"Bang—"
At a certain moment, Kiritsugu Emiya, having found the perfect opportunity, pulled the trigger.
Accompanied by a sharp sound of tearing air.
Tokiomi Tohsaka, who had just finished dealing with Kariya and was fuming about what the former had done, instantly detected the incoming attack.
"A rat hiding in the dark... Kiritsugu Emiya?"
Easily blocking a bullet with jewel magecraft, he looked up. Although he couldn't see the other person's figure, he could roughly guess who this shameless person was.
A magus with dignity would choose a relatively open and honorable way to fight. Only someone like Kiritsugu Emiya, who possessed a treasure trove of magecraft but used it merely as a tool, such a wasteful act, was what they called a spellcaster—and that man, even among spellcasters, was the lowest of the low.
"Bang!"
Following the previous bullet, another sound of tearing air rang out, which made Tokiomi somewhat annoyed.
This shameless stray dog, isn't it about time you stopped?
Did he think he could kill him with such childish things? There's a limit to underestimating people!
Annoyed, he waved his staff, intending to block this blow.
However…
Facing this bullet, the magical barrier was as fragile as tofu.
In his surprised, astonished, and disbelieving eyes, blood splattered—yet this wasn't the worst part.
To support Gilgamesh's battle, his magical energy supply was maxed out, and his Magic Circuits were fully open. In this state, being hit by Kiritsugu Emiya's tried-and-true 'Origin Bullet,' the result was catastrophic for a magus.
The Origin of 'Severing' and 'Binding,' a magic bullet made from his own ribs. Once it hit a magus actively using their Magic Circuits, it would directly cause their circuits to run wild. That highly precise system, after such a chaotic forced combination, went from being open at both ends to being blocked at both ends.
"Aaaaargh!!!"
Tokiomi Tohsaka, who had originally died from his excellent apprentice's backstab without experiencing Kiritsugu's Origin Bullet, now made up for that experience, feeling this great gift a step ahead of Mr. Kayneth.
The rampaging Magic Circuits caused him to bleed from all seven orifices—fortunately, the modified Origin Bullet, due to limitations, didn't have a large caliber, otherwise, this single shot might have been enough to shatter him.
Unfortunately, Tokiomi being shot also caused a chain reaction.
Gilgamesh, who was already having trouble reacting to Lancelot, who had turned into an ultimate stat monster, and wanted to rely on opening more Gates of Babylon to react, had his plans instantly foiled when his Master's mana supply was cut off.
"Swish—"
Even by relying on his rich experience to dodge, he only avoided vital points. Despite the golden armor, Uncrowned Arms Mastership left an extremely terrifying wound, and fresh blood splattered.
"Onore!"
Gilgamesh was somewhat furious and embarrassed, his eyes wide with anger, wishing he could dice the mad dog before him into a thousand pieces.
However, the next moment, something completely unexpected happened.
Masters throughout Fuyuki City simultaneously looked towards the Tohsaka residence.
"This feeling... It's a Noble Phantasm."
[Illya], who had been observing the movements in that area, made a judgment, her gaze falling on the barely discernible graceful figure in the night sky.
Black twin-tails, though somewhat childlike, but that revealing outfit, this appearance directly confirmed Jiang Qiao's conjecture.
"Archer... Ishtar!"
With the precedent of Sakura Matou being possessed by Kama, it was clearly not strange for Rin Tohsaka, as her sister and someone with extremely high compatibility with goddesses, to be possessed.
Although her Master hadn't been found yet, looking at her Noble Phantasm's target, even knowing Ishtar's grudge against the Uruk group, a hint of surprise couldn't help but flash across [Illya]'s youthful face.
"The target is Gilgamesh?"
A childish, delicate shout. The childlike goddess rode her Boat of Heaven, Maanna, laughing boisterously.
"Haha, I caught you, Gilgamesh!"
"Take this!"
"Noble Phantasm—An Gal Ta Kigal She (Mountain Range Shaking, Star of Annihilation)!"
An A++ rank Anti-Mountain Noble Phantasm. It was the most destructive and heinous event committed by the goddess Ishtar in mythology. Just because she "didn't like the look of it," she ravaged Mount Ebih, a sacred peak revered even by the King of Gods, turning the entire mountain into a wasteland. This legend became her Noble Phantasm.
Loading the conceptual Venus into Maanna's ammunition bay, then firing—even gods would be dumbfounded by this operation.
"Ishtar?! Onore, it's actually you!!!"
Gilgamesh also instantly discovered the source of the power of this Noble Phantasm hurtling towards him, shocked, angry, and filled with disgust.
He never imagined that even this terrible goddess would come to this Holy Grail War.
If he had known this beforehand, he would have definitely killed her first!
However, at this moment, Mr. Goldie, facing Berserker Lancelot's relentless pursuit, had no time to deal with the approaching Mountain Range Shaking, Star of Annihilation.
Fortunately, the next moment—
Chains erupted from the ground.
"Noble Phantasm—Enuma Elish (O Humans, Let Us Bind the Gods)!"
"Gil, leave this woman to me." The verdant figure that instantly appeared said this to Gilgamesh.
"Are you alright over there?"
"Hmph, do as you please." Mr. Goldie was reluctant—even though he was being battered by Berserker Lancelot, honestly, he hadn't thought of asking for Enkidu's help. Though it wasn't a big deal, it was still too embarrassing.
But facing the attack of that damned useless goddess, while entangled by this mad dog, he indeed had no time to deal with her.
Therefore, he could only let Enkidu handle it.
Enkidu smiled, then showed a cold expression, looking at Ishtar in the sky.
Undoubtedly, Enkidu and this goddess were also old enemies.
After being pestered and rejecting her, she sent the Bull of Heaven to wreak havoc on humanity. After he and Gilgamesh defeated it, this woman shamelessly used a divine curse to kill him.
Undoubtedly, the grudge between these two was the type where they would throw stones at each other on sight.
"Seriously, you troublesome pest!"
"Even after dying once, you still come to bother me? Haven't you learned your lesson at all?!" Ishtar, whose Noble Phantasm was blocked, angrily tugged at her twin-tails and scolded furiously.
Although due to the vessel she was possessing, her malicious personality had been greatly neutralized, and logically speaking, she should be much easier to get along with—but unfortunately, after bumping into Enkidu, this old enemy.
Even with Rin's part acting as a neutralizer, she would still be enraged.
A mere 'tool' created by gods, repeatedly obstructing her, the Mistress of Heaven!
How outrageous!
"You're the same, even after so many years, still so vile." Enkidu retorted with sharp words.
"A goddess, yet you resort to taking advantage of someone's predicament to attack Gil and win. Are you that unconfident in yourself, Ishtar?"
"Looking at it this way, compared to Archer, you're indeed more suited for a class that only hides in dark corners. Assassin or something might suit you better?"
"Damn you, you, you... Aaaargh! I'm angry!"
"You asked for it! Blame yourself for angering me!"
Furious, the enraged Ishtar instantly broke through the bottom line she had previously maintained due to being a vessel and not wanting to use that method.
The next moment, she took out something like a horn.
The moment he saw this, Enkidu's expression changed drastically.
"Haha, how about it, scared now?"
"How dare you impudently provoke me, the Mistress of Heaven!"
"Baka Enkidu! Kneel down and kowtow now, apologize to this goddess, and it's still not too late!" Ishtar, sitting on Maanna, greatly enjoyed Enkidu's expression, brandishing the horn in her hand and shouting arrogantly.
Honestly, she didn't really want to use this thing.
If it were her original self, then there would definitely be no hesitation. The true goddess Ishtar was extremely vile. A terrible goddess who disregarded mortal lives and acted wantonly. Dare to anger her, and prepare to face divine punishment!
But because she was using Rin Tohsaka as a summoning vessel, under her influence, knowing how much destruction this thing would cause if used, Ishtar was somewhat reluctant to use it.
She only wanted to use it to threaten Enkidu and make him submit.
However…
For Enkidu to admit fault to this terrible woman, his attitude was—he'd rather be eliminated on the spot.
He would rather die than bow his head to this willful and cruel goddess.
"Aah, you're not scared at all?"
"If you don't bow your head, I'm going to blow it!"
"I'm really going to blow it!"
Enkidu remained unmoved.
Ishtar was somewhat annoyed and also a bit discouraged at this moment—seriously, was it that hard to bow your head to her, the Mistress of Heaven?
If you just bowed your head, then she could also be a little magnanimous!
Hmm, the threat I'm giving isn't enough. This guy thinks I don't dare to blow it...
Thinking of this, Ishtar directly put the horn to her lips, her eyes full of threat.
Of course—
She definitely wasn't planning to blow it; after all, this thing was too dangerous.
Just putting on an act was fine.
As long as it wasn't blown, Gugalanna wouldn't appear.
Enkidu fell silent for a moment. Even he, at this moment, wasn't entirely sure if this goddess, who was strong on the outside but weak on the inside, was serious.
Maybe... I should humor this fellow for a bit, wait for Gil to finish things over there, and then Gil and I can hang this useless goddess up and whip her?
Having made a decision, although he felt very uncomfortable, he softened considerably and opened his mouth:
"Goddess Ishtar..."
At this moment, Ishtar was very pleased. That's more like it.
Obediently submitting to her, the Mistress of Heaven, would bring great benefits.
Ishtar, who didn't want to blow this thing in the first place, was just about to put this dangerous item away, but…
"Achoo—"
"Dooooong—"
The dull sound of the horn echoed throughout Fuyuki City.
"This useless goddess who always messes up at critical moments."
Even someone as calm as [Illya]—Mr. Jiang Qiao—couldn't help but exclaim upon seeing this scene.
The next moment.
"Moooooo—"
An earth-shattering beastly roar resounded throughout Fuyuki City. Of course—this included little Illya, who was watching intently. Noticing the commotion outside, she casually glanced over, and then... her little face instantly turned pale.
"So... so big a bull..."
"What happened?" Little Illya looked dazed and confused.
Didn't they say today's battle was over? How did such a huge bull suddenly appear?
"The Bull of Heaven, Gugalanna...well, the masterpiece of a certain goddess who always messes up."
Looking at the crystal ball... No, even without the crystal ball, from outside the window, the entire Fuyuki City could see that giant white bull. [Illya] complained speechlessly.
Forget Fuyuki; even the neighboring cities couldn't possibly miss seeing something like this. Even satellites and the Clock Tower had probably already detected it.
After all, it was a Divine Beast-level existence, its rank even higher than most Phantasmal Species.
He had thought that useless goddess shouldn't be able to summon this thing, because Gugalanna had the characteristic of being unique across all worlds. In all parallel worlds, there was basically only this one Bull of Heaven on duty. If an Ishtar from another world used it, then the one in this world couldn't be used—the reason the Bull of Heaven couldn't be summoned in the Seventh Singularity was because the summon was occupied.
But then... Miss Ishtar fully demonstrated what 'messing up never goes out of style' meant. Messing up by messing up was still messing up.
She actually summoned this big guy.
"Such a big bull, the city will be destroyed!" Little Illya panicked.
With this size, just moving would be a humanoid natural disaster!
"Fuyuki City is like that. As long as the gas pipes explode, everything will be fine."
"What do you mean, as long as the gas pipes explode, everything will be fine... An accident of this magnitude can't be covered up by a gas pipe explosion! Bah... No, quick, think of something, Come on, please!" Little Illya transformed into a tsukkomi JS, but after coming back to her senses, she violently shook [Illya]'s body, trying to shake out a brilliant plan.
"Even if you say so, there's no normal way to deal with something like this."
"Hmm, decided. You go take out the Bull of Heaven."
"Me?"
Illya pointed at herself, her face full of disbelief. "There's no way I can beat something like this, no way, absolutely no way!"
"You're kidding, right? You're definitely kidding, right?!"
"I'm serious."
"Have some confidence in yourself, beautiful magical girl! You can do anything!"
"No! No! Don't mention that word to me!"
Facing [Illya]'s CPU-ing, little Illya shrank her neck, her face showing PTSD.
Undoubtedly, after finishing Madoka Magica, in the eyes of little Illya, who had always revered magical girls, it had perfectly transformed from a children's show to something dark and profound!
Becoming a magical girl or something, she didn't want that!
"Just kidding. Although the Bull of Heaven is a bit troublesome, as long as Ishtar actively kicks it back, it'll be fine."
[Illya] shrugged, not very worried about it.
A bull, if it can be summoned, it can naturally be unsummoned...
Uh... It should be cancellable?