This Is My Holy Grail War [53]

The crimson spear pulsed with an overwhelming surge of mana, radiating fiery energy that made the very air sizzle and boil.

As the rain gradually cleared away the lingering mist from the earlier explosion, Assassin stood solemnly amidst the chaos. The scarlet spearhead pointed directly at his heart. With just a single thrust from Lancer, the weapon would pierce through his vital point.

Assassin neither had the time to stop it nor any means to evade. The true nature of that red spear—[Gáe Bolg]—was something only its wielder, Cú Chulainn, could fully comprehend in this Holy Grail War.

“What’s wrong, you black-armored fellow? Don’t tell me you’re scared!” Lancer’s grin widened with unrestrained excitement. His voice rang with exhilaration as he readied the fatal throw. “It’s been so long since I’ve faced such a thrilling opponent!”

With his spear charged and aimed, Lancer taunted, “Better guard that heart of yours! If you die too easily, I won’t consider you a hero. Now—take this!”

Before he could finish his sentence, Assassin dissipated before his eyes into a swirl of mist. The scarlet spear hung in Lancer’s grasp, unthrown. By the time he registered what had happened, Assassin had completely vanished.

All that remained in front of Lancer was the faint drizzle of rain and the ghostly, gray remnants of the mist.

“Really—what a killjoy,” Lancer muttered, his initial enthusiasm now extinguished by disappointment. “Here I was, all hyped up, and you run off without giving me a chance. What a dull guy!” With that, he shrugged, fading into spirit form. “Guess your heart gets to beat for a few more days.”

Both Servants disappeared from the scene of battle, leaving the sirens of approaching police vehicles to echo pointlessly through the empty streets. The culprits would remain forever out of their grasp.

—

In the quiet safety of her home, Rin Tohsaka glanced at her Command Seals. The intricate markings on her hand had dimmed; one of the three was now faint and colorless. That spent Command Seal had been the reason Assassin managed to bypass space and time to return to her side.

The chase had lasted two exhausting hours, from the forests on Fuyuki’s outskirts to the bustling streets of the city. Throughout it all, Rin could only follow Assassin’s instructions: conserve her mana and ensure he had the energy to fight.

As for Caster? Rin no longer had the luxury of pursuing her. She knew better than to face another Servant without her own at her side. Instead, she chose to retreat, returning to her familiar home to recover her mental and physical strength.

Through their shared bond, Rin had witnessed the clash between the Servants.

Countless streaks of light crisscrossed before her mind’s eye, accompanied by the deafening roars of earth and sky. She understood none of it—could see nothing clearly or make sense of the battle’s intricacies.

That helplessness, that overwhelming sense of disorientation, was something only someone in her position could comprehend. Despite being Assassin’s Master, she couldn’t even analyze the most basic elements of the fight.

Was Assassin gaining the upper hand? Or was Lancer the dominant force? All she could ascertain was that her Servant charged forward relentlessly, fighting tooth and nail for their shared goal of victory in the Holy Grail War.

The sensory overload eventually became unbearable. A sharp pain erupted in her head, and her vision swam. She couldn’t hold on any longer.

The first thing Assassin saw upon returning to Rin’s side was his Master dashing into the bathroom.

The sound of retching followed.

Experiencing the battle from Assassin’s perspective had taken its toll on Rin.

The mana required to summon Assassin had drained her reserves to their lowest point. The long hours of high-stakes combat had sapped her stamina. Her nerves, stretched taut since the moment she summoned him, had finally snapped. Though she could now catch her breath, her mental fortitude had been shattered by the dazzling intensity of a clash between Heroic Spirits.

Assassin followed her, pausing just outside the bathroom to pat her gently on the back. “I’m sorry. This is all I can do for you.” He watched her, drenched in rainwater, shivering and disheveled. She hadn’t even had time to change out of her soaked raincoat.

After a long silence, Rin wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and steadied herself. “You did well—better than I expected. I should’ve known better… Even after hearing about Lancer’s capabilities from you, I naively believed you could take him down head-on.”

Servants’ true identities and Noble Phantasms were secrets, yet Rin had gained insight into Lancer’s abilities from Assassin. Still, seeing the battle with her own eyes, she had foolishly hoped an Assassin-class Servant could face the light of day and prevail.

The loss of a Command Seal shattered that delusion. Though Assassin had proven himself capable of clashing with the Three Knight Classes, even holding the upper hand in direct combat, he lacked a decisive trump card to finish the job.

The gulf between Assassin and the Knight Classes lay in their Noble Phantasms.

“It’s good that you understand this, however I should apologize Master,” Assassin said, his voice tinged with emotion.

“No, the one who should apologize is me.” Rin dabbed at her lips with a damp towel. “As Assassin’s Master, I failed to fulfill my responsibilities.”

One mistake had exposed Assassin’s presence. Under normal circumstances, a Servant with Presence Concealment would remain undetected unless they intentionally revealed themselves or encountered a Servant with equivalent detection skills.

Yet Rin’s lack of experience had cost them. She didn’t fully understand her Servant’s abilities—or how to utilize them effectively.

“I acted too rashly,” Assassin admitted. “The first day after a Servant is summoned is when intelligence is most valuable. Beyond that, the usefulness of any gathered information diminishes. I should’ve handled things more carefully.”

The loss of the Command Seal pained both Master and Servant, but it also deepened their understanding of one another, strengthening their partnership.

“I suggest… Master, you should wear gloves to conceal your Command Seals entirely,” Assassin proposed, breaking the silence. “Present yourself as just another mage born and raised in Fuyuki—not as a participant in the Holy Grail War.”

The moment Assassin spoke, Rin grasped the reasoning behind his words.

Apart from Lancer and his Master, no one else knew Rin’s true identity. With Assassin’s Presence Concealment, he could remain undetectable even by most Servants. In essence, as long as Rin didn’t expose her Command Seals or openly admit her role, no one would suspect her involvement in the war.

“You’re right,” Rin said with a determined nod. “It’s time to turn this situation to our advantage.”

—

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!