Despite the subtle complexity in his mood, Alvin quickly gathered his thoughts and silently followed behind Matou Sakura.
Before long, the two arrived together at the Matou family's tea room.
At this moment, Tohsaka Rin was already seated on the slightly cool tatami, waiting.
She held a cup of green tea in both hands, steam rising gently from it.
"Sorry for making you wait."
Matou Sakura entered the tea room barefoot, her voice gentle as she spoke.
"It's fine... By the way, did you find what you needed?"
Tohsaka Rin turned to look at her sister behind her, asking with a smile as Matou Sakura nodded lightly.
"I found it... It's getting late. We should probably head to school soon, Sis."
Rin glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's already this late?!"
She finally reacted in a panic, standing up to pull her sister along as they prepared to leave.
"Uncle Kariya, we're heading out."
Matou Sakura looked at the man and said politely.
A smile appeared on Matou Kariya's already extremely aged face as he nodded slightly.
Only after the sisters left together did the house return to its usual quiet.
Matou Kariya sat in the tea room sipping his tea.
At that moment, he faintly heard the subtle sound of wings flapping outside the window as he turned his head slightly toward the window.
In the pale curtain of snow, a flying insect with thorn-like dark red patterns struggled against the wind.
The ice crystals it shook off while flapping refracted eerie purple gleams in the heavy snow, like a string of shattered curses vanishing into the blizzard.
From its abdomen, some kind of black sludge seemed to quietly seep out—deep and terrifying.
...
The sisters walked ahead on the road to school.
Both wore the school uniform skirt.
Though the outfits were identical, their auras were completely opposite.
Tohsaka Rin exuded confidence and elegance.
Her long legs were wrapped in thin black thigh-high stockings.
The space between her skirt hem and the stockings perfectly outlined the ideal absolute territory, revealing a glimpse of fair thigh skin.
Matou Sakura, in contrast, kept her head lowered.
Compared to her sister, she seemed somewhat self-conscious, her fragile aura inspiring pity.
But for some reason, Tohsaka Rin appeared a bit distracted today and her expression seemed off compared to usual.
Matou Sakura tightened her scarf and looked at the girl in front of her with some concern. "What's wrong, Sis? You seem like you have something on your mind."
Tohsaka Rin let out an "ah" as she snapped back from her earlier thoughts, waving her hands with a smile. "It's nothing. I just didn't sleep well last night..."
"Didn't sleep well?"
Matou Sakura tilted her head slightly, her eyes worried. "Why?"
"It's nothing... Just had a nightmare."
Tohsaka Rin smiled brightly, complementing her younger sister beside her.
"By the way... When do you plan to start your Heroic Spirit summoning?"
Seeming unwilling to linger on the topic, she quickly changed the subject.
"The Holy Grail War officially starts tonight. You'll inevitably have times when you're alone... It's better to summon your Servant sooner for peace of mind."
When Rin said this, her tone carried a bit more seriousness.
This was her genuine thought.
The Holy Grail War wasn't some child's game.
The fact that Fuyuki's Three Great Families were participating was something any outside Master who investigated would know.
Neither she nor Alvin could guarantee they would be by Matou Sakura's side protecting her every moment.
"Mm... I know. I'll perform the Heroic Spirit summoning tonight after I get home from school."
Matou Sakura said softly.
"Then let Assassin and me walk you home today... I'm not comfortable with you going alone."
Tohsaka Rin took her sister's hand and murmured, "After all, we still don't know exactly who all the Masters in this Holy Grail War are."
Matou Sakura's eyes flickered slightly as a trace of hesitation appeared on her pale, fragile face.
She looked at Rin with a complicated expression, but ultimately nodded and accepted her sister's kindness.
Alvin had been silently following the sisters the whole time.
After they finished speaking, he suddenly remembered something and asked, "Speaking of which... what relic did you prepare for the summoning, Sakura?"
Hearing this, curiosity rose in Tohsaka Rin's heart as well, so, she turned to her sister.
Faced with their curiosity, Matou Sakura merely smiled faintly.
"You'll find out eventually... Let me keep it a secret for now, Senpai."
She elegantly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with her pinky and tilted her head slightly toward Rin beside her. "More importantly... if we keep dawdling like this, we'll be late soon, Sister?"
Just as she finished speaking, the faint sound of the school bell ringing reached them from afar.
Tohsaka Rin's expression changed slightly as she grabbed Sakura's small hand. "Oh no! We're really going to be late!"
In a mad dash the whole way, the sisters finally made it to school just before the teacher entered the classroom.
Because it was winter, afternoon classes and dismissal times had been adjusted.
After finishing the afternoon lessons, Matou Sakura took leave from the archery club today, planning to head home early to perform the summoning ritual.
"You can stop here... You should head back soon, Sister."
Matou Sakura stood in front of the Matou residence, hands clasped in front of her abdomen, smiling as she spoke. "It won't be safe going back after dark."
Tohsaka Rin was clearly still worried.
She hesitated. "How about we wait until you've summoned your Servant? With Assassin here, you don't need to worry about my safety."
"Even with a Servant, it doesn't mean you won't get hurt. Go back early."
Sakura said.
Seeing her sister so firmly refuse, Tohsaka Rin finally gave up on the idea of staying.
But before turning to leave, she didn't forget to remind her, "If anything happens, tell me right away."
"Don't worry. I'll be fine."
Matou Sakura waved with a faint smile.
Only after quietly watching Tohsaka Rin leave did the smile on Sakura's face gradually fade and she let out a quiet sigh.
Beside her, a breathtaking figure with flowing purple hair silently materialized.
Rider's expression was calm.
"Last night, the Holy Church already sent people to Ryūdō Temple to re-establish the purification bounded fields around the Greater Grail."
Matou Sakura looked up, gazing toward Ryūdō Temple...or rather, the direction where the core of the Greater Grail was hidden and murmured,
"It must be information from the Einzbern Castle... After all, that mother and daughter pair have countless ties to the Greater Grail."
"What do we do next?"
Rider asked.
"The Greater Grail absolutely cannot be fully purified."
Matou Sakura extended her right hand as an insect with incredibly intricate patterns quietly appeared in her palm.
Feeling the extremely dangerous and terrifying aura, Rider couldn't help but warn in a low voice, "Sakura, be careful... That's not something you can control."
"You know what this is?"
Matou Sakura looked at her Servant with slight confusion.
At this moment, her usually bright eyes now appeared somewhat dark.
"...Anyone from Mesopotamian mythology probably wouldn't find it unfamiliar."
Rider said quietly. "It's the nightmare of Mesopotamia."
The black mud from the Indian Ocean.
—The Tide of Chaos.
"It won't affect my will. You just need to be careful yourself."
Matou Sakura smiled as she handed the "crest worm" to Rider.
"Take it to the Greater Grail."
"...Before that thing emerges, the Greater Grail cannot be completely purified."
Logically, every Master participated in the Holy Grail War for the omnipotent wish-granting machine.
Yet from the very beginning, Matou Sakura had never been after a wish.
Rider hesitated slightly, but ultimately lowered her head. "Understood."
She took the crest worm influenced by the Tide of Chaos and turned to leave silently.
Matou Sakura looked up at the swirling snowflakes.
One hand gently rested on her full, proud chest as she exhaled a sweet breath.
"Don't be impatient. Just wait a little longer... Soon, very soon, we'll be together forever, Senpai~"
Half of her black hair seemed dyed into a flowing starry night.
At the tips of Matou Sakura's hair, an inextinguishable Angra Mainyu flame appeared to burn.
...
Tohsaka residence.
In the bathroom, steam filled the air, hot vapor rising from the bathtub.
Splash...
Tohsaka Rin lightly dipped one foot into the water to test the temperature, then slowly sank her entire body into the tub.
The hot water of a winter night soaked her body, as though washing away the day's fatigue, and the girl couldn't help letting out a contented sigh.
But soon, as though thinking of something troubling, she quickly opened her eyes and a trace of worry filled her clear sapphire gaze.
"I wonder what kind of Servant Sakura will summon..."
"She's already a grown girl.
You can't take care of her forever... Sometimes you could try trusting her a little."
At that moment, the young man's voice suddenly came from outside the bathroom.
"Assassin?!"
Tohsaka Rin seemed startled and instinctively covered her chest, looking toward the hazy figure outside the bathroom. "Y-You, why are you here?"
"Tonight is the first night of the Holy Grail War. We still don't know the identities of the other Masters. I can't leave your side."
Alvin laughed. "Don't worry. I won't come into the bathroom."
"I know you're trustworthy... but it still feels a bit strange."
Tohsaka Rin lowered her head and muttered, "And hearing that almost sounds like I have no charm at all..."
A girl in the prime of her youth soaking in the bath, yet the opposite sex Alvin showed not a hint of "interest"...
Just thinking about it couldn't help but make one a little depressed.
Alvin was speechless for a moment and spoke.
"Do I have to barge in and peep right now to prove your charm, Master?"
"That won't be necessary..."
Tohsaka Rin said, but her mind involuntarily recalled last night's "dream," and she hesitated slightly. "Assassin... I have a question for you."
"What is it?"
Alvin asked.
"It's about last night..."
Was that really just a "dream" last night?
Ever since waking up this morning, Tohsaka Rin had been pondering this question.
The taboo scenes of Matou Sakura actively hugging Alvin, and the young man wrapping his arm around her sister's waist, kept flashing in her mind even now.
If it was a dream, it was far too vivid.
Alvin's heart skipped a beat for moment, but his face remained impassive. "What about it?"
"It's just—"
Tohsaka Rin was about to speak when Alvin suddenly sensed a sweet, bloody magical energy scattering from afar, causing him to look in a certain direction.
"What's wrong?"
Tohsaka Rin also noticed the anomaly.
"Servants are fighting... I can feel their presence."
Alvin's tone was low.
Though he was Assassin, his perception was still astonishing.
Plus, the clashing Servants were likely quite powerful, so he could clearly detect the fluctuations of magical energy.
Just as he finished speaking, the sound of splashing water came from the bathroom.
The next moment, Tohsaka Rin, wrapped in only a bath towel that outlined her graceful, slender figure, rushed out of the bathroom.
She was tall, her wet black long hair cascading down her back. Water droplets trickled along her fair skin, crystal clear.
At this moment, she had lost some of her usual elegance but gained a touch of lazy disarray.
"Where?"
Tohsaka Rin's refined, fair face was serious.
"In the direction of Ryūdō Temple... Should we go check it out?"
Alvin asked.
"Ryūdō Temple..."
Tohsaka Rin's eyes flickered for a moment as she spoke. "Could it be related to what Illya said about the purification bounded fields being destroyed?"
She hesitated for a moment, then made up her mind. "Either way, this is a rare opportunity. We might be able to confirm the identities of the other Servants and Masters tonight."
Alvin hesitated, looking like he wanted to say something but held back.
"Assassin, no matter what, I'm your Master. I can't let you go scout alone."
Tohsaka Rin raised her hand to show the Command Spell on the back of it. "And in critical moments, I can help you, right?"
Normally, a single Command Spell was enough to replenish a massive amount of magical energy for a Servant.
In key moments, Tohsaka Rin as Master could indeed be useful.
And her personality wasn't the type to be persuaded easily... Alvin nodded. "Then let's go together. But..."
"But what?"
Tohsaka Rin's brow arched.
"Are you sure you want to go out dressed like that...?"
Alvin asked hesitantly.
Tohsaka Rin followed his gaze downward.
Her pupils dilated sharply, and a captivating blush quickly spread across her cheeks.
"Get out first!"
With that, she turned and slammed the bathroom door shut.
Alvin couldn't help shrugging.
Whether it's dropping the ball or being slow on the uptake, she's really just like Ishtar...
.
.
.
Ryudou Temple.
At the foot of the mountain, a silver-haired girl stood with her hands behind her back, a pure smile on her face as she casually observed the enemy Rider.
"Caster was right. Rats really do sneak in during the night."
"You're the one who destroyed the purification bounded fields, aren't you, Rider?"
The purple-haired mature woman's lips curved into a smile. "The Einzbern family's connection to the Grail is indeed deep. It seems you noticed the anomaly quite early."
Illya didn't answer.
She simply extended her hands, gently catching a falling snowflake and watching it slowly melt. "Have you finished your last words, Rider?"
Rider's smile grew colder. "Do you think you can keep me here?"
"We'll only know after trying."
Illya smiled faintly. "But I don't think you'll be leaving."
Before finding Tohsaka Rin yesterday, she had already set a trap in advance and was just waiting for the "rat" to take the bait.
Naturally, she was fully prepared to detain the intruder now.
But at that moment, a third voice suddenly rang out from the darkness.
"It's quite lively tonight."
The instant the voice fell, everyone's gazes snapped toward it.
At the entrance to Ryūdō Temple, a figure was elegantly walking toward them.
Snow crackled and exploded under some terrifying magical pressure.
Illya's gaze froze...the supposedly empty snowy ground was now covered in an incredibly dense array of magical bounded fields, silently forming like a predator baring its fangs.
Rider beside her also grew wary, already gripping her chained sickle tightly.
The sharp blade seemed to hum with thirsty anticipation.
She had never expected that on the very first night of the Holy Grail War, three different Masters would take action simultaneously.
Illya stared intently at the uninvited guest who had appeared at Ryūdō Temple.
Her tone was filled with caution and vigilance. "There really are a lot of familiar faces in this Holy Grail War."
"I never thought I'd see you here..."
"Sajyou Manaka-san."
.
.
.