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

"Cough... Didn't you say you wouldn't kill me so that Caster could report the event normally?" Jason had heard Medea mention Jiang You's plans. As a rare Servant who had dueled before, Jiang You had asked her not to attack Jason prematurely.

“There are two questions in total. I’ll answer them one by one.” Medea drew her dagger. Jason sensed that the magical energy Rin Tohsaka had provided for him was fading, and another connection was forming between him and Medea.

"First of all, I didn't kill you. The prerequisite for me to provide Caster with assistance was to obtain his own deck and to settle the feud with you. This dagger looks familiar to you, right? Yes, it's the Wanfu Biying Pojie. From now on, I am your Master."

"The second problem is that we can't act prematurely, but without my help, you and your little Master would already be beheaded. So, you two are practically out of the game~"

Jason couldn't deny that he really had no way to protect his Master in that situation.

"So from now on, I am your Master, my 'deceased husband.' Before you make me happy, try your best to live on!" Medea grinned maliciously, disregarding her image.

"You despicable witch!" Rin Tohsaka struggled to break free from Medea's grasp. If she lost her Servant, she would lose the power to fight Jiang You. In this situation, she shouted to vent her anger, but she didn't expect to trigger Medea's sore spot.

"A witch?" Medea's expression turned ferocious. "It seems this little girl is lacking in education! Let me teach you a lesson on behalf of your parents!"

The magic attack was ready to go. Although Medea knew that Jiang You did not want to cause unnecessary killing, she still launched this attack with the purpose of crippling Tohsaka Rin.

"Stop! Medea." At that moment, a red-clad Heroic Spirit blocked Rin Tohsaka's path.

"Archer, are you trying to protect this girl? Reducing obstacles for your Master shouldn't conflict with your interests, right?" Medea actually knew that Archer had betrayed Rin Tohsaka's side. If she truly wanted to help Rin, attacking now would be more reasonable than physically blocking her. Having found a way out, Medea slowly withdrew her magical energy.

Medea didn't dare let Jiang You feel dissatisfied. If Jiang You sent her back, she would have nowhere to cry.

“My useless Master has already used up all his Command Seals. I’ve already shown him mercy by not killing him. How could I possibly continue to assist him?” Archer truly thought so. “And Caster wants a spectacular final, so Rin Tohsaka has a reason to participate. To keep Caster happy, there’s no harm in keeping her around, right?”

Red Archer continued, "Next, I will participate in the battle as Rin Tohsaka's Heroic Spirit."

"Emiya Shirou..."

“He has no objection,” Red A replied affirmatively. “He certainly has no objection.”

The Shirou of this timeline has never experienced life-or-death combat, and Emiya Shirou is completely bewildered along the way. He doesn't know why servants were summoned, why the battle turned into a card game, and why the grand event of the Holy Grail War turned into a live broadcast of a card game.

Red A himself couldn't guess what kind of ending Emiya Shirou would have here.

Chapter 118 The War of Caution

"It seems you're not exactly a loyal Heroic Spirit either." Medea thought Archer was pretty awful, but she didn't dislike him.

"Those who understand the times are wise. A Master chooses a Heroic Spirit, but isn't the Heroic Spirit also choosing a Master?" Having served as the cleaner of the Counter Force for so long, Archer was long accustomed to betrayal and being betrayed. His only flaw was his wicked personality; he was practically a saint. "Then I'll take her with me. See you in the finals!"

"No, you were here all along!" Jason struggled, but Medea kicked him to the ground and bound his hands and feet with magic. Still unwilling to give up on escaping, he writhed forward like a worm. "Why didn't you make a move sooner! Aren't we all allies? Why were you just watching!"

Red A shifted his gaze to the side. He had indeed been there for a while; after all, he was now technically on Medea's side. If Rin Tohsaka hadn't been so reckless in provoking Medea's anger when they were at a significant disadvantage, he would have watched until the very end.

Although Red A claimed to want to kill Tōsaka Rin, he was actually trying to provoke Shirou Emiya into using his Command Seals. He knew himself too well; Shirou Emiya would never watch someone he knew being killed before his eyes. After all, he had tried to be a righteous ally, and even if he gave up, he wouldn't indiscriminately cause a massacre.

"Since we've reached a consensus, I'll take my leave." Medea dragged Jason, who looked like a dead dog, away.

Jason, now completely gray, would rather return to the Throne of Heroes right now.

"How long do you intend to sit on the ground, my Master?" Even though a contract hasn't been signed yet, Archer has already started calling him that.

"Don't call me that. I haven't decided to make you my Servant yet!" Rin Tohsaka looked at Archer suspiciously. She knew Archer and her current self, Shirou Emiya, didn't get along, but this guy's behavior was strange. He had said he wanted to kill her before, but now he was offering to be her Servant. "Are you really Emiya-kun? Your personality is completely different!"

“People change. If you disagree, that's fine. I can go find that blue seaweed-headed guy. He has a higher chance of defeating Caster.” Of course, Archer wouldn't choose Shinji; he just wanted to tease Rin Tohsaka.

Rin Tohsaka had fallen for the trap. She couldn't withdraw from the Holy Grail War now; the Mage's Association would definitely hold the Tohsaka family responsible for Fuyuki's current situation. "Let's forget about Shinji. I've agreed to your request... You won't betray me like you betrayed Emiya, will you?"

“How could that be? Rin, your talent as a magician is astonishing. My stats have been further enhanced in your hands. You can be said to be the most outstanding Master in this Holy Grail War.” Archer was telling the truth here, and then he continued, “So there is absolutely no way I can betray you now. I have found a way to fulfill your wish, and I will definitely not let go this time.”

"I hope you keep your word." Rin Tohsaka signed a contract with Archer, and the last remaining Command Seal reappeared. Rin Tohsaka lowered her guard slightly; with this Command Seal, she could at least still control Archer for a while.

"I definitely will!" Red A's eyes were firm; he truly wouldn't betray him this time. This was the closest he'd ever come to fulfilling his long-cherished wish as a council member.

"As expected, Gilgamesh lost too... Ugh!" Cú Chulainn exclaimed as he looked at the news of Jiang You's victory. Suddenly, he clutched his heart, his face turning ashen, and he almost collapsed.

"Lancer!" Bazett rushed over to support him. "What's wrong?"

"It's probably an aftereffect of the duel. The loser will be weak for quite some time. Master, you weren't much better off than me back then." Cú Chulainn waved his hand. He wasn't that weak. The shock of losing the duel made him unconscious for a few seconds. If even his body as a Heroic Spirit was like this, how much more so would his Master's mortal body? He didn't want to be outdone by his Master.

"It's painful, isn't it? I don't know what happened, but it seems Gilgamesh's soul has been broken down into purer magic, unconsciously trying to return to the outer world. It's roughly equivalent to collecting the souls of five Heroic Spirits. Your function as the Lesser Holy Grail has begun to activate."

Matou Shinji stumbled back home, collapsed on his bed, and rolled around in pain, screaming heartbreakingly. It was a blessing that he didn't burst into tears right there, just to save his image.

"If I hadn't used the Marking Bug to temporarily open up your magic circuit, you would have already begun to grow flesh and blood, using flesh and blood instead of magic to maintain the function of the Holy Grail. Why don't you thank me quickly?"

The person chattering incessantly in Shinji Matou's mind was Zouken Matou. Ever since he learned of Sakura Matou's disappearance, he'd lost his ability to sense the bugs within her. He'd realized what was happening, and he'd already left a backup plan within Shinji.

If Jiang You had not offered the soul crystal as a prize, Matou Zouken would have continued to lurk until the end of this Holy Grail War.

Matou Zouken understood the value of the Soul Crystal, the core of its Holy Grail. If it were used to fulfill his long-cherished wish of immortality, it would be even easier than the Holy Grail itself. How could he let it go? So he transformed Matou Shinji's body and buried the Holy Grail fragments inside.

This transformation differs from the normal timeline, where Gilgamesh forcibly inserts his body into Ilia's heart. After all, he still needs to possess Matou Shinji for the time being, so he won't lose his ability to move. Even if Matou Shinji is unable to move, the bugs within his body will assist him. The progress of the Holy Grail transformation has also been temporarily stalled under his maintenance.

Facts proved that what he did was right. Gilgamesh's departure almost filled the Holy Grail. As long as he detonated the backup hidden in Lancer's body, the souls of the six riders would be gathered, and the Holy Grail would actually fall into his hands at this time.

"It's impressive that you've managed to hold on this long." Zouken Matou knows Shinji Matou's personality: all bravado when things are going well, and cowardice when things go wrong. He can't handle any hardship. The fact that he could endure this pain until he got home before crying out shows he's grown a bit. "It seems you really enjoy dueling. That's perfect, though. Once you obtain the Soul Crystal, you can become a true magician. If you win, the Soul Crystal is yours, and the Holy Grail is mine."

"To become a true magician!" Shinji Matou cried and laughed at the same time, his expression a complete mess. "Just you wait and see! I will be the victor in this duel!"

"Then I'll look forward to it." Matou Zouken laughed, though of course that was impossible.

He wants both of these things!

Chapter 119 The Clock Tower: We Should Unite the Magic World to Destroy Caster

[All contestants, please behave properly. Any contestant who attacks the audience will be disqualified and personally hunted down by me. We organizers will do our utmost to ensure the safety of every spectator. Please proceed with your daily activities. Gilgamesh will personally compensate for any losses caused.]

Although Jason was the one who actually protected the people, Jiang You still accepted it with a clear conscience. Incidentally, the so-called compensation for Gilgamesh was found from Kotomine Kirei. Jiang You had captured Kotomine Kirei and taken the money and wine along with it. Now it was perfectly appropriate to use it to compensate for the arcade's losses.

[Since Gilgamesh, who ranked second, has been disqualified, Jason and his Master will compete...]

Baimao comforted the audience and continued the broadcast of the duel elsewhere.

After a series of high-quality duels, the audience expressed that they had a great time and it quickly became evening.

"You captured Jason too?" Jiang You asked, a conflicted expression on his face when he returned to the base and saw the familiar golden servant.

“If I hadn’t intervened, he would be dead already. In gratitude, he chose to turn to the light.” Medea directed Jason to serve tea and water, replacing the usual servant, Bai Mao. As captain, Jason would never have done such a thing before; he maintained a humiliated expression.

"What do you mean by abandoning darkness for light? You were the one who attacked me..." Jason complained, then Medea tightened the magic collar around his neck.

"So now, is Lancer the only Heroic Spirit who really intends to kill me?" Jiang You wondered if he was stuck, because Medea was essentially his derivative, and the actual source of the contract with Jason was still in his hands. He now had three Heroic Spirits that he could summon through legitimate means, including himself, plus the undercover Archer and Rider, and Berserker, who was unlikely to actually fight.

"Why bother with the Holy Grail War? I might as well just declare myself the victor." Because of his first playthrough or perhaps the NPCs' high intelligence, Jiang You couldn't bring himself to stab his own Servants in the back. He felt he could already skip ahead in the storyline, but he didn't know where the next one would be.

Or maybe the crossover plot ends here, and Matthew is just an easter egg, so let him go back to play the main character!

"Didn't you also say that this Holy Grail has been corrupted by Angolan Manu, who is branded with the evil of humanity? There's no need to obtain this Holy Grail anymore. I think maintaining the status quo is fine." As a Heroic Spirit, the opportunity to manifest in the world is rare, and even when she does, it's mostly to uphold human principles. This relatively relaxed situation under Jiang You's command is extremely precious to Medea.

"It's actually pretty good." Jiang You said that if Konami were willing to release this collaboration separately, he would guarantee it would be a huge hit. Using it for playing cards is a bit of a waste, as the main story isn't even that well-developed. "Interacting with you guys is quite fun too."

“What’s so interesting about this!” Jason disagreed. He had no desire to interact with Medea. “And why are you able to summon Medea? You’re not a Greek Servant. What are you trying to do by making such a big fuss?”

"What do I want to do?" Jiang You scratched his chin. He had only come to play cards at first, but after seeing such a shocking scene, he started working on the human trafficking side story.

Because reality demands consideration, he didn't want to be constrained once he entered the game. He wanted to see just how far this game could go. After exposing these matters to the political world and causing them headaches, Jiang You decided to go all out, exposing his magic to everyone. Whether he played the savior or played a fool, the end result was the same.

"For fun, of course."

"Just for this reason, the 'mystery' is exposed nakedly before the public! Can such a Servant still be called a Caster?!"

"I propose that all magicians involved in the Holy Grail ritual be held accountable!"

Although Baimao and Medea blocked most of the information from leaking out, how could a city's information be completely isolated from the outside world? Magicians also have special means of communicating with their companions. For example, Bazette's message was successfully delivered to the clock tower.

After verifying the authenticity of the information, the Clock Tower immediately launched the Crown Decision.

"Where's El-Melloi II? He's here now, right? Why isn't he here?"

"It makes no difference whether the last Lord comes or not. He's still busy with El-Melloi's debts."

"The Barthemelo family hasn't arrived yet. Given this situation, the Law and Politics Department shouldn't be absent."

"They strictly adhere to the clock tower's first principle: 'Mystery should be kept hidden.' Although Lord Barthemello Lorelei could not come in person for some reason, they have made it clear that they are determined to hold this lawless Caster accountable, as well as the local authorities."

"Where are the guys from the astronomy department? Animusphia isn't here either?"

"When have Animusphia and the others ever been here? Aren't they still fiddling with that thing called 'Sheba' in the mountains? They haven't been successful in all these years."

"That's the situation internally. What about the other magic associations—the Wandering Sea and Astra? They can't just sit there and do nothing about this situation, right?"

"Same old news, no response. They don't care about anything 'mysterious' at all. I almost wonder if they died in there."

"So, we at the Clock Tower still have to worry about all this stuff..."

"It's almost time. There are seven Lords in total, which is enough. Let's just vote. We can't delay this any longer."

"Tramperio, I agree!"

"Ulyphis, I agree!"

"Gaius Order, approved!"

"Jigu Marie, I agree!"

……

"I disagree!" Suddenly, an uninvited guest barged into the council chamber located in the ancient heart of the Spirit Tomb, Albion. All the monarchs present were startled; the magical barrier here was so thick that it could easily block even anti-city Noble Phantasms, how could anyone have gotten in?

What's more, in such a matter, he actually opposed a proposal that all the monarchs agreed with.

"Who is so bold? Where are the guards? What are they doing?" One of the monarchs slammed the table and stood up. There were seven top magicians here. No matter who the intruder was, he would be in big trouble!

When he saw the face of the person who came, he was so scared that he almost collapsed to the ground.

"Mage Path...Mage Path Marshal."

Chapter 120 The Clock Tower Has New Speculations About Caster's Identity