She's here! She's here! She's here!
As the roar of the luxury sports car echoed through Fuyuki's bustling streets, Kenneth, who couldn't resist approaching, cast [Dispel Bystanders] around the beach.
The beach, located within the city limits and not far from Fuyuki City's port, was now deserted except for Guinevere.
She waited until the sports car screeched to a halt, until the dizzy King of Knights was dragged out of the vehicle.
The flames in Guinevere's heart instantly roared to life!
It had been a long time since she'd seen the King of Knights in the state induced by the Holy Sword's stasis, and it was the first time she'd ever seen her looking so dashing in a full suit.
Irisviel's decision to drive directly here wasn't solely due to her curiosity about the beach, nor was it just because Guinevere, with her foreknowledge of the plot, was waiting in advance.
It was also because Kiritsugu Emiya had been tracking Guinevere through his rifle scope, ordering her to come here the moment she landed.
Having received an alternate version of the King of Knights' story from the House of Einzbern, Kiritsugu believed Guinevere could be a valuable asset to his side.
Besides, with the King of Knights in her current state, it was best for her to have a heart-to-heart with Guinevere first.
As for whether the King of Knights wanted to meet at this moment, Kiritsugu Emiya couldn't care less about the feelings of a mere "tool."
The moment she stepped out of the car and regained her senses, their eyes met...
In that single glance, both women confirmed the other was the familiar person they knew.
The King of Knights tried to flee, but Irisviel held her hand firmly. In the next instant, Guinevere crashed into her arms.
Guinevere rubbed her face fiercely against hers, her voice echoing in her ears:
"Lia! Lia! My Lia!"
Shame and unease flooded the King of Knights. Irisviel was watching, and her heart now harbored a wish that would betray Guinevere's trust.
"Guinevere, let go..."
Her earlobe was taken into Guinevere's mouth, and she sensed the danger of being pushed back into the car. The King of Knights quickly composed herself, steadying her body. She refused to be bullied by Guinevere in front of everyone.
She lifted her head, stood on her tiptoes, and cupped Guinevere's cheeks with both hands. Without hesitation, she pressed their lips together, immediately deepening the kiss.
After a long moment, amidst Guinevere's silly laughter and her attempts to fight back, the King of Knights finally released her and said:
"Satisfied? Can you calm down a little now?"
"Mhm, I've calmed down. But I'm not satisfied at all! Lia, will you stay the night?"
A foolish grin spread across Guinevere's face, but the King of Knights' expression froze. She glanced sideways at Irisviel, who was fumbling with her phone—still unfamiliar with its functions—apparently trying to take a picture of them.
The King of Knights quickly cleared her throat and pulled away from Guinevere's embrace.
"Saber, just let me take one picture! You two look so good together. It's just... your heights should be reversed."
The King of Knights stood at 154 cm, while Guinevere appeared as a woman in her twenties. Compounding the visual oddity, the shorter one wore men's clothing while the taller one wore a dress, giving Irisviel the impression of a child driving a massive truck.
Hearing the silver-haired homunculus's words, Guinevere also noticed their significant height difference. She immediately recalled the King of Knights' formidable adult form—a body far more mature than her own.
Now, I'm sixteen too...
Thinking back to the days when she herself was considered a "child," Guinevere activated her Second Noble Phantasm, shrinking her body to match the King of Knights' height.
"Lia, hehe, this is the first time you've seen me at sixteen, right?"
When Guinevere and the King of Knights first met, Guinevere was already older than sixteen. The King of Knights had never seen her in this form before, and she subconsciously reached out to touch the face before her.
Aside from the captivated King of Knights, many onlookers were stunned by Guinevere's transformation. If she could change her form at will, then her earlier exposure truly had been intentional. Furthermore, no historical records or legends about Guinevere mentioned such an ability.
This meant they had to completely revise their assessment of her.
"Lia, shall we go rest at my place now? Lia, do you have a wish you hope the Holy Grail will grant? Let me tell you, that damn cup was corrupted long ago."
"Huh?"
At the mention of the Holy Grail and her wish, the King of Knights temporarily set aside her inner turmoil. She trusted Guinevere's words.
Taking Guinevere's hand, she walked with her toward the coastline.
Behind them, Irisviel wore a bewildered expression. She had no idea what Guinevere meant by the Holy Grail being corrupted. She had been counting on it to grant Kiritsugu Emiya's wish.
"Iri..."
Kiritsugu Emiya's voice crackled through the earpiece hidden beneath her hair.
"Kiritsugu, if what Guinevere said is true, then the Family Head and the others must have hidden a lot from us. You can investigate through the Tohsaka or Matou Houses. They, along with the Einzberns, are the Three Founding Families of the Holy Grail War, so they should know what's going on."
"Iris, try not to worry. I'll look into this 'corruption.' Besides, we can also start with Kenneth."
Hearing this, Irisviel realized something. Guinevere had only been summoned two days ago, and she was a figure from over fifteen hundred years in the past. It was impossible for her to know the hidden secrets of the Holy Grail War.
If the Holy Grail was indeed corrupted, then Kenneth must have been the one who told her.
For now, let's set aside Kiritsugu and Irisviel's thoughts...
At the edge of the sea and sand, Guinevere and the King of Knights walked barefoot, hand in hand, kicking up splashes of water as they strolled.
"Are you serious? Someone summoned Angra Mainyu in the Third Holy Grail War, and when he fell into the Grail, the title 'All the World's Evil' forced upon him corrupted it?
"So the Grail really only contains the Black Mud representing 'All the World's Evil'?
"But if that's true, why would the Einzberns, who caused this whole mess, continue the Holy Grail War?"
"Of course. That's because they don't care about the Holy Grail. They just want to use the path Servants take back to the Throne of Heroes to allow the victor to finally reach the Root."
Guinevere saw no reason to hold back from the King of Knights. Whatever the King's wish might be, Guinevere didn't want her to cling to hope only to be met with despair.
On the shoreline, the King of Knights fell silent, the words she had intended to say to Guinevere dying in her throat.
"So, the corrupted Holy Grail can't grant any wishes at all, can it?"
"Not exactly. The corrupted Grail simply grants wishes in a more twisted way. For example, if someone wished for world peace, it might try to exterminate humanity.
"Of course, if we could cleanse Angra Mainyu's soul from the Grail and replace him as the core of the Holy Grail System with other souls, it might be possible to correctly grant some smaller wishes.
"After all, the Grail has accumulated sixty years of Fuyuki City's mana. With such a vast amount of power, if used properly, it could achieve many miracles."
"For example... sending me back to before I met you? Or giving the me of that time all the memories I've gained since meeting you?"
Stunned... stunned... utterly stunned...
Guinevere stared fixedly at the King of Knights, unable to comprehend why she would suddenly say such a thing.
Moreover, Guinevere knew that of the King's two wishes, the first would be nearly impossible to achieve, but the second was a miracle with known precedents.
"Lia, are you dissatisfied with the ending we reached?"
It was only then, as Guinevere looked closely at the King of Knights, that she noticed the stubborn cowlick on top of her head was gone.