Fate: How About a New Savior?

The battle between Saber and Archer was still raging.

In just a few minutes, Saber had already shattered an uncountable number of daggers—twenty-six white, twenty-seven black. They seemed endless, which only irritated the rebellious knight even more.

"What the hell is that weapon of yours? It's so damn annoying!" Saber snapped. "You're such a clingy bastard! Just die already!"

"That's a strange thing to say. Would you obey your enemy and kill yourself?" Archer replied, raising both blades in a flawless stance, ready to engage again.

Saber's initial excitement had gradually faded into boredom. Fighting Archer any longer would just lead to the same outcome. She was starting to think about asking her Master if they should just call it a day and retreat. With so many enemies in the Holy Grail War, there was no reason to waste time on such a dull opponent.

"What's wrong? Not attacking? Then I guess it's my turn—"

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh—!"

Before Archer could finish, a red figure flew overhead, soaring between the two Servants.

"Huh?"

"…"

Both of them froze, watching Rin tumble across the grass in her red coat, getting up with a dirt-covered face.

Then, a white figure followed the same arc, leaping over the pair.

"Celtic Flying Kick!"

"Guhah!"

With her Mana-enhanced legs, Sakura's kick came crashing down on Rin. Rin crossed her arms to block, but still let out a pained cry as she stumbled backward several steps.

Sakura landed lightly on the grass.

Apparently, while the Servants were clashing, their Masters had also started fighting.

And it was clear that Rin was being overpowered. Sakura had even thrown her off a small platform several meters high at the edge of the lawn.

As a Magus, Rin's body was reinforced with Mana, so she didn't suffer any real injury.

But the humiliation was unbearable.

"Why?! Why the hell would you learn something like that?!" Rin shouted furiously.

"If my sister can learn it, then of course Father would teach me too," Sakura said as she struck a textbook fighting pose and charged at Rin Tohsaka.

Though both were Magus, their fight had almost nothing to do with Magecraft. The two girls exchanged standard martial arts moves—punches, kicks, each strike matching the other in intensity.

Rin had been thrown earlier simply because she let her guard down, still treating her little sister like a typical Magus.

Their brawl was so intense it instantly drew all the heat out of Saber and Archer's standoff. The Servants slowly loosened their grips on their weapons.

Before long, the two had switched to spectator mode...

"No, Rin! Go for her lower half!" Archer barked like a seasoned coach.

"Move! Dodge!"

Saber, on the other hand, was far more relaxed, casually cheering from the sidelines.

"Nice grab! That's it!"

Sakura ducked under Rin's roundhouse kick with fluid grace. Twisting her body mid-maneuver, she caught Rin's ankle and yanked her forward, trying to throw her off balance.

But Rin wouldn't back down. Using the grip on her ankle as leverage, she launched herself forward and kicked out with her other leg.

Unfortunately, that foot was also caught. Sakura planted her stance and spun on the spot, swinging her sister around several times before flinging her into the air.

[Es ist groß. Es ist klein! Vox, Gott Es Atlas.]

Rin silently invoked her spell, altering her Magecraft reinforcement to help her land with agility and control.

"No, Rin, don't go for a one-hit win, you need to—"

Archer's tactical advice was cut short.

Because Rin, having landed on her feet, didn't go after Sakura. Instead, she charged straight at Archer and punched her own Servant in the face, following up with a flurry of punches and kicks.

"Hey! Ow! Ow! Don't take it out on me just because you lost!"

Saber looked on, dumbfounded, as a supposedly unshakable Servant was beaten up by his human Master, howling in an embarrassingly pitiful voice. She couldn't help but wonder if that steely-hearted Archer from earlier was just an illusion.

The chaotic turn of events completely defused the tense atmosphere. Saber, who had been eager for battle, lost all motivation and simply stood by, waiting for her Master to make the next move.

Well, after watching a brawl between the Masters, she figured she'd gotten her entertainment's worth anyway.

"My Master's really something. Never mind Magecraft—she's this good at close combat too? She's practically flawless," Mordred laughed, brushing off the dirt as she walked up to Sakura.

"It's just family tradition," Sakura replied.

She turned to look at Rin and Archer, now finished with their scuffle.

Rin looked flustered, a far cry from her earlier bravado when she said, "I won't care if you cry."

Archer had a rather awkward smile on his face.

"So, do you still want to keep going, sister? Without support from your Servant, you don't stand a chance against me," Sakura said plainly, stating the harsh truth.

Rin looked away, sighing. "Forget it. I just wanted you to understand what the Holy Grail War is really like and go back to London to focus on school. But it turns out you've got way more talent than I expected. I was worried for nothing."

"I'm happy you were worried about me," Sakura replied with a bright smile.

"…Saying that after winning is a little unfair, don't you think?" Rin muttered, clearly pleased but too proud to admit it, responding with a tsundere awkwardness.

Sakura then turned to Saber, as if asking for her take. If the fight were to continue, they'd probably have to coordinate again.

Saber's high Magic Resistance was a factor—Sakura didn't mind using her skills to keep Saber off Rin, but if it could be avoided, all the better.

"I'm fine either way. We've only just started. Deciding at the end works too," Saber said, tapping her sword against her armor with a metallic clang.

With that, the two sisters and their Servants started heading away from the Fuyuki Church.

"It's a bit of a walk to Miyama Town. Let's go together, sister," Sakura suggested.

"Yeah, why not."

But as soon as they stepped off the grass, a sudden chill made Rin shiver. She turned instinctively to check the source, only to find Sakura already stepping in front of her, wand at the ready, Saber beside her in a combat stance.

At the top of the slope Sakura had just stood on, a silver-haired girl who looked no older than twelve or thirteen appeared, flanked by a towering giant easily over two meters tall.

"Illyasviel von Einzbern?" Sakura asked, uncertain. "That's not right…"

"Don't call me by that traitor's name. I don't have a name. Just call me Einzbern," the homunculus girl replied, her voice cold as ice.

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

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