The weather over the Mesopotamian plains was beautiful.
Reaching a hand from the shadows into the sunlight, you could feel the warmth spread in an instant.
No words were needed. Just by savoring the sensation, one might feel that this sunlight could fill even a moldy, gloomy girl with its radiant scent.
So thought the Goddess of Venus, once crucified in the dark, damp underworld by her own sister, as she rode upon her celestial boat, Maanna.
To be able to snag some shiny treasures for free in such lovely weather... it must be a rare stroke of luck.
Feeling fantastic, the Goddess of Venus was in high spirits.
But good luck is always fleeting.
For some unknown reason, a large black hole, rimmed in orange, suddenly tore open the sky.
And then—
Before Ishtar's astonished eyes, a massive boulder fell from the heavens.
It was heading straight for her.
A mere rock? What's the big deal?
Seeing the clumsy attack that had appeared from nowhere, Ishtar snorted in disdain.
She extended her hand, gathering a concentration of magical energy that would be the envy of any magus, and launched it toward the falling stone.
And then—
Something bizarre happened.
The massive boulder suddenly vanished, and her magic bullet struck nothing but empty air.
What's going on?
Ishtar's eyes widened, her delicate features a mask of confusion.
And then—
A single drop of cold sweat trickled down her forehead.
There was only one reason.
The rock was now directly above her head.
And it seemed to have accelerated.
"What the hell is this—!!!"
A bloodcurdling scream erupted from the camel-colored sky-boat.
"BOOM—!!!"
That was the sound of the aircraft crashing into a house.
"Oww—"
That was the pained cry of the pilot as she was thrown from her vessel, slamming into the same house.
"That hurts so much..."
The crash-landed goddess wailed in pain, cursing the ruler of this land.
"Damn you, Gilgamesh! It's bad enough you strengthened Uruk's anti-air defenses, but you even added traps out here in the middle of nowhere!"
This useless goddess, having no clue where the rock had actually come from, immediately chose to pin the blame on her mortal enemy—Gilgamesh.
Struggling to her feet amidst the wreckage of the collapsed house, Ishtar shook her head to clear it.
This wasn't the time to be cursing Gilgamesh. The priority was finding that treasure she had spotted from the sky—the one that looked incredibly valuable.
And then—
She saw them. A group of three: one man and two women.
If Gilgamesh's treasure fell here, and they were here just now, they must know where it is.
Still smarting from the fall, Ishtar swore she would tear down Gilgamesh's ziggurat as payback for her injuries, all while heading toward the trio.
"Hey, you three! Did you happen to see something fall around here? Something that looked very import—"
She trailed off, freezing in place.
There was only one reason.
She had found it. The source of Gilgamesh's aura.
It was the man standing in front of the two girls.
It wasn't treasure.
So, did that mean she had made this whole trip for nothing?
Ishtar's expression steadily grew menacing.
"Hey—were you sent by Gilgamesh to pick a fight?"
"Of course not."
Despite facing a goddess, the man showed not a shred of reverence, speaking with casual nonchalance.
"I'm here to rent a place."
Rent a place?
The Goddess of Venus was dumbfounded.
Asking a goddess to rent out her temple? What kind of madness was this?
"I'd just like to borrow your temple for a short stay."
The young man, still without lodging, looked at the goddess—one of the local powers, so to speak—and began to negotiate eloquently, even as the girl beside him looked on, wanting to speak but holding her tongue.
Just moments ago, Kiana had watched this very guy use Honkai energy to create a spatial portal, into which he had tossed an enormous boulder.
And then—
It had smashed right on top of the goddess named Ishtar.
To knock someone out of the sky and then, moments later, casually ask to rent their house without a hint of remorse...
This guy's level of depravity is on par with Otto's!
Bronya, on the other hand, showed no reaction.
She had known Li Zihan for some time now. She was well aware that his moral compass was broken and that he was utterly devoid of decency.
If Seele ever has a child, I can't let the Boss raise it.
The girl, who sincerely hoped her two most beloved people would one day marry, mused to herself.
If I had a child...
At the thought, a faint blush crept onto her cheeks.
Her sudden, strange reaction left Kiana, standing beside her, a little bewildered.
A team leader who knocks passing gods out of the sky without batting an eye, with a clearly warped sense of morality...
A teammate who blushes for no reason and always seems to look at me with a hint of hostility...
She had a sinking feeling she had stumbled into a very, very strange team.
"How about this: an accommodation fee of ten gems per person. For the three of us, that's thirty gems. We'll stay until we find a new place in Uruk. How does that sound?"
Sold!
Hearing such a generous offer, Ishtar almost let out a disgraceful squeal.
When she hunted demonic beasts, the tribute she received (or rather, extorted) from the local herdsmen was only a few gems at most.
Thirty gems in one go was a handsome income.
But—
A temple wasn't just some house you could rent out.
It was a sanctuary, a symbol of a god's majesty, power, and authority! A place where only gods had the right to dwell!
"Hey, hey, hey! Do you have any idea what you're asking for?"
Though a notorious money-grubber, Ishtar still possessed her divine pride. Her gaze hardened as she looked at the man who was clearly plotting to take over her temple.
He wants to live in the temple that symbolizes my majesty and power? Is he joking?
Finding this bastard increasingly similar to that overworked fool in the ziggurat, Ishtar's bright red eyes took on a dangerous glint.
He must have been sent by Gilgamesh to provoke me. If I agree to this, by tomorrow, the entire city of Uruk will be laughing about how I sold my dignity for thirty gems.
"Do you honestly think any god would agree to such a proposal?" the useless goddess, who was surprisingly protective of her reputation, shot back.
The young man, who clearly saw nothing wrong with his suggestion, blinked before speaking, almost to himself.
"Oh? So you're refusing to rent your place to me?"
"Of course."
"Well then, I guess there's no other way."
The young man, whose power far outstripped that of any normal god, smiled and held out his hand.
"Ishtar, have you ever heard of 'zero-dollar shopping'?"
---o---
Author's Note:
PS: There seems to be some debate about whether Goetia cares for humanity.
Let me find some reference material.
Goetia's goal is to reach the apex—to become the sole existence on this planet.
Solomon, knowing humanity's irredeemable nature and ugliness, chose not to correct it and ultimately accepted death.
The Demon God Pillars, however, did not agree. They concluded that humanity and its future were worthless and feared the finality of extinction. They feared not only their own annihilation but also detested the outcome where all existence would eventually be extinguished.
Therefore, Goetia began to act again by inhabiting King Solomon's remains, but his existence was caught in a dilemma.
Although they assert that humanity is worthless, as Demon Gods, they cannot exist unless they are utilized by humans. Despite being higher-dimensional life forms, they feel a deep sense of shame at having to exist beneath humanity, the single greatest 'waste' in the universe.
Unwilling to accept this contradiction and insincerity, Goetia initiated a self-reformation.
That was to re-evaluate the purpose of 'serving humanity'. To definitively prove that he is the supreme existence on this planet. To reach the apex that even Solomon could not—in other words, to begin the grand undertaking of becoming a god.
The Principle of 'Pity'—the sense of pride derived from feeling sorrow and disappointment towards other humans.
This is Goetia's true nature as a Beast.
Before he became the King of Humans, he cared nothing for humanity, let alone possessed any love for it.