"I'm telling you, what on earth was that thing?!"
Tohsaka Rin slammed the table and shouted, "How can such a monster exist in this world? Archer's arrow was intercepted by her like it was nothing, and even Saber was suppressed the entire time!"
"What kind of freak did the Einzberns summon? And didn't Miss Firefly say the Einzbern Family summoned Heracles?"
"That thing is Heracles? Does Ancient Greece have armor that fashionable?"
In the battle just now, even though the opponent had clearly gained the complete upper hand, that little girl had just left with her Servant after saying it was "boring."
Tohsaka Rin had no idea what she had even come for.
She clutched her head in agony. "That looked nothing like a figure from myth or legend! It was clearly a suit of armor overflowing with high-tech vibes. What does that have to do with Heracles?"
"Could the intelligence be fake?"
"Rin, that possibility can't be ruled out," Archer nodded, his expression grave.
It was a mess. Everything was a mess.
Setting aside the unknown identity of Xia Yu, who exactly was that armored person summoned by Illya?
In his memory, there were never this many variables.
"That person was truly strong," Artoria nodded seriously. "I could feel it; she didn't use her full strength. She seemed to be holding back while fighting me."
"Then we're even more screwed," Tohsaka Rin lamented. "If she can fight like that while holding back, I doubt the two of you could beat her even if you teamed up..."
"I am also not in my full state," Artoria glanced at Emiya Shirou. "Only with a sufficient Mana Supply can my true power be unleashed. But... even then, I would have no guarantee of victory."
"Such a monster... let's join forces, Emiya-kun," Tohsaka Rin sighed, counting on her fingers. "With two Servants, we might barely be able to stand against her for a while."
"Hmm, once I see if I can pull in other groups—you go ask Miss Firefly to join. That way, our chances of winning will—"
"Uh, that's not going to happen," Emiya Shirou interrupted hesitantly.
"What do you mean 'not going to happen'!" Tohsaka Rin put her hands on her hips and glared at him fiercely. "Aren't you close with Miss Firefly? Go ask her! I've already planned out who else to find."
Yes, she had made up her mind to contact Sakura and ask about Shinji Matou's situation. Although she didn't particularly like the guy, they were at least acquaintances.
As long as she moved him with emotion and reasoned with him, she should be able to pull him in to fight the Einzberns together. After all, that armored person was simply too strong!
"No, that's not what I meant. It's just..." Emiya Shirou hesitated for two seconds under their collective gaze before saying, "I don't understand how we're supposed to recruit Miss Firefly to help us fight Miss Firefly herself?"
"What do you mean recruit Firefly to help us fight Firefly..." Tohsaka Rin didn't understand for a moment, but it quickly clicked. "Wait! Are you saying that armored person is Miss Firefly?!"
"Uh, you guys didn't know?" Emiya Shirou asked back with a look of total confusion. "I didn't mention it?"
"You didn't mention it!!!" Tohsaka Rin lunged across the table, grabbed his collar, and shook him violently. "You rookie! You idiot! Why didn't you say something like that sooner!"
"Shirou, how did you recognize her?" Artoria also stared at him, questioning.
"Stop shaking me," Emiya Shirou finally broke free from Rin's grip, panting for breath. "Sorry, I forgot to say it. Too much happened tonight; my brain is at its limit."
"As for recognizing her... I didn't recognize her. Miss Firefly told me herself. She is the Berserker of the Einzbern Family."
"When was this? How did we not know?" Archer couldn't help but ask.
"Uh, a month ago. On the night of that big explosion," Emiya Shirou recalled. "That night, Miss Firefly invited us over to her place, saying it was a celebration because she'd had a very happy fight or something."
"As expected, the Einzberns were behind that battle!" Tohsaka Rin didn't pay attention to his use of the word "us." "They summoned their Servant so early... but who were they fighting back then?"
"I'm not sure," Emiya Shirou thought back. "Miss Firefly didn't say the name, but she bragged to us, saying she seized something very useful from that opponent. It's that golden ripple she used when she gave you the Gems—what did she call it? A vault?"
"Gate of Babylon?!" Artoria and Archer blurted out instinctively.
"Hmm? You know that thing?" Tohsaka Rin snapped her head around.
Know it? Of course they knew it. Artoria had fought Gilgamesh during the Fourth Holy Grail War; the memory was naturally vivid. Archer went without saying—Gilgamesh was an old acquaintance.
"Yes. The King of Heroes of Sumer, Gilgamesh," Artoria was the first to nod. "In the last Holy Grail War, he was the Servant of the Tohsaka Family, and the one who ultimately vied with me for the Holy Grail."
"Was he summoned again just like me? But his class is Archer," she looked at Archer. "That's unlikely. Or did he find some way to remain in The Living World?"
"He is a terrifyingly powerful Servant," Archer added, his face darkening. "If he got serious, destroying this city would be a simple task. And such a guy actually lost to Miss Firefly, and even had his vault stolen..."
"It's truly unimaginable."
"Was he such a famous Servant? One my father once summoned?" A flicker of unnameable emotion crossed Tohsaka Rin's eyes. "A pity he's already retired. Otherwise, I might have been able to find out from him exactly how my father failed."
"Whew. Let's get back to the point. Since Miss Firefly is an enemy rather than a friend, we only have one way to defeat her: find her True Name."
Tohsaka Rin sighed. "Only then can we find her weakness based on her legends."
"Our only clue right now is what she said herself—that it's related to Heracles..."
"I don't think that will work, Rin," Archer shook his head. "One look at that armor tells you she isn't a simple Servant. Perhaps... she comes from the future."
"In Human History, there has never been anything with that kind of design. Greek Mythology is even more absurd. She probably said that just to mislead us. After all, have you ever seen a statue from the Greek period that looked so high-tech?"
The main issue was that he hadn't encountered those ancient Age of Gods stories. In this world, Greek Mythology was exactly the kind of thing that was high-tech. Those were alien fleet vessels; every Greek god was a ship with various functions.
"What? There are Heroic Spirits from the future?" Tohsaka Rin was stunned.
"How can something so ridiculous happen?"
"It's not ridiculous. At the very least, I was nameless in the history of the past," Archer knew he couldn't get by without throwing out some real information. "Though I haven't remembered my name yet, in my remaining memories, I fought using firearms."
"Wait, speaking of that," Tohsaka Rin suddenly looked at her Servant. "She seemed quite familiar with you, Archer. She even managed to order you to go cook!"
"Do you really not know her?"
"At least in my current memories, I don't know her," Archer shrugged. He truly didn't.
"So all our hopes rest on your memories that might never return?" Tohsaka Rin deflated, slumping onto the table. "I feel like our future is hopeless..."
"You unreliable Servant!"
"Yes, yes, I can't help it," Archer grumbled quietly.
What could he say? That he was the Emiya Shirou standing right in front of her? That he came back this time to erase his dark history and correct his path?
Forget it. He had a reputation to maintain.
If it were just him and Emiya Shirou alone, he would have been open and honest. But with Artoria and Rin right there... he really couldn't bring himself to do it.
But regardless, the girl calling herself Firefly definitely knew him. She even knew why he had answered the call this time and used it to blackmail him into cooking...
Could she be like him?
"Wait, I just remembered something," Tohsaka Rin stood up abruptly and looked at Emiya Shirou. "You said... Firefly lives right across from you?"
"Ah, yeah?" Emiya Shirou blinked.
"Doesn't that mean we just ran right back into the enemy's headquarters?" Tohsaka Rin's body trembled. "This kind of thing... Emiya-kun, if we get blown to the sky in the next second, it's all your fault!"
"Even if you end up in Acheron, you'll have to commit Seppuku to apologize to us!"
"Miss Firefly shouldn't be that extreme," Emiya Shirou still had a good impression of her. Even though he'd just been beaten, she hadn't actually harmed him, had she?
Plus, she had saved him from that Servant before.
"I see you still haven't grasped the cruelty of the Holy Grail War," Tohsaka Rin shook her head at his naivety. "Even though you died once tonight."
Emiya Shirou instinctively reached out to cover his heart. Then he went silent.
"Forget it. I don't dare stay any longer," she rose. "I advise you to find somewhere else to stay. At least don't live at home during the Holy Grail War."
"Otherwise, you won't even know when you've died."
As she spoke, she led Archer out of the room. "Well then, see you at school tomorrow, Emiya-kun."
Watching her leave, Emiya Shirou was silent for two seconds before turning to Artoria.
"Saber, what do you think?"
"I believe... there is no need to worry," Artoria thought for a moment. "That person—I can feel her integrity. If she wanted to attack us, she would never use a sneak attack or underhanded tactics."
To be honest, Firefly's actions up to now were very much to her liking: protecting the weak, never ambushing, and fighting honorably...
"Then let's rest," Emiya Shirou nodded. He felt the same way. "I'll go clear a room for you."
Across the street at the estate.
"What is it?" Xia Yu looked at the silent Illya. "Didn't you want to finish them off? Why did you tell me to stop?"
"It's boring," Illya lowered her head. "That guy is boring to the core."
She recalled Emiya Shirou's actions when his Servant was about to be hit. He had lunged forward, using his own life to save her. Even though it was like a moth to a flame. He did it anyway.
In that moment, Illya thought of Emiya Kiritsugu.
That man... the man who made justice his lifelong creed... is he your favorite successor?
Illya didn't know; Illya was confused.
Was it for him that you abandoned me?
But Berserker, you love me.
Illya didn't know what to think. After ordering Firefly to stop, she went home, her spirit dampened.
"So Illya couldn't bring herself to do it?" Xia Yu gently stroked her small head.
"...Firefly," Illya looked up, her eyes full of vulnerability. "Tell me, did he really love me?"
"Why not go ask Emiya Shirou?" Xia Yu countered. "I never met your father, but in the final period of his life, he absolutely could not bypass his adopted son, Emiya Shirou."
"The records of the Einzbern Family have been destroyed, but in the Emiya Family, there should be at least some traces left. Why not go take a look?"
"Whether the man named Emiya Kiritsugu loved you or not—that's something you have to judge for yourself."
"...I'm going to sleep," Illya whispered, lowering her head before standing up and walking toward her room.
"Goodnight then," Xia Yu smiled as she watched her leave.
"Master," a figure manifested beside Xia Yu once she had completely gone.
Medea looked somewhat flustered. "Something happened to the Assassin I summoned. For some reason, he has retired, and my contract with him has been severed."
"Hmm? What?" Xia Yu was stunned.
How did you die, old gatekeeper?
Medea only summoned you last night, Kojiro!
Wait, if he retired that fast... it meant... someone was making a move.
I thought this was the UBW route, since Artoria didn't stab Archer in the conflict tonight.
Does this mean we've jumped straight into the HF route?
In that case... there would be no rest tonight.
Sigh, I'm such a workaholic.
Xia Yu rose and walked out of the living room. "Medea, look for it. See if there are any abnormal fluctuations of Magical Energy in the city."
She had killed the "enthusiastic citizen" Mr. Gold ahead of schedule, so there was no takeout for Sakura to grow on.
Chaldea.
"Doctor, we are ready!"