The atmosphere in the guest room had grown heated by Leo's flights of fancy.
He had nearly exhausted his knowledge as an FGO player, speaking from the Assassin class's King Hassan and Cleopatra, to the Pretender Oberon who could disguise himself as anyone; from the Foreigner Van Gogh and Abigail who could borrow the power of outer gods, to the Avenger Edmond Dantès and Jeanne Alter who had special effectiveness against Ruler...
Each name represented a unique and powerful combat style. Each Noble Phantasm possessed terrifying power capable of turning the tide of battle.
Leo grew more excited as he spoke, as if he could already see a caped Avenger or a brush-wielding Foreigner standing before the gates of Ryuudou Temple, repelling invaders one after another.
Medea listened quietly, flashes of amazement occasionally crossing her violet eyes.
The world Leo described far exceeded the breadth and depth of her knowledge.
Those unheard-of classes and heroic spirits opened an entirely new world for this Age of Gods sorceress.
However, when Leo finally finished listing his magnificent "summoning roster" and looked toward her with expectant eyes—this kind witch simply sighed softly and posed the most fundamental, and most fatal, question.
"Master, your intelligence is truly astounding. But..."
She picked up her teacup and spoke calmly, "Where are we supposed to obtain the holy relics and catalysts needed to summon these powerful heroic spirits?"
Holy relics... catalysts?
These four words struck Leo's mind like a hammer, instantly jolting him from his fantasy.
Right, how could he have forgotten this most basic setting!
This was the Fate/Stay Night world, where summoning heroic spirits required objects with deep connections to the spirits themselves as "anchors."
Unlike in the FGO game, where you could simply "roll" with Saint Quartz.
To summon Edmond Dantès, you'd need at least the original manuscript of "The Count of Monte Cristo," wouldn't you? To summon Van Gogh, you'd probably have to steal "Starry Night" or "Sunflowers"?
"Moreover," Medea continued, completely shattering Leo's last shred of hope, "the Holy Grail War has already officially begun. We don't have much time left."
"If we don't summon a 'gatekeeper' quickly, the Counter Force of the Greater Grail will soon automatically select wild magician candidates and force them to participate to fill the seven slots. We don't have a month, or even a week, to leisurely search for holy relics."
Reality was so harsh.
The excitement drained from Leo's face, replaced by a wry smile.
He scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, "Sorry, Caster, I didn't think this through."
"No, your intelligence is valuable. At least it gave me a new understanding of the 'Heroic Spirit Seat' system."
Medea reassured him, "It's just that given our current situation, our only choice is still that plan which requires the least catalyst and best suits Ryuudou Temple's ley lines."
In the end, after weighing the pros and cons repeatedly, they decided to summon the "gatekeeping old man" from the original work—Sasaki Kojirou.
Though Leo felt some regret deep down, he understood this was the best option available now.
He could only console himself that as long as they won this Holy Grail War and successfully resolved the curse on his body, there would always be opportunities in the future to encounter those heroic spirits who had accompanied him for so long in the game within this vast Nasuverse.
Once he accepted this, he completely abandoned those unrealistic fantasies.
...
That night, the moon reached its zenith.
At the end of the long stone steps of Ryuudou Temple, before the ancient and solemn gate, Medea used her staff to carve an intricate purple magic circle on the ground.
She stood before the circle and began chanting the summoning incantation.
"—I declare!"
"Thy body shall rest upon my command, my fate rests upon thy sword!"
"Heed the call of the Holy Grail, obey this principle, from this intention, answer me!"
As the incantation reached its end, the magic circle erupted in dazzling light.
Within the radiance, a slender figure slowly took form.
It was a young man in an indigo-blue ancient-style kimono, a katana of remarkable length hanging at his waist.
He had long purple hair bound simply with a ribbon at the back of his head, a handsome face, yet an aura like an unsheathed blade—sharp and serene.
He opened his eyes, his calm gaze sweeping across Leo and Medea before settling on the long sword in his hand.
"...I see, manifesting in this world through an imaginary form, bound by the connection of this place."
He spoke softly to himself, then gave a slight nod to Medea, "Caster, and... that Master."
"My name... well, let's just call it Sasaki Kojirou, with the Assassin class."
"However, I have no interest in the Holy Grail."
His demeanor was neither servile nor arrogant, completely unlike a freshly summoned servant.
"All I seek is the pinnacle of swordsmanship."
"To remain here, to cross blades with the world's strongest, to hone my 'Tsubame Gaeshi.'"
"That is precisely what we hope for."
Leo stepped forward with a smile, "Kojirou, we don't seek to bind your freedom. As long as you're willing to be our companion and guard this temple gate for us, we will bring you the strong opponents you desire."
"Agreed."
Sasaki Kojirou's answer was clean and decisive.
He shouldered his long sword, turned toward the gate, chose a position with the best vantage point, and leaned against the pillar to meditate, becoming like a statue merged with the darkness.
A reliable ally was thus born.
Leo and Medea exchanged glances and both sighed in relief.
Yet this peace lasted less than half an hour.
Just as they were preparing to return inside and discuss their next steps, two figures—one red, one black—appeared like ghosts at the bottom of the long stone steps.
"Found you... Leo!"
The leading girl was Rin Tohsaka.
She wore that familiar red top and black miniskirt, but her face now lacked any of her usual composure and elegance.
Those sea-blue eyes burned with an almost obsessive possessiveness, fixed firmly on Leo.
"Did you really think you could hide from me in a place like this?!"
Her voice carried barely suppressed anger, "Come back with me! This time I absolutely won't let you escape again!"
Beside her, the Archer in red spiritual form wore an expression of helplessness and resignation.
With arms crossed, watching his Master's head-over-heels state, he sighed.
'Really... it's become the most troublesome situation after all.'
This unexpected trouble had come knocking on their door.
"Oh?"
Sasaki Kojirou, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, slowly opened them at this moment.
He sensed the powerful aura emanating from the red servant below, and a smile of interest unconsciously played at his lips.
He straightened his body, tilting his long sword slightly, its tip pointing directly at the stone steps below.
"You two, passage through this gate is forbidden."
His voice was flat, yet carried an undeniable resolve.
An unexpected battle was about to ignite before the gates of Ryuudou Temple.