The sky had grown dark without anyone noticing.
Because when Rozen and the others had arrived at Kutha City it was already late in the afternoon, and after the series of battles they went through in the Underworld, it was only natural that night would fall.
When the group returned to Kutha City through the ground that Ishtar had blasted apart, they saw the darkened sky and each other's slightly tired expressions. Rozen made a decision on the spot.
"Let's spend the night here in Kutha and head back to Uruk tomorrow."
After all, all of Kutha City's inhabitants had already had their souls taken by the Garula spirits, and their bodies transported to Uruk for preservation.
Even if Ereshkigal released the souls and returned them to their bodies, the citizens would awaken in Uruk all at once.
Kutha would remain as empty as it was now.
Given that, it wasn't hard to simply pick a house and make do for one night.
Thus, the group chose a relatively comfortable-looking home, lit the lamps, and settled in, preparing to spend the night there.
Ishtar and Ryougi Shiki would also be staying.
Of course, since Kutha's houses hadn't been lived in for a long time, they needed a bit of cleaning.
"Leave it to me, Senpai!"
Mash volunteered for the task with enthusiasm. She immediately picked up some cleaning tools and energetically began tidying up the place.
"Fou! Fou!"
Fou popped out from Rozen's clothes and ran toward Mash as if wanting to help, though of course this little guy couldn't actually be of any use—he was most likely just joining in to play.
"Anywhere's fine for me; I've even stayed in the Underworld."
Ryougi Shiki, as straightforward as ever, simply sat herself down in the corner of the main hall.
As for Ishtar…
"Make sure you clean my room properly. I don't want my skin touching dust."
The goddess issued the request as if it were only natural.
"O-Okay!"
Mash accepted obediently.
Meanwhile, Rozen sat down in a chair, raising an eyebrow at Ishtar, who had followed them all the way here. His expression showed a hint of curiosity.
"You planning on staying?"
Rozen asked, puzzled.
"What? You want to use me and then toss me aside?"
Ishtar's face was full of dissatisfaction.
"I wouldn't go that far," Rozen replied truthfully. "I just didn't expect you to stick around."
Rozen had assumed that, once the matter with Ereshkigal was resolved, this goddess would simply fly off and have nothing more to do with them.
But she herself said:
"I've just gotten a little more interested in you, so I thought I'd try observing you for a while."
Ishtar grinned slyly at Rozen.
"Before, I thought you were an annoying human, but now you've caught my attention. Let's see how far you can get in this era."
"Oh?" Rozen's tone was half surprised, half amused. "So you're saying you want to travel with us?"
"That's the idea for now," Ishtar admitted openly. "It's an honor most people could only dream of, so you'd better cherish it."
"Hopefully," Rozen said dryly. "Just as long as you don't cause trouble."
"You're so rude," Ishtar said, clearly displeased.
Then, with a half-smile, she added, "How about I form a temporary contract with you? Would that put your mind at ease?"
This time, Rozen was caught off guard.
"You want to form a temporary contract with me?"
He looked at Ishtar in surprise.
"Well, it's just a spur-of-the-moment idea," Ishtar said, hands on her hips, speaking as if she were being perfectly magnanimous. "Better seize the opportunity before I change my mind."
Hearing this, Rozen studied her carefully.
Once he confirmed she wasn't joking, he dropped the roundabout words and asked directly:
"Don't give me that 'spur of the moment' excuse. I don't buy it. Tell me the real reason—or I'll call Altera out."
He even went so far as to threaten her.
"You…!"
Ishtar glared at him in both shock and indignation.
But a second later, she sighed.
"It's just a bit of thanks, alright?"
She finally spoke the truth.
"Thanks?"
Rozen's eyes narrowed in thought.
"The whole Ereshkigal thing!"
Ishtar gave a small huff, crossing her arms and turning her head away.
Still, her voice carried on:
"Thanks to you, I finally managed to do something I couldn't the last time I went to the Underworld. Even though the process was rough, I got to say everything I wanted to that girl, and I achieved my goal. So giving you a little thanks is only natural, isn't it?"
Her words didn't surprise Rozen.
From her demeanor, he had already sensed as much—that Ishtar had always cared deeply about Ereshkigal's existence.
For a free-spirited, willful goddess like her, learning that her other half—her sister—had given up everything to be confined in the Underworld, managing the souls of the dead for countless millennia without ever gaining freedom… it would be strange if she didn't care.
Even if she claimed that, in the myths, she descended to the Underworld simply because she arrogantly believed there was no challenge she could not conquer—if that were truly the case, then after facing the trial of the Seven Gates, even the most prideful would have backed down.
After all, no one had forced Ishtar to challenge the seven gates.
And given she only possessed seven authorities, once she passed through two or three gates and had that many authorities stripped away, even a fool would realize that if she passed all seven, she would lose all of them, leaving herself as a powerless goddess at the mercy of the Underworld's queen.
In such a situation, any reasonable person would retreat—flee before the last gate. Who would bite down and push through, surrendering all their powers and becoming weak enough to be toyed with?
And yet, Ishtar did exactly that.
The reason could only be that she had something she had to say to Ereshkigal.
"Just because of the gods' rules, she obediently stays in the Underworld, managing souls without complaint… My other half, being such a goody two-shoes—it's unbearable, even to me."
It was unclear whether Ishtar was speaking to him or muttering to herself.
"The Underworld? If you don't want to manage it, then just don't."
It was for the sake of saying that that Ishtar descended to the Underworld.
But she failed.
This time, though, she had succeeded.
She had said what she needed to say to Ereshkigal.
More than that—she had personally seen Ereshkigal form a contract with Rozen and finally agree to leave the Underworld and walk toward the future.
Wasn't that exactly what Ishtar had always wanted to do, and to see?
Therefore…
"For accomplishing something I couldn't, I'll form a temporary contract with you."
Ishtar smiled brilliantly at Rozen.
"If you do well, maybe I'll even form that absolute contract with you."
Leaving those words behind, she turned and went upstairs.
Rozen could only curl his lips into a faint smile as he watched her go.