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

Jiang You thought to himself, "You'll be tearing apart Beast-class Servants and beating up God-level Servants with your bare hands, and you still don't have any power. Although it can be used for other purposes, the Dark Game essentially affects the soul, so you should just shut up."

"Finally, I covered two cards and ended my turn." Tranquility also finished playing her hand.

"At this moment, the [Spirit Particle Transfer] effect activates, and [Da Vinci] returns to the field!"

[Da Vinci] Attack Power 2200

"Hi~ Da Vinci is back again!" Da Vinci looked around and found that all the other Servants had left, while Gudako was left with only a lone face-down card in the back row. "It seems that Ritsuka is in a tough battle, but Ritsuka, you have done your best. Now it's up to us Heroic Spirits."

Da Vinci turned her gaze to Jiang You. Even with her intelligence, she couldn't fathom which Servant possessed such an outrageous Noble Phantasm. It was impossible not to be curious; she would definitely investigate if given the chance. However, there was no need to rush now, given that Jiang You's Noble Phantasm was among them. Da Vinci felt his card deck spoke for itself. "Lord Jiang You, we entrust the rest to you. Please protect our Master. The entire Chaldea is deeply grateful."

"There's no need to be so polite. Humanity's last Master will surely accomplish the great task of saving the world." Others might think Jiang You was just picking out the good things to hear, but he was telling the truth.

"Then, it's my turn, draw a card!" Jiang You looked at the cards in his hand. Gudako had consumed too many of the opponent's cards at once, so it seemed that it wouldn't be the Cursed Arm's turn to act next. He could finish off the remaining 6000 LP in one turn.

Everyone stared at Jiang You, wanting to see his stories and legends.

"First, I usually summon [Hundred Faces]. The effect of [Hundred Faces] is to Special Summon as many cards of the same name as possible from the Deck to the field." Jiang You still started with Hundred Faces. Currently, his deck only has Hassan and Ilya as slightly related cards, but Hassan is still the most comfortable to use.

[Hundred Appearances] Attack Power 800*2

[Bai Mao (Host)] Attack Power 800

[Morning Glory] Attack Power 0

"Wait a minute!" Xuanzang was full of questions. "Didn't we agree that the deck should represent the Master or Heroic Spirit's past, present, and future? Why are you using Hassan's deck?"

“That’s the problem. I don’t have my own card.” Jiang You said that he did have one card of his own, but the only problem was that once it was in the deck, he was destined not to get it in one draw. “And this Hundred Faces is not the Hundred Faces you met in this singularity. She is my Servant.”

Jiang You pointed at Hassan, dressed in a tuxedo that was clearly out of place. The Hundred Faces' face paled when they realized the First Master was right beside them. She immediately knelt like the other Hundred Faces, and seeing that Little Morning Glory didn't react, she even tried to pull her back. But Little Morning Glory, completely clueless, couldn't comprehend the situation.

“It’s alright. Since you are now an independent individual, ignorance is no crime.” Wang Ha pardoned the little morning glory’s disrespect. As long as the name “Hassan Sabah” was not involved, Wang Ha was a fairly easy person to talk to. Of course, the Hassans wouldn’t believe it.

“The way you put it, the more problems arise.” Da Vinci gleaned something from Jiang You’s words. This Servant seemed to be able to store Spirit Origin information in different places and then bring some or all of it to other timelines. This ability was a bit unfair.

"Let's discuss the specifics later. I'll definitely come to Chaldea. Remember to save me a room then." After establishing contact, it was too easy for Jiang You to come to this world.

"No problem, Chaldea warmly welcomes you." The real Chaldea isn't like the game, crammed with Servants; only a few are permanently stationed there. Most of the Servants Gudako encountered were temporary contracts formed during singularities, which were naturally dissolved after the singularities dissipated.

"That's good." Chaldea couldn't refuse, but even if they did, Jiang You still had the option to play this scenario. "I activate the effect of [Hundred Faces (Host)], declare a Spell Card!"

The one opened is [Cursed Wrist] Hassan, and the normal operation is yes.

"Next up is the Quick-Play Spell Card [Mastery of the Encyclopedia]. Since there are 5 Hundred Faces on the field, all of their effects apply. All Assassins on the field gain 500 ATK until the end of the turn. Destroy one Spell/Trap Card in your opponent's back row and draw 1 card from your Deck."

[Hundred Appearances] Attack Power 800 → 1300*3

[Morning Glory] Attack Power 0→500

"I want to destroy the covered card on the left."

"Then before it gets destroyed, I'll chain this card, 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 from battle is reduced to 0!" This is a card that can be used in conjunction with Tranquil Poison to destroy Servants with considerable resistance, but it doesn't have much effect.

"Next, I'll stack two Hundred Faces and Xyz Summon [Fanatical]!"

A girl next door jumped out of the shadows. She shook her head impatiently and yawned boredly. She hadn't stopped since Baimao joined Jiang You's deck. She would have adhered to Hassan's rules of concealment, but now it didn't matter.

[Kuangxinzi] Attack power 1000 → 2000

Then Wang Ha saw all her lazy movements.

Cold sweat broke out on Kuang Xinzi's forehead.

Chapter 178 I'm going to make a contract with Gudako in front of Ilya.

Wang Ha made no comment. After all, the Mad Nobunaga hadn't inherited the title of "Hassan-i-Sabah," so he wouldn't have any objections to the Mad Nobunaga's performance. Instead, he looked at the other Hassans. Most of their martial arts skills had been replicated by a follower, some even better than the original. They should know their shame!

"【Rogue】effect: Remove one Xyz Material and destroy one Servant on the field!" 【Proof of Existence】only provides Battle Destruction resistance, and Tranquility cannot withstand this attack.

Fanatic Xinzi quickly entered the state, and this time the attack of her delusional heart sound was more fierce than all the previous times. This grab almost tore Jingmi's body off. It seemed that she was eager to show off in front of Wang Ha, but Wang Ha probably didn't care about such things.

Now there is only one covered card left on the quiet field.

"Although I don't know what card it is, destroying it is no problem. I activate the Continuous Spell Card [Hundred-Man Library]. Once per turn, this card can destroy one card on the field or draw one card by Tributing one [Hassan Sabah] on the field. I Tribute [Madman] to destroy this card."

This card failed to activate and was sent to the Graveyard by Zealot.

Jiang You glanced at the face-down card sent to the graveyard. It was a [Dive Into Transformation], which had a similar effect to a kite robot in the graveyard, blocking one attack. Jiang You currently had three cards on the field dealing a total of 4000 damage, including a 500-attack Morning Glory. He only needed to summon two more Servants with 2000 or more attack points.

2000 attack power is quite troublesome for Hassan, but Jiang You doesn’t only have Hassan’s deck.

"I activate the Field Spell Card [Snow Castle]! [Snow Castle] effect: Add one [Lyserite] from the Deck to my hand!" A snow-covered castle rose up after the Golden Theater, and the biting cold wind made Gudako shiver.

Da Vinci glanced at the effect of this Field Spell Card; it was very similar to Realistic Marble, both forcibly creating a small world using their own rules, only the effect was expressed in words. This Caster card had accomplished something truly remarkable.

"The effect of [Illya] in your hand allows you to Special Summon it on the field while [Snow Castle] is present!"

[Ilya] Attack power 1500 → 2000

"...!" Ilya, still half-asleep, suddenly woke up. She first saw the Serenity and Cursed Arm opposite her; she'd seen both of these Servants in Jiang You's deck. "Assassin's become the enemy? Jiang...Caster?"

Since it was in Jiang You's treasure, her servant must be nearby. Illya quickly turned around and felt relieved after seeing the familiar person.

"Who summoned you this time? Our contract is still intact." Ilya sensed her contract with Jiang You; the connection was still there.

In reality, Jiang You's contract with Kiritsugu hadn't been broken. He only discovered this after returning to "visit his family." He was now in a state of self-adaptation, relying on the Master of the scenario to provide him with magic. Jiang You wouldn't be bound by the Command Spells anyway, so it didn't matter.

“But…” Matthew could clearly hear Jiang You say that he wanted to sign a contract with his senior.

“We were summoned by this world.” Jiang You decisively used half-true and half-false information to cover up the lie. Before Matthew could raise any doubts, he explained, “There is a disaster here that will destroy the entire history of humankind, and all kinds of heroic spirits have been forcibly conscripted.”

“Don’t use the word ‘summon’,” Tawara Tota protested. “That word is too degrading. We are heroes, after all. Isn’t it only right that we slay calamities? We are responding to the summons voluntarily.”

"Anyway, that's what I mean. Illya, just like before, I need you."

"Is that so..." Ilya had a feeling that Jiang You was hiding something from her, but Jiang You had lost to her in the Dark Game, so he had no room to lie. "In that case, remember to summon me here. You promised me you wouldn't leave me."

"I will." Jiang You didn't intend to avoid Ilya, since he only had two useful decks right now, and he was bound to let Ilya know about the situation anyway. In any case, Ilya wouldn't be in any danger of being summoned as a Duel Spirit.

When the time comes, Jiang You can simply use the excuse that his existence requires a Master to supply him with magic to sign a contract with Gudako in front of Illya. Then, a simple sentence like, "Illya, you don't want me to disappear here because of insufficient magic power, do you?" will solve the problem.

"Well then, the battle continues. I activate [Lizzelite] from my hand, send it to the Graveyard, and Special Summon [Clothes of Heaven] from my Deck!"

【Heavenly Clothes】Attack Power 1500

"2+4=6, I Synchro Summon [Illya] and [Heavenly Robe], and Special Summon [Illya (Heavenly Robe)]!"

[Illya (Heavenly Clothes)] Attack Power 2500 → 3000

"Illya's Heavenly Garment form effect: Special Summon one Servant of 4 stars or lower from the Graveyard to my field! My target is [Radiant Star Hassan]!" This time, the meteor representing the Radiant Star fell on Jiang You's field.

[Radiant Star] Attack Power 1600

"So the Hundred-Faced Hassan is here too?" Yaoxing saw the Hundred-Faced Hassan beside him and thought to himself, "As expected of the First Lord's ritual, so many Hassans have come." However, after seeing the main fighter on the other side, he fell into self-doubt. It looked like the Hassans were fighting amongst themselves.

Yaoxing glanced at Wang Ha secretly, and when he found that the first generation did not react, he swallowed his questions.

"Miss Fujimaru Ritsuka, please prepare yourself, it will hurt a bit. We're about to enter the battle phase!" Jiang You reminded Gudako that activating the effect of Shining Star requires a significant amount of health.

"Don't worry about me!" Gudako nodded; she wasn't exactly a soft-hearted girl. "Go ahead and do it!"

"[Shining Star]'s] direct attack, I activate the effect of [Shining Star], paying 2000 LP points, increasing his attack power by 2000 points!"

Jiang Yu & Fujimaru Ritsuka LP7200 → LP5200

[Radiant Star] Attack Power 1600 → 3600

"The effect of [Proof of Existence] in the graveyard negates this battle's damage!" A staggering 3600 damage was blocked, and Shining Star once again failed to achieve his goal, being sent back to the graveyard as he exerted himself beyond his limits.

"They've run out of tricks, haven't they? Now, let's unleash the attacks from [Little Morning Glory], [Hundred Faces], [Da Vinci], and [Illya (Heavenly Robe)]! A total of 7000 combat damage. We've won this ritual!" The attacks from the four Servants landed simultaneously on Tranquility and Cursed Arm, instantly wiping out their remaining health!

Serenity Hassan & Cursed Arm Hassan LP6000 → LP0!

Chapter 179 When a Character Decides Not to Be the Riddler

Cursed Arm was defeated before he could even move.

The black (?) aura Wang Ha had injected into the two Hassans dissipated as the Dark Game concluded, and the two Hassans gradually regained consciousness. However, the combination of their overdrawn spiritual base and the effects of the Dark Game had left them both extremely weak.

“Since I said I would only look at the result and not good or evil, you have won this ceremony.” Wang Ha’s gaze swept over Jiang You, and he said in a businesslike tone as much as possible, “Speak, what do you want?”

"Wow, the communication is finally connected." As the ceremony ended, the effect of King Hassan cutting off Roman's communication also disappeared, and Roman perfectly missed Jiang You's Noble Phantasm effect. "This atmosphere, did Ritsuka win? Well done, Ritsuka!"

"...First Lord, please allow us to shamelessly visit the temple." Hassan, the Cursed Arm, who was active in this era, explained their purpose to King Hassan with utmost respect, "These people intend to fight the Lion King, but to contend with the King, they lack even a fraction of the necessary strength. Please—"

In short, the purpose of the Curse of the Arms is to use Wang Ha as a fighting force to fight against Altria, the Lion King, and help break through the triple Gawain in the never-sleeping state.

But King Hassan saw right through Gudako's true nature: "You're still just as short-sighted as ever, the last Master of Man. I ask you, are you after the head of the Lion King who has fallen to godhood?"

Gudako never harbored any ill will towards anyone; all she wanted to do was save the world. "To be honest, I don't know, Mr. Wang Hassan. I can't possibly have murderous intent towards a complete stranger from the start, can I? At most, I'm just dissatisfied with her current performance."

“Senior, I hope Mr. Wang Hassan won’t be happy with this form of address?” Matthew glanced at Wang Hassan cautiously, but found that the other party did not show any dissatisfaction.

"It's alright, call me whatever you like. I have no name. I don't care about that, and there are no rules." King Hassan's reply relieved the other Servants present. Jiang You, on the other hand, felt that Gudako had practically a walkthrough, stepping on the Servant's preferences at every turn. King Hassan actually quite liked the nickname.

Of course, if Jiang You wasn't worried about Wang Ha being unhappy, he would have been more concise. At least before getting the relevant card, Jiang You would still honestly call him by his full name. He didn't dare to bet that Wang Ha's attitude towards him would be like Gudako's.

"In that case, there are some things you must know." Only two of the seven singularities remain to be conquered, and it's time for King Hassan to let Gudako know part of the truth. "The Lion King's true intentions, the Sun King's nonsense, the flaws in human reasoning, and—the beginning of everything."

"Go to the otherworld in the heart of the desert. What you seek lies there. Its name is Atlas Academy. Once it is accomplished, I will appear on the battlefield—as the sword that proclaims destiny. So…" Just as King Ha was about to give the order to Cursed Arm, Jiang You spoke.

“Lord Wang Ha, if that’s all there is to it, I already know.” Jiang You indicated that the riddle-maker was unnecessary; he didn’t want to go through the whole story. “However, let me make this clear first: after hearing this, you’ll probably still have to make the trip. This is your chance to reunite with Leonardo da Vinci and turn Lancelot against him—”

"—Speaking of which, Matthew, you should know your real name from me, right? Didn't you say anything to Lancelot here?"

"The situation was urgent, and I didn't have a prolonged direct confrontation with him." Matthew scratched her head sheepishly. She hadn't heard Bedivere's analysis of Galahad's Noble Phantasm yet, and the Noble Phantasm she unleashed wasn't in its complete form. Therefore, Lancelot didn't recognize her, and the Lancelot here was more serious; she hadn't found an opportunity to speak with him in detail.

"Then you'd better call him 'Father' properly from now on. This guy actually has no morals whatsoever." Jiang You had thought that Matthew knowing his real name beforehand would cause some changes. This disappointed him somewhat.

"Then I'll continue. It all started with the Holy Grail War in 04." Jiang You started with a bombshell. Since he'd already given away the spoilers, he might as well go all the way. Now that he had the chance, he planned to cram everything from the first part into Gudako's hands. The second part was too long; he'd just pick and choose what to tell her later.

“Wait, can this be going this far?” Dr. Roman quickly interjected. He was certain that this Caster probably had a skill similar to Clairvoyance EX, but shouldn’t people with these skills all be Riddlers, and shouldn’t they all know each other? What’s wrong with this guy? “Let’s talk about this. Didn’t the first Hassan say that everything should be completed before the Lion King achieves his goal? Let’s get back to the point.”

“Mr. Roman, it’s very important, very important. How should I put it—” Jiang You smiled maliciously. Roman’s weakness was all too obvious. “—Just like how the Magic☆Merry you promoted is actually a costume of the magician Merlin.”

"You can't be kidding me!" Roman spat out the coffee he was drinking, his pupils dilating violently. "This can't be!"

"So, even though humanity has been destroyed, Magic☆Merry's blog is still being updated. Can't you even be a little suspicious? Or have you connected the internet to another singularity? I suggest Chaldea conduct a thorough investigation into the misappropriation of public funds."