"Merlin really is amazing..."
Outside the refugee camp, Guinevere found a sand dune and initiated another call with her other self from a different world.
This time, however, was different. They could now see each other through a video call.
"It's strange, isn't it? Talking to yourself. Speaking of which, I'd love to try using Lia's body sometime."
On the other side of the screen, Caster Guinevere was eating grilled skewers. Beside her...
Lia was there, Mordred was there, and Morgan was there too—a perfect family scene.
Seeing this, Ruler Guinevere felt a mix of contentment and envy. She wished she could be there, eating grilled skewers with everyone.
"Other me, do you find it amusing to be envious of yourself?"
"Totally!"
On the other side of the call, they were in a small, cozy living room. As Caster Guinevere spoke, she took another bite of a steaming grilled skewer.
While the two Guineveres remained composed, Lia, Mordred, and Morgan's emotions were far more complex. Mordred, in particular, had just bid farewell to Ruler Guinevere in the Jerusalem region. The moment her memories returned to the Throne of Heroes, Morgan had summoned her.
The sense of strangeness she felt was overwhelming.
"Queen Mother, how far have you progressed over there? Have you met that world's Father yet?"
"Not yet. Only Agravain remains by her side. Once Mash and the others return from the Sun King's court, it'll be time for the final battle."
"I'm sorry, Queen Mother. I originally intended to..."
"It's fine. I don't need your help anyway. And seeing her laughing and enjoying life... sniffle... I just want to hug you again!"
On the sand dune, under the moonlight, Guinevere sat alone. She was simultaneously channeling Mana into the Replica Holy Sword and expending even more to maintain the video call with the Rainbow Gem.
Her "crying" was deliberate, but Caster Guinevere's embrace of Mordred was entirely genuine.
This time, Mordred ignored her mother's words. Since arriving in the modern era, she had started dressing in even more revealing outfits: hot pants, a cute top, and a striking hairstyle that perfectly complemented her heroic demeanor. She looked every bit the cool girl.
"Hey, other me," Caster Guinevere said, "I'm the one who allowed Mordred to dress like this, you know. Haven't you noticed? I'm dressed pretty casually myself—eating skewers, drinking beer. And no one else is coming into this room. But what about you? Can anyone else see the projection screen you've set up?"
"Other me, do you really think I'd allow such a thing?" Ruler Guinevere retorted from the desert.
"Right, right, I know I'm the pettiest of us all. I'll go find Merlin later and have him resynchronize our memories. That way, I can experience the desert, and you can feel what it's like to hug Mordred again. By the way, want to feel what it's like to touch Lia?"
"No need. I've already bathed in Lia's body several times. I've even..."
Ruler Guinevere didn't finish her sentence. Morgan, who had been watching from the side, burst out laughing. As for Artoria—the body's actual owner—the beer can slipped from her grasp, nearly crashing onto her. It was only thanks to her exceptional Instinct skill that her body reacted faster than her mind, catching it just in time.
"Guinevere, what did you do with my body?" Lia demanded.
"Lia, do you really want me to say it out loud?" Ruler Guinevere teased.
"..."
Lia fell silent, her face flushing red. She slowly shook her head. Essentially, it was just Guinevere personally bathing her—something she had already experienced hundreds, if not thousands, of times.
"Other me, it seems you have some memories I'd envy too!" Caster Guinevere exclaimed.
Mordred was still held tightly in Caster Guinevere's arms, her cheeks being playfully pinched. But even across worlds, Lia couldn't vent her flustered anger on Ruler Guinevere. Couldn't she at least grab Caster Guinevere by the collar and lift her up in embarrassment?
Besides, Lia had already had quite a bit to drink, and her inhibitions were rapidly fading.
"Sister, help me out! I want to use Guinevere's body too!"
How could Morgan, who was thoroughly enjoying the drama, refuse such a request?
Ignoring the video call, they handed the communication device to Mordred. Morgan and Lia each grabbed one of Caster Guinevere's arms and dragged her out of the camera's view.
The once-lively little room fell quiet, leaving only Mordred and Ruler Guinevere staring at each other through the screen.
"Mordred, don't say another word of apology. Just tell me about your life over there," Ruler Guinevere said gently. "When this is all over, would you prefer to have two Queen Mothers pinning you down, one on each side? Or would you rather we fuse completely, with only one Queen Mother to pin you down?"
The human mind excels at making connections, and Mordred's imagination immediately ran wild with Guinevere's words. She let out a silly, dazed laugh and started rolling on the carpet like a big cat.
After a moment, her voice drifted back from off-camera:
"Queen Mother, can I have both? You could both spend time with me first, and then fuse after we've all adjusted."
"Pfft, Mordred, you're so greedy," Ruler Guinevere chuckled. "But what actually happens will depend on Merlin and Sister Morgan."
"Got it. I'll go beg Mother later. She's much easier to persuade than you are. Besides, she still feels guilty about messing up my succession."
"Pfft-pfft-pfft! Mordred, are you going to say to Sister Morgan, 'Mother, you wouldn't want me to dig up your dark past, would you?'"
"Queen Mother is still Queen Mother, I see. I saw that exact line in one of the little art books you drew over here."
"Did you know? Your yuri art books are bestsellers. And with the 'excavation' of so many artifacts from Father's era, they've proven to the world that Father was actually a girl."
"Many readers of the art books already believe they're the true history. They've even started calling the 'you' from over here a 'Prophetess.'"
Guinevere listened, surprised. She knew time flowed differently between their worlds, but she hadn't imagined that in the less than two days since their last memory sync, such a major development could have happened over there.
Taking a deep breath, Guinevere's smile widened. She reached out as if to pat Mordred's head through the screen. "That's for the best. If we can truly change the world's perception from the modern era, your Father can finally let go of her wish to return to the past and alter the legend."
As her words faded, Guinevere heard sounds from what must have been the room next to Mordred's—the sounds of her other self struggling, followed by the tearing of fabric.
If Lia was merely holding Guinevere down so Morgan could undress her properly, Lia wouldn't feel jealous of Morgan.
Besides, two fists are no match for four hands, especially since the Guinevere over there had no real intention of resisting...
Soon, a grinning Morgan returned to the small room, having found a little amusement in her role as a dragon's accomplice.
But after her brief exertion in the modern world, her white shirt, already stretched taut across her chest, now looked even more disheveled.
"Guinevere, that necklace of mine—the one that absorbed the Dragon Heart from Albion's Spirit Tomb and was sent to the Throne of Heroes along with your previous memories—isn't it in your hands now?"
"No, it's not. Another version of me must have it, but I don't know which one."
"In any case, you must never forget your promise to me. The other Morgan is still waiting for your arrival."
"I know, Sister."
With that final reminder from Morgan, the call ended. The promised memory synchronization was postponed due to the ongoing battle on her end.
Guinevere's attention returned to her surroundings. She could sense a vast, corrupting Mana emanating from the direction of the Sun King's "grave."
Even from over ten kilometers away, she could clearly see a golden Demon God Pillar stretching to the heavens.
"Mash, Da Vinci-chan... can they really win?"
Due to their previous hostilities, assassinations, and the abduction of their Master, none of the Assassins, including Serenity, had accompanied them.
As for the Servant whose Noble Phantasm was an inexhaustible bale of rice, he was forbidden from taking such a risk.