Chapter 565: The Awakening Masters
Her long hair was tied into twin tails with a dark red ribbon, the ends fading from black to white. The girl wore a red bodysuit emblazoned with a white cross, paired with an extremely short black miniskirt that clung to her slender waist. Her graceful, deer-like legs were covered by black knee-high heeled boots.
Indigo hues settled deep within her eyes, and her dignified beauty carried an air of solemn charm that lived up to her name.
Her name was Rin Tohsaka. In Sakatsuki's previous impression, she had always been the idol and goddess adored by the entire school.
...However, that assessment needed some revision now.
Sakatsuki studied the girl, whose demeanor had clearly shifted. The intense determination burning in her eyes was nothing like the bland impression of a student or idol. Instead, she seemed more like a leader shouldering some great responsibility.
"Well, well, even the most obedient young lady is skipping class now? This school's doomed."
The reason Sakatsuki and Rin Tohsaka had crossed paths was simple: while Sakatsuki had been hopping between classrooms to gather intel on potential Masters who might pass the preliminaries, he had incidentally found and returned Rin's family heirloom necklace. The next day, Rin had thanked him, and through repeated interactions, the two had grown familiar.
But this ordinary, unremarkable relationship—ended here today.
"Sakatsuki." Ignoring Sakura, who stood timidly to the side, Rin strode forward confidently, bending down to scrutinize the boy's face. Once she confirmed the answer she sought, she straightened her slender frame, her expression serious.
"You've already awakened, haven't you? Why haven't you left this preliminary round?"
As previously explained, the victory condition for the first round of the Moon Holy Grail War was for participants to reclaim their true selves within Tsukihime Academy. The mundane, ordinary school life was merely an illusion. Only by realizing who they truly were would the Masters gain the right to summon their Servants and join the battle for the Holy Grail.
"A world of superficial harmony and false comfort."
"A routine bound by convention, dull and unremarkable."
"A future beneath twilight, with no tomorrow."
Poetic words spilled from the girl's lips as Rin crossed her arms under the moonlight visible to them both. "What value does such a hollow farce even hold?"
"While I should congratulate you on your awakening, staying here is our choice, isn't it? It shouldn't concern you, Miss Rin." Sakatsuki smiled. "Come to think of it, we're enemies now. Isn't it a bit inappropriate for you to be so concerned about me?"
Faced with Sakatsuki's "Beautiful Boy" skill, even Rin Tohsaki couldn't help but blush. She swept her hair aside, turning her face away as she muttered under her breath,
"...I just couldn't leave you alone, that's all."
Hm?
Draco's instincts flared. She tilted her little face up, glaring at Rin with clear hostility before wrapping her arms around Sakatsuki's arm in a silent declaration of ownership. Meanwhile, Rin immediately realized her slip of the tongue and turned back, her tsundere instincts kicking in as she huffed—
"Just a friendly concern between friends! It's definitely not that kind of thing... Don't get the wrong idea, alright? See you at the finals—if you manage to make it out of the preliminaries, that is!"
In a flurry of hurried words and even hastier departure, Rin Tohsaka came and went like the wind, leaving Sakatsuki with a bitter smile, at a loss for words.
Had anyone else said those words, he might have taken them as simple friendship. But coming from 'Rin Tohsaka,' directed at him—who had borrowed the existence of 'Shirou Emiya'—it was impossible not to misinterpret.
Even knowing that neither the girl nor himself had anything to do with the lovers from that timeline, seeing the same face made it hard for Sakatsuki not to let his thoughts wander.
"Mmmrrrgh... You fool." Sensing her contractor's shifting emotions, Draco squirmed restlessly in his arms before breaking free. "Two-timing jerk, scum, the absolute worst! Shouldn't you be comforting me right now?"
"Didn't I sit here and let you have your way? Rin Tohsaka didn't get that privilege." Sakatsuki spread his hands helplessly, only for Draco to glare at him indignantly before stomping out of the infirmary.
"I'm leaving!"
Eyeing the dish while eating from the bowl—Sakatsuki really was a greedy, terrible guy!
Rage meter: 40%... 43%... 47%...
The little red dragon left, but Sakatsuki made no move to follow. Instead, he stood, stretching lazily as his golden slit pupils gleamed.
Some Masters had already awakened from the preliminaries, signaling that the Moon Holy Grail War was about to enter its next phase—transitioning from the 'preliminary' selection to the 'main event,' where 128 Masters would battle to the death.
"Seems like our peaceful days are coming to an end." The boy grinned in anticipation, stepping forward. "I'm off too, Sakura. By the way, your lunch was delicious."
"Huh? Oh—see you later, Senpai!"
As the infirmary door closed, the girl named 'Sakura' finally stopped her pointless rearranging of flower pots from one end of the room to the other. She stared at the door, pressing a hand to her chest, lost in thought.
———
Turning left outside, Sakatsuki followed the window-lined hallway to its end, where a familiar figure came into view.
"...Hakuno?"
Hearing her name, the girl turned. Recognizing her desk mate, she exhaled slightly in relief before waving silently, gesturing for him to come closer.
Understanding, Sakatsuki tiptoed to Hakuno Kishinami's side, peering cautiously over her shoulder—then let out a quiet sound of realization.
"So it's him..."
Around the corridor's bend stood a flawlessly noble boy, his radiant golden hair and entire being exuding an otherworldly perfection.
If Sakatsuki was known throughout Tsukihira for his carefree roguishness, this boy was renowned for his near-flawless excellence—less a king and more a saint, with a personality both uniquely special and universally loving.
His name was Leonardo Bistario Harway, heir to the Harway family ruling this worldline. In the original setting, he was the strongest Master, contracted to the Round Table Knight Gawain.
"You've really done an excellent job. Not just the details, even the air here feels authentic. If I had to say, it's more real than reality itself."
The boy named Leo wasn't wearing the uniform of Tsukihimihara Academy either—the emblem of the Harvey family shone brightly on the chest of his red formal attire. With his back to Shirou and Sakatsuki, he carefully examined the wall before him. Behind Leo, a man who appeared to be a Tsukihimihara student knelt on one knee, clearly positioning himself as a subordinate.
"By the way... what do you think?"
You?
Shirou showed a startled expression, thinking they had been discovered, but Sakatsuki silently grasped her hand, giving her a reassuring look. Immediately after, Leo nodded as if receiving an answer and continued speaking.
"Life here isn't bad. Though I've heard about it, I've never been to a place like a school before. In a way, I've had quite an interesting experience."
As the young heir of the Harvey family, which controlled sixty percent of the real world's wealth, Leo was the "Egg of the King," forged through the family's rigorous and meticulous elite education. The efficiency-over-quality schooling system naturally couldn't add luster to his path.
"But this ends here. This isn't where I belong." The young king sighed as he concluded, "A detour is still just a detour. The time always comes to return to the original path—and that time is now..."
Just as Leo was about to take his next action, a frivolous yet smug voice suddenly rang out behind Sakatsuki and Shirou, who had been eavesdropping.
"Well, well, what do we have here? My least favorite NO.1, sneaking around with Shirou to listen in on NO.2's little speech?"
...Without a doubt, there was only one person in all of Tsukihimihara who still lacked self-awareness, opening his mouth only to annoy others.
"Matou Shinji." Sakatsuki turned around with a dark expression to face the boy radiating killing intent. Shinji smirked, waiting with a hollow grin for Sakatsuki's retaliation. But just then, a smooth, composed voice interjected:
"Please, both of you, hold for a moment. Before we leave, I have something to say to Sakatsuki."
No one would ignore Leo's invitation—especially when he spoke in such an authoritative tone. Shinji snorted but crossed his arms, ceasing his provocation. Sakatsuki turned back to meet the gaze of the golden-haired boy, who smiled faintly.
"So, Leo. Before we leave the preliminaries, what did you want to say to me?"
As they spoke, an intense aura of confrontation emanated from the two boys. Even Shirou, merely observing, felt suffocated by the tension.
If Sakatsuki's meeting with Shirou and Tohsaka Rin had been a coincidence, his encounters with Leonardo Bistario Harwey were inevitable. Though not in the same class, their rivalry had begun the moment they first appeared.
["Though the day will come when the whole world knows me, for now, I am merely your classmate. I am grateful for this fortune. So, everyone, I look forward to your guidance in the days to come."]
These were the words Leonardo Bistario Harwey had delivered on his first day at the academy.
["You don't need to know who I am. Many of you here will be killed by your own futures. Don't expect any help from me—at most, I'll enjoy the pathetic sight of you struggling desperately during our encounters."]
This was Sakatsuki's arrogant declaration from the podium of Class 2-A.
Just these two starkly different yet fundamentally similar opening statements were enough to highlight the clash between their personalities—especially since both youths were exceptionally outstanding. It was only natural for geniuses to vie against one another.
For Sakatsuki in particular, the rules of the Holy Grail War were straightforward: after the preliminary rounds, it became a one-on-one elimination tournament with almost no room for schemes or deception. Precisely because of this, even with his knowledge of the events, he felt an intense desire to challenge the invincible duo of Leo and Gawain.
"So, you've already awakened, as I expected." Seemingly pleased by the term 'classmate,' Leo chuckled lightly. "I only have one thing to say—don't die before our final match, Sakatsuki."
After expressing his anticipation for their official duel, Leo turned toward the wall without hesitation. Just as Hakuno wondered what he was about to do, Leo took a step forward—and vanished from sight.
A living person had disappeared into the wall.
This reality struck Hakuno and Shinji like a shockwave, their eyes widening involuntarily as they muttered in disbelief.
"What in the world... just happened?"