新たな二人

[Rin Tohsaka] I see. Sorry, I haven't read your message yet. I can't believe that happened to you.
[Archer] Rin, you truly are a Mage. You talk as if you're choosing to ignore this machine, but we all know you just can't use it.
[Rin Tohsaka] Archer, can you keep your mouth shut for now?
[Rin Tohsaka] Getting kidnapped while trying to save someone else – geez, that sounds so typical of Emiya.
[Ichihime] So you're the people Sakura contacted earlier, nyaa. But if you didn't see her message, how did you find your way here, nyaa?
[Rin Tohsaka] Well, um... Sakura, what do you think?
[Sakura Matou] ...Since it's come to this, I think we should fill them in. It'll make things a lot smoother.
[Rin Tohsaka] Yeah, you're right. The truth is that we came to this city to investigate a certain rumor.
[Ichihime] A certain rumor, nyaa?
[Rin Tohsaka] Yes, you must have heard of it too, Miss Ichihime.
[Rin Tohsaka] It's said that there's a mahjong competition that can grant any wish of the winner.
[Fu Ji] ...
[Fu Ji] ...
[Rin Tohsaka] I heard that the competition is held in a place called Mahjong Soul Shrine, and that the winner can have any wish granted. It's happening this weekend.
[Rin Tohsaka] Archer and I have been looking into things about this competition.
[Rin Tohsaka] We noticed that one of the competitors was gathering a large group of people and acting really suspiciously. That's how we ended up here while investigating.
[Sakura Matou] So are you implying that one of the competitors might be behind this kidnapping?
[Rin Tohsaka] It's very likely. Since the winner can have any wish granted, it's certainly possible that some people might want to imprison their strongest contenders as that will increase their chances of winning.
[Rin Tohsaka] From another perspective, the fact that someone's going to such extreme lengths actually makes the rumor seem more credible.
[Rin Tohsaka] ...But if that's true, it doesn't make sense for them to go after Sakura.
[Sakura Matou] Do you think they mistook me for someone else...?
[Fu Ji] ...
[Fu Ji] ...
[Archer] ...I know it sounds crazy to take something like having any wish granted so seriously, but we've got our reasons.
[Archer] It's not like we're taking this rumor at face value, but it's given us a glimmer of hope. At the very least, we want to find out if there's any truth to it.
[Archer] So we'd appreciate it if you guys would say something instead of looking at us like we're out of our minds.
[Rin Tohsaka] Like he said, if you know anything, no matter how small it seems, please let us know.
[Ichihime] ...No, we don't think you're talking crazy. It's just, uh, nyaa...
[Fu Ji] Didn't you tell them earlier?
[Ichihime] Well, we've been so busy since we met, so I might not have introduced myself properly, nyaa...
[Saber] Miss Ichihime...?
[Ichihime] ...Let me introduce myself again. I am Ichihime, and I am... a priestess of Mahjong Soul Shrine, nyaa.
[Rin Tohsaka] What?!
[Sakura Matou] R-Really?!
[Ichihime] Actually, I was on my way home after finishing up some paperwork for the weekend competition when I ran into you guys, nyaa.
[Saber] So does that mean you know about this rumor?
[Ichihime] ...Well, it's true that our shrine might be connected to granting wishes, nyaa. But it's not like any random competition will do, nyaa... And more importantly, this weekend's competition is just for fun and has nothing to do with that, nyaa!
[Archer] If there's a misunderstanding in the rumor, why haven't you done anything about it?
[Ichihime] One Han City is such a biiig city, and rumors about Mahjong Soul Shrine have spread to every corner of the city, nyaa! We don't have the time to chase down and correct every little misunderstanding that pops up, nyaa!
[Fu Ji] Really? I thought you didn't bother because the rumors would bring in more visitors and profit.
[Ichihime] Hey! That's slander, nyaa! I'm not greedy like you, nyaa!
[Ichihime] A-Anyway, the competition this weekend is just a normal friendly competition, not what you said, nyaa! If it really was a competition that could grant wishes, Mahjong Soul Shrine would definitely do everything in its power to hold a grand event... I think.
[Saber] Sorry, I know I'm being annoying, but I need to be sure... Given the kidnapping, the situation feels different this time. Couldn't there be a hint of truth to this rumor?
[Sakura Matou] That's true... If similar rumors have always been around, why is something like this only happening now?
[Archer] Maybe what Rin said earlier is the answer to your question.
[Rin Tohsaka] ...Huh? Me? What did I say?
[Archer] The fact that someone's going to such extreme lengths actually makes the rumor seem more credible.
[Archer] Let's say that someone out there is very excited about this competition and does something like pray desperately to the gods somewhere because of it.
[Archer] A passerby who sees this might think that there must be something special about this competition since someone is praying so desperately because of it.
[Archer] And then this person might also start preparing for this
[Rin Tohsaka] ...Are you saying that this series of coincidences escalated into a kidnapping at some point?
[Rin Tohsaka] Sigh... As much as I want to say something that stupid couldn't possibly happen, I have to admit it seems like the most likely explanation for what's going on.
[Saber] Archer, you should have spoken up sooner if you'd already thought of all that.
[Archer] I only thought of this after listening to your conversation just now. I wasn't holding back on purpose.
[Sakura Matou] So why did the kidnappers target me...
[Fu Ji] Well, I can probably guess why. You have the aura of an expert mahjong player.
[Sakura Matou] A-An expert mahjong player...? I'm embarrassed to admit that I don't even know the rules very well...
[Fu Ji] Actually, it's not just you. I get that feeling from all of you. Rin, Saber, and Archer, you all look like you're good at mahjong.
[Rin Tohsaka] ...Excuse me, is this
[Fu Ji] Nope. What about it?
[Rin Tohsaka] Then why did you even bring it up?!
[Fu Ji] No, it's not useless nonsense. Let me explain. In One Han City, almost everyone who has a strong presence or stands out in some way is skilled at mahjong.
[Fu Ji] For example, people in underground intelligence organizations, idols, the bosses of big companies, and even swordsmen and ninjas – anyone who stands out on the streets – tend to be masters at the mahjong table too.
[Fu Ji] Given this, if someone really is trying to win the competition by eliminating strong opponents in advance, it wouldn't be surprising for them to kidnap strangers who look like mahjong experts on the streets.
[Rin Tohsaka] Is everyone in this city so obsessed with mahjong...?
[Ichihime] Doesn't that mean that I'm also a target, nyaa? Th-That's terrible, nyaa!
[Fu Ji] Don't worry, you're the kind of person they will never target.
[Saber] Anyway, the situation is quite clear now. Although there's a lot of guesswork involved, we shouldn't be too far from the truth.
[Saber] The problem is that we still don't know Shirou's whereabouts.
[Archer] Nobody asked him to play the hero. Of course, he ended up getting himself captured. We should just leave an idiot like him alone.
[Archer] Being locked up for a while should teach him not to act so recklessly when he's out of his depth.
[Rin Tohsaka] Alright, alright, you know full well none of us would actually do that – you just can't help that mouth of yours, huh...?
[Ichihime] By the way, can't we just wait until the competition is over, nyaa?
[Fu Ji] Hmm? Are you expecting those guys to release the victims on their own? That might be a bit too naive.
[Saber] That might be feasible if we could be completely certain that the kidnappers wouldn't harm Shirou, but that assumption relies on the wish-granting prize being real.
[Saber] If the kidnappers learn that the rumor is just a rumor after winning the competition, no one can guarantee that they won't hurt Shirou.
[Fu Ji] That's right. Like in business, if you don't want to lose, just waiting isn't the way. We need to find out where they are ourselves.
[Rin Tohsaka] Should we monitor other strong competitors? The kidnappers might go after them next.
[Fu Ji] We could do that, but there are way too many people who are good at playing mahjong in this city.
[Fu Ji] The odds are too low that the person we choose to monitor will be exactly the one the kidnappers target.
[Ichihime] And we can't track the kidnappers if they are moving by car, nyaa!
[Rin Tohsaka] Tracking them won't be a problem. It's just unlikely that this approach will work.
[Rin Tohsaka] But if we really have no other way, I guess we can only pick someone to monitor at random and hope for the best...
[Sakura Matou] Can I say something...?
[Rin Tohsaka] What is it, Sakura?
[Sakura Matou] I might have an idea... Would you like to hear it?