After a brief celebration with Shinobu and the others, Victor took a Spirit Gathering Pill and devoted himself to cultivation once more.
He had just broken through to the Golden Core realm, leaving his foundation somewhat unstable. Consolidating his cultivation was essential before attempting anything else.
Two and a half days passed in peaceful meditation.
Only then did Victor emerge from his cultivation state.
In truth, he had completed the consolidation process a full day earlier. He had continued practicing primarily because the medicinal effects of the pills he'd consumed remained active, and wasting such precious resources would have been foolish.
The reason he finally concluded his session was a notification from the chat group, someone had tagged him with an urgent message.
[Rin Tohsaka: @Victor, the Holy Grail War is about to begin in my world. Are you coming?]
[Victor: Of course! I wouldn't miss it for anything!]
Finally, the Holy Grail War was beginning.
[Rin Tohsaka: Perfect. Please come over whenever you're ready.]
[Stelle: Don't forget about me!]
How could they possibly exclude her from something as entertaining as the Holy Grail War?
After Stelle finished coordinating with Himeko, Welt, and the other Astral Express crew members, she immediately opened a dimensional portal.
Victor and Stelle materialized in front of Rin Tohsaka almost simultaneously.
Rin studied the two newcomers with obvious curiosity.
They look much better in person than their chat avatars suggested.
Especially Victor, while his profile picture had been handsome, his actual appearance was breathtakingly attractive!
While Rin examined them, the two visitors were equally interested in observing her.
She wore a brown shirt beneath a black pleated skirt, topped with a distinctive red coat. Her long black hair was styled in twin ponytails that emphasized her youthful energy, while her delicate features carried that characteristic confident smile.
Exactly the Rin Tohsaka I remember from the series, Victor thought with satisfaction.
"Hello, it's wonderful to meet you both. I'm genuinely glad you came."
Rin broke the brief silence by extending her hand in greeting.
"Impressive! You've already reached the second level of Qi Training so quickly. Your cultivation talent is truly outstanding."
Victor clasped her offered hand, allowing a gentle stream of spiritual power to flow through his palm into her body, instantly dispelling the fatigue accumulated from days of intense preparation.
"Of course! My talent isn't inferior to anyone else's!"
Rin lifted her chin slightly, her expression radiating pride.
She wasn't boasting, her cultivation aptitude was genuinely exceptional among the group members. Although she had only reached the second level of Qi Training, which might seem modest, less than half a month had passed since she'd begun cultivating.
Moreover, she had to attend school during the day and prepare for the Holy Grail War at night, severely limiting her actual training time. Achieving such progress under those constraints demonstrated remarkable natural ability.
"Being quick at the beginning doesn't mean much," Stelle said with a dismissive sniff. "Wait until you reach the tenth level of Qi Training, then you'll understand how difficult cultivation becomes."
It was true that Rin's talent was impressive, but Stelle and Kiana weren't exactly struggling either. They had both reached the tenth level of Qi Training and stood only one step away from Foundation Establishment.
Unfortunately, that final breakthrough had eluded them for half a month.
Honestly, she was quite envious of Victor's progress. For him, Foundation Establishment seemed as simple as drinking water, and achieving Golden Core had been equally effortless. Bottlenecks appeared to be mere suggestions rather than genuine obstacles.
Is this what life is like when you have cheat-level abilities?
"Let's return to the main topic and discuss the Holy Grail War," Victor interjected, sensing the conversation drifting off course. "Rin, you haven't summoned your Servant yet, correct?"
Rin nodded in confirmation. "I planned to perform the summoning tonight when conditions are optimal."
Victor rolled his eyes. "Forget about waiting for optimal conditions, do it now. With us here, you'll win the Holy Grail War regardless of which Servant you summon."
In the original timeline, Rin had also wanted to wait until her magical energy reached its peak before attempting the summoning, hoping she might call forth her preferred Saber-class Servant. However, due to a timing error, she had instead summoned Archer, the future Shirou Emiya.
While Victor didn't particularly dislike Shirou Emiya, he definitely didn't want Rin forming any romantic connections with the boy. Perhaps it was simple male possessiveness, but he found the prospect distasteful.
He was curious whether disrupting Rin's original summoning schedule would prevent her from calling Emiya Shirou.
"That makes sense. Since you're both here, it doesn't really matter which Servant I summon."
After considering Victor's reasoning, Rin agreed that his logic was sound.
"Oh, and don't use your ruby as a catalyst during the summoning."
"Understood."
Although she didn't comprehend why Victor was advising against using the family ruby as a holy relic, Rin complied without question. After all, he possessed knowledge of future events, following his guidance was undoubtedly wise.
She then began the Heroic Spirit Summoning Ceremony, using an ancient torn parchment scroll as her catalyst instead. This was her backup relic, prepared for exactly such circumstances.
"I hereby declare, you shall serve under my command, and my fate shall rest with your sword!"
The ritual incantation began flowing from her lips with practiced precision.
"Heed the call of the Holy Grail! If you accept this will and my covenant, then swear your oath here: I am the one who embodies all virtues of this world!"
"I am the one who confronts all evils of this world!"
"Yet you shall serve me with your eyes clouded by chaos!"
"You are one caged in madness, and I am the one who holds your chains!"
"Protected by the three great words of power for seven days! Come forth from the wheel of restraint, Guardian of the Scales!"
As Rin chanted the ancient verses, a crimson magic circle materialized beneath her feet, drawing tremendous magical energy from all directions toward the summoning site.
After several moments, brilliant white light emerged and began condensing into the outline of a figure kneeling respectfully.
Just as the three observers thought the summoning was nearing completion, something unexpected occurred.
Crack!
The previously stable white outline suddenly shattered like glass, dissolving into countless scattered particles of light.
Then, a spatial rift tore open directly above the magic circle. Through the dimensional crack, a red figure could be seen plummeting rapidly toward their location.
Victor's eyes widened slightly at this development.
Why is it still Emiya Shirou?
The summoning had begun ahead of schedule, and they'd even changed the catalyst from the ruby.
Wait!
Could this be the Counter Force interfering?
Yes, it must be them!
As guardians of the Root, manipulating events within the Holy Grail War would be child's play for such entities.
However, Victor had no intention of allowing their machinations to succeed!
With a cold snort, he immediately stepped forward and delivered a powerful kick to Emiya Shirou just as the boy was about to emerge from the spatial rift.
"Ahhh!"
After a brief scream, Emiya Shirou vanished back into the dimensional crack like a meteor in reverse.
Victor then struck out with his palm, completely shattering the spatial rift and sealing the dimensional breach.
"What... what just happened?" Rin stared in complete bewilderment.
Everything had occurred so rapidly that she'd barely had time to process the events before they concluded. She'd only glimpsed her summoned Servant appearing briefly before Victor seemed to destroy something with a casual gesture.
Stelle, however, had observed the entire sequence clearly.
"Just now, some red guy appeared to disrupt your summoning ritual, and Victor kicked him away."
Not understanding the specific reasons behind the interference, Stelle simply assumed that Emiya Shirou had somehow interrupted Rin's ceremony.
"I see." Rin accepted this explanation without suspicion and didn't seem particularly concerned about the disruption.