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

Iori leaped back lightly, slashing down with her longsword, easily piercing the white scales and sinking deep into the snake's neck. Amidst a wail, the gushing blood stained half of her Death Knight's armor.

"For me, achieving victory doesn't necessarily require targeting you!"

Chapter 135: How Terrible Can Offending a Woman Be? (7K)

Zheng!

The slender water blade expanded along the sword's edge, easily slicing through the snake's head like a hot knife through butter. With just a simple release of magic, it sliced ​​open most of the snake's head, and a massive amount of blood gushed out, clearly revealing the vertebrae encased in the muscles.

"Your foundation is the Yamata no Orochi. With this infamous evil god from mythology as the core of your magic, your power is virtually limitless."

But in reality, you can't completely control it, or make it fully wake up, right?

The current environment is too harsh for the mythical creatures of the Age of Gods. The scale of the Yamata no Orochi has exceeded the carrying capacity of a single region's spiritual veins, so you can only summon a half-finished product.

"There are probably only three or four snake heads that can wake up at most?"

Iori calmly looked directly at the son of the serpent god: "Besides, if the power of the Yamata no Orochi becomes too great... it wouldn't be a good thing for you, would it?"

"This guy!"

Ibuki-douji narrowed his snake-like eyes, his expression turning somewhat unpleasant, as Iori had exposed his true feelings.

Although she is the daughter of Yamata no Orochi and calls him "father," her relationship with Yamata is definitely not that of a father and daughter in the ordinary sense. The blood ties between gods and monsters are also very different from those of mortals.

In order to increase their strength, it is not uncommon for them to devour each other.

She was actually suppressing Orochi's self-awakening, so although she could awaken up to four snake heads, she only awakened one at a time, in order to ensure that her own consciousness could be above Orochi's.

Since the start of the war, Orochi has not displayed its original strength. The reason for this is that its movements are stiff and its reactions are slow, which is the result of Ibuki-dōji secretly controlling it.

The entity currently controlling this enormous body is not Orochi's own consciousness, but rather Ibuki remotely controlling it using her Noble Phantasm and bloodline.

Iori's words revealed this secret, which greatly surprised her, but at the same time made her determined to get rid of it as soon as possible.

The danger of the man before him did not only stem from "compatibility." Unlike ordinary samurai, he possessed not only courage and strength but also wisdom and vision. This kind of enemy was the most troublesome, reminding Ibuki (Shuten-dōji) of that annoying guy Minamoto no Yorimitsu.

With that thought in mind, she no longer hesitated and pounced on him.

In this exchange, Ibuki felt the force emanating from the sword and was once again taken aback.

"The aura has intensified again... This is definitely not a Command Seal! Could it be... No, I don't believe it!"

A giant sword, as tall as a person, descended from the sky with the sound of waves. Iori calmly drew the Kusanagi sword and swung it upwards with force, tearing through the water curtain with a slender blade formed from the serpent's venomous blood mixed with water vapor.

Clang!

Two similar-looking divine swords crossed paths. Ibuki-dōji's eyes flashed with divine light. He pressed down on Iori with one arm and used his five fingers to dig into Iori's abdomen like a dragon's claw.

She was taller and bigger than Iori, and her attack was extremely swift, like a dragon biting a deer. If the attack hit, it would instantly rip open the deer's belly!

However, when the claw struck, it felt light and airy, and Ibuki-dōji's right hand, which was holding the divine sword, suddenly loosened. Ibuki-dōji's heart tightened immediately.

As expected, the divine sword sliced ​​through Iori's "illusion" in two, but her real body was not harmed in any way. In an instant, it appeared to the side and placed its palm against Ibuki. Light fragments appeared from all around and locked onto her waist and abdomen!

The next moment, pitch-black magic spread beneath the boy's feet, climbing and covering him like tombstones, quickly forming a tall cube that enveloped him. Within it, the compressed magic blades flickered repeatedly—

"Ahhh!"

Bang!

With unparalleled burst of strength, Ibuki-dōji shattered the high-level demonic path, leaving his body covered in fine wounds, with blood and magical fragments mingling and splattering in all directions.

Ibuki-dōji completely ignored the damage, her snake eyes fixed on Iori, her anger reaching its peak. She gripped the sword hilt with both hands, and a huge amount of magic power emanated from her. With just one movement, the surrounding atmosphere seemed to "freeze" as if it were solid, and Iori felt as if she were frozen in the ice.

Eight-colored dark clouds churned and churned in the sky. A bolt of lightning tore through the night and struck the [Divine Sword - Kusanagi no Greatsword], its leaping electric light radiating a destructive aura.

At that moment, both the red and black Archers fired arrows simultaneously, with Atalanta even activating her Noble Phantasm. However, as the rain of arrows fell, lightning automatically appeared, knocking them all down without harming Ibuki-dōji in the slightest.

At that moment, she was like Thor descending to earth!

Iori raised an eyebrow and lightly touched the ground with his toes to dodge, but at this moment his aura had been completely locked onto by Ibuki-dōji, like a venomous snake poised to strike, or a trigger that had been released in an instant—

"Eight!"

Thunder roared, and thousands of electric arcs danced wildly like silver snakes.

"Qi!"

The atmosphere trembled, and the translucent ripples, like the surface of water, were instantly broken through by the powerful body.

Iori's pupils contracted sharply, and all the muscles in her body tensed up, but she couldn't help but curl a cold smile at the corners of her mouth.

--It's now!

A figure leaped out from behind Iori, holding a flagpole high, and a battle flag embroidered with golden irises unfurled in the fierce wind.

"angry!"

Ibuki-dōji has no regard for Jeanne d'Arc; her only target is Iori. Any obstacle within this distance will be mercilessly crushed by her!

To her, mere followers were nothing but dust!

——[Baqi Furious Waves]!

This is a symphony of tsunami and thunder, with eight simultaneous slashes locking down all dodge routes. Even those with the ability to teleport will be relentlessly pursued until they are struck.

The all-destroying divine sword ravaged space with its irresistible power, distorting the surrounding light and shadow like a black hole, drawing them all under its blade and severing them completely!

However, Joan of Arc showed no fear; her clear eyes held not the courage to sacrifice herself, but the resignation to facing all calamities with equanimity.

【My Lord is here (Luminosite Eternelle)】!

A hazy white light, radiating pity and compassion, sheltered the blonde girl within a spherical protective shield. The lightning summoned by Ibuki-douji's divine sword struck down, but it was all blocked by the seemingly weak white light!

boom!

boom!

boom!

The divine sword struck almost simultaneously. Although the light shield remained strong, the blonde girl gritted her teeth, clearly on the verge of collapse.

Ruler's Noble Phantasm, "My Lord Is Here," transforms his faith and magical resistance into a physical barrier that even anti-castle Noble Phantasms cannot break through, making it an absolute defense in a sense. However, despite its resilience, it has its limits; once the absorbed damage exceeds these limits, the Noble Phantasm will become unusable.

Ibuki-dōji's attack had long exceeded the scope of ordinary Noble Phantasms. Although the eight slashes were blocked, the subsequent force was like a continuous flood, and even Jeanne d'Arc could not withstand it for long.

Therefore, the opportunity to fight is fleeting!

"Order it with a command curse!"

Ruler used two extremely precious Command Seals without hesitation—this would deprive her of the means to control Berserker, but defeating Ibuki-dōji was obviously more important than that.

"True Name: Susanoo, unleash your divine sword and slay the evil dragon here!"

"—!"

Ibuki-doji's pupils contracted sharply, his sharp teeth clenched together, making a metallic squeak, and his already tall and strong body swelled up even more at this moment.

--boom!

Before the battle flag broke, Joan of Arc withdrew her Noble Phantasm. The aftershock alone overwhelmed her incredible endurance, and her body flew backward involuntarily.

But soon she fell into a strong and powerful embrace, and the ripples of water vapor deflected the fierce lightning with a soft yet resilient force, filling the surrounding space with a hazy blue glow.

"This is……"

Joan of Arc looked up and saw the boy's serious and calm expression.

A pair of dark eyes now shimmered with iridescent light, reflecting the image of Orochi. With one hand, he held the Holy Maiden to protect her from the aftershocks, while with the other hand he gripped the Ame-no-Murakumo sword, pouring a continuous stream of magic into it.

With his rapidly increasing Spirit Origin strength and the blessing of two Command Seals, an unprecedented feeling welled up in his heart. At this moment, he even believed that he was omnipotent!

An ordinary warrior would probably have been overwhelmed by the surging power, but Iori remained clear-headed at this moment:

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; the entire battle has been setting the stage for this moment!

The combination of Orochi and Ibuki-dōji has exceeded the limits of what Servants can handle; even a joint attack by the Red and Black factions would be difficult to defeat. If Iori were alone, it would be an insurmountable trial.

Without Vlad III's control over the tail, without King Arthur and Karna luring away Ibuki's avatar, and without Joan of Arc blocking that devastating blow, this campaign would never have been accomplished.

However, when many Servants become Iori's support, sharing his burdens and paving the way for him, they can create the possibility of success.

In that case, let us, as servants, as heroes, as "Susanoo," respond to this expectation!

——The Thunder Emperor is here!

"Eight!"

A dazzling burst of lightning erupted from the armor on Iori's left hand, attracting even the aftershocks of the Noble Phantasm released by the Kusanagi sword, which all became its nourishment.

Ibuki was shocked to realize that, despite being the one who released the magic, she had lost to Iori in terms of control!

"Qi!"

The divine sword shed its original color and shape, transforming into a silver-white blade of light. In Iori's hand, it tore through space, and eight simultaneous slashes intersected and crisscrossed, resembling a blooming lotus.

——[Baqi Furious Waves]!

The lightning and the surging waves merged together, and the fierce momentum of the eight slashes resembled a giant eight-headed serpent. They should have destroyed everything in sight like a natural disaster, but at this moment they converged into a single line, and the sword blade sliced ​​through all fluctuations and realms!

Zheng! Zheng! Zheng! Zheng!

Hands, shoulders, abdomen, feet—eight parts of the body were mercilessly cut apart. The powerful body that could shake mountains and rivers was as fragile as sand at this moment, powerless to resist the slaughter of the divine sword.

Several thin lines flashed through his snake eyes, and in an instant, the shocked Ibuki-dōji was torn to pieces like a puppet!

"Ah ah ah ah ah!"

She hasn't given up yet!

His right arm was still attached to his body, and he still held the divine sword that could cut through gold and jade in his hand.

Legend has it that snakes will not let go of a person even after their head is cut off, and Ibuki will drag his enemies into the same Avici Hell as himself, even if he is defeated!

"go to hell!"

A divine sword as tall as a person tore through the air. Ibuki-dōji grinned ferociously, abandoning all defense and prepared to perish together with Iori as she slashed at his head.

Clang!

The two swords of the heavens clashed together—

Ka!

Ibuki-dōji was slightly stunned; she actually saw a crack appear on her supreme divine sword!

how can that be!

With the same origin and the enhancement of her spiritual foundation, how could a divine sword possibly lose to someone else!

She inherited the blood of Yamata no Orochi; no one is more qualified than her to wield this weapon…

Do not!

Yes, there are!

There is someone more deserving of the sword's approval than she is, even more so than the Yamata no Orochi itself—the very name the ruler previously called out.

"Susanoo!"

Ibuki-dōji roared, "You despicable thing—"

Zheng!

The Kusanagi sword severed the demon's longsword, its sharp blade lightly slicing across Ibuki-dōji's throat, a thin line of blood silently appearing.

Snapped!

As Ibuki-dōji's head fell to the ground, the world fell silent for a moment.

Even so, Ibuki was not completely dead. Instead, she stared intently at Iori with her eyes wide open, filled with anger and resentment.

"Three great gods, hiding their names!"

"Huh? Don't you know that Susanoo is the god of cunning?"

Iori calmly met his gaze: "Besides, when did you come to the misconception that I am the Japanese samurai?"

"you--"

Ibuki was speechless for a moment, then suddenly remembered that the boy in front of her had never admitted his identity.

However, logically speaking, Susanoo would never appear in the Holy Grail War!

Ultimately, what would a god-like being need the Holy Grail for?