Chapter 336: The Rampaging Ishtar-Rin
At the center of the Great Forest, the area where the boy sat was quickly swarmed by beast-girls and beast-men with diurnal habits. After the previous night's revelry, everyone had become well-acquainted.
Atalanta-Lion, wearing her blue skirt and holding a small wooden bow, walked over to greet her kin, Lion Saber. Panda Jeanne handed nuts to a black-and-gray Boar-Atalanta. The Little Tiger frolicked and played hide-and-seek with several feline magical creatures. A squinty-eyed muscle gorilla walked arm-in-arm with the Cu Chulainns. It was a scene of perfect harmony.
Shirou was also extremely popular, surrounded by small magical creatures like snakes, bats, foxes, raccoon dogs, and calves. There wasn't a single free spot on his head, arms, or thighs. Some gluttonous magical creatures even brought over catches they had made, hoping Shirou would prepare them into delicious food just like last night.
Shirou said with a laugh, "It's still morning, you know."
"Gah! Gao!" The little animals looked at each other, then began chirping and gesturing simultaneously to show Shirou their determination.
"Eh? You've been waiting for food on empty stomachs? Can't you wait until noon?" Shirou said in surprise.
"Ugya, ugya." The little animals looked at Shirou with stars in their eyes.
"Alright, alright, I really can't do anything with you all. Stop looking at me with those eyes," Shirou said with a helpless smile, raising his arm to cover his eyes.
"Love you~! Shirou!" The little animals pounced one by one, tackling him to the ground. Aside from his back, he was completely engulfed by the hugging creatures. Shirou had essentially become a human meat-mountain covered in animals; some beast-girls even poked out their little tongues to lick his face.
"Hahaha, stop that, it tickles." Shirou reached out to block a small blue snake that had jumped onto his face, and a long-haired black cow-girl. He then placed a raccoon dog and a pink bat—who were scurrying on his head and shoulders—back onto the ground, and detached the tail-wagging creatures clinging to his arms and legs.
Looking at the three pinned to his stomach, Shirou said exasperatedly, "Why did you three join in the hug too?"
"Gawu..." Lion Saber, Panda Jeanne, and the Little Tiger looked up at Shirou. After he placed them on the ground, they all puffed out their cheeks in dissatisfaction.
"Alright, alright. If you want to eat, don't cling to me. Otherwise, I can't work," Shirou said.
After a bit of effort, he finally got them to settle down. Shirou began processing the meat—washing it, marinating it with spices, and projecting a large number of tools to cook lunch for
the magical creatures. To make the food last for several days, he found a large tree facing the sun with perfect lighting and airflow. He tied vines to it and hung the marinated meat to air-dry; the salty jerky was highly praised by the small animals.
The thick smoke from the curing process and the fragrance of frying meat drifted continuously with the wind into a nearby thicket.
Gurgle~~ At that moment, a sound came from within the bushes.
A monkey magical creature standing near the thicket eating a banana turned its head, seemingly hearing something. However, seeing nothing there after a while, it turned back in confusion.
Ishtar, who had been holding her breath and dared not move, finally relaxed. One hand clutched her stomach while the other tightened into a fist. She thought, Dammit! That human is doing it on purpose! He's definitely doing it on purpose!
To monitor the center of the forest, Ishtar had been lying in ambush since before dawn. She hadn't dared to make a sound or eat anything. To prevent her scent from being carried toward the center of the forest and exposing her location, she had specifically chosen the downwind side. Now, however, she was directly in the path of the food's aroma. Though she was a girl who could normally go a day and night without food or water, under the temptation of the fragrance, she felt increasingly famished and thirsty.
'But now is not the time to reveal myself! Endure! Endure!'
Ishtar clenched her fists so hard her palms bore deep red marks and her veins bulged.
.
.
.
Over by the other blonde twin-tailed girl:
"Back to the point. You say you are the guardian of the Great Forest, so what is the deal with these magical creatures? They shouldn't be able to exist," Ereshkigal asked.
Quetzalcoatl said, "To maintain its own existence, the Holy Grail connected to the leylines of the Great Forest and established a contract with the beasts here. Acting as a channel, it connected to the Throne of Heroes outside the space-time turbulence and summoned parts of Heroic Spirits with beast and nature characteristics. Thus, the magical creatures were born."
"Is that Holy Grail really that important? That's not right. My father and uncles have tried to destroy it many times, but the Grail always returns here to the forest afterward," Ereshkigal said.
"Ah, those uncles who act like they're the most important people in the world and are impossible to talk to? It's because everything they do is a waste of effort. That's why I had everyone hide; I didn't even show my face to stop them," Quetzalcoatl said, waving her hand dismissively.
"A waste of effort?" Ereshkigal asked in confusion.
Quetzalcoatl explained, "This Holy Grail is already different from its original form. While enduring the white light, because the Grail was originally a vessel for gathering energy, it also absorbed some of the white light's power. As a 'Mystery,' the Holy Grail could be swallowed by the suddenly expanded white light at any time, so it absorbs magical energy from the forest's leylines to maintain a delicate balance, forming a symbiotic state between the white light, the Holy Grail, and the Great Forest. The Holy Grail uses the white light's energy to cancel out your attacks. As long as the balance isn't broken, the Holy Grail is indestructible."
"How can this be! Is there really no way to restore the status quo?" Ereshkigal knew that as a clan of gods, her relatives had never adjusted their mindsets after falling to the mortal world. They still believed the world belonged to the gods and humans were merely servants. Thus, they preferred to stay on high mountain peaks rather than live in more convenient city-states.
Aside from contacting royal families related to the gods, they only sent lower gods every month—carrying crafts made with unique divine techniques—to trade with merchants for necessary food. They were almost unwilling to have any contact with mortals. Because they didn't communicate with the outside world, their information was very limited. They never thought to communicate with magical creatures and were unaware of the Grail's secret. It turned out her father's generation had been wasting their efforts for twenty years. Ereshkigal couldn't imagine how her prideful kin would react if they knew the truth.
No! I must find a solution! Thinking this, Ereshkigal looked anxiously at Quetzalcoatl.
"It's not impossible. Just break the balance. As long as that white light disappears completely from this world—though it will take some time—the gods here will eventually find a way," Quetzalcoatl said, looking at the girl.
"Why... are you telling me this?" Ereshkigal asked suspiciously.
"Well, although life here isn't boring and everyone is a good child, even I don't want to stay here forever. After all, the world can't stay unchanged eternally," the Big Sister Quetzalcoatl said with a hearty laugh. She then looked at the girl and asked, "But, little Eresh, what do you think of the current world?"
The blonde twin-tailed girl looked at Shirou, then at the Cu Chulainns accompanying her, and said, "I think it's quite nice."
"Then why do you still want to restore things to how they were?" Quetzalcoatl asked.
"The Underworld has disappeared, and the entities once trapped there have returned to nature to become nutrients for new life. I actually don't think this cycle is bad. But as for my father's thoughts... I don't know." Ereshkigal shook her head dejectedly.
"I see. Then think about it some more. To destroy the Holy Grail, you must break the balance. If the Great Forest is destroyed, there's no telling what will happen to the little ones who rely on this energy to survive. Of course, if you choose to do that... I won't hold back then. I will definitely stop you," Quetzalcoatl said with a jagged, fierce grin.
"I understand..." Ereshkigal answered in a low voice. The reality was harsher than she had imagined.
Seeing the girl walk back despondently, Shirou asked worriedly, "Eresh, are you okay?"
"Mm... Shirou, I suddenly don't know how to choose. I don't want to disappoint my family, but I also don't want to hurt the children here," Ereshkigal said sadly. She recounted the things she heard from Quetzalcoatl and her inner conflict to Shirou bit by bit.
Shirou looked at Ereshkigal and understood her suffering. As a goddess, she should have been free, but from birth, her father appointed her as the Master of the Underworld. From then on, she lived a life separated from the human and divine realms, unable to leave the Underworld for even a single step.
Yet, this was the task her respected father entrusted to her. The inhabitants of the Underworld also needed her. Thus, Ereshkigal worked very hard to play the role of the Master of the Underworld, hoping to bring happiness to all souls. Even when other gods held lively feasts in the heavens and indulged in extreme pleasure, she had to remain in the pitch-black depths of the earth.
But even a girl like her couldn't avoid being misunderstood. After all, the God of Death is always avoided by the living. Ereshkigal was inevitably feared by humans and even her own kin. Although she received human sacrifices, her image in the world was mostly that of a terrifying and fearsome character.
"I don't know what to do. If my family finds out the situation here, they will definitely attack!" Ereshkigal said, lowering her head.
Shirou wanted to tell her, "Eresh! Find a path where you and everyone can be happy!"
However, before he could speak, an angry female voice shouted from the bushes.
"Enough! I can't listen to this anymore! Ereshkigal! If you can't do it, then come back! I'll do it for you!" At that moment, a small figure crawled out from the thicket. Ignoring the leaves stuck to her hair and clothes, she pointed straight at the girl who looked exactly like her and shouted.
"Ishtar!? When did you get here?" Ereshkigal stood up, looking at her younger sister who had suddenly appeared.
"A second little Eresh?" Quetzalcoatl said in surprise.
"Ishtar. The Mesopotamian goddess, beloved by the gods yet completely willful. She really fits Tohsaka perfectly!" Shirou muttered as he looked at the girl who had Rin's childhood face.
Ishtar looked at Ereshkigal angrily and scolded: "You idiot! Maintaining a world like this is actually quite good for you, at least! What's so good about that Underworld you couldn't even leave—that eternal prison?!"
"On what grounds! On what grounds do you get to say that to me!" Ereshkigal shouted back, glaring at Ishtar. "Do you even know what you're saying? How could I let my family be trapped here forever just for my own sake!"
"Then just do it! No one ever said your sacrifice was needed to get help!" Ishtar barked. "Alright! Eresh! Come to my side! Now that we understand the solution, the next step is to defeat the enemies here! Destroy this Great Forest!" Ishtar waved her hand and spoke with dignity.
"Oho, little sister, I can't just ignore those words," Quetzalcoatl said, sitting cross-legged on the ground with a jagged, fierce grin.
"What do you want to do! Now that the Bull of Heaven has wandered off, do you intend to make an enemy of every magical creature here? What are you thinking? This is the base for magical creatures! Enough, come with me!" Ereshkigal ran forward, intending to pull her sister away.
Ishtar shook off Ereshkigal's hand and began summoning her subordinate Divine Beast, shouting loudly: "Can't find it? Then I'll just summon it directly! Gugalanna (Bull of Heaven)!!! COME TO ME!!!"
"Moo~!!!"
In that instant, a violent storm erupted in front of the girl, connecting the earth to the high heavens and pulling layers of clouds into it. The sky changed color abruptly, and the surrounding clouds constantly shifted shapes.
The gods, seeking revenge against the King who turned his back on them, had sent the Bull of Heaven to ravage the mortal world for seven years. It was a giant monster that Gilgamesh in his prime and Enkidu had finally defeated with full preparation. Legend has it that the indirect impact of its descent alone caused an 800-kilometer storm.
If Gilgamesh was the insurance made by the gods who sensed the world was about to change—the pillar connecting the divine and human realms, the "Keystone of Heaven"! And Enkidu was the "Chain of Heaven" created to pull back the drifting Gilgamesh. Then the Bull of Heaven was the ultimate weapon jointly created to protect that gate from being completely destroyed by the willful Gilgamesh and Enkidu. In terms of combat power, it was at the apex of Mesopotamian mythology. Simultaneously, it was the prototype for the constellation Taurus.
As the dust kicked up by the storm cleared, what appeared there was a chibi Divine Bull with a pair of blue curved horns emitting lightning and black fur with golden patterns. Its size wasn't much different from Little Lion and the others, though it was still a four-legged beast.
However, no one present doubted the power of this Divine Bull. Even though its body had shrunk, the aura it exuded had not diminished in the slightest.
Lion Saber, Panda Jeanne, and the three Cu Chulainns jumped to the front alertly to protect their masters.
"Moo, moo~!" The Divine Bull raised its head and let out a massive bellow. Instantly, a great riot broke out in the forest. Panic-stricken beasts fled toward the forest's edge, and tens of thousands of birds took to the sky, racing to escape.
Ishtar waved her hand coldly and shouted: "Gugalanna, blow them away! If they aren't obedient, it's fine to crush them!"
"..." The Bull of Heaven turned its head to look at Ishtar, then looked away with a look of disdain and shook its head.
'I was out there enjoying the beautiful natural scenery, basking in the sun, and taking a nap. Why did you disturb my pleasant time?'
"I know, I know! I'll compensate you afterward and let you take a long vacation! I definitely won't disturb you," Ishtar said pleadingly.
'It's a promise! Otherwise, I'm really going on strike next time. Even if you summon me again, Ishtar, I won't agree! The Bull of Heaven let out a muffled sound and looked at the girl.'
"I know! It's a deal!" Ishtar agreed grumpily.
Contract established! The Bull of Heaven turned its massive head and stared straight at the people in front of it. It raised its head high and once again let out a roar that shook the mountain forest: "MOOO!!!"
In the next moment, the Bull of Heaven's tiny body expanded infinitely, becoming a giant beast that touched the sky. Clouds shrouded its body, and it was instantly half as tall again as the tallest giant bamboo in the forest. Its massive frame destroyed nearly a quarter of the forest. Lightning flickered between its giant blue horns, and its body was draped in a golden, scale-like skeletal frame. A violent hurricane spanning eight hundred miles swirled around it, directly blowing several magical creatures away.
At this moment, even just one of the Bull of Heaven's feet was so massive that ten Shirous couldn't form a circle around it.
The violent tornado crept closer and closer toward Shirou's side, seemingly intending to sweep everything on the ground into it. Magical creatures clawing at the earth were sucked up one after another due to their light weight. Except for the small animals that could dig holes and crawl inside, all the others were sucked into the air.
"Yes! Yes! Just like that! Blow everyone away!! Hahaha!" Ishtar laughed loudly from the back.
At that point, Ereshkigal abandoned Ishtar, who was concentrating on communicating with the Bull of Heaven, and ran back. She grabbed a vine tied to a tree, reached out her hand to Shirou, and shouted: "Shirou! Over here! Hurry!"
In the nick of time, Shirou grasped the girl's hand while using his other hand to grab his companions. They held hands, looking like kites in the violent wind. After a struggle, they finally reached the back of the large tree and held on tight, finally escaping the danger.
Druid Cu Chulainn said, "Hey! Big Sister, you're the guardian of this forest, right! Hurry up and think of something!"
The blonde goddess sitting on the ground tried to stand up, but her face suddenly turned pale, then greenish-blue. She clutched her mouth and said, "Ugh, no... after the hangover, my head hurts so much, and I feel nauseous... BLEGH!"
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