Outside the palace hall, the goddess radiated a menacing aura. Siduri knew full well the royal guards couldn't stop her—but by the time she thought to warn them away, it was already too late.
Ishtar was never a goddess known for patience.
The next moment, with a thunderous crash, sunlight blazing and dust whirling up, golden sand filled the air outside the doors, veiling everything in shimmering waves.
And from within that swirling dust, a slender figure strode in with graceful, unhurried steps.
"As impulsive as ever, Lady Ishtar..." Siduri managed a helpless smile.
As a royal advisor, she'd had plenty of dealings with the gods over the years, and knew this goddess's temperament all too well.
Rovi, standing nearby, said nothing—just followed Siduri's gaze toward the entrance.
Emerging from the haze was a figure with long, jet-black hair. Her form was not voluptuous, but rather sleek and athletic; her revealing clothes barely covered what was necessary, leaving pale skin exposed, a blend of sacredness and wickedness in every step.
But Rovi blinked in surprise.
Wait... isn't that Tohsaka Rin?
In his original world—in the Type-Moon series—she was the tsundere twin-tailed heroine of a certain story.
So this is possession, then?
It made sense. The gods couldn't descend in person anymore.
If Ishtar appeared through possession, it wasn't a stretch.
And "Tohsaka Rin" really is a perfect vessel for Ishtar...
Rovi stayed silent, quietly revising and recalculating his plan.
Ishtar, meanwhile, swept her gaze through the hall, only to find no sign of Gilgamesh.
She paused, then grew annoyed: "Daring to avoid an audience with the beautiful and noble goddess—Gilgamesh, you're getting bolder by the day—"
"Lady Ishtar, His Majesty is attending to state business. If you could—"
"Silence!" Siduri barely got the words out before Ishtar's glare cut her off. "Did I give you permission to speak? Hmph! Hiding from me, thinking I can't do anything about it? Don't underestimate me!"
The black-haired goddess's lips curled in a mocking smirk.
Her crimson eyes glinted sharply.
"Maybe I'll just tear this place apart—let's see if you still ignore me then, Gilgamesh!"
She raised a slender, pale hand, golden light gathering at her palm and morphing into the shape of a longbow.
It was the physical manifestation of Venus.
The power of that dazzling morning star shining over Mesopotamia.
In that instant, an immense pressure filled the vast palace, invisible currents sweeping out from Ishtar as their center.
She didn't care about the lives inside, or the stress this might bring Uruk as a nation—
As the most spoiled of all the gods, Ishtar had always been like this.
Siduri could only sigh in resignation.
If this palace was destroyed, Gilgamesh's temper might really erupt into a full-on battle with the goddess...
And that was exactly what Siduri, as royal advisor, wanted to avoid.
Her orders were clear: don't let Ishtar bother the king.
She'd have to stall her... Luckily, Siduri was experienced enough. All she needed to do was tell Ishtar the king was communing with his divine mother; even a willful goddess would hold back, if only out of deference to another goddess.
It wouldn't solve things for good, but it would buy time.
But while Siduri was ready to intervene, Rovi had other plans.
"Lady Ishtar?" Rovi stepped down from the dais, standing tall under the mounting pressure, as if struggling to hold his ground before the goddess.
"Oh? A new face?" Ishtar plucked at the golden bowstring, flicking her dark hair over one shoulder. "Not bad looking, I suppose—but still not up to my standards."
"Step aside. You can't stop me!"
"Actually, if you don't, I'll just smash you and this palace to pieces!"
She flashed a smile that was anything but kind.
Seeing her like this, Rovi actually relaxed.
He'd worried that Ishtar, appearing through a mortal vessel, might be "toned down" by Tohsaka Rin's influence—less divine, less ruthless, ruining his "death wish" plan.
But this? Even if there was some influence, it was minimal.
At the very least, the goddess of Venus's disregard for human life was absolutely genuine—apart from Gilgamesh, she considered everything else beneath notice.
Still, Rovi mentally prepared a particularly targeted speech to make sure he'd succeed—
"I'm not stepping aside." Rovi shook his head, meeting Ishtar's gaze with an air of unwavering resolve.
He said, "I know you, Ishtar—goddess of beauty, war, and harvest."
"Legend says you're the most beautiful among the gods, with countless admirers, your brilliance dazzling as the morning star, outshining all the heavens."
"Heh, at least you have some taste. Your looks are nowhere near Gilgamesh's, but your sense is a hundred times sharper than his!" Ishtar laughed, quite pleased with herself.
"But—" Nothing stops a goddess cold like that word. "Seeing you in person, I have to say—I'm disappointed."
"What did you say?"
Her smile froze, confusion flickering over her beautiful features.
"You're not nearly as beautiful as the legends say. In fact—you're pretty ugly." Staring the self-proclaimed goddess of beauty in the eye and calling her ugly—nothing could be more suicidal.
Ishtar was stunned.
Siduri, standing higher on the steps, choked in disbelief.
"You, you boorish mortal—do you have any idea what you're saying?" Ishtar's expression darkened, the light of Venus's bow glowing even brighter, the pressure mounting, making it even harder for Rovi to stand tall.
But he only smiled, undaunted.
"Of course I do," Rovi replied. "What I'm saying is—the so-called goddess of beauty doesn't understand beauty at all."
"In this world, all beautiful things fade with time: magnificent landscapes, fleeting sunsets... whether it's people or things, everything passes eventually."
"The only thing eternal is the spirit. True beauty is born from within."
"But looking at you, all I see inside is arrogance, cruelty, self-absorption—nothing beautiful about that."
"Nothing at all."
"I see only ugliness and stench... an ugly exterior, and a rotten soul."
"So honestly, it's no wonder King Gilgamesh avoids you..."
Rovi clapped his hands, feigning sudden realization. "Who wouldn't do the same? Honestly, I ought to commend you—at least in the matter of ugliness... you really are unique."
He grew utterly serious. "Distinctly, authentically ugly."
Ishtar stood frozen, seemingly unable to process what he'd just said.
For a heartbeat, even Siduri on the stairs was struck speechless.
"You stupid little mortal, do you even know—" Ishtar's face twisted, Venus's bow radiating so fiercely that Rovi could barely stay on his feet.
But he kept smiling, utterly unafraid.
"Of course I know," he said. "I'm saying—the so-called goddess of beauty doesn't know the first thing about true beauty."
He let the words linger.
Ishtar's mind was swirling.
Are you trying to talk yourself to death?
Fine, keep talking—see if I don't shoot you into the ground!
I swear I won't kill you—!
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T/N: yes yes yes, even rin's beauty cant save ishtar from her ugliness