A shrine maiden drives out evil spirits—
but that very power makes people dizzy with fear.
Extraordinary strength inspires awe, yes, but it also breeds suspicion. People bow, offer thanks, even respect you in public, yet rarely meet your eyes as an equal. That feeling is suffocating. Perhaps that is why Kikyo's master once dreamed of founding a mountain temple—somewhere a priestess could belong.
Kikyo had already prepared herself for a solitary life.
But fate does not bargain. For the first time in her life, Kikyo felt a deep, bone-carving hatred toward destiny.
Why are good people the ones disaster always finds?
"Priestess Kikyo, we—"
The fire had already spread. Homeless villagers staggered together, soot-smeared faces staring in confusion and fear that curdled into anger. It wasn't directed at her, not truly. It was simply the only thing they had left to hold.
Kikyo drew a steadying breath. "The demons have been driven off," she said calmly. "Carry the bodies to the Bone-Eater's Well."
Their village had stood for generations beside a Sacred Tree and the ancient Bone-Eater's Well. The old rumor said that if you cast a demon's corpse into that well, time itself would devour it. Perhaps that was why a village had survived here at all.
She settled her injured sister inside, then began repairing their small home. If she did nothing, they would be sleeping outside in the ash-stinking night, and Kaede might fall into a fever.
From time to time, Kikyo hurried back to check on her unconscious sister. Only when the sky was ink-black and the embers outside dim did the house look like a home again.
…
The Tohsaka Household
One of the Three Great Families of Magecraft.
Since the end of the divine age, true magic had become legend. But the Tohsaka family still kept its old mansion—and its old ambitions.
Rin Tohsaka lay sprawled across a luxurious bed, twin ponytails tied with cute bows fanned behind her head. Pale green eyes gleamed with restless curiosity.
Rin wasn't like Kikyo—she didn't rush headlong into belief. She was, in spirit, closer to Nightshade, quietly lurking, observing the chat group without speaking.
A magus is, by nature, a creature of curiosity. And women are, by nature, creatures of curiosity. Stack the two together and Rin Tohsaka was never going to leave this alone.
Maybe… she thought, through this Eternal Meditation, I could trigger a resurgence of mana across the world…
But it feels like some kind of cult. Sacrifices, offerings…
She rolled over, the curve of her figure catching the light. A wisp of prana danced over her fingertips, and her heartbeat quickened despite herself.
Nightshade had said the Eternal God could grant any wish—that even the dead could be brought back.
Could Mother be resurrected?
If I had the power to change everything, would Sakura come home?
Her mind made up, Rin scrolled through the group's shared files and selected a "resurrection" video: the Eternal God reviving Tanjiro Kamado's family. It was one of the highest-viewed clips.
When Rin's consciousness slipped into the scene and she saw it—the figure in the heavens simply reaching down, plucking souls from beyond, reshaping bodies in the blink of an eye—her breath stopped.
"You have got to be kidding…" she whispered. "Is that—literally—the power of a god? To seize the soul itself?"
In her mind, resurrection had meant grand magic circles or unknown thaumaturgical rites. But this was so… direct. So absolute.
Nightshade's warning echoed back: Do not try to frame the Eternal God with your own knowledge. It will not fit.
Forget the laws of her world. Forget any "World Will" trying to veto interference. The act alone shattered every boundary of magecraft Rin knew.
(Alaya: …Please do not call him again.)
(Gaia: You are courting disaster.)
When Rin's mind returned fully, cold sweat slicked her back. She curled in on herself, trembling—and then, very slowly, her pale eyes began to burn.
If I gain this power… I can change everything.
Her mother dead. Her father gone. Her little sister taken away. Life had carved Rin Tohsaka into a puppet of legacy and duty. If she hadn't been born with talent, who would she have become?
The world of magi is brutal, and the Tohsaka line was running out of successors. The last Holy Grail War hadn't been long ago. Rumor said the next had already begun—that was why she'd come to Fuyuki City.
She'd heard people liked to cheat.
Fine, Rin thought. This time, I cheat too.
She calmed herself, then opened the first shared video in the group, and then the next, and the next. That's human nature: the first shocks you; the twentieth numbs you; the hundredth brands itself into your bones.
Gods striking down thousands. A palm from the starry void crossing ten thousand miles in a blink. With such a being, only fools refused to believe.
By dawn, Rin had watched every clip. Her eyelids sagged, but her mind blazed. She downloaded Eternal Meditation.
For a magus, meditation is breathing. Rin slid into the meditative space almost instantly.
Beyond the Stars
Alaya: She's deviating again. Do we stop her?
Gaia: As long as it does not threaten the world's development, we have no right to interfere.
Alaya: Tch…
An hour later, both presences fell silent.
Alaya: Why does she have a divinity we cannot observe? Are we truly just going to watch?
Gaia: Watch.
Alaya: Can you say anything else? What if she sells us out?!
Gaia: No.
Rin opened her eyes and gasped.
Nothing in her room had changed. Yet everything had changed.
Lines pulsed through the sky over Fuyuki—vast, luminous veins. Leylines. The arterial flow of the world, laid bare.
"So this is divine power," Rin whispered, giddy. "I'm beyond mortal limits…"
She hopped in excitement, misjudged her strength, and drove her head straight into the ceiling with a crack.
Servants rushed in. "Lady Rin! Are you—"
"Her head—she's—she's stuck in the ceiling!"
"Is this… a new experiment?"
Rin, face blazing, floated down. "Out. All of you. I need no assistance."
"Yes, milady!"
They retreated, barely hiding their smiles.
Rin began testing. Any spell she tried—fire, barriers, reinforcement—came out thirty times stronger than usual. She didn't even need to run it through her magic circuits. All it took was the thought.
Convenient. Quick. Terrifying.
"What a monster of a power," she murmured, eyes narrowing as her body blurred. One thought later, she reappeared a kilometer away on a quiet street.
Teleportation. Effortless.
With power comes the urge to confide. The person Rin most liked to speak with was Kirei Kotomine. He had given her a gift when she was a child and taught her much as she grew. She trusted him.
And, as a priest, he would be ideal when it came to fostering believers.
Rin made for the church—and abruptly stopped. The air itself felt wrong. Heavy. Sour. It reeked of death.
She'd never sensed it before, but with her sharpened senses, she could not miss it now.
"Why is there this much death in the air? And such rancid stench… could it be…"
A thought as cold as winter cut through her. Rin's face hardened.
"Distant Sight."
Her pupils pale-green, she pushed her vision through stone and shadow into the church's underground. Rows upon rows of bodies. A thousand, at least. Every corpse hollowed—its life force harvested dry.
Kirei Kotomine had broken every rule. The pattern said the killing had started at least a decade ago.
"This bastard," Rin hissed. "So the pious smile was just a mask. A hypocrite to the core. Wait… what's that?"
She almost withdrew her sight—then a golden figure strode into the basement, dragging living humans behind him. He wore flesh like a man, but his presence screamed of a different order entirely. Blond hair, ruby-red eyes, golden armor that sang of kingship.
A Heroic Spirit. And a powerful one at that.
But the Holy Grail War hadn't officially begun. Why had a Heroic Spirit already manifested?
A leftover from the last War?
Before Rin could settle the thought, the men's voices reached her as if she stood beside them.
"You'd best keep your excursions to a minimum," the golden one drawled. "The Holy Grail is nearing saturation. If some cheater summons a Servant early, all this will get messy."
"Who do I have to fear?" Kirei's voice was amused. "If they find me, I'll kill them."
"You're the same as ever—arrogant." A faint smile curled the king's lips. "Better than the hypocrite who duped thousands, I suppose. And tell me, 'Father'—what is your real aim in preserving this Grail?"
"To drown the world in it," Kirei said softly. "If that filthy mud could swallow everything, wouldn't it be… wonderful?"
Rin shut down the vision, turned on her heel, and walked away. Her hands clenched until the knuckles blanched.
Betrayal burned like acid. She had been made a fool of for years.
The Grail doesn't grant wishes. It only corrupts. It destroys.
"Since none of you feel like following rules," Rin said coldly, "I'll play your game. I'll show you what real cheating looks like."
She didn't harbor grand dreams of saving the world. She wanted to prove herself. She wanted her family safe. Now that she had seen Kirei's true face, her decision to join the cult solidified.
…
Ten Thousand Realms Chat Group
Demon Sword Spirit: Welcome, newcomers!!
Li Er: A warm welcome. Not every day we see two women join. The group's getting livelier.
Chu Dashan: New folks, introduce yourselves—name and the kind of world you're from: high martial, immortal chivalry, tech, ancient?
Demon Hunter: Don't sweat your identity. Monster? Robot? We've seen worse.
Queen of Vampires: Use your head, Constantine. Clearly they're human.
Sam Witwicky (Blond Boy): Ahem, I'm Sam from a tech world. Just appointed a two-star chief priest.
Tanjiro Kamado: I manage the Shenwu world. We used to have demons. Not anymore.
The Fox Who Only Loves Money: Hello sisters—Tu Shan Yaya here, a ten-tailed celestial fox. Think "fairy" and you're close enough.
Ninja Scientist (Orochimaru): Orochimaru. The name tells you all you need to know: obviously I'm a good person.
For Peace (Monkey D. Dragon): Monkey D. Dragon. Seeking world peace.
Introductions flooded the screen, then tapered off into a purposeful quiet. They all knew better than to drown newcomers in noise. Let them lurk, watch, and decide.
Demon Sword Spirit: If you're nervous, keep your thoughts to yourself a bit. You can speak up when you're ready.
You can also just watch. No pressure.
But understand: there is a true God in this group—the Eternal God. Omnipotent. Master of a thousand worlds. Beyond any limit you can imagine.
If you've lost family, if you have a wish you think impossible—offer sacrifice. He can grant it.
…
Back in Fuyuki City, Rin closed the curtains, locked her door, and took a breath. She had power now. A path. Evidence enough to spit in the face of cynicism.
If this world wanted to cheat, Rin Tohsaka would cheat better.
Rin Tohsaka: Everyone—about my first sacrifice. Can I choose any offering?