The katana, crackling with violent purple lightning, unleashed a relentless series of slashes against Eresh. From their first clash, Minamoto no Raikou immediately recognized Eresh's true strength. Her pupils narrowed slightly as she discarded her initial underestimation, and each subsequent strike became a genuine killing blow, showing no restraint.
In terms of martial skill alone, Minamoto no Raikou undoubtedly held the advantage over Eresh. Yet her attacks failed to penetrate Eresh's defenses.
"What's going on?!"
Eresh blocked Minamoto no Raikou's assault. Although her power had diminished significantly after leaving the Underworld—dropping from Major God-class to mid-tier god-level—she still held a decisive advantage over a first-rate servant like Minamoto no Raikou.
"Are Servants this common in the outside world? And why is she attacking me?"
How could Rin Tohsaka possibly possess this kind of power...? Who are you really?
Illya finally realized something was wrong with Eresh. No matter how talented Rin Tohsaka was, she couldn't possibly be so effortlessly dominant against a top-tier servant. She immediately recalled Minamoto no Raikou, noticing her magical power was draining exponentially, as if she were supplying magic to both combatants.
"At least let me finish what I was saying," Jiang You protested.
Due to the game's hyper-realistic simulation, characters whose Affection Rewards had been fully drained couldn't simply be stashed away as reserves. Jiang You needed to balance Illya's Affection level.
"She's not just any Rin Tohsaka," Jiang You explained. "She's the golden-haired Eresh, Ereshkigal, the Mesopotamian God of the Underworld."
"The Mesopotamian God of the Underworld looks exactly like Rin Tohsaka?" Illya scoffed, sensing Jiang You was trying to dismiss Rin Tohsaka too casually. "As if people could look identical! You might as well say she's Rin Tohsaka from the future, who became a servant. After all, we already have Shirou Emiya as an example."
"Illya, he's telling the truth," Raikou affirmed. "I can sense the potent divine core within her."
Minamoto no Raikou, possessing partial Divinity herself, found Eresh's Divine Authority glaringly obvious. "This scale... it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her a Major God-class."
"Is that even possible?"
Illya knew Minamoto no Raikou was unconditionally on her side, so she naturally chose to believe her words.
"But the result is still the same! Jiang You, you've been avoiding me because of this, haven't you?! If you don't give me a proper explanation right now, I'll use a Command Spell to make you commit suicide right here!"
Minamoto no Raikou sighed inwardly. Illya's words were the ones she herself would find hardest to bear. She could only keep a closer watch over her. Fortunately, Kintoki didn't require her concern in this regard.
"Understood. I'll tell you everything, in full detail," Jiang You promised.
Jiang You had no intention of meeting the same fate as Lancer. After all, he lacked Lancer's adaptability, didn't he?
So Jiang You recounted the events of the Seventh Singularity and explained Eresh's situation to Illya. He knew she was already aware of his ability to forge bonds with others to expand his Deck and enhance his power.
"I already knew about that!"
Illya pinched Jiang You's face. "You know that's not what I meant! Don't try to change the subject just because you can't lie!"
"Then what do you mean?"
Was Illya angry because he'd been building Affection with Eresh while avoiding her? True, he had been avoiding Illya, but it was to contract with Gudako and join Chaldea. "It's not like I was avoiding you on purpose," he explained. "You still have classes, and Raikou has to pick you up from school."
"You don't even know I have a day off today!"
Illya's face suddenly flushed crimson, whether from embarrassment or anger. "You've already forgotten what you just said, haven't you?! What... what did you say to her just now?"
Minamoto no Raikou had already pressed her katana to Jiang You's throat. If he dared say anything that displeased Illya, she would strike without hesitation. She knew the attack wouldn't work, but she wanted to gauge Jiang You's attitude.
"This child... she seems to have feelings for you, doesn't she?" Eresh remarked.
Eresh had also caught on to Illya's meaning. She glanced at Jiang You with disdain, as if he were Ishtar. "And yet you still say these things to me? You're truly... shameless."
Jiang You knew Illya's Affection for him was exceptionally high; after all, he had nearly exhausted all her Affection Rewards. But he had always assumed it was a kind of "wish-granting" Affection, like Archer's. In a wholesome game where even touching was warned against, what use was such Affection once all the rewards were claimed? It couldn't even unlock CG scenes.
Still, Jiang You had to respond. Illya's Affection had recently hit a plateau, and this might be the breakthrough he needed. Regardless of his motives, he couldn't afford to let her Affection drop, especially since Illya was his gateway to the Magical Illya Cards.
"Oh, you mean that? Illya, I feel the same way about you."
He'd leave the question of whether the marriage system even existed to Konami. Since they couldn't even touch, it was just a title anyway. Jiang You would just say the words.
"I like you too, so let's all..."
"Is that what you wanted to say?" Illya interrupted Jiang You abruptly. She knew he was telling the truth because of the Shadow Game's influence, but it didn't make her particularly happy. Her possessiveness ran deep—Shirou being turned into a doll and locked in the basement was proof enough.
"All of it? You're shameless! Dream on! I command you with this Command Spell: Jiang You, you are forbidden from using your Noble Phantasms against me and Minamoto no Raikou!"
The Command Spell had no effect on Jiang You, but he knew that resisting Illya's Affection at this moment would spell disaster. Fortunately, his pain sensitivity was always set to the lowest level. He could only sigh inwardly at how troublesome the Affection system in this game was, making everything feel so real. Even building a harem (referring to his Deck) required the consent of each card.
"Berserker, kill him!" Illya commanded mercilessly.
Minamoto no Raikou resolutely carried out Illya's orders, having longed to do so for some time. Anyone who dared lay a hand on her child would face the judgment of a Mother!
Still, Raikou held back slightly, knowing Illya's words were just an outburst of anger. Understanding her child's heart was a mother's duty, and Raikou had worried herself sick over Illya.
Five minutes later, Illya finally ordered Raikou to stop. Meanwhile, Eresh stood by, utterly bewildered. Her current position felt like that of a mistress, but she had only been dragged along against her will. Her relationship with Jiang You was nowhere near that intimate.
The damage is nothing compared to a Shadow Game, Jiang You thought to himself, despite his battered appearance. Though I look terrible, I actually haven't suffered much real harm.
"I know you want to run around everywhere, but remember—I'm your Master!" Illya declared, staking her claim over Eresh.
-
Underworld.
Medea: "Wait, where did everyone go?"