fate/first order derivative

Part III.5

> skip to: iteration 29, day 7, afternoon

But we don't see Rin the next day. Apparently, the hospital can't discharge her without her legal guardian present, and Kotomine claims he's booked solid.

She's not the only one missing. Emiya says there was no sign of Shinji in class today. For that matter, he hasn't seen Issei in the past day or two either. Not sure what either of those things mean yet. Hopefully nothing.

> wouldn't count on it dude

Anyway, the day's pretty much a wash -- up until Archer calls my cell phone right after school. Guess he was running back and forth between the hospital and Rin's house, keeping an eye on things, when he picked up on Rider's scent. He says he tracked her into the big park downtown. Came across another two victims in the process. Looks like Shinji decided to change up his usual hunting grounds.

> victims?

Two middle-school girls. Archer says Rider just drained them and left them in a ditch somewhere. You can imagine how Shirou reacts to that. Saber, too, for that matter, albeit in a more low-key way.

> so hero time?

Hero time. Figure I'll tag along. With Rin still out of the picture, the team could use another set of eyes... and anyway, seeing Matou get his shit kicked in is never not gonna sound like a good time in my book.

***

> skip forward

It's pretty close to sunset by the time we arrive in front of Fuyuki Central Park's front gate. It's deserted, but that's no big shock. Nobody really comes here. The riverside's way more popular.

"Finally," Archer snaps as he materializes on top of the wall. "This way. Come on."

He leads us a little ways around the park's perimeter to a public phone booth. (Guess they haven't quite gotten rid of them all yet. Good thing, too.) Two girls lie slumped against each other on the sidewalk, unconscious. Christ. The smaller one looks like she isn't even out of elementary school yet. Every time I think Shinji's lowered the bar as far as it can go, he just keeps on surprising me.

Saber examines them. "No obvious wounds..."

"I already healed them," Archer says. "They're still weak, but they should be fine eventually. Now move it. I need to get back to Rin."

I blink. "You're not staying?"

"I've left her unguarded for too long as is." Archer notches an arrow into his bow. "Besides, I'll be able to cover you from the hospital roof once I'm there." He cuts me off before I can ask something else. "No more questions! Go!" He vanishes.

"Come on, this way." Shirou breaks into a run. He leads us to a side entrance into the park, where he stops and turns back. "I just thought of something. There's no telling how many more victims Rider might have left scattered throughout the park. We need to search for them, too, just in case. So we should split up to cover more ground."

"Heh." Keeping up with him and Saber has nigh-completely drained me of breath, but I still manage to wheeze out a chuckle. "Thassa good one, dude..."

Saber nods. "Good idea. I can move faster on my own."

"Bwah?" I look back and forth between the two of them. "You're -- you're joking, right? Come on! That is, like, a textbook bad idea! You want us to get picked off one by one here?! Because that's how you --"

"Then you two stick together." Saber draws her sword. "If all else fails, find a break in the trees. You can use that --" She motions to the flashlight I'm carrying. Grabbed it out of a utility closet on our way out of school. "-- to signal Archer. He should be able to get word to me somehow."