"Yo!"
Beneath the Great Hollow of Mount Enzou, Xia Yu waved at the group of people walking toward the entrance in formation.
"Looking at you all, it seems you're ready to challenge me, the Big Boss."
"To be honest... it really does feel a bit chuunibyou..." Fujimaru Ritsuka covered her face.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Tohsaka Rin didn't understand her comment.
"If we enter one by one, what if we hit a trap?"
"I think the probability is high that the opponent wouldn't set traps for us," Fujimaru Ritsuka complained. Then, looking at the familiar surroundings, she exchanged a glance with Mash.
Everything from Singularity F was still fresh in her mind. It was here that she and Mash had overcome their first major obstacle...
"Hey, where's that Furina girl?" Holding the Jeweled Sword Zelretch, Tohsaka Rin finally felt some confidence standing before Xia Yu. "She hasn't been taken out by you already, has she?"
"Don't say such scary things," Xia Yu shook her head. "She's just too timid. she doesn't dare show her face before me. Honestly, just because we were enemies in Faerie Britain? Does she really need to be that afraid of me?"
"She has a new discovery," Medea suddenly manifested in the center of the hollow. "But I will not be absent. Caster, here for the alliance."
"Well, as long as the Servant is here, it's fine," Tohsaka Rin breathed a sigh of relief and then began winking at Medea.
"Don't get too excited," Medea saw through her expectations immediately. She shook her head and said, "Although I have been here for a long time, I did not establish a Magecraft Workshop here."
"How is that possible?" Rin said instinctively. "Every Magus would..."
"That requires time!" Medea interrupted her. "During these days, I have been researching the Greater Grail every single moment. Where would I find the time to set up a Magecraft Workshop?"
"Um," Fujimaru Ritsuka suddenly raised her hand to interrupt. "Caster, are you really Miss Medea?"
"Hmm? Why ask such a question?" Medea frowned and lowered her hood, revealing a face radiating a mysterious, dangerous aura and long, violet hair.
"Ah, as I thought. Although the temperament is different, there's a subtle consistency in certain places," Mash exclaimed upon seeing her face.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Medea's brow furrowed.
"Because you used Heracles to hunt them down throughout the Third Singularity," Xia Yu said with a smile. "They certainly have a vivid memory of you."
"I have no memory of that," Medea said flatly. "But at least this time, we are allies."
"Oh, then I look forward to working with you, Miss Medea," Fujimaru Ritsuka hurriedly reached out her hand.
Medea was momentarily stunned. This person... knew her title, had been hunted by her, and after all that, still dared to offer a hand?
Ultimately, she reached out and shook Ritsuka's hand, mostly because she couldn't withstand those sincere eyes.
"Hey, the game of playing house should be over now, right?" Cu Chulainn's voice rang out from the entrance. He walked in, looking quite annoyed. "Seriously, do we really need this many Heroic Spirits joining forces?"
"I'm quite skeptical about the necessity of this."
"Compared to her, I'd much prefer fighting you guys," he said pointedly. "So when the fight starts, if I can't hold back, don't blame me. After all, this is the Holy Grail War..."
"Lancer," Kotomine Kirei's figure appeared at the entrance. "There is no need to question this."
"Tsk," Cu Chulainn clicked his tongue at the sight of him. "You're the Master, you call the shots."
"Mhm. Rin, Emiya Shirou, Matou Sakura's Rider, plus my Lancer, and the Magi claiming to be from Chaldea," Kotomine Kirei looked around. "Hmm? Caster's Master didn't come?"
"She has urgent business," Medea said coldly.
"No matter. It is enough that the Servant is here," Kirei's expression remained unchanged.
"Miss Firefly," Tohsaka Rin couldn't hold back any longer. "Where is Sakura? Is she okay?"
"She's calling you, Sakura," Xia Yu looked toward the back with a smile. "What, are you shy?"
"...Sister Firefly," Matou Sakura emerged from the back wearing a white dress and holding a bouquet, looking much like a bride. She was so shy her face was almost buried in her chest. "Is this really necessary?"
"It is, it is," Xia Yu nodded, reaching out to pull her over and slinging an arm around her shoulders.
"Yo, Emiya Shirou! Your Princess is in my hands now. If you want to take her back and get married, come and defeat me, the Demon King!"
"Mar... Married..." Sakura didn't dare look at the Senpai across from her. "I... how could someone like me be worthy..."
"Don't say that, Sakura!" Emiya Shirou shouted loudly. "It's not about being worthy or not. I love you!"
"Wait for me! I will definitely bring you back!"
"Senpai..." Sakura's eyes were already brimming with tears.
Beside him, Tohsaka Rin's brow was furrowed deeply enough to crush a fly. Only the consideration that they faced a great enemy and couldn't afford infighting kept her from grabbing Emiya Shirou's ear to demand an explanation right then and there.
The atmosphere between those two... was very strange!
"Tsk, I told you we should have put her in a wedding dress," Xia Yu whispered to Illya. "Pity she refused no matter what."
"Enough out of you," Illya rolled her eyes. "A wedding dress..."
Her newly recognized brother, Emiya Shirou, hadn't even been well-behaved for a few days, and now that he was here, his eyes were glued to Matou Sakura. He hadn't even greeted her. Was the expiration date of her role as his sister that short?
"How rude," she said to Emiya Shirou with a sour face. "Is this how Kiritsugu taught you?"
"Hmph, you want to take her away?" Illya grabbed Sakura's hand, pulling her away from Xia Yu. "Then bring it on!"
"Illya..." Emiya Shirou looked at Illya's fierce expression, unsure of what to say.
He now essentially knew that the person Kiritsugu had been waiting for was her—his sister, Kiritsugu's biological daughter.
"Ugh..." Suddenly, Sakura's brow tightened, and she clutched her chest.
"Sakura?" x2
"Sister Firefly..." Sakura looked up. "I can feel it... It... can't hold back anymore..."
"Alright, let's end the small talk here," Xia Yu nodded, turning to face the group. "Hmm, should I say something intimidating? Emiya Shirou, don't even think about saving her? Go ahead and drown in the cruel reality along with your ideals and justice? Something like that?"
"No more words needed," Tohsaka Rin raised the Jeweled Sword Zelretch. "I came here today to bring Sakura home!"
"Miss Firefly," Emiya Shirou stood beside Artoria. "I will not give up!"
"Fine, that's the spirit I wanted to see," Xia Yu smiled. "Come then, let me test your mettle!"
"Buy me time!" Medea dropped these words and began her incantation. As she chanted line by line, a massive fireball began to condense above her head!
"I'll take the lead!" Artoria raised her sword and charged, with Archer and Rider flanking her on the left and right, followed closely by Cu Chulainn.
Mash and Fujimaru Ritsuka stood in front of Medea. As the true center of this battle plan, she absolutely could not be harmed.
The battle was about to erupt, but in the blink of an eye, Cu Chulainn's spear actually thrust directly toward Artoria's back!
"You!" Fortunately, her Instinct was active; Artoria turned at the last second, barely blocking the strike with her sword.
"Lancer, why..." Rider was caught completely off guard, while Archer turned instantly, drawing his twin blades to strike down at Cu Chulainn.
"Kotomine Kirei!" Tohsaka Rin's hair stood on end. She aimed the Jeweled Sword Zelretch at her guardian beside her. "You actually..."
"Look out! Caster!" Emiya Shirou suddenly let out a roar. Rin realized she had been tricked and hurriedly turned her head.
A dark shadow had appeared beside Medea, who was still condensing the massive fireball. A dagger slashed directly toward her neck!
"Mash!" Fujimaru Ritsuka shouted, but at this distance, there was no way to make it in time!
If we lose Caster's Noble Phantasm... Tohsaka Rin couldn't even bear to imagine the consequences. Without that Noble Phantasm, saving Sakura would be nothing but empty talk!
Emiya Shirou's eyes nearly split from rage as he lunged toward them.
"Hmph!" Before anyone could react, Medea swung her Staff with such speed it left afterimages, slamming it directly into the incoming dagger!
Boom!
The attacking Assassin was caught completely off guard. Longer reach means greater strength; the man-height staff sent him flying back.
Reinforcement Magecraft? His eyes were full of shock. When did she... she clearly hadn't been seen casting it. Could it be she did it before they arrived?
But Medea's attack wasn't over!
She leveled her staff like a Long Spear and thrust it toward Assassin with lightning speed.
Hmph, to be a Magus in the Age of Gods, how could one survive without a few tricks? Especially Medea, who had dealt with the heroes of Aegir!
Assassin would have faced an ordinary Magus's thrust with ease, but judging by her mastery of Reinforcement Magecraft just now, he couldn't take this hit head-on!
He made a split-second decision. His style relied on ambushes; now that the surprise was broken, if he got bogged down, he'd likely be minced into meat paste by the other Heroic Spirits.
Thus, he retracted his dagger into a defensive stance, planning to use the force of her strike to retreat and vanish from sight once more.
An Assassin in the shadows is the deadliest Assassin.
He calculated everything perfectly, except for one thing!
The fireball that had been condensing for so long!
The heavy thrust of the staff was merely a feint. The fireball above her head was already prepared and dropped straight down!
"What?!" Having just blocked the staff and preparing to retreat using the momentum, Assassin sensed the scorching aura behind him. The Great Fireball from the sky had silently cut off his path of retreat!
And in front... that damn witch actually advanced instead of retreating, her staff whistling through the air as it swung toward him!
Assassin could only curl his body in desperation before being sandwiched by the dual attack. The fireball smashed into his back while the heavy staff struck his chest head-on!
Boom!
After a flash of brilliant flame, while Tohsaka Rin and the others stood dumbfounded, Medea stood calmly in place with her staff, facing the now-defeated Assassin.
"An Age of Gods Mage, kid," she sneered. "You didn't think my fireball actually required such a slow preparation, did you? If you can't even use High-Speed Incantation, how do you expect to survive the Age of Gods?"
In the rear, although Cu Chulainn was powerful, he was already struggling under the combined assault of the three Servants.
"Miss Medea is so amazing!" Mash moved her shield in front of Medea, her eyes full of admiration.
"Hmph, just the basics," Medea turned her head slightly, unconsciously. "It's nothing special."
"As for you," she narrowed her eyes at the heavily injured Assassin. "I seem to sense the existence of a contract on you... Hah, so that's how it is."
"No wonder you targeted me first," she smiled and raised her hand, and Assassin stood up in a very contorted posture under her manipulation.
"Using the body of the Assassin I summoned as a sacrifice for a re-summoning? Taking advantage of the loophole in my summoning... quite a clever idea. However, since you are a Servant summoned based on my Assassin, you also carry my contract."
Speaking to this point, she turned to look at Kotomine Kirei on the other side. "Yet I felt nothing these past days. So, someone was masking it for you?"
"This was just an accident," Assassin—or rather, Hassan of the Hundred Faces—had a very complex look in his eyes. "My first Master died too quickly..."
His face was full of helplessness; though it couldn't be seen under the mask, it was evident in his voice.
"Then, I met this guy," Hassan said frankly. "He promised he could help me obtain the Holy Grail. I chose him as my Master. It's that simple."
"Kirei!" Tohsaka Rin was incensed. "Why!"
"Forget it, I probably know why. You are the Overseer of the Holy Grail War after all..." Rin said through gritted teeth. "You want to dispose of Sakura, don't you."
"But I clearly told you, we can save her!"
"Is that what you think, Rin?" A flash of amusement crossed Kotomine Kirei's eyes.
"Hey, big sister with the flat chest," Illya peeked out from behind Xia Yu and said with a smile, "That creep's goal isn't to kill your sister."
"Quite the opposite, he wants you to have a new nephew, or perhaps a niece."