Third Master

The setting sun hung on the horizon, and the veil of night was about to fall.

Tohsaka Residence, a rather classical Western-style building, was also the home of the Tohsaka family, a name with no small reputation in the world of magecraft.

Although, as of today, the only one left in the Tohsaka family was Rin Tohsaka.

"Yes, Kaoru Sakura is with me."

"We will be back shortly."

"Please rest assured, I will keep a close eye on her."

In the living room on the first floor, Sasuke was speaking with the old man. Although Kaoru Sakura had not yet woken up, under the treatment of Rin Tohsaka, there shouldn't be any major issues.

Therefore, Sasuke did not want the elderly man to worry too much.

The guest room door on the second floor opened and Rin Tohsaka stepped out. Seeing that Sasuke had just hung up the phone, she spoke to him about the current state of Kaoru Sakura:

"I used a suggestion spell; she won't remember being attacked today."

"Don't worry, it won't have any negative impact on her."

"Kaoru Sakura's body is no longer in any serious condition. She will fully recover after resting at home for three or four days."

After arriving in the living room, Rin Tohsaka first poured herself a cup of freshly brewed black tea, then poured a cup for each of the two people sitting in the living room.

Rin Tohsaka sat down on a single-seat sofa. Looking at Sasuke, who was sitting on the long sofa with Shirou Emiya, she couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

"Asking me to explain it all of a sudden, I really don't know where to start."

"In any case, let me give you a brief overview of mages and the Holy Grail War first."

Rin Tohsaka was truly worthy of being the current head of the Tohsaka family; she allowed Sasuke to understand the relevant information about mages and the Holy Grail War in a concise and rapid manner.

At the same time, she provided Sasuke with quite a bit of intelligence regarding Masters and Servants.

The biggest difference between a mage and an ordinary person is the presence or absence of Magic Circuits.

The so-called Magic Circuits are the source of magical energy that a mage is born with.

They are simulated nerves held within a mage's body and represent the aptitude of a mage; their principle is to act as a path to convert life force into magical energy.

However, even among ordinary people, there are a few who are born with Magic Circuits.

Shirou Emiya is one such person.

As for the glowing object Sasuke had seen on Rin Tohsaka's left arm earlier, that was a Magic Crest.

This is a crystallization of magecraft passed down through the Tohsaka generations, which can be said to be an auxiliary engine different from the mage's own circuits.

Located on Rin's left arm, it does not require complex incantations; as long as magical energy flows through it, the magecraft carved within can be activated.

Precisely because of this, it only appears when it is being used.

Why was it glowing at that time?

Because at that moment, Rin Tohsaka was hunting down Shirou Emiya.

As for why, that is not something that can be explained clearly in a short time.

Regarding the Holy Grail War, this is how Rin Tohsaka explained it to Sasuke.

Approximately every sixty years, the spiritual power within the ley lines of Fuyuki City accumulates to a level sufficient to support the descent of the Holy Grail. Thus, the Holy Grail, which possesses the power to grant any wish regardless of what it may be, appears in Fuyuki City.

However, only one pair of Master and Servant can obtain this power.

Therefore, an unspoken covenant is established: seven mages, each leading their own summoned Heroic Spirit, engage in a battle for the ownership of the Holy Grail. The survivor who remains at the end will claim ownership of the Grail.

"In other words, the one who attacked Kaoru Sakura at the school earlier was one of these seven Servants."

"Of course, that does not include my Servant or Shirou Emiya's Servant."

"I originally wanted to let you see my Servant, but he doesn't seem to want to be treated like an exhibit."

After Rin Tohsaka finished speaking, she let out a meaningful laugh.

Sasuke didn't care much about this; after all, it wasn't as if he hadn't witnessed it earlier today.

"No matter. I believe I have already understood what you are talking about."

Taking advantage of this moment, Rin Tohsaka stared into Sasuke's eyes, wanting to ask something, but then she stopped herself.

After all, digging into a mage's abilities is a major taboo, even though she was very curious about Sasuke's magecraft and his ocular powers.

Although she wasn't entirely certain, Rin Tohsaka felt that there was a high probability that Sasuke possessed Mystic Eyes.

Mystic Eyes are a form of engineering magecraft.

By turning one's own eyeballs into Magic Circuits—a method similar to a Magic Crest—the passive function of receiving external information is converted into an active ability to influence external objects.

In other words, all targets within the line of sight will be affected by the magecraft; if the target looks directly into the Mystic Eyes, the effect of the magecraft will rise exponentially.

Because Mystic Eyes cannot be looked at directly, and one falls into the opponent's magecraft the moment they are seen, coupled with the fact that it is difficult to judge from appearance whether someone possesses them, they are considered impossible to guard against.

Therefore, most people who possess Mystic Eyes are first-rate mages.

But as for the changes that occurred in Sasuke's eyes earlier, Rin Tohsaka didn't know what else it could be besides Mystic Eyes.

Sasuke already understood everything that needed to be clear, so he stood up and said:

"Thank you for today."

"If you ever need my help with anything in the future, just let me know."

"And if you find the guy who harmed Kaoru Sakura, please tell me. I can take care of him for you."

Rin Tohsaka naturally did not refuse; after all, having an extra helper in this war would be highly advantageous.

Rin Tohsaka nodded slightly, and just as she was about to say something, the door to the guest room on the second floor opened.

Kaoru Sakura appeared with her dark hair disheveled and her eyes still somewhat hazy; she had completely forgotten about today's events.

Having been placed under a suggestion spell by Rin Tohsaka, she simply believed she had been invited to her senior's house and had fallen asleep because she was too tired to resist.

Seeing that Kaoru Sakura had woken up, Rin Tohsaka put her acting skills to work and said to her in a gentle voice:

"How was your sleep, Kaoru?"

"I called your brother to come pick you up."

Kaoru Sakura shook her slightly dizzy head, hurried downstairs, and gave a deep, embarrassed bow to Rin Tohsaka:

"I am so sorry, Rin Tohsaka-senpai. I didn't mean to fall asleep..."

To this, Rin Tohsaka smiled, displaying her superb acting skills:

"It's alright. If there's another chance, I'll invite you over to my house again for a proper visit."

Kaoru Sakura was flattered. Even though she had been placed under a suggestion, Rin Tohsaka was, after all, a young lady at school known for her excellent grades, good character, and everything else!

Rin Tohsaka was very popular among the male students and had a good reputation among the female students as well; she even had an unofficial fan club.

"Yes! Rin Tohsaka-senpai..."

"I would be honored! I'd love to!"

Watching Kaoru Sakura, who kept using honorifics whenever she got nervous, Sasuke let out a soft sigh:

"Time to go back, Kaoru."

"If we're any later, the old man might get angry at you."

In the end, it was Rin Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya who saw them to the gate of the estate.

After Rin Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya left, Sasuke, who usually kept a straight face, looked at Kaoru Sakura and asked:

"Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"

Kaoru Sakura rubbed her head with a confused expression:

"I feel a bit weak, and it's like I've forgotten something."

Watching Kaoru Sakura walk unsteadily and listlessly, Sasuke walked in front of her, crouched down, and said with a calm expression:

"I'll carry you."

Kaoru Sakura looked at the deserted surroundings, her expression showing a bit of disdain, but she couldn't help but laugh as she retorted:

"Ugh..."

"Big brother... aren't you embarrassed?"

Although Kaoru Sakura said that, she still lazily climbed onto Sasuke's back, giggling as she did so:

"I never thought I'd actually get to visit Rin Tohsaka-senpai's house!"

"Big brother, you have no idea how many people at our school like her!"

"But what surprised me most was Shirou Emiya-senpai. Could they already be in a relationship?"

"Sss... that's such explosive news!"

"But if I were to tell anyone, I'd probably lose my life, right?"

Listening to Kaoru Sakura's self-talk, Sasuke walked silently toward home.

However, as he walked, his phone received a message from Rin Tohsaka.

Although Rin Tohsaka was very bad with modern electronic devices, fortunately, with Shirou Emiya's help, she was able to manage sending a text message.

[Tomorrow after school, Shirou Emiya and I are going to investigate the third Master hiding in the school.]

[Are you coming?]

For Sasuke, this was not a multiple-choice question.