"Jiang You!!!"
Fairy Tristan, perched atop the Great Horned God, let out a piercing shriek.
Faced with her sudden outburst, Jiang You felt bewildered. He couldn't recall provoking her in any way; it was as if he'd stolen her kill.
"Get serious, this is a Duel!"
Jiang You had no intention of indulging Fairy Tristan's madness. "I activate the effect of Fairy Tristan (Swimsuit). By discarding one card from my hand, I force my opponent to randomly discard one card from theirs!"
A crimson streak struck Ibaraki-Doji's hand, causing the card to dissolve and vanish into the Graveyard.
"Mount Ōe! My Mount Ōe!"
The discarded card was a Field Spell Card. Its effect allowed the Normal Summon of servants with the "Mount Ōe" attribute without requiring a Tribute, and it granted a 500-point Attack Power boost to servants with the corresponding attribute on the field.
"You dare destroy it! Just you wait—if you lose, I'll break every bone in your body!"
Jiang You still couldn't understand why the destruction of a corresponding card triggered such extreme reactions from the servants. "Anyway, since the card I discarded was Cocoa Bean, I can draw one card from my Deck. Then, I Set four cards in my back row and end my turn."
"The Chaldea people you mentioned have already arrived," Fairy Tristan said, rolling her eyes. "Hurry up and finish off this little bean sprout."
"They're already here?" Jiang You hadn't expected them to arrive so quickly. "Alright, Ibaraki-Doji isn't particularly strong; this should be over soon. Just remember to leave that girl named Ana behind."
Although Jiang You didn't particularly need Ana to counter Gorgon, Chaldea did. This was to prevent them from defeating Gorgon before he could, a necessity for Jiang You. Moreover, using Ana to summon her two sisters for a duel against Gorgon was a promising strategy—it might even boost their Affection levels.
"I heard from Medea that your previous Master, the one you were abnormally close to, was also a little girl with white hair. What a depraved taste you have."
Fairy Tristan seemed to have misunderstood something.
"Don't look down on me!"
Ibaraki-Doji, enraged by Jiang You's claim that he could defeat her quickly, let out a roar that even included an ill-mannered tongue click.
"And you dare mock my height! It's my turn, draw!"
"Before that, I activate the Trap Card 'Royal Slaughter Theater'! It deals 500 Life Points damage to you immediately and an additional 500 at the start of each of your turns!"
This card was surprisingly effective in the current collaborative environment. When stalemated, it could bypass enemy defenses for direct damage or even a lethal strike.
The massive spiked wheel roared past, crushing Ibaraki-Doji's body.
Ibaraki-Doji LP 4000 → LP 3500.
"What a despicable tactic!" Ibaraki-Doji groaned softly in pain, but after her complaint, she immediately took action.
"Witness the might of the Oni of Mount Ōe! First, I activate the Spell Card [ Mount Ōe Oni's Rampage ]! To activate this card, I must discard up to three cards from my Hand, then Special Summon an equal number of 'Mount Ōe' servants from my Deck. These servants cannot attack this turn!"
Ibaraki-Doji directly activated a card capable of flooding the field. "I discard two cards from my Hand to Special Summon [ Ibaraki-Doji ] and [ Shuten-dōji ]!"
Jiang You glanced at Ibaraki-Doji's Graveyard, noting the presence of [ Blue Oni ]. It seemed she had refrained from summoning all three at once, considering them too weak.
"Summoning two servants at once is truly terrifying! I activate [ Fairy Tristan (Swimsuit)'s ] effect to negate the activation of your [ Mount Ōe Oni's Rampage ]!"
Trading one effect for three cards was an absolute steal. Now was the perfect time to strike!
Great Cernunnos opened its massive single eye. As a crimson beam of light shot forth, Ibaraki's card dissolved within its radiance.
"H-how could it be... so strong?!" Ibaraki exclaimed, finally taking a good look at the colossal white fur ball beneath Fairy Tristan. She had initially assumed it was some kind of mount, but now she realized it radiated an overwhelming divine aura. She now understood that the red servant atop it was merely an accessory.
"So, will you surrender?" Jiang You asked.
Ibaraki now had only two cards left in her hand, while Jiang You still had three face-down cards in his back row. At this point, a swift surrender would be the logical move.
"Never! As an Oni, the word 'surrender' doesn't exist in my vocabulary! I activate the Spell Card, Hundred Demons' Feast! This card allows me to banish any number of cards from my Graveyard. For each card banished, I must pay 1000 Life Points and draw one card from the top of my Deck. The Life Points I'll pay are..."
Ibaraki-Doji gritted her teeth. "3000 points!"
"Uwaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!"
Ibaraki-Doji LP: 3500 → 500
Ibaraki hadn't even considered surviving the next turn, determined to go all out against Jiang You in this one.
After replenishing her Hand to four cards, Ibaraki launched her counterattack. "I activate the Spell Card Head of the Oni! By halving my Life Points, I Special Summon Shuten Dōji from my Deck to the field!"
Although the card depicted the legend of Shuten Dōji's severed head, using it as her summoning medium was perfectly logical.
The air filled with the aroma of sake as a barefoot, languid loli(?) figure, her cheeks flushed with drink, materialized on the battlefield.
Shuten Dōji - Attack Power: 2800
"It feels like I've been summoned this way countless times," Shuten Dōji remarked lazily. "Hmm, this time it's Ibaraki? Well done, well done indeed. It's a rare treat to get some fresh air; I was nearly suffocating in there."
Flattered by Shuten Dōji's praise, Ibaraki blushed slightly. "Shuten! Once I defeat this fool, I'll summon you more often!"
"Your dedication pleases me greatly," Shuten Dōji replied.
Her gaze shifted to Cernunnos across the battlefield. Sensing his Divinity, she keenly felt the Great Horned God's oppressive aura. "Don't get your hopes up too high, now. I think I'll just have a few more drinks while we wait."
As she spoke, Shuten-dōji began pouring wine.
Jiang You glanced at Shuten-dōji's gourd and, on a whim, tossed her a bottle of high-end liquor. He couldn't even name the brand; he'd simply bought it because it looked expensive. Many Heroic Spirits loved alcohol, so why not put it to good use?
"Ara, trying to curry favor with this humble self? Remember, I'm an Oni, you know."
Despite her words, Shuten-dōji uncorked the bottle and took a sniff. The slight flush on her cheeks betrayed her satisfaction.
"You've certainly put some thought into this. This approach makes my heart race. After all, I met my end through fine wine... Could it be poisoned?"
Jiang You mused that it wasn't entirely out of the question, considering he was now the Royal Advisor of the Faerie Realm. Poisoning wine was practically a traditional art there. He joked, "Who knows? It might contain a poison so potent even the Great God couldn't withstand it. Drunken oblivion, isn't that something to look forward to?"
"Hmm... that does sound rather intriguing."
As a result, Jiang You's inbox flooded with Affection Rewards from Shuten-dōji.