"Shuten-dōji has been defeated."
Jiang You's fingers twitched, and an indescribable sensation ran down his spine, as if a connection had been severed. He checked his heroic spirit panel—Shuten-dōji's portrait had turned gray, with an eight-day cooldown. He couldn't rely on her for the time being.
"Gorgon hasn't even approached the battlefield yet. It seems Kingu was the one who struck."
"Kingu... is he really that strong?"
Gudako, who had just fought Shuten-dōji, couldn't doubt her power. Without Merlin's assistance, she and Mash would have been defeated in fewer than ten exchanges. Yet Shuten-dōji, who had only been holding the line for five minutes, was already dead? "But Shuten-dōji is our ally now, right? How could she just die like that?! And Ibaraki and Raikou are over there too! We need to rush over and support them!"
The Shuten-dōji Jiang You summoned lacked memories of Gudako, so she had been somewhat careless when attacking Gudako earlier, thinking that as long as she didn't kill her, it would be fine. Unexpectedly, Gudako held no grudge at all, truly proving her status as a universal plug.
"Stop worrying so much. Hundred Faces, take these two to Ur to enjoy their... pleasures."
With a wave of Jiang You's hand, a multitude of Hundred Faces materialized behind him, some dressed as maids, others as butlers, even including a head maid. Jiang You said, "Don't feel pressured. You've worked hard all this way. Now leave it to me. Just like in the Sixth Singularity, I'll handle everything."
One of the Hundred Faces, standing ramrod straight in a butler's uniform, stepped forward and offered Gudako a formal invitation with impeccable etiquette: "Young Miss, you've worked hard. It's time for you to rest properly."
"Then I'll leave it to you, Jiang You. I'm exhausted after running around for so long..."
Merlin chuckled, intending to follow Gudako and Mash as the Hundred Faces carried them away.
"Lord Merlin, do you fancy yourself a young lady too?" Jiang You grabbed Merlin's shoulder, his grip so tight that Merlin had to bite his lower lip to stifle a cry.
"The capable must bear more burdens," Jiang You said. "No rest for you yet, Merlin."
Was Shuten-dōji a First-Rate Heroic Spirit?
Undoubtedly yes. As the Oni King of Mount Ōe, she had clashed endlessly with powerful warriors in Heian-kyō for centuries, her strength beyond question. Yet this was the Age of Gods. Shuten-dōji's inherent power was weaker than even Enkidu's, let alone Kingu's, who possessed Enkidu's heart, constructed from the Holy Grail itself. Moreover, her meager (C-rank) Divinity was precisely countered here, making her defeat logical.
Conversely, Ibaraki, lacking Divinity as a debuff, found the Chains of Heaven Kingu wielded to be less effective against her. Driven to madness, she unleashed her magical power without restraint, even her hair ablaze.
"Give Shuten-dōji back to me!" Ibaraki roared as she charged at Kingu, the flames on her bone blade coalescing into a massive demon's head that roared down upon him.
Even Kingu, confident in his vessel's durability, dared not meet this attack head-on. He hastily erected a layered defense of Chains of Heaven before him, parrying Ibaraki's strike as he retreated rapidly.
Ibaraki's all-out, desperate swing missed its mark, leaving her momentarily vulnerable. Seizing this fleeting opportunity, Kingu unleashed several Chains of Heaven from beneath his robe, aiming directly for Ibaraki's head, throat, and heart—vital points for most servants.
Realizing she couldn't raise her bone blade in time, Ibaraki instinctively raised her arm, her face contorted in a ferocious grimace as she frantically squeezed every last drop of magical power from her circuits.
"Transform my rage into hellfire! Surge forth, Junglefire! Great Grudge of Rashomon, arise!!!!"
The colossal, burning Demon Hand crashed down upon Kingu like a tidal wave. The chains of heaven, woven from earth and used as weapons, melted instantly as they came into contact with the searing heat. In the blink of an eye, the Demon Hand was upon Kingu, seizing him firmly. A massive pillar of hellfire erupted, instantly reducing a tens-of-meters radius to scorched earth.
"Hahahaha! This is the price you pay for harming Shuten-dōji!"
Exhausted, Ibaraki-Doji braced herself with her bone blade, barely managing to stay on her feet. "Shuten, did you see? I've avenged you!"
"Tch, underestimated again!"
Kingu snarled as he crawled out of the charred ground. His body was composed of earth, and the filth clinging to him actually sealed his wounds, leaving him surprisingly unscathed.
"Is this your most formidable technique? This body is connected to the earth. As long as my magical power remains, I am immortal. You think you can defeat me with this?"
Several chains restrained Ibaraki-Doji's struggling limbs, hoisting her into the air.
"While that Oni's physical prowess was slightly better, the creature was too troublesome to handle. I couldn't hold back enough. I'll have to make do with you for now. After all, war between the Three Goddesses is about to erupt, and we're desperately short of manpower here."
"Oni will never submit!" Ibaraki snarled through gritted teeth. "I lost fair and square! Just kill me!"
"Submit?" Kingu burst into laughter, abandoning all pretense of composure. "We don't need that. All my Mother and I want is your body. Your thoughts and feelings are utterly irrelevant. Rest assured, we'll put it to good use."
Just then, several golden Noble Phantasms rained down on the spot where Kingu had stood moments before. Then, a flurry of slashing Noble Phantasms severed the chains binding Ibaraki.
"Who dares?!" Kingu sensed a dangerous presence.
"Don't make that expression with my Best Friend's face," the Former King of Uruk declared, stepping between Kingu and Ibaraki. "This King will lose all restraint and kill you! For the sake of my Best Friend's body, would you kindly kill yourself here?"
"Gilgamesh!"
Kingu never expected the Heroic King to appear here. Shouldn't he be locked in a fierce battle with Quetzalcoatl right now? Moreover, he had to coordinate both fronts of the war; how could he possibly have time to leave his throne?
"You defeated Quetzalcoatl too?"
Kingu instinctively took two steps back. Even he had to admit that Quetzalcoatl's power, even in an ordinary Spirit Origin, was terrifyingly formidable after a perfect victory. If Gilgamesh had defeated her, he must have possessed something unexpected.
"No, he lost," Jiang You interjected.
Seeing Gilgamesh's face alternate between pale and flushed, Jiang You knew the Heroic King was struggling with whether to tell the truth. As the Heroic King, he disdained lying, yet his pride couldn't bear repeatedly admitting defeat in front of others. So Jiang You helped him out: "Before you stands the fallen monarch of Uruk, the former King, now under political asylum in the Faerie Realm."
"Political asylum? Hardly," Merlin scoffed from the sidelines.