Why bother with the Holy Grail War? Let's play cards!

When Jiang You came online again, he found that the extremely lively little Illya was pulling little Sakura Matou to play. Little Sakura Matou obviously had not let go and was just passively following Illya.

"Why did you bring little Illya here? Aren't you worried that the Holy Grail War might hurt her?"

Emiya Kiritsugu, who was smoking impatiently, looked at Jiang You with a scrutinizing look, and exhaled a puff of smoke with a long sigh.

"Let me answer you, Lord Caster." The one who answered Jiang You was a maid from the Einzbern family who was bowing. As androids, they both had the obvious characteristics of the Einzbern family: white hair and red eyes, but their appearance was too similar for Jiang You to recognize who was who.

Perhaps sensing Jiang You's confusion, the maid introduced herself warmly, "My name is Lijielit, and I'm the maid responsible for taking care of Illya. Thanks to you, sir, the Einzbern family has now obtained the key to recreating the Third Law. Our head, Eubusta Kuhaid, knows you're interested in Miss Illya, so he specially arranged for us to bring her here. From now on, Miss Illya and all the androids here are yours. Please give your instructions, sir."

Jiang You's email also rang with a reminder to obtain [Lijelite]*1 [Sera]*1.

Neither card is given the Einzbern surname, but according to the rules they can be used as Einzbern cards, which does expand the corresponding card pool.

Too bad it's not full three.

Jiang You began to think about how to improve the favorability of the two maids.

"There are no instructions yet. Just do what you need to do now." In the original novel, these two maids were named NPCs, but they had almost no plot, making it difficult to address their specific needs. Furthermore, Jiang You had to take Sakura to the Tōsaka residence today, so these matters would have to be discussed later.

"Understood, Master Caster." Lizellet bowed again. "If there is anything you need, Master, you may command the Einzbern House at will. You may continue or withdraw from this Holy Grail War as you wish. The Einzbern House possesses the ability to manifest Heroic Spirits for extended periods of time, so you need not worry. No matter what, the Einzbern House will support you."

The Einzbern family, having obtained the Soul Crystal, no longer has any reason to continue participating in the Holy Grail War. In other words, the person supported by the Einzbern family has shifted from Emiya Kiritsugu to Jiang You.

So it's understandable that Kiritsugu is frustrated with both his family and career. He's going through a midlife crisis.

Jiang You patted Emiya Kiritsugu's shoulder and said, "Don't worry too much. I'm still on your side. To be honest, I've already shown you the true situation of the Holy Grail. I really admire you for not giving up. And there's no point in worrying. Your Command Spell won't have any effect on me anyway, right?"

"You really know how to comfort people." Emiya Kiritsugu looked helplessly at his Servant, his daughter's "Master". If it weren't for the high probability of being defeated and the fact that the battle rules had been rewritten, he would have definitely had a fight with Jiang You. "Your treasure is obvious to all. It connects the past and the future. It is truly very powerful. But your appearance has rewritten the future. I can't guarantee that the concept of the record is completely correct. I must witness the situation of the Holy Grail with my own eyes. If that is really the case, I can't let anyone else get it."

"You have a point." Jiang You nodded. His appearance had caused the Saber class to appear and then disappear, and Lancelot of the Berserker class had basically withdrawn from the fight. The plot had already been completely changed. The other Servants could not be guaranteed to be the original Heroic Spirits, so the Holy Grail's transformation was also reasonable. "There's no point in thinking about this now. I'm going to the Zenjo family today. Kiritsugu, you should get ready."

"Zenjo? The intelligence says it's the family of Tosaka Tokiomi's wife, Tosaka Aoi... Threatening family members is a good way to limit an opponent, but Caster, with your Noble Phantasm, that won't work at all, right? Are you planning to just attack without a duel?" Emiya Kiritsugu quietly distanced himself from Jiang You, considering the possibility that Jiang You was another Servant in disguise. Although Jiang You seemed a bit jumpy, he was essentially a Servant with a righteous streak.

"What are you thinking about? I was talking about the gift. I brought Sakura over to visit!" Jiang You angrily denounced Emiya Kiritsugu for judging others by his own standards.

Chapter 23: Tousaka Aoi, I am the guardian.

"Smash☆Die with honor☆Cheers☆!" Jiang You, who defeated the small magician in a duel, laughed wildly.

Because someone was completely ignorant of the knowledge of being a Heroic Spirit, he didn't restrain even a little bit of his magic power, and the extent of his spiritual base was exposed. As a result, he was regarded as an attack as soon as he set foot on the territory of the Zenjo family.

After defeating the head and heir of the Chancheng family in a duel, Jiang You determined that these characters that had little relevance to the plot could not generate any rewards.

Disappointed, Jiang You, with Illya's help, found Tohsaka Aoi and Tohsaka Rin, who was protecting her, in a dark room. Illya's distinctive appearance confirmed Tohsaka Aoi's identity. Furthermore, because Illya was preparing for the Fifth Holy Grail War, her entire body was covered in Command Seals, which would inevitably be activated and manifest during battle. This led Aoi to believe that this girl, who appeared to be about ten years old, was Jiang You's Master.

"Masters of the Einzbern family, have you now fallen to the point of resorting to such despicable means in order to win the Holy Grail War?" Tohsaka Aoi glared at the two of them. She had considered begging for mercy, but her current attitude represented the reputation of Zenjo and the Tohsaka family. If she begged for mercy here in a servile manner, she would make the two families and other magician families a laughing stock.

"Your legs are shaking, so stop trying." Jiang You bluntly exposed Toosaka Aoi's false strength. "And your Toosaka family has been secretly colluding with the church. How dare you say that others are mean?"

Tōsaka Aoi naturally knew why her husband accepted Kotomine Kirei as his apprentice, and she remained silent in awkward silence.

Jiang You took a step forward, raised the gift box in his hand and was about to explain his purpose when a childish voice came from behind Toosaka Aoi.

"Bad boy! Don't bully Mom!" Little Toosaka Rin jumped out, shielding her mother. Apparently, she and the Zenjo family thought the gift box was some kind of magic gift, a jewel acting as a medium that gathered magical power in her tiny hands.

Illya just waved her hand, and the silver thread whipped in the air like a whip, making a sound of breaking through the air, and the gem in Toosaka Rin's hand shattered.

"Are you kidding me?!" Seeing that Illya looked about the same age as herself, Toosaka Rin thought that Illya was the same age as herself, which dealt a great blow to her proud self-esteem.

"So I really came to visit this time." Jiang You reluctantly opened the gift box, which contained a dazzling array of gems. The light reflected by these gems under the illumination of the lights made the entire secret room dazzling. "Your Tohsaka family specializes in gem magic. For you, the sincerity of both monetary value and magical value should be sufficient."

"So it was all a misunderstanding?" Toosaka Aoi breathed a sigh of relief. Their Tosaka family and the Einzbern family were indeed old friends, so it was normal for these heirs to visit each other.

But Jiang You's tone suddenly changed, causing Tōsaka Aoi's breath to catch in her throat. "Oh no, not exactly. It's a visit, but it's also a call to question someone!"

"This is your family matter, Hisahi Maiya. Please send Sakura over here." Jiang You snapped his fingers, signaling Kiritsugu and his group waiting outside. Emiya Kiritsugu, for some reason, didn't intend to expose himself directly, so Hisahi Maiya was responsible for the connection.

"What... is going on?" "Ying?" Both mother and daughter reacted in surprise.

"Mom...Mom" When Sakura Matou appeared in front of her mother Tousaka Aoi, her eyes turned red instantly. The shell she had built to protect herself collapsed at this moment. She threw herself into her mother's arms. Her tear glands finally couldn't hold back and she burst into tears.

Toosaka Rin had not expected that the sisterly meeting would turn out like this and was completely at a loss.

"Sakura, dear girl, tell me what happened." Toosaka Aoi originally thought that Sakura had been wronged in the Matou family, but such a thing alone would not be enough to make the Einzbern family bring their servants to impose on them. She realized that things might not be that simple.

"I...I..." Matou Sakura wanted to talk, but she was worried that her experience would make her mother and sister dislike her. She carefully turned her gaze to Jiang You, her eyes full of help. She wanted this big brother who took her out of the Matou family to make the choice for her.

"Say it out." Jiang You gave an affirmative answer.

Then, amid Sakura Matou's sobs, the few of them listened to what happened to her in the year after she was adopted into the Matou family.

Rin Tohsaka covered her mouth in astonishment. In her eyes, the magician was elegant, the chanting of magic, and the drawing of each magic node were full of beauty. But for Sakura, magic brought her only suffering and wailing.

"How did the Matou family's insect magic become like this?" Tōsaka Aoi felt a little dizzy. Because magicians are very taboo about prying into the heritage of others, the Tōsaka family's understanding of the Matou family's magic is still stuck at the time of the three families' collaboration three hundred years ago. Back then, Matou Zouken, as Machiri Zorgen, was still a righteous partner, determined to eliminate human evil. So, even the same insect magic, three hundred years ago, was so legitimate.

"Appearances are determined by the mind. There is no right or wrong in power. The way it is used is what shapes the outcome." Jiang You gave his own conclusion.

"No, I have to find Tokito and ask her to take back custody of Sakura from the Matou family." Toosaka Aoi picked up Sakura and was eager to go back to the Toosaka family to find Tokito to resolve this matter.

But Jiang You stopped her: "Guess why I was able to bring Xiaoying here? And I have to remind you of something."

The silver thread pulled open Tohsaka Aoi's arms that were wrapped around Sakura, and Jiang You gently took Sakura into his arms.

"I am Sakura's guardian now."

"Sir?" Toosaka Aoi became more and more anxious. She couldn't understand Jiang You's attitude.

"I know that as a mother, you're certainly concerned about Sakura's situation, but you're being too anxious too late. Besides, you don't have the final say in the Tousaka family. I brought Sakura here today so she could meet you. Next, I'll go question Tosaka Tokito." Jiang You stood up straight, looking down at Tosaka Aoi. "I'll go to the Tosaka family. If you're interested, come with me to meet your husband and hear what he'll do next."

Toosaka Aoi nodded woodenly. The situation was more powerful than the person, and the other party was kind-hearted. She could only hope that her husband could suppress Jiang You.

In a hotel.

"Lancer, did you discover something?"

The tall man slowly stood up and looked through the wall in the direction of the Tohsaka family.

"Master, the war has begun. Join me and let them witness our prowess!"

"Hahaha, Lancer, you're right. It's time to let the little country magician see the power of the Clock Tower Lord." Kayneth was very satisfied with his Servant. With such a huge spiritual base, how could he not win? "Sora, you wait here for my good news!"

"Got it. I wish our child prodigy every success." Sora stared at the red wine in the glass absent-mindedly, and was a bit perfunctory.

Her fiancé was the same, as were his servants; they were all too rigid and boring. She could sense that her married life would be monotonous and incredibly boring. For some reason, Sora felt as if she had missed something.

After careful consideration, she shook her head and put this unpleasant premonition behind her.

But what can we do? We have to make do with it.

Chapter 24: Illya: Am I the one fighting these four battles? Where are you, Kiritsugu?

"Information gathered by Assassin: Caster and his Master, the combatants from the Einzbern family, are heading for your residence, Sensei." Kotomine Kirei's Servant, Hassan the Hundred Faces, has relatively low frontal combat capabilities, but possesses the ability to split into dozens or even hundreds of his own Noble Phantasms, and his intelligence gathering abilities are truly exceptional.

"Oh?" Tōsaka Tokitoki swirled the red wine in his glass slowly, maintaining his elegance. "Are you so eager to settle the score with the Tōsaka family? Indeed, the feud between our three families has lasted for hundreds of years, and eliminating a strong opponent quickly is a tactic."

Recalling the information he had obtained, Tōsaka Tokitoki turned to look at Kotomine Kirei, "Where's that magician killer Emiya Kiritsugu? I remember the Einzbern family hired him as a thug, didn't they?"

"This is exactly what I, your student, want to say next. Before this, Emiya Kiritsugu assisted Einzbern in breaking through the Chanjo family, and his assistants kidnapped your wife, Tousaka Aoi, and your daughter, Tousaka Rin." For some reason, Mine Kirei felt that he was a little looking forward to how Tousaka Tokitoki would react at this moment.

"What!?" The goblet was crushed with great force, and a mixture of red wine and blood oozed out from between Tōsaka Tokitoki's fingers. Anger overshadowed his elegant demeanor. "How dare Einzbern do this? Don't you care about the friendship between the three families at all?"

Realizing his own indiscretion, Tōsaka Tokitoki wiped the filth from his hands with a towel, healed himself briefly with magic, and then knelt on the sofa in the main seat of the room. "Please, King, punish these treacherous ministers."

"How dare you order me around?" The blond, red-eyed Servant named Gilgamesh appeared lazily on the sofa. He looked at Tōsaka Tokito with a displeased expression. "How dare you call your own family affairs into questioning me?"

"I dare not. They are holding my wife and daughter hostage because they fear the king's majesty. Their real purpose is to plot evil against the king!"

Gilgamesh sneered and continued to transform into a spirit. "What value can a minister who can't even manage household affairs have?"

"Kirei, have the assassins hide throughout the mansion to prevent the magus killer from sneaking in and attacking. Also, find a chance to rescue your master's wife and Rin." Tōsaka Tokitoki stared at the Command Seals in his hand, his expression uncertain. "Then allow me to meet the Einzbern family of this era."

"Everyone has come from afar, and I'm sorry for not welcoming you." The door of the Tōsaka family opened wide, and Tōsaka Tokito, dressed in formal attire, stood in the doorway and bowed to Jiang You and the others. "The Tōsaka family has prepared some comfort items for you, and I hope you will be satisfied."

All defensive magic was activated, and invisible energy waves began to roll in the courtyard. Curse magic also enveloped Jiang You and Illya.

"Stand back." Illya gently pulled Hisau Maiya, who was in charge of Sakura, back a small step. Hisau Maiya felt an invisible blade sweep past her. Illya then transferred the curse to the birds woven from silk thread. These birds quickly turned black and scattered to the ground, turning into uncontrollable hair.

"As expected of the Master of the Einzbern family, your control of magical power and sensitivity are so outstanding." Tōsaka Tokitoki smiled and applauded, like a kind elder, but his tone was full of sarcasm. "If I remember correctly, you should be Ms. Irisviel von Einzbern... I can't believe that the Einzbern family would allow such a young member of the clan to marry him in order to win over the magician killer. They even resorted to holding her family hostage. Has the Einzbern abandoned the pride of magicians?"

Illya also had no good feelings towards Tokitoki, believing him to be just as irresponsible a father as Kiritsugu. Without hesitation, she retaliated with a greatsword made of hair, slashing at Tokitoki. Tokitoki gently raised his hand, and the magic shield activated by the gem deflected the blow.

"I beg you to be kind, uncle. I am Irisviel von Einzbern, the daughter of Mother Irisviel." Illya's fingertips moved slightly, and her hair formed birds at her side. "If you wish to continue the battle, Caster and I will gladly accompany you, but let's get down to business."

Sakura walked out from behind Hisau Maiya, and her eyes, looking at Tohsaka Tokitoshi, were filled with grievance, joy, and a bit of blame.

"Sakura? No, it should be Miss Matou." Seeing Sakura's brief surprise, Tohsaka Tokitoki quickly convinced himself that this was the heir to the Matou family's magecraft and that he needed to make a clear statement about his departure. So, he gave Sakura a response that left her extremely disappointed.

"It seems you're well aware of the Tōsaka family's situation, but Matou Sakura now represents the Matou family's magecraft heritage." Tōsaka Tokitoki grew increasingly furious. If he weren't worried about hurting Sakura, he would have used his Command Seal to order Gilgamesh to launch a massive attack on Jiang You and his men. "Are you planning to go to war with both the Tōsaka and Matou families? Release them immediately. I can persuade the Matou family to forgive me, as I have."

Jiang You always felt that the Tōsaka family was too confident in the strength of the Matou family. In fact, in the Fourth Holy Grail War, the actual combat power of the Matou family was only the dead old bug. In the original world line, except for Caster's side, the other five groups could beat him.

"I should be the one to let bygones be bygones." Jiang You patted Xiaoying's head. "Now that Matou Zouken is dead, the Matou family's magecraft legacy is considered extinct."

"You killed the head of the Matou family!?" Tōsaka Tokitoki couldn't believe that a family with a centuries-old history of magic could vanish so easily on the first night of the Holy Grail War. He pulled out all the rubies he'd been nurturing with his magic for years, ready to attack Jiang You at full power.

"Aren't you going to ask me why I want to kill him?" Jiang You said quietly.

"What else can I think of? It's the Holy Grail!" Tōsaka Tokitoki tensed, ready to retreat into the mansion at any moment. The magic he had prepared was ready to be unleashed.

"Because of Sakura!"

"...What?" Jiang You's answer left Tohsaka Tokito unable to react for a moment.

Aoi Tohsaka and Rin also happened to return to the Tohsaka mansion, and the family was finally reunited after a year apart.

"Then let your wife explain for Sakura." Jiang You naturally wouldn't let Sakura continue to narrate her experiences. One of the purposes of meeting Aoi Tohsaka was to comfort Sakura, and the other was: it was too interesting to flatter the wife in front of her husband!

In a reproachful tone, Tohsaka Aoi told Tohsaka Tokito what she knew about Sakura's experience, and she finally couldn't hold back her tears.

"How...how could this be. How could the Matou family's insect magic be like this? Sakura, my daughter." The regretful Tohsaka Tokitoki stumbled and tried to save Sakura.