Chapter 18

Third update~~~

The next update will still be after twelve (I need to spend time with my family before that)

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"——I hereby declare, you are bound to me, and I will bestow upon you the sword of my destiny. If you follow the will of the Holy Grail, heed this intention and this path, respond—"

Changing out of her school uniform, Rin Tohsaka, usually sharp and efficient as the student council president, now exuded a liveliness and mystery unseen at school. Her lips, pressed together, betrayed a barely suppressed excitement and anticipation.

The room was almost devoid of furniture and decoration, with only a few scattered cabinets and what looked like laboratory equipment against the walls. The curtains were tightly drawn, shutting out the already dim stars and streetlights of the night. Only a few candles sparsely placed on the floor revealed the ritual symbols drawn around the girl.

"Hereby I swear. I am the one who has accomplished all good deeds in the world, and I am the one who has spread all evil in the world. You, entwined with the seven days of the three great words, descend upon the wheel of restraint."

Holding a book, the girl in the red top and black skirt finally recited the spell she had prepared for years. A drop of blood, flowing from her outstretched left hand, dripped onto the array at her feet.

"O Guardian of the Scales!"

The array, activated by the blood, burst into a blinding red light. The red light filled the entire house, piercing through the thick curtains and shining onto the street outside.

"Without a doubt, the strongest card has been drawn."

The suppressed excitement finally escaped through the corners of her mouth.

Even the burning pain on the back of her right hand seemed insignificant.

Unfortunately, Rin's smile did not last long. Even after the light representing the activation of the array had completely dissipated, the summoned being she was waiting for still had not appeared.

Did it fail? Impossible. After preparing for so long and conducting repeated experiments, Rin could not believe she had made such a foolish mistake. She had already felt the connection with the summoned being at the moment of completion. Could it be a deviation in position?

Thinking this, Rin hastily threw down the book and rushed out of the room, forgetting to close the door.

Starting from the first floor, the large mansion's every door was forcefully pushed open by the girl, but she found nothing.

Having searched all the rooms, Rin looked up at the ceiling. There, the last space in the large house—the attic—remained.

Rushing to the basement storage room, she dragged out a dusty, long-unused folding ladder and carried it upstairs. At this moment, Rin did not doubt her failure. She believed that the one who had answered her call was definitely there.

Setting up the ladder, Rin climbed through the small wooden door in the ceiling. Before she could open her eyes, she was already tangled in cobwebs.

Thinking about having a thorough cleaning done tomorrow, the girl turned on her flashlight.

Nothing!

Still no sign of any human-like figure!

How could this be?

As the heir of the renowned mage family, the Tohsaka, and having been called a 'genius' since childhood, Rin had never been arrogant. She had never been satisfied with her innate talent. To carry on her father's legacy, she had worked far harder than anyone else. She had only confidence, the confidence to accomplish what her father could not, to reach where he could not.

"Come up."

Just as Rin was savoring the confusion she had not felt in a long time, a faint voice reached her ears.

She immediately looked up at the tightly closed skylight of the attic. Without hesitation, she ran over, pushed open the skylight, and climbed out onto the roof.

"Your room doesn't have a view of the moon, so I came here."

Standing on the protruding windowsill, Rin looked up at the narrow platform at the highest point of the roof.

There sat a woman, dressed in an ancient long robe and skirt, with wide sleeves draped over a dark red skirt embroidered with bamboo branches and seven-petaled flowers. From this angle, Rin could not see the woman's face, but even her back was captivating. Despite the thick clothing, the soft and graceful figure exuded a subtle sense of pride and nobility.

Rin was not unfamiliar with this aura. As the head of a mage family, she had also given her classmates a similar feeling at school. But in front of this woman, Rin could only admit, albeit reluctantly, that she could not compare. The eternal nobility that seemed to always surround her was perhaps only fitting for a beautiful princess praised in various legends.

"…Are you Saber (Sword)?"

Staring at the long, black hair that made her, with her beautiful hair, feel envious, Rin asked the question that most concerned her.

"Saber? Haha…"

The disdainful tone in the response made the originally melodious laughter even more irritating to Rin.

"As a Servant, you should at least properly answer your Master's questions!"

Ask any student who has dealt with the student council, and they would know that the dignified and beautiful Miss Tohsaka is far from a gentle and kind girl. More competitive than anyone, she would never allow herself to be intimidated by the other party's aura, even if it was a legendary hero.

"Master? Haha…"

Still that uncomfortable light laugh, as if the hero did not care about her Master's status.

"A magician who cannot even determine the class of a Servant, little girl, should practice for a few more years before emphasizing her Master's status."

The hero's response made Rin tremble with anger. But she could not find a strong enough argument to counter it. Having studied the Holy Grail War since childhood, she understood the power gap between a hero and a magician. She knew that in this war, her role was likely to be limited to support from the rear. In many cases, she would even be a burden to the hero. But even so, she was still the Master, a fact that could not be denied. Rin would not be intimidated by the power gap. Otherwise, she would only be more despised by the hero.

"Magicians cannot be compared to heroes. But your opponent is not a magician like me, but a hero like you. If we do not cooperate, we will only be defeated by other heroes and lose the chance to obtain the Holy Grail! So…"

Rin's words suddenly stopped.

The unknown hero, as if finally tired of the unchanging moonlight, shook off the dust on her sleeves and stood up from the platform.

Her long, black hair, reaching her waist, danced in the night air, and the hero's figure turned under the moonlight.

Finally, Rin saw the face of the one she had summoned.

What kind of beauty was this? Her well-read mind could not find the right words to describe it.

Her deep, black eyes seemed to draw one in, captivating the soul.

The soft lines of her face made Rin unable to look away.

Though she did not know what the most beautiful face should look like, when she saw the girl in front of her, she somehow knew that this might be the pinnacle of Eastern beauty.

Though she had never cared, Rin was well aware that her own beauty could attract the attention of almost any man. But the charm that could make even women unable to resist, she only believed in the legends of beauties who made countless heroes abandon everything for them, after seeing the girl she had summoned.

The hero girl seemed to be used to others' reactions upon first seeing her, and casually brushed her black hair, which fell to her chest, behind her.

"Holy Grail? Don't worry, it will definitely belong to me. After all, collecting treasures is one of my few interests."

After saying this, the arrogance that had been pressing down on Rin changed. It did not disappear, but it was no longer aggressive, instead like a gentle breeze, making one yearn and aspire.

As if transforming from a proud queen to a charming princess, the girl walked to Rin's side and took her hand.

"Let's go back, don't catch a cold, my little Master."

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