"Professor! Are you still alive!?"
"How rude! Even if the Human Order were wiped out and the world destroyed, I'd still stubbornly cling to life!"
The silver-haired female Magus said it with a proud look on her face.
Shirou had no idea what there was to be proud of.
"Never mind that…"
"What do you mean, 'never mind that'?"
"Where are we!?"
Shirou turned his head and looked around, only to find that he and Lady Avalon were standing on a quiet plain where countless colorful flowers bloomed.
The only thing that even slightly blocked the view was a forest in the distance. Even when he turned in a full circle and looked up at the sky, all he saw was evenly spread land and blue sky.
There were no fences, houses, city walls, or castles built by people here. Concepts like nations did not seem to exist either.
The air was filled with spring sunlight and the scent of summer, and an endless field of flowers stretched all the way to the horizon.
Everything here was peaceful. So peaceful it felt as if even the concept of time did not exist.
Shirou was shocked. This was the inner side of the planet, the "Paradise" of the Inner Sea of the Planet... Avalon!?
The so-called inner side of the planet was, in essence, another spacetime, a dimension that shared the same coordinate axis as the surface world while remaining entirely separate from it.
A fairy realm untouched by the endless decline and destruction of the human world. A foreign land that accompanied human history yet had nothing to do with it.
"Reality Marble." The ultimate Grand Magecraft that materialized a Magus's inner landscape and overlaid it onto reality, if only for an instant.
And the Inner Sea of the Planet could be understood as "the Reality Marble continuously maintained by the planet itself," or the "seat of the planet's heart."
Simply put, it was "Earth's dream."
There was not only one "seat of the heart." It appeared differently depending on the planet's disposition.
For example, there was "the heart adjacent to human society," and "the heart that wanted to voice opinions to human society."
As for the Fairy Realm, Avalon, it was a world leaning toward nature, symbolizing the planet's "desire to have no connection with the human world."
Shirou quickly realized that, during his clash with the Noble Phantasm of the Lancer of "Red," he must have accidentally torn through the fabric of physical law and fallen here.
"That's right. Your guess is completely correct, Shirou."
"Don't just read my mind!"
"Hehe, because it was written all over your face."
Ignoring the delighted female Magus, Shirou continued muttering to himself. "No, even if my fight with Karna really was intense...
It shouldn't have been enough to tear a hole straight through the Texture, right?
If the planet's surface were that fragile, then wouldn't that mean..."
Lady Avalon said, "Relax. The passage between the outer side and inner side of the planet didn't open entirely because of you. I also tampered with it a little from the inside."
"So this was your fault after all!"
"Mhm~ Now you understand how capable I am, don't you?"
"I wasn't complimenting you. Hah... What is even going on here?"
Thanks to Lady Avalon, Shirou was not only wide awake, even his tension had completely vanished.
Avalon...
Shirou looked toward the distant forest.
Even though both are part of the Inner Sea of the Planet, this isn't the same "dream" as my "Fairy Domain"...
They were not the same, but Shirou still felt something very special.
Now that his mood had settled, it felt strangely nostalgic...
"Is it because of me?"
"You're imagining things. Definitely not."
Shirou denied it without the slightest hesitation, and Lady Avalon pouted resentfully.
"Speaking of which, Professor, why are you here?"
The silver-haired Incubus answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Because I'm the Magus of Flowers from Paradise?"
Shirou frowned. "You're Merlin from 'our world,' right?"
"I'm Merlin's little sister!"
"Whatever... Even if you were going to appear, shouldn't you appear in the Avalon from 'our world'? Why are you over here?"
Under Shirou's sharp stare, Lady Avalon awkwardly turned her face away.
"Well, that's actually a trade secret~ I can't tell even my beloved disciple ♡"
"My trust in you just dropped another level."
"Ehhh~~~~ How could that happen~~~~ Anyway, never mind that. Listen to me!"
Lady Avalon put away her frivolous expression.
"Shirou, it seems you still haven't realized it... You're already dead."
"Wha—"
The moment she said that, Shirou seemed to suddenly remember what had happened, and the memory of unimaginable agony swept through his entire body.
When the passage between the outer side and inner side of the planet opened, the pressure difference had pulled him in uncontrollably.
Because of that, Excalibur, which had been locked in a stalemate with "Vasavi Shakti," was forcibly interrupted.
The balance that had been maintained was broken just like that. With nothing left to stop it, the firepower of the God-Slaying Spear completely swallowed Shirou's physical body.
In other words.
"Shirou, your physical body has already been destroyed on the outer side of the world. Only your soul entered this Avalon."
"You've got to be kidding meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"
...
...
"All right, all right, don't be mad~ Didn't I already apologize?"
Lady Avalon knelt behind Shirou and tugged at his arm.
He had no idea how much time had passed since then.
Since the Inner Sea of the Planet had no concept of time, a human's sense of it also grew vague.
Shirou stared blankly at the blue sky and the grassland, his mind empty.
Fuji-nee, Iri, Illya, Liz, Sella, Sakura, Shinji, everyone…
The faces of his family and friends flickered through the boy's mind like a revolving lantern.
Can I… really not go back anymore?
Shirou's physical body had been destroyed. All that remained of him now was his soul.
That meant even if the passage between the inner and outer sides of the planet opened again, he would no longer be able to return to the surface.
Am I going to… stay in a place like this until the end of the world?
This Avalon, with no Morgan, no Artoria, and not even the internet…
"It's not like there's absolutely nothing to do, you know. We have live broadcasts. Want to watch the fall of the Roman Empire?"
"Professor, shut up for now."
"I'm sorry."
Shirou sighed, then stood up.
In any case, worrying himself in circles would not change anything.
"Shirou, what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to find a way to materialize."
He had already promised Illya, unilaterally, that he would reach her side no matter what. How could he afford to stand still here?
It was just "soul materialization," right?
A mere Third Magic. Watch me teach myself how to do it within three years!!
Shirou had barely taken two steps before a voice drifted over from behind him.
"Why not rely a little more on your Professor, a Grand Caster candidate?"
"......"
Shirou turned his head and saw the dreamily beautiful female Magus narrowing one eye, looking terribly smug.
"You have a way, Professor?"
He rushed back and grabbed onto that lifeline.
"Ow… Calm down first, Shirou."
Shirou released the fingers that had sunk into Lady Avalon's soft shoulders.
"There is, in fact, a way to give you a body again…"
Lady Avalon said, "Since I'm at least ten percent responsible for you ending up like this, Shirou, I'll take responsibility to the end."
Shouldn't your share of the blame for this whole accident be one hundred percent?
That was what Shirou thought, but his expression turned perfectly earnest. "Ooh… As expected of my most beloved Professor, Merlin, the Great Sage of Paradise!"
"I'm Merlin's younger sister."
"Professor, what should I do?"
Shirou sat properly in front of Lady Avalon, but hesitation appeared on her face.
"Hmm… No, never mind. Shirou, you definitely wouldn't want to."
"As long as I can go back, I'll do anything!"
"Really?"
"Yes."
The red-haired boy nodded firmly. "I have to go back."
Lady Avalon met his eyes. After confirming his resolve through his gaze, she finally nodded.
"Now, I'll explain the method."
"Please."
Lady Avalon said, "Don't forget, Shirou. You may be human, but you are also a Servant.
Even if your physical body has been destroyed, all you need to do is reconstruct a Servant's body…
Then, once the Holy Grail War ends and you return to your own world, world correction will change you from a Servant back into a normal human."
Shirou considered it. "That's true… In other words, I've only changed from a 'Servant who can't take Spirit Form' into an 'ordinary Servant.'
Then what exactly do I need to do? How do I rebuild a Servant's body?"
"Normally, it would be impossible, but fortunately, this is the 'Paradise' of the Planetary Dream."
"Shirou, you just need to replenish enough pseudo-spirit particles… Treat your soul as observable energy and create a Servant body, a Spirit Form, that belongs to you."
So where am I supposed to replenish pseudo-spirit particles? That's what I'm asking.
Having lost his physical body, Shirou's magical connection to Manaka Sajyou had been severed.
If Avalon were not the place that stored the planet's soul, he should have simply scattered and vanished.
The Magus of Flowers tilted her head and looked at Shirou for a while. Then she spoke with a bright smile.
"Spirit Particle Conformity… In other words, the method of Mana Replenishment. You know that better than anyone, don't you, Shirou?
It's simple. You only need to embrace a woman."
"Wait…"
A bead of cold sweat slid down the red-haired boy's cheek.
"How lucky for you, Shirou…"
Lady Avalon covered her mouth and giggled.
"As it happens, there's a cute, gentle older sister right in front of you who'll do anything you ask.
Not only is she a genius Magus from Paradise, she even has experience exchanging body fluids with you.
So there's absolutely no need to worry about physical compatibility."
"Wait… Hold on a second!"
Hadn't they already agreed back then that it would be the first and last time?
During the Fourth Holy Grail War, Shirou had indeed embraced Lady Avalon once.
However, that had been Mana Replenishment they had no choice but to carry out before the final battle.
At the time, Shirou had been far too weak. If he wanted to defeat Gilgamesh, that was the only option.
After the Fourth Holy Grail War, Shirou had never done anything even remotely intimate with Lady Avalon again.
All these years, he had always regarded Lady Avalon as his Professor, someone who was unreliable most of the time, but still trustworthy and worthy of respect.
How could he possibly repeat that mistake now!
The Magus of Flowers pouted. "Oh, come on… Just a moment ago, you were swearing you'd do anything.
Since you don't want to, just pretend I never said anything.
Anyway, whether Shirou stays in soul form or turns back into a human, it makes no difference to me~
Well then, I have something to do later, so I'll be going now…"
Lady Avalon had just started to rise from the grass when Shirou grabbed her.
"Got it. As long as I do it, that's all that matters, right? I'll do it."
Although doing that sort of thing with his Professor again was not what Shirou wanted…
If it meant returning to his original world, he was willing to do anything.
"…"
The light that flared in the red-haired boy's eyes startled Lady Avalon. It was the first time she had ever seen Shirou make that kind of face.
Mm, he's so strong…
A faint ache came from Lady Avalon's wrist where he was gripping her tightly.
It had been the same when he had roughly grabbed her shoulders just now.
Compared to back then… he really has grown so much…
His strength, his physique, everything about him is completely different now…
Lady Avalon swallowed, feeling heat rise deep in her lower abdomen.
You're not a child anymore, my Arthur…
She had been looking forward to it a little at first, but now fear suddenly crept in.
After all, the time during the Fourth Holy Grail War had been Lady Avalon's first and only "experience."
In other words, the Magus of Flowers' only partner had been Shirou, back when he was still a middle school student.
And now, the Shirou before her had long since fully matured… and possessed far more stamina than an ordinary man.
With numerous lovers and partners, he held a monthly rendezvous at the Western-style mansion on the mountain, spending the past few years honing his skills in that area to perfection.
Faced with her disciple, who had changed so completely, the female Magus could not help feeling afraid.
Compared to the experienced Arthur, wasn't she practically no different from a little girl herself?
Lady Avalon panicked. "Ah… I mean, yes, I do have experience with Spirit Conformity, but from here on we need to go at my pace… Kyaa~! Listen to me, Shirou!"
Before she could finish, Shirou pressed down on the Magus of Flowers' shoulders without giving her a chance to argue.
"Sorry, Professor… I'm going to give this everything I've got."
"Huh?"
Lady Avalon turned pale at those words.
"W-wait, this position is so embarrassing, I don't like it… Can we do it another way…"
The Magus of Flowers' cheeks flushed bright red as she struggled desperately, her long, slender legs shaking.
But how could she possibly match the strength of a boy in the prime of youth?
On top of that, Shirou was somewhat carried away right now.
"No… please, Shirou… be gentler, don't be so rough.........…♡"
And so, what descended upon Lady Avalon was a forceful, merciless full-power output, packed with Shirou's absolute conviction that he wanted to go back.
...
"Thank you for your help, Professor… In that case, I'm heading out."
Shirou glanced back at Lady Avalon.
Just over an hour ago, she had been a peerless beauty as radiant as a flower. Now, she lay sprawled on the grass like a frog, without the slightest trace of ladylike grace.
"..."
Shirou moved his arms and legs.
It felt strange, but this was probably the "physical body composed of pseudo-spirit particles" his Professor had mentioned.
The current Shirou was no longer a human Servant who could not take Spirit Form, like Saber during the Fourth Holy Grail War. He had become a true Servant.
Since there was no record of Shirou on the Seat, once he brought the Great Holy Grail War in Romania to an end, he would be able to return to his original world as a human again.
Of course, before that, he had to solve the problem of "returning to the planet's surface."
Shirou had originally intended to have Lady Avalon send him back, but unfortunately, she was now completely unable to move and barely conscious.
To go this far for the sake of helping her own disciple… Thank you, Professor.
Shirou wiped away a tear that did not exist from the corner of his eye.
Even for Lady Avalon's sake, I can't keep relying on her. This time, I'll escape this situation with my own strength!
In most of the works Shirou had read, the way to escape in this sort of situation was always the same.
You used brute force to tear open a hole in space!
Shirou drew a Japanese sword with a pitch-black scabbard from the void.
"Yamato."
Like the "Blades of Chaos," it had been unusable when Shirou manifested as Saber Arthur Albion.
However, for some reason, Shirou could now Summon and wield them in this Avalon.
The sword possessed the property of "Separation." It could not only cut through space, but also create a dimensional tunnel large enough for a person to pass through.
Normally, Shirou would not use this sword's special ability lightly.
In a certain sense, the demonic nature hidden within "Yamato" was even greater than that of the "Blades of Chaos."
It was a cursed sword that brought disaster upon its master.
Wasn't there something called Muramasa in this country's history?
But he did not have time to worry about that now.
He had to get back quickly. He had no idea how long he had spent in Avalon, or how much time had passed outside.
Shirou drew the blade from its sheath and traced a cross through the empty space before him.
With one light swing, the void of the Inner Sea of the Planet was torn open.
The void rapidly expanded, forming a pitch-black passage large enough for a person to pass through, while the surrounding spacetime flickered violently.
Shirou seized the chance at once and stepped into the newborn rift.
The passage lasted only an instant and closed the moment he entered, but overwhelming joy surged up inside Shirou.
Come to think of it, I looked seriously cool just now… I really wish Jeanne and Manaka could have seen that.
Once I get back, I'll show Sakura and Illya as a little stunt.