If she thought about it carefully, if she hadn't stolen the Rhine Gold or launched a sneak attack on Siegfried, and had only used the Golden Fleece to strengthen herself, developing not toward a divine child but toward a demonic being… then Susanoo would never have had the chance to release his Spirit Origin.
"How frustrating… I clearly prepared everything… yet I still couldn't overturn my own myth?"
After understanding the entire chain of events, Ibuki said with a self-mocking tone, "Or rather, what I did actually ended up playing right into your wishes?"
"…Honestly, that was beyond my expectations."
Iori said sincerely, "Until that very instant just now, I still didn't have absolute confidence in winning. The scale of your Spirit Origin was simply too great."
"Yet now it has all become nourishment for the 'hero,' just like what once happened… But this still isn't the end, Berserker… and Ruler."
"What did you say?" Jeanne came back to her senses. Now that Ibuki Douji had been dealt with and the Yamata no Orochi had yet to awaken, if everyone's Servants worked together they could absolutely "send it back."
But even though the crisis should have passed, why had the unease in her heart not decreased at all?
"In this Holy Grail War, I'm not the only one harboring ulterior motives. And unlike someone as straightforward as me, those smiling fellows are actually the most dangerous… Well, I can't say too much, otherwise it would affect the contract."
"Contract? What contract? Are you saying you have an accomplice?!"
Jeanne clenched her fist. "Who exactly is it? A Servant or a Master!"
Ibuki Douji paid no attention to Jeanne's words. She simply looked at Iori and grinned.
"I'll let it go this time. Next time I definitely won't fall for it… Heh, you're better-looking than I imagined…"
The child of the serpent god turned into spiritual light and dispersed, while Iori slightly frowned.
The next moment, gray spread across the jade-white scales of Yamata no Orochi, and that enormous body gradually began to petrify…
"Something's not right." Iori looked down at the petrifying Yamata no Orochi, then glanced toward the place where Ibuki Douji had disappeared. His eyes turned sharp.
"The Rhine Gold!"
———
"Got it. It cost one Command Spell."
Inside a workshop filled with steel machinery and steam, yet also packed with dragon-tooth soldiers and magic puppets, perfectly combining technology and magecraft, the witch who had concealed her fairy-like beauty turned around, holding something in her hand.
What drew attention was that although she was merely a Servant, bright red Command Spells were now engraved on the back of her hand, and there were more than three of them.
"A catalyst refined from the life of an evil dragon. Even in the era when we were alive, this would have been a rare treasure. Even the great gods would probably be tempted by it."
"Now we can summon the strongest divine beast whenever we want."
Another girl with wings on her back sat on the railing and chuckled.
"As expected of Medea. You actually calculated things this far in advance. The contract you signed with Assassin really ended up being useful."
Circe!
This Caster from the Red faction had actually appeared in the most important forbidden ground of the Yggdmillennia faction, inside the magecraft workshop where the Greater Grail was placed.
Meanwhile, Medea, the nominal master of this place, showed no abnormal reaction at all to Circe's presence, as if this were the most ordinary thing in the world.
"How's the situation with Black Berserker?" the hawk-winged girl continued to ask.
Medea glanced at her. "Are you doubting my ability in pharmacology?"
"I just think I'm better at this and wanted to lend you a hand." Circe laughed softly. "No need to guard against me like that. Right now we're inseparable allies."
"A woman who chose betrayal just because she felt slighted actually expects me to trust you?"
"On that particular matter, I'd rather not be criticized by you, Medea."
Circe seemed rather pleased with herself.
"But with this, those people should understand."
"Understand what?"
"How terrifying it is to offend a woman… hehehe!"
"…"
Medea fell silent.
She believed she wasn't a good person either, but unless it was necessary she wouldn't commit evil. Her aunt Circe, however, was completely different…
"By the way, that Assassin is quite capable. Did you already predict this result beforehand?"
"How could I? I never expected her to stir up such a huge commotion. Originally I thought at most she would muddy the waters a bit, but she ended up provoking everyone…"
"Fortunately, when I lent her the Golden Fleece, we signed a contract. As long as she failed, then all her remaining assets, including the Master and the Holy Relic, would be left for me to handle."
"Unfortunately Ruler was right there, and the threat was too great. I had to spend an additional Command Spell to summon the remains over… but it was worth it."
"As long as we finish constructing the 'Labyrinth,' this Holy Grail War will be over!"
Medea turned her head toward the gigantic golden container at the center of the workshop. The miraculous crystal known as the "Greater Grail" curved the corner of her mouth into a confident smile.
And what she was holding in her hands was a golden heart engraved with snake patterns on its surface, constantly beating.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
[CG Recorded]
[Calamity Subjugation: Yamata no Orochi]
[Category: Mythology]
[Rank: —]
[Quality: —]
[Reward List]
[Calamity Soul: Yaqi]
[(Anti-Person Noble Phantasm, Passive)]
[1. Divine Attribute Granted & Divine Attribute Enhancement (Water, Lightning)]
[This extremely special blessing improves the human body, allowing it to develop into a more perfect state, while also increasing attributes such as magic resistance and physical resistance.]
[2. Yamata no Orochi symbolizes natural disasters such as floods, tsunamis, and storms. Because of this, people feared it, and thus it gained the divinity of calamity.]
[Those who subdue Yamata no Orochi will obtain the power of the "Calamity Soul." No matter what weapon they hold, they can inject the power of the Calamity Soul into it, temporarily treating it as the Ame-no-Murakumo Sword, thereby using techniques including the slashing sword skill "Yaqi Rage Wave."]
———
[CG Recorded]
[The Dragon, the Hero, and the Princess]
[Category: Art Style]
[Rank: —]
[Quality: —]
[Reward List]
[Art Style Value +4]
[(The hero rescues the princess from the sharp fangs of the evil dragon, what a classic scene. Even a thousand years later, human society will still recognize this kind of legend!)]
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
He received two CGs. Because he recreated the tale of Susanoo slaying Yamata no Orochi, he naturally obtained a myth CG, and its corresponding reward made Iori extremely excited.
The reason he had been able to rampage across the battlefield just now was not solely due to his own strength.
It was also because of multiple enhancement states such as Spirit Origin reinforcement, legendary blessings, and Command Spell charging. With all of them stacked together, he finally achieved this great feat.
Many of those effects were one-time uses, or would disappear once this Holy Grail War ended and he left the Type-Moon world.
Honestly, Iori felt quite regretful about that, because that feeling of being able to do anything was truly addictive…
However, this [Calamity Soul: Yaqi] allowed him to inherit two types of divinity and also gain Noble Phantasm–level sword techniques. It could be considered that a portion of his strength had been preserved.
If he kept working hard and obtained a few more of these, maybe he could bring this entire set of power back to the Soul Society.
"What exactly did Ibuki mean before she died…"
The boy was full of doubts, but his expression showed no sign of it. He descended from the petrified serpent together with Jeanne, and before long several Servants arrived.
Although the shockwave earlier was only a remnant, it was like an ultra-large Anti-Army Noble Phantasm, ravaging nearly every inch of land equally.
These Servants were no exception, after all, this wasn't a video game, and there was no such thing as friendly-fire immunity.
Fortunately, none of them were weak. Each could resist it to some extent. Because the energy fluctuations of the aftershock were extremely dispersed, it didn't cause any irreversible tragedy.
Achilles was the first to arrive. He had hardly been injured in the battle, though part of his Noble Phantasm had been destroyed.
Carrying Atalanta, he landed on the ground and looked at the petrified serpent with some emotion, clearly feeling a bit unwilling.
There was nothing he could do about it. Although he was a top-tier Servant, he had no poison resistance and no dragon attribute.
Approaching the serpent meant he could be forcibly reversed at any moment, leaving him able only to support from afar.
And it wasn't just him. Vlad III, Chiron, and Atalanta were the same. Even the main attackers who entered the poisonous mist were not all completely unharmed.
Among them, Karna's condition was undoubtedly the best. The quality of his golden armor remained trustworthy as always.
Although the great hero suffered some setbacks in battle, he hadn't actually received any substantial injuries or curses.
Next was Jeanne. The holy maiden had maxed-out resistances. The power of curses found it difficult to erode her unwavering faith, so from beginning to end she only overconsumed magical energy when resisting Ibuki's Noble Phantasm, plus she had been hit by the aftershock once.
This Ruler was probably the one least afraid of the poisonous mist, Jeanne was a special existence so pure that "corruption" was impossible for her.
But aside from these two, Black Rider and Red Saber were not in good condition.
Most of the armor on King Arthur's body had been shattered, and her true body also suffered considerable injuries.
Although she repaired the armor with magical energy so that she appeared unchanged on the surface, the poisonous mist had already infiltrated through the wounds into her body… This wasn't something that could be expelled in a day or two.
Mordred's condition was roughly similar. She didn't have many injuries on her body, but the poisonous mist had penetrated deeper. She had no skills specifically aimed at curses and was simply resisting with her dragon attribute.
Under normal circumstances, Red Saber in this condition could already be considered half withdrawn from the battle, because before long she would be corrupted and reversed.
While her Spirit Origin was twisted, her rationality would be stripped away, turning her into something similar to a Berserker.
Well, for Mordred that didn't really seem like a negative buff…
In short, Red Saber looked very bad.
"Your battle was truly magnificent. Although we belong to different factions, this king still wishes to cheer for your victory."
Black Rider did not hide his admiration for Iori at all. At the same time, he carefully examined him with his eyes, nodded secretly, and then withdrew his gaze.
"However, it seems you also paid a great price?"
"That is only natural."
Iori didn't speak. Instead, Ruler Jeanne spoke up.
"To kill such a powerful enemy, the price was merely overexerting one's strength. That could be considered quite worthwhile."
"Mm." Arthur nodded in agreement.
Everyone present was a well-traveled great hero and also existed as Servants, so they clearly understood that Iori's performance earlier had already surpassed the limit a "normal Servant" could reach. There must have been some special reason behind it.
Now Iori's aura had weakened greatly, far inferior to when he was dueling Ibuki earlier… Everyone simply assumed it was the exhaustion after an explosive burst, which made it seem quite normal.
Jeanne felt this the most deeply, because she herself possessed a Noble Phantasm that burned her Spirit Origin in exchange for instantaneous output.
After using that Noble Phantasm, Jeanne could unleash extremely powerful destructive force, but it was a one-time Noble Phantasm. The price was her entire Spirit Origin…
Compared with that, Iori merely being "weakened" could already be considered a very good outcome.
"Although the process was quite complicated, the result can be considered satisfactory. Not a single Servant was eliminated, yet such a troublesome enemy was defeated. It can only be said that everyone here truly possesses remarkable strength."
Black Rider glanced at Iori, then at Karna, and finally let his gaze fall upon Ruler.
The King of the Wild Hunt suddenly spoke.
"Lord Ruler, the mission you issued has already been completed. Including this king, have the Servants now regained their freedom and can return to their previous state of battle?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere at the scene suddenly became tense. However, not a single person felt fear or unease. Instead, all of them revealed expressions eager for battle.
"Just what I wanted!"
Mordred was the most excited.
"Rider, your condition isn't very good right now. When you die under my sword later, don't call me despicable!"
"Huh?"
Rider turned his head and gave her a light glance, quickly looking away without the slightest attachment.
"Instead of worrying about me here, you should take a look at yourself… If this continues, the one who fights me won't be the simple-minded Saber, but a simple-minded Berserker."
"Heh! Maybe the Berserker class would actually suit you better~"
"You bastard!"
Mordred had a temper like gunpowder that ignited at the slightest spark. Moreover, with everyone watching, it further stimulated her rebellious nature and competitive spirit.
She immediately reached for her sword, ready to settle things with Rider.
Whoosh!
A flagpole covered in cracks, looking as if it might break at any moment, blocked the Red Saber's path.
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