As said before, the Emiya residence and Homurahara Academy were basically on the sa uphill path.
So, Artoria and Sajyou Manaka soon arrived at Homurahara Academy.
At this point, Artoria still purely thought that Sajyou Manaka intended to co to school to ask the teacher for leave.
Until...
"Mitsuzuri-san?"
Sajyou Manaka politely called out to Mitsuzuri Ayako, who was about to go to class.
"Oh, it's Sajyou-senpai."
With elegant looks, a refreshing outfit, and a clean image featuring short brown hair and brown eyes, Mitsuzuri Ayako stopped on the field and neatly asked, "What is it?"
With her looks that could turn heads even without makeup, she lightly smiled.
Unlike her long-ti rival Tohsaka Rin, she held a good impression of this well-mannered junior, especially because she was so beautiful.
"Mm, there's sothing I need senpai's help with."
Sajyou Manaka smiled as always, "It's a bit inconvenient here, could we go to the archery club?"
"Archery club?", Mitsuzuri Ayako paused for a second.
She had just left the archery club and handed the clubroom key to Fujimura-sensei.
She explained this to Sajyou Manaka, only for the latter to smile even more happily.
"Perfect. I also have sothing to discuss with Fujimura-sensei."
"You're looking for Fujimura-sensei too?"
Mitsuzuri Ayako grew suspicious and turned her gaze to the girl standing behind her, Artoria.
A trace of surprise flashed in her eyes.
'What a cute foreign girl.'
'Judging by the looks of it, the business with Fujimura-sensei is likely related to this foreign girl.'
She didn't ask further and readily agreed, bringing the two of them to look for Fujimura Taiga.
At this mont, Artoria faintly sensed unease and asked, "Manaka, what are you trying to do?"
"Don't worry, it's a good thing for Saber~", Sajyou Manaka replied in a coaxing tone.
———
"Fujimura-sensei," Mitsuzuri Ayako knocked before speaking up.
"Oh? Mitsuzuri-san," Cheerfully placing the key into her drawer, Fujimura Taiga ca over, "What's up?"
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck her, and she whispered sneakily, "I've got bad news for you, looks like Tohsaka-san's found a boyfriend."
"She, huh?", Mitsuzuri Ayako said as if she had already expected it, "She's so pretty and a top student. The number of people who've confessed to her is uncountable. Isn't it only natural she has a boyfriend?"
"…No, wait!", Realizing belatedly, she shouted in frustration, "That girl actually pulled off such big gossip without a word?"
"Damn it, doesn't that an I lost?", She cried out like a girl being exposed for having a cutely decorated room.
Because earlier, she and Tohsaka Rin had made a bet. Whoever got a boyfriend before third-year graduation; whoever didn't, or got one later, had to unconditionally obey the winner's orders for a year.
"Wait, how did Fujimura-sensei even find out about this?", Mitsuzuri Ayako noticed sothing was off.
With Tohsaka Rin's personality, even if she found a boyfriend, she wouldn't hide it, she'd show him off shalessly.
"Well, that…", Fujimura Taiga hesitated.
After all, Rin had told her to keep it secret.
"Hmm? Fujimura-sensei, why'd you go quiet?"
Mitsuzuri Ayako gave her the look of a wife catching her husband cheating, "You weren't bribed by Tohsaka, were you?"
"How could I be?", Taiga shouted, "Would a teacher like do sothing like that?"
She got mad, so she said, "What did Sajyou-san co here for, anyway?"
Fujimura Taiga very naturally shifted the topic.
So natural it didn't feel fake at all.
That's just how Fujimura Taiga is.
Even if she suddenly said she wanted to swim in winter, people might look at her strangely, but they wouldn't doubt she'd actually do it.
"There's a little sothing I need to talk to both sensei and Mitsuzuri-san about," Sajyou Manaka tucked her hair behind her exquisite ear and smiled.
She was so patient, waiting for them to finish chatting before asking her question.
"Is that everything, Kuzuki-sensei?"
The voices of Ryuudou Issei and Kuzuki Souichirou ca from afar, gradually drawing closer.
Sajyou Manaka nodded with satisfaction, "Everyone's here."
"What do you an 'everyone's here'? Sajyou-san isn't…", Mitsuzuri Ayako hadn't finished speaking when she and Fujimura Taiga were knocked unconscious by a spell.
"Manaka!", Artoria's eyes widened.
"Mm, Sa…", Ryuudou Issei and the wary Kuzuki Souichirou didn't escape either, they were instantly knocked out.
"An extra teacher?", Sajyou Manaka tilted her head, reached out, and prepared to eliminate Kuzuki Souichirou directly.
According to the Mage's Association's standards, this was the right thing to do.
"Stop, Manaka!", Artoria stopped her, eyes stern, "What are you doing?"
"Obviously, making him disappear."
Sajyou Manaka answered with a tone that suggested it was only natural.
Artoria: "Why?"
"Why?", While Artoria's words were an interrogation, Sajyou Manaka's tone was genuine confusion.
But her question was, "Why are you stopping , Saber?"
She wasn't confused by Artoria's anger, nor did she find her motivation strange.
She simply wanted to know why Saber was stopping her.
"You're seriously asking why?", Artoria stared at her in disbelief and said, "Manaka, they're just like you... yes! They are just like you!"
Her tone gradually fird, "Even I am different from them in so ways. But one undeniable fact is, they, like you, are humans, living in this world, doing different things, but the sa as humans!"
"So before stripping away their lives. Tell , Manaka, would you truly feel not even a trace of hesitation about their deaths? Answer !"
A king's interrogation. A king's fury.
Facing Artoria's anger-filled questioning, Sajyou Manaka chuckled sweetly, "Yes, Saber. I am the sa as them. But… what does that matter? We're not close anyway."
"You… what did you just say?", Artoria's gaze turned horrified. She knew, there was no doubt, the girl in front of her was completely broken.
These were people who'd been her friends, classmates, and teachers for who knows how long.
To her, were they just "not close"?
The worst part was, she still faced her Servant with the sweetest smile and said, "This is for you, Saber. If you don't defeat Berserker, you won't get the Grail…"
"Even now… you're still saying… it's for ?", Artoria trembled all over in rage, and her usually upright posture lost its proud strength.
She no longer knew whether it was anger or sothing else.
Her heart felt like it was being slashed open, one cut at a ti, by a sharp blade, bloody and raw.
The pain was enough to nearly break her.
This ti, the knight had finally lost all faith in the one she served.
Her once bright, erald-green eyes had lost all their light.
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