This Is My Holy Grail War [49]

Under the dark veil of night, Rin Tohsaka trudged through the muddy mountain path, wearing a raincoat to shield herself from the relentless spring rain. The outskirts of Fuyuki City were surrounded by a dense, ancient forest, and nestled within its depths was a temple—her destination.

The path from the school leading to the temple was believed to be the ideal location to encounter Caster.

The light rain fell steadily, filling the air with the earthy scent of damp soil.

Step by laborious step, Rin pushed forward, the journey proving more grueling than she had anticipated.

It was already past two in the morning. Not long ago, she had exhausted a significant amount of mana summoning her Servant. Now, she found herself battling the muddy terrain, her energy sapped further.

The physical toll of the summoning, combined with the arduous hike, left Rin visibly drained. To make matters worse, she would still need to attend school early the next morning, meaning a night of sleepless fatigue awaited her.

“Seriously… why did I have to come along?!” Rin complained. “I could’ve just stayed at home and sent you instead!”

Rin’s resilience as a magus kept her moving, but it was clear that few others in her position would endure such a trial unscathed.

“[Magic Resistance],” Assassin replied, his voice calm as he followed behind her in spirit form.

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“We’re dealing with a magus from the Age of Gods. My lack of magic resistance is a significant weakness. Even in a weakened state, Caster poses a serious threat to me. For the mission to succeed, I’ll need your jewel magecraft to support me.”

“Ugh, of course… A war between magi, and I end up with this kind of luck…” Rin grumbled, though her pace didn’t slow. She knew today’s struggles would pave the way to tomorrow’s victory.

“By the way, Master, doesn’t the name Shirou Emiya strike you as strange?” Assassin asked casually as they trudged forward.

“What about it?” Rin replied. “You’ve seen him yourself—he’s just my classmate.”

“No reason. Just asking,” Assassin said, quickly changing the subject. In truth, he was still uncertain if this world matched the one he remembered. “Do you sense it? There’s mana in the air.”

“Yes…” Rin’s brow furrowed. She could feel at least two distinct presences—one strong, the other weaker—clashing somewhere in the forest.

“What’s your plan, Master?” Assassin inquired.

“Let’s check it out,” Rin said, her lips curling into a determined smile. “If we don’t find Caster tonight, it’ll be your fault, and your credibility will be completely bankrupt!”

“Bankrupt?!”

“Who’s bankrupt now?”

The voice came from above. Startled, Rin whipped around to see a man perched in the tree canopy, dressed in a tight blue bodysuit and carrying a crimson spear lazily slung over his shoulder.

His appearance was utterly anachronistic, a jarring contrast to the modern forest.

“As you can see,” the man said, a smirk playing on his lips. “I’m just a passing Lancer. Now, about that ‘bankruptcy’—who’s the one responsible?”

The tip of Lancer’s spear pointed toward Rin, rainwater trickling down its length before dripping from the edge.

He sees Assassin. No doubt about it—he’s a Servant. Rin’s mind raced. Lancer specializes in agility, making him a bad matchup for Assassin. But the surrounding trees could provide cover, limiting the effectiveness of his spear.

“Interesting reaction. I’m guessing he is your Servant?” Lancer asked, his spear beginning to pulse with red mana. In an instant, he leapt down from the canopy.

“Cover me,” Rin whispered to Assassin, though Lancer’s sharp ears picked up every word.

“Cover you? So someone is hiding nearby. That makes you my enemy, then,” Lancer said, leveling his spear.

“You don’t have to do this, Master. He’s trying to bait you,” Assassin said as he slowly revealed himself. Curiously, despite his nature as an Assassin, he displayed no fear in the face of Lancer’s aggression.

“Oh no, I’m not lying,” Lancer said with an easy grin. “Your concealment is impressive, but your presence is leaking. I don’t know if this girl is your Master, but I’m sure there’s a third Servant lurking around here.”

Assassin’s [Presence Concealment] wasn’t strong enough to completely hide him from a Heroic Spirit of Lancer’s caliber.

“Are there others?” Assassin asked.

“I was sent to hunt down Caster on my Master’s orders, but I didn’t expect to bump into someone else,” Lancer said, shrugging. “Not that it matters. You’re still an opponent. Come on—let’s see what you’ve got.”

Shrouded in black mist, Assassin’s form remained obscured even to Lancer’s eyes, appearing as a dark, shifting silhouette in the rain-soaked forest.

“You’re Assassin, aren’t you?” Lancer narrowed his eyes.

“You’ve got [Presence Concealment], but you had to reveal yourself for your Master’s sake. Go ahead, make the first move.”

“Or perhaps…” Lancer’s gaze flicked to the sword in Assassin’s hand. “A sword? Could it be you’re actually a disguised Saber?”

“Maybe I’m Assassin, maybe I’m Saber. Who knows? I could even be Berserker,” Assassin replied. “Either way, luck’s not on my side. I didn’t find Caster but ran into a pain like you instead.”

“Or maybe my luck is just better than yours, shadowy one,” Lancer said with a grin. “Come on—show me what you can do with that sword.”

“This is just an ordinary sword…” Assassin’s voice trailed off as his form began to solidify. While still shrouded in darkness, his body gained definition, taking on the unmistakable shape of Lancelot.

The transformation wasn’t for glory—it was purely pragmatic. As his body changed, the boundless mastery granted by his Noble Phantasm, [Eternal Arms Mastery], elevated his combat prowess to new heights.

Assassin blurred into motion, a shadow charging through the rain toward Lancer.

One strike… Then he’ll retreat and search for another opportunity, Rin thought, her sharp tactical instincts kicking in. I need to find a way to support him. Assassin isn’t suited for direct combat.

She rubbed the gemstones in her hand, her mind racing to formulate a plan.

—

T/N: KLMAOOOO CU IS SO FUNNY

This is a fan translation of 这是我的圣杯之战 by 向希望祈祷. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!