บท 118: Chapter 118
"You really are a Servant who likes to act during the day, Rider…"
As Archer's voice echoed, his form solidified behind Rider.
Sensing no hostility, Rider didn't summon her weapon. She turned slightly to face Archer, who was standing with his arms crossed in front of the bookshelf.
Archer didn't waste any time: "Let's get straight to the point, Rider. You should know Caster is out of the picture. I felt your presence at Ryuudou Temple yesterday. You were there the whole time, right?"
"So what?"
"You've seen Berserker's combat abilities. That kind of power can't be handled by one person alone. And now, Saber's Master is close with Berserker's Master. If your Master wants to win the Holy Grail, the only option is to cooperate with others to take down Berserker first."
At this moment, Rider was relaying Archer's words to Bazett, who was still at the Einzbern mansion.
"…No."
After a long pause, Rider, following Bazett's order, responded softly: "There's no need for cooperation. For my Master, defeating any Servant other than Berserker isn't a difficult task."
"Oh?" Archer sounded intrigued. "It seems your Master is quite confident. So, the remaining Servants are Saber, myself, and Lancer? Does that mean you know who Lancer's Master is?"
Though she had accidentally revealed some information, Rider wasn't fazed because Bazett had instructed her to speak this way. It wasn't her responsibility.
Seeing Rider's silence, Archer knew he was right and sighed, "I thought Berserker and Saber were the only threats. I didn't expect such a formidable enemy in the shadows…"
"…My Master says if you surrender your command spells, she can ensure your Master's safety in this war."
Archer felt both amused and annoyed by this woman's confidence. He had never seen such arrogance before, but for some reason, he sensed she wasn't blindly confident.
Bazett's plan was simple. Since Shinji had asked her to spare the Tohsaka head if encountered, the easiest way was for Tohsaka to surrender her command spells and withdraw from the Holy Grail War. Bazett believed that with her own strength, she could protect the Tohsaka head until the war ended safely.
"Anyone can talk big. But until your Master shows some action, how much strength do they really have?"
"He is the strongest among the Masters."
Leaving this firm statement, Rider turned to leave but added before departing: "The result of this Holy Grail War was determined from the beginning. My Master has already prepared to end it."
Archer didn't stop Rider from leaving. Instead, he spoke as she was about to dematerialize: "What if I cooperate with Lancer? Would your Master still be so confident?"
Hearing this, Rider halted her dematerialization and reappeared, following Bazett's command.
Seeing Rider stay, Archer continued, "I understand not putting all your eggs in one basket. Before meeting you, I encountered Lancer. Though Lancer's Master didn't show up, they seemed interested in cooperating…"
Archer mixed truth with lies. He had indeed met Lancer before spotting Rider at the library and had vaguely suggested cooperation. However, Lancer hadn't passed the message to his Master. Instead, Lancer had warned Archer against it, saying his Master wasn't someone to be trusted and cooperation would lead to disaster.
Archer's goal was to pressure Rider into cooperation by suggesting that he could ally with others, making it harder for Rider's Master to remain confident.
Rider didn't speak, and Bazett, at the Einzbern mansion, pondered. Although she was confident in one-on-one battles, facing both Archer and Lancer together would be challenging.
After careful consideration, Bazett made her final decision. It was time to act.
This Holy Grail War needed to be concluded!
She felt a sense of pride in her Servant's bold statement: "The result of this Holy Grail War was determined from the beginning. My Master is ready to end it!" She felt lucky to have a Servant who trusted and understood her so well.
…
At the Tohsaka residence.
"What? You want to meet Rider's Master to discuss cooperation?"
Rin, who had just woken up after a night disturbed by dreams of Archer's chaotic experiences, looked shocked at the tea Archer handed her.
"Yes. Their confidence seemed genuine. What do you think, Rin?"
"It's just… you're so efficient that it's a bit overwhelming…"
Rin quickly collected herself, putting down her tea and resting her chin in her hand, deep in thought.
After about five minutes of contemplating various scenarios, she couldn't find a better plan than teaming up against Berserker. She finally nodded.
…
At the Matou residence.
Shinji, who had just fallen asleep, opened his eyes, exasperated to see Rider standing by his bed, colder than usual.
"I need to sleep... Unlike you Servants, I can't go without eating, drinking, or sleeping!"
Shinji rubbed his forehead, helpless.
For some reason, seeing Shinji made Rider think of the humiliating title of "Universal Employee No. 1," making her want to teach him a lesson. But then she felt a strange sense of pride, being No. 1.
"Bazett accepted Archer's proposal to cooperate. They plan to meet this afternoon."
Shinji frowned. Although he had expected this development, why would Bazett send Rider to inform him? What did it mean?
Seeing his frown, Rider thought Shinji disliked the idea of cooperation and might order her to sabotage it. Was it finally time to act?
"Whatever, it's got nothing to do with me. I'm going back to sleep."
Seeing Shinji's dismissive attitude, Rider assumed he believed it wasn't time to act and left without saying more.
…
On a mountain peak, near a cliff.
Gilgamesh stood with his hands in his pockets, smirking as he observed the scene at Ryuudou Temple below—police sealing the area and documenting the incident.
Although he didn't know the details of what happened last night, it didn't dampen his amusement. Did he need a reason to be pleased? No, pleasure was a state of being.
"This is so boring…"
With a disdainful remark, he turned and left.
…
When Shinji woke up, it was already 4 PM.
After a quick shower, putting on clean clothes, and eating something, Shinji felt both physically and mentally refreshed. As he was about to indulge in a moment of self-satisfaction, he sensed something was off.
Looking out the living room window, Shinji saw Gilgamesh standing in front of his house with his hands in his pockets. Amused and exasperated, he thought, This guy only cares about his own amusement.
…
At the same time, Rin, who hadn't found an opportunity to settle things with Shirou at school, saw Ilya and Shirou chatting like siblings in a small park as she bought groceries on her way home.
Since they were no longer allies, Rin didn't stop. She glanced at them, huffed, and quickly walked away.
"Rin…"
Noticing Rin too late, Shirou saw her walking away, about twenty meters off. He was about to greet her when Ilya grabbed his arm.
"Tell me more, Shirou! What other fun stories do you have from your past?"
Seeing Ilya's curious, ruby-like eyes, Shirou smiled wryly and continued.
"Back in middle school, I was always getting into trouble with upperclassmen on the way home. But thanks to Shinji, we always managed to outwit them…"
The boy continued sharing his stories, oblivious to the slight hint of satisfaction in Ilya's eyes…
…
As Rin approached her home, she saw Archer and Rider waiting at the gate. Knowing Rider was there to lead the way, Rin didn't question it.
However, when Rider turned and headed towards the deep mountains, Rin felt a pang of shock.
Rider's Master had been hiding in the mountains behind her house all this time!
Rin felt a chill. It was fortunate they hadn't attacked her. She realized how lucky she had been.
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