Chapter 27: Influence, The Goddess's Heartbeat!
"Let go..."
"In your dreams!"
"If you don't let go, I'm really going to take action."
"Hmph!"
Seeing Ishtar biting him without any sign of stopping, it was hard to believe she was the famous Goddess of Venus. Her current appearance was like that of a woman in an uncontrollable rage.
"Gu~"
A large hand landed squarely on Ishtar's "slime," which wasn't particularly large.
"Y-yaa—!"
Her sensitive spot was suddenly gripped by a large hand, causing Ishtar to let out a high-pitched shriek. Taking advantage of the opening, Akira immediately flipped their positions and pinned her down.
With a sharp whoosh, the Chain of Heaven extended from the void, binding her tightly.
Akira glanced at his own neck. Good grief, that bite was vicious. She had actually pierced the skin and drawn blood.
It was worth noting that Akira's current state was equivalent to that of a Demon God. For her to draw blood was proof enough that the goddess hadn't held back at all; she had bitten him with the full intent to harm.
"You pervert, you creep! How dare you harass a goddess! You're definitely going to hell!"
"Don't try to shift the blame, Ishtar. You're the one who crashed into me, then went around groping my body. Even after touching me, you still bit me. Between the two of us, who is the real pervert here?"
"I... I didn't do it on purpose! I was just startled!"
"Stop making excuses. An exhibitionist goddess dressed as scantily as you gets 'startled'?"
"You... I..."
Ishtar opened her mouth, trying to cobble together a retort, but she eventually realized she had no idea how to argue back.
Meanwhile, the blood on Akira's neck had already vanished. Never mind a small wound; even if his arm or leg were severed, he could reattach them and recover in an instant.
"Hmph, I don't care! Regardless, you're a pervert, and you harassed a goddess. And just now, you... you... grabbed my—"
As she said those words, Ishtar's face turned bright red. Because she was fused with a human, she now possessed part of the human moral compass, including a sense of shame and concern for her own body.
"Hmm. Although the size is a bit small, the feel wasn't bad."
As if he were appraising something, Akira extended one hand and even briefly mimicked the gripping motion again. The way he moved looked as if he were reminiscing about the sensation.
The sight made Ishtar's face turn as red as a tomato—so red it looked like it might actually start dripping.
"You—you—!"
Glaring at Akira, Ishtar felt a surge of genuine killing intent. If she weren't restrained by the Chain of Heaven, she would have fought him to the death right then and there.
Akira, for his part, went back to observing the Ishtar before him. Black twin-tails, a slender waist, long legs—with one leg partially covered—and a small pair of panties that were even smaller than a bikini.
The current Ishtar wasn't the pure, original goddess, but a being summoned into a human vessel that shared a compatibility with the Holy Grail and her own wavelength. Because of that, she had undergone significant changes. Greedy for money, prone to failing at crucial moments, a tsundere personality—all of these traits were inherited from her human host.
Her personality was roughly seven parts Ishtar and three parts the human who served as her vessel. Thus, the "Goddess Rin" of Mesopotamia was born. And "Rin" was a figure famous for her "top-tier legs."
For some reason, a sudden fire ignited in Akira's heart. He felt a burgeoning desire to possess this goddess, a thought that continued to ferment in his mind.
Under Akira's "burning" gaze, Ishtar actually began to feel afraid.
"Hey, what are you trying to do? I'm warning you, I am the Goddess of the Heavens, a true deity! Your actions are a blasphemy against a goddess!"
Ishtar's voice snapped Akira back to reality.
"Sorry. My current state is a bit abnormal."
As he forcibly calmed himself, Ishtar also realized that Akira's condition was indeed unusual. This wasn't their first meeting. During their last encounter, the situation had been almost the same, yet Akira hadn't shown any of the signs he was showing now.
"Is this the influence of the Chaos Tide? No, that can't be. I'm not tainted, I haven't been corrupted, and I haven't turned 'Alter'."
Akira checked his internal state. His magical energy was currently boiling—extremely active.
"Hey, are you okay?" Ishtar asked cautiously.
"I'm fine. You should leave now, while I can still control myself."
With a wave of his hand, Akira released the Chain of Heaven. He no longer had any desire to be near her. He was genuinely afraid that if he couldn't restrain himself, he would simply conquer her on the spot.
Ishtar looked confused, but to preserve her dignity (and her safety), she didn't linger. She summoned her boat-like Divine Weapon, Maanna, and shot back into the sky.
"What exactly is going on?"
Akira's consciousness began to establish a connection with Tiamat.
[My child—]
"Mother, my current condition is a bit strange. When I see women, I feel an impulse... I almost lost control. Do you know what's happening?"
[Reproduction of life—is only natural—]
"But Mother, this is bordering on a loss of control."
[Multiply—instinct—do not hold back—]
"No, Mother. You don't understand what I mean."
[Grandchildren—more children—]
"Fine, forget it."
Akira cut the connection. This "Mother" was truly incapable of understanding human emotions. To her, if he had such desires, he should simply act on them. For the Mother of Life, procreation was the most basic instinct of existence.
"Huff—seems much better now."
After more than ten minutes, Akira exhaled a long breath. The previous impulse had faded. He glanced around; Ishtar had long since vanished without a trace.
Akira had a hunch. This was likely related to the Chaos Tide. Rather than saying he almost lost control, it was more accurate to say he was nearly governed by his own instincts. The deepest desires in his heart seemed to be magnified by the black mud of the Tide.
After all, Akira knew himself well. He was a true "LSP"—someone who wanted to build a harem and embrace every beautiful girl.
"It seems that living the 'easy life' isn't as simple as it looks."
His anger had subsided, but that "impulsive" feeling remained difficult for a man to manage. Just a bit of intimate contact and he had nearly snapped. This was definitely not a good sign.
On the other hand, the escaped Ishtar flew at high speeds for over ten minutes before finally stopping to settle her racing heart. However, she subconsciously touched her own "slime" and felt a faint sense of "reluctance."
Although she had bitten Akira out of shame and anger, now that the event had passed and she looked back on it, she actually felt a strange trace of comfort. That large, warm hand...
"No—no—no! That's not me! That wasn't me at all! This is all because of that human's influence, not mine!"
Shaking her head vigorously, Ishtar forced herself to calm down. She was the Goddess of Venus. There was no way she could be like this. This definitely wasn't her.
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