Fuyuki City, inside a certain Tohsaka family mansion.
"Yes, I understand."
"I will tell her to come over."
"Yes, please rest assured of that, Madam."
Kirei Kotomine replied several times into the phone in his hand. His voice was calm and measured.
After the call ended, he called out towards the depths of the mansion.
"Rin, come here for a moment," he instructed.
As Kirei Kotomine finished speaking, a young girl in a red uniform walked out of a room, stifling a yawn. She looked tired but alert.
This was Rin Tohsaka, Tokiomi Tohsaka's eldest daughter.
After her father died in the Holy Grail War, she inherited his will and began to study magecraft on her own, preparing for the Fifth Holy Grail War. Her determination was firm.
As for Tokiomi Tohsaka's disciple, Kirei Kotomine, he became her teacher in martial arts. Their relationship was that of master and student.
"What is it?" Rin Tohsaka asked, her voice slightly drowsy.
"..."
Kirei Kotomine looked back at the phone he had just hung up and replied:
"Your mother told me—to ask you to return the scabbard you borrowed earlier."
"Huh?"
Hearing this, Rin Tohsaka, who had been half-asleep, suddenly woke up completely. Her eyes widened in surprise.
"Why do I suddenly have to return it?" she questioned.
"Haven't I only borrowed it for a few days?" she asked, a hint of confusion in her voice.
"I don't know either," Kirei Kotomine shook his head, indicating his lack of information. "Your mother just asked me to relay this to you," he explained.
"As for why—"
"That is not something I should know," he stated, his tone detached.
"..."
Rin Tohsaka was silent for a while, then pouted slightly. Disappointment flickered across her face.
"Alright, I understand," she said reluctantly.
"I'll take it there myself later," she decided.
"Very well, that will do," Kirei replied simply.
"I'll go prepare myself," Rin Tohsaka said, and then walked towards her room. Her footsteps were light.
Watching her receding back, a slight, almost imperceptible smile appeared on Kirei Kotomine's face. His expression held a dark amusement.
He was thinking about one thing:
How long would it be until he could tell her that he was actually the one who killed her father? The thought brought a twisted sense of anticipation.
She would surely be completely broken then, wouldn't she?
Just thinking about it made him feel incredibly high, he thought with a chilling satisfaction.
[There were many unknown secrets in the Fourth Holy Grail War.]
[And as a covert participant in that Holy Grail War, Kirei Kotomine knew many truths that were not recorded by the Church or the Clock Tower.]
[Or rather, he had orchestrated them himself.]
Ten years ago, a certain castle on the outskirts of Fuyuki.
During the Caster fire incident, Kirei Kotomine came here with his Servant, Assassin of the Hundred Faces. They moved through the shadows.
After obtaining permission from his teacher, Tokiomi Tohsaka, he infiltrated this castle.
Soon, with Assassin's assistance, Kirei Kotomine discovered a certain woman hidden here.
That was Irisviel—the proxy Master for Saber in this Holy Grail War. Her presence was unexpected.
Of course.
From Kirei Kotomine's perspective, she was Saber's Master. He had seen her at the port.
He was somewhat curious why this woman didn't even try to escape when she saw him and Assassin. She seemed rooted to the spot.
Was she unable to move? He wondered, observing her.
It did seem possible. She looked weak and defenseless.
However, that wasn't the main point.
Since the opponent was so weak, there was no need to hesitate.
Kirei Kotomine swiftly ended Irisviel's life with a strike of his knife. He buried the body and quickly left the scene. The act was cold and efficient.
But the man did not know that the thing he buried at this time would, at some point in the future, become the key to unlocking the future. Fate held unexpected turns.
Several days later, at the end of the Banquet of Kings.
Kirei Kotomine never expected that the Archer summoned by his teacher, Tokiomi Tohsaka, Gilgamesh, would seek him out. The oldest of Kings had a proposition.
This oldest of Kings directly expressed his thoughts.
"Let us cooperate and eliminate Tokiomi Tohsaka," he suggested bluntly.
"You will get what you desire," he promised, knowing Kirei's hidden desires.
Kirei Kotomine's first reaction was naturally to refuse.
"Please allow me to refuse—you are my teacher's Servant," he said, maintaining a facade of loyalty.
"And what I have learned also tells me that I must never do anything immoral," he added, citing his training.
"But aren't you actually very constrained?" Gilgamesh saw through Kirei Kotomine's inner thoughts with a single glance. His golden eyes pierced through the pretense.
"You are clearly seeking something that brings you pleasure, yet you are unable to define what it is," he pointed out the contradiction within Kirei.
"Let this King tell you what pleasure is—pursuing what you want to do is entertainment; entertainment brings pleasure, and pleasure increases a person's sense of happiness," he declared his philosophy, a twisted justification.
"There is fundamentally nothing wrong with this."
"Furthermore—"
The image of Tokiomi Tohsaka clenching his fist appeared before Gilgamesh's eyes. He knew that the man resented him from the bottom of his heart.
Rather than being stabbed in the back later, it was better to get rid of him first. His arrogance demanded control.
In this world, only the King can betray others; absolutely no one can betray the King. His rule was absolute.
"You were originally a participant in the Holy Grail War, weren't you? Killing an opponent, how is that against morality?" he questioned, challenging Kirei's principles.
"..."
Gilgamesh's words clearly touched Kirei Kotomine. They struck a chord within him.
He was silent for a while, then finally spoke:
"I apologize... please give me some time to think about it," he requested, needing to process the offer.
"No problem," Gilgamesh smiled triumphantly. His plan was falling into place.
Because he knew what kind of creature humans were—once a chasm is opened in their hearts, no amount of earth can fill it. The darkness within would inevitably grow.
[This was a private contract known to no one.]
[It was forever buried in the past.]
[Due to having to learn martial arts from Kirei Kotomine on a daily basis, Rin Tohsaka did not live with her mother.]
[Following the agreement, she brought the scabbard of Excalibur Galatine and headed towards the old mansion.]
As the heir to her father and a participant in the Fifth Holy Grail War.
Rin Tohsaka would naturally not hand over a precious Holy Relic (especially one that could possibly summon the Saber class) so easily. It was a valuable asset.
Not even at her mother's instruction.
After all, with equal skill, the Servant's ability becomes the key factor in victory or defeat. A powerful Servant could turn the tide.
But the problem was, Rin Tohsaka found that this scabbard was completely unusable.
It clearly looked like there was nothing wrong with it, but she simply couldn't establish a magical connection with it no matter what. There was no resonance.
This was the first time she had encountered such a thing, and naturally, she had no solution.
So—
Since it was completely useless, and her mother wanted her to take it back anyway.
Why not? There was no reason to hold onto it.
With this thought in mind, Rin Tohsaka returned to the somewhat old mansion. The familiar scent of aged wood filled her nostrils.
Truthfully, Rin Tohsaka wasn't very familiar with this place—after all, she rarely stayed here.
And frankly, the young girl didn't like staying here.
How to put it?
She always felt like this place was filled with sad memories.
But never mind, given the current situation, dwelling on these matters was pointless.
Rin Tohsaka held the box containing the scabbard, tilted her head slightly, and then temporarily used her cheek to support it.
Her now free hand reached towards the doorbell.
Ding-dong, ding-dong—
The doorbell rang. The sound echoed in the quiet afternoon.
Rin Tohsaka expected her mother, Aoi Zenjou, to open the door.
But she never expected to see another person.
It was a young girl just like herself, with black hair and blue eyes. Their appearances were remarkably similar.
If it weren't for the fact that the other's clothing style was vastly different from hers, Rin Tohsaka would have thought she was looking in a mirror.
Of course.
If she had to find differences other than the clothes, there were some.
Rin Tohsaka's gaze fell on the other's chest—it was clearly much more developed than her own. A notable disparity.
Was that kind of size even real?! Rin Tohsaka's mind buzzed with shock and disbelief.
But the greeting from the other quickly pulled her back to reality.
"Um—"
"Are you 'Little Rin'?" the girl asked, her voice soft.
"..."
Although the other person had many similarities in appearance to herself, Rin Tohsaka couldn't help but become vigilant upon hearing that sentence. Her guard went up.
There was no other reason.
This was a term of endearment used only by her deceased father and her mother, who had been a widow for many years. It was a deeply personal name.
How did she, meeting her for the first time, know this?
"Um... I am Rin Tohsaka," the young girl replied cautiously, confirming her identity.
"As expected, please come in then," the other girl said with a warm smile.
"Alright," Rin Tohsaka agreed.
Following the girl in front of her into the mansion, Rin Tohsaka immediately saw her mother, Aoi Zenjou. Her mother's eyes were slightly red at the corners—she had clearly been crying recently.
However, the moment she saw Rin Tohsaka, her expression brightened considerably. Relief and happiness washed over her face.
And likely worried that her daughter wouldn't understand the situation, Aoi Zenjou quickly began to introduce people.
"Little Rin," she said, addressing her eldest daughter.
"That's your younger sister, Sakura," she introduced Tohsaka Sakura.
"This is her teacher, Vivian." She gestured towards Vivian.
"There was also another teacher, Waver, but he seems to have left to see someone," she added, explaining his absence.
"..."
Rin Tohsaka froze for a moment, then suddenly realized something. Understanding dawned on her face.
She stretched out her hand, pointing at Tohsaka Sakura, and exclaimed:
"This is my younger sister?!" she asked in disbelief.
"Yes," Aoi Zenjou nodded. "Many years ago... due to certain circumstances, your father and I had to send Sakura abroad," she explained the difficult decision of the past.
"She's finally back now," she added, her voice filled with a mother's relief.
"Oh, I see," Rin Tohsaka nodded thoughtfully.
She then offered a slight smile to Tohsaka Sakura.
She wasn't resistant to this suddenly appearing younger sister. The idea didn't bother her.
Or perhaps, Tohsaka Sakura didn't feel much emotional impact—after all, it was the first time she had ever seen her.
The young girl extended her hand.
"Nice to meet you, Sakura," she said, her voice friendly.
"..."
Looking at Rin Tohsaka's open and graceful demeanor, Tohsaka Sakura felt as if her heart was squeezed. A strange feeling.
She wondered why the other person was so calm?
Shouldn't she think that she was being too much? Shouldn't she be upset?
But in the end, Tohsaka Sakura suppressed these thoughts and instead took the other's hand.
"Nice to meet you, Sister," she replied, her voice a little hesitant.
"It's good you're back," Rin Tohsaka didn't think too much about it. Her focus shifted.
She looked at Aoi Zenjou.
"So—"
"Mom, is this scabbard for her?" she asked, indicating the box she was holding.
"Yes, yes," Aoi Zenjou's voice was quieter. She was a little afraid that her eldest daughter would get angry like Tohsaka Sakura had.
After all, in a sense, giving it to either Rin Tohsaka or Tohsaka Sakura meant making the other unhappy. It was a difficult choice.
Fortunately, Rin Tohsaka had already lost interest in the scabbard—at this moment, it was meaningless to this magus girl. Its lack of magical resonance made it useless to her.
She didn't mind giving something she didn't need to someone else.
"I see," Rin Tohsaka turned back to look at her younger sister.
"So you're the one who wants it," she said simply.
"Here," the young girl handed the box containing the scabbard directly to Tohsaka Sakura.
"The scabbard is inside," she said, offering it freely.
"..."
Seeing her older sister, whom she had never met, being so generous, Tohsaka Sakura didn't think any further; she directly accepted the box containing the scabbard.
"Thank you," she said softly.
"You're welcome," Rin Tohsaka looked at her younger sister, still smiling.
"But—"
"Sakura, can I ask you a question?" she inquired.
"Of course, you can," Tohsaka Sakura replied.
"Then..."
Rin Tohsaka looked at Tohsaka Sakura and the scabbard box she was holding tightly since she received it, her expression a little speechless.
"What are you going to do with it? Collect it?" she asked, puzzled by the intense way Sakura was holding it.
"..."
Tohsaka Sakura glanced at Rin Tohsaka, then at Aoi Zenjou, and finally at Vivian.
The Phantom's words from the swing echoed in her mind. His encouragement resonated.
In the end, the fundamentally kind Tohsaka Sakura couldn't treat Rin Tohsaka as an enemy. The shared blood outweighed any potential rivalry, for now.
She confessed her thoughts.
"Sister, I'm going to use it to summon a Servant," she revealed.
"Huh?" Rin Tohsaka was stunned again. "You're going to participate in the Holy Grail War?" she questioned in surprise.
"Yes," Tohsaka Sakura nodded.
"..."
Rin Tohsaka's brow furrowed.
Because she realized that in that case, the Tohsaka Sakura before her was her competitor. A rival in the upcoming war.
However—
Could she really use this scabbard? She wondered, a flicker of doubt in her mind.
But her younger sister, Tohsaka Sakura, didn't care about these things at all.
What she cared about more was the scabbard in her hands. It was her key.
"Teacher, can we start now?" she asked Vivian eagerly.
"..."
Vivian didn't answer immediately.
After all, she completely didn't expect that this so-called scabbard would drag another modern magus into the mix. Rin's presence complicated things slightly.
However—
It didn't seem like a big problem.
Aoi Zenjou had no combat ability, so there was nothing to worry about there.
All she had to deal with was just Tohsaka Sakura, who had now turned into the Tohsaka sisters. The target had expanded, but the principle remained the same.
"Yes, let's begin," she granted permission.
Getting her teacher's approval, Tohsaka Sakura immediately prepared with Vivian.
And out of worry and curiosity, Rin Tohsaka followed closely behind them. Her interest was piqued.
After ten years of study, Tohsaka Sakura had long since memorized the steps. The summoning ritual was etched in her mind.
Not to mention that her father, Tokiomi Tohsaka, was originally a magus; everything needed could be found in this mansion where she had lived as a child! The necessary tools and materials were readily available.
All preparations were complete.
Under the gaze of Rin Tohsaka and Vivian, Tohsaka Sakura placed the scabbard of Excalibur Galatine in the center of the summoning circle. The ancient relic rested upon the intricate lines.
She murmured in a voice only she could hear.
"Phantom."
"Please watch me closely."
"Watch me perform my first Servant summoning!" she whispered, her heart filled with anticipation.
As the summoning circle glowed with blue light, Tohsaka Sakura felt the voice in her ear disappear in an instant. The light intensified.
And the figure within the summoning circle gradually solidified.
Finally, a knight-like man appeared before Tohsaka Sakura. His form took shape within the radiant magic.
This was the first time the young girl had ever seen him, yet his voice was so familiar. It was the voice she knew so well.
"Sakura," he said gently.
"Hmm... perhaps 'Master' would be better?" he mused, a slight smile on his face.
Although she had dreamed of such a scene somewhat.
But seeing the Phantom truly appear because of the summoning, Tohsaka Sakura felt herself lose all rationality in an instant. Overwhelming emotion surged through her.
She rushed into the summoning circle, which had returned to normal, and hugged the knight before her. Her arms wrapped tightly around him.
"Phantom!" she cried out, her voice filled with joy and relief.
Rin Tohsaka was stunned. Her eyes were wide with disbelief.
This scabbard... it actually worked?!
Her younger sister had summoned the most powerful Saber class? The impossible had just happened.
And Vivian saw something she hadn't expected. Her eyes narrowed.
As a witch, she discovered that there was an extremely complex magical energy supply line between Tohsaka Sakura and the manifested Ian, one that could not be easily severed. It was a deep, intertwined connection.
That was definitely not something that was formed overnight.
It would require at least over ten years of nurturing to form such an existence. The realization struck her like a physical blow.
Wait—!
Vivian realized something. Her mind raced.
Could it be that over the past ten years, her training had been helping Tohsaka Sakura deepen the connection between her and Ian?
And this scabbard before them just happened to be used to summon him?
How could things have turned out like this?! The plan she had so carefully laid out was crumbling.
Vivian realized she had miscalculated! Her face paled slightly as the depth of her error became clear.