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

"Wasn't the Holy Grail War over? Why is there still a duel?" Tokiomi Tohsaka looked at the silent figure opposite him, initially mistaking her for one of the Hundred Faces' clones. "Assassin, where is your Master Caster? And why is mine among your enemies...?"

Upon seeing the owner of his card, Tōsaka Tokiomi's eyes widened.

He might not recognize what his daughter looked like now that she was grown up, but he could never be wrong about the magical circuits in Rin Tohsaka's body. He had already realized that this was not his timeline: "It seems to be the same situation as the girl from the Einzbern family, except that I've arrived ten years in the future? The Time-Traveling Burial has already reached the level of the Second Law, what an exaggerated Noble Phantasm."

"It really is Father..." Rin Tohsaka's voice trembled with emotion, a genuine feeling of relief that someone had summoned that Caster. She could let her father witness her growth, allowing him to rest in peace. "Father, I have grown into an excellent magician. Though somewhat clumsy, I can now handle the affairs of managing the spirit veins on my own. Please witness this Holy Grail War. I, Rin Tohsaka, will not bring shame to the Tohsaka family. Watch me claim victory!"

"Wait a minute!" Tokiomi Tohsaka keenly sensed the message in Rin Tohsaka's words. Although he was quite strict with Rin, he would never allow his daughter to shoulder the family's responsibilities alone at such a young age. "You're saying you're managing the spiritual veins all by yourself? You don't even look twenty yet, do you? Am I that lazy in this timeline?"

"Father, have you forgotten? Because of the defeat in the Holy Grail War, you lost your life." Rin Tohsaka thought that Jiang You's Noble Phantasm summoning was similar to the Heroic Spirit summoning, and she believed that this father was Tokiomi Tohsaka, who had died in the Fourth Holy Grail War.

“Although I did lose the Holy Grail War, I am still alive, Father.” The Tohsaka family inherited the magic casually passed down by the Jewel Mage, and Tohsaka Tokiomi naturally knew a lot about the concept of the Second Magic. “Rin, describe to me what you know about the last Holy Grail War.”

Toosaka Rin looked at Jingyi, still maintaining some of the unnecessary elegance inherited from her father, and sought her opponent's opinion.

Quiet's goal was to stall for time; she knew her own strength. Jason wasn't particularly strong, but his deck would undoubtedly contain various Argonaut heroes. She hadn't considered winning. So Quiet nodded in response.

It can be said that Jiang You's Noble Phantasm severely weakened her, rendering her most proficient poison attack meaningless. However, she did not complain at all; on the contrary, she was very happy: this way, she could interact with others.

However, someone forbade her from using her Noble Phantasm on others due to the common collecting habits and possessiveness of male players. Jingmi didn't feel any resentment towards Jiang You's request, but instead felt a slight increase in favorability—she believed this was a sign of the Master's love and attention for her.

After Toosaka Rin explained the normal timeline of the Fourth Holy Grail War, Toosaka Tokiomi understood the general situation.

"It seems this isn't the future ten years after my timeline developed." Tokiomi Tohsaka recounted his experiences to his daughter. "Kiritsugu Emiya didn't summon Saber, but a Caster named Jiang You. His Noble Phantasm is the dueling rule you see here, which means he was also summoned here."

"Jiang You? The name of a great Eastern country... but there's no matching figure." Rin Tohsaka couldn't find any corresponding historical records or legends.

"Whether or not we can find the corresponding history isn't important. Jiang You's stats only show E for Noble Phantasm and Luck, and his main method is the rules of this Noble Phantasm, but that doesn't stop him from winning the Holy Grail..." Tokiomi Tohsaka recalled the monster called 'Beast,' which even Gilgamesh couldn't defeat. Even something capable of easily refining an entire city fell to Jiang You.

However, considering Jiang You's character, his actions of helping Sakura and resurrecting 800,000 ordinary people with the Holy Grail, Tōsaka Tokiomi knew that Jiang You would not kill his daughter. It would be a good process for her to gain experience in the Holy Grail War. "Rin, you must show yourself well in this Holy Grail War. This Caster is a Servant with a lot of compassion, and he will most likely ensure the safety of other Masters. But remember, don't engage in dark duels with others. Always choose to fight to avoid it!"

"Well, one last thing, Sakura. She's still at the Matou household in this timeline, right?"

Chapter 73 There's a reason why the Tohsaka family can summon Gilgamesh.

“Sakura? Yes, she still lives with the Matou family, but lately she’s been going to the Emiya family’s place a lot. She seems quite happy… Is there something wrong?” Rin Tohsaka had always been concerned about her younger sister, but because of the rule against prying into other families’ magical traditions, she hadn’t learned about the specifics of the Matou family’s magic.

She had always thought that the magic of the Matou family had declined.

"Bring her out immediately after this is resolved! Even if it means going to war with the Matou family!" Tokiomi Tohsaka, too tired to even comment on Sakura from another timeline, who shared the same surname as Emiya, anxiously delivered his decision as a father to Rin Tohsaka. "Right now, the only magus in the Matou family capable of fighting is that old man, Zouken Matou. With a Servant, breaking through their defenses shouldn't be a problem. The only thing to watch out for is whether Zouken Matou is a Master."

"But wasn't it your decision to have Sakura adopted by the Matou family?" Rin Tohsaka's heart raced as she faced her father, who had completely lost control of his emotions. The Tohsaka and Matou families had been on good terms for generations, though they had become somewhat estranged in recent times, they had generally kept to themselves and cooperated with the Tohsaka family in managing the spiritual veins. What on earth had made Tokiomi Tohsaka so furious?

“That was the Matou family of the past, not the current Matou family. Their current insect magic…” Tokiomi Tohsaka looked at his grown-up daughter. In this timeline, without his help, she could only face everything alone. His wings could not protect Rin Tohsaka here, so he directly told her the whole story in detail.

Atalanta's face darkened upon hearing Tokiomi Tohsaka's words, her fists clenched so tightly that her palms bled. "How could you do such a thing to a child! Little girl, don't worry, even if this useless thing doesn't help you, I will still lend you a hand!"

Jason jumped up in alarm: "What are you saying! Of course I'll help! Look, Hercules is here! Hercules can take down these heretical magicians in a flash—"

"It sounds like something new and worth studying. Let me go and get some materials," Asclepius said, whether he really wanted to collect materials was no longer important.

"How could this happen, Sakura..." Rin Tohsaka finally learned what had happened to her sister, and her eyes filled with reproach as she looked at Tokiomi Tohsaka. "I understand. I'll end this battle quickly—Assassin, I have no intention of being your enemy right now, but to maintain our fighting strength, I must win, so I won't hold back!"

"...I feel the same way... This is for my Master... We cannot easily concede victory or defeat!" Jingmi gave the same reply. She was fighting for Jiang You, and she did not care too much about the misfortunes and tragedies of other Masters.

"That's good. [Tokiomi Tohsaka] effect: If a Summon or Special Summon is successful, add one [Jewel] related Spell Card to your hand."

[Tokiomi Tohsaka] 3-star, Attack Power 1200

"I'm going to add this card [Inherited Jewel Necklace]. Next, I'm going to activate the effect of [Tousaka Rin] in my hand, once per turn. I'll send a [Jewel] Magic Card to the Graveyard and Special Summon myself in Attack Position!"

【Rin Tohsaka】 3-star, Attack Power 1200

"Father, I have always longed to stand by your side one day and walk alongside you." Rin Tohsaka raised her head, trying to be strong so as not to let her tears fall.

"Really? Because of my mistakes, you suffered a lot, didn't you?" Tokiomi Tohsaka had already accepted his failure, so he didn't have high expectations for Rin now. Of course, he also had no right to say anything to Rin. "Running a family alone must be exhausting. I made a lot of mistakes when I took over the reins from my father. Rin, you are much better than me!"

"I'm delighted to hear your praise. Now, let the duel continue! I activate the effect of the card [Legacy Jewel Necklace] to Special Summon one Level 5 or lower Archer Servant from my hand/Deck. During the turn it is Special Summoned, negate the effects of that Servant. I'm summoning the sharpshooter who once repelled the Boar of Caledon—[Atalanta]!"

【Atalanta】 4-star, 2000 attack power. The emerald green cat-like girl leaps into the battlefield with agile movements, assuming a bow-drawing stance.

"Rin, let me assist you from now on. Things that harm children should never be forgiven easily!" Atalanta felt her teeth itch after hearing Sakura's story. She wished she could set off right now to find Zouken Matou and unleash a Noble Phantasm on him.

"Thank you, Atalanta. Due to the effect of [Tōsaka Tokiomi], every time you use a magic card, you deal 250 points of damage to the enemy and restore 250 points of your own life. And I have the same effect as my father! So the total is 500 points of damage! And I restore 500 points of my own life!"

Rin Toosaka and her father simultaneously took out gems and fired magic bullets at Jingyi, and the shattered gem fragments were used as a medium for healing magic, restoring Rin Toosaka's health.

Rin Tohsaka 4000LP → 4500LP

Quiet 4000LP → 3500LP

"Ugh!" Tranquility cried out in pain from the damage caused by the duel, but the attack would not end so easily.

"Next is the [Emerald of Price Magic], which retrieves a [Gem] magic and sends it to the graveyard! Then, father, join me in performing magic once more!"

Rin Tohsaka 4500LP → 5000LP

Quiet 3500LP → 3000LP

"It's not over yet! [Gorgeous Sapphire Magic]! This can only be activated when there are three or more [Gem] Magics in the Graveyard. Return the three [Gem] Magics in the Graveyard to the Deck, then draw a card!"

The Gem Mode was activated again, creating a huge health gap in just the first round.

Rin Tohsaka 5000LP → 5500LP

Quiet 300LP → 2500LP

The continuous direct damage caused Jingmi to fall to the ground, and the pain continued to stimulate her nerves.

"Truly worthy of being my Master! As expected, Jason's Master is the strongest!" Jason couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. Rin Tohsaka's aptitude as a magician was indeed superb.

“Of course!” Rin Tohsaka accepted Jason’s praise as a matter of course. “However, my father and I can only use the effect of the [Jewel] Spell Card three times per turn. I’ll set my last card face down in the back row and end my turn!”

"...My turn...Draw a card! It's not over yet...Everything I have is for my master!"

Chapter Seventy-Four: Destruction (crossed out) of the Twelve Trial Men!

"Then... I usually summon myself... to offer pain to you!" Emerging silently from the shadows in the battle zone.

[Quiet Hassan] Assassin 2-star, Attack Power 1500

"...Next, [Short Sword Throw], card name, once per turn, can only be used if there is a [Hassan-Sabbah] Servant on the field, destroy a Servant of 2 stars or lower or a face-down card in the back row!" As Hassan, she knew the danger of traps, and she decisively dealt with Rin Tohsaka's only face-down card.

"Unfortunately, you made a mistake! I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card [Exploding Ruby Magic], designating one [Tohsaka] Servant to gain 500 ATK until the end of the current turn, and it cannot be destroyed by battle! Also, if an enemy Servant is destroyed by battle, draw one card!" Rin Tohsaka chain-activated her face-down card. Although the face-down card was destroyed, its effect still activated.

[Tokiomi Tohsaka] Attack power 1200 → 1700

"Well, since it's a new turn, my father and I can continue to activate our effects. Assassin, you have no chance of winning!"

Rin Tohsaka LP5500→LP6000

Quiet LP2500 → LP2000

"...It wasn't a mistake. Now that I've confirmed the rear area, I can proceed with confidence... Let's engage in battle!"

"Trying to break through my lines with a single card?" Rin Tohsaka looked at her own situation; her 1500 attack power was barely enough to break through her own defenses.

"First, I... attack [Tokiomi Tohsaka]!" Faced with a 200 attack power difference, Shizumi attacked without hesitation. After dodging and stabbing Tokiomi Tohsaka in the lower back, Shizumi was also blown into the graveyard by the gem he used for protection.

Quiet LP2000 → LP1800

"The effect of the [Ruby Magic] I activated earlier destroyed a card, so I draw a card!" Rin Tohsaka replenished her hand with one card. "Is this a suicidal attack? Are you planning to give up?"

"...No, because of the effect of [Tranquility], Servants that have fought against this card will be destroyed during the End Phase." This corresponds to the effect of Tranquil Poison; regardless of whether damage sufficient for battle destruction has been dealt, Servants without effect destruction resistance will be sent directly to the Graveyard.

"Father!" Rin Tohsaka cried out reluctantly.

"Next, the Quick-Play Spell Card 'Pale Dance of Death', once per turn, Special Summon one 'Hassan-Sabbah' from the Graveyard or your hand, and destroy one Servant Card on the field! My target is 'Atalanta'!" A serene phantom danced a beautiful yet dangerous dance before Atalanta. The moment the phantom touched Atalanta, poison rapidly spread from the point of contact, and Atalanta quickly collapsed to the ground and was sent to the Graveyard.

"Since I've been resummoned... my attack has also been reset. So, I'll attack [Tousaka Rin] myself!"

In just a moment, Jingmi threw herself into Tohsaka Rin's arms, and the poisonous fragrance filled the air. Before Tohsaka Rin could react, she returned to the main station area.

Rin Tohsaka LP6000→LP5700

"Then, the final effect of [Pale Dance of Death] is that when a Servant summoned by this card destroys an enemy Servant in the current turn, it deals damage to the enemy equal to the original ATK of the destroyed Servant." Tranquility's attack followed like a shadow, and Rin Tohsaka was once again touched on the cheek by Tranquility.

After a moment of numbness, there was a stabbing pain, which made Toosaka Rin cover her cheeks and scream.

Rin Tohsaka LP5700→4500

"Finally, I cover three in the backfield. End my turn."

"All traps... That's typical Assassin style! Well then, it's my turn, draw!" Rin Tohsaka looked at the cards in her hand and made the first move. "I activate [Cursed Black Gem Spell], pay 2000 Life Points, select 3 [Gem] Spells from my Deck (excluding [Black Gem Spell]), add one of them to my hand, and send the other two to the Graveyard!"

The black magic stone brought an excessive amount of magic power, but the user also had to pay a price. This was why Toosaka Rin gritted her teeth to prevent herself from shouting.

Rin Tohsaka LP4500→2500

If there were a countermeasure, Tranquility wouldn't be able to prevent Black Gem from activating its effect, so Rin Tohsaka confidently continued her actions: "What I want to add is still this [Legacy Gem Necklace]. So I activate [Holding Grace], banishing the top 10 cards of my deck and drawing two cards!"

Rin Tohsaka's hand was replenished to three cards. "Then, with the effect of [Gem Necklace], I summon Atalanta again!"

[Atalanta] Attack Power 2000

"The effect of the card [Jason] in your hand allows you to Special Summon a Servant with [Argonaut] from your hand! Come, you who claim to be the most popular hero in Greece, answer my call!"

【Jason】Saber 2-star, Attack Power 1200

"Ah, is this all the stats I have? I should at least be a four-star Servant, right? Anyway, because of my effect, all Argonaut Servants on the field except myself have their attack power increased by 500!" Jason looked at his stats and effect with dissatisfaction. He wished he were stronger.

[Atalanta] Attack power 2000 → 2500

"Don't you know your own situation?" Atalanta looked at the blond man beside her with disdain, deliberately keeping her distance. Jason was indeed an excellent hero at first, but he quickly became intoxicated by a life of luxury and decadence after the adventures ended, and had long since decayed. A significant portion of his later years are depicted as a heroic spirit.

"Next, Jason's effect is to free himself and Special Summon a [Argonaut] Servant from your hand!" Rin Tohsaka didn't hesitate to free Jason, who was still posing for a photo.

"No, Master, I haven't even sat here for a while. Please let me show off my skills. Look, I can also increase the attack power of my servants and increase their field attack! Isn't this field attack enough?"

The protest was in vain. Jason emitted golden light from his facial features. The golden light continued to expand from his body and soon covered the area where he was. Then a huge dark figure descended from the golden light.

【Hercules】 Berserker 8-star attack power 3000!

"One of the effects of [Hercules]! This card can only be activated if it is destroyed by battle or card effect. During your next Standby Phase, Special Summon 1 [Hercules] Servant from your Graveyard! Then, proceed to the Battle Phase!"

Chapter Seventy-Five: Tranquility. Come to Fuyuki Street, and I'll smash all your masks!

Hercules, like a giant mountain, marched towards Silence with heavy steps, each step carrying the power to break rocks and crack the earth.

"Don't think you can get away with this so easily!" Tranquility is indeed no match for the strongest demigod hero in Greek mythology. She must resort to other means. "I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card [Proof of Existence]! This card can target one Assassin on the field with a level 2 or lower rank. That card cannot be destroyed by battle before the end of the turn, and any damage taken from battle is reduced to 0!"