What Holy Grail War? Let's Play Cards!

"My turn, draw!"

Using Crest Worms on Artoria? Now? Here?

Artoria only had three instances of target immunity—it wouldn't hold up against the Crest Worms' effect. But this duel was purely for entertainment; Lancelot's goal was to have Artoria strike him down. Jiang You glanced at his hand and decided there was no need to make things ugly.

Might as well test out a new card.

"I Normal Summon [Matou Sakura] and activate her effect to add [Emiya Kiritsugu] to my hand."

Having just stepped out of the Emiya residence in search of a hideout, Matou Sakura found herself drawn into Jiang You's duel.

"Caster?" Based on her knowledge, Caster's Noble Phantasm could only generate past, present, and future versions of himself and his Master. So why had she been summoned directly? Still, given her personality, she didn't ask outright.

Jiang You gave her a nod before continuing. "I activate [Sakura's Dream]—this card can only be played if [Matou Sakura] is on the field. It allows me to use a [Holy Grail] Spell Card from my Deck as Fusion Material. Come forth, Sakura! Pour out all your resentment and sorrow!"

A surge of black mud engulfed Matou Sakura. Within the swirling darkness, a new, corrupted form emerged.

Her once-violet hair had turned unnaturally pale, and her upper body was tightly wrapped in black magical bindings. Around her waist, crimson markings, pulsating like veins, spread across her legs like blooming spider lilies. The result was both eerily beautiful and ominous.

[Matou Sakura – Black Holy Grail] ATK: 2400

"This form… feels uncomfortable." Matou Sakura recognized this as a version of herself from the future. The violent magical energy coursing through her made her uneasy.

"Apologies. It seems these forms affect your perception. I'll be more careful next time," Jiang You said, trying to maintain a good rapport.

"It's fine. I trust Caster," Sakura replied with a shake of her head. "I can still help you."

That trust rose a bit too fast, Jiang You thought, marveling at the power of Soul Bonds. "Then I'll leave it to you. I activate [Matou Sakura – Black Holy Grail]'s effect. Upon successful summon, I can Special Summon as many [Shadow Spawn (1000/1000)] Tokens as possible in Attack Position."

[Shadow Spawn] ATK: 1000 *4

Dark-red magical creatures, matching the aesthetic of Sakura's corrupted form, filled the battlefield.

"Next, I activate Sakura's other effect: by Tributing two [Shadow Spawn], I can take control of one enemy Servant. Artoria, you're coming with me."

"King… Tristan felt unworthy to face you, so he asked me to relay his message," Lancelot said as Artoria stood on the opposing side. With his goal accomplished, he sighed in relief and delivered Tristan's words. The fallen knight had wished for Artoria to follow her own heart, assuring her that the Round Table would support her—not for her to carry the burden alone and make sacrifices she never wanted.

But Artoria was in no state to accept those words. Fresh from the Battle of Camlann, she could no longer distinguish between her true desires and the duty imposed upon her.

"No… Tristan was right. I don't understand people's hearts. It was my stubbornness that led to this. If only I had never drawn the Sword in the Stone, the Round Table would not have fallen into ruin…"

"King Arthur, you are too perfect… and yet, you strive to become even more so. The fall of Camelot was not your fault. That is why I regret it so deeply. Even in the face of my betrayal, you never condemned me, never demanded my atonement. You merely stood ahead of us all, unwavering, guiding us toward righteousness. I always longed for you to judge me, to strike me down in fury. If you had condemned me, I would not have walked this twisted path in search of redemption…"

Lancelot laid bare his regrets to Artoria.

"No… That's not true…" Fresh from Camlann, Artoria was at her lowest. The vulnerability she had long cast aside was now laid bare. "It was because I wasn't perfect that the Round Table crumbled. It was all my fault."

"…My king."

Jiang You, finding their prolonged exchange unbearable, decided to cut straight to the point.

"Let me sum this up: King Arthur's true wish is for the Round Table to last a lifetime. She wants to build a Camelot that endures forever. Damn, lady, I didn't know you had such gravitational pull. Nothing lasts forever! The Round Table only existed because of you. Without you, those fools would've torn each other apart ages ago. Camelot's fall and the end of the Age of Gods were inevitable—it didn't matter who was in charge."

Then he pointed at Lancelot.

"And as for this melodramatic knight over here, he's basically confessing to you, Artoria. This dude's been dead for ages and still can't spit out his real feelings. The moment he found out your true nature, he admired you. Then he fell for you. And because he betrayed you and never got the punishment he thought he deserved, he spiraled into self-loathing. This is a classic 'love turns into resentment' scenario. That's why he's here, begging you to personally execute him."

"?" Artoria, overwhelmed by the sheer impact of this revelation, froze in place, staring at Lancelot. "Lancelot… is what he said true?"

Lancelot, realizing that all his carefully cultivated atmosphere had been utterly destroyed, felt his efforts crumble to dust. What was supposed to be a solemn heart-to-heart between sovereign and vassal had turned into a tangled emotional mess.

In the end, he gave up and yelled, "Yes, my king! I admired you! I loved you! A fragile girl shouldering the fate of a kingdom, standing tall against all odds, carving out a path for us all—I couldn't take my eyes off you! You were brilliant, you were beautiful, and I longed for your gaze! Even if it was filled with anger and not forced forgiveness for the sake of duty!"

For the first time in forever, Lancelot felt unburdened. There were no regrets left for this Holy Grail War.

"You… I…" The wounds of Camlann, the regret and pain, and now Lancelot's raw confession—it was all too much for Artoria. She was utterly lost.

"…Have you ever been disappointed in me?" she finally asked.

"Never, my king," Lancelot replied without hesitation. "As long as you follow your heart, no matter what choice you make, we will stand by you! Now, please, pass judgment upon this shameful knight!"

Jiang You, in the meantime, had instructed Matou Sakura to patch up Lancelot's remaining LP. With only 1600 left, he was within Artoria's lethal range.

Artoria turned to Jiang You, hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"Then, Artoria, attack Lancelot directly—Excalibur!"

A torrent of golden energy surged forward, engulfing Lancelot. Within that radiant flood, Lancelot's expression softened into one of peace.

Lancelot LP: 1600 → 0