According to Arthurian legend, the "Knight of the Lake" Lancelot was a young prodigy from France who crossed the sea to join the Round Table out of admiration for King Arthur. He was one of the later additions to the group, yet quickly gained Arthur's deep trust.
(In truth, the character was a revisionist creation by the French poet Chrétien, a dramatized embellishment of the older legends.)
Just as the romanticized chivalric tales described, Lancelot was tall, handsome, gentle, refined, and a masterful warrior. However, his love affair with Arthur's queen, Guinevere, was just as famous—if not more so—than his martial exploits and knightly virtues.
This particular aspect was what Nono knew best. She had even read various folk retellings and romance fanfics of their forbidden love. Thus, vivid, pink-tinged memories surged through her mind like a geyser, unleashing wave after wave of passionate fantasies…
Nono forcibly restrained these overflowing daydreams, her cheeks already tinged pink as she stomped the brakes on her imagination. She rolled her eyes with an elegant flair and sternly rejected Shirou's suggestion:
"You want Melusine to read that kind of indecent material?!"
Even though girls loved gossip and romance, if the gossip was about themselves, that was an entirely different matter.
She had a hunch that if she substituted her and Melusine's current Master-Servant relationship for Arthur and Lancelot's, then the next step would be Lancelot having an affair with Guinevere…
No, no—she couldn't continue that train of thought. Going any further was going to make her feel physically unwell!
"What do you mean 'indecent'? There are tons of stories about Lancelot, and you're just focusing on his romance with Guinevere… I just wanted Melusine to study Lancelot's human virtues—his gentleness, his devotion, his courtesy."
"Since you're already helping her get dressed, she can't go around acting like a dragon while wearing human clothes, right? Teaching her human social etiquette is part of this too."
Melusine's memories were incomplete, so learning human manners and values was essential for her integration. As a dragonkind, her way of life was far too "close to nature" and clashed with human society's behavioral norms.
Moreover, in the FGO timeline's Fairy Britain, Melusine was named the Fairy Knight "Lancelot" by Morgan, the ruler of that Lostbelt—so her being French aligned with the French knight Lancelot.
"Nono, you don't want her barging into my bed again tonight, right? Just because she doesn't understand human social boundaries?"
"She can barge in all she wants! Don't act like I care who you sleep with at night!"
The cramped changing room felt even smaller. Shirou tapped Nono's forehead lightly, but the flustered girl dodged and accidentally bumped into the wooden partition with a loud thunk.
"Ow!" Wincing, she instinctively turned away—but the tiny room had nowhere to escape. She stumbled straight into Shirou's chest. Her long coat flared open, and the curves of her black crop top pressed directly into him. The sensation was as delicate as freshly picked snow pears in a fragrant orchard.
Reacting swiftly, Shirou caught her with his arm. The cramped space didn't allow for a full embrace, so he propped her up at an angle. The taut fabric of her clothes outlined a soft, youthful silhouette, and her face—adorned with light makeup—blossomed right before his eyes.
"…"
Nono tried to speak, but found herself staring directly into Shirou's calm face. Her pupils darted slightly in panic before she pursed her lips, a light blush blooming across her cheeks in the romantic tension of the moment.
"Did you hit your head? You okay?" Shirou gently helped her regain balance. With his refined grasp of human anatomy and combat principles, he swiftly stabilized their positions.
Nono froze. She hadn't expected that, even after such an intimate moment, Shirou would simply ask a mundane question. It was like a sharp blade piercing through the pink bubbles of fantasy floating in her mind.
Squinting, she stomped her foot silently and muttered through clenched teeth, "I'm fine. Thank you!"
Ten minutes later, under the curious eyes of passersby, the stylish red-haired pair emerged from the boutique carrying bags of new clothes.
The shopping mission was finally complete.
Now dressed in a coat similar to Nono's, Shirou sighed in relief. Honestly, facing a deadly battle would be easier than accompanying a girl on a long shopping trip.
What he really wanted… was to test his new powers and see just how much of Senji Muramasa's essence he had inherited.
Nono walked ahead, silent—but a closer look revealed her lips moving ever so slightly, whispering softly.
Shirou knew she was secretly talking to the spirit form of Melusine. It might look eccentric to others, but as long as she didn't speak loudly, it just seemed like she was mumbling to herself.
The three got into their new cobalt-blue Koenigsegg. The red Ferrari from their last trip had plunged off the Zero Highway Bridge into the sea, never to return.
That morning, they had visited the Black Prince Group to compensate the original owner—a rather rotund Young Master Shao—for the loss.
Shao, however, didn't seem to care about the money. He even asked with concern how Nono had been, offering to lend her another car. "We were classmates in elementary school, after all! Stay in touch!"
Shirou, watching this supposed "classmate," could see all the signs of a simp.
He politely declined on Nono's behalf, especially since she was clearly annoyed by Shao's clinginess. Shao assumed Shirou was her older brother due to their matching hair color, and even tried to bond with him like blood brothers. It was frankly ridiculous.
Shirou bluntly advised him: "Your elementary school crush is just a fantasy. Those rose-colored memories are best left in the past. When fantasy becomes reality, it loses its luster—like a red rose turning into a smudge on the wall, or a white one becoming a rice stain on your shirt. Think about it."
After being stunned speechless, Shao was left behind as Nono coolly walked off, dragging Shirou with her.
———
The sea breeze was moist and cool. A recent typhoon had scared away the usual beachgoers, leaving the coast empty—perfect for testing Shirou's abilities.
The sky was still gray with post-storm clouds, and the surrounding area showed clear signs of recent devastation. Shells and debris littered the rocky shoreline in jagged, wrinkled patterns, like the face of an old man.
"Melusine, come out."
With Nono's permission, the petite dragon girl materialized from the car, her tail swishing energetically. It was clear that remaining in spirit form was stifling for her.
Her silver hair danced in the wind. The trendy new outfit she wore fluttered, and her long stockings outlined her graceful, toned legs. Her bright expression showed pure joy.
Nono mused: "This little dragon really is easy to please… even a new outfit makes her this happy. Teaching her human etiquette might actually be easier than I thought."
As for Lancelot's story—she could let Melusine read it, as long as she skipped the whole Guinevere affair.
"Let's go. Melusine, scout the area first."
Shirou was ready. Despite the memories this beach stirred of their recent life-or-death battle with a sea dragon, it was still the perfect test site. No need to clean up the aftermath either.
Once Melusine confirmed the area was clear, Shirou approached the edge of the sea, where waves lapped at the rocks. Nono and Melusine watched from a distance.
"Quenching… begin!"
Flames erupted as he began forging a weapon. The fire swirled like a raging serpent, wrapping around the projected ancient sword.
It was Shirou's first time using this method to forge a Noble Phantasm, and it showed. Concentrating so hard he broke into a sweat, it took him nearly ten seconds before the flames died down and the forging completed.
In his hands now was a newly forged bronze sword—Tai'a. It gleamed with a fierce brilliance, embodying a powerful fantasy: the sword of the King of Chu, said to sweep away tens of thousands of enemy troops in the Spring and Autumn period. A true anti-army Noble Phantasm.
The flames that forged it likely included his very soul.
No wonder it was Muramasa's skill. It consumed body and spirit to forge divine weapons.
Shirou raised the sword toward the sea. "Let me try this blade."
He slashed.
The sea split open in a long, narrow chasm—clean, precise, and awe-inspiring.
(End of Chapter)
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