"Even the King of Knights has fallen. You are so ugly now it is hard to bear looking at you...
No, perhaps you are even cuter this way... As a clown, you are pathetically adorable."
Gilgamesh let the smile fade from his face and asked in a stern voice,
"So you mean to protect this little girl, Saber?"
The black swordswoman replied expressionlessly,
"There is no question of protecting her or not.
She is the terminal that maintains the stability of the Greater Grail. If she is killed here, there is no telling what kind of disastrous consequences might follow.
Her very existence is like a chain binding the world and the otherworld together.
And if that [chain] is broken, what do you think will happen? Archer, you should know that better than anyone."
At that, Saber curled her lips into a smile, and a sadistic gleam flickered in her beautiful amber eyes.
Who was the [chain] the black King of Knights was referring to?
The answer was obvious.
It was the King of Heroes' only friend, the tragic weapon Enkidu, a clay doll created by the gods that gained a human heart, only to return to dust in the end.
Ordinarily, if anyone dared to mock the death of his dearest friend in front of the King of Heroes, he would have flown into a furious rage.
But the King of Heroes summoned this time was unusually mature, and would not lose his composure over such cheap provocation.
"So being soaked in black mud made you quite eloquent, Saber."
The Golden King glared coldly at the black swordswoman.
"Very well. If I kill that little girl now, then the entertainment I have been looking forward to will be ruined as well."
Saber said, "By entertainment... you mean your final battle with Shirou?"
"Does that bother you?"
Saber replied, "...To begin with, I have nothing to do with that brat. And now we are enemies on opposing sides."
Archer raised a brow and laughed.
"Saber, I will bring back the head of that brat you are so fond of as a souvenir for you.
When that time comes, will you still be able to stay as calm as you are now? I cannot wait to see the look on your face once that facade is torn away."
Saber said nothing and simply watched as Archer's figure vanished from sight.
"Wait... who said you could act on your own?! Archer! Get back here!"
In the vast grounds of Ryuudou Temple, all that remained was the helpless, furious shouting of the red-haired girl.
...
...
Knock knock knock.
"Irisviel, may I come in?"
After Shirou knocked on the door, he heard a flurry of rustling noises from inside.
Only after a moment did the silver-haired Homunculus answer.
"Please come in, Shirou."
Shirou opened the door and saw Irisviel sitting there with a gloomy expression and swollen red eyes.
She had always possessed the beauty of a mature woman, but at heart she had been an innocent, carefree girl.
Yet after the blow she had suffered today, it was as if she had aged more than ten years in an instant.
A pure and spotless spirit also meant one that could not withstand even the slightest setback.
"I'm sorry... all of this happened because of my failure."
The moment Shirou sat down, Irisviel began apologizing.
"Because I had no sense of caution at all and never took the Holy Grail War seriously, Saber was taken from us... I'm sorry."
Shirou did not think this was Irisviel's fault. The enemy had simply been too awful.
The one who had corrupted the Greater Grail was a Servant skilled in curses, and on top of that, she had turned the cheat-like advantage of using Irisviel as a Command Spell transmitter against them. It was just terrible luck.
Shirou knew very well that even if he pointed that out, Irisviel would never listen.
In the end, was not the real source of all this evil that old head of the Einzbern family?
If he had not decided sixty years ago to get clever and summon a divine spirit Servant, things would never have turned out like this.
"Have you gotten in touch with Sella and the others?" Shirou asked.
Irisviel answered, "Yes... They are on their way here now. But they are worried about being followed, so it will take them a little longer."
Shirou nodded.
"Has the main family contacted you?"
Irisviel shook her head.
"There is no way they would. Great Grandfather... Acht. Even if he knew the Holy Grail had been corrupted, he would still order me to carry out the mission to the end."
"Do they really have to go that far?"
"This was already Einzbern's last chance. If even I fail..."
Irisviel told Shirou the truth. If Einzbern lost this Holy Grail War, the main family would cut off the power supply to all the Homunculi and bury the clan's history forever beneath the snowy mountains.
Shirou frowned.
"Was that a unilateral decision by the head of the family?"
Irisviel replied gravely,
"It was the decision of the entire family."
Shirou was left speechless.
"Isn't it laughable?"
The silver-haired Homunculus clasped the boy's hand tightly and spoke in a hollow voice.
"My predecessors, my sisters, even Acht... everyone placed their last hopes on me.
And yet I had no understanding of myself at all. I just thought of myself as a little bird that had escaped its cage, spending every day intoxicated by the outside world.
For a terrible, wretched woman like me, losing Saber was only natural... This must be fate's punishment."
"That is not punishment."
"Shirou?"
Irisviel lifted her head and saw the red-haired boy looking at her with complete sincerity.
"You saved both Saber and me."
"How could that be...! I did not do anything at all. If anything, it should be the other way around! Shirou has saved me three times!"
"Haha... I guess that is true."
"I'm sorry. In the end, all I ever do is hold you back, Shirou. I cannot help you with anything..."
Shirou cut off her self-reproach.
"Irisviel, I have made up my mind."
"About what?"
"When all of this is over, let us live together."
"!"
Irisviel's eyes widened in disbelief. Covering her mouth, she murmured,
"But... there is no way I can live past the Holy Grail War..."
Shirou said, "I am actually pretty good at extending someone's life through Magecraft... If you are willing to trust me, then leave it to me."
"Yes. Yes! I trust you, Shirou!"
Irisviel gripped his hand tightly.
"I want to live with Shirou too! I dream about living with Shirou!"
As she said that, tears welled up in the eyes of the silver-haired, red-eyed Homunculus.
[How awful, Master...]
The Succubus' voice drifted into Shirou's ear.
[Even if it is all for final victory, tricking a girl this badly... even I am starting to find it hard to watch.]
[Then stop watching and disappear!]
[No thank you. Hehehehe...]
Shirou looked back at Irisviel.
"For the sake of our happiness, we have to remove every enemy standing in our way."
"Mm... yes... you are right, Shirou."
As she wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, Irisviel asked,
"Is there anything I can do? Or... is there not?"
There is, there definitely is.
"You once asked me how I defeated the Sea Demon, remember? This is the truth."
Shirou showed Irisviel the [Dead Count Shapeshifter] and explained what it did.
The [Dead Count Shapeshifter], modified by Lady Avalon, could accelerate Shirou's internal time by ten years for a short period.
And that was probably also the reason Lady Avalon had not been stolen by the enemy. Since this was already a heavily modified Command Spell, it could not be taken from him.
Although [Dead Count Shapeshifter] could greatly increase Shirou's combat ability, it could not perform the most basic function of a Command Spell. Supplying magical energy.
"I can only fight using the magical energy I already have, along with my Servant's magical energy."
Shirou explained, "With the amount of magical energy we currently have, there is no way we can sustain a battle against Archer and Saber."
By this point, Irisviel had begun to understand where this was going.
"So, Shirou... you want me to replenish your magical energy... is that it?"
"Yeah."
Shirou admitted it without hesitation.
Even after losing Saber and her Command Spells, Irisviel was still the strongest Master.
As the ultimate weapon of the strongest alchemical clan, her Magic Circuits surpassed those of modern Magus and were powerful enough to rival a witch.
Shirou put on a pitiful, pleading expression.
"You are the only one who can provide magical energy for me, Irisviel... For the sake of our future, all right?"
"Eh... but... but... replenishing magical energy, that is..."
Something seemed to occur to Irisviel, and her face turned bright red in an instant.
Of course she knew what replenishing magical energy meant, and how it was done. The so-called exchange of bodily fluids.
"Shirou... no... not this... I cannot do this..."
Irisviel's cheeks burned as she bit down on her lip.
She saw Shirou as a child upon whom she poured all her love, and that love was clearly not the lust between a man and a woman.
Even if it was for the sake of transferring magical energy... once she did something like that with Shirou, what would become of their relationship afterward?
Irisviel did not even dare think about it. All she could do was shake her head over and over, her face flushed red.
Shirou had not expected her to resist this strongly, and spoke in a slightly hurt tone.
"Were all the things you just said lies?"
Irisviel looked at Shirou, her pupils trembling.
"Eh...?"
"You said you wanted to live with me. Were you just saying that to comfort me?"
"Of course not, Shirou. Why would you think that? I dream about living with you!"
"Then give me your magical energy! Who do you think I am fighting for?"
Irisviel fell silent.
Shirou regretted it a little. He had been too harsh just now.
But it was not entirely his fault either. The situation really was that severe.
If he wanted to defeat Archer and Saber, both of whom were being supplied by the Greater Grail, then he had to rely on Irisviel's magical energy.
"...It is only a little embarrassing. Just endure it for a bit, and it will be over."
Only a little embarrassing? Endure it and it will be over?
Irisviel bit her lip.
That is not the issue at all! Our relationship will never go back to the way it was!
She truly could not understand how Shirou could calmly say something as shameless as, Come replenish my magical energy, to a woman.
Did Shirou really not understand what replenishing magical energy meant?
No, someone as gifted as him could not possibly be unaware.
And if he knew, then why could he say it so easily?
Only a few days ago, he had still been that adorable boy who would blush bright red just from having a woman scrub his back in the bath.
"Ah..."
Irisviel understood.
Shirou had to have been driven into a corner.
Deep down, he was probably more conflicted and in more pain than anyone else.
And yet all I have done is blame him. I really am... awful.
After a long silence, Irisviel finally spoke, her face flushed red.
"I understand. I will accept it... if it is only for tonight."
Shirou hurriedly replied, "Tonight is enough!"
Seeing the excited, delighted look on the red-haired boy's face, Irisviel felt nothing but embarrassment... and for some reason, her body began to grow strangely warm.
"After tonight, you have to forget all about it."
"Of course."
"We... have to turn off the lights."
"All right."
Shirou snapped his fingers, and the lights in the inn immediately went out.
Irisviel swallowed hard and gave him one last instruction.
"Tomorrow morning, you have to forget everything that happened tonight... all right?"
"Yeah."
Shirou followed Irisviel over to the empty bed in the inn.
The two of them sat down side by side.
"Can I take off my top...?" Shirou asked.
Irisviel blinked in surprise.
In a situation like this, was it not supposed to be the boy who took the initiative to undress the girl?
But there was no way she could bring herself to say, Shirou, undress me. If he thought she was some frivolous, shameless woman, that would be terrible...
Blushing furiously, Irisviel raised her hands to her softly heaving chest.
One by one, she undid the buttons of her dress.
She folded her outer clothing neatly and set it aside, then looked at Shirou like a child asking for approval.
His face clearly said, continue.
"...Ugh!"
Irisviel gave up her last bit of resistance and reached behind her back.
Under Shirou's gaze, the large white lace bra slipped silently onto the bed.
Swallowing nervously, Irisviel was just about to reach for her skirt when...
"...Ah!"
Caught off guard, she toppled backward onto the mattress.
She squeezed her eyes shut like someone marching off to her execution.
Shirou's ragged breathing mixed with the thunderous pounding of her own heart.
She was scared and tense, expectant and resistant, all at once, but...
"?"
Three minutes passed, and Shirou still had his face buried in Irisviel's chest like a baby.
"...Shirou?"
"Ah, just wait a second! It is almost ready! Sorry! Just a little longer!" the boy said awkwardly.
"Um... are you preparing some kind of Magecraft?" Irisviel asked, confused.
"Yeah."
Shirou looked up as he explained, his fingers moving deftly.
"This is something that can let a woman who has never given birth still... ah! There it is!"
Shirou happily lowered his head again, and Irisviel let out a shy, miserable cry.
"Uuu...!?"
So this was what Shirou meant by replenishing magical energy. Guh!
Just say it clearly from the start, you big idiot, Shirou!
At first Irisviel felt relieved, but then a sudden sense of emptiness washed over her...
Unable to vent those feelings anywhere, the Homunculus could only stare at the stain on the ceiling while gently stroking the back of the boy's head over and over.
That night, the silver-haired, red-eyed doll did not become a real woman.
Instead, she became a real mother.
Shirou, you are very satisfied, aren't you.
Irisviel thought gloomily, but I... am still just a little unsatisfied.