After truly facing off against Kingu and Gorgon, Alaric finally realized the gap between them. One-on-one, Alaric didn't fall too far behind; even in a two-on-one, he could hold his ground without losing. But that was all—victory was impossible unless one side ran out of magic.
However, Kingu, empowered by the Holy Grail, and Gorgon, blessed by it, didn't have to worry about running out of magic. On the other hand, Alaric began to consider whether over-extracting the leylines' magical energy would place too much strain on his Noble Phantasm.
The memory of the Sword of End was still fresh, leaving Alaric, who hadn't fought to his heart's content, with a headache.
Aside from his concerns about the leyline connection, Alaric also saw a possibility for victory: if someone could hold off Kingu, he could kill Gorgon directly, then return to finish off Kingu and claim the Holy Grail together!
"Looks like I'll need Quetzalcoatl or Fujimaru and their help after all—"
If it was just Alaric, the battle would only result in a stalemate, with neither side claiming victory.
Fortunately, Ishtar's arrival broke the deadlock.
Hearing Alaric's heartfelt thanks, Ishtar snorted coldly, "Hmph, now you know to thank this goddess?"
After splitting from Fujimaru and the others, Ishtar rushed to the battlefield where Alaric was fighting Kingu. However, she didn't intervene immediately, instead watching the dramatic scene for a long time before finally deciding to unleash her Maanna.
"Goddess Ishtar—"
Upon seeing Ishtar's arrival, both Kingu and Gorgon ceased their attacks.
As a goddess who had not joined their alliance, Kingu and Gorgon naturally knew of Ishtar.
She was a true goddess siding with Uruk. Though her methods were rough, she was undoubtedly their enemy.
Moreover, with a nearly complete goddess body, her power was not to be underestimated.
"Ruler of the heavens, Ishtar, do you intend to oppose the Three Goddess Alliance?" Gorgon spoke coldly, her voice like thunder, as her golden wings slowly unfolded. A surge of divine energy swept out like a raging storm.
But none of the people present were ordinary beings; they all ignored the overwhelming divine energy.
Ishtar, looking down at Kingu and Gorgon below, proudly flipped her hair. "Hmph, I never made any pact with you. While it's fair competition for Uruk, this goddess will naturally take precedence—it's not up to you to meddle.
"As for this guy, he's this goddess's prey. If you kill him, who am I supposed to hunt?"
These words immediately darkened Kingu's expression.
Kingu wasn't particularly concerned about Ishtar. The divine restrictions of the Chains of Heaven were enough to deal with her.
However, this didn't mean Ishtar posed no threat to them. On the contrary, her presence disrupted the balance between Alaric, Kingu, and Gorgon.
More importantly, Gorgon was not in good condition and couldn't be pushed any further in battle—
With this realization, Kingu's expression grew even darker.
The hours-long battle had pushed not only Alaric to his limits but also left Gorgon in poor shape. This prompted Kingu to consider ending the fight early.
Alaric was a tough opponent, but this wasn't the time to deal with him—
"I'm leaving. Are you still planning to fight, Kingu?"
Suppressing the heat of battle in his heart, Alaric exhaled deeply before smiling. "Next time we meet, there might be a surprise!"
Noticing the changing sky, Alaric knew his mission was complete.
Having drained most of Gorgon's monstrous forces and restrained both Kingu and Gorgon, Alaric felt this achievement was enough for him to feel proud and leave his mark on history.
Kingu didn't respond, nor did he attack. He simply watched as Alaric and Ishtar left the battlefield, leaving behind only the ruins of the battleground and himself with Gorgon.
"Kingu, Kingu, why did you stop me?"
Gorgon, crouching, glared at Kingu. If not for his interference, she would never have let Alaric escape.
"Mother, you need to rest," Kingu said with a faint smile. "Right now, it's too soon for you."
With their beasts depleted, it was time for Gorgon to rest until reinforcements arrived. \
...
Meanwhile, in a corner Kingu had overlooked, Fujimaru and the others escorted the final group of Nippur's citizens to safety.
What would normally take half a year to complete was finished in less than half a day.
This was because the monsters that once roamed the northern wilderness had seemingly vanished, making the migration feel almost like a sightseeing trip.
As Fujimaru and Mash returned to the northern wall, a streak of light descended from the sky.
"Hey, everyone!"
Wearing a floral shirt and flip-flops, Alaric strolled up to the stunned Fujimaru and Mash with a swagger, his expression puzzled. "What's wrong? Was the migration not successful?"
"Ah, no, the migration was very smooth. The other Servants have also returned to the northern wall, but, um, Sir Alaric, your outfit—"
Fujimaru stared at Alaric's flamboyant attire, at a loss for words.
Mash, however, was more direct, voicing her thoughts honestly. "Sir Alaric, your outfit is very cool!"
"Right? I like it too!"
Alaric burst into hearty laughter, his lingering emotions from the battle with Gorgon completely washed away.
"You... you're ignoring me again, aren't you?"
At that moment, a low, teeth-gritted voice came from behind Alaric.
The goddess Ishtar appeared, her smile anything but genuine as she grabbed Li Ye. Her fingers gripped like iron clamps, forcing him to turn around.
But in the instant he turned, Alaric did something that shocked everyone.
Thud.
Alaric knelt on one knee, solemnly grasping Ishtar's snow-white foot. Her smooth skin, with every vein visible, and her dainty, delicate toes curled slightly in surprise at his sudden gesture.
"My apologies, Goddess—"
Gazing up at Ishtar's slightly bewildered face, Alaric said in a deep voice, "I'll build you a new temple as compensation."
"Sir Alaric?!"
"Hey! What's going on?!"
Mash and Fujimaru screamed almost simultaneously.
...
When Alaric returned triumphantly to the Ziggurat, he was met with an unexpected command.
"That's it, Alaric. For now, don't take any further action, or rather, don't go to the northern wall. Go anywhere else."
Gilgamesh, busy with administrative tasks, spoke indifferently.
But even so, Alaric couldn't understand the reasoning behind the order.
"King Gilgamesh, why?"
Alaric looked puzzled. Even though he hadn't intended to spend every day fighting Kingu or Gorgon at the northern wall, Gilgamesh's order still left him confused.
Facing his question, Gilgamesh set down his clay tablet, glanced at Alaric, and said, "The Three Goddess Alliance—this king could deal with them alone. But that wouldn't be enough. It would only lead to the destruction of Uruk and the end of Mesopotamia civilization's legacy."