——Ishtar.
That was her divine name in the Akkadian language.
In Sumerian mythology, this renowned goddess was originally known as Inanna, the goddess of Venus, bestower of prosperity and abundance upon mankind, and also the goddess of war and destruction, as well as love and beauty.
In myth, she was truly heaven's favored daughter. Her father, Anu, was the father of all gods, and she, as his beloved daughter, acted with impunity wherever she went—willful and exceedingly arrogant.
There was no shortage of tales depicting the chaos caused by Ishtar's unreasonable and capricious behavior.
For instance, as the goddess of love and beauty, her reputation for being flirtatious and passionate was legendary. Whether mortal or divine, anyone who caught her eye would be fervently pursued. But if they rejected her affections, she would unleash cruel vengeance like that of a demon.
Such was the case when Gilgamesh spurned her advances. Enraged by his rejection, Ishtar summoned the Divine Beast Gugalanna, the Bull of Heaven, and released it upon the earth.
Her only reason: Gilgamesh was unmoved by her seduction. She even went crying to her father, Anu, which ultimately led the gods to reclaim Enkidu's life, causing his decline and death.
To Gilgamesh and Enkidu, she was nothing short of a true enemy.
Even so, in mythology, she was undeniably difficult to deal with. She was one of the most active figures in the entire Sumerian pantheon—almost like a protagonist—with numerous tales, ever free-spirited, changeable, and unpredictable. Yet the gods loved and pampered her immensely, granting her powers from every corner of the divine realm.
As a result, Ishtar was famous for possessing many divine authorities, making her a supreme goddess unlike any other. Her divine rank and divinity were both near the very top, just beneath the kings and rulers of gods—truly a formidable figure.
And yet, Enkidu still wished to defeat her.
Mash's voice rang out, hurried and concerned.
"Th-that's incredibly dangerous...!"
The shield-bearing girl, still in her Spirit Form, couldn't hide her worry.
Even if Enkidu was a god-forged weapon, one of the most powerful heroes ever, on par with Gilgamesh, facing a supreme goddess with numerous authorities was still clearly perilous.
Enkidu himself, however, showed no hesitation.
"True, she's a difficult opponent. But if we leave her alone, she'll become a massive problem later." Enkidu said calmly, "After all, she's also the patron deity of Uruk. Strictly speaking, this is her domain."
And that, too, was a fact.
As the goddess of Venus and ruler over countless aspects, Ishtar was also the city deity and guardian of Uruk.
So technically speaking, Uruk was her territory. If not for Gilgamesh's rule, it might have already become her personal playground.
Even now, within Uruk stood her temples and altars, and to the citizens of the city, Ishtar was still an object of reverence.
On top of that, as the goddess of Venus, she could freely soar through the skies. To the people of this age, Uruk was their final bastion—but to her, it was a place she could enter and leave as she pleased. Because of this, she had caused plenty of trouble for Uruk.
"Right now, the situation is dire. To the north, the army of the Goddess of Beast bears down. To the south, the Forest Goddess has blocked the path with dense jungles. And then there's the Goddess of Venus, who comes and goes freely, wreaking havoc at will. Even with King Gilgamesh having recruited several powerful individuals by his own methods, all we can do is barely survive."
Enkidu spoke with urgency.
"That's why we must take down at least one of the Three Goddess Alliance—only then can we seize a sliver of hope."
Given those circumstances, with Ishtar known to frequently wander alone, this was a rare opportunity.
Enkidu planned to eliminate this difficult goddess first, giving humanity the chance to breathe, before tackling the rest.
Mash had no further objections.
After all, the decision was clearly the right one.
Just then, Rozen's communicator on his wrist lit up.
"This really is a golden opportunity."
A familiar female voice came through the communicator.
"Director!"
Mash perked up instantly, her voice filled with relief.
It was Olga Marie.
Chaldea's communication had finally reconnected.
"Is this... some kind of clairvoyant spell?"
Enkidu noticed it as well, showing interest.
Rozen raised his arm, showing the communicator to everyone present.
Voices began to flow through the device.
"Apologies—due to the immense mana of the Age of Gods and the great distance, communication was impossible until you neared Uruk. It's likely thanks to Uruk still maintaining its original form, unlike other regions which have been fully overtaken and transformed by the goddesses."
That voice belonged to Da Vinci.
"Still, even if communication was cut off, we've been receiving status data from your side—we understand the situation."
Roman followed up with confirmation.
Transferring Rayshifted individuals into the Age of Gods was already extremely difficult. Observation and tracking were even harder. The delay was only to be expected.
"In any case, now that we know what's going on, if the threat to this Singularity really is the goddesses, then taking the chance to eliminate one of them is a major opportunity for us."
Olga Marie spoke urgently.
"While the goddess Inanna is undoubtedly a formidable figure, since this is the end of the Age of Gods, her descent into the world likely comes with limitations. She shouldn't be able to fully wield all the authorities described in myth, at least not without restriction. That means she can be defeated."
Da Vinci added her evaluation.
"Plus, with the strongest divine weapon of the Age of Gods on your side, and the combined power of Mash and Altera, even if you're up against a goddess like the Lion King, the odds aren't hopeless."
Roman seemed to agree as well.
Clearly, to everyone, this was an opportunity that couldn't be missed.
"Would you be willing to assist?" Enkidu looked over with a smile. "If so, that would be most welcome."
Upon hearing this, Rozen didn't answer right away.
"I have one more question," Rozen said. "Do you know who currently holds the Holy Grail—the one responsible for disrupting this era and creating the Singularity?"
"...Yes," Enkidu fell silent for a moment before exhaling. "The Holy Grail that disrupted this era is currently in the hands of Gilgamesh. It hasn't fallen into the hands of the Three Goddess Alliance."
"Is that so?" Rozen's expression finally relaxed.
Then he gave his answer.
"All right—I'm in."