Part 206: Rin-sama embarrassed / Past the night

Music: Footsteps of Destruction





But it'll be under one condition. I'll accept your help in defeating Caster, and we'll trust you.
But"


"But what? You want me to tell you who my Master is?"
"No. Even though we're cooperating, stay away from Tohsaka."

Music: Stop



A rare glimpse of Lancer's "are you fucking kidding…?" face.

The air freezes.
Lancer is speechless, like he's been sucker-punched.



Music: Time Together


"Hah, I see, I see! Yeah, that's so much more important than who my Master is! You're right, kid!"
He starts laughing heartily.

"Is that bad? I'm telling you that you can't have Tohsaka."



"That's not bad at all. Rather, I have a better opinion of you now.
Wow, that's great, young lady. This kid's completely fallen for you!"


"! W-W-W-What are you saying!? We're not like that! Um… yes, we're just cooperating…!"


"Reeeally?"



"…! You're irritating. What's with that know-it-all face…!?


Come on, say something, Shirou! Tell him we're just cooperating!"

""
………………



T-This is as if we really do love each other…!"


"Hey, it's not 'as if'. You two are already in love. Even I can tell, and I'm only watching it from the side. But she's actually denying it? This is troublesome, kid."



Lancer makes a sympathetic gesture.

"……Well. I already know Tohsaka's troublesome."



I dismiss his sympathy with a sour look.

"Wha-"


"Oh, how reassuring. Then I shall take care when I socialize with her.


But she's fun to tease, so I'm going to entertain myself while we're together. You don't mind that condition, right?"

"…All right. We'll go with that. We'll have your help until we beat Caster."


"Then it's decided. Well, let's shake hands."



There are worrying factors, but we're able to obtain a reliable ally.
All that's left is…



Fine, I'm breaking my ties with you guys!!! I'm going to go beat Caster by myself!!!!"
How can I calm her down…?

Music: Midnight Interval





We're going to be enemies after we beat Caster, so it does no good to be talking. Anything other than planning is unnecessary."


"What, we can't talk because we're going to be enemies? You have less composure than you look like you have, huh? It should be natural for you to drink until dawn with someone that gets along with you, even if he may be your enemy."



All that 'friends today, foes tomorrow' business is out of style these days. If we don't think things all the way through, it's rude to the other party."


"…Wow. It sure became a boring world."

…Lancer does not learn his lesson.
I think they've been repeating the same kind of conversation for a while now.


"More importantly, Lancer. You know what your role is, right?"


"Huh? Yeah, leave it to me. You two are going to fight Caster and her Master, right?
My role is to fight Archer.
I'll have to fight Saber as well in the worst case, but it won't be a problem if all I have to do is keep them busy."

He speaks objectively.
He isn't even scared of fighting Saber and Archer at the same time.


""
Oh yeah, Saber commented on him when we were training in the dojo.
She said Lancer is the best when it comes to "surviving".

She praised him, saying that with his excellent agility and great experience, Lancer would be an impregnable wall if he went into defense.
…He must have fought many battles from disadvantageous positions when he was alive.
This man ran through fatal battles like a panther and lived on.

"…That's fine. But our enemy isn't just Archer and Saber. Caster also has Assassin. In the worst case, you'd have to fight three."


"Oh, that's bad. I don't like that guy. I don't even want to fight him one-on-one if I can help it. It's best to kill such a guy from a distancebut there's no point in worrying.
Assassin won't be at the church."



"…? How can you say so? If Caster won't go back to the Ryudou Temple, wouldn't she call for her guard, Assassin?"


"No. Assassin is a Servant that Caster summoned, but he has his limitations because of that. He is a heroic spirit summoned to that place. He can't leave the Ryudou Temple, and in any case, Caster won't call for him.



He is a Servant that Caster summoned without letting her Master know.
She will try to hide Assassin as long as they're at the church, and I'm sure she won't let go of the Ryudou Temple either."



"She won't let go of the Ryudou Temple…? Does that mean…"
"It's because that mountain is the summoning place of the Holy Grail. Do you know? This is the fifth Holy Grail War, but there are only four possible places for the Holy Grail to be summoned into. Two of the places are the Ryudou Temple and the church.


By the way, it was summoned at the church in the third war. The fourth one was summoned in a plain somewhere."


"Oh. I thought you didn't think at all, but you're pretty well-informed."


"It's just that my Master is fastidious. I'm not interested in your doings."


"Okay. …But, I see. So the summoning this time has returned to the same place as the first time, huh?"
Tohsaka starts to ponder.
Lancer watches her with delight and walks on in the dark forest.

""
The date has already changed.
The day should be dawning by the time we get out of this forest.

…I mentally prepare myself as I walk.
We will fight Caster again in a few hours.
…I won't hesitate, even if that girl would have turned into our enemy by then.
We'll defeat Caster.
I have to tell myself that it is the most important thing right now.



Music: Stop