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

"I say, I disagree!" Gemstone Onzelridge forcefully intervened in the Grand Order decision, but none of the monarchs present dared to object to his intervention.

As the founder of the Clock Tower and the magician of the Second Law, Jewelmonger's existence can almost represent the entire Clock Tower.

“But, Grand Marshal of the Magic Path, the situation in Fuyuki City has already jeopardized the entire magic world. Even you…” Although Zelrich had already spoken, one of the monarchs was still unwilling to give up. No matter what, magicians exist in accordance with the principle that “mystery should be hidden.” Jiang You’s actions have seriously affected the vital interests of all magicians. In the eyes of the monarchs of the Clock Tower, even the Grand Marshal of the Magic Path would be affected to some extent.

Zelrich had always been considerate of the Association, accepting even the weakening of the magi's ideology as it was. In other cases, he wouldn't have minded explaining things in detail.

But Jiang You's situation was too unique. If anyone knew about it and harbored any ill intentions, the entire world would suffer. Not even Zelrich himself would survive this catastrophe, as all parallel worlds would be destroyed in a moment. He wouldn't even consider approaching Jiang You's worldline unless necessary.

Since there is no way to explain it, there is only one way to make the monarchs stay in line.

"Do I need to repeat myself?!" Zelrich unleashed his full magical power as a Grand Marshal of the Sorcerer Path, the force of which pressed down on all the monarchs present like the might of a dragon. Several weaker monarchs couldn't even stand upright and knelt on the ground. "I've made myself very clear. The Clock Tower is not to interfere in this matter. Recall all those sent out to scout and those planning to ambush!"

The sharp murderous intent made all the monarchs realize that Bao Shi Weng was serious this time.

"I'm only giving you three hours, that's an order!" After stating his position, Zelrich immediately left. Being in Jiang You's timeline was like walking a tightrope over an abyss for him; he could be doomed at any moment. He couldn't stay in that timeline for even a second longer.

The monarchs looked at each other in bewilderment. They felt very uncomfortable that the elusive Jewel Master, who created the Clock Tower, had appeared only to protect a Servant who was destroying the magic world.

Although they knew that letting Jiang You push himself to his limits would be a betrayal of their own interests, they were not foolish enough to challenge Bao Shi Weng's authority. Therefore, even without communicating with each other, they knew their respective choices.

"So, are we just going to stand by and watch magic die out here?" The monarch raised his hand to slam his fist on the conference table to vent his anger, but considering that Gemstone was still observing, he could only suppress his rage.

“Didn’t magic also die out in the Age of Gods? They were probably like this back then,” one monarch tried to comfort himself.

"Take a closer look at this Servant's information: He has a Noble Phantasm that allows him to perform a Heroic Spirit summoning without the aid of rituals. Fuyuki's Holy Grail was completed using the Third Law, right? Caster even used a Soul Crystal, which represents the Third Law, as a prize in order to carry out his activities normally."

This news shocked all the monarchs. If time hadn't allowed, they would have personally participated. They knew the value of Soul Crystals better than anyone else, and it was enough to stab other monarchs in the back. Even monarchs with high-speed mobility were ready to act. Other monarchs began to consider whether Jiang You could host a second Duel Tournament.

"Then, according to the latest intelligence, he summoned a Gilgamesh from a different timeline to fight against him. Do you think the Noble Phantasm related to the parallel world might be related to the Second Magic... And Caster's Noble Phantasm generates a type of card called [Magic Card]."

"Possessing a Noble Phantasm similar to the Second and Third Laws at the same time..." Their discussion ended there, and all the monarchs tacitly kept silent, because they felt that if they thought about it further, they would discuss something they shouldn't know.

"There's no need to be so pessimistic. Caster's Noble Phantasm can affect mages, projecting his and his family's achievements. Perhaps this is the future of magic. The Grand Marshal of the Magic Path has his own considerations." This line of thought was like a revelation to everyone, and now everything made sense.

"Then I propose that the prosecution of Caster and all magicians involved in the Holy Grail Ritual cease."

"Tramperio, I agree!"

"Ulyphis, I agree!"

"Gaius Order, approved!"

Unanimous approval

Finally, no one raised any objections this time. The crown resolution was successfully concluded, which was cause for celebration.

"Then my next proposal is that the Clock Tower will be responsible for maintaining Caster's present world."

Although the rest of the sentence was unspoken, the monarchs all understood the monarch's intentions. Given Caster's personality, if his present world was maintained and his needs were met, Caster's playful nature would likely lead him to continue hosting duels. He might even offer some valuable materials.

Judging from the fact that Caster was willing to give out soul crystals as prizes, he didn't care about such things at all.

"Eulifuss, I agree!" Some people couldn't wait to express their opinion.

Another unanimous approval.

"So, Bazett, you received an urgent notification from the Clock Tower?" Rin Tohsaka looked at Bazett, who was panting heavily, and could sense the importance of the information. She was both expectant and nervous. She was expectant because the Clock Tower had finally responded, and the support Bazett mentioned should arrive soon. But she was nervous because she was worried that the Clock Tower would hold her, as the administrator of Fuyuki City, accountable.

As things stand, the secrecy surrounding Fuyuki's mysteries no longer exists. While the impact won't be noticeable in the short term, all magi will suffer losses in the long run.

"What about the clock tower...?" Rin Tohsaka sat up straight instinctively.

"How should I put it... The situation is very delicate. This is clearly the most urgent intelligence channel, but the information it conveys is..."

"Contact the church and local authorities to fully support Caster's activities. If necessary, assist Caster in dealing with unruly mages and Servants," Bazett continued, his expression one of utter bewilderment. "During the Holy Grail War, Caster must not be allowed to leave the field; do everything possible to maintain his presence."

"what?"

Chapter 121 Rin Tohsaka Joins the Hunt Tonight

These arrangements were essentially helping Jiang You break the rule that "mystery should be hidden," to the point that they were almost ingratiating.

"Miss Bazett, you haven't fallen under the spell of suggestion, have you?" Rin Tohsaka quickly took out a gem, ready to help Bazett remove the spell's effects.

"If I could, I would also like to think that I was under a spell of suggestion." As an executor belonging to the Sealing Designation Bureau of the Mage Association, Bazett was very clear about the Clock Tower's way of doing things. A guy like Caster who completely trampled on the rules would, in normal circumstances, be dealt with by continuing to kill him.

The attitude displayed by the Clock Tower now is completely inconsistent with its previous performance. Bazett has doubted the authenticity of the information, but the code above repeatedly emphasizes that this is true.

“The Clock Tower must have encountered resistance from other sources. It’s hard to imagine anyone being able to make the entire Clock Tower submit in such a short time.” Bazett knew it must be due to external forces; those rigid lords would never make such a decision.

Toosaka Rin felt that this world might have really gone crazy. The Clock Tower that maintained the order of the inner world actually started to play tricks with Caster.

"Is there anything wrong with this?" Archer was very satisfied with the result. If even the Clock Tower was happy to help, his wish to cover the entire world with Jiang You's Noble Phantasms could be quickly advanced. "Rin, you must be short of money too. If you can obtain the Soul Crystal, whether you use it yourself or sell it, you won't be disappointed."

"Why are you all like this?!" Rin Tohsaka had studied magic diligently to showcase the power of Jewel Magic in the Holy Grail War and to restore the glory of the Tohsaka family. But she was told that they no longer competed in magic; everyone was playing cards instead. She felt that even if she won, it wouldn't have much to do with the Tohsaka family's Jewel Magic.

Although she could hear her father's affirmation of her, she was still very grateful to Jiang You.

Bazette looked at the information in his hand with a tangled look. After a long silence, he finally made a decision: "Ms. Tousaka, your Saber Jason was also taken away by Caster, right?"

“It’s like this… because of Medea, her target was Jason from the start.” Rin Tohsaka was still resentful about this; having her Servant taken away by someone else was extremely humiliating for her. “Medea probably wanted something from Jason. If it was just about killing him, there was no need to take control of him. That means I still have a chance to take him back!”

"So you still haven't given up on killing Caster head-on." Bazett shook her head. She didn't have much of a relationship with Rin Tohsaka. They had cooperated before because Jiang You had damaged the interests of all magic. But now that the Clock Tower had given the order, she would naturally follow its instructions. After all, it was her job. "I'm sorry I can't continue to assist you. If you continue to do this, we'll be enemies next time we meet."

Cú Chulainn nodded, as he was always the type to carry out orders diligently: "If it's a mission, then there's nothing I can do, little girl. I'm sorry. Since my Master has received such instructions, I can only oblige."

Bazette dragged Cú Chulainn away, ready to withdraw from the Holy Grail War. This Holy Grail War had been somewhat exhausting for her. First, her admired Church agent, Kirei Kotomine, had his disguise ripped off, and then a Caster had used the city as an amusement park. Her next goal was simply to complete the Clock Tower mission, and once that was done, she planned to take a long vacation.

"...Archer, what exactly is going on with this Holy Grail War?!" Rin Tohsaka tried to get approval from Archer. "Right now, we only have you and Rider as our fighting force. Do you think you can defeat him with his Noble Phantasm?"

Red A's expression was a little subtle. In fact, he and Rider were both traitors. In other words, except for Toosaka Rin and Emiya Shirou who had not figured out the situation yet, the others either lost their target or were originally on Jiang You's side.

Red A is struggling over whether or not to tell Tōsaka Rin the truth - the Holy Grail War had actually ended a long time ago, and this ceremony was not worthy of her efforts.

In the end, he still didn't tell the truth. It would be better for her to discover it herself.

"Oh right, where's Sakura? I haven't seen her all day." Because of all the things that happened today, the constant bombardment of information had completely overwhelmed Rin Tohsaka, and she finally remembered her sister. "And that Noble Phantasm that sent Caster close to Gilgamesh was Rider's, right? Has Sakura already found Caster?"

As expected of you, you still completely believe in your sister even at a time like this. Red A felt more and more sorry for Rin Tohsaka: "It should only be a temporary alliance. Caster's goal is to complete the event he's organizing, and he won't touch his contestants before that. He'll even protect the audience. He doesn't have the ability to fly, so it's perfectly normal for Rider to team up with him."

In a normal Holy Grail War, this is also a matter of mutual exploitation. Rin Tohsaka nodded in agreement with Archer's statement: "Given Sakura's personality, she would definitely make such a decision. Since Caster wants to be a coward, then we'll defeat him using his own rules!"

Without Jason's Noble Phantasm, and without additional Heroic Spirits to directly attack, Tōsaka Rin had no choice but to take this path. Furthermore, Lancer had become like Illya's Servant Berserker, who, while not on the same side as Jiang You, would help maintain the rules and leave the field.

“So here’s the problem: if you want to duel according to Caster’s rules, you need to get fourth place before tomorrow’s settlement,” Red A reminded him. “But because of your instructions, neither you nor I have received any stars. And your stars are with Jason, but now they belong to Medea. So you only have the two basic stars that I have right now.”

"Oh no, what's the situation now?" Rin Tohsaka had actually paid some attention to the duel rankings. Now all the neutral monsters had been completely killed, and if she wanted to collect stars, she would have to steal them from other magicians.

"Judging from the current rankings, there aren't many magicians left. Rin, you don't have enough stars to take down the top four in one go, so you need to start dueling as soon as possible." According to the equal stakes method, even if Rin Tohsaka wins against the top four, she won't be able to enter the finals (Jason was disqualified because of Gilgamesh), so she must start playing cards as soon as she sees a magician.

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Rin Tohsaka is joining the hunt tonight.

"Where are they?" Shirou Emiya, who had just finished making chicken soup, poked his head out of the kitchen. He discovered that not only had Sakura not returned, but Bazett and Rin Tohsaka were also gone.

Chapter 122 Rin Tohsaka is vying for a spot in the finals

The day before the Duel City finals, downtown.

"Archer! Attack him directly!" Rin Tohsaka commanded Archer to launch the final attack. This was the fifth magus she had defeated today. Archer was even more familiar to her than Jason, as if she were meant to summon Archer.

Red A's attack power of 2000 directly took away the opponent's last bit of health. The opposing magician had no way to compete with Toosaka Rin. After being suppressed from beginning to end, he was directly defeated with a gap of 6000LP.

【Congratulations to Rin Tousaka for winning again! 】

Following the top four players, another undefeated competitor surged into fifth place with overwhelming force, clearly determined to win the championship. However, due to her late entry into the competition, Rin Tousaka still has a significant gap in Stars plundered compared to the top four. Let's wait and see if she can pull off the comeback!

The audience cheered. The long-legged JK contestants were a feast for the eyes. Rin's popularity soared, and she was even on track to overtake third-place Illya. Hearing the crowd chant her name, Rin blushed. She felt a surge of recognition, but also a wave of discomfort at the demystification and entertainment of magic. These two conflicting emotions tore her apart.

Now that things have come to this, let's finish the duel first. Putting aside these worries for the moment, Tōsaka Rin turned her attention to the defeated magus.

"The stakes are 5 stars, hand them over!" Rin Tohsaka reached out and took all the remaining points from the magician, widening the gap between herself and the rankings below her once again.

After the magician had all his stars taken away, he was eliminated and lost his chance to compete for the Soul Crystal. He was extremely unhappy: "He's just relying on the Heroic Spirit cards. If you were competing alone like me, you might not be my match!"

The magician left grumbling, "I'm going to participate in the next Holy Grail War too. I'll show you that our family is the strongest."

"Rin, this guy is a lot like you in personality." Archer teased his Master, feeling that Rin was also the kind of person who would say such things.

"How is that similar? Losing is losing. I wouldn't be so tasteless." Rin Tohsaka counted the stars in her hand and realized that she would have to plunder at least several more magicians to catch up with Illya, who was in fourth place.

Now that the preliminaries are almost over, there are not many magicians left, and everyone has entered the final sprint.

The only consolation was that Matou Shinji, already a guaranteed finalist, had for some reason chosen to avoid the competition, citing health reasons. Medea wasn't sure what she was doing with Jason. However, the remaining two players were also consolidating their points. Tōsaka Rin had seen Illya's battles and knew not only that Minamoto no Raikou was formidable, but also that the Einzbern deck was formidable, making it easier for them to deal with those mages than she was. The nameless magician had surpassed Illya during this period, moving into third place.

"Yes, judging from the current situation, we need to plunder at least half of the magicians below the top four to catch up with Illya's score." Archer calculated Rin Tohsaka's score, and the situation was not optimistic. "In terms of facts and time, it's already too late, not to mention that those magicians are still fighting each other. Rin, there's only one way."

"I thought of that already. Now we have just the right number of stars for one last desperate attempt." Rin Tohsaka knew what Archer meant. "Let's use a large number of stars to directly challenge the top four players and decide the outcome!"

"Have you decided on your opponent yet?" Shinji Matou, avoiding battle, only had three opponents to choose from.

“If possible, Jason would be the obvious choice. I'm familiar with his deck, and without my Jewel Magic support, he has fewer ways to recruit crew members. Besides, if we can prevent Heracles from appearing, the threat of his deck will be halved.” Rin Tohsaka even considered launching a Dark Game to regain control, but using her newly formed partnership with Archer as a gamble felt somewhat disrespectful, so she abandoned the idea. Moreover, Medea couldn't be found either. Even though the score had increased once…

"If it's Illya... this must be a very important matter for the Einzbern family. Fighting her would be quite dangerous, not to mention she helped me before, so let's save the duel for the finals at least."

"So, in that case, your opponent will be that nameless magician, right?" Red A's expression became even more subtle. He thought to himself, "Rin Tohsaka, didn't you notice that someone in your team has been absent for a long time? And even though she's third place, Hyakko hasn't given her much screen time. There's something fishy about that." "Her information hasn't been revealed much. Choosing her as your opponent might lead to other unexpected situations. Rin, won't you reconsider?"

"That's exactly why we did it. A magician without a Servant won't have a strong front line. Archer, your low stats are actually an insurmountable disadvantage for them." Archer's Noble Phantasm can also deal 500 damage when released. Combined with Rin Tohsaka's direct damage and healing, they can keep widening the health gap. The synergy between the two is much better than with Jason.

“No, Jason is clearly lower than me,” Red A protested, acknowledging that he, after all, had aspirations.

"Never mind that, the nameless magician is near the Civic Hall, let's hurry over!" Rin Tohsaka grabbed Archer and ran. If they were late and the nameless magician left, she would have to go and duel Illya.

"You, you actually possess a Heroic Spirit too! I clearly gathered information!" The opponent fighting the female mage in the purple hood cried out in despair. If it weren't for the sudden appearance of the Servant, he would have already won. This purple-hooded girl's card effects weren't very strong, and it seemed she hadn't fully explored the potential of her magic. "Why has she never appeared in the Hundred Faces' livestream? With your strength, how have you managed to hide until now?!"

The nameless magus in the purple hood did not reply, but instead directed his Servant to deliver the final blow.

"Ughhhhhh—" the opponent screamed in agony, falling into a coma due to excessive damage.

Just as the nameless magician was about to leave, Toosaka Rin arrived.

"Don't even think about running away!" Rin Tohsaka blocked the nameless magician's path and issued a duel challenge: "Bet all the stars and duel me!"