"Detecting intense magical energy reactions! The Sun Stone is vaporizing the Sea of Chaos! And the vaporization range is continuously expanding!"
Roman's voice echoed in Ritsuka's ear.
"This should immobilize Tiamat. Which means the next phase is our fight." Ritsuka gave a firm nod, then looked up at the sky. "Ishtar! Send Tiamat down into the Underworld!"
"Been waiting for this!"
The black-haired, crimson-eyed goddess smiled. As her divine power surged at high speed, a golden magical energy befitting a deity rose around her, even altering the color of her eyes.
"Fly, Maanna!"
"Gate Open!"
With a grand sweep of the goddess's arm, a massive gate unfolded above her. The kilometer-high doors reflected the image of the cosmos, and an immense golden planet, pulled by divine power, began its rapid descent.
Even just this fraction of its form, far larger than the gate itself, exerted an indescribable pressure.
Even the Herrscher of Sentience couldn't help but twitch the corner of her eye.
Seriously? How can you, who normally can't even scratch me at full power, just go and drop a planet on someone?
"Behold my full strength!"Seeing the stunned expressions of everyone present, Ishtar finally showed a satisfied smile.
That being said, this power wasn't entirely her own. It was only usable after being amplified by Ritsuka's Command Spells.
It wasn't that she was weak; her Saint Graph simply couldn't handle her true intensity.
Frankly, for a Divine Spirit to manifest as a Servant, they had to be downgraded.
Whether it was her, Ereshkigal, Gorgon, or Quetzalcoatl, none were at their full strength. Otherwise, a standard Saint Graph would be unable to bear it.
At least Quetzalcoatl had her Temple, Noble Phantasm, and the blessing of faith, allowing her to exert power beyond a normal Saint Graph.
Ereshkigal had the Underworld as a boost.
Gorgon had even acquired a portion of Tiamat's Authority.
But she, Ishtar, had consistently been at the bottom among the current goddesses. Not only did she lose her Bull of Heaven, but Gilgamesh had even stripped her of her status as the city god, cutting her off from Uruk's faith. The power she could wield was simply no match for the other goddesses.
Just thinking about it made her want to shed bitter tears. Now was the perfect time to vent all that frustration!
As Ishtar continuously pulled and compressed it, the colossal celestial body slowly transformed into a sphere of light hovering at her side, then morphed into a purple arrow, loaded onto Maanna's launch port.
This wasn't Venus itself, but the concept of Venus, the pinnacle of her Authority.
"Annihilate them! An Gal Ta Ki Gal Šè!"
The purple arrow was instantly fired from Maanna. Striking Tiamat, it simultaneously blasted the primordial goddess deep into the ground.
The range and force of this attack naturally affected Quetzalcoatl as well, but she wasn't flustered.
Given Ishtar's attributes, the attack could only affect her with its residual shockwaves, not enough to disrupt her maintaining her own Noble Phantasm.
Seeing Tiamat fall into the Underworld, the Lahmus surged madly towards the entrance pit. The temperature that could vaporize the Sea of Chaos naturally caused severe burns on their bodies, but it did nothing to hinder their movement.
However, at that moment, a new volley of attacks interrupted their advance.
"Don't be so hasty! If you wish to overturn Human Order, keep your eyes on the proper target!" Gilgamesh sneered.
"That King of Uruk is getting full of himself. Would he dare act so tough when Tiamat was around?"
The Herrscher of Sentience in the sky didn't hesitate, using the Sword God to wipe out most of the approaching Lahmus, snorting contemptuously as she mocked Gilgamesh.
Gilgamesh: ?
We're on the same side, what the hell are you cursing about?
You're the one who tore out my Illya's heart, what do you think?
Having 'binge-watched' through shared memories, the Herrscher of Sentience held no goodwill towards Gilgamesh.
As Tiamat fell, Amber and Chaldea pursued her down into the Underworld. With the wyverns provided by Quetzalcoatl, Chaldea had no need to worry about lacking a means of flight.
No one knew where Merlin was at the moment, but he'd said he'd return when it was critical, so everyone let it be for now.
While their general impression of him was 'unreliable,' after learning he'd been using the vast majority of his magical energy to suppress Tiamat's awakening, the misunderstanding was cleared up. Now, they trusted he wouldn't be absent.
"Wait!? What's that!?"
But as they descended into the Underworld, they witnessed a horrifying scene.
Tiamat, who should have been falling rapidly... not only was her descent slowing, it eventually stopped altogether.
When Tiamat adjusted her posture, everyone saw that gaps had opened in her original horns, forming a sort of jet-like structure, using magical energy to sustain her own weight.
No! She's actually starting to rise!?
"Tiamat... can fly!?" Ritsuka couldn't believe it.
Ishtar, who had followed them down, was also stunned. "Impossible! Mother is an Earth Mother Goddess! How could she take to the skies!?"
"If she flies up... we won't be able to keep her in the Underworld!" Mashu was also panicking.
"Ana?"
Remembering Amber's reluctance to fight Tiamat directly, Ritsuka could only look towards Ana beside him.
"It's no good... my Mystic Eyes can't affect Tiamat..." Ana had already been trying, but even after fusing with Gorgon, her highest-grade Mystic Eyes of Petrification were useless.
Gritting her teeth, she continued, "If it's just about shattering her horn, my Noble Phantasm might work..."
It was less her Noble Phantasm, and more the one from her fusion with Gorgon: [Forced Seal: Pandemonium Cetus].
Gorgon hadn't used this against Amber before for two reasons: first, it might not hit a flying target like Amber, and second, it was more effective against organic matter.
Facing something intangible like the Sword God, Gorgon saw no point in wasting the magical energy.
Since it wasn't particularly useful against either of them, she simply hadn't used it.
But Tiamat was different. No matter how special she was, Tiamat was still organic, and her massive frame would make evading the attack difficult even if she could fly.
"Then we're counting on you!" Ritsuka said gravely.
Ana was the type to answer with action. She immediately jumped off the wyvern. With a flash of purple light, her petite, sub-160cm form instantly transformed into the hundred-meter-tall figure of Gorgon.
A crimson light gathered around her body, her massive wings allowing her to maintain balance in the air.
"Assuming the form of the great serpent god, I shall strike down the earth-dragon—"
"Melt everything away! [Forced Seal: Pandemonium Cetus]!"
A pitch-black beam, whose essence was not heat but the reduction of all matter to atoms, shot forth from Ana's forehead, accurately striking Tiamat's left horn.
The immense magical energy collided, only to be feebly repelled. The utterly ineffective result made Ana's pupils contract sharply.
"Don't lose, Ana!"
Seeing this, Ritsuka, still mounted on the wyvern, thrust out his hand bearing the Command Spells. As light flashed, tremendous magical energy flooded into Ana's body.
Bolstered by this vast power, Ana, like Ishtar before her, exerted strength surpassing the limits of her Saint Graph.
The beam, which had previously failed to penetrate, instantly slammed into Tiamat's horn, carving a massive fissure into the smooth, complete surface of the great horn.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.