"Lady Touko?"
In the backyard of the residence, Touko frowned deeply, her face a mix of anxiety and indecision, her gritted teeth even carrying a hint of disheveled frustration.
A hesitant voice sounded beside her ear.
"Hmm? Oh, Ichika. What is it?"
Touko snapped out of her thoughts and looked at the pink-haired girl in front of her.
Her hair was still damp, as if she had just stepped out of the bath.
Touko instinctively smiled and raised her hand to take a drag from her cigarette, only to realize that, at some point, all that remained was the butt.
She had been lost in her worries without even noticing.
Touko let out a self-deprecating chuckle.
She had previously lectured Illya about facing and utilizing reality, yet when it came to herself, she immediately faltered. Hearing those fantastical claims had thrown her off balance to such an extent.
"Y-Yes, actually... I was hoping you could help me open my Magic Circuits."
Ichika spoke cautiously.
She didn't dare meet Touko's eyes, afraid that she might fly into a rage and bury her on the spot.
"That's simple enough."
But Touko didn't get angry.
Instead, she smiled as if she had expected this all along, placing a hand on Ichika's shoulder and using her own magical energy to assist in activating the girl's Magic Circuits.
Ichika let out a sigh of relief.
So Lady Aoko had already noticed her little scheme. She really had to thank her for being so forgiving.
Before long, Ichika felt something peculiar unfold within her body—new pathways forming, and as they circulated, a warm current surged forth from within.
Feeling this power, she couldn't help but beam with joy.
Knock, knock, knock.
A knocking sound came from the front yard.
"Seems we have a guest."
Touko set aside those unrealistic thoughts and headed toward the front entrance.
***
"Where should I put my luggage?"
The visitor was Rin Tohsaka.
She stood at the doorstep of the Aozaki residence, laden with bags large and small.
"Why did you bring so much stuff?"
Roy, who had come to open the gate, looked at her with an exasperated expression.
"What else could I do? My house was destroyed, so I had to find somewhere else to stay."
Using Reinforcement Magecraft, Rin hauled her luggage inside.
Her demeanour seemed oddly excited, as if she were looking forward to this.
"You said your place was safer than City Hall, right? So naturally, I thought of coming here. We're allies, after all—you're not going to turn me away, are you? Even my attendant works here now!"
"Of course not, it's just that there are quite a few people staying here lately..."
Before Roy could finish his sentence—
Rin had already spotted the procession of strikingly beautiful women emerging from various corners of the mansion.
Utaha, Hayasaka, Illya, Ichika and Miku, Touko and Aoko.
Upon seeing Rin, they quickly averted their gazes and went about their business.
Rin's mood instantly cooled, her excitement vanishing without a trace.
It's only been a few days since I was last here—how did the number of beauties in this place increase again?
These women were each uniquely stunning, all graceful and blossoming in their own ways—sisters, a maid, a literary girl, a loli elder sister from the same clan, and the Aozaki sisters, who were like both older sisters and maternal figures to Roy.
Though Rin was naturally beautiful herself, she knew that standing among them, she wouldn't stand out as the most dazzling.
She had no advantage at all.
A deep sense of defeat welled up in Rin's heart.
"Where's your Archer?"
"He's badly injured. It'll probably take him two or three days to recover."
Rin snapped out of her thoughts and replied gloomily.
It was hard to tell whether her unhappiness stemmed from Archer's severe injuries or her own overwhelming sense of defeat.
Servants healed quickly when injured—as long as they had a supply of magical energy, they could recover at speeds far beyond human limits. If the Master knew healing magecraft, the process could be even faster. But this time, Archer had single-handedly held off the corrupted Saber for several minutes. Surviving at all was a miracle, and expecting a swift recovery was nothing short of a pipe dream.
"How's your arm doing?"
As she spoke, Rin's gaze fell on Roy's right arm.
"Basically fine now."
Roy moved his shoulder slightly.
Though there was still some lingering soreness, Touko's craftsmanship was nothing short of miraculous. His arm felt completely natural to use, and it would likely be fully healed by tomorrow morning.
Even so, as Rin stared at the spot where his arm had been severed, her eyes flickered with complex emotions—guilt, regret, frustration...
And deep, profound gratitude.
Back then, Roy hadn't had a moment to think. He had acted purely on instinct to save her.
What's more, if she tallied up the battles from that night, Roy had saved her not once or twice, but a full three times.
It was impossible for Rin not to be moved by that.
"...Why did you save me without even thinking?"
Rin lowered her head, kicking a small pebble at her feet as if asking the question offhandedly.
Only her ears, standing tall and red, betrayed her.
But she didn't seem to notice.
"If you died, the barrier would collapse, and hordes of vengeful spirits and curses would flood into Fuyuki City. The casualties would be catastrophic... What's wrong?"
Roy looked at Rin in confusion.
"N-Nothing..."
Rin's shoulders slumped, her face visibly deflated.
"You're absolutely right, and I'm very grateful."
Like hell that's right!
Is that really the answer?
How can someone surrounded by so many beauties have such abysmal emotional intelligence?!
"Heh."
Seeing her awkward expression, Roy couldn't help but chuckle.
"Of course, at the time, I didn't have the luxury of thinking too much. I just knew I had to save you, and by the time I realized what was happening, I'd already pushed you out of harm's way. I wanted to save you from the bottom of my heart—no special reason needed."
"R-Really? Well... thank you... I-I'm glad..."
Rin replied with a straight face.
But the corners of her lips were harder to suppress than an AK's recoil.
As thanks, Rin decided to cook a meal to reward his stomach—her specialty happened to be Chinese cuisine, Roy's favorite.
"Lady Rin, do you really think this is enough?"
In the kitchen, Hayasaka, who was assisting Rin, suddenly spoke up with an eerie calm.
"You like Lord Roy, don't you?"
"W-W-W-What are you saying, Ai?!"
Rin jumped in shock, her face flushing crimson as she glared at Hayasaka, unable to suppress her embarrassment.
"If you like him, why not go on the offensive?"
Hayasaka proposed with an earnest expression.
"O-On the offensive?!"
"Exactly. As you can see, there are so many beautiful girls in this mansion now. If you don't take the initiative, when will you ever get a chance?"
Hayasaka thought to herself—Touko, Utaha, and Ichika have already taken the lead!
Roy's outwardly gentle demeanour was indeed deceptive.
No—that gentleness was a genuine part of his personality, but it concealed another, colder side.
Even so, his warmth was infectious, and coupled with his unique ability to help others adapt to the world and gain power...
If this continued, the number of people entangled in ambiguous relationships with Roy would only grow. If Rin didn't act soon, her connection with him would only drift further apart!
***
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