Jiang You pondered for a moment, then explained to Gudako the slim chance Ana might accept his offer. As he'd said before, Gudako couldn't afford a second chance, making it impossible for her to agree.
"I'm sorry, it's true. I had hoped to let you live a little longer, but you rushing here to die is quite troublesome for me."
Jiang You cracked his neck, forcing out the same vicious smile Quetzalcoatl had worn. "Now I can't let you escape. Please stay."
"You... why?!"
Gudako felt a wave of helplessness as she recalled the effects of Jiang You's Noble Phantasm. He was more like a Master than she was; opposing him meant facing multiple Heroic Spirits, and his rule-bending Noble Phantasm had even defeated the formidable Lion King.
"Aren't we comrades? You even helped me write my report!"
"Ritsuka, don't let your emotions cloud your judgment. Even Tristan has become like this. Remember Kingu disguised as Enkidu? Can you guarantee that the Jiang You before you is the same one you knew?"
Just as Jiang You was about to say, "I'm tired of playing friends with you all," Merlin unexpectedly intervened with an explanation, causing Jiang You to give the magus a second glance.
"Is this the Master's opponent? She looks rather green."
Shuten-dōji strolled in at that moment, her eyes fixed on Gudako as she licked her lips, a faint blush rising on her cheeks.
"This child exudes such an intense fragrance... I can barely restrain myself. Master, may I devour her?"
"Shuten Dōji?"
Gudako's face paled slightly as she recognized the familiar servant. As the Demon King of Mount Ōe, Shuten-dōji's power was beyond question. Her words also made it clear that she served under Jiang You, meaning this Jiang You—whether real or fake—possessed a similar ability to summon servants.
And that wasn't all. Romani relayed even worse news: "Watch out! Two new Spirit Origin reactions have appeared around you! We've recorded these before! It's Cursed Arm and Serenity! Mash, keep a close eye on Ritsuka! There are too many Assassins; watch out for their ambushes!"
"Merlin! We're counting on you!"
Gudako knew that even a single Fairy Tristan had pushed them to their limits. Now, with Jiang You and his group joining the fray, they stood no chance of winning. Their safest course of action was to retreat and inform Gilgamesh about the situation.
"Alright, everyone huddle close! Big brother's about to make a run for it!"
Merlin struck the ground with his staff. Across the smooth surface, flowers bloomed and spread rapidly upward, as if trying to envelop the entire Chaldea group.
"Are you planning to abandon your comrades?"
Merlin's Illusion Magic proved somewhat effective against Jiang You. As long as it didn't involve direct attacks or negative effects on individuals, it couldn't be classified as aggression. If Merlin wanted to escape, Jiang You truly couldn't stop him. But let's not forget that Jiang You had just directly blocked Mash's Noble Phantasm with his bare hands.
Jiang You immediately activated his Duel Space, enveloping the entire arena. The spatial distortion disrupted Merlin's attempt to teleport away using Illusion Magic. Though the magic wasn't completely nullified, Mash was now locked into the Duel, making escape impossible for both of them.
Jiang You LP: 4000
Mash LP: 4000
"Mash!" Gudako rushed forward to stand beside her. "His Noble Phantasm bypassed the Lion King's Blessing and instantly killed Tristan! Be extremely careful!"
"Senpai, you need to escape now!"
It was impossible for Mash not to fear for her safety. If Jiang You could defeat the Lion King in a Duel, her chances of escaping unscathed were virtually zero. But to reassure the others, she forced herself to say, "I won't be defeated so easily!"
Ana glanced at Gudako. The wisest course of action would be to abandon Mash and flee immediately, but she couldn't bring herself to suggest it. Merlin wouldn't either. The decision rested entirely with Gudako.
"Don't be so tense. I have no intention of killing you here. Let's play a game instead."
The Demonic front north of Uruk still needs Gudako and the others' support. Leaving Ana behind would suffice. Jiang You made the choice for them. "The stakes are Ana. If you lose, you leave her here. If you win, I'll give you the Jaguar Man. A fair trade, wouldn't you agree? By the way, this is a Shadow Game. If you try to cheat, the consequences will be far more terrifying."
"Huh?"
Taiga Fujimura, who was busy feasting in the audience stands, hadn't expected to be involved. Having merged with a rather carefree entity, she was quite content with her current life. Being sent to Uruk would mean saying goodbye to her comfortable existence.
In a sudden, tiger-like pounce, Taiga Fujimura lunged forward and clung to Jiang You's leg with surprising speed. "Boss, you can't do this! Think about it—I've served you faithfully for years! Even if I haven't earned any glory, surely my hard work counts for something!"
"Where did you conjure up these nonexistent memories?" Jiang You retorted.
Jiang You kicked Taiga Fujimura away. Given his stats and skills, injuring her was an absolute fantasy. "You really have no faith in me, huh? I'm halving your daily rations!"
"Waaah! You tyrant! I'm going to help them defeat you! I'll make you drop gold coins like crazy!" Taiga Fujimura snarled and flailed at Jiang You.
"Just agree to it," Ana urged Gudako, seeing her hesitation. Now that she herself was the one who could be abandoned, she held the power to decide. "That Jaguar Man is far stronger than me. Besides, if we fight again, we'll be outnumbered and outmatched."
"But—"
"No buts! It's my turn!" Jiang You cut her off, impatient with their dithering. He seized the initiative to prevent Gudako from Special Summoning any bizarre creatures from her unpredictable Deck.
"First, I activate Grudge Fusion, sending Fairy Knight Tristan and Cernunnos from my Deck to the Graveyard to Fusion Summon—Cait Cú MikoCer!"
Fairy Tristan (Swimsuit)
Attack Power: 3000.
Nothing remarkable—just a standard opening move. Jiang You activated Fairy Tristan (Swimsuit)'s effect, discarding Kiritsugu Emiya to retrieve an Origin Bullet and burning 1000 of Mash's Life Points. He then set three cards in his backrow and ended his turn.
Mash: LP 4000 → LP 3000.
"Ugh!"
The pain from the Shadow Game made Mash gasp softly. It made her realize Jiang You was absolutely serious.
If she lost, real consequences awaited.
"My turn, draw!"