Chapter 25: Mystic Code

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[The correct options are D and F.]

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[Congratulations to Chihiro, Hero King, Tohsaka Tokiomi, Kotomine Kirei, Rin Tohsaka, Sakura Tohsaka, and General Tiangong for obtaining 5 Saint Quartz.]

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[Bluebeard gives up on answering this question.]

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[All other people answered incorrectly, and 1 Saint Quartz will be deducted.]

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Chihiro: "Another day, another failure for Bluebeard."

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Bluebeard: "Ah! Chihiro, I'll kill you!"

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Waver: "Let's not provoke him. He's not exactly… stable."

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[In this quiz, Chihiro and General Tiangong had the highest success rate, followed by Waver and the King of Conquerors who answered two questions correctly, and tied for third place were Hero King, Tohsaka Tokiomi, Kotomine Kirei, Rin Tohsaka, and Sakura Tohsaka, earning one gold, silver, and bronze treasure chest respectively.]

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[Today's quiz session has ended and will continue tomorrow.]

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As the announcement ended, everyone in the group seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief. The day's questions had carried far too much weight, especially with the revelations about the burning of Fuyuki City and the concept of singularities. The mere mention of these things was enough to send them into mental overdrive.

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Only Chihiro seemed entirely unaffected by the gravity of the information.

Zhang Jiao stared curiously at the treasure chest that had materialized in his hands. "So, this is the golden treasure chest?" He examined it closely, noting its simplicity. There was no visible magic signature on the chest, nothing to indicate what might lie inside.

Meanwhile, Chihiro had already opened his own treasure chest without hesitation. The other chest the one he'd earned previously had been conveniently stored away by the system, saving him the trouble of explaining how he had two.

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining the Noble Phantasm—Five Soldier of the War God(God Force)!"

Chihiro blinked, astonished, as a large Fang two handed halberd appeared in his hand.

"Well, this is some luck." He admired the weapon, feeling its weight in his grip.

The Five Soldier of the War God was a powerful Noble Phantasm, belonging to Lu Bu. It was a multi-form weapon with six different configurations: a scythe, halberd, arm guard, broadsword, double whip, and a bow. Each form carried its own distinct abilities, essentially giving its wielder access to six Noble Phantasms in one.

This weapon was a masterpiece, crafted by the strategist Chen Gong with Lu Bu's input.

However, in the original work, Lu Bu had been summoned as a Berserker, which greatly diminished the potential of his Noble Phantasm, allowing him to only utilize the halberd and bow forms. The other four forms had been sealed away, unable to be used.

Chihiro might not have been adept at wielding this massive weapon, but he knew someone who was.

Red Hare.

Red Hare, as a Rider-class servant, had a variant of this very weapon as its own Noble Phantasm—though a weaker version with only the bow form. Equipping it with the genuine Five Soldier of the War God would surely boost its strength, potentially allowing it to unlock all six forms of the weapon.

Chihiro grinned. "Red Hare's about to get a major upgrade." (T/N: Gudako is pleased)

Zhang Jiao, who had been watching Chihiro closely, suddenly spoke. "A Noble Phantasm? You even managed to summon something like this?"

He approached, studying the Five Soldier of the War God with fascination, clearly impressed by its craftsmanship.

"Zhang, don't just look at mine. You haven't opened yours yet," Chihiro pointed out, chuckling at the sight of Zhang Jiao practically ogling the weapon. The old man's excitement was almost palpable.

"Right, right." Zhang Jiao reluctantly set down the halberd and turned to his own treasure chest.

"Ding! Congratulations to group member General Tiangong for winning the Mystic Code—Royal Brand!"

In Zhang Jiao's hand appeared a card, emblazoned with the image of a formal suit. Chihiro immediately recognized it.

"Ah, the Royal Brand. This is one of the Mystic Codes used by Fujimaru Ritsuka. I didn't expect this to be an available reward."

Zhang Jiao inspected the card thoughtfully, intrigued. "Oh, a modern suit, is it?"

He sighed, "What a pity it's not yellow."

Chihiro facepalmed. "Of course you wanted it to be yellow."

Zhang Jiao, ever the eccentric, had always been particularly fond of the color yellow—something Chihiro found a bit amusing, yet tiring at the same time.

In a flash of light, Zhang Jiao summoned the Royal Brand and donned the suit. The suit didn't seem out of place on him. In fact, with his confident demeanor and the way he carried himself, he looked almost like a modern-day mob boss.

"Ah, so that's how this works…" Zhang Jiao muttered, already aware of the Royal Brand's abilities the moment he put it on.

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The Royal Brand was a powerful mystic code that boosted reaction times and sharpened concentration, helping the wearer focus during combat. But that wasn't all. The suit also came with a special skill—Guaranteed Hit—which allowed the wearer to land an unavoidable attack once a day.

"Not bad," Chihiro thought. "It works exactly like it does in the game."

Then he mused aloud, "I wonder what I would get if I managed to draw the Halloween Royalty Mystic Code. That one has invincibility."

As Chihiro and Zhang Jiao continued to explore their newfound treasures, the group chat sprang back to life, buzzing with new challenges.

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Diarmuid, the ever-honorable knight, had issued a challenge to Artoria.

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Diarmuid: "King of Knights, will you accept my challenge tonight?"

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Artoria: "Of course. As a knight, I will not refuse any challenge."

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The King of Conquerors interjected with his typical enthusiasm. "Hahaha! We already know what's going to happen tonight. Why not continue the duel?"

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Artoria: "King of Conquerors, I ask that you do not interfere with our duel."

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Diarmuid agreed. "Indeed. I would like a fair duel."

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But anyone who knew Iskandar knew that he wasn't exactly one to follow the rules.

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Back in the mountains, Chihiro had noticed the ongoing conversation in the group.

Zhang Jiao chuckled. "Well then, are we going to join the festivities tonight?"

Chihiro smiled. "Of course. It's bound to be lively."

Zhang Jiao nodded, adjusting the lapels of his suit. "You're prepared for the Hero King, right?"

Chihiro's eyes gleamed with determination. "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't."

"Good," Zhang Jiao said with a rare seriousness. "Remember, no matter what happens, always stay calm."

"I'll take care of setting up defensive wards around our base. Just in case the enemy decides to come knocking."

Tonight, the Holy Grail War was going to get even more chaotic.