The long first night

"May I ask, are you my Master?"

The wind dispersed the dark clouds, allowing the moon to peek out from behind them. In the bright moonlight stood a blonde girl clad in silver armor.

The seemingly heavy metal armor draped over her petite body, which seemed disproportionate to her slender figure, created an even greater sense of awe with its stark contrast.

The scene was so dreamlike that the person being asked the question shouldn't have answered at all.

"Say 'yes' now, you idiot!"

"Ah?!?"

Seeing Shirou's reaction, Jizi just wanted to bang her head against the wall. She hoped this unknown Srvant didn't mistake the Magecraft who summoned her for an idiot.

"Srvant! She's the Srvant you summoned!"

"Huh? But I didn't..."

"Agree quickly!"

"{}{Novel W. QULU. Oh!"

Shirou had just been taught about SRvant by Jizi, was of course unsure whether this girl would actually appear, but in order to deal with ANR, he had no choice but to rely on her power.

"Um, I am..." Shirou started to say, but before he could finish, he had to show the girl the Command Seals on the back of his hand. During this time, the girl kept a close eye on ANR, whom she had previously defeated, and did not give him any opportunity to attack.

"Yes," the girl nodded after confirming the Command Seals, "Srvant--Sabr, summoned! From this day forward, my sword will be with you, your destiny will be intertwined with mine! Thus—the contract is established!"

Jizi also quietly moved in this direction, but when she got close to the gate, a strong killing intent suddenly locked onto her.

"I—I am your Astr, not your enemy!"

Having Jizi under Tiger of Fuyuki for a long time, Kiko was so overwhelmed by the girl's murderous aura that she began to stutter. This made Jizi deeply aware of the Srvant's power. While feeling fear, she was also relieved, because this meant that the threat of ANR could finally be eliminated.

"Mastr?"

"Yes, that... she's not an enemy!"

Having received Shirou's affirmation, Saber finally suppressed her murderous intent. Jizi quickly ran up behind her and helped Shirou, who was still lying on the ground, to his feet.

"I'm sorry, ANR, it seems you'll have to return empty-handed tonight."

"That's not necessarily true. I'm going to try it no matter what!"

ANR had been gentlemanly waiting for everything to be sorted out until now—actually, it was also because he was being closely watched by SABR and hadn't had a chance—but now he gripped his gun tighter, and a strong fighting spirit emanated from him.

Jizi's attempts to dissuade him failed, and she helplessly shrugged. Although ANR had almost killed her before, and their positions were absolutely hostile, she simply couldn't bring herself to hate ANR, and if possible, she really didn't want to fight him.

Sabr's hands were loosely clenched, obscuring the shape of her weapon, but its class suggested it was a sword. Unable to gauge her opponent's attack range, ANR couldn't act rashly. Sabr, sensing this, smiled slightly and suddenly strode forward.

Dang!

The crimson spear shaft was bent sharply by the pressure of the sword. ANR had not expected Sabr's strike to be so powerful, and his hands were almost jolted so badly that he dropped his weapon. He bent down, using the strength of his waist to withstand the enormous impact, and then sprang up to try to push Sabr away.

"Snort!"

Sabr couldn't let Arn regain control of the battle, but her petite stature inevitably put her at a disadvantage when it came to brute force, and her height disadvantage prevented her from taking advantage of her superior position.

However, the duel between Srvant cannot rely solely on strength and skill; the Noble Phantasm is the key. Suddenly, a small tornado swirled around SARBA's shadow sword. The extremely high-speed rotating airflow made Jizi and Shirou, who were hiding several meters away, feel the stinging wind hitting their faces, not to mention ANR, who was right next to them.

"Ha!"

With a loud shout and the force of the air, Sabr managed to withstand ANR's counterattack and even pressed the blade a little closer to him.

"Cut!"

Continuing like this would only make things worse. ANR suddenly lowered her body, and Saber was momentarily exhausted from the movement. Although it was only for a moment, it was enough for ANR to move her body away from the sword.

The first exchange left ANR with a slight disadvantage, so he didn't dare to make any rash moves and kept a certain distance, watching Sabr warily.

"Alright, ANR? Stopping now is unworthy of the name of a Lancer Knight! If you don't, I'm going to attack!"

"Hmph, before that, let me ask you, is the Noble Phantasm in your hand a sword?" (The novel website does not skip words.)

"Ah, who is it?" Sabr's wrist traced several graceful streaks in the air, and from the subtle distortion of the air, one could see what appeared to be the marks of a blade. "It could be an axe, a spear, or even a bow."

"Are you kidding me, you swordsman!" ANR also twirled his spear a few times in a fancy manner. "We're meeting for the first time, so don't you have any intention of stopping short of a direct confrontation?"

This stance! I've never seen it before, but seeing the way ANR held the gun, Jizi felt a huge sense of unease. That gun, I can't stop him!

"Sorry, you're going to get beaten up here..."

"No! Sabr!" Jizi suddenly remembered what the mysterious figure had said a few hours ago about ANR's real name. She interrupted Sabr's declaration of victory and shouted, "ANR's real name is Cú Chulainn!"

"!"

Upon hearing Jizi's shout, Sabr quickly remembered the hero from the same land as her and his magic spear that could reverse cause and effect. She changed her confident attitude and took a few steps back, staring at the tip of ANR's spear.

"Ah, ah," seeing Sabr's behavior, Arn reluctantly raised his gun and shrugged. "Being too famous isn't a good thing, sigh. My Astra is a coward. His instructions were that if my real name is revealed, I have to retreat immediately, so it seems that tonight we'll have to return empty-handed."

"Are you trying to escape?" The novel website doesn't skip any words.

"Let me make this clear first," ANR glared fiercely at Sabr, "You can chase after me if you want, but remember to be prepared to die!"

"..."

ANR wasn't exaggerating, and Sabr could only watch as he jumped onto the wall and disappeared into the night.

"Um..." Seeing ANR leave, Jizi felt a great sense of relief, spoke to Saber somewhat awkwardly, "Sabr, right? If you don't mind, please come inside. We both have something to say to each other, don't we?"

"Hmm." Saber nodded and followed Jizi and Shirou into the house, but the moment she entered, she suddenly turned her head to a certain spot, as if searching for something.

"Yes, sabr?"

"No, it might be a feeling."

---------------------------------far away-----------------------------

A tall man draped in a crimson coat stood on a rooftop, holding a fantastical longbow. Although he had lowered the bow now, until just a moment ago he had drawn it taut and carefully aimed at a mansion.

At this distance, even a heroic Heroic Spirit would find it difficult to maintain accuracy with an arrow, but he was different. He was extremely familiar with that mansion, and every blade of grass and tree was deeply imprinted in his memory. Therefore, as long as he knew the general direction, he could guarantee that he would hit the bullseye every time.

However, he ultimately did not shoot his arrow, because he saw that familiar figure. He knew that figure's abilities clearly; as long as she was there, there would be no problem.

After confirming the safety of the people living in the house, he spoke to the air as if talking to a person.

"Rin--You may be busy, but I have some information that I absolutely must report!"

After some effort, Jizi finally managed to help Sabra and Shirou understand the current situation. The former unfortunately had been paired with a Half-Baked Astr, which prevented her from fully utilizing her powerful abilities. The latter, Shirou, had not yet fully grasped the situation he had been drawn into. Even with the relevant knowledge, Shirou, who did not belong to the world of Magecraft, was still unfamiliar with the term "Holy Grail War."

"That's basically it. Do you have any more questions?" (The novel website doesn't skip words.)

Yes! *2

As soon as Jizi finished speaking, he heard voices from both sides simultaneously. After a moment of stunned silence, they said in unison:

"Then Saber, you go first."

"..."

"Uh..."*2

"Sabr said, that's settled then."

Since Saber was, after all, a guest, it was only right to show courtesy. Shirou complied with Jizi's decision, leaning back slightly to listen.

"Then forgive my bluntness," Sabr's previously calm eyes suddenly hardened with a fierce aura, "Thank you for your explanation earlier, but Jizi, what is your stance in this war?"

The first question was so pointed, but Jizi's answer was without any hesitation:

"I am the assistant to another Magecraft is also participating in the battle."

"So, can we assume that we are currently in a state of hostility?"

Logically speaking, that does seem to be the case.

Sabr stared intently at Jizi, who met his gaze directly without flinching. A faint, electrifying sound seemed to emanate between them. Sensing the increasingly strange atmosphere, Shirou quickly interjected:

"Hey, Saber, Jizi isn't an enemy—"

"I understand Astra's desire not to be at odds with his family, but since the Holy Grail War is called a war, it has the same cruel connotations as a real war—masters and students, relatives and friends, lovers, and even fathers and sons can become enemies."

No, no, when the topic of father and son came up again, a certain emotion seemed to flash across Saber's eyes.

"But also because it is a war—and a large-scale melee involving multiple forces—it means that the positions of the participants are relatively flexible. There is indeed only one Holy Grail, but do we have to draw a clear line now?" (The novel website does not skip words.)

"You mean the alliance?" (The novel website doesn't skip words.)

"Or you could say it's a temporary non-aggression pact—but ultimately it depends on your opinion, Astr, isn't it?" (The novel website doesn't skip words.)

"That's true. Mastr, what do you think?"

"Huh?" Shirou felt a little uncomfortable being stared at by both Jizi and Saber. "What are you two talking about?"

"To put it simply— Shirou, do you want the Holy Grail?" (The novel website does not skip words.)

"Ha?"

"That's a super treasure that can grant any wish! With it, you can have anything—money, power, authority—aren't you even a little tempted?" (The novel website doesn't skip words.)

"Huh? Well... it would be a lie to say I don't have any wishes I want to fulfill, but it seems my wishes can't be granted by the Holy Grail."

"That's true, after all, you're Hero of Justice."

"Hahaha, well, that's how it is -- wait, Saber, your expression is a little strange?"

"Sorry, don't mind me, Astra."

When the term "Hero of Justice" was mentioned, Saber's expression sent a chill down the spines of Jizi and Shirou. However, considering she was an ancient heroine, perhaps it was related to her past experiences, and if she didn't want to talk about it, they shouldn't press her. So Jizi continued to ask Shirou:

"So, do you want to participate in the Holy Grail War? To fight against others and vie for that one and only spot?"

"..."

"Needless to say, neither do you, but you can't just sit idly by and watch the 'Holy Grail War' continue right beside you, right?" (Novel website has many words)

"Um."

"Then I suggest that Shirou form an alliance with Tohsaka- senpai."

"Ah?"

"This is good for both of us, isn't it? You know Tohsaka -senpai; she's not the kind of person who would set up barriers in the school, nor would she resort to any means to win. At least in terms of character, she's trustworthy. And I can guarantee that she has no desire for the Holy Grail. So let's all work together to eliminate the other Srvant first, and then let the two Srvant decide who gets the Holy Grail, whether it's a duel or some other method, just choose one that everyone can accept."

"That's true..."

Shirou was easily persuaded; after all, he had spent so much time with Jizi and knew exactly how to handle the situation. Now that Astra had agreed, things became much simpler with Sabr.

"Sabr should at least meet and talk to them first before making a decision, right? (Novel website has many words)"

"Yes, it's unwise to draw conclusions without even meeting them."

Both sides have almost agreed, all that's left is to inform Rin -- so much has happened today, and this is only the first day, sigh... Jizi sighed to herself as she returned to the Magecraft Workshop and activated the communication Magic Circle specially set up between her and Rin.

"Huh, there's pre-reserved information... This is!"

In the living room, Saber and Shirou saw that Jizi had just gone out a short while ago and then hurriedly ran towards the entrance, throwing on a coat as she went.

"Jizi, you--"

"Sorry, I have to go out for a bit. I'll explain next time!"

"Hey! Wait a minute! Hey... Saber, sorry, I'm going too."

"Astr? Please wait for me!"

Rin Tohsaka looked at the person blocking her way and said in an unfriendly tone:

"Excuse me, but if you could just move aside, I might let you off the hook because of your hair color."

"Huh? Let me go?" The little girl with long silver hair and a delicate, cute face tilted her head deliberately, feigning surprise, and said, "Rin, did you do something? If you can leave, I might reluctantly let you go."

"I'm not playing with you right now." The report from Arhr just now forced her to suspend her research on the Mask and rush to the Emiya Residence, only to run into this guy on the way. Long silver hair and red eyes, he really does look a bit like someone.

"What a coincidence, mine is also in a hurry. If we don't go soon, the big brother will get impatient."

"If your goal is the Emiya Residence, then I'm sorry, but we're destined to clash."

The other person's distinctive face and terrifying magical aura quickly confirmed Rin's identity— the Einzbern Family —as she focused on gathering all information related to the Holy Grail War! Considering Kiritsugu Emiya's relationship with the Einzbern, it was understandable that she would appear on the way to the Emiya Residence.

"Well, whatever. Killing you will only take a minute or two anyway, so this little delay won't matter."

"Kill me? You really dare to say that!"

"Then give it a try, brsrkr!"

"Arhr!"

--------------------------------ps---------------------------------

P. S. 1. There seems to be a background story—since the scabbard was returned to Saber ten years ago, should the Shirou use it to summon her? Hmm, after much thought, I've decided to use this reason. "Because that Magic Circle was originally drawn by Saber and Irisviel, so the Magic Circle itself is linked to Saber's karma." It's a bit far-fetched, but I have no other choice. Sorry...

Ps2. The person who left the message for Jizi was not Rin, but arhr.

P. S. 3. I've been really stuck on this lately... and I've forgotten a lot of things. I need to revisit Heaven's Feel. Maybe I'll update Gensokyo or Shiori next time. I really need to take a break here, sorry.

PS4. Let me tell you the correct way to summon the soul. Sending "Soul, return!" won't work. You should click "Vote for Recommendation" or send messages like "Director Luo is so handsome!", "Director Luo fortune roll in!", or "Director Luo, I sent you a package, little loli, please sign for it!" By the way, if you use the last one, you must actually send it, otherwise the ritual will fail if the offerings are not received.

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