"Hubby, I'm back!"
After saying goodbye to the two Jeannes, Merlin, who had run all the way from France to the Einzbern Castle in Snowfield City, had been sprinting for three full days… much like her counterpart in the Absolute Demonic Front running from Avalon to Uruk.
As that seemingly delicate figure descended from the sky above the Einzbern Castle, Ryuya, who had just finished reuniting with Morgan, Artoria, Crimson Moon, and the others, saw his wife.
It was none other than Merlin Ambrosius.
"Merlin..."
Smiling, Ryuya reached out and caught her. It was quite impressive he could manage such an acrobatic catch while still holding Illya.
Looking at the succubus now back at his side, Ryuya raised an eyebrow, "Merlin, your power has improved significantly."
Merlin: "Improved a lot? Hehe."
Rubbing her head sheepishly, Merlin explained, "The Counter Force boosted my strength. Alaya seems desperate. For this Holy Grail War, it enhanced all three Rulers to the level of Planetary Singularities."
She then looked around the room, "Hey, Gilgamesh, Ishtar, Irisviel... Long time no see, everyone!"
Sticking cheerfully to Ryuya's side with no intention of letting go, Merlin casually dropped the large box she was carrying. The others who knew her well greeted her in turn.
Female Gil: "Typical of you, Succubus. An entrance that perfectly suits your personality."
Ishtar: "Merlin, what's all this? Popping in out of nowhere like that."
Morgan: "Merlin, where did you disappear to before?"
Artoria: "Merlin, could you please try to maintain some of the dignity befitting Camelot's Court Mage?"
Irisviel: "Merlin~~~"
Remembering that Irisviel and Merlin had been the most compatible in terms of temperament in their previous 'unreliable group', Irisviel was the most excited to see Merlin's return.
Merlin: "Everyone... good evening!"
Laughing heartily with her mouth wide open, Merlin blinked and noticed Crimson Moon, Hope, as well as Sakura, Rin, and the quietly present Sola.
"Huh? New faces?"
Whoosh...
No sooner had Merlin spoken than Crimson Moon shot a murderous glare her way.
"Eek... so scary. Since when did you get this strong, Crimson Moon?"
Pouting, as a succubus capable of communicating with her parallel world selves, Merlin certainly knew of Crimson Moon.
Having had little direct interaction, she only knew that in many worlds, Crimson Moon represented the pinnacle of power as the Moon King.
"Feminine Merlin, you would do well to adjust your attitude. Bloodriver may indulge you, but I will not permit such unrestrained behavior."
Her golden eyes fixed coldly on Merlin, Crimson Moon's gaze then fell upon the large black box in Merlin's hands, "What is that?"
Merlin: "Oh, this?"
Striking a particularly proud pose, Merlin stood up and patted her chest, then adopted a mysteriously sly tone, "Guess what this is! It's a super special gift I brought back!"
"A gift?"
Hearing the word 'gift', Artoria couldn't help but recall the various strange items Merlin had brought back in the past: unused gramophones, faded tribal totems, coffee machines that dispensed odd liquids, and so on.
In Merlin's hands, the term 'gift' was practically synonymous with 'useless', 'boring', and 'unpredictable'.
"A gift? Where did you dig up this piece of junk, Merlin?"
Sighing lightly, Morgan took the initiative to step forward and knock on the box. Surprised by its unusual heaviness, she raised an eyebrow, "Huh? This thing... I actually can't discern what's inside?"
"Of course you can't!" Picking up the large black box and dropping it onto the table with a clang, Merlin opened it, revealing the contents meant for this Holy Grail War... Inside lay unmistakably...
"Watches?"
Looking at the black, textured watches brimming with a sci-fi aesthetic, Artoria picked one up, "These numbers look like a countdown. There's no second hand. What is its purpose?"
"The black one you're holding, Artoria, is a Master's watch. The blue ones are for Servants."
Picking up a watch herself, Merlin began her explanation, "Previous Holy Grail Wars had no specific rules, just relentless battles between Masters and Servants until only one side remained victorious."
"But unlike before, for this Holy Grail War, Alaya has implemented a new system, represented by these watches."
"There are thirty-six watches here in total, corresponding to every Master and Servant. Wearers must pay attention to the prompts on the watch. When a 'Game Start' notification appears, a countdown will begin. Combat is only permitted during this designated period."
"The victory condition has also changed. You win simply by destroying your opponent's watch. Anyone who loses their watch is eliminated."
After hearing Merlin's explanation, Morgan seemed quite intrigued by this novel rule set, "You can only fight when the watch is counting down? Meaning no combat under normal circumstances?"
Merlin: "Correct. The watches have a built-in system that detects magical energy fluctuations. If a wearer's magical output exceeds a certain threshold outside the game period, it results in an automatic loss. So, random fights are prohibited."
Artoria: "What happens if you fight anyway? An immediate loss?"
Merlin: "Yes. Engaging in combat outside the designated time counts as a loss. Having your watch destroyed also counts as a loss. Honestly, it simplifies things. At least everyone can go about their daily lives without constant fear of ambushes or assassinations."
Crimson Moon: "Preposterous. A mere Counter Force of the Human Order presumes to command me?"
Had Ryuya not been in Snowfield City, Crimson Moon and Hope would never have come to this world. Upon hearing the Holy Grail War now came with so many regulations, Crimson Moon made her stance clear: she wanted no part in such a tedious conflict.
Female Gil: "The watch signifies one's participant status? If that's the case, are alliances permitted?"
Ishtar: "Gil makes a good point. With so many participants, wouldn't forming alliances be a natural strategy?"
Merlin: "Yes, alliances are absolutely allowed."
Holding up the box, Merlin, who seemed to thrive on chaos, announced excitedly, "I've brought all the watches! The other two idiot Rulers will just have to eat my dust."
"No, they won't even get a whiff of dust, hehehe..."
Her wanton laughter revealed her delight. Playing with the box, Merlin looked at Ryuya with an expression clearly seeking a reward.
"So then, Hubby, don't I deserve a reward for this?"