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

"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], sacrifice [Matou Shinji] (★★) and [Crest Worm] (★★) from my deck to the graveyard, and ritually summon [Matou Zouken] 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.

After hearing the conversation between Jiang You and Emiya Kiritsugu, Matou Zouken confirmed that this Emiya Kiritsugu was Jiang You's master in the current timeline.

"Sir Emiya Kiritsugu. The Matou family's Master, Kariya, is doomed to failure in this Holy Grail War due to his inferior magical talent. Therefore, we wish to withdraw from this Holy Grail War. We can transfer control of our Berserker to you. Let's discuss this." Since Jiang You had no intention of cooperating, Matou Zouken sought a different approach, attempting to persuade Jiang You's Master. In his opinion, Emiya Kiritsugu could still use the Command Seals to control Jiang You.

"Caster?" Kiritsugu Emiya asked Jiang You. He was indeed a little tempted. Even though the rules of the Holy Grail War had been rewritten beyond recognition by Jiang You, the common sense that one more person meant a better chance of winning was still a common pain.

"Don't worry, you're dealing with a 6-year-old man who threw a six-year-old girl into a 'Marking Bug' for magical transformation. His crimes include, but are not limited to, molesting a young girl, inciting murder, human experimentation, and identity fraud. His specific actions are as follows..." Seeing that Emiya Kiritsugu seemed interested, Jiang You recounted Matou Zouken's actions. "So, are you sure you want to cooperate, Mr. Righteous Partner?"

Perhaps if only he knew about it, Kiritsugu Emiya would make appropriate use of Zouken Matou, but now that Jiang You has made it so clear, Kiritsugu Emiya nodded and took out his weapon in response.

"It seems your understanding of the magician profession is still limited." Matou Zouken shook his head. He felt that such a thing was too common for a magician, and he couldn't understand the two people's reasoning. "I activate the Continuous Trap Card [Book of False Minister]! Pay 1500 Life Points and equip it to [Emiya Kiritsugu]!"

An ancient book with a red cover appeared in front of Emiya Kiritsugu. After his name was engraved on it, Emiya Kiritsugu was transferred to Matou Zouken's site.

"So this is the effect of Emiya Kiritsugu. He's worthy of the title of Magician Killer." Matou Zouken nodded. Emiya Kiritsugu was indeed quite powerful. As a direct summon, he could directly break through his defenses. No wonder Jiang You prioritized him. "Because of the effect of the Book of Treason. Emiya Kiritsugu's attack power is reduced to half of its original value, and he can't activate the effect."

[Emiya Kiritsugu] Attack Power 1600→800

"Good boy, what a mass arrest! Then I activate the effect of [Illyasviel von Einzbern]. This card can be Special Summoned when there is a [Snow Castle] or an 8-star or higher 'Berserker' Servant on the field. I will Special Summon it in Attack Position. Come on, Ilya, let's continue beating up your old man."

[Illyasviel von Einzbern] Attack 1500 → 2000

Illya stepped onto the battlefield.

"No matter how many times, it feels magical." Illya was used to the feeling of being summoned into the Duel Space. Time in the Duel Space stopped for those in other time and space, and at the end of the battle, she would be teleported back to the original time in her original state. She glanced at Kiritsugu Emiya, then turned to Jiang You and asked, "Caster, who is our opponent this time? And why is Kiritsugu here?"

Jiang You pointed at the old man in front of him and said, "Matou Zouken, he bullied your father away. Now he is our enemy."

Illya stamped her feet, her tone filled with anger, "I knew it, you traitor!"

Emiya Kiritsugu: “…”

Chapter 14: Aspiring to Become a Partner of Justice

"Then I will activate the magic card [Magician Killer Intelligence Collection], negating and destroying your [Bug Magic Workshop]!" The special move that only occurs once per round is still too powerful in the current environment. Since Zouken Matou has already used up all his cards and has an empty backfield, Jiang You directly chooses to get rid of this field magic card that can increase resources.

"It's actually ineffective to destroy it again. You're so lucky that you saved your life." Matou Zouken said with some regret.

This [Bug Magic Workshop] has the same effect as [Snow Castle] in that it can be specially summoned from the deck when destroyed by the opponent's card effect.

Jiang You glanced at Matou Zouken in surprise, thinking, "Is this old man crazy? Isn't the effect written on it? If it can't be ineffective, who will explode?"

Without saying anything more, Jiang You entered the battle phase. "Then, [Illyasviel von Einzbern] attacks [Spirit Blade Bug]! Engel Lied!"

The hawk made of silver light grabbed the thorny blade insect directly. Several thorny blade insects that were formed into one tried to scatter and avoid it, but it was in vain and they were sent directly to the cemetery.

Matou Zouken inkstone LP2500→LP1500

Matou Zouken's body trembled, and he felt the life draining away. But he didn't care too much, as he could discard this decaying body at any time.

"It would be better to attack [Matou Sakura] directly, she is a bigger threat." After the attack, Illya asked Jiang You,

Of course, it's because the effect of [Spiky Blade Bug] is that it can attack directly.

Jiang You then realized that characters couldn't see each other's card descriptions. Because the only people he'd been fighting against before, besides the confused security guy who'd been forcibly dragged over, were the Einzberns, both sides knew exactly what the cards were doing.

However, the Yu-Gi-Oh anime world is designed this way, with neither player knowing the effects of their opponent's cards. Only cards that have appeared once will have corresponding information. I didn't expect that this also follows the original work.

"Oh, that's not right. Kiritsugu seemed to have reminded me before. So that thing is a guide for beginners?" Jiang You didn't know whether to praise or criticize the design of this thing.

"Of course I kept her here to prove to her that I have the ability to rescue her. I will let her see with her own eyes that I defeat the old bug, take her out to bask in the sun, and beat up her irresponsible biological father, Lao Deng." Jiang You felt that there was no need to tell the truth to the NPCs. The fact that it would be too troublesome to explain to these NPCs with their intelligence level was secondary. It would be too troublesome if they thought he was cheating. He made up a reason on the spot.

"Do you have a special fascination with scenes of daughters beating their fathers?" Illya couldn't help but complain when she heard Jiang You's words.

[Matou Sakura Favorability Reward [Matou Sakura]*1 has been sent via email, please claim it promptly]

Seeing the email he suddenly received, Jiang You looked at Matou Sakura with the same hot eyes as Matou Zōken had looked at him before.

Feeling Jiang You's gaze, Matou Sakura had to look away from Jiang You. It was hard to tell whether it was joy or disgust in her lifeless pupils.

"Just tell me whether Emiya Kiritsugu should fight or not?" Jiang You also retracted his gaze and responded to Illya.

"You're right, he deserves a beating!" Illya agreed.

"No, Caster, you should at least explain the situation to her. Explain to her the effect of the next card." Realizing that he was about to suffer an unexpected disaster, Kiritsugu Emiya hurriedly persuaded Jiang You to defend himself.

Jiang You ignored it and ended his turn in the backfield by covering two cards.

"It's my turn, draw a card! Looks like I'm lucky. I activate the Spell Card [Founding Three], targeting a face-up [Tōsaka, Masaki, Einzbern]. The designated card's ATK increases by 1000, and I flip over the top 7 cards of my deck for confirmation. I select a Servant from those 7 to Special Summon, and banish the other 6 cards face-down!"

[Matou Zouken] Attack power 1800 → 2800

Seven cards were spread out in front of Zouken Matou. "Well, this is it. I Special Summon [Crest Bug]!"

【Marking Bug】★★ Attack Power 500

A magical creature with an appearance that was difficult to judge appeared on the field. Faced with this thing, Illya covered her mouth with an embarrassed look and took a few steps back, while Sakura Matou did not react at all, obviously she was numb.

"Well then, I'll put myself in attack mode and enter the battle phase! First, [Marking Bug] attacks [Illyasviel von Einzbern]!"

"Are you crazy?" Illya was surprised by Zouken Matou's suicidal behavior. Zouken Matou's remaining LP was reduced to zero because of this blow.

Jiang You naturally wouldn't let him succeed. "Activate the cover card [Confuse Master]! When the opponent declares an attack, I can redesignate my target. The target I want to designate is myself!"

Jiangyou LP4000→LP3500

"What a sharp intuition! Damage dealt to the [Marking Bug] in battle is negated, and targets that fight and destroy the [Marking Bug] will lose control of it. However, considering my limited lifespan, this seems a bit deliberate." Matou Zouken was not disappointed. "Then next, I [Matou Zouken] will attack [Illyasviel von Einzbern]!"

Dense swarms of tiny flying insects gathered around Matou Zou, forming a black mist.

Jiang You also counterattacked, "Activate the Trap Card [Supporting Shot]! When the opponent's monster declares an attack, you can only activate it by targeting 1 attacking monster. Destroy that attacking monster. Get down, Matou Zouken!"

"It's useless. I'll activate my own effect and liberate [Emiya Kiritsugu]! This destruction will be negated!" Matou Zouken laughed loudly, obviously quite satisfied with his own results. The ability to stay on the field all the time was exactly what he wanted.

"Go without worry, Emiya Kiritsugu. I will inherit your righteous path."

Before being released, Emiya Kiritsugu saw Jiang You giving him a thumbs-up. Before leaving, he made a final struggle: "At least explain it to Illya!"

"Emiya Kiritsugu's effect: When this card goes to the Graveyard due to its effect, add a [Origin Bullet] from your deck to your hand."

Matou Zouken's smile suddenly vanished. "Doesn't the [Book of Treason] negate the effects of [Emiya Kiritsugu]?"

"Because the Book of False Minister had been destroyed when Emiya Kiritsugu left the field, not to mention that the condition for it to be invalid is that it exists on the field." Jiang You was very satisfied with this teaching game.

Matou Zouken snorted coldly, "Then [Illyasviel von Einzbern] will still be destroyed by battle!"

"Don't lose, I'm still waiting for you to summon me again. Besides, I haven't been able to beat Kiritsugu yet!" Illya smiled at Jiang You and was then overwhelmed by the swarm of insects.

Jiangyou LP3500→LP2700

"Sakura, launch a direct attack on Caster!"

Matou Sakura took out a bow and arrow from somewhere, took aim, and shot Jiang You in the chest. A barely perceptible apology flashed in her eyes.

Jiangyou LP2700→LP1500

"Okay, it's my turn now. For Sakura, I'm going to defeat you this round!"