Miracle Summoner

Ishtar's composure finally shattered.

Completely, utterly shattered.

"Why? Why are you here?! Weren't you sealed away?! Didn't the Holy Sword of the Stars annihilate you?! How are you still here—!?"

She couldn't help herself—Ishtar started scrambling across the floor, rapidly backing away from Altera until she was pressed into a corner, flailing and shrieking in a panic.

"It's over! This is it! We're finished! Humanity, the gods—everything's going to be destroyed!"

Despair was thick in her voice, leaving everyone around her momentarily stunned.

"Uhh..."

Mash was completely lost for words, and even the staff back in Chaldea were baffled by Ishtar's reaction.

Merlin, however, just wore a helpless smile.

Anna kept her eyes firmly locked on Altera. And if one looked closely, they would see her hands trembling faintly, as though she were suppressing the instinct to draw her weapon.

Clearly, to anyone connected to the gods, Altera's existence was far too significant to ignore.

Rozen simply sighed. A flicker of complex emotion passed through his eyes—what he was thinking, no one knew.

As for Ishtar, after screaming for a while, she was finally forced to stop.

Because a sword of tricolored light was now pointed directly at her.

"————"

Altera stared coldly at Ishtar without a word, her grip firm on the Sword of the War God.

The tip of the blade hovered only centimeters from Ishtar's throat—so close she could feel its chill against her face.

The sheer pressure left her no choice but to fall silent.

"You're a prisoner now. If you don't want to be destroyed, then behave yourself."

Altera's cold voice delivered the warning, leaving Ishtar with a face more pitiful than if she had burst into tears.

Rozen stepped forward and addressed her directly.

"As you can see, she's my Servant. From now on, she'll be responsible for keeping an eye on you." Rozen smiled slightly. "Even you wouldn't try anything reckless in front of her, would you?"

After all, Altera was the Enemy of the World, the Enemy of Mankind, the Enemy of Civilization—and above all, the Bane of the Gods.

If she hadn't been in slumber during the Sixth Singularity, she likely could've crushed the goddess Rhongomyniad completely, even without a Grand-class Saint Graph—saving Rozen quite a bit of trouble in repairing the Singularity.

But now, Altera did have a Grand-class Saint Graph. With that, plus her original strength, not even a fully restored Ishtar wielding all her divine authorities could put up a fight against her.

That made Altera the perfect warden.

And yet—

"...Do you even know what this being truly is?"

Ishtar stared at Rozen, her face drained of color, disbelief painted across her features.

The way she looked at him—it was as if he were some unforgivable sinner.

"Servant? You call her a Servant? That's not funny in the slightest!"

Ishtar shot back without hesitation.

"That thing is nothing like those cute little heroic spirits! You actually made a contract with that kind of monster?! Did you hit your head or something?!"

Her words had crossed into outright insult.

But seeing the fear, dread, and despair twisting her expression, everyone present understood: those words weren't rooted in arrogance, but terror.

"..."

Altera said nothing. She remained silent, coldly watching Ishtar—just as she always had.

However, Rozen, who'd been closely observing her, noticed it.

In that very moment, a ripple flickered across Altera's usually indifferent eyes.

It was subtle—but undeniable.

Ishtar's words had shaken her.

Not because Altera lacked self-awareness.

From the very beginning, Altera had known what she was.

A monster.

A calamity birthed by a wandering star—an emissary of destruction.

She had always known that the world, the gods, and humanity would fear and reject her.

She was the King of Destruction.

But perhaps it was the events at the God Tower—having her True Name revealed by Gilgamesh—that had left her unsettled. Her mood had already been disturbed, and now, Ishtar's words struck a deeper chord.

Almost instinctively, Altera turned to look at Rozen.

Only to find him already looking at her.

Their gazes locked.

And then—Altera flinched. Her eyes trembled, and she immediately averted her gaze, unable to hold his eyes.

Rozen fell silent.

He could tell: Altera's heart was in turmoil.

To others, she may have appeared just as cold and emotionless as ever—but Rozen had known Altera for a long time.

Since they'd formed their contract, decades had passed. No one understood her better than he did.

So he knew—

(You've touched a part of your truth, haven't you? And now you can't even look me in the eye?)

This girl… was as foolish as ever.

And so—

"Whether I've hit my head or not, I don't know," Rozen replied, turning his gaze to Ishtar, speaking each word with conviction.

"What I do know is that I was the one who awakened her. I was the one who found her. And I was the one who asked her to lend me her power. That's why she formed a contract with me."

"No matter what you or anyone else thinks of her, no matter what she's done in the past—she is my Servant. That is an unshakable fact."

"You're afraid of her?"

"Well, then I feel sorry for you."

"Because the one you should fear isn't her."

"It's me—the one who awakened her, who dared to contract with her, and who holds the power to unleash her destruction at will."

"She's a weapon. And I'm the one who wields her."

"Got it?"

His words struck the room like a thunderclap, plunging it into silence.

"You..."

Ishtar looked at Rozen with new eyes.

"Senpai..."

Mash, too, looked at him—but her eyes had softened, filled with warmth.

"..."

Anna silently watched him, her eyes shimmering with emotions too complex to read.

"Heh."

Merlin arched an eyebrow, a grin tugging at his lips as if reevaluating Rozen entirely.

And Altera—

She froze for a moment, eyes wide. Slowly, unconsciously, she turned to look at Rozen again.

But this time, Rozen didn't meet her gaze.

"Watch her. As long as she doesn't try to run or stir up trouble, let her move freely."

Rozen left those instructions behind, then climbed the stairs to the upper floor.

His actions echoed the very words he'd just spoken—as if to declare to the world that no matter how terrifying Altera was, she belonged to him.

Altera watched him go, a whirlwind of emotions flickering through her beautiful eyes.

Then, she vanished, shifting into Spirit Form.

Everyone knew—Altera was still here.

And, just as Rozen had said, she would keep watch over Ishtar.

Ishtar finally tore her eyes away from where Altera had stood and looked up at the stairs Rozen had ascended.

"Hey," she suddenly asked, "what's that human's name?"

It was a strange question.

After all, Rozen had already introduced himself at the Divine Tower.

Still, someone answered.

Not Mash—but Merlin.

"Rorelai Arneet, Rozen. That's his name."

Merlin said with a smile.

"Rozen..."

Ishtar lowered her head and repeated the name several times under her breath.

And then—

"I'll remember you."

She whispered those words softly.

And so, the troublesome goddess remained here—

Under watch.