[Cú Chulainn: "Tsk... What a terrible idea. We've already exposed this guy. If it's not a guaranteed kill, this could turn into a disaster."]
[Despite saying this, Cú Chulainn turned around and left with his spear slung over his shoulder.]
["My employer is a coward. He said that since the attack missed, we should retreat immediately."]
["Are you running away?"]
[Artoria still wanted to continue fighting. After all, her current injuries weren't serious and could be healed with just two uses of healing magecraft.]
[But she overlooked one crucial fact—she, as the Master, didn't know how to use healing magecraft.]
["I don't mind if you chase me, but be prepared to die."]
[Cú Chulainn glanced at her, then at Shirou Emiya, before quickly leaving the battlefield.]
[Video paused.]
[The correct answer to the question is D. Congratulations to the group members who chose correctly. You will receive 1 Saint Quartz.]
As expected, this question wasn't difficult.
This was essentially a benefit for newcomers. The difficulty of the first day's questions was generally low.
[Video resumes.]
["Wait… Lancer!"]
[Artoria shouted after Cú Chulainn, but her injuries prevented her from giving chase.]
["Hey, are you alright?"]
[Shirou Emiya hurried over to support Artoria, looking at the wound on her shoulder with concern.]
[The cut was deep, it would need immediate sutures if treated at a hospital.]
[Moments later, Artoria's damaged spiritual attire automatically repaired itself, but the wound itself remained unhealed.]
[Cú Chulainn's spear carried a curse, but fortunately, it wasn't the kind that prevented wounds from closing.]
[Once again, I got injured by a Lancer in the first battle. I really can't stand these damn Lancers anymore…]
Mordred: "My father is so unlucky to have such a useless Master."
Sisigou: "Compared to Cu Chulainn, I think King Arthur is much luckier."
Mordred: "..."
Yeah, comparing yourself to others is just asking for trouble.
Cú Chulainn: "Tsk, having that priest as a Master really is unlucky."
Bazett: "Sorry, this was all due to my carelessness."
Cú Chulainn: "Hey, don't take the blame so easily. After all, there was no way you could have predicted this."
["Who are you?"]
[Shirou Emiya stared in astonishment at the scene before him.]
["As you can see, I am a Saber-class Servant."]
[Artoria calmly looked at Shirou Emiya and said, "You may call me Saber."]
["Oh, my name is Shirou… Emiya Shirou."]
["Emiya? Could it be…?"]
[Artoria looked at the young man before her, sensing his meager magical energy. It reminded her of the man who once commanded her to destroy the Holy Grail.]
[At the same time, she recognized the house, it was the very same place where she and Irisviel had temporarily stayed after Einzbern Castle was breached.]
["I see. You're not a proper Master, are you? Even so, you are still my Master."]
["Wait! Isn't it weird to suddenly call me 'Master'?"]
["Then I'll call you Shirou. I prefer that pronunciation."]
["Ah—W-What is this?"]
[Shirou Emiya looked completely bewildered. He finally noticed the Command Seals on the back of his hand.]
["These are called Command Seals. Please do not use them carelessly."]
[Artoria gazed into the distance, then frowned. She pointed at her shoulder and said, "Shirou, please heal my wound immediately."]
[She sensed two presences approaching, one of them unmistakably a Servant.]
[It seemed they were drawn here after hearing about her battle with Lancer.]
["Are you talking to me?"]
[Shirou Emiya asked somewhat awkwardly, "Sorry... A magecraft like that is too difficult for me..."]
[...Then I have no choice but to fight back like this!]
[Artoria was somewhat speechless, but despite her injuries, she had no other option but to continue fighting.]
[She leaped onto the roof and said, "There are two more enemies outside, but don't worry, I should be fine after another battle."]
[With that, she rushed out, intent on intercepting the enemy outside the mansion.]
[Fighting here, she would only be distracted by the need to protect Shirou Emiya.]
["Another enemy is coming… What are we supposed to do?"]
[Shirou Emiya was still confused. Everything had happened so quickly that he hadn't had time to process it.]
Waver: "She must be talking about Rin and the others."
Tohsaka Rin: "Hey, you're too impatient. I came to save someone."
Artoria: "Ahem, how was I supposed to know? You saw the situation."
This was the Holy Grail War. Even if you encountered close acquaintances, you still had to remain vigilant.
Tokiomi and Bazett were proof of that, both becoming cautionary tales.
[Outside the Emiya residence, Tohsaka Rin arrived a little late and was about to step inside—only for Artoria to rush out and swing her sword at her.]
[Red Archer reacted quickly, pushing Tohsaka Rin aside while projecting Kanshou and Bakuya, using his dual-wielding advantage to block Artoria's strike and force her back.]
[Just as Red Archer was about to press his attack, he caught sight of his opponent's face—Artoria. He was momentarily stunned.]
[Artoria, not recognizing Red Archer, seized the opportunity to launch a relentless barrage of slashes at him.]
[Red Archer kept defending, feeling frustrated.]
[As she fought, Artoria deduced his Servant class.]
[Even though Red Archer wasn't wielding a bow, she correctly guessed he was an Archer.]
["That's... Saber!"]
[Tohsaka Rin sat on the ground in shock, staring at Artoria with a dumbfounded expression.]
[That should have been her Servant!]
[Seeing Tohsaka Rin like this, Red Archer felt exasperated.]
[He wanted to retreat with Tohsaka Rin, but Artoria pressed forward, giving him no chance to escape. And of course, his Master was once again out of commission
]
["Stop, Saber!"]
[At this moment, Shirou Emiya finally rushed outside. Seeing that Artoria's target was Tohsaka Rin, he shouted on instinct.]
[Although he didn't consciously invoke his Command Seal, his overwhelming desire to stop Saber triggered it automatically.]
["Are you serious, Shirou!?"]
[Bound by the Command Seal, Artoria was forced to halt her attack. She turned to Shirou Emiya, looking at him with both confusion and anger.]
["You seriously used a Command Seal just to make me stop? Do you have any idea how important Command Seals are, especially for someone like me, who doesn't have a proper mana supply!?"]
Emiya Kiritsugu: "..."
Artoria: "..."
Sisigou: "You two… really are a perfect match @House Cook @Tohsaka Rin."
One had used a Command Seal in a fit of anger, and the other had wasted it accidentally. Both had managed to use their Command Seals in completely baffling situations right from the start.
Tohsaka Rin: "No! Don't bring that up again! That's a dark history!"
House Cook: "..."
Don't even mention it. He was already cringing at himself in the video.
The Shirou in the video only knew a bit of reinforcement magecraft, yet he had been dragged into the Holy Grail War. Things were only going to get harder from here.
["We were just about to defeat them! What are you doing!?"]
["Wait… Saber! I don't understand any of this right now! If you're calling me Master, at least explain it to me first!"]
[Shirou Emiya hurriedly stopped Artoria. His head was starting to ache, as if something was about to burst out of it.]
[From the beginning, he and Artoria had been completely out of sync. If they didn't get on the same page soon, this was only going to be painful for both of them.]
[Seeing this exchange, Tohsaka Rin finally grasped the situation and burst into laughter.]
[All stories start from this moment.]
[The video ends here.]
Waver: "For Shirou Emiya, this must have been a night to remember."
House Cook: "Sigh——"
Don't say any more. He was already feeling a phantom pain in his chest.
The Shirou in the video barely knew how to use reinforcement magecraft, yet he'd been thrown into the Holy Grail War. The road ahead was bound to be rough.
[The second question is over. The third question is about to begin.]
[This is a quick-answer question. Please watch the following video carefully before responding.]
[Video starts.]
[Fuyuki City, Emiya residence.]
[A room filled with a girlish atmosphere, sunlight streaming over the sleeping young girl.]
[An alarm clock rang beside her. The girl opened her ruby-red eyes groggily, then stumbled downstairs to wash up.]
Illya: "Ah!!! That's me!!!"
Irisviel: "Oh, this Ilya looks different, but she's so cute."
As expected of a mother, she immediately recognized that the Illya in the video wasn't her daughter from this world.
After all, the Illya from her world wasn't this adorable.
(To be continued.)