"Effect of False Attendant's Writings! I pay 1500 LP to take control of one of your Servants on the field! That one's mine!"
Matou Shinji LP 4000 → LP 2500.
Zenjou's great-grandfather was seized by the crimson-bound grimoire and his control transferred.
"Due to the effect, its ATK becomes half of its original, and its effects are negated."
[Zenjou Heir] ATK 1200 → ATK 500.
"Damn it!"
Zenjou hadn't expected to get pulled to someone else's field. It was kind of ridiculous.
"But so what? You paid a steep price just to gain control of a blank card with 500 ATK and no effects. None of your Servants can break through my grandfather's defense line. You're being reckless—his ATK is even higher."
"That's why you don't get dueling at all."
Matou Shinji slapped a card onto the field. "As long as I have LP, it's the same as being at full health! Once a defense is broken, 4000 LP or zero—what's the difference? I Normal Summon [Matou Sakura]! Heh heh... little Sakura, even if you became a Master, you're still dancing in my palm!"
Sakura Matou wasn't really interested in Soul Crystals. She only summoned a Heroic Spirit to escape the grip of the Matou family. After killing Matou Zouken in this timeline, she'd actually planned to exit the Holy Grail War. If it weren't for Jiang You messing around, she wouldn't have joined Tohsaka Rin's plan. Now, she was stuck doing the cooking for this temporary strike team.
And so, while gathering ingredients with Medusa, Sakura Matou was summoned away.
Medusa blinked, not particularly surprised. It wasn't the first time—both remaining Matous had complete Matou-themed decks. Sakura had already been pulled away during cooking last time. Medusa figured she ought to learn how to cook, or maybe just take that seaweed-head out herself.
[Matou Sakura] ATK 1200.
"Don't give me that look. Your effect and mine go so well together! Matou Sakura's effect: when this card is successfully summoned, transfer control of one card on your field to your opponent!"
Matou Shinji's expression twisted as he burst into laughter.
"You're going to—?!"
Zenjou had already realized what was coming.
"Exactly what you're thinking!"
Matou Shinji pointed to himself, his cracked grin impossible to suppress. "I enjoy the benefits, and others pay the cost. What a great feeling!"
[A miraculous moment! The duelists have swapped field positions, but this is nothing new for Matou Shinji, currently ranked #1! His deck's drawback is banishing any card that leaves the field—a brutally toxic effect, as most duelists in this event have no way of retrieving banished cards!]
[Last Zenjou Magus] ATK 1400 → ATK 900.
"Don't get cocky! I activate my Trap Card: Defensive Sorcery! For this turn, all [Zenjou] Servants cannot be destroyed in battle, and they take no battle damage!"
Zenjou flipped his trump card. The Zenjou family's magecraft focused on defense. It was said that one ancestor could even redirect attacks to another dimension—though that might have been just legend. Zenjou never believed their magic could reach that level.
He glanced at his last set card—an anti-destruction Counter Trap that could nullify a targeted effect and retaliate with destruction. As long as he survived this turn, his deck would respond. It always had. Weak, yes—but undefeated.
"Can't destroy by battle, huh? No matter! You don't get another turn! I activate Five-Hundred-Year Obsession from my hand! I send [Zenjou Heir] on the field and [Crest Worm] from my deck to the Graveyard, and Special Summon [Matou Zouken] from my hand! Come forth, old man! Now I call the shots!"
Zenjou, used as a sacrifice, vanished and returned to his own field. Countless insects gathered where he once stood, slowly forming an aged man.
[Matou Zouken] ATK 1800.
"Youngsters these days have no respect for their elders."
Matou Zouken gave Shinji a seemingly kind smile, his cane tapping the ground rhythmically.
"Don't forget who owns this deck."
Seeing Shinji recoil in fear, Matou Zouken nodded in satisfaction. He then looked at Sakura beside him and spoke in an almost gentle tone: "My little Sakura has really grown up, hasn't she? Gotten bold enough to kill her grandfather."
Sakura, for the first time, found Jiang You's Noble Phantasm unbearably annoying. Everyone else had heartfelt reunions with departed loved ones—but Zouken just wouldn't stay dead.
"Well, that's fine. Fine!"
Matou Zouken let out a cackling laugh. Who knew what he found "fine" about all this.
"No next turn? You think that card can destroy my grandfather?"
Zenjou still couldn't imagine how Shinji planned to secure victory.
"Destroy? Heh heh!"
Matou Shinji regained his smug expression as he faced Zenjou.
"As if it'd be that simple! Watch carefully—Battle Phase! First, [Crest Worm] attacks [Last Zenjou Magus]!"
The twisted worm had returned to 500 ATK since Shinji left the field, but it was still 400 lower than its weakened target.
"What are you doing?"
Zenjou was alarmed—[Crest Worm] went to the Graveyard, but Shinji didn't lose any LP. Why make a useless attack?
"You were too eager to rank up. That's why you lost—because you ignored me! Crest Worm's effect: when destroyed by battle, take control of the battling Servant!"
Both of Zenjou's cards—neutralized.
"My Trap! Activate, damn it! Why won't it trigger?!"
Zenjou shouted commands at his face-down card, but to no avail. Crest Worm's effect doesn't target—there was nothing left to counter.
[Last Zenjou Magus] ATK 900 → ATK 1400.
To be fair, Zenjou couldn't be blamed for the lack of intel—this duel event had only just begun. Everyone was scrambling to grab neutral resources. Without a team, who had time to track other players' cards?
"Now my field totals 4400 ATK. And your only monster is me, with 200 ATK! It's over! First, Sakura... Grandpa... wait, not my card—Last Zenjou Magus, attack Matou Shinji!"
Total of 4400 ATK finished Zenjou off in one go—taking his dream of revival along with it.
"AAAAARGHHH—"
Zenjou collapsed in a dramatic, defeated pose.
"What a delightful duel!"
Matou Shinji's star count increased again, securing his lead.