Chapter 313

"So, Weigong, you skipped class to do this?"

"Someone with a human face but a beast's heart—that's exactly what you are."

"But as a magician, you've passed. You manipulated an innocent young girl's emotions, controlling her and her powerful Berserker together—in this regard, I must commend you!"

Sakaya Rin's words came without pause, piercing Weigong Shilang's heart like arrows; in a certain sense, Illya's appearance indeed induced deep guilt.

"..." Weigong Shilang fell silent for a moment, then asked: "Why did you come into my room..."

"Archer noticed your door was open when he passed by," Sakaya Rin swept her ponytail over her shoulder and said, "It's that trendy thing, right? Cosplay. You really know how to have fun, Weigong."

"Hmph," Archer snorted. "You're awfully relaxed during the Holy Grail War. What on earth went wrong for you to shatter the boundaries of social morality, Weigong Shilang?"

The Heroic Spirit Weigong, the one who fulfilled his ideal and made a pact with the collective human consciousness, Alaya.

Even though many memories had worn thin, he remembered every detail of the Holy Grail War he had experienced in his distant past.

Archer despised his immature self and sought to erase the Weigong Shilang who fantasized about becoming a "Companion of Justice," yet he never imagined that upon returning to his former era, the past would have changed so little.

"There are plenty of people who wear monocles—today it's mahjong, tomorrow are you going to court because the Star God Yuzhe Sect showed up?"

Clearly, you remain wary of Watching Lu Mingfei, who still intends to kill Illya and himself.

"Sorry, Sui Ting, there's nothing more to say—please leave for tonight." Sakaya Rin rose from the tatami, looking at the two: "The alliance is definitely canceled. Please inform them later."

"You're being overly optimistic. Aside from Saber, the girl he lured away, do you think any other Master or Servant would abandon their obsession with the Holy Grail just because of his words?"

"Unlike Saber, you know he'll find it hard to accept," Illya said, gazing into those twin emerald eyes, seriously:

"If you insist on going, and someone asks about your origin, just say you came to Earth after watching Sui Tenglang jump high from the moon—I've already thought up the excuse for you."

"Actually, it might not be that ridiculous—but legends say such things are affected by the environment, right?" Weigong Shilang said. "But is the one on the Heroic Throne himself—or a copy?"

The room fell instantly silent. Not for long...

"I just saw some information—it says Gilgamesh possesses the All-Knowing, All-Powerful Star. If he takes this seriously, Sui Ting probably still can't match him."

"Ha…" No one knew who laughed first.

Logically, as another Master, you shouldn't have let your guard down and come alone into a camp possessing Saber and Berserker—but out of basic trust in Illya, you still chose to go to Shilang's residence.

"Damn it!" Zhang Chuyan cursed under his breath, then remembered this was his own account: "Bro, wanna grab something to drink? I'll get you some when I head out."

Knowing Watching Lu Mingfei as I do, he was probably pranking everyone again...

The理智less Berserker, who was on intimate terms with Watching Lu Mingfei at that time—clearly, this Holy Grail War involved interference factors unknown to him.

Illya glanced out the window—toward Liudong Temple. Dark clouds draped a thin white veil over the moon tonight:

"Pull one hair and the whole body moves. If we act decisively at the critical moment according to the original fate trajectory, it might be fine—but the world is unpredictable; the less we change, the fewer variables emerge."

"Ye Fan, I won't accept such baseless claims!" Saber sat upright, expression stern: "What is your basis for saying these things?"

"Sakaya, can you come with me somewhere tonight? I want you to know something about Sakura." Illya withdrew his hand and looked at Sakaya Rin.

"A magician participates, leading their summoned Heroic Spirits, in a battle for the Holy Grail's sole right—these Heroic Spirits include historical figures, widely circulated fictional figures, and even those summoned from the future or Parallel Worlds."

Sui Tenglang lay on the sofa, legs propped up, utterly relaxed as the historical projection served him personally—potato chips arrived, he opened his mouth; when tired, drinks were brought; the 64-inch TV in the living room streamed FATE/UBW.

Yi Leina checked the settings on her phone, nodding intermittently. She had seen it before but never studied the detailed lore of Illya's world—after hearing he was returning to fight the Holy Grail War, she looked it up again online.

"Eat his snacks!" Especially Especially Especially Xiao Yan, seeing Sui Tenglang expose his secrets, retorted: "Didn't I reimburse you for travel expenses using the Divine Whip and these weapons?"

"Irrelevant," Sui Tenglang glanced at Sakaya Rin behind him and said to Saber: "Saber, you and Archer handle perimeter security."

"Because we must obey you—there is no choice but to abandon the Holy Grail."

Laughter erupted suddenly in the rented apartment.

Colored circles flashed, and with a burst of Bai Guang, an SSR appeared.

"It's complicated—wait until Sui Tenglang returns, then I'll project one for you," Especially Especially Especially Xiao Yan said carelessly, sipping the Wu Dao tea he had just demonstrated to Li Huowang.

Sakaya Rin picked up her bag and asked: "Then why did he say that?"

Rip—

Illya's smile vanished as he looked at everyone, including Saber, and said:

"Kaguya, come to think of it, you don't have any counterparts here, do you..." Sui Tenglang sat up straight and said:

The Simulation Universe is shutting down soon—just these two days to do as you please.

"Technically, this counts as official assignment, but they'll dock a month's salary at your end," Weigong picked up a chip and sighed: "Evil heavenly bureaucracy."

"Live-streaming high jumps across the multiverse, huh?" Kleine grumbled. "Why didn't you say the chat group pulled me in after watching Sui Tenglang's high jump?"

"I came to save you, Sakura."

Looking at the Ea, he rubbed his hands, opened a spatial gate, and fired a shot at the player currently cursing Mr. Darkness for being petty.

"What nonsense! Dreaming here like a fool!"

"Huh?! What are you talking about, big girl!" Sakaya Rin froze, then glared angrily at Watching Lu Mingfei, her eyes narrowing:

"Making such a choice knowing the opponent has one Servant—Berserker must have given you immense confidence."

"You and Sakura... are sisters, aren't you..."

"Forget copying—any outsider like you, if discovered, would surely draw the planet's awareness," Su Lin shook his head:

Early morning is truly intoxicating.

"I don't know where you got this strange information, and its truth is uncertain—but why should any other Master or Servant listen to you?"

Jin Guang landed and pierced the ground; swords fluttered with spiritual aura, runes appeared, and the array formed.

Upon hearing this, Su Lin's hand froze. He asked: "I just realized something, Especially Especially Especially Xiao Yan—by handing over things so easily, aren't you letting Illya return them as defective goods?"

"Pfft..." Sui Tenglang couldn't hold back.

He glanced at Saber, paused, then continued:

Sakaya Rin nodded and said to Illya: "I think so too."

Before Sakaya Rin could speak, Archer spoke first.

"Even without Saber and Berserker, my Ye Fan could win the Holy Grail War in one night—Sakaya, just surrender already. For the sake of the Sacred Relic and Ye Fan, I'll spare you... Ow!" Sui Tenglang's words were cut short as Illya sharply flicked his forehead.

Every eighty years, the ley lines of Yuwen Mushi accumulate enough spiritual energy to support the descent of the Jin Guang, and thus the Jin Guang—capable of instantly fulfilling any wish—appears in Yuwen Mushi.

After I finished processing the subpoena, I glanced at it and my eyelid twitched—the plaintiff also wore a monocle beneath his eyes.

"You hope that all Servants summoned to this era, along with their Masters, will set aside their conflicts and cease fighting over the Jin Guang; behind this Holy Grail War, a hidden entity seeks to misuse the Jin Guang for ill purposes."

"You hope all Servants will cease their fighting."

"Form the array."

"Even if the Servants' magical energy is insufficient, the conceptual weapons of this world are still troublesome—I fear I cannot fully counter certain arbitrary Noble Phantasms, and there are even some with very low 'quality.'"

Whether or not he noticed, Dada Liya's world seemed barely better than Emiya Shirou's—myths and systems of all kinds, with deities seemingly having avatars here...

"I blew my card draw again—only one single pull left..." Sui Tingteng looked at Emiya Shirou and pointed at Male Merlin: "Old man, lend me some money to gacha, I'll pay you back next month."

"We've only known each other a few days, and yet that guy already laid hands on Sui Tingteng..."

"That Noble Phantasm is so cool!" Xing pointed at the "Awakened One" Noble Phantasm on the tablet and said to Emiya Shirou: "Emiya, give me one of those in the Simulation Universe!"

Cold wind blew away a few withered leaves; Dada Liya shivered, then frowned. Given his current physical condition, he shouldn't be catching a cold.

Emiya Shirou waved his hand, tossed the phone back to Zhang Chu'an, and said to克莱恩:

"Does he even know what he's saying?"

"But with my current Nascent Soul cultivation, returning like this carries unavoidable risks."

"I'd love to go and have some fun," Penglai Shan Huiye gulped down a cola and tore open a bag of chips: "While watching the Fuzzy-Haired King, I'll test whether these anti-immortality Noble Phantasms have any effect on me."

Shhh—!

"By the way, Shilang, I know what happened between you and that big demon head—I'm not interested in your dealings, but as fellow alumni, I advise you to raise your guard."

"He..." Yuanbao Lin froze; the words from Dada Liya sounded like a fairy tale to her—until moments ago:

"But please believe me! I will never deceive or betray you."

Dada Liya stared at Yuanbao Lin; her sapphire eyes seemed utterly still, yet Dada Liya could feel the atmosphere around them shift instantly.

Han Li nodded, sipping the Enlightenment Tea in silence; each person's Dao is different—he could only offer Dada Liya guidance on certain matters.

Archer froze; just now, Lu Mingfei had said Ye Fan while looking directly at him...

Having stayed so long in Especially Especially Especially Xiao Yan's world, Dada Liya understood well: compared to abstract principles or words, strength was the essential tool to earn others' respect and acceptance.

He burned the paper scraps into ash, then opened the window and let the ashes drift out of the room.

"Achoo!!"

"Envy the old man," Emiya Shi wiped sweat from his brow; these people truly took life lightly.

"If you're going to die, be careful, Dada Liya—but don't drag your Master with you," Archer's voice echoed:

Saber recalled the words Dada Liya had once spoken to her; she fell silent for two seconds before:

"I don't expect to convince every Master and Servant with words," Dada Liya stood up solemnly: "Heroes all possess pride and dignity—even magicians are no exception."

He finally understood why that guy let the Money Tree shut down and go home—likely because he saw the Simulation Universe was about to close, wanted to secure long-term orders from all realms, and deliberately sent Dada Liya to Gilgamesh to return the goods.

"After this trip, nearly every variety is gone."

"The planetary will is manageable—it's the chaotic, random things that worry me; one misstep and you won't even know how you died."

"By the way, yesterday a major sect was cheated out of 200,000 spiritual stones by a麻将 man wearing a monocle in a casino; today I received a subpoena suing the Yuzhe Sect."

"The Holy Grail War..."

Han Li, who was also drinking tea, frowned and said:

Especially Especially Especially Xiao Yan paused his tea-drinking, then laughed heartily: "How could I? I'm not keeping that matter on my mind—I just want you to return and investigate it; otherwise, your mind won't be clear, and that harms your cultivation."

Yuanbao Lin glanced at Archer; though his words were harsh, they were indeed true.

"The Simulation Universe's shutting down—why waste brain cells on this stuff... crunch crunch..."

"I really want to see the Yuwen Mushi romance... I really want to join the Holy Grail War and fight a bloody, tearful battle," Emiya said, propping his chin as he watched the TV, where Dada Liya was holding hands with Yuanbao Lin.

"Arrogant!" I snapped: "Don't think having Saber and Berserker lets you handle all combatants—there are far more ways to enter the Holy Grail War than you imagine."

"I believe your鬼..." Su Lin's lip twitched.

"Noble Phantasms... I want one too. These things are like magical artifacts, right..." Su Lin stared at the descriptions of Noble Phantasms, envious: "Causality, fate, time, elemental advantage... so many concepts tied to them."

"Moreover, the Jin Guang has developed some issues—we must verify them."

"As cultivators, we are destined to struggle against this turbulent fate; when the time comes, give it your all. The Holy Grail War is the origin of Dada Liya's birth and the source of my inner knot—if I don't resolve this, it will become my inner demon."

"What?!"

"Han Li's words make sense," Zhong Li took a deep sip of cold tea and refused:

"Alright, Sui Tingteng, let me properly explain everything—it's not too late yet. Yuanbao Lin, let's talk seriously about this Holy Grail War."

"The Servants' seats and timelines are severed from the world's core, detached from the time axis... That's impressive—similar to a lower-dimensional space."

"Sakura participated in this Holy Grail War, but her Command Seals were stolen by Shen Qi."

Emiya Shi felt like crying at the mention of blood and tears; that golden-haired half-blood girl had tried to trick him two days ago, and he'd sternly rejected her—but now, hearing it, he paused to think.

"It's... irrelevant," Dada Liya looked at Archer without pretense, but he had no intention of dwelling on this issue—today, there were other important matters to attend to.

"What? I'm just telling the truth!"

"You're wrong, Archer," Heracles' voice echoed: "I'll stay here to guard against interference from other Servants."

"He only calls me 'old man' when he needs something—crunch crunch... gacha... he doesn't even gacha himself..." Emiya snatched Sui Tingteng's phone and tapped once: "Oops, my hand slipped... Oh shit!?"

"Good~~~" Lu Mingfei pounced onto Dada Liya, glancing at Yuanbao Lin as if claiming ownership or issuing a challenge, then leaned against Sui Tingteng's body to express his stance: "Ye Fan's attitude is my attitude!"

Can Sui Tingteng still be called a Partner of Justice in this timeline?!

Amid Archer's shock, Dada Liya stepped backward; over a dozen Jin Guangs shot out, surrounding a half-kilometer radius centered on the Matou Mansion.

"Hmph, that's not enough, Dada Liya—words alone won't solve anything." Archer straightened from his leaning posture, thinking about how to investigate what had changed in this world.

"So this is your excuse for occupying my apartment, eating, drinking, and having fun here..." Kleine played Devil May Cry 5, executing an infinite aerial combo while complaining:

"Of course," Dada Liya nodded: "I hope all Servants and Masters will cease their fighting in this Holy Grail War."

Yes, he was wrong; ever since seeing this poster today, Archer had always thought so.

"Rin, is he jealous? Ye Fan hasn't been taken in by you yet," Lu Mingfei, who had been silent until now, smirked behind his hand: "Sorry, your tsundere mode is outdated—he'll forever be stuck in that twin-tailed loser pose."

If Illya-lang decides to walk away with Lu Mingfei and abandon this empty dream, then I must take this seriously and give this boy named "Lu Mingfei" a happy ending.

"Explain what? Explain where his lolicon roots come from?"

"He's truly naive, Illya-lang," Archer crossed his arms and sneered:

"Hahahahahaha!" ×N

"Ye Fan," Saber said worriedly: "Are you really going to enter a magus's workshop alone?"

"By the way, if you leave behind legends and history in this world, isn't there still a place for you on the Throne of Heroes? Then couldn't you just exploit a bug to get a free set of Noble Phantasms, skills, even a Heroic Spirit template?"

Farajin spoke with a hint of anger, yet she remained calm, for now, the other acted from the standpoint of a Master.

"Thank you, Farajin," Illya-lang gave Lu Mingfei a firm tap on the head:

Illya-lang drew forth a long spear woven with Jin Xuan's seven colors, slung across his back, and manifested a Jin Yu-like Geo-element shield around his body.

Sui Ting's expression twisted slightly; she covered her mouth, as if in suppressed delight.

At that moment, Archer, who had been leaning against the wall, gave a sly smile—he understood perfectly where Sui Ting-lang had learned the information at that moment, and was testing it.

"I understand. Your change may be connected to that incident… Ye Fan, you are not his sword—you will not scorn his decisions, but you will witness with your own eyes the truth of his words."

For the upcoming annual leave, work has been quite busy lately; sorry, I can only reliably manage 4,000 words—will write more if possible.