"Long time no see, my younger brother from the future."
Morgan, the Fairy Queen, pinched her delicate chin with her slender fingers. "No, I suppose I should say this is our first meeting instead?"
...Younger brother?
That affectionate form of address from the Fairy Queen left Shirou confused.
Morgan's younger brother. Wouldn't that be King Arthur?
Shirou might call himself Arthur, but that was only in the sense of "I think I'm Arthur."
Fairy Knight Arthur was, at his core, nothing more than a fake, a Faker. He was no King of Knights.
He thought of the red-haired knight he had just met.
Alright.
Even taking ten thousand steps back, even if there really were a King Arthur in some world who looked exactly like him, what would that have to do with Arthur's sister?
Shirou asked instinctively, "...Do you know me?"
The sight of the red-haired boy frowning made the Fairy Queen laugh.
"What do you think? Would it be better if I knew you, or if I didn't?"
Her ambiguous tone was full of teasing and mockery, and paired with the alluring smile half-hidden behind the black veil, it was the kind of expression that would make any man blush and lose his composure.
Shirou sucked in a breath.
Morgan, the Fairy Queen... just as the rumors said, she was a wanton witch who excelled at seducing men and toying with hearts.
If I didn't know what she was really like, I'd probably be completely taken in by her.
Calling me "younger brother" just now was a lie too. She only said it to make me lower my guard.
"I don't know you."
Under the Fairy Queen's expectant gaze, Shirou answered with certainty.
"You've got the wrong person. Maybe I look a lot like your brother to you, but I'm not Arthur, and I don't know you."
The Fairy Queen spoke softly. "If you don't know me, why do you look so desperate?"
Shirou frowned. "What are you talking about... huh?"
Only after hearing the witch's words did the boy realize that he had been frantically searching through his memories this whole time.
It should have been nothing more than a fairy's lie, a witch's deception, something he could have laughed off, yet Shirou had been thinking about it with desperate seriousness.
Just as she said, if some part of him hadn't subconsciously accepted her words, there would have been no reason for him to go this far.
And yet, no matter how desperately Shirou searched his mind, there was no trace of the witch before him. Of course, there were no memories of himself as the King of Knights either.
"Who exactly are you...?"
As Shirou racked his brain, the crisp sound of high heels rang out.
Morgan walked straight down the tall staircase.
"Wait... don't come any closer...!"
Shirou took half a step back.
For some reason, his head had started to ache.
The Fairy Queen showed no intention of stopping as she continued toward the red-haired boy, one step at a time.
As the distance between them shrank, her figure grew clearer and clearer in Shirou's eyes.
Beautiful silver hair cascading to the floor like moonlight, a seductive body wrapped in black lace, skin exposed to the air so fair and translucent it seemed almost unreal.
Round, slender thighs. Hips swaying from side to side.
A slim waist that could be encircled with one hand. Full, proud breasts.
And when Shirou's gaze traveled up the elegant line of her neck, beautiful as a work of art, what he saw in his daze was.
A blonde girl smiling sweetly. "Shirou."
"....Huh?"
The beauty of Morgan, the Fairy Queen, overlapped with the face of the witch in Shirou's heart.
"!!"
A surge of nausea struck the boy in the chest.
Intense self-loathing flooded his mind.
Shirou felt anger rise within him. Don't be ridiculous...!
I actually overlapped my image of her... with this woman standing in front of me!?
That was absolutely unforgivable. He should not even have allowed himself to think it.
Shirou could not forgive himself so easily, yet the witch's lovely laughter rang out again.
"See? You do remember me after all, hehe."
"....No."
As if trying to force the thought into himself, Shirou shouted, "You're not Morgan! I don't know you!"
"How could that be? No matter how much you deny it, you cannot deceive your own heart."
The Fairy Queen rested a hand on the railing as she descended, her tone calm and faintly haunting.
"Arthur, my brother...
From the day you came into this world, our fates have been intertwined forever.
When you were sent out of the palace, and when you drew the Sword of Selection.
It was true in the past, and it will remain true in the future.
Whether we stand on the same side, or whether we become irreconcilable enemies in the end.
Nothing can separate us. Not even death.
Even if, one day in the future, you are no longer in [this Britannia].
I will still remain by your side, in another form."
"...!"
Those words from the Fairy Queen made Shirou's eyes widen in disbelief.
To his ears, her meaning was obvious. She knew about [the other Britannia].
"You must be confused, Arthur.
But there is no need to suffer. Just accept it as it is. One day, you will come to know the whole truth.
Until that day comes, I will stay with you.
Even if you wander to the very end of causality, I will cling to you like a restless ghost."
"What are you even talking about...? This is the first time we've met today, isn't it!"
Shirou didn't want to hear the Fairy Queen's enchanting voice manipulating his heart any longer.
He desperately tried to reject her very existence, but it had little effect.
It was as though, in the deepest part of his heart, Shirou believed every word she said.
The Fairy Queen came to a stop right in front of him.
At this distance, he could already make out her face clearly through the black veil.
Morgan, the Fairy Queen, opened her arms as if to draw her troubled younger brother into an embrace and comfort him.
But in the instant before her arms could touch the boy's back.
She felt something terribly cold.
The Fairy Queen lowered her gaze.
The red-haired boy held the golden Sword of Selection in his hand, expressionless as he drove it through her chest.
Faced with the Fairy Queen's bewitching words, Shirou chose to end her hold over him by force.
The Fairy Queen froze for a moment, then a look of relief appeared on her face.
"I see... yes... this is what Arthur should do..."
Wearing a satisfied yet sorrowfully beautiful smile, the silver-haired witch fell lightly backward to the floor.
That was how it should be.
This had always been the fate of the witch and Arthur.
There should never have been an embrace between them. Only a fight to the death.
"?"
With her eyes closed, the Fairy Queen suddenly sensed something.
She opened them again in confusion, only to find the red-haired boy bending down to pick her up, staring fixedly at the wound pierced through by the golden sword.
Shirou reached out and placed his hand between the Fairy Queen's breasts.
"What are you doing... ah, that hurts!"
The Fairy Queen had still been immersed in that strange, sorrowful intoxication, but the pain twisted her beautiful face.
"What are you doing? Don't touch my wound!"
With a serious expression, Shirou replied, "I was just thinking. So it really did hurt you."
"...!!"
In that instant, the Fairy Queen understood why Shirou had suddenly drawn his sword and stabbed through her.
It wasn't to vent his anger, nor was it some helpless outburst. He had been testing something.
The Fairy Queen standing before Shirou was not here in physical form.
What appeared here now was only an illusion cast by her true body.
Likewise, the Shirou here was also just a projection created through the Holy Grail.
And yet the phantom of Shirou, someone who did not belong to this era, had managed to wound the Fairy Queen's phantom.
What exactly did that mean?
Why had the red-haired boy, who should have been nothing more than an illusion himself, been able to injure Morgan, who was likewise only an illusion?
After turning it over in his mind, Shirou could think of only one explanation.
"At this point, I can't really refuse to believe it anymore."
The red-haired boy's expression turned grave.
"What you said just now was true. You weren't lying to me.
There really is an invisible chain of causality tying us together."
The Fairy Queen said nothing.
You actually used my body to test whether it was true!?
Shirou continued his analysis.
"So that Arthur from earlier... was that the me from back then?
You and Lady Avalon... Morgan and Merlin, they're all people I knew before.
At some point, I called myself Arthur in this world and drew the Sword of Selection, but for some reason I lost those memories... is that it?
And one more thing.
You said that even if I left [the Britannia on this side], you would still remain by my side in another form. What exactly does that mean?"
Shirou narrowed his eyes and asked the question he cared about most.
"What is your relationship... with the Morgan I know?"
"..."
Without saying a word, the Fairy Queen turned her body away.
Shirou teased her, "Why go silent all of a sudden?
You were talking plenty just a moment ago, weren't you, my dear sister?"
"...Screw you."
The Fairy Queen pulled a long face, clearly unhappy.
Shirou watched her sulking profile with curiosity.
From Shirou's point of view, this was their first meeting, and yet he somehow felt he already understood the Fairy Queen's stubborn, prideful nature perfectly well.
Judging from that expression, no matter what he said next, she absolutely would not respond. There was no getting any more information out of her.
Shirou let out a helpless sigh and adjusted the way he was holding the Fairy Queen in his arms.
As he gazed at the sunset in the distance, he quietly waited for the dream to end.
No matter which Britannia it was, dusk was equally beautiful, Shirou thought.
...
...
Early the next morning, Shirou went straight to Lady Avalon to complain.
"Hey! Don't make me have weird dreams!"
"Hm? What? I didn't make Master dream last night, did I?"
Lady Avalon tilted her head in an adorably innocent way.
Looking at that frivolous attitude, Shirou knew that even if he told her about last night's dream, she would just keep playing dumb to the bitter end.
Rather than letting her know he had already figured out the truth, it was probably better to keep it to himself...
It might be more interesting to see what this woman tried next, Shirou thought.
Still...
Lady Avalon used to be my teacher?
That really makes it hard to know how I'm supposed to face her from now on.
At seven in the morning, Shirou decided to soothe the mental exhaustion left over from the previous night by admiring Saber.
Soon after, he found his target in the dining hall of Einzbern Castle.
Even though it was still early, the long table was already covered with all kinds of dishes. Breakfast prepared by the homunculus maids.
Shirou sat down beside Saber, while Irisviel sat across from them.
"Saber eats too?"
Shirou noticed the large bowl of white rice set in front of Saber.
A Servant should not need food. As long as their Master supplied magical energy, they could continue to exist.
And Saber's Master was the Lesser Grail itself, with an almost endless supply of magical energy, so.
Shirou found himself wondering if eating was simply Saber's hobby.
Irisviel noticed his confusion and explained with a smile.
"Saber only tried rice for the first time after coming to Japan, you know?
But she seemed to fall in love with it right away. Hehe, now she can't go without white rice at all three meals."
"Irisviel, don't tell Shirou such pointless things." Saber frowned slightly, clearly displeased.
Then, with elegant and graceful movements utterly at odds with the speed at which she was demolishing everything on the table, the blonde girl began steadily sending food into her mouth.
Watching Saber eat really was pleasing to the eye. Shirou felt as if his sullied soul were being cleansed.
Just as he was quietly marveling at that, Irisviel reminded him,
"Don't just stare at Saber. You need to eat properly too, alright?
Shirou is still at a growing age, so breakfast is important."
"Yeah, yeah."
Shirou picked up his rice bowl and absentmindedly took a couple bites.
"....This is good."
The moment the food entered his mouth, Shirou realized just how delicious breakfast was today.
He had assumed anything cooked by homunculi, beings that carried out orders like machines, would be dull and lifeless. But after actually tasting it, he found it unexpectedly good.
"So Shirou thinks it's tasty too?"
The red-haired boy nodded honestly.
"It still falls a bit short compared to mine, but by ordinary standards, it's very good."
"Hehehe, wonderful!"
Hearing Shirou's frank praise, Irisviel's cheeks flushed as she smiled happily.
"Did you make breakfast today, Irisviel?"
Shirou was genuinely shocked. He simply could not picture a natural-born princess and noble lady like Irisviel cooking.
The silver-haired homunculus blinked. "I didn't make breakfast, though?"
Then what are you so happy about, Shirou thought speechlessly.
Irisviel leaned over and whispered a few words to the maid waiting beside the dining table. Two minutes later, another homunculus appeared in the dining hall.
"Milady, did you call for me?"
The new homunculus spoke in a completely flat, almost inorganic voice.
"Perfect timing, Leysritt. Let me introduce you to everyone."
Wrapping an arm around the homunculus maid, Irisviel said proudly, "This girl made today's breakfast. Well? It tastes good, doesn't it?"
The princess of Einzbern looked as proud as if she were talking about her own accomplishment, while the maid beside her remained expressionless from beginning to end and gave Shirou and Saber a bow.
As expected, most homunculi showed almost no emotional fluctuation. Someone as expressive as Irisviel was the exception, Shirou and Saber thought at the same time.
That said, this homunculus called Leysritt...
Through the Mystic Eyes of the End, Shirou discovered something astonishing.
Leysritt and Irisviel shared extremely similar origins.
In other words, she too had likely been designed and created by the Einzbern Family for the purpose of becoming a Lesser Grail.
Leysritt was probably an older model of Irisviel.
Shirou guessed that she was one of the individuals who failed to become the Lesser Grail, and in the end was reassigned as Irisviel's maid.
Still, that really is impressive...
Shirou's gaze drifted down from Leysritt's neat, expressionless face to the part of her body with the strongest presence.
....They're huge.
Even homunculi from the same batch could have differences in personality, so differences in body type were nothing unusual.
There were more than a dozen homunculus girls in Einzbern Castle, but none of them were as big as Leysritt.
Irisviel's chest was already enough to outshine the rest, but Leysritt's was clearly two sizes bigger.
Even that conservative, restrained maid outfit could not hide her proud curves. The fabric wrapped tightly around her chest, lifting two full, round, tantalizing swells.
"Shirou... do you like breasts that much?"
Irisviel shot him a chilly look.
"Cough, cough, cough...!!"
Shirou nearly choked to death. He coughed for a while before finally recovering. "Why would you suddenly say that?"
Puffing out her lips, Irisviel replied in a resentful tone,
"But you've been staring at Leysritt's chest this whole time, Shirou. You don't seriously think I wouldn't notice, do you?"
Hearing her mistress say that, the homunculus girl named Leysritt asked expressionlessly,
"Do you like my breasts, Shirou?"
"Ugh...!"
Shirou hurriedly tried to explain himself.
"No, that's not it!
I was just surprised there could be that much variation between homunculi!
I definitely was not staring at Leysritt-onee-san with impure thoughts. I'm serious!"
"Ehh that explanation sounds awfully weak, Shirou"
Irisviel grinned mischievously. "It's perfectly normal for boys to like breasts.
There's no need to defend yourself so desperately. We can understand and be considerate of that... right, Saber?"
"..."
Saber set down her thoroughly emptied rice bowl with a heavy clack.
"Thank you for the meal. I'm finished."
Shirou and Irisviel exchanged a look.
This is bad. Saber seems angry!
Shirou thought, This is supposed to be sacred mealtime, and we're talking about something this vulgar! Saber is a girl who treats eating as one of life's greatest joys! Of course she'd be upset!
Irisviel thought, Saber is beautiful and adorable, but her chest is the one area where her development is a little... She must be really sensitive about it, right? I was so tactless to bring up a topic like that in front of her! Of course she'd be upset!
The corner of Shirou's mouth twitched. "Irisviel, this is mealtime. Maybe we should drop the subject.
You've been going on and on about breasts this whole time. It's really not very refined, you know?"
Irisviel laughed awkwardly. "Hahaha, you're right... A girl's worth isn't defined only by her chest... her face, right, her face!
A girl's face is definitely the most important thing! Especially for someone as pretty as Saber. You agree too, don't you, Shirou?"
"Huh?"
Shirou absolutely liked Saber's face, but if he just came out and said it, wouldn't that make him sound like some shallow creep?
He did not want Saber to see him as the type who judged girls by their looks, so he shook his head.
"No, I don't think girls should be judged by their faces either. There has to be something more important than that."
Irisviel was speechless inside.
Shirou. Just how much do you love breasts!?
Mom already knows you really like breasts, so there's no need to go out of your way to stress that in front of Saber!
At that moment, the blonde girl rose from her chair and glanced at the two of them, who were carrying on like a comedy routine.
"I don't think Shirou is such a vulgar boy. Am I mistaken?"
"No, you're not."
Shirou answered instinctively, and Saber smiled in relief.
"That's good."
With that, Saber left the dining hall.
Shirou and Irisviel watched her walk away.
...
...
After breakfast, Shirou had originally planned to head back to his room and kill some time.
He also wanted to check on what had happened on Assassin's side last night, but Irisviel caught him by the wrist first.
"Alright, Shirou, let's get ready to go."
Shirou frowned. "Go where?"
Irisviel replied, "The weather is so nice today, so let's go out.
We'll invite Saber too, and the three of us can go shopping in the new city."
"Uh..."
With Irisviel's eyes sparkling like that, Shirou found it hard to refuse.
Refusing probably would not have caused any real problem, but Shirou was still living under someone else's roof.
"Fine, I got it. But it's still too early. Let's go out around noon."
Irisviel happily agreed, and just like that, they made plans to go shopping at noon.
With the rest of the morning free, Shirou wanted to find out what had happened last night.
While crossing Fuyuki Bridge, Shirou noticed Hassan of the Hundred Faces racing through the darkness.
Just as he had expected, an unknown Assassin had set up an ambush on Fuyuki Bridge in advance and planned to attack them.
The target was most likely Irisviel.
More than once, Shirou had sensed killing intent coming from the shadows before it struck.
Was that person trying to destroy the Lesser Grail?
Because Shirou himself had once considered the same thing, he immediately guessed the mysterious assassin's true aim, Kiritsugu Emiya's purpose.
This assassin was not trying to seize the Holy Grail. He wanted to disrupt the Holy Grail War itself.
The reason was probably that he did not want the Holy Grail to manifest in Fuyuki.
The last time had ended because the Lesser Grail was destroyed. This was an enemy who understood the rules of the Holy Grail War extremely well.
After returning to his room, Shirou opened his small communicator and tried to contact Hassan of the Hundred Faces, but it did not connect.
Then again, Assassin-onee-san was not some operator on call twenty-four hours a day.
After thinking for a moment, Shirou pushed open the door and left his guest room.
There was still some time before he was supposed to go out shopping with Irisviel and the others, so he decided to enjoy a nice relaxing bath first.
He had already been staying in Einzbern Castle for two days. It was about time he made use of that grand, luxurious bathhouse.
"...Shirou?"
Amid the white steam filling the large bath, the boy saw fairies by the water's edge.
Irisviel and Saber were both completely naked.