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

The servant population density in East Village was remarkably high. Aside from Jiang You, there were Cursed Arm, Hundred Faces, and Serenity—three Hassans—alongside the severely wounded Arash, plus Minamoto no Raikou. This tiny village needed only one more servant to conduct a Holy Grail War.

Oh, with Mordred's intervention, they had indeed gathered seven servants. The two factions faced off in the canyon, a terrain ideal for defense, but the true decider would be the clashes between the servants.

"How are they still alive after all this?"

Mordred stared at the temporary village built within the crater formed by the Holy Lance, her expression baffled. The servants surviving was one thing, but how had so many ordinary villagers endured her Father's attack? She knew even a glancing blow would have sent her back to the Throne of Heroes.

"Hey there, Little Mo!"

Jiang You greeted Mordred for the first time. The knight had perfectly inherited Saber-class Artoria's traits—both in face and chest.

"I'm actually quite curious why you agreed with the Lion King's decision," Jiang You said. "You're known for your rebellious nature—this doesn't seem like you at all."

After all, in the game, Mordred had a Class advantage and a special attack against Artoria. If she had rebelled, she might have actually won.

"Don't act like you know me so well!" Mordred snapped, her voice bristling with hostility. She loathed this overly familiar stranger. "Little Mo"? How dare he use that nickname so casually? Even my own father never called me that! Father said she needed me and acknowledged me. That's why I came to help her. Nothing more!"

Her reason was blunt and simple, but that was quintessentially Mordred. Capable of rebelling for trivial reasons, she was equally capable of setting aside grudges for equally trivial ones. There was a certain crude elegance to her single-track mind.

"True enough," Jiang You nodded. "The Knights of the Round Table are just a bunch of king simps and twisted king simps."

"So you came alone? Knowing Tristan had already fallen here, the Lion King only sent you? Does she have a grudge against you?"

He thought this kind of "grandchild rescuing grandpa" scenario only happened among allies. He never imagined the Knights of the Round Table would resort to such reckless tactics.

"Don't think you can swagger in front of me just because you exploited my Father's Noble Phantasm to defeat Tristan!" Mordred scoffed.

She refused to believe the servants here had truly defeated Tristan. She knew firsthand that her Father's current power was more akin to a god than a king. The Knights of the Round Table, blessed by her Father, were practically divine apostles, capable of bringing even top-tier Heroic Spirits to their knees.

"This is the downside of having no fame," Jiang You muttered, feeling thoroughly underestimated. He couldn't entirely blame her; his entire heroic spirit panel relied on his Noble Phantasms. He wasn't the first Heroic Spirit to comment on his pitifully small Spirit Origin.

"So then... the strongest of the Knights of the Round Table, the successor to King Arthur, the one who ended the Age of Gods... care to engage in a duel with me?"

Jiang You's barrage of titles left Mordred reeling, barely registering the backhanded compliments mixed in.

"I have no interest in weak servants. If you flee now, I might show mercy!"

Mordred mistook Jiang You's silence for agreement. "As long as you don't interfere with Father's plans, I can turn a blind eye. The only ones I need to deal with are those who killed our Knights of the Round Table!"

This wasn't entirely Mordred's own idea. With her literal mind, she took orders at face value, incapable of grasping deeper implications. Gawain had embellished the message when relaying it. He understood that given Camelot's defenses, no number of ordinary soldiers could breach the gates; the only real threat came from powerful servants. If possible, he wanted to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.

To Mordred, Jiang You seemed so weak she could crush him with one hand. There was no way he could have been the one who held Tristan at bay.

"My apologies, then," Jiang You said, his tone laced with sarcasm. If you don't attack, how am I supposed to get my cards? He was particularly eager to see if Mordred's deck contained Morgan.

"I was the one who stalled Tristan. And you're mistaken about one thing: Tristan wasn't killed by Artoria's Noble Phantasm. I defeated him directly. The person you're looking for is me!"

"You?" Mordred asked, incredulous.

Mordred scrutinized Jiang You, noting his unsteady gait, thin muscles, and utterly ordinary physique, devoid of any martial prowess.

"You look like a bean sprout. Are you trying to make me laugh?"

"What's wrong? Scared?"

It was a crude taunt, so transparent that anyone could see through it. But whether Mordred reacted with anger and attacked or accepted the duel, the outcome would be the same.

Sure enough, Mordred took the bait. She stepped forward, her sword pointed directly at Jiang You, accepting the duel challenge.

"How could I be afraid of someone like you! If you insist on showing off, I'll indulge you. But don't blame me for not giving you a chance!"

In an instant, the Duel Space materialized.

"Is that your Noble Phantasm?!"

Mordred only then realized that the duel request had been projected directly into her mind through some bizarre method. If this kid didn't have someone reliable guiding him, he'd surely fall right into this trap.

"Is this what you call a duel?"

"I'm a Caster, after all."

In truth, Jiang You's magical power was pitifully meager, primarily because maintaining his Noble Phantasm drained his reserves, and he barely knew how to use it. His Class was irrelevant.

"There's nothing wrong with battling in a different way, right?" Jiang You asked.

"How despicable!" Mordred retorted.

"What's despicable about it? This is a perfectly proper and formal invitation. The duel can only begin after you accept—it's a ritual as knightly and gentlemanly as can be!"

"Y-you're right..." Mordred suddenly deflated, realizing she had indeed agreed.

This kid could easily be tricked into having triplets, Jiang You thought. Compulsory education is urgently needed. If possible, I should send her and Illya back to elementary school together.

"Don't look so glum. This duel is based on your life experiences, even including the Lion King's Blessing. Speaking of which, do you want to meet Morgan?" Jiang You asked tentatively, unsure of Mordred's feelings toward her.

"Mother...?" Mordred's gaze drifted into the distance, lost in thought.

"Never mind. Mother... Well, what am I even saying? Since we're enemies now, let's just duel!"

Jiang You LP: 4000

Mordred LP: 4000