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Book 6: Chapter 49:2: Rules of Magic Chess, Part 2

“Something feels off. There’s an odd sensation, like I’ve forgotten something important or missed some rules.” Waver pondered, apparently more insightful than the previous Masters. He was engrossed in thought, trying to pinpoint the problem.

“Diarmuid, capture the opponent’s pawn.”

“Understood.” Diarmuid obeyed his Master’s command, moving diagonally, his spear pointed directly at Luo Li.

However, as Diarmuid stepped onto the square belonging to Luo Li, he suddenly felt space change.

The Holy Grail pulled Diarmuid and Luo Li into a virtual combat space that resembled the original chessboard’s terrain but was considerably larger and contained only Luo Li and Diarmuid.

Diarmuid sensed the spatial alteration and remained vigilant, never forgetting his objective.

After ascertaining that they were the sole occupants of this space, he assumed an attack posture, wielding his twin spears.

“Although I don’t understand why we’ve been drawn into this peculiar space, even if you’re a Master and a young girl, as long as you’ve stepped into the Holy Grail War, I won’t show mercy,” Diarmuid declared. He paid no heed to Luo Li’s reaction and charged forward with a powerful momentum.

Simultaneously, a large screen appeared above the field, displaying the space where Luo Li and Diarmuid were.

“I understand now; this is magic chess. Ruler mentioned that the rules aren’t exactly the same as regular chess. In reality, soldiers wouldn’t willingly let themselves be captured by enemy soldiers without resistance.”

Waver comprehended the difference upon seeing this scene. He recalled that Ruler had already warned them that this was magic chess, which naturally deviated from the standard rules; otherwise, there would be no need for Masters and Servants to participate.

“…So, magic chess is like this. Ruler didn’t fully brief us on the rules, which led to a slight initial mistake. Nevertheless, it’s not a big concern; the opponent’s mistake is greater,” acknowledged Kayneth, a prodigy from the Clock Tower, understanding that he had overlooked something. However, he wasn’t worried.

“Although both sides are slated for battle, our side has a Servant, while the opponent is just a Master and appears young. If combat ensues, it might favor our side,” Tohsaka Tokiomi added, growing more confident in their victory under the current circumstances.

Both sides have seven Servants. Furthermore, our side has Gilgamesh, our trump card. As long as Gilgamesh, the king, remains alive, our side won’t lose.

Coincidentally, the black side shared this sentiment regarding their king.

Among our seven Masters, only Ryuunosuke is an ordinary person. The rest have ties to the Magecraft world.

Although I don’t know the identities of the three figures cloaked in black, judging by their stature, they probably aren’t adults. We need to be cautious but currently hold a high chance of victory.

(Luo Li’s three clones were all cloaked in black.)

Kayneth had great confidence in his Servant Diarmuid, and Diarmuid made a bold move, pushing for a kill.

Luo Li, taken out.

When Diarmuid was merely one meter away from Luo Li, she didn’t move at all, appearing stunned to outsiders.

Then, just as Diarmuid’s red spear was about to make contact with Luo Li’s chest, she vanished. Subsequently, Diarmuid’s head flew into the air, leaving everyone perplexed about how Diarmuid met his end.

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Back in reality, Chen Heng had just watched up to this point when Satou Kazuma patted him, pulling him out of the replay.

“Big Brother, lunch is over. Want to learn some skills now?”

“Huh? Lunch is over already? Alright, let’s learn some skills,” Chen Heng responded after returning to his senses, accepting Satou Kazuma’s suggestion.

I can watch the replay any time, but I should learn skills while it is early.

Chen Heng couldn’t stay in this world for too long; time was limited, so he needed to complete his tasks quickly.

Thanks to defeating over 20 Giant Toads, “eliminating” the One-Punch Bear, and killing some monsters while traveling, Chen Heng’s adventurer level had risen by three consecutive levels.

Although his level was still not very high, he had accumulated enough points to learn some simple skills.

While Chen Heng was immersed in the livestream, everyone finished their lunch. Now sated with food and drink, Satou Kazuma led the three from his party and Chen Heng to the streets.

To teach a skill to others, the other party had to witness it. The restaurant wasn’t suitable for demonstrating skills, unless they were entertainment skills like Aqua’s party tricks, for example, her Nature’s Beauty, and so on.

[TL Note: Nature’s Beauty: A skill that makes two fans appear on both hands and a pot of soil appear on top of your head. Spouts of water will emerge from each fan while a flower grows in the pot and ejects blossoms once fully grown.]

Unfortunately, Satou Kazuma’s skills didn’t have an entertainment element, and displaying them in a restaurant could lead to a brawl.

Satou Kazuma brought Chen Heng out for a very good reason—Chen Heng needed to witness the skills firsthand to learn them. Now, what about the other three? Well, Satou Kazuma had different plans for these three.

“Big Brother Chen Heng, what’s the first skill you’d like to learn?” Satou Kazuma asked, standing confidently in the middle of the bustling street.

As the defense against the mobile fortress had just recently ended, most of the adventurers had gone to the restaurants and bars to celebrate, so there were few people on the streets.

Chen Heng’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he replied, “I’d like to learn Steal.”

Satou Kazuma grinned in tacit agreement. “If that’s what you’re itching for, let’s start with Steal.”

Chen Heng had a curious question, though. “Isn’t Steal a skill you use on people? Are you going to steal from me?”

“No, no, no, Big Brother Chen Heng. You just stay right there and watch. This time, my target is Darkness,” Satou Kazuma said, shaking his head and pointing to Darkness, who was observing eagerly from the side.

What a joke! Satou Kazuma did not want to die. What if he used Steal on Chen Heng? Putting aside whether it would succeed or not, what if he stole something rather strange and Chen Heng wanted to silence him?

Now, Darkness was an entirely different story. You see, this masochist had no qualms about any of this.

In essence, this was Satou Kazuma’s motive for bringing this bunch along. To be more diplomatic, you could say he brought some extra hands. In simpler terms, he had enlisted three tools.