“Turning the container of the Lesser Grail into a living homunculus?
That is certainly…
unconventional.” Back at Ryuudou Temple, hearing about the Einzbern family’s grotesque bio-mechanical modifications to the Lesser Grail vessel left even an Age of Gods sorceress like Medea legitimately surprised.
No sane magus entering a Holy Grail War would ever suspect that one of their rival Masters was literally walking around as the ultimate grand prize.
“The Lesser Grail is currently the Einzbern family’s official Master.
Snatching her right under the nose of whatever Servant they brought along will be a bit tricky, so let’s hit the Matou clan first.” “As for our next step…” Surtr glanced at the antique wall clock hanging in the temple hallway.
The hands pointed toward roughly three in the afternoon.
“I need to take a quick detour to the local high school.” “The school?” Medea tilted her head in confusion.
What did a secular educational institution have to do with assaulting the Matou estate?
“The Matou family is infested by a revolting old worm.
If my intel is correct, his main parasitic core should be lurking there.
Rather than storming straight into his heavily trapped lair, cornering the root outside will be far more efficient.” Surtr offered a brief summary.
If memory served her right, Matou Zouken’s true worm core was nestled directly inside Sakura’s heart.
Since she had decided to wage war on the Three Founding Families, purging the old parasite at the root would save her a mountain of grief later.
And while she was at it, she could completely cleanse Matou Sakura’s corrupted physical condition.
The overarching narrative of Fate spanned three major routes—at least, the three she was familiar with.
She had no idea which specific route this timeline was currently steering toward, but fundamental background constants rarely changed—such as the Greater Grail shard surgically implanted inside Sakura.
Regardless of whether it was the Fate, Unlimited Blade Works, or Heaven’s Feel route, the shard resided inside her body the only difference was whether the nightmare had been triggered yet.
Dark Sakura was an absolute, undisputed nightmare counter against standard Servants.
Even Surtr found the prospect of an infinite shadow tide deeply annoying, making it paramount to nip that apocalyptic branch right in the bud.
The designated surgeon would naturally be Medea with an Age of Gods master physician on the payroll, purifying the girl would be a walk in the park.
“Understood.” Medea nodded in agreement.
However, before setting off…
Surtr cast an appraising glance at Medea’s flowing gothic witch robes, then looked down at her own battle-torn black dress.
Wandering into a bustling Japanese suburb in the dead of winter wearing fantasy cosplay was practically screaming for police attention.
“Right.
Let’s get us some normal civilian clothes first.” A short while later, Miyama Town.
Surtr and Medea strolled casually through the bustling shopping district.
Medea had discarded her dark hood in favor of a sleek black inner shirt paired beneath a sharp, navy-blue trench coat, complemented by a soft, pale-yellow maxi skirt that draped gracefully to her ankles.
Her pointed, elf-like ears were cleverly concealed beneath her cascading violet hair, making her look every bit like a glamorous foreign tourist exploring Japan.
Surtr opted for a similar casual winter ensemble, swapping the long skirt for fitted black trousers to ensure optimal mobility in case a brawl broke out.
Naturally, as two penniless paupers without a single yen in their pockets, they had temporarily “borrowed” some emergency operational funds from Buddha’s donation box back at the temple.
Once they finished plundering the wealthy Matou estate, they would definitely pay the deity back with interest.
Lævateinn had also been safely stowed inside the system’s three-by-three-by-three-meter inventory cube, sparing Surtr the awkwardness of hauling a colossal greatsword through pedestrian crossings.
Even with contemporary outfits, their sheer visual presence commanded an overwhelming amount of attention.
In particular, the wicked, obsidian-black horns crowning Surtr’s crimson hair generated a solid one-hundred-percent head-turn rate from passersby.
Fortunately, public curiosity fell well within manageable limits.
Most locals simply wrote it off as an extravagant, hyper-realistic anime cosplay, and Surtr wasn’t the cripplingly introverted type who froze under public stares anyway.
Ignoring the whispers, the two flagged down a few friendly locals for directions and navigated their way toward their destination.
Homurahara Academy, front gates.
“Do you sense anything peculiar about this campus?” Surtr suddenly asked Medea as they stood before the wrought-iron gates.
She was genuinely curious.
Homurahara Academy—this unassuming high school was practically a hotbed of absurd, world-altering anomalies.
The legendary high-jump king of charisma, the ruthless assassin master disguised as a civics teacher, the twin Tohsaka prodigies, and even an eccentric English teacher whose personal luck stat shattered the heavens…
if someone tried to convince her that an ancient Christian saint was buried under the school gymnasium, she would believe it without blinking.
“Peculiar?
Is there anything out of the ordinary here?” Medea furrowed her brows.
After carefully extending her spiritual senses across the campus grounds, she picked up zero bounded fields or foreign leyline interference.
“Ah, don’t mind me.
Just thinking out loud.” Surtr waved her hand dismissively and strolled right through the entrance.
If there were no active traps, all the better.
The elderly security guard stationed at the gate noticed two non-students casually wandering onto school grounds and stepped forward to intercept them.
Yet before the man could utter a word, Medea shot him a single, piercing glance from behind Surtr.
It wasn’t an intimidating death glare, but a subtle, instantaneous hypnotic Suggestion that left the guard nodding blankly and turning a blind eye.
They stepped onto the main plaza.
It was nearly four in the afternoon.
In Japan, regular classes had concluded long ago some students were scattered across the athletic grounds for club activities, while others were chatting in groups as they headed home.
The vibrant, relaxed scene couldn’t help but trigger a wave of nostalgic trauma from Surtr’s past life.
Back in her high school days, regular classes didn’t let out until nearly six in the evening, followed immediately by mandatory night self-study that dragged on until ten at night.
Comparing her past hell to this laid-back schedule was downright enviable.
“What is the matter, Master?” Medea caught the sudden ripple of melancholy across their spiritual tether.
“Nothing.
Just mourning my wasted youth.” Wiping away a non-existent tear of self-pity, Surtr reached out to intercept a passing female student in uniform.
Speaking of which, Japanese high school girls were built different, proudly rocking microscopic pleated skirts in the freezing dead of winter.
Miss Surtr marveled inwardly, subtly eyeing the pale, bare thighs exposed to the biting wind.
A certain someone completely glossed over the fact that barely twelve hours ago, her own backless dress was practically flirting with public indecency.
“Excuse me, could you point me toward—” Before Surtr could finish asking for the archery club, a crisp, sharp voice rang out from the cobblestone path behind her.
“Hold it right there.” ‘Master, an enemy Servant.’ Medea’s telepathic warning chimed instantly.
It made sense.
This school was practically an active warzone housing multiple Masters, and since neither Surtr nor Medea belonged to the stealthy Assassin class, masking their presence from an observant Heroic Spirit was impossible.
“Sorry, never mind.
Looks like my acquaintance is here.” Surtr dismissed the startled student with a wave, turned around, and came face-to-face with a striking girl dressed in a crimson turtleneck.
Her glossy, jet-black hair was styled into signature twin-tails cascading down her shoulders.
While her upper frame was still somewhat developing, a pair of flawlessly proportioned legs—sculpted through disciplined athletic training and encased in black thigh-high socks—demanded immediate attention.
‘A bit of a pity about the upper deck, though.’ Surtr’s gaze casually drifted across a certain someone’s modest chest before letting out a soft, sympathetic shake of her head.
At the exact same instant, a crisp chime echoed in her mind.
[Client: Tohsaka Rin] [Quest: Wishes to possess an endless, infinite supply of high-grade gems] [Reward: Primogems ×500] Another quest triggered.
‘An endless supply of gems?’ ‘What a ridiculously greedy woman.’ Surtr wanted an infinite stockpile of gems too!
Forget rare jewels Surtr was literally financing her lunch money by robbing Buddha’s collection box right now.
It was already a blessing that she didn’t hit Miss Tohsaka up for a charitable donation.
“Why do I suddenly feel an overwhelming urge to punch someone in the face?” A distinct throbbing vein popped onto the forehead of a certain twin-tailed heiress.
Forcing a tight, razor-sharp smile, Rin narrowed her aqua eyes at the two suspicious intruders.
“You two are participants in the Holy Grail War, aren’t you?
What business do you have loitering around a civilian school at this hour?” Rin couldn’t fathom why active combatants would deliberately trespass into an ordinary high school having zero connection to the supernatural ritual.
Whatever their agenda was, it couldn’t be anything good.
As the Second Owner responsible for overseeing the spiritual leylines of Fuyuki City, she had a duty to neutralize unauthorized threats.
‘Rin, stay on guard.
That red-haired girl radiates an exceptionally dangerous presence.
She might be far more lethal than the Servant beside her.’ A calm, cynical male voice echoed inside Rin’s consciousness.
‘I know, Archer.
I feel it too.’ Rin agreed silently.
Magi were hyper-sensitive to supernatural anomalies, and Surtr was an anomaly incarnate.
Rin wasn’t about to write off those terrifying obsidian horns as mere fashion accessories.
In fact, if Rin hadn’t been able to view Medea’s spiritual parameters through her Master clairvoyance, she might have mistakenly assumed Surtr was the combat Servant instead.
“I’m looking for Matou Sakura.
And speaking of which, this matter directly concerns you as well.” Surtr felt it was best to lay the cards on the table regarding Sakura’s grim predicament.
However, Rin’s immediate reaction caught Surtr completely off guard.
“Matou Sakura?
Who on earth is that?” Tohsaka Rin’s brow furrowed in genuine confusion.
Surtr blinked.
‘Wait…
what?’ “Are you serious right now?” Surtr pressed.
“Of course I am.
The only heir the Matou family has is that obnoxious seaweed-haired boy.
There’s nobody named ‘Sakura’ in their clan.” Tohsaka Rin stated with absolute, unwavering conviction.
Surtr studied Rin’s eyes for several long seconds, confirming that the girl was genuinely baffled rather than putting on a diplomatic poker face.
“Then…
where is Tohsaka Sakura, your younger sister, right now?” It was an invasive, sensitive question, but Surtr needed to confirm the state of this world’s timeline.
“Why should I disclose that to a stranger?
What are you planning to do to my sister?” Rin’s expression instantly turned hostile.
Her separated younger sister was her ultimate emotional taboo anyone plotting harm against her family would face the full fury of the Tohsaka crest.
“Did the Edelfelt family take her in?” Ignoring Rin’s flared temper, Surtr blurted out her deduction.
If Sakura hadn’t been sold off to the grotesque insect pit of the Matou clan, the only other plausible noble magus bloodline related to the Tohsaka was the Edelfelt family of Finland.
“…” Rin clamped her mouth shut, yet the subtle micro-flinch across her features confirmed that Surtr had hit the bullseye.
‘Looks like I need to completely recalculate the identity of Rider, and as for Matou Zouken…
with zero heirs left to inherit his magecraft, what the hell is that dying old fossil planning to do with his Holy Grail shard?’ A slight migraine throbbed behind Surtr’s temples.
Yet deep down, a genuine sense of relief washed over her for that tragic purple-haired girl.
At the very least, Sakura had been spared from living through hell on earth.
“Don’t look at me like I’m a kidnapper.
I don’t harbor any malicious designs against your sister I was just verifying a few historical discrepancies.” Surtr took a step backward toward the courtyard.
Since Sakura wasn’t enrolled at Homurahara, lingering here served zero purpose.
“Catch you later, Miss Tohsaka.” Surtr gave a casual two-finger salute, turning on her heel to stroll toward the exit alongside Medea.
“Hey!
You don’t get to just barge in, ask weird questions, and walk off like you own the place!” Miss Tohsaka stomped her boot against the cobblestones in pure frustration.
‘Should I snipe them from the roof, Rin?’ Archer’s dry query chimed in her mind.
“No.
Stand down.” Watching the retreating silhouettes disappear past the gates, Rin shook her head.
“It’s just a hunch, but judging by their inquiries, their primary target is likely the Matou residence.
Let’s monitor that sector closely tonight.” ‘Understood.’