” Spar…
sparring partner?”
Ereshkigal was once again bewildered by Doros’s request, which defied all conventional logic.
She had thought he might ask her to bestow upon him a more powerful divine artifact, or perhaps teach him some secret arts of the Underworld, but she never imagined he would want her to be his sparring partner.
Let a deity, a Goddess of the Underworld who ruled over the entire realm, be a sparring partner for a mortal?
If word of this got out, surely all the inhabitants and gods of Mesopotamia would think Doros had gone mad.
” Are you…
serious?” Ereshkigal asked, sounding somewhat uncertain.
” Of course.” Doros’s expression was incredibly earnest.
“There is no better way to improve than through actual combat.
And looking across all of Kusha—no, even all of Mesopotamia—I doubt I could find a more suitable sparring partner than you.”
This was not flattery.
Gilgamesh was too strong, and his personality was wretched; asking him for sparring would be purely self-inflicted torture.
Enkidu was no longer around.
Ishtar…
thinking of her somewhat wretched personality, he resolutely ruled her out as well.
Thinking it over, only the Goddess before him—who knew him inside and out, and whose…
temper seemed not too bad—was the most suitable.
Looking at the anticipation in Doros’s eyes, Ereshkigal’s mind was in a whirl.
Reason told her this was absurd; where was the dignity of a deity?
But emotionally…
she felt that this request seemed…
not entirely unacceptable.
After all, if Doros became stronger, Kusha’s safety would have an extra layer of security, and the Underworld…
wouldn’t have to work overtime.
Yes, that was it!
It was entirely for the sake of the Underworld’s order and efficiency!
She quickly found a justification for herself in her heart.
” Ahem.” Ereshkigal cleared her throat, trying hard to put on a stern expression.
“Since you’ve put it that way…
then This Goddess will reluctantly agree.
However, I will not go easy on you.
” I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Doros’s eyes lit up instantly.
” Then…
when do we start?” He was already feeling impatient.
” Let’s do it now,” Ereshkigal said.
“The courtyard behind the temple is very spacious; it’s just right.”
Behind the temple.
This place was originally for priests to meditate and rest, very quiet.
But at this moment, this tranquility was completely shattered.
Doros held that pitch-black spear, its tip pointing into the distance.
This spear was lent to him by Ereshkigal during the subjugation of the Bull of Heaven, and it had remained with him since.
The spear felt ice-cold to the touch, yet he could clearly sense the immense magical power contained within it.
Opposite him, Ereshkigal stood empty-handed.
She was still in her “Iga” disguise, looking like an ordinary, frail young girl.
” Do you…
not need a weapon?” Doros asked hesitantly.
” To deal with you, it’s not necessary,” Ereshkigal said indifferently, her tone carrying a hint of the pride belonging to a deity.
Doros’s mouth twitched.
Fine, he was being looked down upon.
Although he knew the other party was a god, this dismissal still ignited a spirit of defiance within him.
” Then…
I’m coming!”
Before the words had even faded, Doros pushed off with his feet, rushing out like an arrow released from the string.
He poured all the magical power within him into the spear; dark blue magical energy instantly enveloped the shaft, emitting a humming sound.
The spear struck like a dragon!
He poured all the knowledge he had learned in combat techniques into this one strike; whether it was speed, power, or angle, it could be called perfect.
However, facing this thunderous strike, Ereshkigal merely stepped to the side, unhurriedly.
With just that simple step, she perfectly dodged the spear tip while simultaneously closing in on Doros.
Not good!
Alarm bells rang in Doros’s mind; he wanted to retract the spear to defend, but it was already too late.
He saw Ereshkigal extend a fair finger and gently tap his wrist as he held the spear.
He let out a muffled groan; he could no longer hold onto the spear, and it flew out of his hand, tracing an arc in the air before landing with a “clang” in the distance.
As for himself, due to the momentum of his forward charge, he stumbled forward.
Ereshkigal took the opportunity to extend her foot and lightly tripped him.
With a “thud,” Doros fell flat on his face.
The entire process was as smooth as flowing water, so fast that Doros hadn’t even realized what had happened.
“…”
Doros lay on the ground, motionless, his mind blank.
That was…
it?
The strike he had been charging for so long, which he thought was flawless, had been defused so casually?
And by a single finger…
The gap was just too huge!
” Good strength, and the speed is okay,” Ereshkigal’s voice came from above, carrying a hint of critique.
“But your attack was too direct, full of openings.
True combat isn’t just about relying on brute force.”
Doros scrambled up from the ground, covered in dirt, and brushed himself off.
Although he had been mentally prepared, being defeated so cleanly and quickly was still a major blow.
” Again!” He stubbornly retrieved his spear and reset his stance.
” Sure,” Ereshkigal beckoned with her finger.
Half an hour later.
” Thud!” Doros was thrown to the ground for the seventeenth time.
He was in pain all over now; his bones felt like they were falling apart.
Across from him, Ereshkigal still looked as calm and composed as ever, not even a breath out of place.
” No…
no more…” Doros lay on the ground, panting heavily, feeling like he was about to collapse.
“Is this sparring?
You’re basically just beating me up unilaterally…”
During this half-hour, he had tried all sorts of tactics.
Frontal assault, flanking, long-range throwing, and even trying to use his far-above-average magical power to suppress her.
But without exception, all were easily neutralized by Ereshkigal.
Maybe it’s not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
“And If you’re enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!”