Chapter 26: Ishtar's Bite!
Time flowed by in the blink of an eye. By the time he returned to this place once more, the identity he carried was far different from before.
The Northern Wall, as usual, was under constant assault from the Demonic Beasts. Only a week ago, he had been one of the soldiers hunting those very creatures.
Now, however, he stood on the opposite side of the fence.
These Demonic Beasts were created by using humans as a nutritional source, fueled by the power of the Holy Grail and shared through Gorgon's authority, the Womb of the Hundred Beasts. A single human body could be used to birth three Uridimmu or Mushussu.
Such was the origin of the massive swarm of monsters. Their attacks on the Northern Wall weren't actually intended to breach the defenses; they were simply hunting, and their prey was humanity.
Of course, aside from this organized army, there were vast numbers of Demonic Beasts scattered across the land, prowling every corner of Mesopotamia for human prey.
Once, Akira had planned to gain magical energy by hunting these creatures. Now, everything had become much simpler. To complete the final 20% of his synchronization, it seemed he would eventually have to obtain the Holy Grail of Uruk currently held by Gilgamesh.
"I finally found you, Shin Akira-san! Finally! Honestly, I'm absolutely exhausted from searching for you."
At that moment, a voice rang out. Akira glanced sideways to see a white-haired man jog toward him.
As the figure drew closer, the corners of Akira's lips quirked upward. What a coincidence. He had just returned, and the first person he ran into was this guy.
"Merlin. Were you looking for me?"
"Ah, of course! Because you suddenly vanished, King Gilgamesh nearly skinned me alive. Well, at least you're finally back."
"Sorry, Merlin. I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint you. I have no intention of returning to Uruk."
"Hm? What happened?"
"Nothing much. You could say it's just a whim. Staying in Uruk just means rotting away at the Northern Wall fighting Demonic Beasts. It's a bit tedious. Oh, right—these are samples and logs from the water quality observation station. Please hand these over to King Gilgamesh for me."
"You..."
Merlin glanced at Akira, then looked at the pile of clay tablets and pottery jars that had suddenly appeared before him.
In that instant, Merlin fell into a profound silence. The phrase "What the hell?" was right on the tip of his tongue, but he wasn't sure if it was appropriate to say aloud. It's fine if you don't want to come back, but why are you giving me chores?
"See you around, Merlin."
Giving Merlin a long, meaningful look, Akira's figure suddenly shot up into the sky.
He left Merlin standing there alone, surrounded by clay tablets and jars, looking quite lonely as a bleak autumn wind seemed to blow past him.
Soaring through the air, Akira felt an incredible sense of comfort. The world of the Age of Gods had mana concentrations tens of times higher than the modern era. It made Akira feel like a fish back in water.
"Hey, you in front! Get out of the way!"
Suddenly, a shrill scream pierced the air.
Before Akira could even react, a figure streaking toward him at high speed slammed directly into his face.
The sheer velocity created a violent collision. To make matters worse, Akira wasn't in a defensive stance. He was sent hurtling backward instantly.
At the peak of a nearby hill, a massive crater formed from the impact. Inside the hollowed earth, a man and a woman lay tangled together in a rather improper position.
"You bastard! Who do you think you are, daring to block this goddess's path!?"
Leading with her temper, the fuming Goddess of Venus immediately began to berate Akira at the top of her lungs.
"We haven't met in only a few days, yet your skills have improved significantly, Ishtar!"
"That voice... it can't be..."
Hearing the voice coming from beneath her, Ishtar's furious expression froze. That voice was one she wouldn't forget for as long as she lived. The Chain of Heaven that had previously captured her and crushed her pride as a goddess was still fresh in her mind.
The world couldn't possibly be this small, could it? Only a few days had passed, and they had met again? And in a way like this?
Slowly lowering her gaze, Ishtar's face turned pale.
Blond hair, green eyes, a shorter stature, yet radiating an intimidating aura even without being angry. Damn it, her luck was truly abysmal. She had run into this harbinger of calamity again.
"E-err... hello..."
Ishtar's face was stiff, but she forced out a smile. However, that smile looked more pitiful than if she were crying.
"We haven't seen each other for a few days, and you've already given me such a 'grand' gift, Ishtar. Thank you very much."
"E-eh, I didn't do it on purpose! You're a big-hearted person, right? Please let me go this once, okay?"
"Let you go? You think things are that easy?"
"Uuu—uuu—"
Hearing Akira's words, Ishtar immediately understood. This time, she was truly finished. This man had no intention of letting her off the hook.
Meanwhile, Akira felt as though great luck had found him instead. He happened to be lacking a place to stay, and now someone had come along to offer a place for the night.
"This makes no sense. Weren't you going to Uruk? Why are you here?" Ishtar asked, looking at him with utter confusion.
"What does that have to do with you? Besides, I did go to Uruk. But I'm not a citizen of Uruk, nor am I even human. Why should I stay there?"
"Not human? That's true. I knew from the start you clearly weren't human."
"Hm? And? So if I'm not human, do you have a problem with that?"
"N-no, not at all! Not even a little bit."
The Goddess Ishtar, who usually did as she pleased, had truly met her natural enemy.
Akira didn't pay much mind to her protests. However, their current position was incredibly awkward. Akira was lying in the crater while Ishtar was kneeling directly over his body. Coupled with Ishtar's extremely revealing attire, Akira felt a strange impulse he had never experienced before.
This had never happened in the past. Akira felt confused. He used to be much slower to react. Why was it that now, every time he saw a beautiful woman, his body responded instantly?
"E-eyaa!"
Unintentionally, Ishtar tried to push herself up. As she braced her hands to stand, her palm pressed directly against Akira's "vital spot."
"Hey! You idiot! You're the one who started moving around recklessly, so why are you the one screaming?"
"Pervert! Creep! Lewd!"
"Take a look at yourself. Between the two of us, who looks more like the pervert? Look at your clothes. You're just flying around in your underwear. You're the real lewd woman here."
"What?! I'll fight you! How dare you say such things to this goddess!"
Ishtar, now thoroughly provoked, lunged forward and bit Akira's neck.
Even Akira felt a sharp sting of pain. Truly the teeth of a goddess. Her attack power was not to be underestimated.
"Get off of me, you brat."
"No—way—"
As if she had discovered Akira's weakness, Ishtar refused to let go of her bite.
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