Come home soon, Father.
Shut up! Stop ringing!
Come on...
I stayed up late last night, so just a few more minutes.
Jeez, you're heartless!
Oh yeah! That pendant...
It hasn't begun yet, but I can't be too careful, can I?
#00 Prologue
What's going on?
I don't see a single person.
It's too quiet.
Well, I guess it's just one of those days.
Hey, Tohsaka!
You're early today.
Oh, so that's it...
Morning. Sure is cold today, huh?
Good morning, Mitsuzuri.
By the way, do you know what time it is?
The time? It's just before seven, of course.
Tohsaka, are you half-asleep?
Looks like the clocks at home were an hour fast.
Not only my alarm clock,
but the wall clocks, too. By exactly one hour.
It happened right after I found that pendant.
Could Father have caused it?
What's up?
Having morning practice again, Mitsuzuri?
Yeah, we lost one of our best members.
I've gotta put on a good show if I want to convince new students to join.
I suppose you have your work cut out for you since you're the team captain.
Hey, since you're here, want to watch us practice?
Sure you don't wanna watch?
I don't know anything about archery.
Watching from a distance will be good enough.
Good morning, Captain.
Ah, good morning, Matou.
Is it just you this morning?
Yes...
I'm sorry that I wasn't able to help.
It's fine, don't worry.
If someone isn't into it, there's no point in forcing them to participate.
I'll be going, then.
See you later, Mitsuzuri.
Sure. Later, Tohsaka.
Thank you for visiting, Tohsaka.
No problem.
Keep at it, Sakura.
Hey, Tohsaka!
Good morning.
I must be lucky, running into you first thing in the morning.
Good morning, Matou Shinji.
You're here early this morning.
Of course!
I'm the team captain, after all.
Assistant manager, more like...
See you around.
Hey, wait up.
You should sit in on our morning practice.
I'll pass.
I don't want to get in the way of your practice.
No one will mind.
I don't want to be a nuisance.
Besides, I'm not all that interested in archery.
Really?
I thought you were.
Guess I had the wrong idea.
I thought you kept coming to watch after-school practices because you were interested.
But I guess you were there to watch something else, huh?
Stay away from me, will you?
Let me be clear, Matou.
Not only have I no interest in archery,
I have no interest in you.
As a matter of fact, until now, I didn't even know you were on the team,
and I'm certain I won't notice you in the future.
Say what?
How dare you, Tohsaka?!
You're welcome to be self-conscious, but you should tone it down.
Hey, it's Tohsaka! Morning!
Good morning, Ms. Fujimura.
Tohsaka...
Why, if it isn't the student council president!
Patrolling the campus so early in the morning?
Or are you doing maintenance rounds of the club rooms?
Not that I care either way. Still, diligent as always, huh?
And what about yourself?
Why are you here so early when you aren't in any clubs?
Just felt like it.
I fixed it, Issei.
Oh, sorry.
I feel bad for asking you to do all the work, Emiya.
Where's the next one?
I don't have a lot of time.
The next one's in the A/V room.
It was giving us a lot of trouble, and now it's finally broke down.
I can't fix it if it's dead. You're better off buying a new one.
That's true, but I'd appreciate it if you could take a look at it anyway.
It looked dead to me,
but it wouldn't hurt to get a second opinion.
Okay, I'll check it out.
You're here early, Tohsaka.
Was that his way of saying hello?
E-Excuse me, Tohsaka?
If you don't mind, would you like to eat lunch together?
Thanks for asking, Saegusa,
but I'm going to the cafeteria. Sorry.
I overslept this morning.
Oh, you did?
I didn't know. I'm sorry for stopping you.
Don't let this discourage you. Feel free to ask me again.
I will.
Anyway, I didn't take you for the type to oversleep.
Actually, I oversleep all the time.
I'm not in any clubs because I have trouble getting out of bed.
Well, enjoy your lunch, Saegusa.
I will. You too, Tohsaka.
Looks like you got shot down, Yukicchi.
Didn't I tell you?
Tohsaka never packs any lunch.
Maki, all we need to do is eat lunch in the cafeteria, right?
No way!
Try sitting with Tohsaka sometime!
It's so annoying, the way you can feel guys staring!
When she and I went out last weekend, she reaped all the benefits!
Makinoji, it looks like Tohsaka can hear you talking about her behind her back.
She's glaring daggers at me!
I don't think she's glaring any daggers at you.
That's definitely a hateful glare!
She's at her scariest when she smiles!
It was only a little smack talk! Let it slide!
I treated you to a fish bean cake, didn't I?
I had such high hopes in Father's will...
Last night, after solving an annoying puzzle he left, I found a box of his effects.
When I finally got it open,
all it contained was what looked like a smashed-up catalyst and this pendant.
Plus, all the clocks in the house went crazy...
That's amazing in its own right,
but it won't help me summon Saber, the most powerful Servant.
According to the dubious priest, there's only space for two more Masters left.
I guess I don't have time to mope and worry.
You have one message, recorded on January 31, 3:21 PM.
Fuyuki Church
It's me.
As I'm sure you are aware, tomorrow is the deadline, Rin.
I insist that you start taking this seriously.
Only two slots remain:
the Archer and the Saber classes.
The ranks of the Masters must be filled without delay.
Fuyuki Church
Summon your Servant, and establish your Command Seals immediately.
Of course, if you are not participating in the Holy Grail War, that is a different matter.
If you value your life, seek shelter with the Church—
I know what I have to do. You don't have to tell me.
Preparations, check.
Timing, check.
Wavelength, ideal.
By performing the summoning at 2 a.m., when my mana's at its peak,
I'll get Saber even without a catalyst!
For the elements, silver and iron.
For the foundation, stone and the Archduke of Contracts.
For the ancestor, my great master, Schweinorg.
Close the gates of the cardinal directions.
Come forth from the Crown, and follow the forked road leading to the Kingdom.
Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill.
Repeat five times.
But when each is filled, destroy it.
Set.
Heed my words.
My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny.
If you heed the Grail's call and obey my will and reason, then answer me.
I hereby swear...
That I shall be all the good in the world.
That I shall defeat all evil in the world.
The seven heavens clad in the three great words of power,
come forth from the circle of binding...
Guardian of the Scales!
That was flawless!
I've definitely drawn the strongest card!
Why?!
The door's broken...
Damn it!
Wait, all the clocks in the house were an hour fast today...
Which means it's now 1 a.m.
And not 2?!
I did it again!
What's done is done.
Why did you give me that task, Father?
So, what are you supposed to be?
That's the first thing you say to me?
Seems I've been drawn by quite the unusual little Master.
Good grief.
Am I the one who drew the short straw?
Just to make sure...
You're my Servant, right?
And are you my Master?
When I was summoned, you weren't present.
You aren't a baby bird.
Don't joke and make it sound like you imprint on your Master when you first open your eyes.
All right, fine.
I'm simply asking if you really are my Servant, and no one else's.
Master-Servant relationships should be clearly defined right off the bat.
Yes.
I am in complete agreement with that opinion.
But where is the evidence that you are my Master?
Here. This is all the proof you need that I am your Master, right?
Oh dear.
Are you for real?
It wasn't that meaningless token I wanted to see.
I wanted to see if you are someone worthy of my loyalty.
Excuse me?
Am I not good enough to be your Master?
I am utterly dissatisfied, but I do acknowledge you as my Master.
But on one condition.
In the war to come, I will disregard anything you say.
I will make all the decisions.
I trust you have no objections.
I see...
You grudgingly acknowledge me, but you won't listen to what I say?
Why is that?
You are my Servant, aren't you?
Yes, but in form alone.
So I will obey you in form alone.
In battle though, I call my own shots.
Until this Holy Grail War ends,
I suggest you sit tight in the cellar or something.
That should keep even one as inexperienced as you alive.
Oh, have I struck a nerve?
Of course, I have nothing but respect for you.
After all, I was summoned to win victory for my Master.
My victory is your victory, and I will yield any spoils of battle to you.
Surely that will be agreeable?
Anyway, leave everything to me, and see to your own wellbeing.
I don't expect anything from you.
Now I'm mad!
Fine! If that's how you're going to be, I'll use one on you!
Beginning!
You wouldn't...
I would!
You lousy ingrate!
I add to our contract, a new nail,
A new law... A new law...
Wait, are you crazy, Master?
Who would use a Command Seal on something so...
A new sin!
Shut up!
You're my Servant, got it?
That means absolute obedience to everything I say!
Are you that impulsive, girl?
You would use a Command Seal with so broad an order?
L-Let's take this elsewhere.
Follow me.
I believe I have a fair understanding of your disposition now, Master.
Just to be sure, you do realize how precious the Command Seals are, don't you?
What's with his patronizing tone?
"Absolute obedience", my butt...
They symbolize our power to compel our Servants three times.
What about it?
Listen...
Command Seals compel a Servant to perform an action.
For example, I am incapable of teleporting far from here.
However, if you were to use a Command Seal and say, "Go,"
it would use mana from both of us to accomplish it.
Your three Command Seals are the crystallization of great magic
that can overcome the limits of flesh and blood.
Well, your two remaining Command Seals.
I know all that.
So what? I still have two.
The rule I ordered you to obey wasn't a waste.
I admit that I miscalculated.
When the order is vaguely worded, Command Seals are less effective.
Which is exactly what happened with your earlier order.
Even a hundred Command Seals
could not compel true, absolute obedience in every word and deed.
Then you're saying the Command Seal I used earlier was pointless?
Normally, that would be the case.
But it would seem your skill as a magus is extraordinary.
Extraordinary?
Yes, that is what I meant by "miscalculated".
Your words now carry a powerful compulsion for me.
What a pain.
What are you getting at?
I take back what I said, Master.
You may be young in years, but you are an outstanding magus.
I was mistaken in looking down on you as a child
and trying to keep you from fighting.
I apologize for both that and my poor manners.
Then you acknowledge me as your Master, even without my using a Command Seal?
Of course.
I'd just been summoned, so I wasn't yet fully acclimated.
But now, we are completely connected.
As a magus, you should be able to sense the bond between us through our pact.
Our pact...
Oh yeah.
Servants are summoned by the Holy Grail,
but what anchors them to this world is...
Correct.
A Master's magic.
A Servant is anchored to this world by the mana supplied by his Master.
My mana from you is more than satisfactory.
You are a first-rate mage, no doubt about it.
It's too late to score any points with flattery.
Wait...
You're not Saber?
I hate to disappoint, but alas I have no sword.
That means you're Archer.
Damn. I blew it.
I used all those gems, and I still didn't get Saber.
Well, pardon me for not being Saber.
It's a regrettable mistake, but I'm to blame.
I'll make you rue those words.
And when the day comes, apologize all you want. I won't forgive you.
See to it that I regret my words, Archer.
I wouldn't hesitate to apologize, then.
Very well. I'll hold you to that, Master.
Oh, that's right.
I forgot to ask you.
Which Heroic Spirit are you?
Archer?
I cannot give you any answers regarding my identity.
For the simple reason that I do not know.
What's that supposed to mean? Are you messing with me?
I don't mean to insult you, Master,
but it's the result of your imperfect summoning.
My memories are a bit disorganized.
My name and origin are hazy, as well.
Admittedly, those aren't important details,
so it's nothing to be concerned about.
I'm very concerned about it!
If I don't know what Heroic Spirit you are, I don't know how powerful you are!
That is a trivial matter.
You call that "trivial"?
If I don't know how powerful my partner is, I can't formulate a strategy, can I?
What are you saying?
I am a Servant who was summoned by you.
I could not be anything but the most powerful.
Fine, whatever.
It won't change the fact that no one else knows his true identity...
For the time being, we'll overlook the issue of your identity.
And now, Archer, your first job.
Right down to business, then.
You sure are aggressive.
And who shall my enemy—
Clean the living room.
You made that mess, so I expect you to make it spotless.
Wait.
What do you think Servants are?
Familiars, right?
The rude sort that talk back, though.
As you wish.
And you can go to hell, Master.
Father...
The battle I've been waiting ten years for
is about to begin.
My Holy Grail War...
This is way beyond running late.
I'll just skip school today.
Right, it was Archer I summoned, not Saber.
With the added bonus that he doesn't know who he is.
I've got a headache, all of a sudden.
I'm exhausted.
Did the summoning drain all my mana?
Maybe he isn't so bad.
The sun came up long ago.
You're quite the slob, aren't you, girl?
This is good.
What are you smirking for?
More importantly, have you remembered who you are?
Nope.
Fine.
I'll think of what to do about your amnesia in due time.
Get ready to go out, Archer.
I'll show you around the city.
Before that, Master,
aren't you forgetting something important?
Something important?
Good grief... We have yet to carry out the most important exchange of our pact.
The most important exchange of our pact?
Girl... You really aren't a morning person, are you?
Who do you think you are, "girl" this and "girl" that?! I...
Cripes.
Our names.
It finally clicked?
So, Master... What shall I call you from now on?
I'm Tohsaka Rin.
Call me whatever you want.
I'll call you Rin, then.
Yes, the sound of it suits you.
What do you think? Doesn't this place have a great view of the city?
Y'know, we wouldn't've needed to walk around all day if we came here first.
What are you talking about?
You only get a panoramic view of the city from up here.
You won't get a good feel of the city with just this.
That isn't quite true.
My class isn't called "Archer" for nothing.
Without excellent eyesight, archers aren't much use.
For example...
I can make out how many tiles are on that bridge.
Amazing.
The Archer class really is made up of archers!
Rin...
You're not mocking me, are you?
Wouldn't even think of it.
It's him. I know it.
Have you spotted our enemy?
No, just an acquaintance.
An ordinary person who has nothing to do with this.
I neglected to ask you something.
What is it?
Rin, were you trained from young to be a Master?
And did you go along with it?
That's right.
For generations, winning the Grail has been the Tohsaka family's dream.
Then I expect that you know your goal.
Unless I know your wish, I cannot entrust my blades to you.
Rin, what is your wish?
Wish?
I don't really have one.
What?
That isn't possible.
The Grail is an omnipotent artifact that can grant any wish.
It has the power to conquer the world for you.
Conquering the world seems like too much trouble,
so there's no point in wishing for dumb things like that.
I fail to understand.
Why do you fight, then?
Because there's a battle to be fought, Archer.
Then you are...
Yes, I'm fighting to win. That's all.
All right...
You are indeed my ideal Master.
There can be no doubt that you are the perfect Master for me.
There is no one else whom I could hope to serve.
Wha—
Rin? Why are you hiding?
It's someone I know.
I skipped school today, so I don't want to run into anyone.
Kirei? It's me.
I made a pact with Archer last night,
so please list me officially as a Master.
Very well.
What are your plans now?
Would you care to stop by?
I have something for you that your parents left in my care.
You mean Father's will?
I already deciphered it and found what he left, so that's fine.
I'll stop by if I'm ever in the mood, so I'll see you then.
Fuyuki Church
Wait, Rin—
Are you going to school?
Yes.
Is that a problem?
No, but isn't school a poor location to prepare against ambushes?
We avoid public battles with other Masters, don't we?
So I think if we're somewhere as public as school, there's little chance of a sneak attack.
Hypothetically speaking,
if we do encounter an enemy, what will you do?
That won't happen.
There's only one family of magi in this city besides the Tohsaka.
And that family is a shadow of its former self.
They could never produce a Master.
So you're saying is that there is another magus at your school,
but this person possesses insufficient mana to ever become a Master.
Exactly.
Nevertheless, Rin, there is an exception to everything.
If a magus you're unaware of is at your school...
This is more than just stagnant air...
Has a Bounded Field already been established?
Not fully.
Preparations seem to be well underway, though.
To act so boldly, this person is either a heavy hitter...
Or a complete novice.
Only a third-rate hack would create a Bounded Field that can be sensed by others.
A first-rate magus stays hidden until they're ready to strike.
What is your plan, Rin?
I don't care if this person's for real or a real flake.
Whoever puts up crude garbage like this on my turf gets taken out!
Listen, Archer...
We'll start with examining the Field after school.
We'll decide what to do with it once we determine the kind of Field it is.
We'll talk later, Archer.
Let me help you, Sakura.
Tohsaka!
Thank you for helping.
It's no problem.
So, are you taking these to your class?
To Mr. Kuzuki.
He said there was a typo, so he was taking them all back.
He's such a perfectionist.
This makes seven.
This one seems to be the trigger point, too.
I've never seen, or even heard of, writing like this.
Darn it.
This is way over my head.
Archer, you can sense the Field's nature, can't you?
If this is activated,
it will cause every human inside it to literally dissolve.
This is soul-eating.
A fortress of blood that will dissolve
any human body within it, and harvest the souls oozing out.
And as for who, or what, might want souls, the obvious answer is a Servant.
Archer, would your kind do such a thing?
You surmise correctly.
Fundamentally, we are non-corporeal beings.
Just as your kind partakes of meat as nourishment,
Servants partake of minds and souls.
In other words, the more ingested, the greater the mana stores.
Meaning that they aren't satisfied with the mana their Master is supplying?
It's not that they aren't satisfied, but that more is always better.
To absorb energy from nearby humans is a basic stratagem of a Master.
In that sense, this is a highly effective approach.
I feel aggravated.
Never say such a thing again, Archer.
I agree.
I would never do something like this.
Let's erase it, then.
I may not completely undo it, but I can throw a wrench in the works.
What, you're going to erase it? What a waste.
Is this your handiwork?
Nah.
Stooping to dirty tricks is for the magi.
My kind simply fights when and where we're told.
Ain't that right, my invisible buddy?
So you can see Archer...
You're a Servant!
And if you know that, little girl,
can I assume you're my enemy?
Fenced in on all four sides... We're at a disadvantage if we fight here.
Impressive.
You seem ignorant, but you have the gist of things.
Boy, I really blew it.
I shouldn't have let curiosity...
...get the better of me and spoken up.
Endless strength...
compressed into a single burst!
The voice of God is the world!
Archer, handle the landing.
Archer!
Now that's more like it!
I like people who get right down to business!
A Lancer-class Servant.
Indeed.
Your Servant doesn't strike me as a Saber, though.
Who are you?
You don't seem like the proper single-combat type, either.
So, an Archer.
Go on, take out your bow, Archer.
I'll wait for you.
Archer?
What's he...
Archer, you'll get no assistance from me.
Right here and now, show me what you've got!
Fool!
So this is a battle between Servants...
That was stupid.
Archer!
A dual wielder, huh?
A mere bowman who fancies himself as a swordsman, eh?
Twenty-seven.
To think I've disarmed you twenty-seven times, yet you still have more.
What's the matter? This wait-and-see approach isn't like you.
What happened to your bravado?
Trying to provoke me, you sly old dog?
Fine, I'll ask the question.
What land's Heroic Spirit are you?
I've never heard of a bowman who wields two swords.
You, on the other hand, are easily identifiable.
They say that only the swiftest heroes are chosen to be spearmen,
and you stand head-and-shoulders above them.
There aren't even three spearmen of your skill in the world.
Add in a beast's agility, and that leaves but one.
You flatter me, Archer.
Then, will you face my mightiest blow?
I won't stop you.
You are an enemy I must overcome eventually.
This is bad.
That massive amount of mana...
He's clearly about to use his Noble Phantasm.
If he attacks...
Who's there?
A student?
Someone was still in the school building?
So it would seem.
It saved my life, actually.
Wait, where did Lancer go?
He chased after that person.
He's a witness, so he probably went to eliminate him.
Follow them, Archer!
I'll catch up!
Damn it, that was so stupid!
Eliminating witnesses is the first rule for magi.
I've never liked that rule, so I've always been extra careful.
Archer, follow Lancer.
If we don't at least learn his Master's face, none of this will have been worth it.
Rin, this is your responsibility.
Lancer pierced him with his spear.
If his heart was hit, there's no way to save him.
I'm sorry.
I'll sit with you until your time comes.
Don't do this to me...
Why are you here?
Why did you have to pick this hour, on this day, to be here?
How am I supposed to look her in the eye tomorrow?
There's still a way.
I'm sorry, but I failed.
This Master is very cautious.
Oh.
I guess I shouldn't have expected it to be that easy.
You went to get it for me?
Don't lose it again.
It doesn't suit anyone but you.
You think?
Well, thanks.
Like I thought, there doesn't seem to be any mana left in it at all.
Hang on...
What is it, Rin?
When Lancer's Master learns the witness they thought they'd killed is still alive...
He'll probably send Lancer back to finish the job.
This isn't your burden to bear.
After what it cost me to save him, I'm not about to let him die!
He's here... The Lancer-class Servant!
Wait, Rin!
I'm sensing more than one Servant!
The Saber-class Servant...
We are always hounded by a despair so powerful
as to threaten to burn our hearts to ash,
and yet you manage
to smile at me
with infinite forgiveness
The wind erases our voices
Our words are carried away
I cling to the path I walk
despite the difficulty it gives me
I know that paradise awaits us,
and that future is our one and only hope
That blind feeling
might be the only emotion
that I have left
No judgment is final
I am always seeking
my very own
dawn
Trace on.
You're an early riser, Tohsaka.
Still, there should be a way.
I need to live, to fulfill my duties.
If I don't hurry and call someone, you'll die.
The Saber-class Servant?
Art thou my Master?
Next Time
Winter Days, A Fateful Night