Chapter 29: Night Has Come, The Stirring of Heroic Spirits
"Mitsuzuri Ayako wants me to join too?"
Shirou frowned.
"That's right. Having been targeted by the captain of the Archery Club, you should prepare yourself to be hounded by her to join the club."
Rin looked at Shirou with a bit of schadenfreude.
"..."
"Hounded?"
Shirou was somewhat curious about this.
"Sister, come eat with us~"
Sakura's voice interrupted the conversation between Shirou and Rin.
"Let's go."
Shirou said a word and went to sit at the dining table.
It was only after following Shirou to the table that Rin suddenly realized there were more people here than she had imagined.
Aside from Saber, whom she had already met, there were Illya and Sakura, as well as a purple-haired woman she had never seen before. Although she wore a rather classical long dress, the faintly outlined curves indicated she had an excellent figure, and her face—which could only be described as gorgeous—possessed both maturity and beauty.
After finishing her observation of this newly appeared female character, Rin glanced at Shirou with a look that carried a hint of disdain.
Shirou felt very innocent; he clearly hadn't done anything, yet he was being misunderstood by someone with that kind of look.
'Since it's like this, I really should do something, shouldn't I?'
Thinking about such things while eating was pointless. Shirou composed his mind and began to seriously savor the dishes he had meticulously prepared. Whether it was the cream-grilled bamboo shoots, the taiyaki, or the tempura, they were all quite delicious.
"As expected of me!"
Dinner passed quickly. As the time was about right, Rin and Scáthach left first. After letting Sakura and Illya stay home, Shirou took Saber and the spiritualized Medea to the Mionogawa Bridge.
It was a return to a familiar place.
Under the reflection of the setting sun, the floating sea surface reflected a brilliant golden light. Since Fuyuki is a coastal city, you can see the sea just by standing somewhere slightly elevated.
Saber, who had already entered combat status, was currently wearing her blue and white battle dress, her shining blonde hair fluttering in the wind.
"The sea in this country is so calm."
Saber couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
"Hmm? Probably because this is an inland sea. If you go a bit further out, the sea will become much more turbulent," Shirou said.
With the Kuroshio current rushing in from the Pacific and the capes battered by wild winds and giant waves, it must be quite majestic.
"The sea of my hometown has winds that coil and waves that soar, like the manes of ten thousand white horses galloping together. Or, if you stand on a cape looking out toward the land, you can see the long coastline across the sea mist."
Even though they were under a peaceful twilight, the scenery Saber described immediately manifested before the mind's eye. It was a landscape different from the smooth, waveless seascape before them—one that was far more rugged and solemn.
Shirou looked at Saber's profile; at this moment, the girl's expression held a trace of reminiscence. When she spoke of her hometown, her tone was permeated with a sense of loss.
"If a day comes when peace descends upon my country, I would like to take a boat to see the lands of foreign nations... like the Golden Plains of Gaul mentioned by knights from the continent, the Green Hills of Ireland, or the distant lands in the songs of bards."
Saber let out a soft sigh.
"Forgive me. Seeing this sight, I couldn't help but recall these things... I am truly blessed. What I gaze upon now is not a lingering attachment, but a beautiful memory. Under such a strange connection, I am able to see the scenery of the world hundreds of years later. What a miracle."
The sea breeze brushed past her cheeks like a blessing, tucking her golden strands behind her ear. Perhaps because the scene had stirred her emotions, it was Shirou's first time seeing Saber like this.
"No matter who it is, after leaving their hometown, there will always be a day and a moment where they can't help but look back on the past. This homesickness is probably a common trait of humanity."
Regardless of who it is, if they never leave home, they won't specifically think about where they are.
"You are right."
Saber nodded in agreement. After all, no one fails to love the land that birthed and raised them. On the other side of the horizon, the wind blowing from distant countries will surely blow back to the hometown one day.
"The time is about right. Let's go."
Watching the sun sink below the horizon, Saber withdrew her gaze and urged Shirou.
"Mm."
Shirou nodded and returned to the city with Saber.
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Waver Velvet was no ordinary person; he was a magus and a participant in the Holy Grail War. Therefore, he could walk the night streets without inhibition.
"The first opponent is to the east, approximately only a thousand meters away from us, Master."
It was in the direction of the Mionogawa Bridge. Waver had some unpleasant memories regarding that area. That was where he and Rider were defeated last time.
"Understood."
Waver nodded. Feeling his heart rate accelerate slightly, Waver stepped toward the direction Archer had indicated.
"I wonder which Heroic Spirit it will be..."
Waver controlled his emotions, trying his best to appear calm. Even though ten years had passed, stepping into the Holy Grail War again still made him feel nervous and excited. Because he knew that what he was about to face were very likely existences that lived only in legends.
Waver didn't waste words; he applied magecraft to himself to make his body light. Soon, he arrived at the destination.
In front of Waver, blue magical light surged as Archer manifested. He wore pure white, ornate robes, yet his skin was a contrasting deep tan. He was tall and thin with short black hair. His Noble Phantasm, Gandiva—a longbow even larger than his own body—immediately manifested in his hands.
At the same time Archer appeared, Waver saw two figures emerge a short distance ahead. Upon seeing one of the female figures, Waver's pupils constricted.
"Barthomeloi...!?"
He hadn't expected to encounter the "Queen of the Clock Tower" that Reines had mentioned so soon.
And the Servant summoned by this Grand Marshal of Magecraft possessed a nearly identical aura of haughtiness. Deep blue light shone brilliantly in the night city street. A piercing coldness caused the ground, streetlights, and benches to be covered in a thick layer of frost.
The one responsible for all this, a tall beauty dressed in a magnificent blue and black gown and wearing a black thorned crown, stood there with dignified poise. Her lovely, delicate face was slightly raised, and her deep icy-blue eyes gazed forward with majesty.
Then, a cold yet gentle feminine voice sounded from behind the black veil.
"Are you the first enemies...? Although I would have preferred to encounter that person, this serves well enough as a warm-up."
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