With Merlin's assistance, Mash unleashed tremendous combat power, momentarily pushing Shuten Dōji into retreat. However, Ibaraki successfully defeated Benkei, instantly reversing the tide of battle. Just as Gudako thought the battle would drag on indefinitely, a comical Servant dressed in a mascot costume descended from the sky, suppressing both sides simultaneously.
Taiga Fujimura, still in her mascot costume, declared that there was no need to fight anymore, as Uruk had already fallen.
As Gudako resolved to preserve her remaining forces and ordered Mash to snatch Ushiwakamaru from Minamoto no Raikou to prepare for retreat, Ana suddenly appeared in her vision.
Gudako was then brought back to the Divine Tower, to Gilgamesh's throne. There, Fairy Tristan squirmed in her seat, her face twisted with distaste as if the throne were deeply uncomfortable. After all, the throne was clearly made of stone and could hardly compare to the comfort of a sofa.
Gilgamesh stood beside her, his face strained as if constipated, his eyes burning with palpable murderous intent. Yet, under the influence of the Shadow Game, he remained powerless.
"It looks incredibly shabby, and sitting on it feels even shabbier. Is this the Heroic King's idea of grandeur?"
"This is from over 4,500 years ago, around 2500 BC. Don't expect too much," Siduri said with a forced smile. In reality, Gilgamesh had been excessively extravagant and indulgent for years before recently restraining himself and becoming a Wise King.
"I've read the Epic of Gilgamesh. Don't try to fool me," Jiang You retorted, deliberately undermining Gilgamesh. He delighted in the king's annoyance. "Everyone knows what kind of man he was back then—a glutton for luxury who wouldn't spare even men from his excesses."
"Mongrel..." Gilgamesh spat, his pride stung by this exposure of his dark past—a black history he could never erase, to the point where he wished he could travel back in time and kill his former self.
"So you stirred up all this trouble just for that?" Gudako finally snapped, unable to hold back her frustration. "You've turned the entire Singularity into a mess! Even though no one was killed, couldn't you have just told us properly from the start?!"
Merlin chuckled to himself, having foreseen this outcome long ago. If not for Shuten-dōji's frenzy, he could have coasted through until the very end. He had observed Gilgamesh's battle with perfect clarity. The only lingering question was Jiang You's true identity. Jiang You's ability to absorb defeated foes into his Deck made identification all the more difficult.
It wasn't so much that Merlin had faith in Jiang You; it was more that Jiang You's Deck contained two powerhouses capable of carrying the team. In this situation, no one was better suited to be the ultimate weapon for the final battle than Jiang You.
"Would you have agreed if I'd told you beforehand?"
Seeing Gudako's sudden silence, Merlin knew she had accepted the outcome.
"Alright, alright. Shuten-dōji just got carried away. She promised me she wouldn't go all out. What happened...?"
The master of slacking coughed awkwardly twice.
"Okay, I get it now..."
Jiang You glanced sideways at Merlin, guessing that the man had said something to rile up Shuten-dōji.
"How about this? As compensation, I'll take you on a vacation to the modern world. Not a Singularity kind of thing—think of it as a Parallel World."
"Really?"
Gudako eyed Jiang You skeptically. "A place like that exists? Is it one of those places that seems perfectly normal at first, but then some urgent situation suddenly arises that we have to deal with? Last time, Da Vinci said a Singularity would resolve itself without intervention and told me and Mash to go relax. Next thing we knew, we were battling Heroic Spirits."
It seemed Gudako had participated in several events and was quite familiar with Fate/Grand Order's typical plot patterns.
"Don't worry," Jiang You assured her. "I've already handled everything there. Just enjoy yourself."
"Sounds fishy," she muttered.
Having just pulled a prank, Jiang You's credibility with Gudako was... less than stellar.
"Is that so?"
Ushiwakamaru, aching all over from her fight with Minamoto no Raikou, sat cross-legged on the ground. Behind her lay the unconscious Benkei. "Though it was a bit excessive, I forgive you for letting me spar with Lady Raikou. Now, we can go hunt Magical Beast heads, right?"
"Just stay out of this, Ushiwakamaru," Jiang You said. "I don't want to see you corrupted again. You're like... perfect material for a doujinshi. Leave the rest to us. The Three Goddess Alliance's agreement has ended. From now on, the battles will end swiftly."
They've reinforced their forces again."
Kingu watched the advancing battle lines in the distance. The enemy servant numbers had reached a terrifying scale, and every one of them was a new, unfamiliar face.
"These are servants from Quetzalcoatl's side. Why are they defending Uruk?"
"The Three Goddess Alliance's pact only binds the goddesses themselves. She's obstructing us."
Gorgon glared at her meticulously prepared Second-Generation Demonic Beasts being slaughtered. She was bitterly frustrated by the lack of time; had she been given more, the beasts' performance wouldn't be so abysmal. Now she had no choice but to make do.
"Shall I eliminate these servants?" Kingu offered.
As the newly formed persona after Enkidu's system reset, Kingu inherited all of Enkidu's original strength and possessed the Holy Grail as his heart. Ordinary servants stood no chance against him.
"Go ahead. It's time for me to launch my assault as well. Quetzalcoatl's Wind God Pterosaur has already appeared above Uruk. This is a battle between goddesses now—clear away these irritating insects for me."
Gorgon's mountain-like figure materialized on the battlefield, her overwhelming presence palpable even from kilometers away.
"Yes, Mother."
Kingu soared forward, charging toward the servant.
Shuten-dōji had just ripped open a Magical Beast's chest and tasted its heart. She quickly spat it out in disgust—a foul mixture of flavors that hardly pleased her palate.
Suddenly, several golden chains pierced the ground before her. Fortunately, her petite frame allowed her to nimbly dodge through the gaps between the chains.
"Ara, so you're the legendary Enkidu... Oh, my apologies for the rudeness. It's Kingu, right? While I do enjoy bondage, metal chains are far too dangerous, you know?"
Shuten-dōji licked her palm. Kingu, an existence formed from clay that inherited Enkidu's body, lacked blood and marrow—a great disappointment to Shuten-dōji.
"Island Nation Oni! This is not your place! Moreover, you're blocking Mother's path!"
Kingu slammed his palm against the ground, and countless chains erupted from all directions, targeting Shuten-dōji. "Die here!"