Chapter 432: It

Ten years of study and training at the Clock Tower stripped her of naivety, and she grew into an outstanding Magus.

Her gaze swept quickly over the crowd waiting at the pickup, and she soon fixed on a figure, her face instantly breaking into a radiant smile as she waved and called, "Ying!"

Not far away, Yuanban Ying was smiling and waving at her.

Unlike Lin's bright and capable demeanor, Ying's temperament was gentler and more tender.

She had shoulder‑length violet hair with slightly curled ends, wearing a plain light‑purple knit top and a long skirt, with a thin jacket over it.

Ten years had made her stand tall and graceful, a calm settling between her brows—a serenity born of weathering storms and finding her own path.

Beside her stood Yuanban Shichen and Yuanban Kui.

Shi Chen looked a bit more aged than ten years ago, yet his posture remained upright, dressed in an elegant suit, holding a cane, his face bearing a satisfied yet restrained smile.

Yuanban Kui smiled gently, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes filled with joy at her daughter's return.

"Sister, welcome home." Ying stepped forward a few paces, took the small suitcase from Lin's hand, her voice soft.

"Ying! Father, Mother!"

Lin hurried over, first giving Ying a firm hug, then embracing her mother, and finally bowing slightly to her father, "I'm back."

"Welcome back, Lin. The journey was arduous."

Shi Chen nodded, his tone gentle.

Having lived through the bewildering yet peacefully concluded Fourth Holy Grail War ten years ago, the Tohsaka Patriarch seemed more open‑minded, and regarding his daughter's pursuit of Magic at the Clock Tower, while still proud of the Yuanban Family, he now showed greater respect for her personal choice.

"It's enough that you're back, Lin. The house has already prepared the tea snacks you like."

Yuanban Kui took her daughter's hand, studying her closely, her eyes full of affection.

The family left the airport in high spirits, taking the car arranged by Shi Chen back to the Yuanban Residence.

On the road, Lin excitedly shared with Ying the sights, amusing incidents, and academic progress she experienced at the Clock Tower, while Ying smiled and listened, occasionally responding softly, speaking of the changes in Winterwood City over the years and her experiences assisting her father with local affairs.

Shi Chen and Kui sat in the front seats, listening to the sisters' conversation, their faces bearing satisfied smiles.

The disaster that nearly destroyed the city ten years ago, and the subsequent strange disappearance of the Holy Grail, seemed not to have left an indelible shadow on the family; instead, the bonds among them grew tighter.

At least on the surface, the Yuanban Family had returned to a tranquil daily life.

Returning to the long‑unseen Yuanban Residence, everything seemed as it was in memory, yet somehow different.

The mansion still retained its elegant Western style, but the garden's plants were more luxuriant, and the air was filled with a calm, peaceful aura.

At night, after finishing their ablutions, the sisters changed into comfortable home clothes and curled up together on the sofa in Ying's room.

Outside the window lay Winterwood City's tranquil nightscape, starkly different from the peril‑filled night ten years ago.

"Time really flies, sister."

Ying cradled a cup of hot milk, sighing softly, "It feels like the events from ten years ago were just yesterday."

"Indeed."

Lin leaned against the sofa cushion, a cup of tea in hand, "Who could have imagined we'd go through such absurd events back then…"

She laughed despite herself, shaking her head, "If I told anyone, no one would believe."

Ying smiled faintly, "But because of that we also met Sister Chang Ye Yue and Miss San Yue Qi… though the ending was regrettable."

The two fell silent for a moment, each retrieving from a close‑fitting clothing pocket or jewelry box a single item—a flower carved from red crystal.

Even in the dim room, the crystal flower seemed to have a faint inner glow, emitting a warm aura.

It was a parting gift the ten years ago, left by Chang Ye Yue for them.

"I've kept it safe all this time."

Lin stared at the crystal flower in her palm, fingertips gently brushing the petals, "I always feel… it seems to have some kind of power, or a connection."

"I feel the same."

Ying nodded, "Sometimes at night when I look at it, I have very peaceful dreams."

Just as the atmosphere was warm and relaxed, Lin suddenly seemed resolved; she set down her tea cup, sat upright, looked at Ying, her expression turning somewhat serious, with a barely perceptible tension.

"Ying, there's something… I want to show you."

"Hmm? What is it, sister?" Ying asked curiously.

Lin took a deep breath, then slowly raised her right hand, displaying the back of it to Ying.

Under the soft light of the desk lamp, Ying clearly saw three vivid red, peculiarly patterned lines—like the finest cinnabar—etched on Lin's pale hand back—those were Command Spells.

Ying's eyes widened instantly, her violet pupils filled with shock, "Sister?! This… what is this?!"

Lin bit her lower lip, a flicker in her blue eyes, "It appeared on the night just a few days before I returned home… I've checked, the form matches the records exactly. And also…"

She lowered her voice, "I vaguely sense that Winterwood City's ley lines have been unusually active lately. Ying, I'm afraid… the Fifth Holy Grail War is about to begin."

Ying's heart sank sharply.

The memory of that war ten years ago, though softened by its "complete" ending, still left a vivid impression of the chaos…

She immediately grasped Lin's hand, worried, "Sister, this is too dangerous! The Holy Grail isn't already…?"

"I know the Holy Grail's last outcome was… strange."

Lin grasped her sister's hand again, her tone firm, "But whether this Holy Grail is the same, no one knows. Moreover, the Command Spell has appeared, meaning I've been chosen as Master, which cannot be avoided. Ying, I need your help."

She looked at her sister, "I don't want to be like Father back then, shouldering everything alone, and in the end…"

She didn't finish the sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Ying stared at the vivid Command Spell on her sister's hand back, then at the unwavering resolve in Lin's eyes, her mind in turmoil.

Finally, she nodded firmly, a spark of flame igniting in her violet eyes, "I understand, sister. I won't leave you alone. Yuanban Family, this time we'll face it together."

The sisters' hands clasped tightly, the two red crystal flowers beside them emitting a soft glow, as if silently bearing witness to a new bond and the approaching night destined not to be calm.

Perspective shift.

The street was empty, streetlights blurring into amber halos in the damp, cold night fog.

Occasionally a car passed, the tires' friction against the road briefly breaking the silence before being swiftly swallowed.

A Xing has both hands in her pockets, walking slowly.

She doesn't know the time, nor does she care about direction.

Her golden eyes stare vacantly ahead, yet it seems as if she sees nothing.

The buildings on both sides of the street, the shuttered shops, the windows that occasionally have lights on, all look like faded backdrops, separated from her by an impenetrable frosted glass.