Just as Rin was trying to calm her thoughts, a familiar voice burst into her ears.
"Rin-chan, you came~!"
"…!"
Rin flinched. Everything running through her mind collapsed in an instant at the sound of Marin's voice.
Instinctively, she smoothed her hair, trying to compose her appearance.
"Ah… Marin-neesan."
In front of her, Marin smiled, her cheeks glowing with excitement.
"Jijiji!"
She didn't give Rin a single moment to gather her emotions. Laughing brightly, she spread her arms and threw herself into a hug.
"Wasn't Damian-kun's concert amazing? Your heart must've been about to explode, right?!"
She leaned close to Rin's face and lowered her voice, speaking in a proud tone. "Let me tell you something: the first time I saw him play back in high school, I was completely mesmerized."
Rin stiffened inside the hug, but before she could reply, Marin was already dragging her toward the side area of the stage, talking nonstop.
"From the very first time he got on stage, it was impossible not to notice his charisma. You know? When he played his electric guitar, every girl went crazy! Including me!"
She pulled Rin along to dodge the staff moving back and forth, continuing to chatter as they walked down the hallway leading to the backstage area.
"The competition was fierce. So many senpai and kouhai wanted to get close to him." Marin raised her hand in a victory gesture. "But I won! I was the one who got him! Jijiji~"
The hallway was dimly lit, and Marin's cheerful voice filled the silence. Rin, without resisting, followed quietly while listening to her.
She looked at her profile glowing with excitement and couldn't help but wear an ambiguous expression. The image of the man who had dominated the stage with impossible force blended in her mind with the calm, gentle Damian she knew from Marin's home.
"Mm."
She only nodded, letting herself be led to the end of the hallway, where a half-open door with the name "Nero" let out a bright light—the dressing room of Damian.
Marin pulled Rin forward and pushed the door open. A cool air with the scent of cosmetics enveloped them as they stepped inside.
"Sit here~." Marin plopped down on the sofa and patted the spot beside her.
Rin sat down, and Marin leaned toward her with a mischievous smile. "Rin-chan, when you found out that Nero was Damian-kun, weren't you totally shocked?"
Rin nodded.
In her mind flashed the scene of Shirou showing her the photo: the same Damian she had met at Marin's home, relaxed, legs crossed, with a calmness impossible to associate with the star on stage.
"Hehehe~." Marin smiled proudly, but then puffed her cheeks. "Too bad you arrived late. You would've seen me sing."
"I'm sorry, it was because of some family matters."
"It's fine, it's fine." Marin waved her hand quickly. "I'm just happy that you came!"
The door suddenly swung open, and Damian entered, still carrying the heat of the stage on his skin. Outside, the voices of the crowd were still shouting for another song.
"Damian-kun!" Marin's eyes shone. She threw herself into his arms with a smile. "Great job~!"
He received her calmly. The smile on his face was different, more human. He ruffled her hair affectionately, letting the sweat from the concert mix with the gesture.
"..."
Rin watched them in silence. Damian's gaze passed over Marin's shoulder and met hers. He gave her a brief smile, knowing why she was there.
While Marin chatted excitedly about the concert, Damian leaned in and whispered something in her ear. Marin blinked, then turned to Rin with a bright smile.
"Rin-chan, wait here a moment, okay? I'll go find Ms. Shinozuka to tell the audience there won't be an encore."
The door closed, and the dressing room fell silent, only the hum of the air conditioner remaining.
Damian dropped into the chair in front of the vanity, crossed one leg over the other, recovered some of the dominant presence from the stage, and looked at Rin through the mirror with a smile.
"So…" he propped his fist on his cheek and tilted his head, "did you get into trouble?"
Rin looked at him through the mirror, took a moment to breathe deeply, and nodded.
"...Yes, I have a problem."
Damian raised an eyebrow, nodding with his chin for her to continue.
"..."
Rin hesitated for a few seconds, lacing her fingers together tightly.
"When we were at your house, you already knew about the Holy Grail." Her voice was lower than usual. "I suppose you also know how cruel the Holy Grail War is… My father died in it."
Damian nodded silently, inviting her to continue.
"And today a new Holy Grail War begins." Rin pressed her lips together. "I found out that the heroic spirit that once belonged to my father, Gilgamesh, now has a physical body… and... that shouldn't be possible." Her voice trembled slightly. "And I can't help but think his death is connected to him..."
Damian leaned forward, though his expression remained calm. "So you want…"
"I want you to help me capture Gilgamesh."
Rin paused, then added firmly, "Obviously he will look for allies to support him in the operation."
Damian narrowed his eyes. "Umm…"
"..."
Silence stretched, and Rin's heart sank.
Of course… it was too dangerous. And with Marin there, someone who didn't know anything about this, he surely hesitated because of her safety.
She was about to say she could handle it alone, that all she needed was time to put Marin somewhere safe, when his voice interrupted her.
"All right."
Rin looked up, surprised. The words she had prepared vanished.
Damian lifted his chin slightly and, looking at her through the mirror, spoke calmly.
"I will take care of him."
He tapped the edge of the vanity lightly with his knuckles.
"Along with the other killer who killed your father."
Rin's breath stopped suddenly and her pupils dilated sharply. "An other killer?" The question slipped out before she could think.
But before he could answer—
Bam
"I'm back!" Marin burst into the dressing room, smiling and full of energy. "All set! The audience already went home!"
The words on the tip of Rin's tongue stopped dead.
Marin walked in with light steps, but noticing the silence between them she froze. She looked at both of them, confused.
"Huh? You two…?"
She did not finish when Damian had already stood and approached her naturally, giving her a light pat on the head.
"Your cousin is in your hands." His voice sounded warm. "I'm going to take a shower. Then we'll go back to the hotel and eat something."
"Yes!" Marin nodded at once, smiling, and any doubt melted from her face.
Damian did not look back at Rin. He simply left the dressing room and closed the door behind him.
As soon as he did, Marin ran to Rin and flopped down beside her, hugging her arm as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Rin chan, what were you talking about with Damian kun? The vibe in here was so weird…"
She leaned toward her with a curious expression. Rin, instinctively, looked away and shook her head.
"Nothing… just some family matters."
Marin's mind switched topics quickly. "Did Marin neesan have fun singing today?"
"Super happy!" Marin bit the bait instantly. Her eyes lit up as she gushed about how incredible the stage had been, how the lights blinded her, and how the crowd screamed her name.
After a while she remembered something and snapped her fingers. "Oh right! Rin chan, do you want to come eat with us later?"
Rin, however, still had Damian's words in her mind: "the other killer" and her chest tightened.
She gently freed her arm from Marin's grip and stood up. "No, Marin neesan. Family matters are complicated. I have to return now."
"Ahhh…" Marin let out a long sigh of disappointment, but when she noticed Rin's tired expression she did not insist.
"Okay, then…"
She also stood and suddenly gripped Rin by the shoulders with unusual firmness. Her expression turned serious, something rare.
"But Rin chan! Remember this."
"What is it…?" Rin blinked, confused by the sudden tone.
"If someone intimidates you, or something bad happens to you, you have to tell me, understood?"
Marin shook her gently, her eyes full of concern and resolve. "I will back you no matter who it is! I'll go and break their face if I have to!"
"…"
Rin looked at her silently. This impulsive warmth, so sincere and overflowing, carved a gap in the pressure that was suffocating her, and a bright smile formed on her lips.
"Mm… I know, Marin neesan." Her voice sounded softer. "Thank you…"
After saying goodbye, Rin left the gym, still filled with the distant echo of the concert.
The night breeze struck her flushed cheeks. She walked quickly, then broke into a run, leaving behind the noise and lights until she reached an abandoned, hidden house.
She pushed the door open, and a wave of tension enveloped her immediately.
In the flickering candlelight, Shirou was pacing back and forth. When he saw her come in, he rushed toward her, his face filled with anxiety.
"Rin! How did it go?"
Rin took a deep breath to calm the panting from her run and nodded.
"He accepted. He'll intervene."
She deliberately omitted the more disturbing information about "another killer." It wasn't the time to go into that.
Shirou let out a sigh of relief, though his expression quickly turned doubtful as he scratched the back of his neck.
"Nero… can he really do it? Isn't he just an idol?"
The gap between that public image and the power of the King of Heroes now walking in a physical body was too great to comprehend.
Rin pressed her lips together. Her gaze reflected absolute conviction.
"I believe he can."
In her mind, the scene from the dressing room reappeared: Damian sitting before the mirror, legs crossed, his face calm, yet with a presence so intense that the air seemed to bend around him. That controlled calm was what made it impossible to doubt his words.
Shirou watched her in silence and understood that she wasn't speaking on impulse.
"…All right," he murmured at last. "For now, we have no other choice."
He glanced around the place surrounding them. There was nothing else they could do.
Rin didn't reply, and her attention shifted toward a corner.
Artoria lay there, gravely wounded, her breathing weak and her face pale. Rin quickly approached, crouched down, and gently pulled back the blanket covering her.
Saber's golden hair was stained with dust and dried blood, her shattered armor exposing deep wounds. Rin frowned as she carefully examined the damage.
Urgency filled her eyes… Time was running out.
…
Meanwhile, in another part of the city, the world seemed completely different.
In a restaurant within a penthouse lit by a chandelier, the night city shimmered beyond the wide windows.
A long table stretched before them, covered with fine dishes and a rich aroma.
Damian, no longer in his stage outfit, wore comfortable clothes and sat at the end of the table, relaxed, watching silently.
Marin ate happily beside him, her cheeks puffed out like a hamster. She spoke between bites, laughing as she recalled the concert, her eyes curved in a bright smile.
"..."
Damian watched her quietly, with that same gentle smile that seemed reserved only for her. The eyes that had once dominated thousands now reflected a silent tenderness.
He lifted his glass, took a sip, and turned his gaze toward the distant city lights, lost in thought.
The night slowly faded away.
The next morning, the abandoned cabin smelled of dampness. Rin slept leaning against the cold wall but jolted awake at the magical pressure Archer had intentionally released.
She opened her eyes, still heavy with exhaustion.
"Master." Archer's deep voice sounded firm. "Urgent news."
Rin's heart tightened. "Speak."
"The Tōsaka mansion was taken last night." His tone was dry, emotionless. "…And the members of the family were massacred."
Rin froze. Her pupils contracted sharply, and a chill ran through her body like an icy current.
"W-why?"
The words escaped before Rin could stop herself, her voice trembling with anger.
"The Tōsaka family no longer represented a threat… there was no need for a massacre!"
After her father's death, the Tōsaka had fallen into decline. What remained were secondary branches, magi with no real power, or simple ordinary people.
A slaughter like that could only be an act of revenge.
A thought pierced her mind. 'The other killer… the one Damian mentioned.'
Before she could organize her thoughts, Archer's cold voice echoed:
"In addition, a heroic spirit has been reported missing, and its energy was absorbed by the Lesser Holy Grail."
Rin took a deep breath.
One Servant had already fallen. Gilgamesh was moving faster than she had imagined. He didn't care about the rules; he only wanted to fill the Grail as quickly as possible.
"Understood." Her voice regained its firmness.
She straightened and spoke coldly. "The mansion was destroyed. Everyone is dead. A Servant has fallen. The Grail has already begun accumulating energy. Gilgamesh is accelerating the process."
Shirou and Archer immediately approached. The three formed a tight triangle.
"What do we do then?" Shirou clenched his fists, rage burning in his eyes.
Rin was about to answer, but a sharp sound cut her off.
!
The door burst open.
"Who?!"
All three reacted instantly. Rin felt her heart seize—her magical traps hadn't activated.
In the doorway, against the light of dawn, a tall figure stood clearly outlined.
He wore a perfectly fitted black vest over a white shirt and a tie without a single wrinkle. Over it, a dark blue coat swayed in the wind, while in his hand rested a katana sheathed in absolute black.
His face was hidden in shadow, but his eyes gleamed like amber.
"Miss Tōsaka, relax."
The voice, deep and magnetic yet devoid of warmth, resonated inside the cabin.
"I've arrived."
Damian stepped forward slowly, his gaze sweeping across the cabin before pausing briefly on Artoria, unconscious and pale on the ground. He frowned slightly, then turned his head toward Shirou.
"You're her Master, right?"
His voice carried a faint note of restrained mockery.
"How weak."
Those words hit Shirou like a bucket of cold water.
He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white, rage flaring up in his head like fire. He knew what Damian said was true: his own weakness had led Saber to face that King alone and end up on the verge of death.
Those words had struck directly at the deepest wound of his pride.
Yet Damian didn't seem interested in his reaction. His gaze dropped to the command seal on the back of Shirou's hand, and he raised an eyebrow.
"In that case," he said flatly, "why don't you hand her over to me?"
!!!
Rin felt a sharp jolt in her head, as if the world had fallen silent for a second.
Give her to him?
Hadn't he come to help? Did he actually intend to… take the Command Seals from them?
That couldn't be. Saber was Shirou's Servant, the key to their entire plan.
Shirou and Archer reacted instantly. The tension spiked, and magical energy swirled through the air. Everything became so dense that even the slightest movement could have triggered an explosion.
But then, a faint groan broke the tension.
"M…mm…"
On the floor, Artoria's eyelashes trembled. She opened her eyes with effort, her skin covered in sweat, her face pale, yet fury gleamed in her green eyes.
She tried to sit up, trembling, the golden strands of her hair sticking to her forehead.
"Foolish audacity!"
Her voice was weak but carried the authority of a king. She was preparing to sternly reprimand whoever dared to interfere with the bond between her and her Master.
"…"
However, when her vision cleared and locked onto the tall figure before her, his face lifted, with that faintly mocking expression—Damian—Artoria froze completely.
Seeing her wide-eyed and motionless, Damian curved his lips into a playful smile.
"Do you remember me?"
Artoria's eyes widened sharply. She looked at him, bewildered, disbelief seeping into her voice.
"You… you're that child?"
"Mm."
Damian nodded, his smile widening.
"Twelve years ago. The brat who accidentally touched your scabbard in an abandoned cabin… and woke you up."
!
Artoria's heart skipped a beat.
Twelve years ago… a wooden cabin… the golden scabbard Kiritsugu had hidden so carefully…
The memories came rushing back with lightning clarity, the darkness, the dust, the small intruder with astonished eyes who had entered without knowing where he was, and his trembling hand reaching out to touch the sacred sheath.
The golden glow, the magical surge that had awakened her, and the boy's expression—first curious, then terrified as he met her ethereal form.
The child had fallen, his face as pale as wax, yet he didn't scream or run. He simply stared at her in silence as her spiritual body began to take form before him.
In that instant, Artoria had believed a new contract was being forged.
But the disappointment struck immediately after.
The boy… was empty. He had no magic circuits, not even a single spark of mana within him. It was impossible for him to be a Master.
He was merely an intruder without magic.
She never knew how, despite that, the boy had managed to awaken her.
Her manifestation had lasted only a few seconds before she sank back into her deep sleep.
Some time later, Kiritsugu found the scabbard, retrieved it from that cabin, and implanted it into Shirou. That was how the bond between her and the Emiya family was born.
But she never could have imagined this.
That boy without magic, the one who once trembled before her presence, was now standing there, a man whose very existence commanded respect.
Damian lifted his chin slightly and spoke with dominance. "Twelve years ago, you should have already been mine."
His gaze moved slowly over Artoria, then stopped on the command seal on Shirou's hand before locking back onto her eyes.
"Now… it's time to return."
"W-what!?" Rin exclaimed, stunned.
Shirou's face hardened, and he instinctively covered his hand with the other. Archer narrowed his eyes, tension sharpening every muscle.
Only Artoria understood what those words meant.
Rin was about to ask, but Damian suddenly turned his head sharply.
"He's coming."
No one understood.
But a second later, the sound of a scabbard slicing through the air tore the silence apart.
Yamato shot out, its gleaming blade reflecting the light of dawn. Damian didn't give any order, didn't hesitate, didn't even look back. He simply drew a diagonal slash through the air.
The sound of the blade cutting the wind was immediately followed by a deafening roar.
!
The entire cabin split in two.
Amid the chaos, a flurry of golden weapons burst from the void, hurled toward them with fury.
The cutting wave of Yamato intercepted them instantly. The shining weapons shattered one after another, pulverized like glass under an unrelenting strike.
In seconds, they disintegrated into golden sparks that vanished into the air.
When the dust cleared, the cabin was completely gone.
Only the remains floated in the light of dawn.
Rin, Shirou, and Archer barely managed to shield themselves as the shockwave threw them backward.
For a moment, their hearts froze: a single strike had split the cabin in half… and destroyed the treasures of the King of Heroes.
As the dust began to fade, the view opened.
In the sky, floating above them, a golden figure watched from on high.
Gilgamesh.
His scarlet eyes burned with unshakable arrogance, and a proud smile curved his lips. Behind him, hundreds of golden ripples spread like a fan of divine light.
"I've found you, filthy trash."
"Trash?" Damian replied with a faint, mocking laugh, without even looking up yet.
That sound reached Gilgamesh, who tilted his head with amusement.
"Oh? A new worm? Was it you who destroyed this KING's treasures? Not bad."
Damian didn't answer. He turned his body fully to face him and, without taking his eyes off the enemy, spoke calmly to those behind him.
"Leave."
Rin looked up, surprised by the tone in his voice: calm, yet so firm it allowed no argument.
Gilgamesh burst into loud laughter as the golden ripples behind him flared violently.
"Leave? Who gave you permission to flee? Filth, die right here!"
!
Gate of Babylon opened completely.
Thousands of weapons emerged from the void, hurled with such speed and power that the air itself seemed to tremble.
Swords, spears, axes, and sacred blades descended in masses, wrapped in magical fire and blinding light.
A golden rain of destruction fell upon them like divine punishment.
But Damian didn't move.
He only bent his knees slightly, lowering his center of gravity, and with a simple gesture, pressed his thumb against the guard.
The blade of Yamato slid a few centimeters out of its sheath, releasing a faint blue glow.
There were no grand explosions, only silence.
And then, a sound.
And the entire world lit up.
Thousands of blue flashes streaked through the air at once, forming an endless web of light that belonged not to matter but to the pure will of the cut itself.
Its speed surpassed any imaginable limit—it was as if space itself had shattered into a thousand fragments.
!
A sound of absolute sharpness filled everyone's ears, so dense it made their skin crawl, as if millions of blades were singing in unison.
The rain of golden treasures descended from the sky with fury, but upon touching that blue web, they were reduced to nothing.
Swords, spears, hammers, and daggers—all infused with colossal magic—shattered like glass against an invisible blade.
Every flash of the sword tore through the air, ripping apart everything in its path; the King's treasures crumbled, and their magical power dissolved into golden dust that drifted slowly to the ground.
In an instant, the storm of destruction vanished.
Only fragments remained, floating in the air, shining like fireflies before fading away.
Silence.
The echo of the final cut lingered for a few more seconds, accompanied by the faint clinking of falling remnants.
Rin, Shirou, Archer… even Artoria, who could barely stand, were frozen. Their pupils reflected the same horror and astonishment.
A single movement.
A single cut…
And the rain of treasures from the King of Heroes had been annihilated.
As the seconds passed, the silence became unbearable.
Still floating above, Gilgamesh watched as his arsenal was erased in an instant, and his scarlet pupils contracted—his arrogance frozen on his face for the first time.
Then, a shadow fell over him.
He quickly raised his head.
Above him, the worm who had destroyed his treasures was floating in silence.
The long dark blue coat swayed in the wind, and his face showed no emotion whatsoever.
His eyes were an empty void staring down at him.
"Entertain me, trash."
________
Time: If you're craving more (and I know you are!), I have just what you need. On my Patreon, you'll find exclusive chapters. Join our community and be the first to discover what happens next!
👉 [patreon.com/Athome790]
Your support fuels me. Thank you for the support! 💖