Did the Heroic Spirit I conquered become a reality?

After a brief glance, he snorted coldly, turned around, transformed into golden light particles, and disappeared into the magic workshop.

Only then did Tokiomi Tohsaka finally breathe a sigh of relief, while quickly planning his next move in his mind.

At that moment, he suddenly noticed a curious yet timid gaze on his back.

Tokiomi Tohsaka turned around and saw his young eldest daughter, Rin Tohsaka.

She was hiding at the workshop doorway, peeking out her little head, her black twin ponytails swaying slightly, her large, sapphire-like eyes curiously watching this side.

Upon seeing his daughter, Tokiomi Tohsaka's face softened instantly, revealing a rare, gentle smile befitting a father.

"Rin, what are you doing here? This isn't a place for you."

Rin Tohsaka mustered her courage, ran to her father, tugged at his sleeve, looked up at him with her little face, and asked in a hopeful tone, "Dad, when will my brother come back?"

Upon hearing the term "older brother," Tokiomi Tohsaka paused in surprise.

He knew that Rin was referring to his gifted adopted son, who was also Rin's nominal older brother, Tohsaka Yu.

If you count the time, it's been almost three years since You arrived at the Clock Tower.

Thinking of this, Tokiomi's eyes softened, filled with a hint of relief, and he said, "If your studies go smoothly, you should be able to graduate and come back in another year."

"Is my brother finally graduating soon?"

Rin Tohsaka's eyes were filled with anticipation. It had been a long time since she had seen her older brother, who always gently stroked her head and told her interesting stories.

After a brief moment of anticipation, Rin seemed to remember something, her smile fading slightly as she asked softly, "Then... what about Sakura? Now that my brother is back, can Sakura come back with him?"

Upon hearing the name "Sakura," Tokiomi Tohsaka's smile gradually faded, and his feelings suddenly became complicated.

Sakura... his other daughter, who also possessed outstanding magical talent, but because the Magic Crest could only be passed down to one person, he had to personally send her to the Matou family to become their adopted daughter.

This was the most "reasonable" yet "cruel" choice he, as a magician, could make for the sake of his family's legacy and to ensure that both of his daughters could continue on the path of magic.

But how could he not feel sorry for his little daughter who always followed behind Rin timidly, with a hint of unease in her eyes?

But he had no choice.

“Sakura, she…”

Tokiomi Tohsaka's voice was a little hoarse. He knelt down and gently stroked Rin's hair, avoiding his daughter's innocent gaze, and said in as calm a tone as possible, "Sakura will also have a good time in the Matou family. She will also become... an excellent magician."

"I wonder where she is, and if she's settling in well..." Tokiomi Tohsaka silently added in his mind, a trace of barely perceptible worry and guilt looming over his heart like a shadow.

The Holy Grail... If we obtain the Holy Grail and reach the Root, perhaps we can find a way to make amends?

With this thought in mind, he stood up, looked at his wife outside the door, and said softly, "Aoi, take her back to rest first... I will take you to a safe place to rest for a while tomorrow."

By the end, Tokiomi Tohsaka had made up his mind completely.

For the sake of the Tohsaka family's long-cherished wish, and to reach the Root, he must win this Holy Grail War no matter the cost!

……

The forest is covered in snow, which makes the ancient Eindzbern Castle look like a fairy tale in the snow, but it also exudes a cold and aloof feeling.

Deep within the castle, in the warm summoning chamber, the light of the magic circle had just faded.

Irisviel, the homunculus meticulously created by her family as a vessel for the Holy Grail, is curiously observing the Heroic Spirit who has successfully responded to her summons with her gentle and pure red eyes.

In the shadows of the room, a man dressed in a black trench coat, with a cold expression and empty eyes—Emiya Kiritsugu—observed everything silently, like the most experienced hunter.

He was not the true Master of the Einzbern family, but was hired by this ancient magical family on a purely employment basis as an "external expert" and "executor" to ensure that Irisviel could win this Holy Grail War.

The one Irisviel summoned was Merlin, who was summoned by LiuVII1亻尔扒肆捌.月-漪 in the Saber class.

The legendary great magician, dressed in a white mage's robe, looked less ethereal than his usual nightmare-like self and more dashing like a swordsman, but his signature smile, which seemed to know everything yet carried a hint of cynicism, remained unchanged.

“It’s truly astonishing,” Irisviel murmured in admiration. “I never imagined that I could actually summon the legendary Flower Magician, and in the form of Saber at that.”

"Oh, it is my honor to respond to the call of such a beautiful lady as you."

Merlin smiled and gave an impeccable knightly salute, but his gaze subtly swept over Kiritsugu Emiya in the corner.

Kiritsugu Emiya frowned almost imperceptibly.

He had some doubts about Merlin's motives.

This legendary being, who is practically a living mage, why would he answer the Holy Grail's call? Logically speaking, Merlin shouldn't interfere in such human conflicts, and he himself doesn't have any desires that the Holy Grail needs to fulfill.

“Saber,” Kiritsugu’s icy voice shattered the brief harmony, “what is your purpose in responding to the summons, and what are your demands of the Holy Grail?”

He got straight to the point, without the slightest bit of politeness.

Upon hearing this, Merlin's smile remained unchanged, but his purple gaze deepened, as if piercing through the castle walls to see something more distant and unsettling.

"Well... if I had to say, my goal is for human reason and peace, right?" he replied in a relaxed, almost joking tone.

But deep down, he was filled with helplessness and a hint of... weariness.

'This is never going to end...'

Merlin intervened because he observed through his clairvoyance that there was another terrifying aura, possibly a Beast, lurking in the Fourth Holy Grail War, which was enough to cause the collapse of human reason. He was forced to break with convention and forcibly intervene, even at the cost of squeezing into the Saber class, which was not the most suitable.

Even Merlin was speechless. He hadn't expected that after helping to resolve the crisis of Tiamat's main body descending in Uruk, he would encounter such a big problem again.

He really just wanted to go back to Avalon to continue observing the fascinating history of human development!

Kiritsugu Emiya clearly didn't believe Merlin's overly "noble" reason. A cold glint flashed in his gray eyes as he was about to press for more information.

Just then, the encrypted communicator in his pocket rang.

After the call connected, Hisayu Maiya gave a calm and concise report.

"...Confirmed, a pair of targets suspected to be a Master and a Servant at a large supermarket in the new district. Their behavior is extremely abnormal...they seem to be shopping."

Shopping……?

Even Kiritsugu Emiya was momentarily stunned.

On the eve of the Holy Grail War, did Master and Servant go grocery shopping together?

Instead of issuing orders immediately, he quickly analyzed the possibilities behind this intelligence.

Is it a trap? A disguise? Or... just plain stupidity?

Ultimately, he decided to take the safest approach.

"Observe secretly for now, don't alert them." He whispered into the communicator, then paused and added, "Spread this information to the other parties, especially Tohsaka and the church, through an 'accidental leak.' Let others test this strange combination."

The "Magician Killer's" style is to let other pieces trigger the traps first, or to force the opponent to reveal their hand.

"Understood." A brief response came from the other end of the communicator.

……

Soon, the information that "Master and Servant went out for a secret rendezvous late at night" was sent to Tokiomi Tohsaka through Kirei's intelligence network, and was naturally reported to the Golden King.

Upon receiving this message, Gilgamesh's face showed extreme displeasure and offense.

"Hmph... You ignorant bastard, how dare you do such a foolish thing on the eve of the Holy Grail War? Do you look down on me, or on this war?"

But soon, a glint of interest flashed in his scarlet eyes.

"Very well, I'm getting a bit bored anyway, so I'll personally send these ignorant insects off... let's make an early exit."

Upon hearing this, Tokiomi Tohsaka's eyelids twitched violently, and he hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, please calm down—"

Before he finished speaking, Gilgamesh's figure transformed into a golden light and left the Tohsaka family mansion.

Tokiomi Tohsaka's face immediately turned extremely ugly.

He knew that this aloof golden king was difficult to serve and would never obey his orders... but he still didn't expect the other party to lose control to this extent.

The Holy Grail War hasn't even started yet, and it's obvious that someone leaked this information secretly to get others to test the waters while they reap the benefits.

It was such an obvious thing, yet Gilgamesh still went...

"This is really troublesome..."

Tokiomi Tohsaka rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

……

In the winter night, heavy snow, accompanied by a cold wind, silently blanketed the streets and rooftops.

Yu Tohsaka and Aika Sajou had just come out of the supermarket carrying two large bags full of their "trophies".

"Mmm~ I bought a cake! I'm so happy!"

Saya Aika held the cake box, her face beaming with a satisfied and pure smile, as if the previous "rendezvous" had left her in a very good mood.

"Alright, Master, we've finished buying everything. Let's head back... Staying out here makes us easy targets," Yu Tohsaka reminded him.

Although it felt good to go shopping with the beautiful girl, he was always thinking about the Holy Grail War and dared not relax too much.

Sajō Aika thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Alright, since you've said so... let's go back first."

She still affectionately linked arms with Tohsaka Yu, and the two walked side by side on the snowy street.

at this time--

Zila...

A street lamp not far ahead suddenly flickered violently a few times, emitting a piercing electrical sound, and its light became intermittent.

Yu Tohsaka's heart skipped a beat, and almost instantly she shielded Ayaka Sajou behind her, her EX-rank magic ready to be unleashed, as she warily looked at the unusual street lamp!

Saya Aika's smile seemed to fade slightly, and her emerald green eyes glanced unintentionally ahead.

The next second, under the dim yellow light of the flickering streetlights, a golden, incomparably gorgeous figure appeared silently on the streetlight like a ghost!

His golden armor reflected a cold luster in the snowy night. He crossed his arms over his chest, his scarlet eyes looking down at the two below with the gaze of someone looking down on ants. A smile of extreme arrogance curled at the corner of his mouth, as if he regarded everything as dust.

That unparalleled pressure, that suffocating aura...

Yu Tohsaka's pupils suddenly contracted!

That figure...that aura...

Gilgamesh?!

……

Einzbern Castle.

Through a special magical medium, the sudden confrontation on the streets of Fuyuki City's new district was clearly presented to Kiritsugu Emiya and Saber Merlin.

Looking at the figure standing atop the streetlamp, radiating dazzling golden light and exuding unparalleled arrogance, Kiritsugu Emiya's usually calm and unwavering gray eyes were now incredibly solemn.

Even through the magic he observed, he could feel the terrifying pressure emanating from this newly appeared Servant, a pressure that seemed to overflow the screen.

Its very existence seems to proclaim absolute power and dominion.

Kiritsugu's voice was cold and dry as he said, "Archer... is dangerous."

Merlin was holding a cup of red tea, with a relaxed smile on his face, as if he was about to watch the show.

Hearing Kiritsugu's words, he nodded and turned his gaze to the golden figure.

“Yes, it is indeed very dangerous,” Merlin said. “The King of Heroes, Gilgamesh… in terms of strength, he should be the top being in this Holy Grail War.”

Gilgamesh?!

Even Kiritsugu Emiya, who had long since abandoned most of his emotions, showed a slight change in expression upon hearing this name.

He certainly knew the king's status in mythology and the legendary, extravagant treasure trove.

So... that investment portfolio that foolishly went to the supermarket and got targeted by such an entity... is probably in trouble.

Kiritsugu made a decision in his mind in an instant, and even began to consider whether to list this Archer as the top priority to eliminate.

Merlin shared the same thought, or rather, that was what he originally thought.

He even wore a slightly mischievous smile, ready to watch how the King of Heroes would deal with this pair who went on a 'secret rendezvous' on the eve of the Holy Grail War.

If nothing unexpected happens, they should have run into each other by now, right?

With that in mind, Merlin channeled his magic into his observation spell, zooming in to get a clear look at the faces of the soon-to-be-unlucky Master and Servant.

However, as soon as the camera focused on the two people standing below the King of Heroes, Merlin's movements and even the smile on his face suddenly froze.

In the picture, a blonde, blue-eyed girl is standing next to a servant.

His expression was wary, and he seemed rather 'weak', but the moment he saw the boy, Merlin's expression became quite interesting.

Shock, astonishment, disbelief... In the end, all the emotions turned into an extremely strong sense of amusement and a love of watching the drama unfold... It's hilarious!