Rip!
A string of blood droplets giving off a sweet scent scattered onto the water surface, like thin strands of red mist blending into it.
Shuten Douji stood barefoot on the gourd, covering the wound on her left arm. Feeling the burning and stabbing pain coming from it, her narrow eyes slowly narrowed.
The ancient sword in her opponent's hand was a sharp blade that had once killed dragons, or had been forged using the remains of dragon or serpent bones.
So, as someone who possessed the "dragon attribute," Shuten Douji would feel as if thorns were at her back when facing that sword.
It was the same type as the Twilight Demon Sword held by the white haired swordsman she had seen in the Yggdmillennia castle.
But if it were only enhanced with the legend of "dragon slaying," it would not have made her lose composure like this… A vague instinct made her make a judgment in an instant:
Red side Berserker must also come from the Far East like her, and there was very likely some unknown "connection" between them.
Especially that sword… Although Shuten had never seen it with her own eyes, it felt strangely familiar.
"A wicked demon that brings disaster meeting a warrior who slays demons and eliminates evil? I truly did not expect that in a world a thousand years later, such an interesting story would be played out again."
"It is just a pity that this Holy Grail War is destined not to be remembered by ordinary people."
"Otherwise, tonight's encounter might have turned into a new legend~ ahh~~ oh…"
Shuten Douji stretched her fingers into her wound, constantly probing inside as if stirring something within.
Her cherry lips parted slightly, letting out soft breaths that were three parts pain and seven parts pleasure.
When she pulled her fingers out, she simply wiped the wound lightly, and it disappeared.
'Healing?'
A strange look appeared on Iori's face. It was his first time seeing such a distinctive healing method.
However, in the legends, Shuten Douji was the child of Togakushi Mountain's Nine Headed Dragon Gongen, an aspect of Yamata no Orochi similar to a mountain god.
She was both an evil oni and of dragon lineage. With her deep demonic nature, she might even carry a trace of divinity. She was an extremely complex and unpredictable being.
Because she had only appeared in FGO, Iori's understanding of her was limited to the game's settings.
But that could not fully correspond to reality. After all, as a "tense and intense card battle" type game, FGO's skill effects and Noble Phantasm settings could not show a Servant's true level of strength.
Shuten Douji was listed among Japan's three great yokai, standing alongside Tamamo no Mae and Otakemaru.
She was also one of the leaders of the legendary "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons." It could be said she was among the very top tier of demons.
Such beings were always known for their strong vitality. If one could not cut off her head in a single strike, it would probably be impossible to kill this seductive oni girl.
The calm water surface was instantly sliced cleanly in half. A great guardian sword decorated with jewels and glass thrust straight at Iori. Though she was an Assassin, she chose a frontal attack.
Her speed was like rushing thunder, her figure blending into the night. Only the cold sword light struck fear into the heart.
In terms of sheer presence, it was not inferior to the Three Knight classes at all.
Buzz!
A round shield in the style of ancient architecture suddenly materialized, colliding fiercely with the sword's edge. After a brief resistance, Shuten Douji exerted force and cut it apart.
But Iori's figure had already disappeared from before her eyes. In a blur, a sharp wind came from above.
The girl did not even think before flipping to dodge. Her movements were light and agile, impossible to clearly follow, living up to the name of a ghostly demon.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Spearlike pillars of light fell one after another, each one piercing deep into the stone and reaching the riverbed, clearly carrying great force.
Shuten kept leaping to avoid them. The sleeves of her kimono fluttered like a brilliant butterfly.
Rip!
One pillar of light nearly hit Shuten herself. With a strong swing, she tore off a piece of her kimono and narrowly avoided it.
Her pale toes tapped lightly on the river surface again and again, drawing ripples as she spun and leapt, landing steadily back on the gourd. The girl was unharmed, but her expression was especially serious.
"A soul suppressing Onmyoji technique?"
No one answered her. In the next moment, the gourd beneath her feet was blasted into the sky by a suddenly surging water column.
Accompanied by the roar of waterfall like torrents, it seemed as if a dragon's roar faintly echoed. The twisting water columns rose like flood dragons, strangling toward her.
"Hehe~"
The long sword spun. Her small body erupted with astonishing brute strength. Together with her sword, she turned into a rotating blade wheel, tearing through the cold night and breaking out of the water curtain.
Her agile figure leapt into midair. The long sword reflected the bright moonlight and slashed sharply and precisely at Shuten Douji...
Clang!
The two passed by each other. A streak of blood flew from the girl's cheek.
Shuten extended her tongue and licked the corner of her mouth. The taste of blood spreading in her mouth made the smile on her face grow even more enchanting.
As she fell, the glass gourd shot through the air and landed in the great yokai's hand. She opened it and aimed it at Iori.
BOOM!
Scorching red lotus flames burst out from the gourd. The originally shapeless flames were now constrained like a high pressure water gun, forming a long spear of fire that pierced through the air and struck the boy in midair...
"Severing Space!"
An insurmountable invisible barrier descended. The flame spear was forcibly broken and collapsed into a raging wave that occupied half the sky.
Almost at the same time, the boy raised his left hand wrapped in lightning. The Imperial Arm Gauntlet suddenly released a dazzling light as Iori swung it down with force.
"Thunder Emperor Descends!"
Crack!
A bolt of lightning covered the clear night sky, blotting out the stars. Passing through the wall of flames, it instantly swallowed the great demon.
Splash!
Shuten Douji, her body smoking black, fell into the water. A string of bubbles rose, and she sank without a trace.
Iori narrowed his eyes and gently landed. The divine sword in his hand had the ability to let him walk on water, and its own power would increase as well.
Combined with his already strong attributes, steadily suppressing the opponent was not a problem.
But as a demon, close combat was definitely not Shuten's trump card. Even with victory in sight, he could not relax his guard.
"Hm?"
Iori looked down at the water surface. The originally clear river water was gradually dyed by something rising from the depths, turning into a strange purple.
The smell of wine in the air had grown so thick it could almost be called "sticky," making it feel as if even clothes were about to become soaked.
As the wine scent entered the body, the heart began to beat faster. The blood grew hot. The body felt as if it had been placed into a furnace to be steamed and roasted.
From time to time there was also stabbing pain and numbness, warnings from nerves being gradually eroded.
"All things are impermanent…"
Iori's expression remained calm. Holding the Ame no Murakumo Sword in one hand, he lowered the tip toward the water surface and lightly touched it like a dragonfly skimming water...
In an instant, a faint glow rapidly spread across the polluted river surface. Then it became calm and clear, reflecting the countless stars and a crescent moon above, corresponding with the sky, as if the entire sea of stars had been pulled beneath Iori's feet.
Whoosh!
Feeling intense unease, Shuten Douji followed her instincts and appeared from her hiding place. She had not remained in the water.
At some unknown time she had moved into the air. Now she flew like an arrow released from the bow and reached Iori's back in the blink of an eye.
Sharp nails extended from her slender pale fingers. It looked like an ordinary close combat technique, but in truth it had the power to kill even a Servant in a single strike.
'Hyakka Ryouran!'
The technique she possessed in life had sublimated into a Noble Phantasm after ascending to the Throne of Heroes.
It was literally a skill that could "draw out bone and suck marrow."
It was meant to torture the opponent to the greatest extent rather than kill them, fully displaying the vicious nature of a demon.
Shinpen Kidoku was the poisonous wine she drank in life and also the root of her downfall. It was not actually an ability she originally possessed.
This cruel and exquisite killing move was the true embodiment of her demonic nature.
It could not be defended.
Even the strongest armor or the toughest beast hide could not block this sublimated strike. And if Shuten wished, this "bone drawing" technique could also be converted into an instant death attack!
The thick air was filled with wine scent that could paralyze the nerves.
It was "mystery" mixed with curse and poison, originating from the legendary toxic wine that could intoxicate a great demon.
Even Servants could not be immune. They would inevitably fall into confusion and weakness.
Against such a "drunkard," the oni claw from behind was enough to end the battle.
'It will hurt a lot, boy!'
Shuten's right hand pierced through Iori's chest from behind. The boy's pupils shook violently, showing an extremely shocked expression...
"What!"
First her arm, then her body, Shuten actually followed through and passed out from inside Iori's body, yet strangely not a single drop of blood flowed.
The small bodied great demon opened her mouth, her eyes filled with astonishment. Immediately after, she sensed a cold killing intent approaching.
Clang!
Thud!
A pale tender arm, spraying blood, fell into the water…
"Hehe… ahh, it hurts so much~ What a man who does not know how to cherish women. I am so delicate. I cannot bear your favor, my lord. I wonder if you could spare me?"
Shuten covered her wound. Her pale yet enchanting young face carried a teasing smile.
Although the situation was extremely unfavorable for her, she seemed not to care about life or death at all.
She had fully used her outstanding Agility stat. Even in such a sudden situation, she was able to dodge the fatal slash in time. The price was only that her left arm had been severed at the elbow.
On the other side, Iori looked at the unstained Clear Mirror Still Water and felt a bit regretful.
When he activated "Nagi," his body could indeed avoid physical attacks, but at the same time his own ability to act would also be affected.
After all, he was in a half intangible state then, and his spirit particle structure was very loose.
Even after repeated training, his switching between solid and intangible had become increasingly smooth, almost without interval, but the speed and power of his attacks were still slightly inferior to his normal state.
Otherwise, that strike just now should have directly cut off her head.
"Spare you? At a time like this, you must be joking."
Iori scoffed at Shuten Douji's request. "Not only did you launch a sneak attack, you also tried to harm my Master. And now you think about surrendering?"
"Do you have some misunderstanding about the Holy Grail War? This is not some warm and cozy house playing game!"
"As the saying goes, a great person has great tolerance~"
"As the ancestor of warriors, you should have the broadest heart. Would a supreme lord truly mind the mischief of a mere woman?" Shuten Douji narrowed her eyes, as if trying to see through Iori, and then parted her cherry lips slightly.
"Or perhaps you wish to imitate the legendary feat of Susanoo slaying Yamata no Orochi, and use that Kusanagi Sword to cut off my head?"
"Lord Takeru!"
"…"
'Takeru?'
Iori froze. His face remained expressionless, but inside he was confused.
It seemed Shuten had mistaken him for some hero from myth, but she had not actually seen through his disguise as Susanoo.
After all, she said "imitate Susanoo's feat," which clearly referred to another hero.
It was just this "Takeru"…
In his previous life, Iori had taken Japanese as an elective and even made small contributions in a translation group.
In this life, he had spent many years in the Soul Society… He knew a little about Japanese mythology and had heard of this figure.
That was a name appearing in the Nihon Shoki and the Kojiki. He once held the Ame no Murakumo Sword and was also the origin of the tale behind the name "Kusanagi Sword."
However, his performance in myth… how should one put it…
Rather than being brave in battle, it was more like "not fighting fair." He could not even be considered part of the Ashina style.
His most famous deeds were not direct confrontations with enemies, but almost all involved tricks outside normal combat.
Had Shuten mistaken Iori for this Takeru?
What kind of joke was that? Did he look like such a despicable person?
However, before Iori's transmigration in his previous life, there had been no character named Yamato Takeru in the Type Moon series… He did not know the real situation and could not say for sure.
After all, Type Moon was famous for its reinterpretations. Maybe their Takeru was not a schemer, but a reckless fighter who liked direct clashes?
"At this point, do you still intend to continue pretending?"
Seeing Iori remain silent for a long time, Shuten thought he had some concerns and could not help teasing him.
The earlier posture of begging for mercy had been pure disguise. She was born a demon and did not fear life or death at all.
That was true even in life, and now that she had become a Heroic Spirit, she cared even less.
She did not even have a wish to entrust to the Holy Grail.
To her, the Holy Grail War was just a chance to return to the present world and enjoy herself.
Which camp she was in, who she fought, whether she won or lost… none of that mattered. As long as she could have a good time once more, that was enough.
Calling out Iori's "true name" was also meant to see how the boy would react after his identity was exposed.
Well, Iori's calmness made her slightly disappointed.
"That sword makes me feel fear from the depths of my bloodline. It is absolutely not an ordinary blade. Even if it is not the Ame no Murakumo Sword, it must have a very deep connection to it."
"A hero from the Far East, holding a dragon slaying sword, able to restrain me who inherited the 'blood of Yamata'… the first one that comes to mind is one of the three great gods, Susanoo."
Shuten smiled confidently. "But you are definitely not him!"
"…Oh?"
Iori blinked. "And why is that?"
"Are you questioning my judgment? In this world, there is probably no one more qualified than me to identify the Ame no Murakumo Sword and its master!"
Shuten proudly raised her head, exposing her delicate neck, looking as if she had already seen through everything.
Her confidence came from her bloodline and life experience.
In Type Moon's setting, Shuten was Ibuki Daimyojin, a child of Yamata no Orochi, and her mortal enemy Minamoto no Yorimitsu had been granted the protection of Gozu Tenno, that is, Susanoo.