Typemoon: Starting Out as the Lion King [154] 

Credits: Y. B. A.

Since she manifested in the world through a host body, even though she holds the status of a goddess, her personality and actions are inevitably influenced by the host's body and character. And in Alaric's impression, Tohsaka Rin was a lively young girl with a very distinct personality.

Her strong personality—

"Don't look!!"

Ereshkigal's scream echoed throughout the altar, and the overwhelming divine aura instantly disappeared.

The priests below were interrupted by the scream just as they were marveling at the sight of the divine being. Their attention was also drawn to the uninvited guest.

Ereshkigal, her face flushed red, turned around and crouched down while hugging her body as if she had rehearsed this countless times.

What was left for Alaric was a trembling figure with her back to him.

Shortly after, the golden hair faded away and was replaced by the black long hair that symbolized Ishtar.

"Huh? Huh???"

Not understanding why she was crouching on the ground, Ishtar stood up in confusion. Turning her head, she caught sight of Alaric's unfamiliar face.

"Eh?! Eh?! EH?!"

Just like Ereshkigal before her, Ishtar let out a scream, turned around, crouched down, and held her body. A sudden surge of powerful magical energy erupted alongside her reaction.

As she crouched down hiding her naked body, Ishtar still managed to point a finger at Alaric. A multi-faceted, blue gemstone abruptly appeared at her fingertip.

'!'

Having sensed the danger beforehand, Alaric tilted his body slightly. A blue beam of light, carrying the gemstone like a cannonball, shot past him.

Boom!

With unstoppable momentum, the beam smashed through the wall, leaving a person-sized hole in its wake!

'Gem Magecraft.'

The magecraft Ishtar had just unleashed was the same Gem Magecraft that Tohsaka Rin used, but its power was far superior.

"You... you're completely shameless! A pervert!"

Blushing furiously, Ishtar used her magic to conjure clothing and cover herself, pointing at Alaric in embarrassment and anger. "Looks like I'll have to teach you a lesson!"

"Eh, wait, that's not—"

Not giving Alaric any chance to explain, Ishtar launched a flying kick straight toward his face.

The force behind it was so great that even the air wailed from the pressure!

Bang!

With a muffled, explosive sound, Alaric caught Ishtar's seemingly invincible flying kick with just one hand. His body merely swayed slightly.

"Eh?"

Shocked that Alaric could so easily block her kick, Ishtar suddenly felt an unstoppable and overwhelming force. It was as if the world itself was spinning.

Alaric, gripping Ishtar's delicate foot, spun around and hurled her with all his might toward the hole she had just created.

The high-speed spinning Ishtar resembled a wheel as she flew straight out of the building. Her screams echoed in the distance: "Eh?! Eh?! You brute!!!"

Alaric ignored the priests and followed Ishtar out of the room.

When Alaric finally stepped outside, he caught sight of Ishtar floating in the sky, now accompanied by a bow-shaped flying vessel.

The vessel was entirely blue, with intricate metallic patterns etched across its surface, forming noble and majestic designs.

Alaric immediately recognized its true name—

The Celestial Vessel: Maanna.

The divine vessel exclusive to the goddess Ishtar, Maanna is a divine chariot that traverses the lands of Mesopotamia and serves as a gateway connecting Earth and Venus.

"Hmph, human, have you thought about how you'll pay for your insolence?"

Sitting atop Maanna, Ishtar glared down at Alaric. Though the redness on her face had faded, her expression was still one of anger.

In Ishtar's eyes, Alaric had undoubtedly offended her.

As a goddess, as the ruler of the Mesopotamian skies, Ishtar would not let this offense slide so easily.

Tap, tap!

When Alaric landed on the ground, he noticed that the surrounding residents and guards had all collapsed.

While some of them might have been rendered unconscious by Alaric during his infiltration, he was certain that the others' unconsciousness was not his doing.

'It's Ereshkigal's authority. She plans to drag the entire city's population into the Underworld—

If they're dead, they won't have to worry about the threat of demonic beasts.'

Even Alaric couldn't help but marvel at the goddess's decisiveness.

Just one sentence from the head priestess, and she was ready to embrace the entire city's population in death, giving them no chance to resist.

Alaric himself had almost fallen victim, nearly being dragged into the underground Underworld.

If that had happened, Alaric wouldn't have known what awaited him.

After a brief moment of thought, Alaric looked up at Ishtar above. Her legs, pale and flawless like jade, dangled in the air, exuding all the charm of a young woman.

Although Ishtar herself was unaware of this, her every action carried an extraordinary allure.

The terrifying allure of a goddess of beauty. An innate ability to captivate others. Even in a possessed state, she had already surpassed the realm of humanity.

Even Alaric's dragon heart couldn't help but stir—a longing for the inviolable divine—

A desire.

Alaric could feel it. That desire wasn't directed at Ishtar's current physical body, which belonged to Tohsaka Rin, but something deeper. It was for the part of her that solely belonged to the goddess Ishtar.

Or, more precisely, her divine authority.

Divine Authority, directly connected to the Root, is akin to being born as a completed existence. Unlike post-Age of Gods magi who endlessly pursue research topics to reach the Root, Ishtar's authority was innate.

To this day, only the Five True Magics have achieved access to the Root.

"You're ignoring me? Looks like I'll have to deal with this disrespectful human properly!"

Seeing Alaric staring at her in a daze, Ishtar immediately became flustered. "Ahhh! Seriously, where did this disrespectful human come from?!"

It was simply incomprehensible. Humans should revere gods, fear gods, and serve as their playthings!

"Let me teach you a lesson!"

With that, Ishtar raised her hand, her lips curling into a smirk as if she could already envision Alaric's miserable state. "Prepare to receive the blessing of the goddess Ishtar!"

Boom!

Just like before, Ishtar unleashed another Gem Magecraft attack, aiming straight for Alaric's face!

'It seems that her combat style after possession relies entirely on Gem Magecraft. Her personality has been deeply influenced as well...'

Facing the incoming gemstone, Alaric remained calm, still staring at Ishtar's swaying legs in a trance.

Alaric was somewhat familiar with the mythology of the goddess Ishtar.

In Sumerian, her divine name was Inanna, which was even older from a linguistic standpoint.

By contrast, Ishtar was her Akkadian name. She was the goddess of Venus, overseeing prosperity and abundance, as well as war and destruction.

Ishtar was known for her passionate nature. It was said that whether her chosen target was a mortal or a god, she would devote herself fully to courting them if they caught her eye.

On the other hand, if someone dared to reject her desires, she would unleash a cruelty akin to that of a demon.

However, all of this was suppressed by her host body. Under the strong influence and demands of her host, the goddess Ishtar had undergone significant changes.

Unlike the duality of compassion and cruelty depicted in mythology, the Ishtar standing before Alaric now was a goddess primarily guided by kindness.