If you asked Rin how she felt now, she would say she felt like she had stumbled upon a huge advantage!
Berserker, Saber, all of them could be easily defeated with the help of the powerful ally she had just found. Even if she had to face this ally eventually... well, she could always plead for mercy. After all, this ally didn't seem like the type to kill someone who begged for their life.
Moreover, losing to the strongest Enforcer from the Mage's Association wouldn't be shameful for a simple mage like her.
No, not shameful at all!
Archer, on the other hand, felt that cooperating with Bazett was the best decision. If they could take down Lancer tonight, they would only need to fight as a team. Although a three-on-two battle had its advantages, the margin was slim since he wouldn't be fighting at full strength—at most, he'd shoot a few arrows.
His real plan was to wait until everyone was exhausted, then betray them and use his ultimate weapon—Unlimited Blade Works—to finish off the remaining competitors.
Although a bit underhanded, this plan would secure Rin's victory and eliminate his own counterpart from this era.
His instincts had been right!
"Miss… no, Bazett-san, are you planning to go after Kirei tonight?"
"Yes. With Caster gone, it's time to end this war. Delays will only bring more complications."
Rules? This woman actually cared about the rules? Rin was surprised but also realized that Bazett wasn't as heartless as she had thought.
"Alright, I'll help," Rin said after a moment of consideration. After all, this could eliminate a sneaky enemy and gain her some credit with the Clock Tower for assisting an Enforcer in taking down a traitor.
Having more friends was always good. Who knew when she might need Bazett's help? This was the strongest Enforcer of the Mage's Association, and that title wasn't given lightly!
"You want to help?" Bazett raised an eyebrow. "But it might be dangerous. I can't guarantee your safety during the fight."
What?
Rin was even more surprised. This sounded like Bazett was actually concerned for her safety.
Rin waved her hand with a smile. "No worries. I'll have Archer help from a distance. That should make things easier, right?"
"Alright," Bazett nodded, then asked, "Besides the Einzbern homunculus, the only remaining Master is Emiya Shirou, right? From what you've seen, do you think he can be convinced to give up his role as a Master? Is he a talent the Mage's Association should protect?"
Rin was now certain that Bazett was not cold-hearted but rather full of humanity.
Archer, too, considered that perhaps this powerful mage had a side that believed in justice.
Rin then started to describe Shirou Emiya from her perspective, leaving out his pig-headed tendencies and focusing on his redeeming qualities.
...
At the Matou residence.
"I'm back, brother."
Entering the living room on the second floor, Sakura spoke up.
Shinji, sitting on the sofa opposite Gilgamesh, looked up and smiled. "Welcome back, Sakura."
Seeing Gilgamesh on the sofa, Sakura quickly put down her bag and groceries.
"We have a guest. I'll make some tea. Sorry I'm a bit late, brother…"
"No need," Shinji said, looking at Gilgamesh swirling his wine. "I think our guest prefers wine."
As Gilgamesh raised his glass, recalling their card game that ended in a draw after two hours, he smirked and drained his glass.
"A good game, and the wine was decent."
For the price, it better be good, thought Shinji, though he kept a straight face, finishing his own glass of wine.
...
Leaving the Matou residence, Gilgamesh's smirk grew. However, passing a park and seeing Ilya, his expression soured, though he did not stop.
"Shirou, Shirou!"
Ilya's voice brought Shirou back to reality.
"Ah, sorry, Ilya," Shirou apologized. "I got distracted…"
"Hmm?" Ilya followed his gaze and saw Gilgamesh's retreating figure. "Are you interested in that blonde foreigner?"
"Maybe it's because he's a foreigner," Shirou mused. "I'll ask Shinji later. He's probably a friend of his."
"I see…"
"It's getting late, Ilya. You should head home."
"Okay…" Ilya's face showed disappointment.
Noticing this, Shirou added, "Or would you like to visit my place for a bit?"
"Really? Is that an invitation?"
Shirou smiled wryly. "Sure, let's call it an invitation. Besides, it wouldn't be fair if I didn't show you my place after you showed me yours."
"Hmm…" Ilya thought for a moment, then nodded, her face lighting up with a cute smile. "Alright! If Shirou invites me, I'll go!"
Shirou stood up from the bench. "Let's go, then. Saber must be hungry by now. Ilya, do you want to stay for dinner?"
"Dinner?" Ilya was surprised, then shook her head. "No, Sella has prepared dinner. If I'm late, she'll be mad. And when Sella gets mad, she nags a lot."
"Alright…"
...
At the Matou residence.
Late at night, around 10 PM, Sakura looked at her brother, who had again refused her tutoring request. After a moment of thought, she said sternly, "Brother, a student's job is to study! You must not forget that!"
Seeing Sakura so serious, Shinji wanted to retort but couldn't find a reason to. She had a point!
But…
Sakura, consider your brother! You're always dressed like that, making it hard for me to focus on tutoring you!
How did you get that outfit that looks just like the one Caster gave you in the Fate anime?
"Cough, cough…" Shinji cleared his throat, forcing a smile. "Sakura, tonight is the last time. After tonight, I won't go out for a while. After I finish today's task, we can go on a trip abroad."
"Really?!" Sakura was overjoyed.
"Yes, trust me." Shinji stood up, still smiling. "So, rest well tonight."
"Alright, brother."
...
As Sakura saw Shinji off, he turned back and asked, "Sakura, did you pick a maid from the housekeeping company catalog I gave you?"
"None seem suitable, brother."
"None?" Shinji was puzzled. The catalog was full of capable maids.
"Yes, none met the criteria, but I'll keep looking."
...
At the large cavern beneath Ryuudou Temple.
Shinji arrived, hands in his pockets, happily examining the silver metal object in his hand—a large magic analyzer.
The flashing "100% Analysis Complete" on the silver metal was the source of Shinji's joy.
With a crack, he crushed the analyzer in his hand, and its fragments dispersed into countless glowing particles, merging into his consciousness.
"Now to digest this knowledge. Hopefully, my mind won't collapse from it."
Shinji sat down, closed his eyes, and began absorbing the vast knowledge and the intricate structure of the Holy Grail system that had just poured into his mind.
...
Midnight.
In the cavern, Shinji continued digesting the information about the Holy Grail system. Meanwhile, at the Kotomine Church in Shinto, Bazett and Rin were hiding, ready to strike.
'No sign of Lancer…'
Archer, who had scouted ahead, relayed the information to Rin, and Rider confirmed the same to Bazett.
Knowing there was no time to waste, Bazett and Rin exchanged glances and then stormed through the church's main door, heading straight for the grand chapel.
Bang!
They pushed open the chapel doors, ready for battle. But to their surprise, Kirei was nowhere to be seen.
"We checked upstairs too. There's a basement below," Archer's voice came through…