C322

"Shirou, there's a strong magic barrier here. We've been discovered."

As soon as they approached the Matou residence, Saber sensed the pervasive magical energy surrounding the house. If a battle broke out here, it would put her at a great disadvantage.

"I understand, Saber, but I doubt anything will happen—knowing Sakura's personality," said Emiya Shirou. Given Matou Sakura's temperament, he couldn't believe she would do something so drastic. After years of knowing her, he trusted her deeply.

Saber stopped trying to dissuade him. "Very well. If danger arises, I'll protect you, Shirou."

Meanwhile, on the rooftop of a nearby residential building, the blonde female Servant stood beside Tohsaka Rin, both observing the barrier from a distance.

The Servant had carried Rin there moments ago, allowing them to catch up with Shirou Emiya, but Rin hadn't tried to stop him.

"That idiot. He never listens to anyone," Rin muttered, rubbing her forehead in frustration. "He could've just waited and asked about it at school tomorrow—but no, he had to come here now."

She glanced sideways at the Servant. "By the way, is it really so inconvenient to tell me your name? You won't even give me a title."

"It doesn't matter what my name is," the blonde Servant replied flatly. "It's just a game anyway. Once it's over, I'll disappear."

"This isn't a game!" Rin snapped. "I'm taking this war seriously. Honestly, I don't think I can get along with someone like you."

Rin hated being underestimated—whether it was by the Matou family's Servant or the large-chested warrior she herself had summoned.

The blonde woman gave a dry chuckle and patted Rin on the shoulder. "You've probably never seen real war, girl. For us, it's a luxury to go to school during the day and play at war during the night."

"I was taught how to kill as soon as I could understand anything. I was sent to battlefields when I was six or seven."

She stared off into the distance as she continued. "If you'd been through what I have, you'd realize how laughable this current 'war' really is."

"I heard my grandfather had three younger brothers. Only one survived. The others didn't live past the age of seven—they died in war."

Rin's expression darkened. She was silent for a long moment before finally speaking. "Was your era really that cruel?"

"It's all in the past now," the Servant said, waving her hand nonchalantly. "Things are better these days. After the efforts of many, the war eventually ended."

Then, after a brief pause, she pointed toward the Matou residence. "Looks like someone's coming out."

At the Matou Residence

After ringing the doorbell a few times, Emiya Shirou waited at the gate. Eventually, Matou Sakura appeared. A flash of surprise crossed her face when she saw him, but her gaze quickly darted toward the villa behind her, filled with worry.

"Senpai? Why are you here? Is something wrong?"

"I need to ask you something, Sakura," Shirou said seriously. "Where did Shinji go? Did he really go abroad?"

"Yes, that's right… Shinji-nii really did go abroad," Sakura answered nervously, bowing her head slightly. "Do you… need something from him?"

Shirou stepped forward, his voice sharp. "Don't lie to me, Sakura. Did something happen to Shinji? Was he—?"

Before he could finish, the villa's front door swung open suddenly, cutting him off mid-sentence.

He had meant to ask if Sakura was being threatened.

But the moment Shirou saw Kain step out, the words caught in his throat—he couldn't speak.

"Shirou, get back!"

Saber instantly donned her armor and stepped in front of Emiya Shirou, sword in hand.

"Bringing a Servant here at night… It seems you've made up your mind to withdraw from the Holy Grail War, Emiya-san."

Kain approached Matou Sakura, then raised his hand. In an instant, the magic barrier around them activated—dozens of glowing magic circles of various sizes floated in the air.

There were no people within several hundred meters of the Matou residence. Beyond that was a residential area.

Seeing the barrier activate, Sakura spoke up, clearly anxious. "Mr. Kain—"

"Go back inside. Rider will protect you."

Kain waved his hand, and an invisible force seized Matou Sakura. Her body was flung backward through the air. Just as she was about to slam into the villa's gate, it creaked open—like a monstrous mouth—and swallowed her whole.

Sakura didn't even have time to speak before she vanished behind the doors.

"Sakura!"

Emiya Shirou cried out as her eyes met his one last time. He had only managed a single shout before she disappeared from sight.

"Damn you, you bastard!"

Kain shook his head. "What's so hateful about this? We're enemies. Why haven't you accepted that yet? Do you really think Ruler's words will save you? Or are you hoping I'll spare you for Sakura's sake?"

Thunderbolt Explosion!

An invisible spell surged toward them. Saber had only enough time to shout, "Shirou, be careful!" before swinging her sword in defense.

Boom!

The powerful blast rocked the area, shaking the ground and tearing through the wall. The shockwave flung both Shirou and Saber outward. But Saber adjusted her stance mid-air, caught Shirou, and landed steadily on the street.

"Mr. Kain, why not leave Saber to me?"

A voice echoed from above. Shirou and Saber looked up to see a woman floating in the air—a witch.

"Caster? Why are you here?"

Saber tightened her grip on the Sword of Promised Victory. She had been prepared to deal with two Servants… but not three.

Caster had belonged to another Master just days ago. Running into her here, at the Matou estate, was completely unexpected.

"Then I'll leave it to you, Caster," Kain said casually. He pointed to the ground.

With a low rumble, the earth trembled—and two enormous stone hands, each four to five meters in size, erupted from the ground, reaching for Saber and Shirou.

Both reacted quickly, leaping away just in time. But Shirou, not being as fast or strong, was snatched mid-air by one of the massive rocky hands—crafted through transmutation magic.

"Shirou!"

Saber's expression turned grim.

Before she could react further, dozens of glowing purple projectiles shot toward her. Caster had fired a volley of magic bullets.

Saber deflected them with her sword but was forced to retreat, leaping back over ten meters.

"It seems I have no choice—I'll have to defeat you if I want to save Shirou."

She held the Sword of Promised Victory with both hands, her gaze unwavering.

But her resolve only made Caster laugh.

"Defeat us? Hah! You're so naïve, Saber. If you think you can, then go ahead—try!"

As she spoke, countless magic circles flared to life within the barrier, their purple light pulsing ominously. Saber immediately felt the oppressive weight in the air grow stronger. Her movements slowed, and even the sword in her hand felt ten times heavier.

"Become mine, Saber!"

As soon as Caster finished speaking, countless magical light bullets surged toward Saber. Under the enhancement of the barrier, each light bullet carried B+ level destructive power.

Even Saber couldn't afford to take them lightly—and in her current state, she was already heavily restrained. With Emiya Shirou unable to supply her with mana, it was even harder for her to hold out.

If Medea hadn't been deliberately toying with her, Saber would likely have been overwhelmed long ago. That's why Caster found Saber's determined words so amusing—

Sometimes, no matter how strong your will is, it's just not enough.

—

On a nearby rooftop, Rin Tohsaka, using her farsight magic, watched Shirou's desperate situation with growing anxiety.

This idiot... He had insisted on coming here despite knowing how dangerous the Matou residence was.

With things spiraling out of control, Rin had no choice. She turned to the blonde female Servant beside her and pleaded:

"Please, go rescue them—both of them!"

The blonde Servant thumped her chest confidently. "No problem—but hold on tight."

"Wait, what do you mean by that—?"

Rin found out immediately.

The blonde Servant suddenly jumped with such force that the entire roof collapsed beneath her feet, and Rin, caught off guard, fell straight down with it.

Fortunately, no civilians were nearby. Otherwise, someone would've definitely called the police after seeing Rin crash through their home.

—

The crash drew immediate attention. Both Kain and Medea sensed Rin's presence at once.

With their heightened awareness—especially Medea's reinforced by a protective barrier—it was impossible not to notice. Rin and her Servant were only about two kilometers away. Normally, that would be safe—but the destruction just now was too loud.

"A Servant?"

Kain spotted the approaching figure flying toward them. The armored form obscured her identity, but her build made it clear—this was a woman.

"Looks like a new combatant."

"Reinforcements, huh? Charging directly into the barrier… what a foolish move. Die!"

With a flick of her wrist, Medea unleashed even more magic light bullets than before—each one more powerful than those that had battered Saber.

"Hupp!"

The blonde Servant, still mid-air, threw a punch forward. The sheer force of the blow created a vacuum in front of her.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The air shook as her punch collided with the magical barrage. Even the barrier itself trembled under the shockwave.

"What is this woman?"

Medea's eyes widened in surprise. The fact that her barrier had been shaken… Did the blonde Servant use a Noble Phantasm? Or was that just raw physical strength?

—

The blonde Servant didn't stop. After landing, she leaped again, this time charging straight at Kain.

"Mr. Kain, be careful," Medea warned. "This one's strength is terrifying!"

"It's fine. I can handle her."

Kain wasn't worried. He wasn't some frail mage without melee combat ability. He had trained in martial arts during his time of that unknown world. His skills and physical strength were nothing to scoff at.

"Hmph!"

The blonde Servant snorted coldly and closed the gap in an instant, aiming a punch directly at his face.

Kain raised his arm to block and countered with three quick punches, saying:

"This is such a brute-force way to fight. Relying on nothing but raw strength—"

But before he could finish his sentence, he felt her next punch land—and it was several times stronger than the last.

It was as if a mountain had slammed into him. She had predicted his counters with uncanny precision, completely overwhelming him.

"Damn—"

Boom!

A deafening crash echoed like muffled thunder.

Kain shot backwards like a cannonball, smashing deep into the ground. The impact carved out dozens of trenches one to two meters wide, shaking the earth and causing a small-scale tremor. Half of the Matou residence collapsed on the spot.

—

From the villa, Rider appeared carrying Matou Sakura and quickly jumped to a distant rooftop.

The Matou house was no longer safe.

Rider had never seen Kain defeated like that—and being driven into the ground left an impression. This blonde Servant, she thought, might just be the most dangerous combatant in the war.

"Sakura!"

Bound and still trapped, Emiya Shirou cried out the moment he saw her.

Matou Sakura wanted to run to him, but with Rider by her side, there was no chance she'd be allowed to step into such a dangerous battlefield.

"Mr. Kain!"

Medea cried out in surprise. She immediately waved her hand and summoned hundreds of magical light bullets, aiming to assist from the side.

However, the blonde female Servant turned mid-motion and unleashed another devastating punch. The sheer force of the impact shattered every single light bullet—her power now approaching A-rank.

"You handle Saber. Leave this one to me."

Kain's voice echoed in Medea's mind. A moment later, he burst out from the crater in the ground—visibly disheveled. His left arm hung at an unnatural angle, clearly broken.

But he was a Servant now. Channeling magical energy, he straightened the limb. The injury quickly began to heal, his body returning to peak condition.

"I understand, Mr. Kain."

Medea nodded and turned back toward Saber. During the brief chaos, Saber had tried to move toward Emiya Shirou in an attempt to rescue him.

—

"You're pretty strong. Are you Tohsaka Rin's new Servant?"

Kain narrowed his eyes, studying the fully-armored opponent before him.

"I can release you from your Command Seals. Why not join me? You can see the odds for yourself—whose side is winning?"

The sudden power surge from earlier had felt familiar—uncannily so—but Kain couldn't yet tell if it came from a Noble Phantasm or some unique skill. He decided to probe further.

"No thanks. I'm just here to give you a well-deserved beating," the blonde Servant replied with a smirk. "Besides, Tohsaka's orders are crystal clear—and they suit me just fine."

With that, she cracked her knuckles and took a fighting stance.

"You asked for it!"

Kain responded by unleashing a Tailed Beast Bomb, and simultaneously began charging a bolt of condensed lightning in his hand.

"So it is you!"

The blonde Servant shouted, recognizing the technique. She launched herself forward, kicking the Tailed Beast Bomb high into the air before flipping aside—just in time to evade the devastating lightning cannon aimed at her.

BOOM!

BOOM!

Two thunderous explosions rocked the area—the first on the ground, the second high above, where the redirected Tailed Beast Bomb detonated midair.

The sky above Matou's residence lit up like day. The Tailed Beast Bomb's explosion was so intense, it resembled a small-scale nuclear blast—its radiance washing over all of Fuyuki City.

—

"Another Servant is fighting?"

In a nearby hotel, a girl in casual clothes sensed the magical eruption. She immediately summoned her armor, opened a window, and looked toward the brilliant light in the distance. After estimating the location, she leapt out into the night.

At that moment, nearly every Servant across Fuyuki noticed the massive release of magical energy.

—

"Looks like all the Servants have been summoned. With such a fierce battle unfolding, I suppose it's time to test the power of the Arbiter."

Kotomine Kirei closed the book in his hands, his expression unreadable. He was just about to head out when the door suddenly creaked open.

A figure stepped into the room.

"This war... how could I possibly miss it, Kirei?!"

…

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