Chapter 11: Day 4 ④

The four of them walked toward Miyama Town. However, during that time, not a single person uttered a word; they were silent.

Saber redonned her yellow raincoat and silently followed, positioned a step behind.

Shirou was likely deeply considering the harshness of the Holy Grail War again, reflecting on the battle he had just witnessed. He had furrowed brows and seemed to be concentrating with a severely serious expression.

Rin, for her part, was absorbed in thought about something and didn't seem to pay attention to the other three.

As for me, I had no desire to speak either, so I just moved forward, keeping silent next to Saber.

We crossed the bridge and reached the intersection. This was where the paths to Rin's house and Shirou's house diverged.

"Tohsaka. About us being enemies starting tomorrow—"

"I need to talk to you about that, Emiya-kun."

Rin interrupted Shirou, who had stopped and started to speak, cutting him off. Saber and I also stopped, following our respective Masters’ example.

"W-what is it?"

"How about we form an alliance until we defeat Berserker?"

"That’s exactly what I'd wish for, but why?"

Shirou's question was reasonable. Just an hour or two ago, she had said, "From tomorrow, we're enemies. Be prepared."

"You saw Berserker, right? Honestly, that thing was a monster beyond imagination. I had thought that with Archer, winning this Holy Grail War would be a certainty, but I never expected such a dark horse. We might be able to manage a one-on-one fight depending on how we do it, but it would put too much of a burden on both Archer and me."

"Ah, I see. So that's where Saber comes in."

Rin was frowning, probably recalling Berserker's monstrous nature while she spoke. In contrast, Shirou was nodding in reply, looking completely like he was receiving a lecture.

"Exactly. Though it seems her magical energy is insufficient, Saber was overwhelmingly dominant over Berserker in close combat. Saber can hold him off, and Archer can attack. The roles could be reversed, but it opens up other possible strategies. Our tactical options will broaden significantly."

"That's true. I also felt it after watching today's fight. Trying to fight that thing head-on, one-on-one, is reckless."

"Well, of course, after we defeat Berserker, we'll go back to being enemies. But even so, the burden on you two will be lighter. What do you say? I don't think it's a bad deal."

Hearing her words, Shirou slightly wrinkled his face but then managed a smile.

"I can’t agree with the 'enemies' part—but I'm fine with the Berserker alliance. Oh, Saber, is that okay with you too?"

"...I don't mind. I will follow my Master."

There was a slight pause between the question and the reply, but Saber also accepted the alliance. Given Rin’s words after the battle and the current flow of the conversation—that Shirou had judged he couldn't protect them all by himself—her feelings must have been complicated.

"Good. Then, it's settled, right?"

As she spoke, Rin held out her hand. After looking back and forth between her outstretched hand and her face, which was turned away and refusing to meet his eyes, Shirou hesitantly spoke.

"Uh, what's wrong, Tohsaka?"

"W-what do you mean, 'what’s wrong'? Aren't you supposed to shake hands with someone you’re cooperating with and say, 'I look forward to working with you'?"

Rin’s face was completely red, and she kept her head averted in embarrassment. However, she didn't show any signs of withdrawing her outstretched hand.

"Oh, right. Yeah. I look forward to it, Tohsaka."

Shirou, looking bewildered, accepted the handshake. As soon as the handshake was over, Rin turned away with a 'Hmph.' I thought she shouldn't have done it if she was going to be so embarrassed.

"Ah."

Shirou looked around, noticed something, and hurried toward me. What is it? I wasn't the only one looking at Shirou with suspicion.

Standing in front of me, Shirou smiled brightly.

"Archer, I look forward to working with you too."

He said this and held out his right hand.

"Huh? —Ah, yeah. I look forward to it."

In a panic, I shook his outstretched right hand with mine. Also, Shirou's action was so completely unexpected that my tone reverted to my casual self. After letting go of the hand he'd shaken, Shirou returned to his original spot—right in front of Rin.

I watched Shirou walk back, clenching the hand that had shaken his over my chest as if confirming something. —Was Shirou's hand this big? I thought. I understood that my hand had become smaller, but having 'me' (Shirou) with a bigger hand than mine felt somewhat strange.

Just then, I felt a gaze and turned to see Saber looking at me with a puzzled expression. I was staring blankly at Shirou. It was probably because my tone had suddenly changed. But this time, I couldn't help it; it was a total surprise attack.

—Um, why is Rin glaring at Shirou and me with those suspicious, narrowed eyes?

"…By the way, Emiya-kun, do you have any spare rooms in your house?"

"Huh? Oh, it’s an unnecessarily large house. We have rooms to spare, but why do you ask?"

"Why? We're going to stay at your house, that's why. Since it seems you have rooms, we'll borrow one for a while."

"Wha—!? Wha-wha-wha-what are you saying, Tohsaka! Do you even realize what you’re saying!?"

Shirou backed away, his face bright red. Although he is my past self, his reaction of shouting and backing away looks utterly foolish.

"Yes, I believe I understand perfectly. If we aren't gathered in one place, we won't be able to respond if Berserker attacks, right? For now, I'll head home once. Since it's now... I'll come to your house around noon, so please be prepared."

"No, that's a problem! My sister figure, Fujinee—Fujimura-sensei—and Sakura often come over!"

"Then I'll just think of a suitable excuse for them. Talking your way out of it shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"Well, in that case, there shouldn’t be a problem... wait, a girl staying over at a guy's house is the problem!"

Hmm. Well, that's a fair point. But the person he's up against is Tohsaka. You won't be able to handle her easily, Shirou. *—*The experienced one speaks with a strangely philosophical feeling.

"Oh? Is Shirou planning to do something to me, then?"

Rin was smiling deviously. Ah, the nightmare of that day is returning. It was the exact same smile she used on me. —This is truly the worst kind of provocation for any healthy young man. I would absolutely not want to make her my enemy.

"I-I would never do such a thing!"

"That's right. I know Shirou wouldn't do that. In that case, I'll see you at noon."

"Ugh! —Speaking of which, Tohsaka, didn't you just call me Shirou?"

"We're cooperating, so I wanted to call you by your name. Was that a problem?"

"N-no. That's perfectly fine, but…"

"Great. Then, see you at noon."

"Y-yeah."

Rin started walking, leaving Shirou behind, who had been completely talked into a corner and was still dumbfounded. Rin’s steps were light, and she hummed a little tune, seeming quite cheerful.

Why she was cheerful, I had absolutely no idea.

At noon, Rin and I arrived at the Emiya residence, with me carrying two red duffel bags slung over my shoulders.

Rin rolled a suitcase with wheels. A suitcase and two duffel bags. All of this was Rin's personal property.

Ah, no. Only the change of clothes and the cooking recipes from the Tohsaka house were things I brought. I borrowed the recipes because I hadn't looked through all of them yet.

Incidentally, the suitcase contained several changes of the same outfit that I am currently wearing, meant for Saber. Why are there several spares? Rin said she didn't wear this clothing.

Rin pressed the intercom by the front gate. Kinko-on, the familiar sound echoed from inside the mansion.

"Oh, Tohsaka."

I thought they would come out the front door, but Shirou and Saber arrived from the garden. It seemed they were in the dojo out in the yard.

"Honestly, I told you I'd come at noon, so you should have been in the house!"

"Sorry, sorry. When I woke up, Saber wasn't there, and she was in the dojo, so we ended up talking there."

Shirou unconsciously scratched his cheek with his index finger. —Huh, I didn't realize it myself, but I had that habit.

"Well, fine. So, which room should I use?"

"Ah, how about you use the detached annex over here? It's fairly spacious, and Archer can use the same room, right?"

"Yes, that's fine. Thank you."

...The same room? Did he mean sharing a room with Rin?

No, wait a minute. That's a problem. There's the issue of my male psyche, and above all, Rin is strangely frightening.

"Sh-Shirou. I would appreciate it if you could lend me a room nearby, separate from Rin's."

"…What are you suggesting, Archer? That would be an inconvenience."

Naturally, Rin looked at me suspiciously due to my surprising remark.

"—"

I was at a loss for words. It would indeed be more effort to prepare another room. But I somehow wanted to avoid sharing a room.

"Huh? Uh, Saber told me that Servants should wait nearby to protect their Master from danger. Saber, in fact, tried to sleep in the same room as me."

Shirou said this, checking with everyone present. Saber nodded as if to say, "Of course."

"And, Emiya-kun, did you sleep with Saber?"

"I-I wouldn't sleep with her! I had her sleep in the room next door."

"Well, I suppose that’s what you’d do."

Ah, I guess so. After all, he is me. Even now, the future Emiya Shirou is desperately trying to avoid sharing a room with Rin.

"So, I thought sharing a room would be fine. Since you two are the same gender, unlike Saber and me."

"That's right, Archer. That is an unbecoming suggestion for a Servant."

Shirou’s point was indeed valid. If I were in the same situation, I probably would have thought sharing a room was fine.

Saber's point wasn't wrong either. It’s natural for a Servant to wait in a position where they can immediately protect their Master. Even more so for me, who is inferior in ability.

But, even so—! That one word that night, those hand movements, wouldn't leave my head.

"However… there is a problem with sleeping in the same room as Rin…"

I spoke, looking down. How much sense of crisis would they read into my upcoming statement? That would determine whether this works out or not. If Shirou and Saber take my side, perhaps...

'A problem with sleeping in the same room?'

Shirou and Rin both voiced their surprise. With determination, I raised my head.

"Rin, for some reason, seems to have an excessive interest in my body."

"—Excessive interest, Tohsaka? You don't mean..."

While no one moved or spoke, after a few seconds, Shirou seemed to realize something and took a step back from Rin. His face twitched, and he continued to inch backward.

"N-no, it's not! A-Archer! Don't say weird things!!"

"Saber, you must not get too close to Tohsaka. You never know what she might do."

Shirou pushed Saber behind him with his arm. But Saber wasn't the type to simply obey that.

"Yes, I understand, Shirou. —Rin, let me state this in advance: I do not share that particular hobby. At least, I do not intend to willingly engage in it. I must ask you to seek elsewhere."

Saber stepped forward and held up her hand in a 'STOP!' gesture toward Rin.

I see. Does that mean a Servant is meant to protect the Master, not to be protected by the Master?

"S-Saber too…"

Saber's words finally seemed to hit Rin; she knelt and slumped over, looking defeated.

"Archer, you must have had a tough time. I'll prepare a room nearby, so you can stay there."

"You are a lifesaver, Shirou. I thank you for your generous measure—"

I offered my highest gratitude to Shirou, who placed his hand on my shoulder, looking somewhat tearful.

Saber, by the way, stood in front of me as if protecting me. Perhaps she didn't approve of another being like herself facing a crisis of chastity (?).

"—Enough! Listen to what I have to saaaaay!!"

Time passed, and it was past 7 PM.

Rin cleared up the misunderstanding with Shirou, Saber, and me—who had been given the wrong impression. Apparently, as a woman, she was simply curious about the proportions of another woman. This was a psychological point that was hard for me, a man in a woman's body, and Saber, who behaved like a man, to understand.

After an hour of persuasion, Rin—who had managed to clear her name in exchange for the barely-there response she got from Saber and me—went to 'renovate' the guest room in the annex where she would be staying.

Since I had nothing else to do afterward, I sat on the veranda, listlessly watching Rin running about or reading the recipes I had brought from her house. Saber, meanwhile, was apparently sitting in seiza (formal kneeling) in the dojo the whole time.

Earlier, we decided that the cooking duty would be rotated: Shirou, me, and Rin, in that order. If I cooked dinner, the next day I would cook lunch, and so on.

Rin seemed puzzled that I, the anomaly, could cook while Saber could not, but she conveniently rationalized it, saying, "They're not just different colors, so even if they’re the same person, there might be differences in their strengths and weaknesses."

Furthermore, based on the cooking issue, the difference in color, the subtle differences in personality, and the different things we could and couldn't do, she inferred that the difference in the historical accounts transmitted might have caused a divergence in our figures.

As a result, both Shirou and Rin were treating Saber and me as fundamentally the same person but not concerned about minor discrepancies.

Thanks to Rin, my identity was becoming an increasingly convoluted rumor, but since I could now act more like myself, it was a win-win situation.

Anyway, according to the cooking rotation, it was my turn this evening.

"So, have you decided what we will do next, Rin?"

Saber's voice came from the living room. I was in the kitchen, listening to the conversation of the three in the living room while peeling an onion.

"About that… first, we need to find the other Masters."

"That's right. For now, only Tohsaka and I are known. We should start there."

"What are you saying? Illyasviel is known too!"

It doesn't matter, but cooking alone here makes me feel lonely, like I'm being excluded.

I took the beef, which had been returned to room temperature, and simmered it with finely chopped onions, thinly sliced apples, and red wine until it was reduced. Once the alcohol from the wine evaporated, I took the meat out and set it aside, seasoning it with salt and pepper, and lightly sautéing it.

To the remaining pan juices, I added grated radish and a splash of soy sauce as a secret ingredient to create a refreshing Japanese-style sauce. I kept the sauce in a separate container so it could be added to taste.

—As the menu suggests, I leaned toward Western cuisine. It unfortunately ended up feeling more like French than English, but I hoped it seemed less unnatural than making Japanese food. If anyone asked, I planned to insist I had been reading cooking books during the day.

While it was true that I had looked through the recipes at Rin's house, my cooking skills had indeed leveled up. I used to be terrible at meat-centered dishes, but now several preparation methods came to mind, which was a huge improvement. I think adopting Western techniques and methods made me more versatile.

For a side dish, I made a consommé-based tomato and onion soup.

I tore the lettuce and arranged it in a deep bowl. I cut tomatoes for garnish. I also prepared a simple dressing by mixing grated onion, soy sauce, mirin, sesame seeds, and sesame oil.

Bread would have been more Western, but the Emiya household only had sliced white bread. That felt a bit off for the ambiance, so I gave up and cooked white rice instead. As a minor form of resistance, I served it on a flat plate instead of a bowl.

"Archer, want me to help you? It must be tough doing it alone."

"Ah, that would be helpful."

Shirou spoke up, perhaps because their discussion had concluded. Was I always such a thoughtful person? It's hard to tell about oneself.

Well, since I helped him last time, he probably came to help me as a way of returning the favor.

"Ugh!"

"This is..."

"Delicious—!"

The former was Rin, and the latter was Saber, but the meaning of their subsequent words was different.

Rin's meaning was, "You could make something like this?" while Saber was simply impressed by the delicious food.

"Archer, you're a good cook. —Hmm, the main beef is tender, and there's no gamey smell because you prepared it thoroughly. The seasoning is also to Japanese taste. I guess I can't slack off."

"Is that so? Thank you. It was worth the effort."

Shirou said, looking impressed. Even though I know he is me, I am still happy to be complimented. My lips couldn't help but curl into a smile as I said it.

"You were doing the dishes simultaneously, so you were efficient too. In your past life, you must have been highly sought after by wives… What am I even saying?"

Shirou said this, scratching his cheek and blushing as he looked at me. In my past life, I was you, Shirou.

"..."

My high spirits plummeted. They hit the floor with a splat. I was happy that he complimented the food, but that extra comment turned my mood completely negative.

The meal ended. Honestly, I was somewhat anxious since this was my first attempt at Western cuisine with proper, detailed steps, but it was surprisingly well received, and everyone finished their plates.

However, perhaps because I was the one who made it, I strangely didn't feel the same emotion when eating it as I did with Shirou's or Rin's cooking. At least, my eyes didn't well up with tears.

Afterward, we discussed Shirou's magecraft, future plans, and what to do about school.

However, Shirou and Rin usually decided everything, so Saber and I rarely had a chance to speak.

First, regarding Shirou's magecraft, Rin decided to teach him the basics to increase his combat strength.

Having more strength is never a bad thing. The decision was to do what they could while they had the time.

Next was the future plan. For a while, they decided to search for other Masters.

However, they concluded that actively moving around might risk falling into the enemy's trap, so they decided to assume a defensive stance. This was mostly the same as the previous time. There were no major differences.

The first problem that arose was the school. I recalled that before Lancer's attack, a magical formation—preparations for a boundary field to collect mana—was being set up on the school grounds. The boundary field would probably be completed soon.

And there was a Master at that school. —Shinji Matou, Rider's Master. I heard that last time, he was repelled by Saber during the battle at the building, and was later killed by Illya while escaping.

I want to believe in Shinji. He was certainly someone who caused trouble and bothered others, but he wasn't like that in the past. It might be impossible now, but I believe he will eventually understand.

To get that 'eventually,' I mustn't let Illya kill him. I will surely try to save him.

To do that, I must first prevent the boundary field from being completed. Fortunately, it takes time to finish. Shinji was not supposed to make any particular moves during that time. If I borrowed Rin's wisdom and took action, we might be able to handle it.

However, the problem is that going to school would inevitably leave the Masters' protection vulnerable.

This is because neither Saber nor I can go into spirit form, so we can't guard them in places where people can see us. There was a suggestion that we Servants could stay at home and be summoned with a Command Spell, but Rin rejected that, saying it would be a waste to use two Command Spells.

As an alternative, we decided on a method where if there was danger, either I or Saber would be summoned. While the summoned Servant held off the enemy, the other Servant, who was not sent to the Master, would join the fight.

This basically required Shirou and Rin to stay together as much as possible. This would cause various inconveniences, but it was not something that could be weighed against their lives.

The discussion was concluded. Before we knew it, the date was about to change.

Shirou let out a big yawn. Rin also looked a bit dazed from sleepiness. Given that they were up until early morning yesterday and then woke up before noon, it was natural for them to be sleepy.

Since a general policy had been decided, we disbanded for the day. We exchanged "Good night" and went to sleep in our respective rooms.