"You're fine for now, but your strength is still too weak. The other Masters found out you have two Servants—they might attack you directly. How is it that, after ten years of being a magus, you still haven't learned how to defend yourself? Didn't Matou Zouken teach you anything?"
"…Sorry."
"What are you apologizing for? I'm being serious."
Kain looked at Matou Sakura, who had bowed her head and apologized, and sighed helplessly. Her magic circuits were originally excellent, but Matou Zouken had altered them to absorb water-element mana.
Even so, if she'd been properly trained, she could've at least protected herself—even if not on the level of Tohsaka Rin. Instead, she'd been reduced to little more than a mana battery.
"Forget it. You should just focus on learning this magic well. Save up some mana gems while you can. That way, when the decisive battle comes, you won't run out of energy."
Kain spoke without much hope for Sakura as a Master. He only wanted to make sure she survived.
The Holy Grail War didn't last long—at most a month. Seven Servants in a city the size of Fuyuki... if the war dragged on longer than that, it just meant the Masters were being lazy.
Kain taught Sakura a spell to store mana in gems, and while doing so, painted her a beautiful picture of the future.
"Do your best, Sakura. Once I obtain the Holy Grail, I can grant all your wishes—including restoring your body to the way it was. You don't like having your body full of Crest Worms, right?"
Rider tilted her head at his words. It was the third time today she'd felt like glaring at Kain with her Mystic Eyes.
Ding dong!
The doorbell rang through the Matou household. Kain and Rider both heard it. A second later, Kain shook his head at Rider, motioning for her to check it out.
There were only three people in the house: Kain, Medusa (Rider), and Sakura. Since Sakura couldn't defend herself, letting her answer the door could be dangerous if an enemy was waiting outside.
As the Master, Kain felt it wasn't his role to handle such tasks—so the only suitable person left was Rider. But she didn't want to go either and just sat beside him, pretending not to hear.
A minute passed. The doorbell rang again. When Sakura saw that neither of them intended to move, she sighed and started to get up. But just as she did, Rider finally stood and walked toward the entrance.
As she passed by Kain, she muttered under her breath, "Damn guy." Only Kain heard her.
"Know your place. It's not right for a thug to expect her Master to run errands for her," he said, picking up a magic book and starting to read.
Not long after, Rider returned—this time with someone in tow. Judging by the fact that she had brought the visitor into the house, rather than turning him away, it was clear the guest wasn't just anyone.
Even Kain put his book down.
"Who is he?" Kain asked.
Before Rider could respond, the visitor introduced himself.
"I am a member of the Holy Church. The Overseer has instructed me to inform all Masters and Servants participating in the Holy Grail War to gather at the church in Fuyuki City—two days from now."
Kain chuckled slightly at the words and said,
"Assembly? Has the supervisor of your Church gone mad? Why is he summoning both Masters and Servants?"
"Because there was an accident in the Holy Grail War. The summons isn't from the Church, but from the Holy Grail itself. I'm just here to deliver the message. Now that I've passed on the Supervisor's words, I'll be taking my leave."
After speaking, the Church representative bowed and left the Matou residence.
Once the man was gone, silence fell over the room. After a brief pause, Matou Sakura couldn't hold back the question in her heart.
"Um… should I go?"
"Go if you want. Two days should be enough," Kain replied.
As he spoke, he considered the situation. Many magi had recently approached him about consignments and trades. In two days—along with the mana gems Matou Sakura was making—he could probably gather more than two hundred.
That should be enough to initiate a battle. And if other Servants really did show up at the gathering, he could just kill one to advance the Holy Grail War's progression.
"That's too dangerous. Sakura wouldn't stand a chance against another Master or Servant. She doesn't even know how to defend herself from spells."
Rider stepped forward, voicing her concern for Sakura. Though her tone was calm, it was filled with genuine worry. Sakura, however, only bowed her head again, apologetically blaming herself for her incompetence—believing it was her weakness that made both Servants worry about her safety.
Kain shook his head and said,
"That's exactly why I asked you to collect those magical materials. If I had them sooner, I could have made something to protect Sakura. If a certain Servant would hurry up, her Master wouldn't have to be so vulnerable."
Hearing the sarcasm in his tone, Rider's fist clenched again. She took a deep breath, trying to stay calm, and said,
"Two days isn't enough time for me to travel far. Give me something closer this time."
"Fine, here. There's a known gathering point for magi here—they'll have what I need."
Kain handed her an address. It was in Southeast Asia—close enough that two days would be plenty.
Rider resisted the urge to retaliate, took the address, and left at once.
Working with this guy is a test of patience, she thought bitterly. Not even the curse of the goddess made me this angry. Yet somehow, this Servant manages it effortlessly.
After Rider left, Kain also sent Sakura away. With her body sealed and protected by a cursed energy conduit, Sakura wasn't in much danger. Aside from the engraving worms occasionally demanding mana, she had no real needs.
She hadn't even wanted to participate in the Holy Grail War. Now, the only reason she was involved was because Kain was driving her to produce mana gems.
Emiya Residence
Seeing who was at the door, Emiya Shirou looked surprised.
"Tohsaka-san? What brings you here?"
After Rin Tohsaka had rescued Shirou from Lancer (Cu Chulainn) and Rider at school, the two had kept in touch.
Upon discovering that Emiya Shirou was completely ignorant of the Holy Grail War—not even knowing he was a Master—Rin had taken it upon herself to teach him the basics of magic and the Grail system.
Of course, Rin had her own motives. She wasn't about to accept being eliminated before the Holy Grail War even began. Not just for her own sake, but for the honor of the Tohsaka family.
Flipping her hair back confidently, Rin said,
"I came because I got the message too. Has the Church contacted you? Also… should we really be talking about this out here?"
"Come in, Tohsaka-san."
After welcoming Rin Tohsaka inside, Emiya Shirou brought her a cup of hot tea and asked,
"The Church sent someone to me too. They told me to gather at the church with Saber in two days. Tohsaka, do you know the reason?"
"How would I know? You've seen the supervisor—his thoughts are impossible to predict. And..."
Tohsaka Rin paused, then continued,
"I've already lost my Servant. Technically, what happens next has nothing to do with me. But the Church still came to the Tohsaka household to inform me.
They've probably notified every Master. This Holy Grail War… something about it has definitely changed."
Emiya Shirou scratched his head. Tohsaka had said a lot, but none of it seemed particularly helpful.
"Then... what are you going to do next?" he asked.
Rin studied him for a moment, then glanced enviously at Saber standing quietly nearby. She turned back to Shirou and said,
"Emiya-san, why don't we form an alliance?"
"Alliance?"
"That's right. You may have Saber, but you know almost nothing about the Holy Grail War—and even less about magic.
I've lost my Servant, but I'm not willing to walk away from the war like this. I can't let that guy win either. So, let's work together. We'll help each other achieve our goals."
Rin had been thinking about this for a while before coming. Without a Servant, she couldn't meaningfully participate in the Holy Grail War. Ordinary magi were no match for Heroic Spirits.
But Shirou and Saber made a promising duo—he was an inexperienced Master, and Saber was powerful. Rin could guide Shirou and contribute her knowledge. It was a strategic alliance.
Rin didn't desire the Grail itself. She only wanted to win—to protect the reputation of the Tohsaka family and prove her own strength.
"Alliance... well, you're right. I really don't know much about the Grail War or magic. An alliance with you would be a huge help. And you also saved me. I trust you, Tohsaka."
Emiya Shirou paused for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright. Let's form an alliance."
"Idiot," Rin said, lightly smacking his shoulder. "That had nothing to do with saving you! Anyone would've stepped in. I just happened to be able to do something about it."
She brushed a strand of hair from her face and continued,
"Now I'll share what I know. I've already encountered two Servants. You've seen one—the purple-haired woman from the school."
Before the meeting at the church, Rin planned to teach Shirou some basic magic knowledge and brief Saber on the other Servants. She had personally experienced Kain's power, though she still couldn't determine his class.
In addition to Shirou Emiya, Rin Tohsaka, and Sakura Matou, the other Masters also received the message—summoned in the name of the Holy Grail.
Although Medea and Soichiro Kuzuki were reluctant to attend, they eventually decided to go.
Medea the Magus
Going to the church would risk revealing her identity, making her a target for other Servants.
But ignoring a message from the Holy Grail itself—something even the Church treated seriously—could mean missing out on critical information.
In the end, nearly all the Masters made their decision and prepared for the gathering two days later.
Kain hadn't been idle during that time. Aside from manipulating online contacts in the Mage's Association to help craft mana gems, he spent his days reading grimoires and studying magical materials that could substitute for high-grade alchemical ingredients.
Rider had returned with some of the materials he'd requested. Kain's task now was to analyze their magical properties, determine their compatibility, and test combinations to fix and amplify their effects.
It was time-consuming work—but fortunately, alchemy was an area in which Kain excelled.
His magical power was close to that of a true deity. If he chose to, he could unleash disaster-class forbidden spells—like infernos that raze cities, thunder that splits the earth, or winds that tear the sky apart.
And his alchemical prowess was nothing to scoff at either.
With the magical materials from this world, Kain was still able to create a new batch of alchemical items.
The two days following the notice from the Church passed quietly. The air in Fuyuki City remained calm, with few people roaming the streets.
Whenever Matou Sakura became thirsty for magical energy, Kain would help her by extracting two of the crest worms to ease her symptoms. However, the crest worms were deeply linked to her magic circuits, and removing them recklessly could cause serious damage to both her circuits and her magical crest.
So, Kain proceeded cautiously. It usually took him an hour or two to remove just two crest worms and then repair the damage done to Sakura's magical circuits afterward.
If he didn't do this, Rider would have to go out and kill people to supply magical energy to Sakura—or they would need to find someone with innate magic power to replenish her.
Both options were troublesome. While Kain preferred the latter, his own magic power was used sparingly. He'd rather knock Sakura out than waste even a small amount.
Late at night
Although the Church had not provided a specific time for the gathering, most Masters and Servants had assumed the meeting would take place after dark. The Holy Grail War was meant to remain hidden, and daytime activity was far too conspicuous.
Jeanne d'Arc had arrived at the church ahead of schedule. She had erected a barrier—not for defense, but for detection.
When Kotomine Kirei emerged from the church, Jeanne asked,
"Have all the Masters been notified, Supervisor?"
"Yes," Kotomine replied, holding a Bible in one hand. "They've all received the message. Whether they show up or not, that's uncertain."
He stepped outside, alone, and continued,
"Also, don't call me 'Supervisor.' I'm now a Master participating in this Holy Grail War."
Jeanne nodded in acknowledgment. She had already sensed the presence of a Servant near Kotomine and had suspected he was a Master.
She didn't know much about the traditional role of a church supervisor, but it didn't matter anymore—she was here to rewrite the rules of this Grail War.
Da da da.
Footsteps echoed outside. A moment later, three figures entered the church.
Rin Tohsaka glanced around and muttered,
"Doesn't seem like anyone's here yet. Looks like we're the first Masters to arrive, Mr. Emiya."
"No," Jeanne corrected her. "You are the second and third. The first Master is already here."
She gestured toward Kotomine Kirei.
"Him? He's the Church's overseer! Since when is he a Master?"
Rin's expression shifted to shock. She hadn't expected this at all. If she had known, she never would've brought the still-green Emiya Shirou with her. This wasn't the place for a rookie.
Kotomine Kirei stepped forward and said calmly,
"Officially, I am still the Church's supervisor. But privately, I've also entered this Holy Grail War as a Master. After all... my wish from the last war was never fulfilled."
"You bastard."
Rin gritted her teeth, furious that she had been deceived by him. But before she could finish venting, two new figures materialized in the church out of thin air.
"So this is all of them? Jeanne d'Arc?"
Kain paused mid-sentence as a look of surprise flashed across his face. He hadn't expected Jeanne d'Arc—the Ruler-class servant—to appear in the Fifth Holy Grail War.
Was it... because of his presence?
…
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