Shinji Matou at Your Service-Chapter 921 - : Rin’s Determination

The Hero King of Babylon, Gilgamesh, was a hero who lived around 2600 B.C., one of the instigators of the separation between gods and humans, and the proudest among all kings throughout history.

Anyone else who dared to speak to him with such an attitude and arrogance would have long been blasted to pieces by his Noble Phantasms. In fact, at first, he had a similar thought, but upon seeing the face behind the veil and the pair of red eyes, his attitude noticeably changed—Gilgamesh was too proud to look at people directly, so it wasn't until now that he noticed Scáthach's presence.

This man, who hailed from an ancient age of gods, but dressed more fashionably than most modern people, removed his sunglasses, showing for the first time a face that wasn't filled with pride, mockery, or contempt.

"I thought it was some random mongrel, but turns out it's a familiar face. If we measure by modern time, it's been ten years, Queen of the Land of Shadows."

"For me, it's been ten years, but for you, perhaps only a fleeting moment. That's the nature of Heroic Spirits."

Scáthach reached up to remove her veil, revealing a stunning face. Since Gilgamesh had removed his sunglasses as a sign of respect, she felt it necessary to reciprocate.

"Despite having an immortal body, you've descended twice now as a Servant. Are you that attached to this world?"

"Aren't you the same? Even though you've witnessed the end of both the planet and humanity, why have you answered the summons twice and reclaimed the memories from your previous summoning?"

"Until the end of time, this world is my garden. I come and go as I please."

"So, what is it that's keeping you here?"

Their red eyes met. While it seemed like a casual conversation between old friends, it was an invisible duel.

Gilgamesh's expression grew serious as he answered, "It is the duty of a king."

"Do you still view the Holy Grail as part of your treasure, punishing those who dare covet it?"

That was the reason Gilgamesh gave during the banquet of kings ten years ago, and Scáthach remembered it clearly.

"That's part of it. But more importantly, it's the king's duty toward his subjects. Tohsaka Tokiomi was my vassal, and he died because of me. I have the responsibility to look after his family and avenge him. What about you?"

"The duty of a teacher: to guide my disciple and witness his growth."

"A fitting answer for you. So, is he the one? The disciple you've taken in during this lifetime?"

Gilgamesh squinted, his sharp eyes focusing on Shinji below.

"Indeed," Scáthach nodded with satisfaction.

"That look in your eyes... so it was you... the clown hiding in the shadows ten years ago."

Gilgamesh's face twisted with anger, and his handsome features became ferocious as a frown deepened between his brows.

"And the color of your hair and eyes... it seems you were the one hiding behind that mongrel Matou Kariya and that mad dog."

"Shinji—"

Scáthach looked down at her disciple, who responded with a smile.

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"Master, there's no point in saying more. Lies hold no meaning to Gilgamesh and will only make him look down on me."

"Oh? A clown hiding in the shadows with some insight and backbone. You didn't disgrace your teacher."

Although Gilgamesh's killing intent hadn't diminished, his expression softened slightly.

"Was it you who devised the mad dog's strategy?"

"Yes. From removing his madness to blocking your path, taunting you into sealing your trump card, and finally catching you off guard with a surprise Noble Phantasm strike. I underestimated you, though, despite multiple simulations."

"The depths of a king are not for a mere clown to gauge."

After hearing Shinji's reply, Gilgamesh scoffed coldly before asking another question.

"Was Tokiomi's downfall also your doing?"

"No, not directly. Out of respect for the connection between our families, I didn't target him intentionally. My original plan was for Lancelot to kill you, and then help my uncle defeat Tohsaka. I didn't expect them to perish together in the end. Fortunately, my uncle was strong enough to fight Tohsaka to a draw, even without his Servant."

"Very well—did you hear that?"

Just as Gilgamesh finished speaking, another figure appeared next to him on the wall—a girl wearing a red jacket, a black skirt, thigh-high socks, and twin-tails: Rin Tohsaka, an old acquaintance of Shinji's.

Rin was wrapped in a cloth, and from its resemblance to Hades' Cloak, it was clear that this was the Invisibility Cloth, the original item from Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon that served as the archetype for all invisibility-based Noble Phantasms. Thanks to its effect, Rin had managed to hide herself and approach without being noticed, overhearing the entire conversation.

"What you said just now, was it true?"

For the first time, Shinji saw such a complex expression on Rin's face—a mix of sadness, anger, disbelief, and something indescribable, making him feel at a loss. He instinctively looked to his master for help.

Scáthach merely shrugged, signaling she couldn't intervene, and raised an eyebrow, indicating Shinji had brought this upon himself.

She wasn't referring to his past schemes against Tohsaka and Gilgamesh—that was part of the Holy Grail War. Rather, she meant Shinji's decision to stop her from speaking earlier, not realizing that she had already sensed Rin's presence.

There's no perfect invisibility. Both Shinji's cloak and Gilgamesh's clothes had their limitations. Scáthach, aware of Rin's approach, had planned to warn him, but Shinji, mistaking her concern, confessed everything instead.

Thus, Shinji had revealed all, in front of both Gilgamesh and Rin.

"Answer me, Matou Shinji! Is what you said true? Was my father's defeat your doing?"

Rin asked again, her trembling voice on the verge of breaking into tears.

At this point, what could Shinji say? He could only admit the truth.

"Yes, it's true. But your father's downfall was mostly due to his arrogance. In a way, he was like Gilgamesh. Just as Gilgamesh underestimated Lancelot, your father underestimated my uncle, Kariya, thinking him a loser who had abandoned the path of magecraft. In the end, it was their pride that caused their downfall."

"Ah, yes... that might be true."

Rin bit her lip, her face pale. Her reddened eyes didn't fill with tears but with something even deeper.

"However, my father's defeat is on you, and so is his death. As the head of the Tohsaka family and the daughter of Tohsaka Tokiomi, I must avenge my father. Matou Shinji, you are my enemy!"