On the long slope that he must pass on his way home, a blue figure suddenly appeared beside Shinji.
At the same time, Lancer's voice echoed.
"Hey, kid, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, doing great. Want a bun?"
"No need. Just be more careful from now on; your luck is really bad."
After leaving those words, Lancer vanished from Shinji's sight, turning into a spiritual form.
Shinji couldn't help but smile wryly. This was the second time Lancer had teased him about his bad luck, but he didn't take it to heart.
However, Lancer's strange demeanor earlier piqued Shinji's curiosity. Lancer seemed upset for some unknown reason.
What Shinji didn't know was that after narrowly escaping death three times, Lancer had resolved to work hard and prove himself! Especially the investigation Kirei had tasked him with regarding Rider's Master. Besides his daytime dates with the ladies, he planned to focus on completing the mission given by his Master!
...
6:00 AM, Matou residence.
In the bathroom, Shinji heard the front door being slammed open again and didn't even bother to show his usual weary expression.
Following this, there were hurried footsteps heading towards the bathroom!
"Shinji!"
Bazett, who slid open the door, wore an expression of deep concern. She called out and was about to step forward when Rider appeared in front of Shinji.
This time, Shinji had learned his lesson. He raised his hand to stop Bazett and took the initiative to untie his robe.
"No need to trouble you this time, Bazett. I'll do it myself!"
Looking at Shinji in his boxer shorts, Bazett couldn't help but feel something was missing. How could he check his body without examining important parts? What if he missed some injuries?
With that thought, Bazett stepped forward and spoke firmly.
"Take it all off!"
Shinji: ...
...
After finally getting Bazett to leave, the sky was already fully bright.
Sakura, who had just woken up and arrived "fashionably late," looked at her neatly dressed brother, a trace of disappointment and regret flashing across her face, as if she had missed something.
"Good morning, brother."
"Morning, Sakura. Let's get ready for breakfast."
...
On the other side, at the Tohsaka residence.
Archer, who had just finished making breakfast and was waiting for Rin to wake up, had something he wanted to say but didn't know if he should.
Illya really wanted to cooperate with the current version of himself and even actively requested to join their team! What if, after dealing with Caster, the bond between them as siblings deepened, and they continued to team up?
How would he deal with Shirou Emiya then? Archer had a headache. The only thing he was sure of was that he had to persuade his Master not to easily allow Illya to join their team of three! If he relented, it would be difficult to proceed! With Saber and Berserker, he might as well give up on his goals.
Should he take action in advance? The thought crossed Archer's mind but was quickly suppressed. If he dared to act against Shirou Emiya now, Illya would definitely intervene.
While it might not target Rin directly, it would undoubtedly cause trouble for him. If he were taken out by Berserker, no one would be left to protect Rin once Shirou Emiya was eliminated!
Wait! There's still someone else!
That man (Shinji) might be able to...
Thinking this through, Archer began to see his plan as more feasible and started to plot carefully. Not only did he need to eliminate Shirou Emiya, but he also had to ensure Rin wouldn't be dragged into it and, if possible, push her towards victory...
He needed to find someone to cooperate with! Archer realized he couldn't do it alone; he needed a strong, exploitable partner!
Caster...no, too weak. Against Saber and Berserker, she'd be crushed in minutes.
Lancer, also no good, incompatible with him.
That leaves...
Rider and her masked Master? Looks like he should investigate their identity and purpose first. Women are generally easier to manipulate.
At seven o'clock, Rin woke from a somewhat troubling dream (Archer's memories).
"Ah, I had a rare good sleep but a not-so-great dream..."
Rin, wearing a beige pajama, sat at the dining table, yawning and rubbing her head.
"Rin, last night Shinji Matou was attacked by Caster."
"Huh?!"
Rin's sleepiness vanished instantly. But then she heard Archer continue, "But it's alright now. Coincidentally, I saved him."
"That's good..." Rin patted her chest, relieved. Then she asked, "And then?"
"I also discovered someone who seems to be Rider's Master, a woman. I'm planning to investigate her secretly."
"Okay. But for now, the priority is investigating Caster's Master."
"There's another urgent matter. Illyasviel wants to team up with Shirou Emiya to deal with Caster, but Shirou temporarily refused her, saying he needed your permission..."
"What did you say?!"
Rin, holding a bun, stared blankly at Archer.
"Also, something you might not care about: the bun you're eating was bought by Shinji Matou."
"Cough, cough..." Rin started coughing. "Wait! Don't mention such irrelevant things! The important issue is Illyasviel! Archer, what do you think?"
"If the goal is just to deal with Caster, as long as Illyasviel can swear not to betray us, it's a no-brainer. We wouldn't need to search for Caster's Master, and with Berserker, dealing with Caster is easy."
"That's true, but..." Rin hesitated.
"There's a chance she and Shirou might continue their cooperation after Caster is dealt with. I sense Illyasviel has special feelings for Shirou. If that's the case, we'd be at a disadvantage."
Archer voiced his Master's concern.
"If only I'd been more decisive earlier, I could've taken Saber from Shirou, and we wouldn't have this problem..."
Rin sighed, feeling a bit weary, and then sighed again.
"Well, missed opportunities are missed. Archer, get ready; we'll take action against Caster in the next couple of days."
"Hmm?" Archer frowned.
"Some things we can't stop. But if she wants to be our free helper against Caster, let her. It'll save us the trouble of searching for Caster's Master like headless chickens."