Section 4: Poisonous Reunion

Oh, there you are. Are you okay? Hanging in there?

You're not the first soul to end up in the wasteland instead of the plaza.

Good thing I decided to go on patrol just in case. Now I've got another lost soul to add to my collection.

Hehe, hope you didn't have any plans for the afterlife. Here in the underworld, I literally own you.

Now that Ereshkigal, the Queen of Kur herself, is here, you'll never be free agai

Wait! Ohhh, you're almost faded away! Hang on! Just hang in there!

I didn't mean it! I was just trying to scare you a little! Come on, you can't give up on me that easily!

...Phew, it stopped flickering. Judging from its voice, it must have been a human child.

Let's see, it died from...strangulation? According to my death records... Oh. It was killed by an abusive family member.

...I'm afraid I have no idea what it is you souls are saying, but...

...now that you're here with me, you have nothing to worry about. I'll make sure you're always fed and clothed.

I may not be able to heal your wounds...

...but I promise that no matter how cold you get, you'll never fade away. Not with these soul cages here.

You can hang on to your sense of self as long as you like, or you can let go of your regrets and return to the abyss.

If you had a hard life up on the surface, you can at least enjoy some peace and quiet here.

I am Ereshkigal, the goddess of the underworld, and the leader of the Gallû Spirits who see the dead off.

And I swear to you that so long as you are here in my care, you will always know peace.

I know it's freezing cold here...but hopefully your dreams will at least be pleasant.

...

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I was just dreaming about...

N-never mind. ...I was just thinking that it's getting colder the further down we go.

Zerco's wool will keep me nice and warm, though. I just hope you'll find a way to manage too.

Anyway, I can see the third gate now.

You know the Heroic Spirit who's been summoned to be its gatekeeper, right? In that case, I'd like you to talk to her before we fight.

Mesoamerica, hm...? She sounds like a warmhearted deity. I wonder how well we'll get along now that I'm Santa Claus...

There are things one can only learn from battle. My predecessor taught me that.

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Okay, we're coming in for a landing. ...Wait. What's going on?

It looks like...the gate is already open? What happened to its gatekeeper?

Unfortunately for you, I already punished Quetzalcoatl myself.

Demiurge or not, an outsider's an outsider. And outsiders aren't allowed to stay in the underworld, not for any reason.

Besides, she's a goddess of Venus, and that's just rubbing salt in the wound as far as I'm concerned.

She didn't deserve any leniency whatsoever. So as the ruler of the underworld, I crushed her mercilessly.

You're... It can't be.

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How dare you speak my name so lightly, outsider!?

...Thanks to a report from my Gallû Spirits, I know you are attempting to descend my underworld.

Normally, I would commend your bravery and await your arrival in my temple...

...but I'm in the middle of making some changes in the underworld, so...I can't let you go any further.

You are free to return to the surface. But if you defy my commands, I will punish you severely!

You say you're Ereshkigal...? The ruler of the underworld?

...Something about this doesn't add up. Weren't you supposed to be in the abyss?

...Oh, you're a smart one. I AM in the middle of a ritual to hand over my Authority down in the abyss.

I don't generally set foot outside that place. But given who I was up against, I had no choice.

I see... Then, you really did defeat Quetzalcoatl.

I can tell she was a powerful goddess just from the lingering scent of her Divinity.

Yet you defeated her all on your own? At first glance, you don't seem to be well suited for violence...

True. Quetzalcoatl said the same thing, right before she challenged me. And look where that got her.

Muscles, weapons, Authority... Anything you can throw at me is like water off my back.

In Quetzalcoatl's case, I ended up making her as small as a pebble and flinging her back up to the surface.

Even gods can't stand against me. Humans have NO chance. If you aren't sure why, I'll tell you...

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It's because here in the underworld, I have more power than any god to ever have

Wait. How did you know that!?

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...Don't you speak my name without my permission. I don't know who you or that, uh...

...that...red Servant...?

(...Who IS that, anyway? Maybe she's got something to do with those weird decorations that popped up?)

...Oh, forget it. I'll just pass judgment and be done with it. Eat this.

You deflected my red lightning just with your Divinity!? Don't tell me that's a brand-new Anti-Curse Mystic Code!?

Ho ho ho. I'm Santa.

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I-I see. So your name's Santa. Is that right? I know all about you! I'm not THAT out of touch!

Although...

(That human isn't the least bit afraid of me... Actually, it seems like he's dying to talk to me...)

(N-no, that can't be right! I'm just jumping to conclusions again! Come on, Ereshkigal! Don't forget all those times you got your hopes up only to have them shattered again and again!)

...Okay. That matches up with the Ereshkigal I remember.

Ruler of the underworld, please listen to me. This man is the Master of Chaldea.

The underworld has launched a terrible attack on Chaldea. If it is not stopped, all of Chaldea will be wiped out by tomorrow.

That would make it impossible for us to celebrate Christmas.

So, Fujimaru would like you to please stop this attack now, if you can.

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...

And I'm Chaldea's newest Santa Claus. I actually have a present for you.

Shut up! I never asked what you were doing here!

I was going to let you return to the surface, but now that I know you're from Chaldea, I'm done being merciful!

You are doomed. Nothing can stop your destruction now.

The new laws of the underworld hold everyone who broke the goddess's oath responsible!

I may be awaiting punishment myself, but for now, I'm still in charge of the underworld. Now you'll see just how terrifying that power is for yourself!

...! This is bad, Master! She won't listen to us!

I guess we really do need to be victorious in battle before people can accept our presents!

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Ugh, I TOLD you to stop being so familiar! You know what!? I'm going to make a special exception JUST for you and toss you into an ugly cage!

Urk...! She really IS trying to kill us! Get out of here, Master! Hurry back to the second gate!

Baaa. (Yeah.) Baaa. (You tell her.)

Huh!? You're kidding me! My underworld doesn't have any awful curse like that!

I mean... (What's with this guy? He's so easy to talk to...)

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...Hmph, no WAY would I let you get away! Now that we've fought each other, you're not going anywhere!

I hate to capture a living soul, but those are the rules of the underworld. No exceptions.

Go on and tell me your name, visitor! You've earned at least that much!

What the...!? You're not kidding, are you!? Seriously!?

...You transform when you sneeze?

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...Why did my head start to hurt just now...?

You're incredibly rude, but...I can see in your eyes that you're telling the truth... Could it be...

Could it be that the things that I've forgotten...have something to do with you?

...It's time, Lady Ereshkigal. You must return to the abyss.

If you are not present in the abyss when the ritual is conducted, the underworld will disappear.

...I know that. I guess I ended up wasting time here.

You there, Santa Claus. And you, Fujimaru, or whatever your name is.

I'm letting you off this one time. Now be good and go back to Chaldea while you still can.

You saw for yourself how outmatched you are, right? It doesn't matter who I'm fighting. As long as I'm here in the underworld, I can't possibly lose.

...Yes, you were absurdly strong. But we can't go back to Chaldea.

If we do, it would only be a matter of time before Fujimaru succumbs to the Sumerian Fever too.

Is that what you want? For him to die?

...There's nothing I can do about that. I have to erase everyone who knows me.

Otherwise it won't be possible to transfer control of the underworld. So...

Hurry, Lady Ereshkigal. The path to the abyss is closing.

...I'm sorry. I don't have any other choice.

I knew you would understand, Lady Ereshkigal... You are the picture of grace. Please, do hurry. You still have so much to atone for.

...I'll be honest. I don't think I know what's going on anymore...

The underworld is attacking us, Ereshkigal is a bad guy, I have presents to deliver...

...and you know Ereshkigal personally, but she doesn't know you.

Doesn't this all seem a bit...odd to you? It feels like my head is going to explode...

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