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

After calming down a few times, Irisviel respectfully requested, "Please allow me to go back. I must bring this long-cherished wish back to my family."

"Huh?" Upon hearing the news that Irisviel had rushed back, Emiya Kiritsugu, still sporting bruises, revealed a bewildered expression. "You said you gave her something, and she took a flight back the moment she landed? What did you give her?"

"Soul Crystal, judging by its effects, it should be a high-level favorability item, similar to aphrodisiac cake. I'm also curious what kind of card you can get if I give it to you."

"That's quite the way you say things. Cards are everything to you. No wonder your Noble Phantasm is like this." Emiya Kiritsugu held his head, trying to understand Jiang You's thoughts, but found it was all in vain. "This thing is worth enough to bribe the participants of ten Holy Grail Wars to play matches with you."

"It sounds like if I take it, hundreds of people will jump out and rush over to attack, shouting, 'The competent takes it.' Next time, I'll give you one. The others don't matter. I'm determined to get your 'Bitter Choice'."

"It was wrong of me to discuss this with you. Let me tell you about the information we have so far." Kiritsugu Emiya tried to bring his tone back to normal.

After Emiya Kiritsugu briefly described the Master's identity, Jiang You discovered that the story was unchanged from the original, with the only difference being that Ryunosuke Uryu was dead. After receiving the news, Kiritsugu confirmed Ryunosuke Uryu's identity and obtained the identity information of all the Masters who participated in the battle early on.

"Ryunosuke Uryu died, so I think I know where the Soul Crystal came from." Jiang You, referring to the card he received, guessed that because he occupied the Caster class, Gild Ray was mistakenly summoned as a Saber. As a result, due to a conflict of ideologies, Gild Ray successfully defeated Ryunosuke Uryu, but lost his magic power and was eliminated. Since defeating Kiritsugu would give him a card related to Illya, Jiang You received what should have been the reward for defeating Gild Ray.

If Joan of Arc corresponds to the reward for Gilles de Rais's retirement, then the Soul Crystal is the reward for Ryunosuke Uryu's retirement.

"In other words, soul crystals will be produced when the Master dies..."

Jiang You's eyes involuntarily turned to Emiya Kiritsugu.

Emiya Kiritsugu was so frightened by being stared at that he almost took out the Origin Bullet.

"Don't worry, I don't plan to go the massacre route this time. I plan to experience the plot carefully. And I'm not sure whether it's possible to produce soul crystals with magic power. Isn't this a suitable experimental subject?" Jiang You pointed to the information of the Matou family, one of the three great families on the table.

Emiya Kiritsugu quickly stopped Jiang You's reckless behavior. "It's still the early stages of the Holy Grail War. If you take the initiative, you will only reveal the information of your own deck. It will be very disadvantageous for the subsequent duel."

"What do you know? Fighting is so much fun!" Because Irisviel suddenly returned, all the previously arranged itineraries were canceled. Jiang You, who had nothing to do, spent an afternoon experiencing the local customs of Fuyuki in 1994. After wandering around, his card-playing addiction kicked in. How could Jiang You possibly listen to anything now? He burst out of the door and ran towards the Matou family's house at a speed beyond human limits, jumping, rolling, and crawling.

Emiya Kiritsugu watched Jiang You walk away speechlessly. Jiang You's extremely performance art-like movements attracted a lot of attention from passers-by. He only hoped that this Holy Grail War could end soon. He felt that if this continued, his painting style would be affected.

But faced with a Servant who could take out the materialized product of the Third Law and give it away casually, he had no choice but to obey.

Kiritsugu Emiya reluctantly began to use up the favors he had accumulated: "Hey? Help me communicate with the church and ask them to handle the aftermath. Just say... it was a circus performance."

……

"Alright, the action capability test is complete. There's nothing out of place, and the evaluation is very positive. However, putting it in a card game is a bit of a mismatch. Is Old K using this as a testing ground?" Before long, Jiang You arrived at the Matou residence.

Since he was here to challenge someone, Jiang You naturally couldn't just knock on the door properly. He simply kicked the door open and rushed in.

The withered old man sat on the sofa and greeted the evil guest who came from afar head-on.

After all, it was far too difficult for a magician to ignore a shadowy creature crawling outside his base. Matou Zouken set up defensive magic to welcome Jiang You's visit.

"What brings you here so eagerly? What's the matter?"

"Old man! It's time to get the gold coins!" Jiang You was too lazy to talk to him and directly invited him to a duel, and also started the dark game.

"I don't know what you rely on, but I don't know whether I should praise your courage or say that you are reckless for breaking into a magician's workshop alone." After investigating the scale of Jiang You's spiritual base, Matou Zouken showed a disdainful expression and prepared to transform into a bug and disperse.

Then I will use the advantage of the venue to slowly deal with this third-rate servant, thought Zouken Matou.

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

【Duel/Battle】

The information suddenly appeared in front of Zouken Matou. The space around him was tightly blocked, making it impossible for him to escape. The defensive magic that was supposed to start working around him also stopped responding.

"Is this a Noble Phantasm? There's no sign of it being activated... No, it should be said that it has been activated a long time ago. It's on an astonishing scale." Matou Zouken digested the knowledge in his mind.

"Hehehe... Fine, I seem to have forgotten my past, so let this so-called 'duel' give me some fun." Matou Zouken agreed to the duel fearlessly. For him, resurrection would just consume some magic materials.

"Duel!"

Chapter 12: I want the soul crystal, I want the cards, and I want Matou Sakura even more!

Duel Space Expand

Matou Zouken LP4000

Jiangyou LP4000

"Since I am the master here, I will take the initiative. I activate the Field Spell Card [Bug Magic Workshop]!"

The scene changed into the magic workshop in the basement of the Matou family, and the rustling sound of insects came from all directions.

"Wow, there's a stinky smell of bugs. It really affects the gaming experience." Jiang You covered his nose and showed disgust.

"Criticizing other people's magic isn't a good habit. Hasn't anyone taught you etiquette? Activate the effect of [Bug Magic Workshop]. Once per turn, Special Summon a [Spirit Blade Bug] or [Mark Bug] from your Deck in Attack Position!"

[Spirit Blade Bug]★★Attack Power 1000

"Next, haha, it's really amazing, it's the future. Let me see the extent of your Noble Phantasm. I Normal Summon [Matou Sakura]."

【Matou Sakura】Attack Power 1200

The purple-haired girl landed on the field. She looked around slowly. After seeing Zouken Bianmatou and the unfamiliar young man, she just lowered her head slightly and stood quietly. Only her puzzled expression proved that she was not calm inside.

"Sakura, right?"

Zouken Matou's voice came from behind Sakura Matou, and Sakura Matou bowed her head respectfully. "Yes, Grandpa."

"Let me ask you, who is the winner of the Fourth Holy Grail War?" Matou Zouken tapped the ground with his crutch and tried to secretly release his insect magic. After finding that he could not summon any magic power, he honestly followed the rules.

Although somewhat puzzled as to why Zouken asked this question, Sakura gave her answer based on her knowledge: "According to the Church, the victor was the Einzbern Master—Emiya Kiritsugu. It's unknown what wish he made, but it's known that a great fire broke out in Fuyuki City that day. Afterwards, Emiya Kiritsugu assisted with the city's reconstruction and settled there."

"Hahahaha, as expected, that loser Yeyan lost after all. It's expected, but that guy Toosaka Tokito actually lost to that magician killer. The rumored magician killer really should not be underestimated." Matou Zouken was not surprised by this ending at all. It would be better to say that he just wanted to see Matou Yeyan make a meaningless struggle.

"I need to clarify this. The death of Tōsaka Tokitoki was not caused by Emiya Kiritsugu. He was stabbed in the kidney by his own apprentice Kotomine Kirei." Seeing that the two characters actually started discussing the plot of the original timeline, Jiang You, who was fully immersed in the discussion, couldn't help but start to interrupt.

"Oh? That's quite a magician's decision. Furthermore, this Servant of yours has a similar ability to foresight." Matou Zouken observed Jiang You with interest. He had just observed Matou Sakura's composition and discovered that she existed in a manner similar to a Heroic Spirit. This ability to transform people into Heroic Spirits and travel through timelines made him very jealous. "You are a very powerful Heroic Spirit. The Matou family actually has no expectations for our Master, Matou Yogan. Since the future has confirmed our defeat, the Matou family can withdraw from the fight for the Holy Grail now and assist you in the Holy Grail War."

"Don't." Jiang You pushed his palms forward in a gesture of rejection. "I don't care about the Holy Grail War or anything like that. Whoever wants that broken cup can have it. I'm just here to get materials from you."

"Are you looking for magic materials? The Matou family does have some wealth. Just ask for whatever you need. We can definitely cooperate on this." Matou Zouken assumed Jiang You was referring to magic materials. Since he had something to ask for, cooperating was a good start. He pursued immortality, and obtaining the Holy Grail was just a means to that end.

"Oh, how many soul crystals do you have?"

"Your Excellency, there's no need to tease me." As one of the three great families, Matou Zouken was well aware of the lifelong pursuits of the neighboring Einzbern family. If he had possessed a Soul Crystal, he would have long since fulfilled his long-cherished wish of immortality. He simply assumed the other party was joking. "Even the Einzberns haven't been able to touch the product of the Third Law, so how could our Matou family possibly have any?"

"If you don't give it to me, then I'll come and get it myself." Jiang You thought to himself that it was no use talking to the material monster. "Hand over all the cards, soul crystals, and Matou Sakura to me!"

Hearing her own name, Matou Sakura raised her lifeless pupils and looked at Jiang You, then lowered her gaze again.

"Since you insist I have the crystal of the Third Law, someone must be interfering. We can only discuss this after the duel!" Seeing Jiang You's stubbornness, Matou Zouken gave up trying to persuade him. "Activate the effect of [Matou Sakura]. When this card is successfully Normal Summoned or Special Summoned, add 1 [Matou] or [Emiya] Servant from your Deck to your start."

"I never thought Sakura would end up tangling with the Emiya family. It's a good thing for young people to socialize widely." A kind smile crossed Zouken Matou's withered face, and Sakura lowered her head even more. "So, I'm going to add this card, [Machiri Zorgen]!"

"How many years have I not seen this name? It's a pity that I'm old and have forgotten it long ago. I activate the effect of [Machiri Zorgen] from my hand, send the card from my hand to the graveyard, and retrieve a [Five Hundred Years' Long-cherished Wish] from the deck!" Matou Zouken saw this familiar name and recalled the past, but found that he had forgotten it completely long ago, but he didn't care about it at all.

"Then let me experience the effects of your Noble Phantasm. I activate [Five Hundred Years of Obsession] and send [Shinji Matou] (★★) and [Crest Worm] (★★) from my deck to the Graveyard as tributes to Ritual Summon [Zouken Matou] from my hand!"

[Matou Zouken] Defense 2400

Matou Zouken was recalled to the battle zone in Defense Position. As he'd imagined, his body transformed into a form similar to a Heroic Spirit, theoretically allowing it to continue indefinitely as long as he had enough magic power. This sparked his desire to seize control of Jiang You. "What a wonderful experience! If only I could decipher this magic... Because of the effects of [Five Hundred Years of Obsession], I can't activate effects or attack this turn, but I can't attack on my first turn either. I'll place the last card in the backfield, ending my turn."

Feeling Matou Zouken's burning gaze, Jiang You's body was covered with goose bumps. After wishing the designer and his family well, Jiang You began his turn.

"My turn, draw a card!"

Chapter 13: Emiya was taken away by Matou Niu!

Jiang You looked at the scene of Matou Zouken. The total field damage was 4000 points, and the highest single hit was only 1800. Apart from the unknown backfield, there was no blocking effect.

Considering that the game is still in the early stage of DM and Axe confrontation, the card [Matou Zouken]'s ability to stay on the field is indeed very good.

It’s a pity that I didn’t draw the [Origin Bullet], otherwise I could have broken through easily.

"The air here is too foul. Let's get some fresh air. I'm activating the Field Spell Card [Snow Castle]!"

A castle in the wind and snow emerged behind Jiang You. The snow-covered forest and the gloomy basement were forcibly linked together by the boundary of the battle area. The biting wind and snow suddenly poured in, sweeping away the foul smell in the insect workshop.

"The Einzbern castle? Are you Emiya Kiritsugu's Servant?" Zouken Matou recognized the Field Magic Card's owner. Because of Matou Sakura's previous comments, he had already confirmed that Emiya Kiritsugu, the magus assassin employed by Einzbern, was the Master of this Holy Grail War. "Indeed, raiding other Masters' strongholds is certainly the style of the magus assassin."

"That's what they call a first impression, right? He's actually adamantly against the idea of ​​him coming straight at me to kill me." Jiang You offered a slight defense for Matou Zouken. After all, Emiya Kiritsugu was just a man of justice, not a terrorist. Although sometimes it was almost like that.

"Since the Master has no request, why do you?" Matou Zouken didn't understand why a Servant was targeting him so clearly. He and he were not from the same era, so there should be no conflict.

"All of this is to blame on that bastard warrior, Urobuchi. To depict the plight of female characters, he resorts to gang rape and insecticide. That's all he can think of, right? The purple-haired female character must have killed him." Jiang You, realizing he was losing control of his emotions, coughed dryly. Luckily, Konami didn't implement a warning/penalty system for banned words, and he breathed a sigh of relief. "So, if we're participating in the Fourth Holy Grail War, even if it's just a game, how could we not come and help a certain purple-haired girl?"

Although they didn't understand the first half of Jiang You's words, the second half clearly pointed out who he was talking about, so the two people from the Matou family knew who he was talking about.

Matou Sakura couldn't help but glance at Jiang You a few more times. Eleven years of experience had made her somewhat indifferent to others, save for a brief moment of openness to a certain upperclassman with short, reddish-brown hair. Furthermore, Matou Zouken was right beside her. Her childhood experiences and the fate of Matou Kariya had taught her that she couldn't resist. So, she said nothing, expressing no opinion.

"Is 'future vision' the counterpart of 'past vision'?" Zouken Matou knew that servants would gain knowledge of the corresponding era when summoned to the present world, but it certainly would not be detailed enough to know the experience of a certain person. Even Sakura Matou's biological father, Tousaka Tokitoki, did not know the process of her transformation into a magical adaptability. This was the only possibility for this servant to know so much.

Does he seem to be a Servant with a universal sense of justice? Matou Zouken analyzed Jiang You's information.

"The process of the Matou family's magic transformation is indeed a bit beyond common sense, but the process of exploring magic inevitably involves suffering some hardships that ordinary people cannot understand. The path of magic has always been like this." After making amends for himself, Matou Zouken continued to try to dispel Jiang You's disgust. "If you just want to take Sakura away, I can give her away."

The always strong and unquestionable Matou Zouken would actually be so humble to a Servant. Matou Sakura felt a little bit unbelievable, and she began to look at Jiang Youlai carefully.

Jiang You, who knew what Matou Zouken was, didn't respond. "This card can be used once per turn to retrieve a card with 'Einzbern' in it from your deck. I'm going to add this one. [Irisviel von Einzbern]"

"Next, I will Normal Summon [Emiya Kiritsugu]. Come on, Master, it's time to get to work!"

【Emiya Kiritsugu】Attack Power 1600

Emiya Kiritsugu fell into the battlefield. With two experiences, he slowly extinguished the cigarette in his mouth.

"How's the battle going?"

"This is only the second round, and we're still setting up the field, even though your crappy deck doesn't have much to set up." Jiang You felt that the current duel had the beauty of a duel kingdom.