I'm sorry, Illya...
Your big brother swore he would protect his chastity this time, but in the end, I was still completely devoured.
How could the Sun Goddess be so absurdly powerful even at night?
Faced with Quetzalcoatl's ultimate goddess body, honed through years of professional wrestling, Shirou was deeply frustrated, but still surrendered his precious human genetic material again and again.
Worse yet, he even gave away information he should never have revealed.
"Oh my~~ So the Jaguar Warrior is the older sister who lives with Shirou-kun?
...No wonder Shirou... always seems especially gentle with her...
Were those two times she defeated you before... also because you were... holding back...? Hehe..."
Quetzalcoatl was deeply interested in Shirou's family situation and asked him many questions about the modern world.
Even as Shirou explained everything to her, neither of them stopped what they were doing.
…
An opening!!
Shirou seized the opportunity and unleashed the secret trump card he had once used to conquer Irisviel and the Aozaki sisters, [Time Alter: Triple Accel].
And so...
Two more days passed after Shirou claimed his first victory over Quetzalcoatl.
At the end of three consecutive nights of "night battles," Shirou finally managed to win once before dawn.
Quetzalcoatl cried out, "Even though I'm a goddess, I lost to a human child again~~~!" before collapsing with a thoroughly satisfied expression.
With mixed feelings, Shirou carried her back to bed. Since it was almost time, he went to prepare breakfast.
It had been exactly one week since he left Uruk. He wondered how things were going at the Magical Beast Front.
The dense forest for hundreds of miles around lay within Quetzalcoatl's domain, leaving Shirou with no way to learn what was happening outside.
It was probably... time to say goodbye.
Shirou decided that today would be his final day at the Temple of the Sun. He would leave Eridu by evening.
During breakfast, he told Quetzalcoatl that he intended to leave. Her response was immediate.
"I understand. Then we'll set out once we finish eating."
Shirou frowned. "We?"
Quetzalcoatl nodded as though it were only natural. "Yes. Shirou and me."
"...What about me?" the Jaguar Warrior asked, blinking.
"You'll stay here and watch the place."
"What!? No, no, no!"
Ignoring the Jaguar Warrior's protests, Quetzalcoatl continued, "Honestly, Shirou-kun. I can't tell whether you're truly that dense or whether you enjoy toying with a girl's delicate heart...
At this point, is there any reason for me not to follow Shirou?
I love Shirou more than anything! I'm so glad I came to this era, and so glad I joined the Goddess Alliance!
And now I'm leaving the Alliance! I've decided to become Shirou-kun's companion (goddess), after all~!
You're the first human who has ever beaten me so thoroughly...
Therefore, I, the South American Goddess Quetzalcoatl, will wield this power for you and you alone from now on~!"
And just like that, Shirou Amamiya acquired a new Skill, [Favor of the Feathered Serpent EX].
...
Inside Uruk's Divine Tower, the group was discussing their next move.
King Gilgamesh announced his decision.
"We are going south to challenge Quetzalcoatl... Is that correct?"
Merlin was somewhat surprised by the decision. Quetzalcoatl was far too powerful for them to oppose at their current strength.
The Axe of Marduk being kept in Eridu was certainly important, but recklessly challenging that temperamental goddess was still extremely dangerous.
What Merlin did not know was that Gilgamesh was actually waiting for Shirou to make his move.
"I imagine Shirou should be nearly finished by now. This is the perfect time to go..."
"Shirou? He's in the south right now?"
Merlin looked surprised. "No wonder I've searched everywhere with my Clairvoyance over the past few days without finding any trace of him...
I was beginning to think Gorgon had captured him and subjected him to human modification."
"You haven't checked what was happening in the south, Merlin?" Ritsuka asked.
"As much as I'd like to, Clairvoyance isn't something I can use recklessly. I'm currently devoting my Mana to another problem."
Merlin's performance in this Mesopotamian Singularity could only be described as miserable.
His combat strength was inferior to Ana's, and his ability to assess the situation fell short of King Gilgamesh's. There was a reason for that.
At this very moment, despite being nothing more than a Servant, he was holding the true Goddess Tiamat in check.
"Besides, if I tried to observe a goddess, she would inevitably notice.
A goddess who discovered she was being watched would fly into a rage and hurl her Noble Phantasm back along my line of sight. Then all of Uruk would be caught in the blast.
It's still too early to provoke a goddess's wrath, so I can't use Clairvoyance to investigate Quetzalcoatl."
Romani Archaman nodded thoughtfully. "I was wondering why Merlin kept falling behind everyone else this time.
So you've already committed every means at your disposal."
The group decided to travel to Ur and meet Shirou there.
The expedition would include Merlin, Ana, Ritsuka, Mash, and Ishtar.
"Is Goddess Ishtar coming with us as well?"
Only then did Mash notice that Ishtar had also appeared inside the Divine Tower.
"Of course. Shirou is my prospective husband. How could I let him remain by Quetzalcoatl's side any longer?"
"Even though she's one of your own kind?"
Floating in the air with her arms folded, Ishtar replied, "She's nothing like me. Our cultures and styles are completely different, all right?
Our Classes and weapons are different too. The only things we have in common are how much skin we show and the attributes of our powers."
So the two goddesses would probably get along very well, Mash secretly thought.
"Ah... It looks like the doctor has something to say."
"Romani Archaman, do you have a good plan?"
After Merlin asked the question, the doctor in the hologram began to speak.
"Quetzalcoatl was originally a goddess with no connection whatsoever to Sumer.
So how is she able to display such tremendous Divinity and power here?
The most likely explanation is that she constructed a temple dedicated to her somewhere.
When Fujimaru traveled to Ur to investigate the other day, an exceptionally powerful magical reaction was detected south of the city.
It was an astonishing reaction, one that stood out as 'special' even within a dense forest saturated with Mana from the Age of Gods.
That location must be Eridu, the city King Gilgamesh mentioned.
Since Quetzalcoatl has occupied the city, we can assume she has constructed her own temple there.
For a temple to function, it requires an object that can serve as its symbol.
According to legend, Quetzalcoatl possesses either the jade sword Macana or the Solar Calendar Stone (Piedra Del Sol).
Either of those treasures could serve as the temple's altar."
"I see. So you believe that destroying the symbolic object would give us a chance to defeat Quetzalcoatl?"
Romani Archaman nodded. "Exactly. As long as we can stop the temple from functioning, then even if we have to fight Quetzalcoatl, we should have at least some chance of vic... tory... Huh? Huh? Huh!?"
An awkward silence abruptly fell over the Divine Tower.
Everyone stared wide eyed at the woman who had just entered the Audience Hall.
"Hmm? Are you all gathered here to discuss how to defeat me?"
"Quetzalcoatl!!!"
"Hi~~ It's been a while, everyone! Did you miss me~?"
The Sun Goddess cheerfully waved to the group.
"Why... is Goddess Quetzalcoatl here...?"
"Shirou-san is back too..."
"Is this an enemy attack? Have you finally decided to launch an assault on Uruk!?"
Hearing that, Quetzalcoatl smiled with faint mockery.
"You've all been working so hard here, plotting ways to defeat me as a member of the [Three Goddess Alliance], but unfortunately for you~...
While none of you were looking, Shirou-kun already conquered me inside and out... body and soul~"
The goddess affectionately wrapped herself around the arm of the red haired boy beside her.
"......!!"
According to Chaldea's monitoring instruments, the Mana reactions from Ana and Ishtar surged violently.
"......"
Mash silently studied the red haired boy who had returned.
Was it only her imagination?
His height and build had not changed, yet Shirou-san somehow seemed like an entirely different person...
...
After the commotion finally subsided, Dr. Roman cleared his throat.
"Ahem. Let us review the situation."
"There's no need for that~! Goddess Quetzalcoatl has become your ally! That's all there is to it~!"
Quetzalcoatl declared this without releasing the boy's arm.
"Of course, when all is said and done, I'm Shirou-kun's goddess alone.
Don't misunderstand. I'm only reluctantly acknowledging the rest of you as allies because he asked me to.
Would you like to become closer to your big sister? Then why not work hard and try to win me over, just as Shirou-kun did?
Though I doubt that's possible. This child has already dyed every part of me in his colors, and I'm utterly devoted to him now~"
"......"
The sound of girls grinding their teeth filled the silent room.
Shirou braced himself and said, "Coatl, stop provoking everyone."
"C... Coatl!?"
At the sound of that name, Ana's petite body suddenly trembled.
"Coatl" by itself meant "snake," yet Shirou was using it as an affectionate name for that goddess...
"Oh? Could this young lady possibly be...?"
Quetzalcoatl noticed Ana's agitation.
Ishtar stopped her. "Some things shouldn't be said out loud, Latin goddess.
That girl's situation is the most serious of all."
"Hmm, I see. Then I suppose I should behave like her elder.
Hello, Ishtar. This is the first time we've met, isn't it?"
"Hmph... I suppose it is." The Goddess of Venus watched the Sun Goddess warily.
"Oh, come now! We're already allies. Allies!
You're so cold, Ishtar~ Smile a little more! You should be as bright and energetic as the sun!"
"Mind your own business! Before trying to act friendly, could you let go of someone else's husband?"
"Your husband? Do you mean...?"
Quetzalcoatl looked puzzled. "Shirou-kun, did you marry Ishtar?"
"Not that I remember," Shirou answered honestly.
"He says it never happened, Ishtar."
"Guh...!"
The Goddess of Venus flushed bright red.
"The ceremony was only a formality! Something like that doesn't matter! Shirou already said he had decided to choose me!"
"Is that so? I wouldn't mind sharing a human with another goddess, particularly an Ishtar who has matured so much."
Ishtar scowled. "Could you stop acting so superior? Where does all that confidence even come from?
Anyway, you've spent this entire week wrestling with Shirou, haven't you? You fought fiercely from morning until night, right?
I can tell exactly what happened just by looking at your face."
Quetzalcoatl blushed. "Well, that's true. But Shirou and I didn't only fight during the day. At night, things became even more intense..."
"......Ahem!"
Shirou coughed loudly, cutting Quetzalcoatl off before she could begin discussing their "night battles."
S-Shirou...!?
Ishtar suddenly felt her chest tighten.
Why wouldn't he let her finish?
Tell me! What exactly were the two of you doing so "intensely" at night?
Quetzalcoatl said, "Well, let's return to the main subject♡.
As for your objective, retrieving the Axe of Marduk is probably more important than defeating me, isn't it?"
"That's right. We need the destructive power of that axe to defeat Gorgon."
Afterward, the group discussed retrieving the Axe of Marduk with Quetzalcoatl.
The axe weighed as much as an entire city, but even that posed no problem for the Sun Goddess.
"If all we need to do is move it, then there is a way.
We can weave ropes from the forest vines and have my pterosaurs carry the axe to Uruk."
Quetzalcoatl was even more capable than Shirou had imagined. He suddenly felt that all his efforts over the past week had been worthwhile.
...
That night, Shirou returned to his room in the Temple of Ishtar (Inanna).
This was part of the promise he had made with the Goddess of Venus.
Not even Quetzalcoatl had the right to interfere, so the Sun Goddess obediently went to rest at the Chaldea Embassy.
Late that night, Shirou heard a sound outside his door.
"Is that Ishtar?"
"Hmph... Your intuition is surprisingly sharp."
The "Ishtar" who opened the door to the boy's room had silky golden hair that gleamed even in the darkness.
During the time Shirou had been living in his bedchamber at Inanna, Ishtar had entered his room every night.
Most of the time, she appeared with black hair and red eyes. On several occasions, however, including tonight, she had appeared with golden hair and red eyes instead.
Shirou had been deeply confused at first, but he soon realized the truth.
The goddess sneaking into his room late at night was not Ishtar at all. It was Ereshkigal.
The two goddesses shared the same Spirit Origin and vessel and had been summoned through the same Summoning Ritual.
Ishtar, the Mistress of Heaven, and Ereshkigal, the Mistress of the Underworld. Both goddesses inhabited Rin Tohsaka's body at the same time.
Ishtar appeared to be completely unaware of this, because Ereshkigal only allowed her consciousness to surface after Ishtar fell asleep.
Ishtar might be an unreliable idiot goddess, but Ereshkigal, who proudly called herself "the wisest in Sumer," was hardly any better.
Every so often, she would accidentally reveal her true appearance, with golden hair and red eyes, in front of Shirou.
Shirou considerately chose not to expose her.
Now then... What should I talk about with Goddess-sama (Ereshkigal) tonight?
"You even managed to win Quetzalcoatl over as an ally. Well done.
That woman... As difficult as it is to believe, she really is completely devoted to you."
Ereshkigal sat on the edge of Shirou's bed, sounding somewhat sullen.
"Something about this annoys me... Come here and let me pinch your cheeks.
Hmph. You womanizing human... Why is everyone so infatuated with you?"
The Queen of the Underworld gently pinched Shirou's cheeks.
"But unlike that flighty Venus, I'm not so easily won over... probably."
Ereshkigal put on an adorably stern expression, but her eyes clearly seemed to say, "Hurry up and win me over!"
After spending three months living with Shirou underground, the Goddess of the Underworld had already fallen hopelessly in love with him.
This human boy had given her a warmth she had never experienced in all her tens of thousands of years.
So...
If Shirou so much as beckoned to me, I'd probably run straight into his arms, wagging my tail with joy...
Ereshkigal thought wistfully.
How much longer are you going to make me wait in the Underworld, you idiot Shirou?
***
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