As Rin was still trying to squash her chaotic thoughts, Kitagawa's voice suddenly burst into her ears.
"Rin-chan, you made it~!"
"!"
Rin jumped, snapping back to reality.
The jumbled mess of thoughts she'd been wrestling with was shattered by Kitagawa's cheerful voice.
Instinctively, she raised a hand, quickly smoothing a few stray strands of hair that had gotten messy from her enthusiastic sing-along earlier, trying to regain a bit of the poise expected of a Tohsaka heir.
"Oh, Marin-nee." Her eyes focused, landing on Marin's beaming face, flushed with excitement.
"Hehe!"
Marin didn't give Rin a second to collect herself. With a big grin, she flung her arms open and swooped in for a hug, like a cheerful little bird.
"Ten-kun's concert was totally amazing, right? Didn't it make your heart race like crazy?!"
She leaned in close to Rin's still-warm cheeks, lowering her voice with a hint of smugness. "I'll let you in on a secret—when I first saw him perform on that tiny stage back in high school, I was completely hooked!"
Rin stiffened in the embrace, barely getting a word in before Marin's infectious energy swept her along, half-pushing, half-pulling her toward the backstage area.
"Back then, the second he stepped on stage, you couldn't ignore his charisma," Marin chattered on, her eyes sparkling as if she were reliving her high school days. "You know, the moment he started playing that electric guitar, every girl in the crowd lost it—including me!"
She tugged Rin through the bustling staff, weaving toward the backstage entrance.
"The competition was fierce! Tons of upperclassmen and underclassmen had their eyes on him!" Marin waggled a finger proudly. "But guess who won? I snagged him! Heehee!"
The hallway dimmed slightly.
Rin let herself be dragged along, Marin's happy recounting of her "fangirl history" filling her ears.
She glanced at Marin's excited profile, her feelings a tangled mix.
The commanding, radiant figure on stage, the high school boy from Marin's stories, and the gentle, caring "brother-in-law" at Marin's house…
These images collided and overlapped in Marin's bubbly chatter.
"Mhm," Rin murmured softly, letting Marin lead her into the backstage area.
At the end of the corridor, a door with a "Nero" nameplate stood slightly ajar, spilling out bright light—Ten's dressing room.
Marin pushed the door open, and a wave of cool air mixed with the faint scent of makeup hit them.
"Sit here~" Marin plopped onto a couch, patting the spot beside her.
Rin barely sat down before Marin leaned in, eyes twinkling. "Rin-chan, weren't you shocked when you realized Nero was Ten-kun?"
Rin nodded silently, her mind flashing back to when Shirou showed her a picture of "Nero." Her brain had gone blank, stuck on the image of her laid-back "brother-in-law" lounging with his legs crossed in Tohsaka.
"Hey~" Marin giggled, her eyes curving into crescents as she shook her head smugly.
But then she pouted. "Too bad you got here late, or you could've seen me sing on stage!"
Rin looked up. "Sorry, family stuff…"
"No worries, no worries!" Marin waved it off, her smile blooming again. "I'm just thrilled you came!"
The dressing room door swung open, and Gaio strode in, still radiating the heat of the stage.
Outside, the crowd's encore chants rose and fell like waves.
"Ten-kun!" Marin's eyes lit up. She fluttered over like a joyful butterfly, throwing herself into his arms. "Great job~!"
Gaio caught her, his lips curling into a gentle smile, a stark contrast to his stage persona.
He ruffled her hair, his fingers still slightly sweaty from the performance, but his touch was unmistakably tender.
Rin watched, that thought creeping back: My "brother-in-law" is nuts, isn't he?
Ten's gaze flicked over Marin's shoulder, meeting Rin's with a knowing nod, as if he'd already guessed why she was here.
Marin kept chattering about the show, but Gaio leaned down and whispered something in her ear.
Rin saw Marin blink, then turn to her with a bright grin. "Rin-chan, hang out here for a bit, okay? I'm gonna find Shizuka-nee and let her know there's no encore for the crowd."
The door clicked shut, and the room fell so quiet you could hear the faint hum of the air conditioner.
Gaio sat at the vanity, crossing one leg casually, his commanding stage presence creeping back.
He glanced at Rin through the mirror, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
"So," he tilted his head, resting his cheek on his fist, "you in trouble, Miss Tohsaka?"
Rin met his gaze, took a deep breath, and nodded firmly.
"Yeah, I'm in trouble."
Gaio raised an eyebrow, gesturing with his chin. "Spill. I'm listening."
Rin hesitated, her fingers twisting together tightly.
"Ten-kun, back in Tohsaka, you already knew about the Holy Grail." Her voice was quieter than usual. "You must also know how brutal the Holy Grail War is. My father died in it."
Gaio nodded slightly, urging her to go on.
"Today's the first day of the new Holy Grail War." Rin pursed her lips. "I found out that Gilgamesh, my father's former Servant, has a physical body now. That's not normal." Her nails dug into her palms. "I can't help but think my father's death is tied to him."
Gaio straightened slightly, his expression still calm. "So, what's your plan?"
Rin's gaze hardened, resolute. "I want your help to capture Gilgamesh."
She paused, then added, "I'll find some allies to assist with the mission."
Gaio narrowed his eyes, letting out a low, "Hmmm~"
Silence stretched out.
Rin's heart sank.
The Holy Grail War was too dangerous, especially with Marin, an ordinary person, around. Would Gaio hesitate because of her?
Her fingers dug deeper, ready to suggest sending Marin to safety first while she held off Gilgamesh.
"Okay," Gaio said suddenly.
Rin's prepared words caught in her throat.
Gaio tilted his chin, his gaze locking onto her through the mirror, his tone light but firm. "I'll take care of him."
He paused, tapping a finger on the vanity's edge.
"And the other person who killed your father."
Rin's breath stopped, her eyes widening. "Another… killer?!" The question burst out.
Just then—
"I'm back!" The door flew open with a bang, and Marin swept in like a lively breeze, her face glowing with energy. "All done! The crowd's heading home!"
Rin's words died on her lips.
Marin bounced in, but paused, noticing the tense silence between Rin and Ten.
Blinking her big eyes, she tilted her head. "Huh? You two…"
Gaio stood, walking over to her and gently patting her head. "Take care of your cousin," he said softly. "I'm gonna shower, then we'll grab some late-night snacks at the hotel."
"Got it!" Marin nodded eagerly, her curiosity instantly forgotten.
Gaio didn't glance at Rin again as he left, closing the door behind him.
The second it shut, Marin plopped next to Rin, linking arms affectionately. "Rin-chan~ What were you and Ten-kun talking about? The vibe was kinda weird."
Rin dodged her gaze, shaking her head slightly. "Nothing much, just… family stuff."
She quickly changed the subject. "Did you have fun singing tonight, Marin-nee?"
"SO much fun!" Marin's eyes sparkled, and she launched into describing her time on stage.
After a while, she remembered her point. "Oh, Rin-chan! Come grab snacks with us later, okay?"
Rin's mind was still stuck on Ten's "other killer" comment, too distracted for food.
She gently pulled free from Marin's arm and stood. "No thanks, Marin-nee. Family stuff… it's keeping me busy. I gotta head back."
"Aww," Marin whined, pouting.
But seeing Rin's tired, preoccupied expression, she didn't push. "Alright, fine."
She stood, suddenly grabbing Rin's shoulders and looking her straight in the eyes, serious for once. "But listen, Rin-chan!"
"Hm?" Rin blinked, caught off guard by her intensity.
"If," Marin's expression was unusually solemn, full of concern, "if someone's bullying you or you're in any kind of trouble, you have to tell me, okay?"
She shook Rin's shoulders, as if sealing the promise. "I'll totally have your back! I'll beat up anyone who messes with you, no matter who they are!"
Seeing Marin's pure, determined eyes, the heavy weight in Rin's heart eased just a fraction.
Looking at her vibrant, guileless cousin, Rin's lips curved into a soft smile.
"Got it, Marin-nee," she said gently, warmth in her voice. "Thanks."
That unguarded care lightened her tense mood a bit.
Rin said goodbye to Marin and hurried out of the still-feverish stadium.
The night air was cool, brushing her flushed cheeks, but it couldn't dispel the heavy questions and urgency in her heart.
She ran back to the hidden abandoned shack.
Pushing open the door, she was hit with a tense atmosphere.
In the flickering candlelight, Shirou was pacing anxiously. Hearing her, he rushed over, worry etched on his face. "Rin! How'd it go?"
Rin took a deep breath to steady her panting and nodded curtly. "He agreed. He'll help."
She deliberately left out the chilling "other killer" detail. Now wasn't the time to dig into that.
Shirou exhaled in relief but then looked incredulous, scratching his head. "Nero… can he really do it? Isn't he, like, a big celebrity?"
The gap between that and facing the ancient king with a physical body was just too wide.
Rin pressed her lips together, her gaze unwavering. "I believe he can."
As she spoke, the image of Gaio in the dressing room—legs crossed, lounging casually yet exuding an unshakable aura of control—flashed vividly in her mind.
That effortless confidence made her trust his promise.
Seeing Rin's certainty, Shirou sighed, knowing she wasn't acting on impulse. "Alright… guess we'll go with that for now."
He glanced around the shabby room, aware they had no better options.
Rin's attention shifted to the corner.
Artoria lay on the ground, pale and barely breathing, gravely injured.
Rin hurried over, kneeling to carefully check her wounds.
Her golden hair was matted with dust and dried blood, her once-majestic armor battered.
Rin's brows furrowed, her eyes heavy with worry. Time was running out.
Meanwhile, across the city.
In a luxurious presidential suite, warm chandelier light bathed the room, with a stunning cityscape glowing beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows.
The long dining table was laden with exquisite dishes, their aromas filling the air.
Ten, now in comfy casual clothes instead of his flashy stage outfit, sat relaxed at the table's head. He hadn't touched his utensils, just quietly watching the person beside him.
Marin was devouring her food, cheeks puffed out like a happy hamster.
She mumbled through bites, sharing funny concert moments, her eyes crescent-shaped with pure joy.
Gaio watched her sunny smile, his own lips curved in a gentle one.
The eyes that commanded the stage were now filled only with focused affection.
He listened quietly, occasionally humming in response, his gaze never leaving her.
Gaio sipped his water, glancing out at the endless night, lost in thought.
---
The next morning.
The abandoned shack reeked of damp dust. Rin, leaning against the cold wall, jolted awake as Archer's faint but deliberate alertness brushed her senses.
Her eyes snapped open, still heavy with exhaustion.
"Master." Archer's low voice carried a hint of gravity. "Urgent news."
Rin's heart sank. "What is it?"
"The Tohsaka estate… it was breached last night." Archer's tone was flat but heavy. "The family, all slaughtered."
Rin's pupils shrank, her body tensing like a bowstring. A chilling dread shot up her spine.
"Why?" she blurted, her voice hoarse without her realizing. "The Tohsaka family's no real threat anymore… there's no reason for a massacre!"
After her father Tokiomi's death, the Tohsaka family had dwindled, left with only minor members or ordinary people. This slaughter was pure spite!
A thought stabbed her mind: The other killer… the one Gaio mentioned!
Before she could dwell, Archer's voice rang out like a death knell. "Also, a Servant has fallen. Their mana's already feeding the Lesser Grail."
Rin inhaled sharply, the cold morning air stinging her lungs.
So early in the war, and already a casualty… Gilgamesh's actions were crazier and faster than she'd feared! He didn't care about rules—just filling the Grail as fast as possible!
"Got it," Rin forced herself to stay calm, her voice icy.
She quickly summed up the grim news. "The estate's destroyed, the family wiped out. A Servant's down, and the Grail's collecting mana. Gilgamesh is speeding things up."
Shirou and Archer closed in, forming a tight triangle.
The air felt thick with tension.
"What do we do?" Shirou clenched his fists, eyes burning with anger.
Rin was about to outline a search plan—
Creak!
The rickety door was suddenly flung open!
"Who?!" The three snapped into combat stances.
Rin's heart raced—her gem traps around the shack hadn't triggered at all!
Silhouetted against the blinding morning light stood a tall figure.
He held a neon blade.
Inside, a sharp black vest and white shirt, paired with a pristine black tie.
Outside, a deep blue trench coat, its hem fluttering in the morning breeze.
His face was shadowed, but his piercing eyes locked onto the group.
"Miss Tohsaka, relax." A magnetic yet cold voice cut through—it was Ten. "I'm here."
He stepped inside, his sharp gaze sweeping the room and landing on the unconscious Artoria, his brow twitching almost imperceptibly.
Then, with a mocking glint, he looked at Shirou's tense face.
"You're her Master, huh?" Ten's voice dripped with unmasked disdain. "Pretty weak."
The words burned Shirou like a branding iron.
His fists clenched, knuckles white, rage surging.
He knew it—his weakness had left Saber to face that monster alone, leaving her like this!
The blunt accusation hit his deepest wound.
Gaio didn't care about Shirou's reaction. His eyes flicked to the vivid red Command Seals on Shirou's hand, his brow quirking.
"Well then," he said casually, like swapping gifts, "hand her over to me, yeah?"
Boom!
The words exploded in the tiny space!
Rin's mind blanked.
Hand her over? Saber was Shirou's Servant, a key part of their plan!
Wasn't he here to help? Did he want to… steal the Command Seals?!
Shirou and Archer's faces darkened, their bodies tensing, mana surging.
In that suffocating moment—
"Mmm…" A faint groan broke the silence.
Artoria's lashes fluttered. Against the crushing tension, she forced her eyes open.
Sweat beaded on her pale face, her green eyes burning with pain and fury. She struggled to sit up, golden hair clinging messily to her forehead.
"Insolent fool!" She mustered a weak but regal voice, ready to berate this audacious intruder.
But as her blurry gaze locked onto Ten's condescending, amused face, Artoria froze.
Gaio looked at her shocked expression, his lips curling into a playful smirk. "Recognize me?"
Artoria's green eyes shrank, staring at the face—once boyish, now dangerously sharp. Her voice trembled with disbelief. "You… that kid?"
"Mhm." Gaio nodded easily, his smile deepening. "Twelve years ago, I accidentally touched your scabbard in an abandoned shack and woke you up… that kid."
Boom!
Artoria's mind reeled!
Twelve years ago… an abandoned shack… the golden scabbard (Avalon) hidden by Kiritsugu…
Memories flashed together:
A cold, dusty shack. A six- or seven-year-old boy, like a curious animal, touching the dusty scabbard.
In an instant, the scabbard glowed faintly, stirring the sleeping Servant with a pulse of mana.
She remembered his wide, terrified eyes, a child facing an unknown presence.
He'd fallen back, pale, but didn't scream or run—just stared at her faint spiritual form.
She'd thought… a new contract was forming?
But disappointment followed.
This boy had no mana circuits, not a trace! He couldn't be a Master! Just a random, non-magical intruder!
She didn't know how he'd woken her without mana.
Her brief awakening faded like a dream, and she fell back into slumber.
Later, Kiritsugu found the place, took the scabbard, and implanted it in Shirou… leading to her bond with the Emiya family.
She never imagined…
That frail, magicless boy, terrified by her presence…
Was now standing before her, radiating such a chilling, powerful aura!
Gaio tilted his chin, his tone a bold declaration. "Twelve years ago, you should've been mine."
His gaze swept over Artoria, then to Shirou's Command Seals. "Now, it's time to come back."
"What?!" Rin gasped.
Shirou's face twisted, instinctively shielding his hand.
Archer's eyes sharpened like a hawk's.
None but Artoria understood this sudden claim.
As Rin opened her mouth to question—
Ten's head snapped to the side, his gaze razor-sharp. "They're here."
No one followed.
In a flash, Gaio drew his blade! The Yamato's sleek edge slid free. Without hesitation or even looking, he slashed diagonally at the empty air beside him!
Buzz—!
A piercing slice tore through the air! An invisible, razor-sharp blade aura erupted!
BOOM!!!
A deafening roar shook the room!
The entire shack was split apart, as if cleaved by an invisible giant's blade!
Walls and roof shattered, wood and stone flying like shrapnel!
In that "empty" air, golden Noble Phantasms, just tearing through space, collided with the blade aura!
Clang! Crash! Snap!
The sharp sound of breaking metal rang out! The mana-charged Noble Phantasms shattered like fragile glass under the blade aura, dissolving into specks of golden mana!
Amid the dust and debris, the shack was gone.
Rin, Shirou, and Archer staggered, shielding their faces, their minds reeling—one slash had destroyed the shack and the King of Heroes' Noble Phantasms!
As the dust settled, a figure hovered in the sky.
Gilgamesh's crimson eyes glared down, a wild grin on his face, golden ripples spreading behind him.
"Found you, mongrels."
"Mongrels? How arrogant," Gaio scoffed, facing the golden figure.
The taunt cut into Gilgamesh's ears.
His snake-like eyes locked onto the blade-wielding figure below, his grin widening with surprise and amusement. "Oh? A new mongrel? You're the one who cut my treasures? Not bad!"
Gaio ignored the "praise," turning fully to face the King of Heroes.
He glanced back at Rin and the others, shrouded in dust and rubble, his voice calm but firm. "Go."
"Go?" Gilgamesh laughed like it was a joke, his golden ripples expanding wildly, like a boiling golden sea.
"Who said you could leave?! Mongrels, you'll all die here!"
Buzz—!
A piercing metallic hum ripped through the air! The Gate of Babylon roared to life!
No longer a few probing weapons—hundreds, thousands!
Countless golden Noble Phantasms, brimming with destructive mana, poured from the ripples like a flood!
They targeted everyone below!
A golden deluge of destruction rained down!
Facing this earth-shattering assault, Gaio merely bent his knees, lowering his center.
His left thumb nudged the sword guard, the Yamato's blade, glowing with a faint blue aura, sliding an inch from its sheath.
No grand burst of power, just a simple iaido stance.
As the golden flood neared—
Clang!!!
A crisp sword hum rang out, as if all the world's sharpness converged and tore apart!
Then, a mind-freezing sight—
The sky lit up!
Thousands of blue blade lights appeared from nowhere!
Not physical, but the pure will of cutting itself!
So fast they defied sight, as if space itself was sliced into fragments!
Slash-slash-slash—!!!
A deafening cacophony of cuts erupted, like a billion cicadas screaming!
The golden Noble Phantasm flood, brimming with terrifying mana, was fragile as dry twigs before this web of blue blade intent!
Shattered! Pulverized! Annihilated!
The blade lights swept through, slicing through Noble Phantasms and their mana glow like a giant blade through rotten wood!
The fragments and mana, like a dismembered golden storm, fell as powerless dust!
One second, a world-ending attack; the next, just scattered mana and broken treasures.
Silence.
Only the sword's echo and the clink of falling fragments remained.
Rin, Shirou, Archer, and even Artoria, barely sitting up, froze, minds blank.
One slash.
A single iaido cut…
Had obliterated… the King of Heroes' Noble Phantasm storm?!
Silence blanketed the ruins.
All were lost in the shock of Ten's impossible strike.
As Gilgamesh's crimson eyes narrowed, his arrogant grin faltering for the first time—
A shadow!
Without warning, a cold shadow enveloped Gilgamesh, dimming his golden glow.
What?!
He snapped his head up!
Above!
Gaio hovered silently above him, his blue coat billowing, his face cold as ice.
Those eyes, no longer warm for Marin or playful for Rin, were now a chilling, abyss-like indifference, gazing down at the King of Heroes like a trivial toy.
Then, Gaio spoke.
His voice was soft but pierced the air, dripping with arrogance far surpassing Gilgamesh's, resonating in everyone's ears:
"Entertain me, mongrel."