**This Is Bonus Chapter For Completing Milestone Of 200 Powerstones**
Let's put the real-world drama aside for a moment. Let's forget about Vanguard Games and their smear campaign. Let's rewind the clock 24 hours.
While Jasmine was busy hiking up Mount Rainier (because apparently, regular gym workouts weren't intense enough for her), the StreamZone platform was experiencing a meltdown.
It wasn't just StreamZone. Every major streaming platform—Twitch, YouTube, TikTok—was surging.
The cause? Holy Grail War.
It was the perfect storm. Farming games were relaxing but boring to watch. Shooters were exciting but repetitive. But Holy Grail War? It was a content machine.
The AI was unpredictable. The Servants had personalities that ranged from noble to psychotic. The emergent gameplay created stories that no scriptwriter could dream up.
And the king of this content was, without a doubt, Maverick.
Maverick was known for his dual nature. When he was "in the zone," he was a god-tier player. When he wasn't? He was a slapstick comedian.
After his epic victory with Artoria, Maverick's luck took a nosedive. His subsequent streams were a montage of failures so spectacular they went viral instantly.
Death Count:
Ambushed by Assassin: 19 times.
Spawn-camped by Sniper at Airport: 6 times.
Ganged up on by alliances: 8 times.
Solo-killed by enemy Master while reading chat donations: 13 times.
Chopped to death by local thugs in London while trying to steal a relic: 17 times.
Self-destructed using Time Alter (Square Accel): 9 times.
He was feeding the internet. He was shoveling content into the mouths of his fans like a frantic bird feeding its chicks. Crunch, crunch.
Finally, after a day of rest (and recovery from mental trauma), Maverick returned.
At 8:00 PM, his stream went live.
[Chat]:[Mommy]: OPEN THE DOOR! LET ME IN!
[Starving]: Without Maverick, food has no taste.
[Simp]: Maverick! Show us your... development!
[Zero]: Can you zeros get lost? I'm a one anyway.
[Mod_Hammer]: Behave, chat.
Maverick appeared on screen. He looked refreshed, albeit a little manic.
"I'm here, brothers!" Maverick announced, clapping his hands. "Today we're doing something different. I just got off the phone with Panda and Monkey. We're doing a Streamer League. Seven top streamers. One Grail. Winner takes all."
[Chat]:[Monotone]: Wow. Maverick is awesome. (Sarcastic)
[Thirst]: I don't care about streamers. When is the developer releasing female avatars?
[Complaint]: Yeah! My favorite e-girl is streaming this, but she's stuck playing as a middle-aged man in a trench coat. It's confusing my... feelings.
[Gambler]: I bet 30 million StreamPoints on Maverick!
[Salty]: You have guts, kid. Or you hate money.
Collaboration was the key to growth. The "Friend Match" function in Holy Grail War allowed custom lobbies. No rewards (to prevent farming), but infinite bragging rights.
Maverick checked his inventory.
[HOLY GRAILS: 5][HOLY GRAIL FRAGMENTS: 5]
The in-game store used Grails as currency.
Unlockable Characters: 6 Grails each.
Kirei Kotomine (Executors).
Rin Tohsaka (Gem Magecraft).
Waver Velvet (Support).
Illyasviel von Einzbern (Mana Battery).
Kayneth El-Melloi (Volumen Hydragyrum).
Uryuu Ryuunosuke (Don't ask).
Maverick only had 5 Grails, so he was stuck with Kiritsugu Emiya.
Unlockable Relics (Catalysts): Varying prices.
Avalon (Artoria).
Snake Skin (Gilgamesh).
Piece of the Round Table (Knights).
Red Jewel (EMIYA).
Buying a relic gave you an 80% chance to summon the specific Servant. The other 20%? That was the gacha tax. Life needs excitement, right?
Currently, Maverick only had Avalon unlocked because he had won with Artoria. He could buy it for the next match, guaranteeing Saber again.
But that would be boring.
"Alright," Maverick said, putting on his headset. "Let's connect the boys."
The screen split into a grid. Other famous streamers popped in.
Panda: A large, jovial man known for his rage quits.
Monkey: A hyperactive FPS pro with impeccable aim.
Eggplant: A tactical genius who usually played CS:GO.
Daisy: A loud, aggressive female streamer (using the male avatar, much to her chat's dismay).
But just as the connection established, chaos erupted on Panda's screen.
"NO!" Panda screamed, slamming his desk. The sound clipped the audio, making everyone wince. "Where did you hear that?! Who said I let them snatch my phone?! I didn't let them! I was chopped 60,000 times! SIXTY THOUSAND!"
Maverick blinked. "Uh... Panda? You good?"
Panda was red in the face. "I tried to steal a relic in the London Museum map! The NPCs! They have knives! They have guns! Why is the museum security harder than the actual war?!"
Monkey laughed. "Skill issue. Just shoot them."
"I ran out of ammo!" Panda roared. "I tried to punch a guard and he judo-flipped me!"
"Okay, okay," Maverick intervened, trying not to laugh. "Calm down. We're in a custom lobby now. No museum guards. Just us."
"Good," Panda huffed, adjusting his headset. "I'm going to summon a Berserker and crush you all."
"Dream on," Daisy shouted. "I'm summoning a hot guy! If I can't be a waifu, I'll summon a husbando!"
"Is that your strategy?" Eggplant asked dryly.
"Shut up! It's a valid strategy!"
Maverick grinned. This was going to be good.
"Alright," Maverick said. "Rules are simple. Last Master standing wins. No teaming. No stream sniping."
He looked at his Grail inventory. He had enough to buy Avalon. But...
Do I play it safe?
He remembered the rush of the blind summon. The thrill of getting Artoria.
"Nah," Maverick decided. "I'm saving my Grails for a new character later. Tonight... we gamble."
He clicked [READY].
"Let the Streamer War begin!"
[Chat]:[Hype]: LET'S GO!
[Betting]: ALL IN ON MONKEY!
[Simp]: ALL IN ON Daisy'S HUSBANDO!
[Loyalty]: MAVERICK OR NOTHING!
The loading screen appeared. The seven streamers were dropped into the void.
[SELECT YOUR LANDING ZONE]
The map of the world appeared.
London. Berlin. New York. Fuyuki.
"Where we droppin', boys?" Monkey asked.
"Fuyuki," Panda declared. "I'm done with travel. I'm going straight to the temple."
"Coward," Daisy mocked. "I'm going to France. I want to summon a French knight."
Maverick looked at the map.
He saw a small, unassuming dot in the Middle East.
Historical Fact: The origins of the Hassan-i-Sabbah.
"I wonder," Maverick mused. "If I go there... can I summon King Hassan?"
He clicked the dot.
[DESTINATION CONFIRMED: MOUNTAINS OF ASSASSINS]
"Chat," Maverick whispered. "We're going to the desert."
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Next BONUS CHAPTER at 300 powerstones