FATE: Target of Grand Master

"I'm not the only god on the side of humanity. Besides, although we are both snake gods, I still have a debt of gratitude to repay compared to this connection, so I can only apologize this time."

Ibuki made a slight gesture of apology, but the gale still did not stop.

Gorgon wasn't there to listen to Ibuki's explanation; when she appeared on the battlefield, everything that stood in opposition to her became her enemy.

The six snake heads formed from strands of hair simultaneously gathered magical power and then aimed at Ibuki-dōji.

Boom boom boom!

Six beams of magical energy struck the target simultaneously, kicking up a cloud of dust.

When the smoke and dust cleared, Ibuki-dōji was unharmed, and a Kusanagi sword with a faint green glow appeared in front of him.

"I am a high-level god, after all. To think that a mere beam of magic can defeat me is to underestimate me."

After saying that, Ibuki wielded the Kusanagi sword and shot it toward Gorgon's face. Gorgon hurriedly turned her head to dodge, but the Kusanagi sword grazed her ear and cut off the pink hair that formed a snake's head.

"How dare you harm me, Tiamat, the 'Mother of Creation'! I will never forgive you!"

Gorgons concentrate their magic in the eyes.

"Oh no! It's the Petrifying Eye! Quick, find cover and hide!"

Xia Yan loudly reminded everyone while pulling Yuri Ellie and Diao Yunshang to lie down.

Lu Bu, Chen Gong, Musashi, and Zhang Liao, who were standing nearby, immediately lay down to avoid him.

Morgan, in mid-air, summoned a row of black spears to block his way and also erected a row on the ground for Cú Chulainn Alter and Red Hare to hide in.

Ibuki-dōji manipulated the Kusanagi sword to fly back in front of him and enlarge it enough to cover his entire body.

A low, booming sound, like a subwoofer, rang out as Gorgon activated his "Petrifying Eyes," turning everything in sight into stone statues, including even his own monsters near the North Wall defense line.

The entire battlefield fell silent for a moment, as if even time itself had been petrified.

"Is everything alright?"

Xia Yan looked up and asked about the situation of his companions.

"I'm fine."

"I'm fine too."

"We're all fine here too."

Euryale, Musashi, and Diao Yunshang responded one after another.

"Xia Yan, is this the Medusa you spoke of that devoured me and Stheno?"

Ever since the Gorgon appeared, Euryale's gaze has been fixed on her.

Xia Yan saw sadness and pity in his eyes.

"Xia Yan, let me..."

Before Euryale could finish speaking, a petrified figure fell from the sky.

Both of them were startled and looked down. On the ground lay a human-shaped stone statue that had been smashed into pieces, and judging from its face and body, it was none other than Morgan.

The two immediately looked up at the sky and saw Jingu, who was suspended in mid-air, looking down at them with a smile that said, "The plan has finally succeeded."

"This fairy's strength far exceeded my expectations, but in the face of 'Mother's' demonic eyes, she was still petrified."

Xia Yan looked very confused. Morgan had clearly set up a black spear in front of him earlier, so how could he still be hit by the petrifying demon eye?

"Judging from your expression, you seem very curious about why that fairy turned to stone. Take a closer look at the debris on the ground. I'm not going to just stand by and watch her erect a barrier."

Xia Yan looked down and carefully examined the fragments on the ground. He then found several petrified black spears with notches. Clearly, the black spears had been attacked by Enkidu before the petrification effect was generated, revealing gaps. Then, in the instant the petrification demon eye swept over them, Morgan, who was hiding behind them, was caught in the glimpse for a moment. It was in this brief moment that Morgan was hit.

Of course, Morgan couldn't really be dead; having a memory of her on hand is an essential skill for the Great Witch.

However, Xia Yan did not want Morgan to reappear. Instead, she asked her to hide in the shadows and search for the other party's follower, who was also hiding in the shadows.

Earlier, after the Shadow Followers appeared, Morgan used telepathy to tell Xia Yan that the magic of these Shadow Followers was extremely similar to the magical remnants he had sensed in Kusa City, where Nero had disappeared that day.

Combined with Morgan's previous search for Nero without finding any trace and Ibuki's sudden inability to use lightning abilities, Xia Yan had a vague guess.

Sherlock Holmes once said that if you eliminate the impossible, what remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

Xia Yan wasn't a detective, so he didn't need to be particular about evidence. He simply followed the information he had gathered, connected these suspicious signs, and drew a conclusion.

In addition to Gorgon and Kingu, there is a third enemy Servant on the battlefield.

The enemy Servant made two moves: once summoning a large number of Shadow Servants, and the other time stripping Ibuki of her ability to use lightning. In addition, based on Morgan's judgment, the Servant was the culprit who kidnapped Nero. After thinking it over, Xia Yan concluded that this person could only be the "Goddess of Despair" from the "Six Goddess Alliance," whose true name has not yet been revealed.

Based on the information currently available, Xia Yan was unable to deduce the other party's true identity. Therefore, after discussing with Morgan, he decided to have Morgan find a suitable opportunity to create a flaw, pretend to be killed, and hide to investigate the Servant.

After seeing Gorgon appear, Morgan decided to use the "Petrifying Eye" that Gorgon would inevitably use to make a reasonable exit.

However, this presents Xia Yan with two problems.

First, he and his remaining followers must show enough shock and anger, otherwise it will surely arouse suspicion.

Second, someone must replace Morgan in checking Jingu in the sky.

The first point is easy to explain. Xia Yan informed his followers of his plan in advance through telepathy, and the layered expressions of surprise, solemnity, and confusion on their faces showed that it was quite genuine.

Unaware of the situation, Diao Yunshang lacked experience using Morgan and showed signs of anxiety, which actually aided Xia Yan's performance. In Jin Gu's eyes, Xia Yan's actions to appease Diao Yunshang were merely a necessary measure to stabilize morale.

As for the second point...

"Ibuki, I entrust the Heavenly King Kong to you."

Xia Yan didn't give Jin Gu much time to observe, after all, a performance is still a performance, and the longer it goes on, the greater the probability of revealing flaws.

OK.

Ibuki floated to a higher position and used the Kusanagi sword to attack Kingu.

Why wasn't the Kusanagi sword petrified?

Just kidding, that's a divine artifact. Just being able to petrify the surface of one side of it is already an extraordinary result.

Jingu didn't say anything. He was there to restrain Uruk's strongest fighter. After Morgan left, Xia Yan's strongest fighter on the surface was naturally Ibuki.

However, at that very moment, two new Servants arrived at the North Wall defense line aboard pterosaurs.

"Hello, dealing with the flying monsters took a while. Hope we're not too late!"

Quetzal and the leopard man landed beside Xia Yan, stretching their limbs and preparing to join the battle at any moment.