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

When color returned to the world, there was no intact bone left in Merlin's body.

"There's no need for this..." Merlin spat out a mouthful of blood. If it weren't for the duel rules, he would have genuinely suspected Romulus intended to kill him. "Well then, I'll take my leave now. Farewell, everyone..."

Before he could finish, he turned into a spirit and returned to his original place.

"[Romulus]'s effect! This card deals double battle damage!" In other words, this 1000-point attack difference is just enough to reduce the Lion King's life points to 0.

"You've won." As the aftershocks of the magic washed over him, the Lion King consciously admitted his defeat.

The Lion King LP2000 → LP0!

The Lion King was knocked back and landed heavily on the throne. Due to the conceptual weakness from losing the duel, she was unable to get up.

“In times of crisis, I will answer your call.” Before disappearing, Romulus handed Jiang You a card: [Quirinus's Throne], a countdown-based one-sided skill draw card—quite useful. “Please continue to create a future for humanity.”

Jiang You looked at the reward he had suddenly received and laughed happily. This was a pleasant surprise, perhaps a favorability reward?

Referring to the words of the God Ancestor, it is probably because of saving the world.

Now, let's put a period to this: "Lion King, as agreed, shouldn't you voluntarily release the Holy Lance to allow this era to be repaired?"

"I'm not that Flower Magician. Since I've lost, I'll naturally keep my promise." The Lion King forced herself to stand up, her body weak. Romulus's attack was a martial arts technique filled with killing intent, so the impact of the outcome was quite significant. Although the Lion King's expression remained indifferent, her legs were trembling.

Jiang You couldn't bear to see the Lion King in such a shameful state, so he pushed her back onto the throne.

“Since they are all willing to assist you, you are indeed qualified to meet that person.” The Lion King took a breath and stopped the restoration of the Holy Lance. “Then I will provide information that only I know. In this state, I have gained the same vision as the Magic King…”

"Only the Seventh Holy Grail was sent there personally by the Magic King. Finding that Holy Grail will allow us to locate the Magic King's Temple... I already know this."

"Then I have nothing more to say." The Lion King had intended to say that his mistake wasn't entirely meaningless, but now she'd made him look like a clown. He truly hated magicians. "The world's correction has begun. I will be liberated along with this holy city. Farewell."

The Lion Queen slowly closed her eyes on her throne. As a being of error, she would perish along with this singularity. "Even if your opponent is the Magic King, you who have already defeated me, don't lose!"

"Of course I..." Jiang You felt like he'd forgotten something, as if he'd just had a heart-to-heart talk with someone not long ago. He quickly remembered, "Damn it! Bedivere's Holy Sword hasn't been returned yet!"

Chapter 211 Jiang You: Xiao Bei's Favorability! (It feels like the mini-drama is about to become a full-fledged feature!)

At this time, the Chaldean group had just left the desert and stepped into the wilderness where the holy city of Camelot was located.

"At this speed, I'm afraid it's too late." Leonardo da Vinci looked at the towering Camelot in the distance and calculated the time. As the saying goes, "Looking at a mountain makes a horse run itself to death," by the time they arrive, the Lion King will probably have enough time to bathe, change clothes, and take a nap. "If only my chariot were still here!"

Although Leonardo da Vinci had rejoined the team, she had been on Lancelot's territory the whole time. Even if Lancelot had some outlandish ideas at the time, he wouldn't have let her tinker with any random stuff. So her Egyptian-style car never got a chance to appear.

"Wait a minute, Mr. Lancelot, your body... is disappearing!" Gudako, who was in the middle of the group, noticed something was wrong.

"Not just Lancelot, your body is disappearing too, Senpai!" Matthew had been watching Gudako closely, determined to protect her immediately. In her eyes, the moment Gudako spoke, Gudako's body began to fade into the distance. "That's happening to all of us!"

"Finally made contact!" After leaving Omega's territory, Chaldea's communications were finally restored. Dr. Roman's voice, filled with a mixture of anxiety and surprise, came through the communicator, "Ritsuka, we detected that the singularity here is being repaired. You went to the desert and already dealt with the Lion King?!"

“We haven’t even seen the Lion King yet. In fact, we’ve only just left Astra!” Matthew explained to Roman. This was the first singularity to return to normal without any correction from Chaldea. Even though they had experienced a lot, the actual effect was almost the same as taking a short trip. They didn’t even see the Lion King’s face before it was over. “It was Dad… Lancelot who told us that Jiang You had already reached the Lion King. We were worried that he wouldn’t be able to defeat him, so we rushed out of the desert.”

"The Lion King was defeated by that guy?" Rome knew Jiang You was no ordinary Heroic Spirit, but with Jiang You's current, incredibly weak Spirit Origin, how could he possibly be a match for the Lion King? "So it really is that Noble Phantasm that uses history and Heroic Spirits as cards..."

"Judging from the current situation, the King has indeed been defeated." Lancelot hadn't expected that the entire Camelot and the almost godlike Lion King would be defeated by a single Servant. He helplessly covered his face. Although he didn't show it, he had actually gone through a long internal struggle to convince himself to betray the Lion King. Now all his expressions were wasted. If only he had just acknowledged his daughter directly, he wouldn't have had to endure those blows.

"Oh, is it over already? The journey has only just begun!" Xuanzang thought to himself, "I haven't even started my missionary work yet, so how can the journey be over already?"

"You haven't had enough fun yet!" Tawara Tota complained. Xuanzang hadn't shown any semblance of a high monk's demeanor, just being loud and boisterous from beginning to end. "But it really is time to say goodbye. Although we didn't play a significant role, it felt really great to run together on the road to saving the world! Next time we meet, I'll definitely raise a glass with you all to celebrate!"

"What do you mean you haven't had enough fun... Ah, you ran away." Xuanzang was about to lecture him when Tawara Tota took the lead and returned to the Throne of Heroes, leaving her punching a pillow. "Well then, it's time for me to say goodbye. Although Ritsuka has forgotten, we did share a journey before. The place you're in is called Chaldea, right? Just like your journey, our fate isn't over yet. I'll never forget this memory. When the time comes, let me, your master, guide you!"

"I look forward to your arrival. Chaldea will always welcome you, Xuanzang!" Although Gudako didn't know why Xuanzang would say that he had traveled before, she could sense that he was telling the truth.

Xuanzang smiled and transformed into a spirit, returning to the Throne of Heroes. Only then did she behave like a steady master.

“Then it’s my turn.” Lancelot looked at his now transparent body and quickly grasped Matthew’s hand. He had just gained a sweet daughter, and they had barely exchanged a few words before parting ways. He had so much more to say. “Matthew, my child. Although I don’t know what made the King make such a wrong decision, the enemy must be unimaginably powerful. Your path ahead will be exceptionally difficult. Protect your Masters, but don’t push yourselves too hard. Leave the rest to your father. As long as you are in Chaldea, I will answer your call!”

“Ahrrrrr——” Kuang Lan roared in dissatisfaction.

"Shut up, no one else can understand what you're saying!" Only Lancelot, his own brother, could understand his roar. "And Matthew, remember this: Lancelot is a swordsman, not a berserker..."

Before he could finish, Kuanglan's sword had already slashed at him, depriving Jianlan of the last time to talk to Matthew. He was furious and used his last strength to release the Noble Phantasm to fight with Kuanglan, and then accelerated the time to return to the Throne of Heroes.

"I didn't even get a chance to show off my genius skills. I even had the audacity to come to the Singularity myself." Da Vinci stood with her hands on her hips, looking quite indignant. It seemed that after arriving at the Singularity, she only stayed in Lancelot's camp for a few days before things were over. "And the Holy Grail wasn't successfully retrieved either. However, the Pharaoh didn't seem inclined to grant any wishes, and the Singularity is disappearing, so it can be considered a satisfactory resolution! But now I have a lot of questions. Ritsuka, remember to write a good report when you get back."

"Huh?" Gudako was only just turned 18, and she wasn't ready to write a work report yet. "Can I just dictate it?"

“No way!” Leonardo da Vinci and Rome refused simultaneously, then exchanged a smile.

"Oh, by the way, Leonardo da Vinci, I have to tell you, Roman has a problem..." Gudako looked at Roman's projection mysteriously and whispered loudly in a voice that everyone could hear.

"Let's talk about this when we get back." Da Vinci pulled Gudako and Matthew aside, waved to the remaining two Knights of the Round Table (their combined strength had reached its limit), and said, "We're leaving now. Thank you for your help. We'll never forget this journey. Until we meet again!"

"Is it all over?" Looking at his companions disappearing one by one, Bedivere felt no relief. He looked at his silver arm with a sorrowful expression. "I haven't returned it to the King yet. How much longer will my journey last? I'm sorry, King, I..."

Just as Bedivere was about to burst into tears, a black helmet approached him.

Kuanglan seemed to want to say something, but his low roar made it impossible to express a complete sentence, and he was so anxious that he gestured randomly.

"Lancelot, why are you still here...?" Bedivere wasn't a Servant who arrived here via spirit particle transfer; he was an ordinary human, so he wouldn't be repelled by the corrective force. But Lancelot hadn't left, which was quite strange.

Then Bedivere saw a meteor rising from the city of Camelot. The trajectory of the meteor was very clear, and it was right here.

Chapter 212 Congratulations to Bai Qiangdai for joining the ranks of the working class

"Wow, this horse is so hard to control!" Jiang You gripped the reins tightly. He finally understood what Medusa's A+ riding level meant. The Lion King's white horse was much slower than Pegasus, but even so, he felt he would be thrown off at any moment. At this height, even with his C-level stamina, he would be smashed to pieces. He couldn't very well have to fight the ground, could he?

“Its name is Dong Starion. Of course it won’t cooperate with you if you treat it like this.” The Lion King was held in Jiang You’s arms. She had neither the strength nor the energy to control her mount, so she could only lean on Jiang You.

This action was a bit ambiguous, but Jiang You had no intention of enjoying this process at all. Not only was the plot advancement before the fall in vain, but the armor on the Lion King's body was also painful.

"You haven't even been trained in riding." The Lion King looked down at the ground. This height wasn't much for her, but she was still weak, and a fall would likely leave her partially paralyzed. "Judging from your cards, your Spirit Origin seems to be able to record past experiences. Why don't you find an opportunity to learn riding from someone? Right now, you're relying entirely on your Noble Phantasm. In terms of combat, you've certainly reached the pinnacle of Servants, but you still need to face other issues."

"Rather than recording my experiences, it's more accurate to say that I've never returned to Valhalla, so I don't know how long this save file will last." Jiang You also thought the Lion King's suggestion was reliable. If he knew riding skills and had a fully upgraded mount, he wouldn't have to travel on foot, saving energy and increasing speed. So Jiang You readily agreed, "Then I'll ask Your Majesty the Lion King to teach me."

Lion King assumed Jiang You was referring to this Spirit Origin when he said "save file," and using "save file" to describe an independent Spirit Origin wasn't a problem. "If I can still remember it when we meet."

“Okay, but there’s a problem before that.” Jiang You’s tone was a little nervous.

"Speak freely. As the victor, how could you not have the right to ask questions?" The Lion King was somewhat puzzled. Jiang You had always said whatever came to mind from beginning to end, so why was he suddenly becoming nervous?

"How do I stop it?!" Jiang You roared, watching the ground getting closer and closer.

"Don't strain your thighs like that! That's a signal to charge!" Although Dong Starion had gained the ability to fly briefly under the Lion King's protection, it was still essentially a slightly more intelligent beast. Jiang You's desperate grip on its flanks to keep himself from falling was a signal not to stop the charge. The Lion King's warning was too late; the two men and the horse hurtled towards the ground at an incredible speed.

Sensing the spirit origins of Jiang You and the King—his current Master and former lord—Lancelot rushed forward, regardless of his motives. He used all his strength to block Don Starrion's charge, but having already taken a hit from Lancelot's Noble Phantasm, he had reached his limit in shielding them from most of the damage. In the end, he could only give Jiang You a thumbs up, whether in praise of Jiang You defeating the Lion King or in gratitude for allowing him to meet Matthew, before transforming into spirit particles and returning to the Fourth Holy Grail War timeline.

Jiang You's long-standing curiosity about whether a dueling spirit could be summoned again after being defeated was also answered: These spirits have a cooldown. After being defeated, the summoning cooldown begins based on the spirit's strength, preventing Jiang You from infinitely summoning spirits, which is reasonable. For example, Lancelot's cooldown is five days; it's unclear how many days it would be for King Hassan, though it's unlikely King Hassan would be given a full three-star cooldown.

"Lancelot!" Bedivere was still grieving Lancelot's departure when he saw the Lion King, supported by his beloved horse, shakily rise from the ground. He instinctively gripped the longsword at his waist, unsure of the Lion King's stance; just minutes before, they had been enemies. "My King..."

Seeing Bedivere place his hand on his weapon, Jiang You quickly explained, "Little Bedivere, don't be nervous. The singularity is over now. There's no need to fight anymore. I brought the Lion King here to help you complete your final pilgrimage. You should rest now."

"Is he the Bedivere you mentioned?" The Lion Queen sized up the silver knight, memories beginning to flood back. She felt a slight throbbing in her head. "He does seem very familiar, but why can't I remember?"

"Is this really okay?" With the king so close, Bedivere felt a little uneasy, because this way of meeting was indeed strange. It should have been more solemn, such as burning his own life force to use his Noble Phantasm to display the Holy Sword in front of the Lion King.

"Why not? Go!" Jiang You gave Bedivere a push. "You wouldn't want to see Artoria continue to wander aimlessly in this world, would you?"

Bedivere first moved forward cautiously, then quickly began to stride forward, and finally knelt down before the Lion King.

“My king, please forgive my sins. I fear that returning the Holy Sword will cause your death.” Bedivere removed his silver arm, which transformed into the Holy Sword in his hand. As a mortal, Bedivere, deprived of the sword's protection, felt the weight of centuries instantly accumulating upon him. He didn't even have a chance to age; his body began to crumble and disintegrate. “I feared you would die because of the Holy Sword's return, so I kept it with me, causing you to linger in this form, unable to find release…”

“…I remember now. Lord Bedivere, stop! How could I blame you? You have done nothing wrong.” Although the Lion King had regained some of her sense of self, she still distinguished herself from the one who wielded the sword. To her, this was merely a desire for her web to continue living. “You…you didn’t have to go this far.”

Having received the Lion King's approval, Bedivere finally smiled, a smile he hadn't shown in a long time. Now he could leave in peace. "That's because I still remember your smile that day, Your Majesty... On behalf of the Knights of the Round Table, I thank you. You alone bore the burden of that dark age. Only you did not experience the glory of the Round Table... Your Majesty, you are our shining star! This time, I can finally return this sword!"

Bedivere's decisiveness caused a flicker in the Lion Queen's eyes. She strode forward and grasped the holy sword before Bedivere disappeared. "...Well done! My last, and most loyal, knight! The holy sword has indeed been returned. Stand tall, Bedivere—"

"——Sir, you have indeed fulfilled your king's command!"

Bedivere smiled with satisfaction. This journey of thousands of years had finally come to an end. He slowly closed his eyes and disappeared into the wind blowing from afar.

Jiang You also received the rewards of [Knight of the Round Table - Bedivere]*2 and [Sword of Contract Victory]*1 (plus the reward of the ahoge). He thanked Jiang You in the end, but it was a pity that he didn't get all three, otherwise Jiang You would have had one more worker.

"Alright, I've fulfilled my promise to Bedivere to return the Holy Sword. Hmm, perfect. It's about time I logged off and then figure out how to get to Chaldea." Just as Jiang You opened the menu to log off, the Lion King stopped him.

"Is there anything else?" Jiang You sensed the presence of a special mission from the extra scene.

"You're going to Chaldea, right? Take this with you." The Lion King stared intently at Jiang You, her eyes seemingly filled with determination. She handed him her helmet. "Although the person who appears here won't be the same one, let me still do my part in defeating the Magic King. My mistakes have caused my loyal subordinates so much suffering and so much trouble for you all. I should do something about it."

The moment Jiang You took the helmet, he received a bonus of [Altria (Lancer)]*2, adding to the previous battle bonus, it was a total of three. This card had the same effect as her Lion King form, except that it had 1000 less attack power.

"I'm afraid you'll be fighting more than just the Magic King." Jiang You smiled maliciously. His top-tier combat power had unexpectedly increased, but unfortunately, he hadn't obtained the matching Holy Lance yet. So, Jiang You spoke up in advance, "But don't worry, when you appear, it will surely be a battle to save the world. Lion King, when we meet again, let's save the world together."

The Lion King assumed Jiang You was just talking about playing cards and that it wouldn't concern him anymore, so he decided to hand it over to someone similar to her: "If needed, I certainly will."