A thunderous roar followed by an overwhelming divine pressure. Marduk, the 'Heroic God' who struck awe into all things, descended above the Ziggurat to receive the heroes.
"Now, board! Hahahaha! You can look forward to a truly ghastly souvenir!!!"
Mash, Rikka, and Gil leaped onto the giant palm. Acknowledging them, Marduk immediately took flight, warping toward Mt. Ebih.
—We're off, Great Wise King!
『I expect good news! And whatever you do, don't let Ishtar catch you off guard and drag you onto her Heavenly Boat! Ea—!』
Watched over by the King and Siduri, Marduk departed, leaving a trail of golden ether in his wake.
Mt. Ebih…
It was the greatest demonic realm—no, the greatest spirit mountain—in Sumer. A peak feared by all gods, the pride of Mesopotamia. Even Anu, the supreme god of Sumer, trembled before it. When Inanna—Ishtar—became obsessed with it, Anu told her:
『Mt. Ebih is rich. In its blessings and its depths. My daughter, the maiden Inanna. To defy Mt. Ebih is the act of a fool.』
It was a father's heart, wishing not to lose his beloved daughter to the mountain's divine wrath. But instead, it touched Ishtar's raw nerve.
『To think that I, the Mistress of Heaven who holds all things, would be rejected! You shameless mountain, I'll see you dead!』
Ishtar gathered every weapon she could carry and charged at Mt. Ebih amidst a raging storm. She kicked, gouged, and trampled the mountain slopes, aiming for its heart. And she did it on foot, without using Maanna.
Of course, the sacred peak fought back. Every beast, volcano, river, and freezing gale of the mountain hammered against her.
It blew a mist of venomous snakes, thinking she would go home.
It rained boulders, thinking she would go home.
It boiled scorching lava, thinking she would go home.
Each time, Ishtar spat curses and sang songs of malice.
『Unbelievable! To think that I, the Mistress of Heaven, would receive such 'hospitality'!』
Completely ignoring the fact that she was the one trying to strangle the mountain, Ishtar flew into a blind rage.
Mt. Ebih's mistake was not unleashing its full disaster at once. It meted out its storms in small doses, underestimating her. Ishtar was a selfish, flighty woman… but unfortunately, she possessed a stubborn streak that flared up only during adversity.
Charred black and battered to a pulp, Ishtar finally reached the summit.
『You loathsome mountain, learn now who truly stands in the heavens!』
She grabbed Mt. Ebih by the scruff of its neck and drove her blade deep into its body. The mountain collapsed, unable to endure the blow, its high peak sliding away like a drop of water.
From this legend, the summit of Mt. Ebih was halved, and the people came to know Ishtar's aspect as the 'Goddess of War.'
At that time, she hadn't used her boat. She had crossed the mountain on foot and conquered it with a spear. Capricious, full of grit, and utterly selfish—that was the god known as Ishtar.
—What did Mt. Ebih ever do to deserve that…?!
Having finished the reading, Ea wept for the mountain's tragic fate.
"She is an utterly tedious woman. If you try to suppress her with force, she will never yield. Even with Marduk, she would likely resist until her dying breath. The key, after all, lies with the Master."
Marduk hovered at the very edge of the heavens, higher than even the summit of Mt. Ebih.
"Master! Leave the negotiation materials to me! You just focus on flattering her the right amount!"
"Roger that!" Rikka chirped. Seeing this, Enkidu and Gilgamesh shared a nod.
"First—we blow away her makeshift palace!! Siduri, Tiamat, Ereshkigal! Deploy the All-Destroying Twin Propulsion Arms: Anshar Dull Kishar!!"
『『『Acknowledged!』』』
The three immediately activated Marduk's systems.
"Now, shall we begin? Let's wake that hideous goddess up."
Enkidu smiled terrifyingly as he became the additional armor for Marduk's manipulator arms. A staggering amount of divine authority loaded into the palms, now several times their original size.
"Anshar! Dull! Kishar!!"
At the Heroic King's command, the right arm filled with the terrestrial authority of the King, and the left arm with the celestial authority. The right arm stained pitch black; the left arm shone brilliant gold.
Thunder and tempests stirred in the heavens; the earth groaned and vibrated. The atmosphere sang as the Tigris and Euphrates surged in reverse. The spirits of Mesopotamia chanted solemnly to honor Marduk's divine majesty.
"『There was a King, there was a Princess—Gil Nanam Ea Nanam. The joint between Heaven and Earth—Dull. The name of that God is Dingir』—"
With the King's mantra, the torrents of energy embodying Heaven and Earth in his arms were—
"—HA!!"
Forced into a fusion. He locked his hands together. In that instant, kingly aura, divine power, and seven storms swirled around the Heroic God Marduk, erupting into a localized cataclysm.
The destination—
"『Heroic God Marduk』!! Go! Give that profligate goddess a sting she won't forget!!"
—Marduk, advancing! Divine Punishment, launching!!
『GAAAAAAAAAA—————!!!!』
A roar of venting heat erupted from the crusher as Marduk charged, shimmering in gold. Stealing Ishtar's own thunder, the Heroic God's ultimate ritual—the power of absolute victory—slammed down from the high heavens toward the Ishtar Temple at the summit of Mt. Ebih!!
"Wait, wh— hold on—!!!"
The moment Ishtar sensed the danger and leaped from the temple—
"Hahahaha! Forgive me, Ishtar!! My hand slipped!!"
The divine punishment descended. Marduk's body, now a mass of True Ether, divine authority, and kinetic energy, slammed into the temple.
"What are you even doing—wait, you're kidding me, right—!!?"
An apocalyptic scene of mythological proportions unfolded at the summit. A massive explosion, a thunderous roar, and a vivid display of destruction and creation. Pillars of seven-colored flame defied gravity, soaring into the sky as the top of Mt. Ebih was wiped clean.
The temple, along with the summit itself, vanished—atomized into primordial dust.
『GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA——!!!』
The only thing remaining was the majestic form of Marduk, venting heat from its mouth, making all of creation tremble.
To have its summit trampled by an original god from the far-flung Age of Gods… it was said that Mt. Ebih had been gifted a brand-new trauma.
"Ah, my apologies, Ishtar. I saw your graceful figure from above and my hand slipped. Forgive me. I permit you to permit me. Hahaha."
"You were literally shouting a victory cry, you golden prick!! You people! You people are seriously—!!"
"Now, wait, Ishtar. I am not the one who has business with you today. It is this one."
"Who?! What?!"
"Hello, Goddess-sama. I have some very promising news for you, now that you're in a 'Hell and Heaven' situation after losing your temple."
"It's just 'Hell and Hell' for my mental state!! Where is the Heaven in this?!"
"Actually, we have an offering for the highly esteemed Mistress of Heaven, Ishtar-sama."
"Hah?! An offering?!"
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 70 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thank you so much for your support!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"