〜In the Worldline of Fourth Holy Grail War〜
Witnessing such a scene, Tokiomi Tohsaka felt his composed facade begin to crumble.
Recognition was instantaneous; the young girl on the screen was none other than his eldest daughter—Rin.
But why was she appearing on the screen?
Furthermore, she was in the company of the son of that wretched man, Kiritsugu Emiya.
Seeing this, Tokiomi felt a sharp pang of indignation, as if a prized jewel he had meticulously polished was being handled by a common thief.
Had he known of Shirou Emiya's true nature and capabilities, perhaps he might have felt a twisted sense of pride in his daughter's choice of "prey".
But such thoughts would have to wait for another time…
—
〜In the Worldline of ██████ Chaldea〜
Meanwhile, Olga Marie reacted the moment the scene unfolded. It appeared that Souichirou Kuzuki was hunting the pair…
She hadn't expected those two to ally. What series of events could have led to such a development? Even within Olga Marie's mind, a torrent of questions surged.
At that moment, Ritsuka Fujimaru's curiosity was piqued as well.
"In the Holy Grail War, is it possible for Masters to cooperate?"
"Naturally. You must understand: there are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests. While Masters and Servants are technically competitors, alliances are not forbidden. Two parties can collaborate until they are the final survivors, at which point they can settle the dispute between themselves."
—
Within the group chat, countless spectators were already embroiled in a heated discussion.
〜Viewer's Chat Room〜
[ Mordred (Saber): Wait a minute! If that boy is there, doesn't that mean Father is about to appear? Against a fight like this, she'll probably end it in a heartbeat! ]
[ Diarmuid (Lancer): Indeed. If memory serves, King Arthur is that boy's Servant. I hold King Arthur's prowess in high regard; I find it hard to believe anyone could best her in such a confrontation. ]
[ Gilgamesh (Archer): To think that for once, it is not I who suffers a setback—how delightful! Yet, I am curious to see how the King of Knights reacts to such an adversary. ]
[ Kotomine Kirei: I have a premonition that this battle will defy our expectations… ]
[ .....]
As the audience speculated, the footage on the screen continued to play.
『 Rin Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya listened to the approaching footsteps, their expressions hardening into masks of gravity.
Suddenly, Shirou's voice rang out, tinged with uncertainty. "Say, Tohsaka… Kuzuki isn't a Master, is he?"
Hearing his doubt, Rin's brow furrowed. Fortunately, she was not without recourse. "We'll know soon enough. Here I go!"
The moment the words left her lips, a stone saturated with magical energy appeared in her hand as if by sleight of hand.
Any spectator with a keen eye for the arcane understood immediately.
The young girl was about to unleash the Tohsaka family's renowned Jewel Magecraft.
Jewel Magecraft was a discipline centered on the use of precious stones as vessels. By storing her own prana within these gems beforehand, she could discharge them as potent magical shells.
The destructive power they possessed was nothing short of terrifying.
It was Rin Tohsaka's most formidable specialty.
Perhaps it was for this very reason that Rin harbored such a profound appreciation for wealth and treasure.
In an instant, the lethal jewel streaked from Rin's hand.
SWOOSH—!
A piercing whistle cut through the air.
A crimson trail seared the atmosphere, striking Souichirou Kuzuki in the blink of an eye.
A moment later, an explosion roared through the space.
BOOM!!!
Amidst the deafening thunder, the umbrella in Kuzuki's hand was reduced to ash, fluttering to the ground.
Shirou Emiya stood frozen in place, stunned.
Wait, what?!
That was your idea of a "test"? Did you even consider whether he was just an ordinary person?
Such a devastating magical strike would have been difficult for even a novice magus to withstand, let alone a mundane civilian…
Just then, Rin's voice cut through the smoke.
"Wait." Her expression became deathly serious.
She had noticed. Though her Jewel Magecraft appeared to have hit its mark, it felt as though it had been repelled by something formidable at the moment of impact.
It seemed her intuition was correct.
Souichirou Kuzuki… was no ordinary man.
As the thought crossed her mind, a surge of magical energy saturated the air.
Simultaneously, a voice echoed through the clearing.
"I believe I gave you fair warning, Souichirou-Sama. I told you this would happen."
Then, a massive distortion in the mana field manifested.
Before the astonished eyes of the audience, a Servant clad in the raiment of a witch appeared on the screen.
The spectators recognized her instantly—the protagonist of the previous recording!
The Medea before them now possessed an aura far more potent and chilling than before.
It was as if, in this moment, Medea had truly embraced the mantle of the "Witch."
Appearing on the battlefield, Medea spared only a cursory, indifferent glance at Shirou and Rin.
"This is why you should have remained at Ryuudou Temple."
Hearing this, Souichirou Kuzuki merely shook his head.
Clearly, he did not share her sentiment. As a former member of an assassination organization, he possessed absolute confidence in his own lethality.
He reached up and removed his glasses. Beneath them, a pair of cold, oppressive "dead-fish eyes" stared back.
"Not necessarily. In fact, the prey has taken the bait." 』
『 .....』