Is This Really a Good Idea?

"Mongrel! How dare you..."

Not only had his thunder stolen, but he had also been grazed by an arrow. The oldest chuuni in human history... ahem, the oldest Heroic Spirit felt deeply humiliated and casually summoned several swords, directing them at Jizi.

"With a fire this big, want some wild chrysanthemums to go with it?" Though blades were pointed at her, Jizi showed no sign of panic. Instead, she continued to mock him. "Are you trying to silence me? Just because I exposed the things that must be told between you and those black uncles you can never finish killing?"

That sentence was like a stone thrown into a calm pond, creating obvious ripples. The other Heroic Spirits immediately turned to look at Gilgamesh, after all, the first Assassin had been "killed" by him in full view of everyone.

"How could I possibly understand a mongrel's thoughts?"

"Oh dear, now you're playing dumb. What's done is done, yet you don't even dare admit it. And you call yourself the only hero in heaven and earth worthy of being a king. That's really..."

Jizi did not finish her taunt, because the sound of metal slicing through the air cut her off. She spun around and rolled aside to evade the incoming Noble Phantasm, then quickly moved to Rider's side, placing his burly body between herself and Gilgamesh's line of fire.

"You're the King of Conquerors of Macedonia? I've always admired you a great deal. I often read stories about you when I was little."

"Oh? I don't know what Heroic Spirit you are, but if you're willing to join my expeditionary army, you'd be more than welcome."

Rider pretended not to notice that Jizi was clearly using him as a shield and greeted her in a carefree manner.

"Macedonian phalanxes do have rather a lot of spearmen... Hmm, but I could consider it. After all, two sides have already formed an alliance. In a Holy Grail War with only seven pairs, having two Servants is already an enormous advantage. Of course I'd be happy to have a companion fighting at my side. But Rider, what bargaining chip can you offer to persuade me?"

While exchanging pleasantries with Rider, Jizi continued drawing Gilgamesh's hatred toward herself. She knew that the biggest bug of the Fourth and Fifth Wars was absolutely beyond her ability to defeat. The more enemies she could make for him, the better. There was no way that could go wrong.

Saber and Lancer also showed unfriendly expressions toward Gilgamesh. Of course, I think anyone would find it hard to like someone who was arrogant, chuuni, constantly mocked everyone, and was also the mastermind behind the scenes—especially when he wasn't even a girl.

"Hahahaha! I never thought there would come a day when I, Iskandar, needed to prove my strength. Then, Caster, what conditions are you offering?"

"You're certainly easy to negotiate with. Saber and Lancer have already demonstrated their strength, Archer's Noble Phantasms are extremely impressive, and Assassin possesses a unique ability to split into multiple bodies. As for you, Rider, aside from killing an already badly wounded Assassin and revealing your True Name the moment you appeared, what else have you shown? At the very least, let me see whether you can contend with that Gilgamesh over there."

Jizi continued stirring up trouble.

"Rider, this has nothing to do with us! He was the one who provoked Archer! Don't take on this mess just because of a momentary impulse!" Seeing that Rider seemed somewhat tempted, the Queen Consort cried out anxiously.

"And you two over there, Lancer and Saber—I suggest we deal with that arrogant Gilgamesh and Assassin combination together first, then fight over the Grail afterward. What do you think?" Seeing that her provocation here was not particularly effective, Jizi shifted her attention to the other two people who had been standing around for ages.

"If we're talking about being sneaky, Caster, you're no different. You're hardly trustworthy."

"My lord has no intention of forming an alliance with you, so forget it."

"Even if mongrels gather in greater numbers, they are no match for me!"

"What did you say, Archer?!" ×2

Her provocation had originally seemed like a failure, but Gilgamesh truly was worthy of his name. He was so "understanding" that he "helped" Jizi concentrate everyone's hostility onto himself. If someone had Mystic Eyes capable of seeing through things, they would have seen that Jizi's face beneath her mask had already been moved to tears. So I misunderstood you, little Gil. You were actually on my side all along. You sold out your teammate so decisively that Tokiomi must be wondering whether he'd run into the legendary six-man black squad, right?

However, it seemed there was no need to fan the flames further. Someone was about to join in. Relying on her precise perception of Mana, Jizi sensed the final guest of this performance. She chuckled and said to Archer, who was still drawing aggro over there:

"Why are you so awesome? Since you're so awesome, go deal with that guy first!"

"What..."

Where Jizi pointed, black Mana surged upward and solidified into a tall man. His entire body was wrapped in black armor, shrouded in a black mist that blurred his form, while undisguised killing intent targeted Archer—the last Heroic Spirit summoned here by the Holy Grail, Berserker, had appeared.

...Let's skip ahead through the original plot...

Gilgamesh certainly wanted to punish that Caster who did not know her place, but this mad dog barking mindlessly at him was even more irritating than the slick-tongued Caster. Thinking so, Gilgamesh soon discovered that he seemed to have kicked an iron plate.

This fellow actually refused to meekly accept the honor of being personally executed by a king, and even used his filthy hands to defile his treasures. His crime was unforgivable!

Compared to Gilgamesh, who seemed to have had his G-spot poked and was practically climaxing all over, the situation on the other side was—

"Berserker came out to help me right after I suggested we gang up on the rich guy. He's absolutely awesome! I have to play happily with him! And he seems pretty powerful too."

"Indeed. Even having lost his sanity, his technique is not the least bit crude. He must have been an unmatched warrior in life. It is a pity that his class has reduced him to this state... Speaking of which, Miss Caster, you are no ordinary person either. You saw through Assassin's scheme the moment you appeared, and the force behind that arrow was truly not something an ordinary magus would possess."

"You flatter me. They were simply unlucky enough to be discovered while observing me. Last night, I chased them through several blocks and killed around ten of them. I didn't expect there to still be more. As for the bow, if you really think that's my strongest method, you'll be in for a surprise."

"Hahahahaha! As expected, none who answer the Holy Grail's summons are ordinary. This expedition is truly stirring my blood."

"Then enjoy yourself."

Unlike the two knights who carefully observed the battle between Archer and Berserker, Jizi and Rider looked more like they were watching a show. They freely commented on the two "performers" fighting their hardest, occasionally teasing each other. Jizi had even sat atop the front railing of the Gordius Wheel and created a soft cushion for herself, looking completely relaxed.

"In terms of audiovisual effects, it's pretty impressive. There's plenty of action too. But if this keeps up, it'll never end. It looks like Gilgamesh's Noble Phantasms are basically inexhaustible, but Berserker doesn't seem like someone who can be defeated just by increasing the barrage."

"Then what does Miss Caster think?"

"I think that self-important Archer will soon release his True Name. Berserker might have a hard time with that. Still, I'll help him when the time comes—after all, we agreed to be friends... Wait, what did you just call me?"

"Miss Caster. That's what I called you before too. Didn't you notice?"

"Nani?!" Jizi was greatly shocked. She immediately flipped back a few lines in her book and checked. Sure enough, it was true. "When did you realize... No, how did you figure it out?!"

"Hahahahaha!" Rider laughed heartily. "I, the King of Conquerors, spent my life on campaign and have seen beautiful women of every land and style. Whether it was Roxana of Daxia, my first wife in history, or the Persian princess Stateira, my second wife—and also Darius's daughter—and..."

"Stop! Who wants to hear about your romantic escapades?! I'm asking how you figured out my gender! I hid it so perfectly..."

"What I mean is, having seen so many beauties, I have studied women's bodies extensively. Even hidden beneath that black robe, I could tell that your frame is far more delicate than a man's. Speaking of which, for a woman who could become a Heroic Spirit and fulfill the condition of 'noble fantasy' to deliberately hide her face with a mask... Just how breathtakingly beautiful must she be?"

A pair of large hands reached toward Jizi's face, as she stood somewhat stunned because the gender she had gone to such lengths to conceal had been discovered...

"Aaaaaaaaaaah!"

Saber and Lancer, who had mostly been standing around for so long that their presence had grown faint, suddenly heard a piercing scream. Then they saw an enormous flaming tornado rising into the sky from Rider's ox cart parked nearby, with signs that it would continue spreading.

Lancer, struck by wildly flying sparks, slapped at himself while crying out, "Hot, hot, hot, hot!"

However, the others within the flames reacted completely differently:

"Irisviel, be careful... Huh? I don't feel anything."

"It's all right, Saber. These flames have no heat. They can even drive away some of the cold."

"Ah, I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die! Rider, hurry up and do something! It's all your fault! How could you let an enemy get close to you, and why did you have to go and lift Caster's mask for no reason? The fire's so huge, do something already..."

"You're making a fool of yourself, little Master. Touch it. These flames are completely harmless. They only look frightening."

"Huh, really... They're not hot at all!"

After the flames dispersed, Jizi appeared before everyone with her mask back on, holding a scythe taller than she was. Though the mask was indeed covering her face, the hood that had always hidden her head had fallen back due to her earlier movements. Her long silver hair, capable of rivaling the moonlight, fluttered in the sea breeze, revealing a swan-like neck, white and elegant, as well as most of the smooth, pearl-like skin below it. The fabric around her collar had apparently come undone—perhaps because she had used too much force struggling free of Rider's hand, or perhaps because she had accidentally cut herself while awkwardly swinging the scythe. In any case, her chest, lacking much in the way of curves but still full of temptation, was exposed without restraint. The crucial parts were not visible, but that very "invisibility" stirred the imagination even more, making the impact greater than if they had been visible.

"Rider~~~" What should have been a lively, soft voice instead produced a terrifying sound that made everyone present shudder. The person involved, however, seemed completely unaware.

"Such beauty could make even the sun and moon lose their brilliance. Hiding it away is truly a crime."

Wild flames rose once more, but this time they only surrounded Jizi herself. Taking advantage of the flames to block everyone's sight, Jizi quickly repaired her robe and restored it to how it had looked when she first appeared.

Calm down, I need to calm down. Falling out with Rider over this would be unwise. He's an important combat force in my plan to deal with Gilgamesh. If I can win him over, this little sacrifice is nothing...

"Lancer, did you see Caster's face?"

"It happened too quickly. I did not."

"Then that is truly a pity. That face would awaken every man's desire to conquer. Even Helen, who started the Trojan War, could not have been more beautiful than her. If I could have such a beauty as my consort..."

Snap. Something seemed to break in Jizi's mind. "Enough is enough! An uncle can endure it, but an aunt cannot! Die, Rider! Eat my Big Diao!"

Did I forget someone again? Ever since I stopped copying the original story, I seem to keep making this mistake. Probably not many people were interested in Gilgamesh and Yangtze shooting at each other anyway. After all, it's been done countless times... So let's just forget about it.

Why were Jizi's flames only effective against Lancer? Hehehehe, you all understand. Gazes into the distance...

Why did I update again today when I clearly said it would be weekly? Of course, it's because today is one of those rare days when the signal between us down here and you up there is good, so there's nothing strange about adding an extra update... Not that anyone is reading anyway.

If you think this book is good, please remember to add it to your bookshelf so you can find it next time.