"..." Ian looked at Rin Tohsaka, and for a moment, he truly didn't know how to respond to her invitation. The man's expression made Rin Tohsaka feel as if she had been a bit too forward, so she quickly added a few more sentences.
"Don't misunderstand!" she quickly clarified. "I said that... only because there are still some things I want to talk to you about!"
"But Rin, you just said you were very sleepy, didn't you?" Atalante interjected at this moment, adding a jab.
"Archer!" Rin Tohsaka, exposed, became even more embarrassed. "Why did you have to say it now?!"
"Eh... this!" Atalante stammered.
"..." Ian looked at the "singing and harmonizing" Archer duo, a slight smile playing on his lips. "I understand. In that case... then thank you, Rin, for being willing to 'take me in'," he said, accepting her offer.
"..." Rin Tohsaka's cheeks flushed even deeper now. But this time, she didn't deny the man's words again; instead, she nodded. "It's good that you know," she said quietly.
And so—Ian, Rin Tohsaka, and Atalante slept in the same bed. The man was in the middle, Rin Tohsaka on his left, and Atalante on his right.
"Well then, let's turn off the light first," Ian said, and with that, he turned off the desk lamp. The room quickly plunged into darkness.
However—even though they were completely enveloped in darkness, the three on the bed didn't fall asleep. They each had things they couldn't quite comprehend. And the words spoken earlier lingered in their minds.
Finally, Atalante couldn't hold it in anymore, and she was the first to speak. "Um—although it might not be the best time to say this... I still want to know one thing."
"What is it?" Ian asked.
"It's just that—" Atalante recalled the things her Master Ian had told her, and then directly posed the doubt in her heart. "If, according to what was said earlier, that person named Li Shuwen was a Servant, then he should have protected that bad Master named Kirei Kotomine, right? But now—Kirei Kotomine is dead. Does that mean there's an even more powerful Servant out there?"
"..."
[Atalante's point was very valid.]
[This was precisely what you were worried about.]
[You realized that you really should have a deeper discussion about this with Rin Tohsaka.]
[After all, an unknown enemy is the most terrifying.]
"Archer, you're absolutely right," Rin Tohsaka, who also couldn't sleep, interjected. "As things stand, either Lancer did this, or Caster, whom we haven't met yet, used some kind of method. Of course, it could also be Assassin—but I think the scoundrel Kirei Kotomine summoned should have been Assassin. As for the rest... they're basically out of consideration."
As she said this, Rin Tohsaka glanced at Ian beside her. She was now utterly impressed by the man's powerful attraction to the opposite sex. Rider Artoria, Archer Atalante, and Berserker Ibaraki Doji all had an indelible trust in him. Could this be some hidden Saber class skill, one that had never been recorded until now?
"..." The man didn't notice the girl's gaze. Following her recent words, he thought for a moment and then offered his opinion. "If that's the case—I don't think Lancer is likely to do something like this. After all, Misaya doesn't seem like the type to leave proof with a dagger after winning."
"..." Although Rin Tohsaka didn't agree with Ian's immediate dismissal of Lancer as a possibility, she also knew that the man must have thought it through before making such a judgment. There was no need for her to argue with him. And speaking of which—Rin Tohsaka had also noticed something quite troubling. That was, until now, no one had discovered Caster's true identity!
"Speaking of which," Rin Tohsaka said, looking at Ian, recalling earlier scenes. "The reason you observed Li Shuwen's Bajiquan so closely before, was it because you sensed he was a Servant?"
"Not exactly," Ian replied. "I just simply felt... that kind of power wasn't something he should possess at his age. But I never expected the truth to be like this."
"Then we have nothing to worry about," Rin Tohsaka said confidently. "With so many Servants together against one Caster, surely we can't lose, can we?"
"Not necessarily," Ian responded very cautiously. "If someone could defeat Li Shuwen, it means that Caster's strength is superior to his. But—the extent of that power is unpredictable, and we must not let our guard down."
"Then what should we do?" Rin Tohsaka asked, getting anxious after Ian's warning. "If they're too powerful, won't we have no chance of winning at all?"
"Theoretically, yes," the man said. "But no one knows what the reality is—in short, we need more information right now." The man looked at Rin Tohsaka. "For the next while, I might have to borrow Atalante from you. Her keen observational skills will be very useful in this situation."
"..." Rin Tohsaka was startled at first, then smiled and nodded. "You make it sound like I'm stingy. If there's a possibility of an overly powerful opponent, we should indeed unite to eliminate them. Archer will follow your arrangements."
"Hmm," the man said, relieved. "Then for now, let's get some good rest."
The room once again fell silent.
However—a moment later, Rin Tohsaka found herself unable to sleep at all. She had initially used a mischievous excuse to make him stay, but now it was so quiet... Should she really waste this opportunity? No! At least... she should touch him a little.
Rin Tohsaka thought this, feeling her heartbeat grow louder and louder, as if it would burst from her ribs at any moment. She carefully crossed the empty space Ian had deliberately left for the comfort of the two girls beside him.
She touched him. Rin Tohsaka's eyes trembled—she felt her back press against the man's arm. Even that small touch was enough for her, at that moment, to truly experience what it meant to sleep in the same bed. In the girl's heart, that voice that had surfaced countless times before arose again. "Why wasn't it me who summoned Saber?" If it had been her—then there would be no need to hide anything from him, who was so considerate of her. He even called her mother; this guy really is... Rin Tohsaka's thoughts felt like complaints, but the curve of her lips couldn't be hidden.
But just then, the girl suddenly heard a voice by her ear. "Rin, are you still awake?" It was Ian's voice. He had noticed her! Rin Tohsaka immediately felt ashamed—unable to sleep in the middle of the night, and directly rubbing against another man, it felt a bit out of line no matter how she thought about it. But the girl also felt that she shouldn't miss such a moment.
Finally, she answered directly, "Hmm, I can't sleep. Because I feel so hot." After saying that, Rin Tohsaka wished she could crawl into a hole—she had actually said such a thing in front of her sister's Servant! However, she also desperately hoped that the other person would understand.
And in fact, Ian did understand. Rin Tohsaka soon felt his hand—it was the familiar place, where just a slight rub would make the girl's entire face flush. But this time, it wasn't just Ian's hand that reached there. He also brought Rin Tohsaka's hand along. If before it was Ian performing alone, now he seemed to be giving a lesson.
"Ian, what are you..." Feeling her hand and Ian's hand subtly overlap in a certain spot, Rin Tohsaka's voice became quite shy.
"I'm teaching you how to do this kind of thing," the man said seriously. "Otherwise, you'll be in a very awkward situation in the future."
"..." Rin Tohsaka was silent for a while before she managed to respond. "Your tone... why does it sound like you're about to leave?"
"It's not leaving," the man clarified his thoughts. "It's that I think the Holy Grail War should end here."
"End here?" Rin Tohsaka was startled. "Ian, what nonsense are you talking about?"
"I'm not talking nonsense," Ian replied without hesitation. "Rin, this ritual actually has no meaning at all, does it? Your father was killed, your mother became a widow, and your sister Sakura was sent abroad. Isn't the source of all this the Holy Grail War? I want to make this ritual end with this generation—we can't let the tragedy continue. Rin, can you help me?"
"Ian, you..." Rin Tohsaka had never expected Ian to have such a thought. And more importantly, his primary concern was entirely about the Tohsaka family.
"Are you serious about this?" she asked.
"Of course I'm serious," the man said, guiding the girl's hand and beginning his lesson on her inner thigh. "I don't think I've acted like someone who jokes around, have I?"
"But if that's the case—" Rin Tohsaka said, while experiencing that tingling sensation. "If you don't win this Holy Grail War, then you'll never be summoned again, will you? You'll just..." The girl didn't continue, as the rest of the words were too cruel. But the man already understood everything.
"Of course I know that would be the outcome," he said. "But if it can free you all from this endless ritual of suffering—I'm willing to take that risk."
"..." Rin Tohsaka couldn't refute Ian's words. She could feel that he wasn't speaking idly, but had made this decision only after truly experiencing the pain of the Holy Grail War. Yes. He wanted to completely end all of this in this era.
"Ian... aren't you considering yourself?" Rin Tohsaka asked softly.
"Of course I am," the man replied. "But precisely because I considered it, I made this choice—it's an action that aligns with my heart."
"..." "Heh, I guess it's just as expected from the Saber I chose, isn't it?" Rin Tohsaka said, and her hand movements became less hesitant. She never thought she would one day learn such a vulgar thing. But at this moment, she felt an inexplicable sense of desolation—this might be his swan song.
Thus, as she neared her limit, the girl abandoned her shame and made an unprecedented decision. "Ian, come in," she whispered.
"Come in?"
"Don't play dumb—do what you usually do with Sakura, and do it with me now. Just consider it..." The girl turned her head to look at him behind her, "—your reward for making me agree to help you."
"..." The man was silent.
And the next moment, the girl felt her entire body tremble, as if she had been electrocuted. She felt something hot squirming back and forth there; everywhere it passed, it was warm. If she contracted slightly, she could even feel a cork-pulling sensation of resistance. But—there might never be another chance like this again. Thinking of this, the desolate girl couldn't help but cherish the moment more. She allowed him to enter the deepest, most comfortable place, so much so that the two completely became one, with only individual parts moving. Stay a little longer, just a little longer. She wanted to remember this moment of "stealing a taste" for a lifetime. Rin Tohsaka felt the pleasure, but in her heart, there was more desolation. She only felt that this was a record—proof that Ian had once been there.
[You and Rin Tohsaka reached a secret agreement.]
[You resolved to make this Holy Grail War the last one.]
[Everything was moving towards the end.]
Homurahara Academy Private School. Rin Tohsaka and Sakura Tohsaka were walking on the road.
"Sister, what's wrong? Why have you been touching your stomach all day today?" Sakura asked.
"N-nothing! Just feeling a little unwell," Rin replied quickly.
"...Really?"
"Really!" Rin Tohsaka couldn't tell her sister that she and Ian had been together until morning. So much so that her lower abdomen was still warm even now. This was her secret with him, and it could never be revealed.
Meanwhile, on the way to the Kendo Club. Atalante tugged at Ian's clothes, looking very displeased. "Master!" she exclaimed. "Why didn't you call me when you and Rin were doing that?!"
"How was I supposed to call you?" Ian asked.
"You could have just woken me up—I'm not picky about where!" she retorted.
"Alright, I'll call you next time," Ian said, trying to appease her.
"That's too dismissive of me!" she complained.
"Be good," Ian said, reaching out and gently stroking Atalante's head. "No more arguing." This was his special move, and the little cat-girl immediately quieted down quite a bit.
"Fine~ This time, I'll let it slide, but next time you absolutely have to call me!"
"Hmm," Ian agreed.
Everything returned to normal, and the two continued walking towards the Kendo Club.
However—when Ian and Atalante arrived, they saw an unexpected person. Misaya Reiroukan was leaning against the wall, clutching her chest, breathing heavily. She... seemed to be severely injured!