SWNOVELXO Chapter 162: Gilgamesh confronts Erekshigal
"My lord, what are you doing outside? I thought you were supposed to be with Lady Gilgamesh?" Yukio asked.
She was standing in the middle of the hallway when Ha Joon and Sinex appeared.
"I was. She said she wanted to take care of something and then she left. Where is Artoria? And my dragon?" Ha Joon asked back.
"Uhm, Her Majesty and Lady Lyra wanted to stretch their legs for a bit, so they went to stroll the city for sightseeing."
Yukio replied.
'Artoria going sightseeing? She never wants to leave the castle; she's more introverted than I am. Perhaps she saw something that interested her when we arrived here?'
Ha Joon thought to himself, "I'm sure she'll be back soon. What have you been doing? You look disturbed."
Ha Joon wasn't wrong.
The expression on Yukio's face was practically screaming 'help me.'
"Uhn?"
"Don't 'Uhn?' me. Is something wrong?" Ha Joon placed his hand on her cheek as he moved closer.
Sinex was already jealous, grabbing hold of his other arm while puffing her cheeks.
"I'm fine... my lord."
"I did not know you felt comfortable lying to my face now."
Ha Joon pressed.
Yukio looked to the side; there was no way she could lie again.
"I just want... my lord to leave this kingdom." She finally spoke.
"You mentioned this before, and I do remember saying I'd check it out with Gilgamesh. Well, the good news is, I did speak to her. Her words were nothing but the truth, so I doubt she means any harm."
Yukio opened her mouth a bit, wanting to say something, but she quickly swallowed it.
"If you're feeling that uncomfortable, then I can request that we leave tomorrow morning. Does that sound right to you?"
Yukio's face immediately brightened up.
"Disgusting. Why are you taking advantage of my love's kindness?" Sinex glared at Yukio, hugging Ha Joon's arm close to her chest.
Yukio returned the same look.
"You're here? Sorry, I didn't notice."
"Fuck you!" Sinex yelled.
"How barbaric of you..."
Ha Joon sighed; getting in between the two of them when they start arguing is almost pointless.
Looking outside the window, he sighed, 'I know I said that to give Yukio peace of mind. But even I have to admit, something about this whole situation doesn't seem right.'
---
Hell.
One of the third realms to exist on earth. This was the home of the goddess who ruled over the souls of the world, Ereshkigal.
Mortals, gods, animals, and beasts all answer to her once their soul is dead.
It has been so since the dawn of time.
Only rarely do people ever visit such a place and come out alive.
Rarely, because there was one human who did it, not once but twice.
Gilgamesh.
She stood at the entrance of hell, a pit of darkness with long rocky bridges leading to different parts of the realm.
At the bottom, you could see demons moving about.
'Tsk! Coming back here is so depressing.'
Gilgamesh sighed.
In order to appear in hell, the goddess of hell herself had to invite you. The only other alternative was when a person dies, and their soul journeys there.
Death.
'Killing myself was the easy part; passing these gates is the annoying part of hell. Ereshkigal always proving she's the bitch she is.'
She shook her head.
The gates in front of her were of two statues standing side by side—the Gate of Betrayal.
This gate creates a false illusion of loved ones, each betraying Gilgamesh in some way.
"I am Gilgamesh. I do not associate myself with traitors."
She said, canceling the illusion as she walked through the first gate.
The second gate appeared before her—the Gate of Regrets.
This trial forces Gilgamesh to relive the most painful moments of her life, confronting any regrets and guilt.
"I am Gilgamesh. My actions are not done so foolishly, and thus, I have no regrets."
The gates acknowledged her, and she walked past it.
The third gate appeared.
The Gate of Despair.
Shadows whispered fears and shouted, trying to crush her resolve.
"I am Gilgamesh. I do not harbor any self-doubt."
Just like the rest, the gates crumbled.
Finally, the last gate presented itself before her.
The Gate of Reflection.
Gilgamesh encountered an identical version of herself that reflects all her flaws and weaknesses. To pass, she must confront and accept both her strength and flaws.
'Tsk! Ereshkigal, you really have to do better. I am Gilgamesh. I do not have to confront anything, and I do not have any weaknesses.'
(You have passed the trials, you may pass.)
The gate spoke, opening up for Gilgamesh to calmly walk past.
"Bunch of fools."
After a while of wandering around hell in search of where Ereshkigal was.
Gilgamesh finally found her.
She was seated on her throne made from bones and skulls.
A long line of skeleton warriors was stationed in two lines, facing one another.
"Ereshkigal, you fool! You decided to add more gates to keep me away, did you?"
Gilgamesh grinned as she walked into the room.
Ereshkigal, still seated on her throne, raised her head a bit.
"What? Are you surprised yet again that your useless gates and trials have no effect on me? Don't be, you seem simply too weak to do anything to me."
"No, I am only surprised that you are willing to kill yourself to come meet me. Surely you don't miss me that much."
Ereshkigal responded.
"Hahaha! Delusional." Gilgamesh laughed, "Staying in hell for too long has made you dumb. Your sister holds no candle to your stupidity."
"What do you want, Gilgamesh?" asked Ereshkigal.
"Oh, that's simple. I want you dead. Kill yourself right now."
"Uhn?"
"Took me a while to notice. Well, I did not expect you to stoop so low. As the goddess of death, you can easily tell when a person will die. That was why you tried to keep my handsome prince from me, isn't that right, Yukio?"
Ereshkigal's eyes widened.
"What?"
....
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