Chapter 82: The Third Magic and the Holy Grail
"Sakura?!"
Tohsaka Rin's forward stride faltered for a split second before she immediately resumed running beside Emiya Shirou, feigning nonchalance. "You mean Matou Sakura? I've heard from Mitsuzuru that she's a very talented kouhai in the Archery Club."
"Yes, Matou Sakura. Though I suspect you'd rather call her Tohsaka Sakura, or simply 'sister,'" Shirou said.
Matou Sakura—formerly Tohsaka Sakura—was the second child of the Tohsaka family. Because the family's Magic Crest could only be inherited by one person, and both Rin and Sakura were geniuses of such caliber that the Mages' Association would likely turn them into specimens if discovered, a choice had to be made.
Since Rin's elemental affinity was the Average One (Five Elements), she was more suited to the Tohsaka lineage than Sakura, whose affinity was Imaginary Numbers. To prevent the uninherited Sakura from being targeted by other magi in the future, Tokiomi Tohsaka gave her up for adoption to the Matou family to inherit their Magic Crest.
Furthermore, since both families were among the founding Three Families of the Holy Grail War, Tokiomi's logic was that whether the Tohsakas or the Matous won a future war, the family's long-cherished wish would be fulfilled. It was a cold, calculated move.
'If only the Matou family actually lacked an heir...'
"Rin, you might find this hard to believe, but just as someone in neighboring Mifune City awakened the ultimate 'Future Vision'—the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception—after a near-death experience...
After Lancer pierced my heart, I also awakened the ability to see fragments of the future during that near-death state."
Shirou continued to weave his past-life memories into a semi-plausible explanation.
"That's how I knew Bazett was left for dead in the Ghost Mansion by Kotomine Kirei.
I also know that during the last Holy Grail War, Kotomine Kirei ambushed your father, stole his Servant, Gilgamesh, and left you with that AZOTH sword as a 'memento.'
In the future I saw, these truths would only be revealed as the Holy Grail War reached its climax."
Shirou wasn't lying here. In the original timeline, Kirei would eventually gloat to Rin, revealing that he used the very dagger he gave her—which she cherished as her father's last legacy—to stab Tokiomi in the back, just to see the "interesting" look on her face.
Even without interference, Bazett would have clung to life until the end of the war. In the Heaven's Feel route, she would have eventually re-contracted with Angra Mainyu, leading into
the events of Fate/hollow ataraxia. Attributing all of this to "Future Vision" wasn't technically wrong.
"So, Emiya-kun, the reason you mentioned Sakura... is it because she joins the war later?"
Hearing Shirou use the name " Tohsaka Sakura," Rin stopped pretending. Her expression became complicated, dropping the facade of being distant from Sakura. When she had heard Lancer mention that the Matou Master was Shinji, she thought it was a joke. She knew Shinji was a normal person without a single Magic Circuit. How could he be a Master?
At the same time, she had been secretly relieved that the Master wasn't Sakura. At least she wouldn't have to figure out how to face her sister. But now...
'If we know the future, surely there's a way to stop her from joining? Just like what we're doing now.'
As Rin clung to this hopeful thought, Shirou shook his head. "No, Sakura didn't join 'later.' She was involved from the very beginning. Rider was actually summoned by Sakura.
However, the Matou family—being the ones responsible for the Command Spell system—transferred the control of Rider from Sakura to Shinji."
'So Sakura is the true Master? Right, that explains how Shinji could act as one.'
Even though Shinji was usually insufferable, Rin figured that if they just defeated Rider, the corresponding Master would be disqualified. Since Sakura had given up Rider at the start, she clearly didn't want to fight. If they took down Shinji's Servant, Sakura would have no reason to stay in the war, and Rin wouldn't have to face her in battle.
But Shirou had no intention of letting Rin keep that naive hope.
"Even without Shinji, and even if Sakura hadn't summoned a Servant, she was destined to be part of this war. Just like Illya, Sakura was remodeled into a Lesser Grail by Matou Zouken ten years ago."
Shirou's words coldly crushed Rin's optimism. "As long as the war continues, if she successfully absorbs the functions of the Lesser Grail from Illya, she will become the sacrifice that allows the Greater Grail to descend.
And if Matou Zouken succeeds in seizing Sakura's body at that moment, he can fulfill the Einzbern family's wish—achieving the Third Magic and gaining true immortality.
...That is the future that awaits Sakura in this Holy Grail War."
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