"Who?"
Lily dashed back, confronting the girl who was tossing gems in her direction, a serious look on her face. Though she was focused on dealing with the monsters, her strong intuition had failed to detect this newcomer until she made a move.
Mash quickly turned around and raised her shield, positioning herself between the red-haired girl and the goddess.
Even though this newcomer had helped them fend off the attacking monsters, trust wasn't automatic. Caution was still necessary.
"You don't know who I am... I'll let you off this time because you're foreigners. But next time, be careful with your tone, little girl. In Mesopotamia, no human dares speak to me like that."
Ishtar narrowed her eyes, her captivating red gaze pressing heavily on the three of them.
Despite the pressure, the trio did not relax.
"We're sorry, but we can't lower our guard against someone as powerful as you until we know who you are," Mash said, her posture firm.
Ishtar's dramatic entrance had been too powerful to ignore. Her presence was like a result of Tianzhou losing control and crashing from the sky, making it hard for them to trust her immediately.
Most importantly, she had revealed their origins, suggesting a connection to the mission they were on.
While Mash and Lily were confronting Ishtar, the red-haired girl was communicating with the man from earlier for more information.
"Doctor..."
"Be careful. Although the enemy's hostility is low, there's not much friendliness either. Also, her spiritual foundation is..."
Ishtar spoke again, her interest piqued.
"Oh, I see... But shouldn't you introduce yourselves before asking about my identity?"
The red-haired girl took a deep breath, then stepped forward with resolve.
"Hello, we are members of an organization called Chaldea. We've come to this era to restore human order. You may not fully understand, but please believe we are not suspicious people."
"Huh? Are you doubting my unparalleled wisdom? Well, that's what foreign guests might think. Although I have some understanding, it's hard to believe... But I can understand their disrespect, as they are barbarians who don't honor the gods."
"I don't think such understanding is necessary…"
The Chaldea team was at a loss for words. But seeing that Ishtar had no apparent intention of harming them, they began to relax their guard.
"So, can we finally have a proper conversation?"
Roman appeared on the screen.
"I'm Romani Agiman, the acting head of Chaldea. The red-haired girl is the Master, Ritsuka Fujimaru, who can contract with Heroic Spirits. The other two are her Servants. What about you? Based on your reaction, there's no doubt you're..."
"No, I won't reveal my name to a human of your level. To be recognized as a hero, you must first prove you have the strength to convince a goddess."
Ishtar's bored tone interrupted Roman, leaving the Chaldea team stunned by her sudden shift in demeanor.
"Should I say She is indeed a god?" Roman said with a wry smile, but his expression quickly turned serious.
"Ritsuka, another group of monsters is approaching... This time, there are even more."
"Huh? At a time like this? What a hassle."
Roman's warning was overheard by Ishtar.
"There's really nothing I can do about it, but there are still things I care about…"
Ishtar gracefully jumped onto a nearby skyboat that had appeared out of nowhere.
"Hey, so-called saviors of humanity, show me what you're capable of. Even that strange little guy doesn't have this ability."
"Yes! Lily, Mash, get ready!"
Ritsuka quickly rallied her two Servants.
"Understood!" both responded.
A magical beast with the same appearance as before leapt from behind the ruins. Lily gathered magical energy beneath her feet and, wielding her golden sword, soared forward.
The golden sword shone brightly as it cut through the monster's head with precision.
It appeared effortless, but Lily had struck before the monster fully entered combat. Moreover, in her intuition, this monster was among the weaker ones.
Soon, another monster leapt at Lily from above, while several others advanced from the sides.
Whether Lily faced the attack head-on or dodged, she would expose weaknesses. But she remained calm. Mash stepped in front of her, blocking the monster's attack with her massive shield and then pushing it into the air.
As Lily's golden sword shone brightly, she thrust forward, sending a beam of golden light through the airborne monster, which couldn't dodge.
At the same time, Mash's shield blocked the monsters trying to sneak in.
However, some smarter monsters had circled behind Lily and Mash, surrounding them.
A magical beast charged from both the front and back simultaneously.
Lily and Mash exchanged a quick glance. Mash turned to block the rear attack, while Lily swung her sword to deal with the monster caught off guard by its sudden disappearance.
Their cooperation was seamless, even impressing Ishtar, who was unaccustomed to such teamwork.
The remaining monsters hesitated. Only a few stayed to maintain the encirclement, while the rest surged forward.
Lily and Mash's expressions turned serious.
Though they understood each other well, being surrounded meant they had to be meticulous to win.
At that moment, countless golden beams of light swept through the battlefield, clearing away all the monsters.