"You possess such capabilities? This is Pan-Human History... It's different from what I imagined. I thought your world would be far stronger, like your Mother."
Clad in full armor, Barghest materialized into the Fifth Holy Grail Timeline at Jiang You's summons. With the preliminary rounds of the Second Duel Tournament already underway, Jiang You had decided to summon every Heroic Spirit he could muster. After all, the locals had grown accustomed to their presence.
Melusine was among them. Having lost to Jiang You in a previous battle, she had easily completed her basic character card. However, Jiang You hadn't obtained any subsequent cards, so her Affection remained stubbornly low.
In essence, Jiang You had "kidnapped" all three of Morgan's Fairy Knights. Yet Morgan herself seemed indifferent. Her current power allowed her to control all of Britain single-handedly. Bestowing names upon Fairy Gawain and Melusine had been to stabilize the impending Calamity, while giving Melusine her name was to enhance her strength for protection—not for their combat prowess.
"Tiamat doesn't belong here either! Pan-Human History is so fragile!"
Fairy Tristan forcefully wedged herself between Jiang You and Barghest. "And why did you summon her too? What's so great about a muscle-headed woman? Send her back to fight Mors!"
"I'd appreciate it if you kept your distance from my partner," Barghest retorted, refusing to back down. Jiang You had already proposed to her—Fairy Tristan was the one who should leave.
"You fake Child of Prophecy!"
Since they weren't in Faerie Realm Britain, Barghest didn't need to consider the bigger picture. She directly exposed Fairy Tristan's true nature.
"So what!"
Fairy Tristan was no longer the hair-trigger powder keg she once was. She had learned a thing or two about thick skin from a certain golden-haired individual.
"Jiang You chose to grant me this right, which clearly means I'm more important to him. I have no intention of sharing my possessions with anyone, so you'll just have to withdraw."
"Do you want to fight?"
Barghest glanced at the passersby before casting an inquiring look at Jiang You. Even if they weren't her own kind or fairies, she still felt a need to consider the weak. As for Fairy Tristan's combat power, though it had improved somewhat, it still paled in comparison to Barghest's. However, Fairy Tristan clearly had no intention of resolving this through brute force.
"She's bluffing you," Jiang You said.
He glanced at the sudden side quest that had popped up, offering him a choice: side with one of them, or declare, "You are both my wings." Jiang You immediately closed the window. After Fairy Tristan's earlier outburst, something felt off, and he couldn't respond so casually.
"All battles in Fuyuki are transformed into Duels," Jiang You explained. "And if it comes to cards, you'll never stand a chance against her."
Jiang You found the situation increasingly complicated. Shouldn't players naturally feel attached to their own cards? But balancing relationships between characters was proving troublesome. He wondered how Gudako, with her hundred-plus followers, managed to handle it all. What a time management master, he mused.
"You bastard! Playing favorites, are you?!"
Fairy Tristan lunged at Jiang You, ready to strike him, but Melusine restrained her.
"What? Even a sinner like you wants to get involved?"
Melusine's eyes lacked their usual spark. Ever since she had sent Aurora into the swamp, she had remained in this listless state. She simply saw no point in Fairy Tristan's actions. Jiang You clearly had no intention of answering the question, and as his loyal servant, she felt it was her duty to intervene. It seemed he wanted everything, a desire Melusine could understand.
"It's only natural for powerful beings to dominate lesser ones. You and Gawain are both his possessions. There's no point in fighting over it anymore."
Barghest instantly agreed with Melusine's reasoning, both of their minds leaning toward their primal instincts. She obediently walked to Jiang You's side.
"?"
Fairy Tristan couldn't comprehend their reasoning. She was possessive by nature.
"Wait, are you serious?"
"My body already belongs entirely to him. There's no room for resistance."
Melusine unconsciously uttered words that carried far more weight than she realized, though a significant portion of them was true.
"Wait right there!"
Jiang You sensed the conversation was taking a dangerous turn. Melusine, utterly lacking a sense of shame, hadn't bothered to lower her voice. As a result, nearby passersby overheard everything, casting a variety of glances—some curious, others disgusted, and a few even envious. Even though they were just NPCs, their attention made Jiang You feel increasingly pressured.
"Apart from the Aurora incident, I've never given you an order against your will. Please don't phrase it like that, okay?"
"But you've already taken my most precious thing—Aurora. After doing something so outrageous, I wouldn't question any subsequent order you give. You don't need to worry about me resisting."
"Stop!"
This conversation was only digging him deeper into a hole. Jiang You interrupted again. He had brought them out to relax, not to play some Galgame. "Since you're both so energetic, why don't you participate in this year's Duel Tournament? The prize is Soul Crystals—they're incredibly valuable, you know."
"Soul Crystals?"
Morgan adored these crystals, and Fairy Tristan naturally seized the opportunity.
"Don't think changing the subject will get you off the hook. I will get an answer from you one way or another. How about we add a condition? If I win, you must unconditionally grant me one request."
Fairy Tristan's aggressive stance made Jiang You guess what she was after. But with Tiamat also participating in the Duel Tournament, Fairy Tristan stood no chance whatsoever.
"Alright, I agree. But a bet can't be one-sided. What if you lose?"
"Hmph, you shameless cur!" Fairy Tristan scoffed.
"If I lose, I'll accept that oversized dog! You wouldn't want me to accept all of them, would you? And I haven't even settled accounts with you for what you did to my little Master!"
Fairy Tristan still didn't consider Melusine a threat. Jiang You's treatment of Aurora was utterly unforgivable to Melusine, naturally eliminating any chance of Fairy Tristan being competitive. To her, Melusine was no different from Jiang You's other slaves.
"If you wish, I'll participate."
Though Barghest didn't understand the value of a Soul Crystal, she wholeheartedly supported Jiang You's decision.
"You could make a request too, you know."
Barghest was so obedient that Jiang You actually felt a little embarrassed.
"You definitely wouldn't make any unreasonable demands, so there's no need for any bets."
After all, with Tiamat as the grand finale, the championship was practically a foregone conclusion.
"I'm not particularly interested... But if you want me to participate, you can just order me to."
That was Melusine's response.