That very night, masters from all sides began performing the special ritual of summoning heroic spirits.
Inside an incomparably luxurious apartment building, a man with neatly combed blond hair stood in the basement, chanting an incantation.
Tonight's clash between two mysterious servants had naturally been noticed by Kayneth, so this Lord of the Clock Tower felt a strong sense of crisis and began his own servant summoning for the Holy Grail War.
"Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill,
Repeat fivefold…"
His voice grew more impassioned, and at the same time, a breeze began to stir within the red magic circle before him, the light gradually brightening.
Boom!
In the next moment, a loud noise rang out in the basement, and from that scarlet circle, a figure began to take form as it responded to the summoning.
As if expecting something, Kayneth slowly opened his eyes to look ahead, and upon seeing the figure taking shape in his vision, a smile quickly spread across his face.
"So it really succeeded…"
The fusion of the White Dragon and the Red Dragon, one of the monsters of the Arthurian legends, and the child of Morgan le Fay… in the Fourth Holy Grail War, she had descended upon Fuyuki as Lancer!
The knight in heavy silver-white armor slowly opened her eyes, removing her helmet.
Those emerald-green eyes seemed filled with madness and arrogance, and faintly, her body radiated a terrifying power she seemed to be deliberately suppressing.
"Lancer… summoned to the present world in response."
"You are my master?"
Mordred raised her head to look.
Upon seeing the man's appearance, doubt quickly surfaced on her face: "It's you…"
As a transmigrant who had lived for a long time in the palace of ancient Britain, Kayneth had naturally met Mordred a few times.
The two weren't particularly close, but had seen each other on several occasions.
"So you still remember me, Lancer?"
Seeing Mordred, Kayneth secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Heroic Spirit summoning, even with a holy relic, didn't guarantee summoning the servant you wanted.
Even with Mordred's holy relic, he had not been entirely sure.
He quickly refocused his thoughts and said in a deep voice: "Enough small talk, let's go back first… I'll also tell you the movements of the other parties tonight so we can make our next plans."
After speaking, the two quickly left the basement, taking the elevator to the upper floors of the building.
At the elevator entrance, Kayneth briefly recounted the events of the night, the mysterious Saber clashing with Archer, and what he knew of the other masters' movements…
"A golden, flashy Archer, and a Saber who, with just a summoned familiar, forced Archer to retreat…? Master, your description sounds a bit unbelievable."
Upon hearing Kayneth's words, Mordred's face quickly showed a mix of doubt and confusion.
Although she didn't know much about the Holy Grail War, Mordred was aware that summoning familiars was typically the job of a Caster… so how could a Saber's Noble Phantasm involve summoning a familiar?
"That familiar was quite special, but just to be safe tonight, I didn't approach before the servant was summoned, so I have no idea what kind of background that familiar has."
Kayneth folded his arms behind his back, his tone calm yet arrogant as he said lightly, "Of course, no matter how powerful a familiar is, it's still just a familiar, so there's nothing to fear. But how strong that Saber is, still remains unclear."
"Supposedly a Saber, but relying on a familiar to fight?"
Upon hearing this, Mordred couldn't help but sneer, "Sounds like a pretty weak servant."
"Too bad their fight's already over, or I'd like to see it for myself… Why didn't you summon me earlier?"
"Don't worry, there will be a chance."
Kayneth smiled faintly, "Tonight was only the appetizer of the Holy Grail War… The real show hasn't even begun yet."
…
That night.
Outside the house, the world was covered in ice and snow.
Inside, it was quiet.
The warm orange lights set to night mode added a touch of coziness.
A black-haired little girl curled up under the covers, eyes closed, her mind replaying everything that had happened tonight.
From when Tokiomi Tohsaka had sent her to the Matou household, to when she left the Matou family and was saved by another person… all of this had taken place in less than a week.
In this brief span of less than a week, Sakura Matou had experienced a life as turbulent as the tide.
She silently opened her eyes and vaguely saw the face of the young man 'sleeping' nearby in the dim light.
She knew that her grandfather, Matou Zouken, had come by tonight but was driven away by Saber.
If she stayed here, her grandfather would probably come back to cause trouble again, right?
But if she left here, where else could she go?
Her father had given her out to someone else for adoption, and now she couldn't possibly return to the Tohsaka household by herself.
… Knowing her father's temper, she might even get scolded if she went back now.
Having a home but not being able to return to it, instead becoming someone else's child…
At this age, a girl like Sakura Matou didn't yet have such a strong mindset, especially in the dead of night. Thinking about everything, she suddenly felt a sharp pang of sadness welling up inside her, her eyes gradually growing moist.
Zzz...
Suddenly, a crackling sound like an electric current echoed in her ear.
"Longing to fill your body with someone else's love... To think someone so young could be this lonely~"
"Hehehe... Not bad, relax your body. I can grant your wishes... More than the Holy Grail, maybe I am the true all-powerful wish-granter~"
Immediately after, a charming and sweet laugh, full of seduction, resonated inside Sakura's body.
Her eyes widened slowly as she instinctively looked around, but the surroundings were silent, with no sign of anything.
"Don't look around. My true form is special, so I can only temporarily sleep 'attached' to your body," Came the lazy, enchanting voice as an inexplicable fear welled up inside Sakura.
She instinctively wanted to wake Alvin beside her, but she held back, instead trying to communicate with the voice within her:
"Who... are you?"
"You don't need to know who I am. Just know I can help you when it counts, that's enough."
"Now relax your body... don't worry, I won't hurt you..."
In the dim light, Sakura's hair color seemed to shift ever so slightly.
...
...
A quiet night passed.
Winter mornings always demanded a tough battle against the warmth of the bed, but for Alvin, the concept of "sleep" barely existed.
Normally, the Holy Grail War only truly unfolded deep in the dead of night.
Most of the daytime was spent planning the next moves and strategies.
By last night, all the masters had summoned their corresponding servants, and now everyone was on high alert.
Yet, at Sajyou Manaka's side, it felt more like a vacation.
Early in the morning, she was already busy baking cookies in the kitchen and had even dragged Sakura Matou over to help.
Every master participating in the Holy Grail War had their own reasons or wishes they hoped the Grail would grant through victory.
Most magi's desires boiled down to one goal, to reach the Root.
Perhaps it was for this reason that Saijyou Manaka showed no interest in the Holy Grail itself.
After all, she was born already possessing what magis spent their lives chasing.
---
....
"Saber, why do you look so distracted? What are you thinking about?"
Manaka peeked out of the oven, pulling out some freshly baked cookies as she curiously glanced at Alvin in the living room.
"Still thinking about Kayneth?"
She added.
In the kitchen, Sakura Matou was carefully shaping the cookies and didn't seem to care about the conversation between the two.
"You don't need to worry so much. I'll find a way to track him down,"
Alvin said with a smile.
Manaka seemed a little upset as she puffed out her cheeks, and her normally pure and sweet face suddenly looked like a cute little steamed bun, playful and adorable.
Having seen the graceful and elegant side of her before, Alvin was taken aback by this youthful, lively display and couldn't help but take a few more glances at her, finding it unexpectedly charming.
Among all the girls he knew, each had their own distinct traits, Morgan le Fay's bewitching beauty, Artoria's nobility, Arcueid's aloofness, Ishtar's arrogance, Grace's fragility and restraint… and Manaka was the epitome of elegance.
She rarely showed a childish side in front of others, maybe out of politeness or habit so, once she did, it came out as too charming to resist.
Alvin walked up to the girl, touched the girl's cheek, and said with a smile,
"I'm not being distant with you, Manaka."
"My summoning this time was really to save my teacher… I'm glad you want to help, but finding someone like that is not hard for me."
"If there ever comes a time when I really need your help, I won't hold back."
Manaka looked at Alvin carefully for a while, then finally smiled.
"Alright, since you say that… it's settled."
Originally, she had no real wish for the Holy Grail War… if anything, her only wish was to enjoy the war itself and maybe have a romance like in a girl's fantasy.
Though so far, that romance hadn't progressed much…
Thinking about this, she sighed quietly with a hint of frustration.
If possible, she preferred not to use the Command Seals to force Saber to do anything, after all, what she wanted was 'something real'.
---
....
"I'll have to go out tonight. You'll be taking care of Sakura for the time being."
Alvin suddenly lowered his voice as Manaka snapped out of her thoughts and looked up.
"Where are you going?"
"To the Tohsaka residence."
Alvin said slowly, "Matou Zouken and Matou Kariya have disappeared, and his daughter Sakura is missing… no matter how calm Tokiomi is, he must be worried sick by now."
.
.
.
Late at night, all was silent.
For ordinary people, this should be the time to sleep.
But for magi, especially the masters participating in the Holy Grail War, nightfall was when the war truly began.
The Holy Church, one of the two major modern powers in the Type-Moon world, wielded influence across the world centered in Western Europe.
Their doctrine was to preach God's love, aid the poor and the sick.
In the city of Fuyuki, the church also had its buildings.
---
..
In the church hall, a priest dressed in black vestments held a Bible, eyes closed in silent prayer, his expression solemn and serene.
"Last night's events I have heard of. You only have one Command Seal left, correct?"
From the center of the church came a deep, magnetic male voice.
Kirei Kotomine slowly opened his eyes and looked toward the man who had silently entered the hall.
Tokiomi Tohsaka's voice was low as he stepped forward:
"This Holy Grail War is far more difficult than I imagined… Saber's presence far exceeds our initial expectations."
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
Kirei Kotomine stepped down from the dais. "Although I think with Assassin's strength, it would be difficult for him to compete with Saber."
"Don't rush over Saber yet. I need you to find someone first."
Tokiomi Tohsaka said slowly,
"Last night the Matou family was apparently attacked… Zouken Matou and Kariya Matou are still missing, and my daughter is also gone."
Upon hearing this, Kotomine Kirei couldn't help but be secretly surprised.
He knew the Holy Grail War could affect families, so Tokiomi had sent his daughter in advance to the Matou family.
… Yet on the first day of the war, Sakura was already missing?
"She apparently left the Matou residence secretly last night and has been missing since."
Tokiomi recalled what Archer had said to him the previous night.
Judging from what the Hero King said at the time, he obviously knew about the disaster of the Matou family, and even knew about the disappearance of Matou Sakura... but he had no intention of explaining it.
If Sakura Matou just ran away from home, it shouldn't be difficult to find her given the strength of the Matou family in Fuyuki.
Coupled with the disappearance of Matou Zouken and Matou Kariya... it is obvious that the Matou family must have encountered an irresistible and powerful enemy.
And Archer had seen this enemy before.
The answer was clear.
— Saber.
Was it he who took Sakura?
But why? Given his status as the White Dragon, he shouldn't stoop to such deeds…
Tokiomi Tohsaka couldn't understand, but now was not the time for speculation.
Finding Saber quickly was imperative.
Taking a deep breath, Tokiomi ordered his disciples to secretly watch for Sakura's whereabouts, then left the church through a back door.
Back at the Tohsaka mansion, he sat on the sofa, gently rubbing his brow as his body sank into the soft cushions, but his nerves did not relax in the slightest.
The mansion was quiet in the night. Before the war began, Tokiomi had moved his family to the outskirts of the "battlefield" to avoid danger.
Winning the Holy Grail War was Tokiomi's lifelong wish.
For it, he was ready to sacrifice everything…
But even so, it was impossible for him not to care about his daughter's disappearance.
Saber...what on earth does this guy want to do?
At that moment, golden magical energy quietly condensed in the corner of his vision
Tokiomi instinctively turned his head and saw Gilgamesh appear outside the mansion grounds.
He stood up subconsciously and asked,
"King, what are you—?"
Gilgamesh's crimson, arrogant eyes coldly observed the mansion's perimeter.
"I never thought a servant would brazenly visit the enemy's base during the Holy Grail War… Is it overconfidence, or absolute faith in one's strength?"
"You don't think I left last night because I'm afraid of you, do you?"
A Servant outside the mansion…?
Before Tokiomi could speak, a gentle youthful voice sounded outside.
"Tokiomi, won't you invite me in for a visit?"
The voice was unfamiliar but felt strangely recognizable… Tokiomi felt like he had heard it somewhere before.
Combined with what Gilgamesh just said, Tokiomi suddenly stood up as if he had thought of something, and stared intently outside the mansion.
"Saber?!"
He came here of his own accord…?