"...Tokiomi, Rin isn't at the Zenjō residence. Her teacher also said she never showed up at school today. I asked her classmates, and they told me Rin said she was going to rescue a classmate who'd been kidnapped... one of her closest friends."
The moment the call came through, Tohsaka Tokiomi excused himself to Kayneth and Sola-Ui before stepping aside to answer it.
The instant he picked up, Aoi Tohsaka's anxious voice came from the other end.
"What?!"
"Rin...!"
Tokiomi's expression changed dramatically.
He immediately realized that Rin's classmate had most likely been abducted by Caster and his Master.
And Rin had secretly taken the train back to Fuyuki City on her own.
If Caster discovered her...
With her current abilities, there was no chance she could escape.
She could easily become another one of the children who had been kidnapped...
...or worse.
As the heir upon whom the future of the Tohsaka Family rested, Rin was someone Tokiomi absolutely could not afford to lose.
His alarmed outcry instantly drew everyone's attention.
What could possibly cause the normally composed and elegant head of the Tohsaka Family to lose his composure like this?
"I apologize, everyone."
Tokiomi approached Leon, Gilgamesh, and Iskandar with a grave expression.
"My daughter has set out alone in search of Caster."
"It's about time for the operation to begin anyway."
"I sincerely ask all of you to depart immediately and rescue my daughter before Caster finds her."
"You have my deepest gratitude."
He bowed deeply—nearly ninety degrees—to the three Servants before him.
There was simply no way to keep Rin's situation hidden from the Servants who were about to hunt Caster.
With no other choice, Tokiomi could only entrust his daughter's safety partly to two men who were technically his rivals.
Even with Assassin and Archer assisting him, he couldn't guarantee they would find Rin before tragedy struck.
That was why he was also appealing to Rider—
Iskandar, the King of Conquerors—
and Saber—
Arthur Pendragon.
If the situation were reversed and he had to entrust Rin to a Servant like Assassin, Tokiomi would never dare do so.
Only the straightforward King of Conquerors and the honorable King of Knights inspired even a measure of trust.
"Oh?"
Gilgamesh leisurely swirled the divine wine in his goblet, narrowing his crimson eyes.
"Tokiomi..."
"Are you ordering your king?"
"I would never presume such a thing, O King of Kings."
Though panic filled his heart, Tokiomi lowered his posture even further.
His right hand, marked with his Command Seals, clenched tightly.
"...Very well."
Gilgamesh's gaze lingered briefly on the Command Seals before he gave a dismissive snort.
"I've had enough to drink."
"A stroll should help relieve my boredom."
A mischievous grin spread across his face.
"How about this, Saber... Rider?"
"As entertainment after our banquet..."
"Why don't we compete to see who brings Tokiomi's daughter back first?"
"If it's a competition..."
Iskandar raised an eyebrow as magical energy surged around him, instantly changing him back into his battle attire.
"...there should be a prize."
"In that case..."
Tokiomi immediately proposed,
"I will personally transfer one of my Command Seals to the winner."
"No objections."
Leon calmly set down his wine cup.
Irisviel and Artoria had already taken their places behind him.
"Then..."
Tokiomi produced three identical maps and handed one to each Servant.
Four coastal locations had been circled in red.
They were the most likely hideouts Caster could be using.
These were the positions Assassin had managed to narrow down through reconnaissance.
Because of time constraints and the need to remain concealed, he had been unable to pinpoint Caster's exact location.
Still...
With three Servants searching, there was a three-in-four chance they would choose correctly.
And with the mobility of Gilgamesh's flying Noble Phantasm, moving between multiple locations in a short time would pose little difficulty.
However—
To everyone's astonishment—
Leon casually wrapped one arm around Irisviel and the other around Artoria.
The next instant...
The three of them vanished into the Bifrost.
"That bastard!"
Feeling as though Leon had stolen the initiative, Gilgamesh immediately opened the Gate of Babylon.
From its golden ripples emerged Vimana, the King of Heroes' radiant aerial vessel.
The magnificent craft of gold and emerald shot skyward like a comet.
"...Uh..."
Watching his rivals disappear into the sky one after another, Iskandar couldn't help looking awkwardly at Waver.
Despite Rider supposedly possessing the greatest mobility among the Servant classes...
He had somehow ended up being the last to depart.
He grabbed Waver under one arm, summoned the Gordius Wheel, and raced toward one of Caster's suspected hideouts.
Earlier That Evening...
"They're all children..."
"Hey, Rin... did you hear?"
"Seiichi's coffin was buried without his body."
"They probably didn't put his remains inside because..."
"...his body was mutilated too badly."
"The murders happened here in Fuyuki, right?"
"Yeah..."
...
"Rin, this is terrible!"
"I think Kotone's been kidnapped too!"
"She never came home last night! What are we supposed to do?"
Not long after one of the boys in her class was murdered, one of Rin's close friends called her with shocking news.
Kotone—
the girl Rin was closest to—
had apparently disappeared as well.
Upon hearing the news, Rin immediately called Kotone's house.
"H-Hello... this is Rin Tohsaka. I'm one of Kotone's classmates—"
"The number you have dialed is unavailable. Please leave a message after the tone."
Before she could finish speaking, the familiar prerecorded voice interrupted her.
"...Kotone..."
The black-and-white memorial portrait of her deceased classmate flashed through Rin's mind.
Then...
Kotone's smiling face gradually faded into black and white as well.
Unable to sit around and do nothing, Rin immediately boarded a train bound for Fuyuki City.
Her father was already occupied with the Holy Grail War.
She refused to burden him with even more worries.
Driven by that stubborn determination, Rin set off alone to search for Kotone.
The only things she carried were:
A map she had carefully researched and marked in advance.Several enchanted gemstones for magecraft.A pocket watch her father had given her to detect magical energy.
"This is called a Mana Compass."
"Normally it won't react to anything."
"But if magical energy is nearby, the needle will begin turning from zero."
"If it makes a full revolution and passes the twelve o'clock mark..."
"...it means you've encountered something far beyond what you're capable of handling."
"When that happens..."
"Run."
Her father's words still echoed in her ears.
Rin tightly grasped the pocket watch hanging around her neck.
Taking a deep breath...
She stepped once more onto the streets of Fuyuki City.
The cold night wind bit at her skin, and every breath she exhaled became white mist.
Pulling her collar tighter, she checked the marked locations on her map beneath the station lights.
Then, with a clear destination in mind...
She headed toward the inland coastal district of Fuyuki—
where the kidnappings had occurred most frequently.
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