You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

A series of blood droplets, exuding a sweet aroma, fell onto the water's surface, resembling wisps of red mist blending into it.

Shuten-dōji stood barefoot on the gourd, clutching the wound on his left arm, feeling the burning and stinging pain emanating from it, his narrow eyes slowly narrowing.

The ancient sword wielded by the opponent is a blade that has killed dragons or was forged from the remains of dragons and snakes!

Therefore, Shuten-dōji, who possesses "dragon attributes," felt a sense of unease when facing that sword. This was the same type of sword she encountered in the Yggdrasil Castle, wielding the Twilight Demon Sword.

But the mere association with the "dragon-slaying" legend wouldn't have caused her to lose her composure like this... An intuition told her instantly:

The red team's Berserker must have come from the Far East like her, and there is a high possibility that they have some unknown "connection"!

Especially that sword... Although Shuten-dōji had never seen it in person, it seemed familiar.

"Did a wicked demon who wreaked havoc encounter a warrior who vanquishes evil? I never imagined that such an interesting story could unfold again in a world thousands of years later."

It's a pity this Holy Grail War is destined to be forgotten by ordinary people, otherwise tonight's encounter would have become a new legend~ Ahh~~ Oh..."

Shuten-dōji inserted her fingertip into the wound, exploring it as if she were fiddling with something inside. Her cherry lips parted slightly, emitting soft moans that were three parts pain and seven parts pleasure. When she pulled her finger out, she simply wiped the wound away, and it disappeared.

cure?

Iori's expression changed; it was the first time he had ever seen such a unique healing technique.

However, according to legend, Shuten-dōji was the offspring of the nine-headed dragon Daigongen of Mount Togakushi (the side view of Yamata no Orochi, similar to a mountain god). He was both a demon and a dragon, possessing both deep demonic nature and perhaps some divine qualities, making him an extremely complex and unpredictable individual.

Because she only appeared in FGO, Iori's understanding of her is limited to the game's settings, but that cannot fully correspond to reality. After all, as a "tense and intense card battle" game, FGO's skill effects and Noble Phantasm settings cannot show the true strength level of Servants.

Shuten-dōji is listed as one of the three great yokai of Japan, along with Tamamo-no-Mae and Ōtakemaru. He is also one of the leaders of the legendary "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons" and can be considered the most powerful "demon".

Such beings are known for their strong vitality. If you can't behead them in one blow, you probably won't be able to kill this alluring child ghost!

"The things of this world are truly wondrous and hard to describe. I was able to meet a hero from my homeland in a foreign country thousands of miles away. Isn't this a destiny ordained by heaven?"

The bright moonlight, the reflected starlight... such a beautiful scene, perfectly complements the stench of blood!

The calm water was smoothly sliced ​​in two in an instant, and a greatsword adorned with precious stones and glass was aimed straight at Iori—even though she was an assassin, she chose to attack head-on!

Her lightning-fast speed allowed her to disappear into the night, leaving only the chilling sword light that captivated the soul, its power in no way inferior to that of the three knights!

hum!

A circular shield in the style of an ancient building suddenly materialized, colliding fiercely with the sword's edge. After a slight pause, Shuten-dōji exerted his strength and severed it.

However, Iori's figure had already disappeared from sight. In a daze, a piercing wind came from above. Without thinking, the girl flipped over to dodge. Her movements were so nimble and light that they were impossible to see, living up to her name as a ghost.

call out!call out!call out!

The javelin-like beams of light fell one after another, each one penetrating deep into the bricks and stones and disappearing into the riverbed, clearly with tremendous force. To avoid them, Shuten-dōji leaped around repeatedly, his fluttering kimono sleeves resembling a beautiful butterfly.

Hiss!

A beam of light nearly struck Shuten-dōji's true form, but she swung it with all her might, tearing off a piece of her kimono before safely dodging it.

Her fair toes lightly touched the river surface, leaving ripples as she twirled and leaped, landing safely on the gourd. The girl was unharmed, but her expression was unusually solemn.

"A Yin-Yang technique for suppressing the soul?"

No one answered her. The next moment, the gourd she was standing on was suddenly blasted into the sky by a jet of water!

Accompanied by the roar of the waterfall, it seemed as if a dragon's roar could be heard, and the winding, soaring water columns, like dragons, rushed towards her!

"Haha~"

The longsword spun, and her petite body unleashed astonishing power, transforming her and the sword into a spinning wheel of blades that tore through the cold night and broke through the curtain of water.

With a lithe figure, he leaped into the air, his longsword reflecting the bright moonlight, and slashed sharply and precisely at Shuten-dōji—

Clang!

The two passed each other, and a trickle of blood flew from the girl's cheek.

Shuten stuck out her tongue and licked the corner of her mouth. The bloody taste that filled her mouth made her smile even more alluring.

As it fell, the glass gourd flew through the air and was caught by the great demon, who then opened it and pointed it at Iori.

boom!

The scorching crimson flames erupted from the gourd, the previously shapeless flames now being controlled like a high-pressure water jet, forming a long, fiery spear that pierced the atmosphere and struck the boy in mid-air.

"Duan Kong!"

An insurmountable, invisible barrier descended, forcibly breaking the Flame Spear and causing it to collapse into a surging wave that occupied half of the sky.

Almost simultaneously, the boy raised his left hand, which was wrapped in lightning, and the Imperial Arm Gauntlet suddenly released a blinding light, which was then forcefully swung down by Iori.

"The Thunder Emperor is coming!"

—Click!

A bolt of lightning streaked across the clear night sky, obscuring the countless stars, and instantly devoured the great demon through the barrier of flames!

puff!

Shuten-dōji, emitting black smoke, fell into the water. A series of bubbles rose to the surface, but he himself sank and disappeared without a trace.

Iori narrowed his eyes and landed gracefully. The divine sword in his hand had its own special ability, which allowed him to walk on water and increase the sword's power. In addition, his base stats were already quite good, so suppressing his opponent was no problem.

However, as a demon, melee combat ability is by no means Shuten-dōji's trump card, and he cannot let his guard down even if victory is assured.

"Ok?"

Iori looked down at the water and saw that the originally clear river water was gradually being stained by something rising from the depths, turning into an eerie purple. The smell of alcohol in the air was so strong that it could be described as "viscous," making one feel as if their clothes were about to be soaked.

As the alcohol seeps into the body, the heart races, the blood heats up, and the body feels as if it's being roasted in an oven. A stinging, tingling, and numb sensation occasionally arises—a warning sign from the gradually eroding nerves.

"All things are impermanent..."

Iori remained calm, holding the Ama no Kusanagi sword in one hand, its tip lightly touching the water's surface like a dragonfly skimming the water—

"Unite, like a clear mirror and still water!"

In an instant, a faint glow spread rapidly across the polluted river, then returned to calm, clearly reflecting the starry sky and a crescent moon, mirroring the heavens and seemingly pulling the entire starry sea to Iori's feet.

call out!

Feeling uneasy, Shuten-dōji followed her instincts and emerged from her hiding place. She was not in the water, but had somehow moved into the air. Now she flew like an arrow and was behind Iori in the blink of an eye.

Sharp nails extend from slender, fair fingers. What appears to be an extremely ordinary martial arts move actually possesses the power to kill even a Servant in one blow!

——【A Dazzling Array of Flowers】!

The skills he possessed in life were transformed into Noble Phantasms after ascending to the Throne of Heroes. These were literal techniques capable of "extracting bones and marrow," designed to torment opponents rather than kill them, fully demonstrating the wicked nature of demons.

【Divine Poison】 was the poison she drank before her death, and it was also the root cause of her downfall. It was not actually an ability she possessed herself.

This cruel yet ingenious killing move is the true manifestation of its demonic nature!

Undefendable!

Even the strongest armor or the toughest animal hide cannot withstand this sublime strike. Moreover, as long as Shuten-dōji is willing, this "bone-pulling" technique can also be transformed into "instant death"!

The thick air was filled with the numbing smell of alcohol, a "mysterious" mixture of curses and toxins, a legendary poison that could intoxicate even great demons, and even Servants could not be immune to it, inevitably falling into a state of chaos and weakness.

For a drunkard like this, a ghostly claw from behind is enough to end the fight!

It will hurt a lot, kid!

Shuten-dōji's right hand pierced through Iori's chest from behind, causing the boy's pupils to dilate in shock, his expression one of utter horror.

"Varied!"

First his arm, then his body, and Shuten-dōji emerged from Iori's body without a single drop of blood flowing out!

The large demon, the size of a little girl, opened its small mouth, its eyes filled with astonishment, and then it sensed the approaching chilling killing intent!

Zheng!

Boom!

A pale, delicate arm, dripping with blood, fell into the water...

"Hehe... Ouch, that hurts~ What a heartless man! I am so delicate, I cannot bear your kindness. I wonder if you could spare me?"

Shuten covered her wound, her pale yet alluringly youthful face revealing a mocking expression. Although the battle situation was extremely unfavorable to her, she seemed completely indifferent to life and death.

She fully utilized her impressive agility, managing to dodge the fatal strike in such a sudden and unexpected situation, at the cost of having her left arm severed at the elbow!

On the other side, Iori looked at the "Mirror of Still Water" that was spotless and felt a little regretful.

When he activates "Nagi", his body can avoid physical attacks, but his mobility will also be affected. After all, he is in a semi-ethereal state and his spirit particle (magic power in Type-Moon) structure is very loose.

Even after numerous training sessions, his speed in switching between reality and illusion became increasingly fluid, almost seamless, but the speed and power of his attacks were still slightly inferior to his normal state.

Otherwise, that attack should have severed his head!

"Let you go? You must be joking, right now?"

Iori scoffed at Shuten-dōji's request: "Not only did you launch a sneak attack, but you also tried to harm my Master. Now you want to surrender? Do you have some misunderstanding about the Holy Grail War? This is not a cozy pretend play game!"

As the saying goes, a magnanimous person is generous.

"As the patriarch of warriors, one should possess the broadest mind. Would His Majesty truly mind the foolish behavior of a mere woman?"

Shuten-dōji narrowed his eyes, as if trying to see through Iori, and then slightly parted his cherry lips: "Or do you also want to emulate the legendary feat of Susanoo-no-Mikoto in slaying Yamata-no-Orochi and cut off my head with that Kusanagi sword?"

——Lord Wu Zun! "

"..."

Wu Zun?

Iori was taken aback, her face expressionless but her heart filled with confusion.

Shuten-dōji seemed to have mistaken him for a hero from some mythology, but he didn't really see through Iori's disguise as "Susanoo".

After all, she said "to emulate the great deeds of Susanoo," so she must be referring to another hero!

But this "Martial Venerable"...

In her previous life, Iori studied Japanese and even made some insignificant contributions to a translation group. In this life, she transmigrated to the Soul Society and stayed there for many years... She also has some knowledge of Japanese mythology and has heard of this character.

That's a name that appears in the Nihon Shoki and Kojiki, that once wielded the Ame no Mikumo no Tsurugi, and that is the origin of the story of the "Kusanagi Tsurugi".

But how should we evaluate his portrayal in mythology...?

Rather than being exceptionally brave, he was more accurately described as "lacking in martial ethics." He didn't even qualify as a member of the Ashina school. His most famous achievements were not due to direct confrontation with the enemy; he mostly used despicable underhanded tactics.

Did Shuten-dōji mistake Iori for this warrior?

Are you kidding me? Does he look like such a despicable person?

However, before Iori's previous life was transmigrated, the character "Japanese Samurai" had never appeared in the Type-Moon series... He didn't know the real situation and dared not make any judgments.

After all, Type-Moon is known for its drastic modifications. Maybe the Type-Moon warrior isn't a cunning schemer, but a reckless brute who likes to fight head-on?

"Now that things have come to this, do you still intend to continue pretending?"

Seeing that Iori remained silent for a long time, Shuten assumed that he had some concerns and couldn't help but tease him.

The great demon's previous pleading posture was a complete act. She was a born demon, fearless of life and death, even in her previous life, let alone now that she had become a heroic spirit, she cared about nothing at all.

She didn't even have the desire to entrust herself to the Holy Grail!

For her, the Holy Grail War was simply an opportunity to return to the real world and enjoy herself.

Which faction you're on, who you're fighting, whether you win or lose... it doesn't matter, as long as you can have one last good time!

The reason for revealing Iori's "real name" was to see the boy's reaction after his identity was exposed.

Well, Iori's calm demeanor left her slightly disappointed.

"That sword could make me feel a deep-seated fear, it was no ordinary sword. Even if it wasn't the Kusanagi Sword, it must have a very deep connection with it."

A hero from the Far East, wielding a dragon-slaying sword, capable of restraining me, who inherited the blood of Orochi… The first person that comes to mind is Susanoo, one of the three great gods.

Shuten-dōji smiled confidently: "But you're definitely not him!"

"……what?"

Iori blinked: "Why do you say that?"

"Are you questioning my judgment? I doubt anyone in this world is more qualified than me to judge the Heavenly Cloud Sword and its master!"

Shuten-dōji proudly raised his head, tilting his delicate neck, looking as if he had already seen through everything.

Her confidence stemmed from her lineage and life experiences:

Shuten-dōji (in Type-Moon) is the offspring of Ibuki Daimyojin, also known as Yamata no Orochi, while her nemesis Minamoto no Yorimitsu was also granted the protection of "Ushi-tou Tenō (Susanoo)".