[Hello, audience friends.]
[This is the Interastral Peace Broadcast. Let us take a broad look at the major events occurring in the galaxy recently.]
[According to reports from our frontline reporters, the massive interstellar-level competition known as the 'Simulated Universe · Holy Grail War,' planned by the God from the Xianzhou Alliance, the [Primordial Arbiter], is proceeding smoothly. It is expected to officially launch today within the Herta Space Station.]
[The venue and equipment are graciously sponsored by Madam Herta of the Genius Society. Let us express our gratitude to this generous and beautiful cosmic genius!]
[The Holy Grail War: a fair competition where seven Masters and seven Servants pair up to vie for the 'Holy Grail,' an object capable of granting wishes.]
[This is not a virtual game, but an event personally hosted by a newly born Aeon. Such a grand occasion is a first since the Amber Lord created the world.]
[Perhaps the ultimate victor can truly 'realize their wish' through the Holy Grail? After all, this is a promise from a God!]
[After a fierce selection process, six of the seven Masters have now been determined. They will fight representing the Family of Penacony, the Xianzhou Alliance, the Interastral Peace Corporation, and the Nameless...]
[Due to the organizer's request, the spot for the seventh person remains undecided. This has led to widespread speculation: who is this seventh person for whom an Aeon would specifically reserve a spot? Could it be His Emanator?]
[This competition will be broadcast live simultaneously by our Interastral Peace Broadcast TV Station. Let us welcome our special guest from 'The Family'—Mr. 'Why Is Robin A God'—to provide the pre-match commentary...]
Inside the Astral Express, the voice of the Interastral Peace Corporation broadcast was still echoing.
Slumped on the circular sofa, Suke looked at the front-page content of the newspaper Pom-Pom had handed him, his eyelids twitching.
No, seriously, BB... he only ran to find you because he believed you were actually doing serious work.
For this, he had endured Boss Mabel's mockery, as well as various curses and misunderstandings.
And this is what you show him?
Setting aside for the moment how BB managed to bluff her way into becoming an Arbiter of the Xianzhou, Suke flipped the newspaper again.
On the other side, the portraits and codenames of the six contestants were impressively listed:
"Zhuming Sword Tip" (Yunli)
"Galactic Baseballer" (Stelle)
"Cosmic Singer" (Robin)
"Top-tier Female Director" (Sparkle)
"Cyborg Cowboy" (Boothill)
"Devious Aventurine" (Aventurine)
Looking at all these codenames on the list, which his [True Name Discernment] saw through without even needing to think, Suke fell into a brief silence.
He looked at the chat content BB sent in the public channel, asking if he had any plans to announce his contestant codename via the galaxy-wide broadcast right now. Suke only felt his temples throbbing with pain.
Whose Honkai: Star Rail and Type-Moon crossover plot is this?
He actually believed BB's nonsense!
He thought she truly harbored good intentions, creating a Path to temper him and make him stronger.
And the result is you serving him this?
"I say, Boss, is fighting a Holy Grail War popular here too?"
The first to speak was Fujimaru Ritsuka. Dragged along by Suke in passing, she was looking left and right on the Astral Express.
This was her first time leaving Earth, so she was naturally full of curiosity about everything.
"I'm familiar with this Holy Grail War. The seventh contestant mentioned in the broadcast should be you, right, Boss?"
"I'll serve as your advisor this time, Boss. I guarantee we'll be invincible!"
Gudako patted her chest, looking as if victory was already a foregone conclusion.
When it came to Holy Grail Wars, she was the expert among experts!
After all, she had fought in no fewer than double-digit numbers of them. A veteran of a hundred battles, you know?
"Stelle."
"Boss?"
"Such a big thing, why didn't you tell me before?"
"Boss, you didn't ask either," the gray-haired girl said, scratching her head.
One had to know that to secure this spot, she had defeated quite a few strong enemies.
For example, the Cold Feet Uncle, Old Sampo from Jarilo, and that Interastral Peace Corporation employee, Scott, who hadn't given up his wicked designs after she drove him out of Aurum Alley previously.
This was a precious opportunity to realize a wish; how could she not seize it?
Seeing this, Suke was truly out of options. He felt suspected of losing all his strength and means.
He wanted to go back to Stardew Valley and play board games with the little witches.
Or if that really didn't work, letting him accompany Boss Mabel at night would be fine too.
Although Boss Mabel was a bit old, a bit bad, and addicted to drinking and gambling, he felt that forcing himself a little wasn't unacceptable.
"Senpai☆~~~"
But regrettably, as the Astral Express arrived at the station and BB's emotion-filled voice rang out, it was all too late.
"Oh my, Senpai brought quite a few people. Are they tourists?"
"But it doesn't matter. Even if the spots are full, BB can open a back door for Senpai and let them come along together~"
When Suke saw BB, dressed entirely in tacky gold, appear in the main hall of the Astral Express, before he could even speak, BB proactively made the suggestion.
"Great, great!"
Gudako clapped her hands. With her head looking a bit sharper than usual, she felt it was necessary to show Suke and the others some real technique!
In her own world, she was a dignified Savior, a Magus of the Rank of Cause decorated by the Clock Tower!
"By the way, BB, can this Holy Grail War really grant wishes properly?"
"Of course~"
"Who do you think BB is? The Holy Grail War I'm holding isn't like those counterfeit, shoddy products made by those despicable magi imitating the Third Magic~"
BB puffed out her chest proudly.
"With BB-chan's current capability, even if you want to make an unrealistic wish like 'World Peace,' it can be done~"
"Senpai, isn't BB-chan amazing? Aren't you going to praise me?"
Addressing Fujimaru Ritsuka's classic question, BB-chan proudly provided the answer.
It was no exaggeration to say that with BB's current abilities, if she were dropped into the timeline of the Fourth Fuyuki Holy Grail War, she could grant even a wish as absurd as Emiya Kiritsugu's.
And the kind without any black mud at that!
"Does this have anything to do with the Path you created before?"
But Suke had to speak up.
You loving to hold a Holy Grail War is your business, but he never agreed to participate!
With this time, he'd be better off going back to till two more acres of land and storing some Winter Roots to make a Tuber Platter!
"Of course it does!"
"This Holy Grail War is an obstacle BB-chan specially set up for Senpai. Just like a ritual—as long as Senpai overcomes it, you can successfully step onto the Path BB-chan has forged for you!"
"So, for this competition, BB-chan won't intervene to rig the game for Senpai. Although, given Senpai's ability, BB also believes Senpai can achieve victory with ease~"
Really?
Winning a Holy Grail War in the Simulated Universe fulfills the Path? Why does it feel like BB is making fun of him?
She didn't collude with Aha, did she?
Suke was somewhat skeptical. If not for Stelle beside him, including Hiro and the others, looking eager to try after hearing that wishes could be granted, he would have already turned and left.
Fine.
Let's just see what kind of stunt BB is pulling this time. He was already at a low point; even a tiny bit of progress would be an ascent.
He couldn't just keep living off Yuki forever, right?
Although Suke always had the illusion that his minion waves were being farmed by Yuki along the way. One had to realize that Yuki was now more than just a little bit stronger than when she first met him.
"I knew Senpai wasn't the kind of person who would give up halfway~~"
"Then, Senpai, and everyone behind Senpai, please close your eyes."
Taking the Simulated Universe login device handed over by BB, before his consciousness logged in, Suke only heard the voice in the broadcast on the train suddenly change.
Sakura-colored blossoms spun at the radio station, temporarily occupying the network of the entire universe.
[Rejoice~!]
[For the birth of the seventh contestant!]
[He is the one who gathers all favor, my beloved, the one who knows the past and the future!]
[His name is—]
[[True Name Unknown]!]
...Somewhere in a remote countryside, an unknown snowy field.
"Hey, Masked One, didn't you say that as long as I dug up this thing, that new Aeon would open a back door and fish me into the competition?"
A haggard-looking blue-haired man held a completely golden cup, listening to the broadcast that the Simulated Universe competition was about to start, a look of astonishment on his face.
"Hahaha, Aha doesn't know either. Maybe She forgot?"
"? Didn't you say you negotiated with Them?" The man's eyes widened. "Answer me. You wouldn't joke about such a major event concerning the survival of the universe, right?"
"Aha doesn't know~ Haha, Aha really has no face, Aha really has no face!"
A red mask that had grown legs ran to and fro, finally jumping into a snowdrift amidst loud laughter and disappearing.
Leaving only the man in the cold wind, holding the golden cup, messy and alone.
...Fuyuki City.
A nuclear-peaceful city where gas pipelines frequently explode.
Also one of the classic starter villages of the myriad heavens.
Gazing at the iconic Fuyuki Bridge in the distance, although Suke didn't know why BB chose this place as the setting for the Simulated Universe Holy Grail War.
But it had to be said, the current BB still had standards.
At the very least, he looked around—this wind, this grass, this water...
It felt like the graphics quality wasn't as good as Genshin... no, wait, it seemed indistinguishable from reality?
If not for looking up and seeing MOONDUBAI hanging in the sky acting as the competition camera, perhaps Suke would really have the illusion of having transmigrated.
However, there was one point that differed from Suke's imagination.
According to BB's explanation combined with his own conjectures, he thought this Simulated Universe would be a scenario similar to Penacony's Dreamscapes.
Actually, before being sent in by BB, he was nervous for a moment—what if his Farm System malfunctioned in the Simulated Universe?
[Perfect Series AI Heroine: Senpai, can you see this☆~~]
[Perfect Series AI Heroine: In this Holy Grail War, as long as Senpai can seize the Holy Grail, it counts as a victory. BB-chan wishes Senpai prosperous martial fortunes in advance here☆~~!]
But upon discovering that the public channel chat was still visible in the bottom left corner, along with the Health bar, Energy bar, and Farm System panel, Suke breathed a slight sigh of relief.
All functions of Stardew Valley were operating normally. Even the items in his backpack could be accessed freely here.
If he wanted to, he could even pull out the Return Scepter and flee the battle immediately.
"Rare indeed. BB actually didn't set a trap for anyone."
Taking out the Return Scepter and rubbing it in his hand before putting it back, a heavy stone in Suke's heart finally fell.
Actually, he had a bit of PTSD regarding BB. After all, having been locked in a small dark room by her once, who knew if she would repeat her old tricks?
No one liked confinement play more than BB, especially since she now possessed the Nyarlathotep essence.
This was also why Suke had never treated BB with the same attitude he showed Abigail, Tsukishiro Yuki, and the others. He was truly afraid that if her feelings got a little heavier, she wouldn't be able to control her instincts.
Even if she bore no malice toward him, just thinking about her really acting up was terrifying!
However, there was actually some bad news.
For instance, Suke took out the Shepherd's Crook and waved it. Perhaps due to signal issues, he found he couldn't link up with Yuki's abilities.
Bad news. I've really become a blank slate now.
But it wasn't a big problem.
"Since it's come to this, let's eat first... no wait, what was the first step in fighting a Holy Grail War again?"
Suke looked down. He did see the Command Spells on the back of his left hand.
But he didn't have a catalyst on hand either. How was he supposed to summon a Servant?
Should he follow the classic Fuyuki Holy Grail War plot tropes and go blow up the Old Bug's house to rescue Sakura first?
But was Sakura really there?
Suke always had an intuition that if he ran to the Matou household, what he'd see wouldn't be Sakura and the Old Bug, but various giggling BBs.
Then, looking into the basement—wow, no crest worms here, just various discarded BBs!
Like a meat mountain piled up from beloved young girls.
That would be very horrific, brother!
Suke decided to find Stelle and the others first and attempt to regroup with them.
However, Suke would not know.
Just on the other side of Fuyuki City, which served as the "arena," at Private Homurahara Academy, Year 2 Class A.
A black-haired girl with twin-tails was looking at the mirror with a face full of disbelief, touching her own cheeks, which were quite a bit more tender than usual.
She remembered she had just dozed off during a class in the Modern Magecraft Department of the Clock Tower, hadn't she?
Where in the world had this sent her?
____
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