After taking care of Susanoo-no-Mikoto, Artoria left the Netherworld.
She knew that several of Susanoo's comrades were still in the Netherworld, one of whom was the reincarnation of Sita, the wife of the Last King, Rama.
However, Artoria had no interest in them, even though, in the original story, Sita had significantly aided the protagonist during his battle against Rama.
If she sought Sita's help, her fight against Rama would undoubtedly become much easier.
But she had no intention of doing so. She wasn't sure how Sita would perceive her.
Moreover… perhaps it was the madness affecting her, or maybe her altered spirit origin as Artoria Alter had influenced her personality—she now had a strong aversion to relying on others in battle.
Especially people like Kusanagi Godou. That guy in the original story would always flee in panic when encountering a strong enemy, only to later make out with someone to gain the necessary knowledge and use the [Golden Sword of Authority] to defeat his foe. It was as if he couldn't accomplish anything without his harem. At times, Artoria genuinely felt tempted to just "cut him down already."
When it came to harem protagonists, Gojo Shido, Kamijou Touma, and Hyoudou Issei were leagues better. These three exuded an aura of "deservedly having a harem" or "it'd be wrong for them not to have one."
Speaking of Kamijou Touma… although Artoria hadn't read A Certain Magical Index novels, she knew a bit about it. Wasn't it said that Touma had died again? And this time, it was from exhaustion, passing away while standing upright like a pillar.
The online chatter mentioned that it wasn't his first time dying, and he'd probably crawl back soon enough…
Damn that author. Just let Touma have a harem already… otherwise, it's just too cruel...
"Hmm?"
The moment Artoria returned to the mortal realm from the Netherworld, she sensed something unusual.
Dark clouds loomed overhead, and demonic winds howled fiercely.
Six distinct divine presences, each belonging to a god who had rebelled against their pantheon, were converging in her direction.
Not far away, she also sensed the aura of several other rogue gods. One of them belonged to Mordred, and the oppressive power emanating from the being Mordred was fighting was almost suffocating. That must be the [Steel] God, the Monkey King, Sun Wukong.
Artoria could also feel that the six approaching presences were closely tied to this rogue Sun Wukong. Beside him, there were two others with similar connections.
"This monkey… he called for reinforcements?"
Artoria tilted her head slightly. "Is Mordred putting that much pressure on him?"
At that moment, something dawned on her, and her expression shifted to one of realization.
"Oh, right... I almost forgot. I just took down another [Steel] Heroic God."
After defeating Susanoo, Artoria had grown significantly stronger. As her subordinate, Mordred naturally became stronger as well.
The two presences beside Sun Wukong must be Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing. As for the six rapidly approaching presences, they had to be Sun Wukong's sworn brothers—the other members of the Seven Great Saints.
After pondering for a moment, Artoria turned and walked toward the six approaching presences.
"I'll leave that side to Mordred... No way am I letting you lot interrupt that battle."
In Journey to the West, after Sun Wukong had proclaimed himself "Handsome Monkey King" and gathered all the monkeys under his command, he befriended six other great demons, and they became sworn brothers.
Sun Wukong later stormed the heavens and declared himself the "Great Sage Equal to Heaven," while the other six demons each took on the title of "Great Sage."
Bull Demon King, the Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven, eldest brother.
Jiao Demon King, the Great Sage Who Overturns the Seas, second brother.
Peng Demon King, the Great Sage Who Covers the Sky, third brother.
Lion Camel King, the Great Sage Who Moves Mountains, fourth brother.
Macaque King, the Great Sage Who Commands the Winds, fifth brother.
Yu Rhinoceros King, the Great Sage Who Drives Away Gods, sixth brother.
Handsome Monkey King, Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, seventh brother.
Now, as the six demon kings descended upon the world, the very fabric of the mortal realm trembled under the influence of these rogue gods, triggering natural disasters one after another.
The mighty Peng Demon King simply flapped his wings, creating terrifying hurricanes of over ten grades in strength. The Jiao Demon King's slight movements in the ocean caused massive tsunamis capable of engulfing coastal cities. Each step taken by the Lion Camel King shook the earth, causing tremors like devastating earthquakes.
The three—Peng Demon King, Jiao Demon King, and Lion Camel King—unleashed their powers one after the other, announcing their arrival to this island nation. The remaining three demon kings were not to be outdone either.
The Macaque King used his magic to summon thunderstorms and rain to bolster the Peng Demon King's hurricanes, while the Yu Rhinoceros King used his earth-moving and sea-filling techniques to support the Jiao Demon King and Lion Camel King.
The Bull Demon King, strongest and most famous of the six, opened his massive mouth and roared into the sky. His thundering voice carried an overwhelming divine power that swept across the entire island nation.
"With a mouth like a blood-red basin and teeth like copper plates, his roar shakes mountain spirits, frightens wicked gods, and sends chills through demons. The world knows him as the Chaos Demon King, and the West calls him the Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven."
Responding to their brother's call, the six legendary demon kings had arrived on this remote island.
"Big Brother, what's going on? Why would Seventh Brother summon us all with the pact?"
The Jiao Demon King approached the Bull Demon King, curiosity etched on his face.
"I know our Seventh Brother's abilities. In single combat, there aren't many who can match him. Even back when he faced an army of a hundred thousand celestial soldiers, he didn't flinch."
The Bull Demon King spoke in a low, serious tone. "This time, it's probably the same. That guy's stirred up trouble with another pantheon. Otherwise, I can't imagine what kind of predicament could make him feel cornered."
"Heh, that sounds like Seventh Brother all right," the Yu Rhinoceros King chuckled. "Perfect! Now we can finally taste the blood and flesh of gods again. It's been too long since I've had some real meat. I was starting to feel like one of those bald monks… This time, we'll kill to our heart's content!"
The other demon kings laughed and voiced their agreement.
"As long as the seven of us are together, there's nowhere in heaven or on earth we can't go."
The Bull Demon King grinned and said, "Let's not keep Seventh Brother waiting."
"I heard this country has its own so-called Three Great Demons?"
The Macaque King scratched his face and sneered. "Let's show these backwater yokels what real demon kings look like."
"Hahahaha!"
Their collective laughter, brimming with confidence and arrogance, rumbled like thunder across the skies.
But their laughter came to an abrupt halt as a figure appeared in their path, blocking their way.
Before they could even react, the figure's sword gleamed like a streak of light.
In the next moment, the Macaque King's head flew high into the air, blood spurting like a fountain.