Fate: How About a New Savior?

Rin had summoned her Servant a day earlier than Sakura.

After the last Holy Grail War, their father, Tokiomi Tohsaka, had his Magic Circuits completely destroyed by the core of the Grail, leaving his capabilities as a Magus barely above that of an ordinary person.

As a result, under the supervision of the Mage's Association, Rin inherited the Tohsaka family's Magic Crest through a transplant from her father.

Before this Holy Grail War began, just like her father had once done, she sent their parents to take shelter at her mother's family home, the Zenjou household.

Everything concerning the relics and the summoning rituals was handled by Rin alone.

Watching his daughter grow at a pace far beyond his own, Tokiomi was pleased. Knowing he could no longer offer any meaningful assistance, he chose not to interfere.

That evening, Rin took Archer on a patrol around Fuyuki City. The goal was to help her Servant get familiar with the area in preparation for the war—but she ended up running into someone she didn't expect.

Sakura.

After her younger sister had been adopted out, Rin had been taught to treat it as if she no longer had a sister.

However, after Tokiomi lost most of his power as a Magus, Rin had been forced to go learn the basics of Magecraft from the very household that adopted Sakura—Shiomi's home.

Perhaps to avoid suspicion, Tenkei Shiomi never allowed Sakura to attend lessons with Rin. The two sisters only saw each other during breaks and played together then.

Two and a half years ago, Sakura moved with her family to London, where the Clock Tower was located. Rin missed her deeply, but she knew Sakura must be living a better life than she was.

In any case, Rin believed that Tenkei Shiomi was definitely a good father. That much was clear from how he behaved while teaching her Magecraft.

Still, she never imagined that Sakura would return to Fuyuki during the Holy Grail War—let alone that she'd summon a Saber-class Servant.

Rin had followed her all the way here and arrived just outside the church in Fuyuki, bringing them to this perfectly timed reunion.

The church itself was a neutral zone. But once you stepped outside the gate, that neutrality no longer applied.

"From the way you're talking, it's almost like you were waiting for me to show up," Rin said with a grin, though there was a hint of tension in her smile.

Facing her own sister like this, Rin still felt some hesitation.

Worse yet, she had no knowledge of Sakura's Magecraft or her skill level—an absolute blind spot in the coming war.

"Not exactly," Sakura said, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. "But from the moment I decided to join the Holy Grail War, I knew this day would come. I just didn't expect my first opponent to be you."

"Yeah, I'm just as surprised. The Holy Grail War isn't a game, Sakura. You should go back to the church, renounce your rights as a Master to the Overseer, and leave Fuyuki while you still can." Rin pointed toward the church behind her.

"Oh, so that's your sister? What a brutal world," Saber remarked, eyes locked on the Archer whose origins and region remained a mystery.

That her Master and another Master were sisters didn't bother Mordred in the slightest.

If her Master said they were going to fight, then she would fight—no hesitation. She might refrain from landing the first blow, just as a courtesy to her Master.

Sakura let out a light sigh. "Honestly, Sis... You've never even been to the Clock Tower, and you've never had a proper duel with a real Magus. You're the one who should be giving up your Master rights."

"Huh?" Rin's voice rose in disbelief.

"Separation Castle, the Mystic Eye Collection Train..." Sakura smiled flawlessly. "Life at the Clock Tower is full of twists and turns. You really should have gone there to study, like I did."

The implication was clear—Rin was just a countryside Magus, training alone on her family's leyline out in the Far East, untouched by the true world of Magecraft.

Sakura, on the other hand, had fully immersed herself in the Magus world and developed a far deeper understanding of the magical arts.

"So? Are you going to give up your right to participate and seek refuge in the church now?" Sakura echoed Rin's earlier words right back at her.

A vein twitched at Rin's temple, and she forced a strained smile.

"You've gotten sharp-tongued, haven't you, Sakura? Where's that sweet little sister of mine gone? And what's with the purple hair...?"

"This isn't dyed," Sakura replied casually, running her fingers through the ends of her hair. "A first-rate Magus can change their hair and eye color just by using mana."

Then, as if suddenly realizing something, she gave a surprised look.

"Wait... don't tell me you can't even do that? No way, right?"

The sisters might have been at odds on the surface, but their playful squabbling showed how close they still were. Saber listened in with amusement, while Archer beside Rin turned his face away, trying to hide his smirk.

"Fine then! Let's settle this. It's my duty as the older sister! Archer!" Rin shouted.

Archer immediately dropped his smile, his expression turning serious. "Are you sure you want to go through with this, Rin?"

"Of course. Sakura has a Servant too, right? And not just any Servant—Saber, the strongest class! If we take out her Servant, she's out of the Holy Grail War!" Rin pointed at Saber, clearly frustrated, and more than a little envious.

She'd done everything by the book to summon a powerful Servant—and yet, it was her sister who summoned Saber.

That twinge of insecurity was impossible to ignore.

"Understood, Master. But I don't fight other Masters. Especially not women. That part's on you."

Even as he spoke, Archer released a surge of powerful fighting spirit, entering a battle-ready stance.

Saber grinned, matching his intensity with a fierce aura of her own.

The wind howled as Archer vanished from sight.

"Idiot!"

She'd expected him to draw a bow—but instead, he charged head-on. Saber, fully armored, met him like a runaway horse.

Her silver blade flashed as she launched a high-speed strike.

A piercing metallic clash rang out. Archer blocked the attack with a black dagger.

After the first clash, the two Servants stood in front of their respective Masters once again.

Saber's sword had a far longer reach than Archer's dagger, and the gap in attack range was obvious. For Archer, initiating the fight was a clear disadvantage. Saber could simply wait for him to step into her range and strike.

"Heh—so you're going with close combat instead of a bow..." Mordred bared her teeth in a wide grin. "Then don't blame me for not holding back!"

With burning intensity, Saber charged. She swung her long sword in both hands, pressing in like a tidal wave, closing the distance step by step, even giving up her range advantage to push harder.

It was the kind of reckless move that should've opened her to a fatal counter—but it didn't go as one might expect.

Forehead, throat, chest, shoulders—even clad in armor, Saber didn't let a single one of Archer's strikes land.

With strikes too fast to leave even afterimages, Saber's relentless slashes forced Archer to retreat to the wide lawn at the side of the slope, pulling the battlefield away from Rin.

If he didn't back off quickly enough, he'd be caught within the reach of her blade. If he tried to dodge and counterattack, the silver sword would slice into his abdomen.

Worse yet, even if he tried to press forward recklessly, the range where he could actually land a hit was incredibly limited.

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

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