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Meanwhile, Saber was overwhelming Ishtar in their battle.
Just as Ishtar was about to be defeated—Roy intervened.
"Saber, Ishtar, stop fighting. We're all on the same side."
Rin and Ishtar were stunned.
"You're Saber's Master?!" Rin exclaimed in surprise. She hadn't expected Roy to become a Master so suddenly.
"That's right," Roy replied with a grin.
Rin's eyes widened. She had been so close to an enemy Master.
If he had wanted to kill her, she would be dead already.
In her mind—Masters were supposed to be enemies.
But Roy showed no hostility towards her, which confused her.
Was he captivated by her beauty?
Rin blushed—remembering the incident with her stockings.
Ishtar was also alarmed. Her Master was standing dangerously close to an enemy Master.
She quickly retreated from her fight with Saber and returned to Rin's side to protect her.
"Hey, is this guy really an ally?" she asked Rin.
"Don't call me 'hey'! Call me Master!" Rin snapped, annoyed with this Servant who looked exactly like her.
It was understandable. Both of them had a bit of a tsundere personality.
And Ishtar, as the goddess of Venus—had her own pride.
"Besides, he's not an ally. You know the rules of the Holy Grail War, right?"
"So they're enemies? Then I suggest we run! We're no match for them," Ishtar said, having realized during her brief clash with Saber that she was outmatched.
If Roy hadn't intervened, she would have already been defeated.
"What?! How can you say such a cowardly thing?!" Rin scolded.
"Well, it's not my fault you're so weak and can't provide enough magical energy—Otherwise, I could have defeated Saber with my Bull of Heaven," Ishtar retorted.
Rin—couldn't back down from such a challenge.
The two of them started bickering.
Roy watched with amusement. It was quite entertaining to see two Rin Tohsakas arguing.
Although Rin had those lovely black stockings, Ishtar's outfit was much more alluring to Roy.
As Roy was enjoying the show, Saber spoke up.
"Master, shouldn't we take this opportunity to eliminate them?" she asked, confused.
This was the perfect chance. She was in top condition with Roy's abundant magical energy supply.
Why not seize this opportunity to defeat their opponents?
Roy, seeing her confusion, instinctively reached out to pat her head.
But Saber dodged his hand.
"Master, please refrain from such actions. It is inappropriate to touch a king's head," she said with a serious expression.
"Oh—sorry," Roy mumbled, embarrassed.
He had acted without thinking.
"Ahem... Rin is my friend, so I can't attack her. Do you understand, Saber?"
"Friend?" Saber murmured, then nodded. "I understand."
"But Master, you know the rules of the Holy Grail War, right?"
The rule was for the seven Servants to fight until only one remained. Even if they were friends, they would eventually have to battle.
Roy chuckled. "I know the rules, but I don't intend to follow them. Rules are merely constraints imposed by the strong on the weak."
"But isn't your goal to obtain the Holy Grail, Master?" Saber asked, confused.
"Well, it depends on my mood," Roy replied with a shrug. "If you want it, Saber, I'll give it to you."
Saber was surprised, but she didn't refuse. After all, her wish as a Heroic Spirit was to obtain the Holy Grail.
"Thank you, Master."
"Don't mention it. Actually, I think obtaining me might be more beneficial than obtaining the Holy Grail," Roy said with a wink.
He was being serious. Saber's wish was to save Britain.
The Holy Grail couldn't grant that wish, but it was a simple task for Roy.
To most people, the fall of Britain was a historical fact.
But Roy could easily change that with his Authorities of Kingship and Magic.
With his current power, he could influence the entire world, let alone Britain.
"???" Saber didn't quite understand.
Roy didn't explain further. Saber's trust in him was still too low....
--
"Hey, are you two done arguing yet? If you are, let's go home," Roy said, looking at Rin and Ishtar, who were still bickering.
"You... you're really not going to attack us?" Rin asked in surprise.
"Do you really want me to attack you?" Roy teased.
Rin blushed. "Of course not!"
"Haha, you're Sakura's sister. I wouldn't hurt you. Anyway, I'm going home now. See you later," Roy said, turning to leave with Saber.
But then, he suddenly sensed something.
He appeared before Rin in a flash.
Rin's heart skipped a beat.
She had a bad feeling about this.
It seemed this "pervert" wasn't going to let her off so easily.
Ishtar also tensed up.
Suddenly—a crimson light flashed in the night sky.
It shot towards Rin.
BOOM!!!
A deafening explosion rocked the street.
Rin was thrown to the ground by the shockwave.
When she recovered, she looked up and saw Roy holding up a magic barrier that had blocked the attack.
Seeing his calm expression, Rin felt a sense of security. She clutched her chest, her heart pounding.
Her face flushed slightly.
"Are you alright?" Roy asked with a gentle smile.
"I-I'm fine," Rin stammered, feeling her cheeks burning.
"Then get up. It would be a shame to get your stockings dirty," Roy said.
"...."
Rin's heart skipped a beat, then she scowled.
This man was definitely a pervert.
But she still got up and dusted off her stockings.
"Master, what happened?" Saber asked, finally catching up.
She had sensed something strange in the sky but hadn't reacted as quickly as Roy.
She was shocked that her Master had blocked such a powerful attack with one hand.
Who was this man? How could he possess such power?
Her curiosity about Roy grew.
But now was the time for her to fulfill her duty as a Servant.
"Master, should I pursue that Servant?" she asked.
"I don't think that's necessary. She's already coming here," Roy replied, pointing towards the sky.
They looked up and saw a small black dot growing larger.
A figure leaped down from the sky and landed before them.
"You killed my student and thought you could just walk away?" a woman with a commanding voice declared, wielding a spear.
"Student?" Saber instantly understood.
The only Servant she had defeated was Lancer—Cu Chulainn. The woman's identity was obvious.
"You're Scathach, the Queen of the Land of Shadows!" Saber exclaimed.
"Eh? The Queen of the Land of Shadows?" Rin was confused.
"She's Lancer's teacher," Ishtar explained.
"She's the ruler of the Land of Shadows, a Celtic land considered to be the realm of the dead," she continued.
"She has skills and ancient rune magic that border on the divine. She has killed countless undead, humans, and even gods. Perhaps as punishment for attaining godhood as a human—she was cursed with eternal life."
Rin's expression turned serious after hearing Ishtar's explanation.
This cold and powerful queen was clearly not someone to be trifled with.
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