"Archer!"
Hearing the sounds of battle outside, Emiya Shirou rushed out of his house. He was worried that the first thing he'd see would be severed limbs.
However, the moment he stepped through the door, it felt as if he'd entered another world. What greeted his eyes was his own Archer facing off against a blond man holding cards.
"This... is the battle of the Holy Grail War?"
Shirou didn't understand, but he was deeply shaken.
"Use that underdeveloped brain of yours and think for a second—of course not!"
Red Archer covered his forehead in exasperation. Shirou had no experience as a magus, let alone any understanding of the Holy Grail War.
Only now did Shirou grasp the details of Jiang You's Noble Phantasm.
"A Noble Phantasm that converts legends and bonds into cards? Archer, you won't be able to hide your identity now!"
Shirou was also curious—who exactly was this annoying Servant?
"I don't think you'd want to know."
"Emiya Shirou, you're Archer's Master? How did you get dragged into the Holy Grail War?!"
Rin Tohsaka saw the Command Seals on Shirou's hand. She never would have imagined that her enthusiastic classmate had been pulled into this brutal conflict.
"Honestly, I don't even know. This guy just suddenly appeared and told me I was his Master." Shirou was troubled. The information Red Archer provided was fragmented at best. If he hadn't pushed for answers, Archer probably wouldn't have told him anything.
"Fighting and killing strangers like he says… I just can't do it."
"Then we need to find someone to properly explain the Holy Grail War to you."
For the sake of protecting Sakura's smile, Rin felt obligated to look after this naive high schooler. At the very least, she couldn't let him die in front of her. "Without the resolve to kill your opponent, you'll just get hurt. Since other Masters have already started forming alliances, let's work together until you make up your mind."
"Then I'll be in your care, Tohsaka."
In truth, Shirou also wanted to protect Rin. He couldn't stand the idea of a girl his age fighting and killing others.
Red Archer felt equally troubled. If he had known about this Noble Phantasm beforehand, he wouldn't have initiated the attack. He had planned to toy with Shirou a little, but now he had no choice but to face things head-on.
"I am but a nameless nobody. The stage should be left to the great hero of Greece."
Archer yielded the first move to Jason.
Jason examined his hand with full confidence. "You'll regret that. The heroes of the Argo are not to be underestimated! Heracles is invincible!"
Jason LP: 4000Red Archer LP: 4000
"My turn! First, I Normal Summon [Theseus]! Come, my navigator—let's sail the seas together once more!"
A thread extended from the darkness of the duel space. The hero who challenged the labyrinth of Crete and slew the Minotaur followed its guidance into the battlefield.
[Theseus] (Saber) - Level 4, ATK 1600
"Not a standard summon, nor the Captain's Noble Phantasm… This method is quite fascinating."
Jiang You's Noble Phantasm intrigued Theseus. He glanced at Jason and greeted him, "Jason, you're still as spirited as ever. It's great to see you like this."
"I'm happy to see you too. If only I could call out all our crewmates… well, except that one."
Jason glanced at a card in his hand but lacked the courage to play it.
"Now, for [Theseus]'s Noble Phantasm—Thread That Leads to the Extremity! This is the thread that guided him out of an inescapable labyrinth, showing the way to all. Its effect allows me to add an [Argo] Servant from my deck to my hand when summoned!"
"I add [Heracles] to my hand!"
"Heracles, huh?"
Theseus' expression turned nostalgic. He had always admired Heracles.
"Not just that—you'll be seeing him soon! Next, I activate my effect! If there's an [Argo] Servant on the field, I can Special Summon myself from the hand!"
Jason leaped into battle.
[Jason] - ATK 1200
"Now, I activate my effect! By tributing myself, I Special Summon [Heracles] from my hand!"
Jason wanted to show off, but he also knew how to prioritize. Without hesitation, he summoned his strongest ace.
A massive black giant descended from the sky, cracking the ground beneath him.
[Heracles] - ATK 3000
"So this is what he looks like now… Still as strong as ever!"
Theseus had wanted to talk to Heracles, but seeing his current state, he decided against it.
"Finally, I set one card in my back row and end my turn."
Jason held onto his last card. "Nameless Archer, show me your glorious deeds!"
"I have no glorious deeds. Only the mistakes of a fool."
Archer glanced at Shirou. "Anyway, my turn. Draw!"
"First, I activate the Spell Card [Gallows for the Condemned]! I send a Level 4 or lower Servant from my deck to the graveyard. If the sent Servant has 'Emiya' in its name, I add either [Emiya (Archer)] or [Emiya (Assassin)] to my hand."
Archer pulled a card from his deck.
"I send [Emiya Shirou] to the graveyard!"
"What?!"
Shirou knew that Servant cards reflected their legends and pasts. If this card bore his name, it must have strong ties to him. His father, Emiya Kiritsugu, had died of illness, so this card…
"That's right. This is the tragic end of the boy named Emiya Shirou."
Archer tossed the card depicting Shirou into the graveyard with disdain.
"He stained his hands with blood for the sake of others, only to be condemned as a villain and sent to the gallows. How laughable. That's why aiming to be a hero of justice is foolish."
"Next, I activate [Messenger of Justice], Special Summoning [Emiya Shirou] from the graveyard in Attack Position!"
Shirou, who had been watching, was suddenly dragged into the battlefield. Before he could react, a pair of black and white twin swords appeared in his hands. He could tell they were projections from his own magic, but he had never seen them before.
[Emiya Shirou] - Level 4, ATK 1600
"Well then, the decision is made—Emiya Shirou, go take down Heracles!"
"...Huh?!"