Ishtar Temple, in the sky.
The sluggish shadows stirred, gaining an explosive increase in magical power.
Hassan of the Fathomless Rift, whose Spirit Core had been destroyed,
Was now strengthened by Faldeus's Command Seal support, revealing an illusory figure.
"Heh, how pitiful. I didn't expect you to fight me to this extent, only to be given a suicide order by your master in the end."
Ishtar saw through the truth of the shadows' expansion at a glance.
Her first reaction was to mock him.
However, Ishtar didn't know that this was something Hassan of the Fathomless Rift had discussed with Faldeus long ago.
He never thought there was anything wrong with death.
Therefore, Hassan of the Fathomless Rift didn't reply to Ishtar, only staring at the goddess with indifferent eyes.
The white skull mask floated in mid-air.
As if he had nothing to say.
It was as if everything had already ended.
However, the lofty Venus goddess had not noticed, nor had she detected any signs of this.
The breath unleashed by the Bull of Heaven did more than just stop the Hydra.
It also fell towards Enkidu within the city.
Melusine, transformed into the Dragon of the Boundary, clashed with the Bull of Heaven, while Enkidu moved towards the forest.
Before leaving, Enkidu left behind numerous turrets within the city.
Gilgamesh transformed into a master operator.
He loaded his treasures into the turrets created by Enkidu, then locked onto the enemy and unleashed a barrage of attacks.
Not just the Bull of Heaven.
But also Ishtar, flying in the sky.
As if to avenge her previous humiliation, Gilgamesh loaded the turrets with top-tier Noble Phantasms this time.
While Snowfield was being ravaged by boundless lightning.
Alcides had already moved from the industrial area to outside the city, arriving at the area beneath the Bull of Heaven.
"…Slaying bulls is something I'm quite familiar with. You can no longer unleash lightning that tears apart stars."
Alcides's words sounded calm.
But they contained madness.
He looked up at the dark sky where lightning was erupting, his eyes seeing either the Bull of Heaven or the sovereign god who was the embodiment of lightning.
It was impossible to know.
"Alcides!"
"…The Queen of the Amazons… Hmph, to think that you would come with her…"
Alcides turned his head to look at Atalanta and the others.
A wicked smile appeared on his mud-stained lips.
It was as if he saw not former comrades, but lambs about to be slaughtered.
A tidal wave of killing intent swept over everyone.
Seeing the great hero Alcides of the past become like this.
Atalanta couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat, while the Gemini twins widened their eyes in surprise.
"Alcides… I know you've fallen… but I didn't expect you to fall this far…
In that case, it is our responsibility… we who were on that ship together will stop your descent into evil."
Atalanta's expression was stern, allowing no room for warmth.
Although she lived the life of a virtuous wife and mother.
She was still the huntress who made a name for herself in Greece on the Argo.
The Gemini twins also took out their Noble Phantasms to show their resolve.
Hippolyta had already entered a state of readiness.
"Ho? How dare you say that… But you're right, those of you who came from that ship that was like a demon's den are indeed enemies capable of killing me… Atalanta, Pollux, Castor, let me see if your endless desires are enough to incinerate my soul!"
Alcides said, drawing his bowstring.
Four arrows were placed on the string at the same time.
Reuniting with comrades after thousands of years.
It was presented as a gift of the most insane and pure killing intent, with arrows smeared with poison and mud as blessings.
Making Atalanta and the others his enemies.
In some ways, it couldn't be more fitting.
If Alcides were ever willing to admit defeat, it would not be when the gods aimed curses or the fire of lightning at him, but when he was burned to ashes by the evil of humanity itself.
Although the Argo appeared glorious to the world, it contained the evil of man in its depths.
This was the fact that Alcides knew best.
Humanity's "karma" was contained within.
Ishtar Temple, in the sky.
"…Gloomy ferryman, I see through your intentions. Your entire Spirit Origin has been assimilated with the concept of death.
Once your Spirit Origin collapses, your soul will flow into my body, causing me to automatically assimilate with death…"
Ishtar rode Maanna.
On the other hand, she was still working hard to eliminate the shadows.
Her warhammer could destroy cities with a single swing, but she was unable to dissipate them due to conceptual issues.
It was so troublesome that Ishtar clicked her tongue.
"So you're turning yourself into a death knell, trying to drag your opponent into the underworld in a mutual destruction… Your Noble Phantasm is the least suitable for the Holy Grail War."
Ishtar regretted killing Hassan of the Fathomless Rift.
If she had known that his Noble Phantasm was such a troublesome thing, she would not have killed him.
Instead, she would have crippled him while maintaining his life signs.
Ensuring that his Noble Phantasm would not be activated.
But now that Hassan of the Fathomless Rift's Noble Phantasm had been activated, it was no use even if Ishtar regretted it.
She was annoyed, very annoyed.
To be so passive because of a mere assassin, when she was a lofty goddess.
That tormenting concept of death.
This couldn't help but remind Ishtar of her past experience descending into the underworld, and being cut off from the lines of death by Moran.
Gods have resistance to "death."
But Ishtar was special.
Due to her past defeat in the underworld, Ishtar couldn't touch anything related to the underworld or the concept of death.
It could be said that it was to the extent of instant death upon contact.
If divine power could be fully manifested—or sublimated to the point of being able to see the surface of the planet being rewritten, and being able to make full preparations to counter the Counter Force, then perhaps she could use the legend of returning from the underworld to deny "death" to some extent.
As for whether denying "death" could resist the Counter Force, that was a completely different matter.