The long-awaited finals in Fuyuki, which had captured the attention of the entire city, had finally begun. The venue prepared by Medea, built to accommodate 200,000 people, was now packed to the brim. With no choice, Medea had to work overtime to expand the arena once again.
As the host, Hundred-Faces appeared in a new outfit—a pure white formal dress. After a brief opening speech, the event moved on to the classic pre-match trash talk segment.
"Let's welcome our four finalists!"
Hundred-Faces introduced each contestant with a flair:
"First up, ranked fourth: Illyasviel von Einzbern! Her Servant, summoned under the Berserker class, is the one who has vanquished the likes of Shuten-Douji of Mt. Ooe, the giant spider of Kyoto, and the Ox-Demon of Sensō-ji Temple—feared as the strongest slayer of the supernatural during the Heian Era: Minamoto no Raikou! Though summoned locally and thus theoretically blessed with a significant boost, this duel is governed by absolute fairness. Only legends and power clash here!"
A silver-haired, red-eyed little girl entered the venue with a voluptuous, classically beautiful woman of the East. The visually striking combination immediately drew the eyes of the audience.
"I, Illyasviel, greet you all on behalf of the Einzbern family. I've entered this competition because, as the heirs of the Third Magic, the Einzberns will never hand over the soul crystal to anyone else."
Illyasviel curtsied gracefully, then cast her gaze toward a certain direction with a pouty, indignant expression:"Besides, I'm not just here for the prize. I need to teach someone a lesson—people who break promises are the worst! Illya will make sure you remember that!"
No one really knew what the "Third Magic" was, but that didn't stop the audience from imagining a grand drama about family legacy. And Illya's bratty, disgusted look drew a wave of suppressed cheers—until those fans felt Minamoto no Raikou's murderous gaze pierce their souls.
For the record, since Medea's model shop sold Master figures too, Raikou once caused a scene there trying to prevent anyone from buying Illya's figure. Because Jason was forbidden by Medea to duel, he not only got beaten up but also got tons of complaints from collectors. His head barely stayed attached.
"Anyone who tries to hurt Illya… or even dares look at her weird… dies."
Purple lightning crackled around Raikou, but somehow that only made some people more excited.
Though Raikou seemed like a normal Servant on the surface, her EX-ranked Madness Enhancement made it clear she was only normal on the surface. If the audience kept getting rowdy, she might actually attack, so Hundred-Faces quickly ushered her offstage and brought up the next contestant.
"Next, ranked third: Tohsaka Rin! Former Master of Jason, who was once ranked second. We don't know what happened between them, but she quickly found a new partner—a red Archer!"
"Due to certain reasons, this Archer has chosen not to reveal his True Name. But I, your host, will give you a tiny hint: this Archer is from the present era and is actually still a high school student! If you've ever dreamed of becoming a Heroic Spirit, perhaps his case will inspire you. Just imagine—after death, fighting alongside legends from all eras! Isn't that thrilling?"
Archer's face twitched with a very familiar expression—one he'd worn many times since his arrival in this world. Thanks to Jiang You's antics, Hundred-Faces was now fully off the rails, and given her Noble Phantasm created different personalities, it wasn't unusual for a few of them to be completely unhinged.
"Counter Force should really award her a medal for this level of PR... If anyone actually takes her advice and learns the truth later, I hope they don't try to kill her out of spite."
"I'm here to win."
Rin found it embarrassing to make such a declaration in public, but her aristocratic upbringing didn't allow her to show weakness."And I'm here to take revenge on Medea, who stole my Servant. No matter what, he's my Servant! Everything that belongs to the Tohsaka family—I will reclaim it!"
"Looks like we've got some drama here. Moving on, ranked second: Medea!"
Hundred-Faces had managed to stall just long enough for Medea to finish expanding the venue. Now, the arena could finally hold all the spectators.
"As a magus from ancient Greece, Medea's strength is not to be underestimated. She's also the only contestant to bring two Servants. No need to elaborate on her myth with Jason—you all know the story. But now that the legendary pair are reunited and working together, what kind of spectacle will they show us? We're sure to be amazed!"
Medea entered the stage dragging a dead-eyed Jason with her.
Jason reached toward Tohsaka Rin:"Master, save meee!"
His disgraceful behavior made Rin cover her face. Could he please act a little more like a Greek hero? Even Archer had more dignity than him.
"Get your facts straight. I'm your Master now!"
Medea activated the magical crest on Jason's collar. A blast of electricity surged through his body, and he fell to the ground in a smoking heap.
Whispers broke out among the audience—it was clear Jason wasn't participating voluntarily. But Medea didn't care what anyone thought.
"The gap between Age of Gods Magecraft and modern Magecraft isn't even on the same level."
She swept her eyes over the remaining contestants."Let me show you the difference between us. That prize is as good as mine."
"By the way, this entire venue was constructed by Medea herself. This alternate dimension setup is truly a marvel. That must be putting a lot of pressure on the other contestants, right? But don't worry—duels aren't just about raw stats. Even a mere mortal can slay a god!"
Finally, it was time for the last contestant. The arena dimmed, and a spotlight shone down on one point.
"For the grand finale, please welcome the only non-seeded contestant without a Servant! The powerhouse who defeated even Cú Chulainn! Who pushed past Scáthach herself to claim victory! Let us all cheer for him—"
"Matou Shinji!"
"Shinji-kun!"
"Show those relics what human strength can do!"
"Matou Shinji! Victory is yours!"
As it turns out, if you're strong enough, fans won't care if you're not some cute, soft girl. They won't even care how shady your deck is. With overwhelming popularity, Shinji stepped into the spotlight.
His seaweed-blue hair shimmered under the lights as he looked out over the packed stadium with a thoroughly smug expression.
"I'm here for one reason only," Shinji raised his hand and pointed skyward,"—to prove that I am the best in this entire magical ritual! Among all magi, I'm the greatest genius! I will win this tournament, without a doubt!"