Red Archer left with Rin Tohsaka, while Su Ye also dismissed his corpse clone and returned home.
Logically, Sakura Matou and Taiga Fujimura should still be waiting here for him to finish dinner.
After dinner, before Su Ye could once again suggest that Sakura Matou stay over, Taiga Fujimura was already preparing to make the bed in the adjacent room. Clearly, she intended to fully commit to her role as a divine wingwoman.
Su Ye didn't say much. In the middle of the night, after the two had fallen asleep, he got up and went to the storage room, where he stared at the faintly visible magic circle in the corner of the floor.
This magic circle was used to summon heroic spirits.
In the original story, when Shirou Emiya was attacked, the magic circle activated on its own and summoned Saber, the swordswoman and ahoge queen, Artoria Pendragon.
That is, the legendary figure who drew the Sword in the Stone, the leader of the Knights of the Round Table, the Eternal King of British legend, the immortal hero—the gender-swapped version of King Arthur.
Saber was the servant summoned by Shirou Emiya's foster father, Kiritsugu Emiya, during the previous Holy Grail War.
Thus, the self-activating magic circle, along with the sheath "Avalon, the Distant Utopia" embedded within Shirou Emiya's body, were clearly Kiritsugu Emiya's contingency plans.
Even though Shirou Emiya ostensibly lacked the talent of a magus and hadn't actively activated the magic circle, he still managed to summon Saber.
However, the Saber summoned in this manner was greatly restricted.
Since Shirou Emiya didn't know how to use magic and couldn't supply Saber with mana properly, the famously valiant and skilled Saber remained in a weakened state for quite some time.
She often ran out of energy halfway through a fight.
But now, everything was different.
After Su Ye inherited the role of Shirou Emiya, everything would no longer unfold like the original story.
In the warehouse, in front of the magic circle, Su Ye extended his hand and, like a typical edgy teenager, recited a line overflowing with secondhand embarrassment.
"I declare! Thy body shall heed my command, my fate rests in thy hands. If thou art willing to abide by the call of the Holy Grail, then respond to this will and this reason!"
"Thy body is bound by the three great words for seven days. From the Wheel of Restraint, come forth to this place!"
"Guardian of Balance!"
This was the incantation Rin Tohsaka used to summon Red Archer. Su Ye wasn't sure if it differed from the one for summoning Saber, but trying it didn't cost him anything anyway.
As his over-the-top performance continued, the magic circle on the ground slowly began to glow blue.
Then, a petite girl with golden hair tied in a bun, a stubborn strand of ahoge sticking up from her head, clad in a blue undergarment and silver armor, slowly emerged from within.
"I have answered your summons, Master. Please issue your command. From now on, my sword shall be with you, and your fate shall be entwined with mine. The contract is hereby complete!"
The 154cm-tall Saber stood in front of the 190cm-tall Su Ye, speaking of protecting him. The scene was truly filled with a sense of incongruity.
At this moment, Su Ye lowered his head to look at the Saber in front of him, the corners of his mouth curling up into a smile as he spoke.
"Welcome, Saber. So, shall we have a fight?"
"..."
Saber, a stoic girl with no outward emotions, rarely displayed much expression, whether injured or in the midst of a deadly battle.
But after hearing Su Ye's words, she was visibly stunned, and a hint of surprise appeared on her face.
The Holy Grail War had been ongoing for centuries, with four or five battles already fought, yet never had a summoned servant been immediately challenged by their master.
"I understand," Saber said as she tightly gripped an invisible longsword with both hands, assuming a battle-ready stance.
"Master, you're questioning my abilities, aren't you? Don't worry, I won't disappoint you. Pick up your weapon, Master—I will prove my worth with my strength!"
Every heroic spirit carries an unfulfilled obsession, which is why they sign a contract with the 'World.' Even at the cost of eternal reincarnation, they seek the chance to make a wish upon the Holy Grail.
Saber was no exception. Until her wish was fulfilled, every doubter had to be defeated, even if that person was her own master.
As a female sovereign, she was particularly sensitive about being underestimated due to her gender and stature.
Su Ye retrieved a longsword he had prepared earlier. He wasn't questioning Saber's abilities; rather, he was showing her respect.
Although the girl before him looked like a middle schooler, she was a king who once bore the burden of an entire nation and ultimately gave her life for it. That alone was reason enough for Su Ye to give her the utmost respect.
As for finding an excuse to drain her mana, Su Ye had no such peculiar intention.
Though, a fully energized Saber wasn't ideal. A Saber who ran out of mana and needed replenishment was the best... ahem!
Holding his sword in a reverse grip, Su Ye cupped his fists in a respectful gesture. "Please!"
Saber responded with a knightly salute of her own before charging forward with her invisible longsword.
Clang!
Su Ye's iron sword clashed fiercely against the invisible Excalibur.
With just one strike, Saber felt that something was amiss.
Her master not only could clearly "see" Excalibur, shrouded by the Invisible Air barrier, but also possessed terrifying strength comparable to that of a Berserker.
Most importantly, the master wielded what appeared to be an ordinary iron sword, yet it withstood Excalibur's attacks without breaking.
Excalibur was a Noble Phantasm, and not just any—an A++-rank weapon, crystallized from humanity's hopes and dreams, one of the ultimate god-forged armaments as the "Strongest of Fantasies."
Such a powerful Noble Phantasm couldn't even cut through a regular iron sword?
Of course, the sword in Su Ye's hand was no ordinary iron sword.
This sword had a straight spine and a single-edged blade. Calling it a sword was a stretch; it was more of a Tang Dao.
However, in the hands of Li Bai from Honor of Kings, it was simply called a sword.
This sword wasn't something Su Ye had forged; he created it using the Projection Magic ability inherited from Shirou Emiya, crafting Li Bai's sword through magic.
He then enhanced its structure using his magnetic field manipulation ability, giving it a strength comparable to a Noble Phantasm.
With immense strength, a weapon not far off from Excalibur, and a mastery of close combat boosted by numerous abilities, it would be difficult for Saber to defeat him without using her special techniques.
Even if she did use her skills, hitting Su Ye, who had spider-sense-like reflexes, would still be a challenge.
Thus, the outcome of this battle was decided from the very beginning.
While Su Ye and Saber were locked in combat in the warehouse, the heroic spirits and their masters throughout the city sensed the aura of a servant battle.
In solemn churches, moonlit temples, and eerie basements, one magus and heroic spirit after another furrowed their brows.
"Archer!"
In a mansion-like estate, Rin Tohsaka abruptly stood up and looked toward the nonchalant Red Archer.
"Do you think that Lancer might've realized the witness isn't dead and gone back to finish the job? Should we go check it out?"
Red Archer turned his head, giving Rin a subtle smile. "You seem... quite concerned about that male classmate."
Rin's face flushed instantly. Clenching her fists, she shook her head in denial. "No way! He's just tall, a little handsome, and has a nice physique, that's all. Why would I care about him?"
Honestly, given Su Ye's height, good looks, and well-toned physique, there weren't many girls who could resist his charm.
What's more, Su Ye was the boy Sakura Matou liked, and Sakura happened to be Rin Tohsaka's younger sister.
Thus, Rin had taken notice of Su Ye early on. The more she observed him, the more she felt that her sister had great taste…
"Exactly, Sakura! I'm only paying attention to him because you like him. I've never been interested in him myself; his vibe doesn't appeal to me at all. Yep, that's it!"
Having finally come up with a justifiable excuse, Rin raised her head and looked at Red Archer with a hint of pleading in her eyes.
"Archer, let's go check on him. If Su Ye really dies, Sakura will be heartbroken! She's already suffered so much, and I don't want her to be sad over this too!"
Red Archer had already sensed the cause of the commotion through their psychic link, but since Rin had asked so earnestly, he couldn't refuse.
Besides, this was one of his wishes as a heroic spirit anyway.
"Let's go!"
Without further ado, Red Archer scooped Rin into a princess carry and, defying the laws of physics, leapt into the night sky.
Under the night sky, another figure was racing toward Su Ye's home.
It was a woman with long purple hair, dressed in a tight, low-cut black outfit with purple trim that barely covered her thighs. She wore thigh-high boots, and her voluptuous figure gave her the appearance of a sultry courtesan.
However, like Red Archer, this woman was also defying gravity as she dashed across the city at an incredible speed.
Clearly, while this woman wasn't the stereotypical courtesan, her level of danger was no less lethal.
Her name was Medusa, and like Saber, she was a summoned servant. Her class was Rider.
Su Ye had always been puzzled as to why Medusa was classified as a Rider. For one, she didn't have a mount, and secondly, she wasn't censored…
Perhaps the Rider class referred not to her but to her master?
Originally, Medusa was Sakura Matou's servant. Despite Sakura's harmless appearance, she was one of the seven masters in this Holy Grail War.
However, not long after Medusa was summoned, Zouken Matou forced her to be transferred to that fool Shinji Matou.
Thus, the one actively participating in the Holy Grail War was Shinji, the seaweed-haired idiot.
Similarly, perhaps due to Su Ye's suggestion for Sakura to stay over, or for some other reason, the original event of Shinji assaulting Sakura had not occurred.
And now, Medusa was performing reconnaissance on behalf of Shinji, monitoring the battling servants.
Lancer, Cú Chulainn, who had appeared earlier that day, was notably absent for reasons unknown.
As Red Archer and Medusa headed toward Su Ye's house, Su Ye had already sensed their approach through his psychic link.
"Saber!"
After parrying Saber with a strike, Su Ye straightened up, his expression serious.
"That's enough. We're done."
By now, the two had been fighting for over ten minutes.
Opposite him, Saber's inner armor was almost entirely soaked with sweat. She was panting heavily, her shoulders rising and falling with each breath.
"Not enough! I haven't proven myself yet. I can keep fighting!"
Saber wasn't stubborn by nature, but being so easily bested by her master was something she couldn't accept. Coupled with the significant depletion of her mana, her physical condition was severely affected.
As a result, she gave off the impression of being slightly unhinged.
She leaned on her sword, head lowered, her bangs obscuring her eyes. Even the stubborn ahoge on her head seemed to droop.
"I must win the Holy Grail War. I must return!"
Seeing her stubborn, unyielding demeanor, Su Ye couldn't help but shake his head.
"Having strong resolve is good, but you need to face reality."
"The reality is, your stamina and mana are too depleted to keep challenging me. Besides, I sense that other servants are approaching to attack us. Are you sure you want to continue?"
"Servants?"
Saber's head snapped up, her previously dazed eyes regaining a trace of clarity.
She finally remembered that her purpose wasn't to spar with her master but to defeat the other masters and servants to claim ultimate victory in the Holy Grail War.
From this perspective, the stronger her master was, the higher her chances of achieving ultimate victory.
Although relying on her master's strength didn't align with her knightly code, as long as they won, it would all be worth it.
Besides, defeating other servants would also be a chance to prove her strength to her master.
"Fine!"
Saber agreed and attempted to stand, but her legs wobbled, and she nearly collapsed to the ground.
Fortunately, Su Ye reacted quickly, catching her before she fell.
"Are you alright?"
Su Ye lifted Saber into his arms, holding her in a princess carry just like Red Archer had done with Rin.
"I'm fine. Put me down!"
Saber wasn't Rin Tohsaka; she couldn't simply allow herself to be carried like that by her master. Despite her gender-swapped appearance, she was still Artoria, King of Britain, the hero who led her nation to greatness—not a caged bird needing protection.
Unfortunately, Su Ye's strength was overwhelming, and she couldn't break free.
At that moment, Su Ye's deep, magnetic voice gently broke the silence.
"Stop moving. Your mana is completely drained. How do you plan to fight in this state? By sheer stubbornness?"
Saber acted as if she hadn't heard him and continued to struggle. "I am a servant. Even if I exhaust my mana, even if I die on the battlefield, my sword will never stop."
"But dying on the battlefield isn't your goal. What you need to do is everything in your power to secure ultimate victory! Only then can your wish be granted, right?"
Su Ye's words immediately made Saber freeze in place.
That's right. To fulfill her wish, she had signed a contract with the 'World,' accepting the cost of eternal reincarnation as a heroic spirit. Compared to that, being carried by her master wasn't a big deal.
But why carry her in the first place? Couldn't the master just use magic to supply mana if the servant was running low?
While Saber was still puzzled, Su Ye's face suddenly loomed larger in her view.
"Mm!"
The moment their lips met, Saber was so startled she nearly shouted in protest.
"Yamete!" (Stop!)
Saber's eyes widened in shock as she instinctively prepared to resist, but then a voice suddenly echoed in her mind.
"Don't move. I'm replenishing your mana. The other servants are almost here. This is the fastest and most effective method. Don't resist—just focus and feel it."
Mana replenishment—yes, that's what this was. Su Ye had provoked Saber into fighting him for precisely this moment… ahem!
Technically, servants existed in spiritual form, and as long as they had mana, they could keep fighting indefinitely.
As a half-baked magus, Su Ye hadn't yet mastered the ability to transfer mana remotely to his servant, so he had to resort to this most primitive yet effective method.
Of course, Su Ye was a noble, pure, and virtuous person, someone free from base desires, so his actions were purely academic—a straightforward mana transfer to Saber.
Things like sneaky gropes or inappropriate touches? Absolutely out of the question.
After all, Saber was clad in full plate armor with a thick underlayer. Even if Su Ye touched her, what could he possibly accomplish?
Hearing Su Ye's tone and seeing the serious expression on his face, Saber felt she might have been overreacting.
Mana replenishment between master and servant was a routine matter. It was just that her master's method was a bit... aggressive in pursuit of efficiency.
That was understandable... or not!
Saber, after all, was a girl from the early Middle Ages. Though inexperienced in matters between men and women, she still had her thoughts and reservations. Being kissed so casually was something she found hard to accept.
Just as she was about to resist, a massive surge of mana suddenly flowed into her body.
In that instant, the overwhelming mana hit her like a torrent, akin to a spawning male trout releasing thousands of milt in one go—endlessly abundant!
And Saber, at this moment, was the receptive female trout, instantly filled with newfound power!
"Well, look at that! Fully revived on the spot!"
As Saber reveled in the sensation of her mana being restored, Su Ye released her and took a step back, his face full of admiration.
With that polite and earnest expression, it truly seemed like he had merely given her a simple embrace.
Saber tightened her grip on the hilt of Excalibur, but ultimately abandoned the idea of swinging her sword. After all, this was her master. Though his method was unconventional, it was undeniably an efficient way of replenishing mana.
"Thank you, Master. I feel much better, but let's not do that again!"
With her mana restored, Saber resumed her usual demeanor as the battle-hardened queen of countless wars.
"The other servants will be here any moment. If you don't want this place destroyed, we'd better go out and face them!"
"Well said!"
Su Ye nodded and pointed toward the direction from which Red Archer and Rin were approaching. "You take that side. I'll handle the other."
"Master! Be ca—"
Saber instinctively began to warn Su Ye to be careful but stopped halfway, remembering that her master was stronger than she was. So, she simply closed her mouth.
"Then, I'm off!"
With that, Saber exited and dashed off in a blur.
This battle had to be won—she couldn't allow her master to look down on her any longer.
Meanwhile, Su Ye donned a full Batman suit before turning his gaze toward the direction from which Medusa was approaching.
"Rider, huh? No mount? No problem. Maybe you'll become one yourself soon enough."