"Sakura, are you really not going to meet him?"
"Assassin..."
"And then?"
"...Assassin-mama."
What did she want to say? What did she not want to say? All of it vanished as Guinevere interrupted.
But Guinevere knew exactly what she had left unsaid. Sakura undoubtedly liked Emiya, but she had always harbored a sense of inferiority toward him.
In Sakura's own words, based on her principles, she was no longer a virgin.
However, if she hadn't acted recklessly, if her experiences had been purely those of a victim, then at the very least, to Shirou Emiya—who was so determined to be a hero of justice—Sakura wouldn't disgust him. He would only cherish her from the bottom of his heart.
"Sakura, Lancer just now seemed to have recognized Emiya as a Master. If you don't do anything, he might get stabbed to death in his own home. Look, Rin just walked straight away."
As Guinevere spoke, Sakura's gaze from the rooftop of the other school building, where Emiya and Medusa were visible, was fixed intently on her, its meaning already self-evident.
"Sakura, I won't interfere, even though I've not only adopted another world's version of you, but also know your older sister and the Emiya you're both competing for. Even if this damn brat of a kid has truly fallen into a Peach Blossom Mountain, the number of people who like him can't even be counted on two hands."
In that world, Shirou Emiya attended school normally, his sister Illya liked him, Sakura, Rin, Luvia, and others liked him, and many of his classmates liked him too. He was practically a succubus.
Thinking this, she shook her head, shaking off the situation of the other world, and then Guinevere reiterated to Sakura that she would not interfere with Shirou Emiya, and if Sakura wanted to interfere, she should do it herself.
So, did Sakura dare to bet that Guinevere would not interfere? Was Sakura willing to let Emiya go to his death?
Sakura dared not, and would not.
Thus, after staring at Guinevere for a long time with a slight pout, she spoke:
"Assassin mama, take me to his side."
There are degrees of closeness between people. Guinevere wanted to facilitate Sakura and Shirou Emiya being together, but she would not force it, because if she did, an unwilling Shirou Emiya would definitely find it difficult to unlock the knot in Sakura's heart.
Guinevere rose, swept Sakura up in a princess carry, and after setting her down at the entrance to the school building ahead, she spiritized herself to watch from the sidelines.
She watched as Sakura's hesitant steps turned firm. In Sakura's low murmur, Guinevere heard:
"No matter what, I can't let Senpai die. I have to protect him first. At least Grandpa is already dead."
As she spoke, her pace quickened. But upon reaching the corridor where Emiya and Medusa were, she grew anxious again, her brisk walk softening into a gentle, ladylike stride.
The next second, she approached Emiya, who had just been pulled to his feet by Medusa. He was staring blankly at Medusa's figure, his mind a jumble of questions with no starting point.
"Ara, Senpai, are you so captivated by Rider that you've forgotten everything else?"
Sakura's voice rang out, gentle yet sending a shiver down Emiya's spine, causing his skin to crawl and his mind to instantly snap back to reality.
He saw Sakura, but had no time to wonder why she was here or why she was using such a strange term as "Rider."
Turning instantly, he stripped off his jacket and handed it to her in one smooth motion.
Stunned by his action, Sakura took the coat, glanced down at it, and a deep crimson blush instantly flooded her face.
Because Guinevere had struck a critical blow to her heart, a delicate patch of skin was exposed on her chest, and though this patch was small, it was clearly the reason for Emiya's sudden action.
Sweetness, shyness... and a deeper, more profound sense of inferiority. But as Sakura wrapped herself in the jacket backwards, she took a stealthy deep breath and spoke with a smile:
"Senpai, when I stood in the rain in front of your house before, you've seen even more revealing sights than this."
Perhaps her mind was clouded by the scent of sweat on Emiya's clothes, for Sakura unconsciously bit her lip and spoke these kinds of seductive words she would never have said in the past.
"Sorry, Senpai, maybe it's because I almost got killed just now, so I... spoke without thinking."
At this moment, Sakura's mind had truly become a muddle, and she subconsciously spoke her true feelings.
But fortunately, she hadn't confessed her love, otherwise she wouldn't know what to do when she came to her senses.
While she was still in a daze, Emiya, oblivious to the flashing images of snowy-white skin and wet bodies in his mind, turned around with a speed he never thought possible. With one hand on Sakura's shoulder and the other pulling down the jacket she was wearing backwards, which belonged to him.
This time, Emiya was no longer just catching a glimpse. He saw it all clearly, but his will was completely focused on the damage to Sakura's clothes and the slight bloodstains on the torn parts.
"Sakura, come home with me. I will definitely protect you!"
That's just how Emiya is. When he gets hot-headed and lets his emotions take over, he completely loses sight of his own strength.
But this is also his sincerity, the genuine care he feels from the bottom of his heart.
From the perspective of strength, this sincerity is utterly laughable. Yet from the perspective of the person being cared for, how could such pure concern not be moving? At most, she would just tell him not to do it again in the future.
Therefore, in the eyes of Guinevere, who stood by in spiritized form, Sakura's face was completely flushed red. All her inner turmoil was utterly eclipsed by Emiya's thoughtless words.
"Sen... Sen... Sen... Senpai..."
Sakura even began to stutter. Her mind was a complete muddle, and she didn't care in the slightest that Emiya was seeing even more of her, though Emiya himself was completely oblivious to this at the moment.
"Ahem!"
It was Medusa's cough, and also Guinevere secretly nudging her arm.
Guinevere knew that if she didn't interrupt, these two little ones might just stand there dazed until midnight.
After being jolted awake by Medusa's cough, Emiya then saw Sakura's lush, snow-white skin and noticed her crimson face.
Letting go of Sakura, Emiya took a few foolish steps backward, nearly falling to the ground. It was Sakura who caught him, one hand covering her chest while the other helped him steady himself.
"Sakura... I... I... You... You..."
Were the shock not so great, Emiya was not the type to be speechless. Even when he had just been enveloped by Lancer's killing intent, he had been able to maintain his calm and centered mind.
"Senpai, I understand what you mean. Please rest assured, my experience was just like yours, a close call with no actual harm."
"Also, I accept Senpai's protection. May I start living in Senpai's home from today?"
There was a hint of acting, but also ninety-nine percent expectation, nervousness, and fear.
If Emiya were to say that his earlier words did not count, Sakura would surely give him a fierce punch.
But fortunately, Emiya was not one to deny his words. Moreover, now that he had regained his senses, he still wanted to protect Sakura.
As time passed, with the sound of ticking that they both seemed to hear, Sakura uneasily tucked away the strands of hair on the left side of her face, which were tied with a red hair ribbon. Emiya looked at her, then turned his head slightly to look at Medusa, the only one who had revealed her presence.
At this moment, although Emiya did not know what was going on, he already sensed that Sakura had saved him, and furthermore, it would probably be Sakura protecting him in the future, not the other way around.
This was because Emiya knew Sakura's personality well. If he were not in danger, even if his words were a hundred times more sincere, Sakura would only choose to refuse in the midst of her emotion.
Thinking of this, Emiya gritted his teeth and forced out a smile. "Sakura, I look forward to your guidance from now on. I will definitely protect you well."
Although he realized that he himself was the one being protected, Emiya had the confidence to reverse their roles and let him protect Sakura.
On the side, watching the two keep their hands linked from the moment Sakura had first taken the initiative to reach out until now, Guinevere felt both jealous and delighted. She personally appeared this time, giving Sakura a gentle push from behind.
"Two idiots in love, they should be hugging at a time like this."
Guinevere said it simply, thinking of how she herself had made a complete fool of herself when she had just married the King of Knights.
Thinking this and watching them, Guinevere chuckled mischievously.
And her joy also made Medusa smile along with her.