At Homurahara Academy, school didn't end particularly late.
However, after classes, Japanese students usually stayed on campus for extracurricular activities. By the time these activities wrapped up and most students had left, it was already sunset. The orange-red twilight bathed the entire school building in a soft glow, giving it a gentle, dreamy atmosphere.
But Rin Tohsaka had no desire to appreciate the scenery.
She had been thoroughly frustrated today. Her summoned Servant had claimed to be helping investigate the barrier, but all he had done was focus on Europe. In the end, she was still left to handle the investigation herself.
"Can't you take your spiritual form a bit more thoroughly?" Rin complained as she continued investigating. "Like, maybe disappear completely, so even I can't see you? You've been banging on the desk all day… How am I supposed to focus on my studies?"
"Well, I could just wait for you on the playground next time," Fang Mo suggested, shrugging. "That way, I can inspect each student's bloodline."
"I told you, the Holy Grail War has already begun. If you're not with me and I get ambushed by another Servant, what then?" Rin responded, exasperated. "And for the last time, there are no Jewish students at this school. If you've got this much energy, why not help me with the barrier instead…"
"I sent Aki Hayakawa to do that," Fang Mo said, spreading his hands. "I'm a dignified leader, after all. I can't do everything myself, can I?"
"Ridiculous!" Rin snapped, her anger boiling over. "Your so-called 'intelligence officer' wasn't investigating the barrier at all! Do you think I didn't hear you? You've been focused on Eur—"
Before she could finish her sentence, Fang Mo's expression suddenly darkened, and he placed a firm hand on her shoulder.
"Ugh!" Rin shivered, thinking she had angered him again. But before she could apologize, Fang Mo lowered his voice and warned her, "Someone's watching us. They're approaching."
"What?" Rin tensed up but quickly composed herself. As a descendant of a prominent mage family with great natural talent, she entered a defensive posture almost immediately.
"Who is it?" Rin cautiously scanned their surroundings. "Is it an enemy Servant? Or a Master? So, this barrier really was set up by the enemy?"
"I'm not sure, but take a look at this," Fang Mo said, summoning a strange, glowing map.
"Huh?" Rin looked down at the map and was stunned. The layout on the map was identical to the school's grounds, and on it were several moving icons. One of them, marked with blue hair, was heading directly toward them at a rapid pace.
"What kind of weird ability is this?" Rin asked. "You didn't mention this last night when you were explaining your powers."
"This is my Noble Phantasm," Fang Mo explained, shrugging. "More precisely, it's a derivative ability—a universal map. My empire's military strength was immense. Do you really think we wouldn't have maps?"
"I see…" Rin nodded, starting to realize she had underestimated the terrifying versatility of this so-called 'Führer's' Noble Phantasm. His projection map was tracking the movement of life forms around them—information that was critical in the Holy Grail War. She hadn't expected the *Reich's* abilities to be this useful. An EX-rank Noble Phantasm indeed, Rin thought. She was lucky to have summoned such a powerful Servant.
Of course, Fang Mo was completely making this up.
The map was just a magical item he had pulled out earlier for his "Führer's Fury" performance. Since a universal map is an essential tool for his "fury," Fang Mo figured he might as well have one. In truth, it was just a blank magic map from the Twilight Forest, but after reality-bending, it turned out to have some kind of radar function, likely influenced by Fang Mo's innate abilities.
"I can already sense the bloodlust," Rin murmured, furrowing her brow. "It's definitely aimed at us. Archer, are you confident?"
Given the enemy's proximity, Rin switched to calling Fang Mo by his class designation, a common practice in the Holy Grail War to prevent revealing a Servant's true name. If an enemy learned a Servant's identity, they could deduce weaknesses or strategies, putting their side at a disadvantage.
"I've already told you," Fang Mo smiled, calmly placing his hands behind his back. "Before us, there are no enemies."
"I…" Rin was about to warn Fang Mo not to be overconfident, but before she could say anything, a powerful presence suddenly appeared from above. Looking up, she saw a figure standing at the edge of the rooftop railing. The sheer murderous intent in the person's eyes sent a chill down her spine.
It was a man dressed in a blue bodysuit, his eyes glowing red with malice.
At a glance, Rin could tell this was a Servant. His broad shoulders were adorned with metallic accents, his face was handsome yet menacing, and his ears bore teardrop-shaped earrings. In his hand, he gripped a blood-red spear covered in intricate patterns.
Instinctively, Rin took a step back. The moment their eyes met, she knew she was no match for him. This was the terrifying strength of a Servant, but strangely, her own Servant had never demonstrated such an aura.
"You mentioned Archer, didn't you?" The man in blue finally spoke, his voice low and threatening. "So, young lady, and you over there… you must be my enemies."
"He's probably Lancer," Rin said, ignoring his remark and quickly briefing Fang Mo. "He likely has high magic resistance. Be careful. I haven't spotted his Master yet."
"Probably a solo operative," Fang Mo commented casually, glancing up at Lancer. "Hey, can I ask you something before we start fighting?"
"What do you want to ask?" Lancer asked, intrigued.
"Are you of Jewish descent?" Fang Mo asked.
"...Huh?" Lancer was momentarily taken aback by the strange question. Assuming Fang Mo was probing for information, Lancer didn't bother hiding anything. He shook his head. "Of course not."
"Alright then, I'll let you live," Fang Mo nodded. "If you can't win, remember to run."
"Ha! You're awfully confident, aren't you?" Lancer, clearly angered by Fang Mo's arrogance, decided to stop wasting time. His spear gleamed as he leaped from the rooftop.
"I heard you're an Archer," Lancer said as he lunged forward, his speed blinding. The spear in his hand seemed to blur into a crimson streak. "I can't let you keep your distance. I'll kill you up close!"
"Archer!" Rin shouted in alarm.
Seeing Lancer's speed, she panicked. Her instinct told her they were no match for him. After all, Rin was just a normal girl thrust into the Holy Grail War. She had been trying to put on a brave front, but now she was genuinely scared. A ranged Archer up against a close-combat Lancer? That was a bad situation.
However, the next moment, Fang Mo casually pulled out a gun.
Even though Lancer attacked first, Fang Mo's reaction speed seemed even faster. Without a word, he pulled the trigger.
*Boom!*
The gunshot rang out, and Lancer's body jerked violently. A massive hole appeared in his right shoulder, the force of the shot tearing straight through his body. A fountain of blood erupted from the wound, and Lancer, overwhelmed by the impact, was thrown backward, blood spraying as he crashed into the ground.
"What… the hell!?" Rin was utterly dumbfounded by what had just happened.
"Beyond seven paces, a gun is faster than a spear," Fang Mo said calmly, blowing smoke from the gun's barrel. "Within seven paces, a gun is faster *and* more accurate. The times have changed, Lancer."
"…"
Rin didn't know how to respond and instead looked over at Lancer.
Despite the critical wound, Lancer was a Servant, after all, and a tough one at that. After a few moments, he pushed himself up, using his spear for support. Blood was still pouring from his shoulder, but he managed to stand again, albeit shakily.
"He's still able to fight?" Rin said, eyes narrowing. "As expected, Servants can draw magical energy from their Masters to heal their injuries. Archer, you need to finish him off!"
"Why should I? He's not Jewish," Fang Mo replied nonchalantly. "I already gave him permission to run. As a dignified leader, I can't go back on my word, can I?"
"I…"
Rin felt like she was going to lose her mind. By Fang Mo's logic, they might as well move the Holy Grail War to Israel!
"You really shouldn't let him go," Rin advised, trying to remain calm. "The Holy Grail War is far more dangerous than we realize, and I think I've figured out his true identity. If we let him escape now, he'll become a serious threat later."
"A threat?" Fang Mo gestured to the struggling Lancer on the field. "That?"
"If I'm right, he's from Celtic mythology," Rin continued seriously. "His spear… it's not normal."
"Celtic mythology?" Fang Mo asked.
"Yes. He could be the famous Child of Light, Cu—"
"What!?"
Before Rin could finish, Fang Mo's expression twisted in fury. "The Child of Light? That damned author's self-insert Servant?!"
"...Huh?" Rin was bewildered by his outburst.
"This guy absolutely cannot be left alive." Fang Mo, now filled with righteous fury, dramatically waved his hand. Space behind him rippled like water, and a massive cannon slowly emerged, glowing with a purple light. "He needs to be executed immediately—by cannon!"
"Wait, what are you—"
Rin was utterly confused. How did Fang Mo's mood shift so drastically? But before she could even process what was happening, Fang Mo had already slammed his hand down. "ICE Stick, fire!"
"Stop!"
*Boom!!!*
It was too late. The massive cannon roared with a deafening blast.
Rin felt the shockwave slam into her, lifting her off her feet and sending her sprawling across the ground. She landed hard, pain shooting through her body.
And that was just the aftershock. The real danger lay in the fired shell. Pushing past the pain, Rin scrambled to look toward the field, only to see a black mushroom cloud rising into the sky. The school's windows all shattered at once, nearby buildings collapsed, and debris flew everywhere.
Even the rooftop Rin stood on shook violently, as if it could collapse at any moment.
Fortunately, there were no students or teachers left at the school by now. Although the destruction was immense, at least no one had been hurt.
When the dust finally settled, the entire field had vanished, replaced by a smoldering crater. The ground still glowed faintly red, the soil molten and glass-like. The sheer power of the attack was terrifying.
"This…"
Rin was left speechless, stunned by the scene before her. Normally, she should have been thrilled by her Servant's incredible power, given how overwhelming his Noble Phantasm was.
But the problem was that the entire school had almost been obliterated. There was no way to cover this up anymore. After all the talk about not letting the Holy Grail War affect ordinary people, they had just blown up half the school. And to make things worse, it wasn't the enemy breaking the rules—it was her. What was she supposed to do now?
"Oh, it looks like the barrier's been broken," Fang Mo said casually from beside her. "Seems like the core was on the field. Well, at least the school's liberated now."
"There's no need for any liberation anymore, thank you," Rin muttered, snapping back to her senses. Her face darkened as she added, "Next time, could you not… huh?"
She trailed off mid-sentence, her gaze catching something moving in the ruins below. Her face turned pale as she realized—
—was that one of her classmates?