"So I lost, huh."
Archer lay among the rubble, striking a nonchalant pose despite looking like he was on the verge of death.
"Kill me or spare me - it's your choice. The defeated have no say."
"Then call me 'Lord Jason' properly."
Having won the duel, Jason stood triumphantly over Archer—only to get a gemstone thrown at his head by Rin Tohsaka.
"At least try to act like a hero! You didn't even win this yourself. Have some shame!"
"Hercules is my Servant. If he's strong, then that means I'm strong too!"
Jason was completely unfazed by the fact that all the credit had gone to Hercules instead of him.
"What do you think, Emiya-kun?"
Rin still found it bizarre that Archer was essentially trying to kill his past self just because he disliked his own future. No matter how she looked at it, it felt downright insane.
She couldn't understand it, but she could at least respect it.
"Tōsaka, you still plan to participate in the Holy Grail War, right?"
Unlike in the original timeline, Shirou Emiya hadn't been wounded or hunted down by Cu Chulainn, nor did he know the Holy Grail War was responsible for the fire ten years ago. So, he still hadn't grasped the reality of it. After all, the war had now turned into a card game.
"This guy is at least somewhat useful. Let him stick around and protect you for a bit. I plan to transfer my Command Spells to you and withdraw from the Holy Grail War entirely."
Shirou simply didn't want to deal with this future version of himself. Right now, he had bigger concerns—like fixing his house's collapsed walls and warehouse. Before he could become a hero of justice, he was still a high school student with daily life responsibilities.
"Really…?"
Rin's initial reaction was excitement, but she quickly composed herself to maintain her usual grace. Clearing her throat, she said, "But the Tohsaka family doesn't take advantage of people in their moments of weakness. You were chosen by the Holy Grail, which means you must have your own wish. Let's discuss this tonight with the Overseer. Whether you want to continue or withdraw, it's better to make the decision after getting all the information."
"Oh, right—where's Sakura? She didn't come to see you today?"
Now that the battle was over, Rin finally remembered why she had come in the first place.
She had been so busy preparing for the Holy Grail War that she had only caught fleeting glimpses of Sakura at the Archery Club. If she hadn't seen her, she would just assume Sakura was busy as well. But now, the only person who could give her an update was Shirou.
"Sakura? Now that you mention it, it is a bit odd."
Shirou didn't know about Rin's connection to the Matou family, so he found it strange that she seemed so concerned about Sakura. Still, he shared what he knew.
"She was missing for a while, but she returned to school a couple of days ago. She looked much better—like she had gone out to clear her mind or something. But she hasn't come by since she got back. Shinji even told me she hasn't returned to the Matou house at all."
"She hasn't been back…? That's actually for the best."
Rin recalled what her father, Tokiomi, had told her. If Sakura had managed to escape that hellish place, then that was undoubtedly a good thing. But the timing felt suspicious.
Maybe Sakura had also become a Master. Either way, Rin had to go to the Matou house to confirm things for herself.
"Emiya, cover for me! I'm skipping school today!"
Grabbing Jason, who was still mocking Archer, Rin hurried off toward the Matou residence. There was no way she could wait until nightfall—she wouldn't be able to sleep otherwise.
"But we're not even in the same class…!"
Shirou couldn't even stop her in time. Staring at his ruined courtyard, he let out a long sigh.
After a long silence, he turned to the Archer still playing dead on the ground.
"You can't kill me for now anyway, and this is technically the house you once lived in, right? I'll leave the repairs to you. I still have school to attend..."
-
By the time Rin reached the Matou house, a certain blue-haired seaweed-headed boy was just about to leave for school.
Seeing Rin rushing toward him, Shinji struck a flamboyant pose. For someone both overly self-confident and deeply insecure, he was never good at hiding his true thoughts.
"Well, well, if it isn't Rin! If you wanted me to walk you to school, you should have made a reservation first~"
"Perfect timing!"
Without hesitation, Rin grabbed Shinji's wrist and yanked him toward her.
"Eh?! R-Rin, you're being so forw—"
Shinji's heart raced with excitement. He had admired Rin for a long time, but he was celebrating too soon.
Rin took advantage of his off-balance stance and delivered a brutal elbow strike straight to his stomach. If she hadn't been worried about outright killing him, she would have aimed for his heart.
Shinji's eyes nearly popped out of his skull. A nauseating sensation surged from his stomach, and the pain was so intense that he couldn't even scream—only silent tears streamed down his face.
As Rin let go, he collapsed onto the ground like a limp shrimp.
Jason, who had finally caught up, grabbed Shinji by the hair and lifted him up. His handsome face was now twisted into a delinquent-like grin.
"Our boss is asking you a question! Say 'no' and we'll send you to the bottom of Fuyuki Bridge as a warning!"
"Then just… ask already!"
Shinji coughed up blood, utterly miserable.
"…Rin, you didn't ask him anything?"
"I only had time to throw one punch. Obviously, I haven't asked yet. And don't make this sound like a Yakuza shakedown!"
Rin flexed her wrist. She had wanted to beat up this "harmless" scumbag for a while now. Normally, she had to maintain a refined image and consider the history between their families, but this time, she had an excuse.
"You hit him before even questioning him?"
Jason rolled his eyes.
"I wanted to."
Rin casually waved a fist in front of Shinji's face. Her close-quarters combat skills were more than enough to make him sweat.
"Now, tell me—where is Sakura?"
"I don't know!"
At the mention of Sakura, a look of fear flickered across Shinji's face.
"She hasn't been home for days. And she found some crazy woman—like a poisonous snake—to be her bodyguard. That lunatic nearly killed me!"
That aligned with what Shirou had said. Since Shinji had no more useful information, Rin decided not to press him further.
"Alright, second question—"
Before Rin could finish, a small, innocent voice spoke from behind her.
"Are you looking for Matou Sakura too? Illya has been waiting for her for two days, but she hasn't appeared at all. It's quite troubling."
A white-haired, red-eyed girl entered Rin's view. Behind her stood a voluptuous woman clad in tight-fitting purple clothing. As she walked, the two generous assets on her chest bounced lightly with each step.