Saber had remained silent through most of the discussion.
For her, a change of Master was not inherently wrong.
If someone tried to seize Command Seals by force, she would fight to her last breath to protect her Master.
But Shirou was choosing to step away on his own.
And she understood why.
She had seen the Fourth Grail War.
She knew how brutal it truly was.
A high school student had no place in something like this.
More importantly, Shirou's magical capacity was so low that it severely limited how much of her power she could draw upon.
Rowan, on the other hand, radiated overwhelming reserves.
With him as her Master, she could fight at full strength.
Which meant she would have a real chance to claim the Grail.
And with it, perhaps change Britain's tragic fate.
So she waited.
Until the sheath was pulled from Shirou's body.
Her eyes widened.
"That is Avalon."
She stood.
"It is the scabbard of my sword. One of my Noble Phantasms."
Her gaze shifted to Shirou.
"How do you possess it? What is your relationship to Kiritsugu Emiya?"
"He was my adoptive father," Shirou said. "You knew him?"
Saber nodded.
"He was my Master during the Fourth Grail War."
Shirou froze for a moment, then smiled softly.
"That makes sense. My father always felt… larger than life."
He turned to Rowan.
"It's okay. Since it belongs to Saber, you can study it if she allows."
Rowan accepted the sheath and patted Shirou's shoulder.
"You're a rare kind of person."
He paused.
"By the way, call me Rowan. You don't need the 'Mr. Maple' thing."
He glanced at Shirou's hand.
"I'll keep your wish open. You might need it someday."
Shirou nodded.
"Before transferring the Command Seals," Rin said carefully,
"we should report to the Grail War's overseer. Any unofficial transfer could get us sanctioned by the Church or the Mage's Association."
The war had rules.
Battles couldn't expose civilians.
Masters and Servants couldn't massacre indiscriminately.
Break those rules, and every faction would turn on the offender.
Shirou looked at Rin.
"You know the overseer?"
Rin nodded.
"He's a priest from the Church. Also my father's former student. After my father died, he became my guardian."
Rowan raised an eyebrow.
"Does his name happen to be Kirei Kotomine?"
Rin blinked.
"…Yes. You know him?"
Saber's expression darkened.
"I know him."
Silence fell.
"He was a Master in the Fourth Grail War," Saber said. "Your father's greatest rival."
Rin stiffened.
"My father… Tokiomi Tohsaka?"
Saber nodded.
Rin swallowed.
"I know my father died in the Fourth War."
Saber's next words landed like a blade.
"Kotomine ended him."
Rin's breath caught.
Saber continued calmly.
"Kotomine's original Servant was an Assassin. Later, he appeared with an Archer. That Archer belonged to your father."
The implication was obvious.
Rowan added quietly.
"Kotomine is also Lancer's current Master. He murdered his previous Master to steal the Command Seals and enter this war illegally."
The room went cold.
Rin's hands clenched.
Memories clicked into place.
Little inconsistencies.
Strange smiles.
Uncomfortable conversations.
"I'm going to confront him," Rin said. "If he really killed my father, I'll execute him myself."
Rowan nodded.
"Let's go together. I'm curious what the priest is planning."
He placed a hand on Shirou's.
Crimson markings flowed.
The Command Seals transferred.
Saber gasped.
Power surged through her.
"I can feel it," she said softly.
"My strength… it's complete."
...
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