Chapter 43: Artoria Pendragon
Yui picked up another cookie, trying to feed him once more.
"Come on! Just one more! This one's heart-shaped!"
"I'm good. I'm not a hamster."
As they pushed and pulled at each other, that poor classroom door—which had suffered more abuse today than in its entire existence—was pushed open yet again.
Yukinoshita Yukino stood in the doorway. She took in the intimate scene before her and visibly froze for a moment.
"Ah! Y-Yukinon?!"
Yui jerked back like an elementary schooler caught in a puppy-love scandal by her parents. She nearly dropped the cookie in her hand.
"Why did you come back? It's not... I mean... We're not doing anything weird! This is taste-testing! Right! Taste-testing!"
When she noticed Kazama's gaze also turning toward her, Yukino's expression immediately adjusted.
"Sorry to interrupt such an intimate taste-testing session."
"I just forgot something and came back to get it. Don't mind me—please, continue."
Yukino didn't look at Yui or Kazama. Instead, she walked straight to the shelf on the other side of the counter.
Hanging there was a red string charm that looked quite old.
It appeared to be from a long time ago—so long that even the red string had faded to a pale white.
Kazama's eyes narrowed slightly.
He recognized that thing.
It was something he'd casually made during elementary school crafts class to cheer up Yukino when she'd been ostracized by classmates and left crying in a corner.
He never expected that after all these years—even now when they were practically strangers—she would still carry it with her.
"Ah! That's from Yukinon's bag..."
Yui finally realized.
Yukino reached out and took down the charm, holding it in her palm. She turned around, her gaze finally landing on the two of them and the cookies on the table.
"But it seems you two were having quite a pleasant chat just now."
"N-no! It's not like that! Yukinon, listen! This is..."
Yui tried to explain. She instinctively sensed something wrong with the atmosphere—that feeling of being caught in an affair made her stumble over her words.
Yukino cut her off.
"Are they for him?"
Yui froze, then under that oppressively intense gaze, she honestly nodded.
"Yeah."
"I see."
Yukino nodded. She didn't seem angry.
"You don't need to explain to me, Yuigahama-san. Who you give cookies to is your freedom and your private matter. It has nothing to do with me."
"I won't disturb you two any longer."
With that, she left.
Yui stood there, belatedly turning to look at Kazama—the boy who hadn't said a single word this entire time.
As a master at reading the atmosphere and sensing interpersonal relationships, there was no way she couldn't feel the undercurrents swirling through those few short minutes.
"This might be rude to ask, but... Kazama-kun, do you and Yukinon know each other?"
"What makes you say that?" Kazama asked.
Women's intuition could be terrifyingly sharp at moments like this.
Yui slowly recalled: "Because just now when Yukinon was talking, even though she was asking me, her eyes were looking at you the whole time."
Kazama didn't answer immediately.
He picked up the cookie Yui had tried to feed him earlier and stuffed it in his mouth without even looking at it.
Then he didn't deny it.
"Yeah. We knew each other before."
"But that was a long time ago. Now, as you can see, we're strangers who can't even be bothered with greetings."
"But..."
Yui bit her lip, her eyebrows scrunching into a worried line.
"But Yukinon looked really unhappy. That feeling was like... like she'd had a falling out with a really good friend. If you were just casual acquaintances, why would she be so upset?"
Kazama turned and looked at the empty classroom door.
Through the glass, he could almost see the solitary figure of that black-haired girl walking away alone.
"Because I've already moved on from the past."
"While she seems to still be standing in the same place."
---
At the end of the hallway, Yukinoshita Yukino stopped walking and looked down at the object in her hand.
Images flashed uncontrollably through her mind.
That little boy who always wore a gentle smile as a child, tying this ugly red string charm for her.
"This is called a spring knot. It means that no matter how cold winter gets, spring will always come."
How ironic those words seemed now.
What a liar.
Spring never came at all.
Yukinoshita Yukino mocked herself coldly in her mind.
If even the person who gave this gift had already ruthlessly abandoned it all—if he could so easily accept another girl's affection without any burden—
Then what did it make her, stupidly treasuring this garbage like a fool?
Nothing but adding to her own troubles.
As Yukino passed a trash can, she casually tossed the spring knot inside.
"Goodbye."
Without a trace of attachment.
The spring knot that carried all her childhood memories just disappeared like that.
Yukino didn't look back even once as she walked away.
---
After school, the incident with Yukino didn't affect Kazama's plan to skip club activities.
Using paranormal investigation as an excuse, he left school and secretly headed home.
The reason for going home was that a batch of figures he'd ordered online had finally arrived, and he couldn't wait to start a new round of power system testing.
After all, until he obtained the Horse Talisman and Dog Talisman, he desperately needed a powerful life-saving method.
So Kazama's primary target was the King of Knights from the Fate series—Artoria Pendragon.
Of course, it wasn't because he lusted after her body, but rather because he coveted her inherent Noble Phantasm: Avalon, the Everdistant Utopia.
In the original work, this was an incredible treasure—capable of protecting life while providing constant regeneration.
Practically a combination of the Dog and Horse Talismans.
After opening the box, Kazama didn't rashly slap the talisman on immediately.
Safety first.
As a transmigrator who had the word "cautious" carved into his DNA, he knew full well the uncertainties involved in granting life to inanimate objects.
Even though she was King Arthur who followed the way of knights, that didn't mean Kazama should meet her with complete openness.
One must always guard against others.
Before activating her, Kazama took some precautions.
He used The Shadow card to cover the entire floor and walls of his room.
If anything went even slightly wrong, these shadows would immediately transform into restraining chains.
Then he waved his hand again.
Using The Mirror card, he created a perfect duplicate of himself standing at the desk.
His real body had long since hidden in the corner by the wardrobe, using The Illusion card to wrap himself in a layer of perfect environmental camouflage.
Unless someone physically touched him, they'd never detect a person standing there.
Only after completing all this did Kazama feel a slight sense of security. He then controlled the Mirror duplicate to activate the Saber figure with the Rat Talisman.
The next second, a visible wave of magical energy exploded outward from the figure as its center.
Within that light, a powerful presence instantly filled the entire room—so intense that even the shadows flowing across the floor seemed suppressed and stopped writhing.
Then a cold, dignified voice emerged from the light.
"I ask you."
"Are you my Master?"