Shinji Matou at Your Service

: The Offset Battles from the Beginning (Part 2)

After communicating with Scáthach, Shinji does not leave the workshop. Instead, he remained in his original sitting position on a chair and lost in thought.

At this time, the name that appeared in his mind changed from the big boss Kirei Kotomine to the madman Ryuunosuke Uryuu.

From the magus perspective, Ryuunosuke was an outsider. Despite having inherent magical talent, he never received any relevant training. It was only by accident that he stumbled upon a document on summoning "demons" and unintentionally summoned a Servant. Undoubtedly, he was the weakest among the seven masters.

The Servant he summoned is not particularly powerful. Although their Noble Phantasm was troublesome, it wasn't something Shinji, who had summoned Scáthach, couldn't handle. As a result, Shinji subconsciously ignored him for a year, only remembering this name that had been forgotten after analyzing the matter of the Master qualification just now, along with the long-forgotten information resurfacing.

Ryuunosuke Uryuu, who appeared to be a handsome and sunny young man, was a sadistic serial killer who traveled from place to place and committed crimes. He was a genius among the geniuses when it came to hiding evidence and disrupting investigations. He killed dozens of people without being caught by the police and did not even make it onto the list of suspects.

Calculating the days, this serial killer should have already arrived in Fuyuki City.

Shinji's expression suddenly stiffened.

...

...

...

Wait, why have I not noticed any traces of him?

Wait a minute! I have not read any newspapers or news articles for a long time. Each day is training, training, and training. If this continues, I will become one of the outdated magus who are out of touch with the world.

Ah, no, no, no! I completely forgot the importance of gathering information.

Shinji started scratching his head, turning his purple hair into a literal mess of seaweed, and then he activated the communication spell.

"Lady Justeaze?"

"I'm here." The replies were always brief.

"I need your help."

"I'll come right away." The golden radiance condenses, forming Justeaze's body. "What's the matter?"

"I remember you have a habit of reading newspapers. Have there been any news about murder cases recently?"

"Yes." Justeaze's response didn't disappoint Shinji. "There have been three peculiar murder cases in the past week, and based on the modus operandi, it is speculated to be the work of the same person. The police issued a warning to the public to be vigilant and to avoid going out alone at night. Are you...?"

"Well, I hope you can help me find this murderer." A hint of severe flashes in Shinji's eyes. "Although I don't have detailed information, I can confirm that he is a young man who likes to wear clothes with leopard patterns. Once you locate him, you do not have to do anything else. Just come back and inform me."

"Now?" Justeaze looked hesitant, seemingly not understanding the true meaning of this request.

"Now. Do not worry, I am sober and aware of what should and should not be done. I just want to verify something." Shinji did not provide a detailed explanation but only nodded.

"I understand. I'll leave now." Justeaze did not dwell on this. Even though she had lived for so many years, she wasn't good at plotting or calculating. As long as Shinji remained clear-headed and calm, it would be sufficient.

Shinji cautioned, "Be careful not to be discovered by others, and don't worry about the consumption of magic power. Your safety should be the top priority in everything."

"Understood." After saying that, she transformed into a spiritual form and quietly left the Matou Household.

Looking at the golden radiance left behind by her transformation, Shinji sighed imperceptibly and muttered to himself, "After becoming a magi, I have become cold-blooded and excessively rational. If it were from my past life, even after a year, I would not have ignored this madman. Does becoming stronger come at the cost of conscience and passion?"

"Knock, knock, knock." Three gentle knocks on the door.

"Come in, Sakura." Without needing confirmation through magecraft, Shinji knew it was Sakura. Only she would be polite in the entire Matou household, thanks to her mother Aoi's teachings.

The newly installed wooden door opens a crack, revealing Sakura's head. "Brother."

"What's the matter?" Shinji's expression softened.

"Dinner time is approaching, and today I tried my hand at cooking Canadian cuisine that I just learned," Sakura said with her innocent and pure smile. Since she was young, she has been interested in cooking and enjoyed learning from her mother and servants in the Tohsaka household. Now that the servants in their households had been dismissed, she willingly took on the task of cooking.

"Sakura, you're amazing," Shinji walked up to his sister and gave her a thumbs-up. "What about Dad and Uncle?"

"Dad and Uncle went out in the morning and haven't returned yet. They called half an hour ago and asked me to tell you that they're stuck in traffic and will be an hour late."

Upon hearing Sakura's reply, Shinji could not help, but chuckle.

Traffic jam? How could there be a traffic jam on the intercity highways between small Japanese cities in '94?

If he guessed correctly, this was probably because Uncle Kariya was lost in his thoughts, watching over his beloved, and lost track of time. He would have to start his confrontation with Tokiomi Tohsaka once he returned.

As for their father, he was probably sleeping in the backseat of the car. Recently, he seemed to have been involved with some secular conglomerates and was ambitiously working on a big project. He was up late last night working on the project proposal, yawning when he went out with Uncle Kariya. If he did not have to pick up materials along the way, he would still be in bed right now.

Well, it was not a great deal. Since Kotomine Kirei had not summoned his servant in advance, they were safe until nightfall.

Seeing Shinji's silence, Sakura continued, "Brother, I have set aside their portions for Father and Uncle. They just need to heat it when they come back, okay?"

"Sakura, you're so considerate." Seeing Sakura growing healthy and happy every day, Shinji felt that it was worth killing the dirty magus with his own hands. As long as he could save this girl, who was most deserving of love, it did not matter if he became cold-hearted.

"Has Justeaze-sama and Sensei also gone out? I couldn't find them."

"They have something to take care of and won't be back tonight, so there's no need to prepare a separate meal for them." Justeaze and Scáthach are spiritual beings. Although they usually eat together with the Matou family, they have their independent rooms and do not need to eat or sleep as humans do.

"Okay, Brother." Sakura obediently nodded.

"Great, let's go to the dining room then. I'm looking forward to your cooking, Sakura." Shinji wasn't a big foodie, but he was eager to eat the food his little sister cooked.

Sakura gently closed the door to the workshop and followed her brother on small steps.

The nightmarish memories became increasingly blurry due to Justeaze's magecraft, but the feeling of comfort never faded from her heart. It was like the comforting feeling she had when she was with her mother and sister but with a slightly different touch. Was this the feeling of having a brother?

As she thought about it, Sakura's eyes and eyebrows lifted.

"Brother."

"Yes?"

"Can we eat more today? Let's finish the portion for Justeaze-sama and Sensei too."

"Uh, that might be a bit challenging."

"I'll help too."

"Ahahaha, aren't you afraid of becoming a little chubby pig?"

"I-I won't."

//Wow Sakura and Shinji having Cute Moments ahahahha