Chapter 8

If it had been her usual self, she definitely would not have had the courage to approach the busy Gilgamesh and disturb him. But wearing the appearance of the Crimson Kite Immortal made her much bolder, and she walked up before the throne in imitation of Merlin.

Gilgamesh, who had been reading a clay tablet, slightly raised his head and saw Amber before him. "Why are you here?"

Though puzzled, he soon used Clairvoyance to see what she had done after returning to Uruk and understood. "You came looking for Fujimaru Ritsuka and the others? Unfortunately, I sent them to investigate Kusa City not long ago. It lies northeast of Uruk."

"Thank you for telling me. Then I'll take my leave." Having obtained the information, Amber turned around.

"Wait."

Gilgamesh set down the clay tablet in his hand. "Since you intend to contribute to Uruk as well, you are an ally of Uruk. As you can see, Uruk no longer has any treasures with which to reward its allies."

Amber did not know why he was saying this, so she replied evenly, "Ensuring the survival of civilization's Core Flame is my mission."

Although Ishtar had told her not to say such things in front of those she protected, Gilgamesh was definitely not included in that group.

Well, actually, she had only said it because she thought it sounded cool.

Protecting civilization's Core Flame...

Gilgamesh's expression softened considerably. Then he looked back down at the clay tablet in his hand, signaling that he had nothing more to say.

Though Amber was completely baffled, she did not care much about his attitude and simply walked out of the palace.

Fu Hua, however, gave the matter some thought.

The king's actions just now earned considerable points in her eyes. Amber had been acting freely for several days since arriving here. With Amber's power, moving about the city without restraint was like having a bomb that could explode at any moment.

Yet Gilgamesh had never tried to restrict her. Only now, when Amber had finally shown an inclination, did he speak up to confirm her stance.

Though it could not be denied that Uruk currently lacked the confidence to fight Amber, it also showed just how broad-minded Gilgamesh was. There were methods for treating subjects, and methods for treating those one wished to recruit. He truly was a born king.

Still, none of that had anything to do with Amber.

Fu Hua stopped thinking about it and turned to the next matter. "Amber, although you have now made an initial entry into Tai Xu Sword Qi, you must not become arrogant or complacent."

"Huh?" Amber froze for a moment.

"It is good to have confidence in your abilities, but you must not therefore believe that you can solve everything." Fu Hua said, "Why did you not ask what Chaldea was investigating when you spoke with Gilgamesh just now?"

"Uh..." Because... she did not care much. She had merely wanted to go somewhere with more people to ease her boredom.

In the end, it was because she believed no one could threaten her, so she feared neither heaven nor earth. Put simply, she was getting a little cocky.

She had suddenly acquired immense power, and every battle had been an easy victory. The only time she had suffered a setback was while sparring in Feathered Dust, and the person who had beaten her was someone she admired.

All these things together really could make someone swell with pride.

Fu Hua was not surprised. She had noticed the signs much earlier, which was why she had always hoped Amber would receive a thorough beating.

In the past, she would not have said anything. Once Amber truly encountered trouble, she would naturally understand, and Fu Hua could always cover for her. But thinking of how all her former disciples had ended up, she decided to do the opposite this time and nip this tendency in Amber's bud first.

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Underworld

Amber was not someone who could not take advice. Rather, she was actually very receptive to it, especially when the other person was her favorite fictional wife and master.

It was not that she did not understand the principle. Even without Fu Hua telling her, she knew she should not become arrogant or complacent. But when it actually happened, she had not even realized she was getting carried away.

"I understand." Amber nodded. "I'll be more careful and prudent from now on."

Fu Hua had not taught few disciples, but neither had she taught many. Most of them had been raised by her personally. Amber counted as one of the more obedient and well-behaved among them. Changing a person's character was not something that could be done overnight, so Fu Hua was not in a hurry to make Amber change immediately.

At Amber's speed, the outline of Kusa City soon came into view, and she took in the city's condition as well.

Her first reaction to the sight before her was that it was strange.

Too strange. It was clearly a sizable city, yet not a single person could be seen. Only Chaldea's group was present.

For some reason, Chaldea's group had split up. But strangely, Fujimaru Ritsuka, who had no combat ability, was not with Mash. His presence could not even be sensed anywhere in the city.

After thinking for a moment, Amber chose to land beside Merlin.

"I didn't expect the Crimson Kite Immortal to come too. Did that king who doesn't know how to consider others send you to monitor me?" Merlin noticed Amber flying over as well. After she landed, he put on a fake smile.

"That is not the case." Amber had long experienced how much Merlin enjoyed making a mess of things, so she ignored his teasing and went straight to the point. "Where is Fujimaru Ritsuka?"

"Fujimaru Ritsuka...?" Merlin instinctively assumed she needed Ritsuka for something, but quickly realized that was not the case.

Just as she had spotted him immediately from the air, the Crimson Kite Immortal could easily sense everyone's presence. If she wanted to find someone in a city, she would not need to ask around.

Thinking of this, Merlin immediately used Clairvoyance.

"This is bad...!" He frowned and waved the staff in his hand. Two petal-made spells flew out. Then, while moving, he said, "Fujimaru Ritsuka is at the plaza!"

At the plaza? Had he fainted?

Amber followed him.

Since they had been searching outward from the plaza, the three groups encountered one another almost simultaneously.

Seeing Ritsuka unconscious in the center of the plaza, Mash hurried over to wake him. But Amber and Anna could tell that Fujimaru Ritsuka had not merely fainted. He had lost all signs of life and was dead.

Roman's voice immediately came through the Chaldea-issued wristband when it detected Mash. "Mash! Fujimaru Ritsuka's life signs have disappeared! What happened!?"

"What...? Mr. Merlin!? Senpai, he..." Upon hearing that, Mash looked in shock at Merlin, who had gathered them all together.

"..." Merlin's expression was grim. He vaguely had a clue, yet could not grasp the key point.

"There is no consciousness within him, yet his organs are strangely intact. It is as though he was walking down the road and died without warning." After touching Ritsuka's body, Amber repeated Fu Hua's words. "It was not sudden death, nor did any organ suddenly fail. He truly died completely unharmed."

Hearing this, Mash stared at Fujimaru Ritsuka's corpse in disbelief.

"No, wait... This might not be death... No... if that is the case, then it is even more troublesome..." Merlin's face suddenly became uglier, and he began speaking in riddles.

"Mr. Merlin? What exactly happened?" Mash hurriedly asked.

"The sky, the ground, and the Underworld are separate in most mythologies. But in this era where gods and humans coexist, that is not the case." Merlin explained, "Walking into the Underworld on one's own feet is possible in this era."

Mash was not stupid. Hearing that, she understood. "So Senpai is in the Underworld right now? Then if we bring Senpai's soul back..."

"Bringing back a soul is very difficult."

Merlin's expression creased as he once again felt the situation slipping beyond his control.

"Difficult...?" Mash looked panicked, then turned to Amber, whom she also considered dependable.

With a beautiful girl looking at her with an expression that could collapse at any moment, Amber was anxious as well. But when she looked at the Navigator's mission guidance, she saw no task like "Bring Ritsuka Back," nor did any prompt appear.

"If there is a way, please tell us." Helpless, she could only turn to Merlin.

Merlin opened his mouth, about to explain the Underworld and the Underworld Goddess, when he suddenly heard a muffled groan.

The familiar voice drew everyone's gaze.

Fujimaru Ritsuka, who had been entirely lifeless, slowly opened his eyes, confusion still on his face.

"Fujimaru Ritsuka's life signs have recovered...!" Roman's voice rang out again.

"Senpai!?" Mash could no longer hold back her emotions. Tears burst from her eyes, while Anna, who had remained silent, also breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.

Surrounded by everyone, Ritsuka had not yet fully processed what had happened. But when he saw Mash's tears, he immediately came to his senses and hurriedly soothed her. Then he told everyone how he had accidentally entered the Underworld and had been saved by an old man named Ziusudra.

Merlin pointed at the clay tablet pinned beneath Ritsuka's hand. "The clay tablet in your hand should be the Heavenly Mandate Tablet. Did that person claiming to be Ziusudra give it to you?"

"Uh... I think so?" Ritsuka scratched his head, then asked in confusion, "Claiming to be?"

"Ziusudra represents the guardian of the abyss, the bell-ringer, and the witness to the death of all things in Sumerian mythology. He was the only person to survive the exterminating flood, equivalent to Noah in the Bible." Roman explained. "Like Merlin, I don't think that was really him... But since Ishtar and Enkidu have appeared, it does not seem impossible either..."

"He was probably someone with a similar role. After all, that is not a name one could impersonate on a whim." Merlin said. Then he frowned and lowered his head. "But as expected... the Underworld still exists as well... which means that Underworld Goddess has also descended here... If so... then Ishtar of the Three Goddess Alliance is...?"

Everyone's attention was drawn by his muttering, but aside from Fu Hua, none of them heard it all clearly.

Just then, Amber suddenly sensed Ishtar's presence rapidly approaching.

Roman also issued an alarm through the wristband. "A large magical energy reaction is rapidly approaching!"

The next moment, hundreds of golden lights rained down from the sky. Mash hurriedly stepped before everyone to block them and was nearly sent flying.

Seeing this, Amber supported Mash's body with one hand and raised dark flames with the other, blocking the remaining attacks.

"Found you!" Ishtar's figure appeared in midair at some unknown moment. Looking displeased, she said, "I only came back to take a look at my city on a whim, yet you were here. Don't you know how reckless it is to investigate a goddess?"

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Defeat the Goddess

"Oh my, the goddess who sweeps money away from the people has appeared. She has probably already marked us as her next target." Merlin still had the leisure to joke. "After all, she is slandering us with this investigation nonsense. Who knew a goddess would seek justification for a surprise attack?"

"Huh? It's not slander! If you had no reason to be here, why did you come? If you weren't investigating, what other reason could there be?" Ishtar said irritably. "Besides, what I take is reasonable compensation! Forget it, I can't be bothered to say this a second time. You will pay in full for offending me earlier! And that Golden Sparkle, who has no redeeming qualities beyond his wealth, must have given you plenty of benefits! I'll gladly take them!"

As she spoke, she looked at Amber, who stood on the ground and had just protected Chaldea's group. "Hey! You were sweet-talking me this morning, yet by afternoon you had already joined my enemies?"

This morning?

Everyone looked at Amber in confusion.

"I have no intention of being your enemy." Before Ishtar could smile, Amber continued, "But I also do not want Chaldea, who are my friends as well, to be hurt."

"What is that supposed to mean!?" Ishtar frowned.

Amber did not explain immediately. Instead, she directly used Feathered Dust, covering the surrounding area in an extremely forceful manner.

Such undisguised use naturally made everyone notice that something was wrong immediately.

"Is this... a Reality Marble?" The scenery around them had not changed much, but the feeling of being covered by something was unmistakable, so Mash guessed as much.

"It is not a Reality Marble, but a kind of... authority, similar to an illusion." Merlin looked at Amber with an unreadable expression.

He was an expert in illusions, but as he had said before, no matter what sort of magecraft it was, its effects could never compare to an authority. If Ishtar had used her authority at the Divine Tower, then even with Gilgamesh holding the line, the three of them would have been swiftly defeated by Ishtar.

Authority was not magecraft, but a technique that employed the rules composing the world. Generally speaking, it was a technique only gods could wield.

Yet Amber—or rather, the Crimson Kite Immortal—might be called an Immortal, but she truly possessed no Divinity.

That was also why Ishtar had not taken Amber seriously at first. Though people always said Divinity was a debuff, possessing Divinity was also the threshold for truly powerful beings.

Those without Divinity were not necessarily weak, but those with Divinity were certainly strong.

"You used this to approach me this morning, didn't you?" Ishtar had figured out how Amber had approached without her noticing that morning. Then she asked curiously, "What kind of authority is this? I've never seen it anywhere in Mesopotamia."

"It is the authority to control consciousness." Amber did not keep her in suspense. "This place has now become a realm of consciousness, and all its laws are under my control. Do not worry. You will not be injured fighting here, and time passes far more slowly than outside."

She had considered that Fujimaru Ritsuka was an ordinary person with limited mental strength. Accelerating consciousness too much could cause harm.

"Do not worry about your bodies in reality. I will protect them properly."

"You are surprisingly overbearing." Cold sweat trickled down Ishtar's temple.

She could sense that she could forcibly break through this consciousness space, but consciousness was a concept she had never encountered. Even she could not be sure what would happen if she forced herself free.

"Wouldn't it be nice to settle our grievances here?" After nervously checking his own condition and confirming that his body's magecraft was still being maintained, Merlin finally relaxed. Then he smiled. "At least the goddess will not empty our wallets."

"I said it already! This is merely compensation for your disrespect!" Ishtar had long found that white-haired man annoying. Ma'anna abruptly fired a blast beside her, and then she took out three Star Stones Amber had given her that morning. They instantly enhanced the magical energy within her, and with a wave of her hand, she fired another hundred magical blasts.

Come to think of it, Amber had not expected Ma'anna to enter as well. Did Ma'anna have a slight consciousness after all?

"Attacking the moment you feel like it! Is that the dignity of a goddess too!?" Merlin immediately fled with his head in his hands. His embarrassing appearance did not surprise Mash or Anna at all, though whether that was good or bad was hard to say.

Though she did not yet understand the consciousness space, Mash, who wanted to gain experience fighting gods, naturally would not miss such an opportunity for training. Raising her shield, she leapt into the air to interrupt Ishtar's attacks, only for Ishtar to nimbly evade and kick her back to the ground.

Anna's chain seized the chance to wrap around Ishtar's ankle and drag her down, but Ma'anna's cannon fire directly broke it. The barrage that followed forced Anna herself to pull back.

Troublesome.

Both Anna and Mash felt a headache coming on.

Without Gilgamesh's assistance, Ishtar's magecraft was not restricted in the slightest.

"What's wrong? If you cannot reach the sky, you cannot attack me." Ishtar smiled from midair.

"That is too despicable! Come down and fight fairly!" Merlin shouted.

"Why would I give up my advantage?" Ishtar mocked.

Mash and Anna had no choice but to continue fighting by jumping into the air, but it achieved little. With abundant magical energy and no limits on her magecraft, Ishtar had no intention of landing to fight them.

Finally, having grown tired of playing, Ishtar prepared to end the battle. She gathered magical energy that placed immense pressure on Anna and Mash, only to suddenly vanish from the space.

"Hm?"

Not only Anna and Mash, but even Merlin was confused.

Where had she gone?

Amber understood the situation, of course. As the user of Feathered Dust, she could not only monitor the consciousness space at all times, but also act in the real world without interruption.

Seeing Ishtar's consciousness suddenly fall silent, Amber canceled Feathered Dust and returned everyone's consciousness to their bodies.