The Second Participant

While Abner and Tohsaka Rin were meeting, unbeknownst to them, a pair of round, jet-black eyes peering through the doorway watched with great amusement.

"Heh heh… The Holy Grail War? I heard something interesting!"

The owner of those beautiful black eyes, and the future mistress of this Magic Workshop, Tohsaka Mina, wore a sly smile. Her gem-like, obsidian eyes darted back and forth within their sockets.

Anyone familiar with her knew that this was the expression of a mischievous girl hatching a plan.

Let's explain things one by one.

First, how Tohsaka Mina managed to overhear the conversation between the two inside.

Tohsaka Rin, being a renowned "Witch" in the magic world, naturally understood the ways of magic and wouldn't have met with Abner without precautions.

Let alone whether Tohsaka Mina had the power to break through Tohsaka Rin's Soundproof Barrier, if she had acted, Tohsaka Rin would have surely known.

This was all thanks to Tohsaka Mina's maternal grandfather.

"Mina, listen in on what's happening inside, and as soon as Grandma calms down, come apologize quickly. Grandma is always saying one thing and meaning another; as long as you apologize properly, she'll definitely forgive you."

These were Tohsaka Mina's maternal grandfather's exact words.

When Tohsaka Mina first arrived, having lived abroad for so long, she struggled to adapt to the Tohsaka Family's ancient and elegant magical lifestyle, often causing trouble. It was also evident that Tohsaka Rin's temper was as rigid and unyielding as the Tohsaka lineage passed down through generations, and she frequently quarreled with Tohsaka Mina.

Every time the two erupted into an argument, her grandfather would wear a bitter yet warm expression, furrowing his brows in distress as he tried to mediate their conflict. To this end, he secretly installed an electronic listening device near the balcony where Tohsaka Rin spent the most time.

Magic and science were the most incompatible things; mages generally disdained science. Tohsaka Rin was someone who couldn't even get used to the latest smartphone, let alone such high-tech eavesdropping equipment. To this day, she still hadn't noticed the small device that had appeared in her territory.

Then, every time Tohsaka Rin got angry, her grandfather would tell Mina this, and then Mina would sneak onto the balcony like a cat, apologize with a fawning smile and a soft voice. After hearing that her grandmother was no longer angry, Tohsaka Mina would come out and obediently apologize.

With their meticulous cooperation, Tohsaka Rin found herself increasingly unable to deal with her granddaughter.

Today… Tohsaka Mina was taking advantage of this.

Actually, it started as just a bit of fun, out of curiosity. She never expected to overhear something so interesting.

"Grandma can't go… Then, as the next head of the Tohsaka Family, Tohsaka Mina naturally has an undeniable obligation!"

She forcefully pounded her rather full chest with a small fist, causing a beautiful curve to tremble. A confident and proud expression graced her young face.

If I could obtain the Holy Grail! Even Grandma couldn't say something as bullying as "you're still far from it," right?

Tohsaka Mina thought this, puffing out her chest again.

For a girl of only seventeen, Tohsaka Mina was remarkably well-developed.

Moreover, at her grandmother's insistence, Mina had begun practicing the Chinese martial art, Baji Quan, from a young age. The result of her rigorous training was long legs and a slender figure, admired by her peers.

Perfectly inheriting her grandmother's almost demonic beauty, she also inherited her father's dazzling blonde hair. Coupled with an elegant lifestyle like an English noble and excellent academic performance, all of this contributed to her reputation as a beauty.

Perhaps due to her bloodline, Mina, like her grandmother, had a particular fondness for red. Today, she wore a red jacket over a black tank top. In a bid to be fashionable, she tied a knot at the hem of the tank top, which, along with the open neckline, formed a beautiful triangular patch of skin. Complementing the red was a black mini-skirt, paired with black stockings and small leather shoes.

To anyone's eyes, she was a beautiful girl of proper bearing.

Under the Tohsaka Family's teachings, Tohsaka Mina possessed the same elegant demeanor as Tohsaka Rin in her youth… and a mind full of little schemes.

In her rebellious phase, her grandmother would dismiss every meticulously completed magic assignment with a simple "you're still far from it," which left Mina increasingly resentful. Especially today, to surprise her grandmother, Mina had secretly "saved" the magic of a gem the day before, yet still received the evaluation of "you're still far from it."

It was a piece she was confident in, yet her grandmother's evaluation seemed to always be just those five words, "you're still far from it." Children at this age always yearned for independence, for maturity, for becoming their ideal selves.

Naturally, Mina wished to be acknowledged by her grandmother sooner.

She had heard about the Holy Grail War many times.

Unlike her grandmother's complete silence on the matter, her grandfather often told Mina about the Holy Grail War as a casual story over tea and conversation. He told her about the world of mages. Of course, he also told her how he met, encountered, and eventually fell in love with her grandmother during the Holy Grail War.

Of course, Tohsaka Mina didn't just come up with this idea on a whim.

First! Her magical talent was undeniable!

Although she "slightly" paled in comparison to her grandmother, she was leagues ahead of her grandfather!

Both her grandfather and grandmother were participants in the Holy Grail War.

And they continued to train for another forty to fifty years. Even so, Mina was stronger than her grandfather! When you put it that way, the participants of the Holy Grail War were just a group of people who had their cultivation reduced by decades compared to her grandparents! It would be easy!

A child's simple thought process.

If Tohsaka Mina had interacted with many mages, perhaps things would be different?

Unfortunately, after the dismantling of the Greater Grail, Tohsaka Rin gradually withdrew from the magic world. By the time Mina came to the Tohsaka mansion, she had completely cut off contact with mages. Let alone mages her own age, she had barely even met any older ones.

In Tohsaka Mina's simple thinking, it was easy to form the illusion that "all mages in the world are like this."

Secondly! Tohsaka Mina also had her own trump cards!

In her room, she carefully opened a delicate jewelry box. Beneath the blue velvet lining, a garnet necklace lay quietly. Red and blue intertwined into a hazy purple, dazzlingly beautiful.

Kiss of Twilight.

The finest embodiment of the Tohsaka Family's gem magic.

It was one of the thirty gems secretly kept by the Witch Tohsaka Rin. Legend had it that it was a garnet gifted to Tohsaka Rin by her grandfather to commemorate a certain event.

From the age of twenty, her grandmother had continuously poured magic into it every day. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that this gem stored over forty years of Tohsaka Rin's magic. And when Mina was eight years old, her grandmother gave it to her as a gift, partly as a means of protection.

Tohsaka Rin might not be the strongest mage, but even so, forty years of stored magic was not something ordinary people could contend with. Once unleashed, even a Servant in the Holy Grail War would find it difficult to escape unscathed.

Although it was a shame it could only be used once…

But! A trump card is meant to be used when necessary!

This was a lesson Mina learned playing poker with her grandfather. Whenever she drew a strong hand, she always wanted to save it for the most crucial moment… and because of that, she'd constantly delay her moves, only to have her grandfather turn the tables while her most crucial card remained in her hand.

A hidden card is meant to be played!

The Holy Grail War is absolutely the perfect stage for it!

Tohsaka Mina! She's about to step onto the world's stage right here!

Winning the Holy Grail War… no, even if she doesn't win, just defeating one or two Servants in the Holy Grail War is sure to earn her grandmother's praise!

Just thinking about her grandmother's icy expression breaking into a smile, her eyes, like the most brilliant jewels, narrowing with gentle amusement, and hearing her say, "Mina, you're amazing. You've already become a magus worthy of the Tohsaka name." That would surely be the best moment!

The more she thought about it, the hotter her heart became, and the wider the smile on Tohsaka Mina's lips grew. After a simple change of clothes, Tohsaka Mina wished she could sprout wings and fly to China.

Of course, she didn't know the way – could you really expect a high school girl who had never left Fuyuki City to know how to get to China?! So, even with wings, it would be useless. She'd still have to bite the bullet and deal with the airport's ticket machines.

In this regard, she was very much like her grandmother – not good with machines. But she heard that airport staff were very friendly, so there would surely be a way, right?

Fortunately, thanks to Fuyuki City's rapid development, there was an airport within the city. Just a quick flight, and it would be very fast…

"Ah… that hurts…"

Just as Mina was planning her bright future, her right hand suddenly ached! A burning sensation, as if a red-hot iron rod was injected into the back of her hand along her veins! Along with the searing heat, three blood-red marks formed on the back of her hand.

Although she had never seen them before, Mina quickly understood from Abner and Tohsaka Rin's conversation that these were the so-called "Command Spells."

In the original Holy Grail War, the Tohsaka, Matou (Makiri), and Einzbern families were known as the Three Families, and in each Holy Grail War, qualified Masters were preferentially chosen from these three families. Now, Mina's fighting spirit ignited.

With her considerable magical talent and the bloodline of the Three Families, she was naturally chosen by the Holy Grail.

"As expected! Even the Holy Grail acknowledges me! Hmph, now, Grandmother will definitely praise me properly! Hmph, I'll elegantly tell her then that I'm already a fully capable magus!"

With a final declaration of her resolve, Tohsaka Mina giggled and rushed out of the house.

Naturally… the Tohsaka Family's fortress-level defensive measures noticed this and faithfully reported the news of their young lady rushing out to Tohsaka Rin.

That child… where is she running off to play again… Honestly, being part of the Tohsaka Family, and still so playful every day…

Tohsaka Rin, who was discussing important matters with Abner, grumbled inwardly about her granddaughter's childish whims, her brow furrowing slightly.

"What is it?"

Abner keenly noticed the subtle shift in Tohsaka Rin's expression and asked with concern.

"No, it's nothing, just family matters."

Tohsaka Rin shook her head. It wasn't the first time Mina had run off to play. This time, she had important matters to attend to, so she'd let her be. She'd scold her when she returned.

Thinking this, Tohsaka Rin turned her attention back.

"...Continue. What kind of Heroic Spirit do you want to summon as your Servant?"