"Leave it to me!!"
Hearing Taiga's call, Ishtar in the sky didn't hesitate.
Her palm flipped, rapidly drawing the immense magical energy needed from Roy to ensure a fatal strike against Humbaba. She pushed her magical reserves to their peak.
A blue meteor streaked across as she stood atop Maanna, soaring over Mesopotamia.
The Venusian goddess, embodiment of beauty, slowly opened her pure golden eyes. Her cascading black hair billowed in the fierce wind.
"Hmph… finally my time to shine."
With a gentle wave of her flawless, slender arm, a terrifying surge of magical energy rippled out. A starry gate linked to the Venusian cosmos materialized above.
Like a cosmic rift, the gate expanded rapidly, blanketing the battlefield's sky with her celestial domain.
The heavens glittered with stars…
This wasn't the real universe but the Venusian cosmos of myth, Ishtar's unique domain and a cornerstone of her power.
The concept of radiant stars, symbols of beauty, love, war, and wealth, began to manifest, descending from the cosmos above.
"Time to leap, Maanna! Open the gate!!"
In the bright daylight, stars shone brilliantly, Venus emerging.
"…Is this the power of the stars?"
Such a breathtaking scene was beyond the experience of mortal Servants like Assassin and Rider.
The two, fiercely resisting Lahmu assaults, gaped at the awe-inspiring spectacle above, exclaiming, "Is this the terrifying power of a god?"
"Truly beyond mortal reach…"
"A realm even my fists at their peak couldn't touch…"
"Oh? Is this the Venusian goddess's true power? As expected of a chief deity of Sumerian myth, not something a second-rate goddess like me can match."
Even Taiga, locked in battle with Humbaba, couldn't help but marvel at the falling starfield.
Compared to her, a pseudo-goddess boosted only in jungles, Ishtar's divine aura was magnitudes greater.
No wonder Roy had her center the fight around Ishtar. Only she had the power to deliver a fatal blow to Humbaba, his words were no exaggeration.
If this strike landed, even Humbaba would be destroyed.
"This is my full power!!"
Ishtar grinned smugly at the stunned onlookers below. Though the one she most wanted to impress wasn't here, making her slightly wistful, defeating Humbaba would surely earn his admiration. He'd never dare bully her again.
With that thought, Ishtar raised her palm, thrusting the wedge into the massive Venus above, unlocking its authority.
The star, formed of magic and heat, began shrinking rapidly under her divine power.
Using perspective-altering magecraft, Ishtar effortlessly seized the Venus projection, loading it as ammunition into Maanna's chamber.
She began the final preparations, chanting the liberation phrase,
"From the great heavens to the great earth! Now die, Humbaba!! This is my full power! Shatter!!"
"An Gal Tā Kigal Shē!!"
Radiant starlight swirled, rapidly condensing into surging ammunition in Maanna's chamber, erupting toward Humbaba below.
Like the myth of piercing Mount Ebih, a blinding, sky-rending purple beam tore through the heavens, mercilessly surging toward Humbaba.
Roar! Roar! Roar!!!
The massive magical beam struck instantly. Humbaba, grappling with Taiga's Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi, raised his head, letting out a pained, fearful roar.
He wanted to flee, but the water torrent from the sword had pulverized his flesh and bones. Even a beastly body like his needed time to recover, leaving him immobile.
But the beam wouldn't grant that time, hurtling toward him with star-piercing speed.
In this desperate situation, Humbaba couldn't escape. He raised his head, opening his maw, gathering raging ether flames for a final stand against this mountain-shattering strike.
This time, Taiga didn't stop him.
Or rather, she had no need or intention to stop this foolish lion.
As Venus descended, she'd seized Humbaba's moment of distraction, decisively dropping Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi and bolting.
Red Hare, at the battlefield's edge, followed the plan, swiftly scooping Taiga onto his back and galloping away with his thousand-mile stride, escaping the terrifying range of Venus's fall.
Their escape was seamless, rehearsed to perfection, with no wasted movements.
In a blink, the chaotic battlefield held only Humbaba, still pierced by Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi, left to face this cataclysmic strike.
Roar! Roar! Roar!!
"How is this possible?! Tricked by you scum lot, I won't accept this!!!"
"Mother!!!"
The crimson flames from his maw were nothing before the falling Venus.
Merlin had devised the plan to defeat Humbaba: multiple Servants assisting, with Ishtar, the highest damage dealer, delivering the final blow.
Though Merlin had withdrawn early for certain reasons, the plan remained unchanged.
Taiga had baited Humbaba by exposing a flaw, luring him into a desperate struggle. Using her third Saint Graph state and the divine-slaying Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi borrowed from Gilgamesh, she pinned Humbaba, setting up the final strike.
Seizing the opportunity, Ishtar unleashed her Saint Graph's maximum-scale Noble Phantasm.
[An Gal Tā Kigal Shē]
In Sumerian myth, Ishtar's most destructive and capricious act was ravaging Mount Ebih, a peak even the king of gods revered, simply because it displeased her, leading to its utter destruction. This became her most powerful Noble Phantasm.
Mesopotamian myth records Ishtar storming Mount Ebih, her divine authority growing with each step, until she seized its peak and pierced its heart with a spear, collapsing the mountain.
Per this legend, when using her Noble Phantasm, Ishtar opens her cosmic domain, warps to Venus, uses her authority to grasp its concept, and loads it as a planetary projectile into Maanna's chamber, performing a feat even gods fear. Hence its alias, [Jebel Hamrin Breaker].
But every Noble Phantasm has pros and cons.
While immensely powerful, it demands vast magical energy and preparation time.
Alone, Ishtar couldn't unleash its full power. Her success now was thanks to Roy's magic supply.
With the Third Magic, he was a perpetual magic engine, she could draw endlessly without draining him, allowing a full-power release.
The long wind-up and release time meant enemies, unless foolish, wouldn't give her the chance, or would flee upon sensing danger.
Weaker foes were manageable, but for a mythic beast like Humbaba, the preparation time was enough for him to escape far.
Thus, allies were needed to create the perfect moment.
Now was her time to shine.
"Die, Humbaba!!"
Boom!!!!
Under Ishtar's all-out strike, the colossal beam struck instantly. Humbaba, pinned by Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi and magical pressure, let out a pained howl.
Roar! Roar! Roar…
In moments, his body and organs began disintegrating under the beam's immense pressure.
Not just his mind and body, under Ishtar's Noble Phantasm, the very ground they stood on turned to ash!!
With a deafening explosion and a world-shattering strike, the battlefield was obliterated, the combat zone now a crater over a hundred meters deep.
Red Hare and his group fled frantically to avoid the terrifying energy beam.
"Yahoo! It's over!!"
As the dust settled, Ishtar closely inspected the massive crater, confirming Humbaba's magical signature had vanished. Her tense face broke into a joyful smile.
"We actually took down that blasted lion!!"
Seeing Ishtar's excited demeanor, Taiga and Red Hare below couldn't help but feel elated.
That troublesome lion was finally dead.
For her, no news could be better.
But Ame-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi…
Taiga glanced at the abyssal crater and the missing sword, her expression slightly awkward.
She might've lost the important item borrowed from someone.
But with such a successful outcome, Gilgamesh probably wouldn't make her pay… right?
Meanwhile, atop Uruk's divine tower, through a Chaldea-crafted magical device on Taiga, they could monitor each Servant's magical and vital signs without being on the battlefield.
Detecting the star-altering magical surge, Dr. Romani immediately reported his findings.
"Such terrifying power, judging by momentum and heat, this Noble Phantasm's destructive force rivals a small nuclear bomb! It's Ishtar's power!! As expected of a chief deity Servant, wielding such a terrifying Noble Phantasm."
"It's Miss Ishtar! Using her Noble Phantasm means… their battle is at its end."
Gilgamesh calmly asked, "And Humbaba? Is that beast's magical signature still there?"
"Completely gone!" Romani Archaman quickly checked Sheba's data, replying, "Humbaba's magical signature has vanished from this continent! Ishtar and the others succeeded!"
"Humbaba has been defeated."
"!!"
Hearing the good news, Mash and Ritsuka exchanged glances, then jumped excitedly, clapping hands.
"Senpai, that's great! Miss Ishtar and the others are safe!"
"Yeah, I knew they could do it."
"Hmph, that foolish goddess did decently this time… Not in vain, taking so many of my treasures. Consider it her reward."
Even Gilgamesh, usually critical of Ishtar, relaxed his stern expression slightly upon hearing her remarkable success.
Good, very good.
With that troublesome lion dealt with, there was no worry of him disrupting other battlefields.
Roy and his group were still entangled with Tiamat in his small world, so the only battlefield to watch now was…
Musing, Gilgamesh shifted his gaze to another battlefield.
The place where shadow devoured the sun.
"…"
After brief thought, Gilgamesh turned to Ritsuka. "Chaldea!"
"What is it, King Gilgamesh?"
"Inform Ishtar to head to Archer and Lancer's battlefield immediately, but not to interfere. If Arjuna loses, take out Karna. He must not appear on other battlefields."
"But…"
"No buts! This is war, there's no time for their nonsense!"
Gilgamesh's words were absolute.
"Understood."
Recognizing the gravity, Dr. Romani answered for Ritsuka.
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