Kamen Rider Zi-O, Dimensional Descent

Seeing that Gates seemed a little confused, Wozniak immediately explained it to him.

"In legend, there are seventy-two demons, and four powerful demons command all of them. These four demons are also known as the Demon Kings among the seventy-two demons."

"Demon King Belial, Demon King Gabo, Demon King Byrete, and Demon King Asmodeus—these are the four legendary Demon Kings who rule over everything among the seventy-two demons."

Woz opened the book in his hand, turned to an unknown page, and began the corresponding explanation.

"It is said that the method for judging the strength of the seventy-two demons is to judge them by their pride."

"Self-esteem? Those bizarre demons actually have something like that?"

"Who knows? In any case, judging from all sorts of rumors from various worlds, these four demon kings probably have the greatest pride of all demons. Otherwise, they wouldn't be the ones holding the position of demon king."

Yan Ming nodded, which was basically consistent with some of the knowledge he had acquired.

"However, the Asmodeus we encountered was quite different from the one described in the book."

"Is that so? My Demon King, could it be that it's actually a very weak demon?"

"That's not what I meant. That guy doesn't intend to confront us directly; he seems to be deliberately avoiding us. He even mentioned the 'seven deadly sins'..."

If that's the case, then the complexity of this incident becomes incredibly intricate.

If all the anomalies encountered so far in this singularity were caused by Asmodeus, then what are the "Seven Deadly Sins"? Are they entirely new demons? Or something else entirely?

Moreover, based on the detailed explanations of the term "seven deadly sins" in society, Yan Ming and Woz both associated it with very bad things.

"Alright, let's think about these complicated issues when we get back."

Gates patted Yan Ming on the shoulder, and Wozniak nodded in return.

“That’s right, my Demon King. King Gilgamesh has been waiting for you for a long time. Now is not the time to make him wait any longer.”

"Then let's go find him first."

So, his two companions went ahead first, while Yan Ming followed behind them.

As he walked, Yan Ming began to ponder deeper questions.

…I have a general feeling.

When I saw Asmodeus, I seemed to feel a sense of...familiarity.

Is it just my imagination?

------------------

Upon entering the main hall, besides Gilgamesh, Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash also arrived.

After Yan Ming and the other two walked over, they looked around but did not find the three Servants summoned by Gilgamesh.

"Where are Benkei and King Leonidas?"

"They went to take care of Miss Ushiwakamaru, after all, her injuries were quite serious."

Merlin answered him, and Anna, who was standing next to Merlin, also looked at him.

"...In that case, I'll go find her in a bit."

Yan Ming's words made everyone look at him with suspicion.

"Um... may I ask what Mr. Yan Ming wants to see Miss Niu Ruomaru for?"

"Help her get treatment."

"Huh? He can actually do something like that?"

Roman, far away in Chaldea, was a little confused, but Gilgamesh seemed to have thought of something and then showed an expression of sudden realization.

"More than that, I need to know about your situation... I heard you fought against Gorgon?"

“Gorgon…? Isn’t that Tiamat, the mother goddess?”

It seemed that everyone was still in the dark about the information, and Yan Ming walked over calmly.

"That guy probably isn't just putting on a brave face and pretending to be Tiamat; he probably does actually possess some of Tiamat's abilities."

"That is something I have already witnessed. So, what was your fate?"

“In terms of strength, Gorgon is not a problem.”

Mashu and Fujimaru Ritsuka were both stunned and stood there.

Their strength was so great that they could immobilize them just by standing there, and even the formidable Ushiwakamaru was severely injured... yet Yan Ming didn't consider it a problem.

"But after defeating Gorgon, something else brought her back to life."

"oh…?"

"She still possesses the Holy Grail, and combined with the power that resurrected her, the current Gorgon is a completely different entity from before, and is no longer a character that can be easily ignored."

Although Yan Ming spoke in a very calm tone, Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mashu both understood just how serious this information was.

According to Yan Ming, Gorgon's power seems to have increased dramatically.

But their previous strength was already beyond their ability to contend with... let alone their current strength.

She even possesses a product called the Holy Grail, a near-omnipotent wish-granting machine that will grant Gorgon an inexhaustible source of magic.

This is absolutely nightmarish news.

Even so, Yan Ming's expression didn't seem to change much.

Even though the situation is already so complicated and difficult, you're not panicking at all...

"Truly, he lives up to his reputation as Mr. Yan Ming," Mashu and Fujimaru Ritsuka thought to themselves, sharing the same sentiment.

"The situation sounds really cruel and heartless."

"However, another method should be able to weaken that Gorgon's strength."

As King Gilgamesh sighed in this way, Woz stepped forward.

He then opened the book in his arms.

"According to this book, somewhere in this singularity there should be an axe that has gathered great power. It is the hand axe used by Marduk, the god who once chopped down Tiamat, the creator goddess."

"Wow, they even have an axe that was used by a god-level being? That's unbelievable!"

"Ha! You have a good eye, you book-reading fellow. That axe is also one of my collections!"

Gilgamesh smiled with great pride.

"However, don't be too happy yet. Humans cannot wield that axe with their magic and spells."

"What...does this mean?"

"It means exactly what it says. According to this book, Father Marduk is a weapon of the gods, which human magic cannot control... unless it is wielded with pure physical force."

"So...it takes someone with tremendous strength to swing that axe?"

"That's an axe that weighs as much as a city; it must have been wielded by someone with immense strength."

If they can successfully use the so-called Marduk's axe, they might be able to suppress and weaken Gorgon in terms of rank.

Everyone turned their gaze to Merlin, who shook his head. They looked at Woz, who also shook his head.

Until finally everyone's eyes turned to...

"…Hello."

Feeling the gazes of countless people fixed upon him, Gates broke out in a cold sweat.

Why are you all staring at me like that?

“Mr. Gates… seems to be no match for Gorgon in terms of pure physical strength.”

"So, Gates-kun, the power of the resurrected Gates doesn't really qualify as magic in this world, and using the power of his Fierce Form, lifting a city wouldn't be a problem at all..."

Having said that, he basically understood what was going on.

Gates sighed.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter. It's just lifting an axe. Do as you please."

"However, Marduk's hand axe was stored in Eridu, which is near the city of Ur."

Ur City… Mentioning this place immediately reminded Yan Ming of the feathered serpent god he had met there before. It seems he will have to have a proper talk with Gates about it later.

However, compared to matters concerning Quetzalcoatl and Gorgon, there is another, more important matter that Yan Ming and the others should consider next.

That's about... the Demon King Asmodeus.

————————————————————————

After all the discussions were over, Yan Ming stayed behind alone.

What do you think of the strength of those goddesses?

"It seems you already know."

Gilgamesh sat to one side, tidying up the tasks he needed to do that day on the stone slab, while asking Yan Ming questions.

"You went in the direction of southern Uruk, which is close to the tropical rainforest. The only cities there are Ur and Eridu. You were bound to meet Quetzalcoatl, the chief god, no matter which one you met. So of course I know you met the feathered serpent god from South America."

Gilgamesh turned his head and looked at Yan Ming.

"But judging from your expression, that guy doesn't seem to have been able to cause you any trouble, right?"

“That feathered serpent god is very strong, even stronger than that Gorgon… but it is no longer the same Gorgon as before.”

“You’re right, and what emerges after we deal with Gorgon is what I and Uruk should truly face.”

It seems Gilgamesh already knew what was going to happen next.

In fact, Yan Ming knew to some extent that even without the ability to predict the future, Gorgon's binding of his identity with the mother goddess Tiamat was enough to show that this Mesopotamian creator goddess would inevitably appear later.

However, Tiamat is no longer the real key issue.

'That Asmodeus… his so-called "Seven Deadly Sins" will likely cause even more trouble. How can we stop him?'

This time it was Gorgon, so next time... who will he target?

Yan Ming cannot allow this world to become even more troublesome.

Because if the person facing the crisis is alone, it's one thing, but he can't tolerate so many innocent people in the world being affected by it.

No matter what, he will definitely defeat the enemy.

"You... seem to have been thinking of a solution the whole time."

"...As I said, the Gorgon problem has been resolved, so there's nothing to worry about—"

"Although your expression appears calm, I can still tell that you harbor many secrets."

Looking at Yan Ming like this, Gilgamesh couldn't help but shake his head.

"You are very similar to me now, worrying about all sorts of things, but you seem to be more of a loner."

"…so?"

"It's just a casual piece of advice. Take a break and relax. Sometimes, keeping your mind constantly on edge isn't good for you."

Yan Ming fell silent for a moment.

Then, he looked at Gilgamesh again.

"...The same applies to you."

Gilgamesh watched Yan Ming's retreating figure and couldn't help but chuckle.

"What... You make it sound like I might die from overwork at any time. I have plenty of control over my physical and mental health, so I don't need you to worry about it."

After the brief conversation, Gilgamesh buried himself in his work again, diligently carrying out his various tasks.

"Damn it! These guys actually report even their own family matters to me... Fine, I'll treat today as overtime and see how I resolve all these issues in one go!"

…These are the words of Gilgamesh, who has been working for about twelve hours so far.

————————————————————

Time quickly passed from afternoon to night.

The initial plan is to travel to Eridu tomorrow morning, so I'll take advantage of this time to adjust my sleep schedule tonight.

Standing alone on the rooftop, bathed in the evening breeze.

Yan Ming looked down from the roof and saw a figure.