FSN Fate Day 05 (EN)

Scene 00 - Rose and hydrangea

I feel the white sunlight upon me.
There must be a draft. I feel a cold wind and slowly wake up.

"Huh... it's the shed―――"
I pick my body up and shake my sleepy head.
"I see, I fell asleep here yesterday."
After yesterday's routine―――after the training to create another sensation within me, I must have been too lazy to return to my room.

"It must still be before six. ...Damn, I should prepare breakfast."
I fold up the blanket, straighten up the things I failed to "strengthen" yesterday, and head back to the house to wash my face.

"―――It's cold."
When I leave the shed, it's really cold outside.
Fuyuki City is warm during the winter, but the top of the mountain on this side has the chill of a normal winter.

"Oh, there's some frost... I should do something about the lawn soon."
The sound of breaking ice.
There is frost on the ground and footprints are formed as I walk.

So.
I wash my face with freezing water and pull myself together.

"――――All right."
I'm wide awake now.
Now that I'm awake, all the things I don't want to think about, like the situation I'm in, come straight to mind.

"...Oh yeah. I shouldn't be washing my face so calmly......"
It's five to six.
There are a ton of things I have to do, but I should return to my room and check on Saber first.

"...Yeah. I guess I left the room without saying anything, so I should explain things to her."
I'll be troubled if Saber misunderstands things.
...It's my daily routine to go out to the shed at night, so she should understand if I explain.

"After explaining things to Saber, I should make breakfast. ...It seems Tohsaka won't be eating, so I should just add Saber's share."
Oh. In that case, I should go and buy more ingredients for the additional people. I should note that before I forget.

"...Hm? I'm sure I'm forgetting something..."
What could it be?
It feels like I'm forgetting something really important―――

"Gah, it's six. I have to hurry or I won't make it."
Well, if I can't remember, it can't be anything important.

"―――――"
I quietly open the door.
The room is just like it was yesterday.
There's no sign of Saber waking up in the middle of the night and searching this room.
I guess she didn't realize that I escaped the room last night.

"...That's kind of a letdown. I thought Saber might notice."
Or did she need sleep so much that she couldn't notice?

"...I see. That must be what she means when she said she needs to sleep frequently."
That must be why she's sleeping as close to me as she can, so she can come to me in case something does happen.

"......"
Either way, it won't make much difference where I go if it's within the house.
I can detect intruders from the boundary field.
I should be able to protect myself for about a minute with that, and Saber should be able to come save me in a minute wherever I may be in this house.

"...That's right. And if it's the shed, there'll be plenty of places to hide."
Anyways, I shouldn't be scolded at for what I did last night.
I was considering explaining this to Saber, but it seems there's no need for that. And I don't think I should wake her up either if she's asleep.

"Saber, I'm going to prepare breakfast. I'll prepare some for you, but you don't have to get up if you're tired.
I'll come get you later, so rest until then."
I call out to her and quietly leave the room.

There's no one in the living room.
I open the refrigerator and consider what I should make for breakfast.

And then.
"―――Mornin'. You're up pretty early."
Tohsaka comes in, looking like she's in a really bad mood.

"T-Tohsaka...? What, did something happen...!?"
"Nothing. I'm always like this in the mornings, so don't worry."
Tohsaka crosses the living room like a ghost.

"Hey, are you all right? You don't look all right."
"I'm telling you, don't worry, I'll wake up when I wash my face. ...Uh, how do I get to the bathroom from here?"

"You can take that hallway. There's a bathroom in the hallway by the entrance if you're going to wash your face."
"Oh yeah, there was one there, wasn't there?"
I'm not sure how much she heard, but Tohsaka waves her hand and leaves.

And then.
Just as Tohsaka disappears into the hallway, I hear a bell informing me of a visitor.

"Shirou―――? Someone's here―――?"
I hear Tohsaka's voice from the hallway.
"Oh, don't worry about it! Only my friends come at this time!"
It'll be Sakura arriving at this time.
Sakura has a spare key, so I shouldn't need to go to the door.

"...Geez. She never listens, even though I keep telling her she doesn't need to ring the bell."
Sakura is like a member of the family, so she can come in when she wants.
But she's polite, and she only comes in after saying "excuse me".
That must be one of Sakura's good points, but if she's considerate all the time, she'll―――

"――――"
Hold on.
Sakura... is... at my house...?

"...!!!"
I run through the hallway.
Scolding myself for my stupidity comes later.
I have to get to the entrance and make her go home before she sees Tohsaka―――!

"Haa... haa...!"
I reach the entrance, out of breath.
But it's too late.
There...

"―――――"
...Is Tohsaka, greeting the guest, even though I didn't ask her to,
"――――Huh?"
and Sakura, just standing there, surprised.

Sakura is at the door, and Tohsaka is in the hallway.
With an indescribable tension, the two look at each other.

"Good morning, Matou-san. Are you surprised to see me here?"
Tohsaka asks, as if looking down on Sakura from the hallway.

"―――Tohsaka... Senpai."
Her face asks why.
Sakura looks up at Tohsaka with fear in her eyes.

"―――"
Damn it.
I can't call out to them.
They are ignoring me and staring at each other.
There's no room for me to say anything.

All I can do is to think how to explain things to Sakura, but before I can think up a good explanation....
"Senpai... what is this...?"
Sakura looks at me as if asking for help.

"Yeah. Well, it's a long story――"
"It's not long. I'm just staying over here."
Clearly.
She cuts off my sentence and just states the point.

"...Senpai, is that true?"
"The short answer is yes. There are circumstances, so I have her staying here now.
...Sorry, I forgot to tell you and surprised you."

"P-Please don't apologize, Senpai. ...Um, I was certainly surprised, but that's fine. But what you said, you really―――"
"Yes, this is what Shirou and I have decided. The head of the household, Shirou, decided, so that's how it is.
You understand what this means, right, Matou-san?"

"...Understand what?"
"It seems you have been taking care of Shirou up to now, but this means he doesn't need that anymore. It'll be a bother if you come here, and it's for your sake not to come here."

"―――――"
Sakura looks down and falls silent.
After a brief moment of silence...
Suddenly,
"...I don't understand."
Sakura states so in a clear, small voice.

"Uh―――huh?"
"...I said, I have no idea what Tohsaka-Senpai is talking about."

"H-Hey Sakura―――"
"Excuse me. Senpai, I'll be using the kitchen.
Sakura enters the house with a bow and goes into the living room, ignoring Tohsaka.

"Wha――――"
Tohsaka is standing there, astonished.
The same goes for me too. This is the first time I've seen Sakura act like that, so I don't know what to say.
...No, that is surprising, but something else was unexpected too.

"Hey, Tohsaka. How did you know Sakura was coming over to my house? I don't remember telling you about it."

"Huh―――? Oh, I heard about it before somewhere. It's just a coincidence.
But I'm surprised. Is she always so energetic here? She's totally different from when she's at school."

It must have been really unexpected, as Tohsaka says this with disappointment.
That must mean Tohsaka knows Sakura pretty well.

Sakura seems to have known Tohsaka, so they must have had a friendship I didn't know about.
...Well, that aside.

"No, I'm surprised as well. That's the first time I've seen Sakura be so snappy. She's just the way she is at school when she comes to help around here. I'd say this is a special case."
"―――Hmmm, I see... this is bad, I never knew Sakura was so perverse. I should have let you explain things."

She's right.
I would have been able to explain things better than the merciless Tohsaka.

"What's done is done. But what's bad about it?"

"Of course it's bad. This place might turn into a battlefield. I warned Sakura so we can keep unrelated people away from here, but it seems it'll be harder to get her out now."
"You were warning her? I thought you were tormenting her."

"Hey! Did you say something!?"
"Just an honest opinion. Anyways, about Sakura. What should we do? I don't think she'll go home now.
...I'll make it clear now. I won't allow Sakura to get involved."

"We'll just have to do something. So, does Sakura only come in the mornings? Or are you using her during the evenings too?"
"Don't word it to be misinterpreted. She always comes in the mornings, but not so much for dinner."

"I see. Then it would be every day from now on."
"Huh? Every day? What is?"
Tohsaka sighs at my response.

After that.
Tohsaka remains in the living room and Sakura begins to prepare breakfast in the kitchen.
I feel uneasy about leaving Sakura and Tohsaka together in the living room, but I'm not stupid enough to forget about Saber.

It seems Sakura is angry about Tohsaka being here, so things will only get worse if Saber comes out now.
Because of that, I decide to explain the situation to Saber.

"...So, that's the situation.
Sakura―――oh, the person here right now is called Sakura. She's not a magus and she's just a normal girl, so we can't have her involved in the Holy Grail War. If I can help it, I want her to stay away from this place without learning anything―――"
No, I didn't come here to consult her on how to get Sakura away from here!

"Well, Sakura is acting strangely this morning.
Tohsaka is the reason, but I don't want to shock her even more. Well, Sakura is already surprised that a stranger's here. I think it will get worse if you come out, so... wait, I'm not insulting you, am I, Saber...?"

"No, I understand what you are saying. So I should remain here, yes?"
"―――! Yes, that would really help! I'll come back as soon as I see Sakura out, so let's have breakfast then."
Saber nods silently.
Wow, thank God Saber is so understanding.

All right.
I'm worried about the living room too, so I should hurry back there.
"―――Shirou."
"What is it, Saber?"

"You do not need to explain such things to me, but you should calm down a bit. Your actions are a bit strange."
"Huh―――am I panicking?"

"Yes. If you are to return to the living room, you should calm down beforehand."
Saber advises me in her usual tone.

Scene 04 - Waku-waku Fuji-Nee land-Matou brother and sister

So.
The everyday breakfast begins as if nothing has happened.

"Here you go, Senpai. How about you, Tohsaka-Senpai?"
Sakura is handing out the rice bowls, just like her usual self.
I don't know what happened while I was gone, but the tension between the two has disappeared.
Well, at least on the surface.

"...Okay. I'll have some."
After pondering for a moment, she takes the bowl from Sakura.
Sakura smiles and starts to set up the miso soup and other things like the fried eggs.
Tohsaka watches her with a complex expression.

"Tohsaka. I thought you weren't one to eat breakfast?"
"I'll eat whatever's prepared. That's only polite, you know."
I don't know what's bothering her, but she glares at me and picks up her chopsticks.

"...Well, I guess it's good for you. Itadakimasu. And sorry to make you prepare breakfast, Sakura."
"No, this is my job, so please don't worry about it. Then I'll have some too."

"What a wonderful position you are in. What kind of king are you, making your junior prepare your breakfast? Well, I'll ask about that later and just eat breakfast for now."

――
――――
――――――
――――――――Gah. No conversation.

"―――――"
It's not that terrible a mood, and anyway, it's always like this during breakfast.
Sakura and I aren't talkative, so it's natural for our meals to be quiet.
So, why is it that our breakfasts are always loud?

"...?"
Hold on.
Something's clicking in my head......

"Senpai? Um, was the fish seasoned too strongly...?"
"No, it's fine. But I feel like I'm forgetting something."

What is it?
I try to conclude that if I can't remember it, it can't be important. But I feel like that would be a terrible mistake.
I feel uneasy, as if I'm ignoring a disease that could kill me if left untreated.

"―――Oh well. It probably isn't important."
I forcefully make myself understand.
―――And then...
"Morning. Man, I slept in."
Fuji-Nee enters with loud footsteps.

"―――――"
I see.
It's not that I couldn't remember.
I just wanted to postpone the problem by forgetting about it.

"Shirou, food."
Fuji-Nee sits Japanese-style in her usual seat.
The two's greetings are in strange unison.

"Here you go, Sensei. It's not much, but please have some."
Sakura gives her a bowl with her usual smile.

"Mm?"
She receives the bowl from Sakura and tilts her head.
She knows something is wrong, but she can't tell what it is.
Fuji-Nee quietly starts to eat.
And after finishing one bowl of rice, she quietly whispers in my ear.

"...Hey, Shirou. Why is Tohsaka-san here?"
"That's because she's staying here now."
I explain things to her truthfully.

"Oh, I see. Tohsaka-san sure does some strange things."
"Yeah, she's a weirdo. She keeps a mask on at school."

"I see, so she's staying here, huh?"
She understands and takes a sip of her miso soup.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'STAYING HERE', SHIROU!!!!?"

The table is thrown up.
Fortunately, Sakura is on the other side and Tohsaka has already moved out of the way, so it seems I'm the only victim.

"Ahhhhh! W-W-W-W-What are you doing, Fuji-Nee!? This is miso soup, cooked rice, and food cooked in pot! It'll be hot if you spill that on me―――hey, why are we having food in a pot for breakfast anyway...!?"

"Shut up! What are you thinking, Shirou!? What kind of love-comedy are you in, letting a girl stay over? No, it's not even funny!"

"I'm not trying to make anyone laugh...! No, more importantly, this is hot! I'll get burned! Sakura, get me a towel!"
"Here you go. I've prepared a cold towel, Senpai."
"Thanks...! Whoa, a piece of chicken fell in my shirt, and a hot one too―――!?"

"The towel comes later. Listen up, Shirou. Are you saying this seriously!?"
"Of course. You know I'm not one to joke like this.
Anyways, I'm letting Tohsaka stay here. I'll listen to complaints, but I won't change my mind."

"I object! I don't know what you're up to, but I can't allow it! Onee-chan won't allow you to live with a girl your age!"
Fuji-Nee roars.

...Well, I guessed it.
Fuji-Nee is my guardian and a school teacher.
I don't think I can escape such a situation with merely a hundred beatings from the shinai, or even from a real sword.
But I guess you could say it's ill fortune that I have to push through with this.

"You have to. I don't have any bad intentions, and we're not like that. I could just say we got into an accident, and I ended up letting her use a room here as a result."

"SHUT UP! I CAN'T ALLOW IT!!!!
I won't allow her to stay here! I don't know Tohsaka-san's circumstances, but make her go home at once!"
Damn, she won't even listen.
Crap, I guess she isn't someone I can convince...!

"Sensei. You say you would not allow me to stay here, but I have already spent a night here."
And then.
Tohsaka says those words, like pouring cold water on Fuji-Nee.

"―――Huh?"
"I said, I was allowed to stay here yesterday.
No, I stayed here from Saturday evening, so I have stayed here for two nights, to be accurate. I have borrowed the room in the outbuilding, and my luggage is already there.
How about it, Sensei? Looking at things objectively, it seems that I am already staying here."

"―――――"
Fuji-Nee's face goes pale.

"S-S-Shirou, what have you done...!? Do you know what would happen if Kiritsugu-san found out about this!?"
"I bet he'd be happy. He'd say something about a man's resourcefulness or whatnot."

"Ugh... I feel the same way. Kiritsugu-san was really indulgent with girls... I see, so you inherited that, you idiot!"
Fuji-Nee grabs my collar and shakes me around.
...Well, the inheritance aside, it was Father's belief that girls should be protected.
I don't go around telling people that like Father did, but I do believe he was right.

But...
"What? Do you need help?"
I think a man would have to be tough to recognize that cold-hearted person as a girl.

"...Please. I can't do anything about the situation. I have high expectations of your political skills."
I say, while being shaken.
"Okay. Then I'll settle this immediately."
Tohsaka, who was only watching from a distance, comes to stand directly beside Fuji-Nee.

"Fujimura-Sensei. Only screams will come out of Emiya-kun even if you shake him, so please stop. Well, breakfast might come out too."
"Hmph... what, that serious face doesn't scare me, Tohsaka-san. As a teacher and as Shirou's guardian, I can't allow you to stay."

Fuji-Nee lets go of me and confronts Tohsaka.
It must be her natural instincts.
She must have thought Tohsaka would get her if she kept concentrating on me.

"Why is that? There are many students that are boarding at our school. Is it not our school policy to encourage the students' independence?"

"What, even if you use difficult words, you still can't stay. You can't get independence from staying in a place like this.
This place is a dream house. It prepares meals for you, prepares baths for you, and is always clean without you doing anything. You'll be corrupted if you stay in a place like this."
"...Fuji-Nee."
That statement is problematic, coming from a teacher.

"And as a rule, only students living far away can board at someone's house. Tohsaka-san's house is farther from school than here, but it's not like you can't go to school from there, right? Even Sakura-chan commutes from that area, so there's no need to stay here."

"But my house is undergoing complete remodeling right now.
It is an old building, so it's getting a bit unsteady. I was thinking of staying at a hotel until the remodeling is done, but when I explained the situation to Emiya-kun as he happened to pass by, he said I could use his house rather than waste money."

"Hm... that does sound like something Shirou would say."
"Yes. I was surprised by the idea coming from Emiya-kun, with whom I am not too well acquainted. But staying at a hotel is indeed costly, and most of all, unstudent-like. So I thought it would be more beneficial for me to stay at Emiya-kun's house instead."

"Hm... Hmmmm."
Fuji-Nee groans.
Since Tohsaka's answer and attitude are so student-like, it seems that as a teacher supposedly, Fuji-Nee cannot object.

"I understand your situation. But isn't there a problem? You are a girl and Shirou is a boy, so I don't know what could happen if the two of you stay under one roof."
"What do you mean by that, Sensei?"

"Uh... um, well, Tohsaka-san is pretty, and Shirou is a guy, so I thought I wouldn't like it if a mistake got made..."
"There won't be any. My room is on the edge of the outbuilding, and Emiya-kun's room is the room by the shed. It's more than thirty meters away. I believe there won't be any problems with this much distance between us."

"Y-Yeah, the outbuilding can be locked, so it's like a separate house, but..."

"Right? Or are you saying you don't trust Emiya-kun? You said earlier that you are Shirou's teacher. Then, I believe you know his personality better than I do. If he was the type to make that sort of mistake, I would not stay here."

"How dare you, Shirou is a gentleman! He wouldn't make a girl cry!"
"Then it should be fine. I trust Emiya-kun too. I knew I could stay here safely."
"Hmmmmmm."

The intensity in Fuji-Nee disappears.
...I guess it's decided now.
There are lots of things to follow up, but I bet Tohsaka can get through those.
So I guess Tohsaka officially has citizenship in my house now....

―――And so breakfast ends.
As expected, Fuji-Nee gave in after being talked down by Tohsaka.
In conclusion, we decided to try to keep it a secret at school, and to have Fuji-Nee look after us at home.
With that decided and with more people around the house, Fuji-Nee happily goes to school.

We finish breakfast, and I go to talk to Saber before I leave.
Saber, as expected, calmly says,
"Please obey Rin at school.
Please consider me necessary when you are in danger. That will allow me to feel Master's danger."
And she goes back to her room.

Scene 05 - Choice

And it's time to go to school.

"Let's go, then. I'm not used to this area, so show me the shortest way to school."
Beside me is Tohsaka Rin in her school uniform.

...The feeling is fading, but having Tohsaka in her uniform makes me tense.
I can't stay calm going to school with the prettiest girl in school, and on top of that...

"Senpai. I finished locking up the house."
Sakura is with us today.
As a member of the archery club, Sakura usually goes to school with Fuji-Nee.
But she stayed in the living room today, and was waiting for me to clean up after breakfast and go to school.

"What? You gave Sakura a spare key?"
"Yeah. She won't do anything bad, and she's been helping me for a long time too... yeah, when I put it like that, I can't really give you a key. You won't mind, right?"

"...I don't mind, but what is that supposed to mean?"
"Because you would do something bad. And I bet you won't have any problems without the key. I'm not crazy enough to do anything unnecessary."

"―――Oh, I see. Yes, as you say, I have no need of such a thing!"
Tohsaka looks away.

Maybe I'm just getting used to it, but I'm starting to think this gesture of Tohsaka's is interesting too.

"......"
"Hm? What, Sakura? If you're done locking up the house, let's go.
Tohsaka is with us today, so I want to leave early."
"Yes, you're right. If you say so, I will."

Sakura says so in a dispirited voice and follows after us.
...Geez.
Sakura has looked somewhat cheerless ever since Fuji-Nee lost to Tohsaka this morning.
Fuji-Nee assented, but Sakura must not have.

"...I guess I'll have to talk to her about it..."
That's right. I'll need to find an opportunity as quickly as I can, and make Tohsaka and Sakura be friends―――

The hill road is full of students.
It's past seven thirty in the morning. This is the time most students go to school.
So...
It's natural for me to be met with odd stares if I'm walking with people who stand out so much.

"......"
Did she forget something?
Tohsaka has been quiet like this for a while now.

"What's wrong, Tohsaka? You've been acting weird since around the road on the hill."
"Huh...? I thought so, am I weird?"

"No, you're not weird, but that reaction is weird."
"Senpai, that explanation is contradictory. I don't think Tohsaka-Senpai is asking about that..."
It seems Sakura knows what Tohsaka wants to ask about.

"Hm? What does Tohsaka want to ask about?"
"Everyone is staring at Tohsaka-Senpai, so she thinks there might be something wrong with her. Isn't that right?"

"T-That's right, but am I acting weird to your eyes as well?
That's strange. I was tired, but I did my hair and there shouldn't be any wrinkles on my uniform. ...I slept in a new place, so do I have dark circles around my eyes!?"

"What are you yelling at me for?
It's not my fault if you can't sleep in an unfamiliar place, and even if you do get dark circles, they're nothing much. Don't worry about it."

"How dare you! Girls care about their looks from the moment they're born.
Geez, I've always tried hard to look perfect at least on the outside, but I guess that came to an end today...!"

"So, what are you yelling at me for?
I don't know why you're weird, but it's definitely not my fault. Take it out on something else."

"You're mistaken, Tohsaka-Senpai. You're beautiful today as always.
Everybody is staring at you because you're with us today. You have never come to school with anyone else before."

"Huh...? So I'm getting this treatment because of something so small? ...I should be more careful. I thought I had this school thing mastered since I've been here for ten years now, but there are still some mysteries to it."

Tohsaka ponders seriously.
What kind of a person are you just to ignore praise like "you're beautiful as always"?

"...I don't get you. Of course there'll be a commotion if you go to school with someone. All the more so if it's a male student."
"Right. But Tohsaka-Senpai isn't one to care about such matters. That's why there have never been any rumors about men."

"I see... that's good. That means that there's only one victim who got deceived by her looks and got devastated."
I talk secretly with Sakura while following Tohsaka, who has a puzzled expression.

We go through the gate, still with people staring at us.
We will be going our separate ways once we enter the building, so I only need to endure the stares for a bit longer.

"...Heh. A troublesome guy even shows up in the morning."
Tohsaka murmurs.
Before her is a familiar face, coming through the students.

"Sakura!"
"Uh... Nii-san."
Sakura trembles a little.
Shinji must not see us, as he goes straight to Sakura.

"Why didn't you come to the dojo!? What are you doing, skipping it without my consent!?"
Shinji raises his hand.
I...
"Yo, Shinji. Working hard in the mornings, huh?"
...Catch his hand and greet him.

"E-Emiya...!?"
You―――I see, you went to Emiya's house again, Sakura!?"
"...Yes. I went to help Senpai. But, that's..."

"Your responsibility as a junior? You're so unrefined. You shouldn't care about a guy who hurt himself. Don't worry and just do as I say."

Shinji lowers his hand.
...I have no reason to hold his hand if he's not going to hit Sakura, so I let it go.

"But what about you, Emiya? Is it so much fun to trouble us? Sakura is a member of the archery club, so could you stop forcing her to do things that'll make her skip practice?"
"―――Hm."

I can't object against that.
Since I haven't stopped Sakura from coming to make breakfast, that does mean I'm restricting Sakura's time in the morning.

"That's not true...! I'm helping Senpai by my choice. Aren't you going a bit far, Nii-san?"

"Too far? That's you, Sakura. So what if Emiya doesn't have parents? He says he's fine alone, so you can leave him alone. Someone like Emiya would feel more comfortable that way."

"Nii-san...! ...That's terrible..."
"―――Heh, fine. Don't go to Emiya's house from now on. You didn't come to the club when I told you to. You were prepared for this kind of a punishment, right?"

"―――――"
Sakura gasps and freezes.
Shinji tries to grab Sakura forcefully―――

"Good morning, Matou-kun. Sorry for eavesdropping, but that was a pretty interesting conversation right there."
"Huh―――Toh... saka? Why are you with Sakura?"

"It's nothing unusual.
Sakura-san is an acquaintance of Emiya-kun, and I'm an acquaintance of Emiya-kun, so we all came together this morning. Didn't you notice?"

"Wha―――a-an acquaintance of Emiya...!?"
"Yes. I know him well enough that we'll be coming to school and going home together from now on. So, I'm thinking of making friends with Sakura-san too."

"With Emiya...!!!!!?"
Shinji glares at me.
...I must be just imagining that I felt more than enmity there.
Well, I haven't been doing well with Shinji lately, but I don't remember doing anything to make him resent me that much.

"Ha, that's ridiculous. That's a bad joke, Tohsaka. There's no way you'd be with Emiya.
...Oh, I see. You must have a misunderstanding. It's true that I was friends with Emiya a while ago, but we're detached now. So there isn't much point in that approach, you know?"

"Is that so? I'm glad to hear that. I didn't have the slightest interest in you."

"―――Wow."
I pity Shinji.
If that was me, it would be traumatic enough that I wouldn't recover for a while.

"―――You."
"And, Matou-kun? About that conversation earlier. The morning practice of the archery club is open participation. I've never heard that you need permission to be absent. I'm sure Fujimura-Sensei and Ayako don't know of such a rule either."

"Uh―――shut up! An older brother can do whatever he likes with his sister! Don't poke your nose into our family affairs!"
"Yes, I feel the same way. So isn't it wrong for you to say such things about Emiya-kun's household? Geez, you're rowdy so early in the day, Matou-kun."

"―――――!"
Shinji takes a step back and glares at me and Sakura.

"――All right, I'll forgive you for this morning.
But it won't happen again, Sakura. If something happens again, I'll make sure you understand your position."
Saying what he wants, Shinji runs away to the school building.
Yeah. He definitely ran away after losing to Tohsaka.

"...I'm sorry, Senpai. Nii-san, um... was rather rude."
Sakura lowers her head apologetically.
She must be apologizing to Tohsaka as well.

"No, it was good exercise. My mind went up a gear, so I'm finally up to par now. I love arguments."

"And I should be the one apologizing. I think I did a bit too much. He has his position to think of, so I shouldn't have done that in front of everybody, you know?
If Matou-kun is feeling down, cheer him up.
Tell him he doesn't have to learn from experience, and that he can come at me again."

"Ah――yes. If he doesn't learn from experience, please talk to him again, Senpai."
Sakura must be relieved, as she smiles cheerfully.
Tohsaka is looking away, bashful.

"You too, Senpai. Um, please try not to get mad about it.
You're the only friend Nii-san has."
"I know. It's impossible not to get mad, but I knew he was that kind of a guy as soon as I got to know him.
Well, I know we'll get to know each other better someday, so I'll be patient with him."

"Yes―――please give him your best regards, Senpai."
Sakura bows.
...Yeah.
If I do get really mad at Shinji, it'll be because he's not satisfied with such a wonderful sister.

"Then, Senpai, let's do our best today."
Sakura goes to the first year hallway.

We walk up the stairs and enter the second-year hallway, and...
"Whoa!?"
...Run into the student council president.

"W-Why are you with Tohsaka, Emiya Shirou!?"
I see. You are full of enmity too, for a different reason.

"Oh, good morning, Ryudou-kun. What kind of a greeting is 'whoa' supposed to be?"
"Guh, I had a bad feeling when I woke up, but I never thought things would go in such an unpropitious direction―――! Ah, come here, Emiya! You'll be poisoned if you stay so close to Tohsaka!"

Issei forcefully pulls on my hand.
After looking silently at us, Tohsaka heads to Class 2-A as if nothing has happened.

"Heh, go ahead. No one's going to stop you."
"......"
Tohsaka silently passes by us.
And then...
"Shirou, rooftop during lunch."
She mutters that so Issei would not be able to hear it.

―――It's lunchtime.
Since the events of this morning, Issei has avoided me, treating me like a traitor.

"...I guess I joked around a bit too much."
I contemplate my actions for a moment.
He asked me why I was with Tohsaka this morning.
"We got close during the holidays."
Answering like that was bad.

I think the problem is how we became close, but I couldn't explain that, and Issei walked away dizzily.

"...Well, I guess it's fine. I'll have to do a lot of things alone for a while."
It's good to have less people involved.
Well, what I should do right now is―――

1) Go and meet Tohsaka as arranged.
2) Explain things to Sakura.

Scene 06 - Tohsaka Rin(IV)

I have that promise with Tohsaka.
It was a unilateral statement, but she must have something to talk about if she called for me.

I buy my lunch and go to the rooftop.
It's usually packed with students, but not in this cold winter air.

Even though the winter in Fuyuki City is warm, the coldness at the rooftop is unbearable.
The only ones on the rooftop are me and...
"You're late! What are you so slow for?"
...Tohsaka, shivering under cover.

"I do feel bad for being late. Because of that, I brought you something, but you might not need it acting like that, huh?"
I take the coffee I bought at the stand and put it in my pocket.

"Ugh... you have a naive face, but you're pretty thoughtful."
"It's just a whim. Come over here.
It's windy out here and people might see us."

I pass Tohsaka and hand her the coffee.
Here, nobody should find us right away and we won't be seen from the windows on the fourth floor.

"Thanks. Get me some tea next time. I like milk teas. The value of the gratitude goes down if it's anything else, so be careful."
"All right, if I remember next time. So what, why did you get me up here? Seeing how you chose a desolate place, I'm assuming it's about that sort of thing."

"O-Of course. What else do we have to talk about?"
"Yeah, you're right. So, what's it about?"
"...What? You're pretty cool about it."

"Huh? Well, it's cold so I want to get this over with quickly.
Don't you feel the same?"
"――! Of course! I plan to finish this business quickly too!"

Yeah, I thought so.
It's obvious, so she doesn't have to yell about it.

"―――Oh well.
Then, I'll ask you directly. What are you going to do after school?"
"After school? I don't have any plans. I'll help the student council if they need help. Otherwise, I'll just go to work."

"―――――"
"...What's with that utterly amazed expression? Tell me if you want to say something. I'll try to correct things."

"...Geez. I don't care what happens to you, but I guess I'll give you one warning. We're cooperating right now, and you're too inexperienced as a magus."
"That again? I've heard that I'm an inexperienced magus too many times. I know, so don't tease me about it."

"I'm not teasing you. I'm just saying you're inexperienced because you don't seem to have noticed the boundary field around this school."
"―――?"
Boundary field around the school......?

"Hold on. A boundary field at school, could that be..."
"It is a boundary field set up by another Master.
It's arranged so widely that it will pretty much encircle the whole school.

"This boundary field is the type that steals blood and meat from the humans inside it. It's still in the preparation phase, but haven't you noticed everyone's kind of listless?"

"―――――"
Come to think of it... I felt a bit strange on Saturday, but was that it?
Then that must mean―――

"So―――there's a Master at this school...?"
"Right. There's certainly an enemy lurking here. Do you understand, Emiya-kun? If you're not prepared, you'll die."

"―――――"
My relaxed feelings go tense.
"...So. Do you know who this Master is, Tohsaka?"

"No, I've got some ideas, but I don't have any proof yet. ...Well, I knew there was another magus in this school, but a magus doesn't necessarily equal a Master.
There are cases when an amateur like you becomes a Master, so I can't be sure."

"Hey. I'm not an amateur, I'm a proper magus. ...Hey, hold on Tohsaka. There's another magus at our school...!?"

"That's right. But I can't feel any sign that the magus is a Master. I went to check first, but they didn't have a Command Spell nor the presence of a Servant.
They might just be hiding it really well, but I'm pretty sure this person is not a Master."

"So I think the Master at this school is someone with an incomplete knowledge of magic like you.
Recently, I've felt a little magical energy other than ours in this place. That's a sign of the enemy Master's presence, but..."
But it's too small an amount to detect the source, huh?

"A Master that's not a magus, huh? If you say so, you must be confident of that.
I believe you, but really... are there that many magi at our school?"

"So many? Just this person and I.
A magus values their lineage, right? If two such lineages live in such a small area, they're bound to become intimate."

"Is that so? But I never knew about your family."

"Your household is special. I think your father was a lone wolf who alienated himself from the Association. He must have happened to like this city and decided to live in it, but this city is under our supervision.
If we found out, we'd take what we could, so I guess he was hiding because he didn't want that."

"W―――What do you mean, take what you could?"

"Hmm, are you curious? I'll come and collect it when you mature, so look forward to it."
"...Geez. You really were wearing a mask.
Just how are you an honor student, you imposter?"

"Oh, is that so wrong? It's the responsibility of a magus to decorate the outward appearance, is it not?
You see, I'm the successor of the Tohsaka family, so I have to be a perfect honor student or I won't be able to face my father in heaven."

"Huh? ―――Father? Tohsaka, you mean..."
"Yes, he died when I was young. Well, he lived a long time, so I'm not sad or anything."

"―――――"
Tohsaka smiles, as if saying that's how a child with a magus father should be.
But that's...

"―――That's a lie. When people die, you're sad. All the more so if that person is a relative. It's not something you can gloss over by saying, he was a magus so it couldn't be helped."
"............Well, yeah.
You're completely right, so I can't argue."

Saying that, Tohsaka opens the can she's been using as a heat source.
...She takes small sips of the coffee.
From what I know of her, I thought she would gulp it down, but she's really feminine when it comes to things like this.

"Let's get back to the topic.
Anyways, there are only two magi in Fuyuki.
Other Masters must have come from elsewhere, or been a weirdo that got selected because they know a bit of magic."

I see.
According to Tohsaka, I'm weird too.

"I understand. But if it's a Master who barely knows magic, wouldn't it be impossible for him to create such a boundary field?"

"Maybe the Master didn't create it, but the Servant did.
Servants can't choose their Master. If a Servant ends up with a Master like you, they'll only be able to win if they do a lot of planning."

"...Yeah. As annoying as it is, I can't argue with that."

"Good, you're honest.
So, getting back to the boundary field... this boundary field is really advanced.
It's almost at the level of sorcery. If a magus can create such a boundary field, it should be impossible for them to hide their magical energy. So I believe this must be the actions of a Servant."

"...The actions of a Servant, huh? Then is the Master not that dangerous?"

"Of course not. Magus or not, he's a strange one who doesn't know the rules. He's the type that will come and kill you if he finds out you're a Master."

"Huh? Not know the rules? You mean, the rules of the Holy Grail War?"
"No. The rules of humanity. The moment they make their Servant create a boundary field like this, they've lost track of who they are.

"Look, Shirou. Once this boundary field is finished and activated, it will melt every human in it and absorb them.
It's like we're in the stomach of something alive.
...Well, it shouldn't have any effect on people like us who protect ourselves with magical energy, but those without magical energy will weaken and die without knowing why.

"It's not just a matter of dragging ordinary people into this mess.
Once this boundary field is activated, everyone in this school will die. Do you understand? A Master at this school is absurd enough to prepare something like this."

"―――――"
My vision blurs for a bit.
Trying to comprehend what Tohsaka is saying, I take a deep breath.

―――That's it.
Even though my understanding is incomplete, I imagine the worst possibility and engrave that image inside me, accepting the situation I am in.

"I get it.
―――So, Tohsaka. Can you destroy this boundary field?"

"I tried, but it was useless. I found all the sources of the boundary field, but I can't destroy it. All I can do is to weaken the source temporarily and delay the activation."

"Hm... so the boundary field won't be activated as long as you're here?"

"...That'd be nice, but that's only optimism. The boundary field is already set up and the magical energy for activation is gathering bit by bit. According to Archer, it should be ready in about eight days."

"When that happens, this school will fall into hell as soon as the Master or the Servant puts their mind to it."
"―――Then before that happens..."

"We have to defeat the Master lurking at this school.
But finding the Master will be difficult. The guy pretty much won as soon as he set up the boundary field. The boundary field will be activated even if he does nothing, so he won't appear until then. So if there is a chance..."

"...It'll only be when he emerges?"
"Exactly. So you should stay quiet for now. You will have to fight when the time comes, so it's just stupid for you to go out searching and have the enemy find you before that."

The first bell echoes through the cold rooftop.
Lunch break is over.

"That's it. I have to go somewhere, so go home by yourself. Try not to go anywhere on your way home."
Tohsaka leaves, saying "see ya".

"―――――"
There's no way I am feeling good.
There's no way I can have a calm mind, after finding out that the talk of Masters only attacking other Masters was pointless.

"A boundary field at school―――?"
Is he planning to drag innocent people into this?
That's not the work of a Master at all, but a mass-murderer.
I have to find him before the boundary field is activated, find him and――defeat him completely.

'―――Rejoice, Emiya Shirou. Your wish-'
"―――!"
I shake my head and deny the words I remember.
I can't wish for something like that.
A wish for a villain to defeat, that's not my wish―――

The end of school homeroom ends, and students start to disappear from the classroom.
I would normally go to the student council room, but since Tohsaka told me to go straight home, I should do so.

Scene 07 - Matou Sakura(III)-The anger of the great devil

...That's right.
Things were busy this morning, so I should go and explain to Sakura now.

I arrive at the fourth floor, the first year hallway.
When I look into the classroom from the hallway, Sakura notices me right away.

"Um, is there something wrong, Senpai?"
She tilts her head in question as soon as she comes out.
I thought she would be depressed after what happened with Shinji, but she seems okay.

"No, nothing happened. I just want you to forgive me for that thing with Tohsaka. I couldn't talk to you about it this morning, so I want to apologize before I went home."
"...? Um, what thing with Tohsaka-Senpai should I forgive you for?"

"Well, her staying at my place for a while.
I should have consulted you beforehand, so I'm sorry for making the decision on my own.
But, there is a reason for her staying, and there aren't any bad intentions. Um, you might not forgive me, but I just wanted to say that."
I lower my head to apologize.

"D-Don't do that, Senpai! You have nothing to apologize for.

"...I was certainly surprised that Tohsaka-Senpai was staying over, but Fujimura-Sensei approved of it, so I don't think there's any problem.
That house is your house, so you can do as you wish with it, and it's not my place to say anything about it."

"Idiot, what are you saying, Sakura? That house is mine, Fuji-Nee's, and yours. It's not something I can just selfishly decide about."
"Eh―――Senpai?"

"So it's only natural for me to apologize. You should be mad at me, not at Tohsaka. ...Um, since I'm the one who invited Tohsaka without asking my family.
About her staying over, I'll stop it if you don't want it. That doesn't make it forgivable, but I can't keep on doing something you don't like."

They're not words to smooth things over, but I say them from the bottom of my heart.
Cooperating with Tohsaka doesn't necessarily mean living with her.
There should be other ways to cooperate efficiently with her.

"Um, then I'll forgive you. I'll approve Tohsaka-Senpai's stay, and I'll forgive you for your selfishness.
Is that okay, Senpai?"
"Huh... is that all right, Sakura...?"

"Yes. I won't ask what kind of circumstances you're in. It's enough for me to have you say that."

Sakura is looking straight at me and smiling.
There's no dishonesty in her expression.
Sakura is approving Tohsaka's stay from the bottom of her heart.

"―――Thanks, Sakura. Um, I'm really glad."
"No, I'm the one that's really glad.
Uh, but Senpai... Just hypothetically, but what would you do if I said I didn't want it?"

"Hm? Well, I guess maybe I would have gone to her instead. I have to be with Tohsaka for a while."
"Huh... Senpai goes instead, um... to..."

"Yeah, instead of having Tohsaka over, I think I would have stayed at Tohsaka's place. That way, I wouldn't bother Fuji-Nee or Sakura."

It's too terrifying to think about staying over with a girl I admire... no, admired. But there're no other options.

"...But, thanks. If that happened, I think she would tease me even more."
Thank God.
I'm so happy Sakura forgave me... huh?

"Sakura? What's wrong? You look pale."
I call out to her, wondering if she's all right.
Sakura seems to be deep in thought,
"―――T-Thank God I didn't say that―――"
And she lets out a sigh that I don't quite understand.

So, it's after school.
While the bell is ringing to send the students home, I pack my bag along with everyone else.
I should head straight back because Saber is waiting at home.

There are students scattered in the hallway.
There are different kinds of students: some going to their club activities,
some staying behind to kill time,
and one ten meters away, charging at me with an angry face.

"...?"
I think there's something strange mixed into that expression, so I turn and head to the stairs quickly.

"―――Oh yeah.
I suddenly remember, but I was told something this morning."
I was told something, but now, I'll go through with pretending that I forgot.
No, I won't be able to explain if I do that, so let's say I didn't hear it or something...

"Hold on there. You're quite brave, running away after seeing someone's face."

"―――――Ugh."
I'm caught, as I expected.
Well, even if I do go home, there's nowhere to run. It seems there'll be less damage if I'm caught here, so I stop.

"......"
I turn around slowly.
...Yeah, she's really pissed.
She's so angry, you'd never think she's the school's number one honor student.

"Hey. What a coincidence, Tohsaka. If you're going home, do you want to go home together?
We're heading the sa―――"

"Not 'let's go home', you idiot...! Do you understand the situation you're in!? I was going to warn you, so why didn't you come to the rooftop!?"

"―――Ugh."
This threatening attitude.
It seems she won't listen to any excuses, but I bet she won't calm down unless I make some excuse.

"...Sorry. I was with Sakura during lunch, so I couldn't go to the rooftop."
She doesn't seem too calm, so I tell her honestly.

...And then.
Tohsaka looks at me in blank amazement, as if she's seen a ghost.

"With Sakura... you mean, talking about me staying at your place?"
"Yeah. It was unclear this morning, so I had her approve of your stay."

"............[r]
...I see. Well, I guess it can't be helped in that case."

"...?"
Tohsaka quickly gets rid of her anger, and for some reason,[r]
"All right, I'll forget about what happened during lunch. I'm sorry Sakura caused you trouble."
And she apologizes with a gentle expression.

"Uh―――no, there's no need for you to apologize, but...
W-What was it you called me to the rooftop for? It was something important, right?"

"Y-Yeah. I called for you because I had something to tell you as a Master. I wanted to warn you to be careful, since there's a boundary field set up at the school"

"Huh...? H-Hold on. Boundary field... you mean, at this school...!?"

"Yeah, it seems you haven't noticed, but there's a troublesome one set here.
The sign is constructed with a wide range, so once it is activated, it will pretty much encircle the whole school.
This boundary field is the type that steals blood and meat from the humans inside it. It's still in the preparation phase, but haven't you noticed everyone's kind of listless?"

"Ah―――"
Come to think of it... I felt a bit strange on Saturday, but was that it?
Then that must mean―――

"So―――there's a Master at this school...?"
"Right. There's certainly an enemy lurking here. Do you understand, Emiya-kun? I don't think he'll attack us at school, but I wanted to tell you to be on alert, so you'd be ready even if you're attacked."

"―――――"
My relaxed feelings go tense.
...No wonder Tohsaka got so angry.
I didn't even know about it and spent the day peacefully.

"...Sorry. I was at fault at lunch, Tohsaka."

"Well. Saber entrusted you to me, so if it had been a stupid reason, I would have cast geas on you.
But I'll let it pass this time. Nothing happened today, even if it's just how things turned out."

All's well that ends well, huh?
I feel a bit better if she says so.

"...So. Do you know who the Master that set this boundary field is, Tohsaka? ...Is it someone from this school?"

"No, I don't know that yet.
...I don't feel any magus-like presence here other than me, so it might be an outsider, but there are cases when an amateur like you becomes a Master, right?
So I can't be sure. ...Well, it's most likely that it's the doing of someone from this school.
It needs to be someone that wouldn't look suspicious here, since they had to set up a boundary field at the school."

"―――――"
...Someone who wouldn't be seen as suspicious even on school grounds.
Student or teacher, either way, a Master other than ourselves is lurking here.

"That's not the only problem.
Shirou. Once this boundary field is finished and activated, it will melt every human in it and absorb them. It's like we're in the stomach of something alive.

"...Well, it shouldn't have any effect on people like us who protect ourselves with magical energy, but those without magical energy will weaken and die without knowing why.
It's not just a matter of dragging ordinary people into this mess.
Once this boundary field is activated, everyone in this school will die.
Do you understand? A Master at this school is absurd enough to prepare something like this."

"―――――"
My vision blurs for a bit.
Trying to comprehend what Tohsaka is saying, I take a deep breath.

―――That's it.
Even though my understanding is incomplete, I imagine the worst possibility and engrave that image inside me, accepting the situation I am in.

"I get it.
―――So, Tohsaka. Can you destroy that boundary field?"

"I tried, but it was useless.
I found all the sources for the boundary field, but I can't destroy it. All I can do is to weaken the source temporarily and delay the activation."

"Delay the activation...? So the boundary field will not be activated as long as you're here?"

"...That'd be nice, but that's only optimism.
The boundary field is already set up and the magical energy for activation is gathering bit by bit. According to Archer, it should be ready in about eight days.
When that happens, this school will fall into hell as soon as the Master or the Servant puts their mind to it."

"―――Then before that happens..."

"We have to defeat the Master lurking at this school.
But finding the Master will be difficult. The guy pretty much won as soon as he set up the boundary field. The boundary field will be activated even if he does nothing, so he won't appear until then. So if there is a chance..."

"...It'll only be when he emerges?"
"Exactly. So you should stay quiet for now. You will have to fight when the time comes, so it's just stupid for you to go out searching and have the enemy find you before that."

...I get it.
I can't forgive a guy who would set up such a field, but it might have the opposite effect if I just go randomly searching now, since I don't know the Master's identity.

"That's all. I've done everything I can to deal with the boundary field today, so the rest comes tomorrow.
There's nothing left to do in the building now, so you go home ahead."
"...? I'm fine with that, but what are you going to do?"

"Don't worry about me. You're making Saber wait, so she'll get mad if you don't hurry."
"―――Geez..."

That's right.
Saber was against me going to school, so I had her approve of my independent action on the condition that I go home before the sun goes down.

"Then I'll see you later. Go straight home."
Maybe she has something to do at the gym, as Tohsaka heads to the back of the school.
I see her off for a while, and leave the school building after that.

Scene 08 - Question for Saber

The gate is still locked.
"...Oh yeah, it's been a while since I came home this early."
I usually help someone out or go to work, so it's rare for me to come straight home.

Usually, the gate would be open and Sakura would be preparing dinner inside when I got home.
Maybe I've grown so accustomed to it after a year that I've forgot how important it was.
I realize how grateful I am for Sakura, just by the simple action of opening a locked gate.

"I'm home."
I call out and step into the hallway.
As I try to enter the living room, the blond-haired girl appears.

"You are back, Master."
The girl looks straight at me.

"―――――"
For a moment.
All sense of reality crumbles on me.

"Shirou? Did you not just return home?"
Perhaps the surprise transferred to the girl, as she says this with a bit of surprise.
She calls my name in a quiet voice.
That finally returns my sense of reality.

"Oh... i-it's Saber, right? Sorry, it was so sudden, I was surprised."
Just for an instant, I mistook her for a normal girl.

"...? I was on standby here as Master ordered, but was I wrong?"
"Uh... no, I was misunderstanding, so don't worry about it.
A-Anyway, how are you feeling? You said you'd be sleeping frequently, so, um..."

"There is no problem with staying awake.
―――No, it is better to sleep except at times of battle, but that would cause my senses to dull.
I should move around periodically, or my body will be slow when I will need it the most."

"...I see. You're right now that you mention it. Humans get headaches from sleeping too much, and it's not like you're sleeping because you're sleepy."

"Yes. There is no fatigue to require sleep.
But Shirou, do you get a headache when you sleep too much?"

"Of course. Usually, you'll get sick if you sleep for half a day. In my case, I'll wake up from the headache, so I won't be able to sleep for half a day."

"...That is a strange story. It does not happen to me. I can sleep as much as I want, now and in the past."

"―――Hm. I think that's wrong for a living thing, Saber. It's a waste to sleep all day. It's more fun to wake up and play when you're not sleepy."

"...You are right. Less time is wasted that way."
"Right? You're like that now because of me, but go back to your normal cycle when your bond with me ends.
It's not for me to say, but if this becomes a habit and you sleep all day, people might think of you as lazy."

"It may be too late. People might have thought so of me already."

She creases her brow and ponders.
...It was just light-hearted, but it seems like Saber doesn't get normal jokes.

We move into the living room.
It seems Saber wants to know what happened today, so I decide to tell her about the boundary field at school that Tohsaka told me about.

"...I see. That Master must be planning to use the people gathered at the school as a sacrifice."
"―――Frankly, yes. Tohsaka said it should take more time, though."

"I feel the same way. It will take time to construct such a large-scale boundary field. The school is a building that can be easily locked up, so it must be an altar chosen as a temple.
To completely activate a boundary field of that scale, at least ten days are needed."

"Ten days... I felt something strange two days ago on Saturday, so that means we still have about eight more days. That's the same as Tohsaka's estimate..."

"Yes. It does not matter if that boundary field is to gather sacrifices or to solidify the defenses, as it will be a problem if we allow it to be completed. I hope we will be able to find the Master that created this boundary field before that..."

"―――Yeah. Tohsaka said it would be difficult, but he should be easy to identify since the Master will be lurking at school. Let's find him somehow and stop the boundary field."

The instant they think of setting up a boundary field at school, they must be someone associated with the school.
A student or a teacher.
I'll try to search the school as thoroughly as possible during lunch from tomorrow on and try to find anyone suspicious.

"And... yeah, the problem of which Servant that Master has."
No, that'll only be clear when I actually encounter it.

Then, I should think about a Servant I have already encountered.
Saber is awake right now, so this would be a good time to ask.
All right then―――

1) About Lancer.
2) About Archer.
3) About Berserker.

Scene 09 - Survivor

That guy―――
I'll ask about the first Servant I encountered, Lancer.
Saber fought with him, and it seems like she realized who he was.

"Hey Saber. About Lancer... do you know who he is?"
"Huh? Lancer?"

"Yeah. You were saying something when you chased him out. About Ireland or something.
So I thought you might have discovered his identity."

"Oh, I see your point now. ...I'm surprised, I did not think you would be interested in knowing your enemy's true identity."
"I heard you have to know about them. ...But why do you look so happy about it, Saber?"

"Because you are showing the will to fight. We can come up with strategies against a Servant whose true identity we know. It is an appropriate battle tactic to first bring down the ones whose weaknesses are known."

"...Hm."
I have no intention of going out to fight someone who isn't attacking me, but it'd only end the conversation if I said that now.

"Anyways, Lancer's true identity. So I guess you know, Saber?"

"Yes. That red lance and those runic protections around his body, and on top of that, his abilities specialized in survival. There can be no mistake.
His true name is Cu Chulainn. He is the great hero of Ireland, wielder of the devil lance Gae Bolg."

"...Cu Chulainn...?"
It's a name I've never heard before.
...Well, I don't know much about Irish mythology, so I guess that's only natural.

"...So. Is he strong, this Cu Chulainn guy?"
"He is not famous in this country, so his existence is diminished, but he still has more than enough power.
His agility is second to none, and I believe his Noble Phantasm is the most suitable for this war."

"Noble Phantasm...? Oh, that lance. Come to think of it, his lance moved strangely at the end. Is that the Gae Bolg thing?"

"...Probably. There are many variations on Gae Bolg's legend.
They say it is a cursed lance thrown using the legs, a devil lance that grows a thousand thorns once it stabs its enemy..."
"...? Aren't those just completely different legends? Can you really call it a legendary weapon?"

"There is more. Many abilities of Gae Bolg are handed down in the legends, but in every one is the fact that it will always pierce the heart.
...I had thought it was the ability of the possessor rather than the power of the weapon, but it seems I was wrong.
The nature of the devil lance, Lancer's Gae Bolg, is to always pierce the heart."

"Oh―――"
That said, I can recall vividly.
That night...
The lance thrust at Saber's feet moved in an impossible fashion and went toward her heart.

"So, his lance is―――"
"Yes. It is a devil lance, guaranteed to strike the opponent's heart when used.
It must be bending space or changing the order of cause and effect.
Either way, it must be Lancer's skill and the curse of the lance itself. There is no weapon more efficient in hand-to-hand combat. It has no unnecessary aspects."

"No unnecessary aspects...? What do you mean by that?"

"Do you not understand? Lancer's lance cannot destroy a castle, but it is enough to kill one person.
Noble Phantasms require different amounts of magical energy depending on their scale.
A servant with a rank A Noble Phantasm will need great amount of magical energy to use it. Once it is used, time is needed to replenish the magical energy that is lost."

"But to kill one person―――no, one Servant, you do not need great power. If you can kill your opponent with one blow, there is no better result."
"...? So you mean, there's less cost for one arrow than for one cannonball?"

"Yes. But arrows would not hit a Servant. As a result, battling Servants end up firing cannons at each other, but―――"
"...Lancer's Gae Bolg is a lance that allows this arrow to hit, huh? Not only that, but it hits the heart where it will definitely take the opponent's life."

"That is correct. And on top of that, not much magical energy is needed to use it. With that amount of magical energy usage, there should be no need to replenish magical energy even if he uses it seven times.
That is why his devil lance is well-suited for this war.
A normal Servant must rest after fighting a few times, but Lancer is able to fight six battles in a row. ...Well, that is on the condition that each must be one on one."

"...Hm."
So he's a Servant who's not flashy, but can definitely win, huh?

"He seemed to be doing a lot of useless stuff, though. He was playing around with me as well."
"Right. It seems Lancer is an inconsistent person. He was heartless, but he also had a side that was difficult to hate."

I feel the same way, but we can't let our guard down.
He stabbed me through heart as if he was cutting grass.
Servants like Berserker and Lancer have no hesitation when it comes to using their weapons.

Scene 10 - Unknown

That guy―――
I'll ask about Tohsaka's Servant, Archer.
Saber beat him with one blow, but that was a surprise attack, and his strength is unknown.

"Hey Saber. About Archer... have you noticed anything about him?"

"Archer?
...No, I know no more than you do.
It seems I am superior in simple battle, but I have not experienced his abilities nor his Noble Phantasm.
He is not one to look lightly upon just because we have defeated him once."

"...I see. Well, it really was only an instant.
And, well..."
...Back then.
When Saber attacked him, there was something strange about that moment.

I guess you could say it was a surprise attack that wasn't.
I think that red knight sensed Saber's presence beforehand.
But he froze when he saw Saber and couldn't react to Saber's attack.

"...Hey, Saber. Do you think he knows you? I feel that he took your blow that time because he was surprised by you yourself, and not by the attack."

"―――I see. That is understandable.
As he is an archer, it is only natural for him to be inferior to me in hand-to-hand combat.
But still, he was too weak at that time.
I was guessing that he was not able to use his power due to some external factor―――"

"Right? And I've seen him fight Lancer. Archer didn't go on the offensive, but his defense was out of this world. For him to take your first blow, I can only assume there was something wrong with him."

"...Does that mean he went easy on me?"
She must be angry at him for going easy on her, rather than at being able to beat him easily, as she glares at an enemy who isn't here.

"―――Fine. After our collaboration with Rin is over, I will make him regret insulting me."
"...! Uh, well, I don't think he went easy on you on purpose, so I don't think there's any reason to hold a grudge..."
I find myself defending Archer.

"...? Are you saying you can forgive Archer's act? No, it rather seems like you are protecting him. ...I think it is unlikely, but would you have preferred Archer as your Servant...?"

"N-No way...! Frankly, I dislike him. I've never talked to him, but I could instinctively tell when I saw him from a distance that I wouldn't get along with him."

"That is good. It was needless worry. I am relieved, Shirou."
"...Geez. I'm the one that's surprised. But why are you relieved by such a thing? Is it that good for me to dislike Archer?"

"...You are right. It is certainly strange.
Oh, it is probably because of our compatibility. I am a Servant that specializes in hand-to-hand combat, and Archer specializes in ranged combat.
If you were compatible with Archer, that would mean you were not compatible with me. If that was the case, we could not fully utilize our powers."

Saber nods, concluding that it must be why she is relieved.
"...I see. I guess that's how it works..."
Anyways, there's no information on Archer.
We still don't know which hero he is nor what kind of Noble Phantasm he has.

Scene 11 - Vela Gulf

That giant―――
I should ask about the Servant Berserker, who overwhelmed Saber.
According to Saber and Tohsaka, he should be the strongest in battle―――

"Saber, what would happen if you fought Berserker again? ...Um, will you be unable to win as long as I'm your Master...?"
The greatest burden for Saber.
I ask her about the weakness that prevents her from using her powers at their full potential, just because she made a contract with an immature Master like me.

"That is incorrect, Shirou.
Even if you were a mature Master, it would make no difference to the fact that Berserker is a powerful opponent. You do not need to condemn your own inexperience for this fact."

"...Hm. That might be true, but it's a burden on you, right?
So, if you were the original Saber..."

"No. Even if I was at my full potential, it would be difficult to defeat Berserker. ...No, it may be impossible for any Servant to beat that giant.

"Shirou, do you remember the battle that night? Berserker repelled Rin's magic as if it was nothing. He does not have magic resistance like I do.
He just nullified the magic with his own physical strength."

"Hmm... I saw that, but is it something to be that surprised about?
That just means Berserker's body is tough, right?"

"No. Berserker did not endure Rin's magic, but he repelled it. The difference is substantial.
If one endures an attack, the armor will break if that spot is attacked repeatedly. But it is different if it is repelled. Rin's magic did not even reach Berserker to begin with."

"Didn't reach him...? You mean he nullifies magic like you do?"
"Yes. But like I said earlier, Berserker does not have the skill of magic resistance. If that is the case, I can only assume that his Noble Phantasm repelled the magic."

"...This is only a speculation, but Berserker's Noble Phantasm may be 'armor'. It is not a simple armor, and it could be close to a theoretical magical concept called a conceptual weapon.
Perhaps―――Berserker has an ability that nullifies all attacks that are below a certain level. That must be why my sword and Rin's magic were useless against him."

"If Berserker's true identity is the great hero of Greece, his abilities are mostly rank A. If we want to injure him, I believe we have to use an attack value that is at least of the same rank."

"...Attack value of the same rank...? So in other words..."
"...Yes. It is difficult to say, but I believe any attack that is below A rank will be nullified, whether normal attack or Noble Phantasm.
If we want to defeat that giant, we would need a normal attack power of at least an A rank, and a Noble Phantasm that exceeds even that."

"―――"
I close my eyes and recall Saber's abilities.
Saber's strength... her normal attack power is B rank, and her Noble Phantasm is C rank.

...God.
If what Saber says is right, not only is it impossible to defeat Berserker, but we don't even have a way to hurt him...!

"H-Hold on...! Um, aren't strength and Noble Phantasms measured differently?
No matter how low the rank is, a Noble Phantasm is a powerful weapon, right? So if you measure it in terms of strength, shouldn't it be at least A rank?"

"Yes. Noble Phantasms are incomparable to normal attacks. A Noble Phantasm of a C rank, when converted to a normal ability, would have A or A+ rank.
...But the 'refusal' that protects Berserker goes beyond the rules of reality."

"That thing is a concept that can nullify even a Noble Phantasm that destroys the world, if it is below an A ranking.
Berserker... Hercules is a heroic spirit with divinity.
One can only affect a heroic spirit who has received the blood of gods with a divine mystery of the same level."

"―――Then, the next time we're attacked..."
...Will be our last?

"No. Whatever kind of a heroic spirit he is, a weakness must exist. At the very least, Berserker does not have an attack method on the anti-castle level. So we can avoid getting all of us killed in one blow, even if we are attacked.
When my wound heals, a matched one-on-one fight is possible. You could escape during that time, or I might be able to find a chance of victory if I have some form of backup."

"...So we need to stay away from them for now, huh? So, somehow we have to find Berserker's weakness by then...
So. Saber, what do you mean an attack method of an anti-castle level?"

"I am talking about the attack level of the Noble Phantasm.
Anti-personnel Noble Phantasms exhibit their true power in one-on-one combat.
Anti-army Noble Phantasms exhibit their power in group combat.
And the anti-castle Noble Phantasms decides everything in a single blow.
The Noble Phantasms largely fall into these three categories."

I see.
As the names suggest, anti-castle and anti-army, if we were attacked with such missile-like assaults, Tohsaka and I would be blown away in a single strike.
Fortunately, Berserker doesn't have an attack method that attacks such a wide range.

"...But the Master compensates that weakness.
Ilyasviel was a great mass of magical energy. If she is an excellent magus and concentrates on protecting Berserker... I will not be able to protect you."

"―――――"
...I see.
Berserker is not the only concern.
Master and Servant are one.
I am Saber's burden in that regard as well―――

Scene 12 - You too

"Then, about one of the others..."
"Hold on, Shirou. Someone has entered the gate of this place."

"Eh, you can sense such a thing...?
What, it's this time already!? Crap, Sakura's probably back!"
I quickly stand up.

I hear the sound of the doorbell from the entrance,
"Excuse me."
I can hear Sakura's voice.

"Saber, I'm sorry, but..."
"I know. I will return to the room, so please do not be concerned about me."
Saber leaves for her room.

And in her place...
"I'm home. Well done, you came home early like I asked you to."
Tohsaka is holding a grocery bag and....
"Excuse me, Senpai. It's rare for you to be home this early."
Sakura comes in, smiling happily.

"All right, preparations are perfect. Then let's begin."
Tohsaka shouts and goes into the kitchen.
Sakura looks at her worriedly.
"Senpai...? Um, about dinner preparation..."

"Oh, it's Tohsaka's turn today, so you don't have to worry about it. You made breakfast today, so leave the dinner to us. We'll make dinner as long as Tohsaka is here."
"Oh... y-yes. If you say so, I will do that."
Sakura sits on a cushion obediently.
There is a flashy, fiery sound coming from the kitchen, but there's nothing dangerous-looking about Tohsaka's appearance from behind.

"...I guess it's okay to trust her..."
So there's no point in staying here.
There's Saber to think about, so I should go back to my room until dinner is prepared.

"I'm going to go rest in my room. If Fuji-Nee comes, tell her to prepare the bath herself once in a while."
"Ah, yes. Please take your time, Senpai. I will come and get you when dinner's ready."

"Yeah. ...Oh, don't forget to knock when you come to my room."
It's a little before six o'clock. From the way things are going, it looks like dinner will be at around seven o'clock.

When I get back to the room, Saber is asleep in the room next to mine.

"Man, I thought I could talk to her."
I click my tongue and sit on a cushion.
"...Hey, what am I saying? I don't even know what I'd talk to her about other than this Holy Grail War stuff."
Anyways, didn't I have trouble talking to Saber?

"Oh well. If she's asleep, it's fine."
I say that and just stare at the clock.
Yesterday's dinner was just me, Saber, and Tohsaka.
But today, it'll be five people, including Sakura and Fuji-Nee.

"...Oh, no... Saber can't come."
As long as Sakura and Fuji-Nee are there, I can't let Saber out of this room.
"―――I wonder if Saber ate breakfast."
Saber was nodding while eating dinner last night.
Judging from that, I guess it's not like she doesn't need food.

"...I didn't prepare lunch for her. Of course she'll be hungry."
Once Sakura and Fuji-Nee go home, I have to warm up dinner and serve it to her.
She'll need to eat alone, but that can't be helped―――

"......"
Hrm.
Imagining Saber eating by herself is really annoying me.

"Shirou, are you awake?"
Tohsaka knocks on the door and looks inside.

"Tohsaka? What's up?"
"Dinnertime. It's ready, so come along."
―――That time already, huh?
I get up and leave the room, glancing at the sleeping Saber.

"Oh, there you are. Hey, look at this stuff! Finally, with Tohsaka-san here, we have someone who can cook Chinese food!"
Fuji-Nee is looking excitedly at all the food prepared on the table.
Now that she mentions it, the food certainly is Chinese.

On the four big plates are crab with eggs, shredded beef with pepper, some stir-fry of an elegant looking meat I've never seen before with vegetables, and a plate full of steamed meat dumplings.

There are salads on the side plates, and various follow-ups are ready.
Put simply, it's the kind of gorgeous dinner Fuji-Nee loves.

"...I'm surprised. I was expecting you to make Western-style dishes."
"Oh, she was actually thinking of a Western-style dish, but when I told that her no one at our house cooks Chinese, she said she would."

"―――Why does she have to live her life poking at holes? ...? Hey Sakura, you came home with Tohsaka, so did you actually go shopping with her?"
"Yes. Tohsaka-Senpai was waiting for me when the archery club finished, so we went grocery shopping on our way back."

"...I see. Wow, you two are closer than I thought."
"Yes, we've talked often at school. I don't know why she likes me, but she has been nice to me ever since I entered the school."
Wow.
She really is a nice Senpai at school.

"Let's quit talking and eat. I'm hungry already."
Fuji-Nee sits down happily.
"Like she says. Why don't you two sit down too? Chinese food gets really bad when it gets cold."
Saying this coldly, Tohsaka sits down as well.

"―――――"
I sit down silently.
Everyone bows and eats the food.

"―――!"
Annoyingly, it's good.
I've never cooked Chinese because I thought "it all tastes the same", but this is so good it makes me realize it was just prejudice.

"Wow, this is great! It's been a while since I've had food that makes rice taste this good. Yeah, I'll give you top score on this one!"
"Thank you. I am pleased to receive an honest response like that."

"Yes. I have a better opinion of Chinese food now. I'm not good with hot food, but this is really good!"
Sakura is happily enjoying the food too.

After watching this with a smile,
"―――Fufu."
Tohsaka Rin looks at me with an expression of triumph.

"What? You look like you want to say something."
"Noooothing. I'm just glad everyone's enjoying the food. Well, one isn't being honest, but that's fun in its own way, so I'll call it good. I understand what it feels like to lose at something you're good at."

"Guh―――I see, then you made me cook last night to gauge my potential!"
"Fufufufufu. Yes. Today's lesson is, always hide your potential."
She says this happily and starts eating her own food.

Scene 14 - Crash of the lion and the tiger

Dinner is more lively than I was expecting.
Sakura and Tohsaka are a good Senpai and junior, and Fuji-Nee is completely friends with Tohsaka now.

"―――――"
Well, I have no complaints about a fun meal.
No complaints, but I feel like there's something wrong with all of us eating right now.

"......"
I stand up.
"Huh? What, Shirou, going to the bathroom?"
"No, I forgot something. I'll bring her here, so wait."
"―――――"
When I leave the living room,
Tohsaka is staring at me silently.

I just couldn't take it.
That's the only reason.
I don't like it when she's in the same house, but alone.

So, before considering the consequences, I grab her hand.

"S-Shirou!? What are you doing all of a sudden...!?"
"Just come with me. I'll introduce you to everyone."
"Are you insane!? Hold on, this is..."

"I'm taking you because I am sane. Here, let's go.
Whatever happens later can be dealt with."
"Hey, Shirou...!?"

I grab Saber's hand and take her to the living room.

"Sorry, Tohsaka. Can I add one more?"
Tohsaka doesn't object.
But Fuji-Nee and Sakura are looking at Saber with astonishment.

"It's a bit late, but let me introduce her.
Her name is Saber, and we're going to be taking care of her for a while. As you can tell, she's a foreigner and not used to living in Japan, so please help her with that."

"―――――"
There's no reaction from the two.
That's only natural, but I don't have enough composure to care about them right now.

"Here, sit here, Saber. It's better to eat with everyone."
"That is... certainly more efficient, but I..."
"Don't be reserved. After all, you're going to be living together with us from now on. Since we're living in the same house, it's natural to eat together."

"...Yes. If Shirou says so, I will obey."

"You can't d―――"
"YOU CAN'T DO THAAAAAAT!"
"...!!!!"
My ears!
My ears are ringing!

"What's wrong with you, Shirou!? You bring in not only Tohsaka-san, but a girl like this too? Since when did this place turn into a hotel!?"
"W-What? It'll be fine. It's as big as a hotel, so we can lend a room or two. If Tohsaka staying is fine, Saber should be fine too."

"No way! I approve of Tohsaka-san, but I don't know about this stranger! Who is she anyways!?"
"Who―――she's a distant relative of mine. She had some problems so she came here, counting on Father."

"I can't believe such a ridiculous story. Even if it were the case, why did she come to your house? There's no way Kiritsugu-san would have an acquaintance in another countr―――"
She can't really say that.
Because Father was a simpleton who went to foreign countries all the time, he would have more acquaintances overseas than in Japan.

"―――Well, I can't say that, but it's still strange. You, why did you come here?"
Fuji-Nee glares at Saber.

"Well, that's..."
"You be quiet, Shirou. Um, Saber-san? I'm asking you."

Saber is silent.
It's only natural. Saber doesn't have any reason to go along with my lies nor a dexterous enough mind, so she―――
"I do not know. I was only doing as Kiritsugu said."
―――Well, I guess she does.

"―――Hm. Kiritsugu-san entrusted Shirou to you?"
"Yes. He told me to defend Shirou from all enemies."
Quietly.
Saber says this with the greatest purity.

...Who could object to that?
Even if it's a lie, it's the ultimate truth for Saber herself.

"......"
Even Fuji-Nee can't object to those words.
―――But...

She stands up with a frown, glaring at Saber,
"...All right. If you say so, I'll test your skill."
Fuji-Nee responds strangely.

So.
With a sound of wind, Fuji-Nee takes us outside.

"......"
She takes the shinai from the wall and glares at Saber.
...Well.
Just what is our Fuji-Nee thinking about?

"You. You said you'd protect Shirou, right? Then you must be confident in your skills."
"―――Are you telling me to take a sword?"

"Yes. I'll approve of you if you're stronger than me. But if you're weaker, I'm sending you back home."
"...I do not mind, but what is the purpose of this?"

"I'm the one that's gonna protect Shirou! I'm gonna be by his side until he grows up!"
"―――――"
It seems Saber doesn't understand what Fuji-Nee is trying to say.
Of course, no one else around here does either.

"Sooooo, I don't need anyone weaker than me!
If you're stronger than me, you'll be more dependable, right? If that's the case, I can entrust Shirou to you just for a bit."
Fuji-Nee plays with her shinai as if she's sulking.

"―――I understand. So I must earn your approval?"
"Right. But it's not going to be easy!"
Just as she says that, Fuji-Nee rushes at Saber and attacks her with the shinai...!

"Man, Fuji-Nee's being ridiculous!"
Not only was that a surprise attack, but she didn't even give Saber a shinai. Are you really a teacher, Tiger!?

"...?"
Saber must be surprised by Fuji-Nee's surprise attack as she just stands there distractedly.
Fuji-Nee's clever attack to the body strikes―――!

"Huh?"
Fuji-Nee tilts her head curiously.
...That's only natural.
It's strange even for those of us watching, so it must be as strange as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon for Fuji-Nee.

"―――――"
Saber is still standing.
The difference is, she is now holding the shinai Fuji-Nee was wielding until now.

"Uh... is this real?"
I don't know what's real, but it's certainly true.

Saber does not even take a stance.
Fuji-Nee doesn't move, standing before Saber.
Fuji-Nee is a kendo expert, said to be unmatched.
That experience must have made her realize that the person in front of her is on a completely different level.

"...If you want me to take a stance, I will. But you should be skilled enough to understand already."
"―――Uhh, hauuuu, hau..."
Fuji-Nee backs away unsteadily and drops to her knees.

"The contest is over. Do you approve of me?"
"―――Uh, guh..."
Fuji-Nee hangs her head and slumps her shoulders.
The very moment I think she'll calm down...

"UWAAAAAAAN!
"SOME STRANGER TOOK SHIROU AWAY...!"

She starts to cry so loudly that those around her get dizzy.

...In the end, it took two hours to persuade Fuji-Nee.
Fuji-Nee said "I want to talk a bit" and went into Father's room for two hours. When she came out, she nodded and said "I guess I have to approve of her", with an unhappy face.

On the other hand, Sakura is silent.
It was getting late, so Fuji-Nee ended up walking Sakura home, but Sakura said nothing and merely bowed and went home.

"Then I'll go back to the outbuilding."
...Oh.
Come to think of it, Tohsaka is like this too.

"...Sorry. I bet you think I did something stupid."
"Nope. But what you're doing is extra weight on your mind. If you keep doing such things, you'll end up being unable to move."

Saying good night with a wave, Tohsaka leaves.
"―――Sigh."
I'm tired.
I'll rest early too.

"Hold on, Shirou. I have something to ask you as well."
"Hm? What is it?"
"Why did you introduce me to everyone? I believe your actions were unnecessary as Rin said."
"No reason. I just introduced you because I didn't like it."

"Shirou, that is not an answer. You have to tell me what you didn't like."
Saber draws closer.
...Was what happened tonight that strange for Saber?

"I don't know. I was just eating and I just didn't like it when I thought about you being alone.
If anything, I just thought there'd be fewer secrets if I let Sakura and Fuji-Nee know about you."

"This is meaningless.
Rather, it is a disadvantage to let them know of my existence. I can hide myself in this house, so it would have been better if I was just standing by."

"―――"
What's better?
Is she better off being an outcast while we're all eating?

"―――That's not true.
It couldn't be helped because even if it was good for you, Saber, it wasn't good for me. I don't think it's based on reason."
Saying so, I avert my gaze from Saber.

"I'm going out to the shed, so go back to the room first. I'll come back after I'm done."
"―――――"
There's no response.
Turning my back on Saber who doesn't seem to agree, I head out to the shed.

I go outside.
The quiet yard, lit by the pale moonlight.
The winter sky is high, and the stars are clear.

"―――Sigh."
I sigh without realizing.
Tohsaka is right.
I'm certainly contradicting myself.

The me that's trying to go to the shed, avoiding the room Saber's sleeping in.
On the other hand, the me that doesn't want to leave Saber alone.
Even though I find it hard to deal with Saber as a member of the opposite sex, I can't leave her alone as a human.
...It's only natural for Tohsaka to be disgusted with me.

"...Geez. I thought I was only inexperienced at magic, but my mental training is bad as well."

I murmur, looking up into the sky absent-mindedly.
―――The night wears on.
Since I'm inexperienced, I can't skip my training.
I can only refine myself, believing that I can reach something if I continue my effort.