Chapter 32: Ishtar on the Run
The night wind of Snowfield City still carried the scent of panic.
Olga Marie descended slowly from hundreds of meters in the air, her silvery-white hair fluttering behind her before settling. The moment her toes touched the floor of the bell tower platform, the mountain-like phantom surrounding her faded away, and she returned to her normal size.
She casually tossed her long hair, crossed her arms, and turned to look at Flat, who was still leaning over the railing.
"Phew—" She exhaled, her tone carrying the refreshment that comes after completing a grand speech. "I finally said it."
"I wanted to do that from the very beginning. It's all because of those messy affairs that my rhythm got thrown off."
Flat straightened up from the railing and turned to look at her.
On that face which was always wearing a smile, an extremely complex expression had emerged for once.
"Miss Olga Marie," he blinked and asked cautiously, "what you just said... were you serious?"
Olga Marie arched an eyebrow.
"Serious about what?"
"About... ruling the Earth," Flat gestured. "Are you really going to do it?"
Olga Marie laughed, her voice drawing out. "Otherwise? Did you think I was performing a comedy routine? Or rehearsing a stage play?"
She stepped in front of Flat and leaned down slightly, the distance between them instantly closing to less than thirty centimeters.
Flat could clearly see the moonlight reflected in her pupils and the cold metallic light reflecting off the edges of her alien-like giant horns.
"Or rather," Olga Marie narrowed her eyes, her tone rising dangerously, "do you think I don't possess that kind of power?"
Flat hurried to lean his body back, his hands waving repeatedly in front of his chest.
"No, no! I definitely didn't mean to doubt you!"
He smiled awkwardly, his fingers unconsciously scratching his cheek.
"It's just... ruling a planet sounds like it would be a huge hassle, right? Especially after making such a big scene. The Mage's Association definitely won't just stand by and do nothing.
The Clock Tower, the Holy Church, and the various national governments... I feel like a whole bunch of people are going to come knocking on our door."
He paused, lowering his voice slightly as if sharing a secret.
"Besides, the Clock Tower takes the principle of the Concealment of Mystery very seriously. That global broadcast you just did is pretty much equivalent to ripping off the Magecraft world's fig leaf and dancing a tap dance in the street. Those old men are going to be furious."
Olga Marie straightened up, hands on her hips, and let out a string of laughter toward the sky.
"Hahahaha! So what?"
"They don't like it? Then I'll beat them until they do!"
She spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Flat looked at her face, which was written all over with 'is there a problem with that', remained silent for two seconds, and then nodded vigorously.
"As expected of Miss Olga Marie!"
His eyes lit up again, his previous worry replaced by excitement.
"This 'if you don't like it, I'll hit you' style is super cool!"
"Of course it is." Olga Marie lifted her chin. "I am the President of the Earth; everything on this planet should listen to me. If someone has an objection—"
She raised her right hand and made a 'crushing' gesture.
"I don't mind teaching them a thing or two about manners."
Flat was about to say something else when he suddenly seemed to sense something and turned to look toward a certain direction in the distance.
"Hmm?"
His gaze swept across the roof of a commercial building in the night. It was empty, with only the neon signs flickering.
"What is it?" Olga Marie asked.
"I thought I felt some Magical Energy Fluctuations just now..." Flat tilted his head. "But they've vanished now. Maybe it was a passing familiar?"
"Oh."
Olga Marie had zero interest in the matter.
In that exact moment, someone indeed had slipped away from that rooftop.
Three minutes ago, on the roof of that same commercial building.
Ishtar—or rather, the residual curse and will of the Goddess Ishtar possessing the body of an Einzbern homunculus—was crouching in the shadow of the water tower at the edge of the roof.
She wore a red dress, her long hair tied in twin tails, her red pupils staring at the figure on the church bell tower in the distance.
The moment Olga Marie declared herself "President of the Earth," Ishtar's body froze.
Something deeper and more primal was triggered in that instant.
As the Goddess of Venus in Mesopotamian mythology, even if she was now merely an echo possessing a fragile homunculus body, Ishtar still retained certain essential traits of a 'god'—such as the perception of 'concepts' and the recognition of 'rank'.
And in those few seconds when Olga Marie unfurled her Saint Graph, released her pressure, and declared her rule, Ishtar recognized her essence.
It wasn't a matter of how much Magical Energy she had.
It was a difference in the level of 'existence' itself.
Like the difference between a glass marble and a star.
That was...
"Beast..."
Ishtar whispered the word softly, so lightly it was almost inaudible.
Her pupils were constricting violently.
Those were the Great Disasters born from human history, monsters that devoured civilizations in the name of 'Love'—their name was Beast.
Although Ishtar could not accurately identify which specific one it was or what form it took, she would never mistake that trait.
"Are you kidding me..." she murmured lowly, her fingers unconsciously clutching the fabric at her chest. "How could a monster like that appear here... and in the form of a Servant..."
Her mind was racing.
Although the opponent was clearly not in her prime state and had likely manifested in a lowered rank through some method, resulting in a significant reduction in power...
Even so, that was not something she could contend with right now.
Ishtar knew her current situation very well.
Possessing an inferior homunculus body, her magical energy supply was unstable, and her authority and output were heavily weakened; she could only manifest a fraction of her power.
To oppose a Beast, even one that had not fully manifested, was no different from an ant challenging a dragon.
No, it might be even worse.
At least a dragon wouldn't go out of its way to step on an ant, but things like the Beast...
She shuddered.
"I'm out of here."
Without hesitation, Ishtar made the wisest decision.
Everything else could wait at least until she completed the construction of her temple, allowing this land to return to the environment of the Age of Gods and restoring her strength.
Otherwise, she would likely be kicked flying like a stray dog on the side of the road.
She stood up, brushed the dust off her skirt, and then turned to look at the Vimana hovering in the distance. That fellow Gilgamesh was still there watching the show, completely unaware of what level of monster he was spectating.
"Tch, best of luck to you, stupid King of Heroes."
Ishtar curled her lip.
Pale gold magical energy surged from her body, constructing a small transfer Cursed Technique beneath her feet.
This was something she had originally intended to prepare secretly to backstab Gilgamesh at a critical moment; she hadn't expected to use it for running away.
"But speaking of which..."
A second before the technique activated, Ishtar took one last look toward the church.
Olga Marie was standing with her hands on her hips, laughing at the sky, her silvery-white hair shimmering in the moonlight. That arrogant and joyful posture didn't look like a Beast no matter how one viewed it.
She looked more like a country girl, a nouveau riche, or a wealthy parvenu.
"Is there something wrong with this person's personality?"
The question popped into Ishtar's head, but she had no time to delve deeper.
Her figure faded and vanished in the golden light.
Silence returned to the rooftop, leaving only the howling night wind.