Sister Rescue Plan

Rin Tohsaka looked at Shiori Emiya and sighed, "Emiya-kun, I never thought you would be chosen by the Holy Grail as well."

"What exactly is this—"

Emiya Shiori was completely confused; she had no idea what was going on.

Beside Rin Tohsaka, the archer in red shifted his complicated gaze from Saber, and looked at Shiori Emiya with even more annoyance.

"Rin." He blocked their view and said in a cold tone, "You've seen the person, it's time to leave."

He had his back to Shiori Emiya, seemingly not wanting to see the two of them at all: "Don't forget, we are already enemies with them. Looking back now, your previous rescue was simply aiding the enemy."

"Shut up, Archer!" Rin Tohsaka raised the back of her hand, which now only had one Command Seal left. "Do I need to emphasize again who's in charge?"

"No..." The archer turned his head away.

"Why do I always feel like you're targeting Emiya-kun?" Rin Tohsaka looked at him with some confusion.

"No, that's your imagination." Archer's eyes were complicated and unreadable. He simply turned his body into spirit particles. Through the contract, Rin Tohsaka could feel that his body was moving away from them.

"I'll go and keep watch around the area."

Click—

The crow on the street lamp was cut in half by a short knife.

That's a familiar. During the Holy Grail War, mages use it to monitor their opponents' condition. They usually don't kill familiars intentionally, but now it's become a tool for Archer to vent his anger.

The crow wasn't quite dead after being split in two. The spell pre-programmed within its body was activated, and the crow's entire body was used to extract magic power, instantly turning into ashes. A blurry figure shot out from the ashes and landed in a corner of the courtyard.

It was just a simple telepathic magic trick, and the distance was enough for Saber and Archer to react in time to any possible changes, so they didn't make a move.

"The Master of Acher and Saber." A young voice came from within, "I am the Master of Caster, and my purpose in coming here is to form an alliance with you."

"An alliance?" Rin Tohsaka scoffed. "Those who hide their true colors have no right to form an alliance with me."

"If I dared to appear before you, I'd probably be beheaded by your heroic spirit in an instant, wouldn't I?" The blurry figure laughed, seemingly unconcerned about such a thing.

“In that case, there’s no need for an alliance.” Rin Tohsaka said decisively, “I don’t ally with people I don’t trust.”

"Don't be so quick to refuse, listen to my conditions first." Izayoi Mirai said nonchalantly, "My demands are not high. I will provide you with information on other Masters and Servants, eliminate the others first, and then the three of us will be left to fight it out."

"To show my sincerity, I will give you an extra piece of information, which is about your most beloved younger sister, Matou Sakura."

Therefore, Yoruichi reveals information about the Matou family, such as Zouken Matou, who has possessed his family members generation after generation, the filthy engraving, and the excruciating pain suffered by Sakura Matou.

Rin Tohsaka's eyes widened in fury, so much so that she didn't even notice her fingernails digging into her flesh.

Red A stood aside, unusually silent in his objection.

"Can you take responsibility for what you said?" Rin Tohsaka trembled all over. She never expected that her younger sister was living such a miserable life.

Compared to Sakura, she could be said to be very happy; endless self-blame and guilt overwhelmed her.

She failed in her responsibilities as an older sister.

"Whether it's true or not, why don't you go and see for yourself?" Izayoi Mirai said. "There's no need to say such an easily debunked lie."

"I understand." Rin Tohsaka clenched her fist. "Thank you for the information. I agree to this alliance."

"Then, next up are the Masters and Servants of the Matou family."

Izayoi Mirai cleared her throat: "The Matou family's Servants are Riders, but their true identities are uncertain. On the surface, their Master is your classmate, Matou Shinji, but in reality, he controls the Servants through the Book of False Servants. The true Master is your sister, Matou Sakura."

"You're saying Sakura is the Master?!" The thing Rin Tohsaka least wanted to happen has happened; she's now standing on the opposite side of her most beloved younger sister.

However, she soon discovered another question: "You said Matou Shinji is my classmate? But I don't know this person. Does the Matou family even have such a person?"

Far away at Ryudouji Temple, Izayoi Mirai's expression changed. The plot had indeed taken an unexpected turn, and she didn't know whether it was for the better or the worse.

Archer, standing next to Rin Tohsaka, was also somewhat surprised, but after glancing at Shiori Emiya and the handsome swordsman not far away, he immediately became completely unmoved.

Who knows which parallel world this is? It's normal for characters to change. What he's more interested in is this Caster's Master. Where did he find out about Matou Shinji?

After a brief pause, Izayoi Mirai's voice finally rang out, sounding like a sigh: "Did you kill him so soon? It's just one less person to commit violence."

He said to Rin Tohsaka, "This doesn't conflict with your goal of saving your sister. Let's go, let's take down Zouken Matou."

Yes, Izayoi Mirai never intends to sit idly by and wait for death. No matter which timeline this is, taking down the old bug is the right thing to do.

"Wait a minute." Shiori Emiya, who had been listening for a long time, called out to Rin Tohsaka, who was about to leave. "Although I don't quite understand what's going on, since it's about rescuing people, Tohsaka-san, please let me do my part."

Rin Tohsaka bluntly replied, "Emiya-kun, while I appreciate your desire to help me, you don't have the ability."

Emiya Shiori cast a pleading look at Saber, and the blonde swordsman nodded, holding the unseen blade horizontally:

"Such evil and heretical doctrines should be slain with swords."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

I originally planned to release Kiritsugu and Mordred as well, but Kiritsugu couldn't find a good Master, and Mordred's Saber class was taken by the Elder Blades, which is a real shame.

Chapter Ten: The Mysterious Matou Residence

A new crow was sent, and with Medea's help, Mirai Izayoi contacted Rin Tohsaka and the others through the new familiar.

He didn't plan to go there himself. As a magician, Medea was undoubtedly much more fragile than the other Heroic Spirits. What if Archer accidentally killed them as well? He couldn't trust that guy's integrity.

The reason he hadn't told Rin Tohsaka and the others about the Matou family's heroic spirits' identities wasn't out of selfishness. Izayoi's future was genuinely uncertain. Although the story stated that she was Medusa, things might change. After seeing the male Saber, he knew that the story was unreliable.

Moreover, he failed to capture any trace of the Matou family's heroic spirits. The familiars he sent out died inexplicably when they approached the Matou family mansion, and even the cameras and listening devices they carried were destroyed, so he obtained no useful information.

Such sophisticated instruments are easily damaged. Just like in the battle between the blonde swordsman and Archer, the aftershocks alone damaged a lot of them. That's why Izayoi Mirai ordered so many, which required trucks to transport them.

Rin Tohsaka stopped in her tracks. The group of four, along with a crow, stood at an intersection. The Matou family's residence was just inside, but the strange atmosphere made them pause.

Unlike the dimness under the surrounding streetlights, it was like an abyss, where even the moonlight would be swallowed up, as if an unspeakable beast was lurking there, devouring anything that dared to approach.

Emiya Shiori involuntarily took a step back, and the handsome swordsman immediately stepped in front of her, his broad arms giving her a sense of security.

His emerald eyes turned serious, sharp as swords. He sensed an unsettling aura in the darkness ahead, an aura that even heroic spirits had to face.

It was damp and sticky, reminiscent of a swamp. Just looking at it made one feel as if snakes were crawling up the back of their neck, giving them goosebumps.

Rin Tohsaka forced herself to calm her unease. Because of her exceptional magical talent, apart from the two Heroic Spirits, she was the one who sensed this aura most clearly.

However, she couldn't escape it; her sister was still inside.

“Archer—”

“Understood.” Red A stepped forward and chanted the incantation: “Turn on.”

Two short swords appeared in his hands, and at the same time, like blooming flowers, layers upon layers of petals blossomed around him, a total of seven layers, enveloping him.

Emiya Shiori glanced at him with some oddness. She hadn't expected anyone else to use projection magic like her, and the tone of his voice seemed strangely familiar.

"Don't worry." Seeing Rin Tohsaka's clenched fists, Mirai Izayoi controlled her crow to fly to his shoulder and patted her head with her wing. "If things get too bad, I can ask Caster for help."

If a spatial teleportation spell is prepared in advance, Medea can arrive instantly to provide assistance.

Izayoi Mirai had a good impression of Rin Tohsaka, and after learning the truth, she went to confront her without saying a word. This kind of protection of her younger sister suited her taste very well.

Therefore, he is happy to provide any help he can without harming himself.

scoff-

While they were talking, lightning flashed in the darkness. Who was Archer facing off against? The one who could fight against a Heroic Spirit must be a Heroic Spirit summoned by the Matou family.

The three men and the crow rushed over, and the first thing they saw was an overwhelming array of chains. The chains that filled the space defined the area for the battle, and Red A was in the middle, struggling to defend himself.

Opposite him was a rather alluring female heroic spirit, whose voluptuous figure was perfectly accentuated by her black bodysuit, and her long purple hair swayed constantly with her movements, her eyes covered by an eyepatch.

She pulled the iron chain towards Red A. The chain, like a delicate venomous snake, bit at Red A from all sorts of bizarre angles. Its force was so great that Red A could only parry a few times before his hands began to go numb, and he could barely hold onto the short knife in his hand.

"Hey, don't just stand there, come and lend a hand!" Red A has absolutely no knightly sentiments. He firmly believes that only dead enemies are good enemies. Mutual respect? That's out of the question.

Saber was about to step forward to help, but she immediately stopped and turned to face a corner.

"What a lively night." The buzzing of insects rang out, along with a hoarse and shrill voice. A gaunt and gloomy old man appeared in the corner that Saber was wary of.

"What brings you all to visit this old man so late at night?" He leaned on his cane, letting out a sinister laugh like that of a night owl. His empty gaze swept across the group before finally settling on Rin Tohsaka. "Little girl from the Tohsaka family, are you planning to join forces with outsiders to eliminate us, the three starter families, first?"

"Enough nonsense, Zouken Matou, give me back my sister." Rin Tohsaka glared at Zouken Matou with disgust. She had originally planned to come and ask him first, but now there was no need for that.

Zouken Matou appeared before them in a rather disgusting state, with insects constantly crawling out of and back into his face, and even half of their bodies sticking out of his eye sockets, making him look like a living corpse.

Saber had a gut feeling that something was off about this guy, and she secretly became more vigilant.

"Shall we make a move, Master?" he asked in a low voice.

Emiya Shiori hesitated. She had rushed over to help Tohsaka Rin on a whim, but considering Saber's overwhelming power, she realized that this disgusting old man might not survive a single blow, and she wasn't ready to kill him.

Saber clearly noticed her hesitation and didn't take the initiative to attack. In this strange place, protecting her safety was more important.

"Your sister? No, she's a member of the Matou family now." Matou Zouken seemed to be mocking. "This is an agreement made between your father and me. If you want to break it, your father should be the one negotiating with me."

"You!" Rin Tohsaka was furious, not only because of Zouken Matou's excuse, but also because her father, Tokiomi Tohsaka, had died ten years ago. Zouken Matou couldn't possibly not know this, and he was clearly mocking her.

"Stop arguing with this old bug." The crow on Rin Tohsaka's shoulder patted her head, and Mirai Izayoi's voice came into her ears: "Kill him first, rescuing your sister is the priority."

Rin Tohsaka nodded and used the special channel between Servants and Masters to communicate with Archer, who was still in battle.

The next moment, before Red A could react, a female Servant wielding chains closed in on him, her right leg lashing out like a whip across his abdomen.

The protective Noble Phantasm shattered, and under the whip leg infused with monstrous power, Archer was violently sent flying, heading straight for Zouken Matou.

In an instant, a chilling light filled Zouken Matou's entire field of vision, and Archer's indifferent gaze met those empty eyes.

Chapter Eleven: How the Rich Live

Zouken Matou's body was cut into dozens of pieces, and green pus splattered all over Archer. The next moment, the pieces of his body that fell to the ground turned into a pool of black water and seeped into the ground.

A complete body emerged from another part of the ground, still bearing that zombie-like face with an empty smile.

"Is this the power of Heroic Spirits? This old man is truly powerless to fight back." He leaned on his cane, a slight smile playing on his lips, but his unharmed body seemed to be mocking Red A.

Shouldn't it be covered in bugs?