Chapter 12: Young Lady, Your Cheat Has Arrived
Tohsaka Rin had just walked out of the adjacent room when she was dragged back by Su Xiao. Stripping and exchanging Command Seals was absolutely forbidden in previous Holy Grail Wars—the Holy Church would not permit it, nor would the Mage’s Association turn a blind eye. However, the Fifth Holy Grail War was a special case, as those two major powers had no interest in this war.
A few minutes later, a somewhat drained Tohsaka Rin emerged from the room. She glanced at the two Command Seals on her hand, then sensed the overwhelmingly powerful Servant that left her sweating. She let out a long sigh. She wanted to say, “A forced melon isn’t sweet.”
Yet Su Xiao didn’t care whether the melon was sweet; he only needed to pluck it.
The sole daughter of the Tohsaka family, one of the three great mage families, had now become one of the strongest forces in this Holy Grail War—because she had the help of nearly three Servants.
Suddenly gaining a cheat, Tohsaka Rin was clearly unsettled. She touched the Command Seals on the back of her hand, feeling as though they weren’t really hers.
“You two, see you later.”
Su Xiao stepped out of the Emiya residence. Tohsaka Rin glanced at EMIYA, her expression saying, “Take care of yourself. I’m helpless too.”
Soon, only Emiya Shirou and EMIYA remained in the room. EMIYA sat cross-legged at the low wooden table and poured himself a cup of tea.
“What do we do next?”
Emiya Shirou was a bit bewildered. Things were developing too fast, and without subtitles, his mind couldn’t keep up.
“I’ll drink tea. You can go to school as usual tomorrow.”
“What about the Holy Grail War?”
“Objectively speaking, with your mana supply, I’m honored to be the weakest Servant in this war.”
“Eh~…”
…
Fuyuki City, inside a luxurious mansion.
“Teacher, can I really do this?”
A female voice came from the darkness, moonlight faintly revealing her purple hair.
“As my student, of course you can. With her help, the final victor of this Holy Grail War will be you, Sakura.”
A deep voice responded. In the corner of the room stood a female Servant.
Meanwhile, on the southern street of Fuyuki City, Tohsaka Rin walked with her arms crossed, as if lacking a sense of security.
“Saber, you won’t suddenly think I’m useless and change Masters, will you?”
Clearly, Su Xiao’s deep understanding of the Holy Grail War made Tohsaka Rin uneasy. The sudden feeling of having a cheat didn’t feel real to her.
“Put away your persecution complex.”
Su Xiao was browsing recent news and odd events on a tablet, searching for traces of violators.
“Earlier, you said you participated in the Fourth Holy Grail War. Who won that time? Can the Holy Grail really grant any wish?”
“No one won.”
“Huh? Didn’t the Einzbern family win?”
“Where did you hear that?”
“Father Kirei said so. He’s the supervisor of this war, so it’s highly credible.”
Hearing Tohsaka Rin’s words, Su Xiao paused his actions.
“Then did he tell you who stabbed his teacher in the back? Using that ‘Teacher-Killing Noble Phantasm’?”
“What?”
Tohsaka Rin suddenly stopped, blocking Su Xiao’s path.
“Who ambushed my father from behind? What is this Teacher-Killing Noble Phantasm?”
Tohsaka Rin stared at Su Xiao in shock. The clever girl had already guessed something.
“Don’t block the way.”
Su Xiao placed his hand on Tohsaka Rin’s head, forcibly turning her body forward, and pushed her soft back.
“What do you know? Tell me…”
“Let’s talk while walking.”
Seeing Tohsaka Rin’s expression, Su Xiao knew she wouldn’t fully believe him, but she was already ninety percent convinced.
As it turned out, an inexperienced young girl had no chance of resisting an old schemer.
“Your father, Tohsaka Tokiomi, was one of the original Masters. His overall strength ranked in the top four, and his Servant’s strength ranked first—the Archer-class Heroic Spirit Gilgamesh, King of Heroes, was almost the strongest Servant back then, provided he put aside his arrogance.”
“Of course.”
Hearing Su Xiao mention her father, Tohsaka Rin’s expression softened, and she puffed out her chest proudly.
“However, your father had a ‘good student’—Kirei Kotomine. As the son of Risei Kotomine, he was also one of the Masters in that Holy Grail War. Unfortunately, his luck was poor; the Servant he summoned was arguably the weakest.
Your father and Kirei Kotomine weren’t originally master and student. Kirei Kotomine’s father, Risei Kotomine, was the supervisor of the previous Holy Grail War and an executor of the Holy Church.
Old Father Risei Kotomine also coveted the Holy Grail, so he had his son form a master-student relationship with your father, Tohsaka Tokiomi, to cooperate. Two Masters and two Servants—though it was a mutually exploitative relationship, it gave them an absolute advantage back then.”
With nothing better to do, Su Xiao decided to ignite Tohsaka Rin’s desire for power at its root—her father’s murder.
“How do you know all this?”
Tohsaka Rin slowed her pace, walking alongside Su Xiao.
“Because I was the Berserker in the last Holy Grail War.”
“Huh? You? Berserker?”
Tohsaka Rin was dumbfounded. Su Xiao didn’t look like a Berserker at all.
“That’s not the point. After your father cooperated with Kirei Kotomine, their early collaboration went smoothly—until Kirei Kotomine persuaded your father’s Servant, Gilgamesh. What happened next was simple. One time, your father gifted Kirei Kotomine a short sword, and Kirei Kotomine used that very sword to stab your father in the back from behind. As for the sword’s whereabouts, Kirei Kotomine seems to have given it to someone else.”
When Su Xiao reached this point, Tohsaka Rin couldn’t take another step. Because Kirei Kotomine had given that short sword to her years ago—if she wasn’t mistaken.
“What… are the characteristics of that sword?”
Tohsaka Rin lowered her head, her breathing rapid.
“Wide blade, with what seems to be a red gem embedded in the hilt.”
Though Su Xiao had never actually seen that sword, he could learn about it through various sources. Revealing the original story’s information to Tohsaka Rin posed no risk—his combat power completely overwhelmed hers.
“Was it Kirei Kotomine who killed my father?”
Tohsaka Rin’s heart was shaken, but she wouldn’t fully believe Su Xiao’s words.
“So, are you planning to take revenge? Don’t even think about it. You’re far from being a match for Kirei Kotomine now, and don’t expect me to help you.”
“You… despicable bastard.”
Tohsaka Rin was at a loss for words. Su Xiao had told her who her father’s killer was but wouldn’t help her avenge him. In truth, though Tohsaka Rin was filled with rage, she wouldn’t let hatred cloud her judgment. She was a mage, after all, and her father had died in the Holy Grail War.
“You said earlier you’d help me get stronger. How? I don’t want to be turned into a monster by some weird ritual.”
“Fight using the mana within the Command Seals.”
“Fight using the mana of the Command Seals?!”
Tohsaka Rin was stunned, clearly unaware of such an unconventional method.