"Mr. Jiang You, are you planning to use your Noble Phantasm?" Mash asked. Having experienced its power firsthand twice, she had a basic understanding of its capabilities. "Using the Shadow Game to override the rules... but can it really work?"
"As sharp as ever, Little Mashu," Jiang You praised. "Don't underestimate the Shadow Game. It's a rule even the gods can't defy."
"But even among gods, there must be hierarchies, right?" Mash countered.
Although they couldn't see the scene directly, Romani felt Jiang You's boasting was unwise. These Casters tended to become arrogant with even a little power, forgetting that even within the same pantheon, the strength of the Great Gods and their subordinate deities differed immensely. "If he can only influence weak gods, he might not even be able to affect a Servant with slightly above-average strength..."
King Hassan's colossal sword tapped the ground again, severing not only Chaldea's video feed but also their audio communication.
Jiang You stroked his chin, contemplating whether to expose Romani's true identity outright.
"Can you really do it?" Ritsuka Fujimaru quickly steered the conversation back on track. She refused to abandon any companion and would try any solution, no matter how daunting. "Mr. Jiang You, what are the activation conditions for your Noble Phantasm? How can we assist you?"
"Your agreement is all it takes. The Noble Phantasm has already been activated." Jiang You shoved Ritsuka forward, placing her directly in front of Cursed Arm Hassan. Already under the ritual's influence, Cursed Arm immediately launched an attack on her without hesitation.
"Ritsuka!"
Bedivere lunged forward to intercept Cursed Arm's attack, but Jiang You blocked his path.
Bedivere sidestepped effortlessly, evading Jiang You's obstruction. Judging Jiang You to be a hostile servant, he swung his longsword at Jiang You's neck, intending only to force him back.
Jiang You made no attempt to dodge. He had already blanketed the entire area with his Noble Phantasm, affecting even King Hassan.
Without the protection of the Duel's rules, the blow would have severed Jiang You's neck cleanly. But with a minute remaining in the Duel application window, Jiang You casually grasped Bedivere's blade. He pointed toward Ritsuka Fujimaru. "Hold on. Look."
Cursed Arm Hassan's demonic hand snatched at Ritsuka Fujimaru, but like Bedivere's earlier attack, it failed to inflict any harm.
"Cursed Arm Hassan has challenged me to a Duel... What does this mean?"
Ritsuka Fujimaru stared at herself, completely unscathed, and asked in bewilderment, "What does that mean?"
"Exactly what it sounds like," Jiang You replied, offering a concise explanation of his Noble Phantasm.
"Knowledge has been imprinted into your minds. You'll battle using your past history, present experiences, and potential futures as your arsenal. The loser will suffer a prolonged period of weakness. If we initiate a Shadow Game, both sides must wager equal stakes on the scales. The victor claims the reward, while the loser forfeits their stake—anything within their power."
"So, if I win, I can complete the ritual without taking Cursed Arm or Serenity's lives?" Ritsuka's eyes lit up.
"I accept the duel!"
Ritsuka Fujimaru: 4000 LP
Cursed Arm Hassan: 4000 LP
"Come to think of it, given Gudako's track record, her Deck might be ridiculously overpowered. Even disregarding her experiences after Part 2's Lostbelt, her journey through the Singularities in Part 1 alone..."
Just as Jiang You was recklessly blurting out major spoilers, Serenity's Dagger lunged at him.
"Alright, time to prove myself as a pledge of allegiance," Jiang You declared. "Let's duel!"
Jiang You joined the fray, but this duel was unlike any he had experienced before.
Jiang You & Ritsuka Fujimaru: 8000 LP
Hassan of Serenity & Cursed Arm Hassan: 8000 LP
"A tag team duel?" Jiang You exclaimed, surprised. It was his first time encountering this format; he had forgotten that such duel modes existed in the official version of the game, assuming the collaboration event would only feature one-on-one matches. Though the Life Points were halved compared to the anime, the action rules followed the game's shared LP system rather than individual life totals.
Everyone drew their five-card hands. Unlike Berserker-class Lancelot, Hassan of Serenity and Cursed Arm Hassan hadn't regained their sanity, as they were still essentially controlled by King Hassan.
"Then I'll go first!" Ritsuka Fujimaru announced, gazing at the five Servant Cards in her hand with a curious expression. "They're all Servants we've encountered before! What an amazing Noble Phantasm!"
During a lull in the conversation, Gudako turned to Jiang You with a question. "By the way, Mr. Jiang You, how did you and Mash meet? She's never mentioned you before."
Mash immediately spoke up, eager to avoid any misunderstanding from Ritsuka. "I was summoned by Mr. Jiang You's Noble Phantasm once. Lancelot was the summoner, and Mr. Jiang You was with him at the time."
"Lancelot?" Xuanzang's expression sharpened. "We know the Knights of the Round Table are our enemies here."
"Are you also allied with the Lion King?" Xuanzang continued, his eyes narrowed. "No, wait... your name sounds like it's from the same place as mine. And with such an incredible Noble Phantasm, you should be famous! Yet I've never heard of you before."
"It's not that Lancelot," Mash explained, hoping to prevent the others from mistaking Jiang You for an enemy. "Mr. Jiang You comes from a very modern city. You might not understand, but I'm sure Senpai knows what I mean."
"But Mr. Jiang You," someone asked, "we haven't even prepared the Summoning Ritual yet. Why did you come here directly?"
"I assumed the ritual was already prepared," Jiang You replied. "It seems my manifestation method is similar to Servants summoned by the Holy Grail itself, which corrects the world's course."
In truth, Jiang You had simply clicked on a new Fate Grand Order script option and entered the world, but he presented it this way to make it easier for the others to understand.
"No matter," he continued. "The result is the same—I'm here to help you! In that case, Miss Fujimaru, I'll need you to be my Master."
"Just call me Ritsuka," she replied.
Gudako, already remarkably outgoing, chimed in, "Then let's get straight to the battle! I'll start by Normal Summoning myself!"
Ritsuka Fujimaru
1-Star Master
Attack Power: 500
"The effect of 'Ritsuka Fujimaru' allows me to Special Summon any renowned Servant from my Deck!"
"!"
Jiang You could only marvel at the sheer audacity of the card's effect. A Special Summon with no restrictions whatsoever? She wasn't even pretending to be balanced anymore. Truly worthy of being humanity's strongest Master, able to perfectly synchronize with any Heroic Spirit. He felt a collector's desire stirring within him for Gudako.
"I Special Summon—Da Vinci!"
"?"
Jiang You wondered why she had summoned such an oddity. "Why not bring out a powerhouse?"