"So, this is how you're doing it?" Quetzalcoatl marveled. Jiang You was pushing his Noble Phantasm to its limits, but she was no slouch either, having modified her Meteor Kick into a makeshift Earth Toss.
"Exactly! It's like Tian Ji's horse race strategy. Trading a lower-tier horse for a higher-tier one—pure profit!" Jiang You explained.
This was about maximizing Gudako's combat potential. With her Deck, taking down a Bahl Lahmu was child's play.
"Hey! Who are you calling a lower-tier horse?!" Gudako grumbled indignantly. Normally, she wouldn't have minded, but this sudden ambush had nearly scared her into tears.
"Leave this to me! I won't fail you!"
"If that's the case, does it really need to be her in the Duel? Why not just pick anyone?" Ishtar questioned, suggesting a more straightforward solution.
"We have endless ordinary soldiers, right?"
"That won't work. Fighting these creatures can only be done through a Shadow Game. Deck strength is heavily tied to the Duelist's own power—ordinary people have no means to stand against them."
While sacrificing lives might seem like the most efficient option, Jiang You had too many Lawful Good Heroic Spirits on his side. Such a move would damage his reputation.
"So, she'll be alright?"
Ishtar, having never interacted with Gudako here, had little faith in humanity's final Master.
"She's different—she's incredibly strong. Now, Mash, will you fight them normally or challenge them to Duels?"
Jiang You asked, pretending to consider Mash's limited combat abilities and the throwing weapon she possessed.
"...A Duel, then. My skills aren't yet sufficient to block another one alone."
Mash had fought in hundreds of battles, big and small, during their journey. She could roughly gauge her opponents' strength, but most of the time she had no choice but to engage.
"Alright, that leaves nine Lahmu left to intercept."
Seeing Medusa fling Mash aside and drag another Bahl Lahmu into the Duel Space, Jiang You further reduced the Lahmu numbers.
"I can handle about two at once. You'll have to figure out how to deal with the remaining seven yourself."
Ishtar proactively engaged two Lahmu. With her strength, defeating them completely would be a mere matter of time.
"Are we splitting a cake here?" Jiang You wondered why King Hassan hadn't shown up to lend a hand. If he had intervened, this wouldn't be so troublesome. "Medusa can stall one with her speed, and White Lancer Artoria can handle two. That leaves only four! Now that Tiamat is fully awakened, it's time to bring Gorgon back to lend a hand!"
"Come, Gorgon! Unleash the Destruction Ray!"
Jiang You summoned Gorgon directly into the air. The massive, dozens-of-meters-tall servant materialized mid-air, her immense weight causing her to crash into the Primordial Sea with a resounding splash, crushing the Lahmu in her path.
"Alright... a Mountain Press, then."
"Don't order me around like that!" Gorgon glared at Jiang You, rearing her serpentine body upright. A remnant of Tiamat's Authority still flowed through her veins, rendering the Primordial Sea's influence negligible. She locked her crimson gaze onto one of the Bahl Lahmu and unleashed her Noble Phantasm.
"Return your curse upon yourselves! Dissolve! Pandemonium Cetus!"
A torrent of dark crimson magical power completely engulfed the Bahl Lahmu that had failed to dodge in time. This was a Noble Phantasm specifically designed to target living beings, and the Lahmu were no exception. The creature wailed as it was utterly dissolved.
"Well done, Gorgon! Now, just use it three more times..."
"What do you think Noble Phantasms are, some kind of toy?!"
Gorgon's Serpent Hair unleashed petrifying rays at the remaining Lahmu. Having anticipated this, they nimbly weaved through the beams. Even if struck, their inherent resilience prevented instant petrification, though the disruption to their attack was significant enough.
"Don't expect me to go all out! Get moving!"
"Quetzalcoatl, please! I'll block Tiamat's attacks and drag her into the Duel Space. You just focus on unleashing your Noble Phantasm against the Primordial Sea!"
Jiang You secretly worried that even with her halved stats, Quetzalcoatl might kick him out of the final battle. Securing Tiamat's kill was his responsibility.
"Leave it to your big sister!"
Quetzalcoatl struck a muscle-flexing pose to liven the mood. "Jiang You, don't lose! The future of all humanity rests on this battle because of you. And Big Sister here is really looking forward to that wrestling match later, so don't disappoint me, okay?"
"A guaranteed win. Check the records."
Jiang You wasn't particularly worried about losing this fight. His countermeasure Cards were already prepared. Besides, now that he'd successfully summoned Tiamat and obtained her corresponding Card, he could always summon two Tiamats and have them brawl if things got tough.
"I've already included all the Heroic Spirits present within the range of my Noble Phantasm, so you don't have to worry about your own Noble Phantasm burning them. Also, as soon as you unleash your Noble Phantasm, I'll immediately dismiss my summoned servants. Time is of the essence—let's move!"
"Such thorough preparation! You deserve praise! Then, I'll leave the support to you! I'll take charge of hyping up the atmosphere!"
Quetzalcoatl nodded in response, and the Wind God Pterosaur beneath her spread its wings and soared into the sky as her Noble Phantasm began to manifest.
"The past is here, the present is now, and the future shall remain! Come, wind! Come, lightning!"
Quetzalcoatl unleashed the Authority of the Sun, instantly raising the surrounding temperature. A searing heatwave surged from her position, sweeping across the battlefield.
All the Lahmu turned their heads toward the brilliant point of light in the sky. Perhaps due to Quetzalcoatl's relatively intact Divinity, even the barely sentient Tiamat sensed a faint threat. She slowly opened her maw, her clear song gradually crescendoing as the Creator Mother Goddess's energy beam stood poised to fire.
This was precisely the effect Jiang You had hoped for. He urged his Pterosaur to fly directly into Tiamat's line of attack, positioning himself between her and Quetzalcoatl.
"Remember that the Sun will still illuminate the earth from beyond!"
With her Noble Phantasm fully charged, Quetzalcoatl leaped from the Pterosaur, her target: the Primordial Sea!
Sensing the dire situation, the Bahl Lahmu frantically tried to disengage from their opponents, but the Servants wouldn't allow it, simultaneously intensifying their attacks.
In that instant, Tiamat unleashed her own strike. Amidst her song, an attack capable of piercing mountains hurtled toward Quetzalcoatl in an attempt to intercept her.
Jiang You leaped directly from the Pterosaur's back, positioning himself as a shield before Quetzalcoatl. As an unaffected unit, he was the ideal shield.
"Solar Calendar—"
Quetzalcoatl successfully struck the black sea with her fist, fully unleashing her Noble Phantasm.
"—Stone!"
Simultaneously, Jiang You successfully dragged Tiamat into the Duel Space.