Morpheus saw Scathach volunteer herself and readily agreed.
"No problem."
Upon hearing this, Scathach's face involuntarily broke into a breathtakingly beautiful smile, causing Tokiomi Tohsaka to momentarily freeze in awe.
How stunning.
But he quickly regained his composure, suppressing the flutter in his heart, and turned a wary gaze toward Scathach.
He could tell that Scathach hadn't used any charm-related magic, yet her mere smile had disrupted his thoughts. She was undoubtedly a dangerous woman.
Not someone to mess with.
Unlike the flustered Tokiomi Tohsaka, the Venus goddess Ishtar wasn't captivated by Scathach's smile.
Why? Because she, the Venus goddess Ishtar, was the Mesopotamian deity of beauty and fertility.
How could she possibly be enchanted by another woman's smile?
Yet, not only was she unaffected, but Scathach's smile actually startled her.
Just as Scathach could sense that she was a goddess, Ishtar recognized Scathach as a genuine godslayer.
Gods and godslayers were natural enemies, bound to clash the moment they met.
Thus, Ishtar's blood boiled within her, a deep-seated loathing and hatred constantly reminding her that the woman before her was their archenemy.
A godslayer.
This Holy Grail War was turning out to be a real circus of freaks and monsters.
She had thought that descending as a divine spirit would make conquering the Holy Grail War a breeze, an easy victory.
But then the opponent suddenly produced a godslayer.
This... this was just absurd.
Still, one must never show weakness, so she naturally wouldn't reveal any fear in front of Scathach.
Besides, she hadn't fought this godslayer yet—who knew who would win? It could very well be her, Ishtar.
By the Earth Mother Goddess, she had her pride after all.
"I was wondering who it was~."
Ishtar laughed heartily. "Just some godslayer who took down a minor deity, daring to act so boldly before me. You really don't know your place."
Scathach didn't bother arguing with Ishtar. She summoned her demonic spear, gripping it with both hands, tip pointed downward. An unparalleled killing intent surged forth like a bursting dam.
"In that case, let me see what this Venus goddess is capable of."
The words had barely left her lips when Scathach shot forward like a streak of light, closing in on Ishtar.
Ishtar wasn't foolish; she had anticipated Scathach's move. As Scathach lunged, Ishtar leaped upward and called out loudly, "Come forth, Maanna!"
Maanna was Ishtar's weapon—a flying boat that also served as a massive bow.
It was the divine vessel that traversed the Mesopotamian world, a stellar gateway connecting Earth and Venus. However, as a Demi-Servant, its teleportation function was largely sealed.
Even so, Maanna possessed unmatched mobility.
Once Ishtar boarded Maanna, she was in an unassailable position.
Maanna carried Ishtar like a racing comet, darting left and right within the arena, effortlessly evading Scathach's assaults.
Scathach was fast, but she couldn't keep up with Maanna.
Meanwhile, perched atop Maanna, Ishtar launched her counterattack against Scathach.
As mentioned, Maanna functioned as both a flying boat and a bow. Under Ishtar's control, streams of light arrows rained down relentlessly, hurtling toward Scathach.
Scathach swung her demonic spear, forming a crimson barrier of light, impenetrable as a fortress, shattering and deflecting every incoming arrow. It showcased her supreme spear mastery.
But as the saying goes, prolonged defense invites defeat, and Scathach knew this well.
If she continued this passive guarding, she would inevitably get hurt.
Ishtar's light arrows were simply too numerous, too swift, and too dense.
"Hahaha, I thought godslayers were supposed to be impressive, but is this all you've got?"
Having gained the upper hand, Ishtar sat atop her flying boat Maanna, unleashing arrows while covering her mouth with a small hand, mocking without mercy.
If she could eliminate a godslayer here, it would be more satisfying than eating ice cream on a scorching summer day—a hundred times over.
With that thought, Ishtar's enthusiasm surged, her attacks growing even sharper.
But at that moment, Scathach suddenly inscribed a Primordial Rune in the void.
A tremendous pressure descended from above, like a mountain crashing down, nearly forcing Ishtar to the ground.
Though Ishtar reacted swiftly, channeling her power to resist the sudden force.
Her flying boat Maanna plummeted from over a hundred meters to just ten meters above the ground.
The height was far too low.
Seizing the opportunity, Scathach hurled her demonic spear with a flick of her wrist.
Whoosh!
The sharp demonic spear pierced the air in an instant, like an arrow released from its string, streaking ahead unmatched. Before Ishtar could react, it was upon her.
Just as Ishtar seemed about to be impaled, the flying boat Maanna shuddered, flinging Ishtar off its back.
"Ah!"
Ishtar cried out, dodging the incoming spear as she tumbled from the heights.
But just before she hit the ground, Maanna swooped in, tracing an elegant arc, catching Ishtar at the last moment and pulling away from Scathach.
Impressive.
Morpheus witnessed this and couldn't help but admire it.
In this exchange, the flying boat Maanna deserved MVP honors.
Without it, Ishtar would have been eliminated or at least gravely wounded.
Now, still shaken, Ishtar looked down at Scathach's regretful expression and felt a surge of anger.
She had come so close—so close—to being taken out by Scathach.
How could she tolerate that?
Whether others could or not, Ishtar certainly couldn't.
So she decided to give Scathach a taste of a deity's minor shock.
"Don't underestimate a god, you wretched godslayer."
Ishtar raised her right hand, a palm-sized planet appearing in her grasp—precisely a projection of Venus.
Then, she inserted this Venus projection into her flying boat Maanna.
"Behold the fury of a god."
In an instant, the flying boat Maanna transformed into a colossal bow, unleashing a beam of dazzling brilliance, akin to the planet-destroying cannon fired by the Death Star in Star Wars.
With unparalleled destructive power, it thundered down.
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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