You Couldn’t Think of Another, Safer, Way to Achieve Your Goal?

TYPE-MOON Universe, Earth, Japan, Fuyuki City.

The tense atmosphere persisted after Tatsuo revealed both Saber's and Archer's identities, the two Servants, clearly ready to attack. Yet, Tatsuo's calm demeanor gave them pause. On top of that, they could both feel a level of threat coming from Elicia, who remained smiling while the standoff continued.

"Ugh... What happened to me." Shirou groaned as his eyes slowly opened.

Shirou's groan, though weak and low in volume, was easily heard by everyone in the room thanks to the silence. Immediately, most of the tense atmosphere was blown away. Though, neither Saber nor Archer put their weapons away.

Even so, it was obvious that they both reacted to Shirou's awakening. Though, both reacted differently.

Saber, hearing her Master's voice, slowly began inching closer to him, intent on checking his condition without taking her eyes off Tatsuo and Elicia. Archer, on the other hand, clicked his tongue in irritation.

"Shirou, how are you feeling?" Saber asked as she drew near to Shirou.

"My whole body hurts." Shirou said while trying to sit up.

"What are you doing you moron?" Rin asked angrily as she placed her hands on Shirou's shoulders and forced him to remain lying down. "You were nearly split in half by that Berserker. Hell, it's amazing you're even alive."

Hearing Rin, Shirou froze in disbelief, allowing Rin to push him back onto the couch he was lying on.

"What happened, exactly?" Shirou, his disbelief audible in his tone, asked as he closed his eyes once again.

With that, Rin began explaining what happened to Shirou, who, before he could fully register the situation, had been knocked unconscious thanks to the shock of his injury.

Meanwhile, Archer continued to glare at Tatsuo.

"Like I said before, why are you looking at me like that?" Tatsuo asked, his tone making it clear that he did not see Archer as a threat. "I can guess why you always look at the red head with so much hostility. So, shouldn't what we proposed be in your best interest?"

"That's none of your business." Archer replied coldly.

"Whatever." Tatsuo replied with a shrug. "I don't really care what happens to the kid, either."

"Anyway." Elicia said, cutting through the tension as she looked directly at Shirou. "Was this enough of a wake-up call to let you know that you're not ready for the Holy Grail War, Emiya?"

Hearing his name, Shirou struggled to open his eyes again. And when he finally opened them enough to see, he slowly turned his head towards Elicia, resolve burning in his eyes.

"I can't just give up." Shirou rasped out. "If I don't do something, the Grail could fall into the wrong hands."

"That could happen even if you do." Elicia countered in an extremely serious tone. "And with the way you are now, you're Saber is too weak to guarantee even a chance at victory in the Holy Grail War. Basically, your lack of training is holding her back."

Hearing the way Elicia spoke to Shirou, both Sakura and Rin were completely taken aback. Until now, they had always heard her sound either cheerful or playful. But the gravitas in her words was nothing like they had ever heard before.

"Besides, the reason you want to participate is to save lives, isn't it?" Elicia asked, not giving Shirou a chance to retort. "Then, wouldn't becoming a doctor or something be just as good."

"But that would limit the people I could save to those who I was able to see." Shirou said weakly.

"Even if you were a Magus, that wouldn't change." Elicia countered once again. "You can't save everyone. It's just not possible. And even if you could save everyone you encounter, you can only be in one place at one time."

At that, Shirou fell silent. However, after a few moments of contemplation, he raised his head with resolve burning in his eyes.

"I could use the Holy Grail; to grant my wish of salvation for everyone." Shirou said, his tone as sharp as any blade.

'That line is coming from the wrong Shirou, isn't it?' Tatsuo and Elicia thought to themselves simultaneously.

"And exactly what wish would you make to have the Grail grant something like that?" Elicia asked after shaking off the stupid thought she just had. "Because contrary to what you might think, the Holy Grail is not omnipotent. For something that complex, you would have to be able to give it specific instructions."

"How do you know so much about this?" Rin asked, her curiosity getting the better of her as she interrupted the conversation.

"Are you really asking a Magus to give you her secrets for free?" Elicia asked, her tone turning playful once again. "You should know better than that."

Immediately, Rin blushed in embarrassment. AT the same time, however, her expression turned irritated. Elicia seemed to have so many secrets and knew so much more than she did. And that was irritating her to no end.

"Anyway, do you have an idea of how to save everyone?" Elicia asked, her tone turning serious once again as she raised an eyebrow at Shirou. "Otherwise, your wish just sounds like a naïve dream that a kid would come up with."

Shirou did not have anything to say in response. Meanwhile, Archer's eyebrow twitched in irritation. Elicia's words felt like an attack on him, as well, for obvious reasons. And what made it even worse was that he lived through his life following those naïve ideals without having a concrete plan of how to achieve his goals up until the day he was betrayed by his allies and executed.

"Although you're probably right about Emiya-Kun's wish." Rin said, drawing a look filled with betrayal from Shirou. "What about Saber? It's clear she really wants her wish to be granted, too. And without him, she won't be able to participate, will she?"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that." Elicia replied, her playful tone coming back. "I have more than enough magic power… Er… magical energy… to sustain both her and Assassin even if they both went all out for a week without any issue."

Hearing that, the room fell into dumbfounded silence as everyone just looked at Elicia with their amazement showing on their faces. However, that was also tinged with more than just a little skepticism. For someone to have that much mana was hard to believe, after all.

"It looks like you don't believe me, huh?" Elicia asked, her playful smile widening. "Well then, check this out. Ahh~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!~"

As Elicia started shouting, she spread her legs and fell into a horse stance. At the same time, she threw her head back while a constipated expression showed up on her face.

"Really, Lici?" Tatsuo muttered to himself at a volume that only he could hear. He then discreetly pulled out his smartphone and started recording as he continued with a slight smile on his face. "I bet Alfonzo is gonna be pissed he missed this. So, I'll just make some memories I can share with he group."

Meanwhile, everyone else in the room, despite how silly Elicia looked at the moment, could not help but pale at the amount of mana pouring off of Elicia, the pressure from her exertion putting pressure on everyone in the room. IN fact, the pressure was so great that Shirou nearly lost consciousness again.

A few moments later, Elicia stopped flexing her magic power, causing everyone's expressions to ease significantly. Though, they still looked at her with astonishment in their eyes.

"So, did that answer your question, Rin?" Elicia asked while winking in Rin's direction. At the same time, she noticed Tatsuo putting away his smartphone, and her expression dropped. "Hey, Assassin, what did you just do?"

"Oh, nothing special." Tatsuo replied with a shrug. "Just took a video of your power-up sequence. Thought your husband would get a kick out of it."

Hearing that, Sakura, Rin, and Rider could not help giggling at Elicia's dumbfounded expression. Meanwhile, Shirou grinned despite his consciousness that was barely hanging on. As for Saber and Archer, Saber found the corners of her lips curling up involuntarily while Archer snorted harshly in an attempt to hide his amusement.

As for the expression that everyone was laughing at, Elicia looked completely mortified, her heroic image during her power-up sequence nowhere to be seen. With her mouth opening and closing repeatedly, despite the fact that no words were said, her confusion and disbelief were on full display.

*Bang!*

Eventually, Elicia snapped out of her dumbfounded state. She then lunged at Tatsuo, her speed leaving everyone present in awe, as she seemingly vanished from where she stood before slamming face first into the floor after phasing straight through Tatsuo, who did not move in the slightest.

"Ow~~~~!" Elicia groaned as she sat up with tears in her eyes as she rubbed her nose.

"No matter what you do, he's going to see this video." Tatsuo said with a smile.

"I'll get you back for this." Elicia hissed.

["That's what you get for not thinking it through before doing something so embarrassing. Hmph!"] Scylla scolded from Elicia's inner world.

'Now's not the time, Scylla.' Elicia shot back harshly. 'If Fonzie sees that video, we're never gonna hear the end of it. He's gonna be insufferable.'

['Oh, he definitely will."] Scylla replied with a nod. ["And it will last for years to come."]

'Exactly!' Elicia shouted internally. 'And that's why we---'

["But maybe this will make you think through your actions more."] Scylla said, completely ignoring Elicia's exclamation. ["For once, you'll see tangible consequences for your ill thought-out actions."]

'Traitor!' Elicia cried in her mind.

Meanwhile, Rin, Archer, Shirou, and Saber were completely dumbfounded at how quickly the tense and volatile atmosphere was destroyed. As for Sakura and Rider, after living in the same hotel suite as Tatsuo and Elicia for nearly a month, they've gotten used to the severe swings in atmosphere that these two brought with them.

"*Cough* Anyway..." Elicia said after noticing the awkward atmosphere. "Like I was saying, I have enough mana to handle two summoning contracts. And with my strength, I can push Saber to her full strength. Much stronger than she is with you, Emiya."

With that, Elicia turned to look Shirou directly into his eyes.

"And that will dencrease the chances of stopping what you're afraid of, the Grail falling into the wrong hands, from happening." Elicia continued, her tone filled with resolve. "On top of that, it will keep you, a kid who found himself embroiled in something beyond his means, safe."

Elicia then clenched her fists, her resolve burning even brighter in her eyes.

"And it will help me fulfill one of my own desires." Elicia said, her voice dropping in volume, though the intensity behind her words increased. "Making sure that no more children lose the chance to live good lives and reach their full potential in a safe way."

As she spoke, Elicia could not help but think back to the day she lost her parents in this life. The helpless feeling she felt when she and Alfonzo were stuffed into a cellar and listen to the sound of their parents being tortured to death for saving them from the cultists who wanted to use them to build that accursed Tower of Heaven.

Meanwhile, everyone else in the room could only stare on in silence. No one expected the passion that accompanied Elicia's attempt to get Shirou to leave such a dangerous ritual. But they could all understand just how invested in this she was.

After Elicia's words ended, the silence in the room lingered for what seemed like a long time, no one knowing exactly what to say. Even Shirou, who was so sure about his goal, started to reconsider. Especially since this was the first time anyone showed such consideration for his well-being ever since his adopted father passed away.

As for Saber, her eyebrows knitted slightly. She then, turned to look at Tatsuo before turning back to look at Elicia.

"Let's assume Shirou accepted your proposal to retire from the Holy Grail War." Saber said in an uncertain tone. "And what if you were the last Master standing, your 'two Servants' both having survived until the end. What would happen with the Grail? Who would get to have their wish granted? Would you simply use your command spells to force one of us to commit suicide to let the other win the opportunity?"

Even though she said "one of us," Everyone knew Saber was referring to herself when she mentioned someone being forced to commit suicide. So, like Saber, they all looked at Elicia waiting for her to answer the question.

Yet, Elicia did not answer the question. Not directly, anyway. Instead, she looked at Tatsuo, causing everyone else in the room to shift their gazes, as well. And when they did, they saw Tatsuo, a wide, challenging smile on his face, staring at Saber with battle intent blazing in his eyes.

"If she did that, I wouldn't be happy." Tatsuo said, his fighting intent clear within his words. "No offense to the kid, but fighting you while you were his Servant, as severely weakened as you are, was no fun at all. But with you drawing power from Lici might actually be a challenge. A challenge that I'm looking forward to."

'I understand that he's in character right now.' Elicia thought to herself while rolling her eyes discreetly. 'But hearing him call Emiya a kid over and over again is hilarious. I mean, Tatsuo's nearly two full years younger.'

["Ahh~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!"] Scylla shouted, impersonating Elicia when she was showing off her power.

'Sh-shut up!' Elicia squeaked internally.

"I see." Saber replied, a small smile of her own creeping onto her face.

"Well, this is the first time I've ever heard of a battle junkie Assassin before." Rin muttered while shaking her head. "I mean, aren't assassins supposed to be all stealthy, kill from the shadows, one-shot killers? But this one wants to fight a Saber Servant head on while it's at full strength."

Both Sakura and Archer nodded in agreement with Rin's muttering. Though, Sakura found herself smiling at Tatsuo's intensity. Meanwhile, Rider focused all her senses on Tatsuo, making him feel slightly uncomfortable when he noticed her fervor.

"I... need some time to think.' Shirou said, sounding uncertain of his convictions for the first time in years.

"Sure." Elicia replied with a nod and a smile. "Just don't wait too long. It seems that that girl, Illya, really has it out for you. And I have no doubt that she'll come after you again if you take too long."

Remembering his only real meeting with Illyasviel, Shirou could not help but nod his head in understanding. From what he could tell, she seemed to be paying really close attention to him. Though, he had no idea why.

"Yeah, she said something about him taking her parents away." Rin said in a concerned tone. "So, it's no wonder that Berserker attacked you so viciously as soon as you showed up."

"Huh?" Shirou intoned in utter confusion. "What does that even mean?"

"I guess your dad didn't tell you anything, did he?" Elicia asked in an exasperated tone. "Then again, he probably never expected something like this to happen."

"What are you talking about?" Shirou asked while trying to sit up once again. However, the pain from his injury stopped him in his tracks.

"Your adopted father, Emiya Kiritsugu, is Illya's biological father." Elicia said bluntly. "He was the Einzbern Family's representative in the last Holy Grail War. But after that war, he never returned to the Einzbern Castle in Germany. Or that's what the official story is, anyway."

"Official story?" Sakura asked in her characteristically quiet tone.

"Yeah, that's what the Einzberns have been telling everyone." Elicia replied with a nod. "According to them, Kiritsugu betrayed their trust during the last Grail War, leading to his wife's, Irisviel von Einzbern's, death and abandoning his daughter, Illyasviel."

While most of those in the room were dumbfounded by the information Elicia just dropped on them, Saber's reaction was different. Her hands, still holding her invisible sword ever since Tatsuo revealed her identity, tightened while her jaw clenched so tightly that the grinding of her teeth was audible to everyone in the room.

"It looks like Saber knows something about this." Elicia said, turning to Saber with a smile. "Mind sharing with the rest of the class?"

Those words caused all the eyes in the room to turn to Saber. Saber, on the other hand, shot Elicia the stink eye, causing her smile to widen. Then, she took a deep breath before letting her gaze roam around the room.

"She's right, I do know the truth of the matter." Saber said, beginning an explanation that would shake Shirou's convictions even further.