After the conversation with Saber, Yuuji decided to take Jack out for a walk to satisfy her wishes. Before they left the house, Rin gave Yuuji an exaggerated roll of her eyes, which left him completely at a loss.
"Jack, why do you always want to go out at night? Didn't I tell you that safety is the first priority?" Though Yuuji sounded like he was complaining about Jack wanting to go out at night, there was no real blame in his tone. After all… he was undeniably a lolicon.
"Because Jack likes the night better than the morning," Jack replied softly, lying comfortably on Yuuji's back. She could feel the warmth of his care for her, something she hadn't experienced since she became a Heroic Spirit.
Just as Yuuji and Jack reached the front of Shinji's house, a sudden flash of red light streaked toward them. Without hesitation, Yuuji projected the Crimson Queen, instantly blocking the incoming attack.
Looking up, Yuuji saw a man in a red robe standing on the rooftop, a bow and arrow in hand. There was no doubt—he was the one who had attacked.
"Hey, what's the meaning of attacking someone without reason?" Yuuji shouted, his tone filled with clear disdain.
"What's the matter? This is the Holy Grail War. It's a battlefield where the winner is king and the loser is nothing. The means don't matter—only victory," the man in red replied coldly, before leaping down with twin blades in hand, charging toward them.
"Jack, follow the original plan," Yuuji ordered, rushing forward with the Crimson Queen in hand.
The man in red quickly realized that Yuuji's swordsmanship was unlike anything he had expected. "This guy… how is he keeping up with me? His magic circuits… they're even stronger than mine!"
Moreover, the weapon Yuuji wielded was completely unfamiliar. The man in red had no recollection of any Heroic Spirit possessing such a weapon.
Yuuji's fighting style now mirrored the opening moves of Nero from Devil May Cry 4, which gave him an unusual and unpredictable edge. With a sudden surge of power, the Crimson Queen's blade erupted in flames. The man in red, caught off guard, was unable to block the sudden strike and staggered backward.
"As a mere human, you can actually fight me like this?" the man in red muttered in grudging admiration.
"Why do you assume I'm human?" Yuuji replied, his tone even. "Maybe I'm a Heroic Spirit too."
"Hmph. Don't get arrogant just because you gained a little advantage. I'll show you the true difference between a human and a Servant!" The man in red placed his hand over his chest, preparing a devastating attack.
"Stop, Archer."
The sharp female voice cut through the tension like a blade. Yuuji and the man in red both froze as they turned to see who had spoken.
"Sakura? Why are you here?" Yuuji was stunned. Even he couldn't continue fighting upon seeing her. This girl—his younger sister in all but name—had changed her surname due to family circumstances, but he still couldn't bring himself to attack her.
"So Senpai… you really are part of this war." Sakura's expression showed no surprise upon seeing Yuuji holding a weapon. She had been with Rin long enough to understand.
"Sakura, why are you participating in the Holy Grail War? Is it also because of the Root?" Yuuji asked, unable to guess her reason.
"Because I want to destroy the Holy Grail," Sakura replied, her voice calm yet filled with conviction.
Yuuji stared at her in disbelief, but deep down, her words made sense. "Is this… because of what happened to you?" he asked quietly.
"Yes. Because of the Holy Grail, I was adopted into the Matou family. Though my grandfather and Shinji treat me well, I can never forget the reason for it all. Because of the Grail, my father died. My mother lost her mind. Uncle Yan Ye also died. Too many lives have been sacrificed for the sake of this cursed Grail. I don't want anyone else to die for it, so I've decided to destroy it once and for all."
Her determined gaze made it clear to Yuuji that there was no way to change her mind.
"Then what about you, Senpai?" Sakura asked, her voice trembling as she looked at the young man she'd always admired. "Why are you participating in the Holy Grail War? What's your reason?"
"I don't have any grand purpose," Yuuji admitted. "But if I had to give a reason… it would be because of your sister."
Though he spoke casually, Sakura felt her heart shatter at those words.
"I see… In that case, Senpai, you're my enemy now." Sakura turned to leave, her voice tinged with regret. "Goodbye."
Yuuji knew this wasn't something that could be resolved in a single conversation. He sighed and continued walking through the night with Jack.
The man in red—Archer—watched Yuuji's fading silhouette and let out a quiet sigh. "This time… what kind of fate awaits him?"
As they walked, Yuuji and Jack eventually arrived at the dojo where Yuuji had spent time with Kiritsugu in his youth. He stood silently before the entrance, memories flooding back, and whispered,"Am I still a hero of justice?"
Jack tilted her head, puzzled. For someone like her, "justice" was just a convenient excuse to kill.
But seeing Yuuji so conflicted made her chest tighten. She hugged him tightly from behind and whispered, "Mama, to Jack, you are my hero of justice."
Maybe it was her words, maybe it was just his lolicon nature flaring up—but Yuuji hugged Jack tightly, looking into her innocent face, and softly said,"Yes. I am Jack's hero of justice."
Far away, in a castle on the outskirts of Fuyuki, a silver-haired loli suddenly felt an intense surge of jealousy, as if sensing that her greatest rival had appeared.
"Who is it? Who dares to try and take my Yuuji from me?" she muttered irritably.
"Don't worry, Master," a deep voice rumbled from the shadows. "No one can stand against you. You have my strength."
"That's right, Lancer. Together, we will claim our destiny," she declared, her eyes burning with determination as she gazed toward distant Fuyuki.
Back at the Matou household, Shinji noticed Sakura sulking and instantly guessed who had upset her.
"Sakura, I know it's that clueless Yuuji again. If you don't boldly confess to him, he'll never realize how you feel," Shinji said, his tone sly, like a devil whispering in her ear.
"Yes, Master's sister," added a black shadow crouched nearby, its voice low and teasing. "A blockhead like him won't open up unless you force him."
Archer, who was observing the two familiar figures coaching Sakura, could only shake his head. "The relationships in this world… are completely different from the one I knew," he muttered. "Truly, fate is strange."
In the Fuyuki Church, Father Mapo had just finished a baptism. Staring at the empty pews, he turned to the dark corner of the room with a heavy sigh."I didn't expect Berserker to be taken. Controlling him will be… problematic."
"What's the problem, Kirei? Want me to handle that lunatic for you?" A young man with blond hair sneered from behind him, his tone mocking.
"No. He's still a valuable piece on the chessboard. He might be useful in ways we can't see yet," Kirei replied calmly.
What neither Kirei nor the blond man realized was that someone hiding in the darkness had overheard everything and was quietly enduring.
Later that night, after Yuuji's emotional moment with Jack, he walked back along the road and noticed a book lying on the ground. For reasons he couldn't explain, he instinctively picked it up, tucked it under his arm, and continued carrying Jack back toward Rin's home.