Gilgamesh merely snorted coldly, preferring death to accepting this outcome. But the Singularity remained unresolved, preventing him from descending to the Underworld.
"Ha ha ha, Heroic King! What a wretched expression you wear."
Kingu mocked Gilgamesh's defeat. "To think even you would grovel before Quetzalcoatl to cling to life. Where is the courage and audacity you once showed when challenging the gods?"
"It's none of your business how This King chooses to act!"
Gilgamesh didn't want to do this either, but what choice did he have? "Originally, out of consideration for our friendship, This King would have shown you mercy. But it seems I must show no restraint. I will personally put an end to you!"
"Enkidu, that two-faced traitor, betrayed the gods! I, however, remain absolutely loyal to my Mother!" Kingu declared, believing his predecessor had been too easily swayed by sentiment.
Jiang You thought to himself, This model is inherently flawed. You'll end up the same way eventually. Aloud, he asked, "Goldie, how do you plan to defeat him?"
Goldie misunderstood. "Are you mocking This King? What other way is there? By force, of course! Are you suggesting we achieve a cultural victory?"
How did we suddenly switch to Civilization?
Goldie was surprisingly well-versed...
"Have you forgotten my Noble Phantasms? Don't you want to fight this imposter alongside Enkidu? We might even be able to use a Shadow Game to reset Kingu to factory settings and bring Enkidu back!"
"Is your Shadow Game some kind of omnipotent wish-granting machine?!"
Goldie had once entertained this idea himself, but even the Holy Grail couldn't restore a soul that had already departed. Jiang You's Noble Phantasm, though capable of altering rules, could at best create something resembling Enkidu from his memories—a mere imitation.
"This King is not so weak as to refuse to accept the loss of his dearest friend. However, your suggestion is not without merit. This King shall adopt it."
"Then Kingu is yours."
After all, the reward for personally dealing with Kingu was also the chains of heaven. Jiang You simply decided to use Goldie for a sweep.
"As for the Queen of the Demonic Beasts, I've already dispatched someone. It's guaranteed to be quite a spectacle. A pity you'll miss it."
"Hmph."
Gilgamesh knew Jiang You was more than capable of handling Gorgon, but his pride wouldn't let him admit it.
"Without This King, don't suffer too humiliating a defeat."
"Put your mind at ease," Jiang You retorted. "You've prepared two supreme trump cards—the perfect strike force."
Jiang You thought Gorgon was actually the easiest to deal with—a Goddess he could defeat with a little idle time. "As for you, still calling yourself 'This King'? Remember your position as Finance Minister! This smacks of treason!"
Before Goldie could erupt, Kingu exploded first: "How dare you treat your battle with Mother as mere entertainment!"
Kingu unleashed a torrent of chains, his furious assault crackling with divine Thunder. But Jiang You's Noble Phantasm passive activated once more, deflecting every attack.
"Calm down, now," Jiang You said, his gaze fixed on Kingu's chest, where the Holy Grail capable of awakening Tiamat lay. "Though she shares Tiamat's Divinity, you've never truly seen Gorgon as your Mother, have you? You were even planning to get rid of her so you could awaken Tiamat yourself, weren't you?"
"You—!"
Kingu's heart clenched as his schemes were laid bare. If Jiang You knew his plans, he would never allow Tiamat to awaken. All his efforts had been for naught. He himself lacked the power to kill Gorgon directly, and after spending time with this "cheap Mother," he had developed some unwanted feelings for her. Yet he had never revealed his true intentions, not even to Gorgon herself. "When did you figure this out?!"
"See? Getting worked up again." Jiang You patted Kingu's shoulder. Having seen his previous attacks prove utterly futile, Kingu dared not make another rash move.
"Did I ever say I wouldn't let Tiamat descend?"
"?"
Kingu had never dreamed of such an outcome. He swallowed hard, finally managing to stammer, "Huh?"
"All you have to do is defeat Gilgamesh, how about it?" Jiang You said.
As Jiang You spoke, Gilgamesh glanced at him. He had already grasped the general activation conditions of Jiang You's Noble Phantasm and understood this was a ploy to lure Kingu into attacking first. Though he saw no need for such tactics, he remained silent, eager for another chance to fight alongside Enkidu.
Kingu couldn't fathom why Jiang You would summon his Mother while sparing Uruk. But since Jiang You had given him an opportunity, he wouldn't waste it. Knowing he and Gilgamesh were evenly matched, he launched a dishonorable sneak attack.
"Got it!"
Kingu grinned triumphantly.
The chains struck Gilgamesh, but what followed sent a chill down Kingu's spine. Just like when he attacked Jiang You, the chains instantly lost all their magical power upon contact, clattering uselessly to the ground.
"This King accepts your challenge!"
Gilgamesh accepted Kingu's duel invitation, and the Duel Space instantly materialized.
Gilgamesh LP: 4000
Kingu LP: 4000
Even if Kingu hadn't understood before, he now realized this was the effect of Jiang You's Noble Phantasm. Facing this unknown power, he tried to withdraw, but found himself unable to leave the so-called Main Combatant Zone. This rule-level effect filled him with dread, resembling his Mother's Authority, perhaps even surpassing it. "Jiang You, you schemed against me!"
"Seriously? Did you ever stop to consider your own actions when you say things like that? Weren't you the one who pretended to be Enkidu to deceive the people of Chaldea?" Jiang You glared at Kingu with contempt.
"Of course, if you still want to fight, you can. Are you going to team up with Quetzalcoatl or duel me one-on-one? Friendly reminder: Tokens don't count as independent units for me."
"Do I even have a choice now?" Kingu retorted, speechless. Though he didn't fully understand the mechanics, his Duel knowledge told him that surrendering would inflict an extremely debilitating debuff, leaving him utterly vulnerable.
"Then let's begin!" Jiang You declared, initiating the round for them.
"Who will strike first?"
"Of course, this King will!"
"How could I possibly let him go first!"
Kingu, already having been ambushed once, refused to suffer another disadvantage.
"Then..."
Just then, a massive serpent's tail crashed into the scene, crushing everything beneath its weight.
However, because Kingu and Gilgamesh were still locked in their Duel, no damage was inflicted. Jiang You, shielded by his Noble Phantasm, automatically ignored the attack.
Struggling to extricate himself from under the serpent's tail, Jiang You winced at the rough feel of the scales. "Wait, didn't I send Ana and Medusa to intercept it?"
"You?!"
Gorgon seemed to recognize him.