After school, Sakura crouched in a corner of the rooftop, inspecting the barrier's anchor point.
Her sister had been called away by a teacher, so while waiting, she wandered the school and discovered something resembling a barrier's base on the roof.
"Knew it…" she muttered thoughtfully.
Behind her, Saber materialized, crouching beside her to take a look. "What's this? A barrier's core point, Master?"
"More accurately, it's something like the eye of a formation," Sakura said, placing her hand on it in an attempt to dispel it.
But the node was sealed with a complex spell that couldn't be unraveled quickly.
"Hmm… so this is Caster's doing?" Saber asked with a smirk.
"Probably not," Sakura replied, withdrawing her hand and studying the spell node. "This setup feels more like something rigged together using preexisting materials."
"What's it for? Draining the life force of people inside the barrier?" Saber frowned, clearly displeased.
Sakura closed her eyes, analyzing the spell again. "No… it's more like a barrier that alters spatial rules."
"What do you mean?" Saber asked.
"I'm not entirely sure... maybe when it's fully deployed, it'll shift everyone inside to another dimension," Sakura replied.
She could sense a trace of something akin to Imaginary Number Space, but it wasn't quite the same.
"To anyone outside, it might just seem like the people inside vanished," Sakura added. "In any case, even I can't nullify it right away—it's likely the result of a Noble Phantasm."
Saber let out a sigh. "Always with the sneaky little tricks. Whether it's Caster or someone else, it's irritating."
"For now, we should focus on gathering intel on the other Masters and Servants." Sakura stood, gazing at the undisturbed anchor point.
She suspected there were more throughout the school. But without knowing the barrier's structure or the purpose of the Noble Phantasm behind it, she could only overlay an interference spell.
This way, even if the barrier activated, the disruption might cause a flaw—something they could exploit from the inside.
Suddenly, Saber turned, eyes sharp with caution.
"Relax, it's me."
Archer's red-coated form solidified into view.
"Oh, it's you. Next time, drop the spirit form before showing up," Saber said, relaxing but clearly annoyed.
"I'll keep that in mind," Archer replied with a smile. "Rin asked me to tell you she's done and waiting at the main building entrance, Sakura Shiomi."
"Just 'Sakura' is fine," she answered casually. "Saber, let's head over. We can check for anything strange along the way."
"Got it!" Saber flexed her shoulders, then vanished from the rooftop.
Sakura turned to leave, but Archer spoke behind her.
"What were you doing up here?"
"Investigating that barrier I mentioned. Didn't my sister fill you in?" Sakura asked.
"She did," Archer said, arms crossed. "I noticed your movements today. For a Magus, you're surprisingly seasoned."
"You flatter me," Sakura replied with a polite nod.
Archer shook his head. "That wasn't a compliment—just an observation. As a Magus, you're more mature than Rin."
"We were raised in different environments. I've been studying at the Magus headquarters for years now."
"No, I mean the scent of blood on you," Archer said. "Unlike Rin, you've seen real combat. Am I wrong?"
"You could say that." Sakura paused, then smiled and shook her head. "Though I've yet to actually kill someone in a fight."
Back in London, she had indeed been drawn into conflicts among Magi—real battles where lives were on the line.
So she understood all too well what combat between Magi entailed.
Like last night—while Rin still held back a little, Sakura had already been prepared to strip her sister of her fighting ability and team up with Saber to kill Archer if needed.
Rin had the resolve, but not the ruthlessness where it counted.
And with the Einzbern family's interference, things ended up as they were now...
"It doesn't really matter whether you've killed someone or not. For a Magus, that moment will come eventually," Archer said.
Sakura raised an eyebrow, surprised. "So, Archer, you've already sensed that my sister and I might end up fighting, and since you think winning the Holy Grail is out of reach, you came here to gather intel?"
"Not at all. Just curious, that's all." Archer shrugged, hands open in a casual gesture. "But watching how you carry yourself, it's honestly hard to believe you and Rin are sisters."
"Not that strange. We were separated from a young age and received completely different Magecraft training," Sakura replied smoothly. "It might not sound great to talk down my birth family, but... compared to what the Tohsaka family has passed down through the generations, what I've gained far surpasses what my sister inherited."
There was clear pride in her voice, and Archer was momentarily taken aback.
"My apologies."
The red Archer gave a polite nod before fading into spirit form and vanishing from the rooftop.
Sakura didn't quite understand why he apologized, but she didn't let go of her earlier suspicion—Archer was already thinking ahead.
If their alliance managed to wipe out the other factions, then the alliance would inevitably break down for the final showdown.
And when that happened, her sister, clearly the weaker Master, would need every bit of information she could get.
Still... Sakura figured her sister probably hadn't considered things that far.
With that thought, Sakura decided there was no need to bring it up.
Holy Grail War or not, she understood her sister's character well—and that was reason enough to place her full trust in her.
...
From the rooftop down to the school building's entrance, she spotted her sister waiting there.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Sakura," Rin said, giving a gentle wave.
"Not at all. I'm the one who made you wait," Sakura said as she changed her shoes and caught up. "I should've waited in the classroom or just stayed here."
"It's fine. Waiting a little isn't a big deal," Rin smiled. "The teacher didn't call me in for anything serious—just the usual reminder not to stay out too late. Said it's unsafe for a model student like me to be wandering around."
"It's about that case, right?" Sakura caught on immediately.
The serial murders in Fuyuki City had already stirred up talk at school.
As Masters, it was hard not to connect it to the Holy Grail War.
"Yeah. I've got a few ideas. Let's talk it over when we get back."
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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