Fate/Magus Path

191 Lonely

"Ugh..."

"What's with you?! How dare you treat me like this—do you even know who I am?!"

On a desolate plain not far from Uruk, Ishtar—subdued by Roy and crew, her mana sealed by Merlin, and her limbs bound with chains—refused to settle down. She thrashed, yelled, and tugged at her restraints.

Even so, her mouth never stopped, spouting off about her noble status and greatness.

"Yeah, yeah, sure..."

"Mistress of the Heavens, Goddess of Venus, epitome of beauty, Mesopotamia's grandest deity—Ishtar, right? You've said it dozens of times. Tired yet? Want me to grab you some water so you can rest before going on?"

"Since you—"

As Ishtar geared up for round two, Roy—fed up with her noise—ripped a rag from Merlin's robe and stuffed it in her mouth.

"Mmph, mmph, mmph..."

With Ishtar's desperate, silenced expression, the group felt the world hush at last.

"Much quieter now. First time I've met something chattier than Merlin—and a goddess, no less."

Roy sighed, eyeing the finally still Ishtar.

Thanks to possession, she bore Rin Tohsaka's visage, her personality and power tempered by it—making her an easy takedown.

Otherwise, even with four of them, toppling Mesopotamia's Mistress of the Heavens on her home turf would've been no joke—unless they hired a Berserker to join the fray.

Mash hesitated, staring at the bound, flushed beauty. "This lady... is she really the Venus goddess Ishtar? She feels... different..."

The mythic Ishtar—wild and ruthless—clashed hard with this pitiful Aqua-like figure, stirring Mash's doubts.

"That's normal. She's not here in her true form—just possessing a devotee's body. Her personality's influenced, and her strength's heavily capped," Roy explained patiently.

"Otherwise, the real Ishtar wouldn't bother asking questions. She'd have bombed me from the sky, rummaged my corpse for what she wanted, and laughed it off if she got it wrong—no guilt, no care for anyone."

"That's the true Mistress of the Heavens."

He pointed at Ishtar, tears welling in her eyes, looking ready to sob.

"..."

When had the pampered Mistress of the Heavens ever faced such indignity?

Bound by mortals, displayed like a trophy—no trace of divinity left.

In myth, she'd have stormed Anu or Enki's palace, throwing a tantrum until they punished these insolent humans.

But the gods were gone.

Mesopotamia's deities had retreated to the Reverse Side of the World, abandoning this land.

She'd snuck down, answering a follower's call out of boredom—a lone goddess.

Now, in this mess, no divine savior would swoop in.

No doting father Anu, no gentle Ninsun, no Gramps Enki...

No gods left in Mesopotamia to aid her.

The spoiled Venus goddess's tears fell.

"Huh? She's crying?!"

Roy faltered, caught off guard by her tears.

Why's she crying first? Did I go too hard? She attacked me—I wasn't even planning anything harsh... You're a goddess, the famed Mistress of the Heavens! Crying in front of mortals—what's that about? Where's your divine pride?