Chapter 6: I'm Really Sorry, Archer

Shirou woke up inside the storage shed. Last night, he hadn’t been able to sleep—his mind was too preoccupied with Saber—so he decided to train in magecraft there instead. Immersing himself in practice helped keep unnecessary thoughts at bay, and before he knew it, he had dozed off.

He squinted against the sunlight spilling in from the entrance, and as he sat up, the blanket draped over him slipped off.

“…Huh?”

It wasn’t the blanket that was usually kept in the shed. When he stepped outside, he saw the original one hanging over the laundry pole.

“Sakura… wouldn’t be here yet. Then, Saber?”

There wasn’t really anyone else it could’ve been. Well, technically there was, but he couldn’t imagine her going out of her way to do something like that. Watching her from afar at school never required him to consider things like this…

“Still, it’s freezing—”

Even though Fuyuki had a fairly mild winter climate, this house was near the mountains, which made it a bit colder. As he headed toward the main house to wash his face, he heard the sound of something from the dojo on the property—the familiar crack of bamboo swords clashing.

He peeked inside—and froze.

“How many times must I tell you? You're charging in too directly. That leaves your sides wide open.”

Saber and Archer were inside, facing each other with bamboo swords in hand.

“...O-One more time!”

“I’m only helping because Rin ordered me to. But if you don’t start showing progress, there won’t be a next time!”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

Saber moved. Her movements, in a word, were ordinary—but also bizarre. Occasionally, she’d predict and block Archer’s strikes with uncanny precision, almost like foresight, yet other times she’d take a clean hit out of nowhere.

“Your Instinct skill is useful, yes, but if you can’t see through feints, it’s meaningless. Always maintain doubt. Let instinct guide you, but never stop thinking!”

“Yes!”

They had a complete master-student dynamic going.

Even after taking heavy hits multiple times, Saber didn’t show any signs of pain. Apparently, weapons without mystery are ineffective against Servants. That’s why Archer wasn’t holding back with his strikes.

Looking at Archer, Shirou could tell that, despite his harsh words, he was actually enjoying himself.

“…Didn’t see that coming.”

Rin’s voice came from behind, as she appeared beside him.

“Didn’t see what coming?”

“Archer, actually putting effort into teaching. I didn’t think he was that type… Maybe he had some kind of instructor role when he was alive?”

Under their watchful eyes, the training between the two Heroic Spirits continued.

“Don’t fixate solely on the weapon, fool. Always observe the opponent’s full body.”

The gap in their abilities was overwhelming. Even so, Shirou could tell Saber’s swordsmanship was steadily improving. It was obvious she was doing everything she could to absorb what Archer was teaching.

After a while, Archer lowered his bamboo sword.

“That’s enough for this morning. Reflect on what you’ve learned today before next time. Also, as you are now, you wouldn’t stand a chance even against Assassin. You’d better come to terms with that. If you want to protect your Master, then train harder.”

“Yes, sir!”

As Archer disappeared, Rin wore a difficult-to-read expression.

“That guy… after all that paranoia around Saber…”

Shirou gave a wry smile as Rin twitched around the eyes.

“Didn’t expect that side of him.”

Rin shrugged at his words, then turned and walked toward the house.

“Thanks for the hard work.”

Shirou entered the dojo and called out to Saber.

“Ah, you're awake, Shirou-kun. Guess you saw something a little embarrassing.”

Saber gave a sheepish laugh, and Shirou responded with a grin.

“How long have you been at it?”

“Since last night, after you fell asleep in the shed.”

“Ah, so that blanket was from you. But… you’ve been training ever since?”

“Yeah. Archer came by and offered. Seems he can use a bit of magecraft—he put up a soundproofing boundary and has been helping me train the whole time. Honestly, I didn’t expect such proper instruction.”

Even Saber seemed surprised by this unexpected side of Archer.

“All he used were bamboo sword strikes. If he’d hit me with his fists or kicks, it probably would’ve really hurt. But the bamboo didn’t hurt at all, even when it connected, so I could keep going without giving up.”

As she put away her bamboo sword, Saber exhaled with a huff and straightened her back.

“Mind if I take a quick bath?”

“I’ll heat it up for you.”

“No, I’ll just take a shower. But… would you mind making breakfast?”

“Yeah, leave it to me.”

“Still…”

Saber looked down at her own body, head tilted in thought.

“For someone in a girl’s body now, I’m surprised I’m not all that excited.”

“…Hey.”

“I mean, last night was the first time I’d seen a naked body with my own eyes, so I was a little tense, but I didn’t really get excited or anything…”

“Maybe because your body’s a girl’s now?”

“Ah, yeah, maybe. It’s like… I’m in permanent sage mode or something—”

“Don’t say that with that face!!”

Shirou shouted, his face bright red, and Saber gave a sincere “Sorry” in return.

“I’ll go wash up now. Can I borrow another change of clothes?”

“Yeah, I’ll get them ready.”

At the moment, Saber was wearing Shirou’s everyday clothes. They weren’t the kind of thing you’d put on a girl, but considering what was on the inside, it made sense.

He kept it a secret that the sight of a girl wearing his clothes made his heart beat a little faster.

After Saber headed for the bath, Shirou went to the living room and found Rin there.

“Can you believe Archer? When I told him, ‘You were really into the whole mentor role,’ all he said was, ‘Who knows.’ Not fun at all to tease.”

Archer had his own struggles too, it seemed. Shirou nodded vaguely at her complaints and began preparing breakfast. Then, the chime of the front doorbell rang.

“Shirou, sounds like someone’s here.”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it. At this hour, it’s someone from the family.”

Only two people ever showed up around this time—and both had keys. No need to go all the way to the entrance to let them in.

“I keep telling her she doesn’t need to ring the doorbell every time…”

The one who always rang it was Sakura. She was practically family to Shirou. Honestly, he wished she’d just barge in without a second thought.

“Wait, hold on.”

Right now, Rin and Saber were in the house. If Sakura ran into them, things could get messy. He quickly turned off the water and stove, rushing out of the kitchen to send Sakura home—but he was too late. She had already entered the living room.

Rin and Sakura locked eyes. A subtle tension filled the air.

“Good morning, Matou-san. What a surprise, seeing you here of all places.”

“...Tohsaka… Senpai.”

Sakura stared at Rin in shock, then turned to Shirou with a look that clearly asked for an explanation.

“Uh, well, there’s kind of a complicated reason for this…”

“I’m staying here now.”

Just as Shirou was wondering how to explain, Rin dropped the bombshell with no hesitation.

“…Is that true, Senpai?”

“W-Well, to keep it simple… sorry, I really should’ve told you.”

“N-No, you don’t have to apologize. I was… surprised, sure, but… um… I mean, really—”

As Sakura turned her gaze back to Rin, Rin spoke.

“It was a decision made between me and Shirou, the homeowner. So it’s already been decided. You understand what that means, don’t you?”

“Understand what…?”

“Up until now, you’ve been looking after Shirou, right? Well, that won’t be necessary for a while. Honestly, it’d be more of a nuisance if you kept coming. It’d be better for you if—”

“I don’t understand.”

“…What?”

“I don’t understand! I don’t understand what you’re trying to say at all, Tohsaka-senpai!”

“W-Wait a second—”

“Senpai, I’m going to borrow your kitchen!”

“Ah, uh, s-sure!”

She’d barged in just like he always hoped she would, and yet Shirou couldn’t feel the least bit happy about it. What the hell was going on?

Rin stood frozen in place.

“…You’ve got a real mess on your hands, Shirou-kun.”

Another bomb had arrived—this one steaming from the bath. Saber, grinning, made her presence known.

“Shut up! More importantly, Rin, why did you say Sakura’s been looking after me—”

“I heard it in passing. That she was acting like your little wife or something. Still, I’m shocked. Is she always that lively here? She’s completely different from how she is at school!”

She seemed more shocked than when she saw Archer showing his serious side. Shirou responded, just as baffled.

“This is the first time I’ve seen Sakura that sharp.”

“You really are dense, Shirou-kun.”

“Wh-What do you mean…?”

Saber’s tone got pricklier as she smiled with far too much enjoyment.

“She’s jealous, obviously. Because there’s another girl in your house. She’s thinking, ‘That hussy’s stealing my man!’”

“H-Hussy?! Sakura’s not like that!”

“Oh please, women are—”

“Don’t go running your mouth about women like you know anything, you damn virgin.”

Rin’s sharp jab silenced Saber instantly, her face turning heartbreakingly solemn. Shirou understood how she felt—but he wasn’t going to sympathize.

“Still, I really blew it. I didn’t expect Sakura to get so stubborn…”

“Yeah, that was a total misstep.”

“…But now we’re in trouble. This place could turn into a battlefield. Honestly, I wanted to keep outsiders away from the house entirely, but—”

“That plan completely backfired.”

Rin chewed her nail in frustration, her expression twisted.

“We have to do something… Hey, does Sakura only come in the mornings? Don’t tell me you’ve got her doing dinner duty too.”

“Don’t make it sound so sketchy! She comes by every morning, yeah, but not for dinner every night.”

“…Wow. She really is a little wife.”

Rin sighed and bit into a mandarin orange. Saber, still deflated from earlier, quietly followed suit.

For some reason, the house had an absurd mountain of mandarins. Shirou decided it was time to scold them.

“Hey, don’t snack before breakfast…”

Sakura, who had been silently preparing breakfast, widened her eyes when Saber appeared in the kitchen to help with setting the table.

“Nice to meet you. I'm Saber. I'm currently staying at Shirou’s house. I look forward to living here.”

It was Rin’s brilliant plan: Operation Overwhelm Her with Polite Formalities Before She Can Process the Situation. Shirou, however, had shouted at her not to cause unnecessary confusion.

“Ah, um, I'm Matou Sakura. It’s... nice to meet you... I think?”

Still wide-eyed, Sakura accepted Saber’s offer to help. The atmosphere was hard to describe, but somehow the two managed to finish preparing breakfast.

Saber’s eyes sparkled at the sight of fluffy tamagoyaki and miso soup.

“A peaceful life where a girl makes your breakfast... I’m beyond jealous, Shirou.”

“...Saber.”

Shirou looked slightly conflicted in response to her serious expression.

As they began eating, the initial tension began to slowly fade.

“This is delicious. I didn’t know tamagoyaki could be this fluffy...”

Saber savored the flavor with a look of astonishment.

“...I concede defeat.”

For some reason, Rin looked utterly crushed.

“Hey, Tohsaka. Weren’t you the type who never eats breakfast?”

When Shirou asked, Rin turned away with a huff.

“I eat what’s served. That’s basic courtesy!”

She snorted and took a sip of miso soup.

“...It’s really good. Seriously, it’s delicious.”

“...Thank you.”

Sakura replied with a delighted smile to Rin’s heartfelt comment.

For a while, the dining room was filled with quiet, peaceful eating. That was, until Shirou suddenly stiffened—and loud footsteps came thundering down the hallway.

“Mornin’! Man, I totally overslept!”

Everyone froze when Fujinee burst in. She sat properly in her usual seat, kneeling with perfect form.

No one said a word.

“Shirou, rice!”

“...Good morning.”

Three voices replied in perfect unison. Shirou was once again left behind, confused and speechless.

Sakura resumed her usual pace and served Fujinee a bowl of rice.

“Here you go.”

Saber poured her some tea.

“...Huh?”

Receiving her rice and tea, Fujinee tilted her head. It seemed she still hadn’t realized what was happening.

That was fine. Ideally, she’d stay oblivious and head off to school without incident. But Shirou’s desperate prayer lasted only about a bowlful.

“Hey, why is Tohsaka-san here? And who’s that blonde bombshell over there?”

“She’s Saber. And both of them are going to be staying here starting today.”

Shirou answered flatly, trying to stay composed. At first, he was all smiles while explaining, but his expression slowly began to stiffen. It was as if the fuse had finally reached the powder keg.

“Wait—what do you mean staying here, Shirou?!”

The table flipped. Thankfully, Sakura was upwind, and Rin had already made her escape. Saber had calmly moved her meal far out of splash range and continued eating. The only one caught in the blast zone was Shirou.

A pot of simmering chicken meatballs came flying.

“HOT!!”

“‘Hot’ is right! Just what are you thinking, Shirou?! Two girls your age living under your roof? What kind of romcom do you think this is?! And saying something that awful when Sakura-chan’s right here—was it this mouth?! Huh?!”

“S-s-stop—hyuh?! It’s h-hot! St-ahhp, Fuji—!!”

As Shirou screamed, Fujinee pulled at the corners of his mouth. Sakura handed him a chilled towel, smiling like an angel despite the chaos.

“You’re really used to this, huh, Sakura-chan?”

“Yes, it’s always like this.”

Sakura puffed out her chest with a proud “ahem,” prompting applause from the two idiots. Shirou silently begged for help.

After much effort, the three of them finally managed to calm Fujinee down and persuade her.

In the end, it was decided that they’d keep things quiet at school, and Fujinee would supervise everything at home. Shirou was relieved when she finally accepted the arrangement.

After breakfast, they saw Fujinee off, and Shirou got ready for school.

“Shirou. Let me accompany you to school.”

Saber spoke once he was dressed.

“It’s broad daylight, and there’s no way someone would attack in a crowded place like school.”

Shirou hesitated, but Saber was unmoved.

“You can’t be too careful. Even at school, you shouldn’t let your guard down. While you're in class, I’ll remain on standby near the campus.”

Shirou sighed, realizing that it was pointless to argue with the stubborn Saber.

“All right. I’m counting on you.”

"Thanks."

Saber smiled softly, and all Shirou could do was respond with a wry grin.

At the front door, Rin and Sakura were already waiting for him.

“Well then, let’s go. I’m not too familiar with this area, so let me know if there’s a shortcut to school, okay?”

Seeing Rin in her school uniform made Shirou tense up. Even after learning her true nature, the image of Tohsaka Rin as the perfect honor student still lingered in his mind. His heart was pounding at the thought of walking to school with the most beautiful girl on campus.

“Senpai, I’ve locked everything up.”

And on top of that, Sakura and Saber were with them too. Sakura, being a member of the archery club, usually left earlier with Fujinee, but today, she had stayed behind without saying a word.

Surrounded by three beautiful girls on the way to school—Shirou was sure he'd be executed by his classmates. A chill ran down his spine.

"...So you've given Sakura a spare key."

Rin murmured as they walked.

“Yeah, I did. Sakura’s not the kind of person to do anything bad, and she’s helped me out a lot over the years. I mean, with that in mind, I couldn’t really give one to you, Tohsaka, but it’s fine, right?”

“...It’s fine, I guess. But what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, you’d do something bad.”

“Should I take that as a declaration of war, Emiya-kun?”

Rin smiled sweetly, and Shirou was struck with fear.

“N-no way...”

As the two of them bantered up ahead, Sakura and Saber walked behind, chatting quietly.

“Sakura-chan, you don’t look so well. Are you all right?”

“Y-yes...”

Sakura's expression was gloomy. She'd been like this ever since Fujinee was talked down earlier that morning.

“...Sorry about the sudden situation.”

“No, it’s... fine.”

Saber tried to offer some kind of reassurance to the downcast Sakura, but it wasn’t working.

After all, two new girls had suddenly shown up around the boy she liked. It wasn’t surprising she’d be upset. Saber sighed internally. She was keeping a close eye on Sakura, making sure none of her emotional landmines exploded—but with her lack of experience in dealing with girls, she was only making it worse.

So, Saber decided to hold her tongue.

As they neared the hill by the school, people around them began shooting curious glances. Understandable—this group stood out too much to be ignored.

Feeling the weight of all the attention, the group continued up the slope.

When they arrived at the school gate, Saber came to a stop.

“Alright, I’ll stay nearby. If anything happens, use this.”

She spoke softly to Shirou and handed him a small transceiver. Apparently, it was something that had ended up mixed in with the miscellaneous gadgets Fujinee had brought over.

"The batteries are fresh. You’ll be able to reach me right away with this."

"Got it."

"Well then, good luck with your studies, all of you."

Saber gave the three of them a parting smile before turning and walking away.

After separating from Shirou and the others, Saber concealed herself in the wooded area behind the school.

"Maybe I should bring a manga with me next time."

There was absolutely nothing to do.

"No one to talk to, and I can't leave this spot either..."

She let out a sigh and glanced up at the sky. The clouds were starting to look ominous.

"Oh come on... don’t tell me it’s going to rain now..."

She muttered, just as a beam of light suddenly descended from the sky. Her eyes widened in surprise, and at that moment, she heard a sharp click behind her.

Spinning around, she found herself face-to-face with a stunning, otherworldly beauty.

"Y-you’re—!"

It was the Servant Rider.

Rider clicked her tongue in annoyance, having just deflected a flying arrow with her nail-whip.

"Archer..."

As another volley of magical arrows came raining down, Rider turned to flee. Saber moved to give chase—only for a cluster of arrows to land directly in front of her, halting her in her tracks.

She looked toward the source of the arrows to protest—only to find Archer standing there.

"Fool. Have you already forgotten what I told you this morning? You’re no match for her. Don’t pursue her."

"…Y-yes, sir."

Saber wilted under the scolding, and Archer, ignoring her completely, nocked another arrow. In a single breath, he loosed a rapid succession of ten shots.

"...She got away."

"Um… better luck next time?"

"If only you were slightly more competent, we could have taken her out here and now."

Archer sneered, spitting venom like it was as natural as breathing.

"…I’m sorry."

But she couldn’t say anything in return.

"Whatever. More importantly—stay alert."

"R-right."

After Archer vanished, Saber’s expression changed to one of realization.

"...Wait. If she hadn’t deflected that nail-whip to protect me... wouldn’t he have had a clear shot—?"

She recalled reading in some manga that a sniper always goes for a kill with the first shot. If Archer had been aiming for a guaranteed kill, the best time to fire would’ve been right after Rider struck her down.

Not only that, the arrows he fired were just regular ones. Archer’s true specialty was projecting swords and launching them like bullets. If he avoided using those, then the only reason must’ve been to prevent hurting her.

"...Man, I’m such dead weight..."

She found herself cradling her head in frustration. Maybe it was because of Rin’s orders, but Archer had chosen to prioritize her life. And because of that, Rider had gotten away.

If only she’d been more reliable... If she’d been the real thing... this wouldn’t have happened.

"...Sorry, Archer. Really, I’m sorry."