[After Emiya Shirou arrived at school, he suddenly felt that something was off.]
[Everything looked the same as usual, yet he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. The entire campus seemed to exude an indescribable sense of unease.]
[He was certain this wasn't just his imagination, but since class was about to begin, he decided to keep the feeling in mind for now.]
[At noon, Shirou was with Issei Ryuudou and Ayako Mitsuzuri, discussing the recent string of accidents that had led to the cancellation of club activities.]
[Not long after, Kuzuki Souichirou entered the room and called Ryuudou away, bringing their conversation to an end.]
[After school, rather than heading home, Emiya Shirou followed his instincts to Classroom B-1.]
[For some reason, he had a strong sense that something strange and dangerous was lurking inside.]
[When he opened the door and found the classroom empty, he started to think it had just been his imagination. But at that moment, Matou Shinji suddenly appeared beside him, startling him.]
[Shinji began mocking him, but after being lectured by Shirou, his expression darkened. Then, as if thinking of something amusing, he dumped the task of cleaning the archery club onto Shirou.]
[However, when Shirou accepted the task without hesitation, Shinji's face darkened again, and he turned to leave.]
[True to his word, Emiya Shirou went to clean the archery club alone, working until nightfall.]
[Just as he was finishing up, he sensed something happening outside. His body moved on instinct, and when he stepped outside, his eyes immediately widened in shock.]
Waver: "Emiya Shirou, are you an idiot? You just go and do whatever you're told?"
House Cook: "It's nothing. They're my friends, and I happened to have some free time."
This was just the kind of person Emiya Shirou was. Even if others gave him unreasonable tasks, he would still do his best to complete them.
Waver: "Are you an idiot?! That guy clearly doesn't see you as a friend!"
This kid had to have something wrong with his head.
House Cook: "No, Shinji's just a little tsundere."
Harmless: "Shut up!!!"
Matou Shinji was furious. This was exactly what he hated most about Shirou—acting like he could handle everything.
Red Archer: "...Idiot."
Fujimura Taiga: "Sigh, this is both your flaw and your strength, Shirou."
[Time rewinds to a few nights ago.]
["I once looked forward to my father's final words..."]
[Inside the Tohsaka household, Tohsaka Rin stared at the crimson gemstone pendant in her hand, dark circles visible beneath her striking eyes.]
["Last night, I found a troublesome puzzle and some of my father's belongings in the basement..."]
[In front of her sat a securely locked high-tech box—a source of pure torment for Rin.]
["It took a lot of effort to open it. And after all that trouble, what I found inside was a broken catalyst and this pendant."]
[Inside the box lay a fragment of shed snakeskin and a ruby pendant.]
Kayneth: "This is the Hero King's holy relic. It's useless now. What a shame."
Waver: "Even if it were intact, it wouldn't matter, Gilgamesh is still in the world."
Iskandar: "Besides, with this girl's personality, I doubt she would get along with Gilgamesh."
Gilgamesh: "Hmph, no, this little girl is quite interesting. Perhaps she could provide this king with some amusement."
Tohsaka Rin: "I don't care who I summon, I'm not here for your entertainment!"
["Although this relic is incredibly powerful, it won't help me summon Saber. According to that fake priest's intel, there are only two Master slots left. There's no time to hesitate."]
[She decided to perform the Heroic Spirit Summoning that very night—there was no point in delaying any further!]
[She believed that with her skill and luck, she could definitely summon Saber!]
[With that resolve, Rin headed to the mansion's basement and moved a stone platform weighing several hundred kilograms against the wall.]
[Something that required four movers and special tools, she pushed effortlessly on her own.]
[Even after setting it in place, not a single drop of sweat fell from Rin's forehead.]
Waver: "I... what the hell..."
Iskandar: "Boy, your training is severely lacking if you can't even match a girl."
Zabiko: "As expected of Rin, this strength—"
Li Shuwen: "Hmm. Not bad. You're worthy of being my favorite disciple."
Luvia: "Hmph, what's the point of brute strength alone?"
Even so, a sense of rivalry burned in Luvia's heart.
That woman had that kind of strength without even relying on magecraft.
Damn it. If she can do it, then so can I!
[...]
Everyone in the group admired Rin's strength, but Rin herself was red with embarrassment.
It's over. My elegant lady image is completely ruined.
["Ready."]
[Rin checked the time on the clock and grasped her left wrist with her right hand.]
["My magecraft wavelengths are stable. I'll summon at 1 a.m., when my power is at its peak!"]
[A summoning circle had already been drawn beneath her feet, and she held a high-grade gemstone in her hand.]
["Even without a catalyst, I'll summon Saber, just watch!"]
[Her voice resonated through the room as the gemstone in her palm dissolved into droplets of magical energy, falling onto the summoning circle.]
["The foundation is silver and iron. The cornerstone is stone and the Archduke of Contracts."]
["My ancestor was my teacher, devoted to the great ancestors. The doors are open to all directions, yet closed to none."]
["From the crown, the spiral road leads to the kingdom."]
[The summoning circle beneath her feet glowed green as the incantation reached its climax.]
["Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill, fill."]
["Let it be repeated five times. But when it is full, discard it."]
["Declare! My fate is in your sword, my life in your hands."]
["If you heed the Holy Grail's call, if you accept this will and reason, then answer me!"]
["I swear once again: I am the one who shall accomplish all good in the world. I am the one who shall vanquish all evil in the world."]
["You, clothed in the Three Great Words of Power, descend upon me now with the chains of restraint."]
["Guardian of the Scales!"]
[The next moment, the summoning circle flared to life, swirling with surging magical energy, sending dust scattering throughout the basement as the Heroic Spirit Summoning was completed.]
[Rin sat on the ground, panting, staring at the Command Seals now etched onto the back of her hand. Her gaze eagerly scanned the room.]
[But in the chaotic aftermath, it became clear, she was alone.]
[Where was her Heroic Spirit? Where was the Servant she was supposed to summon?]
Tohsaka Rin: "???"
Luvia: "Heh, you really are from a backwater. You can't even properly summon a Heroic Spirit."
Tohsaka Rin: "What did you just say?!"
Luvia: "Why? The truth is right in front of you. Are you afraid to face it?"
Tohsaka Rin: "Are you stupid? Didn't I already tell you that I have a Servant?!"
Luvia: "#￥##%￥#￥#—!"
And so, the two rivals began bickering again.
[...]
Tohsaka Tokiomi frowned.
From what he saw in the video, there was nothing wrong with Rin's summoning procedure.
How could she have failed?
Was it because she lacked a holy relic?
["Boom—!"]
[A sudden, thunderous crash echoed from above as if a meteorite had slammed into her house. The entire mansion trembled.]
["What the—?!"]
[Tohsaka Rin sprinted upstairs, baffled as to why her Heroic Spirit hadn't appeared before her—why, instead, it seemed to have crashed through the ceiling of her home.]
["Damn it, damn it, the door's jammed!"]
[The top-floor room hadn't been used in ages. Combined with the tremor just now, the lock was broken and wouldn't budge no matter how hard she tried.]
[So, furious, Tohsaka Rin kicked the door open.]
[And inside, waiting with his legs casually crossed—was Red Archer.]
Red Archer: "..."
Tohsaka Rin: "...You look like you deserve a beating @No Name."
No Name: "...That's not me."
Tohsaka Rin: "Huh?"
Blonde Rin: "Hmm—now that I look closely, he is different from No Name."
Tohsaka Rin: "Then what is he?"
Red Archer: "Ahem, it's me."
Tohsaka Rin: "Wait, are you also Emiya Shirou?"
Red Archer: "..."
Blonde Rin: "It seems so."
Blonde Rin: "I see, he must be No Name from a parallel world."
Waver: "Two parallel world Heroic Spirits, both in the same class… This is the first time I've seen something like this."
[After confirming that his Master was Tohsaka Rin, Red Archer's expression turned to one of clear disdain.]
[He hadn't forgotten that this crazy woman had once kicked him into the Thames in the dead of winter.]
[But Rin wasn't paying him any attention, because the first thing she noticed when she stepped inside was the clock on the wall.]
["Two a.m.? It should still be one a.m. right now…"]
[Her face paled.]
[Tohsaka Rin collapsed onto the ground, clutching her head. "I messed up again at such a critical moment!!!"]
[And so, despite all her preparation, Tohsaka Rin failed to summon the Saber she had dreamed of. Instead, she ended up with an Archer who wouldn't even reveal his True Name.]
(To be continued.)