After listening to Emiya Shirou's explanation, Merlin fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly.
"Indeed. I can't refute what you said."
"Of course you can't," Emiya Shirou replied casually. "Because it's all true."
"At the same time, it's experience."
"The kind summarized by Orario's adventurers over thousands of years."
Those words hadn't originated from Emiya Shirou himself.
They were lessons passed down by the seniors of the Loki Familia after he joined.
Over countless years, each Familia had explored its own methods for training the body more efficiently.
Every conclusion had been refined through blood, injuries, and repeated trial.
"Is that so."
Merlin smiled knowingly and fell silent once more.
The two of them stood quietly at the edge of the battlefield, watching the scene unfold.
Ana and Mash, fighting together.
Against Ishtar.
"Aaah! This is so annoying!"
Ishtar shouted irritably as she dodged Ana's chains, floating low above the ground.
Although she was technically suppressing the two of them, her mood was terrible.
Because she couldn't fight properly.
She couldn't release her full power.
And the reason was simple.
Emiya Shirou.
As long as he was standing there, bow in hand, Ishtar couldn't ascend into the sky.
His archery had already reached a level close to predicting the future.
Any attempt she made to pull distance was instantly shut down.
And Ishtar wasn't a goddess suited for close combat.
Her specialty was magical manipulation.
In simpler terms, bombardment.
But with no room to maneuver, her attacks were reduced to finger-fired magic shots.
Like pistols.
That level of power wasn't enough to decisively defeat anyone.
"Aaah! This is so annoying!"
Her irritation kept rising.
Beside Emiya Shirou, Merlin suddenly spoke.
"Shirou, have you noticed something strange about Ishtar?"
"You saw it too?"
"Of course. I possess the highest rank of Clairvoyance. Something like that wouldn't escape me."
"Tch. A truly convenient ability."
As the two exchanged words, Fujimaru Ritsuka-who had only realized halfway through that no one was standing beside her-hurriedly leaned over.
"Is something wrong with Ishtar?"
"It seems your observational skills still need work, Ritsuka."
Emiya Shirou glanced at her slightly awkward expression and explained.
"Just now, Ishtar froze for a brief moment."
"That kind of mistake is impossible for a divine spirit."
"And her condition at the time wasn't a simple lapse."
"It looked more like... an empty shell."
"A hollow shell?"
"Yes."
Merlin continued calmly.
"It was as though her consciousness disappeared from the vessel."
"That's impossible!"
Fujimaru Ritsuka shook her head instinctively.
"That's Ishtar we're talking about!"
"Why would it be impossible?"
Emiya Shirou retorted immediately.
"Don't forget. Ishtar appeared here as a Pseudo-Servant."
"And during the possession process... are you sure nothing else came along with her?"
"You mean-"
Merlin's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I see. No wonder the Underworld still exists."
"What do you mean, Merlin?"
Before Ishtar's arrival, Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others had split up to search the city for traces of the Tablet of Destinies.
During that search, she had accidentally fallen into the Underworld.
There, she'd been saved by a man in black robes named Ziusudra.
Before sending her back, he'd left behind a single message.
'The Underworld still exists.'
Now, hearing Merlin mention those same words, Fujimaru Ritsuka desperately wanted an explanation.
But before Merlin could elaborate, the battlefield suddenly shifted.
Ishtar, momentarily distracted, failed to evade in time.
Ana's chains wrapped around her legs.
Then she was smashed straight into the ground.
The impact blasted a deep crater into the earth.
The scene was violent.
Explosive.
But both Ana and Mash knew better.
That alone couldn't seriously injure Ishtar.
So neither of them relaxed.
They stared at the pit, tense and alert.
One minute passed.
No movement.
Cautiously, the two moved closer.
Only then did they realize-
Ishtar had fainted.
"Mash!"
Seeing the battle end, Fujimaru Ritsuka rushed over immediately to check on Mash's injuries.
Emiya Shirou, meanwhile, lowered his bow and began speaking with Merlin as if nothing unusual had happened.
"It's getting dark."
"Indeed."
"In that case, it's safe to confirm."
"Correct."
"The Mistress of the Underworld."
"Ereshkigal."
Merlin exhaled softly.
"I get the feeling things just became a lot more troublesome."
No.
They became simpler.
That was Emiya Shirou's honest thought.
Unlike Merlin, he understood Ereshkigal.
Very well.
And because of that, he knew one thing clearly.
Pulling her to their side wouldn't be difficult at all.
That girl was... incredibly straightforward.
-
Inside a certain house in Kutha City, Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others stood quietly.
In the corner of the room, a goddess was bound tightly against the wall with chains.
Ishtar stirred.
Half-awake, she tried to move.
Then froze.
"Eh? Why am I tied up with chains?!"
She struggled instinctively.
The chains didn't even tremble.
"Good evening, Goddess Ishtar."
Emiya Shirou spoke calmly.
"Please don't bother struggling."
"This chain was forged by Hephaestus on Zeus's orders."
"It was originally made to bind the Titan god Prometheus."
"With your current condition, no amount of effort will help."
"A Divine Construct... specifically meant to restrain divine spirits?"
Ishtar stared at the chains, then sighed.
"So I really have been captured."
Her gaze shifted to Emiya Shirou.
"Is this your ability?"
After a brief pause, she smiled.
"You saw through it immediately."
"A projection creation... impressive."
"Truly a genius-like figure."
"Thank you for the compliment."
Emiya Shirou replied politely.
"Then."
Ishtar tilted her head slightly.
"What do you plan to do now?"
"Are you going to kill me?"
"No."
"We have no such intention."
At that, Emiya Shirou nearly laughed internally.
Although Ereshkigal was currently speaking through Ishtar's body-
This body still belonged to Ishtar.
Ereshkigal's true form remained in the Underworld.
Which meant that even if this body were destroyed...
The one who would die was Ishtar.
Not Ereshkigal.
No wonder she was so calm.
After all, the one at risk wasn't her.
Ereshkigal.
Just how much do you hate Ishtar?
The thought crossed Emiya Shirou's mind.
And he found it strangely amusing.
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