Chapter 73

Shirou remained silent for a long time, his mouth half-open, before he finally sighed softly.

"I don't know if I should be surprised. Shinji, your past deeds are so remarkable that even such shocking news seems unsurprising to me."

As he said this, Shirou glanced at Rin, who had been silent and had her head bowed ever since Shinji's revelation.

"By the way, Shinji, is Tohsaka okay? She hasn't said a word since earlier."

"Who knows," Shinji shrugged nonchalantly, glancing at Rin, "She's riding in someone else's car without even a word of thanks. Next time, I won't bother with her."

"It seems like you were the one who caused Tohsaka to become like this. What did you say to her?"

"Really? I don't remember."

"Hmph!" Rin finally snapped out of it, crossing her arms and raising her chin arrogantly. "Even if I didn't summon Saber, I can still win in the end. Besides, are you so sure that your family's relic can summon a Saber?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Ugh," Rin was momentarily at a loss, then she turned her face away and asked in a small voice, "Who is the Hero associated with that relic?"

"One of the Knights of the Round Table, reputed to be the strongest knight."

Upon hearing this, Saber's expression changed slightly, while Rin exclaimed, "What did you say?! The strongest Knight of the Round Table, that would be... King Arthur?!"

Saber opened her mouth but decided against saying anything, fearing it would reveal her identity to the enemy.

Shinji, noticing Saber's subtle reaction, looked at Rin with disdain, "Did you even listen to what I said? I said one of the Knights of the Round Table, not the King of Knights. Oh, I almost forgot, it should be 'formerly' one of the Knights of the Round Table."

"Oh, so it's... Lancelot, then. He indeed is called the strongest knight, and if summoned, only the Saber class would suit him."

At this moment, Shinji had a sudden feeling of having missed something. What if he had proactively offered to lend the relic to Rin? How would things have developed?

If Rin had summoned Saber Lancelot, what kind of Servant would Shirou summon? Would he summon a version of himself like in Fate/stay night or summon Archer?

No matter the scenario, it would be more interesting than now.

While Shinji was lost in thought, the car stopped.

"Hey, if you want to win, stop daydreaming. Regret and hesitation are the worst things on the battlefield."

Rin seemed a bit surprised at Shinji's reminder.

"Wait, wasn't your goal to make me regret and hesitate? Why are you reminding me?"

Shinji hopped out of the car, responding casually, "I just wanted to see that expression on your face. But if you truly regretted and hesitated, it might negatively impact your upcoming battles. I'm not that cruel."

"So, all that earlier was just to fool me? Your family doesn't actually have any relics?"

Rin was the last to get out, closing the car door behind her.

"No, that part is true."

"Tch!" Rin clicked her tongue, turning her head to spit out the regret and hesitation growing within her.

Standing next to Shirou, Saber remarked, "This is what they call psychological warfare. A few simple words can make someone hesitate. If used in actual combat, even a moment of hesitation or an opening is enough to find an opportunity for a fatal strike and change the course of the battle."

"Did you hear that, Mr. Choke Artist?" Shinji teased.

"Who are you calling a choke artist!" Rin turned back angrily, but just after speaking, Shinji flicked her forehead, causing her to yelp in pain, "Ouch!"

"This is payback for earlier." Shinji smirked, then turned and walked towards the church. "This is my last piece of advice. As Saber said, fighting with that mindset will get you killed. And don't take the Holy Grail War too lightly, because..."

Standing before the iron gate, Shinji stopped, hands in his pockets, and looked back.

"...it's a war."

Seeing Shinji's casual yet annoying face, Rin was momentarily taken aback. It was the first time she felt she was seeing the real side of this man.

Although she didn't want to admit it, compared to his usual self, he did seem a little bit cool right now.

Shinji continued, "There will be plots, deceit, feints, and strategic counterattacks. Your tactics and timing must constantly adapt to the changing situation, or you will suffer greatly.

Of course, all this is based on the premise that your goal is to win the war. If your goal isn't victory, then forget what I said. And the same goes for you, Emiya."

'Rin, believe me, you're lucky. If this man, Matou Shinji, were the one to summon Saber instead of Emiya Shirou, even if he wasn't a Magus, the scales of victory would tip in his favor. This man... is terrifying!'

Archer, in his spirit form, gave a high evaluation of Shinji's short speech.

"Shirou, having such a friend is indeed a blessing."

Saber also gave a high evaluation of Shinji.

Watching Shinji push open the iron gate and walk leisurely towards the church's main hall, hands in his pockets, Rin wanted to say something, but ultimately swallowed her words.

In the grand and solemn chapel, the holy light was almost blinding, nearly comparable to light pollution.

This disproved the speculation from the anime fans that Kirei kept the lights off to save money.

"...I couldn't help it. I accidentally became a witness. Although I quit magecraft, I'm still an informed party, so there's no need to be treated like an ordinary person, right? Besides, I helped you by explaining the Holy Grail War to this boy, saving you a lot of trouble."

Seeing Shinji, back in his usual form, sitting in the front row with his legs crossed, chatting with Kirei, all the good feelings Rin had just developed vanished completely.

Kirei, with his hands behind his back, nodded.

"Indeed, it's a very special situation. You just quit magecraft and, as an informed party, accidentally became a witness to the Holy Grail War..."

Kirei paced forward, pausing for a moment before speaking again, "Alright, I'll notify Lancer's Master to stop hunting you as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Rin visibly relaxed.

"But there's one condition," Kirei added, turning to look at Shinji with a smirk.

"No, wait, is there a condition for this? He's just an ordinary person!" Rin stepped forward, voicing her objection.

Shinji, stroking his chin with a faint smile of interest, asked, "What condition? Let's hear it."