Once the Hippogriff returned to the ground, Jeanne d'Arc and Mordred were already waiting there.
The Ruler stormed over, hooked her arm around Shirou's, and forcibly dragged him away from the "Black" Rider.
Astolfo: "?"
"Alright, we should be getting out of here. Thanks for earlier."
"Mmm~ If you ever run into trouble later, feel free to ask me for help~"
After thanking Astolfo again, Shirou made it clear they were ready to make a run for it.
The Floating Garden was moving toward them. On top of that, Mana readings from the other Servants of both the "Red" and "Black" factions were converging on this location.
That was only natural.
After all, Shirou was currently holding the Greater Grail in his arms.
Although it was now fully daylight, and battles between Heroic Spirits were prohibited in principle…
Neither Yggdmillennia, whose Grail had been stolen, nor Assassin, whose plans had been disrupted, were likely to let the matter drop.
If they stayed here any longer, the situation might escalate. Retreating for now was the safer choice.
Shirou withdrew from the battlefield at top speed with Mordred, while Jeanne followed behind them.
"Hey, hand the Grail over to me, will you?"
"I'll give you one Command Spell, so let me keep it safe for you, alright?"
"Ugh… two! I can't go any higher! That's my absolute limit!"
Of course, Shirou completely ignored the Holy Maiden.
...
The "Red" Assassin, Semiramis's Noble Phantasm, "The Hanging Gardens of Babylon."
An awkward silence hung over the inside of the floating fortress.
Last night, the "Red" faction had mobilized its entire force to seize the Greater Grail from the Yggdmillennia clan, only to come back empty-handed.
The good news was that the "Black" faction no longer possessed the Greater Grail either, but the Grail had fallen into the hands of someone even more troublesome.
The alliance formed between the "Black" Saber and the "Red" Saber.
Their threat now clearly exceeded that of the Yggdmillennia clan.
The head of the Yggdmillennia clan, Darnic, was dead. Saber, one of their two trump cards, had left the stage. Lancer had broken away from the faction and disappeared.
All that remained were Archer, Rider, Caster, and Berserker.
Among them, only Archer could be considered a formidable opponent worth keeping an eye on. The rest of the Servants were all third-rate.
No matter how one looked at it, the clan was already at the end of its rope.
As for the "Red" faction, not only had their original plan been thrown into disarray, forcing them to devise a new strategy, but morale within their ranks had also been badly shaken.
It was about time.
Atalanta, Achilles, and Karna were all heroes known for their sharp instincts.
The war had escalated to this point, yet the Masters still had not shown themselves. That abnormal situation had pushed their suspicions to the limit.
The first to openly challenge them was Atalanta.
Last night, after she told Shirou about the internal situation within her own faction, he had warned her without the slightest attempt to hide it: "The Red Faction has probably been usurped by Assassin and her Master."
Now, she believed that even more.
"What exactly is going on here… Can you give me a reasonable explanation, Assassin?"
"…What?"
Semiramis raised an eyebrow in displeasure.
The Grail had been snatched away right when it was within reach, and she was still furious.
Although she had a private agreement with the Master of the "Black" Saber, Manaka Sajyou, the fact remained that the Empress had been humiliated.
"Don't play dumb. Where are our Masters? You've imprisoned them, haven't you?"
Karna narrowed his eyes at her words, while Achilles cried out in surprise, "Huh? Is that true, boss lady?"
Atalanta gave a cold laugh and turned toward the white-haired boy standing beside Semiramis like a servant.
"No… To be more precise, they were imprisoned by you, weren't they, Father Kotomine?"
"Mind your tone, Archer."
Semiramis flew into a rage, but Father Kotomine stopped her.
Even with the sharp gazes of the Heroic Spirits fixed on him, he kept his calm smile.
"At this point, there's no need to keep it hidden any longer."
Then the young priest raised his arm and rolled up his sleeve.
"..."
The Servants of the "Red" faction could not help but gasp when they saw his arm.
Coiled around the priest's arm like vivid red stigmata were the Command Spells of every "Red" faction Servant except Mordred.
Eighteen Command Spells in total.
"As Archer said, I peacefully obtained the three Command Spells transferred from each Master."
"Peacefully?"
The white-haired boy nodded, glanced at Karna, and said, "After all, the 'Red' Lancer is a hero skilled at seeing through lies, so I had to lie as little as possible while ensuring events unfolded according to my arrangements."
"That is why I went out of my way to issue orders through their Masters."
"Yes, the Masters did not lie. Even now, they still believe they gave those instructions based on their own judgment…"
"I see. No wonder Ruler spent the whole night running all over the battlefield…"
"So the rule-breaker she was looking for was you."
Father Kotomine continued with an easy expression.
"My true identity is Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, the Ruler summoned in the Third Holy Grail War held sixty years ago."
"...?"
Amakusa Shirou's words left everyone except Assassin staring in shock.
"It would have been troublesome if Ruler sensed my existence too early. I will not allow anyone to interfere with my dream."
The boy's voice carried a firm resolve.
His statement had revealed one thing: he had been planning this Great Holy Grail War ever since sixty years ago.
"Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, what is your objective?" Karna asked.
"Isn't it obvious? The salvation of all humanity, of course."
"That makes absolutely no sense," Atalanta said, glaring at him. "What happened to our Masters?"
"You mean your former Masters, don't you?"
Semiramis's flippant expression only fueled Atalanta's anger. Her gaze sharpened like a wild beast's, as if she might bite through Assassin's throat in one go.
"No need to worry. They are still alive. Didn't I tell you? The Masters transferred their authority to me through an extremely peaceful process.
"They are hovering between dream and waking, convinced that they have already won the Great Holy Grail War."
"So let us not wake them. It would be far too pitiful to drag them out of such a beautiful dream."
Archer and Rider could no longer bear to listen, and they moved almost simultaneously.
Atalanta nocked and released an arrow, while Achilles drew his spear and thrust it toward Amakusa Shirou.
But Karna and Semiramis blocked both sudden attacks at the same time.
"Tsk…! You're really going to defend this guy?"
"Calm down, Archer… Let's hear him out first."
With civil war on the verge of breaking out within the "Red" faction, Shirou Kotomine spoke up.
"What you just did was practically suicide, you know. After all, I'm your Master now."
Rider raised an eyebrow. "I don't remember agreeing to a change of Master. Even if I've never met my Master face-to-face, betrayal isn't something I do."
"It's only a matter of perspective. You haven't betrayed him."
Amakusa Shirou said, "If you truly care about your Master, then you should consider the bigger picture, just as Lancer is doing now.
"Only by working together can we get through the crisis before us."
"..."
Archer and Rider fell silent for a moment before finally lowering their weapons.
"Then talk…"
Atalanta stared warily at Amakusa Shirou's face.
"What exactly is this 'salvation of all humanity' you keep talking about?"
...
Within the Fortress of Millennia, where two-thirds of the ground-level structures had been destroyed, basic restoration work was now underway.
Although the Magi's morale had hit rock bottom, the advantage of Homunculi was their faint emotional range. A bleak future would not affect how they worked.
Darnic, the head of the Yggdmillennia clan, was dead.
In that state, he could no longer be considered alive.
The Ruler of the Holy Grail War had also declared that the fugitive Lancer would henceforth be treated as a threat to the ritual, and demanded that every Master and Servant make eliminating him their highest priority.
As a result, the position of Yggdmillennia's clan head naturally fell to Archer's Master, Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia.
This young girl, who had become head of the Forvedge family at such a young age, could be called the Yggdmillennia clan's only true genius.
In terms of Magecraft talent alone, she even surpassed Darnic, who excelled more at political maneuvering than Magecraft.
That was why, even while Clan Head Darnic was still alive, Fiore had already been the successor accepted by every member of the clan.
In the fields of Spiritual Descent and Biomechanics, Fiore's skill would not lose out even to a First-Class Lecturer at the Clock Tower. Even after several centuries, the Yggdmillennia clan would likely never produce another Magus capable of surpassing her.
However, only Fiore's Servant and younger brother understood this most clearly.
This girl's values and morals were far too close to those of ordinary humans. She was not suited to being the head of a Magus family.
Darnic, on the other hand, had been the perfect Magus, as cold as a machine.
Moreover, the history of Yggdmillennia was the history of Darnic himself.
For better or worse, he possessed the charisma to lead others.
Could Fiore really handle the mess left behind by such an extraordinary uncle?
Thinking about it would not help. First, she had to do what needed to be done.
Fiore had no time to rest. She had to report the current situation to the scattered members of the clan and reorganize their forces.
Only after that could she consider their next strategy for the Holy Grail War.
After three straight days of battle, Yggdmillennia had more or less pieced together the details of the "Red" faction.
Archer was Atalanta, the finest female huntress of Greek mythology.
Lancer was Karna, the renowned son of the Sun God from the ancient Indian epics.
Rider was one of the most famous heroes in the world, Achilles, the immortal hero of Greek mythology.
Assassin was Semiramis, the Queen of Assyria, both the oldest poisoner and a Grand Magus.
And then there was the "Red" Caster, who had yet to appear.
The balance of power had already tipped. The remnants of the "Black" faction had no chance of victory.
Even if Chiron could hold back his disciple Achilles, the combined strength of everyone left might still not be enough to defeat Karna.
Not to mention, the "Red" faction still had that domineering Floating Garden, and Atalanta would shoot down any enemy who tried to approach the floating fortress.
After weighing it all, the Yggdmillennia clan now had only one path left to take.
"Ah… Sister, are you planning to seek an alliance with the 'Black' Saber and the others?"
Fiore's younger brother, Caules, looked surprised.
"Yes. The Yggdmillennia clan will no longer pursue the matter of the Greater Grail being stolen last night."
"We will offer that as our condition and propose an alliance with the 'Black' Saber and the 'Red' Saber."
Yggdmillennia's stance could only be described as utterly humble, but at this point, they truly had nothing left to be proud of.
If they did not lower themselves and join forces with a third party, they would be wiped out by the Mage's Association tonight.
The "Red" Saber was a formidable enemy even Chiron found troublesome, and the "Black" Saber was an exceptional Heroic Spirit who had defeated both Siegfried and Vlad III.
If they could secure their strength, they would be able to oppose that Floating Garden.
"Do you think… they'll agree?"
Archer, Chiron, rubbed his chin in thought. "To be honest, I initially believed the 'Black' Saber was a lone wolf who would never ally with anyone."
"But the fact that he formed an alliance with the 'Red' Saber overturned my expectations…"
"It seems they were Heroic Spirits who knew each other in life. That is likely how this situation came about."
"Even so, I do not believe the 'Black' Saber will be willing to ally with us."
"Yes, that Heroic Spirit's thoughts are difficult to read…"
Fiore watched the Homunculi busily moving through the ruins, a thoughtful expression on her face.
...
As soon as they returned to the base, Shirou handed the Grail to Manaka Sajyou.
He also warned Jeanne that if she pestered Manaka, he would throw her out of the inn.
"Hmph… You cheapskate! You idiot, Artorius!"
After venting with a few choice words, the Holy Maiden returned to her room in her pajamas and went straight to sleep.
The body she was possessing had reached its limit.
"Saber, please wait just a little longer. Breakfast will be ready soon."
Manaka Sajyou, wearing an apron, was busy in the kitchen, while Shirou sat at the dining table with his chin propped in his hand, staring blankly into space.
What a strange child…
Shirou had thought Manaka would be delighted to see him take back the Grail for her.
Instead, she seemed not to care at all. She had only asked with concern whether Shirou had been hurt, then gone right back to preparing breakfast.
It seemed that, to Manaka Sajyou, the food she made for Shirou carried just as much weight as the Holy Grail War.
"Alright… I should ask about what I didn't get the chance to ask last night."
As Shirou ate the delicious breakfast, he brought up the topic as if in passing.
"Manaka."
"What is it, Saber? How is the food today?"
"Mm, it's delicious again today… It's a shame Ruler won't get to eat any."
"Hehe… I saved a portion for Ruler too, so eat as much as you like, Saber. If it isn't enough, I'll get you more."
"By the way, about that… Command Spell…"
Shirou brought up the subject of Command Spells.
Last night, he had hoped Manaka would use a Command Spell on him to stop Darnic and Vlad III from fusing, but Manaka had refused with an unusually intense reaction.
Was there some reason she could not use a Command Spell?
No… Shirou glanced at the back of Manaka's hand.
The skin there was as white as jade, without any Command Spells, the mark of a Master, in sight.
Shirou remembered Reika Rikudou, who had summoned Jack the Ripper, the final Servant of the "Black" faction, in Japan.
Confusion began to rise in the boy's heart. What exactly did his and Manaka's existence mean in this Great Holy Grail War?
Did Manaka Sajyou really possess Command Spells…?
"My Master is Manaka. No matter what happens… I will never betray you."
"Why are you suddenly saying that?"
The girl tilted her head adorably, confusion on her face, and blinked.
Shirou said, "So even if Manaka doesn't have Command Spells, my position won't change… Please tell me the truth."
"..."
Hearing Shirou's words, the girl froze.
Her delicate, dreamlike face, as lovely as a fairy's, stiffened for several seconds. Then…
With a small snort of laughter, Manaka covered her mouth and laughed so hard her shoulders shook.
This was the first time Shirou had ever seen Manaka smile like that.
Not like a flower, not like a princess, not like a fairy, but like an ordinary girl laughing happily.
"Haha, you've got it all wrong… Saber… pfft, it's not what you're imagining… hahaha…"
It took more than ten seconds before Manaka finally calmed down.
"Command Spells… Of course I have them. If you don't believe me, I'll show you, Saber."
With a proud expression, the girl reached toward the chest of her emerald-green dress.
Her slender, delicate fingertips slowly undid the button at her chest.
Snow-white skin rose and fell faintly, and a gorgeous, intricate pattern was etched upon it.
Shirou had seen something similar on Ruler's back, a pattern reminiscent of stigmata.
The Command Spells had three pairs of wings and seven feathers, seemingly the symbol of a Seraphim.
"See, Saber… This is proof that I am your Master."
Manaka Sajyou met Shirou's gaze, her face flushed, and murmured softly.
She was shy and proud, excited and overjoyed, her eyes glistening with tears.
"I'm sorry for making you worry, Saber."
"I should have shown this to you sooner. I didn't mean to hide it from you…"
"But if possible, I don't want to use it."
"Why?"
Shirou asked without thinking.
The girl who had paid no mind even to the Greater Grail, which could grant any wish, now wore an expression that treasured this more than anything as she gently stroked the angelic stigmata on her chest.
"Because this was born from a miracle… the bond between you and me."
Manaka said it with an enchanted expression.
She would never use the Command Spells.
She did not want to lose even a single stroke.
Because right now, this was the only certain connection she had with him.
"I understand."
Shirou reached out and buttoned up the girl's exposed chest.
"Eh…"
"If Manaka doesn't want to use the Command Spells, then I'll respect your wishes."
"Wait… Saber!"
Manaka Sajyou had not expected Shirou to say that. She was suddenly at a loss, hurriedly cupping her burning cheeks in both hands.
"Saber, you're so mean… ugh…"
Shirou: "?"