This Is My Holy Grail War [45]

It was a beautiful night. In the dim and eerie basement, Assassin found himself face-to-face with a girl whose bright eyes seemed to pierce the darkness.

Her long black hair was as deep as the night sky, and her vivid blue eyes glimmered like stars.

Those bright eyes were captivating, almost like black holes pulling Assassin’s gaze into their depths.

If someone were to ask Assassin who the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen was, he would answer without hesitation: it was her.

Rin Tohsaka.

She wasn’t just beautiful because of her appearance, but because she was a Master who would actively strive for victory in the Holy Grail War. That determination made her radiant—absolutely radiant.

“Perfect! I’ve summoned the strongest Servant, no doubt about it!” Rin declared, her excitement bubbling over as the summoning ritual concluded.

As the surge of magical energy faded, smoke and dust lingered in the air, shrouding the figure of her summoned Servant. Rin couldn’t see the details yet, but the dark shadow that loomed in the haze was enough to make her heart leap.

With a triumphant smile, Rin felt sure she had summoned Saber—her dream Servant.

“Servant Assassin, summoned in response to your call. Let me ask you—are you my Master?”

A cold, cutting voice echoed through the room, carrying a chilling aura that made Rin’s blood run cold.

The black-haired girl shivered involuntarily. She had envisioned summoning a legendary hero, but now it felt like she had summoned a ghost.

“Huh? You’re… Assassin?” Her excitement froze in place, and she momentarily forgot to acknowledge her role as Master.

“Yes.” The reply was immediate. Assassin repeated his question, voice unyielding. “Are you my Master?”

“If there aren’t any other Servants or magi around… then I suppose I am?” Rin admitted reluctantly. Her tone betrayed her frustration—this was not what she had hoped for.

“This is such a disaster! I spent all those gems, and I end up summoning an Assassin?!” Rin groaned, clutching her head as she sank to the floor. Her despair was palpable—it was a mix of heartbreak and sheer disappointment.

Trying to compose herself, she stood and asked, “Where do you hail from? What’s your true name?”

“I have no name,” Assassin replied.

“That’s impossible! Servants are incarnations of Heroic Spirits. They must have names—it’s fundamental to their existence!” Rin countered, her irritation growing.

“I’m an exception. Assassins don’t need names,” he answered with unnerving calm.

“You’re lying to me. Know your place! I’m your Master, and you’re a Servant! Do you understand what that means?” Rin’s frustration boiled over.

“You are my Master, and I am your Servant. A tool at your disposal. Use me, Rin Tohsaka,” Assassin replied, his tone devoid of emotion, as if stating a simple fact.

Her breath hitched. How does he know my name?

“You… you know who I am? Wait, why am I even asking this?” she stammered, stepping back.

“What are you? A human? A ghost?”

In the dimly lit basement, Assassin’s presence brought an oppressive chill. His form, shrouded in black mist, resembled a phantom—lacking even a lower half.

“Does it matter?” Assassin retorted. “Whether I’m human or ghost, the only thing that matters is victory. If it helps you, think of me as a weapon."

“A cold—lifeless—weapon."

“A sword, a blade, a spear.”

“… So you do accept that I’m your Master?” Rin asked, surprised by his directness. “I honestly thought my Servant would be an arrogant hero.”

“In most cases, you’d be correct. Heroic Spirits can be quite difficult to control,” Assassin said matter-of-factly. “So your intuition wasn’t wrong.”

Rin frowned. “Even if you’re cooperative, how can I trust your abilities if I don’t even know who you are? How am I supposed to strategize if I can’t gauge your strength?”

“My Noble Phantasm allows for deception. At best, it’s useful for sowing discord.”

“That’s… weak,” Rin muttered, her disappointment clear.

“Yes, Master. Shall we begin the hunt? For other Masters?” Assassin asked, his voice calm but chilling.

Rin sighed heavily. “I guess that’s what Assassins are best at—targeting Masters. We’ll figure out tactics upstairs. It’s freezing down here…” She shivered, her frustration mixing with the basement’s oppressive cold, a stark reminder of her failed expectations.

She pushed open the door to the basement. The first thing she saw was the pendulum clock on the landing, swinging rhythmically.

Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

The hands pointed to 2 a.m., but Rin suddenly remembered something important—every clock in her house was running an hour fast today.

In other words, the summoning had been completed a full hour earlier than planned.

Rin crouched down, face buried in her hands. She finally understood why she had summoned Assassin instead of Saber. Once again, she had botched something crucial.

Now she had no choice but to live with the consequences of her mistake. Assassin—an unseen killer, not even one of the Three Knight Classes.

Her hopes for a Saber were dashed, leaving her with a Servant far below her expectations.

“Even an Archer would’ve been better. I wouldn’t have minded a Lancer either…” she muttered, glancing at Assassin. She had spent an immense amount of resources to summon this Servant.

Strength: B
Endurance: E
Agility: A+
Mana: C
Luck: D

Through the Holy Grail’s system, Rin could see Assassin’s stats.

Not bad, she thought. His endurance is low, but I guess that fits an Assassin—strike and retreat.

“Well, I suppose summoning an Assassin isn’t the worst outcome. Better than an unruly Servant, right?” she said, trying to convince herself.

“I don’t mind if you think of me as a familiar,” Assassin said suddenly, appearing behind her.

Startled, Rin jumped, her heart racing as he continued.

“As long as you strive for victory, I will remain your loyal soldier."

“No matter the cost, I will win you the Holy Grail.”

---

T/N: heh i can see people already being like what about saber! how is rin better! fools! each woman has their own charm and therefore you cannot compare any of them to eachother!

This is a fan translation of 这是我的圣杯之战 by 向希望祈祷. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!