The evening sky over Fuyuki City hung heavy, like a rag soaked in ink. No golden-red sunset, just a suffocating lead-gray pressing down, cloaking the city in damp, gloomy shadows. The air carried a faint, almost imperceptible hum of magical energy, making the November chill feel like it could seep into your bones.
Rin Tohsaka stepped out of the shinkansen station, dragging her suitcase. The biting air hit her, and she instinctively pulled her beige trench coat tighter. The plaza in front of the station buzzed with hurried passersby, but it couldn't dispel the city's lingering, cold aura.
She adjusted her scarf, her ice-blue eyes scanning ahead, brows knitting in her usual way. Her gaze landed on a figure standing quietly near the exit.
Kirei Kotomine.
He wore his eternal black trench coat, the priest's collar peeking out, his tall, imposing frame stark against the gray backdrop. Unlike Fuyuki's oppressive sky, his face bore a "gentle" smile—polished, flawless, yet devoid of warmth, like a carefully crafted mask.
He stood there, clearly waiting for her.
Rin's steps faltered for a split second, barely noticeable.
"Rin," Kirei's voice was low and calm, carrying a soothing cadence. "Welcome back."
Rin approached, stopping a few steps away. Maintaining the poise of a Tohsaka heir, she gave a slight nod. "Father Kotomine."
Her tone was flat, polite but distant. Their connection was limited to him being her father's former student and a church official—nothing more. No guardianship, no mentor-student bond.
(This was tweaked a bit to make it easier for Kitagawa to take on the role of guardian.)
"Long journey?" Kirei's gaze lingered on her face, his deep eyes seeming to pierce through her. "Fuyuki's weather isn't great. The Holy Grail's influence is growing stronger."
"Mm," Rin replied curtly, offering no more.
She didn't need his reminder that the Holy Grail War was looming. "How's the church work going?" she asked casually, just to keep up appearances.
"By the grace of the Lord, all is well," Kirei said, his smile unwavering. "Though 'well' might not last long. Your family's magecraft workshop must be ready by now, I presume?"
His words were calm but sharp, like a needle probing her preparedness.
Rin's eyes sharpened, her ice-blue gaze locking onto his falsely gentle face. "No need for your concern, Father. The Tohsaka family is prepared."
Her tone carried a hint of steel.
Kirei seemed unfazed by her response, his smile deepening as if he'd spotted something amusing. "Good."
He paused, his eyes flicking briefly to the station exit behind her before returning. "Safe travels, then. Fuyuki isn't calm right now, so please be careful, Miss Rin."
"Thanks for the heads-up. I will," Rin nodded slightly, done with the conversation. "Excuse me, I'm heading home."
"By all means," Kirei said, his smile fixed as he watched her turn and pull her suitcase away.
Rin melted into the crowd outside the station. Only when she vanished around a corner did Kirei's welded-on smile fade, his face settling into an expressionless calm. He turned and blended silently into the gray evening throng.
Fuyuki Grand Hotel, top-floor presidential suite.
The hotel manager, bowing obsequiously with a fawning smile, cautiously opened the door. "Mr. Gaio, Miss Kitagawa, this is our finest suite. Please let us know if you need anything…"
Before he could finish, a golden blur zipped past him.
"Wow! This room is huge!" Marin Kitagawa bounded into the living room like an excited bird, her short skirt fluttering with her movements. She stopped abruptly, eyes lighting up. "Yayoi-nee!"
On the sofa, Yayoi Shinotsuka was flipping through documents, her long hair cascading over her shoulder. She held a phone in her left hand, mid-conversation. "Yes, the stage effects need tweaking, especially the fire effect…"
Caught in a sudden hug, she stiffened, then caught the familiar scent of shampoo. Looking down at the golden head nuzzling her chest, she sighed. "Marin, you're here early?"
She hung up, ruffled Marin's hair, and glanced at the doorway.
Gaio stood there, hands in his pockets, scanning the room. His gaze lingered briefly on the cityscape beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows before settling on Yayoi.
"Yo, big shot," Yayoi said, pushing up her glasses with a slight squint. "Schedule moved up?"
"Just checking things out," Gaio replied evenly.
Marin lifted her head from Yayoi's embrace, eyes sparkling. "Yayoi-nee! How's Tian-kun's concert prep going?"
Yayoi's documents rustled slightly. "Mostly sorted, but the stage needs reinforcing."
She looked at Gaio, now by the window. "Tian-kun, Fuyuki's weird. We got the city's approval, but after setting up the groundwork, the church showed up, demanding we cancel the show."
Gaio didn't turn, his back to her. "Ignore them. It's in two days, right?"
"Two days," Yayoi confirmed.
He said nothing more, his gaze fixed on Fuyuki's heavy twilight outside.
Yayoi got the hint. She neatly gathered her files and phone, standing up. "You two rest, then." She glanced at Marin, sprawled over the sofa's backrest, and her lips curved slightly. "Marin, don't stay up too late."
"Got it, Yayoi-nee!" Marin waved cheerfully.
Yayoi's heels clicked sharply as she headed for the door, which closed softly behind her.
The moment the door shut, Marin let out a whoop and launched herself at Gaio like a cannonball, leaping onto his back. Her arms wrapped around his neck, her cheek nuzzling his hair at the nape. "Boyfriend-kun! What're you looking at?"
Gaio didn't budge, steadying her with a hand to keep her from slipping. His eyes stayed on the gray city skyline outside, his voice soft. "Nothing much. Just… this coastal city feels dead."
Marin craned her neck, peering curiously out the window. Skyscrapers, streets, the hazy coastline in the distance—it looked like any other city, just gloomier. "Really?"
She blinked, seeing nothing special. The novelty fading, she slid off his back and flopped onto the plush sofa, pulling out her sparkly phone. Her lips pursed as she tapped the screen. "Why hasn't Rin-chan texted me yet?"
Gaio turned, looking at her. "Text her, then."
"Oh, right!" Marin's eyes lit up, her smile blooming. "Yup, yup!" She nodded vigorously, fingers flying across the screen.
The message sent successfully. "Done!" She waved her phone, the screen showing her latest text—a teaser about the "surprise" she'd prepared for Rin.
Tohsaka Mansion, Rin's room.
Rin collapsed onto her soft bed, sinking deep into the covers. Dealing with her family's meddlesome elders had drained every ounce of her energy. Eyes closed, exhaustion lingered between her brows, her ice-blue gaze hidden behind shut lids.
The room was quiet, save for her slightly heavy breathing.
After lying there for who-knows-how-long, she jolted upright, a hint of frustration in her voice. "Crap…" She'd promised to let Marin-nee know she'd arrived safely.
Struggling to sit up, she rubbed her throbbing temples and glanced at her bag. She fished out her phone, the screen's cold light cutting through the dim room.
A string of notifications from "Marin-nee" popped up. Rin swiped to open them.
The earliest ones were from hours ago:
[Marin-nee]: Rin-chan, you on the train yet? Comfy seats?
[Marin-nee]: How's Fuyuki's weather? It's getting chilly here in Higashitsu~!
[Marin-nee]: Rin-chan, Rin-chan, you there yet? Text me when you arrive, okay? (^▽^)
Then, from earlier that evening:
[Marin-nee]: Rin-chan? You there yet? Don't forget to text me! (｡ŏ_ŏ)
[Marin-nee]: P.S. A super huge surprise is waiting at your place! Handed it to your family's butler, so go grab it! (★ ω ★)
Reading the lively texts and emojis, Rin couldn't help but crack a small smile. Marin-nee's boundless energy practically radiated through the screen.
Her fingers tapped quickly:
RinRin: Sorry, Marin-nee, just finished dealing with the old fossils at home… Made it back safe. Fuyuki's cold.
RinRin: Surprise? Did you splurge again?
After sending, she stood, curiosity replacing her fatigue. She needed to see what the butler had. Her steps lighter, she found the gray-haired butler organizing the storage room in the mansion's corridor.
"Miss," he greeted with a respectful bow.
"Any packages for me today?" Rin asked.
"Yes." The butler turned, unlocking a cabinet and retrieving a flat, hard envelope, presenting it with both hands. "Delivered this afternoon, from a Miss Marin Kitagawa. Security checked it—nothing unusual."
"Thanks." Rin took the envelope. It was light.
Back in her room, she sat at her desk and slit it open with a letter opener. A thick, textured card slid out—a concert ticket. VIP section, front row.
The ticket was strikingly minimalist: the back was white with black text detailing the seat, date, and time, alongside a barcode and QR code. No extra designs.
Rin flipped it over. The front was solid black, with only one line of bold, fiery red text:
Devil May Cry
Her brows furrowed as she held the sleek black ticket. A concert? Why this?
She knew of the "Devil May Cry" concert. On her way from the station to the mansion, its stark posters—black background, blazing red text like the ticket—plastered bus stops and building walls. But her mind was on the Holy Grail War: magical fluctuations, Kirei's probing, her workshop's preparations. Those were her priorities.
Who was performing or what they were singing? She couldn't care less.
Her fingers tapped her phone again:
RinRin: Got the ticket, Marin-nee. A concert? What's the deal?
Her phone buzzed almost instantly.
[Marin-nee]: Ehehe~ Rin-chan got it! (★ω★)
[Marin-nee]: Don't ask too much! Just make sure you're there that day, okay? You CANNOT miss this! Trust me! (｀・ω・´)✧
The message, bursting with Marin's usual enthusiasm and vague insistence, only deepened the mystery. Rin stared at the screen, a flicker of exasperation in her ice-blue eyes.
"So secretive…"
She set the phone down, her gaze returning to the black ticket. The red Devil May Cry seemed to burn under the light.
Two days from now… the exact day the Holy Grail War officially begins.
She rubbed her temples, tossing the ticket onto her desk. "Whatever. I'll deal with it later."
For a Master about to be swept into the Holy Grail War, two days felt suffocatingly short. In hidden workshops across Fuyuki, lights burned through the night. Crest repairs, familiar contracts, mystic code adjustments, tactical planning—each demanded immense focus and magical energy.
The air grew heavier with invisible pressure, magical currents stirring like restless undercurrents, signaling the fateful night's approach. Every Master felt it: unfinished arrays, unpatched tactical flaws, and time racing forward, indifferent to their anxiety.
Fuyuki's invisible countdown pounded in every insider's heart.
For Marin Kitagawa, though, those two days crawled like a snail. She spent nearly every moment at the massive concert venue, watching Gaio rehearse. The deafening sound system, dazzling lights, and complex stage mechanics dazzled her, but her mind was fixed on a few minutes—the part of the show with her song.
In Ivory Tower, there was an ethereal female solo. Marin could already picture it: her singing on that spotlighted stage, and Rin, in the VIP front row, her usually cool face cracking with shock and delight.
To make sure that moment hit perfectly, she clung to Gaio's arm, shaking it with a voice sweet as honey. "Boyfriend-kun~ Pretty please, can we make Ivory Tower the first song? Please, please~?"
Gaio looked down at the blonde girl hanging off his arm, her face tilted up, eyes sparkling with hope and charm. A gentle smile curved his lips, his usually steady gaze softening with indulgence.
What could he do? His little sun was begging so earnestly.
"Mm," he agreed softly.
Marin squealed, bouncing around him like a rewarded sparrow. "Yes! Boyfriend-kun's the best! Rin-chan's gonna flip! Hehe…"
She was already imagining Rin's calm facade shattering, the thought alone making her bubble with glee.
Gaio ruffled her soft blonde hair, saying nothing more, his faint exasperation melting into silent affection. His silly girl—whatever made her happy.
Outside, Fuyuki's leaden sky grew darker. Night was falling.
The dressing room's lights blazed. Gaio sat quietly before the mirror, the stylist testing earrings against his lobe. His reflection showed a blank face, his deep eyes calm and unreadable.
Marin, her makeup flawless and dressed in a sequined performance outfit, lounged on a nearby sofa. She clutched her phone, fingers idly swiping, lips pursed high, legs swinging restlessly.
"Why hasn't Rin-chan texted back…" she mumbled, anxiety thick in her voice. "Ugh, so annoying… If she doesn't show, what's the point of my surprise?!"
She tugged at her golden hair, messing up a few carefully styled strands.
Gaio's eyes stayed on the mirror, finding her flustered state oddly adorable. "Don't worry," he said steadily. "I've got Yayoi waiting outside the venue. The moment Rin's ticket gets scanned, the system will ping. Yayoi will pick her up right away."
"I know…" Marin sighed, brows still furrowed. "I'm just worried. I don't even know how Rin-chan's been these past two days, if those stuffy old geezers at her place are giving her a hard time…"
Her fingers jabbed at her phone screen, as if it were the Tohsaka family's "fossils."
Gaio stayed quiet. The stylist chose a sleek, sharp black earring and carefully fastened it. The cold metal grazed his skin, and he closed his eyes briefly.
He could sense it—somewhere in the city, a massive energy was churning, ancient and tainted, like molten lava ready to erupt from the depths.
The Holy Grail.
He recognized the familiar pulse instantly. He'd encountered that power before.
It's starting, isn't it?
Fuyuki's "cauldron" was about to boil over tonight.
The earring's chill pulled him back. He opened his eyes, the mirror reflecting his calm, unwavering gaze, as if that fleeting perception was just a passing breeze.
"Marin," he said, voice steady.
"Huh?"
She looked up from the sofa, her golden hair swaying, her face still tinged with worry.
"Time to go on." He stood, the stylist stepping back.
A staff member cracked open the heavy soundproof door. Instantly, a roaring wave of pounding drums and electronic beats flooded in, like a tidal surge crashing against rocks. The deafening cheers and screams of tens of thousands in the stadium, mixed with the DJ's pulsing tracks, slammed into the quiet dressing room like a boiling wall of sound.
"Whoa!" The stylists and assistants flinched, squinting against the overwhelming energy, their blood seeming to ignite for a moment.
This wasn't just a concert's prelude—it was the roar of a waking beast.
Marin jolted, nearly bouncing off the sofa, clutching her phone tighter. The screen still showed no new messages from Rin. Her nagging worry, under the onslaught of this thunderous sound, melted briefly, like ice in boiling water.
Her eyes snapped to the door, lit up by the dazzling glow spilling from the venue, stage lights dancing in her gaze.
At the same time, Gaio stepped forward, meeting the torrent of sound and energy head-on. As he crossed the dressing room's threshold—
BOOM!
A deep, indescribable rumble—not carried by air but exploding in his perception—erupted. It was a sound no ordinary person could hear, existing only in his unique sensory realm.
It felt like the massive, tainted magical vortex he'd sensed deep in Fuyuki's leylines had reached its limit, ignited by an invisible fuse. An unseen shockwave, centered on some hidden point, swept silently but fiercely across the city.
Gaio's steps didn't falter, his face as calm as a still pond.
The Holy Grail War's summoning ritual had begun.
Fuyuki's gates of hell, pushed open by the desires and obsessions of countless mages, swung wide.
Outside, the music roared, the crowd's cheers shook the heavens, and the venue's lights blazed. The mortal stage of grand celebration had begun.
Under the same sky, another battlefield—woven from blood, lies, desire, and heroic spirits—silently enveloped Fuyuki, hidden beneath the music and cheers.
Gaio felt the faint ripple in his body, stirred by the massive magical surge, subside. He sensed the city's pulse beating wildly to two clashing rhythms: one of soaring notes, the other a prelude to death.
He adjusted his breathing, facing the fervent energy and blinding lights, and walked steadily toward the radiant main stage.
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