"Shirou Kotomine?"
"Lady Guinevere, you may call me Amakusa Shirou Tokisada. That was my name before I became a Heroic Spirit."
Taking a bath would have to wait. After reaching an agreement with Morgan and sending invitations to Mordred and the others, Guinevere first went to a secluded corner of the manor, where she met her side's seventh Master.
Just as Guinevere was about to put on an act, the brown-skinned youth from the Holy Church, clad in a black priest's robe with a red surplice, showed no inclination to play along.
He revealed his true name and performed the most reverent clerical salutation for Guinevere.
Over time, the Holy Church had become a melting pot, with various denominations and 'mysteries' from across the world clashing within its ranks, creating deep divisions.
Particularly after the Fourth Holy Grail War in Fuyuki, the British Purification Plan explicitly declared that Guinevere was its founder, making any hostility toward her an act of war against the entire movement.
As a result, the Holy Church was openly split into two factions regarding Guinevere.
Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, driven by his profound thirst for and pursuit of goodness, firmly sided with those who believed in Guinevere, recognizing her as the Lord's 'Holy Maiden', just as the Purification Plan did.
Yes, though the Holy Church had yet to officially recognize her as such, and Guinevere herself showed no interest in being the Lord's 'Holy Maiden', neither mattered to her followers.
"Lady Guinevere, your silence persists. Is it because you have nothing to say to me?"
When Guinevere first heard the name Shirou Kotomine, she wasn't particularly surprised. Different timelines often produced similar individuals—alternate versions of the same person, resembling each other yet fundamentally distinct.
But when she finally met him face-to-face and heard the name spoken aloud, Guinevere became certain he was the Shirou Kotomine from Fate/Apocrypha, not a counterpart from this world.
Simultaneously, her curiosity about the man before her deepened.
"No, I was merely pondering your purpose in revealing your True Name and how you achieved Incarnation."
In Guinevere's memory, during the events of Fate/Apocrypha, Amakusa Shirou had been one of the last surviving Servants of the Third Holy Grail War in that timeline. By sheer luck, he had touched the Greater Grail and thus gained a physical body.
Afterward, he patiently waited and prepared for sixty years, until the Yggdmillennia clan from another world had fully charged the stolen Greater Grail and initiated their own Fourth Holy Grail War.
If things proceeded as expected, his wish would still be for the salvation of all humanity, for the fusion of all mankind into a single entity.
"Miss Guinevere, you may be mistaken about one thing. While I am indeed the seventh Master on your side, I am also your Overseer.
I was summoned by possessing the Shirou Kotomine of this world. Though he appears young, he is actually over fifty years old."
"Huh?"
"This shouldn't be surprising, right? The Church has many methods for prolonging life and maintaining youth."
"Right, to avoid any further misunderstandings, let me repeat myself: My Class is Ruler. I am the Overseer of the Red Faction in this Great Holy Grail War, and after being summoned and possessed, I was chosen by the Holy Grail as the seventh Master of the Red Faction."
This Great Holy Grail War was conceived by Guinevere, and its rules and the Fate/Apocrypha series used as design references differ in some ways.
For instance, to ensure fairness, the Holy Grail summons not one, but two Rulers as Overseers, each belonging to opposing factions.
This way, even if one Ruler prioritizes 'fairness,' the other Ruler can mirror that approach, maintaining a superficial balance between the sides.
And what do these Rulers oversee? Naturally, they monitor whether the Masters and servants on both sides are properly participating in the Holy Grail War, preventing situations where they give up immediately after being summoned and simply wait to die.
Well, this can also be seen as Guinevere's insurance measure against Masters who are only interested in the rewards.
From the very inception of the Holy Grail War's design, she had wanted not only the Holy Grail but also a thoroughly exhilarating battle.
"So, you're saying you're both the Ruler and my side's Master? That's... quite fair."
Guinevere wasn't confident in the Ruler's fairness, but this particular Ruler had been biased from the start, which genuinely surprised her.
"Tell me then," she said. "What is your wish? And which Servant do you plan to summon? Among the seven Class slots on our side, only Assassin remains unclaimed."
As she spoke, Guinevere already knew the most likely Servant he would summon. Unlike those who had lingered in this world for sixty years, he had only recently been summoned through possession. Even if he could summon the same Servant from Fate/Apocrypha—the dual-Class Empress Semiramis—he wouldn't be able to recreate the Hanging Gardens for her. Summoning her would be pointless.
However, Amakusa Shirou didn't answer directly. He glanced out the window at the sky, confirming it was still early, before saying:
"Lady Guinevere, I request some time to recount a tale from another worldline—the story of the Great Holy Grail War in which I participated."
Seated at the table in her room, Guinevere took a sip of tea to soothe her throat. Upon hearing Amakusa Shirou's words, her eyes widened, and she erupted into a violent coughing fit. After waving away his hand as he tried to pat her back and finally calming down, she vaguely sensed what he was about to say.
For an hour, Amakusa Shirou recounted the story of another timeline—the complete narrative of Fate/Apocrypha that Guinevere already knew.
"So, you've abandoned your wish to save all of humanity and now simply want to meet the Empress of Assyria again?"
"It wasn't until my previous failure, and after researching your story with Kiritsugu Emiya in the Church's archives, that I considered living for myself. It was then that the Command Spell appeared on the back of my hand.
I believe this is a revelation bestowed upon me by the Lord."
Indeed, Amakusa Shirou had already suffered a crushing defeat once, and his heart had been touched by the Empress of Assyria. His wish had fundamentally changed.
"Lady Guinevere, I humbly request your permission to summon Semiramis. Even if she cannot contribute much to this battle, I will compensate for her missing combat strength with my own power."
Guinevere set down her teacup and pressed a hand to her forehead. Had anyone else made this request, or had Guinevere possessed even slightly less confidence in herself, she likely would have rejected Amakusa Shirou's wish outright.
But after hearing his thoughts and feelings, sensing his regret and longing for the Empress of Assyria, how could Guinevere possibly refuse?
Besides, the wealth Amakusa Shirou had spent sixty years accumulating in another timeline was merely a drop in the ocean for Guinevere.
Thanks to her family's contract with the Clock Tower, the Pendragon Lineage was wealthier than the entire Clock Tower itself.
"I grant your request. After all, I'm a pure love warrior myself. Amakusa Shirou, should I prepare a wedding for you two?"
"Ah? No need for that. I'm a clergyman, and our relationship hasn't reached that stage... yet? Besides, after summoning her, I can't be certain if she'll retain memories of that great war."
"I see. Then hold onto hope and await her arrival."