Time flies like an arrow, and soon it was the end of October 1994.
Tohsaka Residence.
Rin and Sakura pushed several large pieces of luggage to the door with great effort.
As the Holy Grail War approached, Tohsaka Tokiomi decided to have his wife and daughters return to the Zenjō household first, to return only after the Holy Grail War ended.
Rin and Sakura pushed the luggage near another pile by the door. Rin took out a handkerchief to wipe Sakura's sweat and looked toward the gate.
Just then, Kirei Kotomine walked through the gate. Seeing Rin and Sakura, he stopped, a fake smile appearing on his face.
"Rin, Sakura, good morning."
"Mm, good morning, Senior Brother."
"Kirei, you're here. Is Father looking for you? Is it about that?"
"Yes, Master intends to arrange his plans with me today."
Rin nodded, rubbing her cute chin with one hand, striking the pose of a thinking detective.
"Kirei, is the catalyst ready on your father's end?"
"It is ready."
"Good. Remember to summon the Queen according to the plan, then bring her to see me."
"Understood."
After finishing her conversation with Kirei Kotomine, Rin waved him off to find her father. Just as she turned back to move luggage with Sakura, a voice suddenly rang in her ear—a very magnetic female voice.
"Master, have you truly made up your mind to execute such a plan?"
"Caster, shut up! Otherwise, how do you think I summoned you without a catalyst?"
Sakura looked at the suddenly dazed Rin in confusion, stepped forward, and gently pulled Rin's sleeve.
"Sister, what's wrong?"
"It's nothing, Sakura. It's just Caster; that fellow suddenly started talking to me."
"Sister, are you really going to do this?"
"Of course, Sakura. Didn't I already go over the consequences with you if we don't do this?"
Sakura recalled the various deductions she had made with Rin previously. She nodded forcefully, clenched her small fists with determination, and stared seriously at Rin.
"Sister, I understand. I will do my best to help you complete your plan."
Rin happily pulled Sakura into a hug.
"It's so good to have your help. Thank you, Sakura."
The Zenjō household, the Zenjō Residence in the outskirts of Fuyuki.
Rin and Sakura had been here with Tohsaka Aoi for some time now. Their peaceful and tranquil life was filled with happiness, but the imminent Holy Grail War would soon shatter this calm.
"Kariya Matou, why are you here?"
Kariya Matou stood at the courtyard gate, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. He looked at Tohsaka Aoi—no, Zenjō Aoi—whom he had been longing for, playing in the yard with her two lovely daughters. Aoi seemed very surprised by his arrival.
With a bright smile on his face, Kariya Matou said,
"Isn't the Holy Grail War about to start? There really wasn't anyone suitable to be a Master in my family, so the old man could only call me back."
"Kariya, Uncle, are you going to participate in the Holy Grail War too?"
Kariya smiled and crouched down, looking at the cute Rin before him, and slowly nodded.
"Uncle is also going to participate in this Holy Grail War."
Hearing Kariya Matou explicitly state he would participate, Rin felt it was strange. Since Sakura hadn't been adopted into the Matou Family, Kariya should have no reason to join the war. So why did he come back to participate?
Seeing Rin lost in thought, Kariya Matou awkwardly patted her head.
Then Kariya stood up, chatted briefly with Sakura, and turned to look at Tohsaka Aoi. A complex expression flickered in his eyes as he spoke.
"Aoi, seeing you all far away from this Holy Grail War puts my mind at ease. I won't disturb you further. Farewell, Aoi."
Tohsaka Aoi nodded expressionlessly, watching Kariya Matou walk away.
Kariya Matou walked into the distance, forcing himself not to look back. His face contorted with rage, his teeth grinding audibly. 'Zouken Matou, I will never, ever let you hurt Aoi, Rin, or Sakura.'
Night fell.
A massive full moon hung in the night sky, and an unusual atmosphere began to permeate Fuyuki City.
In the basement of the Tohsaka Residence, Tohsaka Tokiomi stared at the Magic Circle on the ground. He carefully took a box containing the Oldest Snakeskin from his robe and placed it on the floor.
Kotomine Risei, who was watching from the side, looked conflicted. Finally, he couldn't help but speak.
"Tokiomi, do you really intend to use this catalyst?"
"Risei, I believe it will bring me the winning trump card. If that person truly is summoned, combined with Kirei's Assyrian Queen, victory will be firmly in our hands."
Kotomine Risei said no more, simply waiting quietly with his son for the ritual to begin.
The basement of the Matou Residence was as cold and gloomy as ever.
Kariya Matou stared at the Magic Circle on the floor.'So this is the Magic Circle for the Servant summoning ritual? As long as I can gain the power of a Servant, I can definitely protect Aoi in this Holy Grail War. Old man, just you wait.'
Suddenly, the surrounding insects swarmed together, a massive number of bugs churning constantly. Soon, the figure of Zouken Matou appeared in the basement.
"Kariya, are you truly prepared?"
"Of course, old man. With me here, don't even think about hurting Aoi or her daughters."
"Hehehe, Kariya, your level as a Magus is completely insufficient. As you are now, you can probably only summon the weakest of Servants."
"What do you want me to do?"
Zouken Matou pulled a wriggling insect from his sleeve and handed it to Kariya Matou.
"Hehe, take this. It can grant you the magical energy a Master should have."
Without hesitation, Kariya Matou snatched the insect. The moment it touched him, it bit through his wrist and burrowed into his body. A massive, tearing pain surged through him, but Kariya gritted his teeth, trembling all over without making a sound.
After a few seconds, once Kariya felt the insect latch onto his heart, the pain subsided significantly. Drenched in sweat, Kariya Matou looked up and stared directly at Zouken Matou.
"Old man, is that enough? I promise I will bring you the Holy Grail. You must not hurt Aoi and the others, or I will kill you even if it costs me everything."
"Hehehe, Kariya, of course. As long as you bring me the Holy Grail, I will fulfill our agreement. But if you fail, Aoi and her daughters will become the new mother bodies for the Matou Family, hehehe!"
Zouken Matou gave a cold laugh as he watched Kariya Matou, who had been driven to frenzy by his words. 'Kariya, you are merely a pawn.' Recalling the scene where Rin used the Innocentius, he chuckled darkly and spoke.
"Kariya, begin. However, I need you to add two additional verses to the incantation."
Feeling waves of pain in his body, Kariya Matou said nothing and simply nodded.
As the full moon reached its zenith.
At the Tohsaka Residence, the Fuyuki outskirts, and the Matou Residence, massive storms of magical energy erupted simultaneously.
"Let silver and steel be the essence. Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation."
"Yet, when the vessel is full, it is the time for it to be discarded."
"Proclaim!"
"Thy body shall be under my command, and my fate shall be with thy sword."
"Submit to the call of the Holy Grail. If thou wilt submit to this will and this reason, then answer!"
"An oath shall be sworn here."
"I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven. (Yet thou shalt serve with thine eyes clouded by chaos.)"
"I shall prevail over all evils of all of Hell. (Thou art the one trapped in the cage of madness.)"
"I am the one who holds the chains!"
"Thou, the Seven Heavens clad in the three great words of power, come forth from the circle of restraint, O Guardian of the Scales!"
In the basement of the Tohsaka Residence, Tohsaka Tokiomi spread his arms and said proudly,
"We've won, Kirei. We have won this war."
The Kotomine father and son exchanged a glance.
Yes, Rin won!
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