She is not a hero, and she does not want to become a hero either.
Call it willingly falling into corruption, call it being evil by nature, she will only follow her own instincts, follow the impulses of her desires, and spare no cost to search for things that can please herself.
So what if the Spirit Origin has been twisted?
To this world, the existence of Shuten Douji itself is already a mistake. Since that is the case, then let this enchanting poisonous flower bloom even more brilliantly.
"Ah-woo~"
First she takes a small bite. Dense and sharp teeth bite into the tough heart muscle, the scorching blood dyes her lips and teeth red.
The young girl with a small body and most of her face burned chews with great enjoyment, the corner of her mouth showing a satisfied curve.
"Ah-woo~"
Bite after bite. Under the moonlight the girl's shadow is stretched very, very long. As she continues eating it begins to sway like an illusion.
Her body gradually grows larger, more imposing dragon horns grow from the top of her head, blue-purple scales cover both of her hands, and from behind her waist stretches a thick and long tail…
Buzz!
When the transformation reaches a certain critical point, the girl swallows the remaining half of the heart like a snake.
At once she feels a ball of fire rising from her abdomen, quickly flowing through her whole body, and in the blink of an eye the ugly burns are completely healed.
After that comes golden radiance. The most famous treasures (sources of disaster) from the two great divine systems of Greece and the Norse shine together at this moment.
Curses and blessings intertwine with each other, forming a strange vortex. Endless magical power gathers from all directions, like believers summoned by a god, throwing themselves into that alluring brilliance one after another.
Those are the spiritual bodies lurking in this land, and also the evil thoughts hidden in people's hearts. Although they cannot be seen with the naked eye, they exist in every corner.
Today, when the Age of Gods has long passed, the present world can no longer see traces of "dragons"...
'This is wrong!'
In this world, besides the divine beasts born by nature, those top-level fantasy species called dragons, there also exist invisible dragons born from the ugliness of human hearts, using ambition and greed as nourishment, and building their nests with gold and white bones.
...This is the "Evil Dragon Phenomenon".
"Hehehu… ahahahahaha… grow, grow, grow. That pitch-black will, that restless thought, those eyes full of longing yet suppressed.
Every time you shed your skin, you get closer to your truest self. Every time you indulge, you can see the scales in the mirror more clearly, until fangs grow, until the voice becomes sharp, until you become something no longer human, and then accept that fall...
Calamity of Izumo Descends: Yamata no Orochi!"
The dense forest is crushed by physical weight. Countless trees snap like fragile toothpicks. The earth trembles under the trampling.
Fierce pressure rises in the air, yet it cannot blow away the dust stirred by the aftershocks.
From a human perspective it is impossible to observe its full form. Even looking down from ten thousand meters in the sky, one can only see that some kind of "definite existence" is slowly moving.
Every small motion can raise clouds of dust across nearly a hundred meters of land, as if a god were controlling an eraser, little by little wiping this forest off the map.
Something that exists only in myth, something beyond the scale of the Holy Grail War, is about to… or rather has already descended.
At the beginning it was still rather difficult. The Evil Dragon Phenomenon triggered by "gold" was already enough to summon a divine beast, but it still could not allow an existence with a higher rank to descend completely.
But when its will touched the present world, the process was rapidly accelerated. Massive amounts of essence were squeezed out from the dragon veins underground, filling that illusory body.
Under the starry sky the enormous body shows a semi-transparent texture. Ripples spread through the air, reflecting the bright stars and moon, as if a veil of starlight were draped over its body. The monster's body is gradually turning real.
Poisonous mist spreads toward the surroundings. The plants of the entire forest quickly turn yellow and wither, as if dozens of years of time and life had been stolen instantly. Very soon it becomes a land of death.
Using greed and desire as the fuse, Shuten Douji awakened an even greater existence from mythology.
No, assassin is no longer Shuten Douji.
A tall and full, well-built figure lands on one of the monster's snake heads. Blue-purple skin with a smooth texture like jade, diamond-shaped scales overlapping at the joints.
Her gorgeous appearance still retains some traces of the young girl she once was, but the huge dragon horns on her head and the tail behind her prove that she is something even less human than Shuten Douji.
"Come, come, come, come… turn the world upside down. Sinful creature flowing with poison, tumor of human history, my evil yet great 'father'..."
"Yamata no Orochi!"
No matter which battlefield it was, the heroes all stopped their movements at the same time.
With shock or indifference, they looked toward the forest being trampled and destroyed. After sensing that powerful aura, most of them secretly clenched their teeth.
Too exaggerated...
This is not something a "Servant" can deal with. Even if placed in the Age of Gods, it would be a great disaster that could leave countless people homeless. And in the present era, there is no longer any "mystery" that can fight against it.
"What exactly is that… a magical beast?"
"No. Although it is still incomplete, it has already surpassed the concept of a magical beast. It fits the concept of an evil god more."
Achilles and Chiron, who had originally been fighting a master-disciple duel, now have all their attention drawn to the Yamata no Orochi that is appearing.
Achilles looks solemn, and Chiron's eyes reveal worry.
The great sage of Greece naturally knows who the assassin of his faction is. If one were to ask who in this Holy Grail War is most likely connected with such a monster, then it could only be Shuten Douji.
But this is definitely not assassin's Noble Phantasm. Or rather, the Spirit Origin of a Servant simply cannot carry something of such a massive scale.
Something in the process has gone wrong.
...Chiron has a very bad feeling.
And shortly afterward, when he learns through telepathy from his Master that Saber has already been assassinated by Shuten, his mood becomes even worse.
"It seems now isn't the time to 'catch up.' That big fellow doesn't look friendly no matter how you see it. Let's call a temporary truce and go check the situation together?"
Achilles takes a deep breath. This warrior among warriors is still fearless. He quickly adjusts his mentality, and the carefree smile returns to his face.
"I didn't expect that after coming back to this world, I'd have the chance to challenge a monster I never encountered in life, and even fight alongside you, Teacher Chiron. Fate really is a wonderful thing!"
The centaur sage shows a doting smile.
"You really haven't changed at all, Achilles."
As Servants both of them have first-class mobility. Achilles has always been known as the "fastest hero," so that goes without saying.
Although Chiron is an Archer, his speed is also not slow. He can even keep up with Achilles. One after another, the two of them quickly arrive at the scene.
From several hundred meters away they see that hazy silhouette like mountains and rivers, as well as the forest dominated by some kind of aura.
From their perspective and position, it is basically like simply raising their heads and seeing an enormous outline, making people feel as if they are actually standing at the "foot of a mountain."
Seeing this, the centaur sage cannot help but frown.
"We can't move forward anymore!" Chiron instinctively feels something is wrong. As he slows his pace, he reminds Achilles.
For the existence inside the forest, a distance of several hundred meters is basically the same as being right beside it.
It is already within reach. If the other side has malicious intent, it could already begin attacking now.
But the high-spirited great hero is full of confidence in himself. He came precisely to investigate the situation inside. Even if the other side attacks, he believes he has enough ability to deal with it.
However, before he can enter the forest, a series of arrows shoots toward him, forcing him to dodge to the side. His speed suddenly slows down.
"Big sis?" Seeing the emerald arrows stuck in the ground, Achilles is stunned.
He was indeed attacked, but not by the monster in the forest. It was by the Archer from the same faction.
"Why?"
"You're too reckless, rider."
Moments later, the agile Atalanta lands on the ground and speaks to Achilles without any courtesy.
"You died because of this when you were alive. Still can't change it now?"
"Atalanta is right."
Chiron speaks up to explain, "Rider, you need to observe carefully. That forest is already 'dead.' Inside there exists a deadly poison that can even erode us Servants!"
"Poison?"
Achilles' heart tightens. He quickly looks over and finds that just as the centaur sage said, the place has completely turned into a dead zone. Even from afar one can feel an extremely intense ominous aura.
Actually his perception is not weak. But earlier he was completely focused on that gigantic thing. His mind was full of thoughts about how to challenge it, so he ignored the hidden danger right in front of him.
"This kind of poison can't be solved with magecraft or medicine. It's probably something similar to a curse. Although your Noble Phantasm can resist non-divine attacks, this kind of special poison is another matter."
Chiron explains clearly, and Achilles feels a chill in his heart after hearing it.
He possesses an invulnerable body that cannot be pierced by blades or spears. So whether in life or now, he always charges forward on the battlefield without hesitation, rampaging straight through enemies with absolute strength.
But he also understands that there is no true "immortality" in this world. Even heroes like Heracles and wise men like Chiron himself once fell to "deadly poison."
If it is a curse of the same level, then even with Achilles' Noble Phantasm protecting him it would probably be useless.
"It hasn't even fully descended yet, yet just the leaking aura has already 'killed' a piece of land. The poison is so strong that even Servants will be affected… I think I already know its name."
"What is it?" Achilles quickly asks. "Was it summoned by someone?"
"The name is 'Yamata no Orochi.' In the mythology of the Far East, it is a giant beast that came from the sea, stirring storms and waves that no one could stop."
"Until one day a wandering war god passed by. With the help of strategy he weakened it and then successfully beheaded it."
...The one who speaks is Iori.
Not long after Atalanta appears, he arrives together with the leader of the Yggdmillennia faction, Vlad III.
As the Berserker of the Red faction, walking together with Vlad III looks quite unusual. But at this moment none of the Servants from either side feel it strange.
Just like no one asks what is going on between Achilles and Chiron.
To put it simply, everyone here is merely in competition with each other, not mortal enemies who held grudges in life.
Since an unexpected situation has appeared now, it is perfectly normal to temporarily set aside their conflicts.
Sure enough, as time passes, Karna, King Arthur, and Mordred all arrive one after another. Jeanne is the last to arrive.
Although her mobility is excellent, she has no related skills or mounts, so she can only rely on running.
The most eye-catching detail is that Mordred is actually sitting behind King Arthur. The two ride over together on a warhorse.
Red Saber's face looks unpleasant as usual (it's obvious she has taken quite a beating), but she shows no embarrassment at all while hitching a ride.
Meanwhile King Arthur remains cold and indifferent. Someone who normally never lets others get close to her has actually made an exception this time…
However, these two will still fight and try to kill each other afterward, and they definitely will not show mercy. This "father and son" relationship is truly quite strange.
'Sera… be ready. If it feels difficult, use a Command Seal at any time!'
Iori carefully reminds his Master in his heart while staring at the source of the poisonous domain, that semi-transparent body towering like a mountain.
Can they win?
Yes.
With the true name "Susanoo," if he doesn't even have this level of confidence, then he might as well not participate in the Holy Grail War and instead go to the Emiya household in the neighboring world line to freeload meals!
Of course, having confidence is one thing, but reckless behavior is not Iori's style. The enemy in front of him exceeds normal standards.
It must be treated with caution. Even the Susanoo of the original myth only succeeded in slaying the dragon through careful planning.
"My true name is Jeanne d'Arc. As the Ruler of this Holy Grail War, in the name of the Lord, I will ensure the fairness of this war!"
Without any hesitation, the holy maiden points her battle flag at Yamata no Orochi.
"That is a calamity beast that has broken free from the restraints of the Holy Grail. When it is fully summoned into this world, everything we see will turn into a poisonous swamp. The 'earth' and 'water' touched by it will all die."
"Not only will the balance of nature be destroyed, even the nearby city will not be spared. If it is not suppressed, it could even destroy a country!"
"Therefore, we must eliminate it here!"
Jeanne naturally begins giving orders to everyone. Including Iori, none of the Servants object.
Yamata no Orochi is not an opponent that any individual can defeat. Even heroes as proud as Achilles and Karna would not believe that a Servant could compare with a god, even an incomplete one.
Only by gathering all the Servants together is there a small hope of killing it.
And to do that, someone must step forward to call everyone to action. Only Jeanne can do it.
"Listen! All of you heroic spirits who can face a thousand soldiers alone and defeat ten thousand enemies, even if we stand on opposite sides, at this moment please entrust your backs to each other!"
Red faction: Iori, Karna, Mordred, Achilles, Atalanta.
Black faction: Vlad III, Chiron, Artoria.
Ruler: Saint Jeanne d'Arc.
Excluding those who have already been eliminated and those guarding the main base, a total of nine Servants from three factions gather here. Under Jeanne's call they will join forces to subjugate Yamata no Orochi and "Shuten Douji."
It must be said that this is a scale beyond ordinary Holy Grail Wars. Only in this great war could such a massive gathering appear.
Even in the distant Age of Gods, it would be rare for so many heroes to participate in the same battle.
Only wars like Troy or the Kurukshetra War, conflicts that could shake entire divine systems, could compare with such a grand scene.
...This is also the charm of the Holy Grail War.
Right now Iori and the others have no time to sigh about it. After deciding to join forces against the enemy, they soon encounter the first problem that must be solved.
Poison.
In the legends, besides Yamata no Orochi's enormous size like a mountain range and the heavy black clouds following above its head, there are also records that its belly rotted and bled, and wherever it passed neither humans nor animals survived.
The disaster god summoned by Shuten Douji has not yet completely descended, but its immense power is already enough to change the surrounding environment.
The breath it exhales makes the entire forest wither. Endless pus-like blood flows out, spreading across the wilderness along the terrain, gradually soaking the land in deadly poison.
Among the many Servants, Chiron is the most knowledgeable one. Besides his mastery of combat-related skills, he also understands some medicine. The Greek god of medicine Asclepius is his proud student.
Chiron may not be as specialized as Asclepius, but his knowledge and eyesight are not inferior. He immediately notices the danger of Orochi's poison.
"That is not a simple toxin. Mixed inside is the concept of 'corruption.' It is a curse made by blending desire and resentment!"
"Corruption?"
Achilles scratches his head.
"Can you say it in a simpler way?"
Chiron glances at this student with a reproachful look and explains, "Poison created by humans only affects living bodies."
"But the aura emitted by Yamata no Orochi can even erode spiritual bodies. Even the Spirit Origins of Servants will be affected."
"And this effect is not simple destruction. It reverses the attributes of the Spirit Origin, making the Servant lose their own glory… a proper hero, once deeply immersed in it, might fall into their own dark side."