What Holy Grail War? Let's Play Cards!

Portal weirdly deleted my chapter... had to redo it. weird

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"Yikes! Xiao Jiang-ge, your eyes are terrifying! Tell me, did you secretly take out your boss?"

As Jiang You slurped his noodles and contemplated which key characters he should eliminate in the Fifth Holy Grail War to collect Soul Crystals, Xiao He suddenly leaned in mysteriously and asked cautiously.

"What are you even saying? Sure, that bald guy is annoyingly talkative, but at least he never docked my pay. Don't slander me." Jiang You gave Xiao He a baffled look before realizing she seemed genuinely startled.

Xiao He pulled out a small mirror and gestured for him to take a look. "Then why do you look like this, Jiang-ge?"

Damn, he really did look like a fugitive on the run.

Jiang You quickly rubbed his forehead and pushed the thoughts of strategizing murder out of his mind. It seemed the game's realism was a double-edged sword—he was getting so immersed that he even developed actual killing intent. He needed to report this and request a reduction in the game's realism feedback.

But getting bloodthirsty just from a card game? That was a bit absurd. Jiang You began to wonder if he was naturally predisposed to violence.

He had to adjust his mindset. Less "kill and loot," more "enjoy the game." After all, there was a limit to how many Soul Crystals he could collect.

"Just sleep deprivation from staying up too late," Jiang You brushed it off while finishing his noodles. The plot wouldn't wait for him.

Once Jiang You left the restaurant, time inside froze once more.

"This time, you acted too hastily," the proprietress said, fixing Xiao He with a piercing gaze. "You wove a lie for him, and he accepted it. To him, these so-called humans he perceives as illusions are nothing more than materials to be harvested—it makes perfect sense. You've already set an artificial limit for him, and now you're layering another deception. Aren't you afraid of creating inconsistencies?"

"If we don't reinforce this concept, he could break through our restrictions at any time. Whether he notices the flaws or decides to devour all human souls entirely, neither outcome is acceptable to us."

The proprietress remained expressionless. "For a brief moment, he harbored the thought of exterminating humanity. I managed to capture that thought. You once said he embodies the absolute concept of 'humanity,' didn't you?"

"What are you trying to do?!" For the first time, the so-called Xiao He displayed a vivid expression outside of Jiang You's presence.

"You used the power of the 'Grand' rank to protect him. Naturally, I can use other means as well. His consciousness restrains itself, but the malice he has released will not bind itself. I don't want to waste this opportunity." The proprietress gazed at the sky. "I want to survive."

-

When Jiang You logged back in, he saw an unusually lively Illyasviel tugging at a reluctant Matou Sakura, trying to get her to play along.

"You brought Illya here? I thought you were worried the Holy Grail War would harm her?"

Emiya Kiritsugu, puffing irritably on his cigarette, scrutinized Jiang You before exhaling a long stream of smoke.

"Allow me to answer that, Caster-sama," responded a bowing maid from the Einzbern family. As an artificial human, she bore the unmistakable features of the Einzbern lineage. However, her overly similar appearance made it difficult for Jiang You to tell who she was.

Noticing his confusion, the maid helpfully introduced herself, "My name is Leysritt. I serve as Illyasviel-sama's caretaker. Thanks to you, the Einzbern family has obtained the key to recreating the Third Magic. Our lord, Jubstacheit von Einzbern, knows of your interest in Illyasviel-sama and has specifically arranged for us to bring her here. From now on, both Illyasviel-sama and all the homunculi here are yours to command. Please issue your orders."

Jiang You's inbox pinged with a notification: [Leysritt] x1, [Sella] x1 acquired.

Neither card bore the Einzbern surname, but they could still be used as Einzbern cards, which expanded his deck options.

Too bad he didn't get the full set of three.

Jiang You started considering how to increase the maids' affection levels.

"For now, I have no orders. Just continue with your usual duties," he said. These two maids, despite being named NPCs in the original work, barely had any plot significance, making it difficult to approach them with a clear strategy. Besides, Jiang You still needed to take Sakura to the Tohsaka residence today—he could deal with this later.

"Understood, Caster-sama," Leysritt bowed again. "If you ever require anything, you may command the entire Einzbern family at will. In this Holy Grail War, you may proceed as you wish or withdraw entirely. The Einzberns possess the means to sustain a Servant's presence for an extended period. You need not worry—we will support you no matter what."

Since the Einzbern family had already obtained the Soul Crystals, they had no further reason to participate in the Holy Grail War. In other words, their allegiance had shifted from Kiritsugu to Jiang You.

No wonder Kiritsugu looked like a man who had lost both his family and career. This was his midlife crisis in full swing.

Jiang You patted Kiritsugu on the shoulder. "Don't worry too much. I'm still on your side for now. Honestly, I showed you the true nature of the Holy Grail, and yet you still haven't given up. I gotta say, I respect that. Besides, worrying is pointless—your Command Seals don't work on me anyway, do they?"

"You sure know how to comfort people," Kiritsugu said wryly, staring at his Servant—his daughter's 'master.' If not for the fact that he'd likely lose, plus the battle rules had been rewritten, he would have already fought Jiang You himself. "Your Noble Phantasm is undeniable. It connects past and future—it's immensely powerful. But your very existence has altered the future. We can't be certain whether recorded information remains accurate. I must witness the Holy Grail's condition firsthand. If it truly is what you claim, then I absolutely cannot allow anyone else to obtain it."

"You make a good point," Jiang You nodded. His presence had already led to the Saber class being summoned and dismissed instantly, and the Berserker-class Lancelot had also essentially dropped out of the war. The entire storyline had been turned on its head. It was no surprise that the Holy Grail's condition had also changed.

"Thinking about it now won't help. I'm heading to the Zenjou residence today. Get ready, Kiritsugu."

"Zenjou?" Kiritsugu narrowed his eyes. "According to my intel, that's the family of Tohsaka Aoi, Tohsaka Tokiomi's wife… Using a target's family as leverage is an effective tactic, but with your Noble Phantasm, that shouldn't be necessary. Are you planning to bypass duels and attack directly?"

Kiritsugu subtly distanced himself from Jiang You, considering the possibility that he might be an imposter Servant. Jiang You was eccentric, but fundamentally, he was a morally inclined Servant.

"What the hell are you thinking? I meant gifts—I'm taking Sakura to visit!" Jiang You snapped, chastising Kiritsugu for his cutthroat assumptions.