"Hey, hey, hey?! We just formed a contract, don't go making threatening gestures like that in front of me!" Ishtar immediately broke character, waving her hands frantically as the two towering figures, Escanor and King, approached her expressionlessly.
Her godly aura from moments before had completely vanished.
Before coming to this unfamiliar world, she had no idea that her master would be such a ruthless guy! Being eliminated by her own allies right after being summoned… the other gods would laugh her right out of the divine realm!
Besides…
"But I haven't even done anything yet!" she protested.
"If I wait until then to toss you into the sea as fish food, it'll be too late," Zyhark replied coolly.
Such a method might be useless against Aqua, but it seemed effective on this one.
"Huh? How is that fair?"
Realizing her new master might not understand her true value, Ishtar puffed up with pride, patting her chest. "Though I am a mere servant now, I am still the representation of Venus, the goddess of nature and harvest—Ishtar herself!"
"Do you even know what it means to be a goddess? I could wipe out any enemy in an instant!"
After her declaration, Ishtar surveyed the room with a smug look.
It seemed everyone around her was in awe of her title, their faces filled with reverence. Even Zyhark's face softened with a slight, admiring smile.
Satisfied with their reaction, Ishtar basked in her moment of glory.
"Oh, so it's Lady Ishtar, is it?" Zyhark's smile remained pleasant as he looked at the proud goddess. "In that case, could Lady Ishtar perhaps show me the Heavenly Bull?"
(The Heavenly Bull, Gugalanna, is a mythical beast of Babylonian legend with world-shattering power—basically a super-powerful entity.)
"You…you know of the Heavenly Bull?" Ishtar's smug expression faltered as her eyes darted nervously. "No, no, the Heavenly Bull is a divine relic. I haven't kept that as a pet, okay?"
"…I never said the Heavenly Bull was a pet."
"Ah? Did you not? I could've sworn you said that just now."
"So, you lost it while crossing worlds, didn't you?"
"It wasn't 'lost'! I was watching it carefully! I just… dozed off for a moment!"
Mid-sentence, Ishtar clapped her hands over her mouth, realizing her mistake.
"Sigh, yet another useless goddess, meow."
"How disappointing! I was so excited to see what our new ally would be like."
"Stare…"
"Honestly, I'm getting a strong sense of déjà vu here," someone murmured.
"Agreed."
"Agreed."
Listening to the murmurs around her, Ishtar's face turned bright red.
As the most adored goddess of the divine realm, she couldn't bear such a tragic scene happening to her.
"E-even without the Heavenly Bull, I am still incredibly powerful!" Ishtar stammered defensively.
Actually, she wasn't wrong. Her strength as a servant could easily destroy an island, though perhaps not the world.
But judging by her intelligence… it was clear she'd be a liability at crucial moments!
"Really? Are you sure you'll obediently fight for me?" Zyhark asked, following up on her words.
"Of course! I swear it by the name of the goddess of nature and harvest!" Ishtar declared solemnly, and then immediately froze.
"Wait, no! What do you mean, 'obediently fight for you'? Aren't you supposed to be doubting my strength instead?!"
Seeing how effective his bluff had been, Zyhark decided to drop the act and approached the flustered Ishtar with a smile, patting her head.
"Contract sealed. Don't forget your oath, Lady Ishtar~"
After dealing with Aqua, he had learned quite a bit about managing these troublesome deities. There was no way he'd let them get the upper hand easily.
Truthfully, he had no intention of actually getting rid of Ishtar. Though she had her quirks, her strength was real, and with a showdown against the World Government on the horizon, they needed every bit of firepower they could get.
And…
As he glanced at the new abilities she brought to the table, Zyhark couldn't help but feel pleased.
As for her troublesome nature? He'd handle it with some "training."
Just look at Aqua—she'd become much more composed and manageable. Usually, she'd have already caused a scene by now!
"Puhahaha! What an absolute dunce! Seriously, are you really the goddess of nature and harvest? Not even close! You're worse than Eris, that padded trainee goddess!"
Zyhark's internal monologue had barely ended before the idiot goddess burst into mocking laughter, demonstrating precisely why he shouldn't have let his guard down.
"Where did you come from, lowly human?! What did you just say? Even without pads, I am still the most beautiful goddess in the divine realm!"
Ishtar shot back instantly.
However, her response missed the point entirely.
"Human? Listen up! I am the exalted, sacred, and top-tier water goddess!" Aqua shouted, outraged by being referred to as a "lowly human."
"Oh my, 'water goddess,' you say? Never heard of such a title. Did you make that up yourself? How sad, so pitiful and pathetic~" Ishtar sneered, flicking her hair with a condescending smile.
"Huh? You flat-chested, undeveloped little brat! Of course, you've never heard of it! Need some lessons from Goddess Aqua on divine etiquette?"
"Chest size is a matter of mortal forms! Why would that affect me? So, you want to fight, don't you?!"
"Fine! Let me summon a world-ending flood as a little lesson for you, as a senior goddess."
"Perfect. Let's settle this, you pathetic fool."
"You…you dare say that twice?!"
…
Watching the two idiots press their faces together, exchanging insults, Zyhark's expression twitched as he sighed deeply.
This was exactly what he'd expected…
Zzzap!
Just as holy light surged around Aqua and Ishtar, signaling an imminent showdown, a hundred million volts of lightning struck from the heavens, leaving both goddesses charred and smoking.
"Hey, Idiot Number One and Idiot Number Two! Could you two be just a bit more well-behaved?!"
(End of Chapter)
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