In the bathroom, lying in the bathtub, Shinji furrowed his brows as he pondered the upcoming developments in the Holy Grail War...
"Ah, this is such a hassle..."
Shinji rubbed his forehead and sighed. Despite having been reincarnated for over ten years, he still couldn't take down a Servant (except Rider, whom he could currently suppress under specific conditions). He felt like he was letting down the reincarnator community.
Look at Shirou in the original story. With just the protagonist's halo, he could rip through Servants in a matter of days. Meanwhile, Shinji, who relied on his wits, felt utterly ashamed.
And then there were those protagonists in other fanfictions, with their cheat-like abilities, effortlessly signing in and leveling up to dominate the world in a few years. But his system was utterly useless, forcing him to rely on his own training.
What a scam!
System? System!
[Upgrading, currently dormant]
Damn it!
Cursing silently, Shinji stood up from the bathtub with a splash.
Just then, he heard a loud crash outside, followed by hurried footsteps approaching the bathroom.
Knowing it was Bazett and Rider, Shinji didn't panic but started looking for a towel.
However, before he could wrap himself in the towel, the bathroom door was flung open!
Ssssh!
Seeing the anxious, panting Bazett and Rider materializing in the bathroom, Shinji remained silent.
Especially Rider, whose gaze swept over his body and paused for a second at his lower half, seemed to say, "We meet again."
The story goes back to half an hour earlier—
On a deserted street in Shinto, a young man with a ponytail, dressed casually, was comparing the address on the VIP card to the nightclub that his new "sworn brother" had mentioned, which promised many beautiful girls and fine wine.
"Matou... Shinji, huh? He's quite an interesting guy. I didn't miss with that spear, yet he survived. And those physical abilities and strange moves... It seems this era does have some interesting people."
Just as he finished speaking, Lancer suddenly felt an immense surge of magical energy and pressure from behind, followed by the neighing of a horse!
"A Noble Phantasm?!"
Reacting instantly, Lancer donned his bodysuit, summoned his weapon, and turned to look.
"Bridle of Chivalry!!"
In the air, a cold woman's voice gave Lancer no chance to react.
Blinding white light!
A roaring Phantasmal Beast!
A woman riding the horse!
Eyes that suppressed him!
Lancer was dumbfounded. Apart from himself, was there anyone else who unleashed a Noble Phantasm upon meeting someone?!
And it was an anti-army Noble Phantasm?
Without even an exchange of moves or words, she went straight for a big move?
What kind of strategy is this?!
Seeing the instant casting from the masked woman, Lancer panicked because she was moving faster than he could at full speed! Not to mention he was affected by her petrifying gaze...
'Master! Use a Command Seal! I can't dodge this! I've encountered Rider! She's a lunatic!'
Boom!!!
Lancer was engulfed in the blinding white light. Whether he lived or died depended on whether Kirei would use a Command Seal.
The scene shifts back to the Matou residence.
"He got away..." Rider, seeming lost in thought, muttered to herself.
"Who?! What happened exactly?! What were you recalling by yourself? I have no idea what's going on! And how long are you two going to keep staring?!"
"Let go! I need to check!"
Bazett showed no shyness as she walked straight up to Shinji, her expression extremely serious.
After all, according to Rider, he had been stabbed by Lancer's cursed spear, and Bazett knew the curse well!
"What exactly are you checking?"
Shinji covered his chest, his last bastion of dignity.
"Enough! Hurry up!"
Bazett forcefully pried Shinji's hands away and began meticulously examining every part of his body.
First, the internal organs. Hmm... no damage!
Then, the external body. No visible wounds or injuries, teeth intact, breath fresh, indicating good oral hygiene.
Skin tight and elastic, muscles well-toned and developed just right...
After completing the examination, Bazett sighed in relief, blushing as she stood up.
"Still not sure, there might be functional damage." Rider spoke calmly. "We should check for any functional damage."
"Functional damage? What do you mean?" Bazett asked. "Rider, can you check?"
"Yes, I should be able to." Rider nodded succinctly.
Seeing Rider discreetly licking her lips, Shinji's eye twitched. Surely not? We just...
"Is there anything I can help with?" Bazett inquired.
"No, I can handle it alone."
Rider declined Bazett's help. It was better to leave such matters to someone more familiar.
Thud, thud, thud.
"Brother, I just heard the door crash open, and from the bathroom..."
Sakura's voice trailed off as she reached the bathroom door and saw the scene inside.
The sight was so shocking that dark flames of anger rose from Sakura, quickly reaching a boiling point!
In the parlor, Sakura brought freshly brewed tea.
"So, Bazett-san and Rider were just worried about Brother's injuries and came to check on him. That was a real scare."
"Uh," Shinji, sitting on the sofa, forced a smile. The situation was so awkward that he didn't know what to say.
"Anyway, thank you for your concern, Bazett-san." Shinji finally spoke. "But I'm fine now. I've also informed the supervisor, who will talk to Lancer's Master. Unlike ordinary witnesses, I'm an informed party, so there's no need to eliminate me like a regular person."
"The supervisor..." Bazett frowned after gulping down her tea. "You should avoid meeting him again. He's dangerous."
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
After confirming Shinji's well-being, Bazett and Rider left the Matou residence, but not before fixing the broken door.
After such a farce, Shinji was exhausted and decided to skip breakfast and sleep a bit longer.
"Brother, are you really not hurt?" Sakura asked worriedly. "Let me check again."
"Don't worry. I'm fine. Trust me." Shinji smiled, patting Sakura's head. "I'm going to rest now."
"Goodnight."
At the Tohsaka residence, Rin had just finished washing up and climbed into bed in her pajamas.
Unlike usual, she now wore a necklace with an ordinary-looking ring on it.
"Hehe."
Rin giggled to herself, clutching the ring, unable to stop smiling and wriggling in her bed.
In the living room, Archer sighed, shaking his head. His Master was too easily satisfied. Should he still bake the cake?
After finishing the cake and putting it in the fridge, Archer left the house and took his position on the rooftop, keeping watch.
Looking at the faintly brightening sky, Archer felt nostalgic. As his worn-out memories gradually returned, he confirmed that this was indeed the era he once lived in, yet many things were different.
That blue-haired guy (Shinji) was very different from the Matou Shinji he knew in his past life!