"Has it already been ten years?"
Tohsaka Rin pushed open the main gate and returned to her desolate home.
In order to fulfill the obsession that had been passed down through the Tohsaka Family for generations like a curse, her father had died in that war.
Her mother was also severely injured during that period and followed her father shortly after.
And her younger sister...
Her sister had been a strange child since she was little. Though she didn't know what her father was thinking when he gave her up for adoption to the Matou Family on the eve of the war.
But since that parting, we have rarely been able to meet again.
Later, I heard that on the day she entered the Matou Family, the head of the Matou Family died in an accident, and those members without talent fled the Matou household that same day like refugees.
And so, at only 6 years old, she inherited the position of the Matou Family head all by herself, living alone in that gloomy mansion.
Recalling this, Rin looked around her equally desolate home and murmured in a faint voice: "There isn't much difference, is there?"
However, those sentimental emotions quickly vanished. "I'm clearly used to it, yet I still thought of these things. Am I really that nervous?"
That's right, today is an important day. Not only is it exactly ten years since the end of the last Holy Grail War, but it is also the day I perform the Servant summoning.
From the moment I accepted the Tohsaka Family's Magic Crest and became the head of the family, the Holy Grail War became my destiny and my responsibility.
---
Just as Rin was examining her resolve, she suddenly noticed the phone by the door flashing incessantly.
Stepping forward, she carefully identified which button was for message playback. After dozens of seconds, that Fake Priest's annoying voice finally came through.
"It's me. I'm sure you understand, Rin, there's no time for you to live leisurely. Right now, the greater grail is unstable, and master seats need to be confirmed as soon as possible. Of course, if you're unwilling to participate in the Holy Grail War, that's another matter. Come to the church early..."
There was no need to listen to the rest; it was all just malicious talk anyway.
She went to the basement, prepared the ritual site, and took out a piece of parchment she had found in the family Workshop to serve as a holy relic.
Although the writing on it was completely undecipherable, the power contained within was genuine. At the same time, her intuition told her that this would be the strongest card, the card that would surely bring victory.
That's right, it must be the strongest Class among all Servants—SABER!
Time passed minute by minute. When the clock pointed to two in the morning, the moment her magical energy was at its peak, she double-checked everything once more.
"Preparation complete, time confirmed, wavelength good."
Taking out the few remaining jewels in the house and injecting them with magical energy, she began the incantation:
"Set."
Declaration:
Thy body shall obey my command; my fate shall be entrusted to thy sword.
If thou submittest to the call of the Holy Grail, and if thou wilt obey this will and this reason, then answer!
I hereby swear,
I am the one who shall accomplish all good deeds in the world,
I am the one who shall slay all evil deeds in the world,
Thou, clad in the three great Words of Power, shalt descend from the seven heavens unto this ■■■■,
■■■■■■!"
After the ritual, although parts of the incantation became unpronounceable, the connection of magical energy had been achieved; the Servant summoning was a success.
But before Rin could finish celebrating, a sudden tremor came from upstairs.