Just as Ophis was about to walk back to the palace, a burst of energy struck, and in the next moment, she was engulfed by a blue light cannon.
The sudden explosion caused panic among the people. Several guards, alerted by the clamor and the sound of vibrating armor, rushed to the scene.
"King! What happened?"
"Leave."
Ophis's calm voice emerged from the center of the explosion. The guards exchanged worried glances but followed her command obediently.
"Oh? What kind of ability is this? It looks quite impressive."
Still in her revealing attire, Ishtar sat casually on the roof of a nearby house, watching Ophis below.
Clearly, she was the one who had just blasted Ophis with a light cannon.
At this moment, countless purple light spots surrounded Ophis's body, with several burning purple flames on her surface. Ishtar stroked her chin and chuckled.
"I see. I've encountered something like this before... Some of the individuals I met were injured in a similar way. Your body is composed of pure energy, right?"
As the light spots on Ophis's body condensed and she returned to her original, unharmed state, Ishtar's interest grew.
"Ah, there's something different... When their magical structure is destroyed, they lose their life like ordinary beings, but you seem to repair yourself instantly?"
As Ishtar analyzed the situation, her fascination intensified.
"Just now, I didn't sense any change in the magical energy or other substances in the atmosphere... In other words, the energy used for your repair was entirely from yourself? Even though the attack I used involved divine power, you healed the damage without appearing weakened..."
「Oh? She may seem a bit frivolous, but she's surprisingly observant. As expected of the wisdom of the Age of Gods? Perhaps she'll discover something... I hope she keeps her promise...」
"Hey, tell me, what are you?"
Ishtar jumped to the ground and leaned in towards Ophis with curiosity, but her expression suddenly turned serious.
Wrong...
Even as a goddess, she didn't know what Ophis was?
So why did the gods choose her as the wedge?
Never mind. It has nothing to do with her.
However, after a brief moment of contemplation, Ishtar dismissed the thought and didn't dwell on it.
"Ishtar, what are you doing here?"
Ophis waved Ishtar aside as she walked toward the palace. For now, she would not completely ignore the outside world.
Well, actually, she still completely ignored Ishtar's question.
"Huh? I'm the patron goddess of Uruk. Is it so unusual for me to visit? As for you, I'm just passing by and saying hello."
"…"
So the way gods greet each other is by setting off fireworks?
Ophis silently took note of this information.
"No, you still haven't answered my question."
It was only then that Ishtar reacted, catching up with Ophis in annoyance. She noticed the faint smile on Ophis's face.
"The King of Uruk... at this moment, that's all."
In truth, Ophis was far from a qualified king. She didn't understand what people were thinking or what they truly wanted. She simply followed her knowledge and did what she believed was right.
Such things could be learned over time, but unfortunately, Ophis had little time left and not enough to acquire more knowledge.
Nonetheless, she hoped to maintain this role until Uruk's destruction. It was her responsibility and commitment.
"Oh, is that so?"
Ishtar's smile was enigmatic, making it hard to discern her thoughts.
"Since you seem quite determined, it's not impossible for me to lend you my Uruk for a while."
Ophis paused and then shook her head.
"The remnants of the old era."
"Ugh..."
Ishtar stumbled and glared at Ophis.
"What do you mean? Did your attitude suddenly change? Do you want to fight?"
"That's what Enkidu said."
"Typical of him."
Ishtar curled her lips.
"Don't get too full of yourself. If it hadn't been for the catastrophe nine thousand years ago that severely damaged the gods, and if the gods' development hadn't lagged behind that of humans, the Age of Gods would have lasted thousands more years."
"A catastrophe?"
"You didn't know? The records and such should still exist, right?"
Ishtar seemed surprised, but it was to be expected for Ophis.
After all, this was irrelevant information.
Even though Ophis now 'loved' the world, she didn't pay much attention to its past. Her focus was on building the future.
Seeing Ophis shake her head, Ishtar quickly recovered from her surprise and slapped her forehead.
"Ah... I should have expected that. After all, you're someone like me. I'd be surprised if you actively sought out this information. But since you don't know, never mind. That guy should have been eliminated by the holy sword..."
Ishtar waved her hand, ending the topic she wasn't keen on discussing.
Holy Sword...
Ophis tilted her head.
There were indeed several holy sword weapons in her own treasure house, but none seemed powerful enough to deal with a disaster that even the gods found difficult.
If she had such a sword... it might be easier to face the coming catastrophe, right?
Ophis looked at one of her palms. A faint red light glimmered, and the space around it trembled slightly.
At this rate... making it in time seems improbable.
Ishtar, watching closely, noticed Ophis's action.
This should be...
The light of concept that splits the world...
Neither human nor god... but possessing such special abilities?
Different from the conceptual body of gods and the physical body of humans... could a pure energy being grasp the light of creation of a new world?
It's becoming more and more interesting...
Ishtar licked her lips.
The more intrigued she became, the more she desired to obtain it!