"Looks like it really is a new version."
The login screen had changed to a library, which was a novel touch. Jiang You pushed open the login screen's door, and the environment shifted from the monotonous expanse of water and sky to an ancient, fragrant library.
"See? I told you! This guy was definitely hiding a whole world from us."
Chloe, along with Abby and Prisma Illya, had been lying in wait here for a while, determined to catch the guy who had stood them up.
"This place feels like it's getting more and more lively."
Ever since Illya arrived, people had been visiting more often. Combined with the library scene Bubble had provided, it wouldn't be a bad idea to treat this place as his home within the game.
"You're all here... What about Miyu and Illya? Why aren't they here?"
While Illya wasn't strictly their peer in age, she should still be staying at Prisma Illya's house. Logically, they should have come together.
"Miyu is studying the spellbooks Medea left behind. She carries a much heavier burden than I do, so you should pay more attention to her. As for that Illya, I was about to ask you the same thing."
Prisma Illya explained that she hadn't seen that Illya recently either. That Illya had mentioned she had something to take care of and might be gone for a few days. Even her maid, Sella, didn't know where she went. Prisma Illya certainly wouldn't know. "I thought you might have taken her somewhere. There's no trace of her anywhere in Fuyuki."
"Something to take care of?"
Illya wasn't even in her own world. What kind of business could she possibly have?
Jiang You found it hard to understand. The timing was also strange. Back in reality, a German girl with strikingly similar traits had just appeared. It was almost as if Illya had somehow escaped from the game.
But that idea seemed a bit too unrealistic. Jiang You raised his hand, ready to summon Illya directly and settle the matter. He hesitated slightly. Putting himself in her shoes, he knew he'd be furious if someone suddenly dragged him away while he was busy. He shot an annoyed glance at Bubble, who maintained her professional, polite smile. It was all her fault for saying things like, "To the people here, you are real." Her words had stirred up unnecessary emotions in him. And is this avatar really not being controlled by her directly?
"Not summoning her? ...Or are you worried about something?" Bubble fanned the flames.
"..."
Jiang You's eyelids twitched, but he didn't answer. She was definitely hinting at something. Too many riddles. He couldn't be bothered to guess, and he had a feeling the truth was about to be revealed anyway. So, he turned his attention to the three little lolis.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," Jiang You said. "There is indeed a world I haven't told you about, and for now, I can't reveal it."
Seeing Kuro about to press for more details, Jiang You gently pushed down on her head to stop her. "My apologies. To make it up to you, let me spend the whole day playing with you."
He could only sigh internally. In reality, shopping with girls felt like a prison sentence. In the game, playing with them left him full of energy.
"You're just trying to brush us off!" Kuro was clearly unsatisfied. "Have you even prepared yourself to be a proper guardian? You're making me worry about you!"
Facing Kuro's tiny, flailing fists, Jiang You could only surrender with repeated apologies. At least she was direct. Illya would never say such things out loud. Besides her personality, it was likely due to her upbringing. Back then, Illya had no one to rely on but herself, so she never easily revealed her true feelings. "Alright, alright," he said soothingly. "I'll tell you the reason someday."
When? he thought. Probably the day I quit this game.
"So," he changed the subject, "are you interested in visiting another world? It's also Fuyuki, but it's completely different. You can Duel anywhere you go."
The truth was, the World Selection Tournament in the Fifth Holy Grail War world had just ended. As the organizer, Jiang You felt he should at least make an appearance. Besides, among the worlds he had access to, there weren't any other interesting places to visit. (The culture and customs of the Faerie Realm were indeed novel, but considering their attitude toward humans, it was best to skip it.) So, this was basically his only choice.
"The Duel Tournament is about to start," he explained. "I can recommend you as seeded players, which means you'll get a bye into the second round. As for the prize... you can ask for anything within my power."
At this point, Jiang You had little left to strive for in the game. He felt the relaxed satisfaction of a player who had completed everything in the final patch of an expansion. Once he defeated Goetia, there would be nothing left to do.
"Isn't Dueling your combat method?" Prisma Illya asked, confused. She had always assumed it was an attack-type Noble Phantasm. Yet Jiang You described a city full of Duels as if it were a joyous festival. "Don't make it sound like it's just for fun!"
"You don't understand," Jiang You replied, a certain tomato-haired protagonist immediately coming to mind. You won't smile, and you won't die. You're making this very difficult for me.jpg. "Dueling can bring smiles to people's faces."
"Can it really make people smile?" Prisma Illya still couldn't comprehend it.
"I'm in!"
Chloe's reaction was the complete opposite of Prisma Illya's. Like Prisma Illya, she could use a portion of Jiang You's Noble Phantasm, so she also completely understood the rules (probably). Although her Deck partially overlapped with Prisma Illya's, it also contained many cards unique to her. This, combined with the fact that she had separated from Prisma Illya's body, made it impossible for her to refuse. There was also another reason.
"As Jiang You's miko, it's only natural for me to understand the god I serve," Chloe declared. "What's this Duel Tournament? As your miko, I can't bring shame to your name!"
"Just a moment ago, you were calling yourself my guardian, and now I'm the god you serve?" Prisma Illya retorted. "And skipping the qualifiers—isn't that cheating?"
Prisma Illya felt that humans had too many excuses. But after a moment's thought, she decided that visiting another world wouldn't be so bad. Besides, for some reason, she felt she couldn't let Chloe outdo her.
"If we can wish for anything... doesn't that make you a wish-granting machine? In that case, I'm participating too!"
"Alright then," Jiang You said, turning his attention. "What about you, Abby?"
Abby had been so quiet she had almost become transparent. In this state, she was a truly well-behaved child (on the surface), never causing any unnecessary trouble.
"Do you want to come with us, Abby? Or would you rather stay in the Library?"
Jiang You was well aware of the special relationship between Bubble and Abby. If Abby wanted to stay, he wouldn't force her to come.
In truth, Abby did want to go. Her Deck also contained her Mother Goddess and playmates. She glanced timidly at Bubble. The act of commanding one's own god could be considered blasphemy. The only reason her previous summoning wasn't blasphemous was because she had acted under the guidance of Yog-Sothoth.
Bubble saw through Abby's thoughts instantly. She had always been indifferent to such matters. Besides, the Card for her Avatar form had been slightly weakened, ensuring it wouldn't affect the audience or lead to any consequences Jiang You wished to avoid.
"It's fine," Bubble said. "Abby should just do what she wants."
"Then... Abby wants to go too."
Abby tugged on Jiang You's sleeve.
"Alright, let's all go together."
Jiang You nodded and pushed open a door that had suddenly materialized before them. These doors appeared randomly throughout the Library, and no visitor had ever figured out their patterns. However, Jiang You and Bubble could summon them at will.
"Is this the Fuyuki of another world? It feels... more advanced."
Prisma Illya stepped onto the soil of the Fifth Holy Grail War's Fuyuki. After Jiang You had publicly revealed the existence of Mystery and modified the world's rules, this city had decisively transformed into a gathering place for powerful figures from all walks of life. These "heroes" included, but were not limited to, Magi, wealthy tycoons, and politicians who had arrived with their own agendas. After all, as long as both parties consented, it was not impossible to wager one's lifespan in a Shadow Game.
Although such practices were officially condemned, they inevitably thrived in the city's dark corners. Even with a certain red-clad Archer and his "Lily" form patrolling day and night, some fish still slipped through the net.
In summary, the world's elite had converged here. In just a few months, Fuyuki's economy had grown dozens of times over, and cutting-edge technological products from across the globe had flooded the city. It had taken on the appearance of a futuristic metropolis.
Jiang You stared at the hot air balloons pulling banners for the Duel Tournament. For a moment, he didn't even recognize the city as Fuyuki. It looked more like some kind of Kaiba Land.
"To be honest, I never expected it to turn out like this," Jiang You mused. "Back then, I just wanted to set up a battle royale to expose the sins of those people."
"But since it's already come to this, let's make it even livelier. I'll go call everyone I know."
Jiang You considered it. Since characters could now traverse worldlines autonomously, their appearances in other worlds no longer drained his magical power. There was no divine burden. With world-traveling now so convenient, he shouldn't neglect his old friends.
"I'll take you to Medea's card shop to get your paperwork sorted. After that, you're free to do as you please. If you need anything, just call me."
The fact that he could receive calls from the game in Reality was indeed quite convenient.
"By the way, Prisma Illya, do you know how far Medea has gotten with her analysis of Ruby and Sapphire?"
His first stop, of course, would be his oldest friend: Kiritsugu Emiya. As his very first Master, Kiritsugu had far too little screen time. Jiang You had been itching to torment him for a long time.
"Are you talking about this?"
Prisma Illya pulled a colorless crystal wand from her bag, its design strikingly similar to Ruby and Sapphire. "Miss Medea was so intrigued that she made this right away. But it only has Disguise and a relatively simple Magical Power Reinforcement II enchantment, so it's not very useful. She seems to have an upgraded version already, but I don't have it here... What's with that look? Your smile is disgusting!"
-
"Maiya, three hostiles at your five o'clock! Give me covering fire—I'll flank them from the right!"
Even after the Fourth Holy Grail War, Kiritsugu had fallen back into his old trade. Though he had fulfilled some of his deepest wishes, he wasn't the type to sit idle. The thought of all the injustice still plaguing the world made it impossible for him to stop. He had to keep moving forward.
"Understood."
Maiya followed Kiritsugu's orders precisely, pulling out her submachine gun and spraying the designated area with gunfire.
But something unexpected happened. The bullets seemed to hit an invisible barrier, freezing in mid-air and sending ripples through the space around them.
"Kiritsugu, be careful! There's a Magus among them!"
Maiya immediately relayed the intel over the radio, halting Kiritsugu's attack. She then vaulted over the windowsill and clung to the outer ledge. Sure enough, the spot where she had just been was instantly struck. A fierce wind, sharp as blades, swept through the room, shredding the furniture into dozens of uneven pieces.
"It seems to be a wind-based spell. Details are unknown!"
"The intel was wrong, but I have a visual on the target."
Kiritsugu silently drew a pistol and solemnly loaded a single bullet into the chamber. This was his trump card as the Mage Killer, a weapon with a finite, irreplaceable supply—the Origin Bullet, a specialized anti-Magus weapon.
If he can block bullets with wind without some clever trick, his power can't be underestimated. I have to go all out!
BANG!
The gunshot echoed as the bullet pierced the wind barrier and struck the heavily cloaked Magus dead-on.
The Magus merely swayed before breaking into an arrogant grin. He lifted himself into the air with wind, advancing on Kiritsugu from a condescending, elevated position.
Kiritsugu watched him, knowing that such extensive use of magic would soon cause the Magus's magic circuits to overload with chaotic connections, crippling his body. It wouldn't be long before he lost the ability to fight—or even died.
Kiritsugu retreated while firing, aiming to force the Magus to expend more magical power and hasten his death.
But what Kiritsugu couldn't understand was that the Magus showed no sign of pain. His confident smile remained completely unaffected. The agony of magic circuit burnout and the screams of a future self being destroyed should have made it impossible for any Magus to maintain such a composed demeanor.
"Curious why I'm unharmed, aren't you?"
The wind-controlling Magus laughed and threw back his cloak, revealing a full suit of body armor underneath.
"I knew my opponent today would be the infamous 'Mage Killer.' You, the heretic, have slain countless renowned Magi with mere firearms. Those fools thought you relied on surprise attacks, catching them off guard. But I'm different. I studied the corpses you left behind and found that, without exception, their magic circuits were destroyed—and the damage perfectly aligned with the bullet wounds."
The Magus swatted Kiritsugu's weapon from his hand. "So I made a bold guess: your bullets are actually Mystic Codes, imbued with the concepts of 'Severing' and 'Binding.' But to ensure compatibility with magic, their penetration power was drastically reduced. That's why I, another heretic, took the same approach as you. You can use technology as a weapon, and I can use it for defense."
"And now, checkmate, Kiritsugu Emiya! Time to say goodbye!"
"Excuse me, but it's halftime!"
Suddenly, a discordant voice cut into the battlefield.