Chapter 1612

As soon as Su Xiao walked into the room, the conversation between Emiya Shirou and Tohsaka Rin stopped. Heroic Spirit Emiya stood behind Tohsaka Rin, ready to take her and run at any moment.

Su Xiao glanced at the vigilant Heroic Spirit Emiya, stepped toward the inner side of the room, and soon found the bathroom to start washing off the bloodstains on his body.

Bubu Wang was still lying lazily on the tatami mat, occasionally lifting a paw to rub its butt. Amu had not entered the room and was guarding the courtyard to prevent people from the Blood Sect from tracking them here. Benny's whereabouts were unknown; it had likely run off to hunt for treasure again.

In the bathroom, Su Xiao simply rinsed off the bloodstains and walked out, his wet hair still dripping.

"Did you... go to kill people earlier?"

Emiya Shirou's expression was not very good, and he subconsciously gripped the teacup in his hand.

"Personal grudges, that's all. These matters have nothing to do with you for now, provided those people don't come hunting us down."

"Hunting us down..."

Emiya Shirou was stunned upon hearing this, but he wanted to know more about why Su Xiao went to kill people, and to clarify if it was indiscriminate slaughter or related to the Holy Grail War.

"So, what do you intend to do?"

Su Xiao was curious about what this 'ally of justice' Emiya Shirou would do. If it developed into hostility toward him, he wouldn't mind slaughtering this plot protagonist; after all, the other party was not a Child of the World.

Emiya Shirou fell silent. He didn't actually know what to do. A direct confrontation with Su Xiao? Although he didn't fear death and was willing to die for his ideals, he clearly recognized that under the disparity of absolute strength, his sacrifice would have no meaning.

But as an ally of justice, Emiya Shirou would never allow Su Xiao to 'slaughter the innocent'. Based on the philosophy that 'people die when they are killed', he looked at Su Xiao with a serious face.

"If I die, you will disappear too, right?"

Emiya Shirou raised his right hand; two Command Spells remained on the back of his hand.

With a clatter, Su Xiao tossed a dagger onto the low wooden table.

"In my experience, if you are going to commit suicide, it's best to pierce your throat and spine with one strike. If you have enough courage, cut laterally after the dagger pierces your throat; this will sever your arteries or veins, which can at least speed up your death by 70%. Don't consider piercing your heart; if you're unlucky, you'll struggle in pain for 1 to 2 minutes after the heart is pierced."

"..."

Emiya Shirou was speechless. He glanced at the dagger on the table, then at Su Xiao, and finally at Tohsaka Rin.

Tohsaka Rin turned her head away, implying that she wasn't close to him, just a classmate, and didn't want to commit suicide with him.

"I was just... using a metaphor earlier."

Emiya Shirou certainly wouldn't be stupid enough to commit suicide; he just wanted to test if he could reach a mutually restrictive relationship with Su Xiao. Clearly, he could not.

"Is that so? Then let's continue the previous conversation. Tohsaka Rin, how much interest do you have in the Holy Grail?"

Su Xiao had already discovered that compared to Emiya Shirou, Tohsaka Rin was clearly a more suitable Master. At least this girl wasn't an 'ally of justice'. He had no interest in discussing what justice was with Emiya Shirou; their philosophies differed, and he didn't intend to force his own philosophy onto the other party—that had no meaning.

"Very interested."

Although Tohsaka Rin's purpose for participating in the Holy Grail War wasn't just the Holy Grail, if she could obtain it, she certainly wouldn't refuse.

"Is that so? Then I can make you very strong, at least reaching the top few among Masters."

"This..."

Tohsaka Rin thought of something and looked at Heroic Spirit Emiya behind her.

"I will not serve a useless Master."

Heroic Spirit Emiya also heard what Su Xiao was saying. He glanced at Emiya Shirou; although this was his former self, that didn't mean he would identify with his former self.

Emiya Shirou's mouth opened and closed. Hearing this, he understood: was he now unwanted by everyone?

"Emiya Shirou, for certain reasons, I must rely on you to descend into this world. Considering our differing philosophies, I will help you change to a different Heroic Spirit."

"I object."

Heroic Spirit Emiya spoke up.

"That... actually, I also..."

Tohsaka Rin seemed to want to say something. Su Xiao turned his head to look at her, the smile on his face exceptionally gentle.

"If it's a tactical necessity, it's actually not unacceptable."

Tohsaka Rin's mouth twitched. At that moment, she felt that refusing might mean death.

"I object too!"

Emiya Shirou's tone was firm. His thinking was simple: rather than letting a demon loose, it would be better to let the demon devour him first; perhaps that way, one fewer victim would be added.

Actually, little brother Emiya Shirou was overthinking it. Su Xiao had absolutely no interest in anyone other than the Blood Sect, Heroic Spirits, Masters, and rule-breakers. As long as they didn't come looking for trouble, Su Xiao wouldn't be bored enough to kill them.

As for explaining all this to Emiya Shirou, Su Xiao couldn't be bothered. Rather than nagging and explaining, changing Masters or slaughtering Emiya Shirou was a more efficient choice.

"Since the parties involved agree, then it's decided. Right, Master of the Tohsaka family?"

"Uh~ actually, I also... I agree~"

Finding that Su Xiao's smile was becoming increasingly gentle, Tohsaka Rin immediately changed her tune. Clearly, compared to Emiya Shirou, she was much smarter.

"Even if I agree, the Command Spells are a big problem, and there's also the matter of mana supply..."

"These are not problems. As for Command Spells, I can help you get as many as you want."

Given Su Xiao's relationship with the old priest, his understanding of Command Spells far exceeded that of most Masters. Command Spells were not inseparable; the old priest had once collected a large number of Command Spells and could bestow them upon others at will. During the Fourth Holy Grail War, Kayneth had once begged the old priest for Command Spells and succeeded.

"Command Spells are just a mark, very close to Holy Stigmata and engravings. If you trace their origin, Command Spells evolved from Holy Stigmata."

As Su Xiao spoke, he took out a cross. This cross was covered in golden stripes; it counted as a 'souvenir' left behind after the old priest died. Out of gratitude for the old priest's past help, Su Xiao had spent 12,000 Paradise Coins to notarize this item after the Fourth Holy Grail War. He could forcibly bestow Command Spells upon Emiya Shirou precisely because of this item's existence. Its function was very singular, its principle very similar to an energy stripper, but its nature was special, having undergone special processing by the Holy Church.

"Amu."

As soon as Su Xiao finished speaking, Amu walked into the room, a frost warhammer forming in its hand. The implication was that it would hammer whoever had an objection—very straightforward.

At a speed Tohsaka Rin couldn't react to, Su Xiao grabbed her arm and dragged her into the next room. A moment later.

"Wait, you, you are going to, yamete..."

Soon, Tohsaka Rin walked out of the next room clutching her arm. Su Xiao walked straight toward Emiya Shirou. Compared to stripping Tohsaka Rin's Command Spells, stripping Emiya Shirou's was much simpler; after all, Su Xiao was the one who had branded them on.

When Su Xiao grabbed Emiya Shirou's right hand, the Command Spells on the back of his hand faded rapidly, and the three Command Spells belonging to the Archer class soon appeared.

At this moment, the mana connection between Su Xiao and Emiya Shirou was completely severed. Emiya Shirou became the Master of Heroic Spirit Emiya. From beginning to end, Heroic Spirit Emiya stood by with arms crossed, watching, because he knew that once a conflict broke out, all the Masters in this room would die.