Rin Tohsaka fingertips unconsciously caressed the three vivid Command Spells on the back of her hand, their burning sensation as if reminding her that everything that had just happened was not a dream.
The light from the summoning circle had long since completely dissipated, leaving only the lingering magical energy in the air that had not yet fully settled, and the sweet-smiling, otherworldly Servant before her who called herself Elysia.
"Foreigner..." Rin repeated the unfamiliar Class name in a low voice, her brows tightly furrowed. Her mind raced, trying to find any relevant clues in the Tohsaka Family's inherited magical knowledge and the historical records of the Holy Grail War, but she found nothing.
Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Caster, Assassin, Berserker an existence outside of the seven orthodox Classes? This completely overturned her basic understanding of the Holy Grail War.
"Mm-hmm ~ ♪ That's right, it's Foreigner, the Descender," Elysia said, as if she could read Rin's confusion. She spun lightly, her pink long hair tracing a graceful arc "Doesn't it sound very special? Just as special as I am ~"
She leaned closer to Rin Tohsaka, her pink and blue eyes, seemingly holding the starry sky, gazing at her at close range with pure curiosity and unconcealed intimacy. "So, my dear little Master, what's your name? I can't keep calling you 'Master' in such an impersonal way, can I?"
Rin Tohsaka subconsciously took half a step back, her cheeks slightly warm. This Servant... had no sense of personal space!
Moreover, that gaze, as if it could see through people's hearts, made her, the head of the Tohsaka Family accustomed to controlling situations, feel a trace of helplessness.
"Rin Tohsaka." She cleared her throat, trying to maintain the dignity and composure of a family head. "The current head of the Tohsaka Family, and also your Master in this Holy Grail War. You can call me Rin. Elysia, I need to confirm your abilities. Foreigner... what does this Class mean? What is your fighting style?"
A series of questions poured out, and Rin stared intently at Elysia, trying to find answers on her flawless face.
Her intuition told her that this Servant's power level was probably terrifyingly high.
But the stronger the power, the greater the risk of losing control, especially when she knew nothing about the Servant.
Elysia tilted her head, gently tapping her chin with her index finger, assuming a thoughtful pose: "Hmm... abilities, well, perhaps it's... making the world a little more beautiful?" As she spoke, she extended a slender finger, pointing to an inconspicuous, dust-covered discarded metal part in the corner of the workshop.
Under Rin's astonished gaze, a soft pink glow suddenly emanated from the surface of the drab part.
The glow swirled, like the most nimble carving knife, and the metal's form underwent a miraculous change silently—rust peeled away, edges became rounded and smooth, and finally, it transformed into a lifelike, crystal-clear pink crystal flower.
It floated quietly in the air, refracting the light, exuding a pure and dreamy aura.
Rin Tohsaka's pupils constricted; this was by no means a simple material transformation spell. The law-level power contained within it made her heart palpitate. This ability... was simply incredible!
"How about it, Rin ~ ♪ Isn't it beautiful?" Elysia clapped her hands happily, as if she had only done a trivial little thing. "As for fighting style... hmm, perhaps using this cute bow and arrow?"
She pointed to the uniquely shaped longbow on her back, which looked as if it were carved from pink crystal. "Or, using some more 'flamboyant' methods? But don't worry, Rin-chan, Pink Fairy Miss will definitely protect you! After all, being summoned by such a cute girl is a fated encounter ~ ♪"
Her words still carried that light, almost operatic tone, but Rin Tohsaka keenly caught her deliberate evasion regarding the explanation of Foreigner.
This Servant, it seemed, did not intend, or rather, was unable to articulate her true origin and source of power in a language Rin could understand.
"Forget it..." Rin sighed, rubbing her temples. Pressing further seemed fruitless; this "Pink Fairy Miss" clearly had her own pace.
She glanced at the clock on the wall; it was already late.
"The top priority is to ascertain the movements of other Masters and Servants. As per custom, there will be a meeting of the supervising priests tonight at the Fuyuki Church, announcing the official start of the Holy Grail War.
Listen carefully, Elysia, just in case, I will refer to you as Archer outside, and you should also try not to reveal your true name."
"A meeting? Sounds interesting!" Elysia's eyes lit up, clearly her focus was on the former. "Will there be many other Servants? I really want to see what they're like ~ ♪"
"Don't be careless!" Rin immediately warned. "That's a crucial occasion for gathering intelligence, but also extremely dangerous. Other Masters and Servants are likely observing in secret, and conflicts may even erupt.
You... your identity as Foreigner is too special, and your magical energy reaction is unusually powerful. We need to act discreetly and try to avoid revealing our full strength too early."
"Got it, Rin ~" Elysia curtsied playfully, her smile still bright. "Be discreet, observe, protect Master, right? You can always trust Pink Fairy Miss!"
Watching the other party's "completely understood" but somehow unreliable demeanor, a sense of powerlessness welled up in Rin's heart.
Going into the perilous Holy Grail War with such a Servant of vastly different style, unknown power, and erratic personality... this beginning was ten times worse than her worst-case scenario.
"Before going to the church, I need to make a trip to school first." Rin made her decision.
She needed to check on that idiot Shirou Emiya.
Although theoretically he couldn't become a Master, that good-natured person always got involved in all sorts of trouble, so checking on him beforehand would be more reassuring.
Moreover, the school was also one of the leyline nodes, and she might be able to sense something there.
"School? Is Rin still a student? How youthful ~ ♪" Elysia immediately became interested. "Then Elysia wants to go too! I can see where Master usually lives!"
Rin initially wanted to refuse, to have the Servant spiritualize and follow. But looking at Elysia's eyes, full of curiosity and expectation, as if sparkling with stars, the words of refusal caught in her throat.
Never mind... let her materialize and follow. It would also be a good opportunity to observe how this Foreigner behaves in a normal environment... this was also a form of intelligence gathering.
"Alright. But remember, at school, you must pretend to be an ordinary person, do not make any attention-grabbing moves, and absolutely do not use any abilities!" Rin sternly instructed.
"Yes, Master ~ ♪" Elysia happily responded, as if she had received some interesting task.
A moment later, Rin Tohsaka changed into the Academy uniform, took a deep breath, and pushed open the door of the Tohsaka Residence. The cool evening air of Fuyuki City rushed into her nostrils, carrying a hint of the oppressive calm before a storm.
She stepped out, accompanied by the "Pink Fairy Miss"—Elysia—with her pink long hair, elfin ears, and beauty that was not of this world.
Rin Tohsaka sighed helplessly; not letting this Pink Fairy Miss spiritualize was definitely her biggest mistake.
Fortunately, she had managed to use a spell to disperse ordinary people in time, otherwise, with Elysia's appearance, she would definitely attract attention.
Elysia at this moment curiously observed everything around her—the ancient Japanese mansion, the quiet streets, the city lights in the distance.
Her gaze was pure and full of exploratory desire, like a child stepping into a new world for the first time.
She truly was experiencing this new, un-collapsed world for the first time.
The road to school seemed longer than usual. This pink companion by her side, like a huge variable, had already turned the equation named "Holy Grail War" upside down.
Rin Tohsaka knew that from the moment she summoned Elysia, all the rules she was familiar with had completely gone off the rails, like a runaway horse.
Ahead of her lay an unfathomable mist, and... a completely unpredictable future.
Elysia, meanwhile, hummed an unknown tune, her steps light as she walked beside Rin, her pink hair gently fluttering in the evening breeze, like a fairy from a fairy tale walking in reality.