What Holy Grail War? Let's Play Cards! (Fate/Yugioh)

Even with Medea's assistance, the group arrived at the village in roughly half the time it would have taken normally, but they were still too late. The knights had already stormed the settlement.

Though not as powerful as Heroic Spirits, the Enforcement Knights' sturdy armor and razor-sharp greatswords made them virtually impenetrable fortresses against the Mountain Folk. Their advance was less of an assault and more of a slaughter, with men, women, and children alike falling before their blades.

"Illya! Medea!"

Unlike the situation in Fuyuki, stalling for time here would be pointless; there was no way to force the Lion King's rapid retreat. With ample combat power at his disposal, Jiang You refrained from including the villagers within the range of his Noble Phantasms. Instead, he ordered his servants and former Master to clear out the remaining enemy forces.

"Lancelot!"

Faced with an elite opponent, Jiang You immediately sent his strongest servant to test Tristan's mettle. After all, what better way to face a Camelot Knight than with another of the Round Table?

"Ahrrrrrr—"

By now, Mash was already locked in close combat with Tristan. Lancelot, without waiting for Jiang You's command, charged forward, his Flawless Arondight slashing relentlessly at Tristan's vital points.

Though Mad Lancelot's Arondight differed in color from the Saber-class Lancelot's, Tristan recognized the weapon instantly.

"Lancelot?"

Tristan identified the black knight, who made no attempt to conceal his true identity. Narrowing his eyes, Tristan glanced at Mash. Galahad's presence was overwhelmingly strong, and as a Knight of the Round Table chosen by the Holy Grail, Galahad had never responded to the Lion King's summons. If Galahad were here, Lancelot's rebellion would be understandable, especially given his past betrayals.

Just as Tristan was about to speak, he carefully examined Lancelot and found no trace of the Lion King's Blessing. He quickly realized this Lancelot wasn't the one summoned by the Lion King.

"Ah... how truly sorrowful. Faced with attacks from two Knights of the Round Table, I have no choice but to retaliate with the King's Blessing. But this power isn't mine to freely control; it's a merciless blade that strikes even the weak without hesitation... Ah, my heart aches."

Protected by a special blessing, Tristan effortlessly parried the duo's attacks. His harp, strung with magical fibers, unleashed sonic Vacuum Arrows that halted their advance, preventing them from budging an inch.

"To think you'd dare appear before me in such a state... You're truly repulsive, little more than beasts. Even the King wouldn't forgive such a grotesque form. Allow me to sever your heads and burn you and this wretched village to ashes."

"Ahrrrrrr!!!!"

In his berserker state, Lancelot obeyed Jiang You's commands without question, his primal instinct driving him to protect Mash. He ignored Tristan's taunts, relentlessly continuing his ferocious assault.

"You're mistaken—there are three of us! Enough, Tristan!"

Bedivere had arrived, witnessing other servants already engaging the enemy elsewhere. He immediately joined the fray, launching an attack on Tristan.

"...Another one. I never imagined you'd join this battlefield, let alone oppose us. How tragic..."

Tristan earned his moniker "The Child of Sadness" for good reason. Li Shuwen, Sima Yi, and the Umu Monster shared similar fates.

"Tragic? Nothing is more tragic than your own actions!"

Bedivere couldn't comprehend Tristan's actions. The Knights of the Round Table he knew would never behave this way. "Has the dignity of the Round Table truly fallen so low? Or is this what the King now intends?"

"You only see the King..."

Tristan tried to launch into his signature "the King doesn't understand the hearts of the people" routine, but Lancelot gave him no chance, unleashing a relentless barrage of ferocious attacks.

"Surrounded by three Knights of the Round Table... Now I have no choice but to fight seriously. Killing three knights who once fought side-by-side... Will the sorrow of this ever heal?"

Empowered by the Blessing, Tristan unleashed his full power. Due to Jiang You's early arrival, Cursed Arm, Xuanzang, and Tawara Tōta, who were supposed to join the battle according to the script (though even if they had arrived, they might not have been able to defeat Tristan in time), were nowhere to be seen. The three Servants struggled to withstand Tristan's Noble Phantasm.

"Looks like this Blessing is quite useful. Mind sharing some?" Jiang You deliberately approached Tristan, realizing that conventional methods wouldn't work. Good, he thought. It's time to start collecting my Round Table Knight Card Deck. Defeating them all here should net me at least three Round Table Knight Cards. I wonder what kind of card the Lion King would be.

In short, it had to be massive. Jiang You was referring to the numerical value, not her...cough.

"Another Servant?"

Tristan merely glanced sideways at Jiang You, instantly recognizing the man's utter lack of combat skills. His unsteady gait was almost laughable. Without hesitation, Tristan fired a Vacuum Arrow straight at Jiang You's heart.

"Even such a weak Servant dares to interfere in the affairs of the Knights of the Round Table? How pathetic. The honor of the Knights is being tarnished."

As Tristan expected, Jiang You didn't even attempt to dodge—not that his reflexes would have allowed him to evade the attack anyway.

Then, the duel began.

A peculiar space materialized, nullifying Tristan's attack and dispelling the Lion King's Blessing. Everyone else was forcibly teleported to the periphery. A dueling arena took shape in the space between Tristan and Jiang You.

"Just so you know, this is a Shadow Game. If you lose, hand over your Blessing and return to the Throne of Heroes."

Jiang You, eyeing the Lion King's Blessing with envy, hoped to seize it through the Shadow Game.

"Could it be... a Noble Phantasm?"

Tristan was stunned. He had never imagined anyone could bypass the Lion King's blessing to influence him—an almost impossible feat. It seemed Jiang You's apparent weakness was merely a facade; his true aim was to drag Tristan into his Noble Phantasm. But what were the activation conditions?

After a brief moment of shock, Tristan regained his composure. Although affected by this unknown servant, the Lion King's blessing remained intact. His opponent had merely used a trick to temporarily sever the connection. Tristan could clearly sense the blessing summoning him from his Deck, ready to respond to his call at any moment.

"You think you can defeat me with this Noble Phantasm? How pitiful. The King's greatness is beyond your comprehension. A card deck constructed from past, present, and future experiences... truly a remarkable Noble Phantasm. But do you really believe you can stand against us, the Knights of the Round Table, and our King? How tragic, you simply cannot grasp the terror of the King's current power. Let me crush you within your own Noble Phantasm!"

Jiang You: 4000 LP

Tristan: 4000 LP