"Oh, sorry. I just couldn't keep up that act anymore," I just grabbed the knife and pulled it out.
The hole it made was filled out with wood not even a few seconds later. "Here's a little fun fact, mystic slaying weapons don't work on me."
"WHAT?! HOW!?" Ishtar yelled in absolute confusion.
"That's for me to know and for you to find out," I said as I just literally tossed the blade away.
Why would it even work? I have absolutely no mystical properties whatsoever. "Actually, it's good to finally meet you. I want to tell you to STOP TRYING TO KILL ME!" It got annoying weeks ago.
Ishtar glared at me before her cruel smile returned. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"What about the time you sent those pets out for me?" I asked as, more than once, a beast that was covered in jewel accessory tried to attack me.
"I just let them out to have some fresh air. It's not my fault they're the ones who decided to attack you," Ishtar just waved that off.
"And the time you dropped one of your statues at me?" I asked again.
"Oh, you were there? I didn't know. I just thought that place is a good location go set a statue of myself," she shrugged it off.
"You do know what attacking an Elemental means, don't you?" I asked her as I crossed my arms. "Even your father can't protect you from treason against the world itself."
"You still have no proof that I actually tried to kill you," she retorted.
"Yes, but do you think the world cares?" I asked and she looked at me curiously.
"The gods are spiteful, but the world is even more so. If you think for a single second it won't use this as an excuse to put a leash on you, boy you are mistaken."
For the first time since she showed up, Ishtar looked worried as she glared at me.
I was actually bluffing. Gaia was spiteful, but not THAT spiteful. But, Ishdidn't need to know that.
"Urgh... fine..." she eventually groaned out. "I suppose I can be... more careful on where I let my pets out and look where I decided to drop my statues," she sighed.
Though, the fact her cruel smile returned had me seriously worried. "Tell me... how are those people of yours doing?"
..... she wouldn't! "Don't you dare bring them into this. They have NOTHING to do with it," I warned her while walking forward.
"Did you really sink this low, brat?" Even Gilgamesh looked angry.
"Oh, don't worry. I have no intention of doing anything to them, and I mean it. I will absolutely do nothing towards them," she said, waving my warning away. "I just have to wait for them to die out."
"What?!" I asked, worried she already did something.
"I'm a goddess of fertility, after all," Ishtar said with a shrug. "I don't have to hurt them. I can just use my authority to make sure they don't have any offsprings anymore. That's not hurting them. Their deaths will be completely naturally."
"Have you no shame?" Enkidu's question mirrored mine and Gilgamesh's thoughts.
"Why should I care what happens to them? These people didn't come from Uruk nor do they worship any of the gods in Babylon. Why should I give them my blessing?" Ishtar's asked while she casually looked over her nails.
The thought of outright attacking her was seriously tempting. But, I knew that if I did that, she'd have a justified reason to attack an Elemental and might be able to convince the other gods to help her out.
Suddenly, I had a very interesting idea as I looked at her bow. "That thing... Maana... what is it made of?" I asked.
Ishtar raised an eyebraw before looking as smug as she possibly could. "My beloved Maana is one of Babylon's greatest divine treasures. You should feel lucky that you even get to see-"
"Ah, so it's a divine construct?" I asked as I walked closer and touched one of the edges. "Good."
"Hey, what are you-" Ishtar's eyes widen as my body began changing.
It started to turn to metal, but not normal metal.
This was a new form. Divine metal. Looking over myself, it looked relatively the same as my normal metal one with the exception that my body was blue rather than silver.
I also noticed that I can still sense magical energy despite being outside of my tree form now. I guess divine metal has properties that normal one doesn't have.
"W-What did you do?!" Ishtar asked in surprise.
"I just took your beloved Maana," I replied.
"What are you-WOAH!" Ishtar's yelled in shock as Maana flew from under her, causing her to fall on the ground, and went to fly behind me.
I can control divine metal now.
"Maana, return to me," Ishtar ordered and for a second, Maana did flow over my hand before it stopped halfway through and flew back. "W-What!? That's impossible!"
It was... weird. It was like someone was trying to pull something out of my fist with a magnet.
That's at least the closest description I can think of, but as long as I keep the mental 'fist' clinched, that bow is staying with me.
"Give me back Maana!" Ishtar ordered and her eyes glowed in power, showing her willingness to go violent.
"Oh, I will, but how about we make a deal," I said while making Maana spin around.
"A deal?" Ishtar's eyes didn't stop glowing, but they gained interest.
"I will give you back Maana in exchange that you will leave me alone and not harm the forest nomads in any shape or form, including tampering with their birth rate," I said looking at her.
Ishtar chuckled and stood up. "Fine, I suppose I can-"
"Ah-ah-ah!" I heald my finger up and stopped her. "I want you to swear on the Tablets of Destiny that you'll do it."
That caused Ishtar to freeze and look at me in shock while Gilgamesh and Enkidu started looking at her with not so friendly smiles.
Here's the thing about gods, each pantheon has at least ONE THING they absolutely must take seriously no matter what, and for the Mesopotamian gods it's the Tablets of Destiny.
If they swear by it, they can't cheat, go back, or try to find a loophole out of it and need to absolutely fulfill whatever their end of the deal is without any tricks.
And judging by the way Ishtar began gritting her teeth, that's exactly what she was planning to do before I said that.
"Hmm, I wonder what would happen if I did this?" I began making the two tips of Maana bend slightly, and metallic groaning could be heard from it.
"Stop! Stop! Stop! You're gonna break it!" Ishtar waved her hands in panic. "Fine! I'll... I'll swear on it..." she groaned out and I returned Maana to normal. "On one condition."
"And that is?" I asked.
Once again, I was greeted with the sight of Ishtar's cruel smile. "You... must leave Uruk."
Gilgamesh got up from his throne and Enkidu's eyes began glowing-
"Alright, deal." I agreed.
"Ha! I knew you wouldn't- wait, did you just agree?" Ishtar's eyes were so wide they actually looked they might pop out.
Enkidu and Gilgamesh were having the same reaction.
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