Shinji Matou at Your Service-Chapter 1011: Time to Slip Away

"What's going on here, Brother Dearest?"

Hearing Sakura's low, pressure-filled voice made Shinji's headache even worse.

Rin was good at seizing opportunities, but he couldn't blame her. He had made the first move, Luvia followed up, so it wasn't surprising Rin would take her shot too—what goes around comes around. If he could tease the girls, why couldn't they get back at him?

Luckily, Shinji was experienced in these kinds of situations. After a moment's thought, he came up with a plan.

"Don't listen to your sister's nonsense. If you think she's in bad shape, Luvia's not much better. See for yourself."

Upon closer inspection, it was true.

Rin and Luvia's hand-to-hand combat skills were evenly matched. Rin's clothes were torn to shreds, so how could Luvia fare much better? Thanks to the differences between martial arts and wrestling, Luvia's clothes were relatively intact, but only relatively. After the fight, Luvia's custom-made winter coat had turned into a summer outfit—both sleeves had been torn off by Rin, ripped straight from the shoulders. A large portion of her knee-length skirt was also torn away, though thankfully, Luvia was wearing leggings, which saved her some dignity.

Recalling what Medea had said about the cause of the fight, Sakura roughly pieced together what had happened, and the tension on her face eased a little.

However, Luvia looked puzzled, focusing on one word Shinji had used: "Sister? Isn't Sakura your sister?"

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Shinji rubbed his nose and explained, "Well, there's some backstory to it. Sakura isn't just my sister; she's also Rin's."

"I see."

Luvia nodded slightly, her gaze drifting between Shinji, Sakura, and Rin before she finally said, "But she doesn't look anything like Miss Tohsaka. Her personality is much better too."

"Well, she is my proud little sister, after all."

Seeing Shinji's smug expression, Rin couldn't stay focused on playing the victim. She raised her head from Sakura's embrace and retorted.

"What do you mean she doesn't look like me? She does!"

"In every way," Shinji replied.

"Hair, eyes, and especially here."

Luvia let out an "oh-ho-ho" laugh, making a sweeping gesture across her chest, the implication crystal clear.

"In this regard, I'm more like her sister."

"Ugh!"

Rin couldn't help but swallow nervously. This was her greatest weakness. Even in the generally petite-bodied, she was considered... lacking.

"Ha-ha-ha," Sakura let out a dry laugh.

What could she do? No matter how she answered, it wouldn't change the physical disparity between her and her sister. Every time she stayed at the Tohsaka house or bathed together with Rin, she could feel her sister's envious gaze. Sometimes, Rin would even give her a jealous pinch or two.

Shinji, meanwhile, silently mused—would this be one of the reasons why, in another world, Sakura would become Luvia's sister, and they'd get along so well?

Okay, that was just a wild thought, a product of his overactive imagination. Fun to think about, but not to be taken seriously. However, this was a good opportunity—

"It's not just that they're alike; they are sisters. Sakura, call her sister."

"Huh?"

Sakura blinked, stunned. Her face, which had just started to soften, darkened once more.

"Sister? As in sister-in-law?"

Sister can refer to both biological and other forms of kinship. However, adding the word -in law would imply something else entirely—like a brother's wife.

"What are you thinking?"

Shinji shook his head with a sigh. He used to think a sister complex and marrying a little sister was a great idea, but now he felt the pressure of it all.

"I meant in the real sense—biological, blood-related sisters."

"Whaaaaat?!"

For Sakura, this was even more shocking than hearing about a new sister.

The men in the Matou family were known for having terrible luck with women—it was a well-established fact in the household.

Sakura had heard Elsa mention Byakuya's flings more than once, and Shinji, well, his track record with girls was clear—each one more beautiful than the last. Even Kariya, who was hopelessly in love with Aoi, had plenty of admirers. If he had wanted to marry, he could have done so long ago.

It wasn't just Sakura who was shocked, though. The other two girls also reacted with surprise. Luvia was perplexed, while Rin glared furiously—You want my sister to call this nouveau-riche woman sister?

Shinji, however, remained calm and continued, "Rin, Luvia, Sakura... No matter what grudges exist between the Tohsaka and Edelfelt families, or whether you want to admit it, you all share the same bloodline. That's an undeniable fact. And Luvia, your grandmother didn't hate Rin's grandparents as much as you might think. The Edelfelt family never directly targeted the Tohsaka family, which says a lot."

"This..."

Luvia fell silent.

As sharp as she was, she had realized this long ago. Her grandmother had once held a grudge, but over time, she had let it go, leaving only a lingering sense of familial connection. However, her grandmother, like herself, was too proud to ever admit it. And her great-aunt had been physically frail, leaving the sisters with unresolved regrets.

Perhaps Matou Shinji's approach was the right one.

Rin, on the other hand, had come to a similar conclusion. She knew that resolving things this way would be best for both families, but her pride made it hard for her to take the first step.

A long-standing tradition—pride deeply ingrained in their genes. There was no helping it.

Seeing this, Shinji gave Sakura a look and said, "You've already fought, so now it's time to sit down and talk things out. Sakura, take your two sisters home and make sure they get there safely. They've expended a lot of mana and stamina, so we don't want to give anyone else an opportunity."

"Understood."

Sakura nodded.

"What about you, Brother?"

"The matters between you sisters are none of my business. Besides, since you've come to find me at this time, I assume there's something else?"

It was about 3 p.m., not exactly the time when a group of women would be done shopping. Sakura's appearance at this moment meant that something important had come up—perhaps, like finding Acht's location.

"Let's switch roles. You handle things here, and I'll take care of the other side. Oh, and make sure to listen to both of your sisters' sides of the story, not just one. Rider, I'm counting on you for security. Let me know when everything's settled."

"Understood."

A low voice came from the shadows of the trees. Since Sakura was here, her loyal Servant Medusa was naturally close by.

"Well, I'll be off then."

With that, Shinji strode briskly into the forest, disappearing from sight.

Why was he in such a hurry?

Are you kidding? Dealing with Rin and Luvia together was already a headache, but adding Sakura into the mix? That's a recipe for disaster. Even Gilgamesh and Karna had quietly disappeared into spirit form—if he didn't slip away now, when would he?

PS: The men of the Matou family do have excellent luck with women. Byakuya was infamous for his indulgent lifestyle, Shinji changed girlfriends in high school like he changed clothes. As for Kariya, I don't remember the details, but I'm pretty sure he was popular both as a student and later as a reporter. It just goes to show—being handsome does let you get away with anything.