Shinji Matou at Your Service-Chapter 872 - : An Unexpected Incident from the Start

A woman stood there.

Her long hair, reaching the ground, was a deep purple but had an ominous aura, as if soaked in blood, shining with a strange, eerie glow.

Her black bodysuit was quite revealing, covering only from her chest down to the tops of her thighs, while the rest was completed with long stockings and arm guards made of the same material. Her tall and voluptuous figure made it hard for anyone to avoid blushing and getting their heart racing.

However, this isn't to say that the woman's outfit was inappropriate; quite the contrary, it perfectly complemented her figure. Although somewhat sensual, it exuded an eerie sanctity.

She looked like a priestess from one of the dark legends of this country, soaked in blood.

Evil and holy, a being full of contradictions.

Now, this woman stood at the entrance of the Matou household, facing Shinji Matou, the eldest son. Just a minute ago, he had opened the door with his key, and this woman emerged from the darkness, like the very embodiment of it.

With a "thud," Shinji's suitcase dropped to the ground. He stared blankly at the woman for more than fifty seconds, unable to even utter the words he had said countless times before: "I'm home."

The woman, too, stood there motionless, letting him stare at her for over fifty seconds without saying a word or showing any expression. Her eyes were obscured by a black blindfold, making it impossible to read her gaze, but judging by her reaction, it was likely just as emotionless.

She was like a statue—cold, devoid of warmth, colder than a Dead Apostle, who had lost human warmth, and even less alive, making her seem less human.

Shinji, still in the doorway, and the woman standing in the entryway remained in this silent, awkward stand-off until another head of purple hair peeked out from the living room.

"Rider, is there a guest—Ah, welcome back, brother."

The one who called Shinji "brother" was, of course, his sister, Sakura Matou. Normally, upon seeing Shinji, she would rush over with eager steps, either grabbing his hand or hugging him. But today, she didn't do that.

To be precise, she intended to, but after taking just one step, she stopped, her body shrinking back, and she lowered her head, like a child who had done something wrong.

Seeing her like this, and then looking at the cold woman before him, Shinji immediately understood the situation. With a sigh, he picked up his suitcase, walked over to his sister, patted her head, and then entered the living room, sitting down on the sofa.

"Tell me, what exactly happened?"

"Well... I wanted to help you, so I summoned a Servant before you got back."

Sakura, pouting and fidgeting with the hem of her clothes, nervously explained the whole situation.

Everything started when Heartless triggered a surge of mana that disrupted the ley lines in Fuyuki, causing the Holy Grail to prematurely activate.

The Matou family had been preparing for this Holy Grail War for a long time, so it wasn't long before everyone in the household knew something was wrong with the Holy Grail. There was no need for Justeaze to give any special instructions; the family members naturally began their preparations.

The ordinary people in the family, led by the head Matou Byakuya and his wife Elsa, went on vacation, organized tours, and made inspections, all to keep them away from the inevitable trouble in Fuyuki.

The core members, meanwhile, started following the plan. Justeaze and Aozaki Touko moved into Mount Enzou, where the Greater Grail was buried, to monitor it up close. Sakura, Fujino, Kirie, and others stayed home, adjusting their workshops and setting up the summoning rituals, preparing for the crucial Heroic Spirit summoning and the subsequent stages.

As for Kariya, well, he was excluded from these tasks; his only job was to take care of Aoi Tohsaka and Rin Tohsaka with all his heart—since Rin started high school, he rarely stayed at the Matou household, spending most of his time at the Tohsaka residence.

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It was said that the former playboy, Byakuya, had once secretly taken Kariya out for a drink, asking if he had made it to home base. Kariya didn't answer, but his emotional reaction suggested that even if he hadn't, he was close—after all, the long march that began in his youth was finally seeing some light.

But let's set Kariya's story aside and return to Sakura.

Ever since Scathach left behind her legacy ten years ago, Sakura had known the truth about the Holy Grail War and was determined to participate as a Master. Initially, both Shinji and Justeaze were against it, but Sakura was unexpectedly determined. Considering they had no way to stop Sakura from participating, they proposed a rigorous standard of strength—if Sakura could meet it, she could join the war; if not, she would have to hide far away from their parents once the war began.

Sakura achieved this, and at thirteen, three years ago, she became the third most powerful member of the family, after Shinji, the true powerhouse, and the enigmatic Touko. Not even Justeaze, with her Thousands of Threads, or Kirie, who commanded puppets with Double Existence, or even Fujino, with her fully activated Mystic Eyes, could match her. With such formidable power, neither Shinji nor Justeaze could continue to object. Moreover, they needed allies, so they agreed.

When they learned the Greater Grail was activating and the Holy Grail War was about to start, the girls held a secret meeting and unanimously decided to summon a Servant before anyone else. Sakura chose to summon her mentor, Scathach, the Heroic Spirit Shinji had summoned in the last Holy Grail War.

There were many reasons for choosing Scathach over Karna. For example, Sakura didn't know Karna well and wasn't sure how to interact with him, and she didn't want to summon a male Servant. There was also a touch of girlish caution—her Shishou was so beautiful and powerful, and her brother admired her so much that it felt dangerous to put them together.

To this end, Sakura reopened the room where Scathach had stayed, which had been specially sealed for ten years. She carved the summoning ritual into the room and surrounded the ritual with items Scathach had used most often—dishes, clothes, towels, and so on—strengthening the bond between them to the maximum.

After completing all these preparations, Sakura began the summoning at the time when the darkness was fullest and mana most abundant. The ritual proceeded smoothly; through the ritual connected to the ley lines, the mana linked to the Greater Grail, successfully activated the Heroic Spirit summoning mechanism. Under the effect of the Third Magic, Heaven's Feel, the vessel for the Class was created, the Heroic Spirit descended, and finally became a Servant, appearing before Sakura.

At this moment, Sakura was wearing her most elegant smile, adopting the posture most in line with Scathach's teachings, ready to welcome the mentor she hadn't seen in ten years.

However, when the brilliance and thunder that bridged fantasy and reality faded, and the woman who seemed to embody the night took form, she opened her mouth with an expressionless face and said:

"Servant Rider, summoned as per your call. How meddlesome you are. If you wish to become a sacrifice, do as you please."

Sakura's smile froze, her expression more exaggerated than Shinji's fifty-second stare in the doorway.