Dating Caster

Shirou, sitting beside Saber, watched the older girl finish the food on her plate with both speed and elegance, his eyes filled with reverence.

Even Sakura looked at Saber's perpetually flat stomach with a hint of curiosity in her gaze.

In the end, under the watchful eyes of everyone present, Saber swept the table clean of all the remaining food.

"Seventy or eighty percent full."

Saber sensed her current state for a moment before speaking to Irisviel beside her.

"In that case, let's just pay the bill."

Irisviel, who had finished her meal long ago, took out the credit card Kiritsugu had given her and handed it to the waiter.

The black background of the card made the approaching waiter feel a bit dizzy.

The once-noisy shop gradually grew quiet as the customers departed.

After hurriedly clearing the tables, the staff retreated to the back as if fleeing. There was no helping it; the pressure inside the shop was simply too great.

On opposite sides of the now-cleared table, Saber looked at Wang Xiaoming, who sat across from her, with a serious expression.

"Earlier, thank you."

Once the meal had been served by the waiter, Saber understood what Wang Xiaoming had meant earlier; after all, she was well aware of her own appetite.

"It's nothing, I just did it while I was at it." Wang Xiaoming didn't take the matter to heart; he remembered the meme about Saber being a glutton quite clearly.

However, Irisviel voiced her own confusion.

"It's just that I cannot understand why you, as Caster's Master, would invite us..."

"Since we could meet outside the battlefield, it can be considered a stroke of fate. Since both sides are out to relax, there's nothing strange about helping out when it's convenient."

Wang Xiaoming waved his hand, bringing out the excuse he had already prepared.

Was he supposed to say that his Servant had strange ideas about her Saber?

"Then, I express my gratitude for your actions, though I will not hold back in battle because of this."

Saber's expression remained serious, and her upright posture and near-perfect etiquette almost made Wang Xiaoming feel as if the person who had just swept the table clean wasn't the King of Knights before him.

"It's fine. On the battlefield, we remain enemies; I can distinguish that much."

Saber nodded slightly at Wang Xiaoming's words, showing her approval.

"In that case, we shall take our leave."

With that, Irisviel and Saber stood up to bid farewell to Wang Xiaoming and his group.

Wang Xiaoming glanced at Medea beside him, and seeing that she still had no reaction, he could only stand up.

"Then I won't see you out."

Before leaving, Irisviel didn't forget to ruffle Sakura's short purple hair, seemingly harboring an unusual fondness for the child.

After sitting back down, Wang Xiaoming let out a long sigh of relief; the pressure of facing a top-tier Servant was quite significant.

"Why does Saber dress like that? It's clear that men's clothing and cold armor don't reflect her charm at all..."

Once the figures of Saber and Irisviel had walked out of the dessert shop, a faint voice suddenly echoed in Wang Xiaoming's ear.

The tone of the sentence contained a complex mix of emotions, including confusion and anticipation.

"..."

Staying at the dessert shop had only been for a short rest, and encountering the Saber duo was merely an unexpected situation. Therefore, shortly after Saber and the others left, Wang Xiaoming's group also rose to depart.

"Let's play a little longer then."

Walking out of the dessert shop, Wang Xiaoming looked up at the sky, which was still bright, and said to Shirou and Sakura.

"Okay!"

Shirou naturally had no objections, and even Sakura nodded slightly.

As for Medea—

Seeing that her expression had returned to normal, Wang Xiaoming wisely chose not to bring up what had just happened.

Some dark history is better kept silently in one's heart.

The flow of time while having fun felt about twice as fast as usual.

Having spent enough time at the amusement park, the setting sun gave off a lazy feeling. Seeing Shirou, who was so exhausted from playing all day that he could barely run, Wang Xiaoming felt it was time to head back.

"Let's take a photo before we go back."

Seeing a photographer in the amusement park taking pictures of people, Wang Xiaoming suggested.

"Okay~"

Shirou, already worn out from playing, replied weakly. Wang Xiaoming found his lazy appearance rather amusing.

After calling the photographer over, the four of them stood together, with Wang Xiaoming and Medea in the back, and the two children, Shirou and Sakura, in the front.

Click--

After confirming the photo collection time with the photographer, Wang Xiaoming and his group set off on their return journey.

"Caster and her Master... is it?"

On the roof of a building in the distance, a figure draped in a pitch-black robe and wearing a white skull mask was watching Wang Xiaoming's group as they stepped out of the amusement park gates.

--It was none other than the Assassin who had faked his death during the opening skirmish.

"This intelligence should be enough to interest Master."

In the blink of an eye, Assassin vanished from the spot, as if he had never been there at all.

I accidentally deleted the chapter while editing earlier because I was dizzy...

Re-uploading now. Orz

Chapter 39. Spear and Sword Clash Again!

"What did you say?!"

After returning to the hideout and settling the exhausted Shirou, Wang Xiaoming sent Sakura back to Kariya. Shortly after, he heard some incredible news from Kariya.

--Kayneth had actually taken Lancer and gone straight to the Einzbern family's stronghold!

Wang Xiaoming couldn't help but feel a toothache at the thought; this guy really had no patience. He'd had his own home raided on the first day, and by the second, he was already out looking for payback.

Then again--

Nothing should go wrong this time, right? After all, he had already told him about Emiya Kiritsugu's trump card.

Having stayed in the city long enough, Irisviel and Saber set off for the Einzbern Castle near Fuyuki City—that was the Einzbern family's stronghold in the area, and compared to the city where it was hard to unleash their full capabilities, the highways here were much more convenient.

The route to their destination required passing through the national highway near Fuyuki City. At this moment, the white sports car drifted around a curve with a beautiful arc before speeding off once more.

The Mercedes-Benz 300SL, with its streamlined body full of classic charm, felt as steady as a noblewoman, while the roar emitted by its inline-six engine was as majestic as a wild beast.

It was hard to imagine that the one driving this white "beast" was actually a noble lady.

"Ya--hoo!"

The lady behind the wheel was completely immersed in the thrill of the race, and it was fortunate that there were very few passing vehicles on the highway at this hour of the evening.

"How is it, Saber! Not bad, right?"

Irisviel, sitting in the driver's seat, wore a look of pride. Her entire demeanor had shifted from her usual quiet self, and her eyes sparkled with the excitement of a street racer.

"It is... quite unexpected..."

Although Saber tried her best to make her tone sound relaxed, her tense body and the way she gripped the handle and seatbelt in a high-alert posture made her look incredibly stiff.

"Among the toys Kiritsugu gave me, this is my favorite." The lady driving the car wore a look of pure happiness, which stood in stark contrast to what she was currently doing:

"I couldn't really let loose in the courtyard before, so this is definitely the best way to play."

"A toy, you say..."

Saber managed to respond to Irisviel, though even as a Heroic Spirit, she could tell that Irisviel's gear-shifting technique was amateurish; she was still far from being a skilled driver.

"...Are we not at the Einzbern Villa nearby yet?"

"They say it's only an hour's drive. We should be able to see it once we arrive."

For Saber, she just wanted this dangerous journey to end as quickly as possible. The winding route of the highway remained extremely dangerous for a vehicle traveling at such high speeds. Saber's blood was filled with the tension of a pre-battle state. As a Servant, she possessed reflexes and strength far beyond that of an ordinary human, so if any danger arose, she could quickly scoop up Irisviel and escape the car.

"...It would have been better if we had hired a professional driver."

Saber suddenly remarked.

"That wouldn't work. It's not that hiring a driver is meaningless, but it would be too dangerous. After all, once we enter Fuyuki City, we could be attacked by other Masters at any moment. I'm sure Saber wouldn't want to see innocent people dragged into this, would she?"

"That is... true!"

Suddenly, Saber keenly sensed something amiss and slammed on the brakes before Irisviel could even react.

Fortunately, they had been driving in a straight line before the emergency braking, so the car didn't spin violently.

The tires of the Mercedes skidded across the asphalt, sending up a cloud of white smoke. As the car slid forward due to inertia, Saber confirmed the source of the presence she had just sensed.

At the front of the highway, illuminated by the headlights of the Mercedes, Lancer stood in the middle of the otherwise empty road, holding his twin spears, his eyes burning with fighting spirit.

"In the name of my Lord, I shall take your head this time! Saber!"

Lancer raised the magic spear in his hand, pointing it directly at Saber in the passenger seat, his intent to provoke clear as day.

"...Saber?"

Irisviel turned her gaze toward the knight beside her.

"Iris, don't get out of the car yet. Just watch and see what happens."

After briefly analyzing the current situation, Saber instructed Irisviel before opening the car door and stepping out alone.

Things had become rather troublesome--

With Saber's left hand currently sealed, if she were to truly fight Lancer to the death now...

--The odds would be grim.

"Lancer, my Master is merely a defenseless woman. Would you be willing to ensure our battle does not involve her?"

Looking at Lancer before her, Saber suddenly spoke to him.

"Of course. It is my knightly code never to raise a hand against the elderly, the weak, or women and children."

Seeing the resolute gaze in the eyes of the dual-wielding Lancer, Saber felt a slight sense of relief. She turned her back to her enemy with peace of mind: "Iris, let's go."

"Saber..." Irisviel's eyes were filled with worry.

"It is fine."

Saber shook her head, then signaled with her eyes for Irisviel to head toward Einzbern Castle.

"Then... I leave this to you."

Irisviel understood Saber's hint instantly.

In the current situation, it seemed that only Saber's true Master could break this deadlock.

And since Emiya Kiritsugu was currently at Einzbern Castle, Irisviel had to rush there immediately to inform him of this matter.

"With that, you can fight with peace of mind, Saber."

Seeing Irisviel drive the car out of sight, Lancer reminded her to refocus her attention.

"Naturally."

The magical energy around Saber's body suddenly surged, and her silver-white armor replaced the black suit she had been wearing, encasing her form.

Saber, gripping her invisible holy sword, looked at Lancer with eyes full of gravity and determination. However, the sharp-eyed Lancer still noticed the restricted movement of Saber's left hand.