Reborn with Steve Stand

The next day, on the way to school.

Rin Tohsaka was walking quickly, carrying her school bag, her face full of frustration.

Yes, even though she was participating in the Holy Grail War, at her core, Rin Tohsaka was still a student. This is how it goes in Japanese anime: no matter how much you talk about bonds, friendship, and saving the world, your studies can't be neglected.

However, considering the Holy Grail War had officially begun, as a Master—who was more likely to be attacked—Rin had to constantly have her Servant with her.

In this case, that meant Fang Mo.

So, not far behind her, an old green military motorcycle with a sidecar was slowly driving along, and Aki Hayakawa, dressed in a military uniform, was riding it, his face dark with frustration.

As for Fang Mo?

At this moment, he was leisurely sitting in the motorcycle's sidecar, enjoying the scenery along the way.

"What are you even doing?"

Finally, Rin couldn't hold back anymore. She slowed her pace slightly, letting Fang Mo catch up, and lowered her voice. "Did you forget what I told you last night?"

"Aren't you the one who told me to follow you?"

Fang Mo responded as if it were the most natural thing in the world, like a ruler inspecting his domain. "Back in my day, we traveled using these. Want to hop in and give it a try?"

"You could at least consider the current situation," Rin said, exasperated. "I already told you that the Holy Grail War can't be discovered by ordinary people. And even if we ignore that, showing off like this will draw the attention of hidden enemies, putting us at a disadvantage."

"Is that so?"

Fang Mo pretended to ponder, stroking his chin. "Should I go into spirit form then, to hide?"

His attitude remained relatively agreeable, which made Rin breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed that despite the fearsome reputation and the ruthless disregard for human life, the Führer was still willing to cooperate in their alliance to achieve the Holy Grail.

She couldn't help but wonder if this had anything to do with his class abilities. If he had been summoned as a Berserker instead of an Archer, things would likely have turned out much worse.

"Hurry up," Rin urged, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. People on the street had started giving them strange looks, so she hastened him. "I'm almost at school. Try not to draw attention."

"Alright, fine."

Fang Mo nodded, then snapped his fingers.

However, after the snap, Fang Mo remained seated casually in the motorcycle's sidecar, as if nothing had changed.

"...?"

Rin was confused. "Aren't you going to spirit-form yourself?"

"Relax, young lady," Fang Mo waved her off. "I've already gone into spirit form. What you see now is my spirit form."

"What?"

Rin was stunned. From everything she knew, once in spirit form, even a Master shouldn't be able to see their Servant. But since this was her first Holy Grail War, she wasn't entirely sure if her information was accurate.

She glanced around.

Sure enough, the passersby had stopped paying attention to her. They all seemed to be going about their own business.

"They really can't see you…"

Seeing this, Rin finally felt relieved.

However, as previously mentioned, Fang Mo wasn't exactly a traditional Servant. Spirit form wasn't something he could do.

What he had actually used was the ability of an unfortunate guy from the *X-Men* storyline.

That unlucky fool, named Jason, also known as the Master of Illusions, had his powers evolved after consuming two types of Golden Apples. Fang Mo had sealed him in an End weapon, transforming it into a tool for creating illusions.

Using the illusion-implanting ability, Fang Mo made it so others couldn't see him.

To the passersby, there was simply nothing next to Rin Tohsaka. They would subconsciously avoid that space, thanks to Fang Mo's illusion ensuring no one would get hurt by the motorcycle.

Even the motorcycle itself wasn't something Fang Mo had projected. It was something he had 3D-printed the night before in Night City, one of his earliest constructions, which was overseen by two super AIs: Ultron and Supreme Intelligence. Scientists like Dr. Genus also helped, so replicating outdated machines was a breeze. Ultron had the blueprint ready instantly, and nanotechnology took care of the rest.

Of course, Rin was unaware of any of this.

"This works," she said, actually feeling a bit happy. If his spirit form didn't make him disappear but instead allowed only her to see him, they could communicate more discreetly.

"By the way, I have a question for you," Fang Mo suddenly called out to Rin.

"Hm?"

Rin turned her head. "What is it?"

"In your school… there aren't any Jewish students, are there?" Fang Mo asked as he casually pulled out an old handgun and began to fiddle with it.

"!?"

Rin immediately tensed up.

"Even though this is Japan, you never know if an exchange student or someone like that might show up," Fang Mo said slowly. "You know, there's nothing I hate more in this world than those demons…"

Rin couldn't help but feel like retorting—*who's the real demon here?* But she wisely kept her mouth shut and replied seriously, "There shouldn't be. I'm a student here myself and haven't heard anything about exchange students."

"That's good."

Fang Mo nodded, seemingly satisfied. "I fought harder against those demons than anyone else, but the world still called me a madman."

"You…"

Rin wanted to respond, but as they stepped onto school grounds, she suddenly froze, her face darkening.

"You sensed it?"

She frowned, turning to Fang Mo. "Someone's set up a barrier inside the school…"

"Damn Jews must be behind this!" Fang Mo angrily smacked the motorcycle's gas tank. "This is treason! They'll all be executed!"

"Uh…"

Rin's expression stiffened. As a mage, she had a deep disdain for those who harmed ordinary people with such barriers. However, she hadn't expected the Führer to be angrier than her—though it seemed like he was angry at all the wrong people…

"In any case, we need to find the source," Rin said, trying to stay calm. "These barriers usually have a core or a key point. Can you sense it?"

"Give me some time."

Fang Mo could have torn down the barrier with a snap of his fingers, but he played along, pretending to think. "I can pinpoint the general location, but I'll need to check it out."

"No, I have to go to class," Rin said quickly. "This might be a trap set by the enemy. Don't act alone for now. We'll investigate together after school. I suspect it's the work of another Master."

"No way. I swore I wouldn't let a single demon go free," Fang Mo insisted. "You wait here. I'll catch the culprit and kill them… By the way, do you need soap at home?"

"I…"

Rin felt like she was suffocating. "Führer, please calm down. I'm not saying we should let them go—I'm just worried this could be a trap. I'm about to start class. Could you please think about your ally's safety for once?"

"Alright then."

Fang Mo pretended to consider it, then suggested, "How about I stay with you, and I send my subordinates to investigate?"

He gestured toward Aki Hayakawa.

"Send your subordinate?" Rin thought for a moment. That seemed like a reasonable compromise. After all, the barrier was quite dangerous—likely designed to drain the life force of the people inside and convert it into magical energy.

Rin was furious at such a vile technique, and this was her school. The sooner they found the culprit, the better.

"Alright."

She nodded. "Go ahead."

"Great."

Fang Mo patted Aki on the back. "Go ahead, Hayakawa. Investigate the area."

"…Yes, Führer."

Aki practically spat the words out through clenched teeth.

"?"

Rin gave him a curious glance but didn't think too much about it. She assumed the intelligence officer, like her, was also eager to uncover the barrier's owner.

Soon, Aki Hayakawa left, and Fang Mo entered the school building with Rin. They managed to make it to class just before the bell rang, avoiding any major incidents. Once the bell sounded, the teacher began lecturing as usual.

However, Rin, normally the top student, found it impossible to focus.

The Holy Grail War already had her on edge, and spending the previous night teaching Fang Mo about modern society had worn her out. She felt completely drained.

The only comfort was that her "Führer" seemed relatively well-behaved.

He had somehow pulled out a desk and placed it at the back of the classroom, where he sat, glasses on, studying a map. He occasionally scribbled something down, as though he was carefully planning.

Seeing this, Rin felt a small sense of relief, thinking he might actually be preparing for the upcoming battles.

But her relief didn't last long.

After about two periods, near the beginning of the third, the classroom door creaked open, and Aki Hayakawa, still in uniform, walked in. This immediately snapped Rin out of her drowsiness, and she instinctively sat up straight.

However, no one else seemed to notice what was happening.

Even the teacher at the front of the class continued lecturing seriously.

Rin Tohsaka, on the other hand, couldn't concentrate at all. Her ears were practically twitching as she tried to overhear the conversation between Fang Mo and Aki Hayakawa. As she expected, the two began talking without any care, right in the middle of the classroom.

"Have you finished the investigation?" Fang Mo asked, glancing at Aki.

"Yes," Aki replied.

"Good," Fang Mo nodded, then asked directly, "So, does my empire still exist?"

"It has fallen, my Führer," Aki said through gritted teeth, trying to keep his composure.

"???"

Rin's eyes widened in disbelief as she turned to glance toward the back of the classroom. Weren't they supposed to be investigating the barrier? Why were they talking about empires now? Was this guy really *that* obsessed with Europe???

"…"

Fang Mo, unfazed by Rin's confusion, fell silent for a moment. "And what about *Mein Kampf*? Is it still in print?"

"It's been banned, my Führer," Aki replied, his face still stern.

"Damn it…"

Fang Mo clenched his fist theatrically, acting as if he were furious. Then, after a brief pause, he asked another question: "Has anyone continued my legacy?"

"Actually, yes. Some people are still carrying on your ideals, my Führer," Aki responded.

"Hm?"

Fang Mo's expression brightened with joy. "I didn't expect there would still be people in this world who understand me. Wonderful! Tell me, who are these fine people?"

"It's the Jews, my Führer," Aki said.

"Aaahhhhhh!!!" Fang Mo slammed the desk, throwing down the pen he had been holding. "I'm furious! Furious! Every Jew can go eat dirt! Damn it, I can't take it anymore!"

"I…"

Rin felt a deep sense of helplessness rise from within.

"Ms. Tohsaka."

Right at that moment, the teacher at the front of the room noticed Rin. "Please don't turn around during class. You can answer the next question."

"Ah, yes," Rin quickly turned back around, flipping through her textbook.

Unfortunately, since she hadn't been paying attention to the lesson at all, she had no idea what the teacher had been talking about. Naturally, she couldn't answer the question, and as a result, she was made to stand as a punishment, her frustration growing.

By the time the day finally came to an end, Rin felt like she had spent the entire time in some sort of personal hell.

Fang Mo, seated in the back, never stopped causing trouble. Despite claiming he would investigate the barrier, he had somehow dragged in a few televisions and spent the entire day watching history documentaries about Europe. At one point, he even sent Aki to dig through student records to see if there were any exchange students.

Rin genuinely wondered if she'd survive the day.

But fortunately, she made it through.

After school, she finally managed to get Fang Mo to focus on their real task—investigating the barrier. After all, he had been dodging it all day.

However, what Rin didn't expect was that as soon as they started investigating the barrier, an enemy Servant appeared almost immediately.