Illya's Choice

Sure enough, the moment Kaoru Sakura and Illya appeared together, Shirou Emiya and Rin Tohsaka froze.

In their eyes, there was no way Illya should have been here.

But the facts were right in front of them, and they couldn't deny them.

Shirou Emiya was especially shocked. He even took a small step backward.

For a moment, Rin Tohsaka didn't know what to do, either.

Illya, on the other hand, seemed perfectly composed. Her almost symbolic smile had vanished, and she gazed at Shirou Emiya and Rin with a calm expression.

Kaoru Sakura had managed to leave the shopping street with bags in both hands. Seeing Rin Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya, she happily went over to greet them.

"Senpai, are you two here to buy fish?"

It was obvious that Kaoru Sakura hadn't noticed the tension. Instead, she looked at Shirou Emiya and Rin Tohsaka with a slightly gossipy expression.

It seemed that their reactions had made Kaoru Sakura think they were flustered because a younger schoolmate had caught them shopping together.

But Kaoru Sakura wasn't the type to pry until she got to the bottom of things. She preferred to leave it at a casual glimpse.

"Big bro, can you give my senpai a discount?"

Faced with Kaoru Sakura, the only one who was out of the loop, Sasuke wanted to say that if anyone could get them out of this situation, he'd pay for the fish himself and give it away for free.

But all Sasuke could do was nod and play along with Kaoru Sakura.

"Sure, no problem."

As he spoke, Sasuke rounded down Shirou Emiya's bill.

Just as Kaoru Sakura was about to keep chatting, Illya took her by the hand and calmly said,

"Kaoru, don't we still have things to take care of?"

Kaoru Sakura was a little confused. Illya had asked her about Shirou Emiya before, so why was she taking the initiative to leave now that she'd finally met him in person?

Kaoru Sakura's gossip radar went off at once. She looked apologetically at Rin Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya.

"Um, senpai, I'll leave you two to it. Please come by our shop again sometime!"

"Thank you so much!"

Rin Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya both nodded woodenly.

With that, Kaoru Sakura followed Illya upstairs.

Only after Illya and Kaoru Sakura had gone all the way up to the second floor did Rin Tohsaka, who had wanted to question him from the start, step toward Sasuke with a puzzled look.

"What's going on?"

"Why is she at your place?"

Shirou Emiya looked just as shocked and confused. He was clearly curious, too.

After all, when they had encountered Berserker, Rin Tohsaka's Archer and his Saber had fought together and still failed to defeat her.

If Illya hadn't voluntarily withdrawn, no one knew how things might have turned out.

That was why Rin Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya were so agitated and confused.

Sasuke quickly gave them a brief explanation of what had happened.

After hearing him out, both Rin Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya furrowed their brows.

Sasuke had encountered Lancer, then run into Berserker?

And come away unscathed?

There were an Assassin and a Caster at Ryudou Temple?

That was truly shocking news.

Rin Tohsaka was more concerned about Illya and Berserker, but something else had become urgent. It was one of the reasons she had come to the shopping street with Shirou Emiya that day.

Rin Tohsaka didn't waste time with more questions. She looked at Sasuke seriously.

"If you can, could you come over to Emiya's house tonight?"

"Some things here have gone beyond what I expected. If possible, I'd like you to come to Emiya's house so we can discuss them."

"This really isn't the place to talk."

Sasuke considered it for a moment, then looked at Rin Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya.

"Sure."

"But I won't be able to come until later."

Sasuke naturally wouldn't ignore Rin Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya's request for help, but the two of them should understand his situation, too.

Rin Tohsaka didn't mind. She was already grateful that Sasuke was willing to help her and Shirou.

Shirou Emiya understood what Rin wanted Sasuke to do, so he thanked him as well.

"Thank you. I really appreciate it!"

"I'll send you the address."

Sasuke nodded and watched them leave.

The sun was about to set. Gazing at the fiery clouds on the horizon, Sasuke hung up the sign saying the fish shop was temporarily closed.

Then Sasuke went upstairs, where he ran into Kaoru Sakura coming out of her room in the living room on the second floor.

Illya, standing nearby, was smiling now. But after what had just happened, it was hard not to think she was putting on an act.

Beaming, Kaoru Sakura handed Sasuke a beautifully wrapped gift box.

"Big brother, I realized how wrong I was at lunch."

"So, as an apology, I picked out a present just for you."

"Illya gave me a lot of suggestions, too."

Kaoru Sakura was so serious that Sasuke felt a little unaccustomed to it, but he still reached out and took the beautifully wrapped gift.

"Please tell me there isn't a trap inside this one, too."

Sasuke wanted to ask, but Kaoru Sakura didn't look as if she were pretending.

So he said nothing and quietly unwrapped the gift.

Inside was a leaf-shaped pendant that shimmered silver.

Sasuke recognized it at a glance. It must have come from the jewelry shop on the shopping street.

It was an affordable shop with good quality, and its prices and styles were popular with high school students.

Sasuke put it on without hesitation. It suited him quite well.

Seeing that Sasuke seemed pleased, Kaoru Sakura smiled.

"Big bro, I swear I'll never do that again. Please forgive me."

Sasuke raised his hand and gently poked Kaoru Sakura on the forehead, smiling faintly as he replied,

"You'd better not."

Kaoru Sakura covered the forehead that was now tingling a little and giggled.

"I promise!"

Illya, standing off to the side, looked a little envious. The feelings welling up inside her were impossible to put into words.

Sasuke noticed, of course. For a moment, he couldn't figure out what Illya wanted from the Holy Grail War, or whether she had some other purpose.

But he didn't dwell on it.

The sun sank in the west, and night fell.

Illya knew she couldn't stay at Fish Fresh House any longer, so she said goodbye to Kaoru Sakura.

Naturally, Sasuke became the one to escort Illya home.

Under cover of night, Sasuke used a Shadow Clone and sent his real body back to Fish Fresh House first.

Illya's expression shifted slightly at this, but she soon regained her composure.

Neither of them spoke. Sasuke simply followed Illya.

The night wasn't as stormy as the one before. The bright moonlight spilled across the earth, and the striking Milky Way stretched overhead.

They walked all the way to the outskirts, where there weren't even any streetlights. When Illya still showed no sign of speaking, Sasuke finally said,

"Let me ask you something. Do you have a grudge against Emiya or Tohsaka?"

"If you want to get to know Emiya, today might be a good opportunity."