Kuoh Suburbs – A Warm Night
While the skies remained calm and the world was still unaware of the magnitude of the approaching conflict, in a modest house in the suburbs, a seemingly ordinary young man was sitting in front of a dusty old book he had found among the debris of a recently demolished antique shop.
His name was Yuuta Kagami, an average student, with average grades, no known magical family background... but with a latent sensitivity to the arcane. He had always been fascinated by stories of heroes and magic, but he never believed his life would take such a turn.
—"'Ritual for Summoning Legendary Guardians'?" —he read aloud with a skeptical smile—. This looks straight out of a role-playing game. But... I have nothing to lose by trying, right?
He lit some scented candles, placed a sheet of paper with a rustic circle mimicking the engraving in the book, and lightly cut his palm with a razor blade. The blood dripped, and unknowingly, he activated the first step of the ritual with an accidental catalyst: a piece of black forged iron, hidden among the book's materials. It was a fragment of an ancestral blade... the blade of Muramasa.
—Let the heroic spirit resonate with this call —he recited quietly, trying to follow the words written phonetically—. Cross the boundaries of time and manifest as my sword!
The circle glowed. Yuuta fell backwards from the mystical force. A spiritual roar shook the room. The windows vibrated, the lights flickered.
And then...
A figure emerged from the circle, standing, enveloped in white smoke. It was a young man, athletic build, short white hair, with intense amber-toned eyes. He wore a dark haori with traditional Japanese motifs, and an unusually designed katana hung from his waist.
—...
—Huh? —Yuuta stared at him, dumbfounded.
The man looked at him intently.
—Are you the one who summoned me?
—Me...? Uh... yes? Did it work?
The man closed his eyes for a second, then nodded.
—Class Saber. Name: Muramasa.
Yuuta's mind went blank.
—...Muramasa? The swordsmith?! I thought you were a legendary combat hero!
—I am not —he said calmly—. I am a blacksmith. But upon being summoned as a Servant, the Throne registered me as Saber due to the nature of my creations. That's how the rules of this world work.
Yuuta looked at him in amazement. Something else caught his attention...
—Hey... why do you look like...? I don't know, I feel like I've seen you somewhere before...
Muramasa frowned.
—You shouldn't have summoned me. But it's done. You have three Command Seals. Use one and I'll show you if I can fulfill my role.
Yuuta looked at his hand and, indeed, there they were: three glowing marks in crimson red. He tried to ask more, but Muramasa partially unsheathed his sword and his expression hardened.
—Warning: in this war, there are no second chances. If you are truly my Master, then get ready. The world is not as you think.
Missing Classes: Berserker, Assassin, and Lancer
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1. Berserker – Jeanne de Clisson (The "Black Lioness of Brittany")
Class: Berserker
Master: A shy second-year girl named Mikako Shinohara, who accidentally summoned her while researching magic as a hobby.
Servant Personality: Silent, stoic, but violent in combat. A tragic figure from European history. She was a noblewoman who, after the execution of her husband, became a feared pirate who attacked only French ships, flying the black flag.
Noble Phantasm: Noir Vengeance — a spectral ship with magical cannons that can briefly manifest on land as ethereal heavy armament.
Danger Level: Bestial in combat, but without a clear objective or provocation, she remains passive. However, when her Master is in danger, she enters a frenzy.
Threat to other Servants: Medium
Threat to common Masters: High
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2. Assassin – Hassan-i-Sabbah (the "Unknown")
Class: Assassin
Master: A middle-aged man, Ryouji Makigami, an amateur occultist living on the outskirts of Kuoh.
Servant Personality: This version of Hassan is a complete mystery. He is almost invisible, even to other Servants, and does not speak. He communicates through notes written in blood.
Noble Phantasm: Blade of Absolute Silence — if he can approach completely unseen, he can eliminate his target without leaving a physical or spiritual trace.
Danger Level: Extremely stealthy. Cannot face powerful Servants in direct combat, but his ability to kill sleeping or unprepared Masters makes him very dangerous.
Threat to other Servants: Low to medium
Threat to common Masters: Very High
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3. Lancer – Hrafnkel, the Rider of the Norse Gods
Class: Lancer
Master: A first-year boy named Seiji Torihama, a member of the track and field club with a slight magical connection.
Servant Personality: Fierce, proud, and loyal to his Master, Hrafnkel was a semi-legendary Icelandic warrior, known for his magical horse and his devotion to the gods.
Noble Phantasm: Freki-Galdr — summons his enchanted runic spear, which explodes into magical runes upon impact, generating a small temporary anti-magic area.
Danger Level: A formidable close-quarters fighter, though slower than an average lancer. His runic techniques allow him to hold his own against offensive classes.
Threat to other Servants: Medium
Threat to common Masters: High, if caught in the combat.
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Final Composition of the Holy Grail War in Kuoh
Class Servant Master General Threat Level
Saber Muramasa Yuuta Kagami High
Archer Emiya (Counter Guardian) Rin Tohsaka High
Rider Medusa Shinji Matou (usurper) Medium
Caster Tamamo no Mae Daniel Hernández Very High (chaos potential)
Berserker Jeanne de Clisson (Black Jeanne) Mikako Shinohara Medium (High for Masters)
Assassin Hassan-i-Sabbah (Unknown) Ryouji Makigami High (against Masters)
Lancer Hrafnkel Seiji Torihama Medium
In a corner of the Kuoh Academy courtyard, as students returned from lunch, Rin Tohsaka approached her adoptive sister, Sakura Matou, with a tense smile. Despite her pride, she had decided to check if the Sakura she knew was still present... and if the rumors of her involvement in the Holy Grail War were true.
—Sakura... —she began with apparent calm—. I've noticed you've been... different lately. Quieter. You've been having those strange dreams too, right?
Sakura seemed to tense, as if she knew Rin wasn't asking out of courtesy. In a dull voice, she responded:
—It doesn't matter anymore. I'm not a Master. I got rid of the command seals.
That made Rin freeze completely.
—You got rid... of the seals? —she repeated, knowing no one with magical training would give up their only tool for survival. And especially not someone like Sakura. Her tone dropped dangerously—. Was it your decision?
Sakura didn't respond, only averted her gaze.
That was all Rin needed to know the truth.
Her fist clenched tightly. The echo of her rage was dull, like a war drum in her mind.
—That bastard! How dare he!
She turned on her heels, magical energy swirling subtly around her like a storm that hasn't yet broken.
---
Rin left the campus at a brisk pace, crossing through the woods bordering an old abandoned field, a perfect site for a magical conflict without raising suspicion. Shinji was waiting for her there, with an arrogant smile and beside him, Medusa, tall, elegant, with a blindfold covering her eyes... bound by choice, not by weakness.
—You came so quickly, Rin! —Shinji mocked—. Are you bothered that I'm Sakura's Master now?
—No —Rin replied with venom—. I'm bothered that you're using the power that belongs to her. You're scum, Shinji. And I swear I'll make you pay for what you did.
The sky vibrated subtly as Rin released part of her Od. Behind her, Archer appeared from his spiritual form, his gray eyes observing with serenity but determination.
—Shall we begin? —he asked, calm.
Shinji swallowed hard. Despite his bravado, something about Archer's aura made him nervous. Medusa, on the other hand, maintained her neutral posture, but was already analyzing the most efficient trajectory to attack.
And then...
As Daniel walked with his girlfriends back to class, he felt a tug in his consciousness. A warm buzz shot through him and a murmur materialized in his mind.
> "My beloved... something has begun. A fight between Servants... in the old field to the east. Master Tohsaka is facing the Matou boy and the Gorgon's mount."
It was the sweet, coquettish voice of Tamamo no Mae, transmitting the information from her spiritual form.
Daniel stopped abruptly.
—Girls —he said quietly—. There's a fight... And not just any fight. It's a battle of the Holy Grail War.
The twins and Alya looked at him with concern. There was no more doubt: the conflict had begun, and the school was no longer a sanctuary of routine. The veil of normalcy was slowly breaking.
The first spell flew like a spear of light, a magical projectile launched by Rin directly at Medusa's feet, while Archer fired a barrage of arrows from his manifested bow.
Medusa dodged without difficulty, and in a fluid motion charged towards Archer, her magical chain glowing as it extended like a whip.
—Medusa, take him down! —Shinji shouted from a distance.
—Understood... Master. —she replied, with a coldness that chilled the blood.
The war had started.
Archer's arrows sliced through the air with surgical precision, seeking blind spots in Medusa's fluid movements, but the natural speed of a Rider-class Servant was fiendish.
Every projectile was dodged with elegance, almost like a dance. Medusa didn't speak much, but her movements spoke for her: confident, lethal, swift.
—Tsk... —Archer frowned, leaping onto a ruined structure to gain height—. This won't be easy...
From there, he conjured several arrows reinforced with Od and fired them in rapid bursts. Medusa moved like lightning, deflecting some with her chain "Blood Fort Andromeda," which whirled around her like a living whip.
But Archer had fought worse creatures. He kept moving, used the terrain to his advantage, and, little by little, began to take control of the battle's rhythm, forcing Medusa to dodge more than attack.
---
Meanwhile... Rin vs. Shinji
Rin walked slowly towards Shinji, her steps as sharp as her tongue.
—So you stole Sakura's command seals, huh? —her voice was low, but every word had an edge—. Do you know what that makes you, Shinji?
—I am her older brother! It's only natural I handle all this! —he said, backing away, growing paler with each step.
—Older brother? —Rin narrowed her eyes—. You don't even have magic circuits. You're not a magus. You're barely a parasite with legs.
Shinji took another step back, his face contorted by fear and wounded pride.
—Shut up! Medusa will protect me! She's mine now! You can't do anything to me!
Rin smiled sideways, a smile that promised nothing good.
—Is that what you think? Then run, coward... Because if you survive tonight, it will be by the mercy of your Servant. Not by your intelligence.
Shinji trembled, and like a frightened dog, he ran from the battlefield without looking back.
---
Medusa, seeing that her Master had fled, broke the rhythm of the fight by leaping backwards.
—It seems my Master has abandoned the scene —she said in a neutral tone, but with a hint of annoyance.
—And that means this battle... —Archer notched an arrow with accumulated power—. ...ends here, doesn't it?
Medusa didn't respond. She simply turned and vanished in a trail of purple light, retreating via telepathic orders.
Rin arrived at Archer's side seconds later, looking in the direction Shinji had fled.
—Coward... I hope Medusa has common sense. Because her Master is worthless.
Archer lowered his bow and glanced at Rin.
—It was a good warm-up... but we shouldn't underestimate anyone. Especially if that guy allies himself with someone stronger.
Rin nodded. It wasn't a definitive victory, but it was a clear message: she was ready for this war... and willing to make anyone who played dirty pay.