What Holy Grail War? Let's Play Cards!

"Any discoveries? Caster's true identity?"

Irisviel was gently holding an ice pack to help Kiritsugu reduce the swelling on his face. Seeing her husband toss the book in his hands aside, she assumed he had found something and asked.

Kiritsugu pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Nothing. Based on his words and the Servant status screen, there are no relevant descriptions to analyze."

The best way to understand a Servant was by looking into their historical deeds. Kiritsugu wanted to verify the truth behind Jiang You's words. He still hadn't given up on the Holy Grail—he was always a stubborn man, at least enough to witness things with his own eyes. Furthermore, if he could uncover Jiang You's real identity, it could help prevent conflicts between Master and Servant, or perhaps even reveal his weaknesses.

Gently pushing Irisviel's arm aside, Kiritsugu began pacing around the study. "I just contacted Maiya. The person summoned was indeed her. Caster wasn't lying about his Noble Phantasm. Right now, there are three possible directions:

First, his name on the status screen and his appearance follow the format of an ancient Eastern country, but his actions and Noble Phantasm don't match any known Heroic Spirit. Considering he used a Japanese alias, it's almost certain that his name has no reference value. His appearance was most likely altered as well.

Second, he mentioned 'White Dragon,' which could be linked to the Avalon relic we're using. This suggests he might be a Servant from the Vortigern lineage. However, his Noble Phantasm doesn't match any known record either. It's possible he's hiding a key Noble Phantasm that could confirm his identity."

Irisviel joined Kiritsugu in his pacing. "So, the third possibility—the most likely one?"

"'Old K' and his Noble Phantasm cards," Kiritsugu continued where she left off. "In playing cards, there is a 'King' card, and historically, the K, Q, and J often correspond to real historical figures. Comparing dueling to gambling isn't unreasonable. Caster's identity could be hidden among—"

"Could he be a famous con artist? I mean, playing cards and disguises would fit," a voice interrupted Kiritsugu's analysis.

"That's actually a possibility..." Kiritsugu acknowledged the idea before realizing the voice was male.

"Caster?"

"Relax, relax! Looks like the story progressed while I was away. No wonder there's a real-time countdown—it's to ensure accurate simulation. 'Old K,' you're really something!"

Jiang You fully displayed the ugly pragmatism of an adult willing to side with whoever paid him. Now that he was getting a salary, everything seemed much more meaningful to him.

Seeing the couple's slight tension, Jiang You casually started a new topic. "Actually, I'm quite curious about which Heroic Spirit my disguise is based on. Maybe I'm Atem? But for now, let me show you something interesting—it's closely related to you all."

Before sneaking in, Jiang You had browsed the forums for a bit. Since he couldn't access the public beta version of Yu-Gi-Oh!, some features lacked tutorials, but fortunately, a kind user had provided some guidance.

Raising both hands in the iconic Lion King pose, Jiang You activated a card—currently, the only one in his deck that truly belonged to him.

"Ta-da! Look, Illya!"

A young girl emerged from the card, held up under her armpits, looking utterly bewildered.

Illya distinctly remembered being on her way to the study—how did she suddenly end up here?

"In my system, any card with a Duel Spirit at level 3 or above can be summoned directly. If someone refuses a duel, I can summon a Duel Spirit to fight instead. But according to the rules, no one should be refusing duels anyway."

Now that he had mastered a new system mechanic, Jiang You was eager to share his excitement. He could already imagine summoning Blue-Eyes White Dragon in the official game—how awesome would that be?

Illya was light and incredibly soft. Without thinking, Jiang You tightened his grip slightly.

"Put me down!"

With a slightly flushed face, Illya kicked at Jiang You's face. Her barefoot landed hard, forcing Jiang You to let go in pain.

Next time, he was definitely submitting feedback to reduce the pain simulation percentage! Rubbing his face, Jiang You thought to himself—good thing there wasn't an injury system, or he'd end up swollen like Kiritsugu.

Once she landed, Illya quickly ran to Irisviel's side and grasped her hand, finally feeling a sense of reality. Then, she noticed Kiritsugu's badly swollen face.

Her expression turned incredulous. "So... that dream was real?"

Jiang You, in a petty act of revenge, gave Illya a light smack on the head. He had originally intended to hit harder, but worried that his Servant-level strength might actually knock her head off, he held back 99% of his force. "Of course it was real. But according to the setting, this should be ten years ago for you."

"Ten years ago?" Illya swatted Jiang You's hand away in annoyance. While she had already guessed the situation, this version of history seemed slightly different from what she remembered. "So, you're that guy's Servant? I remember the Servant back then was Saber."

"This should be a parallel world—no way it's a Singularity, right?" Jiang You spread his hands. "Honestly, I'm curious too. Since I took Saber's slot, I wonder what the other Masters' Servants will be now."

"So your Noble Phantasm allows you to pull people from altered timelines? How long can it last?" Illya's gaze toward Jiang You suddenly changed.

Jiang You was very familiar with that look—it was the same expression he had when pulling for a card he desperately wanted in a gacha.

"As long as the card is level 3 or higher, the duration is unlimited. But for combat purposes, I can only use it when someone refuses a duel... Why are you looking at me like that?" Jiang You instinctively took a step back, wary of the overly expressive NPC.

"Caster, tell me your true name," Illya suddenly lunged at him.

Her crimson eyes were filled with desire, and her childish voice uttered words that made the three adults freeze in place.

"I want you!"

-

Meanwhile...

"Great Demon Lord, do you require a live sacrifice?"

Ryuunosuke Uryuu trembled with excitement as he gazed at the figure stepping out of the summoning circle, clad in silver-white armor.

The notes passed down through his family were real. His pursuit of the ultimate art of death had opened a new door. Unable to contain his excitement, he tossed the last surviving child from the slaughtered family toward the "demon," eager to witness the creature's interpretation of death.

The "demon" in knight's armor frowned, drew his sword, and struck at the child.

"Huh?"

Just as Ryuunosuke thought he was about to witness a work of art, he saw that the "demon" had merely cut the ropes binding the child.

"Run. Find the law enforcers of your era."

"Wait, aren't you a demon? Why?" Ryuunosuke was utterly disappointed, voicing his dissatisfaction.

"Even if I am destined for infamy, at this moment, I am still a knight. I cannot allow a villain to harm a child." The exhausted-looking knight raised his sword, pointing it straight at Ryuunosuke.

"Saber—Gilles de Rais declares that you shall fall beneath my blade!"

[Gilles de Rais (Saber) has challenged you to a duel. Do you accept?]

[Duel/Battle]

"This... this is the demon's game?" After a brief moment of shock, Ryuunosuke's excitement returned tenfold. "Yes! Yes! Let's duel! A death game of demons!"

Gilles de Rais was stunned as the space around them shifted. Knowledge he had never possessed before suddenly appeared in his mind, making him realize that this was the effect of someone's Noble Phantasm.

"To treat life and death as a mere game... This is blasphemy!"

As the duel field formed, each combatant generated their own deck.

"This... This is...!" Gilles de Rais' eyes nearly popped out of his head as he received his deck. His joy was evident. "I repent for my past actions. There's nothing more sacred than a duel!"