Mongrel (Continued)

The radiant figure who had commanded everyone onstage just moments ago, the high school boy Marin had talked about, and the gentle, considerate "brother-in-law" at Marin's home...

Those images kept overlapping and colliding as Marin happily chattered on.

"Mm." Rin finally gave a quiet reply and let Marin lead her backstage.

At the end of the hallway, a door bearing a "Nero" nameplate stood ajar, bright light spilling through—it was Chen Tian's dressing room.

Kitagawa pulled Rin inside. A cool breeze from the air conditioner, mixed with the faint scent of cosmetics, washed over them.

"Sit here~" Marin plopped onto the sofa and patted the spot beside her.

As soon as Rin sat down, Marin leaned over and blinked at her. "Rin-chan, were you really surprised when you found out Nero was Tian Jun?"

Rin silently nodded, and the scene of Emiya Shirou showing her a photo of "Nero" resurfaced in her mind.

At the time, her mind had gone blank. All she could think of was her "brother-in-law" in Tokyo, sitting with his legs crossed and acting like nothing could faze him.

"Hehe~" Kitagawa's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled, her head bobbing with pride.

But soon she pouted. "It's a shame you came so late. You could've seen me singing onstage!"

Rin looked up. "Sorry, something came up at home..."

"It's okay, it's okay!" Kitagawa immediately waved a hand, her smile blooming anew. "I'm super happy you came!"

The dressing-room door suddenly swung open, and Chen Tian strode in, still carrying the heat of the stage with him.

Outside, the audience's repeated calls for an encore could still be heard, rolling in wave after wave like the tide.

"Tian Jun!" Kitagawa's eyes lit up, and she flew into Chen Tian's arms like a cheerful butterfly. "Thanks for all your hard work~"

Chen Tian caught her, the corners of his mouth curving into a gentleness utterly different from his stage persona.

He ruffled Kitagawa's hair. His fingers still held a trace of post-performance sweat, yet his touch was full of indescribable tenderness.

Watching them, Rin found herself thinking again: My brother-in-law must be crazy.

Chen Tian looked over Kitagawa's shoulder and nodded at Rin. His knowing smile made it seem as if he'd already seen through the reason for her visit.

Kitagawa was still chattering about the performance when Chen Tian suddenly leaned down and whispered something in her ear.

Rin saw Kitagawa blink, then turn to her with a brilliant smile. "Rin-chan, sit here for a little while, okay? I'll go find Sister Xiaozhong and have her tell the audience there won't be an encore."

The moment the door closed, the dressing room grew so quiet that the faint hum of the air conditioner was audible.

Chen Tian sat down in front of the makeup mirror and crossed his long legs, reclaiming some of the commanding presence he'd had onstage.

He watched Rin through the mirror, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"So," he said, tilting his head and propping his right cheek on his fist, "have you run into trouble, Miss Tohsaka?"

Rin looked at Chen Tian, took a deep breath, and nodded firmly.

"Yes. I'm in trouble."

Chen Tian raised an eyebrow and gestured slightly with his chin. "Go ahead. I'm listening."

Rin hesitated for a moment, her fingers twisting tightly together.

"Chen Tian Jun, you knew about the Holy Grail when we were in Tokyo." Her voice was lower than usual. "I'm sure you understand how cruel the Holy Grail War is. My father died in it."

Chen Tian gave a slight nod, urging her to continue.

"Today is the first day of the new Holy Grail War." Rin pressed her lips together. "I discovered that Gilgamesh, the Heroic Spirit who once belonged to my father, has obtained a physical body. It's highly unusual." Her nails nearly dug into her palms. "I can't help wondering whether he had something to do with my father's death."

Chen Tian straightened slightly, his expression as calm as ever. "So what do you want?"

Rin's gaze grew resolute, as if she'd reached a decision. "I want you to help me capture Gilgamesh."

She paused, then added, "I'll find some allies to assist with the operation."

Chen Tian narrowed his eyes and gave a barely audible hum. "Emmm~"

Silence spread between them.

Rin's heart sank.

The Holy Grail War really is too dangerous. Especially with Sister Marin still here, an ordinary person. Is Chen Tian worried because of her?

Her fingertips dug into her palms. She was about to suggest getting Sister Marin somewhere safe first, while she did everything she could to hold Gilgamesh off.

"Okay," Chen Tian suddenly said.

Every word Rin had prepared caught in her throat.

Chen Tian lifted his chin and met her eyes in the mirror. His voice was casual and unhurried. "I'll deal with him."

He paused and lightly tapped his knuckle against the edge of the dressing table.

"Along with the other culprit who killed your father."

Rin's breath stopped. Her pupils dilated. "The other... culprit?!" The question burst out of her.

Just then—

"I'm back!" The dressing-room door banged open, and Kitagawa swept in like a gust of lively wind, beaming with energy. "All done! The audience went home like good little kids!"

The words on Rin's lips died away.

Kitagawa stepped in lightly, then noticed Rin and Chen Tian sitting opposite each other in a strangely tense silence.

She blinked her big eyes and tilted her head. "Huh? You two..." She was just about to ask what was going on.

Chen Tian had already risen and casually walked over to her, gently patting her head. "I'll leave your cousin in your hands," he said, his voice warm again. "I'm going to take a shower. We'll have a late-night meal back at the hotel."

"Okay!" Kitagawa nodded obediently, immediately forgetting her brief confusion.

Chen Tian didn't look at Rin again. He left the dressing room and closed the door behind him.

As soon as it shut, Kitagawa hurried over to Rin and dropped onto the seat beside her, affectionately wrapping an arm around hers. "Rin-chan~ What were you talking about with Tian Jun? The atmosphere felt kind of weird."

She leaned closer to Rin's face, scrutinizing her.

Rin reflexively avoided her gaze and shook her head slightly. "Nothing, just... some family matters."

She quickly changed the subject. "Did you have fun singing tonight, Sister Marin?"

"It was so much fun!" Kitagawa was easily distracted. Her eyes lit up, and she began describing how it had felt to perform onstage.

After talking excitedly for a while, she finally remembered the important thing. "Oh, right, Rin-chan! Why don't you come have a late-night meal with us?"

Chen Tian's words—"the other culprit"—still circled in Rin's mind. She had no appetite for a late-night meal.

She gently slipped out of Marin's embrace and stood up. "I can't, Sister Marin. Things at home... really are busy. I need to get back."

"Aww..." Kitagawa drew out her disappointed sigh, her lips puckering.

But seeing how tired and troubled Rin looked, she didn't press her. "I see... All right, then."

She stood too, then suddenly grabbed Rin's shoulders with unusual seriousness and looked her straight in the eyes. "But, Rin-chan! Remember this, okay?"

"Mm?" Rin was taken aback by her sudden solemnity.

"If," Kitagawa said, her expression unusually serious and full of concern, "if someone bullies you or you run into any trouble, you have to tell me! You hear me?"

She gave Rin's shoulders a firm shake, as if trying to carve the promise into her. "I'll absolutely stand up for you! Whoever it is, I'll beat them up for you!"

Looking into Kitagawa's sincere, determined eyes, Rin felt the heavy pressure in her chest ease a little, as if a warm current had opened a small crack in it.

She looked at her cousin, always so lively and guileless, and finally managed a gentle smile.

"Mm, I understand, Sister Marin." Rin's voice softened, carrying a trace of warmth. "Thank you." The unguarded concern really did ease some of the tension in her heart.

Rin said goodbye to Kitagawa and hurried out of the gymnasium, where the feverish excitement of the performance still lingered.

The night breeze was cool against her flushed cheeks, but it couldn't dispel the heavy questions and urgency weighing on her heart.

She ran back to the secluded, abandoned cabin.

The moment she opened the door, the tense atmosphere inside washed over her.

By the flickering candlelight, Emiya Shirou paced anxiously. At the sound, he hurried over, worry written all over his face. "Rin! How did it go?"

Rin took a deep breath to steady herself after the run, then nodded and answered concisely. "He agreed. He'll take action."

She deliberately left out the more disturbing detail about "the other culprit." Now wasn't the time to dwell on it.

Emiya Shirou visibly relaxed, but then looked incredulous and scratched the back of his head. "Nero... can he really do it? Isn't he... a superstar?"

The contrast between that identity and the King of Heroes, the oldest king who had obtained a physical body, was simply too great.

Rin pressed her lips together, her gaze exceptionally firm. "I believe he can."

As she said it, she clearly pictured Chen Tian in the dressing room, sitting with his legs crossed before the makeup mirror. His posture had been casual, yet he'd radiated an invisible pressure.

That aura of effortless, absolute control made it impossible for her to doubt his promise.

Emiya Shirou saw how certain Rin was and knew she hadn't acted on impulse. He sighed. "Sigh... Fine. We'll have to do this for now."

He glanced around the shabby room, understanding that they truly had no better option at the moment.

Rin said nothing more, her attention already turning to the corner.

Artoria, gravely wounded, lay on the floor, her face pale and her breathing faint.

Rin hurried over and crouched beside her, carefully beginning to examine her injuries.

Her golden hair was stained with dust and dried blood, and her once-majestic armor was battered and worn.

Rin's brows furrowed, worry and concern filling her eyes. There really wasn't much time left.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city.

In the dining room of the luxurious Presidential Suite, the chandelier cast a warm glow, while the glittering city night spread beyond the enormous windows.

A long dining table was laden with exquisite dishes, their aromas filling the room.

Chen Tian had changed out of his dazzling stage costume and into comfortable home clothes. He sat relaxed at one end of the table, not touching the cutlery in front of him, simply watching the person beside him.

Kitagawa Marin was devouring her food, her cheeks stuffed like a happy little hamster.

As she ate, she spoke indistinctly about the amusing details of the concert, her eyes curved into crescents and brimming with pure joy.

Chen Tian watched her sunny smile, a gentle one always on his lips.

The eyes that had looked down on everyone from the stage held nothing but devoted affection now.

He listened quietly, occasionally responding with a soft "Mm," his gaze never leaving her.

Chen Tian picked up his glass and took a small sip, then gazed out at the endless darkness, lost in thought.

The abandoned cabin reeked of damp dust. Rin leaned against the cold wall, roused from sleep by a trace of alertness Archer had deliberately released.

She opened her eyes abruptly, weariness still lingering in them.

"Master." Archer's low voice sounded, grave. "There's urgent news."

Rin's heart sank. "Tell me."

"The Tohsaka mansion... was breached last night." Archer's voice was expressionless, but each word struck like a hammer. "Every member of the family was slaughtered."

Rin's pupils contracted. Her body instantly tensed like a drawn bowstring, and an icy chill ran up her spine to the crown of her head.

"Why?" she blurted, her voice hoarse in a way she hadn't noticed. "The Tohsaka Family poses no real threat anymore... There was no need to slaughter them!"

After her father, Tohsaka Tokiomi, died, the Tohsaka Family had long since declined. Those who remained were mostly ordinary people or collateral relatives with little strength. This massacre could only have been an act of vengeance!

A thought stabbed into her mind: The other culprit... the one Chen Tian mentioned!

Before she could think it through, Archer spoke again, like the tolling of a funeral bell. "Also, I sensed a Heroic Spirit had been eliminated. Their magical energy has been absorbed by the Lesser Grail."

Rin took a deep breath. The cold morning air stung her lungs.

Someone had already fallen, this early in the chaos... Gilgamesh was acting even more frantically and urgently than she'd expected! He didn't care about the rules. He only wanted to fill the Holy Grail as quickly as possible!

"Understood." Rin forced herself to calm down, her voice hard.

She quickly summarized the two pieces of grim news she'd just received. "The mansion was massacred; the entire family is dead. A Servant has died, and the Holy Grail has begun accumulating magical energy. Gilgamesh is speeding up the process."

Emiya Shirou and Archer immediately gathered around her, forming a tight triangle.

The atmosphere was so heavy it seemed to congeal.

"What should we do?" Shirou clenched his fists, fury burning in his eyes.

Rin was about to speak and lay out their next search plan—

The battered door was suddenly flung open without warning!