"It's done."
Emiya Shirou looked down at the two gauntlets resting on the worktable, a quiet sense of fulfillment settling into his chest.
Every time he fully immersed himself in forging, this feeling surfaced without fail. Focused. Calm. Satisfied. Maybe it really was a kind of talent.
"Guardian Gauntlets," he said after a brief pause. "That should be their name."
Just like Little Emiya and Little Rimuru before them, these gauntlets were the result of joint forging. Both Emiya Shirou and Rimuru had taken part from start to finish.
Because of that, the weapon carried their shared intent.
And their sincere blessing for Milim.
"No sentience formed," Emiya Shirou noted calmly, "but their base performance already surpasses Little Emiya and Little Rimuru."
That outcome didn't surprise him.
Both he and Rimuru were far stronger than they had been back then. Their growth had never truly slowed. Infinite potential. Constant evolution.
After tidying up the forging room, Emiya Shirou pushed the door open and stepped outside.
The moment he did, he met Milim's gaze.
She was practically vibrating with excitement.
"Well?!" Milim leaned forward eagerly. "Is it finished?!"
Emiya Shirou smiled.
"A perfect masterpiece."
He brought his hands out from behind his back and handed the gauntlets to her.
Milim froze.
Then-
"Ah! They're so pretty!"
The gauntlets shimmered softly in the light. Pink, the same tone as Milim's hair. Emiya Shirou had taken her preferences into account from the start.
"I named them the Guardian Gauntlets," he said. "What do you think?"
"Guardian Gauntlets?" Milim slipped them on immediately. "I love them!"
Her face lit up without restraint.
Watching her reaction, Emiya Shirou felt the corners of his mouth lift further.
At that moment, Rimuru arrived.
"So," she asked with a smile, "what kind of effects do they have?"
Her curiosity was obvious. At the same time, Milim and Shuna, who stood nearby, both turned their attention to Emiya Shirou.
He didn't rush his answer.
"First," he said, "as you suggested, Rimuru, the deceleration and force suppression effects are both fully incorporated."
Milim's ears perked up.
"They're active effects," Emiya Shirou continued. "You can toggle them freely or adjust their range whenever you want. No need to switch weapons just because your opponent is too strong."
"Oh!"
Stars practically sparkled in Milim's eyes.
Rimuru nodded in approval.
"That's much more practical," she said. "If those effects were always on, the weapon would end up as nothing more than a display piece."
She let out a small sigh.
"I really didn't think that part through properly."
Then she looked back at Emiya Shirou.
"What else?"
"What else?" His smile deepened slightly.
"Magicule conductivity is nearly lossless," he said. "Considering Milim's infinite magicules, I added an indestructible property to prevent wear or damage."
Milim's attention never wavered.
"At the same time," he went on, "I didn't want it to stagnate. So during forging, I pushed its growth potential as far as possible."
He spoke calmly, matter-of-fact.
"With time, it will continue to evolve. Eventually, it'll become an indispensable weapon for you."
The stars in Milim's eyes nearly overflowed.
Her expression said everything.
"So?" Emiya Shirou asked lightly. "Satisfied?"
"Satisfied?" Milim raised both hands high, the gauntlets catching the light. "I'm way more than satisfied!"
She ran in a small circle, laughing freely.
Watching her like that, Emiya Shirou and Rimuru exchanged a glance.
They smiled.
Somewhere along the way, they had stopped thinking of her as just a Demon Lord.
She had become family.
A little sister.
The days that followed were calm.
Almost deceptively so.
Under Phitz's escort, the Elen trio departed once more, safely returning to their homeland. Before leaving, Phitz repeatedly emphasized that he would do everything in his power to promote an alliance between the Monster Federation and the Kingdom of Burmund.
After they left, Emiya Shirou's daily life grew noticeably busier.
The previous battle with the Calamity-class Beast had left its mark. Benimaru and the others trained relentlessly alongside Emiya Shirou and Milim, driven by a clear desire to grow stronger.
They didn't want to be helpless again.
When Rimuru finally found time for herself, she joined the training as well.
That only made Emiya Shirou more energized.
He hadn't sparred seriously with Rimuru in a long time.
So he raised the difficulty.
Again.
And again.
Until Rimuru could only cry out that she couldn't take it anymore.
In truth, Rimuru hadn't neglected her training at all. The only difference was her instructor.
Hakurou.
While Hakurou was strict, his style was methodical. Patient. Compared to Emiya Shirou, he was almost gentle.
Almost.
Unfortunately for Rimuru, Hakurou had been influenced.
Little by little, his training methods grew harsher. More demanding. More... Emiya-like.
That was when Rimuru truly started complaining.
The only thing that troubled Emiya Shirou during this period was himself.
No matter how much he trained, his base attributes no longer increased.
They had reached their limit.
He understood why. He had been in this world for a long time now.
Still, Emiya Shirou didn't believe this stagnation would last forever.
It never did.
One day, after training ended, Milim spoke up suddenly.
"I'm leaving."
Rimuru froze.
"...Eh?"
"Leaving?" she asked, startled.
Emiya Shirou wasn't surprised.
He had already expected this moment.
"Are you going to see the Demon Lords?" he asked.
"That's right!" Milim nodded brightly. "I came here to investigate the Orc Disaster, remember? And whether a new Demon Lord had appeared or not."
She smiled, carefree as ever.
"Now it's time to report back."
She paused, then added confidently, "When I get back, I'll warn them properly. So they won't try anything with this place."
She planted her hands on her hips.
Her magic power flared.
In an instant, her clothes shifted, transforming back into her familiar outfit. Outfit Changing Magic. Perfect for someone with countless battle gears.
The first time Emiya Shirou had seen it, he had immediately thought of Erza from Fairy Tail.
The resemblance was uncanny.
Of course, both he and Rimuru had already learned the technique.
"Warning the Demon Lords..." Rimuru sighed softly. "Just don't get tricked, okay?"
"Yes," Emiya Shirou added, reaching out and gently patting Milim's head. "You're impulsive. Smart, but you never actually use that brain of yours."
"Hey!"
Milim laughed.
"You two worry way too much."
She stepped back, spreading her arms.
"I never said I'm not coming back."
Her voice was firm.
"This place is already my home."
She waved.
"Goodbye, Brother Shirou. Sister Rimuru."
With that, she lifted off the ground and shot into the sky, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
"...She's gone," Rimuru murmured.
Emiya Shirou said nothing.
They stood there for a long time, staring at the empty sky.
The bond they shared was already too deep to ignore.
Eventually, Emiya Shirou broke the silence.
"Let's head back," he said. "We still have things we need to do."
Rimuru glanced at him.
"Shirou," she said quietly, "you're really strong."
He smiled wryly and patted her shoulder.
"Not really," he replied. "I've just gotten used to goodbyes."
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