How come the Ace of Cups isn't considered the Holy Grail?

"Ha, but this can be considered as fully enjoying the fun of the Holy Grail War, right?"

A cool night breeze brushed against the face of the Lion Jie Jie, who was puffing out smoke, returning all the secondhand smoke he had just exhaled while making sarcastic remarks.

Lion Jie Li: "..."

Well, this brand of cigarettes not only tastes bad, but the secondhand smoke also smells terrible. I won't buy it again next time.

He casually stubbed out his cigarette, and Shiki Jie Li's eyes, hidden behind his sunglasses, quickly scanned the street.

Aside from the previous explosion, there doesn't seem to be any trace of further battle left... Is it a Noble Phantasm capable of restoring the environment?

No, in that case, the traces of the explosion should also be restored...

Did Ruler defeat the Assassin in an instant?

Haha, how could that be...?

It must have been by using Ruler's privileges to use Command Seals to force the Assassin to commit suicide, right?

Shi Zijie chuckled inwardly, but in reality, he wasn't very optimistic about either of his guesses.

After all, if that were the case, Yuto should have dealt with the other party much earlier and then gone to find them, instead of them coming to find Yuto to meet up as they are now.

Could it be that Yuuto was chatting with that Assassin all this time, and only took him down when they arrived?

Isn’t this too strange?

Unable to figure it out, Shizi Jieli gave up thinking and suppressed the question in his heart. He looked around and his eyes lit up when he saw a white car parked on the side of the road.

wow-

After smashing the glass and opening the car door from the inside, Shiki-kai extended an invitation to the speechless Yuu-do and the hesitant Leticia.

"Is there anything else you need to do, Ruler? If not, how about I take you to Tulifas?"

“There’s no need—well, I mean, we’re planning to fly back to Tulipas tomorrow, so we won’t trouble you. Also…”

Yuto recalled the distance between Sighishwara and Tulifas on the map and couldn't help but look at the car of Shishijie Jieli with an expression of 'old man's phone on the subway'.

"Have you thought about how long it would take to get to Tulipas by car?"

"Hmm... if we travel at full speed, it should only take a day to reach Tulifas, right?"

A necromancer uttered words in a nonchalant tone that terrified the believers of the Lord.

Leticia had absolutely no desire to experience what it was like to spend a whole day in a car!

Yu Du: "...No need."

I hope you won't be late tomorrow, Amen...

Chapter 148 The Prelude to the War

On a medieval-style street, a man in a white trench coat stands before a three-headed white dragon, blue patterns resembling magical circuits illuminating its body.

[A dazzling light converged from the mouths of the white dragon's three heads, and under the man's cold gaze, torrents of light and heat shot across the sky and the earth.]

Two scorching beams of light pierced the clouds, while another left a charred mark on the earth. Then, the three beams converged at a single point, and the excessive light and heat engulfed the small figure...

The shadows of the leaves fell into the pavilion with the dappled sunlight. Amakusa Shiro Tokisada suddenly opened his eyes, only to be met with the face of his servant, the Assassin Semiramis, who possessed a dual class.

"Oh? You're awake, Master?"

Sitting in the lakeside pavilion within her completed Noble Phantasm, "The Hanging Gardens of Vanity," Semiramis, in a good mood, looked at Amakusa Shiro Tokisada, who was lying on her lap, and asked him a question.

Faced with Semiramis's question, Amakusa Shiro Tokisada had no intention of responding at the moment, his mind replaying the scenes he had just witnessed.

Was that... a dream?

No, is it a revelation?

But what exactly does this revelation refer to...?

Amakusa Shiro Tokisada was lost in thought, the wind occasionally rippling across the shimmering water.

Ignored, Semiramis maintained her smile, showing no sign of anger, and simply repeated her words at a leisurely pace.

Are you awake?

Amakusa Shiro Tokisada: "..."

For some reason, he suddenly seemed to have a feeling that he was about to be poisoned... Was this also a revelation?

A strong will to survive (?) stimulated his brain, bringing him back to his senses quickly.

"Ah...sorry, I just woke up and my reaction is still a bit slow..." He got up from his servant's lap pillow, stood next to the bench, and smiled at Semiramis.

"Although I really want to ask why I'm lying on your lap—" Seeing Semiramis's smile grow even wider, Amakusa Shiro Tokisada quickly changed the subject.

"But thank you anyway, Assassin..."

Having heard the answer she wanted, Semiramis withdrew her hand, which had been about to take out something less than friendly.

"Hmm, it's nothing. After all, you're my Master, and I sometimes feel like doing things like a Servant~"

As for what she originally intended to take...

Who knows?

"Let's put that aside for now. I came here to inform you of something." Semiramis looked up and met Amakusa Shiro Tokisada's gaze: "The time has come."

Amakusa Shiro Tokisada knew what she was talking about.

The time has come for this illusory courtyard to rise into the sky and reveal its true form to the world.

"Well, let's go."

……

Tulipas.

"Isn't it time yet?"

Yuuto and Letishia, who had leisurely slept in their hotel in Sighishwara until noon, were now having lunch in a café after arriving by riding a Blue-Eyes Jet Dragon.

It is said that Bolognese pasta is not available in Bologna itself.

What is this pasta version of Chongqing chicken hot pot?

Because the clerk's description was interesting, Yudo chose it for his lunch, and Leticia, who had never tried it before, also ordered one.

Minced pork, beef, smoked bacon, carrots, and celery are mixed and stir-fried in tomato broth to make a meat sauce. This sweet and sour, flavorful meat sauce is perfect for mixing with noodles.

The pasta used in this dish is a bit wider than regular pasta, with a thick sauce coating the surface and a sprinkle of white cheese powder. Just by looking at it, you know it will taste amazing.

Even when enjoying delicious food while hungry, Leticia's attention was always drawn to Yuuto, who kept checking the time.

"Is Mr. Yudou waiting for someone?"

She scooped a spoonful of meat sauce into her mouth, savoring the flavors and textures of pork, beef, bacon, and vegetables intertwining in her mouth.

"Hmm... if I had to say, what I'm waiting for right now is a castle... or perhaps a courtyard?"

Yu Du, whose plate was already empty, sighed helplessly as he watched her happily eating, his right hand holding the spoon itching to use.

He was actually already full, but for some reason, the food on other people's plates just looked more delicious.

I don't know if it's a lingering effect of watching mukbangs and food videos while eating in the past...

"Castle? Courtyard?" Leticia wasn't quite sure what Yudu meant. After all, even an ordinary person like her knew that these two things... well, they wouldn't just grow legs and run over by themselves.

How could we possibly wait that long?

Leticia looked up and noticed Yuuto staring intently at her lunch. She subconsciously moved her plate closer to herself, then hesitated for a moment before pushing it back.

Yu Du: "..."

Why do I suddenly feel so ashamed...?

"Hey, you eat, I'm already full..."

After saying that, You Du left the store under the pretext of buying a drink, but—

Leticia and the barista who brought coffee to the next table exchanged a glance.

They're in a coffee shop... right?

……

evening.

Semiramis's Hanging Gardens rise from a forest.

The enormous city fortress rose into the sky after shaking off the excess soil and vegetation it had brought with it. Its size, almost equivalent to that of a small country, went unnoticed by anyone thanks to the magic.

Under Semiramis's control, the entire courtyard moved toward the castle of Yggdmirena at a seemingly slow but actually rapid pace.

Achilles and Atalanta were still marveling at the extravagance of the building, and couldn't help but remark on Semiramis's behavior, which was completely unlike that of an Assassin.

Building a territory and then driving it to attack other places seems more like Caster's approach, doesn't it?

What kind of Assassin would go to such lengths to assassinate someone?

A certain Grand Assassin: Thinking about me?

Using this aerial fortress, the Red Team's Servants quickly entered the visible range of Yggdrasilena Castle after nightfall.

After that, countless dragon teeth used to create dragon tooth soldiers were poured out of the fortress, like a rain of dragon teeth.

Sharp dragon fangs pierced the ground, and under the influence of magic, they quickly grew from the ground into legions of dragon tooth soldiers, marching in disarray toward the black side's castle.

Semiramis sat on her throne, watching the Black Faction's castle in the distance with great interest through magic.

Now, the war has begun!

How should you deal with this?

Chapter 149 Total War

"It seems those guys on the Red Team are planning to use this grassland outside the castle as their battlefield..."

In the main hall of Yggdrasilia Castle, because the Red Team had transported various magical materials into the country before the operation began, Lancer Vlad III of the Black Team noticed something was amiss early on.

Now, observing the Red Team's rather flamboyant actions through magic, the Black Team Servants, gathered together, are discussing how to proceed with the next phase of the war.

Simply put—

Who will be responsible for guarding the castle and protecting their Master?

After all, the Red Team will definitely have some people staying in that ridiculously large aerial fortress. What if they all come out and the other side attacks the castle directly in the aerial fortress?

However, in order to protect their Master's safety, they could not possibly take their Master with them to the battlefield.

Normally, in this situation, one would choose from either the Archer class, which can provide remote support, or the Caster class, which has the skill of building fortifications, namely Chiron and Avisbro, to be responsible for guarding the castle.

This way, they can protect their Master while also providing support on the battlefield at any time, making it arguably the best option.

However, since Siegfried had previously fought against the Red Rider Achilles and knew that it would be difficult for anyone other than Chiron to break through the opponent's defenses, he ultimately decided to have Avisbro, as the Caster, stay behind to guard the castle and decide when to release the captured Red Berserker into the battlefield.

Chiron was only responsible for commanding the artificial humans as soldiers at the very beginning of the war, ready to fight Achilles at any time.

“This time, the other side wants a full-scale confrontation, so…” Vlad III’s gaze lingered on Siegfried and Astolfo for a moment.

These two were punished for failing to handle the situation properly and letting the android escape. They were only released today.

"Saber, Rider, I will not ask about what happened before. You will show me your strength as dragon-slaying heroes and the twelve warriors of Charlemagne in this war!"

Siegfried: (Nods)

"Okay! Leave it to me!" Astolfo gave a cute smile, and even though he suddenly transformed into a battle-ready persona, he still couldn't escape the category of cute.

"This great battle is my mission!"

“Very good! So, gentlemen…” Vlad III was very satisfied with their attitude. His gaze swept over their faces, which were filled with fighting spirit. He brandished his weapon and pointed it at Semiramis’s Sky Garden on the screen.

"Let us bury all these barbarians who have defiled our territory and made such arrogant and despicable laughs on this land!"

"The war has begun!"

Vlad III was the first to rush out of the castle, riding ahead on horseback. Siegfried and Frankenstein followed behind him on foot, while Astolfo flew in the air on his eagle.

Behind them, neatly arranged homunculi and stone golems formed a square formation, advancing towards the Sky Garden under the command of Chiron and Avisbro, respectively.

Just as the two 'armies' were about to clash, two inconspicuous arrows suddenly shot out from the Sky Garden toward the thick clouds in the sky.

The next moment, an exaggeratedly bright light flashed.

Countless arrows, dense enough to terrify even those without trypophobia, rained down from the sky. The continuous barrage of arrows landed on the Black faction's side and lasted for quite some time before being neutralized by the lightning released by Frankenstein.