What Holy Grail War? Let's Play Cards!

"Ulalalala!" The thunderous sound of hooves rumbled across the battlefield, accompanied by an exuberant roar that drew closer by the second. A chariot, wreathed in lightning, burst onto the scene.

"With such a grand spectacle before me, how could I, Iskandar the Conqueror, possibly sit this one out?"

"You idiot, Rider! Who just blurts out their True Name like that?!" A pale-faced, trembling Waver clung to the side of the chariot, his expression twisted with terror from the reckless high-speed ride without any railings for support. His protests, however, were weak at best.

"What does it matter? A grand and open battle for the Holy Grail sounds far more enjoyable, don't you think?" Iskandar dismissed Waver's concerns with a hearty pat on the boy's back. But as he scanned the battlefield, he noticed something unusual—despite the large number of Servants gathered, no one was fighting. Yet the air was thick with overwhelming magical energy, which was precisely why he had come charging in.

"Huh? What exactly is going on here?"

Waver, after taking a moment to recover from nearly having his spine shattered by his Servant's overenthusiastic pat, finally answered, "Do you remember that strange knowledge that suddenly appeared in our minds shortly after I summoned you?"

"Oh, that thing?" Iskandar scratched his head. "I was too busy watching the military history channel—I kinda forgot." He let out a booming laugh, as if to brush off his own negligence.

"You… seriously…" Waver sighed. "Anyway, one of the Servants here has a Noble Phantasm that rewrote the rules of battle. Instead of direct combat, we're now competing by pulling out aspects of Servants, Masters, and their historical concepts in the form of cards. Even potential futures are included. Honestly, I'm kinda curious to see what my own future looks like."

"Ohhh~" Iskandar's face lit up in understanding. "Now this is interesting! A Conqueror King like myself can't just remain trapped in the past—I'll have to show everyone what I'm truly capable of! And you, boy! As my Master, your future is bound to be one of greatness!"

But neither of them received a response. Everyone's attention remained fixed on the two figures at the center of the battlefield—except for a certain golden-haired "lemonhead," who seemed distinctly unimpressed.

"I activate Epic of the First Hero!" Gilgamesh raised his hand, displaying his cards for all to see. "This card can only be played if I have at least four other cards in my hand. By activating it, I discard my entire hand and add one copy of Gilgamesh (Archer) to my hand, then draw two additional cards!"

A golden glow surrounded him as he made his declaration.

"Bask in the glory of your king, mongrels!" Gilgamesh continued, throwing three equipment cards from his graveyard into the void. "I now Special Summon myself in Attack Position!"

Gilgamesh (Archer) – ATK 3000

The golden king stepped onto the battlefield, radiating an overwhelming presence.

"Next, I activate my effect—adding one Continuous Spell Card, Gate of Babylon, from my deck to my hand! And now, by activating Gate of Babylon, I can summon as many Equipment Spell Cards from my deck as possible and equip them to a Servant on my field!"

A golden light burst forth from behind Gilgamesh as countless treasures emerged from his vault.

Durandal, the Pristine Blade – Grants +500 ATK; equipped Servant cannot be destroyed in battle.

Dáinsleif, the Cursed Blade – Grants +500 ATK; negates one targeting effect per turn.S

Word of Ruinous Dawn – Grants +500 ATK; negates one Spell or Trap effect per turn.

Slayer of the Undying – Grants +500 ATK; prevents the attacked target from activating effects until the end of the Damage Step.

Gilgamesh (Archer) – ATK 3000 → 5000

"And I'm not done yet! I activate the Spell Card Hero King's Diplomacy, banishing one Equipment Spell from my hand to add one Level 8 or lower Lancer Servant from my deck to my hand. There is, of course, only one man worthy of being my equal."

The golden king's eyes gleamed as he returned three of his banished Equipment Spells to his deck.

"I now Special Summon Enkidu (Lancer)! Come forth, my dearest friend—let us once again unite heaven and earth!"

The ground trembled as vibrant flowers bloomed, and life-infused earth coalesced into a humanoid form. A figure of verdant hue gracefully stepped onto the battlefield—Enkidu, the divine construct created by the gods themselves.

Enkidu (Lancer) – ATK 2500

The opposing player, Jiang You, frowned as he examined his hand. Seriously? He even has Blood Demon D?(TL Note: Aka. "Destiny HERO - Plasma,") The situation had just grown even more difficult. The eight-star restriction was a problem—most of his own Servants were six stars or lower, and the only one capable of activating effects on the field was the ten-star Justica of the Feathers (TL Note: Not sure on this one.). If he couldn't remove Enkidu from play, his options would be severely limited.

"Gil… I didn't expect to meet you again in circumstances like these." Enkidu smiled gently, their expression as serene as a spring breeze. Their warmth even softened Gilgamesh's usually sharp demeanor.

"Indeed. I'm just as surprised as you are." Gilgamesh smirked but didn't hide his joy. "For your sake, I'll even grant some praise to this third-rate Caster. However, know this—when I fight alongside my dearest friend, we are invincible! Struggle all you like!"

Jiang You took a deep breath. "My turn. Draw!"

"I activate Unfulfilled Promise!" He needed to find a way to break through—something like Origin Bullet would do the trick.

Gilgamesh sneered. "Did I allow you to do that?" With a dismissive wave of his hand, he activated his effect. He wasn't sure what Jiang You's card did, but his instincts told him it had to be stopped. "I tribute Sword of Ruinous Dawn to negate your Spell Card! And thanks to Gate of Babylon, every time I tribute an Equipment Spell, my opponent takes 500 LP damage!"

"Not so fast." Jiang You revealed another card in his hand. "I chain Magus Killer's Reconnaissance to negate and destroy your effect."

A crackling energy surged through the battlefield, and the Sword of Ruinous Dawn shattered before it could be sacrificed.

Gilgamesh (Archer) – ATK 5000 → 4500

"Next, I send Kiritsugu Emiya to the graveyard to search for Castle of Snow. And then, using Kiritsugu Emiya's effect, I add Origin Bullet to my hand!"

Gilgamesh scoffed, visibly annoyed at how his opponent had outmaneuvered him. "Hmph! Resorting to cheap tricks. You dare embarrass me before my friend?"

Jiang You ignored the taunt. "I activate Origin Bullet, targeting—Enkidu!"

"Like hell I'll allow that!" Gilgamesh roared. "I refuse to let my dearest friend be struck down by such a petty tactic! I tribute Dáinsleif to negate Origin Bullet, and you'll take another 500 damage!"

A cursed blade shot out from the Gate of Babylon, piercing Jiang You's spell and shattering it midair.

Jiang You winced at the sharp pain from the backlash, but he was already adapting to the duel's physical feedback.

Jiang You LP: 4000 → 3500Gilgamesh (Archer) ATK: 4500 → 4000

Almost there… just two Equipment Spells left. If I can break through those last negations, I can turn this duel around!