In Britain, the Noble Phantasm: Divine Key

"Whoaaaaah—" Ishtar screamed and dodged away. The powerful magic cannonball slammed into the ground, shaking the entire divine tower. The shockwave from the explosion instantly sent the goddess of the heavens flying.

Before the other party could land, Yanan charged towards her like a black lightning bolt, his feet stomping on the ground. Since things had already come to this, he might as well go all the way and defeat this unruly goddess first!

However, he underestimated the physical constitution of the gods. Ishtar, who was impacted by the explosion, regained her senses almost immediately. When she saw Anan, who was charging towards her like a ferocious beast unleashed from its cage, her expression changed drastically.

"Don't go too far! I'm a goddess, for goodness' sake!" she shouted in embarrassment and anger, her body flipping in mid-air in a way that defied the laws of nature, her feet landing on the ground, and she raised her delicate fist to smash it at the fist that Yanan was swinging at her.

"boom--!!"

Two disproportionately large fists slammed together violently, producing a sound like a heavy hammer hitting a rock. The shockwave from the collision spread in all directions, even sending flowerpots placed in the passageway flying.

"Ouch!" Ishtar's delicate and beautiful face contorted for a moment, and a few tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. She felt as if her bones were about to shatter, but the dignity of a goddess would not allow her to back down.

"Damn it, you forced me to do this, Ma'ana!"

The whistling wind came from behind, and Anaen instinctively lowered her head. The magnificent Heavenly Bow flew over her head, carrying Ishtar into the air.

"Prepare to face the wrath of the goddess!"

Ishtar glared at Anahn with eyes blazing with fury, then casually pulled out six gems and stuffed them into Maana's ammunition depot. A radiance even stronger than before shone forth, and six golden streaks of light shot towards Anahn like arrows.

However, before they could get close, six more spatial rifts opened in mid-air, swallowing all six golden streams of light.

"Oops!"

Recalling what had just happened, Ishtar's face instantly showed a look of panic, but before she could pilot Maana to escape, six dark spatial rifts had already surrounded her.

"boom--!!"

Amidst the synchronized bombardment, Ishtar collapsed to the ground, smoking, like a bird whose bright feathers had been plucked. Her once lustrous black hair was now disheveled like a bird's nest, and spirals of mosquito coils appeared in her eyes. She lay unconscious on the ground.

It was clear that she had indeed attacked Yanan with the intention of killing him, otherwise she wouldn't have ended up in such a miserable state.

"Hahahaha, Ishtar, are you planning to laugh me to death so you can inherit my treasury?" Gilgamesh burst into laughter, clutching his stomach, tears welling in his eyes. "The first time was one thing, but the second time you're still so forgetful? Or is it that your walnut-sized head can't hold anything but jewels? Hahahaha..."

Wiping away the tears from the corners of his eyes, Gilgamesh turned to Siduri and said, "Siduri, write this in the palace log later: [The king almost laughed his abs off because of the goddess Ishtar's stupidity]."

"Alas... Your Majesty, please be serious. Lady Ishtar is, after all, the city goddess of Uruk. It is truly disrespectful of you to treat her like this," Siduri sighed helplessly.

“That’s right!” Ishtar, who had been lying on the ground pretending to be dead, suddenly raised her head. “I have done a lot for Uruk, after all. You can’t just strip me of my divine status like this. More importantly, you can’t take away the offerings that the people give me!”

Even at a time like this, she's still thinking about offerings; this shameful goddess is truly beyond saving.

To prevent Gilgamesh from pushing the situation in an even more unpredictable direction, Yanan spoke first:

"Please rest assured, Your Highness Ishtar, we have no intention of replacing you. You will always remain the guardian of this city."

"Are you serious?" Ishtar looked at him suspiciously. "What about my tribute?"

With a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, Yanan nodded: "Of course, it belongs to you too."

Upon hearing this, Ishtar stood up abruptly. A faint light flashed, and she immediately regained her previous image as the holy and noble mistress of heaven, the golden light in her eyes gradually fading away.

"Ahem, since you, a mere mortal, are so sensible, this goddess will let bygones be bygones for your earlier offense." Ishtar rubbed her hands together, her large eyes fixed unblinkingly on Anahn. "So, where are my offerings? Where are those sparkling, lovely, and beautiful gems?"

Anan turned to look at Gilgamesh on the throne, and seeing that the other man gave him a barely perceptible nod, he turned to Ishtar and said, "The tribute is still here, and the jewels are still here."

Seeing the joy on Ishtar's face, he added casually, "However, these things cannot be given to you for the time being."

"Hey, mortal, although I just said I forgive you, it doesn't mean you can test my patience. The goddess's time is very precious. If you know what's good for you, hand over the gem obediently." Ishtar stared at Anahn with an unfriendly expression. Although she had just been at a disadvantage, it didn't mean she had lost. If she really got serious, even without Gugalan, destroying Uruk would be a piece of cake.

“Alas, do you really want to know the truth?” Yanan sighed.

"What do you mean by that?" Ishtar frowned in confusion.

Yanan pointed to the lapis lazuli that Gilgamesh had just thrown on the ground and said, "This is the tribute that the people of Uruk have offered to you."

"What!???" Ishtar's voice instantly rose several decibels, and she appeared in front of Yanan in a flash, grabbing his shoulders. Her delicate face was full of disbelief. "Are you kidding me!? Why is my tribute so little? I had a whole box last month!"

Then a look of sudden realization appeared on her face: "I understand now, it must be that Gilgamesh who withheld my tribute. Hey, you over there, Goldpika, embezzling the goddess's treasure is a serious crime. You'd better hand over the remaining gems before I get angry, or I'll blast your palace to ruins!"

"Don't make me laugh, you shameful goddess. I possess all the treasures in the world. The gems you cherish are nothing more than ordinary stones in my treasury." Gilgamesh sneered mercilessly.

"You must be kidding me!?" Ishtar took a few steps back in disbelief, then turned her gaze to her high priest. "Siduri, tell me, are my offerings really that scarce?"

Siduri sighed and bowed slightly, saying, "Lord Ishtar, due to the panic your actions have caused among the people over the past month, very few people are now willing to come and offer tribute."

She was telling the truth. There are practically no more followers of Ishtar in Uruk now. Even those who come to offer sacrifices are hoping that the goddess Ishtar will stop bothering us.

In reality, the value of those tributes probably doesn't even compare to this lapis lazuli.

“Now you understand, Ishtar.” Gilgamesh stood up, crossed his arms, and looked down at Ishtar. “Because of your arrogance and willfulness, the people of Uruk no longer want to tolerate you. Now it is not you who have abandoned the people, but the people who have abandoned you!”

“I…” Ishtar’s eyes flickered slightly. If it were the old me, I would probably have summoned the Bull of Heaven to trample Uruk in a fit of rage. But influenced by the personality of the original owner of this body, in addition to anger and embarrassment, she felt more ashamed and ashamed.

"Annoying, so annoying! Do whatever you want, I'm not going to care about Uruk anymore!" Ishtar stomped her foot in embarrassment and anger, grabbing Maana and preparing to escape.

“Please wait a moment, Lady Ishtar.” Anahn reached out and firmly grasped Maana’s hand, a gentle smile appearing on his face. “Actually, it’s not too late to remedy the situation. As long as you start doing what you should do as the city god from now on, the people will naturally regain their trust and faith in you, and the offerings will naturally return to the previous standards.”

"Tch, they've already abandoned me anyway, why should I care about them?" Ishtar muttered under her breath, but her shifty eyes betrayed her true thoughts.

“If you don’t want to get involved yourself, that’s fine too,” Yanan said with an unchanged smile. “Just leave it to me, and I’ll take care of everything for you.”

This chapter has not been approved.

The content of this chapter has not been approved.

Chapter Seven Miracles

"So, you're really planning to help this disgraced goddess save some face?"

As Ishtar shouted, "You said it yourself, don't blame me for being rude if you don't do it right," and "The wrath of the goddess is terrible," she rode Maana away through the hole in the roof, Gilgamesh turned his gaze to Anahn.

Anan glanced at him with a hint of helplessness. No matter how unreliable this goddess of Venus was, she was still a powerful force that could be won over. Why did Gilgamesh always look so disgusted with her?

Gilgamesh clearly understood his gaze, leaned back in his chair, and said leisurely, "There's an old saying in Uruk, 'A temple isn't built in a day.' If you always had a lawless goddess causing trouble by your side, you'd know why I'm like this."

Reflecting on what had just happened, Anan had to admit that Gilgamesh's words were indeed true.

This Venus goddess is indeed far too willful and capricious...

"Although that guy is shameful, he's barely passable as a henchman... After all, he is a god." Gilgamesh propped his head up with his hand, a hint of interest in his eyes. "So, what do you plan to do?"

“All Ishtar wants is the respect and offerings of the people. Isn’t it enough to just satisfy her?” Yanan said casually.

"No, all she wants is offerings."

"..."

Anan cleared his throat and turned to the chief priest beside him: "Siduri, is the sacrificial academy still able to conduct its rituals normally?"

Siduli paused for a moment, then nodded: "Most of the people in the sacrificial academy have been reassigned to other places, but I can recall them if needed, though the scale may not be the same as before."

"It's alright, as long as it can still be held normally." Yanan waved his hand.

"Are you planning to perform a sacrifice for Lady Ishtar?" Siduri asked cautiously, seemingly sensing the thoughts of this otherworldly King Arthur.

"Is there a problem?" Yanan asked with a smile.

“This…” Siduri looked conflicted. Although she still respected Ishtar, she knew how bad the reputation of this goddess of Venus was. Could a single sacrifice really save the goddess’s crumbling image in the hearts of the people?

"Don't worry, you just need to perform the ritual, and leave the rest to me," Yanan said with a smile.

Siduri turned to look at Gilgamesh, who nodded, and then gave a slight bow to Anan: "I understand, I'll make the arrangements right away."

As Gilgamesh's capable assistant, Siduri was indeed very efficient, and she had already arranged the sacrificial rites in just two days.

On the day of the ceremony, the people, who had been notified in advance, flocked to the square in front of the temple, crowding together and looking curiously at the priestesses and priests on the altar.

"Homage to our God, you are the guardian of nature, the protector of harvest, the embodiment of beauty, the supreme goddess Venus..."

As Siduri stood on the high platform reciting the eulogy, she glanced at the crowd below and saw that most of them seemed indifferent. She couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

"Siduri actually presided over the ceremony herself. It seems she really wants to salvage the reputation of that disgraced goddess."

Inside the tower, Gilgamesh sat on his throne, with Anahn standing beside him, both watching the ongoing ritual.

Although this place is quite far from the temple, with their eyesight, this distance is not a problem at all.

"It's a pity, though. It doesn't seem to be working... No, it's more accurate to say that the guy who still has such a devout heart for that shameful goddess is the one who really has something wrong with his head."

Gilgamesh yawned boredly and turned to look at Anahn beside him: "This time, I've even put my chief priest on the line. If it doesn't work, I'll lose face big time."

"So, can you tell me now what you plan to do?"

"Don't be in such a hurry, you'll see soon," Yanan said calmly.

Gilgamesh was about to continue speaking when his gaze suddenly sharpened: "That is...."

“Ah, it seems the time is almost up.” Anan’s lips curled up slightly. “Watch closely, King Gilgamesh, the real ‘priesthood’ is about to begin.”

"Wow, look up! Something's falling from the sky!"

What are these?

A gasp suddenly rang out from the crowd watching the sacrificial ceremony in the square. People looked up and suddenly realized that, without them noticing, scattered starlight had begun to fall from the sky. Each starlight shimmered with a brilliant golden yellow, looking as if countless exquisite and beautiful gems had fallen from the heavens.

"So beautiful..."

Some people curiously reached out to catch the starlight, only to find that it didn't land on their hands, but instead merged directly into their bodies.

"They've disappeared! These things have disappeared!"

"Could this thing be inside our bodies?!"

A sense of unease arose in people's hearts; being invaded by something of unknown origin did not seem like a good thing at all.

Some people even suspect that it might be some kind of unknown curse.

However, they soon discovered that things were not quite as they had imagined.

"Huh? Why do I suddenly feel so much lighter...?"

"Is it just my imagination? Why do I feel like I've gotten stronger...?"

"My wound...is it healing?"

After the initial commotion, people quickly discovered that the starlight did not seem to have any negative effects; on the contrary, it made them feel better!

Farmers who had worked hard all day were refreshed and full of energy. Soldiers who had been wounded on the battlefield watched their wounds heal quickly. People who were sick also found that their health was improving little by little.

On the contrary, those who were bathed in starlight were surprised to find that their physical condition was much better than before!

This is simply a miracle!