The next morning, Shirō regretted everything.
Standing in front of Homurahara Academy, she tugged at the hem of the unfamiliar uniform she had been forced into—a standard female student uniform, complete with a skirt that felt way too short.
This was humiliating.
Beside her, Rin was practically glowing with amusement, an infuriatingly smug grin plastered across her face. "You look cute, Emiya-kun."
Shirō shot her a glare that, if magecraft allowed, would have incinerated her on the spot. "I hate you."
"Aww, don't be like that," Rin said, patting her back just a little too hard. "You wanted to investigate, didn't you? Consider this your cover. Now you're just an ordinary transfer student. No one will question why you're here."
Shirō groaned. The uniform was uncomfortable, the eyes of passing students made her skin crawl, and worst of all—Archer had laughed at her. He hadn't even said anything, just turned away as his shoulders shook.
That betrayal would never be forgiven.
As they stepped through the school gates, Rin whispered, "Alright, act natural."
Shirō rolled her eyes. "Oh, sure, because walking into a school I don't belong to, wearing this, is totally natural."
"Shush. Just follow my lead."
They navigated through the hallways, keeping their ears open for anything suspicious. Most students were just chatting about their usual nonsense—homework, clubs, and whatever the hell normal high schoolers talked about. None of them knew the real danger lurking in this school.
Then, as they passed a classroom, Shirō caught snippets of conversation—whispers laced with concern.
"Did you hear? Another student collapsed yesterday…"
"Yeah… and Mitsuzuri-sempai is still absent."
Shirō's fists clenched. More victims.
Rin must've noticed, because she sighed. "Don't go charging in recklessly," she warned. "We need to find out who's behind this first."
Shirō exhaled sharply but nodded. She knew Rin was right, but that didn't make it any less infuriating.
Then—
"Oh! You must be new here! What's your name?"
Shirō froze.
Rin's smirk widened way too much.
Her mind went blank. What was she supposed to say?!
Rin, ever the sadist, just watched, clearly enjoying her suffering.
"Uh… I…" Shirō stammered.
And then—salvation came.
"You?"
Shirō turned sharply.
Standing there in his student council uniform, brows furrowed in confusion, was Ryuudou Issei.
Rin's smirk twitched.
Oh no.
"You're the woman from that morning! The one sleeping in the student council room!" Issei pointed at her. "What are you doing here? And why are you wearing a school uniform?!"
Shirō's brain crashed.
Oh. Crap.
She had completely forgotten.
That morning, after she had escaped from Illya and taken shelter in the Student Council Room, Issei had come—only to find Saber sleeping on the floor. They'd exchanged a few awkward words—very embarrassing—but it had been enough for Issei to remember her face.
And now, seeing her standing here, dressed as a student, it was obvious something didn't add up.
"I—"
"She's a transfer student!" Rin cut in smoothly, stepping forward before Shirō could completely butcher the situation. "She's my Emiya-kun's cousin. I pulled some strings to get her enrolled last-minute. You know, since Shirō Emiya isn't attending school anymore."
Issei blinked. "Emiya's cousin?! That still doesn't explain—"
"She wanted to see how the school was," Rin interrupted again, beaming. "Right, Saber-chan?"
Shirō flinched at the name.
I hate you, Tohsaka.
But there was no choice. So, forcing the most awkward smile of her life, she nodded stiffly. "Yes. That's right. I'm, uh… Saber."
Issei frowned. "That's a strange name."
"It's European," Rin supplied instantly.
"…I see." Issei still looked deeply suspicious, but he sighed. "Well, if Tohsaka vouches for you, I won't question it." Then, his brows furrowed. "Still, something about you seems… familiar."
Shirō stiffened. "I-I just have one of those faces."
Issei hummed, clearly unconvinced, but thankfully, he let it go. "Alright. But if you need anything, feel free to ask."
With that, he walked off.
Shirō let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding.
Rin snickered. "Saber-chan, huh?"
"…Shut up."
Unfortunately—or maybe fortunately—Shirō as Saber didn't exist in any official records.
That meant she spent the entire day wandering around the school, keeping an eye out for anything weird.
Somehow, that also meant she ended up helping people.