Fate truly is a cruel thing, always liking to replay similar scenes over and over again.
Some say that humanity's essence is like a parrot, endlessly repeating itself. In truth, this saying applies even more to fate.
Half an hour ago, Cú Chulainn was running wildly, carrying Bazett on his back.
Half an hour later, Shinji Matou, Cú Chulainn's kouhai, found himself in a similar situation.
The difference? It wasn't Shinji carrying someone while running—his heart was shattered, and without the Battle Continuation skill, he couldn't pull off such a high-difficulty maneuver. Instead, he was the one being carried—by a girl around his age, Rin Tohsaka.
But to explain this, we must go back not half an hour, but even earlier.
Thanks to Shinji intentionally holding back, Rin wasn't seriously injured. Moreover, the Indian miracle medicine left behind by Gilgamesh had her waking up from unconsciousness quite quickly. At that time, Shinji had not yet encountered Cú Chulainn blocking his path, and the two of them were flying through the sky on Pegasus.
Rin, still groggy from the earlier death match (as she saw it), and the final burst of energy from Shinji, didn't know how to face her childhood friend. They weren't exactly enemies, but certainly not allies either. So, she kept her eyes closed, pretending to remain unconscious.
Then, Cú Chulainn appeared, blocking their way. Shinji had Pegasus take Rin back while he stayed behind to fight alone.
As Pegasus soared into the sky, Rin couldn't help but open her eyes.
At first, she cursed Shinji softly:
"Why are you fighting again after already battling me?"
"How reckless and arrogant can you be?"
"You don't even have a Servant anymore, why are you still fighting?" (She had overheard the conversation between Cú Chulainn and Shinji.)
"Has the Queen of the Land of Shadows gone crazy, sending fellow disciples to kill each other?"
The longer she cursed, the softer her tone became, and the more her words drifted in a different direction. By the end, her curses had turned into concern, more tsundere than angry.
Just as Shinji mentioned, Rin is a good girl.
And, as the voice deep inside Rin's heart knew, there was no deep-seated hatred between her and Shinji. What existed was simply a one-sided rivalry and competitive spirit.
That spirit had slowly faded over time—when given every possible advantage, including Noble Phantasms and magecraft, she had still lost. She couldn't deny it any longer. If she kept ignoring reality, she'd only end up as one of the mongrels Gilgamesh so often mocked.
Rin was a prideful person, and her pride wouldn't allow her to deceive herself.
After coming to terms with the situation, her view of Shinji returned to normal.
He was Sakura's beloved older brother, the nephew of her almost stepfather Kariya, and he had always been kind to her and the Tohsaka family... well, more or less. He was also her friend—so he couldn't be allowed to die.
Having thought through all of this, Rin immediately ordered Pegasus to turn back.
But Pegasus, of course, wouldn't listen. Even without his master's orders, he wouldn't have dared return. After all, the two of them had fought earlier, and Rin had just cursed his master several times—what if another fight broke out?
Forgive our beloved Pegasus—though he was a high-level Phantasmal species, on par with dragons, with intelligence rivaling that of humans, he was still a simple and good-hearted creature (as Rider would swear). He didn't have the complex thoughts humans do, and he certainly didn't understand tsundere behavior.
Left with no other choice, Rin opted for a more extreme approach: she jumped off—no, she leaped off Pegasus.
"If you won't take me back, I'll go myself."
Now, Pegasus panicked.
Should he go after Rin and bring her back to Shinji? He couldn't just leave her.
But if he abandoned her, he would be disobeying his master's orders. Besides, was there any point in returning by himself? He could just dematerialize.
As for using brute force, knocking Rin unconscious and taking her back like Shinji had done earlier—Pegasus didn't even consider it. First, he was gentle by nature and disliked fighting. Second, he wasn't sure he could win against Rin. He had witnessed her using the Jewel Sword in their previous battle, and the sight of her rapid-fire attacks had left a deep impression on him. His sturdy body couldn't withstand such violent magic.
After thinking it over, Pegasus decided to do nothing but follow Rin from the sky. He could rescue her if she was in danger, or stop her if she threatened his master. This way, he could answer to both his master and his mistress (Sakura).
"I'm so clever," thought Pegasus as he soared above.
Meanwhile, Rin was sprinting with all her might on the ground below.
Because of the difference in speed between a human and a Pegasus, the distance Pegasus had covered in two or three minutes would take Rin ten times as long to run.
By the time she made it back, Shinji's heart was damaged, and his body battered beyond recognition, was engaged in a desperate fight against a pack of black-skinned, red-eyed beasts. The situation looked dire.
Without thinking, Rin pulled out her Jewel Sword and unleashed a barrage of blasts, clearing the beasts away in an instant.
Then, she rushed over to Shinji, anxiously asking, "What the hell happened to you?"
At almost the same moment, Shinji spoke up: "Why did you come back? Didn't I tell Pegasus to take you away?"
"Neighhh!"
Pegasus let out a somewhat guilty-sounding whinny as he slowly descended, flapping his wings.
However, before it could even land, a small, unremarkable black snake suddenly darted out, sinking its fangs into Pegasus's hind leg.
The snake was no thicker than a finger and appeared harmless. Pegasus easily tore it to shreds with a burst of magical energy. But after that, Pegasus's condition visibly deteriorated, and Shinji's magic was also being drained, as though into a bottomless pit.
"Damn it, it's Roá's poison," Shinji cursed under his breath, hastily commanding Pegasus to dematerialize.
Faker had been ambushed by Roá before and had once been wounded by him. Touko had analyzed the blood from the wound and knew the effects of the poison—it drained magical energy, making it especially effective against Servants or beings like Pegasus, who required large amounts of mana.
First the black beast pack, and now Roá's poison. It was clear that the masterminds behind the chaos were nearby. Their goal was obvious too: cripple Pegasus and cut off any chance of escape.
Seeing the situation clearly, Shinji didn't hesitate. He told Rin, "There's no time. You go, I'll hold them off."
"Why are you still pretending to be strong at a time like this? Do you think I'm stupid and easy to fool?"
Clearly, she understood the danger and knew who their enemies were.
"If you're not stupid, then hurry up and go. Stop getting in the way."
"And what about you? Are you just going to die here alone?"
Seeing that Shinji was still being stubborn, Rin lost her patience and punched him hard in the stomach. Then, without missing a beat, she turned and hoisted him onto her back.
"Rin, you—"
Shinji groaned in pain.
"People with no fighting ability shouldn't talk. I'm in charge here, and I absolutely won't let you die! You're not allowed to die until I've beaten you fair and square!"
Carrying Shinji on her back, Rin pressed forward, her Jewel Sword flashing with brilliant light, just like the determination in her eyes.