"Summon again," Victor said firmly. "No one should interfere this time."
Rin Tohsaka nodded in agreement, preparing to begin the ritual once more.
However, just as she was about to commence the second summoning, she suddenly discovered that the holy relic used for the ceremony had vanished completely!
"Where is my relic?" Rin exclaimed, searching frantically around the magic circle.
"Where did such a large relic go?"
Stelle scratched the back of her head thoughtfully. "Could it have been consumed by something?"
Victor nodded grimly. "It most likely was."
Under normal circumstances, if a summoning fails, the relic would remain intact and reusable. However, the previous summoning couldn't truly be considered a failure, rather, it had been replaced by intervention from the Counter Force. When Victor kicked away the intruder, the relic had been consumed in the process.
"Let's use a different holy relic then," Rin suggested with resignation.
"That's our only option."
Fortunately, the Tohsaka family possessed numerous spare relics. These had been carefully collected by her ancestors over generations in preparation for the Holy Grail War.
Rin retrieved a stone tablet engraved with strange runes from her relic box and prepared it as the new catalyst. She then began the second summoning ceremony.
"I hereby declare, you shall obey my command..."
As the incantation concluded, the magic circle beneath Rin's feet blazed to life once again.
A sickeningly familiar scene unfolded before their eyes.
This time, before even the white light could manifest properly, space itself tore apart, and the same red figure flew out at an even faster velocity than before.
Still refusing to give up?
Victor didn't hesitate for even an instant. He struck out with his palm, shattering the spatial rift and sending Emiya Shirou flying back into the void.
"Did it fail again?" Rin's eyes widened with confusion and growing frustration.
Victor nodded grimly. "It seems I underestimated the determination of a certain someone."
"Damn it! Who is that bastard? Why does he keep interfering with my summoning?" Rin gnashed her teeth in fury, her usual composure cracking under the pressure.
Another holy relic had been consumed in the process!
Although she still possessed some spare relics at home, she couldn't afford to waste them like this indefinitely. After all, her family's precious relics hadn't materialized out of thin air!
"The Counter Force," Victor explained without hiding the truth. "More specifically, Alaya."
"It's actually Alaya?" Rin's shock was palpable.
No matter how hard she wracked her brain, she never could have imagined that Alaya herself was behind this interference.
"But I haven't provoked the Counter Force in any way. Why is Alaya targeting me specifically?"
Victor shrugged. "Who can say for certain?"
He could probably guess why Alaya was so persistent about sending Archer to participate in this particular Holy Grail War. The Counter Force most likely intended to put an end to the conflict once and for all.
After all, the Holy Grail had been contaminated by All the World's Evil and would now fulfill any winner's wish in the most twisted way possible. If someone actually succeeded in making a wish, the corruption within the Grail might even pollute the Root itself!
As the guardian of both the Counter Force and the Root, Alaya would never permit such a catastrophe to occur. That's why she was sending her most reliable agent to end this Holy Grail War permanently.
What Victor couldn't understand was why Alaya insisted on choosing Rin Tohsaka as Archer's Master. Was it simply poor taste on the Counter Force's part? Or was Rin truly the most suitable candidate for some reason?
Regardless of the motivation, Victor had no intention of allowing this interference to succeed!
"Try once more," he instructed.
"Do you really want to attempt it again? What if that entity sabotages us yet again?" After her initial anger subsided, only weary frustration remained on Rin's face.
Summoning Heroic Spirits required enormous amounts of magical energy, and two consecutive failed attempts had already pushed her close to her limits.
"Don't worry. There won't be any accidents this time, I guarantee it." Victor patted his chest with absolute confidence.
"Really?"
Although Rin harbored some doubts, she ultimately chose to trust him.
She retrieved another holy relic from her collection, this time a tarnished silver dagger bearing ancient markings.
As Rin began reciting the summoning incantation, Victor drew the Mystic Ice Sword from his spiritual mansion and gripped it tightly, allowing a faint but unmistakable killing intent to emanate from his form.
"If you dare send that guy here again, don't expect him to return safely," he murmured to the sky in a voice barely above a whisper.
"You wouldn't want to lose your most valuable employee, would you?"
Victor knew that Alaya could hear every word he spoke.
You want to force someone into this summoning?
If you dare obstruct me again, I'll kill him permanently!
Complete obliteration, the kind that can't be undone even by the Throne of Heroes!
"Despicable stranger!"
In a certain void dimension, a silver-haired, red-eyed figure that resembled a young girl cursed through gritted teeth. However, she ultimately abandoned whatever plan she had been formulating.
Soon after, Rin finished chanting the complete ritual.
Nothing unexpected occurred this time, and she successfully summoned her own Heroic Spirit without interference.
It seems the threat actually worked.
Seeing this peaceful resolution, Victor sheathed the Mystic Ice Sword with satisfaction.
He then turned his attention to examine the Heroic Spirit that Rin had successfully summoned.
The moment he laid eyes on the figure, he froze in genuine surprise.
"Archer Chloe von Einzbern has answered your summons. Which among you is my Master?"
The girl tilted her head curiously as she studied the assembled group, an adorable expression of curiosity gracing her delicate features.
She possessed beautiful long pink hair and wore a tattered-style cape. Her black leather outfit covered only the essential areas, exposing large expanses of lightly tanned skin that seemed to glow with inner warmth.
Standing at less than 1.4 meters tall, she had to crane her neck upward to see everyone's faces clearly.
There was no doubt about it, she was an undeniably cute and surprisingly alluring little girl!
It was her?
Victor felt genuinely surprised by this development.
Chloe, also known as Kuro in her original world. A key character from the parallel timeline of Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya.
He hadn't expected that Rin Tohsaka would be capable of summoning her across dimensional boundaries.
"Why does this girl look somewhat similar to the person you kicked away earlier?" Stelle observed, studying Chloe with enhanced perception.
As a cultivator, her eyesight far exceeded that of ordinary humans. Although the previous interference had occurred in a flash, she had still managed to catch a clear glimpse of Archer's appearance.
Victor nodded in acknowledgment. "She does indeed share a deep connection with that previous individual."
Having said that, as long as it wasn't Archer himself, this outcome was acceptable.
"I am your Master!" Rin stepped forward confidently.
"My name is Rin Tohsaka. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Chloe directed her gaze toward Rin, then smiled with obvious mischief. "I never imagined that my Master would turn out to be you, Rin Tohsaka."
"We truly are destined to meet."
Rin blinked in confusion. "Do you know me?"
"To be more precise, she knows you from another parallel world," Victor explained before Chloe could respond.
"She's a Servant from an alternate timeline. In that world, your relationship was quite complicated, simultaneously friends and rivals."
"I see." Rin didn't press for additional details.
Chloe regarded Victor with obvious curiosity shining in her golden eyes. "This person seems to know me very well. We're from completely different worlds, how did you manage that?"
"That's my personal secret."
Seeing that Victor had no intention of elaborating, Chloe shrugged and didn't pursue the matter further. She turned back to Rin with renewed focus. "So, Rin Tohsaka, what are your plans for the upcoming Holy Grail War?"
Rin shook her head immediately. "I don't have any specific strategy."
"Huh?"
Chloe blinked in genuine bewilderment.
"This doesn't seem like the version of you I know. Or is this simply how you are in this particular world?"
Rin smiled confidently. "Don't worry about planning or strategy. We're guaranteed to win the Holy Grail War this time. We just need to relax and let events unfold naturally."