A woman sat alone in a dark basement, a thin trail of smoke rising from the cigarette between her fingers. The faint glow of the ember lit her sharp eyes as she looked down at the summoning circle carved into the floor. She had come all the way here for this.
She did have a wish for revenge but she didn't want her head to get clouded. She was simply curious. Curious about the Grail War and what sort of Servant she might summon.
She didn't care which class she received. Saber, Archer, Berserker it didn't matter. She had no preference, no wish burning inside her. She just wanted to see what she'd get.
So, she'd bought a random expensive trinket from a collector's shop and used it as her catalyst. She hadn't even looked twice at it.
Now it was time.
She took a deep breath, the smell of tobacco mixing with the faint scent of burned incense, and began her chant.
"Let silver and steel be the essence. Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation. Let my great master Schweinorg be the ancestor…"
Her voice was steady, detached, but a subtle anticipation stirred in her chest.
"Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall. Let the four cardinal gates close. Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate."
Light filled the room. The summoning circle glowed bright crimson, mana bursting outward in waves.
She smirked, blowing a thin stream of smoke from her mouth. "Let's see what kind of monster I've dragged into my basement."
Later that evening, under the pale light of the full moon, Luvia Edelfelt walked the quiet streets of Fuyuki.
The night was still, the city peaceful in its sleep. The soft click of her heels echoed down the empty road as she pulled her dark blue coat closer. A golden scarf framed her elegant features, fluttering slightly in the breeze.
She had already registered with the Church earlier that evening. Now, the real game was about to begin.
As she walked, she smiled faintly to herself. "At this hour, most people are tucked in bed, dreaming of lives filled with comfort and happiness."
Her tone was amused, a little mocking. "How boring."
Each step she took carried quiet resolve. Every corner of Fuyuki could hide danger, but she didn't falter. To be a magus meant living with death as a constant companion.
She smiled again, her expression faint but confident. The moonlight danced across her hair, curled in perfect golden waves. Any man who saw her would probably stop breathing for a second.
"There's no doubt about it," she whispered. "I'm perfect."
The smirk softened as her thoughts drifted. "I can't wait to find Rin." Her voice was soft but filled with a quiet determination.
Rin Tohsaka was the reason she joined this war in the first place. She had her own wish, sure, but that was secondary. Beating Rin to prove herself superior was the real prize.
"The night is still young. So many possibilities await," she murmured, looking up at the glittering stars. "What about you, Caster? What do you think?"
She appeared to be talking to herself, but a calm, male voice echoed in her mind.
"I agree," he said evenly. "Anything could happen tonight."
If someone had looked up at that moment, they might have noticed a faint black dot floating high above the city.
That dot was Rudeus Greyrat, the Caster-class Servant of this war. He was flying effortlessly through the air, his cloak rippling against the night wind.
The Holy Grail had amplified his already overwhelming mana, and using wind magic for flight now barely cost him anything. It was as easy as breathing. His reserves were massive, nearly endless like taking a single cup of water from the Atlantic Ocean.
From above, he had a perfect view of the city. With his "Eye," he could survey everything in a wide radius. But even with his vast power, he was careful. He didn't want to rely too heavily on his eye over long distances; it drained mana quickly, and he couldn't afford to be caught off guard by an ambush.
It was better to stay mobile, close enough to intervene if his Master was attacked.
He hovered silently, scanning the cityscape, until suddenly he froze. A chill crawled down his spine. The air trembled with raw power.
A surge of mana, massive and violent, rippled through the air.
Rudeus stopped flying and gracefully descended, landing beside Luvia without a sound. Not a single crack formed in the pavement where he touched down. His hand instinctively moved in front of her, protective and ready to cast at a moment's notice.
"Hmm." Luvia's eyes narrowed as she felt it too. The mana was dense, powerful like a miniature shockwave. She immediately pulled out a jewel, holding it between two fingers, ready to unleash it.
But nothing happened.
The night remained quiet.
"Caster," she said, her tone sharp. "Do you know where that power came from?"
Rudeus's eyes scanned the distance. "I'm not sure. But it's close. Definitely another Servant."
Her grip on the jewel tightened. The idea of another Servant appearing so soon wasn't unexpected, but it was still troublesome.
"Go back into the air," she ordered, her voice calm but firm. "If it's an ambush, I want to know before they reach us."
Rudeus nodded silently and shot back into the sky, his cloak fluttering behind him.
Down below, Luvia stood still for a long moment, her gaze fixed on the street ahead. Her earlier calm returned, but her mind was alert now.
After a while, she sighed and began walking again. "Maybe I should stop by the school. If I were Rin, I'd probably go there too."
It was logical. Rin had always been one to keep things neat and controlled. The school was her territory.
High above, Rudeus's voice echoed in her mind again. "Master. I see her."
Luvia stopped mid-step. "Rin Tohsaka?"
"Yes. She's at the school with her Servant."
Luvia's heart quickened, though her face remained composed. This was it.
"Then let's move," she said immediately. There was no hesitation, no doubt in her voice.
But before she could take another step, Rudeus added, "Wait. It seems her Servant is already fighting… a Lancer-class."
Her brows furrowed. "Fighting already?"
"Yes," he replied. "But… something's strange."
"How so?"
Rudeus's tone was puzzling. "Her Servant is fighting with swords. Multiple swords."
That made her stop cold. "Swords?"
She blinked, processing his words. Rin didn't summon a Saber. If her Servant was supposed to be an Archer, then why was he fighting hand-to-hand with blades?
Her expression darkened. "Caster, are you lying to me?" she asked, her tone skeptical.
Rudeus's reply was immediate. "No, Master. I have no reason to lie. I'm as confused as you are."
For a moment, she said nothing. Her blue eyes gleamed under the moonlight, sharp and calculating. Then she exhaled slowly.
"…I see. Then we'll observe for now," she said, her voice calm again but laced with curiosity. "No point rushing in blindly."
And with that, she began to run gracefully, silent, and determined. The wind caught her hair as she disappeared down the street, her Servant watching her from above like a guardian shadow.
The night of Fuyuki had begun to stir.
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