Fate: How About a New Savior?

"Um, I asked you this before, but Dad, you still haven't told me—why did you come back to Fuyuki without contacting me?"

During their post-dinner break, Sakura asked Shiomi while cradling her teacup.

"It's a long story, and it ties into the future of the Holy Grail War," he replied without hesitation, his tone calm as he began to explain.

Everyone was gathered in the living room. The TV played a trivial program in the background, volume set just low enough to hear without being distracting.

So when Shiomi spoke, Rin, Archer, and Saber instinctively turned their attention to him.

"The future of the War?" Rin asked, clearly concerned. "You mean between Sakura and me?"

Shiomi shook his head. "No. I have no intention of intervening in your battle. You're both excellent Magus. Even if you part ways, that doesn't mean the bond between you as sisters will be broken."

"In other words, you believe that no matter who wins—Rin or Sakura—they won't go so far as to kill their own Master like other Magus might," Archer said, nodding slightly.

That much was something both he and Saber already agreed on.

"So if it's not about the Masters," Saber mused, propping her chin in her hand, "then it's got to be about the remaining Caster. But come on, he's just a Magus—what's there to be so worried about?"

Shiomi gave a wry smile. "Morgan and I are also Magus."

"..." Saber was completely shut down. Her mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.

Morgan, quietly sipping her tea, wore a faint, pleased smile. Seeing that only made Mordred more agitated—but unable to lash out, she could only huff and blow at her own bangs in frustration.

"You're saying that because you already know Caster's true name?" Rin asked.

She had heard from Sakura that Caster's Master was the Lord of the Department of Astromancy at the Clock Tower—a figure not to be underestimated.

It certainly raised questions about what kind of Servant a Lord-level Magus would summon.

"Yes," Shiomi answered directly. "The reason I returned to Fuyuki was because Caster is too dangerous—not just for Sakura, but for all Magus."

He paused, took a sip of tea, then continued when no one interrupted.

"He's the progenitor of Magecraft, the one who turned the miracle of phenomenon manipulation into a formal magical system. The King of Magecraft—Solomon."

Clink—

The teaspoon slipped from Sakura's fingers. Rin's hand, still gripping her teacup, froze mid-motion.

"Well, that's not exactly funny," Archer muttered.

"The King of Magecraft… he's practically the nemesis of every modern Magus," Rin said, covering her face as her expression darkened. "It's said the ten rings on his hands can nullify any Magecraft cast by humans."

And that wasn't all. Archer's entire combat style hinged on his Projection Magecraft.

That made Caster a terrible matchup for him.

If he couldn't use his projected weapons, facing the King of Magecraft in a straight-up brawl with just his fists was nothing short of impossible.

Shiomi let out a sigh. "Exactly. That's why I had no choice but to return to Fuyuki, Rin."

"So Dad came back to deal with the King of Magecraft," Sakura said, fully understanding now.

"If possible, I want to work with Morgan to remove him from the Holy Grail War entirely," Shiomi said, rubbing his temples. "But based on the little information we have so far, Caster's not someone we can take lightly."

"Then why didn't you tell me?" Sakura asked, a little upset.

As if expecting the question, Shiomi gave a small, helpless shrug. "You're sixteen now. As both a person and a Magus, you're more than capable of handling yourself. If I interfere too much, it'd be overprotective."

It was a simple worry—but a very real one.

Rin understood that all too well.

On one hand, she had sent their parents to Zenjou to stay safe and asked their father, Tokiomi, not to worry. On the other, she had urged Sakura to abandon the Holy Grail War—completely ignoring that Sakura was a Magus too.

Compared to that, Mr. Shiomi had clearly thought things through more thoroughly. Rin felt a quiet pang of realization.

"How could I be mad about something like that?" Sakura puffed up her cheeks, playfully pouting at Shiomi. "I'm just happy that my dad cares about me."

Her words, honest and heartfelt, made Shiomi realize that all his worrying might've been for nothing.

Maybe he didn't understand the daughter he'd raised as well as he thought. He'd applied conventional logic to someone it didn't quite fit, thinking about things that didn't really matter.

Sakura was independent—capable both as a Magus and as a member of society. But that didn't mean she would reject his care.

And so, that initial worry quietly faded away.

Shiomi rubbed his forehead with a slight smile before slowly lowering his hand.

"Then let me ask—if I told you to give up on the Holy Grail War and come back to London with us, would you do it?"

"Eh?" Sakura froze.

"Huh?" Saber frowned, clearly rejecting the idea.

"It's not so strange to ask," Shiomi said seriously. "Caster—the King of Magecraft—isn't someone you can just deal with easily. Even if Morgan and I join forces, we'd have to be prepared to die."

Sakura turned to Mordred.

"But I promised Saber that we'd fight to the very end." Her voice was gentle, but it carried a firm and unwavering resolve.

Even knowing their final enemy would be the King of Magecraft, she had no intention of backing down.

"You can just sever the contract and let Saber find a new Master," Shiomi said, coaxing her. "The Church has someone under their protection—a capable Magus and a Sealing Designation executor. She'd be more than enough—"

"I'm sorry, Dad. I can't do that." Sakura stood up, pressing both hands on the table. Her head was lowered, her features hidden in the shadow beneath her bangs.

After rejecting Shiomi's proposal, she left the table.

Saber dematerialized shortly after, vanishing from the living room.

"Not surprising at all," Morgan said.

"Because it's Sakura. Once she's made up her mind, she doesn't change it easily," Shiomi replied with a wry smile, glancing at Rin. "You sisters are exactly the same. After all, you're not about to give up just because your opponent is the King of Magecraft, right?"

Rin gave a silent nod, then said, "Looks like I'll need your support till the very end, Archer."

"Of course. No need to ask."

And so, not a single one of them wavered, even in the face of the information Shiomi had brought.

"I see... Then we have no choice but to take the hardest path."

...

(100 Chapters Ahead)

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