Chapter 25: Ah, Let’s Settle This, King Arthur

I had a terrible dream.
A long, agonizing dream.

I must have pulled the blanket over my head to cool my fevered mind and fallen asleep like that.

A Servant shouldn’t dream. Which means this must have been Shirou’s memory. But that’s impossible. Because this dream was—

“Why…?”

My head was full of nothing but questions. Over and over again: Why? How? Why?

“…I have to get up.”

After nearly an hour of repeating that question to myself, I staggered upright.

The tears wouldn’t stop. I washed my face several times before heading to the living room.

“…Oh, good morning, Saber.”

Rin was there alone, sipping tea. Her expression seemed oddly dark.

“Good morning, Rin. Where’s everyone else?”
“Archer’s on watch. Caster’s having Shirou show her around the mansion. Illya’s in the bath.”

Awake from the “dream,” a new day began. With Caster and Illya in the mix, the morning at the Emiya residence passed in quiet peace.

Saber didn’t tell anyone about the dream. Too many questions and emotions were still churning in her head, leaving her distracted no matter who she was talking to.

But it wasn’t just her. Rin and Shirou also seemed to have their minds somewhere else.

By midday, Saber remembered she had an appointment with Caren.

“I’ll go with you. We can do the shopping on the way back.”

When I mentioned I’d be going to the church, Shirou stood up. Today, under the supervisor’s orders, we were bound to a ceasefire. No one should be doing anything that could lead to a fight, but he insisted we should still stay together.

Faced with his reminder that “you can’t let your guard down,” I could only nod. Maybe because of “that dream,” I felt calmer than last night—though perhaps it was just a temporary numbness before an even greater confusion.

Still, I had regained enough composure to remember my original vow: to protect Shirou. I couldn’t keep making a fool of myself.

“…Then why don’t you take Archer along too?”

Rin spoke just as Saber drew a deep breath, steeling herself.

“…Huh?”

Saber blinked at her.

“You know, as a pack mule. He’s useless for setting up barriers, and as a lookout—well, it’s a ceasefire day.”
“Y-yeah, but—”
“Why not?”
“Shirou?”
“We’ll probably have more to carry on the way back.”
“…Okay.”

Caught off guard by Shirou’s comment, Saber hesitantly agreed.

“…If you’re going out, why not dress up a little, Saber?”

That came from Caster. In her hands was a familiar outfit: a black blouse and a black pleated flare skirt.

The culprit behind the dream had shown herself again. No doubt she’d tried to meddle with my mind once more. To fabricate such a loathsome dream—how rotten could she get?

“I refuse. Why would I wear a skirt…?”
“Oh, come on. Honestly, that getup of yours is… questionable. Less ‘uncool’ and more like some weird cosplay.”

Rin’s words struck home. I was wearing Shirou’s old clothes: an oversized T-shirt and equally baggy jeans.

“Walking next to you like this is honestly embarrassing. I’m not going to force you, but at least choose something with the person beside you in mind.”

It was a fair point. Even back when I was Hino Sato, I’d paid a reasonable amount of attention to my appearance—neatly styled hair, clothes that were always clean and in fashion.

From an objective standpoint, my current look was definitely wrong. Even before considering me as a woman, it was questionable as a person. If I had something that actually fit, it’d be different—but everything in this house was larger than me.

“…But a skirt…”

I was already under enough mental strain. I didn’t want to add to it by pushing myself further.

Still, I couldn’t stand the thought of embarrassing Shirou.

“Just try it on. If you really hate it, fine. But if it looks okay, wear it.”
“…F-fine.”

Reluctantly, I took the blouse and skirt from Caster. They were simple enough in design, so I figured out how to put them on quickly.

Feeling oddly self-conscious about Shirou’s gaze, I changed in another room. Caster even handed me matching underwear, but that was too much—I skipped it.

As long as the outer clothes looked decent, it should be fine. Strangely enough, maybe because of that dream she’d shown me, I didn’t feel as much resistance as I expected.

When I returned to the living room, Archer was there, apparently in the middle of an argument with Rin.

“What’s going on?”

When I asked, he turned around and his eyes went wide.

“…Ah.”

For a moment, his face looked almost ready to cry. Then he quickly shook his head.

“I-I’m on watch duty for the mansion—”

“It’s a ceasefire day, so there’s no problem. No one’s dumb enough to openly defy the supervisor’s orders.”

“B-but…”

Rin’s brow furrowed as Archer continued to hesitate.

“You’re useless here anyway! Now get out there and do your job!”

Her outburst was fierce enough to make even Archer scowl deeper in reluctant agreement.

“…Understood. Go to hell, Master.”
“…Is that a catchphrase of yours?”

For some reason, Caster was giving him a puzzled look.

“…Unfortunately, I was never blessed with good teachers or masters, even in life. Complaints just slip out.”

Come to think of it, in that dream too… there were moments when the blonde woman would—

No. That wasn’t his dream. It couldn’t be. Because if something like that had really happened, then…

“――Let’s go. The appointment was for one o’clock, wasn’t it? We don’t have much time. The bus won’t make it in time. Let’s call a taxi.”

With that, Archer briskly strode off to make the call.

Archer on the phone—it was such a surreal sight I nearly burst out laughing.

Before I could, Rin tapped me lightly on the shoulder.

“What is it?”

Tilting her head, Saber listened as Rin said,

“…Since you’re going anyway, why don’t the three of you take it slow and enjoy yourselves a bit?”
“Eh?”
“Think about it—having a guaranteed safe moment like this during a Holy Grail War is rare to the point of impossible. Soon enough, things will be tense again with no chance to relax. I’m telling you to use this opportunity to stretch your legs. Shirou and Archer are the type to overwork themselves, so drag them along.”
“But… aren’t you busy today?”
“We’re the ones who are busy. You lot would just get in the way if you stayed here.”
“…Alright.”

Saber nodded hesitantly, and Rin gave a satisfied smile before turning to Archer, who had just finished his call.

“You’re going to be the pack mule, so you’ll need some proper modern clothes, won’t you? You might as well change here.”
“Change… into this?”

Archer frowned at the clothes Rin handed him.

“I don’t mind changing, but personally I’d prefer something with more of a black base—”
“If you wear that kind of thing, you’ll just end up looking like a host. So no.”
“…What… did you just say…?”

Looking completely aghast, Archer slumped his shoulders, took the clothes from Rin, and reluctantly went into the next room.

When he returned, he was wearing a white inner shirt, a khaki blouson, and denim jeans. The red knight had transformed in an instant into a refreshing young man.

“Oh…”

Shirou and Saber couldn’t help but voice their admiration at the drastic before-and-after.

“I’m not used to wearing things like this…”

It was true—his personality didn’t seem the type for such casual, modern fashion.

But it suited him perfectly.

“You look great, Archer.”
“…Do I?”

Eyes widening in surprise, Archer repeated, “Do I,” and gave a faint, soft smile.

“Then, let’s go. The taxi should be here any moment.”

---

The taxi ride took just under an hour. We’d gotten caught in traffic along the way, so we arrived right at the appointed time.

Hurrying into the church, we heard the same piano music as last night.

“――Welcome.”

We listened for a while until the piece reached a natural pause and the piano fell silent. Caren turned toward us.

“G-good afternoon.”
“Um… thank you for seeing us today.”

Saber and Shirou each bowed their heads. Caren gave a small, amused smile and beckoned them further inside.

In the back room, juice and sweets were laid out.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had guests like this, so I may be a bit lacking in manners—please forgive me.”

With that, Caren urged the three of them to sit, offering them sweets.

Every time they ate one, another would appear from somewhere, as if from thin air.

“Go on, have as much as you like.”

The endless cycle of eating and replenishing had an oddly futile feel, like visiting a grandmother’s house.

“A-anyway, as we agreed last night—could you tell us about the Fourth Holy Grail War?”

Before Caren could produce yet another sweet, Archer hastily interjected.

“Oh, that’s right. My apologies. I suppose I got a bit carried away—after all, I’ve been kept away from any real trouble for years now. It’s been nothing but dull days.”

She really did sound like someone’s grandmother.

With a faintly exasperated look from the three of them, Caren began to speak—
Of the events of the Fourth Holy Grail War.

---

The Fourth Holy Grail War was nothing like the one Saber... or rather, Hino Sato knew of.

The Masters who took part were apparently all first-rate magi—there were no ordinary civilians like Uryū Ryūnosuke, nor dropouts like Matō Kariya. In fact, it seemed no one from the Matō family had participated in that previous war at all.

Even the Servants’ lineup was different, leaving Saber thoroughly unsettled. The only ones that matched her knowledge were Artoria, Gilgamesh, and Iskandar.

“――――They were all monsters. That’s the only way to describe those magi your father defeated one after another.”

The thing that left the deepest impression in Caren’s account was the way Emiya Kiritsugu fought.

“My father, Kotomine Kirei, was targeted by him first and lost his Servant right away. Most of the other Masters couldn’t even put up any real resistance before being eliminated. Some were blown up along with entire buildings, others had their families or lovers taken hostage… Even the Masters who never showed an opening were defeated head-on by Saber, the strongest Heroic Spirit. Judging by the impression I got from comparing reports and various documents, it was practically a one-sided game between Emiya Kiritsugu and Saber.”

The documents Caren showed them included a photograph capturing Artoria facing off against a dragon floating in the sky.

“Do you know about the boat that sank in the Mion River?”

Shirou nodded.

“That happened because of the backlash when Saber used her Noble Phantasm during this war. She unleashed it to counter a Rider who was soaring through the heavens.”

Rider should have been Iskandar—but she said the Servant riding the dragon was Rider. Iskandar, it turned out, had been summoned as an Extra Class.

Saber felt as though her very understanding of history had been overturned.

“The final battle took place in the city center. The only ones still alive were Saber and Archer.”

One of the photos in the documents showed Artoria alongside another figure—a blond man with red eyes. In the notes section, the name ‘Gilgamesh’ was written.

“According to a report from someone who was observing from a distance with a familiar, the two were evenly matched. But then, all of a sudden――――”

The battlefield was engulfed in flames. Caren’s words made Shirou and Saber both catch their breath.

“No one knows why. Neither of them had been using a Noble Phantasm capable of causing such widespread destruction at the time. But that… is what’s known as the ‘Great Fuyuki Fire.’”

“What…?”

That couldn’t be right. After all, that disaster should have been caused when the Holy Grail’s contents spilled out after Saber destroyed it.

Ignoring Saber’s stunned expression, Caren continued.

“There aren’t any detailed records, but apparently there were three surviving Masters. One had already fled the country by that time.”

“…And the other two?”

“Of course—one was Emiya Kiritsugu. The other was Kotomine Kirei. How my father, who had lost his Servant so early, managed to form a contract with Archer and return to the battlefield is unknown. There’s nothing in the records about that… The only thing we do know is this: Kotomine Kirei died in that battle.”

“…I see.”

Aside from the differences in detail, the ending resembled what Saber knew… save for one fact—that Kotomine Kirei had died.

“So Kotomine Kirei really isn’t alive?”

“Yes. His body was later recovered and cremated, so there’s no doubt. If you ask the head of the Tōsaka family, who served as chief mourner, they can confirm it. Unfortunately, I was in a distant land at the time, so when I saw him again, it was already his remains…”

Finishing her story, Caren resumed her relentless sweets assault.

They weren’t released until after three o’clock.

“Do come by again anytime.”

Apparently, the Church’s Supervisor really was that free. In fact, she had been subtly trying to get Shirou to keep visiting even after the Holy Grail War ended.

She even said she’d be ready to prepare his baptism at any time…

“Shirou-kun. If we survive, you might end up being converted to Christianity.”

“…That’s not funny, so cut it out.”

Caren’s eyes gleamed like a predator locking onto its prey.

“――――Anyway, let’s get the shopping done.”

Just as Saber was about to nod at Archer’s suggestion, she suddenly remembered Rin’s words.

“…A change of pace…?”

When she relayed Rin’s instructions to the two of them, they both made the exact same expression.

“What is Rin thinking…?”

Archer muttered in exasperation. Shirou, on the other hand, nodded in mild agreement.

“I think it’s fine. Going straight back would just get in the way, and this is a good opportunity. I’ll show Saber around Shinto.”

“In that case, I’ll head back first. I have no desire to get kicked by a horse.”

“Hold it. If you go back now, Tōsaka will just yell ‘You’re in the way!’ and throw you out.”

“No, but still…”

“Archer…”

Saber said to the reluctant Archer:

“It’s a rare chance—let’s have some fun together.”

Archer froze at those words.

It hadn’t been intentional, but they were the exact same words ■■ had said in her dream.

“…Well, you lot tend to cause trouble the moment I take my eyes off you.”

With a sigh, Archer started walking ahead. Shirou and Saber hurried to follow. For some reason, it felt… strange.

When she glanced back, she saw three shadows. Two smaller ones walking close beside the larger shadow of Archer—like siblings following their father.

“For now, how about we go to an aquarium?”

Not knowing where they should go at a time like this, Shirou just tossed out a random suggestion.

“Sounds good. Do you think they have tuna swimming around in circles?”
“No, I doubt it… This aquarium isn’t that big, after all…”

---

Inside, the aquarium was quiet and peaceful. Dim lighting, with the soft glow of the tanks floating in the dark.

Saber found herself staring, entranced, at the translucent bodies of the drifting jellyfish.

“So this is what they call jellyfish therapy… Truly soothing.”

Meanwhile, Shirou and Archer were watching sharks and ocean sunfish swim in the large central tank.

“…The underside of a manta is… surprisingly creepy.”

“I could have gone my whole life without knowing that…”

The two of them looked rather put off by the manta stuck against the glass. Somehow, they got along pretty well.

Heading further in, they reached a spacious area. In the middle was the sea lion and penguin corner.

《We are now offering a penguin feeding experience. Those interested, please come this way.》

A woman’s voice came through the speakers.

“Let’s go check it out!”

Saber, who was quite fond of animals, marched straight toward the staff member without hesitation.

“…What do you think?”
“Well, let’s just watch.”

Shirou and Archer smiled wryly as they watched Saber’s excitement from a distance.

When she came back, Saber proudly recounted how the penguins had pecked at her hands before heading to the gift shop area.

“Penguin parfait… I’ll go with this one.”
“I’ll take the penguin ice cream.”
“…I think I’ll try this jellyfish jelly.”

Archer, surprisingly, went for a bold choice. It turned out the jelly actually used real jellyfish as an ingredient, and both Saber and Shirou were curious enough to ask for a taste.

It had a firm, crunchy texture—odd, but interesting.

“So, where to next?”

Past the gift shop, the exit came quickly.

Saber squinted against the bright sunlight as she turned to ask the two of them.

“How about we buy you some casual clothes, Saber? It can’t be convenient wearing nothing but the boy’s hand-me-downs.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“No, but… once the Holy Grail War is over, I’ll disappear anyway—”

The words slipped out naturally. The warm, relaxed mood instantly vanished. Shirou and Archer both turned to her with sharp expressions.

“…It’s not like it’s set in stone that you’ll disappear.”

“Exactly. Even if the Grail can’t be used, we still have Caster. That woman may have her personality flaws, but she’s an extremely capable magus. Coming up with one or two ways to give a Heroic Spirit a physical body would be trivial for her.”

“But…”

Sure, if Caster was willing to help, it might be possible. But Saber didn’t trust her in the slightest.

Because of that woman, she had ended up kissing Shirou… and even trying to push further. That wasn’t a prank—it was the kind of malicious act that couldn’t be brushed aside. There was no way she could rely on someone like that.

Besides, even if she could be given a physical body, the Mage’s Association and the Holy Church might still target her. In that case, the danger to Shirou would be far too great.

“…Let’s drop this. Either way, nothing matters unless we win.”

Saber cut the conversation short.

No matter how she explained, these two wouldn’t listen.

If that was the case, any further debate would be pointless…

“As for clothes, that can wait. For today, let’s just pick up some groceries and head home. At this hour, some things at the shopping district will probably be sold out, so we might as well stop by a supermarket nearby.”

“Saber…”

Shirou’s expression darkened. Saber turned her face away and started walking.

Shirou and Archer followed her in silence. The pleasant mood had ended abruptly.

And she was the one who ended it. Saber felt… just a little regret.

---

By the time they finished shopping and stepped out of the supermarket, the sky had already gone dark.

“Even if it’s a ceasefire day, we should head back early,” Archer remarked.

Saber and Shirou nodded, and the three of them made their way toward the bus terminal.

On the way, a sudden, blood-curdling scream cut through the night. The three of them exchanged startled glances.

“That was—”
“Over there!!”

Shirou sprinted toward the source of the voice.

“W–wait, Shirou-kun!!”

Saber hurried after him, and Archer followed close behind.

They darted through a dim alley and emerged onto a deserted street. There—it was waiting for them.

“You’re…—!”

A swordswoman in black armor stood silently before them. At her feet lay a young girl, collapsed.

“…What did you do?”

Shirou demanded, his voice brimming with anger.

“Hmm? Ah, I just thought I’d get a little nutrition before moving my body.”

With that, Artoria lifted the girl up.

“Leaving her here would just be in the way.”

She tossed the girl toward a nearby garbage dump.

“—You—”

Shirou’s outrage was so intense it froze him in place. It wasn’t until the girl landed atop a pile of garbage bags that he snapped out of it and rushed to her side.

“…Ah.”

She was dead. Whether she had died before being thrown or after, he couldn’t tell.

The only certain thing was that the woman before him had killed her.

“You—!!”

Shirou’s fury boiled over, but Saber quickly stepped in front of him.

“Don’t, Shirou-kun!! She’s Makiri’s Saber!!”
“Tch—!”

Saber’s scolding forced Shirou to grit his teeth and swallow his rage.

“Stand back, both of you.”

Archer leapt forward, placing himself between them and their opponent.

“She’s far beyond either of you. Get out of here, now.”
“Oh, I don’t think so.”

With a snap of Artoria’s fingers, Shirou was suddenly struck by a wave of nausea.

“—Huh?”

His vision swam, and the world was bathed in red. It was as if blood had seeped into his eyes—everything he saw was drenched in crimson.

“This… don’t tell me—!?”

Saber’s voice was stunned.

“Kid!! Stay focused!!”

Archer’s sharp command jolted Shirou’s awareness back.

“—Sorry, but what the hell is this!?”
“Rider…”
“What?”

He couldn’t understand what Saber meant.

“What do you—”

Still bewildered, he followed her gaze.

A woman was standing there.

The woman they had defeated.

“…Impossible.”

Shirou’s mind was flooded with questions.

Standing before them—there was no mistaking it—was the Rider Servant they had defeated first. And beside her—

“Shin…ji…?”

Matou Shinji stood there, wearing a bored expression.

“Emiya…”

Shinji sighed as he spoke.

“I’ll say this up front—I don’t actually want to kill you.”

His voice was heavy, almost sullen.

“Order Saber to take her own life right now. Then run to the Church.”
“…What are you talking about, Shinji?”
“I hate dealing with idiots. Don’t make me repeat myself. Drop out of this war right now. Artoria’s only after Archer and the Grail. If you back out, she won’t bother finishing you off.”

It seemed Artoria and Rider were following Shinji’s lead, showing no signs of attacking.

“…I can’t do that.”
“…Hah?”

Shinji’s face darkened.

“How far does your stupidity go? You think bringing Caster over to your side will let you do something about Artoria? Let me tell you—no matter how many of your Servants gang up on her, you won’t win. She’s the real deal, a monster through and through. She’s been devouring the souls of women she’s abducted from the city—her mana’s fully charged. If you don’t quit here, the only thing waiting for you is death.”

“…Shinji. I know you’re saying this because you’re trying to help me. But I can’t. I will never let Saber die. And I can’t just turn a blind eye to someone who’s eating people.”

“…Yeah. That’s just the kind of guy you are. Stupid, slow, and… a real pain to deal with.”
“Sorry about that…”

Shinji snorted at Shirou’s reply.

“Fine. If you get lucky and survive, I’ll dump you at the Church myself.”

With that, he turned to Artoria.

“Kept you waiting.”

“—Not at all. I’m exhilarated, knowing the moment I’ve been waiting for is right before me. But—don’t get in my way.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ll keep Rider out of it. Do as you please. You’ll win anyway, won’t you?”

“Heh, not necessarily. This Archer’s quite the skilled one.”

Artoria shifted her gaze to Archer.

“The last time, things ended halfway. Tonight, I’ve prepared a special stage so we can settle this once and for all.”

“…I thought today was supposed to be a ceasefire.”

“It doesn’t matter. The penalty’s nothing more than the confiscation of Command Seals or a Master’s assets. Means nothing to me—and Shinji’s agreed to it.”

“I thought Matou Zouken was your Master?”

At that, Artoria laughed openly, as if she’d heard a great joke.

“Unfortunately for him, I have no Master. Zouken is merely an associate. There’s nothing he can do to bind me.”

Then she turned to Shirou and Saber.

“My copy… and her Master. I trust you won’t do anything foolish?”

Her eyes, laced with madness, made both Shirou and Saber stiffen.

“…Archer.”

Shirou called out to him, and for once Archer replied in a tone that sounded genuinely delighted.

“She’s right. Don’t do anything foolish. Get somewhere safe—out of harm’s way.”

“B–but—”

Saber started to speak, but Archer turned toward her.

The instant they saw his face, both she and Shirou forgot how to breathe.

What they saw there was pure, unrestrained killing intent—soaked in hatred bordering on madness.

“I told you—don’t interfere. This woman is mine to kill.”

At those words, Artoria’s lips curved into the smile of a maiden in love.

“Your killing intent… it’s exquisite. I don’t know who you are. But right now, my mind is filled with thoughts of you. Ah… is this what they call love?”

“…I’d tell you to stop spouting nonsense—but funny enough, it’s mutual. My mind’s full of you too.”

Archer’s voice was cold, but steady.

“I’ve dreamed of killing you all this time. Never thought I’d get the chance… and yet here it is. I couldn’t be more thrilled.”

“…Perfect. Then show me—show me all of that killing intent!!”

“Oh, I’ll show you. Everything I’ve built up, for the sole purpose of killing you!!”

The corners of both their mouths lifted. Killing intent clashed against killing intent, making the very air groan.

Saber was terrified. Not of their murderous aura—but of whatever awaited at the end of this fight.

I had a terrible dream. A very long, very painful dream.

The two knights raised their blades, smiles on both their faces.

“Come then—let’s settle this, Archer.”
“Yeah—let’s settle it, King Arthur.”