Actually, Shinji hadn't expected the Mage's Association to be in such a rush. They had only acquired two cards, and yet they were eager to have Bazett bring them back, making his recent bath pointless.
Shaking his head in resignation, Shinji dried his hair with a towel as he walked into the drawing room.
Seeing the golden-haired girl who seemed to have gained his sister's trust over the past few days, Shinji genuinely admired his sister's acting skills.
"Hmph!"
Upon seeing Shinji, Luvia, who was chatting with Sakura, crossed her legs and snorted haughtily.
Shinji was used to this by now, as Luvia frequently visited their home to chat with Sakura or take her out.
"Sakura, your tea and the snacks you've made have improved tremendously. From my personal experience, they've already surpassed those made by our servants. Lately, I find the tea made by our servants far inferior to yours."
"Really?" Sakura covered her mouth in delight, looking flattered, and quickly waved her hand modestly. "Oh no, I'm still far from Auguste's level."
Watching the polite exchanges between these two women, Shinji lost interest in the conversation. After greeting Sakura, he headed to the basement.
As expected, Rider was already waiting for him in the basement. It was clear that after several days without a sparring match, Rider's rebellious spirit was burning brightly again.
Seeing Rider dressed in a bunny girl outfit, Shinji chuckled and closed the basement door.
Tonight, that bath wouldn't be wasted after all.
...
Meanwhile, after Bazett left, Rin, who wasn't too exhausted, took Archer to the park under the Mion River Bridge, hoping to acquire a card to study.
However, after several attempts, she couldn't enter the Mirror World and eventually gave up.
Rin was frustrated. If there had been a bit of magical leakage, she might have used gemstones to create and stabilize an entrance.
But there was no gap between the two worlds, and even Bazett had used tools and secret techniques provided by the Mage's Association to enter. Rin had no such means apart from her gemstones.
"Matou Shinji..."
Seeing through Rin's frustration, Archer quietly mentioned his name.
Hearing this, Rin, who had returned home and was now sitting on the sofa in the living room, sighed deeply.
In her understanding, Shinji, with his means resembling the Second Magic, could undoubtedly traverse to the Mirror World.
However, due to their complicated relationship and her own pride, Rin was determined not to seek Shinji's help.
"Forget it, I'll figure it out myself. Besides, if I complete the Jeweled Sword, entering that place will be a piece of cake."
Recently, Rin had made some progress in her research on the ring and the Jeweled Sword.
Rin was confident that given a bit more time, she could decipher the structure of the Jeweled Sword and the ring and begin her real experiments!
...
Bazett's departure lasted longer than before, and even after April turned into early May, there was no news from her.
During this time, Shinji completed the full set of game cards and programmed the chips for two cards for Gilgamesh: a five-star Archer and a four-star Caster.
Additionally, Shinji successfully completed the final round of tempering his second spirit, the Spiritual Soul, advancing to the third stage of soul refinement. Having previously used a temporary card to experience this power, he wasn't entirely unfamiliar with his current strength.
At this stage, unlike the Soul Condensation realm, his mental power—or the third element as it's called in this world—could be used for both probing and forming attacks.
Pure third element attacks were particularly effective against spirits or beings like Zouken.
In terms of physical strength, without the support of his internal energy, his pure muscle power was not yet on par with Rider's, but he could at least hold his own in an arm-wrestling match for a while.
Shinji estimated that his muscle strength had reached approximately D+.
The intermediate formation and refining manuals he exchanged from the system would take some time to fully comprehend, but for now, he had enough strength to protect himself and his sister.
"Hah—!"
Boom!
Standing across the table from Rider, who watched as Shinji effortlessly overpowered her in an arm-wrestling match, she couldn't help but marvel at her Master's strength.
Rider could sense that in that instant, Shinji's aura surged to an incredible height, reminiscent of the time he crushed Zouken.
Seeing Shinji quickly restrain his aura and return to his usual self, Rider was impressed by her Master's growth.
Though she rarely saw Shinji in action apart from the incident with Zouken, Rider knew her Master was formidable.
The devastation of the forest that night, caused by Shinji and Gilgamesh, had already proven that.
But the most terrifying thing wasn't Shinji's hidden power; it was that he never seemed to lose his composure.
Shinji faced everything with a sense of enjoyment, much like the self-proclaimed ancient hero-king.
Seeing Rider, though expressionless, with a hint of admiration in her eyes, Shinji smiled and pulled her close.
"Let's go for a ride on the motorcycle tonight..."
Hearing this, Rider's heart skipped a beat.
Was her Master planning another one of his schemes?
"Sakura is still..."
"Don't worry, she's staying over at Luvia's tonight. She told me beforehand."
Shinji replied, secretly admiring his sister's thoughtfulness. She seemed to have sensed his imminent departure and left the day free for him and Rider.
Given her consideration, Shinji decided to finally fix the Feng Shui issue in Sakura's bathroom when he returned, ensuring it wouldn't keep breaking.
Of course, he also knew this might be part of his sister's plan, but he didn't mind. A trap wasn't effective unless someone walked into it.
...
Late at night, in the deep mountains behind Ryuudou Temple.
In a clearing surrounded by barriers, now reduced to ruins, with trees uprooted and the ground deeply cratered, Rider stood breathless and disheveled, holding her nails with a blank expression, feeling deeply aggrieved.
Was this what he called playing? Using such force?
"Alright, let's head back, Rider."
Watching Shinji casually pop a pill into his mouth, Rider was taken aback.
No new tricks?
She had been on guard the whole time!
"Catching."
Seeing the small wooden box Shinji conjured from thin air, Rider instinctively caught it.
Before she could open it, Shinji said, "That's your backup magic when I'm not around."
Hearing this, Rider suddenly didn't want to open the box. Her Master was a mischievous rogue, always coming up with ways to mess with her.
Seeing Rider clearly misunderstand, Shinji sighed and said, "You've used up a lot of energy. Take a break."
Does he want me to take it in front of him?!
Rider was shocked by her Master's twisted sense of play.
But what choice did she have? As a Servant, she had no choice but to obey.
Reluctantly, Rider opened the box, only to find ten lollipops inside, not what she had expected.
"Let's go back. I'm exhausted and need to rest."
Waving his hand dismissively, Shinji led the way out of the pit. Rider quickly unwrapped a lollipop and followed him.
She needed to talk to her Master about the dangers of traveling without a bodyguard.
...
At the Matou residence, in the second-floor drawing room.
"While I'm away, your main task is to protect Sakura as usual. If someone familiar asks for help, you can choose to assist them, provided Sakura is safe."
Watching Shinji leave after saying this, Rider wanted to ask to go with him but didn't dare, knowing it would be futile.
"I'm exhausted, completely drained."
Seeing Shinji yawn and leave, Rider suddenly had an idea.
Her Master was currently weak. Could this be...?
Strike while the iron is hot, as they say. Tonight was the perfect time to rebel against her tyrant Master!
The wind is chilly, but I, Rider, must go!