Chapter 262
On the quiet mountain road at night, Merlin walked at the very front, holding a torch and leading a special Sumerian donkey cart. The others guarded the cart in an orderly manner.
After all, the cart was loaded with a large amount of gold and silver treasures.
Meanwhile, Ishtar sat cross-legged on Heavenly Boat Maanna, floating in mid-air behind them. Xia Yu sat beside her, watching as the former boredly twirled her own silver hair around her finger.
"Oh right, by the way, Lady Goddess Ishtar," Merlin asked, "do you have any experience spending the night outside of a bedroom?"
"True," hearing this, Fujimaru Ritsuka nodded. "Today's overnight camp is in the ruins."
"It's not exactly a great place to sleep."
They didn't really mind; they had weathered all sorts of hardships these past few days. Their main concern was that Ishtar would be unhappy.
Mash asked cautiously, "Are you going to be alright?"
Originally, their plan was for Ishtar to fly back to Uruk first while they slowly followed behind. To their surprise, she despised Gilgamesh so much that she didn't want to see him at all, so she chose to travel together with the group instead.
She even dragged Big Sister Kiana along.
Logically speaking, didn't the myths say that Goddess Ishtar was infatuated with King Gilgamesh's beauty, which sparked all the subsequent conflicts? For some reason, this Miss Ishtar didn't seem interested in King Gilgamesh at all.
Perhaps it was because of Miss Rin? How should they put it... Even though Ishtar talked tough, she had never actually been ruthless with them and had even provided substantial help. Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash really found it hard to reconcile her with her mythological image.
So it must be Tohsaka Rin's personality at work, right? What a great Miss Tohsaka Rin!
Even after leaving Fuyuki City, you are still helping us in your own way.
"Thanks for the concern," Ishtar said after hearing their words. She pulled over another strand of Xia Yu's hair and began tying the two strands into a knot as she spoke. "But I do have experience sleeping outdoors... Ah!"
Before she could finish speaking, Xia Yu slapped her hand away.
So just because it's not your hair, you can mess with it as much as you want, right? You were even tying a bow!
"Uh," seeing this, Fujimaru Ritsuka offered an awkward yet polite smile.
"Ahem, hmph, rest assured, I have plenty of experience," Ishtar said with a straight face, not wanting to show her embarrassment. "After all, I used to sneak out to play behind my father's back all the time."
"How about I keep watch for you tonight?" She began to plan enthusiastically. "After all, goddesses don't need to sleep!"
Hearing this, Fujimaru Ritsuka was about to decline—how could they let a goddess do such a thing?—when she was interrupted by a single sentence from Merlin. "That would be a great help."
The latter had a face full of smiles. "As expected of the trump card meant to face off against Gorgon."
Saying this, he glanced at Xia Yu, letting out a sigh of relief when he found she didn't mind at all.
"Yes," Mash was very encouraged upon hearing this. She had been brooding over how everyone had tried so hard that day, only to be completely helpless against Gorgon. "Now that Miss Ishtar has become our companion, we have a chance of winning!"
"It should be said that no matter who comes, we won't lose," Merlin praised at the right moment. "It's no exaggeration to say she is the strongest in Mesopotamia."
"Mhm, praise me more, praise me more." Ishtar quite enjoyed it. She pulled Xia Yu's hand away and lay comfortably on Maanna, resting her head on Xia Yu's lap.
"Although praising me won't do you any good, hearing the truth just makes me happy."
Speaking of which, she suddenly asked in confusion, "Huh? Wait, have I ever shown you how powerful I am?"
"Of course you have," Mash said with a face full of admiration. "It's Miss Ishtar's Bull of Heaven, Gugalanna!"
"Uh..." Hearing this, Ishtar tensed up with a guilty conscience, and then she saw Xia Yu looking at her with a half-smile.
Being looked at like that made her feel guilty.
'Does this girl already know that I lost my bull?'
'Probably not, right?'
'But why is her smile so... guilt-inducing? It's as if she really knows.'
Ishtar silently turned inward, reaching out to hug Xia Yu's waist and burying her face in her lower stomach.
Xia Yu sighed. Feeling the hot breath against her stomach, she couldn't quite handle it. So, she silently pried Ishtar's hands away and repositioned the girl on her lap so that Ishtar was facing the mountains ahead.
"The Bull of Heaven, Gugalanna," Merlin continued to chatter from below. "That's the Divine Construct you received from the Sumerian Chief God! Let's use that Divine Beast, which even King Gilgamesh regards highly, to defeat Gorgon!"
Hearing this, Fujimaru Ritsuka added, "Since Ishtar isn't fighting in person, it won't be considered a violation of the Three Goddess Alliance's pact either."
Merlin nodded, then continued, "But that's an environment-destroying weapon capable of altering the terrain, so even if it's to be used, let the Doctor keep it as a last resort."
Fujimaru Ritsuka also said happily, "Yeah, with Ishtar joining us, we'll be more confident in our battles!"
Whether or not they could get information about Miss Kiana from her, the other party's combat power was genuine at the very least. It was more than enough to deal with Gorgon, and it would also be a trump card against that supreme god from South America in the south.
"Yeah, you guys understand pretty well," Ishtar breathed a sigh of relief for some reason. "If it's to be used, it really can only serve as the ultimate weapon, uh-huh-huh."
'Good thing they didn't ask me to summon Gugalanna right now to broaden their horizons. Otherwise, where on earth am I supposed to get the bull!'
Right at this moment, Xia Yu suddenly twisted Ishtar's body back to facing upwards. Then, she saw Kiana's sea-blue eyes staring at her with a half-smile.
'No, this girl definitely knows, doesn't she!'
This tangled mess of emotions didn't settle down even after they reached the camp, set up the tents, and everyone started to rest.
She even forgot her promise to keep watch and was groggily dragged off to sleep by Xia Yu.
Ultimately, the task of keeping watch for the first half of the night was given to Fujimaru Ritsuka.
In the late-night camp, Fujimaru Ritsuka sat by the fire, watching the dancing flames before finally looking at the Command Spells on the back of her hand.
Ever since stepping onto this unyielding journey to save the world, she had been under immense pressure.
She was just a young girl living a normal life. If it weren't for the fact that she had a bit of Rayshift aptitude, she wouldn't have been selected into Chaldea.
And even within Chaldea, her aptitude was the absolute worst.
Then, that explosion forced her to shoulder the entire world and move forward.
If it were in the past, she would have definitely loved this kind of classic story where the dead-last underdog was forced to embark on a journey to save the world for various reasons, but now...
It was only when she truly set foot on this path that she understood what kind of existence responsibility really was.
An entire world, an entire civilization.
She couldn't afford to lose even once. As long as she lost just one time, humanity would be doomed eternally...
For some reason, she suddenly really wanted to talk to Big Sister Kiana.
Yes, everyone around her would encourage her. Every time she returned to Chaldea after a battle, everyone would fuss over her, worrying about her health and her mental well-being...
But every time, Fujimaru Ritsuka would answer them with the brightest smile, telling them that there were no problems.
Yes, there's no problem at all. I can perfectly continue walking this path, bearing the responsibility of an entire world.
Because if a Hero like herself started to show cowardice, what about them? Those without Rayshift aptitude would just have to wait for death in despair.
So she absolutely could not collapse.
This was something she came to understand without anyone teaching her.
Da Vinci-chan and the Doctor had somewhat noticed her state of mind and had more or less advised her. But what use could the consolations of a group huddled together for warmth in an uncertain future really have?
But Miss Firefly was different.
She said that she came from the future.
She said that I was the destined Savior, and that I could save all of this.
These weren't empty words. She had placed all the evidence right in front of her for her to see.
After all, if Human History were to collapse here, where would the Glamoth Empire come from twenty thousand years later? And where would the brilliant Human Civilization spread across the Milky Way come from?
Therefore, I must have succeeded. I must have won. If I hadn't won, she wouldn't even exist, right?
In her subsequent journey, when facing those powerful soldiers of North America, when facing the Cu Chulainn under Mad Enhancement, when facing the Demon God Pillars, and also when facing the Knights of the Round Table and Goddess Rhongomyniad, she had always encouraged herself like this.
'Believe in yourself. I will definitely be able to overcome these challenges and successfully save this world!'
'I definitely can!'
'Because I've already seen the evidence that the 'future' still exists! I've seen the proof of my victory, I can do it!'
Firefly's existence and every word she said were, in Fujimaru Ritsuka's eyes, affirmations of herself and the source of her confidence.
Not just her, but all of Chaldea. Even though no one stated it explicitly, everyone was rejoicing and inspired by the fact that Human Civilization still existed twenty thousand years later!
'We must have successfully saved the world.' Harboring such thoughts, everyone burst forth with a hundred and twenty percent enthusiasm for their subsequent tasks.
Even in this Babylon Singularity, when the entire faction of Uruk was on guard against Big Sister Kiana and preparing to fight her, Fujimaru Ritsuka still believed in the person who had once acknowledged her.
She will definitely stand on my side.
After all, if Human History were to be cut off here, her existence could not be proven. How could a history severed at this moment have future glory?
Holding such thoughts, although Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash had prepared to fight Big Sister Kiana, they didn't think it would be their greatest difficulty.
After all, Big Sister Kiana was beautiful and kind-hearted. At most, she just had a bit of bad taste, but she wasn't a bad person.
"Good evening."
Just then, a familiar voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts.
Fujimaru Ritsuka looked up and saw Ishtar draped in a blanket walking to her side. "Still keeping watch? You really are a Master who considers her Servants."
There was an indescribable gentleness in her voice. It was hard to imagine the proud Ishtar being so...
"I just wanted to let Mash rest a bit more," Fujimaru Ritsuka said shyly, assuming that the nighttime Ishtar had finally calmed down as well. "After all, she's usually the one doing the most dangerous things like fighting."
"Mash is that Servant who holds a shield, right?" Ishtar (not really) smoothly sat down beside her. "You've been contracted for a long time, haven't you?"
"Mhm, yeah," Fujimaru Ritsuka nodded gently, then looked up at the weird Goddess of Venus in front of her. "Ishtar?"
She felt that something was a bit off.
"Um, this is a rare opportunity, and I wanted to chat with you," Ereshkigal sat by the fire, but then just stared at the flames without speaking.
"Um, what did you want to ask?" Fujimaru Ritsuka asked tentatively.
"Oh, well, how should I put it..." Ereshkigal hesitated for two seconds before speaking. "I didn't expect you to actually be able to bring Ishtar over as an ally."
"Huh?" Hearing this strange way of addressing herself, Fujimaru Ritsuka narrowed her eyes slightly.
Ereshkigal didn't notice. "So, for what reason did you do it?"
"We hoped Ishtar could serve as our trump card," Fujimaru Ritsuka thought for two seconds, then said, "We have no choice. If things continue like this, there's no way we can defeat Gorgon, let alone that one from South America."
"Although we do feel a bit sorry for Ishtar..."
"Oh, is that so," Ereshkigal nodded upon hearing this. Combat power?
What she failed to notice was that Fujimaru Ritsuka across from her had started to silently break out in a cold sweat upon hearing her repeatedly refer to 'Ishtar', while the supposedly arrogant goddess in front of her had no reaction to it at all.
'This is absolutely not Ishtar!'
'That woman isn't this gentle!'
'What should I do? It's the dead of night, and right in front of me is a goddess whose true identity is unknown...' She subconsciously turned her head and looked towards the camp.
'At this time, probably only Big Sister Kiana can save me, right? And Ishtar?'
'The appearance of this woman in front of me doesn't look like a disguise at all. What on earth is going on? A split personality? Goddesses can get schizophrenia?'
But as soon as she turned around, she saw Big Sister Kiana silently leaning against the broken doorframe of the ruins behind her, watching her with a half-smile.
Then, she raised a finger and gently placed it against her lips.
It was a gesture for silence.
Fujimaru Ritsuka's courage surged instantly!
'Since Big Sister Kiana has my back, I won't hold back anymore. I absolutely have to coax all the information out of this unknown goddess in front of me!'
Seeing how she suddenly gained confidence, Xia Yu smiled faintly.
In the original storyline, Ritsuka was completely startled by Ereshkigal's visit. Without her serving as a safety net, Ritsuka had jumped up in fright, but there had been no one in the entire camp to back her up.
Thus, she could only rely on her words to stabilize Ereshkigal.
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