Rin Tohsaka couldn't shake the feeling that the Nameless Magus in the purple hood was strangely familiar, especially their figure. She was certain she had seen them somewhere before.
"I am Rin Tohsaka, administrator of Fuyuki's spiritual veins and heir to Jewel Magic. I formally challenge you to a Duel." Rin announced her identity, genuinely curious about the Nameless Magus's true nature. As a matter of etiquette, they should reciprocate by revealing their own name.
The Nameless Magus remained silent for a long moment, offering no response.
"Not going to tell me? Archer, take aim!" Rin ordered Archer to prepare an attack. If the Magus tried to flee, she would force them into a Duel using combat coercion.
Finally, the Nameless Magus removed her hood. Long purple hair cascaded down, revealing a face Rin Tohsaka could never mistake.
"How... how is this possible? Sakura? It's you!"
Rin's memories flashed back like a lightning strike. From the very beginning, Sakura had often acted separately from the group. When Gilgamesh soared into the sky on Vimana, Rider had appeared almost immediately alongside Caster. Combined with Sakura's initial close relationship with Illya, it all clicked into place.
"Sakura, you've been working with Caster from the start... haven't you?"
Rin had suspected Sakura Matou was spying on the alliance, but now, there was no need for pretense.
"More importantly, Sister, why are you so determined to oppose Caster?" Sakura countered with a radiant smile. "Kirei Kotomine kept you in the dark about Father Tohsaka's fate, didn't he? It was Caster who revealed the truth. Shouldn't you be thanking him?"
Sakura remained unaware that the Clock Tower's objective had shifted from neutralizing Jiang You's organization to ensuring his victory in the Duel tournament.
Rin Tohsaka's feelings toward Jiang You were a tangled mess. "At first, I opposed him because he violated the principle that 'Mystery Should Remain Hidden.' No Magus could tolerate such blatant exposure. As the administrator of Fuyuki, I felt obligated to stop him. But now the Clock Tower has declared they won't pursue the matter—they'll even assist him! Ah! What on earth is going on? Have they abandoned Magic altogether?!"
Clutching her head, Rin felt as if the world had become incomprehensible. The Clock Tower, usually so mercilessly strict and uncompromising, had made such an unexpected decision, making her wonder if she had somehow slipped into an alternate reality. Unable to make sense of it, she gave up trying to reason.
"In any case, my goal now is to reclaim my Saber, Jason, from Caster. Medea, the Servant he summoned, stole him. I have every right to demand him back—by his own rules, through a Duel!"
"As for you, Sakura, why are you going to such lengths to help Caster? You shouldn't even have had any contact with Servants, right?"
Even before the Holy Grail War—or rather, from the very beginning—Rin had been keeping a close watch on her blood-related younger sister. Sakura's life trajectory had always been crystal clear in Rin's mind.
"Sister, since you have Tokiomi Tohsaka in your Deck and know the true nature of the Matou family's magic, he must have told you about me, right?"
Sakura Matou revealed her delicate, fair arm, where her successfully restored magic circuits emitted a soft glow. "Have you ever considered that since the 'Father' in your Deck is Tokiomi Tohsaka from a different timeline ten years ago, it's possible we could also be summoned as cards to other timelines?"
Unreservedly displaying her magic circuits, Sakura radiated her pure magical power toward Rin Tohsaka, demonstrating the essence of her magical nature.
It was an unusual affinity, but Rin was certain it wasn't the water affinity suited to the Matou family's magic. According to Tokiomi Tohsaka, Sakura's magic circuits should have been transformed into a water affinity by Matou Zouken using Engraving Worms.
"Your magic circuits... they've been restored?"
Rin Tohsaka was astonished. She knew that modifying someone's magic circuits with Engraving Worms was a devastating procedure, and repairing them was as difficult as human transmutation, requiring years of painstaking nurturing. Before the Holy Grail War, Sakura Matou had had no opportunity for such restoration; Matou Zouken would never have allowed it. The answer was clear: Sakura had been summoned to another timeline at some point. "Did Caster help you?"
Sakura nodded. "I'm so happy you're here to help me, Sister. But Caster helped me even earlier. He saw my fear, even though I never said a word, and offered me his hand."
"But Matou Zouken was still..."
Rin realized her oversight. Given that Caster's Noble Phantasm could affect Magi, Sakura's summoning must have involved a Magus connected to either the Tohsaka or Matou families—most likely during the Holy Grail War ten years prior.
"Ten years ago?"
"You're so clever, Sister. That's exactly right."
Sakura smiled, a radiant light in her otherwise bleak life, rivaling even the warmth she found with Shirou Emiya. Her life, once so bleak, was now illuminated with a dazzling brilliance.
"Ten years ago, I found salvation. Now, I've overcome my fear of Matou Zouken and gained the power to avenge myself. I'm deeply grateful to him."
"Who could have predicted such an absurdly powerful Noble Phantasm?!" Rin Tohsaka exclaimed. She never imagined Sakura Matou's connection with Caster would manifest in this way.
"So Illya is in a similar situation. Just as Father said, he's overflowing with compassion. But have you considered that his actions are undermining the very foundation of all Magi? The Clock Tower will undoubtedly investigate this. Not only will we suffer the consequences, but ordinary people who've been exposed to the 'Mystery' will also pay the price."
"I trust him. In the timeline from ten years ago, Caster saved all of Fuyuki City. When he obtained the Holy Grail, he had his Master, Kiritsugu Emiya, wish for the resurrection of everyone who died in the disasters caused by the Beast's descent. He must have his reasons for doing this."
Sakura Matou could never have imagined that Jiang You simply found it amusing.
"Fine, I surrender. He's beyond belief," Rin said, raising her hands in defeat. The Clock Tower's reaction only confirmed Sakura's assessment.
Her only remaining conflict with Jiang You revolved around Jason's allegiance, a point of contention between her and Medea. Medea's attitude infuriated her. Even if Medea had ample justification for stealing Jason away, they should settle this honorably, in a proper duel! "I'm going to reclaim my servant and then challenge Caster head-on for the Holy Grail. What do you think, Sakura?"
"What do I think?" Sakura Matou tilted her head. She hadn't given it much thought, really. She simply felt that since Illya was working so hard to participate, she needed to do something too—at the very least, she couldn't lose to her. "Probably... something like Illya's. Well then, Sister, I won't hand over this spot easily. Let's duel."