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

"Ugh—! I don't want to get touched by that thing, Medea, please!" Jason roared as he saw the Crest Worms stirring. Even...

"Who would want something as useless as you!" Medea knew that Jason's effect was completely useless in decks other than [Argonauts], and it was obvious that this thing would come after her, which she couldn't accept either. "I can't let this dangerous thing take effect! I activate [Medea]'s effect! Remove 2 Spell Counters and destroy [Crest Worm]!"

The magic bullet destroyed the [Marking Bug]. No matter which card Shinji Matou took control of, it was not what Medea wanted to see.

"What a pity, I really wanted to see how effective you were." Shinji Matou grinned maliciously; he was genuinely curious. Everyone knew Jason's effects perfectly well, but Medea's cards hadn't been shown before the live stream. "Now that things have come to this, let's enter the battle phase!"

"First, [Machiri Zorgane]'s attack! Destroy [Jason]!"

Machili easily defeated the half-baked Jason, and Medea's attack power returned to its original point after losing Jason's blessing.

Medea's attack power increased from 2300 to 1800.

"Next, [Matou Zouken] will attack [Medea]!"

"A magician from the Age of Gods has the same stats as me, what an honor, hehehehe." Zouken Matou revealed a sinister smile to Medea. Their attack power was equal, so they would be destroyed simultaneously. But this was exactly the effect Shinji Matou wanted.

"[Zouken Matou]'s effect: Release [Machiri Zorgne] as a substitute; this attack will not be destroyed in battle!"

Matou Zouken, who was shattered by Medea's magic bullet, condensed into a human form again and survived tenaciously.

"Anyway, [Machiri Zorgen] will be destroyed at the end of the round, which is perfect for me. Well done, Shinji." During this time, Zouken Matou did not hold back his praise for Shinji Matou.

“Of course!” Shinji Matou rubbed his nose, looking pleased. “I’ll play a face-down card in my back row to end my turn. Your turn!”

"Before you finish, I'll open my Continuous Trap Card [Argonaut Recruitment]. During the draw phase, if the card drawn is an [Argonaut] Servant, you can directly Special Summon it! And draw a card! The card I put on the top of the deck earlier is - [Hercules]!"

"Come on, Hercules! Jason admires you so much, so let him see your strength!"

"My turn, draw a card!" Medea saw the card she had drawn.

"...????"

Chapter 140 Imprinted Insect Blood C

"Why isn't it [Hercules]?" Medea stared in despair at the cards in her hand. Not even any of the [Argonauts] servants; she'd had to forcefully search for Jason using her own cards. "[Hercules], you're not even at the top of the deck! Where did you go?!"

Medea turned her gaze towards Jiang You, a hint of hostility in her eyes. Even Gilgamesh's anti-barrier weapon, the Sword of Separation, couldn't effectively attack this Noble Phantasm by overcoming its rules. If someone were to tamper with it, only one person could do so: the owner of this outrageous Noble Phantasm.

Jiang You inexplicably received an email reminding him that Medea's favorability had decreased. Unexpectedly, something that the NPC made up on his own could actually lower his favorability. He was so dissatisfied that he was ready to log off and write a manifesto to fight against the enemy.

"Did you forget that you need to shuffle your deck after searching for a trap?" Shinji Matou explained for Jiang You. Having a rare opportunity to be exposed to magic, he had carefully read the rules of the duel. "Hercules was shuffled back after you searched for the trap."

"Is...is that so?" Medea hadn't fought many duels, and even her ranking was inherited from Jason.

"But it feels like your deck is rejecting you... really." Matou Shinji knew that feeling. Matou Sakura was quite difficult to get started with here, while Old Bug was always there at the start of the game. After all, a duel wasn't a real card game, and the Servants in the deck also chose their own main combatants.

Before long, Shinji Matou revealed his true colors: "This is really hilarious! Is this what a magician from the Age of Gods is like!"

"You just wait!" This wasn't just directed at Shinji Matou; Medea also decided to teach Jason a lesson when they got back. "I usually summon [Atalanta]!"

The green lynx leaped onto the battlefield.

[Atalanta] Attack Power 2000

“Medea.” Atalanta nodded to Medea. The price she had paid for letting Medea spare Jason was that she would betray her and help Medea if needed, but it seemed that was no longer necessary. Medea had disguised herself as her younger self for this very reason. However, Gilgamesh had given her the opportunity.

Atalanta felt a great sense of relief; now she didn't have to betray Jason. Although she despised Jason, they were, after all, old friends of thousands of years. She drew her bow. "Who is my target?"

"Atalanta's effect destroys Argonaut Recruitment!" Atalanta nodded and shot through the trap card behind her.

"What?" Shinji Matou didn't expect that Medea would destroy his own cards.

"[Argonaut Recruitment] Effect: If this card is destroyed by a card effect and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon one [Argonaut] follower from your Deck." Medea declared that since she couldn't draw it through Bonds, she would force a summon using a card effect! "The one I'm summoning is [Hercules]!"

Hercules: Attack Power 3000

"It's been a long time! I activate the [Book of Treason]! I want to take [Hercules] away!"

Shinji Matou LP4000→LP2500

[Hercules] Attack power 3000 → 1500

"In that case, let's send [Hercules] to the graveyard!" Since destroyed cards go to their original owners' graveyards, Medea intends to trigger Hercules' graveyard jump effect this way. "I enter the battle phase!"

"Atalanta attacks Hercules!"

Atalanta's arrow pierced Heracles' heart.

Shinji Matou LP2500→LP2000

"I place my last card face down in my back row to end my turn." Medea had no other option but to end her turn.

"My turn, draw a card!" Shinji Matou replenished his hand with two more cards.

"At this moment, the effect of [Hercules] activates. Special Summon from the Graveyard!" Hercules is resurrected once more!

Hercules: Attack Power 3000

“Let me guess. You know I can summon another [Crest Bug] next turn, so your back row card must be [All Signs Will Break the Rules], which is why you dared to use the effect of [Hercules] so confidently.” Shinji Matou analyzed the situation on the field.

"So what if I know?" Medea had complete confidence in her Noble Phantasm. It could trigger the Servant's effect perfectly without any cost, which was far superior to the [Book of False Servants].

"I activate the effect of [Bug Magic Workshop] and Special Summon a [Marking Bug] from my deck!"

"You knew that, yet you still summoned this thing? [All Symbols Will Break the Rules]! I won't let you activate its effect!" Medea regained control of the [Marked Insect] once again.

[Marked Insect] Attack Power 500

"Of course, it's because once I know, it'll be over!" Shinji Matou slammed his hand down. "I usually summon one [Winged Blade Insect]!"

[Winged Blade Insect] Attack Power 1000

"It's over, Medea! Even the Age of Gods magician is defeated by me, Matou Shinji! I enter the battle phase!"

"First, [Matou Zouken] attacks the [Marking Bug]!"

"Are you crazy? [Crest Worm] doesn't deal any combat damage, you're just giving me Servant cards!"

Zouken Matou destroyed his own bug, and the effect of the Marking Bug was activated. He was about to become Medea's Servant.

"Who said that? I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card 'Insect Magic Rebirth,' Special Summoning up to 'Crest Insect' and 'Winged Blade Insect' from my Deck and Graveyard with a maximum combined Level equal to the Tributed Servant's Level!" Under Shinji Matou's command, Zouken Matou disintegrated into a swarm of insects, evading the control effects of the Crest Insects. "I'm summoning two 'Crest Insects'!"

[Marked Insect] Attack Power 500*2

"What a shame, Medea. The stronger your card, the stronger I become. No matter if you are a legendary hero or a god, you are no match for me, Matou Shinji!"

The two imprinted worms attacked [Hercules] and [Atalanta] and successfully seized control of them.

"Now the 5000 attack points are mine! Oh wait, there's also a Crest Bug, making it a total of 6000 attack points. Do you have any cards that can block attacks?" Shinji Matou, who was about to win, flipped his hair and asked Medea with his head held high.

Medea wasn't without cards capable of withstanding such a situation; Medea Lily could, but unfortunately, she didn't respond to Medea. Perhaps her still-pure self wouldn't like her current appearance.

"In that case, let's end it!" Hercules and Atalanta launched an attack on Medea out of control.

Medea LP4000→LP1000→LP0!

Chapter 141 Jason, Please Wait and Hope

"Medea's luck doesn't seem to be very good. Jason's Argonaut deck has many powerful cards, but she didn't get a chance to show them off to us. Anyway, let's congratulate Shinji Matou on another victory. Once again, a mortal has triumphed over a myth!"

Shinji Matou's fans burst into cheers. Shinji Matou, a player who was able to reach the finals without powerful monsters, won the recognition of many people. Even if Shinji Matou lost the game here, they would still cheer for him.

Of course, there are also dissenters. Others believe that duels should be fair duels based on personal legends and experiences, not just about showing off one another's cards. The two sides are currently locked in a war of words, but perhaps physical action will soon follow.

“So that’s the meaning of Caster’s Noble Phantasm.” Archer said to Rin Tohsaka, pointing to the two opposing groups of spectators, some of whom were already arguing heatedly. “Conflicts can break out just because of differences in preferences. If a fight breaks out, innocent people will definitely get hurt. If Caster’s Noble Phantasm can cover them for a long time, the uncontrollable melee will become a controlled duel. The impact will be greatly reduced.”

Toosaka Rin imagined the scene: people would pull out their cards and duel at the drop of a hat. They would bring out their ancestors, relatives, and friends for a tense and thrilling battle.

"Well... I just feel like that scene doesn't seem like something this world should be like." If she could, Rin Tohsaka would still like to continue exploring magic, but the current situation isn't something she can decide alone. "I think I can guess what the Clock Tower is thinking. Caster, which is Jiang You's Noble Phantasm, is extremely similar in nature to the Second and Third Magic, and he can also produce Soul Crystals. I suspect that this guy, like you, is a future Heroic Spirit, which is why there are no written or legendary records about him."

“Possibly.” Red A nodded. The Throne of Heroes doesn’t actually have a concept of time; Heroes from the past and future exist together.

"No wonder the Clock Tower is so interested in someone who can use two great techniques at the same time." Rin Tohsaka felt hopeless about the future; she had a premonition that the world was about to undergo earth-shattering changes.

"Doesn't this give us even more reason to help him?" Red A's enthusiasm surged again.

"You still say you're not a champion of justice? I feel like you're becoming more and more like yourself. All you think about is saving the world." Rin Tohsaka rolled her eyes. She didn't want to think about that. "Now I'm actually embarrassed to the point of wanting to destroy the world. I was so confident that I would win the championship, but in the end, Jason and I were both eliminated."

Medea returned to Jiang You's side with a gloomy face and looked very unhappy.

"Is this Noble Phantasm of yours targeting me?" Medea kicked Jason, who, enraged, let out an exaggerated cry of pain and rolled on the ground. He then suffered even more cruel torture at Medea's hands.

Jiang You didn't want to see Jason die here; he wanted to try and draw some cards. So he came to Jason's rescue, saying, "It's a miracle you can draw any key cards like this."

"The bond holder of the deck and the card's energy... are related to the bond with the corresponding Servant." This is how it's portrayed in the anime; this doesn't exist in the official version at all. However, Jiang You feels that this setting does exist in the collaboration. "Given your relationship with Jason... it's already quite impressive that the cards you drew weren't immediately blocked."

In the actual game, there is a high probability that the soul players who play White Dragon will get stuck with 40 stars at the beginning. It is a miracle that Medea can still fight Shinji Matou back and forth on her own.

"So you're saying my late husband hates me?" Medea sensed something else and gave a rather arrogant smile. "Looks like I need to be taught a lesson some more."

This time, Jason truly let out a heartbreaking scream. Jingmi, who was standing guard, curiously poked her head in to take a look, then retracted her head. She didn't quite understand this kind of love relationship.

Jiang You covered his face; Medea's pettiness was truly terrifying. If this continued, Jason would really die. He could only try to distract Medea: "Medea, do you remember the list of materials you gave me before?"

"I remember, but you actually had time to get it for me? Aren't you always here supervising?" Medea's tone carried a hint of complaint; she did almost everything. "Or did you go to other worlds to collect it for me while you were away?"

If I say yes, it might improve my favorability, right? Jiang You glanced at Jason and decided to give up this tempting idea.

“No, that’s not it,” Jiang You said truthfully. “Isn’t the Clock Tower trying to be friendly with me? Your magic materials are easy for them to gather, and they’ve already been delivered to the appropriate location. If you have time now, you can go and pick them up. The address is…”

"I should have asked for some more valuable materials. Honestly, I was worried you wouldn't be able to find them all, so I lowered my expectations considerably." Medea took the address Jiang You gave her, complaining slightly but clearly still very happy. "It's thoughtful of you, Jason, you give me..."

Medea saw the charred human figure on the ground and knew that Jason was no longer fit to do manual labor. "Forget it, I'll go myself. If you find this thing an eyesore, Master, just throw it away. These kinds of pests are very resilient."

Jiang You pulled out the healing potion Medea had recently crafted from his inventory. Its blood-red color was reminiscent of the life potion in RPGs. Medea had crafted it just in case, though Jiang You didn't think it would be useful in this collaboration, so he'd secretly tasted it. It was strawberry flavored.

It turns out that it can still be used.

Jiang You poured the potion onto the charred remains on the ground. "You'd better behave yourself a little in front of her. See, you've made her angry again."