Looking at the shattered crystal ball in her hand, the witch in a purple cloak gritted her teeth.
"Tch, those damn mongrels actually dared to bark..."
"Wah..."
The commotion behind her quickly caught the witch's attention, and she turned around in a panic.
The girl with flaxen hair frowned and signed at her.
"...Don't swear, is that it? Understood, Shouko-sama."
The witch's expression turned respectful, and she nodded with a hint of fondness in her eyes.
Looking at that pitiful figure, her gaze grew distant as she recalled their first meeting...
Amid the curious gazes of countless people.
The camera gradually shifted, and the Heavenly Curtain brightened once more.
The scene changed to a resplendent mansion steeped in extravagance.
Arriving at the World's Greatest City, Chiba Prefecture!
The video gradually began showing the initial developments of the Fifth Holy Grail War.
Inside that luxurious estate, a young man dressed in an extravagant black shirt skillfully recited the incantation.
As the magnificent magic circle emitted a fluorescent glow, the Hall of Heroes beyond the world responded.
Under the man's expectant gaze, a mysterious cloaked woman suddenly appeared at the center of the formation. The Holy Relic was unmistakably a small dagger.
"You are Medea, the strongest mage of the Age of Gods, correct?"
Inside the lavish mansion, Tatsuya Ando looked somewhat excited. Then he took a deep breath, and his attitude became humble.
"Caster Medea has answered your summons."
"If you have any wish, you may tell me without reservation. I will do everything in my power to fulfill it."
The woman spoke without hesitation. Sensing the goodwill from her Master, a faint smile also curled across her lips, warm as a spring breeze.
She was the infamous Witch of Betrayal. For Medea, it was deeply moving that her Master could offer her such trusting kindness.
"A dream...?"
Akihito Tomoya scratched his head and seemed to smile shyly, looking utterly harmless.
Medea smiled with elegance and gentleness. "Indeed. Whether Master or Servant, anyone chosen by the Holy Grail must have something they desire. As it happens, I am proficient in many magecrafts from the Age of Gods. Perhaps I can help you..."
"I see..."
Tatsuya Ando thought seriously for a moment, then revealed a happy smile.
"I was born into a wealthy family. I never lacked food or clothing, and I was even brought into the world of magecraft. I have always been able to feel the beauty of life. But whenever I see people still living in suffering, I feel their pain and grieve with them."
"I want to pursue the Holy Grail and create a magecraft that brings happiness to others."
The look beneath his smile was incomparably pure, just like Ritou King Junichiro.
The atmosphere carried an indescribable sense of warmth and persuasiveness.
As Tatsuya Ando described it vividly, one beautiful scene after another gradually took shape, as though he had come into this world solely to save others.
Even Caster was slightly moved, admiration appearing on her lovely face.
After hearing Tatsuya Ando's account, people around the world became increasingly emotional. Their eyes held surprise, longing, respect... and a trace of doubt.
Teenagers in particular, being the most easily influenced and still relatively gentle in their understanding of the world, immediately began discussing it excitedly on Observer Net.
"Tatsuya Ando is forever the GOAT!"
"In ancient times, he'd be a saint-tier figure, right?"
"He absolutely deserves the Four Maxims of Hengqu!"
"To establish the heart for Heaven and Earth, to secure life for the people, to continue lost teachings for past sages, and to bring peace to all under Heaven!"
"I never expected such a pure person to emerge in this era where ritual and music have collapsed!"
"One look says it all: certified empty promises!"
"Hey, stop maliciously speculating about others, okay?"
"Wait... If Akihito is the Master, then what was going on with that girl just now?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
"Medea is the Witch of Betrayal in mythology. She definitely can't stand Tatsuya Ando's noble character. They may look harmonious now, but she must be gnashing her teeth in hatred and preparing to stab Akihito in the back!"
"What an evil witch. Tatsuya Ando really had terrible luck summoning her."
People gradually grew angry and began condemning Medea, the witch of the Age of Gods, for her "sins," as though she had committed countless heinous crimes.
Ah...
Well, her reputation in mythology really was not very good, so people had formed preconceived notions about her.
After all, who would trust a witch who killed her own two children out of spite, made her husband die in despondency, dismembered her younger brother with her own hands, and threw his remains into the sea?
The title "Witch of Betrayal" had long become Medea's defining mark.
No one believed her.
In reality, at the Chiba Prefecture Assembly Hall.
"We found him! Tatsuya Ando is one of ours from Chiba!"
A man in a suit said excitedly.
The Heavenly Curtain could be seen across the entire world, which meant it could produce the same promotional effect everywhere.
Chiba Prefecture's economy had happened to be declining, with every industry languishing and tourism also in a slump...
If they could use someone as an "internet celebrity" at a time like this, they could stimulate the economy.
Shimo Yukino and Haruno were both young ladies of this prefecture and daughters of trillion-Yen conglomerates. How could they possibly be asked to lower themselves for something like this?
Kogoro Mori lived in Beika Town, while Ito Makoto had far too negative an image...
After much thought, they had finally found a relatively kind local.
Beside the man, a big shot smoking a cigar smiled in satisfaction.
He patted the suited man on the shoulder and said with narrowed eyes, "Yamamoto, you did beautiful work. If you can make Chiba Prefecture great again... my current seat will be your future seat."
"Yes! I will definitely make Tatsuya Ando famous!"
The suited man shouted excitedly, red-faced as if pumped full of adrenaline.
Under the big shot's smiling gaze, he rushed to the publicity department at lightning speed while also contacting the police headquarters. Within half an hour, he had brought Tatsuya Ando to the scene, filmed several short clips, and posted them online for promotion.
Although Tatsuya Ando was somewhat flattered, the filming results were quite good.
In one video, he galloped across a grassland on horseback. Then he smiled at the camera and revealed his white teeth, highlighting his innocence and shyness.
Naturally, there were also clips of him standing in Chiba Zoo and shyly introducing various animals.
"At the zoo, we can hear all kinds of sounds."
"Cheese snow leopard..."
"Cheese panda..."
"Cheese giraffe..."
"Cheese silverback gorilla..."
In these short videos, Tatsuya Ando fully displayed his innocent smile.
He was thrilled. He had never imagined that he could benefit from his Parallel World self.
Soon, those short videos went viral online and received millions of likes.
Chiba Prefecture's popularity also quickly rose.
The Heavenly Curtain showed scene after scene of harmony as leisurely background music began to play.
In this Holy Grail War, the Caster pair seemed to be the most united team.
Akihito Tomoya spoke with an easy smile, opening with his frenzied money-burning technique and fully displaying the charm of a filthy rich tycoon, stuffing every kind of magical material into the warehouse.
Medea, meanwhile, used magecraft from the Age of Gods to turn the Ando estate into an absurdly formidable magical stronghold. Even Servants of the Three Knight Classes would feel intimidated upon arriving.
Do you understand what airtight means now?
Audiences around the world watched with their mouths agape, stunned beyond belief.
Could a combination like this lose ╮(￣⊿￣)╭?
Absolutely impossible!
Yet the slap in the face came so quickly...
An accident exposed Tatsuya Ando's true nature before Caster.
The Sins of a Parallel World: Akihito Tomoya Fell Into Despair!
The scene continued.
The camera moved to the Ando residence, where two figures appeared in the lavish grounds.
The Caster pair was taking a harmonious stroll, chatting and laughing together.
"We have set up such a powerful magical stronghold, and with the EX-rank Noble Phantasm Golden Fleece, ArgonCoin, that you possess, Medea... you can summon dragons from the Age of Gods..."
"We are guaranteed to win this Holy Grail War!"
Tatsuya Ando smiled gently, his eyes filled with anticipation for his dream's imminent realization.
That was precisely why he had chosen to summon Medea, the "witch of the Age of Gods."
Her true identity was the "Princess of Colchis" from Ancient Greek mythology.
Not only was she of noble status, but she also possessed the Golden Fleece. By projecting it onto the ground, she could summon dragons from ancient times, creatures capable of contending with the Olympian gods!
Even without witnessing it firsthand, those dragons surely would not be weaker than first-rate Heroic Spirits.
However...
Upon hearing this topic, Medea suddenly fell silent for a long while.
"I'm sorry. Due to the limitations of this era, it is difficult for me to summon dragons now..."
After pondering for a long time, she finally sighed and told her Master the truth.
"...You can't summon dragons in the modern era?!"
Akihito Tomoya became anxious. His face darkened with anger for an instant, but he immediately turned away and put on a gentle smile, waving his hand as though it did not matter.
"It's fine. Even without dragons from the Age of Gods aiding us, even if we must face the other six Masters, I, Tatsuya Ando, will still remain invincible in Japan's magecraft world!"
"Thank you for understanding..."
The beautiful blue-haired woman said apologetically before silently leaving.
"Click—."
As the door closed behind her, Medea walked farther and farther away until she vanished from sight.
"Useless trash!!"
After confirming that she could no longer hear him, Tatsuya Ando flew into a rage. He slammed his right fist into the exquisite and expensive camphorwood table, shattering the tea table to pieces.
His attitude completely changed, and his face darkened. "If you can't summon dragons, what use are you? You useless slutty fox, you bitch. You spent your life seducing men, and now you can't even handle something this minor."
"No... I have to find a way to replace this Servant."
"If I lose this Holy Grail War, I won't be able to suppress those lowlifes stirring up unrest."
Before you continue