That lighthearted expression.
Wan Wan looked at Enkidu as though he were nothing more than a child's toy.
Enkidu strained, twisting his body and reshaping his Noble Phantasm, struggling to break free of her grip. Yet no matter how much he resisted, he could not move an inch.
Behind her, Gilgamesh bristled. To see his friend caught in another's hand—humiliated—filled him with fury.
"Woman! Get out of my sight!" Gilgamesh roared. "I don't need your help!"
Snap!
Her answer was a sharp slap across his golden cheek.
"You—!"
Her eyes turned cold, her gaze alone carrying crushing weight.
Gilgamesh's body trembled under it. His divine golden armor cracked like glass under a hammer.
Click.
The sound echoed as the armor shattered, crumbling to dust.
Just a look, and she could strip him of his treasures.
Wan Wan raised a finger toward him, her voice low and indifferent. "If God requires sacrifice, I can extinguish your soul in an instant. Consider this a warning—mind your tongue."
With a flick of her hand, darkness erupted.
Boom!
A tide of black light surged outward. Within a thousand-meter radius, buildings evaporated into nothingness—stone, steel, wood all erased—yet not a single person was harmed.
The sheer destructive force of her darkness was revealed for all to see.
Karen, who moments earlier had dared to smirk, now stood frozen, pale as a statue, not even daring to breathe.
Illyasviel von Einzbern and her Servants had already fled the moment Wan Wan arrived.
Fight such a monster? Not a chance.
"Come, Hercules! Hurry!" Illya's voice cracked with fear as she clung to her Servant's back. "Get us away from that enchantress!"
Her face was ghost-white, her voice shrill with desperation. Hercules obeyed, his titanic strides carrying them more than two kilometers in the blink of an eye.
Wan Wan tilted her head, her ears twitching. She snorted coldly. "Enchantress? Hmph. Grandma, I am a goddess! Get back here!"
She extended her hand.
Time and space folded together, and reality itself bent to her will.
Karen's eyes widened as she saw her supposed allies snatched from the sky like moths.
The mighty Hercules collapsed, forced to his knees by invisible pressure. Illya herself was plucked from his shoulder and dangled helplessly in Wan Wan's grip.
"Tell me," Wan Wan said with a smile that was both playful and cruel, "who exactly is this 'enchantress' you were so eager to curse?"
She tilted Illya upward. The little girl's eyes rolled back, her body trembling. She fainted dead away.
Wan Wan sighed. "Hmph. No courage at all."
She had intended to toy with the child, perhaps to scare her into obedience. But now, gazing closer, she froze.
"…She isn't a pure human body." Wan Wan's brows furrowed. "Her life force is being burned away far too quickly. At this rate, she won't even live half a year. What a crime."
For the first time, pity softened her voice.
"Forget it. You'll make a fine sacrifice instead. I'll restore your body."
Black light wrapped around Illya like a cocoon. Divine power seeped into her wasted frame, repairing what had been broken, restoring what had been stolen.
Within the dreamlike warmth, Illya whimpered, tears streaking her cheeks.
"Mother… Mother, where are you…? Father… I miss you so much…"
Wan Wan paused. Her lips tightened as fragments of Illya's memories brushed against her mind. A lonely child. A fragile vessel. A girl burdened by cruelty not of her making.
Wan Wan sighed again, and let her hand fall.
Such a pitiful soul. She could not bring herself to break her.
Instead, she turned to Karen Ortensia.
"On your knees," Wan Wan commanded coldly. "Do so, and I will spare your life."
Her eyes gleamed with inhuman power. Karen trembled, unable to meet her gaze. Quietly, obediently, she sank to her knees.
Wan Wan studied her a moment, then nodded. "Good. Obedience suits you. But your body is frail as well. The magecraft of this world truly is a plague—it devours human lives. Come with me. I'll give you a new future."
Back at the Tohsaka Estate
"So… you brought them back?"
Rin Tohsaka stood frozen, staring at the crowd that had suddenly filled her home.
Two human captives. Three Servants bound.
And all this accomplished in less than ten minutes.
Shirou Emiya's jaw nearly hit the floor. He stared at the bound heroic spirits, then at the pale but beautiful girl with snow-white hair—Illya—who glared daggers at him. He opened his mouth to speak, but under Wan Wan's oppressive aura, no words came.
Wan Wan only smiled. "For tonight, this will do. I hadn't intended to act, but if I hadn't stepped in, another Heroic Spirit would already be gone."
She glanced pointedly at Gilgamesh.
Rin pinched the bridge of her nose. "Couldn't you have just caught them all at once? It would have saved time."
Wan Wan chuckled. "No. I want to observe. These Heroic Spirits are curious constructs. To transform an entire person into a weapon—fascinating. This is the first I've seen such a thing."
She had no desire to hurry back to the divine realm. There was still fun to be had here.
Rin rolled her eyes. Fine. Treat it as labor, then. At least Wan Wan could be useful in recruiting followers.
Illya, now recovered, stood tall. She bowed politely. "Thank you for saving me. My name is Illyasviel von Einzbern. You may call me Illya."
Her gaze flickered briefly to Shirou. Hatred burned there, though he could not fathom why.
Though she had been seized as a sacrifice, the relief in her body was undeniable. For the first time in years, her magic circuits no longer screamed with agony.
Wan Wan nodded. "Do not think sacrifice means death. It means cleansing the mortal body, ascending into divine life. My true form resides there. From now on, you will serve under me. My name is the Dark Goddess—Wan Wan."
The room fell silent. Now they understood her true name.
Karen, meanwhile, felt her senses clear for the first time in years. Her body—once crippled, numbed, dulled—now thrummed with vitality. Her vision sharpened, her senses of smell and taste returned. Overcome, she sank to her knees before Wan Wan and did not rise.
Rin Tohsaka blinked, dazed. Watching the goddess effortlessly collect believers, she almost felt jealous.
In the Wanjie Chat Group
Demon Sword Spirit: "@FoxWhoOnlyLovesMoney, how's the little one doing lately? Is she progressing well?"
Fox Who Only Loves Money (Tu Shan Yaya): "Reporting to elder sister—our Four-Direction Demon Clan has returned. Half the Dao League is under our control now. But…"
Second Li: "But what?"
Pudu Sentient Being: "I hear trouble's brewing. In her world, there's a proud kingdom… and hidden celestial immortals."
Tanjiro: "Don't be afraid, Sister Fox. Just tell us what you need. We'll help however we can. Cultivation methods, resources—you name it."
Tu Shan Yaya's eyes curved with laughter. She loved playing cute in the group, and the pampering that followed made her glow.
Fox Who Only Loves Money: "The problem is that this proud kingdom is backing the Dao League. They're spreading word that our fox demons are in chaos. Humanity's split in two—half support us, half support them."
Junior Brother Dazhufeng: "Outrageous! After seeing God's grace descend, how can they not submit?"
Ninja Scientist: "Heh, don't worry. When they die, the Eternal Executors will come harvest them. Then they'll learn what real regret is."
Uncle Demon Slayer: "I'm more interested in that shrine maiden lately. She's quiet now, but I saw her download Eternal Meditation the other day."
Demon Sword Spirit: "Oh ho, Lao Jiu, are you trying to 'befriend' another miko?"
Uncle Demon Slayer: "Don't slander me! I'm swamped every day. I barely have time to chat with you lot."
Sadly Reminds Lao Gao: "And what about your situation? Haven't heard from you in a while."
Uncle Demon Slayer: "It's stable. Three provincial capitals reclaimed. Ever since we read that history book, our believers have grown zealous. No one wants to be bullied by foreign devils anymore."
Chu Dashan: "Good. But you should prepare a sacrifice. Haven't you still not offered one?"
Lao Gao had been waiting ages, watching him closely.
Uncle Demon Slayer: "I'll wait a little longer. I plan to gather all the cultivators of China, hold a festival, and let the warlords see God's power firsthand."
God of Eternity (Liu Che): "No need to rush. I've been studying a spell. Soon, I can let a goddess descend directly to aid you. In a world where technology hasn't advanced, her presence will tip the scales."
Demon Sword Spirit: "Wooo… my Lord God, you appear again! Always with good news!"
Li Er: "Praise my God! Even if we glimpse only your avatar, it cannot compare to this intimacy."
Tanjiro: "Same here—praise!"
Chu Dashan: "Kneel and worship! Even the underworld yields now. Soon it will become fertile ground for our faith, and then we'll march upon the mortal realm!"
God of Eternity: "Good. I'll also remind you—the Earth holds a broken circuit. An ancient road to reincarnation. Go and see it."
The World of the Saints' Cemetery
Chu Xuanfeng stiffened.
An ancient road to reincarnation… on Earth?
Why had he never heard of it?
Then realization struck him like lightning. His face paled.
Kunlun Ancient Land!
It had to be there.
If God Himself had pointed the way, then something priceless must be hidden inside.
Chu Dashan: "Thank you, my Lord God! Once I finish purging this holy ground, I'll head there at once!"
Shrine Maiden Xiaofeng: "Greetings, Lord God. My name is Xiaofeng. Thank you for your gift. Without you, I would have been crippled for life…"
Her voice trembled with gratitude as the chat erupted in reverent praise.