Rider: Tch! That Was Fast! (Please Support the New Book!)

At eleven o'clock at night, Shinji left the dilapidated Western-style mansion standing alone atop a hill, hidden within the woods. He did not hurry home.

Instead, he concealed himself beneath the moonlight and made his way unhurriedly to his school—the high school division of Hohzuki Academy.

Matou Residence.

Shinji had only just returned home. He had barely said, "I'm back," and had not even had time to close the door when Sakura, who had heard him enter and had been waiting by the entrance, affectionately wrapped herself around his arm.

"Welcome home, Brother."

After closing the door, Shinji turned back and smiled fondly.

"Go take a bath first. The water's already heated."

Sakura tugged at Shinji, urging him along.

"Okay."

A short while later, as she watched Shinji gradually disappear up the stairs, Sakura's expression fell into shadow once more.

Such a strong woman's scent. Exactly the same as the one she smelled yesterday.

It had to be some woman Brother had outside... No, it had to be some cheating cat!

Brother cared about her most. It was absolutely impossible for him to have another woman. That meant it was just some cheating cat who had seduced him...

As Sakura thought this, a silent black aura rose around her.

Seeing Sakura like this, Rider materialized and tentatively called out, "...Sakura."

"Oh my," Sakura came back to herself, covering her mouth as she murmured in surprise, "What was wrong with me just now? Come to think of it, Brother's clothes seem dirty. He'll need clean clothes after his bath. I need to hurry and prepare them."

With that, Sakura quickly climbed the stairs.

By the time Shinji finished bathing, it was already past midnight.

Wearing the fresh clothes Sakura had placed in the changing room, Shinji entered the living room.

"Sakura, did you take my clothes away?"

Shinji asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Ah, they looked very dirty, so I took them to wash."

"Very dirty? But I only wore them for a day, didn't I?" Shinji was confused. Could it be that his little sister was a clean freak?

"Oh, they were very, very dirty, Brother. You probably didn't notice." Sakura's eyes remained curved as she wore an unusually sweet smile. "They were stained with filth that won't come out even after one wash—the scent of a woman. But don't worry. I'll clean them thoroughly."

"I see. Then maybe I really didn't notice."

With that, Shinji picked up the package he had left in the living room, said good night, and returned to his room.

At his desk, illuminated by the desk lamp, Shinji frowned. One arm was folded across his chest while his other hand pinched his chin, as though deep in thought.

At the end of Shinji's gaze lay a doll's left arm.

He had purchased the arm at a great price from a dollmaker he had happened to meet and become acquainted with during a trip last year.

Naturally, it had been bought under the company's name.

If someone spent a long time thoroughly investigating it, they could eventually trace the source back to him. But at a time like this, no one should be bored enough to investigate that deeply.

"I don't know whether I'll have another use for it, but I should prepare it in advance. If Sister Bazett's side doesn't work out, I'll have no choice but to use the second plan."

After letting out a soft sigh, Shinji lowered his head and began working with meticulous care—disassembling it, studying it, carving one miniature magic array after another, then reassembling it.

It sounded simple, but by the time Shinji had finished all the work, it was already three in the morning.

It was his first time carving magic arrays onto something so delicate. It was practically artifact crafting, only more complicated and more mentally draining.

After reassembling the arm and placing it in the box beside him, Shinji wiped the fine sweat from his forehead and stood up before flopping spread-eagled onto the bed.

This should make it ready to attach and use directly.

At this hour, judging by how things were supposed to unfold, that expired twintail should be searching for the Pot King's relics in the basement, right?

Shinji thought idly about it without paying much attention. After closing his eyes, he soon fell asleep.

At the same time, in the basement of a Western-style mansion not far from Shinji's home, the twintailed girl had just found the password-protected wooden chest bearing a magic seal that her father had left behind, following his final words—or perhaps a riddle. Before she could unlock it, she suddenly sneezed for no reason at all.

"Achoo!"

Rin rubbed her nose and muttered, "I unexpectedly have a really unpleasant feeling."

At four o'clock, Shinji woke from his sleep upon hearing a faint rustling sound. Opening his eyes, he turned his head toward Rider, who stood beside him.

"I told you, didn't I? There would be a punishment the third time."

Shinji sat up and looked at Rider with great interest. Rider merely remained silent. At the same time, Shinji deliberately activated the isolation barrier in the room.

After noticing that her connection to Sakura had been unilaterally cut off, Rider showed no unusual reaction. Even when the man who had spoken of punishing her reached out with evident interest to stroke her long hair, her expression did not change—or rather, she had no expression at all.

"Forget it." In the end, Shinji sighed softly and released the long purple hair in his hand. "Since you didn't do anything, I'll let it go."

"Just a moment ago, I clearly sensed your desire surging. Why did it suddenly disappear?" Rider finally spoke.

If Shinji had to summarize Rider's words simply, they would be—

You're done already? Just from touching my hair? Tch! That was fast!

Shinji held his forehead in helpless exasperation, waved away the room's restrictions, and said, "Do you know how much psychological damage that sentence has done to me? Enough already. Get out."

If Sakura weren't home, you'd be finished!

Rider did not react. She simply continued looking at Shinji quietly.

"You've really beaten me," Shinji sighed, glancing up at Rider. "My mother comes from a line of magi passed down since the Age of Gods. Do you know the name of the man at the origin of that lineage...?"

"Who?"

"A man you have a grudge against. Well, I don't like poking at people's wounds either. That's enough. Hurry up and leave."

A mature adult needs to learn how to give himself an out. This isn't cowardice!

"Th... thank you."

In the end, after leaving behind that inexplicable thanks, Rider turned, dematerialized, and left Shinji's room.

Shinji did not know that Rider had come this time not merely because of her excessive curiosity toward him, but because she had wanted to ask him something else.

After only a few days of contact, Rider had already keenly noticed that this man seemed to be deliberately steering events toward a predetermined direction and working toward that end.

Yet strangely, this man showed absolutely no desire for the Holy Grail. That did not seem reasonable.

So, after serious consideration, Rider had come to Shinji's room once again, intending to obtain from him the answer she had been unable to figure out no matter how much she thought about it.

But...

She now completely understood that, at this stage, this man would absolutely not reveal his true thoughts to anyone.

The things that could currently be confirmed were as follows:

First, this man truly had no interest in the Holy Grail, but that did not mean he would do nothing in the coming Holy Grail War.

Second, the reason he had just given for not punishing her proved that he did not completely regard her as a familiar or a tool. In that respect, he had already surpassed the vast majority of magi.

Detective Rider's deductions about Shinji for today had concluded!