Before the war officially began, the Masters and Servants spent their very short moments of free time in the Fortress of Millennia according to their own thoughts.
Although last night's midnight battle between the Shogun and Karna had been fierce enough, it still could not be considered the true beginning of combat between the Black and Red Factions. It was merely an unexpected incident over the contest for Ruler.
Since most of the Holy Grail War would take place at night, Fiore would occasionally take short naps during the day to relieve her fatigue.
At this moment, in Fiore's room, the Shogun stood gazing out the window. Upon hearing a faint sound beside her, she turned her head. Under her gaze, Fiore sat by the table, taking a small pill bottle from her pocket. She poured two pills into her palm and placed them on a napkin atop the table.
Because her glass of water was placed on the opposite side, Fiore tried to reach for it but failed. Left with no choice, she attempted to wheel herself over to fetch it.
"…"
Seeing her action, the Shogun moved first. She walked to the other side of the table, poured warm water into the cup, then came to Fiore's side and handed it to her.
"Ah… thank you, Shogun."
Fiore froze for a moment, then accepted the cup with both hands, smiling a little shyly. In the process, her fingers brushed lightly against the Shogun's.
"It is nothing."
The Shogun answered simply, then watched the girl's movements.
"Is your daily life always this inconvenient?"
She recalled the details from just now and asked.
"Mm? Ah… no, not really… normally there are servants with me, hehe… If it were only me, then indeed, everything would be inconvenient."
Fiore gave a bitter smile…
"But I never thought… the Shogun would voluntarily take care of me. You are so gentle, Shogun~"
Fiore lifted her azure eyes, gazing at her softly.
"What words are these? Since you suffer from illness, lending aid is only natural. Moreover, you are the one who summoned me here… to be responsible for you is what I should do."
The Shogun let out a faint breath, her cold, elegant voice answering the girl.
"…It seems summoning you was truly the right choice."
Fiore murmured in gratitude… she was indeed fortunate.
Taking the two pills from the napkin, she placed them into her mouth at once, then drank several sips of warm water. Leaning back in her wheelchair, she rubbed her legs gently, waiting for the pain to subside.
"What medicine is this?"
The Shogun, watching her actions, asked curiously.
"It is… a painkiller. It eases the pain in my legs. The side effect is an irresistible drowsiness, but it's not a big problem."
While waiting for relief, Fiore wiped the cold sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. Her voice and tone were weak as she answered the Shogun.
"Is it painful now?"
"Yes… very painful… but I've grown used to it. It doesn't hurt every day."
Fiore smiled faintly at her.
The Shogun narrowed her eyes slightly at the sight of her frailty… then pulled a chair to sit in front of her. Placing her fair hand lightly upon Fiore's thigh through the black trousers, her eyes glowed faintly with violet light.
"Mm… Shogun?"
Fiore looked at her action with some confusion.
"Do not fear, I will do nothing untoward."
Reassuring her in a low voice, the next moment, a faint violet radiance spread from the contact point. The Shogun closed her eyes slightly, then reopened them as her elemental power flowed into Fiore's legs.
"Mmhh~"
Fiore felt a wave of tingling numbness and let out a soft, alluring gasp without meaning to. Her azure eyes grew misty.
"What do you feel now?"
The Shogun asked softly while releasing her power.
"Mm~ it feels… good… and a little tingly."
Fiore, blushing like a kitten, described the sensation. The pain vanished instantly, replaced by a gentle warmth.
"That is good."
The Shogun withdrew her power and raised her eyes to the girl's flushed face.
"I have temporarily eased your symptoms. The rest will depend on the medicine."
"Mm…"
Fiore nodded lightly, then lowered her gaze to the fair hand resting on her lap… slowly, she placed her own hands over it, cherishingly wrapping it with both of hers.
The Shogun did not withdraw her hand from Fiore's gentle grasp. As a puppet, she did not fully understand such deep and complex emotions—perhaps even felt bewildered by them. Yet her self-awareness told her that, in this moment, she should not resist.
"This vessel… has one question."
Her voice was steady, neither loud nor soft, as she addressed the girl sitting so close before her.
"Mm? What is it you wish to ask, Shogun?"
Still holding her hand, Fiore raised her gaze to the woman before her.
"The Holy Grail… that thing… can it truly grant wishes?"
The Shogun asked the question that weighed most upon her heart. The so-called Holy Grail, said to grant all wishes—was it truly as miraculous as they claimed?
"The Holy Grail… well… it is said that it holds infinite magical energy, enough to realize any wish. To magi, it is also the tunnel leading to the Root."
Fiore replied softly, her voice delicate.
"Any wish can be granted?"
The Shogun pressed again.
"…In theory, yes. But I cannot say with certainty."
"…Then what is your wish?"
The Shogun looked directly at the girl.
"My wish…"
Fiore bit her lip, hesitant to speak. She feared that saying it aloud would cause the Shogun to think less of her.
"…"
The Shogun remained silent, patiently watching her.
"My wish is, in truth, a selfish one… I only wish to use the Holy Grail to cure my legs."
Hearing this, the Shogun's gaze drifted downward to those slender legs hidden beneath black trousers…
"Even though curing them would cause me to lose my magic circuits… I still want to set foot upon this earth with my own strength… That's… such a small wish, isn't it? Compared to others, it must seem insignificant, unworthy…"
Seeing the girl lower her head in discouragement, the Shogun only shook her head faintly.
"Wishes are never measured by size. They are measured by their worth. Besides… all people harbor selfish desires."
As though perceiving Fiore's gaze, she added—
"Even gods are no exception."
The Shogun's quiet words carried their meaning to her.
Fiore felt her heart ease a little at those words. Perhaps this was the Shogun's charm—that even her cold voice could bring comfort.
"Shogun… what is your wish, then?"
Since even gods possessed desires, Fiore yearned to know what kind of wish this beautiful woman before her might have.
Her wish…?
The Shogun was briefly lost in thought. Slowly, she withdrew her hand, then stood and walked to the window, gazing out at the horizon where heaven and earth met.
Could one such as she, a puppet, truly have a wish?
She could not help but ask herself.
She had been created for "eternity." Ei had fashioned her for that purpose alone. If she were to speak of a wish… then Ei's wish should be counted as hers.
"Inazuma's 'Eternity'… that is this vessel's wish."
At last, she spoke the words embedded deep within her heart…
Within the Plane of Euthymia, Ei opened her eyes. Her expression was complicated—more than anything, filled with worry.
"Shogun…"
She whispered softly.