"Hey Ryouma, wake up. Wake up."
Nnngghh… why is someone trying to wake me up so late?
"Just a few more minutes…" I try to bury myself back into sleep. Please just let me rest…
"Ryouma, it's Monday. Students will be here soon."
Wait. Monday? It was 4 a.m. Sunday when I fell asleep.
Before I can fully process that.
BANG.
"Ow! Why did you hit me!?"
I open my eyes. Rin is standing over me, arm still raised from the strike.
Shirou and Saber stand behind her like to show they tried to stop her.
"Shirou, do you have any food? I'm starving." My stomach growls loudly, backing me up.
"Ah… sorry. Saber ate everything on the way here…" Shirou laughs nervously, scratching his cheek.
I glare at Saber with full hostility. She flinches, hands instinctively sliding toward her sword.
"Artoria Pendragon," I say dramatically, pointing at her. "From this day onward, you are my sworn enemy for eating the food Shirou prepared for me!"
Rin lets out an awkward chuckle and immediately smacks my head again.
"Are you stupid!? You just picked a fight with a Servant!"
I hold my head, groaning. Saber relaxes, lowering her hands from her sword.
"If you want to duel, I'll gladly accept your challenge."
Well, at least I'd get to fight her someday.
My stomach interrupts us.
Grrrrr
"Ow, ow, ow…" I hold my gut. "Digest Magical Energy."
The rumbling stops instantly.
Shirou and Rin both widen their eyes.
Rin asks, "What kind of magic was that?"
Shirou, seeing magic this closely for the first time, looks amazed.
"It's designed to fill my stomach with magical energy instead of food."
That explanation triggers Rin instantly.
"How?! Using magical energy like that is suicide! One miscalculation and you'd die!"
I shrug.
"Well, I became a Sorcerer at the age of seven."
Rin explodes. "Stop lying! I'd sooner believe Shirou can time travel!"
Shirou laughs awkwardly, uncomfortable he was dragged into this.
"I'm not lying! If I were in my prime, I could have revived Shirou right there!"
Shirou freezes. "…Wait. You know who revived me?"
Rin and I stare at each other.
"You didn't tell him?" I ask.
"I thought you told him," Rin fires back.
Shirou looks between us, confused.
Saber lowers her eyebrows slightly upon hearing her master died.
I point at Rin. "She revived you."
Before anyone can say more, the school bell rings. Students start gathering outside.
"Meeting at Shirou's house later?" I ask.
Shirou starts to protest, but Rin drags him off before he can reject the idea.
But before they leave, something important hits us.
"Shirou… don't tell me you don't have enough magical energy to hide Saber?"
I ask. Rin nods grimly before Shirou can respond.
Sigh. "Saber, come here."
She steps closer. I place my hand on her head.
"Voile."
Saber disappears from everyone's view.
Even Rin can't sense her.
Shirou, with his freakishly good mana sense, can still see her faint outline.
Rin clearly wants to question me, but the students' voices get louder, so they all hurry away. Leaving me in class alone.
"Archer, don't worry. I'll keep your secret."
Archer doesn't respond, just leaves.
---
School was hell. I needed to supply both my cloak and myself with magic.
Which forced me to concentrate constantly.
I was nearly crying from joy when classes ended.
The classroom's magical energy had run dry long ago, so I'd been feeding myself off scraps in the air.
I rushed to Emiya's house, maybe too fast, apparently, because I arrived alone.
Sensing my cloak's energy, I tracked Shirou and Saber toward the market district.
So. Much. Food.
I almost drooled.
No. No. Shirou and Saber first. Also… I didn't have any money.
So I followed the trail and found Shirou buying groceries.
He looked confused that I'd somehow found him.
I tagged along, even helping carry some bags.
Saber munched on dried squid beside us like a gremlin.
"Shirou, Rin will be late. She's bringing clothes."
Shirou blinks. "Why would she bring clothes?"
I smack him. "Are you stupid? She's a woman. Of course she changes clothes!"
He points at me. "Then why didn't you?"
…Oh yeah. I got stabbed by Lancer days ago. My shirt still had a giant spear hole.
I zip up my jacket to hide the bloodstain.
"I'll fix it with magic."
Shirou shakes his head. "Ryouma, you solve everything with magic…"
That irritates me. If I could use magic to get free food, believe me, I would.
If I could use it for my own interests, I would.
Wait magic. The cloak. I forgot to remove it.
"Voile."
Saber becomes visible again, instantly startled her cheeks puffed with squid.
'That explains why she was quiet.'
---
We reach the Emiya estate. Sakura is cleaning.
Which makes something click in my mind.
"Hey Shirou. Why do you have a harem?"
There's Rin Tohsaka.
Matou Sakura.
Saber.
And somehow they all orbit him.
I'm a jealous man. But I'll be jealous later.
Right now a different problem is coming.
Sakura freezes when she sees Saber close to Shirou.
And right on cue... The door SLAMS open.
"Hey Emiya, Sakura... Huh?"
Speak of the devil.
The real problem. The Tigress. Sensei Fujimura Taiga.
"Hello Tig—Taiga-senpai."
Her fist hits me so hard my teeth almost come out.
I might've flown across the room if I hadn't force-stabilized my body.
"Stop using my nickname!"
She raises her fist for another punch.
And then...
In anger, without thinking, I yell:
"Why don't you visit your kid!?"
…
The realization hits me harder than any punch ever could.
Oh no.
Oh shit.
I wasn't supposed to say that.
"I… I'm sorry, Sensei. It was my mistake."
I look her in the eyes.
If guilt had weight, I'd be sinking straight into hell.
"Taiga, he didn't mean it. Please understand." Shirou steps in, trying to cool things down.
My heart is racing.
Adrenaline pounding inside me. My hands shake uncontrollably.
My vision blurs, the whole room spinning.
Taiga's face is blank, unreadable.
Her eyes shimmer, but she stands like a statue.
Saber and Sakura stand back, watching as Shirou and I desperately try to calm Taiga down.