[Attention, Duel participants! Any Duelist who targets spectators will be disqualified and personally hunted down by me. The organizers are doing everything in their power to ensure the safety of all spectators. Please go about your daily lives with peace of mind. Gilgamesh will personally compensate for all damages caused by his actions.]
Though Jason had been the one to protect the citizens in the immediate aftermath, Jiang You accepted the credit without hesitation. Incidentally, the so-called "compensation from Gilgamesh" had been confiscated from Kirei Kotomine. When Jiang You captured Kirei, he seized all his valuables, including a collection of fine wines, which now conveniently covered the damages.
[Due to the disqualification of second-ranked Gilgamesh, Jason and his Master...]
Hundred Faces continued to reassure the audience while broadcasting duels from other locations.
After a series of high-quality duels that thoroughly entertained the audience, evening arrived swiftly.
"You even captured Jason?" Jiang You asked, a conflicted expression on his face as he returned to base and spotted the familiar golden-haired servant.
"If I hadn't intervened, he would be dead," Medea replied. "In gratitude, he chose to abandon the darkness and embrace the light."
Medea directed Jason to fetch tea and water, replacing Hundred Faces, who usually handled such tasks. The humiliation was evident on Jason's face; as a former Captain, he would never have performed such menial duties before.
"Abandon the darkness and embrace the light? More like you ambushed me..." Jason grumbled, only to have Medea tighten the Magic Collar around his neck.
"So, if I understand correctly, the only Heroic Spirit genuinely trying to kill me now is Lancer?" Jiang You wondered aloud. He felt like he was stuck in a game glitch. Medea was essentially an extension of himself, and the true source of Jason's contract still lay with him. Counting himself, he now had three properly summoned servants, plus the undercover Archer and Rider, and Berserker, who was unlikely to engage in serious combat.
"What's the point of even continuing this Holy Grail War? I might as well declare victory right now."
Whether it was due to his first playthrough or the remarkably advanced NPC intelligence, Jiang You couldn't bring himself to betray his own servants. He felt like he'd already skipped ahead in the script, but he didn't know where the next act was.
Maybe the collaboration event ends here, he thought. Mash and the others might just be Easter eggs. If that's the case, I should let them return to their main game!
"Didn't you say this Holy Grail had already been corrupted by Angra Mainyu, the embodiment of human evil?" Jiang You asked. "There's no point in trying to claim such a tainted artifact. I think maintaining the status quo is best."
As Heroic Spirits, the chance to manifest in the world was rare, and even when they did, it was usually to uphold Humanity's Foundation. This relatively relaxed situation under Jiang You's command was an extraordinary opportunity for Medea.
"That does sound quite nice," she agreed.
Jiang You was convinced that if Konami were to release this collaboration as a standalone game, it would be a massive hit. Using it for a card game felt like a waste; even the main game's storyline wasn't this polished.
"Interacting with you all has been rather amusing," Jiang You remarked.
"What's so amusing about it?!" Jason retorted, clearly displeased. He had no desire to interact with Medea. "And how did you manage to summon her in the first place? You're not even a Greek Servant! What's the big plan behind all this?"
"What do I want?" Jiang You scratched his chin. He'd initially come to play cards, but after witnessing something truly astonishing, he'd decided to pursue this side quest involving human trafficking.
In the real world, he had to consider countless factors. Once inside the game, he wanted to avoid such constraints and see what this world was truly capable of. After leaking the information to the political sphere and letting them deal with the fallout, Jiang You decided to go all in, brazenly revealing magic to the public eye. Whether he became a savior or a troublemaker didn't matter—the outcome would be the same.
"Naturally, it's all for fun."
"You've openly exposed the 'Mystery' to the public eye for such a trivial reason! Can such a Servant even be called a Caster?!"
"I propose we hold all Magi involved in the Holy Grail War accountable!"
Though Hundred Faces and Medea had managed to suppress most of the information leaks, it was impossible to completely isolate a city. Magi possessed special methods for communicating with their peers—Bazett's report, for instance, had successfully reached the Clock Tower.
After verifying the report's authenticity, the Clock Tower immediately convened a Grand Resolution meeting.
"Where's El-Melloi II? He's supposed to be here, isn't he? Why hasn't he arrived?"
"As the lowest-ranking Lord, his presence makes little difference. He's still busy resolving the El-Melloi family's debt problems."
"The Barthomeloi family hasn't arrived either. The Department of Law shouldn't be absent for a matter of this magnitude."
"They strictly adhere to the Clock Tower's first principle: 'Mystery Should Remain Hidden.' While Lord Barthomeloi Lorelei cannot attend personally for certain reasons, they've already declared their intention to hold this lawless Caster and the local authorities accountable."
"What about the Department of Astronomy? Has Animusphere shown up?"
"When has Animusphere ever shown up? They're still up in the mountains tinkering with that 'Sheba' contraption. They haven't made any progress in years."
"If that's the internal situation, what about the other Mages' Associations—the Wandering Sea and Atlas? Surely they can't remain completely indifferent to this crisis."
"Same as always—no response whatsoever. They couldn't care less about anything involving 'mystery.' I'm starting to wonder if they've all died in there."
"So, the Clock Tower has to handle this entire mess alone..."
"It's about time. Seven Lords are present, enough for a quorum. Let's proceed with the vote immediately. We can't delay this any longer."
"Trambelio, in favor!"
"Eulyphis, in favor!"
"Gaiuslink, in favor!"
"Yggdmillennia, in favor!"
"I object!"
Suddenly, an uninvited guest barged into the chamber located at the ancient heart of the Spirit Tomb Albion. All the attending Lords were startled—this place was protected by magical barriers thick enough to withstand even anti-fortress Noble Phantasms. How could anyone possibly break in?
What's more, this intruder had the audacity to oppose a proposal unanimously agreed upon by all the Lords.
"Who is it, so bold? Where are the guards? What are they even doing?"One of the Lords slammed the table and stood up. There were seven top-ranking magi present here—no matter who the intruder was, they'd make sure he wouldn't get away unscathed!
But when he saw the intruder's face clearly, he was so frightened he nearly collapsed to the ground.
"Grand... Grand Marshal of Magecraft, sir."