Reborn with Steve Stand

"You idiot, Archer! From now on, shut your mouth!!"

As Rin Tohsaka's words echoed, her fair hand glowed red, and one of the Command Seals on her hand slowly faded away. Instantly, a surge of magical power erupted.

At the same time, within the infinite world controlled by Fang Mo...

In a dimensional prison, the real Archer was wandering aimlessly. Summoned by Rin to participate in the Holy Grail War, he should have been fighting alongside her. Instead, he found himself trapped in this eerie, cold, pitch-black dimension.

The sky above was dominated by a massive, crimson eye that seemed to be watching everything below. The endless black wasteland was littered with creatures resembling black stone slabs. Anytime Archer approached them, they would open their crimson eyes and forcefully teleport him back to his starting point.

At first, Archer didn't understand the rules and was sent back several times. Even when he figured it out, he couldn't escape. He had been walking for a day and a night, yet nothing around him changed. The monotony was chilling.

But now, Archer sensed something different—he couldn't speak.

"???"

He tried to open his mouth, but some strange force stopped him, leaving him utterly confused.

In the Emiya residence, Fang Mo obediently shut his mouth as ordered.

"Finally, some peace and quiet."

Rin sighed with relief, sitting down on the tatami mat with a look of satisfaction, as if she had finally found relief after a long period of frustration.

"Tohsaka," Shirou asked curiously, "what was that Command Seal you just used?"

"It's this mark on our hands," Rin explained casually. "It's something unique to Masters. Each Master gets three, and they can issue three absolute commands that their Servants can't refuse."

"I see." Shirou glanced at his own hand thoughtfully.

"Sorry for the wait," a voice chimed in as Ah Xue came out from the kitchen, carrying a large tray. "Some dishes need to simmer a bit longer, but please enjoy this in the meantime."

The group turned their attention to the tray, which was piled with golden, crispy slices of fried food, drizzled with a glossy sweet and sour sauce. The rich aroma filled the room, making their mouths water uncontrollably.

"What's this?" Rin was immediately intrigued. "Tempura?"

"Tempura doesn't usually come with sweet and sour sauce..." Shirou commented, picking up a slice and taking a bite. The crispy sound that followed made his eyes light up. "Wow, this is delicious!"

"I'll give it a try too," Rin said, quickly grabbing a piece. She was just as impressed. "This texture… is this really German food?"

"No, this is from the northeast of China," Ah Xue explained with a gentle smile. "According to Lady Xiao Yao, this dish is called 'Guo Bao You.'"

"Guo Bao You?" Rin tilted her head, finding the name strange but didn't dwell on it. Hungry, she eagerly continued eating.

"Don't worry, more dishes are coming," Ah Xue said before heading back to the kitchen.

Soon, the table was filled with a variety of dishes: red sausage, five-colored salad, pork jelly, cold tofu strips, and several hot dishes like braised pork, fried liver, and stewed ribs with potatoes. The portions were enormous, with each plate piled high, leaving Rin staring in amazement, not knowing where to begin.

After tasting a few dishes, Rin suddenly realized she was already full. And she wasn't the only one—Shirou was also feeling stuffed. But just as they were about to stop, Ah Xue brought out several more pots, filled with stewed goose, chicken with mushrooms, and sauerkraut with noodles. There was even a huge pot of rice.

The table simply couldn't hold any more food.

"Uh, Miss Ah Xue..." Shirou hesitated. "I think we have enough food. You really don't need to cook more..."

But before he could finish, Saber spoke up.

"No, Shirou." Saber looked at him seriously. "I can still eat. Please trust in my abilities."

"That's not the kind of ability I meant..." Shirou felt a headache coming on.

At the same time, he noticed a pair of resentful eyes glaring at him—Fang Mo's. Thanks to Rin's Command Seal, Fang Mo was unable to eat, and his face had darkened considerably.

"Uh, Tohsaka..." Shirou whispered, "Could you maybe cancel that Command Seal? Mr. Adolf seems like he really wants to eat..."

"Hmph!" Rin looked a bit guilty, her eyes avoiding Fang Mo's, but she stubbornly replied, "It's his fault for talking too much. Consider it a punishment..."

Before she could finish, a bright white light suddenly flared up next to Fang Mo.

Everyone squinted from the brightness, and when it faded, they saw a blonde boy standing there.

The boy had fair skin, a slightly round face that still had a hint of childishness, and he wore gold-framed glasses and a white short-sleeved shirt. He looked straight at Rin and said, "You think a simple Command Seal can shut me up? Are you three years old?"

"...Huh?"

Rin was utterly dumbfounded.

"My holy will connects with every German citizen!" Fang Mo declared, dramatically waving his hand. The boy beside him echoed in a synchronized voice, "Even a German boy like him can carry out my will!"

"Is that really how you're supposed to use a Noble Phantasm!?" Rin was on the verge of collapse. How could this guy keep causing so much trouble? Doesn't using a Noble Phantasm consume magical energy?

"Feels great, doesn't it?" the boy responded with a mischievous laugh.

"I..." Rin felt a throbbing in her temples. She was at her wit's end but couldn't do anything about it. She had already used one of her precious Command Seals in a moment of impulse, and now she couldn't waste another just out of frustration.

"Alright, Tohsaka..." Shirou quickly intervened, trying to de-escalate the situation. "You're full now, right? Could you please start teaching me about magecraft?"

"Not yet." Rin shook her head, still frustrated. "Just a little longer."

"Huh?" Shirou was confused.

Rin ignored him, still fuming, and reached for another bite from the iron pot. "I feel like I can still eat a bit more..."

...

Despite the headaches, Rin managed to get through the night at Shirou's house.

The next morning, as they were preparing to head to school, the phone rang. It was a call from the school, informing them they didn't need to come in.

It wasn't an expulsion.

The school had simply suffered too much damage to be used.

While it was unfortunate, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing, as they had more pressing matters to attend to—heading to the church to meet with the Overseer, explain Shirou's situation as a participant, and deal with the aftermath of the recent battle between Servants.

The church wasn't far from the Emiya residence, so the group made their way there on foot.

Thanks to Rin's lessons the previous night, Shirou had learned some basic knowledge about magecraft. Unfortunately, his practical skills still left much to be desired. For instance, he hadn't yet mastered the most fundamental ability for a Servant: spirit form.

Since Saber couldn't turn into spirit form, they had to disguise her.

In the original story, she wore a raincoat, but since it wasn't raining, that would've drawn attention. Fang Mo suggested they all pose as cosplayers to blend in with the crowd.

Shirou dressed in an orange martial arts uniform with a wig, Rin donned cat ears and a maid outfit (looking rather shy and adorable), and Fang Mo… simply wore his full German military uniform, complete with boots and a hat. Standing beside him was the German boy in a steel helmet, holding a toy gun. The two of them looked like father and son, exuding such an intimidating aura that no passersby dared approach, even those who wanted to take pictures.

Amidst them, Saber, in her armor, somehow looked the most normal.

Cosplay culture was quite popular in Japan, so a group like this didn't draw too much attention. After walking for a while, they finally arrived at the church.

"We just need to cross this street," Rin said with relief.

"Fun fact," Fang Mo began again, pointing ahead. "If you feel like you're not making progress, just walk across the crosswalk. Then, you'll be... a pedestrian."

"Please, my dear Führer, I admit my mistake!" Rin groaned in frustration. "I shouldn't have misused the Command Seal yesterday. Could you stop messing with me now?"

"So, tell me," Fang Mo asked with a grin. "Are you a pedestrian?"

"Yes, yes," Rin rubbed her temples. "Whatever you say."

"Nope."

Fang Mo suddenly switched gears. "Actually, you're just... walking."

"I..."

Rin was about to burst.

"Pfft..."

Shirou couldn't help but stifle a laugh. This was the first time he had seen Rin so flustered, especially considering she was such a well-known figure at school.

Despite the bickering, the group quickly made their way to the church.

Saber chose to stay outside, likely to remain on alert for any potential attacks, and the others didn't question her decision as they entered the church.

Inside, it was eerily quiet, and they only saw one person—a man in his thirties wearing a black priest's robe.

Though Japanese, his demeanor carried a certain Western aristocratic elegance. However, his eyes were dark and devoid of light, as if hiding some deep, sinister secret.

"I tried contacting you several times, but got no response. I was worried something had happened to you," the priest, Kirei Kotomine, said upon seeing Rin.

Though he spoke with concern, his gaze wasn't on Rin. Instead, he was watching Fang Mo. "It seems you've summoned quite a terrifying Servant, Rin."

"What I summon is none of your business," Rin retorted. "I'm here for something else. It's unrelated to my Servant."

"I see," Kirei replied. "Let me guess—is this about the explosion at your school yesterday? Or perhaps... the fire in the outskirts last night?"

"It was caused by other Servants," Rin said, her gaze shifting slightly. "I was... just defending myself."

"Be that as it may, causing such a commotion could have serious repercussions. The Tohsaka family might face consequences. In severe cases, you could even lose your status as a Master. That's the rule of the Holy Grail War."

"What?"

Rin looked genuinely worried now.

"But as my disciple, I'll do what I can to help you." Kirei added, "Just be more careful next time. Cleaning up these messes is no easy task."

"Thank you," Rin breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll be more cautious in the future."

"Now, about this young man." Kirei turned his attention to Shirou. "Brought here by Rin, I take it you're the seventh Master? What's your name?"

"I..."

Shirou took a step forward, about to introduce himself.

But before he could say anything, Fang Mo interrupted.

"Oh, he's the adopted son of Kiritsugu Emiya, the Magus Killer, and the future killer of Kirei Kotomine, Shirou Emiya."

"...What?!"

Kirei's expression immediately darkened.

"Huh?"

Both Shirou and Rin were equally stunned, with Rin especially exclaiming, "How... how do you even know all this?"

"I've told you already," Fang Mo said calmly. "Never underestimate the intelligence network of the Empire."