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

However, his Noble Phantasm is extremely powerful, and can summon other Argonautic spirits to fight. The Argonauts include almost all Greek heroes, including Hercules.

"Saber, Jason, the Greek hero? From this moment on, I am your Master!" Rin Tohsaka patted her barely heaving chest.

"Master and servant...? You mean I'm lower in rank than you? That's a funny joke." Jason dusted himself off and got up from the ground, completely oblivious to his previous embarrassment. "We don't need two commanders. You can just be a mascot."

"You're calling me a mascot?" Rin Tohsaka, who had shouldered the family business since childhood, couldn't possibly tolerate such words. She stomped her foot angrily, her ponytails whipping around in the air. "Looks like it's necessary for you to understand who the Master is! I, with Command Seals..."

"Wait, wait a minute!" Jason immediately backed down. What kind of temperamental crew members didn't exist on the Argonauts? As the captain, he naturally had to appease the crew. Command Seals were an important tactical resource in the Holy Grail War, and he couldn't bear to watch his Master use them recklessly. He didn't want to personally go into battle with other Servants. He already knew that his Master was most likely someone who needed to be coaxed. "Young lady, you are the captain, you are the captain. Please calm down."

Since the Master is a person who never admits defeat, then just cooperate a little to avoid constant conflicts.

"Hmph," Rin Tohsaka snorted softly in dissatisfaction. Jason's personality reminded her of a certain seaweed-haired girl—both were arrogant but would back down when faced with challenges. She absolutely needed to understand her Servant's thoughts to avoid him suddenly turning against her. If possible, she would also want to give her Servant the right to use the Holy Grail, since what she wanted was victory and to win honor for the Tohsaka family. "In that case, let's be frank. Saber, what do you want from the Holy Grail?"

“My wish… Oh right, why was I summoned?” Jason fell into deep thought. He was a complete hedonist, and after appearing in the real world, he did have the idea of ​​having fun in modern society, but this idea only arose after he was summoned. “Master, with my reputation, you should know my legend.”

Toosaka Rin nodded. Jason was indeed suspected of boasting, but his fame in Greek mythology was indeed among the best.

"Then you should know my ending. I embarked on an adventure in pursuit of the Golden Fleece, and the ending wasn't pleasant. Things like the Holy Grail, which are often exaggerated and misleading, rarely end well. That's basically how it is in Greece!" Jason recalled some unpleasant memories and shivered, hugging his arms.

"So, you can keep the Holy Grail to yourself, Master. Let me have some fun while I'm in the mortal world." Jason bluntly revealed his true feelings. "I'll avoid battles as much as possible."

"Is someone like you really Jason? Or is some strange thing using that name?" Rin Tohsaka felt like she'd drawn the worst possible lot. Was this guy really the captain of the Argonauts who had gathered all the heroes of Greece?

“Master, you’re being very rude! If you think my wish is no good, then tell me what you’re asking for from the Holy Grail?” Jason crossed his arms and glanced sideways at Rin Tohsaka, wanting to see what kind of nonsense she could come up with.

"My words are for victory!" Rin Tohsaka said these words without the slightest hesitation. For ten years, she had been preparing for this moment, to reclaim what her father had lost ten years ago—the glory that belonged to the family!

"You participate in this kind of battle just to win?" Jason stared incredulously at the 17-year-old girl before him, barely an adult. To him, this absurd idea was completely unlike the thinking of a modern person; it was more like the mindset of a madman shouting that he was fighting for honor. "To prove your own or your family's honor, you'd risk your life? Are you the legendary hero, or am I?"

"Of course, it's because the battle is there!" This answer, referencing George Mallory's famous quote "The mountain is there," was conceived countless times by Rin Tohsaka for the day she would communicate with the Heroic Spirits. It was concise and powerful, and if any Heroic Spirit harbored aspirations, it would surely resonate with them and make them acknowledge her goal.

Jason wasn't buying it. He scratched his head rudely and said, "What nonsense. Living is more important than any honor."

"You!" Not getting the answer she wanted, Rin Tohsaka's face flushed with anger. Not wanting to say anything more to Jason, she tossed the cleaning tools from the corner to him. "Since I'm the 'captain,' then the crew should do their cleaning duties properly. This place is yours!"

Toosaka Rin shook her twin ponytails and walked towards the dormitory angrily.

"I have a feeling I've encountered a troublesome Master..." Asongen sighed as he looked at the broom in his hand.

Chapter Seventy: Close combat is to her advantage!

“Master, this is clearly a familiar planted by another Servant, isn’t it?” Jason cleaved aside the dragon-tooth soldiers charging at him with his sword. Although his swordsmanship wasn’t particularly elegant, only third-rate among his fellow disciples, he was still Chiron’s disciple, and dealing with dragon-tooth soldiers was no problem for him. “It’s very unwise of us to intrude into someone else’s territory like this. And the magical energy on these dragon-tooth soldiers feels very familiar to me; it gives me a chill down my spine.”

"It's all because you were wandering around aimlessly during the day! Otherwise, I would have noticed the anomaly here much sooner. You said heroes need to be familiar with the terrain for battle, but you're not Archer!" Rin Tohsaka shattered the dragon tooth soldiers behind Jason with her magic bullet. This great Greek hero was really carefree; after saying he'd leave his back to Rin, he really didn't care about what was behind him at all. "You should at least pay attention to what's behind you!"

"Because my strength is very average, I don't need to worry about things that my companions can do. Besides, isn't it normal to trust your companions?" Jason continued to swing his longsword wildly, quickly sweeping away the Dragon Fang soldiers.

After eliminating all the enemies, Toosaka Rin began to investigate this hidden small company. Most of the employees in this company were killed in a cruel way, and the few who survived were covered with various wounds, as if they had experienced some harsh interrogation.

"Moreover, magic power was taken away, but if it was just to take away magic power, there was no need to use such a massacre method." Rin Tohsaka analyzed the situation on the scene. "The one who used Dragon Fang Soldiers to attack was Caster. It seems that he was summoned by the Middle Eastern Master of the Clock Tower."

Jason sensed the lingering magical energy at the scene, which felt increasingly familiar, and a bad premonition began to grow in his heart. He couldn't help but urge Rin Tohsaka to leave: "My Master, the church's overseers will handle this kind of thing, won't they? It's unwise for us to expose our situation now."

Rin Tohsaka rolled her eyes at Jason, sensing that her servant had suddenly become timid for some reason: "As the managers of the Fuyuki Spirit Vein, the Tohsaka family is the true master of this city and has an obligation to maintain the stability of the city in terms of magic!"

"Are you really a magician..." Jason thought of the magicians in Greece, who were not only kind and approachable, but also quite human. "I thought magicians were all the kind of people who did whatever they wanted and were lawless."

Toosaka Rin ignored Jason and followed the traces of magic, quickly finding a gathering point of various types of magic. The traces of magic suggested that at least four Servants had stayed there for a long time.

It was an account book, with a spot framed in the blood of more than one person. It was a private estate in the suburbs, owned by a well-known investor and philanthropist in the city.

"It seems this Servant isn't planning to stop." Rin Tohsaka gritted her teeth. To maintain the mystique of magic, all magicians tacitly avoid ordinary people and won't expose anything related to magic to the public. But this Servant seems to have no scruples; the traces haven't been cleaned up at all, as if afraid others won't know, and seems determined to make a big scene.

Atram's manor is a good example. If the Vatican had not used its power to turn the matter into an ordinary large-scale kidnapping case, the price magic would have been exposed in the spotlight.

"Judging from the state of the magic, it was about an hour ago. Saber, keep up, we should still make it!" Rin Tohsaka didn't wait for Jason's response and rushed towards the destination marked on her notebook.

Jason wanted to stop her but was powerless; Rin Tohsaka didn't seem like the type to change her mind easily. He could only follow her step by step, saying, "I hope things aren't really what I think. We've all died once already, so please spare me."

When Rin Tohsaka hurried to the manor, it was already engulfed in flames, turning into a sea of ​​fire. The air was filled with the smell of burning and ashes, as well as the lingering strong smell of blood.

The security personnel were either dead or injured, their bodies scattered all over the manor.

Toosaka Rin watched a bodyguard wailing as he fled outside. Covered in blood, he let out an inhuman wail of pain. Only one of his arms could make a reluctant movement, like a squirming caterpillar that had been stepped on.

Toosaka Rin felt a little sorry for the miserable appearance of the man, so she took out a gem and planned to give him some simple treatment.

But Jason stopped him, explaining before Rin Tohsaka could rebuke him: "Don't touch it. It smells like poison, and anyone who touches it will suffer the same consequences."

Jason had a lot of adventure experience. He had encountered a ferocious poisonous dragon when he was trying to obtain the Golden Fleece, so the smell on the security guard aroused his vigilance.

Soon after, the security guard's body was completely covered in a layer of purple venom. The venom was extremely corrosive, rapidly eroding his skin and muscles and dissolving his body completely. Only the pungent smell of carbonized protein filled the air, a pungent odor that seemed to silently bear witness to his past.

Toosaka Rin was so frightened that she stepped back repeatedly. If Jason hadn't reminded her immediately, her end would not have been so good.

"Watch out!" Jason deflected the throwing knives aimed at Rin Tohsaka with his sword. Under the bright moonlight, the blades of the knives showed faint purple patterns, indicating that they had been poisoned.

"Assassin! You've been exposed, stop hiding!" Jason bluffed.

In the shadows, untouched by the moonlight, a skull mask quietly emerged, like a ghost of the night. As the mask slowly advanced, it gradually revealed a mysterious figure. The Servant, clad in a cool black bodysuit, perfectly outlined her graceful form. A faint fragrance permeated the air.

Jing Si took an attacking stance. Her ability required close combat, but she soon realized her opponent was a Heroic Spirit.

"You are a hero from somewhere, aren't you...? I am obeying my master's orders to stop all who stand in my way. So... please perish here." Knowing she couldn't defeat any Heroic Spirit in a direct confrontation, she turned her gaze to Rin Tohsaka. If she could eliminate her Master, she could avoid a direct clash with Jason.

"Master, please be careful. This woman reeks of poison. If she touches you, even your bones will be melted away." Jason was a little guilty; he had no way to counteract poison. "She has the advantage in close combat. Shall we retreat?"

"Now that Assassin has appeared, let's make her exit here! If necessary, I'll allow you to use your Noble Phantasm!" Rin Tohsaka shook her head. As the greatest threat to her Master, now that Assassin has been exposed, let her be the first to leave the stage!

Chapter Seventy-One: The Argonauts Set Sail!

"Are you serious? Although I'm very confident in my dodging skills, it's hard to die if I get hit!" Jason complained as he dodged Tranquil's attack. Tranquil's short knife was like a venomous snake, attacking relentlessly.

Despite facing a series of brutal and precise attacks, Jason let out a low cry of fear each time, dodging the blows that grazed the blade. He didn't dare to initiate an attack, because for him, if he got close enough to be contaminated by Silence, the consequences would be disastrous, and he was very afraid of pain.

"Saber, be serious!" Rin Tohsaka tried to support Jason with magic, but how could Tranquility's A+ agility be hit so easily? Tranquility, like an elegant gymnast, perfectly used the curves of her body to dodge every magic bullet.

"I'm serious. The front lines are not the place for a commander!"

"What a useless Servant! Cover for me! Then, in the name of Command Seals, Saber is released..." Jason's Noble Phantasm, Radiant Ship that tears through the sky, can summon his former crew members to fight alongside him for a period of time. However, it has an extremely high demand for the Master's magical energy, as it is equivalent to supplying magical energy to multiple Servants at the same time, which is difficult to maintain even for Rin Tohsaka.

Therefore, using the Command Seals to release the Noble Phantasm was the best option. The magic provided by the Command Seals could provide the actions of approximately four Servants. However, due to Jason's strong suggestion, the mana-consuming Hercules was selected as a necessary option, so approximately three Servants could be summoned.

Seeing Toosaka Rin's actions, Jingmi suddenly intensified her attack. She pierced her arm with a dagger, and poisonous blood gushed out of her body and spilled onto the ground.

The sound of corrosion was accompanied by a thick purple mist that spread from the ground. The mist spread incredibly quickly, covering a large area in the blink of an eye. It rushed towards Tōsaka Rin, braving the wind, as if consciously pursuing her.

Faced with this sudden threat, Rin didn't even have enough time to react, let alone escape. She could only watch helplessly as the purple wave approached her and buried her in it.

Then, a massive warship burst through the fog and crashed into the ground with overwhelming force. Its hull stirred up countless dust and debris the moment it struck the ground, creating a powerful shockwave that spread in all directions. The purple fog was dissipated by this force, revealing the warship's majestic outline.

"Hahaha! Heroes of the Argonauts, it's time to strike!" The blond servant, standing on the bow of the ship, drew his sword and pointed it forward with great pride.

"The invincible Hercules, the ranged Atalanta, and the 'God of Healing' Asclepius who can perfectly counter you! Assassin, you're doomed!" Jason's chosen summons were all Servants perfectly suited to the current situation. Normally, he would have already secured victory against Serenity.

But this is no normal Holy Grail War.

"No, where is he?" Jason shaded his eyes with his hand, searching the silent area for any signs of life. "Could he have escaped? But it doesn't matter, we have skilled hunters here. Atalanta, go!"

"The Holy Grail War... what ridiculous reason did you give us to call us here again?" Atalanta kicked Jason in annoyance. Jason, not expecting his own crew to attack him, had no time to dodge. In pain, he fell off the bow, landing face-first on the ground.

"You stinky cat!" Jason scrambled to his feet, clutching his face. His face had been badly injured twice in just two days. "Even if you want to vent your anger, you should wait until after the battle! Can't you be a little more composed like Hercules? And Assassin, just like that, abandoning his Master and running away?"

Just as Jason was about to command the crew to rush into the manor, a quiet voice came from behind Tohsaka Rin, "...No, my goal...has been achieved."

Before Rin Tohsaka's terrified eyes, a pair of soft arms embraced her from behind, and hands emanating the scent of poison from her wounds gently covered her face.

"Master!" Jason hadn't expected that Serenity wouldn't show any intention of retreating, instead heading straight for his Noble Phantasm and willingly drawing herself into the encirclement of several Servants. "Assassin, don't be impulsive. If you release this little girl, I'll let you leave safely. You don't want to fight to the death on the first day, do you?"

But Jingmi had no intention of stopping, her hands continued to wander over Tohsaka Rin's skin.

"Hercules!" Without Jason's prompting, Hercules had already charged towards Rin Tohsaka with an agility beyond his years. His axe-sword, forged from the foundation stone of the temple, broke the sound barrier and struck the silence with pinpoint accuracy.

Atalanta also shot several arrows, aiming at Jingmi's hand, forcing her to let go.

All attacks were blocked by an unknown force. No, it’s not so much that they were blocked, it’s more accurate to say that Jingmi and Toosaka Rin had fallen into some special rules. Neither of them would be affected by other factors from the outside world, and other rules had been isolated.

Only then did Jason notice the inexplicable knowledge that had been crammed into his mind—from the very beginning, he had been captured by some kind of Noble Phantasm, and the rules of the Holy Grail War had changed. It was just that these rules were etched into their minds like common sense, and unless they specifically searched for them, they wouldn't even notice them.

It was a highly advanced Noble Phantasm. Given Jason's experience during the Age of Gods, it was clearly not unleashed by this Assassin. This level of power could only have been unleashed by a famous Caster or a particularly exceptional God-level Servant.

"So you weren't really trying to attack us before, you just wanted to stall us?" Jason recalled Serenity's earlier behavior and realized she must have known this rule; if she really wanted to fight, she wouldn't need to dodge attacks. "This is bad, we really wasted our Command Seals. Master, please don't choose to fight! Doing so might keep Assassin here, but you'll probably be poisoned with a terrifying toxin, even though Asclepius can pull you back from the underworld."

"No, such matters cannot be solved simply with elixirs, and even if we were to make a replica, we wouldn't have the materials on hand. Please don't make promises to the patients on my behalf." Asclepius quickly interrupted Jason's boasting; he didn't want to be dragged into this and end up with a reputation for being an incompetent doctor.

Fortunately, Asclepius responded immediately, otherwise Toosaka Rin would really have to choose to fight.

Chapter Seventy-Two: The Argonauts' Spectator Group

"Why do you look so happy when I'm being held hostage?!" Rin Tohsaka tried to break free from Jingmi's embrace, but even a Servant with E-level strength is not someone that a normal human or even a magician can resist. Rin Tohsaka felt that this Servant was taking advantage of her.

"Please try to understand." Jason relaxed, probably because he didn't have to fight personally. "You know, I was on tenterhooks the whole time. All the signs made me think that this Caster was that one. Although she was wrong first, my infidelity is also a fact. It would be best if we didn't see each other. But seeing this Noble Phantasm, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief."

"Then why does she look so happy too?!" Rin Tohsaka quickly started a duel, sensing that Shizuka's hand was already getting more and more aggressive. She didn't know what she might do if this continued.

The duel space unfolded, and under the influence of the rules, Jing Ning was moved to a distance sufficient for the duel.

Rin Tohsaka 4000LP

Tranquility 4000LP

"My goal...is to stop you...so I won't start a dark duel...If you're willing to risk your life with me...that's fine too. Then..."

"I'll go first." Rin Tohsaka's quiet personality wasn't suited to taking the initiative, so she looked at the cards in her hand and eagerly seized the first move.

"Master, you look rather weak." Jason, who was sitting in the spectator seats with his crew, looked like he was just watching the show, before Atalanta punched him to the ground.

"Enough with the nonsense, it's just that my nose is a little sore." Rin Tohsaka's hand holding the card began to tremble involuntarily. After checking it several times, she placed it in the battle area. "I Normal Summon [Tokiomi Tohsaka]! Father, it's been so long, please open your eyes and look at me again!"

An elegant middle-aged man in a red suit appeared on the battlefield holding documents.

"This is... Caster's Noble Phantasm?" Tokiomi Tohsaka was currently dealing with worldly affairs. While the Tohsaka family was destroyed by the God Ancestor and needed repairs, the Tohsaka family also had to handle the aftermath of the Holy Grail War. They were now heavily in debt, and he had no choice but to start focusing on managing the businesses they had lost.