Several days had already passed since the Holy Grail War began.Unlike the first night—when multiple fierce battles erupted almost simultaneously—both the Red faction and the Blue faction chose to lie low during the following days, entering a temporary period of restraint and observation.
After hesitating for several days, Tohsaka Rin ultimately came to the Matou residence together with Emiya Shirou.
Although this Holy Grail War was slated to last an entire month, Rin knew all too well that the longer it dragged on, the more brutal and desperate the fighting would become. Part of her concern was for Sakura's safety as a Master; another part was the simple fact that, as her younger sister, Sakura was the most natural and trustworthy partner she could hope for. After weighing her options, Rin finally decided to visit in person.
She also knew that Sakura disliked having too much contact with her—so this time, she deliberately brought Shirou along.
"Rin, should we force them to withdraw?"Rider's voice echoed softly beside Sakura."I secretly observed that Saber's earlier battle with Red Faction's Lancer. Though she bears the illustrious title of the King of Knights, her strength is rather ordinary—her Master is far too incompetent.
As for that Archer… Berserker's Master already told us his true name, but what's strange is that the knowledge granted to me by the Grail contains no record of him at all.
And did you notice? His true name is exactly the same as one of your classmates."
Through the resonance between Servants, **Rider—Medusa—**had detected Saber and Archer the moment they entered the vicinity of the Matou estate. Draped in a seductive leather outfit that accentuated her voluptuous figure, Medusa appeared beside Sakura without warning, calmly asking whether she should eliminate the two intruders.
There was a saying: darkening doubles one's strength.Because Sakura had fallen into darkness, her power had grown significantly—and as her Servant, Medusa had grown stronger as well.
A blackened Saber could fight six Servants in succession. Though Medusa wasn't quite that absurdly enhanced, she was confident that dealing with a weakened King of Knights and an Archer who favored close combat would pose no real problem.
"Not yet," Sakura replied softly."Revealing our strength too early won't do us any good. Besides… I still want to try winning over Senpai Emiya.
As for Tohsaka-senpai—facing that man must be painful for her, right?
I'm different. If that man stood in front of me, I wouldn't hesitate for even a second to kill him."
The fleeting hatred that flashed across Sakura's face vanished almost instantly. She replaced it with her usual gentle smile and stepped forward to welcome Rin and Shirou.
"I didn't expect Shirou-senpai and Tohsaka-senpai to come together," Sakura said warmly."When Rider told me Servants were approaching, I was worried it might be enemies."
Hearing Sakura address her as Tohsaka-senpai, and noticing that she treated Shirou far more warmly than her own sister, Rin couldn't help but feel a twinge of irritation.
Shirou, on the other hand, was already used to Sakura's friendliness.
Back when she had free time, Sakura often went to his house to cook. When he first learned that Rin and Sakura were actually biological sisters, Shirou had been utterly stunned.
Their personalities were just too different.
Tohsaka Rin—willful, proud, and sharp-tongued.Matou Sakura—gentle, considerate, and incredibly approachable.
Though sisters by blood, in Shirou's eyes they were practically the legendary pairing of demon and angel.
"Sakura, I've told you so many times," Rin said with a frown."You can call me by my name. There's no need to be so formal.
And calling him by his given name while calling me by my family name—doesn't that make it sound like you're closer to him than to me?"
Rin was jealous.Jealous of a guy, no less.
Seeing how Sakura clung to Shirou, Rin cast him a fiercely guarded look, as though afraid her little sister might be stolen away right in front of her.
"Isn't that true?" Sakura replied calmly."I am closer to Shirou-senpai. After all, we've spent more time together than I have with Tohsaka-senpai…"
As she spoke, Sakura naturally wrapped both hands around Shirou's arm.
The moment Rin saw Shirou—blushing, flustered, and looking far too blissful—her fury exploded. She drove a brutal kick straight between Shirou's legs.
Even Archer, watching from the side, sucked in a sharp breath.
Good thing I never told Rin my true identity, Archer thought grimly.If she knew that in my future I end up surrounded by women—and that she herself is one of them…
Judging by the force of that kick, even as a Heroic Spirit, he doubted he'd survive it.
Struck by catastrophic pain, Shirou instantly entered sage mode. At last, he remembered the real purpose of their visit and forced himself to speak, grimacing.
"Actually… we came for something important.
Sakura, you're a Master of the Blue Faction too, right? Why don't you join us? It'd be safer that way."
Shirou wasn't worried about Rin's safety in the slightest—if anything, he suspected others would be the ones in danger, given her explosive personality.
But Sakura… in his eyes, she had always been like a helpless little rabbit.
A girl like her thrown into the cruelty of the Holy Grail War—forget fighting, she might be tricked and betrayed without even realizing it.
Rin thought the same.
What they didn't realize was that the Sakura standing before them was no longer the Sakura they knew.
This Sakura had already fallen into darkness.
Shirou's proposal tempted Sakura deeply.
That ray of light—Emiya Shirou—had not yet vanished from her heart. She hadn't fully darkened, not completely.
There were simply too many Servants in this Holy Grail War. Even with Uncle Kariya's support, achieving revenge would be extremely difficult.
If she joined Rin's group, she could remain hidden for now. Uncle Kariya could act from the shadows, waiting until most of the Servants were eliminated—only then would she begin her true revenge.
Sakura was just about to accept—
BOOOOOOM—!
Without warning, disaster struck.
The floor beneath Saber and Archer erupted with a deafening roar. The ground collapsed instantly, swallowing the spot where they stood.
Caught completely off guard, Saber and Archer barely managed to shove Shirou and Rin out of harm's way before plunging into the pit themselves.
As they fell, a knight clad head-to-toe in heavy armor burst upward through the shattered floor. His armor was shrouded in black mist, exuding madness and fury.
When Matou Kariya learned that Rin and Shirou were coming, he had hidden in the underground chamber with Berserker.
This place—once Matou Zouken's magecraft workshop—was layered with special concealment spells that masked magical presence. Saber couldn't sense them… but that didn't mean Berserker couldn't sense Saber.
Berserker's true name was Lancelot—the Knight of the Lake, one of the Knights of the Round Table. He had answered the Grail's call in pursuit of atonement.
The moment he sensed his king's presence, Lancelot went berserk.
His agitation rivaled even Caster's previous madness when she had mistaken Saber for a holy maiden.
The sudden rampage caught Kariya completely off guard. By the time he tried to restrain Berserker with a Command Spell, it was already too late.
Watching Berserker smash through the floor and charge upward—ignoring Archer entirely as he rushed straight toward Saber—Kariya could only stand there, dumbfounded.
He knew the legends of King Arthur and the Round Table.But if he remembered correctly… wasn't it Lancelot who ran off with the queen?Wasn't Arthur the one who got cuckolded?
Then why did Lancelot look like he was the wronged one?
"Sir Lancelot…" Saber murmured."Yes… I should have known. If the Red Faction's Servants are the same as ten years ago, then Lancelot would indeed be summoned again as Berserker."
Just like her duel with Diarmuid, this encounter was new only for Berserker.
For Saber, it was déjà vu.
Ten years ago, in the previous Holy Grail War, the one who had personally slain Lancelot… was none other than Artoria herself.
Artoria had never blamed Lancelot for his betrayal.And because of that, his guilt only grew deeper.
A knight who should have upheld the code of chivalry had committed an unforgivable sin.
Her forgiveness was not mercy—it was endless punishment.
The king was flawless.The knight was a failure.
For Lancelot, only death at his king's hands could bring true absolution.
Saber understood this. She had lived through this script once already.
This time, she resolved to give him what he sought—by fighting with everything she had.
The script hadn't changed.Lancelot's intent hadn't changed.
But Saber had.
Not in will—but in strength.
Lancelot was the strongest of the Round Table, the ultimate warrior endowed with Knight of Owner and unmatched combat mastery. His parameters were exceptional—so much so that even Artoria had admitted her inferiority.
Now, even as a mindless Berserker, his raw power surpassed Diarmuid's by a wide margin.
Against such a monster…
A weakened Saber stood no chance.