With preparations complete, Su Mo didn't immediately spring into action. It was still daytime, after all. So, he spent the rest of the day practicing his swordsmanship.
Then at night, after dinner, not long after, he suddenly sensed a powerful surge of magical energy. A surge of overwhelming fighting spirit swept through the area—it was clear that a Servant had issued a public challenge to all others.
"So eager already?" Kiyohime murmured in surprise.
The Holy Grail War had only just officially begun. Typically, this was the phase for reconnaissance and cautious probing. To openly provoke all opponents right from the start was like shoving your entire stack of chips into the pot at the first hand of the game.
Such a move reeked of absolute confidence.
"This pure and intense battle spirit… Master, it seems our opponent is a formidable warrior!" Okita Souji's eyes sparkled with excitement. As a true swordswoman, she could hardly resist the allure of such a worthy foe.
Su Mo's expression grew intrigued. "Hmm… this energy... things are getting interesting."
To issue such a bold challenge at the very start—it could only be someone like the ever-arrogant Lord El-Melloi Archibald.
But the Servant accompanying him definitely wasn't Diarmuid like in the original timeline. The aura coming off this new Servant was far too powerful—there was even a divine presence. Now this was worth investigating.
"Saber, we're heading out," Su Mo ordered decisively. "Let's meet this so-called warrior face to face."
"Yes, Master!" Okita responded with glee.
They were going into battle, and if she emerged victorious, she'd win the bet. The thought alone made her giggle. The location of the challenge wasn't exactly close. Su Mo took a normal car, not rushing—after all, battles should be approached with the right mindset. It took them nearly ten minutes to arrive. Strangely, in that entire time, no one else had accepted the Servant's invitation.
Only once Su Mo and Okita arrived at the deserted port—empty, still, and tucked beneath the Fuyuki Bridge—did the provocative aura recede.
"So… you came." Standing there was a man clad in gleaming golden armor, his entire presence radiating brilliance like sunlight. A Lancer-class Servant, calm and composed, gazed at them with serene eyes.
"I was worried someone else would steal my opponent. Looks like our luck's good today," Okita chirped happily. No true warrior could walk away from a direct challenge. She'd feared others might beat her to it, robbing her of the chance to earn her Master's promise. But as fate would have it—she'd arrived first.
Victory for Okita!
The golden Lancer shook his head. "It's not that you're lucky. It's just that you're the only ones who answered the call. The other Masters and Servants are likely still gathering information."
His tone was honest—not boastful, not dismissive, simply stating the truth as he saw it.
"Ohhh, I see!" Okita nodded, just now realizing that fact. It wasn't that she couldn't think strategically. Okita had moments of subtle insight too. But in matters like this?
"Well, I leave all that planning stuff to Master!" she said, grinning.
Why bother thinking when her Master had it covered?
"I must be luckier than most, huh? My Master was all for me joining this battle!" Her proud little face practically screamed my Master is the best! Unfortunately, her opponent wasn't the type to respond with banter.
Instead, after glancing between Su Mo and Okita, the golden-armored Lancer calmly asked, "Which of you will be my opponent? Or are you planning to face me together?"
Normally, Servants fought each other. The logical choice was obviously the Saber-class Servant—Okita Souji. But Lancer wasn't constrained by that norm.
He couldn't sense any Servant-like aura from Su Mo, but something about the man tugged at his instincts—an intuition honed from a lifetime of walking the world as a lone warrior, one who challenged the strong to affirm the value of his own life. Thanks to that legacy, he possessed the unique ability known as [Discernment of the Poor]—a Personal Skill at A-rank. It allowed him to see the essence of a person.
Even so, he couldn't fully perceive Su Mo's depths. But one thing was clear—this man was no ordinary Master. He was undoubtedly a powerful fighter in his own right. And so, Lancer posed the question sincerely. Okita wasn't surprised by it either. She knew how powerful her Master was.
Still—
"If you want to get to him, you'll have to go through me first!" she declared boldly. Her beloved katana, Kojiki Kiyomitsu, appeared in her hand as she stepped forward, battle-ready.
"Servant Saber—pleased to meet you."
Seeing her stand with such determination and noting that Su Mo clearly had no intention of joining the fight, the golden-armored Lancer nodded.
"Servant Lancer. It is an honor."
In the desolate port beneath the Miyama Bridge, the first battle of the Holy Grail War was about to begin. Two Servants faced off, no need for unnecessary words. Okita made the first move—launching into a full-on assault.
With Su Mo's magical energy reinforcing her, her stats were monstrous across the board. Combined with her impeccable swordsmanship, she was a true monster in melee combat.
Most low-tier or average Servants wouldn't last more than a few exchanges. Many wouldn't even get the chance to activate their Noble Phantasm before losing their heads.
However, today's opponent was no ordinary mid-tier Servant.
The Lancer before her was top-class—even among Servants.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Golden sparks flew as Lancer countered Okita's flurry with stunning mastery, his spear dancing like a divine extension of himself.
The clash of sword and spear shattered the silence of the port. Even the shockwaves from their weapons brushing against each other were enough to destroy nearby structures.
Okita's phantom-like swordplay—graceful yet deadly—was matched blow for blow by Lancer's superior technique.
Even among heroes and Servants, their level of martial skill was something rare enough to be admired.
"So strong!" Okita pushed forward with relentless ferocity, her strikes a storm of lightning-fast slashes. Thanks to Su Mo's mana, her parameters were far superior: Strength, Agility, Endurance—every one of them outclassed Lancer's.
And even within A-rank attributes, there were massive differences. Okita's A-rank was likely near the threshold of EX.
By contrast, apart from Agility, Lancer's other parameters hadn't even reached A-rank.
And yet—
Despite the stat disparity, her attacks weren't landing. His technique was simply too refined. Even for a prodigy like Okita, she had to admit—unless she used her Noble Phantasm, she couldn't gain the upper hand. Her first opponent was far more troublesome than expected.
Rather than discouraging her, the fierce resistance only ignited Okita Souji's fighting spirit. As a true warrior, she couldn't allow herself to fear adversity—how else could one survive the carnage of battlefields?
Realizing that a prolonged exchange wouldn't bring her victory, she made a decisive move—activating her Noble Phantasm.
"Shinsengumi Coat of Oaths!"
With her name as Okita Souji, she vowed to win—no matter what. No matter what it took… she would earn the right to claim one request from her Master. With that iron will, her Noble Phantasm was unleashed.
A pale blue haori, emblematic of the Shinsengumi, materialized over her. The anti-unit Noble Phantasm [Coat of Oaths] activated, significantly boosting her already monstrous stats. Not only were her parameters enhanced, but her weapon also ascended to a higher level.
Her sword, Kojiki Kiyomitsu, evolved into Kiku-ichimonji Norimune—one of the most legendary blades of Japan. Though she couldn't release it as a true Noble Phantasm, its sheer quality and sharpness made it a weapon on par with A-rank treasures.
Her swordsmanship, already deadly, was amplified even further. It was like trading a musket for a cannon.
A sharp shhhh—shhhh! sliced through the night as Okita, now empowered by both stats and sword, pushed Lancer even harder.
Originally, Lancer's stats already lagged behind hers. Now, the gap widened to an extreme. Even with god-tier martial skill, it became difficult for him to fully defend himself.
Bit by bit, Okita's sword began leaving wounds on Lancer's body. Though the cuts were shallow and healed quickly, the tide was shifting against him.
Confirming this, and receiving his Master's command, Lancer finally unleashed one of his own skills.
"Mana Burst—Flame!"
An A-rank skill—one of the highest-tiered Mana Burst variants—instantly boosted his physical abilities and imbued his attacks with searing flames. The stat gap between them shrank rapidly, dragging the fight back into a tense stalemate.
Yet even with Mana Burst, Okita realized she still hadn't found a clear opening. And so, she resolved to settle this with her ultimate technique. Fortunately, her Noble Phantasm didn't require a grand chant or lengthy mana buildup. She could unleash it mid-combat—fast, sudden, and lethal.
Having seized the right moment, Okita moved in.
"One Step: Swifter than Sound!"
"Two Steps: Infinite Suffering!"
"Three Steps: Absolute Sword!"
"Lightless, Three-Stage Thrust!"
This time, luck was on her side.
The [Weak Constitution] trait that sometimes haunted her didn't activate. Her technique was flawless.
A perfect execution of her anti-unit sword technique. Boosted by her overwhelming parameters and the upgraded blade Kiku-ichimonji Norimune, the full force of her swordplay exploded in a deadly thrust—piercing straight through Lancer's armor!
As she felt the blade sink into her opponent's body, joy burst within her.
Victory for Okita!
At her current state, the magical sword's damage output was easily A-rank. Even if her opponent wore armor, this technique's piercing force could bypass most defenses. Though it didn't shatter the Spirit Core, a heavy wound was inevitable. And if her opponent was seriously injured, while she remained untouched, then as long as she pressed her advantage and didn't give him space to activate a Noble Phantasm—victory was assured.
Even if the enemy Master used a Command Spell to teleport Lancer away, it would still count as their loss. And by the bet she made with Su Mo—he'd owe her a favor!
Hahaha!
This win was locked in!
Unless her opponent had some sort of damage-reduction Noble Phantasm, there was no way he could keep up now. Step by step, she'd compound her advantage, and the win would be hers. But such Noble Phantasms were rare. She refused to believe her luck could be that bad.
Which meant—
Okita Souji had won!