"GILGAMESH!!!"
At this moment, furious roars echoed from a luxurious villa in the northwest district of Fuyuki's Shinto New Town, where the plaque proudly bore the name "Tōsaka."
"Ahahaha! I knew it, it really was you! No wonder every time I saw her, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu."
Inside the magecraft workshop, Gilgamesh watched the golden brilliance blooming atop the composite spirit summoning circle. Feeling the increasingly familiar Spirit Origin reaction from Rin Tohsaka, he broke into a broad, delighted smile.
Meeting those vividly colored eyes, Gilgamesh couldn't hold back a booming laugh. "Hahaha! That clumsy, dirt-poor, disaster-prone look—you're exactly the same as that foolish woman!"
"You're the fool!"
"Gilgamesh, you bastard! You damned liar! You dared deceive a goddess and even mooched off me!!"
The girl's face was still Rin Tohsaka's beautiful one—long, silky black hair tied into twin tails with black ribbons—but now she wore a crown-like band adorned with multiple elongated diamond shapes atop her head. Her once blue eyes were now crimson.
Her crimson casualwear had been replaced by a far skimpier and revealing outfit, seemingly made of pure white strips and golden ornaments.
A slender swan-like neck bore a golden choker; beneath it, smooth, pale shoulders, a delicate back, a slim waist, and a flat stomach were fully exposed.
But right now, she had no intention of flaunting her beautiful form.
Standing atop the deep blue, ornately gold-etched, and intricately crafted divine bow [Maanna], 'Rin Tohsaka' furiously pointed at Gilgamesh.
Blinding magical energy surged at her fingertip. Buzz—!
"Ishtar, wait—!"
Seeing this, Gilgamesh's face stiffened. Acting on instinct, golden ripples flared open as he hurled a barrage of defensive Noble Phantasms around the composite summoning circle.
"I've had enough!!!"
BOOM—!
A burst of golden light erupted, unleashing a sonic boom-like shockwave.
Broken concrete, shattered floor tiles, and debris exploded outward, blasting a giant hole through the once-pristine Tohsaka family villa.
It looked exactly like a gas explosion—glass shards rained down with a crash, smoke billowed everywhere. If it weren't for the hidden barrier deterring outsiders, the local police might have already been called.
"Cough—cough—You stupid goddess! Idiot!!"
Pushing through the smoke, even Gilgamesh—who had recently fought side-by-side with Ishtar in the Seventh Singularity—was thoroughly exasperated.
He had let his guard down. This foolish woman was like a dog—her mood could flip in an instant. They hadn't even properly greeted each other, and she had already attacked—and inside her own house, no less! Unbelievable!
For some reason, anything related to Ishtar—whether the Wise King or Heroic King versions of Gilgamesh—always seemed to strain his rationality to the breaking point.
At least the summoning circle was still intact.
His crimson eyes practically ablaze with fury, Gilgamesh roared, "You idiot—so impulsive again!"
"Is your brain filled with nothing but mud and gold from the Age of Gods?! That composite summoning magic circle was painstakingly crafted! And look at the time! The foreign god on the other side is almost here!"
"We're short on troops, short on manpower—are you planning to single-handedly fight off that foreign god-king?! I'm seriously starting to think you're a spy planted by the enemy!"
"You're the spy! The only reason I'm this angry is because you lied to me! Don't you get it?!"
Still fuming, Ishtar floated in the air, her anger barely subsiding after Gilgamesh's scolding. She lowered slightly, looking somewhat guilty, as if ready to land and apologize. But then she remembered—why was she angry again?
Oh right, because that bastard Gilgamesh had stolen her payment!
He had embezzled Ishtar's money!!!
No wonder she was so furious. Back during the Seventh Singularity, Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia, why had Ishtar joined Gilgamesh's side and betrayed the Three Goddess Alliance?
For justice? For humanity?
NO, NO, NO—it was for money! Ishtar had switched sides for the 20% share of Gilgamesh's treasury he had promised her!
But after the singularity was resolved—after the defeat of Gorgon, the Goddess of Demonic Beasts, and Tiamat, the Mother of Creation—when Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash completed the foundation restoration and returned to Chaldea, and everything had settled...
When Ishtar went to collect her payment, Gilgamesh—that golden bastard—ran away!
Having become a Spirit, Gilgamesh simply chose to disappear (to dodge his debt). Ishtar could do nothing.
But the experience of working for a black-hearted boss without pay was burned into Ishtar's memory—she swore she would never forgive him!
"That's my money! My treasure!!"
Ishtar glared fiercely at Gilgamesh, her meaning clear: pay up today or else!
"Money... treasure?"
At that moment, Fujimaru Ritsuka finally caught on. He slapped his palm into his hand. "Gilgamesh—is this about the 20% share you promised Ishtar to recruit her?"
"Uh..."
Now it was Gilgamesh's turn to get stuck. He glanced at Fujimaru awkwardly. He couldn't exactly say he skipped out on the payment...
No—this king does not dodge debts!
It must have been due to the goods being worth less than promised. Clearly, Ishtar had committed fraud!
"Foolish woman, what do you think I recruited you for? Yet somehow you managed to lose the divine beast, the [Bull of Heaven] Gugalanna! It was you who broke the contract first—how could you still expect full payment?"
"Besides, the down payment I gave you was already more wealth than you'd see from a lifetime of offerings, you poverty-stricken goddess."
Sigh. Tragic as it was, though Ishtar could have almost anything she wanted, her fate seemed cursed when it came to Golden Rule.
"Uh, well—even without the [Bull of Heaven], I still contributed, right?"
Ishtar stammered, stepping back, golden circles spinning in her eyes.
"Contributed?!"
"Hmph. Fine, you did help a bit. Enough. Ishtar, I've no time to waste bickering with you."
Gilgamesh waved her off dismissively. "Ritsuka, Romani, continue the analysis and summoning preparations."
Ishtar opened her mouth to argue further—but at the thought of Gilgamesh demanding the down payment back, she retreated. It would be disgraceful for a goddess to be seen groveling.
Just then—
"Rin?"
Hearing the call, Ishtar seized the opportunity to change the subject. She quickly flew toward Shirou Emiya, who had approached.
"Ah, Emiya-kun," Ishtar said first.
"Uh... yeah."
Staring at the 'Rin Tohsaka' before him, Shirou felt an overwhelming sense of confusion. His once-familiar classmate and ally had turned into a goddess overnight.
It was a lot to take in.
"Don't worry," Ishtar said casually, striking a carefree pose. "This goddess is Rin Tohsaka, and Rin Tohsaka is me. Although right now, it's about seventy me, thirty her. Same difference—so relax, okay?"
"Ah, oh...."
Nearby, observing the seemingly little-changed 'Rin Tohsaka,' Waver Velvet pondered Gilgamesh's mention of the [Bull of Heaven] Gugalanna.
"She really is incredible. Ishtar... the goddess of beauty, harvest, and war in Mesopotamian mythology. Said to be the most doted upon goddess by all the gods."
As a participant of the previous Holy Grail War, and someone with deep knowledge of theology worldwide, Waver was naturally familiar with Ishtar's name. In myth, she was the goddess who loved and fought with Gilgamesh, pushing him into dire straits multiple times—a figure as famous as thunder.
"I just didn't expect her relationship with the Heroic King to seem this... unstrained."
"Still, if it's truly that mythological divine weapon—the [Bull of Heaven] Gugalanna—then its power to ravage the Sumerian lands and drain the Tigris River dry would make it an incredible asset against the foreign god."
"Probably...."
Jeanne d'Arc hesitated slightly and nodded. Considering Selene's descent method through possession, many of her abilities were likely restricted—her supreme imperial arms probably couldn't be used.
"Ruler, did you discover something?" Sensing Jeanne's hesitation, Waver asked with concern.
"...."
After a moment of silence, Jeanne decided to be open.
Though she had prior ties to Selene, this Holy Grail War clearly showed Selene had broken the rules. After talking with Chaldea's members, Jeanne was even more convinced that Selene's actions now endangered humanity.
Having already fought directly once, revealing information about Selene to their side was not a betrayal of her role—it was fully aligned with her duty as a Ruler.
"Master, I know the identity of the Servant who devoured the Spirit Origins of Gorgon and Tiamat."
"What?!" Waver whipped around with a whoosh.
"Jeanne, why didn't you say so earlier?!"
Fujimaru Ritsuka, who had been preparing to tell Jeanne the summoning magic circle was ready, immediately perked up in excitement upon hearing this news.
"Could we convince her—"
"Ritsuka, abandon that fantasy," Gilgamesh said, cutting off the idea without hesitation.
"A god of that magnitude would never go back on a promise!"
"Mm."
Jeanne nodded. "My understanding of Selene is limited, but she can't exactly be called a benevolent god... nor a purely evil one either."
"Back in Romania, during the 7-vs-7 Holy Grail War, when I also served as a Ruler, I encountered her...."
"..."
"In the end, the result of that Holy Grail War was clear. Even with heroes like Karna, son of the sun god; Achilles, the great hero; Atalanta, the legendary huntress; Mordred, the rebellious knight; and Semiramis, empress of Assyria—champions who would normally guarantee victory in any Grail War—"
"The 'Red' faction was completely annihilated by the 'Black' faction of Yggdmillennia—who had Selene as their trump card."
"After securing her Master's victory, Selene simply grew bored and self-destructed her Spirit Origin, leaving."
As Jeanne finished her story, the room fell into heavy silence.
"Indeed, according to the Omniscient Omnipotent Star possessed by Gilgamesh, Selene—while sharing the name of the full moon goddess from Greek mythology—is entirely different."
"In foreign myths, she embodies benevolence and nurtures all living things—"
"But she also has a terrifying side: war, slaughter, destruction, abyss... all these aspects, considered supreme divine authorities in any pantheon, are merely parts of her power."
On the sky-blue monitor, Da Vinci, resting her chin on her hand, spoke seriously while rapidly analyzing the intelligence Gilgamesh had uploaded.
"At the same time, she is a goddess of the earth, the sky, the sea, the sun, the stars... it's ridiculous. A true single-entity creation deity, a supreme god who governs all cosmic laws. The extent of her authorities and her true form are beyond our imagination."
Looking at the complex records displayed on the screen, Romani's expression fluctuated. He sighed in distress.
The deeper they understood, the more terrifying she seemed. For someone like Romani, who knew the true weight of power, this entity was far stronger than the so-called Grand Caster Solomon.
"Moreover, she's a deity with a rather nasty personality," Gilgamesh added in timely fashion.
"Last time was a transaction. This time is also a transaction. No doubt, she merely sees Solomon's incineration of humanity as a mortal game—a grand fireworks display for her entertainment."
Based on his deep study of pleasure and his understanding of the gods, Gilgamesh made this judgment.
"Fortunately, because of the limitations of the Servant Spirit Origin, this—at most—is only a recorded imprint of her, not her true body. No matter how powerful, she shouldn't exceed Tiamat by much."
"Like last time, we simply need more preparations, more allies!"
Saying this, Gilgamesh glanced toward Ishtar, who was still entangled with that red-haired boy. Suddenly, he remembered something critical and roared:
"Ishtar!"
"A-ahh... wh-what?!"
Ishtar jumped in fright.
"Don't tell me you've already lost it, right after descending."
Gilgamesh's voice was flat, expressionless—devoid of emotion. Around them, those who understood immediately fell silent. Last time, Ishtar's blunder had nearly doomed them all.
"You... you guys—what's with those looks?!"
Flushed with anger and embarrassment, Ishtar shouted, feeling utterly humiliated.
"This time, I've definitely not lost it—"
Before she could even finish—
Suddenly, the entire villa shook violently.
What now?!
Everyone turned sharply toward the huge figure looming outside the hole in the wall.
What was that creature? Why did it have a four-parted mouth?!
"ROAR—! In Selene's name, the Sangheili hereby declare war upon you all!"
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