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

Seeing Kenneth's expression change, Big Weber knew that Kenneth had taken his words in. "Hurry up and move the magic furnace out. We should still be able to make it."

"I should have warned you to be careful with Emiya Kiritsugu. His Origin Bullet has the concept of severing connections. Teacher Kenneth was unfortunately hit by it, causing your magic circuit to be destroyed. However, considering the effect of this Noble Phantasm, his advantage can't be brought into play. Just be careful... What's with your expressions?"

After the two told Big Weber that this mysterious rule was the effect of the Noble Phantasm of Emiya Kiritsugu's Servant, Caster, Big Weber laughed heartily in relief. "Emiya Kiritsugu, you've come to this!"

Waver had wanted to remind Kenneth about Sora, but when he saw Romulus, he was shocked by the size of his Spiritual Base, but also thankful it wasn't Dimurdo from the previous worldline. The changes in the Servant had also reduced Sora's chances of trouble. He still didn't know what this size of Spiritual Base meant.

"Next, I have a very important piece of information to share with you all: Please give up the fight for the Holy Grail!"

"what!"

"What do you mean?"

"why?"

With the exception of Romulus, all three gave surprised responses. While Waver and Kenneth had entered the battle with the intention of participating in a magic competition, that didn't mean they would easily withdraw. And Iskandar's reality was to fulfill wishes with the Holy Grail.

"Because, this Holy Grail does not contain the object of wishing, but rather—the evil of this world!"

Chapter 32: The news that the Holy Grail is a money-losing commodity has spread.

"After this Holy Grail War, I've researched a lot. During the Third Holy Grail War, the Einzbern clan illegally summoned an Avenger, causing the Holy Grail to become tainted. The Holy Grail now maliciously misinterprets wishes. For example, if you, the King of Conquerors, wish to gain a physical body and conquer the world, it will most likely transform you into a monster capable of destruction. For it, that would truly be the fulfillment of your wish."

"That's really a headache. Is there no way to restore the Holy Grail to its original appearance?" Iskandar asked.

"I'm sorry, no. This is because this 'Holy Grail' isn't a holy artifact in the truest sense of the word. It's actually a container of immense magical power, essentially composed of the incomplete third-order magical circuits within the body of Justisa, the 'Winter Saint,' who serves as its core. The evil of this world has now merged with her. Trying to eliminate the influence of this evil is no different from directly destroying the Holy Grail."

Big Weber lit another cigarette. He had originally intended to participate in the Fifth Holy Grail War to prove Iskandar's strength and prevent others from obtaining the Holy Grail, but something had delayed him. "I'm also working on dismantling the Holy Grail, but the workload is quite overwhelming, and I don't know when I'll be able to complete it."

"Turning a magician who is close to the third law into the Holy Grail... Such a costly ritual, and even contaminating the Holy Grail because of their own cheating, Einzbern is really willing to do that!" Kenneth suddenly lost a lot of interest in the Holy Grail War. The prize turned out to be a defective product. He complained about Einzbern's wasteful behavior.

"Should we notify the other Masters and tell them not to fight the Holy Grail War this time?" Weber pulled Iskandar's skin. He felt that there was no need to continue this Holy Grail War.

"Naive!" x3

Big Weber, Kenneth, and Iskandar scolded him at the same time.

Kenneth shook his head in exasperation. "Is it possible that your opponent will believe your one-sided story now? They'll just use it as a ploy to win."

"Furthermore, the Holy Grail won't reveal its true form until it has acquired sufficient magical power," Big Weber added. "Just because we think so doesn't mean others will agree. We can gain intelligence from the future, and so can others. Especially Caster, he must be able to see the future as well. He hasn't expressed his opinion yet, so the Holy Grail War must proceed normally."

"Just what I want! Whether or not there's a Holy Grail as a reward, I, King of Conquerors Iskandar, will challenge all the heroes of history! Boy, let's begin here!"

"I agree with Rider." Kenneth agreed with Iskandar's idea. "Whether you want to prove yourself or waste your excess kindness, you must first overcome me. Waver Velvet, the magician's quiz is about to begin!"

"Yes! Then, I activate my own effect, revealing three cards from my deck, choosing one to add to my hand, and sending the rest to the Graveyard. The card I'm adding is this one, [Iskander]!"

"As expected of my Master!" Iskandar responded.

"Use Iskandar's effect to release a Servant from your hand and Special Summon it in Attack Position. Come, King of Conquerors, let your subjects once again watch you charge!"

Iskandar rode his beloved horse into the battle area amidst lightning.

[Iskander] 7-star Rider, attack power 2800

"The effect of the King of Conquerors,"

"How can the King of Conquerors be without a mount, Master?" Iskandar urged Waver to continue, impatiently.

"You're too impatient! I'm activating the Equip Magic Card [Godly Wheel] to increase the Conqueror King's attack power by 500 points! Conqueror King, get on board!"

The flying-hoofed thunder bull pulled the chariot to Iskandar's front, and the King of Conquerors was ready to charge.

Iskandar: Attack Power 2800 → 3300

"The King of Conquerors cannot fight alone," Waver said, feeling himself rising in excitement. His words gradually became more confident. "I activate [King of Conquerors' Shadow Warrior]! Special Summon [Hephaestion] from the Deck!"

A female Servant dressed similarly to Iskandar joins the battlefield.

[Hephaestion] 7* Pretender Attack Power 2800

"King of Conquerors... I actually have no face to meet you in this way..." The woman, perhaps named Hephaestion, saw Iskandar's surprise at first, then she suppressed her smile and knelt on the ground.

"You used your brother's name? As for what you said, I never thought of it that way. I should laugh heartily when I meet my former subordinates." Iskandar pulled Hephaestion up and pointed his sword forward. "Follow me and fight together again!"

"My pleasure, King!"

"[Hephaestion]'s effect: while she's on the field, the opponent can't target other Rider servants to activate their effects. Finally, I'll cover a card in the backfield and trap it. This ends the turn. Sensei, it's your turn."

"I draw a card on my turn! You truly deserve to be my Servant." Kenneth looked at the cards in his hand with great satisfaction.

"In this situation, Lancer can easily break through. I activate..." When Kenneth just raised his hand, a resistance came from the card. He couldn't take the next step no matter what. Even the magic power in his body seemed to be frozen.

Kenneth glanced at Romulus and continued his actions. "Well, my own strength is enough. I activate the Spell Card [Rank Up], liberating a Rank Servant from the field or hand, and Special Summoning it from the Deck in Attack Position, the next Rank Servant."

"I summon, [Kenneth Color (Brand)]"

[Kenneth Color (Brand)] 4* Master, Attack Power 2000

"It's not that different from the current situation. If there were a champion myself, I'd really like to experience it."

After stretching his body slightly and feeling the flow of magic, Kenneth activated his own effect. "My effect summons a Continuous Magic Card [Moon Spirit Marrow Fluid] from the deck to the field. Boil my blood."

The silver sphere made of mercury followed Kenneth obediently.

"My trump card, [Moon Spirit Marrow Fluid], is indestructible by effects and combines defense, attack, and enemy detection. Of course, it consumes a tremendous amount of mana. Here, I can continuously activate its effects at the cost of discarding cards in my hand. Waver Velvet-san, let me show you the true power of the Lord of the Mineral Department!"

Chapter 33: Weber, I am the monarch of El-Melloi!

"[Moon Spirit Marrow Fluid]'s first effect: discard a card from your hand and select a card on the field to destroy. Hidden tactics are the most deadly and must be dealt with first. Moon Spirit Marrow Fluid, destroy the face-down card in the backfield!"

The gushing mercury turned into a sharp blade, shattering Weber's only cover in the backcourt.

"Since we can't choose Iskandar, let's break his defense first. Use the Moon Spirit Marrow to destroy Hephaestion. Slash!"

"My king, it's time for me to fulfill my duty." Hephaestion took the initiative to face the Moon Spirit Marrow Fluid and disappeared in the golden light.

"Finally, the King of Conquerors is not immune either. The effect of the Moon Spirit Marrow will destroy [Iskander]!" The third card in hand was thrown into the graveyard, and the Moon Spirit Marrow attacked the King of Conquerors.

"That won't do!" Waver raised his hand and activated the card effect in the graveyard. "[Hephaestion] Effect: While this card is in the graveyard, banish it and negate the effects of one Rider Servant on the field."

Hephaestion's shadow stood in front of Iskandar, blocking the attack of the Moon Spirit Marrow Fluid, and the shadow warrior completed his mission.

"Well done, Hephaestion!" Iskandar never hesitated to praise his subordinates.

At this time, Kenneth only had one card left in his hand. Kenneth glanced at the situation on the field: If Iskandar was destroyed, it would indeed cause direct damage to Weber, but he would lose all his protection in the next round, which was not a rational choice.

"As expected of a Heroic Spirit I once admired, I'll give you a small compliment, King of Conquerors." Kayneth subtly wiped the sweat from his forehead with his hand and said something similar to a certain Gilgamesh. "My turn is over."

"Wow, I was scared. Is this the strength of the Clock Tower Lord? He almost broke through the situation." Weber breathed a sigh of relief and had a more intuitive understanding of his teacher.

"Even if you praise me, I won't let you off." Kenneth snorted slightly through his nose.

"I really mean it." Weber suddenly felt that Kayneth wasn't that difficult to get along with, if he was just playing along. "My turn, draw a card!"

Waver's eyes widened when he saw the card in his hand, rubbing them in disbelief. "Is this really me? I activate [Lord El-Melloi II Case Files] during my Draw Phase. By continuously revealing this card that I normally draw, I can activate it at the start of Main Phase 1 of that turn. Summon any number of Servants with [El-Melloi] or [El-Melloi Classroom] in their names. These cards cannot activate their effects during the turn they are summoned. I'm really looking forward to it. Do I have students too?"

[Lenice El-Melloi Archizolti] 4-star Caster, Attack Power 1800

[Flat Escaldes] 2-star Master, Attack Power 1000

[Yvette L. Lehman] 3* Assassin, Attack Power 1500

[Caules Fulvige Eugdomrenia] 2 stars, attack power 600

In an instant, trembling students of all shapes and sizes filled the battle area.

Lanis and Yvette were the first to react, assuming combat stances. Soon, they all accepted the knowledge Jiang You's Noble Phantasm provided.

"Wow, it's my teacher from ten years ago, so cute!" Yvette pounced on Weber, but was lifted up by the Conqueror's collar.

"What an interesting Noble Phantasm! I wonder how much magic power it must have consumed to achieve this level. What kind of Master or Master could provide enough magic power?" Lanis narrowed her eyes and surveyed her surroundings with interest, finally resting her gaze on Kenneth. "Isn't this my adopted brother who died young? Or, more accurately, my uncle? You still look so high-spirited now. You don't look like you'll suffer a crushing defeat in the future."

"Lenice, my adopted sister. Your personality has become even worse after all these years than it was as a child." Kayneth cleared his throat awkwardly, reminding her to be more measured with her words. "But why are you in this poor student's deck? As a true El-Melloi, you should be on my side."

"Is this the King of Conquerors that the teacher has been thinking about? Is this the Holy Grail War? So cool!!" Flat shouted excitedly, but no one paid any attention to him.

"El-Melloi, what is that? Am I not preparing for the Holy Grail War? But this is obviously not Romanian territory." This was Corles. Just because of his gentle personality, he didn't speak loudly to disturb others, and no one paid attention to him.

"That's because my useless brother died in the Holy Grail War, causing El-Melloi to fall apart. Not only did outside forces seize the family property, but many branches also withdrew after the plunder. Only the name of El-Melloi and a huge debt remained." Lanis looked at Kenneth with a (? ? ?) expression. "I say, brother, you should retire as soon as possible and return the rented magic furnace. This will save us from being in debt. By the way, give the classroom to Weber. He teaches much better than you!"

"I can prove that what my teacher teaches is at least ten times better than what my master teaches?" Yvette raised her hand to show her opinion while struggling with her feet off the ground.

"And it's developed even better than when you were here, Master!" He gave Evil Flat another blow without saying a word.

"Don't look at me, I don't know!" Colles, who was suddenly the focus of everyone's attention, raised his hands. He didn't know anyone here at all.

Ignoring that last useless piece of information, Kayneth felt something shatter inside him. He unconsciously clutched his heart. "How is that possible? I am the best monarch of the Clock Tower. Laness and you, I'm different this time. I will win this Holy Grail War and prove it to you! Weber, what are you waiting for? The duel continues!"

"Yes, all right. I will enter the battle phase. King of Conquerors, please begin your journey of conquest!"

The Conqueror King's 3300 attack power is enough to defeat Kenneth, and the students' total field attack of 4900 is enough to win the duel.

Kenneth LP4000→2700

"Aaaaaaah!" Kenneth screamed in pain from the reduction of LP during the duel.

"Got it!" Weber shouted softly when he saw the lightning raised by Iskandar's charge covering Kenneth. He had successfully proved himself in front of Kenneth.

"I said that 'Moon Spirit Marrow Fluid combines defense, attack, and enemy detection into one', right?" The lightning dissipated, and a perfect round sphere appeared at Kenneth's original position. As Iskandar's attack ended, the sphere slowly opened, and Kenneth still remained on the field.

"why?"

"[Moon Spirit Marrow Fluid]'s second effect: discard a card from your hand and activate a designated Servant on the field. The designated card cannot be destroyed by battle or other effects this turn." Kenneth straightened the wrinkles on his clothes. "Your students aren't strong enough to break through my attacks. It's my turn next, right?"

"Let me show you who the monarch is!"

Chapter 34 Iskandar: I will fight Romulus!

"Activate the Graveyard Spell Card [Lord's Pre-Battle Preparations]. This card can only be activated during the Draw Phase when your hand has 0 cards. Banish this card and add a [Rental Mana Reactor] from your deck to your hand instead of drawing a card normally."

"By the effect of [Rental Magic Reactor], the activation of this card cannot be negated. It can only be activated when there are no cards other than this card in your hand. Draw three cards, and during the standby phase of your next turn, banish all cards in your hand, on the field, and in the graveyard." Using overdrafting the future to bring about the effect of drawing three is very suitable for Kenneth's current situation.

"Hahahaha, victory is on my side after all! [Moon Spirit Marrow Fluid]'s third effect: Pay half your health, discard a card from your hand, and liberate yourself. Destroy all attack position servants on the opponent's field. Each servant destroyed by this effect deals 300 health damage to the opponent! Next up, Weber, that's a total of 1500 health damage!"

Kenneth LP2700→1350

"Hey, are you leaving now? I haven't had enough fun yet!"

"Teacher, I will come to play with you again!"

"What a heartless brother."

"Can we finally go back?"

The exploding Moon Spirit Marrow transformed into a shower of silver spikes, shooting towards Weber's battle area. The fierce impact sent up clouds of dust, and Weber howled in agony.

Weber LP4000→2800

"What!" Seeing that Weber did not lose all 1500 LP points, Kenneth knew that something was wrong.

A strong arm pushed aside the smoke and dust, and the Conqueror King stood there intact, but the [Divine Wheel] had disappeared.

Iskandar: Attack Power 3300 → 2800

"[Divine Wheel]'s effect allows you to send this card to the Graveyard as a replacement when the equipped Servant is destroyed by an effect. The King of Conquerors' journey will not be cut short so easily!"

"Well said, Master! The King of Conquerors will never easily stop his script until he reaches the Endless Sea!" Iskandar shouted in agreement. He felt that his little Master was becoming more and more to his liking.

"Damn it!" Kayneth gritted his teeth. If he could successfully destroy the King of Conquerors, combined with the final effect of the Moon Marrow Fluid, discarding a card to deal 500 points of direct damage, and then adding his direct attack, he could win the battle. Now his remaining resources could only be used for defense. "I send [Moon Marrow Fluid Trimmawu] from my hand to the Graveyard and place a [Moon Marrow Fluid] from my Deck into the Magic Trap Zone! Boil my blood once more!"

"Finally, I will switch myself to defense position and end my turn." Kenneth kept a card in his hand. As long as it was not over, he still had a chance.

Kenneth: Defense 2000

Waver seemed to sense something and exchanged glances with the King of Conquerors. "Shall we activate it?"

Iskandar laughed heartily. "Needless to say? Let the King of Rome and his Master witness my way as the King of Conquerors! Come, let us win this duel!"

"During my turn, I draw a card! I activate this card I drew—[King's Force]!"

As the magic card activated, Iskandar raised his hands. "This world, this landscape, can only exist in this world because it is the image in all of our minds! Behold, that is my unrivaled army."

Yellow sand, yellow sand everywhere. Soldiers, countless soldiers.

The monotonous scenery couldn't suppress the overwhelming sense of solemnity. All those who had fought alongside the King of Conquerors had now arrived!

"[King's Army]'s effect: Summon as many [Macedonian] servants as possible. Only those who are admired by thousands of warriors and stand tall like a signpost can become king! The attack power of servants in our attack power display increases by the number of our servants x200!"

"Yes! Yes!" Along with the thunderous shouts, the fighting spirit of Iskandar and his group continued to rise!

Iskandar: Attack Power 2800 → 3800