Upon arriving at City Hall, the two first sought out Kirei Kotomine.
"The corrupted Caster was indeed defeated by you. My familiars have confirmed this result. Therefore, let us proceed with the Command Spell transfer."
Kirei Kotomine's face broke into a gentlemanly smile as he rolled up his sleeve, revealing a hand covered in Command Spells.
"Rin, I'll give this Command Spell to you."
"Why?"
Caught off guard, Rin stared at him in shock.
"You lost one, didn't you?"
Roy smiled. "Consider it compensation for dragging you into this mess for no reason."
"Do you even understand what a Command Spell is?"
Rin gaped at him, dumbfounded.
"This is absolute command authority over a Servant! It can even save your life in critical moments, and you're just giving it to me? We may be allies now, but once the corrupted Servants are dealt with, we'll be competitors again. This is practically aiding the enemy!"
They had already signed a Self-Geis Scroll, binding them not to attack each other without cause until the corrupted Servants were dealt with. For now, they were reliable allies.
But fundamentally, any magus aiming to win the Holy Grail War was an enemy to the others.
Rin had long prepared herself to face Roy in battle once the corrupted Servants were eliminated.
"It's fine."
Roy chuckled lightly.
After all, Command Spells were merely a type of magecraft.
"You only have one Command Spell left now, right? Are you sure you don't need a refill?"
Roy pointed at Rin's hand with a smile.
"T-That's..."
Rin's cheeks flushed red as she shyly covered the back of her hand.
Indeed, only a single Command Spell remained on her hand.
Aside from using one earlier to help Archer escape Black Saber's pursuit, she had also used another when Archer was first summoned. Frustrated by his rebellious attitude, she had impulsively spent it on a vague command—"Obey all my orders"—greatly diminishing its effectiveness.
"You messed up again, didn't you?"
"Shut up!"
Rin's ears burned crimson as she glared at Roy.
Though she seemed angry, her reddened face only made her look adorable, completely devoid of intimidation.
"Fine, I'll remember this favour. One day, I'll definitely pay you back!"
The moment the words left her mouth, Rin's heart sank.
Oh no.
She was accumulating more and more debts to him!
How was she supposed to repay all this?
With trepidation, Rin extended her hand and accepted the Command Spell transfer from Kirei Kotomine.
'Truly, the only way to repay such kindness is with...'
Kirei observed Rin's flushed face.
The corners of his eyes lifted slightly.
A fleeting glint of malice flashed in his gaze.
"Hmm?"
Roy suddenly sensed a faint, sinister gaze.
He turned and locked eyes with Kirei.
The man's smile was saintly—devoid of joy or sorrow.
But Roy, highly sensitive to malice, didn't miss the brief flicker of amusement in his eyes.
This bastard.
What was he plotting now?
***
The refugee shelter was located not far from City Hall.
After leaving the government building, the two made their way there hand in hand.
It was still early morning.
The shelter was mostly empty, save for a few overworked staff and the dozen or so refugees who had just been brought in.
And one magus waiting with a gloomy expression.
The man had golden hair, dark skin, and Middle Eastern features—none other than Atram.
Shelter lobby.
The moment Roy stepped through the entrance, he spotted Atram leaning against the wall, his face as dark as a storm cloud.
Seated nearby on a bench were Ichika Nakano and Miku Nakano, their expressions lifeless.
"Ah, if it isn't Mr. Atram?"
Roy approached with a flawless smile.
"The night is chilly. Shouldn't you be heading home? You might catch a cold!"
The moment he entered,
Atram, Ichika, and Miku's gazes all snapped toward him.
Ichika's eyes held a trace of unease.
"Lord Roy."
Though Roy was polite, Atram had no intention of exchanging pleasantries.
He stared at Roy, his barely restrained irritation leaking into his tone.
"I heard you chose these two as your attendants. Coincidentally, I also took a liking to them. While it's a shame, first come, first served—I'll let you pick first. Choose one, and I'll take the other."
Ichika had been enduring this torment for some time.
Hearing Atram's words, her expression twisted in horror.
Roy picks one, and he takes the other?
How could such a thing happen?
"What are you talking about?"
Roy looked at him, baffled.
"Stop playing dumb."
Atram's patience was wearing thin, his tone turning hostile.
"No matter how skilled you are in magecraft, you're still just a Frame. At most, you can only choose one attendant—that's the rule in Fuyuki City. I'm already showing you respect by letting you pick first!"
"No way. I want both, of course!"
Roy burst into laughter, his face the picture of innocence.
"Are you trying to break the rules?"
Atram's voice rose several decibels.
"Of course not. That's why I brought Mayor Tohsaka with me."
Roy grinned and gestured to the black-haired, twin-tailed young lady behind him.
Rin glanced at Atram.
Suddenly recalling Roy's earlier account of Atram's deeds, her face twisted in disgust, and she immediately turned away, unwilling to even look at him.
Exchanging even a single word with him felt filthy!
"We agreed—I take one, she takes one. There's nothing left for you."
Roy smiled cheerfully at him.
If you dare, try competing with Rin Tohsaka for them!
Rin's rank as a magus was Grand.
This was largely due to political considerations—as the mayor, she needed a high rank to reassure the citizens. If she weren't strong, the public wouldn't trust her.
But there was no doubt she was a top-tier magus.
Atram, as a Cause rank, was three or four tiers below Rin. His priority was nowhere near hers, and he stood no chance of winning against her.
"Roy, enough of this farce!"
Atram finally snapped.
He glared at Roy with undisguised loathing, his eyes burning with the fury of one who had been thoroughly provoked.
"You're nothing but a homunculus! How dare you act as our equal!"
"I wanted to oppose the decree allowing homunculi to hold ranks from the very beginning! Homunculi are nothing more than tools for us magi—consumables, to be made and discarded at will! You were just lucky enough to catch Aoko Aozaki's eye. That's the only reason I've humoured you time and again. Don't push your luck!"
"Ah, that's right. I heard your former master came looking for you, shouting about how you're a traitor! Don't tell me you ran away from them? Did you steal their magecraft too?"
Roy's smile didn't waver.
But not a trace of warmth reached his eyes.
"Rin."
Rin turned to him, her expression grim.
Roy grinned.
"Clear the field."
***
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