Amber's mind wandered at such a critical moment—who could tell whether it was out of timidity or sheer audacity?
Fortunately, Ishtar had also taken a good, long look at Amber—or rather, Fu Hua's—appearance.
Her previously indignant expression softened considerably, and her divine nature swiftly took the upper hand.
The punishment she'd been about to utter took an abrupt turn: "In that case, unless you dedicate both body and soul to me, I won't forgive you so easily!"
"Tsk."
Before Amber could even respond, Gilgamesh let out a derisive snort. "How like you—a fool with no memory to speak of."
"Hah!?" Ishtar's blood pressure spiked instantly.
Yet Gilgamesh had no interest in dragging out the exchange. "If you're here to make a scene, then leave at once! Uruk has no time to host a brawl for the two of you."
"I have no intention of fighting," Amber interjected. "My apologies, Goddess. I was merely taken aback by the attire of a foreign land—no mockery intended."
The group glanced at Amber's form-fitting combat wear, which covered every inch, then at Ishtar's revealing garments, and understood Amber's meaning at once.
Ishtar saw it too. Comprehension dawned, but she felt no shame.
Gods were gods, humans were humans. Even if they looked alike, there was nothing to be ashamed of.
Besides, this was the style of the era—would a girl in a miniskirt feel ashamed in front of an ancient, modestly dressed society?
Still, this meant she'd lost her excuse to pick a fight...
Gazing at Fu Hua's face and aura, Ishtar sighed inwardly with regret.
Luckily, as a supremely self-centered and capricious goddess, she rarely fixated on any one thing for long. She quickly remembered her original purpose: to give that golden king a piece of her mind.
"Whatever. A word of advice—if you don't want to be caught in the crossfire, all of you better step aside. This time, I'm only here for that glittering fool." Ishtar fixed her gaze on Gilgamesh.
"Ho?" Gilgamesh smirked. "To think the great Goddess Ishtar would deign to show concern for others. How rare."
"Hah!? I never—! Ugh, how irritating that I even hesitated!" Ishtar started to protest vehemently but cut herself off, her golden eyes flashing once more.
"I only came here to ask a simple question. I knew you wouldn't answer easily, but whatever... I've changed my mind!"
Magical energy, compressed to a degree beyond human comprehension, gathered in Ishtar's palm. "Seems I'll have to blast this divine tower to bits after all."
"Truly the greatest fool in history—so eager to destroy your own 'home,' yet still claiming to be Uruk's guardian deity." Gilgamesh's laugh was cold.
"Fine, then. Let me see what you're made of, Chaldea. Since you vowed to help Uruk eliminate the threat of the Three Goddess Alliance, destroy her right here!"
"Huh…?" Ritsuka hadn't minded this goddess too much—after all, she'd saved them once before.
But remembering the suffering the Three Goddess Alliance had brought upon Uruk, he hardened his heart. "Mash! Ana!"
"Yes, Senpai!" Mash charged toward Goddess Ishtar without hesitation.
Ana sighed inwardly at being drafted so casually, but surprisingly, she didn't dislike it. Silently, she followed Mash into the fray.
"Celestial…" Finally, Ritsuka turned to Amber.
During the earlier battle with 'Enkidu,' he'd sensed something off. Even when outmatched, Mash usually held her own against other Servants.
The only time he'd felt truly powerless was against the Holy King wielding the Sacred Lance—his first encounter with a Divine Spirit-level Servant.
The fight with Gilgamesh had driven home the gap between ordinary Servants and gods.
Only a god could stand against a god. With that thought in mind, Fujimaru Ritsuka looked to Amber for help.
Seeing that pleading 'Can you lend a hand?' look, Amber had no reason to refuse.
A habitual glance at the navigation prompt—which read [Assist Fujimaru Ritsuka]—only solidified her decision.
Then, both turned their attention to Ishtar, who was holding her own effortlessly against three opponents.
"Tch. Incompetent as she may be, she's still a goddess. Ordinary magecraft can't so much as scratch her." Gilgamesh's face darkened as he watched Ishtar ignore his attacks completely.
"And she's still holding back her Authority. My patience has limits, Ishtar!"
"That's my line! You keep blocking my attacks—how obnoxious can you get!?"
Ishtar's expression was equally grim. Though Gilgamesh couldn't harm her without serious intent, he'd neutralized most of her offensive options. Without invoking her Authority, his words applied to her just the same.
Her magecraft was nearly useless against Gilgamesh, a demigod.
"I'm holding back my Authority for Uruk's sake! Not for your benefit!"
Her face grew even stormier. "Now I'm pissed at myself for saying that. Why should I care about a Uruk that isn't even mine? Whatever, I'll end this in one strike!"
"Master!" Even in this divine skirmish, Mash and Ana struggled to contribute. Seeing Ishtar's magical energy surge abruptly, they realized she was about to get serious.
"Hmph…!" Gilgamesh snorted coldly. He was far from his peak—not only was he supplying mana to all the Servants he'd summoned, but he was also constantly charging Uruk's three hundred Divine Constructs.
Such a massive drain left him unable to fight at full strength.
Yet just then, as Ishtar gathered an unprecedented amount of magical energy, she suddenly froze. Her expression went blank, and she slumped toward the ground.
…What just happened?
Everyone stared in bewilderment. Only Gilgamesh grasped the situation quickly, his eyes snapping to where Amber had been standing.
But Amber was already on the move. Seeing Ishtar—who wore Rin Tohsaka's face—about to faceplant, she couldn't bear to let it happen.
In a flash, she darted forward and caught the falling goddess.
The Boat of Heaven Maanna, a step too late, hovered pointedly near Amber, as if debating whether to fire.
Amber felt a twinge of awkwardness—she hadn't expected this unmanned vessel to remain active while its master was unconscious.
"Celestial? What's going on?" Ritsuka, close behind, glanced at Ishtar lying unconscious in Amber's arms, confusion written all over his face.
"No need to worry," Amber replied. "I merely put her to sleep for a while. But a god's mind and a human's may not be the same. To be safe, it's best you don't approach just yet."
That's right—just moments ago, she had invoked what she considered the most profound and powerful of the Five Divine Swords of Taixuan: the Divine Edifice.
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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If you guys wanna check it out.