CHAPTER 1
A Promise Under the Cherry Blossoms
The wind whispered through the branches of the cherry blossoms, carrying with it the scent of spring. The once-barren trees had long since regained their color, their petals drifting through the air like fleeting memories. Beneath their shade, a lone woman kneeled, her delicate hands brushing against the soft earth.
Sakura Matou—no, Sakura Tohsaka now—gently tended to the garden, a quiet and meditative task she had performed every day for the past forty years. A bittersweet smile played on her lips as she traced the patterns of the soil, ensuring each flower had room to breathe.
The past had not faded. It lingered in the falling petals, in the scent of the morning dew, and in the quiet hum of the world around her.
A soft voice broke her thoughts.
"Sakura, are you still tending to that garden?"
Sakura looked up to see Rider standing beneath the tree, arms crossed, her amethyst eyes holding that ever-present concern. Despite the years, Rider's beauty remained unchanged—an eternal guardian watching over the one she had once sworn to protect.
Sakura chuckled, brushing some loose strands of violet hair behind her ear. "You know I can't help it, Rider. This place... it keeps me connected."
Rider stepped forward, gazing at the flowers with an unreadable expression. "It's been forty years. You don't have to hold on to the past like this."
But Sakura shook her head. "No... I want to remember. This is proof that he was here."
Silence settled between them. Rider knew there was no arguing. This was not just a garden. It was a memorial.
A place of remembrance for a foolish young man who had once thrown away everything for the sake of others.
For Shirou Emiya, whose existence had been erased from the world.
A Decision Made in London
Far from the quiet peace of Fuyuki, a different world existed—one of mysticism and ambition, where magi pursued knowledge at the cost of their humanity.
In the heart of London, within the halls of the Clock Tower, a woman stood tall among the gathered scholars.
Rin Tohsaka, now a respected magus, gazed down at the pages of an old text, her crimson eyes sharp with concentration. The past was something she had buried beneath her responsibilities, but even after decades, it found ways to resurface.
A voice called out to her. "Lady Tohsaka, you've been staring at that book for quite some time. Are you reminiscing?"
She glanced up to see Lord El-Melloi II—formerly Waver Velvet—standing near the doorway, a knowing look in his tired eyes.
Rin sighed. "Not reminiscing... just thinking."
El-Melloi stepped closer, looking down at the text she was studying. It was an old record—a fragmented account of a war that should have ended forty years ago.
The Holy Grail War of Fuyuki.
He gave her a curious glance. "Something on your mind?"
Rin hesitated before closing the book. "Nothing worth discussing."
But the way her fingers tightened against the cover told another story.
The Arrival of a New Player
Across the sea, in a city long untouched by the fires of war, a girl stepped onto Japanese soil for the first time.
She inhaled deeply, taking in the air of a land she had only read about in books. The streets of Fuyuki stretched before her, both foreign and familiar.
Artoria adjusted the strap of her bag, her piercing green eyes scanning the city with interest.
She had come here for one reason.
To uncover the truth behind the Holy Grail War.
Legends of the ritual had fascinated her since childhood—stories of battles fought between magi and Heroic Spirits, of a cup said to grant any wish. And yet, the war had mysteriously ended forty years ago, disappearing from history as though it had never happened.
Why?
What had caused its abrupt conclusion?
And, more importantly...
Who was the victor? Or was there one?
Who were the Servants and the people involved?
A mystery left unresolved.
A war left unfinished.
And she was determined to find out why.