The day before the Duel City finals, downtown.
"Archer! Attack him directly!" Rin Tohsaka commanded, ordering Archer to deliver the final blow. This was the fifth Magus she had defeated today. Archer felt more natural to her than Jason had, as if she was always meant to summon him.
Archer's formidable 2,000 attack power swiftly depleted her opponent's last Life Points. The opposing Magus had no chance against Rin's overwhelming dominance, losing by a staggering 6,000 LP difference.
[Congratulations to Rin Tohsaka for securing another victory!]
[Following in the footsteps of the top four competitors, another undefeated contender has stormed into fifth place with overwhelming force! Judging by her momentum, she's determined to claim the championship. However, Rin Tohsaka joined the competition late, and her star count still lags significantly behind the leaders. Can she close the gap? Only time will tell!]
The crowd erupted in cheers. The sight of a beautiful young girl with long legs competing was captivating, and Rin Tohsaka's popularity soared, subtly threatening to surpass Illya, the current third-ranked competitor. Hearing the crowd chant her name, Rin blushed. The validation thrilled her, but the demystification and commercialization of Magic left her deeply uncomfortable. Torn between these conflicting emotions, she felt utterly conflicted.
With the duel concluded, Rin Tohsaka temporarily set aside her worries and turned her attention to the defeated Magus.
"The wager was five stars. Hand them over!" she demanded, extending her hand to receive all the Magus's remaining points. This widened the gap between her and the rest of the rankings.
Having lost all his stars, the Magus was eliminated from the competition for Soul Crystals. Bitter with defeat, he snarled, "You only won because of your Heroic Spirit card! If we were both competing alone, you wouldn't stand a chance against me!"
The Magus stormed off, muttering, "I'll join the next Holy Grail War. I'll show you all that my family is the strongest!"
"Rin, that guy reminds me of you," Archer teased his Master, sensing she might say something similar herself.
"What resemblance? Losing is losing. I wouldn't stoop to such petty excuses," Rin retorted, counting her newly acquired stars. She realized she still needed to plunder several more Magi to catch up to Illya, who was in fourth place.
The preliminary rounds were nearing their end, with few Magi remaining. Everyone was making a final push to secure their place.
The only stroke of luck was Shinji Matou's inexplicable withdrawal from combat, citing physical illness, despite having already secured his spot in the finals. Medea's activities with Jason remained a mystery. Meanwhile, the remaining contestants continued to consolidate their scores. Rin Tohsaka, having witnessed Illya's battles, was impressed by both Minamoto no Raikou's formidable combat prowess and the surprising strength of the Einzbern family's deck, which effortlessly overwhelmed magi who would have given Rin herself trouble. During this time, the Nameless Magus surged past Illya to claim third place.
"Hmm, based on the current situation," Archer said, calculating Rin's points, his expression grim, "we'd need to plunder at least half the magi below the top four to surpass Illya's score."
"Given the time constraints and the ongoing battles between magi, that's impossible," Rin replied. "Archer, there's only one option left."
"I've been thinking the same thing," Archer said. "We have just enough stars left for one final gamble."
Rin understood. "We'll challenge one of the top four directly with a massive star wager—one decisive strike!"
"Have you chosen your opponent?" Archer asked.
With Shinji Matou out of the picture, only three targets remained.
"If possible, I'd naturally choose Jason. I'm familiar with his deck, and without my Jewel Magic support, he'd have fewer ways to special summon his crew. Plus, if we can prevent Hercules from appearing, we'll cut his deck's threat in half."
Rin Tohsaka even considered initiating a Shadow Game to regain control, but wagering her newly formed alliance with Archer felt disrespectful, so she abandoned the idea. Besides, Medea had vanished without a trace, despite her score having increased at one point.
"As for Illya... this must be incredibly important to the Einzbern family. Facing her would be extremely risky, and she did help me before, so I'd rather save that showdown for the finals."
"In that case, you've chosen the Nameless Magus as your opponent, correct?"
Archer's expression grew even more subtle. Has Rin not noticed that one of our team members has been absent for quite some time? he thought. And despite being in third place, Hundred Faces hasn't given her much screen time. Something feels off.
"We don't know much about them. Challenging them could lead to unforeseen complications. Rin, shouldn't you reconsider?"
"I've considered this carefully. A Magus without a Heroic Spirit won't be too strong in the early game. Archer, your low stats will actually be an insurmountable advantage for us."
Archer's Noble Phantasm deals 500 damage upon activation. Combined with Rin Tohsaka's direct damage and healing, they can maintain a constant HP advantage. Their deck synergy far surpasses even Jason's.
"No, Jason's stats are even lower than mine," Archer protested, his pride stung.
"Forget about that! The Nameless Magus is near the Civic Hall. Let's hurry!" Rin Tohsaka grabbed Archer's arm and sprinted off. If they delayed and the Nameless Magus escaped, her only option would be to challenge Illya to a duel.
"You... you actually have a Heroic Spirit! I specifically gathered intel to prevent this!" the Magus battling the purple-hooded woman wailed. Victory had been within his grasp, but the sudden appearance of her Servant had snatched it away. The woman's own cards seemed weak, suggesting she hadn't fully unlocked her magic potential.
"Why have you never appeared on Hundred-Faced Hassan's streams? How have you managed to hide your strength for so long?!"
The Nameless Magus in the purple hood didn't answer, instead directing their servant to deliver the final blow.
"Aaaaaahhhh!"
The opponent screamed in agony, overwhelmed by the excessive damage and collapsing into unconsciousness.
Just as the Nameless Magus was about to leave, Rin Tohsaka arrived.
"Don't even think about escaping!" Rin blocked the Magus's path, issuing a challenge. "Put all your Stars on the line and Duel me!"