Ran into Steel Lao Da on the Snowfield; Gave It Everything, Still Couldn't Win / Talulah, Are You Even Sober...

The last to appear was a rather handsome, even stylish young man. A black-and-red-sheathed long sword hung at his waist, though it looked more like an accessory than a weapon. He carried an overstuffed hiking pack on his back, along with a large paper bag and a suitcase in his hands.

Patriot, FrostNova, and even the Shield Guards behind them were a little lost. Where were the all-powerful big shots they had been promised? The ones who could shake the world, destroy nations with a wave of their hands, slaughter Abyssals outside Terra like chickens, and scare Koschei into hiding at the mere mention of their names?

How did these four look like they had any professional bearing? Even their clothes were flashy and bizarre. They did not look like they were here to help at all; they looked more like a student tour group that had bought discounted tickets for a one-day trip through Terra's snowy plains.

Did you bastards come to the Ursus tundra to go on a date?!

An Encounter with Steel Prison Big in the Snowfields, Unable to Win Despite Giving It Everything

"Achoo!" Toyokawa Shoko sneezed. "I'm wearing this much already, so why is it still so cold?"

"So cold. Why is Talulah's place as cold as winter back home? It feels like my toes are about to freeze off." Artoria rubbed her hands together and breathed warm air into them, yet inwardly, she grew wary. The moment she arrived, she felt as though she had been swept into a storm of malice.

How terrifying. It makes me sick.

"Didn't Lia prepare more before coming to the snowfields?" Qianyi handed the hot milk he had just bought to Artoria. "Hot milk is the best thing at a time like this. It's warm in your hands, and holding it feels like you own the whole world."

"Wow, thank you. You're such a good person, Qianyi." Artoria held the warm cup of milk in both hands and took a light sip. White steam slowly drifted before the tip of her nose.

Her body warmed up at once.

Hot milk really was a marvelous civilization.

"What about mine? What about mine?" Kiana poked her head over like a husky. After successfully getting a cup to warm her hands, she said, "So this is Talulah's world? I remember her place is famous for animal-eared girls. Do you think she'll arrange an animal-eared girl group to welcome us? Hehe, fluffy animal-eared girls~?"

"Reunion is so poor they're eating snow. Talulah has to work outside every day just to keep them alive. Where would they get spare food to put together an animal-eared girl group for you?" Qianyi felt that Kiana was dreaming. Giving her a couple of furries would be more than enough.

"You can tell they really are poor. This rundown place for picking us up is worse than the prison where my sister hung me up and beat me." Kiana nodded.

Talulah's face turned red with embarrassment. Sorry for not being able to gather an animal-eared girl group to welcome you.

But FrostNova and Patriot, standing to the side, were infuriated by those words. These people clearly did not take Reunion seriously. Every word implied that Reunion was a bunch of worthless rabble, and they even expected Reunion to be filled with pretty animal-eared girls to entertain them! Rare anger surged in Patriot's heart. He had always had zero tolerance for useless charlatans who loved to bluff and deceive!

How could Talulah get mixed up with insects like these?!

In his fury, his presence sharpened further. FrostNova, standing beside him, felt the crushing pressure and shuddered. She thought things were over—until Patriot met Qianyi's gaze.

A surging divine pressure, like raging waves, entered Patriot's mind through the other man's eyes. Even his mountain-like body felt beyond his control. His body instinctively raised his shield to block, protecting FrostNova and Talulah behind him. That single stare made him feel as though he had seen a savage beast—a Hydra with lethal venom staring at him. No, that gaze did not come from the Hydra. It came from something even more terrifying: the gaze of the one who had hunted the Hydra.

In a daze, Patriot seemed to see a figure overflowing with divine aura and the beauty of strength, someone who perfectly embodied what power was, looking at him. There was no malice, only simple curiosity as he observed him.

Qianyi had not expected this outcome. After drawing Hundred Head Slayer, one of Heracles's martial representations, the technique had fused with him—but something had gone wrong during that fusion.

Perhaps because Hundred Head Slayer had become famous when Heracles slew the Hydra, it resonated somehow with Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi, the sword wielded by Qianyi's Persona Izanagi, which had once slain the Eight-Headed Serpent. This caused his fusion with the technique to become exceptionally deep, to the point that he unconsciously radiated spiritual pressure comparable to Greece's strongest hero toward any creature nearby that harbored hostility toward him.

Even Qianyi himself did not know this. Shoko, Kiana, and the others held no hostility toward him, while anyone else who did had already been scared witless and did not even have the courage to speak to him. How could anyone possibly tell him?

"Crap, did we walk into a bandit den?" Seeing the fully armed Shield Guard squad across from them, along with the suddenly triggered FrostNova and Patriot, Kiana's expression immediately turned serious. "Talulah invited us to Reunion on the surface to take down the Black Serpent, but she was actually planning to wipe us all out and kill us for our loot?!"

"Huh? Huh-huh-huh?!" Artoria was too shocked to say anything coherent and could only make meaningless noises.

"Do you think Ta Dummy has the brains for that?" Qianyi asked.

"Fair point. Then what's going on?" Kiana asked again.

"The Black Serpent must have learned we came to beat him up. He acted first, took over Talulah's body, and used lies to deceive Patriot, FrostNova, and the others!" Qianyi analyzed the situation with a solemn expression.

"What should we do?" Toyokawa Shoko asked.

"Beat them all up first and make them calm down! Then tie Talulah up and beat the Black Serpent out of her!" Qianyi took off his backpack and tossed it to Shoko before drawing Ksitigarbha and the Persona Summoner.

"What a disobedient Black Serpent. If he had behaved, he wouldn't have had to die." Kiana raised her head with an arrogant smile. Her right eye turned gold, and two Void Spears appeared at her side.

"Wait! I didn't—" Seeing the two group members already assume combat stances, Talulah hurriedly waved her hands to explain. But the next moment, a foot crossed space and viciously kicked her in the face.

"Talulah, don't blame us. This is all to save you from the Black Serpent!" Kiana's voice was filled with pity, but her face wore the happiest smile of all. She even shouted the name of the skill she was about to use: "Kaslana Chain Kick!"

You left without taking me with you!

Do you know the pain of being hung up and beaten by my sister?!

Feel the pain!!!

"Kiana, that's Talulah's body. Go a little easier."

Qianyi could not bear to watch Kiana's behavior any longer and reminded her. But his opponents were Patriot, FrostNova, and the Shield Guard squad. So many people were surrounding him. A moment of carelessness could get him killed, so...

"Persona, Susanoo-no-Mikoto!"

"Tens of Thousands of Proverbs!!!"

Patriot and the Shield Guard squad, suddenly sensing danger, immediately raised their shields to defend themselves. However—

Boom, boom, boom—!!!

Three massive explosions erupted across the snowfields in rapid succession. In the blink of an eye, Patriot, FrostNova, and the Shield Guard squad were all buried beneath the snow.

An Encounter with Steel Prison Big in the Snowfields; Susanoo-no-Mikoto Unleashed Tens of Thousands of Proverbs Repeatedly, Monstrously Powerful, Unable to Win Despite Giving It Everything.

"So amazing... As expected of the Captain. She wiped out every enemy in an instant." Shoko watched in fascination.

When would I be able to become as strong as them?

Did my body truly possess such tremendous power?

"Hiss!"

Suddenly, Shoko felt a sharp pain in her head, as if something were speaking inside it.

But she had no time to think, because just as Qianyi dealt with Patriot, FrostNova, and the Shield Guards, Kiana had already used the Void Band to hang Talulah upside down from a tree.

"Black Serpent! I'll make you reveal your true form!"

Talulah, Are You Sober?

"Black Serpent! I'll make you reveal your true form!"

Kiana held a Void Spear and turned it into a whip, returning to Season 1 and becoming a farmer, opening with a hundred lashes.

Every lash made Talulah bare her teeth in pain. She finally understood the pain Kiana had suffered when Durandal whipped her, but one thing was one thing, and another was another. Right now, there was only one thing she could do.

Kiana, fuck your ancestors!

Why are you hitting so hard? Every strike is trying to kill me!

Talulah thought that it was fortunate Koschei had not truly taken over her body. Otherwise, with Kiana hitting this hard, the Black Serpent might not even have fled before she herself was beaten to death.

"Stop! Stop it! Stop!" Talulah roared.

"Hmph. If I stop just because you tell me to, wouldn't that be embarrassing?" Kiana ignored her. When Durandal beat her, even screaming herself hoarse had not made her sister stop. Why should a Koschei get to make her stop?

"Qianyi, come take a look at her!!" Talulah wanted to complain, but Kiana landed six lashes on her butt in a single second, leaving her in too much pain to cry out.

"Koschei, I'll give you one last chance. Leave that girl's body." Qianyi, having knocked Patriot and the others unconscious, approached with Artoria and Shoko and issued his threat.

Kiana stopped at the right moment and gave the stage to Qianyi.

"I fucking haven't been possessed by Koschei!" Talulah nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.

"You say you aren't Koschei? Fine. Then why did you bring so many Shield Guards here, along with Patriot and FrostNova, your two strongest fighters? Weren't you planning to wipe us out?" Qianyi did not believe her. With that old Black Serpent's cunning, he was fully capable of impersonating Talulah and deceiving Reunion into seeing them as enemies.

"Uh..." Talulah said, "Maybe they were just being too enthusiastic. They came to welcome you."

"They brought weapons to welcome us?" Shoko asked.

"Isn't it normal to bring weapons in the snowfields?" Talulah asked in confusion.

Qianyi sneered. "Still not being honest? Keep hitting her. I want to see how long this Black Serpent can keep talking tough."

"Got it!" Kiana snapped the whip and advanced on the Dragon Girl.

Seeing the long whip formed from the Void Spear, Talulah broke out in cold sweat and began struggling frantically. "Wait! I really am Talulah! Believe me! Believe me!! Aaaaaah!!!"

"Wait, she really does seem to be Miss Talulah." Artoria suddenly spoke.

"How can you tell?" Kiana turned and asked.

"I can't feel any malice from her," Artoria said.

Such an unclear statement naturally failed to convince anyone, so Qianyi added, "As a Paradise Fae, Lia possesses the Fairy Eye held by high-ranking fae. It can see through every lie and reflect the truth. Because of these eyes, she can see all of another person's lies and heartfelt words."

Talulah was speechless. Why had they not used such a useful ability sooner? If they had, would she not have been beaten for nothing?

The next moment, she felt whatever bound her legs loosen. Then she fell without warning, headfirst, and crashed face-down into the snow.

Silence. Nothing but silence.

The temperature quietly rose, and the snow began to melt. The fallen Dragon Girl got to her feet, fury in her eyes like an erupting Mount Fuji, as if she had sworn to destroy all of Japan!

"K! I! A! N! A! I'LL KILL YOU!!!" Her dragon roar echoed across the snowfields. Fortunately, there were no snowy mountains nearby. Otherwise, that roar might have caused a man-made avalanche.

"Whoa! Such intense malice!" Artoria immediately hid behind Qianyi.

Realizing things had gone wrong, cold sweat poured down Kiana's face as she cried, "Gah! It must be Koschei! Koschei must have possessed her!! Qianyi, hurry up and join me in suppressing her!!!"

Qianyi silently watched the show. Together with Shoko and Artoria, he placed Kiana in front of them as a shield, drinking hot milk while watching.

Herrscher of the Void VS Terra Red Dragon.

Being able to watch such a world-shaking battle meant that even spending the points for a Travel Ticket was absolutely worth it!

???

Patriot was the first to wake up, and he had suffered the fiercest attack.

By the time he awoke, the battle was over. Kiana and Talulah had both fainted. Before he could understand what was happening, Qianyi had already stuffed luggage into his hands and asked him to help carry it back to the Reunion camp, then went to lift Talulah.

"So heavy," Qianyi complained.

Perhaps because Talulah had an extra large tail, she was clearly overweight. On top of that, transporting people through the snow was truly troublesome, so he simply handed Talulah over to Patriot too.

"Thank you for the trouble." Shoko bowed to Patriot and handed over her suitcase as well. She was not strong enough to drag a suitcase through the snow.

Patriot remained silent. Clearly, these people had treated him as luggage transport labor. He was the last pure-blooded Wendigo, an existence that struck fear into countless hearts. How had he ended up looking like a freight delivery service here?

He began to find these people frightening—not because of their strength and power, but because he could not understand them at all. On the battlefield, the most terrifying enemy was not one with overwhelming strength or extraordinary intelligence. The most terrifying enemy was one whose actions you could not comprehend at all.

Before long, FrostNova and the Shield Guards gradually woke up as well. Then they were used as human carts, responsible for transporting Talulah, Kiana, Qianyi, and the others to the Reunion camp.

Amid the jolting ride, Talulah slowly woke up. Seeing that she was lying on a stretcher made of shields tied together by four Shield Guard squad members, she sighed in relief. But when she saw Qianyi sitting on Patriot's shoulders, gripping the two ram horns on Patriot's mask with both hands as if he were piloting a mech, her mind still crashed.

"No, Qianyi, what are you doing?"

"Going back to the Reunion camp," Qianyi replied, turning his head.

"No, I mean, why are you sitting on Patriot's shoulders?"

"It's fun, it's stylish. It feels like I'm Illya piloting Berserker Heracles," Qianyi said.

"..."

Who was Illya?

Wasn't Heracles an item from the Dimensional Chat Group prize pool?

A string of questions flooded Talulah's mind. She had so many things she wanted to complain about, yet she did not know where to begin. Her mind could not process so much at once, so she simply skipped the topic.

"Qianyi, how do you plan to deal with Koschei?"

"I haven't decided yet," Qianyi answered honestly.

"How can you not have decided yet? Go into that TV world of yours, beat him up, then let me stab him in the ass to finish him off. What a perfect plan." Talulah grew anxious. If they did not beat up Koschei, had she not called them here for nothing?

"Are you some kind of violence maniac?" Qianyi's face twitched slightly as he explained, "Your situation differs from Kiana's and Ling's. Koschei is not a part of you. He is a duke of Ursus, and his influence is enormous. Simply killing him would be such a waste. If we can eliminate him while letting you replace him and inherit Koschei's ducal estate..."

Before Qianyi could finish painting the picture, Talulah fiercely refused. "I won't take that old bastard Koschei's inheritance, much less inherit it!"

Toyokawa Shoko: "..."

Qianyi: "..."

Kiana: "..."

Artoria: "..."

Patriot: "..."

Koschei must have possessed you and muddled your mind!

We'll beat you awake right now!

Koschei, We're Fucking Coming for You!

Koschei was a famously rotten bastard in the world of Terra, the rottenest of rotten bastards.