Simulation: Starting from Under One Person

The homes of two of Fuyuki's wealthiest men were destroyed in a natural gas explosion, prompting the gas company to receive a barrage of complaints and forcibly putting an inspection of the gas pipelines on the agenda.

The two instigators didn't react to this; one was thinking about how to gather the materials to make a gem sword, and the other was wondering who to spar with that night...

As for Matou Kariya, he was busy thinking about how to make money quickly and didn't care about anything else.

I had no idea that I had become the talk of the town in Fuyuki City.

The other person, Tokiomi Tohsaka, who was also at the center of the discussion, had been gathering information and actually rejected the idea of ​​becoming a topic of conversation.

After all, the rumors were getting more and more outrageous. He had heard twenty or thirty different versions of what happened when he was injured in the explosion...

"I have a headache!"

In a room at the Kotomine Church, Tokiomi Tohsaka, looking at today's news headlines, pressed his temples. The rumors and gossip weren't a big deal; they would dissipate on their own in time…

The key is the Holy Grail War!

Some Masters in this Holy Grail War don't really follow the rules!

To use such a powerful Noble Phantasm in the city shows a complete disregard for the mage world's prohibition against revealing "mysteries" to ordinary people!

After all, the visual effects of a natural gas explosion and an explosion caused by the release of a Noble Phantasm are vastly different.

A natural gas explosion in someone's home resulted in a magical pillar shaped like a mountain shooting straight into the sky...

The reason it wasn't discovered because the Kotomine Church didn't handle the situation in time was simply... good luck!

"Are you going to use the excuse that the magic world might be exposed to trick the other Masters into working together to deal with Berserker and his Master?"

"With the endorsement of the Kotomine Church, I believe the other Masters will believe it."

"In fact, they would be very happy to take this opportunity to eliminate a competitor."

With that in mind, Tokiomi Tohsaka found his partner, Risei Kotomine, at the church and told him about the matter.

Kotomine Risei responded that it was no problem and he was willing to help.

As for Gilgamesh, he was not at the Church of Kotomine; he was searching everywhere for Mordred, intending to avenge the sword wound.

With his various magical artifacts, Gilgamesh could easily find people, so he quickly located Mordred.

Standing before the house, which was covered with magical barriers and traps, Gilgamesh ignored the stares of passersby and activated his Noble Phantasm. Dozens of golden ripples appeared in the air, and weapons slowly emerged from them.

Boom——

A weapon shot out, piercing through the barrier and shattering the door. Steel fragments scattered in all directions, and nearby pedestrians fled in panic.

Gilgamesh was proud and arrogant, and even when he sought revenge, he would defeat his enemies in a fair and square manner.

The people inside were drawn out by the explosion. Upon seeing that the enemy was Gilgamesh, Mordred immediately grinned maliciously. He wasn't about to hide from someone who had come to his doorstep…

"what--"

Without hesitation, Mordred stomped on the cobblestone path, shooting out like an arrow released from a bow. During her sprint, magic surged, her red and white armor appeared, and the surface of the gleaming royal sword, symbolizing her succession to the throne, ignited with magical flames.

With a swing, a crescent-shaped magical slash shot out.

Boom boom boom…

Like cannonballs fired from a cannon, or arrows released from a bow, one Noble Phantasm after another rained down from the sky, blocking Mordred's path of advance and evasion, subjecting her to a saturation barrage...

"Get out of here!!!"

The magic power swirling around the sword suddenly increased several times over, transforming the Brilliant King Sword into a magic light sword several meters long. With a single swing, it could clear an entire area.

Gilgamesh's attack failed to harm Mordred; instead, it caused severe damage to the surrounding environment. Houses were shattered by the Noble Phantasms, turning them into ruins, and the once smooth roads became riddled with potholes...

As for the temporary base, thanks to Tamamo-no-Mae's intervention, everything except the door remained intact.

"Retreat first."

Kariya Matou suggested that an undisguised battle would quickly attract a large crowd, not only mages and Servants, but also many ordinary people.

It's safe to say that the Kotomine Church, responsible for cleaning up this mess, will likely collapse. Whether it's from being overwhelmed or from some other reason is another matter...

"It is indeed a bit noisy."

Just as some jobs require quiet, researching top-tier magical artifacts is no exception. Who can concentrate on scientific research amidst the roar of gunfire on a battlefield?

Even without worrying about stray bullets, the earth-shattering vibrations and sounds alone are enough to make it impossible to concentrate on scientific research.

"It's not only noisy, but also dangerous."

Protecting Matou Sakura, Matou Kariya watched as one Noble Phantasm after another was blocked, his heart trembling.

"Then... let's find somewhere else to stay!"

With that, Fang Rui turned and left, followed closely by the others.

As for Mordred, the intensity of her battle with Gilgamesh gradually increased, and the scope of the conflict also gradually expanded.

The arriving magicians, disregarding their adversarial relationship, worked together to use hypnosis to control the situation, manage information dissemination, and prevent the "mystery" from being leaked...

"Servants, go stop those two idiots who are fighting!"

"Mr. Lizheng, please compile a list of ordinary people who witnessed this incident and fled as soon as possible."

"The rest of you come with me. We're going to hypnotize the people nearby and alter their memories..."

The other Masters showed no intention of heeding Tokiomi Tohsaka's orders, or rather, his suggestions.

After all, this whole thing was caused by your servant, so where do you get the nerve to give orders?

Thinking this, the other magicians didn't give Tokiomi Tohsaka a friendly look, ignoring him completely and each choosing a direction to modify the memories of ordinary people.

To be fair, with the two Servants fighting so fiercely, there were hardly any ordinary civilians nearby, only some extremely daring and reckless individuals.

Besides that, there are the police officers who arrived after receiving the emergency call...

The number of people is small, so it's relatively easy to handle.

Especially since the internet isn't particularly developed these days, there's no need to worry about this matter spreading rapidly.

Similarly, it is quite difficult to find those who escaped.

Therefore, Kotomine Risei's work is considered the most tiring.

The servant who rushed into the battlefield said a few words of persuasion, then joined the battle with a face full of excitement...

Since everyone is a follower, they naturally know what the other is thinking. How can a few words possibly persuade them? It's better to use force.

and so……

The sudden escalation of the battle amplified the aftermath several times over, and the battlefield expanded rapidly.

Tokiomi Tohsaka and the others didn't even have time to alter the memories of ordinary people, and hurriedly fled with them.

"Damn it! Weren't we supposed to be trying to break up a fight?! How come the fighting has escalated instead?!"

A group of magicians roared inwardly.

Due to insufficient strength, Assassin, who was unable to join the battle, returned to Kirei Kotomine and the others to explain the reason.

"group……"

Forcibly suppressing the urge to swear, Tokiomi Tohsaka's face was extremely grim. He stroked the Command Seals on the back of his hand, his eyes shifting...

He had an urge to call for Gilgamesh to return, but he was certain...

If he really did that, Gilgamesh would definitely cause a scene and tear the house down.

and……

Losing a Command Seal for this matter would put him at a disadvantage.

Let's take another look!

Let's see what other people have chosen!

Thinking about this, Tokiomi Tohsaka began to worry about another matter: how to handle today's events...

"Let's dump it on the gas company!"

While running away, Kirei Kotomine offered advice: "As the saying goes, more debts are better than more burdens. Besides, there are very few suitable scapegoats to pass the buck to."

"emmm..."

Hearing the explosions coming from behind, Tokiomi Tohsaka nodded slightly: "That makes sense."

"Then... I'll have to trouble the natural gas company."

(Natural gas company: Listen to me, thank you so much!)

………………

In the evening, a news item reached the homes of Fuyuki residents.

Because of the natural gas explosion, one-fifth of the town of Fukayama was reduced to ruins, so all employees of XX Natural Gas Company have been laid off, and the city government has decided to rebuild the natural gas pipeline.

"It seems... the excuse of a natural gas explosion won't be very effective anymore."

In the only Chinese restaurant on the commercial street of Fukayama-cho, Fuyuki City, Kirei Kotomine ate Mapo Tofu while watching the news on TV and spoke in a calm tone.

"Is that the key point?!" Tokiomi Tohsaka was completely taken aback, looking at his apprentice's calm face, and for a moment he didn't know if he was joking or serious.

"Teacher, I don't think the public will believe the reason for the natural gas explosion, because a natural gas explosion is a one-time event and it won't keep happening."

Tokiomi Tohsaka: "…………" Thank you for reminding me. I already know without you saying it.

and……

You agreed to use a natural gas explosion as an excuse back then!

Chapter 279 Mutual Retreat

After a fierce battle, apart from some losses to Assassin's clones, the other Servants suffered no major losses.

but……

The chaos caused by the battle between several Servants was quite severe, and the aftermath was naturally enormous. Various rumors spread throughout Fuyuki City, such as clashes between certain armed groups and the eruption of subterranean fires...

Even with the combined efforts of the church and the Tohsaka family to mitigate the impact of the incident, it could not be completely eliminated, and its popularity did not even decrease significantly.

It's simply about eliminating the sense of "mystery" in this matter.

After this incident, the Servant became a bit more low-key, not because he was worried about his "magic" becoming known to ordinary people, but because after one encounter, he had a basic understanding of his opponent's strength, and the risk of rashly starting a battle was too high...