Even though Shinji was inwardly sighing, he couldn't let the situation escalate any further.
Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't have been a big deal. The two girls would fight, as that was part of their usual dynamic.
In the original timeline, Luvia didn't come to Fuyuki City at this point, and Rin never encountered this far-flung sister during the Holy Grail War. Their first meeting was in London, during their time at the Clock Tower.
On the very first day they met, a minor disagreement led to them fighting in the student dormitories. The aftermath of the battle destroyed the dorm's front desk, and as a result, both of them were kicked out and had to find their places to live off-campus.
That was just the beginning of their fated rivalry. Their magecraft was similar, they pursued the same magical paths, and many of their courses overlapped. Naturally, they saw each other frequently. As a result, the scene from their first day repeated itself every few days, whether in the classroom or outside, whether during lectures or extracurricular activities.
Over time, the whole Clock Tower knew about the famous rivalry between these two prodigies. An informal rule was even established: Rin Tohsaka and Luvia Edelfelt must never be in the same class! Thus, they even surpassed Flat and Svin, becoming the new troublemaker duo of the El-Melloi classroom!
But the situation now was different. Due to their earlier battle, both were in terrible shape. Although Gilgamesh's potion had triggered the life force stored within their bodies, it would still take some time to fully recover their stamina and mana. Restarting a fight at this point would be harmful, and worse, it might open an opportunity for their enemies to strike. Even if we don't consider the other Masters and Servants, there was still the ambiguous threat of Solomon, who alone was enough to give both Gilgamesh and Karna a headache. And since their Masters' physical conditions affected them, neither Servant was at their best.
"Enough."
Before Rin and Luvia could get any closer, Shinji stepped between them, blocking their line of sight with his body.
Naturally, both girls' furious glares shifted toward Shinji. Unperturbed, he raised his hand and motioned toward them both.
"Don't look at me like that. You're both exhausted, and you still want to fight me? I mean, I don't mind. If you insist, I'll gladly take you both on. But I guarantee it won't be me who gets the short end of the stick."
Hearing this, Rin and Luvia realized the problem and stopped in their tracks, each turning their heads away.
"Hmph," Rin scoffed, "don't get cocky. Once I deal with this nouveau riche, I'll come for you. You'd better wash your neck and wait for me!"
"Sure, sure. I'll make sure to wash thoroughly, not just my neck but other parts of my body too," Shinji replied, winking suggestively. His lecherous expression reminded Rin of the unpleasant event from a few minutes ago, immediately redirecting her hatred toward him. This was exactly what Shinji intended—he was acting as the tank, drawing aggro away from Luvia.
Luvia, meanwhile, didn't continue to press Rin. Instead, she thoughtfully glanced back and forth between Shinji and Rin.
She wasn't aware of Rin's earlier embarrassment. When Shinji had toyed with Rin, Luvia had been unconscious. Unlike Rin, who had received top-notch gear from a wealthy benefactor, Luvia had been fighting unarmored and had sustained heavier injuries. As a result, her recovery time was longer.
After she regained consciousness, neither Rin nor Shinji had mentioned what had happened earlier. And now, with Shinji facing Rin and his back to Luvia, she had no chance to observe any clues from his expression.
Her current behavior was entirely prompted by something Rin had said before the battle.
"This is just a warm-up. A prelude to my real fight with that guy."
It was clear that this country girl had another opponent in mind, and she held that person in even higher regard than Luvia. If that person was Matou Shinji, it wouldn't be surprising. After all, he was the last True Ancestor's knight, a man who had defeated Servants and destroyed the Forest of Einnashie, someone even Karna acknowledged.
Luvia had once imagined that if she were to fight him, she would seek the help of at least two allies. If that wasn't possible, she would simply surrender, as she would never face him one-on-one. Choosing such a strategy against him was nothing to be ashamed of.
However, now it seemed there was a new option... Hehe, perhaps she could use the same tactics the Tohsaka family had employed against her Great Aunt.
With this in mind, Luvia took two steps forward, nearly pressing herself against Shinji. She leaned in and whispered.
"So, you're also Miss Tohsaka's enemy?"
"Well, I don't want to be, considering how long we've known each other. But since she insists, I can't just give up without a fight, can I?"
"In that case, how about allying with me?"
As she spoke, Luvia moved even closer. Her already striking lips became even more alluring. Her breath brushed against Shinji's earlobe, causing a tickling sensation that stirred some unusual emotions within him.
Before Shinji could respond, Rin interjected.
"No way. Absolutely not. You cannot form an alliance with this nouveau riche!"
"What does it matter to you if he allies with me?"
Luvia placed one hand on her hip and covered her mouth with the other, laughing smugly.
"Of course, it matters! He's my… uh, my… uh—"
After stumbling over her words several times, Rin still couldn't come up with a suitable answer. After all, there were certain things she couldn't say—at least, not openly.
"Anyway, no means no! And your family wouldn't agree to it either!"
By family, of course, Rin was referring to Sakura—and, well, Matou Kariya, whose relationship with their mother was… ambiguous (no, at this point, it was pretty much confirmed).
However, Luvia knew nothing about this and continued to let out her signature ohohoho laugh.
"You're not his family, so how would you know what they think? I, on the other hand, believe they would approve. After all, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. And besides, he and I already have a basis for cooperation."
"Cooperation? You two?"
Rin scoffed, standing on guard.
"Of course! He's had dealings with my Servant, Karna. It wasn't during this war, but he did acquire a Noble Phantasm from Karna. You heard him earlier—he's saved me more than once, and… and he even did that to me."
As she reached the last part, a blush spread across Luvia's pale cheeks, and her shy, bashful expression made her look like a girl deeply in love.
"Oh?"
Rin's face twisted into a strange expression.
Shinji, on the other hand, felt a cold shiver run down his spine. He almost fell backward as his mind screamed, What the hell?!
That reaction—
That tone and those words—
And this woman speaking—
Author, did you get the script wrong?