The Fifth Holy Grail War.
Ten years have passed since the last one.
The same winter, the same overcast sky and biting cold winds.
And the same heavy snowfall brought on by a massive cold wave.
This was the first major snow of the season.
Flakes fell thick and fast; in just one morning, the entire city was blanketed.
Bare tree branches and roads alike were covered, as though the whole world had donned a silver cloak.
Tohsaka residence.
Tohsaka Rin had just finished washing up.
Faint morning light filtered through the kitchen window, reflecting in the girl's clear eyes as she sat quietly at the dining table.
The toaster hissed softly, and a cup of steaming black tea sat on the table, warm vapors rising.
The heater filled the room with comforting warmth.
Perhaps because of it, even though the girl wore her school uniform's short skirt, she felt no chill at all.
Knock knock.
A soft knocking suddenly sounded from outside.
"Sister, I'm heading to school now, okay?"
Rin had just taken a bite of toast, not yet swallowing, when a gentle, pleasant voice came from beyond the door.
"Ah… got it! They're forecasting heavy snow today, so be careful on the road!"
The girl twisted around and shouted toward the doorway as the toast slipped from her mouth.
"My bread—!"
The girl reacted quickly, bending to catch the falling slice mid-air, but her head went "Duang" and slammed hard into the table.
"Are you okay, Sis...?"
Matou Sakura hesitated at the doorway, looking inside with soft, worried eyes full of concern.
"Hahaha... I'm fine, I just accidentally bumped my head. You should hurry to school; I'll catch up with you later."
Tohsaka Rin quietly took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm and maintain the dignified image of an older sister.
She braced one hand on the edge of the nearby table, intending to sit down on the chair beside her and recover for a moment.
However, the moment her perky ass touched the seat, the chair inexplicably collapsed.
The girl instinctively grabbed for the table, only to knock over the cup and teapot with a clatter onto the floor.
A chaotic crash of noises filled the room like a battlefield.
Matou Sakura tilted her head slightly in confusion, clearly not quite understanding what was happening with her sister.
"Are you really okay?"
Matou Sakura asked with a trace of worry.
Though she was the younger sister, Sakura often acted more like the older one.
"I'm fine... Go on ahead."
Rin drew a deep breath.
Despite the embarrassment, she managed to keep her composure and answered with a smile.
Only after the sound of footsteps faded away did she finally rub her sore backside and sit up.
Looking at the mess in the hall, she let out a long sigh.
"My luck is really off on the first day of winter..."
She stood up, cleaned everything, then glanced at the clock on the wall.
There were only five minutes left until class started.
Leaving home now would definitely make her late.
Since things had come to this... she might as well take half the day off.
After calling the teacher to request a half-day sick leave, Tohsaka Rin sat back down in the hall and took a small sip of her black tea.
Only then did the anxiety she had felt all morning finally ease.
Rin pulled a slightly yellowed black scrap of cloth from her pocket, her eyes filled with nostalgia.
From the time she had transmigrated to ancient Britain, to later entering the palace with his help and receiving guidance from Morgan le Fay... even now, if she told anyone about those experiences, no one would believe her, right?
But in the end, she didn't need anyone to believe it.
Treating it as a beautiful memory to treasure, and one day chatting with him about those old experiences would be pretty fun too...
For the past ten years, Tohsaka Rin had always held onto that thought.
And today, that thought was about to become reality.
After ten years, the Greater Grail system had long since cooled down and now it was the eve of the Fifth Holy Grail War.
Though it wasn't exactly by the rules, if she wanted to, she could perform the Heroic Spirit summoning today.
Since she hadn't gone to school this morning anyway, she might as well get started right now...
Thinking about soon seeing that White Dragon again, the girl's usually calm heart rippled slightly.
She unconsciously tightened her grip on the black scrap of cloth in her hand, her eyes filled with anticipation.
However, Tohsaka Rin didn't notice at all that, at some point, the black scrap in her palm had emitted an extremely faint purple glow.
Within that purple light, dense streams of "data" were being analyzed.
...
The plane's wheels touched the runway with a jolt, the engines rumbling low.
"Dear passengers, the aircraft has landed at Fuyuki Airport.
The plane is currently taxiing.
For your safety and the safety of others, please remain seated and do not open the overhead bins. Please refrain from turning on or using mobile phones until the cabin door is opened..."
The standard arrival announcement played in her ears.
Passengers in the cabin were already starting to stir restlessly.
Among them, one blonde girl was equally eager.
Her attire stood out from typical Japanese fashion: a gothic black lace dress that outlined graceful, elegant curves.
In the dim cabin light, her soft golden hair seemed to shimmer with radiant luster.
Her poised sitting posture was that of a true noble lady.
Or rather, in the magus world, she truly was nobility.
The adoptive sister of the El-Melloi family head, Reines had come to Fuyuki specifically to participate in the Holy Grail War in her brother's stead.
"It's finally about to begin..."
Looking out the airport window, excitement stirred in Reines's heart.
She unconsciously clenched her fists, unable to hide the thrill in her eyes.
She had been preparing for this day for a long time... even successfully bidding on a relic at an auction several years ago.
If everything went smoothly, in this Holy Grail War... she was absolutely confident she could claim final victory and bring the Grail back to the El-Melloi family.
As her thoughts wandered, the plane gradually came to a complete stop.
When Reines stepped off the aircraft dragging her luggage, she didn't notice that not far behind her, a girl draped in black robes was quietly watching.
Only after Reines disappeared from view did the black-robed girl turn and silently vanish into the airport.
The lantern she carried swayed gently in the wind and snow.
...
Einzbern Castle.
Wearing a white strap long dress, her silver hair cascading freely, the petite and adorable Illya stood by the window, staring blankly at the swirling snow outside.
Snow blanketed everything in white; the courtyard was serene.
A silver-haired beauty in a flowing white gown that trailed along the floor stood behind Illya, then stepped forward and gently placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders.
In an infinitely tender voice, she asked, "Are you ready, Illya?"
Her skin was fair and flawless, her face breathtakingly beautiful.
Soft, affectionate eyes carried the gentle warmth of a married woman.
Her well-maintained figure was voluptuous and alluring; the years had left no mark on her, only deepening her mature charm.
Illya nodded earnestly, a smile on her face. "I've been preparing for this day for a very, very long time... This summoning will absolutely succeed without a hitch. Please don't worry."
Though her body wouldn't grow because she was an "homunculus," Illya's mindset and magical skill had matured considerably.
She was confident that, once the White Dragon was summoned, she could provide him with sufficient magical energy.
After all, for all these years, she had been working silently toward this very moment... all so she wouldn't hold the White Dragon back in the Fifth Holy Grail War.
A Servant outside the standard classes deserved a "qualified" Master.
Anything less would be an insult to the White Dragon himself; Illya had always felt that way.
The White Dragon of Britain... in the previous Holy Grail War, he and his Master had achieved ultimate victory, in a certain sense.
And precisely because of that, even Illya's great-grandfather, the eighth head of the Einzbern family, Acht, had tacitly approved of the mother and daughter's plan... Or rather, even an artificial being like Acht couldn't think of a Servant more suitable than the White Dragon.
Gathering her thoughts, Illya reached out her small hand toward her mother, her voice clear and innocent.
"Let's go, Mother."
"It's time to welcome our Servant."
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Fuyuki, a certain high-rise building in the new district.
At this moment, a blonde girl with loose, flowing hair stood in the kitchen, preparing the sandwiches in her hands.
The girl looked completely relaxed, wearing a light blue doll-like dress; her slender, long legs were wrapped in white stockings, and she had on a pair of delicate square-toed shoes.
The lights made her skin appear snow-white, with an almost crystalline translucence.
She was none other than Sajyou Manaka.
After leaving the Sajou family back then, Manaka had made a trip to the Clock Tower.
Perhaps because of timeline differences or something else, she hadn't found any trace of Alvin when she went.
Though at first, realizing she might never see Alvin again had left her in despair for a time, thankfully, at the critical moment, Manaka thought of one possibility.
A relic.
Yes... Though she hadn't found Alvin, she still had the mystic code known as the "Dragon Scale."
With it in hand, in the next Holy Grail War she could absolutely use the Dragon Scale again to summon a Heroic Spirit.
Even though the Dragon Scale had sustained some damage during the last summoning... it could definitely be used one more time.
Saber had once said he loved the sandwiches she made... She might as well prepare some in advance, then start the summoning ritual.
Humming a cheerful tune, Sajyou Manaka fully displayed the relaxed confidence of the Root Princess toward the Holy Grail War.
Once she finished arranging the completed sandwiches neatly on a plate, she finally took out the relic she had long prepared and walked to the center of the bright, spacious hall.
Only then did her perpetually calm heart experience a faint ripple.
Expectation and a trace of nervousness filled the girl's eyes.
Even the omniscient and omnipotent Princess of the Root could not predict whether she would successfully summon the White Dragon... Whether she could single-pull a miracle all depended on this one draw!
After mentally preparing herself, Sajyou Manaka slowly raised her head.
...
Meanwhile, on the rooftop of a school in Fuyuki, a girl in a student uniform had just gracefully climbed the stairs.
Her skirt fluttered in the wind, long black hair dancing behind her.
The cold gusts swept past, perfectly accentuating the girl's alluring, captivating curves.
Her proud chest strained boldly against her uniform...
Among high school girls her age, her figure clearly outclassed her peers by more than double.
Matou Sakura.
She walked to a corner of the rooftop, bent down, and gently brushed away the accumulated snow, revealing the summoning circle she had already drawn.
As though remembering something, Sakura's gaze softened slightly.
Today was the eve of the Holy Grail War.
Strictly speaking, summoning a Servant early was against the rules.
But if she didn't act quickly, it would be troublesome if her older sister got ahead of her.
"Sorry, Sis..."
She lowered her eyes slightly and murmured, "For Big Brother's sake... I might have to cheat just a little."
As she spoke, Matou Sakura extended her right hand.
Hum...
The air trembled faintly.
Then, the black scrap of cloth that had originally been with Tohsaka Rin drifted lightly into Sakura's palm.
Snow whipped through the frigid wind.
The girl's shoulder-length black hair danced wildly, as though faintly tinged with a purple glow...
"Let's begin our Holy Grail War, Sister."
She whispered in her heart.
...
Avalon.
"Looks like Rin is the one summoning me, huh?"
Alvin sat on the grass, watching the system prompt that appeared in his vision with great interest.
He was in high spirits right now.
In the past, Tohsaka Tokiomi had passed his relic to his daughter Rin...
Since this was the timeline ten years later, the one summoning him could only be Tohsaka Rin.
Though, it wasn't impossible that someone else had gotten hold of his relic too?
Thinking about it, Alvin chuckled lightly.
Just then, the system issued another notification.
[Detected a summoning from a Holy Grail War participant. Does the host accept the summoning?]
A second Master summoning him...?
Alvin blinked in surprise, then quickly let out a soft laugh.
"Nice. Looks like I'm pretty popular..."
He stood up. "Alright, let's see who's summoning me this time."
Alvin was about to accept the summoning.
But right at that moment, five more system prompts popped up one after another in his vision.
[Detected a summoning from a Holy Grail War participant. Does the host accept the summoning?]
[Detected a summoning from a Holy Grail War participant. Does the host accept the summoning?]
"..."
The consecutive flood of notifications slowly froze the smile on Alvin's face.
The White Dragon possessed extraordinarily sharp perception; he could always sense and evade danger long before it arrived.
Yet at this very moment, for some inexplicable reason, a chill ran down his spine, cold sweat prickling his back.
What the hell is going on with this Holy Grail War?
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