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

“Yes, can you just stand by and do nothing?” Kirei Kotomine urged Shirou Emiya. “And in this war, there’s this treacherous individual running rampant. All the major news lately has been about that Servant. According to information provided by Lancer’s Master, he even modified his Master into a portable battery! If he were to obtain the Holy Grail…”

"!" Shirou Emiya's eyes widened. Having spent time with Archer, he had come to understand the power of Servants. If a Servant committed evil, the consequences would be dozens of times greater than those of a murderer. He couldn't imagine what would happen if Illya or someone else had summoned Caster. "We must stop him!"

“That’s right!” Kirei Kotomine got to the point, revealing the Command Seals on his arm as a reward. “Caster’s actions have become intolerable to both the inner and outer worlds, so as the Supervisor, I extend this invitation to all Masters.”

"Let's defeat Caster together!"

Chapter Ninety-Two: Fuyuki's Duel in the City Project

"Defeat Caster?" Ilya was startled, not because she was afraid that Jiang You would be no match for him. She knew that no matter what, that guy's Noble Phantasm would force the opponent into a 1v1 duel, and the number of people was useless to Jiang You.

However, she was very unhappy that Kotomine Kirei mobilized so many Masters and Servants to deal with Jiang You. She felt that with Jiang You's personality, there must be a reason for doing these things.

Illya wanted to retort, but she wasn't one to hide her thoughts. The Command Seals on her body began to emerge, and she was ready to launch a direct attack on Kotomine Kirei. But the next second, her hand was grasped by Matou Sakura.

Illya looked at her and understood what she meant. She hummed softly and restrained her magic power.

"Berserker's Master, it seems you have some connection with that Caster." Although it was only for a brief moment, Kirei Kotomine still caught Illya's hostility. He maintained his businesslike tone, "Ordinary people's affairs are indeed none of your business, but Caster is now destroying the 'mystery' of magic, and even your Einzbern family is not immune. I hope you can understand the priorities."

“We don’t need that many people. Berserker can handle it all by himself.” Ilya tried to take on the task of defeating Jiang You all by herself.

“Being too greedy isn’t good,” Kirei Kotomine shook his head. “Caster isn’t someone you can defeat alone.”

“That’s right.” Rin Tohsaka agreed with Kirei Kotomine’s words. During her encounter with Jiang You, she had met at least four other Servants. At first, she thought that other Masters had teamed up with Caster, but after seeing the other Masters, she was certain that they were all Servants summoned by Jiang You using Noble Phantasms similar to Jason’s. “Caster is very difficult to deal with.”

“One Servant isn’t enough,” Bazett chimed in. She was the only Master here who had actually fought Jiang You, and her information was more detailed. “Fighting him requires dealing with multiple Servants. Caster has at least one additional Caster, two Assassins, and one Berserker. The Assassins’ codenames have already been revealed by their Noble Phantasms: Hundred Faces and Tranquility. These respectively indicate the ability to create clones and that the Assassin is covered in poison.”

"Another piece of information: the additional servants he summons seem to have some restrictions and will not directly trigger his Noble Phantasm."

Illya curled her lips in dissatisfaction. How could she not know Jiang You's situation?

"Then it's decided..." Kirei Kotomine was about to announce the start of the Caster Extermination Campaign when a Heroic Spirit walked in, disregarding the rules.

"Archer, didn't I tell you to wait outside?" Shirou Emiya thought his future self was utterly despicable, not even following the rules. He would never become like that in the future.

"Who told me to have such good eyesight?" Red A ignored Shirou Emiya's question and instead took out a portable radio that he had "borrowed" from a house and threw it to Shirou Emiya.

The radio knocked Emiya Shirou to the ground with great inertia, knocking over several benches before stopping.

Shirou Emiya, enduring the excruciating pain in his lower back, said, "Do you want to kill me?!"

Shirou Emiya questioned Archer, but Archer simply pointed to the radio in his hand: "I think you need to listen to the information on it. The entire Fuyuki radio station is broadcasting this right now."

[How do I use this Hundred Faces thing...? Press these two? Okay!] Illya and Matou Sakura's very familiar voices came from the radio.

[Voiceover, good evening to all the magicians of Fuyuki!]

"It's that Caster!" Kirei Kotomine recognized Jiang You's voice and realized that the game Jiang You mentioned was about to begin. At that moment, his neck began to ache slightly.

[Let's play a game! I know this sounds strange—who would play a game with some nobody? Well, I've prepared a generous prize: Soul Crystals! Their value speaks for itself. Intrigued? Then join my competition! I call this competition—Duel City! All those with ambition, use duels to claim this grand prize!]

“Soul Crystal?!” Rin Tohsaka glanced at Illya just like everyone else. The Einzbern family had never hidden their long-cherished wish, and the magicians of Fuyuki all knew that they wanted to replicate the miracle of the Third Law.

However, Toosaka Rin did not see Illya show any special emotions, as if their family had already completed the replication of the third law.

Now, let me explain the rules. First, I want to thank Mr. Atram Gariasta, who provided the funding, which enabled me to purchase the amusement park as the venue. Applause!

To participate, all magicians, please go to the amusement park's ticket office and get your "tickets" to enter. These will grant you the right to "duel." Quantities are limited, so first come, first served! By the way, don't get too carried away with the ticket seller; she's tainted with poison. Of course, everyone who participated in the Holy Grail War already has a deck, and with their Heroic Spirits, they can earn two "tickets." They are seeded players. (Duel deck generation instructions below.)

This game uses a points system. Each "ticket" can be used to snatch it from others through duels. The rules require both parties to stake the same number of "tickets," so the more "tickets" you have, the better your chances!

[In addition to plundering other contestants' tickets, I've also set up some additional neutral monsters. Fighting them doesn't require any burden. To them, this is a dark game, but to you, it's just an ordinary duel. Please allow me to describe their glorious deeds in detail. First, the four "wild monsters" in the commercial area are worth one "ticket"...]

Next, Jiang You described in detail what each person had done, and gave different values ​​ranging from 1 to 3 according to their crimes.

[So, in the Church District, Kirei Kotomine, valued at 5... His crimes are patricide, human trafficking, and child abuse. His value lies primarily in his difficulty; all contestants eyeing him, please be careful. After all, losing will leave you weakened for a period of time, so don't lose your life because of it.]

[This stage lasts two days, and the four contestants with the most votes will have the right to enter the finals! So if you have enough "tickets", avoiding the battle is also a good option.]

[The final victor will duel with me. If you win, you will become the new owner of the Third Law Crystallization Product! Come duel! All those who possess desires, use duel to seize everything!]

Chapter Ninety-Three: Kotomine Kirei: Drink Today, Forever and For All

"Kirei Kotomine, is everything he said true?" Jiang You described every detail of Kirei Kotomine's story in great detail, as if he had witnessed it himself. Moreover, every detail matched Rin Tohsaka's memories, which made her suspicious.

Kotomine Kirei really wanted to see the look of Tōsaka Rin breaking down after knowing the truth. That expression would surely make him very happy. If possible, Kotomine Kirei wanted it not in the current situation, as it was not the right time.

This bottle of fine wine would only be most fragrant if it was opened by Kotomine Kirei himself. Jiang You revealing it in advance would be a waste of treasure. However, the wine had already been opened, and it was impossible to pretend that nothing had happened.

"So it really has come to this?" Kirei Kotomine didn't deny it. Even if the cup he was holding was full of sharp edges that would prick him and draw blood, he would still pounce on it and drink a few sips. He was just wondering how Jiang You knew so much detail. "That's right, I did it. When I shoved the Azoth sword into his body, his incredulous expression gave me a sense of human pleasure. From that moment on, I knew that the man named Kirei Kotomine was born for this!"

"You bastard!" Rin Tohsaka lost all composure. She couldn't believe that her guardian of ten years, the man she had always respected, was the one who murdered her father. "You damned priest who deserves to die a horrible death! Not only will Hell not accept you, but even the guards of Purgatory will turn their backs on you! You piece of trash deserve to be skinned alive and have your heart ripped out to enjoy a feast of needles!"

"Yes, that's right, that's the expression!" Kirei Kotomine smiled sincerely. "That's the expression I wanted to see, your expression of rage!"

Kirei Kotomine's appearance was utterly unfamiliar to Bazett, and the mature and reliable church representative she had once known crumbled completely. "Kirei Kotomine, tell me, this isn't real!"

"Hehehe, too bad, this is me, the man named Kirei Kotomine!" Kirei Kotomine knew he would be attacked after saying this, but the pleasure of dancing on the edge of a knife was irresistible. He could no longer suppress himself. "Bazett, if Caster hadn't interfered, I was planning to steal your Command Seals. As a magician, you are too trusting. When you see me attacking you, your expression must be quite interesting, right? But your expression right now is not bad either."

Bazette bit her lip and ultimately didn't curse out loud. After all, she wasn't actually hurt, and the one who needed to vent the most right now was Toosaka Rin.

"Saber, assist me! Send this scoundrel priest who seeks fame and fortune to hell!" Rin Tohsaka had reached her limit, and she directly summoned Jason to attack Kirei Kotomine.

"Die under the sword of the great Greek hero!" Jason smashed through the glass and rushed into the church, leaping down with a slash at Kirei Kotomine's head.

"Get out of the way, I'm going to kill him with my own hands!" At the same time, Rin Tohsaka threw out two gems, freezing the entire space of the church and preventing Kirei Kotomine from escaping.

In Kotomine Kirei's opinion, Jason's skills are not even as good as Emiya Shirou beside him. As long as he avoids Jason's overwhelming strength for normal people, he can easily defeat him.

However, Kotomine Kirei had been keeping an eye on Tōsaka Rin's movements. If Jason were to use his Noble Phantasm, he wouldn't be qualified to fight him. Not to mention the other Masters here were also hostile to him. Simply defeating Jason would be a drop in the bucket.

In that case, let’s have some more partying!

Kotomine Kirei did not dodge or evade, but directly faced Jason's sword.

"Rin, didn't you say that the deck would show a person's past and future? Let me see how much of my life your father has played. Maybe that scene can be recreated again?" Kirei Kotomine directly chose to duel.

"What an interesting Noble Phantasm! My life, my experiences, are all engraved on this little card for people to play with. How wicked, hahaha—" The moment Kirei Kotomine grasped the card, he received its message, which made him even more delighted. "This Caster should have a lot in common with me, but he's just too boring, what a pity!"

"Saber, hand over control of the duel to me!" Rin Tohsaka will never close her eyes in peace if she cannot personally kill her father's killer.

Jason obediently relinquished control of the deck, and Rin Tohsaka now looked like she wanted to devour someone.

"Rin, besides anger, you also have the intention to steal the Soul Crystal, right?" Kirei Kotomine was speaking to Rin Tohsaka, but his gaze was fixed on Illya. "There are a total of 30 neutral tickets. You can rightfully get 5 tickets from me, plus the 2 you already have, for a total of 7. Having so many tickets at the start of the game almost puts you in an invincible position. Don't you agree?"

Before Tohsaka Rin could retort, Illya laughed.

"This uncle, are you trying to incite internal conflict among us?" No one knew that in this timeline, the Einzbern family had already accepted Jiang You's gift—a soul crystal that was enough for them to research until they could replicate the Third Law. "Even if it means death, you're willing to do this. You're truly dedicated."

"Family is extremely important, Rin Tohsaka, just vent your anger." Illya's world once consisted only of her father and mother. Before Sera and Lyselite appeared, she endured several lonely years, and it was the beautiful memories of living with Kiritsugu Emiya and Irisviel that kept her going. Therefore, the word "family" is incredibly important to Illya.

"Thank you." Rin Tohsaka was deeply moved by Illya's understanding. She could never have imagined that in the original timeline, Illya was a little girl radiating innocent killing intent.

“Sometimes I wonder if you guys are really magicians?” Kirei Kotomine was thoroughly bored. This was the crystallization of a soul, the Einzbern family's ultimate wish, and yet Illya was here spouting nonsense about family being the most important thing. He was tired of arguing with these immature kids. “Boring fellows, let's start the round!”

"First, I activate the Spell Card 'Last Love'! I send one 'Claudia Aldasia' from my Deck to the Graveyard, and Special Summon one 'Kirei Kotomine' from my Deck!"

【Kotomine Kirei】Master 4 stars, attack power 1600

However, Kotomine Kirei was not summoned to the battle area like the others. What appeared there was Kotomine Kirei wearing an apron, holding a bowl of steaming mapo tofu in his hand.

Chapter 94 Kirei Kotomine: Can't Be Happy

"This Noble Phantasm... wasn't the Holy Grail War already over? And the way you look... is that Rin?" Kirei Kotomine (hereinafter referred to as Kirei), holding a bowl of tofu, looked at his opponent. After scrutinizing him for a while, he asked uncertainly.

"How dare you address me like that?" Although Rin Tohsaka had experienced the effects of summoning herself—which would directly summon the main combatant to the battle area—she still chose to directly hurl insults at Kirei Kotomine, who looked exactly like her. "You betrayed my father!"

“It was indeed my fault, but I participated in the Holy Grail War to find my own desire.” Mapo Tofu took a bite of his mapo tofu, looking quite pleased. “Back then, I found my goal under Caster's guidance, so it’s only natural to express my gratitude to him.”

"So you killed him?"

Mapo showed a puzzled expression. Mapo probably guessed that this was the future timeline, but although Tōsaka Tokiomi had many complaints about him, he also expressed understanding. What reason did she have to kill him?

"Stop making wild guesses." Illya interrupted their conversation, which was stuck on a channel. "This Kirei Kotomine comes from another timeline. There, things developed completely differently because Kiritsugu Emiya summoned the wrong Servant. It was a world where everyone was saved."

"Everyone was saved?" Emiya Shirou pondered. Moreover, he was Emiya Kiritsugu's Servant, so he must be a Caster of extreme justice, a completely different person from the Caster who had turned Fuyuki into a mess.

"Salvation? Easier said than done." Kirei Kotomine looked at Kirei. "You say you've found your desire? What is it?"

"It's a craving for food, a desire for delicious food. It's a craving for Mapo Tofu." Mapo Tofu, while eating Mapo Tofu, gave her answer directly.

"Just for such a ridiculous reason? I would give up the Holy Grail War?" This was an answer that Kirei Kotomine could never have imagined.

"Is it ridiculous? People can't stop eating while they're alive. What's wrong with following your own desires? Don't you like Mapo Tofu?" Faced with Mapo's question, Kirei Kotomine really couldn't refute it. He did indeed have a deep love for Mapo Tofu.

Kotomine Kirei was silent for a few seconds, and did not continue the topic, but continued with his actions.

"...My own effect: Discard two cards from my hand, and at the start of the next turn, Special Summon one Level 8 or lower Archer from the Graveyard in Attack Position." Two cards from his hand were discarded into the Graveyard by Kirei Kotomine.

"The effect of [Kallen Ordesia] in the Graveyard: During the turn this card is sent to the Graveyard by an effect, you can Special Summon it from the Graveyard. If this card Special Summoned by this effect leaves the field, it is banished."

The cool girl with long white hair descended like an angel, surrounded by red cloth.

【Karen Ordesia】 Master, 2-star, Defense 2000

"As long as this card is in the battle zone, the opponent cannot choose other Servants as their attack targets." Because of Kallen's masochistic spirit medium, she will be the priority target for attack, and the card also inherits this effect.

"Isn't this my irresponsible father?" Kallen quickly read the information provided by Jiang You's Noble Phantasm. She wiped away her non-existent tears. "I never thought that even if I, a beautiful girl, returned to my father's side, I would still be destined to be a punching bag. *sobs*

After sending his daughter to the church for upbringing, Kirei Kotomine paid her no further attention. Perhaps if Risei Kotomine hadn't died, Kallen would have been taken back to Fuyuki to grow up. "I don't see any sadness on your face. Apart from your appearance, you don't resemble your mother in any way."

“I thought Father had long forgotten what Mother looked like,” Karen retorted, not to be outdone. “How dare someone who didn’t shed a single tear when Mother passed away mention her?”

Kotomine Kirei understood that Claudia's death was largely due to him, but he could not understand the emotions of normal people. He had tried to be normal, but unfortunately failed. His wife's death was meaningless, but he could not admit that it was worthless.

"Let's leave this topic here." At the time, the thought was: was it happiness for Kirei Kotomine, or the sorrow of wanting to kill someone he deeply loved? Whenever the answer flashed through his mind, the thought would always be interrupted. Kirei Kotomine subconsciously avoided the topic.

"If you only know how to run away, you can't grow into a mature man. Is my father's age stuck at 9 years old?"

Kotomine Kirei ignored Kallen's words. He looked at the card in his hand hesitantly, feeling that it was a bit strange. Finally, with some unknown thought in mind, he slapped the card down.

"I usually summon my father, [Kotomine Risei]!"

【Kotomine Risei】 2-star, Attack Power 1200