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

Jiang You had noticed that his Command Spells refreshed each time he entered a new Script. He wondered if Illya's worked the same way, considering she hadn't used a single Command Spell throughout the entire Fifth Holy Grail War.

"There's another issue, Illya. Your summoning method creates Duel Spirits. When they're defeated, it doesn't affect your real body. After a cooldown period, you can summon them again. But if you summon Raikou with a Command Spell, her defeat would truly send her back to the Throne of Heroes."

Jiang You saw an opportunity here. Raikou's card could compensate for his lack of offensive power, and he couldn't deny his desire for it.

To be precise, he coveted the bodies of all Heroic Spirits, including King Hassan.

"In that case, Raiko, you should stay behind."

Illya didn't want Minamoto no Raikou to withdraw for this reason.

"I'll help Jiang You out here. Just think of it as me tagging along for fun. Don't worry about me."

"So, Minamoto no Raikou, if you're so concerned about Illya, entrust yourself to me instead."

Jiang You attempted to bypass the Affection system and directly obtain Raikou's card, figuring there was precedent for it. As long as the Heroic Spirit consented, it should work.

"That way, you can both venture out with me without worry. Raikou, you wouldn't want Illya to abandon you and go on adventures with me alone, would you?"

Raikou didn't doubt Jiang You's claims about his Noble Phantasms. She decisively agreed, "I accept. Illya, I'll protect you."

Minamoto no Raikou x3 has been sent to your mailbox. Please check.

"But Jiang You..."

Illya realized that Jiang You's true body would be active in other places. If they were defeated, it wouldn't matter, but if something happened to Jiang You himself, it would be truly irreversible.

"Don't worry, I'll leave the catalyst behind. You can summon me again later..."

Jiang You had never actually died in the game before, but he assumed he would likely respawn at the last checkpoint, or at worst, have to replay the entire storyline. The problem was that the Collaboration Event was just as long and time-gated as the main story. He couldn't afford to risk it.

"You're not allowed to die!" Illya exclaimed.

She couldn't let Jiang You return to the Throne of Heroes. He couldn't even remember his own past. As Jiang You's Master, she could clearly see his status panel, which offered no clues to his true identity. Who knew what kind of Heroic Spirit his so-called catalyst might summon?

"Even if we do manage to summon you again, will it still be you? Knowing your personality, you'd probably ditch us for a Master with better perks! Don't think you can escape our Shadow Game that easily!"

This broken game mechanic has been patched out long ago, Jiang You thought to himself.

"Relax. With my skills, I can always escape if things get too tough."

"Continue the Duel!"

Satisfied with having obtained the full set of Minamoto no Raikou cards, Jiang You nodded. "I activate [ Mystery Killer ], sending a servant card to the Graveyard and adding a servant card related to Minamoto no Raikou or Yorimitsu's Four Heavenly Kings to my hand. If the sent servant is from Mount Ōe, I also add a related Equip Spell Card to my hand. I send Shuten Dōji to the Graveyard and add Sakata Kintoki and Dōjigiri Yasutsuna to my hand."

"Sakata Kintoki's effect: when Minamoto no Raikou is on the field, he can be summoned without a Tribute!"

The massive axe, crackling with golden thunder, fell as the muscular servant grasped it, making a powerful entrance.

Sakata Kintoki: Attack Power 2500.

"Yo, Boss! Long time no see! And this time, we're up against a knight?!" Kintoki excitedly eyed the Enforcement Knight, his blood boiling at the sight of the fully armored humanoid metal shell. He didn't even glance at the melancholy red-haired beauty beside him. "This is so golden! I want a set too!"

"Get a set?"

Full-body armor—one of the quintessential symbols of a man's romantic spirit. Hearing Kintoki's enthusiasm, Jiang You felt a twinge of longing himself. Though he'd never tried it, Jiang You was confident he could transfer items between different Scripts.

"Alright," he said. "After we defeat them, I'll strip a few sets off their corpses. I'll send you one when I can summon you directly."

"Oh—truly, thank you!" Kintoki exclaimed, his excitement tempered by genuine gratitude. He turned to Jiang You. "You're... another Servant of Boss Illya's Master, right? I feel we're very compatible! You're truly Golden!"

Seeing her other child so easily won over by Jiang You, Minamoto no Raikou wore a deeply saddened expression, as if watching her own child being led astray by a delinquent peer.

Affection Reward: [Sakata Kintoki]*1, [Mystery Killer]*1 has been sent to your mailbox. Please check.

As expected, men were easier to gain affection from. Jiang You effortlessly obtained the corresponding Servant Cards.

"Alright, then, I'll use Sakata Kintoki's effect to destroy one card on the field. I'll target that face-down card in the back row!"

The effect of the front row card was already clear, so the hidden card in the back row was the one that needed to be dealt with.

"This is truly unbearable sorrow! Must you tear open old wounds again and again? Your Noble Phantasm is truly malevolent."

Tristan's expression was now genuinely sorrowful, devoid of his earlier mocking banter. "In truth, I bear her no ill will... To me, this is the Black Flag. I activate my Trap Card, [ A Ship Sailing Under the Black Flag Approaches ]—my final act, the signal to bring everything to a close."

"This card requires the destruction of a [ Tristan ] on the field to activate."

Black blood trickled from Tristan's mouth, a symptom of poisoning. Had it not been for the [ Inverted Blessing ] in his back row, he would already be dead.

"Upon activation, send the top card of your Deck to the Graveyard. If it's a Servant Card, Special Summon it. If it's a Spell or Trap Card, choose a Servant on the field and destroy it."

The card flipped over, revealing the Spell Card [ Unblessed Birth ]. Its effect allowed Tristan to halve his Life Points to Special Summon a [ Tristan ] from his Deck. Additionally, when a [ Tristan ] was in the Graveyard, this card could be banished instead of the destroyed [ Tristan ]. However, under the effects of [ Inverted Blessing ], that part of the effect was rendered useless.

"Then, I'll destroy Minamoto no Raikou!"

Since none of the remaining cards on the field could be destroyed by effects, Tristan chose to target the one with the highest Attack Power: Minamoto no Raikou.

This was the downside of having no intelligence. Had Tristan known better, he would never have targeted Raikou. Jiang You's final card, drawn at the start of the duel, now leapt into action.

"Because Minamoto no Raikou was destroyed, I'm activating Endless Martial Prowess directly from my hand!"