telepathically...

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...they're all herbivores despite the diversity in their species, and they can nullify physical impacts using bio-waves.

It should be impossible for those traits to have evolved on Earth organically. Their high intelligence in particular.

I don't mean that it's impossible for them to be smart. I mean that most herbivores simply wouldn't be capable of it.

It's just not feasible that at their size, deinos would be able to obtain the required nutrients for survival on an herbivorous diet alone.

Which means the deinos must be replenishing the energy they need via different means.

"The teachings of the sun"... They're able to live on water and sunlight alone... Oh! You mean the deinos are

Yup. They're conducting photosynthesis all the time, thanks to the god filaments' evolutionary help.

This Lostbelt's prime species, the deinos, are a hybrid of both flora and fauna.

They've been this world's dominant form of life for sixty-six million years; they're way more advanced than humanoids like us.

I can't believe it. I had no idea we were such incredible creatures.

You sure are. You all probably don't think anything of it...

...but you deinos are actually the perfect intelligent life-form.

Every last one of you is strong, and you don't have to compete with each other for resources to survive.

In a way, you're just like the vision Kirschtaria had for an ideal humanity: a species whose members would never need to fight among themselves.

...

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Yes. Kirschtaria's goal wasn't a pipe dream after all.

The ideal species he hoped to see exists right here.

And the fact that they're all so kind, like Tepeu, makes me so, so happy.

That being said.

Even though I can make an educated guess about the meteorite hitting the Yucatán Peninsula being the branching point for the South American Lostbelt...

...I still have no idea why it ended up with this unusual structure.

The only way we're going to find out is by going to this observatory. But first

We've gotta get through the next checkpoint: the third underworld!

Then again, this time, we've got Nitocris, Da Vinci, and the ridiculously overpowered dinosaur god snoozing away over there!

So I'm sure we can handle anything this place throws at us! Bring it on, I say!

Oh? You woke up?

What a coincidence. So did I.

Since I'm up anyway, I decided to give Habetrot a break and keep watch for her. I was just admiring Mictlān's night sky.

Go get some more sleep. I've got the lookout stuff covered, yes!

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You're not going to go back to sleep? Then, would you like something to drink? You need to stay hydrated, right?

Oh, you want to know how we're seeing stars, even so deep underground?

Well, unfortunately, Mictlān's night sky isn't actually a window into outer space.

It just looks like one.

The "stars" we're seeing are just the Malla using phosphorescence to imitate what the real night sky of so long ago looked like.

The only real celestial body here is the sun.

And even that's technically a fake, since it's actually a really tiny artificial recreation of the real thing.

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Yes?

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Wow, you saw right through me!

I didn't think it was really my place to speak up there. So I figured pretending to be asleep would be the best way to not interfere.

I mean, the whole conversation would've come to a screeching halt if they'd asked me to weigh in, you know?

"What do you think, Kukulcan?" "How did Mictlān end up like this?"

I wouldn't have known what to do if you'd asked me those kinds of questions.

If you'd asked, I'd have had to answer. And...since I can't lie, well...

I decided to pretend to be asleep and wait until the storm passed.

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...Hehe.

Oh, but you kept something from Da Vinci too, didn't you?

There was a moment you could have pointed out she was wrong, but you chose not to say anything.

Why is that?

You already know whose dream it was you saw when you were back in Chichén Itzá, don't you?

Is it because you didn't want to interrupt? Or is it because you realized I was only faking being sleep...

...and you knew, instinctively, that if you spilled the beans, I'd kill you?

Really? Well, then, you were dead-on!

If you'd told everyone, you'd all be gone now, cornfield and all!

Hehe. The fact that you thought to even say that proves you did know.

I don't know why you decided to keep quiet...but I'm kind of glad you did. Thank you.

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Anyway, that's enough joking around. You guessed right.

That dream you saw came from the Mallathe god filaments rooted here in Mictlān.

I don't know how you ended up harmonizing with Mictlān so well, but you didn't do anything wrong.

So there's nothing wrong with telling everyone what you saw and discussing it with them.

Buuut, uh, there's a pretty good chance that doing so would expose a, um, certain someone's thoughtless misdeeds...

But I guess Ierm, she, will have no one to blame but herself for that...

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Huh? You mean, you forget what you dream almost as soon as you wake up? Are humans just...like that?

Oh man, now that I think about it, I'm the same way! I thought I was the only one who was so forgetful!

O-o-okay, I'm gonna say good night again! Oh, just chalk all this up to a dream and forget it when you wake up!

I mean... Don't worry about anything! I'll be keeping watch all night!

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What is the third level of the underworld like?

It's a strange place, permanently covered in the darkness of night.

There are gentle breezes, lots of oases with clean water, and a starry night sky that stretches on as far as you can see.

The only downside is that deinos can't stay there long, given the lack of sunlight.

It's the only desert in Mictlān, and a very peaceful place for stargazing.

A desert! At last, familiar terrain! Now you're starting to speak my language!

The desert is indeed beautiful at night. I can even teach you how to use the stars to navigate there!

(Shocked)

(Gobsmacked)

Hahaha. What in the world happened here?

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Well, this is embarrassing. I think I give up.

Endless grains of sand everywhere you look... Arid air without a hint of moisture... Heat more oppressive even than the jungle...

Mash, could you tell me exactly what the current temperature is? ...Eighty degrees Celsius, one-hundred seventy-six Fahrenheit. I see. That could dry up a deinos in a few days.

Frankly, I would like nothing more than to go home, but don't worry.

We have a specialist with us. Nitocris, please do something about this.

What do you expect me to do!? This isn't a desert, it's a hellscape!

Even if we shrug off these sandstorms, which may as well be barrages of needles, there's still the air, which is hot enough to boil water! And that's not even mentioning the weird gravity!

An oasis won't do us any good if it's floating too high up for us to reach!!

But, you can still float up there on the wind, no?

Mash told me how you are the incarnation of the god of the sky.

Given all your knowledge of the desert, and your ability to fly, I can think of no better god to entreat for help. Please.

Ulp... I mean, yes, I am, but floating on winds this strong would be...um

It would be suicide. I don't recommend flying around here, or even jumping too high, no.

In addition to the strong wind, everything above four hundred meters is a vacuum with no gravity.

It may look like a clear blue sky, but it's exactly the same as being in outer space.

Exactly! Thank you, Kukulcan! I knew Mictlān's god of wind would understand!

The sky in this level of the underworld is no sky at all! And since outer space is well beyond my jurisdiction, we'll just have to hoof it!

Right. Based on what we saw before, it was a good bet that this level of the underworld would also have changed to be much harsher and more difficult to cross.

So let's just focus on making safe, steady progress.

No, but I'm really wishing I had. I knew I should've been working on a Bastenyan IV in secret...

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Hang on. We're not gonna be reaching an oasis anytime soon, right?

We should turn back. Servants might be fine, but Fujimaru won't make it an hour out here.

Your Mystic Code's temperature regulation was just barely enough even in the jungle, right, Fujimaru?

So trying to cross this desert's gonna feel like trekking through a steam bath.

Your canteen'll be empty before noon. What're you gonna do if you collapse out here?

Good point, Habetrot. I agree. We should go back to the jungle for now, stock up on water, then

Um... I don't see the jungle we came in from anymore. Is the sandstorm just blocking our view?

I hope that's all there is to it... Hang on. Let me send Tiphone out to take a look.

Meanwhile, we should stay together so the sandstorm doesn't separate us. Hold hands, grab onto each other's clothes, whatever you need to do.

Tiphone's back... What'd she find out, Da Vinci?

Bad news. She couldn't find a way out of the desert.

Somehow, even though we only just arrived from the jungle, we're out in the middle of the desert.

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But making sure Senpai has enough water is a matter of life and death. If only we could at least mitigate this heat somehow...

Yeah. I'm against continuing on like this, too.

Dammit, I let the cool environments in the first and second underworlds lull me into a false sense of security...

I should be able to generate some water, but as hot as it is, that isn't going to save Fujimaru or Tepeu from heat exhaustion.

I didn't think it was going to be this bad, either. Dammit, I knew I should've gone around the shops a little more...

If only we had a yellow cucumber from Chichén Itzá, we would've been able to regulate Fujimaru and Tepeu's body temperatures...

It's not your fault, Kukulcan. Almost nobody uses yellow cucumbers these days.

Only a very old shopkeeper would even think to stock them.

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Thank you, don't mind if I do. (Opening wide)

Tepeu! (Smack!)

I'm sorry. Truth be told, my mind reached its boiling point some time ago. Tell me, Fujimaru, where did you get that?

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Thank you, don't mind if I do.(Chomp)

Ahhh... What vitality! What energy! It almost feels like ice moving through my veins...

Normally, being out here would be suicide, but just now, I feel incredible. Go on, Fujimaru. Try it.

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Y-you ate it as is!? A-a-are you sure it's safe for humans, Senpai!?

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What the...?

So, it's a cooling fruit? Or a vegetable that excels at helping people beat the heat, similar to green cucumbers?

It did look pretty good... It's a shame you only brought two of them.

This is perfect. With yellow cucumbers that good, you won't need any more water for the rest of the day.

Thank goodness you managed to find such a well-stocked shop, Fujimaru!

And of course, great job making sure you were prepared for anything☆

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Oh! Sheba just sent me an alert! Hostiles!

Please be careful, everyone! Heat signatures are burrowing through the ground towards us!

Worry not! Any Demonic Beast that lives in the desert is subject to my jurisdiction! This time for sure!

I, Pharaoh Nitocris, will take the lead here! The rest of you, fall back and save your strength for later, just in case!

As for you, Fujimaru, now that that fruit adequately hydrated you, I'd like you to help by performing some simple Heroic Spirit summons!

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Were you trying to kill me? Because if I'd been anyone else, you would have succeeded!

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You weren't able to summon anyone!? Didn't you say you could summon any Heroic Spirit you want when you're in the underworld!?

Forget insolent. Failing to summon aid here is downright incompetent! I appreciate your faith in my abilities, but you wildly overestimated me!

I'm afraid you're mistaken, Pharaoh Nitocris. I was right here. I saw the whole thing.

Senpai's summoning ritual did go off without a hitch, but then it seemed like something external nullified it before it could work.

I'm guessing it has something to do with a rule that's unique to this level of the underworld.

Oh... I didn't realize...

A summoner who's lost the ability to summon is like a bird that's lost its wings.

As a Caster, I can understand your frustrations.

...Forgive me, Fujimaru. I shouldn't have yelled at you when I didn't have all the information.

And as a fellow worker of spells, let me offer some advice.

Don't mistake your inexperience for weakness. No one is an expert at everything.

When things are truly bad, bemoaning your situation only makes it worse.

Next time, I want you to try taking a deep breath, moving a few steps in any direction, and directing your mind elsewhere, away from your concerns.

？！

Heh. Don't worry about it. Those desert insects were no match for me.

They may have caught me by surprise at the start, but I got used to them. Now, I can handle tenno, a hundred, easily!

Say, that's right. As a pharaoh, you used to command the Sphinx.

You should still have that same authority even here in Mictlān's underworld.

(That sphinx was actually a gift from Pharaoh Ozymandias, but I'll just keep that part to myself.)

All that aside, the fact that your summoning ritual was aborted like that is pretty concerning, Fujimaru.

I'm not too worried about us for the moment since we have heavy hitters like Nitocris and Kukulcan around...

...but your not being able to summon other Heroic Spirits worries me. What kind of rule could have

Habetrot?

...

What is it, Habetrot? Why are you gawking like that?

...There. Look there. Look, look, look!

Huh?

？！

Yeah, I see them too! Those have gotta be the legs of some crazy huge creature!

With toes that big, the whole thing must be something like sixty meters tall; it's the same size as Protea!

Dammit! We need to hide, fast! But there IS nowhere to hide!

Everyone, gather around me and stay low to the ground! I'm going to open up my sacred garment!

What's this? Are you hiding us under cloth?

Shhh! Quiet! This is the divine protection of the great Lord Medjed.

So long as we stay put, that creature will never see us. This should give us a chance to see what is going on.

I assure you I don't know what you're talking about. I just so happened to have this wondrous item on me, that's all.

Of course not. Such insolence. Besides, Lord Medjed doesn't HAVE a secret identity, no matter what he looks like.

？！

Right... Well anyway, thanks, Nitocris. You really saved our bacon. What a great little portable camp.

This should let us catch our breath and see what's going on outside. Now, where's that shadow's owner...?

Looks like it's still close by. Guess we'll just have to wait in here until it leaves.

Oh, but first, is everyone okay?

Oh yes, I'm fine. Though I'm endlessly fascinated by this mysterious space in which we find ourselves.

No issues here.

I'm not injured, either. I was just so shocked that I forgot to use my spirit form.

All good here. Boy, this cloth is really handy. Are we in some kind of alternate dimension?

Oh sure, I wasn't surprised at all! In fact, having you worry about me has put me in a great mood!

？！

All right, this seems like a good time to talk, as long as we keep our voices down.

This is the third level of the underworld, Xoxoauhqui. It's a world of endless desert, strong winds, and zero gravity.

I'm guessing it corresponds to Pancuetlacalóyan, the fifth level of Mictlān in Aztec mythology.

Pancuetlacalóyan... The underworld composed of a massive desert region.

It was believed to contain eight oases, but was also home to strong winds which would blow away anyone attempting to cross.

The dead would cling to trees so as not to get swept up into the sky, and were said to flap like flags...

You're right. That does sound a lot like this place.

Hmm. So, if we are to make our way through this newly transformed level of the underworld...

...we'll have to cross eight oases?

You mean like that oasis floating in the sky? I can fly a little bit myself, but I definitely couldn't fly up there with all this wind.

And that's not even mentioning the area with no gravity.

The moment we get into higher altitudes, we won't know which way to float.

Hm? I don't understand. Gravity is the force of attraction, yes? So how could you lose track of which way to go when there's no gravity to attract you?

One of the key laws of the universe is that light things are attracted to heavy things.

So, in the strictest sense, it's not really possible to go somewhere truly without gravity.

In situations where you're floating in what we usually think of as zero gravity, it just means some other force is canceling out its effects.

For example, even in outer space, light things will still be pulled in towards heavier things.

Based on what we saw, I think we'd be able to fall towards the oasis's landmass if we made it up that high.

However, Habetrot's flight ability only lets her alleviate the force of attraction being exerted by the land she's currently standing on, so she can't float above ground unless she's touched that ground at least once.

I see. So for her to fly above that oasis in the sky, she would first have to fall towards it and splat herself on its ground.

Did you really have to put it that way!? Also, I can totally float once I get near the ground, so I might still be able to save myself at the last second!

Hmm. If we compare Habetrot's floating ability to her rate of descent... No, never mind.

May I ask you all what would be the heaviest object you are aware of in your vicinity?

Oh, that's easy. Earth. It's got an approximate mass of six sextillion tons.

With numbers like that, it's no wonder airplanes still fall towards the ground no matter how far away they get from it.

But here, we can escape the pull of Earth's gravity if we can get four hundred meters above the ground, right?

I know we said that was dangerous earlier, but couldn't it also help us get closer to the oases?

Only if we had a way to navigate those strong winds. Neither Habetrot nor I can do that.

So we should stick to the ground and look for a safer way up to the oases from there.

There's no question it's dangerous, but it's also our only option. Fortunately, we have Nitocris, queen of the desert, here to help.

I wish we could, but this place is based on an underworld from Proper Human History, right?

So I don't think that'll ever happen. Also, there's no telling when that giant might just step on us.

Right. We can't stay here forever. But don't worry, Habetrot.

We have Nitocris here with us, and she knows all about crossing deserts!

？！

...Ah. (Suddenly getting a bad feeling)

Ahem. As I've told you twice now, I can't fly in these conditions. As a pharaoh, you can trust that I'm telling you the truth.

So I'm in the same boat as the rest of you. Now, can we discuss this like adults?

... (Happily getting ready to head back outside)

Can't we at least draw lots to choose who leads the way? Isn't Chaldea's approach all about fairness, my ally?

(Huff... Huff... Huff!) There... You see!? These desert...insects are...no trouble...at all!

There are just...a lot more...of them than I...thought...there would be! But I can still...keep going!

？！

But...we're almost to...the oasis... (Catches breath) And we have to find a way up there before that giant Demonic Beast spots us...

You are one seriously hard worker, huh, Nitocris? I get it, I do, but you do need to rest when you can.

You still have Lord Medjed's cloth, right? Now that we're in a safe area, why not use it? Otherwise, it's just going to waste.

Absolutely not! One does not just casually call upon Lord Medjed's protection whenever it is convenient!

It is only acceptable in times of great danger or great opportunity! Otherwise, it would be the height of insole

Nitocris, please! You need to rest! All these battles are taking a toll on you!

...No. As long as we can't count on Fujimaru's summoning, I have to step up to fill the gap.

I was the very first Servant summoned to help with the challenges you face in this Lostbelt.

And I was still unable to protect the Border, I suffered a shameful defeat at Tlāloc's hands, and I couldn't even take part in the mission to México City at all.

I need to be useful, or I will have been chosen for nothing.

If I give up now, I'll never be able to face the other three Servants who were thrown out into Mictlān while they were still being summoned.

...Hey, I get how you feel, but none of that was your fault, right?

Really, if anyone's at fault, it's that thing that attacked the Storm Border when we first got here!

If that...pillar of light thingy hadn't knocked the Border out of the sky, we would've had Protea and Beni-Enma fighting alongside us this whole time!

Pillar of light? This is the first I'm hearing of it. In fact, I never heard the story of how the Border crashed, either.

What in the world could haveno, what sort of violence could have possibly destroyed such a wonderful ship?

Oh, right... I'd almost forgotten about that.

So, Daybit, Tezcatlipoca, the Foreign God, and ORT aren't our only enemies.

We also have to worry about that pillar of light that almost split the Border in half as soon as it popped up from under the ground.

So we have to figure out exactly what it is, and how we can handle it if it shows up again.

W-wow, that, uh, that happened to you guys, huh? Gosh, I, uh, had no idea.

But, um, you only saw that light giant once on the surface, right? If it, uh, hasn't shown up again since, then maybe you'll just never see it again?

？！

...Um, Kukulcan? What did you just sa

Never mind that now! That enormous creature is back! And it apparently brought sandworms with it!

Lord Medjed's protection won't be any use against those! They rely on vibrations to detect their prey!

Then we'll have to get rid of the them before that giant shows up!

Fujimaru! Tepeu! You two stay back with Nitocris!

As soon as Mash, Kukulcan, and I finish taking care of the sandworms, we'll all take shelter under Nitocris's cloth! Got it!?

Ah... (She's right... I'm too exhausted to handle even a single sandworm...)

(If I were to lose and make trouble for everyone again, like I did against Tlāloc, then)

No, we don't got it! What're you getting so sheepish for, Nitocris!?

You were the queen of a great nation, right!?

Are you really going to let a defeat or two undo you!? Is that all the people of Proper Human History are made of!?

Don't be afraid to listen to your heart or say how you really feel! Besides, you still haven't defeated a hundred sandworms!

Right... Yes, of course! I don't need you to tell me that!

Come on, Kukulcan! These sandworms are no threat! I'll defeat them AND the giant all at once!

Huh?

Wh-what the...?

Wow.

？！

Looks like it. Except, we only defeated its leg...

Maybe that leg was the whole creature? Or an illusion created by that sandstorm?

No, it was far too substantial for that. It was a real creature with a physical body. That much I'm sure of.

Mash, Fujimaru, have you ever seen anything like that leg anywhere else?

？！

How bizarre. I do still have questions, but it's wonderful to see that our two biggest threats are gone.

That mysterious giant creature of unknown origin and the strong winds that suddenly stopped are no longer an issue.

Now we can cross this underworld without any further concern. Well, apart from securing water for Fujimaru.

Even after the yellow cucumber, I can feel my mind beginning to slow down. Let's hurry to the oasis.

？！

Hm? Hang on. Is someone collapsed over there?

What is that thing? I've never seen anything like it before. It's fluffy, but also smooth...and shiny...

Oh, don't worry, it's also completely harmless. That much, I can say for sure.

Hm? There's another deinos here?

Let's take a closer look...

What the hell!? That's not a deinos! That's a human!

And he's not wearing a mask, so he's not an ocelotl, either! Though he IS dressed kind of weird!

That language... You're from Proper Human History...aren't you? Talk about ice water in hell...

Speaking of water...could you spare me some? I know something...that will be worth your while...

Oh no! He's so weak he could die at any moment! Master, would it be okay if we gave him some of our water?

？！

Thank you. I feel much better now.

One day, I will repay the water you've given me.

Although, from the looks of you, I take it water is the least of your concerns right now. Same for me.

But I bring you good news. Now that I have met you all, I see genuine hope for world peace.

I'm certainly not about to let this chance pass me by. May I ask your names? I promise I won't misuse them.

Uh... Okay. Why don't you go first, Leader?

？！

So you're runaway Fujimaru.

I feel like I've heard that name before. Minus the descriptor, of course; that's my little contribution.

And you're boar piglet Mash, light-reflecting Tepeu, precocious Da Vinci, windup Habetrot...

Hapless Nitocris...and I-don't-know-what-to-make-of-you Kukulcan.

So, five out of seven of you are combatants. Does this mean it's finally time to save the world?

Boar piglet? As in...those adorable little creatures?

I'm honored, but why "boar piglet"? I'm fairly sure I'm not wearing boar fur or anything like that...

Just going off first impressions, really. No deeper meaning in any of it.

So, where are you all off to next? Going up to the fifth stratum, or down to the seventh?

Before we tell you anything more about ourselves, I'd like to hear your name, and why you were collapsed out here.

(I mean, just look at how obviously shady he is!)

I can't tell you my name. It would only make trouble for you if I did. But I can tell you why I collapsed.

I used to be this underworld's caretaker. It was my job to cultivate it.

Then one day, I woke up surrounded by light, and a certain self-centered goddess ordered me to turn this desert into a veritable paradise filled with flowers and sheep.

That's just unreasonable, isn't it? Don't you feel sorry for me? Of course you do!

Still, I'm a very good caretaker, so I set about fulfilling her demand.

I grew flowers all over the desert, and to substitute for sheep, since Mictlān doesn't have any, I fed the sandworms well until they grew nice and large.

So YOU'RE the one responsible for those!

Does my agricultural acumen surprise you? Me too, actually. So we're even there. That aside...

For a while, things went well enough. Life was slow here in the underworld. But then...

...I heard a loud flapping of wings and looked up to see a very suspicious bat man flying this way.

Oh! Do you mean Camazotz?

I'm sorry, I don't recall his name. There's very little space in my mind for men's names.

I do remember that this bat man had a very friendly laugh. "Ahahaha" this and "teeheehee" that.

Then he spoke to the self-centered goddess, and she transformed into a really scary goddess.

You want to know what made her scary? Well, she wasted not a second before attacking everything around her, the bat man included.

It was so bad, the bat man got irritated and flew off. You see? Terrible goddess.

So she even gave Camazotz trouble, and he's the greatest symbol of fear in Mictlān... (Gulp)

That's not all.

The scary goddess then drained all the magical energy out of the flowers I'd worked so hard to grow and turned this place back into a desert.

Then she made the Heavenly Echo Shrine and began using storms to rule over this underworld.

？！

Yes sir. The storm around here disappeared when you defeated the Heavenly Echo Shrine.

If not for that, we wouldn't be having this conversation. And that concludes my explanation.

I guess that was pretty complicated for you, huh? Want me to summarize? It'll cost extra, though.

No, that's okay.

Now we know that this "scary goddess" is this underworld's guardian, and that the "shrine" she made is what was causing the sandstorms.

So, are you one of the goddess's attendants then?

If you were able to turn a desert into a flower field, you must be very knowledgeable and have extraordinary magical energy.

Attendant... That sounds so nice. Attendants at least get the carrot. I, on the other hand, only get the stick.

Labor laws... What a wonderful idea to bring to her. You chosen heroes really are different, aren't you?

Stop right there, please. Let's just get back to business.

？！

Now, let me get another look at you. Would you tell me where you came from, and what your purpose is?

I still don't fully trust you...but I guess we're not going to get any further unless we talk.

We're from Chaldea. You're a Heroic Spirit from Proper Human History, right? Then you should know why we're here.

Right now, we're headed to the seventh stratum along with Master Fujimaru.

The sandstorm was giving us a lot of trouble, but now that it's gone, we're just about to try and reach that oasis.

I knew it.

You think you'll find an exit at the oasis, but I'm afraid you're mistaken.

Nobody who enters this underworld can ever leave. And any who reach that oasis will be even more trapped here.

You're very lucky to have met me before you headed there.

Please, follow me. I won't let your precious combatants throw their lives away.

？！

No, no, that's not important right now. What's important is my safety, and all of your safety, which guarantees my safety.

From the oasis, she can see us down here. She'll know you're intruders now that you've destroyed her shrine, too.

So we need to get moving. There's a cavern I made in secret. We'll head there.

This way. I promise you, it's very pleasant for a cavern.

？！

Yes?

？！

We do see a lot of backs over the course of our lives.

The back of a childhood friend moving to the big city... The back of a lover breaking up and moving out of your shared home... They're both beautiful backs to watch as they leave.

But if human backs have one thing in common, it's that they all look like human backs. So, it's no wonder mine is familiar.

？！

How do you know that name? I must say, I don't care for this prying detective act. Everyone has dirty laundry if you look hard enough. Especially when your clothes are made of wool.

"Dirty laundry"? Are you sure you didn't mean "bad credit"? So, you've finally shown yourself, Dumuzid.

I'm picking up a magical energy signal overhead! It's an A-rank+ Spirit Origin...a Divine Spirit!

Are those the intruders who destroyed my shrine?

You should be honored. Most intruders aren't lucky enough to have the goddess of the underworld herself squash them under her heel.

Oh, and of course, I'll be squashing you too, Sheep God. Nice try with your obvious little rebellious act. You should've stuck to what you know.

Did you really expect kindness and forgiveness from me? Unfortunately for you, I'm not Ereshkigal anymore.

I'm Ninkigal, the true, cruel, coldhearted, lascivious goddess of the underworld.

All who enter my garden become my property. Now, prepare to be captured for use as slave labor!

(Huh? I expected them to be...rattled. Maybe they didn't hear my introduction?)

...Hmph. So you're the human and Heroic Spirits from Proper Human History. I've never seen any of you in my life.

Very well, intruders, I shall introduce myself once more! I am Ninkigal, goddess of the underworld!

I am the Sumerian deity, and I have taken charge of this third underworld for...very good reasons! Fear me! Revere me!

My underworld is fair! All who enter are equal, for all become my slaves!

Do as you're told, and I'll spare your lives. Defy me, and I will grind you into fertilizer and use you to enrich the soil!

This pressure... It's definitely the real Ereshkigal! Her Spirit Origin pattern perfectly matches the one on Chaldea's Spirit Origin graph!

She must be the fourth and final Heroic Spirit that was summoned on the Border!

Only she's been turned into an Alter, like Kingprotea and Beni-Enma!

Fujimaru! Try calling out to her!

That she looks the way she does means she must be the same Ereshkigal who fought in Babylonia!

First, we need to find out if she still remembers you, and if she understands why Chaldea summoned her!

If we're lucky and things work out, we might be able to resolve this whole thing peacefully!

？！

S-stop that! Why are you waving at me like we're friends!? I thought I told you I've never seen any of you before!

Now listen to me, will you!? I said nobody here gets special treatment!

It really is the Ereshkigal we know! I'd recognize that inability to hide her true affection anywhere!

Gosh, doesn't this remind you of Uruk, Senpai!?

I told you, my name's Ninkigal! Ugh, you still have no idea when someone's being mean to you, do you!?

？！

Not to worry, everyone. That's just Ereshkigal Alter.

She's going by her old name to match her new, evil self. But she's still the same poor goddess she's always been!

Only now, she's got a Command Spell tying her to this place and commanding her to be the ideal ruler of the underworld.

So Camazotz used a Command Spell to make her the guardian of this underworld, like he did with the other two?

Oh, but wait. We don't have Rasputin with us anymore! Isn't he the only one who can undo an Alterization!?

...Hmph. I don't know this Rasputin, but it doesn't matter what kind of Servant he is. My oath will never change.

Do you know what Mictlān's bat told me? He said I should become who I've always wanted to be.

Well, that's who I am now: Ninkigal, the truly perfect goddess.

I'll never be envious of the heavens. I'll never be jealous of Ishtar.

Here, I'm the invincible goddess of the underworld who's never made a mistake and never tasted defeat.

That's the Command Spell I cast on myself. And my pride won't change it for anyone.

So, are you saying you...allowed yourself to become an Alter, Ereshkigal?

Yes, that's right.

Once I fell to Mictlān and saw the state of this underworld, I knew I had found my calling.

I watched the end of the Age of Gods all by myself in the Sumerian underworld, so I know without a doubt...

...that nothing and no one can stop this world from coming to an end, either.

And when the world is ending, might is the only right there is. Kindness and forgiveness are of no use there.

A true goddess coldly and mercilessly exploits her followers, right?

So I made this third underworld into a world where everyone obeys its god forever and ever♡

Here, everyone worships me, and everyone toils away every day to mine gemstones for my tribute!

Here, I am the one and only god, and my power is absolute! All other Divine and Heroic Spirits are forbidden from entering!

This way, even if things go wrong in all the other strata, my little corner of the underworld here will remain completely peaceful and prosperous, right?

Ah... I can't believe I'm seeing a god of Sumer promote monotheism. How embarrassing.

As you can see, Ereshkigal has become so competitive with Ishtar that she's wound up thinking just like her.

So I take it you all understand what it is I'd like you to do, yes?

？！

...Um, I know I'm kind of an outsider here, so I don't have any right to speak on your relationships...

But am I right in understanding that Camazotz has set that girl over there down an evil path?

She's long since reached the end of that path by now, but yes, that's right.

Now, why don't we show her that violence always loses out to even greater violence. Together.

So, you're a god, and you're actually from Mictlān.

Not only do you not have anyone worshipping you, you don't even have anything worth protecting.

Do you really think a pathetic, phony goddess like you could ever defeat me!?

Fine then! I'll show you the Authority of a god who's overseen the birth of a real civilization!

Get ready, Fujimaru!

It's time for you to learn firsthand how mighty and awesome the goddess of the underworld really is!

Ah! Tepeu, look out!

I-it's taking everything I've got just to hold back one of those legs!

Oh man, this is nuts! Those legs are freakin' huge, and there's so damn manyWaaah!

O-oh man, we've got nowhere to run! We can't even fight back! Is this what fighting the Demon God Pillars was like!?

C-compared to caring for Lord Ozymandias's Sphinx, this is no big deal atEee!

Heh. See? I told you I went out of my way to trample you personally.

This is my Boundless Gorge, the Heavenly Echo Shrine. Ishtar used Gugalanna as a Divine Beast...

I don't need a Divine Beast that only goes around wreaking havoc, though. Terrible use of resources.

No, all I need for my shrine are its legs. And as you can see...

...for the cost of a single Gugalanna, I can command a bunch of its legs at once!

？！

Ouch. We're completely outmatched, aren't we? I never thought she would gather every Gugalanna in the underworld in one place.

It seems we're surrounded by leg walls. Looks like we'll have to try our luck again some other time.

Don't give up! The only thing I can do for you now is pray for your success. Dumuzid out.

？！

Damn, he got away!

Ugh, if he's not pilfering my magical energy reserves, he's fanning the flames of dissent among my followers!

But never mind him for now! His punishment can wait!

It's over, Fujimaru! There's no escaping my Gugalanna walls! But don't worry!

Once I capture you, I'm going to be nice and make you my permanent, personal divine gemstone artisan!

Ngh. What a horrific ordeal... Where are we now? Is this the oasis?

Yes, it is. I didn't know what was going to happen to us when those legs sent us flying, but it seems we're still alive, at least for the time being.

I guess we were captured after Gugalanna's legs knocked us out...

Yup. This must be one of Ereshkigal's spear cages.

If we were in top form, we could probably destroy it, but I doubt we could manage that right now.

We did take a helluva beating. I'm so bruised, I can barely move.

I wonder what'll happen to us now. Are we really gonna be forced to toil away in slavery to Ereshkigal?

Of course you are. What do you think the underworld is for?

You guall of you are now residents of the underworld, and you're going to work for me for all of eternity.

From now on, your schedule will consist of breakfast, work (mining ore), lunch, work (mining ore), dinner, work (extracting magical energy), and sleep.

You're going to keep that cycle going until you've stored up as much magical energy as you possibly can. And don't expect any days off, either.

Oh man, that sounds way worse than death.

So you really did capture us just to put us to work. Are you really so eager to puff yourself up?

Not even Ishtar would go this fa (On second thought, never mind.)

Let's try this another way.

You said you made an oath to yourself that you would be the ideal goddess to rule the underworld.

Does that mean you need to build up a ton of magical energy to rule the underworld properly?

...

...Not really. I just want to make my slaves work as much as possible. Like they did in Egypt with the pyramids.

That is not remotely accurate!

The pyramids' construction was a strictly aboveboard affair, conducted entirely in line with good labor laws!

All the slaves were paid salaries, given regular breaks, and offered free beer at the end of the day! Our welfare system was absolutely perfect!

We could never have accomplished such a great feat if not for our proper standards for labor laws!

I don't know what's driving you, Ninkigal, but you're going about this in entirely the wrong way!

Is this how Sumeria's gods conduct themselves?

H-hey, Sumer had good labor laws, too! Even in my underworld, I was the only one who ever did any actual wor

...No, never mind that. This is Mictlān's third underworld, not Sumer.

You're the one who doesn't get it, Nitocris. How long are you planning to protect this shell of yourself?

You still don't understand why you were really called here. That was clear to me in our battle earlier.

Whawhat do you mean by tha

You're a queen of the underworld too. You should be able to exert every bit as much Authority here as I do.

Not only did you fail to do so, you did not even try to challenge me for dominance.

If you had been summoned to your own land, your own nation, then I could understand trying to maintain the image you cultivated during your life.

But this is a foreign land, and a battle for all of humanity. You're supposed to be protecting the future, not your past self.

I... You're saying I'm putting myself first? Because I haven't allowed myself to be Altered, like you have?

Alterization is just a means to an end. The question you should be asking yourself is, "What can I do?"

When I was still alive, my dream was to have an underworld covered in flowers as far as the eye could see.

And of course, I made it happen, since Mictlān has just as much atmospheric magical energy as the Age of Gods.

But it wasn't good enough. This isn't a Holy Grail War. My own dreams are secondary at best.

So I gave up my field of flowers. I even gave up my right to return to Chaldea...

...all to become the strongest goddess in this underworld.

That's the role I was meant to play. It's what I'm most proud of as a goddess people once believed in.

...

Anyway, on a different subject: Where's Fujimaru, Mash?

Probably hiding behind your shield, right? Well, tell him to come out. I won't bite.

Huh? I'm sorry, but Master isn't here. Didn't you notice? He pulled off a brilliant escape during our battle!

What!? Th-th-that's impossible! How could he have possibly escaped my shrine!?

Good thing we managed to make it out of there. We're lucky this cavern was so close by.

I even managed to get a fire going in the remnants of an old fire. I wonder who could've been living here?

？！

？！

Oh, no. You were the one who helped me there. That was some great thinking!

If you hadn't pointed out that the third and fourth legs were moving at different speeds, creating a gap between them...

...then I never would've thought to scoop you up and jump through that opening to escape!

I have to say though, it was pretty thrilling! A narrow escape as a hoof the size of a building tried to crush us♡

Huh? Not for "asking so much of you"? I, um... Don't be silly. I'm not holding back at all...

I couldn't see what happened to them...

But even though Ninkigal obviously saw us as enemies, she wasn't trying to kill us.

She's probably got them imprisoned so she can use them for slave labor later.

？！

I...haven't been any help at all, have I?

I really thought I'd be able to do more, but now there are all these things tying my hands...

So much for Kukulcan, the free-spirited wind. I wish I could apologize to Quetzalcoatl...

... ...

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？！

？！

Huh!? Wh-wh-wh-what're you talking about!? I-I always go all out with everything I do!

I've never pushed myself too hard, set limits on myself, or held back! I only ever do what I want, yes!

？！

？！

You...um... You could tell?

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...

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B-but...are you sure you can trust me like that?

I mean, I'm the god of a Lostbelt...and you're a human, and one from Proper Human History at that.

Wouldn't it be way more likely that I'm just pretending to be kind to you to get an opportunity to kill you?

？！

...I can see from your smile that you really mean it, but...how can you tell I'm not a bad god?

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...I...

I... I...

I guess you've got me there! Hehe. Teeheehee. Yahahahahahahaha!

Okay, I got it! No more secrets! Time to reveal who I really am and rescue everybody!

But...if I really should be doing whatever I want, then I'd kind of like you to return the favor...

You know that handy thing you do with Servants? Where you form a bond with them to feed them magical energy?

I'd like to use that so I can pull off some cool techniques. So...would you?

？！

Hnnn!

All RIGHT! I'm feeling great! Just leave it all to me, Master! I don't care how many legs Gugalanna's got! I'll beat 'em all with just one hit!

Good, you're done talking. I have to say, seeing cultural exchange in action never fails to warm my heart.

Good day, hello, how do you do, and salutations. It's me, your local golden sheep and sleep device, Dumuzid.

It looks like we're finally about to witness a real battle between goddesses. Way to go, Fujimaru.

Would you object terribly to me using that sweet line you just gave as my own work? To the whole world, of course.

？！

That's a shame, but of course, I was only joking. I'll just go ahead and seal the data from that recording into your next gift box.

More importantly, I'm concerned about the others. We should go rescue them immediately. Sooner, even.

Kukulcan, if you can defeat Ereshkigal, that will solve everything.

In her mind, the ideal ruler has "never tasted defeat," as she put it. If she does, then she is no longer, by her definition, ideal.

That will invalidate the oaththat is, the Command Spell she cast on herself. And if that happens... Are you picking up what I'm putting down?

？！

Exactly. Now please, get on my back, wise Fujimaru.

The key to our victory is defeating the third underworld's guardian without destroying the underworld itself.

Well, carrying you on my back has been...thoroughly dull. But, I suppose uneventful is good too now and then.

Bravo. You're the very picture of health and inner refreshment, like the explosive power of a girl skipping rope.

You make me want to save the world by your side, and that's no small feat.

All right, we made it through the anti-gravity zone without a hitch. I hope you're ready, 'cause we'll soon be at the oasis.

Unfortunately, after I drop off Fujimaru, I'm going to have to retreat to a safer area.

I'm just sorry I won't be able to see how the battle unfolds. Okay, three...two...one... Good luck.

Aaah! He was being literal about dropping us off!? Are you okay, Fujimaru? Do you need help?

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Wow, you really are a seasoned Master, aren't you!? Okay then, in that case...

I'm going to fight with my true style, out of respect for the goddess of Proper Human History!

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You think? I find it to be a very useful space suit, myself!

Oh well, I'll just have to show you how strong I am in this outfit then!

Okay, Ninkigal, it's go time! Your illegal, immoral, exploitative construction project ends now!

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Oh, I KNOW you did not just drop out of the sky into a rolling landing! Knock that stuff off! You'll give me a heart attack!

Anyway, you want a rematch? What can a mage who can't even summon a single Servant hope to accomplish against

Ah. I see. So that goddess is your last resort, is she? Fine. She's a thousand times better than a certain cowardly sheep.

Fine. Out of respect for your foolhardy bravery, I accept your challenge. Come, my Boundless Gorge Heavenly Echo Shrine!

If you really think you can get past my six-legged Divine Beast, go ahead and try!

Are you freaking kidding meee!?

？！

(Gasp!) Right! This is no time to be standing around gawking!

Kukulcan's Noble Phantasm just obliterated Gugalanna! But, it was also the same attack that

Yup! That was the giant karate chop that swatted the Storm Border our of the sky! I knew it!

The attack came from Mictlānfrom Kukulcan, the king of this Lostbelt!

So that's what that was! But why do you look so happy about that, Da Vinci!?

Teehee. I'm just glad I turned out to be right on the money.

Oh my. So the one responsible for destroying the Storm Border, seriously harming Captain Nemo...

...and subjecting you all to unprecedentedly dangerous circumstances was Kukulcan?

On behalf of all deinos, I am so terribly sorry for all the trouble our god has caused you.

I promise you, we will all discuss what to do with her when we get the chance.

Personally, I think that she should spend a century in the ninth stratum thinking about what she's done.

Hold on, Tepeu! I had a good reason for attacking them back then!

I'm Mictlān's guardian, remember!?

I saw an opportunity to get rid of Chaldea on the surface before they could excise our Lostbelt, so I decided to take it!

So she actually IS our enemy! I can't believe we survived that...

N-no, wait, that came out wrong. Back then, I thought you would refuse to hear me out, just like Daybit Sem Void.

But things are different now, and I know you don't mean us any harm.

That said...yes, I am responsible for nearly destroying the Border. And an apology clearly isn't enough.

If you decide you want to fight because I'm your enemy, or you want me to pay damages, I'll understand...

？！

Honestly, after what went down in México City, I already had my suspicions that you were the giant.

So, I don't see this as a binary between friend and foe, or anything like that.

Besides, we can't forget you saved Fujimaru and us yet again today.

？！

Ultimately, it'll be up to Commander Goredolf to make the call. Besides

(The real problem is, there's just no possible way we could defeat her now.)

(So if she's willing to help us out, we don't really have any choice but to ignore the other issues.)

No, never mind. For the time being, I'm just happy that one of the potential threats has chosen to ally with us.

Now, more importantly

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...What do you want? Stop looking at me like that. I don't need your pity.

I don't even know what you're still doing here. Your business is in the seventh stratum, not with me, right?

Now that Kukulcan's beaten me, the rule of the underworld built upon me being the strongest goddess no longer applies.

Now this is just a plain old desert that happens to be part of the underworld. I wish I could disappear like the miserable loser I am.

I can't do that. Didn't the others tell you about this?

Once you become a guardian, you can't leave your underworld without disappearing.

That's right. Thanks to a certain someone, I can no longer go by Ninkigal, the invincible goddess! Thanks sooo much for the reminder!

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Hm? Wait. You're still in your Altered form, even though Senpai's regained his last Command Spell.

Why is that? Has it just been too long?

Is your mind and body now doomed to remain Altered forever?

Of course not. But thanks for worrying about me, Mash.

Camazotz might've used a Command Spell to Alter me, but he didn't do it against my will.

I freely accepted his offer.

I wanted a stronger Spirit Origin so I could help Chaldea better.

Gosh, that's so smart of you, Ereshkigal. So you had an ulterior motive in those battles we fought all along!

...

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Yes, I did have an ulterior motive! I just can't say what it is right now, that's all!

But when the time's right, I'm gonna make you cry like a little baby (out of sheer joy) so be ready for that!

...?

At any rate! I didn't go through Alterization without knowing what I was getting into.

There's no telling what might happen here, right?

So I'll stay behind and keep being the guardian of this underworld, just in case.

Didn't the first two guardians tell you they couldn't go with you?

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...But it's okay. Don't worry about me.

Even if I've gone a little evil and delinquent, I'm still Ereshkigal, goddess of the underworld and Servant of Chaldea!

I'll help you till the end, no matter what you face.

Didn't Kukulcan just hand you your ass, though?

Are you sure you're okay? Maybe you want to change your mind about coming with us?

I was going to go recover my strength after you left, okay!? Now go on, get out of here!

Also, Kukulcan! You basically sucker punched me earlier!

I know I kind of went with it and fought you in midair, but I'm at my best when my feet are planted on solid ground!

So don't think this means you've got me beat! I won't lose to you next time!

Of course! We're still tied at one win and one loss each! Next time, I'll take two out of three wins!

Two out of three? What do you mean by Oh. I see. Next time would make it a best of three situation.

Fine. Get excited about it, if you want.

Just know that if we ever fight again, I'll have a Noble Phantasm that surpasses Gugalanna AND Meslamtaea!