Credits: Celestial
Alaric and Ishtar clashed repeatedly. Despite Ishtar's dazzling performance, Alaric showed no signs of being at a disadvantage—in fact, he even appeared to have a slight edge in the battle.
After several exchanges, Alaric seemed to gain a clearer understanding of the gap between himself and Ishtar.
"As expected from a goddess—"
Bang!
With another direct collision, their bodies clashed once more, bringing Alaric and Ishtar into extremely close proximity.
Not letting the opportunity slip by, Alaric grabbed Ishtar with a reverse hold and quickly said, "Goddess Ishtar, perhaps this is just a misunderstanding?"
"Hmm? Are you admitting defeat, human?"
Seeing that Alaric seemed to be yielding, Ishtar immediately tilted her nose upward, her face unable to hide her smug smile and pride.
Ishtar had to admit—this man before her was quite interesting.
Unlike Gilgamesh, who was arrogant and insufferable, Alaric exuded a mysterious charm.
Even though Alaric appeared to be conceding, Ishtar still saw no trace of fear or reverence in his eyes toward the divine. Unlike Gilgamesh's outright disdain for gods, Alaric's lack of reverence brought fresh excitement to Ishtar, piquing her playful side.
Beyond this newfound interest, however, Ishtar sensed something else from Alaric—
Something strange.
When they had physical contact, not only did Alaric notice Ishtar's immense magical energy, but Ishtar also detected an inexplicable oddity within Alaric.
It was as if she were facing something far greater, something vast and incomprehensible.
Ishtar couldn't figure it out—and frankly, she didn't feel like thinking about it. All she knew was that it seemed fun.
At this moment, Alaric's voice rang out again, carrying a tone of slight submission and helplessness: "Something like that. If we could end this here, that would be ideal."
Fighting Ishtar had left Alaric feeling constrained. Even though he'd managed to forcibly drag her from the sky, something about her left him with an unshakable sense of strangeness.
He suddenly had a ridiculous thought:
I kind of want to lick her... no, eat her?
Alaric froze at the absurd idea that had popped into his mind.
When did I become like this?
He dismissed it as a fleeting moment of madness, something not worth acting upon.
Ishtar, on the other hand, was utterly delighted by Alaric's apparent surrender. She broke free from his grip, placed her hands on her hips, and laughed loudly:
"Hahaha! Human, see? You should revere gods!"
I'd rather let Gilgamesh deal with her... this woman is such a headache—
Seeing Ishtar's overbearing reaction to his concession, Alaric felt like he'd gotten himself entangled with a troublesome figure.
"Admitting defeat is one thing," Ishtar continued, her tone suddenly shifting from playful to sinister. "But offending a goddess can't go unpunished. Otherwise, people will laugh at me!"
Just as Alaric felt both relieved and exasperated, Ishtar's grin turned dark and eerie. It was clear she still harbored a grudge for how he'd scared her earlier.
…?
Taking a deep breath, Alaric closed his eyes and asked, "If that's the case, Goddess Ishtar, what must I do to earn your forgiveness?"
What a troublesome goddess. Is Tohsaka Rin like this too?
As he closed his eyes, Alaric's mind began to wander, reminiscing about fragments of his life over the past decade. Alone in his room, he'd admired the beauty of the Typemoon Verse and the way the sunset framed a high jump to get a girl.
One precious memory stood out—a certain girl from the Tohsaka family in a classroom bathed in the golden light of dusk.
And now, standing before him was someone with the same face. No, it was Tohsaka Rin—
Ishtar flicked her black hair and smirked playfully, her amusement evident in her expression. "If you're willing to kneel and lick my feet, perhaps I might forgive you."
Za warudo!
A dark, otherworldly light flickered. Alaric cupped Ishtar's flawless and pristine feet in his hands, raising his gaze to meet hers with a smile.
"You said it, Goddess Ishtar."
With that, Alaric tilted his body slightly forward, ready to fulfill Ishtar's outrageous demand.
"Eh?! Eh?! EH?!"
Snapping back to her senses, Ishtar stumbled backward in a panic, her eyes spinning in confusion. Alaric's sudden boldness had completely thrown her off balance.
Her hands fumbled awkwardly, crossing and uncrossing as she turned in circles in a futile attempt to regain composure.
She stomped her foot indignantly, her face flushed, and glared at Alaric with wide, mosquito-repellent-coil-shaped eyes.
"You just wait! I'll come back for you!"
Summoning her celestial vessel, Ishtar promptly flew into the heavens and vanished from sight.
"I wish I could fly too..."
Watching Ishtar's retreating figure, Alaric sighed wistfully. "It'd be nice if I had some kind of flying treasure. Wyverns are too unreliable..."
Alaric had ridden wyverns before, but they were far too troublesome to deal with. Feeding them, transporting them, and keeping them safe were all major headaches—and their speed was a serious issue.
Ishtar's Maanna, on the other hand, was a perfect combination of offense, defense, and mobility. Alaric couldn't help but feel envious.
Suppressing his desire for a flying mount, Alaric turned his gaze to the wreckage around him and sighed in frustration.
Finally, Ishtar was gone, but the battlefield she left behind was in complete disarray, and the citizens of the city lay unconscious in droves.
Ever since the fight began, Alaric and Ishtar had moved rapidly throughout the city, leaving no part untouched. As a result, every citizen Alaric encountered was unconscious, likely due to the influence of the underworld goddess Ereshkigal's powers.
Thankfully, everyone was still breathing. Otherwise, Alaric might have thought they'd all died.
It seemed Ereshkigal hadn't been able to drag their souls into the underworld; instead, she had retreated early.
Alaric recalled the girl who shared Ishtar's appearance—someone who used the same body but exuded a completely different aura. She possessed a charm that Ishtar could never achieve.
Unfortunately, Alaric couldn't descend into the underworld to confirm his thoughts. He could only regard her as a fleeting memory.
Apart from that, Alaric felt like there was something else—something important, yet not particularly urgent.
"Where's King Gilgamesh?"
Since entering the temple, Alaric had been separated from Gilgamesh, who had yet to reappear. It was as if the king had vanished into thin air.
Despite the commotion caused by Alaric and Ishtar's battle, Gilgamesh hadn't shown up, making Alaric wonder what on earth the king was up to.
...
After some searching, Alaric finally found Gilgamesh in a plaza.
The king sat cross-legged, a clay tablet laid out before him. In his hand, he held a carving tool still smeared with traces of clay.
Tap. Tap.
Hearing Alaric's unrestrained footsteps, Gilgamesh snapped out of his trance and casually tossed the carving tool to the ground.
"King Gilgamesh, what are you doing?"
Approaching the king, Alaric glanced at the clay tablet on the ground and froze for a moment.
The Tablet of Destiny...?
Picking up the tablet, Alaric noticed the fresh inscriptions etched into its surface.