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

"I am Sakura's guardian now."

"Sir?" Toosaka Aoi became more and more anxious. She couldn't understand Jiang You's attitude.

"I know that as a mother, you're certainly concerned about Sakura's situation, but you're being too anxious too late. Besides, you don't have the final say in the Tousaka family. I brought Sakura here today so she could meet you. Next, I'll go question Tosaka Tokito." Jiang You stood up straight, looking down at Tosaka Aoi. "I'll go to the Tosaka family. If you're interested, come with me to meet your husband and hear what he'll do next."

Toosaka Aoi nodded woodenly. The situation was more powerful than the person, and the other party was kind-hearted. She could only hope that her husband could suppress Jiang You.

In a hotel.

"Lancer, did you discover something?"

The tall man slowly stood up and looked through the wall in the direction of the Tohsaka family.

"Master, the war has begun. Join me and let them witness our prowess!"

"Hahaha, Lancer, you're right. It's time to let the little country magician see the power of the Clock Tower Lord." Kayneth was very satisfied with his Servant. With such a huge spiritual base, how could he not win? "Sora, you wait here for my good news!"

"Got it. I wish our child prodigy every success." Sora stared at the red wine in the glass absent-mindedly, and was a bit perfunctory.

Her fiancé was the same, as were his servants; they were all too rigid and boring. She could sense that her married life would be monotonous and incredibly boring. For some reason, Sora felt as if she had missed something.

After careful consideration, she shook her head and put this unpleasant premonition behind her.

But what can we do? We have to make do with it.

Chapter 24: Illya: Am I the one fighting these four battles? Where are you, Kiritsugu?

"Information gathered by Assassin: Caster and his Master, the combatants from the Einzbern family, are heading for your residence, Sensei." Kotomine Kirei's Servant, Hassan the Hundred Faces, has relatively low frontal combat capabilities, but possesses the ability to split into dozens or even hundreds of his own Noble Phantasms, and his intelligence gathering abilities are truly exceptional.

"Oh?" Tōsaka Tokitoki swirled the red wine in his glass slowly, maintaining his elegance. "Are you so eager to settle the score with the Tōsaka family? Indeed, the feud between our three families has lasted for hundreds of years, and eliminating a strong opponent quickly is a tactic."

Recalling the information he had obtained, Tōsaka Tokitoki turned to look at Kotomine Kirei, "Where's that magician killer Emiya Kiritsugu? I remember the Einzbern family hired him as a thug, didn't they?"

"This is exactly what I, your student, want to say next. Before this, Emiya Kiritsugu assisted Einzbern in breaking through the Chanjo family, and his assistants kidnapped your wife, Tousaka Aoi, and your daughter, Tousaka Rin." For some reason, Mine Kirei felt that he was a little looking forward to how Tousaka Tokitoki would react at this moment.

"What!?" The goblet was crushed with great force, and a mixture of red wine and blood oozed out from between Tōsaka Tokitoki's fingers. Anger overshadowed his elegant demeanor. "How dare Einzbern do this? Don't you care about the friendship between the three families at all?"

Realizing his own indiscretion, Tōsaka Tokitoki wiped the filth from his hands with a towel, healed himself briefly with magic, and then knelt on the sofa in the main seat of the room. "Please, King, punish these treacherous ministers."

"How dare you order me around?" The blond, red-eyed Servant named Gilgamesh appeared lazily on the sofa. He looked at Tōsaka Tokito with a displeased expression. "How dare you call your own family affairs into questioning me?"

"I dare not. They are holding my wife and daughter hostage because they fear the king's majesty. Their real purpose is to plot evil against the king!"

Gilgamesh sneered and continued to transform into a spirit. "What value can a minister who can't even manage household affairs have?"

"Kirei, have the assassins hide throughout the mansion to prevent the magus killer from sneaking in and attacking. Also, find a chance to rescue your master's wife and Rin." Tōsaka Tokitoki stared at the Command Seals in his hand, his expression uncertain. "Then allow me to meet the Einzbern family of this era."

"Everyone has come from afar, and I'm sorry for not welcoming you." The door of the Tōsaka family opened wide, and Tōsaka Tokito, dressed in formal attire, stood in the doorway and bowed to Jiang You and the others. "The Tōsaka family has prepared some comfort items for you, and I hope you will be satisfied."

All defensive magic was activated, and invisible energy waves began to roll in the courtyard. Curse magic also enveloped Jiang You and Illya.

"Stand back." Illya gently pulled Hisau Maiya, who was in charge of Sakura, back a small step. Hisau Maiya felt an invisible blade sweep past her. Illya then transferred the curse to the birds woven from silk thread. These birds quickly turned black and scattered to the ground, turning into uncontrollable hair.

"As expected of the Master of the Einzbern family, your control of magical power and sensitivity are so outstanding." Tōsaka Tokitoki smiled and applauded, like a kind elder, but his tone was full of sarcasm. "If I remember correctly, you should be Ms. Irisviel von Einzbern... I can't believe that the Einzbern family would allow such a young member of the clan to marry him in order to win over the magician killer. They even resorted to holding her family hostage. Has the Einzbern abandoned the pride of magicians?"

Illya also had no good feelings towards Tokitoki, believing him to be just as irresponsible a father as Kiritsugu. Without hesitation, she retaliated with a greatsword made of hair, slashing at Tokitoki. Tokitoki gently raised his hand, and the magic shield activated by the gem deflected the blow.

"I beg you to be kind, uncle. I am Irisviel von Einzbern, the daughter of Mother Irisviel." Illya's fingertips moved slightly, and her hair formed birds at her side. "If you wish to continue the battle, Caster and I will gladly accompany you, but let's get down to business."

Sakura walked out from behind Hisau Maiya, and her eyes, looking at Tohsaka Tokitoshi, were filled with grievance, joy, and a bit of blame.

"Sakura? No, it should be Miss Matou." Seeing Sakura's brief surprise, Tohsaka Tokitoki quickly convinced himself that this was the heir to the Matou family's magecraft and that he needed to make a clear statement about his departure. So, he gave Sakura a response that left her extremely disappointed.

"It seems you're well aware of the Tōsaka family's situation, but Matou Sakura now represents the Matou family's magecraft heritage." Tōsaka Tokitoki grew increasingly furious. If he weren't worried about hurting Sakura, he would have used his Command Seal to order Gilgamesh to launch a massive attack on Jiang You and his men. "Are you planning to go to war with both the Tōsaka and Matou families? Release them immediately. I can persuade the Matou family to forgive me, as I have."

Jiang You always felt that the Tōsaka family was too confident in the strength of the Matou family. In fact, in the Fourth Holy Grail War, the actual combat power of the Matou family was only the dead old bug. In the original world line, except for Caster's side, the other five groups could beat him.

"I should be the one to let bygones be bygones." Jiang You patted Xiaoying's head. "Now that Matou Zouken is dead, the Matou family's magecraft legacy is considered extinct."

"You killed the head of the Matou family!?" Tōsaka Tokitoki couldn't believe that a family with a centuries-old history of magic could vanish so easily on the first night of the Holy Grail War. He pulled out all the rubies he'd been nurturing with his magic for years, ready to attack Jiang You at full power.

"Aren't you going to ask me why I want to kill him?" Jiang You said quietly.

"What else can I think of? It's the Holy Grail!" Tōsaka Tokitoki tensed, ready to retreat into the mansion at any moment. The magic he had prepared was ready to be unleashed.

"Because of Sakura!"

"...What?" Jiang You's answer left Tohsaka Tokito unable to react for a moment.

Aoi Tousaka and Rin also happened to return to the Tousaka residence, and the family was finally reunited after a year of separation.

"Then let your wife explain for Sakura." Jiang You naturally wouldn't let Sakura continue to narrate her experiences. One of the purposes of meeting Aoi Tohsaka was to comfort Sakura, and the other was: it was too interesting to flatter the wife in front of her husband!

In a reproachful tone, Tohsaka Aoi told Tohsaka Tokito what she knew about Sakura's experience, and she finally couldn't hold back her tears.

"How...how could this be. How could the Matou family's insect magic be like this? Sakura, my daughter." The regretful Tohsaka Tokitoki stumbled and tried to save Sakura.

But Jiang You stopped him.

"Come on, tell me, what are you going to do with Sakura next?"

Chapter 25: Gilgamesh's Value is Still Decreasing

"Of course, she was adopted by the Edelfeldt family. The Tohsaka family is related to them." Tohsaka Tokitoki looked at Sakura and continued, "Their family's magic characteristic is 'sisters'. There have always been two heirs. With Sakura's qualifications, she is certainly qualified to inherit magic."

Jiang You had indeed heard of the Edelfeldts, the family of the so-called Lady Crane and Golden Drill. But Jiang You remembered that Drill had a twin sister. How could Tohsaka Tokitoki be so sure that Sakura would succeed as the heir?

"Then you've never considered not letting Sakura become a magician?"

"How can that be!" Tohsaka Tokito flatly rejected Jiang You's suggestion, "This is all for Sakura's own good. The Tohsaka family's magic seal is usually inherited by one heir. My two daughters are both children who are pampered by magic. Only in this way can her talent not be wasted!"

"Why don't you ask Xiaoying's opinion?" Jiang You patted Xiaoying on the back, giving her the freedom to rely on himself and speak her mind without worries.

Only then did Sakura dare to express her wish: "Father... I want to go home. I don't want to be a magician anymore. I just want to be with you!"

"No!" Tosaka Tokitoki shouted. In his eyes, this was like his daughter, who could have gone to a top university, choosing to go to a fake university in the city because she didn't want to go too far away from home. He couldn't accept it and there was no room for negotiation. "I can become a magician, how can I be an inferior ordinary person!"

Then, a powerful blow from a Heroic Spirit landed squarely on his face. Tōsaka Tokitoki flew upside down, landing face-first on the ground in an ungraceful manner.

All the defensive magic on Tohsaka Tokitoki's body was shattered, and he felt that his head was about to be smashed, but an inexplicable force made his broken skull return to its original state, as if the rules of direct attack were invalid. Unfortunately, the pain was real, and Tohsaka Tokitoki almost thought he was dead.

【Caster has invited you to a duel. Do you agree?】

【Duel/Battle】

"That's why I said I was going to beat you up." Jiang You rubbed his fists. "Let's duel!"

"So the inexplicable knowledge that suddenly appeared in my mind is your Noble Phantasm?" Toosaka Tokito looked at Jiang You in surprise. Jiang You's attack was judged as a duel invitation, which allowed him to survive. This kind of large-scale mental interference and rule modification effect, this servant is probably not simple.

Forced by the rules, Tōsaka Tokitoki realized he had no choice but to make a choice. Just as he decided to duel, a spear-shaped Noble Phantasm wrapped in golden magic shot towards his arm.

The attack with a C-rank Noble Phantasm did not cause any damage to Tohsaka Tokitoki, but only blocked his movement under the influence of the duel rules.

[Gilgamesh, you have invited me to a duel. Do you agree?]

【Duel/Battle】

"Traitor, how dare you command this king... and my best friend?" Gilgamesh glared at Tohsaka Tokito. He also gained knowledge of dueling under the influence of Jiang You's Noble Phantasm. The decks of servants and masters contain the experiences of both sides, as well as enemies and friends, and Enkidu is among them. He will not allow his deck to be used by Tohsaka Tokito.

Gilgamesh stood on the rooftop, looking down at everyone. The king's treasure spread out behind him, and in the golden light, legendary treasures slowly emerged, ready to go!

"Tosaka Tokitoki, I will only give you one chance. Choose to fight, or I will show you the wrath of a king!"

Under the current circumstances, Tōsaka Tokitoki knew he could no longer fight his Servant, so he chose to fight with a gloomy face, losing the protection of the duel rules. However, Gilgamesh also kept his promise and did not continue to attack.

"As for you, you are just a clown trying to amuse me." Gilgamesh snorted coldly and turned his gaze to Jiang You. "Do you want to duel with me?"

"Fight the final boss right off the bat?" Gilgamesh was indeed the final boss in this Holy Grail War, his strength undeniable. Jiang You became excited. "But how could a duelist refuse a fight? Come on, Hero King!"

Then a duel invitation message popped up in front of Gilgamesh.

He decisively chose [Fight].

"But—I refuse!" A dense stream of Noble Phantasms poured down towards Jiang You. Gilgamesh's red eyes were filled with pride and disdain. "How dare you compete with me and my best friend, bastard? You're only qualified to be a jester! I'll only reward you with a few rounds of chess when I'm pleased. Only then can you use all your skills to make me laugh! Now, please me with your blood."

"The whole earth, without exception, belongs to us Rome! - My spear reaches everything!" A deep voice descended from the sky.

Trees so thick that they could break through the sky rose from the Tōsaka household, breaking through the house and blocking all of Gilgamesh's Noble Phantasms.

"King of Heroes, is this all you can do?" The trees, having fulfilled their mission, gradually faded away. A tall, imposing man with bronze skin stood before Gilgamesh. "As the most ancient hero, you should be as magnanimous as Rome, embracing all things."

"Are you the founding king of Rome?" Gilgamesh showed a surprised expression on his originally proud face.

Lancer Romulus officially debuts.

"No, what's wrong with your spirit base?" Gilgamesh was surprisingly calm. He landed in front of Romulus and his expression became serious. "How could a spirit base of your size get involved in such a petty fight?"

"Don't be surprised. Rome has always been like this. It has always been like this." Romulus didn't answer directly, but made way so that Jiang You and Gilgamesh could look at each other. "Hero King, now that you have the opportunity to appear in the world, why not show the heroic spirits the history you are so proud of, and meet your former best friend? The survival of the heroic spirits depends on the people's singing from generation to generation, just like Rome is engraved in history. Re-enacting your own history is not a shameful performance."

Gilgamesh looked around at Jiang You, but still couldn't understand what Romulus meant.

However, the magical power required for Romulus to manifest with his "Grand Order" spiritual base was astronomical for a magus, and he certainly didn't enter the battlefield through formal means. Was this meant to be a secret hidden in this Holy Grail War that he was unaware of?

Since the target that Romulus wanted to protect was so clear, Gilgamesh used the Omniscient Star to observe Jiang You's condition.

But he found that Jiang You was a group of elusive mists, unable to detect anything, even his real name could not be detected. He only knew that his spiritual base was only at the level of a third-rate servant.

"Very good, then let you have a glimpse of my past. Zaxiu, I agree to your duel!" Gilgamesh became interested and sent a duel invitation to Jiang You.

After watching the cutscene, Jiang You clicked on Duel while giving Gilgamesh, who he considered a bully, a middle finger and verbally retaliating, "You're always practicing random things. I think you, who's one-third human and two-thirds god, are the biggest bastard! You must have low self-esteem to keep emphasizing this to others, right? How pitiful!"

"Alright, alright, alright! You've pissed me off!" Gilgamesh's forehead bulged with veins. This was the first time he'd been mocked by a third-rate Heroic Spirit. "I'm going to completely crush you, make you kneel at my feet and apologize in tears! First and foremost, I take precedence! This is my turn!"

The duel space begins

Jiangyou LP4000

Gilgamesh LP4000

Chapter 26 Gilgamesh: Anyway, fill the backfield with equipment cards

"Woo-la-la!" The sound of hooves echoed with thunder, and high-pitched roars reached them from afar. An oxcart arrived at the battlefield, accompanied by lightning. "How could I, King of Conquerors Iskandar, be absent from such a grand occasion?"

"Stupid rider! How could someone come up and reveal his real name right away?" The skinny Weber was so scared that his face turned pale because of the high-speed movement in the air without any guardrails. He complained weakly to Iskandar.

"What's the big deal? Isn't it good to fight for the Holy Grail openly?" Iskandar patted Waver's shoulder nonchalantly, noticing that so many Heroic Spirits had gathered together but no battle had taken place. He had clearly come here because he sensed the powerful magical fluctuations. "Huh? What's going on?"

Waver stroked his back, which had nearly been broken, and after catching his breath, he answered Iskandar's question, "Do you remember the sudden surge of knowledge in our minds shortly after I summoned you?"

"You're talking about that? I was in a hurry to watch the military channel and forgot about it." Iskandar replied embarrassedly, covering his confusion with laughter.

"I'm talking to you... Anyway, a certain Servant's Noble Phantasm rewrote the rules, turning battles into card duels that pluck out the historical concepts of Heroic Spirits and Masters, and between enemies and friends. And then there's the possibility of the future. Honestly, I'm quite curious about what my future holds!"

"Oh~" Iskandar showed a look of sudden enlightenment. "This treasure is interesting. King Iskandar of Conquerors can't just remain in history. We must show it to everyone! And, boy, as the Master of the King of Conquerors, your future must be limitless!"

Ignoring the two people who suddenly broke in, everyone's eyes were fixed on the two people in the center of the battlefield, except for a certain lemon head.

"I activate [First Heroic Epic]! This card can only be activated if you have four or more cards in your hand. Discard all cards in your hand, add a [Gilgamesh (Archer)] to your hand, then draw two cards." Gilgamesh held up his hand. "Gaze upon my glory, Zashu. I banish three Equipment Cards from my Graveyard and Special Summon myself in Attack Position!"

【Gilgamesh (Archer)】Attack Power 3000

Gilgamesh arrived at the battle zone. "Immediately activate this King's effect and add a Continuous Magic Card, [King's Treasure], from your deck to your hand! When [King's Treasure]'s effect is activated, equip as many Equipment Magic Cards from your deck as possible to your servants on the field. Now, with this King as your goal, sing the praises of His greatness. All men and women, and even all the treasures of the world, will be mine!"

[Original Durandal] Increases attack by 500, and the equipped servant will not be destroyed in battle.

[Original Dasetin] Increases attack by 500 and can negate the Servant's target-taking effect once.

[Dawn of Destruction] Increases attack by 500 and can negate the effects of Spell/Trap Cards once.

[Original Blade of Undead Slaughter] Increases attack by 500. The equipped character attacks until the damage determination is completed. The attacked target cannot activate the effect.

Gilgamesh (Archer) Attack: 3000 → 5000

"This isn't over yet. I activate the Spell Card, [Hero King's Turning Enemies into Friends], banishing an Equip Spell Card from my hand and adding an eight-star or lower Lancer from my deck to my hand. Needless to say, the only person I can call my nemesis is that person."

"I return the three Equipment Spell Cards from my Banished Zone to my Deck and Special Summon [Enkidu (Lancer)]. Come, my dear friend, and unite Heaven and Earth once again!"

Flowers blossomed from the earth, the earth, brimming with life, gathered together, and a green figure slowly emerged from the battlefield. Enkidu, a puppet fashioned by the hands of the gods, a creature of the earth, descended.

[Enkidu (Lancer)] Attack Power 2500

No, how come you still have Blood Demon D? Jiang You looked at his hand, lost in thought. Even though it wasn't in its full state, the Blockade below 8 stars was indeed difficult for him to deal with. Most of his current cards were below 6 stars. If he didn't deal with Enkidu, the only Servant he could activate on the field was the 10-star Justissa.

"Gil? I didn't expect to see you again under such circumstances." Enkidu, whose gender could not be determined from his appearance, smiled at his best friend. His smile was like a spring breeze, softening the attitude of Gilgamesh, who was always arrogant.

"Yes, I was surprised too. For your sake, my dear friend, I'll give this third-rate Caster a little praise. Well, my turn is over, it's your turn!" Gilgamesh was overjoyed to see his long-lost friend. The chance to meet him after becoming a Heroic Spirit was rare. "However, I am invincible when fighting together with my dear friend. Struggle with all your might!"

"Then, my turn, draw a card!"