Chapter 170: Better use your muscles than use your brain

"What should I do? Isn't that up to you? Red Archer, what are *your* plans?" Li Mo asked.

The identity of Red Archer still remained unspoken, deliberately leaving room for thought. Revealing his name outright would only escalate tensions. Red Archer, as the future version of Shirou Emiya, harbored hostility toward his past self. Once confident in his path of justice, he now found himself increasingly bewildered by it, looking back and seeing how naive his former beliefs truly were.

"If your observations are accurate, then you should already know my thoughts," Red Archer replied curtly.

"Questioning one's past self is something I understand well. But thoughts are just thoughts—actions matter far more. To me, you're a ticking time bomb, Red Archer. The timing and magnitude of your explosion remain unknown, but the threat is undeniable."

Conflict between Red Archer and Shirou Emiya was inevitable. Either Red Archer would witness Shirou letting go of his obsessions, or Shirou would convince him through the righteousness of his current path. There was no third option.

This was a clash—not between enemies, but between two versions of the same person.

"You see things quite clearly!" Red Archer shot back, locking gazes with Li Mo.

"Of course. You're the first modern Heroic Spirit I encountered. How could I not understand you thoroughly?"

"How do you plan to convince me?"

"I shouldn't even be here, right?" Li Mo responded cryptically.

Red Archer paused briefly, thrown off guard.

"That proves nothing."

"The flutter of a butterfly's wings in South America can trigger a tornado in North America. Small changes, when compounded over time, lead to massive deviations."

"The Butterfly Effect is just a theory. Who can guarantee the future will change?"

"Then let me introduce you to the burden of family. If someone marries and starts a family, could they still follow the same misguided path as Kiritsugu Emiya? Would they repeat the same mistakes under those circumstances?"

Red Archer's path was flawed—this much he acknowledged. His long-held "justice" turned out to be wrong, and once trapped, there seemed no escape. He simply didn't want his past self to make the same mistakes.

Red Archer fell silent again.

Their rapid exchange drew everyone's attention. The information exchanged was dense: Red Archer was a modern Heroic Spirit connected to Rin Tohsaka herself. This implied she might learn about her own future through him. 

But Rin quickly snapped out of it. The key issue—the true name of Archer—had yet to be revealed.

Smack! 

"Ow ow ow…"

Rin slapped the table hard, forgetting the principle of equal and opposite reaction. The cold wooden surface sent a sharp jolt back into her hand, causing pain.

"What are you doing, Master?" Red Archer asked dryly.

Such foolish behavior wasn't new to him. He remembered her rash use of Command Spells during their first meeting—a trait matching perfectly with the memories he carried.

"Not answering me, huh? Fine, so what's Archer's real name?" Rin pressed.

Neither Red Archer nor Li Mo responded. They默契ly ignored her question.

"Do you intend to forcibly alter my fate?" Red Archer questioned.

"I'm not that forceful. People act differently depending on their circumstances. A poor person might succumb to temptation because they have nothing to lose. But someone with a family has everything to protect and resist such lures," Li Mo explained.

"I get it… but all this feels like empty promises."

"Simple mana sustains a Servant indefinitely. From what I know, El-Melloi II at Clock Tower once dealt with someone who wandered around with a Servant in tow. You can observe firsthand—or even supervise." 

"That makes sense, but I still feel uneasy," Red Archer admitted. In front of Li Mo, it felt as though none of his secrets were hidden. His thoughts, ideals, actions—all laid bare.

Long-range vision… It was truly unsettling.

Li Mo didn't take offense. If someone else spoke about him this way, he'd likely react the same as Red Archer.

"In the end, Medea was right. Sometimes reasoning and words aren't enough to persuade someone. Using muscle instead of brains is easier," Li Mo mused aloud, raising his hand.

In an instant, shadows gathered in Li Mo's palm, forming a weapon ready for combat.

The next second, both figures vanished from the room in a blur of speed far beyond human capability.

Rin slapped her cheeks lightly, trying to clear her mind. "What are they doing?"

"When men can't resolve conflicts through words, they resort to fighting. Right, Medusa-san?" Koyanskaya appeared in the room, addressing thin air beside her.

Medusa materialized nearby. "Call me Rider."

"Aww, I envy you, Rider. Your Master clearly favors you. Yet here I am, striking out pitches he won't swing at!" Koyanskaya lamented.

"Hold on—aren't you worried about your Master battling a Servant?!" Rin exclaimed, alarmed.

"It's just sparring… Besides, I don't think my Master would lose to Archer if it came to a serious fight," Koyanskaya stated confidently.

Rin frowned. Even her Servant believed this? Could Li Mo truly stand toe-to-toe with a Servant?

Her head spun with confusion, overwhelmed by the mounting revelations. First, Li Mo hinted that a Servant might become his husband… then Archer denied being related to him, yet clearly knew him. So who among the people she knew would become Archer?

Her gaze shifted to Sakura Matou, whose attention lingered on Shirou Emiya. Following the line of sight, she compared features—and noticed striking similarities between Red Archer and Shirou. Their facial structures were nearly identical; only skin tone differed slightly.

A bolt of inspiration struck her, organizing the scattered pieces of information into a coherent whole. The answer crystallized instantly.

"Archer—isn't he *Shirou Emiya*?!!"

Rin nearly shouted the realization aloud, her voice filled with disbelief.