Chapter 48: I Don't Care!
"My Bull of Heaven!"
After a brief moment of panic, Ishtar's eyes widened in shock. Although she was currently in a state where her Divine Power was sealed, her discernment as a deity remained.
Insta-killed?
Unlike the Bull of Heaven in the FGO world, which is a creation of the gods, the Bull of Heaven in this world was merely a fusion of a Danmachi monster and a Corrupted Spirit.
A fusion of a Corrupted Spirit and an ordinary monster already possessed Strength of at least Level 7. This custom-made Bull of Heaven of Ishtar's even possessed Level 8 Strength.
With this single bull alone, Ishtar could hold her own against the entire Freya Familia, or at least remain undefeated.
Yet, this monster, no less powerful than a Level 8, was actually killed in an instant?
Child of God, Child of God...
Damn Child of God!
Suddenly remembering the other party's identity, Ishtar's face contorted with rage, because she realized she was finished!
"No! I won't go back like this!"
The elegance and poise of a goddess vanished from Ishtar, replaced by total hysteria.
"Since I'm going to die anyway, I might as well take a few people with me!"
"Come forth, seeds of the Corrupted Spirit!"
"Kill everyone in the Pleasure Quarter for me!"
"Aren't you a Deliverer? Go and try to save those people for me!"
The power of a Child of God made Ishtar incredibly wary, so the crazed goddess made an even crazier move, directly summoning all the remaining Corrupted Spirits in an attempt to massacre the entire Pleasure Quarter.
Boom—!
Ishtar had already planted the seeds of the Corrupted Spirit near the Pleasure Quarter. With a single command from the goddess, these monsters could be activated to launch an attack, starting from the Pleasure Quarter and moving outward.
That was the original plan, but now Ishtar couldn't care less. There was no time for an outward offensive; she might as well attack inward...
This Pleasure Quarter was built by Ishtar's own hands. To establish this prosperous district, she had consumed untold resources.
Rather than letting this district be seized by someone else after her 'death', she would rather destroy everything here herself!
Including those people currently strolling through the Pleasure Quarter!
Well?
O Deliverer!
Don't you want to kill me?
You certainly have the ability, but what then?
The Corrupted Spirits might not be your match, but to the people of the Pleasure Quarter, they are a natural disaster!
I want you to watch with your own eyes as the innocent people of Orario are slaughtered by monsters! I want you to watch as The City turns into a sea of fire!
I want you to remember forever...
That you couldn't save them!
That you could only watch as they were killed!
The hysteria of a goddess was indeed a terrifying thing. Ordinary people simply couldn't resist, and even high-level adventurers had to weigh their own Strength.
But as it happened, Barbara was no ordinary person.
"Is this a goddess? How pathetic..."
Pity gradually filled Barbara's gaze as she looked at Ishtar, and she even paused her movements for a moment.
The deities of the Danmachi world are set to be omniscient and omnipotent, yet it is precisely these omniscient and omnipotent deities who reveal all sorts of ugly behavior after descending to the Lower World.
In that case, why did the gods come to the Lower World in the first place?
Perhaps it's as they say: Heaven is simply too boring.
Or perhaps, in their 'omniscient and omnipotent' state, the gods face restrictions unimaginable to humans, making them unwilling to return?
Regardless, Barbara would not let Ishtar escape. Given the goddess's personality, she would surely seek revenge.
However, before sending Ishtar away from this world, Barbara would let this goddess witness the despair of reality.
A whirlwind surrounded Ishtar, stripping her of her ability to move, yet allowing the goddess to see further—allowing her to see the Corrupted Spirits she had released.
"What are you doing?"
"No! Stop it!"
Realizing something, Ishtar suddenly began to scream and shout, frantically striking the wind wall around her.
But the wind wall remained motionless. Like the walls of Stormterror's Lair, it simply bounced Ishtar back.
"Ishtar... when I first became a 'Deliverer', I actually wanted to refuse, because I didn't know if I could truly save those people."
"I'm no saint. My gentle and kind appearance is all an act; the real me doesn't care about any of this at all."
The girl's voice echoed in the surroundings, causing Ishtar's movements to stop. But then, the goddess's expression completely changed.
The Roleplay mission had been forcibly terminated. Even if Barbara completely abandoned her Roleplay now, she wouldn't suffer any penalty, though she wouldn't receive any rewards either.
Yet even so, she still wanted to act like a gentle and kind girl and save those trapped in peril.
Why?
"Evil Gods like you, or those wicked people, feel excitement and pleasure when hurting others, don't you?"
The Skyward AK in her hand pointed toward the vicinity of the Pleasure Quarter, precisely where the dust was rising and the Corrupted Spirits were appearing.
Even without aiming, she would hit her targets.
"Since it makes you happy, then I absolutely will not let you have your way!"
"Didn't you want me to watch those innocents die with my own eyes? Then I'll let you watch with your own eyes how I save them!"
Saving others wasn't out of a sense of duty.
It was simply that she didn't want to see those evil people or deities feeling pleasure by hurting others.
"The thought of the expression people like you will make when it's all over is the only thing that brings me joy!"
Click!
With a pull of the trigger, several attacks infused with whirlwinds easily crossed the distance of the Pleasure Quarter, striking the Corrupted Spirits that had just emerged from the ground.
These wretched monsters had only just awakened from their slumber, only to face an overwhelmingly powerful enemy they couldn't hope to rival. They were eliminated in a single strike without even seeing their opponent's face.
"You..."
Ishtar stared blankly at Barbara. Her previous madness had vanished, replaced by incomparable despair.
"Don't kill me... I can grant you any request!"
"Do you need Valis? Or materials dropped by monsters?"
"I have plenty! If you're willing to spare me, I can give them all to you!"
"Please, don't kill me!"
A deity would never, under any circumstances, beg a human for mercy—unless the person before them was no ordinary human...
Facing a Deliverer who was so gentle and kind, yet so decisive in slaughter, Ishtar was truly terrified.
She really would kill her!
"It seems I was wrong about one thing..."
Looking at the Goddess Ishtar, who was incessantly begging for mercy, Barbara sighed helplessly and pointed the gun barrel at the center of Ishtar's forehead.
"You're not just pathetic; you're also incredibly stupid."
Bang!
With the final gunshot in the Pleasure Quarter, Ishtar's body slowly transformed into a pillar of light that shot toward the sky, flying toward Heaven.
But Barbara merely watched this scene and whispered...
"Please, Lady Istaroth."
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T/N: If you spot mistranslation, do tell me.
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