Chapter 47: Chance Encounter with the Saint
While Shirou savored the taste of Chinese cuisine, he couldn't help but feel relieved that he wasn't short on cash this time around. If he had summoned Saber during the period of the Fourth Holy Grail War, the mere expense of her meals would have been a staggering sum. Even though his culinary skills weren't bad back then, he likely would have run out of funds quite easily.
Though it was a bit late, they had finally finished lunch. However, for the post-lunch entertainment, "Batting Practice" was chosen once again because Saber hadn't felt satisfied earlier.
The rule was that the first to hit ten hits wins, but because their skills were neck-and-neck, they fell into an endless loop. A "hit" can be classified into four types based on the base the batter reaches: a single, double, triple, or home run.
Even with magical energy forbidden, Saber's natural strength was still far superior to Rin's. Even though Rin exercised regularly and was already showing the early signs of "Muscle Rin," she still couldn't match Saber. Nevertheless, Saber highly acknowledged Rin's skill level. Rin was capable of consistently hitting balls traveling at 120 km/h. In Saber's era, Rin would likely have been considered a heroine among women.
Illya had the smallest physique, so it was normal for her pure physical strength to be low without magecraft, but by the standards of a modern girl, Rin could no longer be classified as the "not very strong" type.
"Shirou, your eyes are looking at something very rude!" Rin stared intently at the daydreaming Shirou.
"How impolite. Batting isn't just about wrist strength; if the swing speed and impact angle are right, even a girl can hit the ball."
"That might work for one or two balls, but the problem is what comes after. For an ordinary person, the wrist muscles would go stiff. Do you do push-ups before bed? No, only day-after-day training could allow someone to swing to this extent," Shirou asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I... I do! What of it? Is that not allowed?"
"I just think it's very impressive!" Shirou offered sincere praise for the fact that Rin had managed to maintain her training for ten years.
"I have a feeling you're mocking me in a different way, but I have no evidence." Rin looked suspiciously at Shirou, who was suddenly being generous with his compliments; it felt strangely awkward to her. Being mocked so often, this sudden praise made her feel inexplicably embarrassed.
After playing for a while longer, both Rin and Saber began to feel tired.
As they left the facility, the previously clear sky suddenly darkened, looking as if it were about to weep. At this point, even a sudden downpour wouldn't be surprising.
"It feels like it's going to rain."
As soon as Rin said those words, she felt water land on her cheek. It was a textbook example of words becoming reality.
"Let's find a place to take cover," Shirou said.
Even though he could control the weather, there was no need for it. Sudden events in daily life sometimes leave behind interesting and beautiful memories, and he didn't want to ruin that on a whim.
Since outdoor activities were temporarily off the table, they entered a shopping mall.
"How about playing darts?"
Rin spotted another activity of interest. She was looking toward a billiard hall not far away. However, because it was a day off, the place was packed, and only the dart boards inside were relatively empty.
"Let's go take a look."
Just as they were about to head over, Shirou suddenly spotted a familiar figure passing through his line of sight along with the crowd in the mall. It was Caren Ortensia, dressed in red casual clothes, accompanied by a beautiful blonde girl.
In the crowd, they were like the most beautiful flowers growing amidst weeds, releasing a powerful sense of presence at every moment. No one could ignore them; if they weren't being pushed along by the throng of people, surely no one would want to stop themselves from pausing to admire them.
"What a coincidence, Miss Caren."
Hearing the boy's voice, Caren stopped and turned her gaze toward Shirou.
"M-Mr. Orihara..."
Caren spoke somewhat formally, then pursed her lips slightly, appearing hesitant as if she had thought of something.
Jeanne stood by Caren's side, looking at Shirou with vigilance. In her eyes as the Ruler, Shirou was exactly the kind of existence that could disrupt the order of the Holy Grail War. The battle she witnessed that night, where he crushed Archer, had left an incredibly deep impression on her.
If it came to a fight, Jeanne didn't believe she could protect Caren effectively, which was why she was so cautious. Her privileges as a Ruler only applied to Servants, making them completely useless against Shirou. After all, who could have imagined that a guy capable of
suppressing a Servant would appear in this Holy Grail War? Such a thing would sound unbelievable to a magus of the past or present.
"By the way, where are you two planning to go next?" Shirou asked curiously.
"We—"
Before Caren could finish, Jeanne interrupted her.
"Are you trying to probe our movements?"
"No... just asking casually."
Shirou shrugged nonchalantly. "It seems this Saintess is very wary of me."
"...!!"
The moment she heard that title from Shirou's mouth, Jeanne's pupils constricted. "Tsk... how did you see through that?"
To Jeanne's question, Shirou simply placed his index finger in front of his lips, narrowed his eyes slightly, and replied: "It's a secret."
"..."
Both Jeanne and Saber, standing behind Shirou, began to radiate an aura of tension, as if a sword-point confrontation were imminent. Seeing the atmosphere grow increasingly strained, Caren hurriedly spoke up.
"We were planning to check out that clothing store over there. Would you like to join us?"
"I see. Let's head over then."
Shirou seemed completely unbothered by the "about-to-draw-swords" atmosphere between Jeanne and Saber, speaking with total ease. Seeing that Saber was still standing stiffly in a staring contest with Jeanne, Shirou grabbed her slender wrist and pulled her toward the clothing store.
"Alright, Saber, let's go."
"Eh? Sh-Shirou...!"
Suddenly pulled out of her combat-ready state, Saber was a bit at a loss, though she showed no sign of resisting Shirou's lead.
Once they arrived at the clothing store, unlike the previous hosiery shop, there were no annoying clerks blocking the way. Shirou could pick out outfits for Saber and the others to his heart's content.
"This maid outfit would definitely suit you, Saber~"
"Illya, a shrine maiden outfit and white tights are a perfect match."
"Medea, an 'Office Lady' outfit suits you well; come try it."
"Sakura, just for my sake, put this on—"
Before Shirou could finish his sentence, he was dragged away by Rin under the embarrassed gazes of the girls.
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