"Boom!"
A muffled rumble echoed through a part of the Mount Ebih range as the raised earth burst apart.
Phew! After climbing all night from the edge of the Underworld, they had finally reached the surface!
Covered in dirt and looking a bit rough, Samael crawled out of the seemingly bottomless tunnel, greedily breathing in the air above ground. Every cell in his body felt like it was cheering in relief.
Before him stretched the grand, undulating silhouette of Mount Ebih, majestic and imposing. The sight struck him deep, shaking him to the core.
In the Mesopotamian world, Mount Ebih was once the highest sacred peak of Sumer, holding a unique significance as the link between heaven and earth.
Its existence even predates some of the gods themselves.
Even Anu, one of the three main deities, had always held it in a certain reverent regard.
Fertility, grace, beauty, majesty—these were once all synonymous with Mount Ebih.
But now, its divine presence had long since vanished. Nearly half the range showed signs of collapse and ruin.
Unexpected desolation and sterility had become the mountain's new face.
The reason? Naturally, it involved a certain unruly goddess. Displeased by her father Anu's reverence for what she saw as nothing but a lifeless lump of stone, she brought all her weapons and made trouble for Mount Ebih.
In the end, that pampered goddess stormed her way up the sacred peak, claimed victory, and on the summit, drove her divine spear into the heart of the mountain—erasing that ancient being entirely.
With the mountain spirit gone, the ravaged Mount Ebih was left in its current pitiful state.
Of course, as Samael recalled this history, what filled his heart wasn't criticism or resentment, but plain and honest gratitude.
After all, it was thanks to that goddess's rampage that he and Shamhat were able to escape the Underworld and reach the surface safely.
Mount Ebih had once been a pillar between heaven and earth—not only a conduit but also a force of suppression and sealing.
Beneath its vast massif lay one of the key gateways to the Underworld.
If the mountain's spirit had still been intact, it would've acted as an impenetrable barrier between the Underworld and the surface.
In that case, forget someone like Samael—a minor figure from the Silver Age—even someone like Ishtar, who had once broken into the Underworld, wouldn't have escaped through that path.
But fortunately, a certain overindulged goddess, on a whim and under the pretense of venting frustration for her father Anu, obliterated the unlucky mountain spirit of Mount Ebih.
With its divine aura erased, Mount Ebih could no longer serve as a gatekeeper for the Underworld.
And so Ishtar, thinking herself untouchable, embarked on her doomed descent into the Underworld.
That fissure—steeped in secrets—became the shortcut Samael used to return to the surface.
Of course, calling it a shortcut didn't mean it was safe.
The path teemed with berserk Gallû Spirits, death energy so dense it felt solid, twisted and confusing routes, and the vengeful souls of ancient dead...
Any one of these could've spelled doom for a fugitive.
But Samael, being a serpent, was a master of stealth and concealment. He could even sync his presence to match that of Underworld wraiths, making him almost indistinguishable.
Still, getting out with Shamhat had taken no small amount of luck.
After settling his emotions, the ancient serpent glanced back at the dark, yawning tunnel. There was a trace of longing in his eyes. He clicked his tongue with a bit of regret.
"Actually, I suddenly feel like being a snake wasn't so bad after all..."
"Forget it. Just stay human!"
Inside the ghost cage hanging at his waist, Shamhat rolled her eyes at the snake's nostalgic rambling.
After venting a bit, Samael picked up a few nearby rocks and filled in the hole.
Even though he'd dug a tunnel between the Underworld and Mount Ebih, the undead down below generally only dwelled in dense pockets of death energy.
Theoretically, they weren't likely to climb out and start causing trouble on the surface.
And if something did go wrong, well, he and Shamhat—partners in crime—would be long gone by then.
Besides, this area was currently part of Ishtar's domain. Even if a few ghosts showed up, they'd probably get vaporized in seconds.
As for moral responsibility or damage claims?
Please. It was Ishtar who killed the mountain spirit of Mount Ebih in the first place, creating the breach between the Underworld and the surface. That mess wasn't on him.
"Let's move before this commotion draws attention!"
The ghost cage gave a faint shake as Shamhat's voice came from within, urging him on.
The two culprits, who had just left a giant mess behind, exchanged an unspoken understanding.
Samael quickly slung his pack over his shoulder and began sneaking toward the base of the mountain.
But after only a few steps, a sharp blast split the thin mountain air. The surrounding Ether surged in a violent tide of mana.
Samael, already on edge, felt his scales stand on end. His serpentine pupils narrowed as he looked up.
Something was coming—fast.
And worse, it was headed straight for him!
"We're so dead! It's coming right at us—move!"
In a flash, a dark silhouette burst through the clouds above, growing rapidly. Mid-air, the incoming figure caught sight of him and began flailing wildly, shouting as they plummeted.
Crap! Dodge left!
Samael instinctively shifted sideways to avoid the crash.
But just as he turned left, the figure in the sky made the exact same move.
Dammit! Fine—right, then!
He stomped down, cracking the rock underfoot, and launched himself in the opposite direction.
But like two drivers making identical evasive maneuvers, the falling figure mirrored his motion.
And so, despite their efforts, neither managed to avoid the inevitable.
Boom!
With a heavy thud, the two collided, sending up a cloud of dust as they skidded dozens of meters along the ground from the force of the impact.
"Oww... that really hurt... what a disaster."
A beautiful woman in a white-and-gold Sumerian robe, her hair bound by a black-gold crown, sat up and rubbed her throbbing forehead.
Her legs, splayed out from the fall, instinctively clamped shut.
"Ow ow ow... something's broken—let go already!"
A pained groan rose from beneath her. A weak hand slapped at the thigh of the crash-causing goddess.
Huh? Wait a sec... is that a person down there?
The dazed goddess's scattered thoughts finally synced with what had just happened. Letting out a startled scream, she scrambled off him in a panic.
Moments later, the unfortunate man she'd landed on sat up, massaging his neck as his misaligned spine cracked audibly, sending chills down the spine.
As his blurred vision returned to focus, Samael found himself staring at a very familiar face—one hand on her hip, the other clearly hesitating to speak.
That really was her. Ishtar—the heavenly goddess and twin sister of Ereshkigal.
And in a distant future, this very face would belong to a certain Rin Tohsaka of the Tohsaka family in Fuyuki City. Samael knew that all too well.
So if he had to name what had just happened?
It'd be... a "Flying Rin Face Crash."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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