"No?"
"No!"
The moment Shirou explained that he could still obtain another Command Spell and wanted to convert it into a new [Dead Count Shapeshifter] Command Spell, Lady Avalon flatly shut him down.
"Master, last night's life-risking battle already cost you several decades of your lifespan. What you have left isn't enough to activate the [Dead Count Shapeshifter] three more times."
She spoke with unusual seriousness.
"You may feel like you're in perfect condition right now, but that's only an illusion caused by your body pushing itself past its limits. A so-called final burst of vitality."
"On top of that, your current body has synchronized with your future body, which has given your senses a level of endurance far beyond what you should actually be able to handle. But that does not mean your body itself has become stronger."
"According to my calculations, once the third [Dead Count Shapeshifter] is used up, you'll be left with barely a breath, Master. After that, all you can do is wait to die."
"And that tiny bit of life you'd have left wouldn't even be enough to repay the debt of the [Dead Count Shapeshifter], you know?"
"I see. That's a shame."
Shirou's voice immediately turned a little downcast.
Obviously, what upset him was not the miserable ending Lady Avalon had just described, but the fact that he would not be able to activate a fourth [Dead Count Shapeshifter] Command Spell.
"Uh..."
After a brief silence, Lady Avalon suddenly changed her tune.
"Well... it's not like it's completely impossible, right?
"I'll think of something. I'll load a fourth [Dead Count Shapeshifter] Command Spell into you, Master."
"Can you really do that?" Shirou asked happily.
Lady Avalon frowned slightly and bit her lip.
"Mmph. I'll try."
"Actually, forget it," Shirou suddenly said.
"...Huh?"
Lady Avalon instantly tensed up.
Had Master noticed something?
After thinking for a moment, Shirou said, "If I want to receive a new Command Spell, I'd have to report to Risei Kotomine. That would basically mean leaking my information to Tokiomi Tohsaka."
"It's a little regrettable, but I'll pass on claiming the reward for defeating Caster this time."
"I'll make sure to use the remaining two [Dead Count Shapeshifter] Command Spells carefully."
"I see."
Lady Avalon let out a sigh of relief, then spoke in a light, cheerful tone.
"Mhm, Master's thinking is absolutely correct. Please make good use of those remaining two [Dead Count Shapeshifter] Command Spells."
"I'll continue staying by your side and watching over you from here on out, Master. So be sure to let me witness your most brilliant performance, okay?"
Shirou had once asked Lady Avalon what wish she held for the Holy Grail.
At the time, she had answered like this: "I have no wish. As long as I can stay by Master's side and watch over his journey, that is enough for me."
It sounded incredibly suspicious, and yet, for some reason, Shirou felt that she had not been lying.
What exactly was her real objective? She really was an impossible woman to figure out...
Toward evening, Lady Avalon appeared in one of the guest rooms at the Einzbern estate to cast tonight's magical enhancements on Shirou.
"By the way, Master... did you enjoy last night?"
"It was fun."
"No, I'm not talking about the battle. I mean what happened after that♡"
Lady Avalon narrowed one eye mysteriously, and Shirou frowned slightly.
"After that?"
"Shirou did very well tonight, so as a reward... let me 'take care' of you."
That sultry young girl's voice echoed through Shirou's mind.
His eyes widened.
"Ah! So that really was your doing!"
"Hehehe, that's right. Master had a very pleasant dream last night, didn't he?
"It was a dream that could recreate itself according to a person's desires. My gift to you, Master."
"A reward for letting me enjoy such a splendid performance."
Lady Avalon let out a mischievous little laugh, and Shirou's cheeks flushed hot.
"You..."
Lady Avalon coaxed him sweetly.
"Oh, don't be mad. So who did you dream about last night?"
Shirou frowned.
"You were the one who sent me that dream. Don't you know?"
Lady Avalon paused for a moment.
"Mm... I was a little too busy last night, so I don't actually know what kind of dream Master had."
Last night, while Shirou had been freely roaming through Artoria's utopia, Lady Avalon had been suffering so badly from the side effects of the [Dead Count Shapeshifter] that she was half dead with pain. She had no time to peek into his dream. Otherwise, there was no way she would have missed such a "wonderful scene."
Lady Avalon smiled.
"It really was a wonderful dream, wasn't it? Hehe, I can tell just from your reaction.
"So who was the girl in Master's dream? Tell me. Come on, tell me!"
"I'd rather die than tell you."
The Magus of Flowers seemed to think of something, then covered her mouth in surprise.
"You're this unwilling to say it... could it be that Master dreamed about the beautiful, charming big-sister Avalon?"
Shirou rolled his eyes.
"That's the least likely possibility."
After that, Shirou finally managed to brush the topic aside.
He had only met Saber for the first time yesterday, yet he had violated her in his dreams all night long. There was no way he could ever say that out loud.
...
Tonight was Shirou and Irisviel's first joint operation.
After receiving Lady Avalon's enhancement enchantment, Shirou brought her along in spirit form and met up with Saber's pair in the courtyard.
Irisviel looked Shirou over curiously.
"Yes, I can definitely tell the difference from how you were during the day.
"As expected of magical enhancement from a Servant. Compared to this morning, it's like you've become a completely different person."
Saber, meanwhile, kept a stiff face and looked thoroughly unhappy.
"Shirou, is your Servant here beside you right now?"
"Yeah."
Shirou nodded and explained that she would remain in spirit form and follow by their side.
"...Hmph."
Saber still seemed convinced that Lady Avalon was a bad woman who had deceived Shirou and taken advantage of him.
Although Shirou and Irisviel had persuaded her not to pursue the matter any further, she still maintained strong guard against Lady Avalon.
"Alright, alright, Saber, stop looking so tense. It's a waste of such a pretty face. Okay. Let's go!!"
With that, Irisviel hooked one arm around Artoria and grabbed Shirou with her other hand, forcibly dragging both of them away.
At moments like this, Shirou was genuinely grateful for Irisviel's innocent, princess-like nature.
She had become the one smoothing over the group's atmosphere. Otherwise, he truly had no idea how he was supposed to spend the whole night with an angry Saber.
Irisviel led the two of them to the parking area of Einzbern Castle, where a beautifully designed luxury sports car was waiting.
She said she would drive everyone into the city herself.
Since a battle could break out at any moment once night fell, and they wanted to avoid dragging anyone else into it, Shirou agreed with the decision.
He never noticed the meaningful looks Saber kept shooting at him.
"Shirou, where are we going first tonight?"
"Miyama Town."
"Got it. Leave it to me."
Sitting in the driver's seat of the sports car, the silver-haired Homunculus proudly puffed out her ample chest.
"Irisviel, I think you understand this, but Shirou is in the car too today."
"?"
For some reason, Saber, sitting in the back seat beside Shirou, looked deeply troubled.
He soon found out why.
The instant Irisviel put her hands on the steering wheel, the easygoing air around her changed completely, and even her eyes turned sharp.
It felt very much like the way Shirou switched himself from [daily life] to [battle].
And then, the silver sports car carrying them tore wildly down the suburban highway like King Arthur's beloved steed, Dun Stallion, rampaging forward as if the road belonged to it alone.
"Shirou! Shirou! Look, this car is really fast, isn't it?"
Gripping the steering wheel, Irisviel beamed with pride.
From the back seat, Shirou could only force out a stiff, nervous smile and nod.
"Y-Yeah... Iri, your driving is really amazing..."
"Of course it is. I may not look it, but I practiced very hard, you know."
As she said that, Irisviel gave a spirited little shout and started shifting gears as if showing off.
Watching her unbelievably rough gear changes, Shirou closed his eyes in despair.
They had decided to drive themselves precisely to avoid dragging innocent bystanders into danger, but now...
He was starting to seriously wonder which posed the greater threat to society. Irisviel behind the wheel, or an anti-hero like Caster.
Suddenly, a soft hand wrapped around his.
Startled, Shirou looked up and found Saber looking at him.
As if to reassure him, Saber gave him a gentle smile.
Shirou: "..."
"Hey, Master, you're blushing~"
"...Shut up."
Shirou turned his head away and pretended to rest his chin on his hand while looking out at the scenery.
In the end, Shirou and Saber never let go of each other's hands.
After an hour that made their hearts race in more ways than one, the group arrived in Miyama Town without incident.
"Sir Kayneth actually lives in a place like this?"
When Shirou led Irisviel and Saber to an utterly ordinary-looking house, both of them were visibly surprised.
According to the information they had, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald was a textbook aristocratic Magus from a distinguished lineage.
Lavish with money, obsessed with appearances, proud, and deeply concerned with honor.
A man like that would never lower himself to using an inconspicuous Japanese detached house as his base during the Holy Grail War.
Besides, according to the information Shirou had shared that morning, hadn't Kayneth come this time with his fiancée?
"No wonder his relationship with his fiancée is so bad."
Touching her cheek, Irisviel looked up at the still-lit second floor with a complicated expression.
"Spending your honeymoon staying in someone else's house. I definitely wouldn't want to marry a man like that."
Shirou tilted his head.
"I never said I came here to look for Kayneth."
Irisviel blinked.
"We're not?"
Shirou shared the information he had gotten from big sis Assassin.
"This is Rider and his Master's base."
"What..."
Saber and Irisviel both turned tense at once.
Rider.
They had only crossed paths with him once on Warehouse Street, but the bold, heroic presence he displayed then, along with that chariot wrapped in the aura of the Main God, made it clear that the [weight of his Heroic Spirit] was in no way inferior to Saber's.
More importantly, there was his true name. Alexander the Great, Iskandar, the King of Conquerors.
Quite possibly one of the most famous figures in the world, the great king who unified Greece two thousand years ago, then marched east and, over the course of thirteen years, swept through Egypt, Persia, the Middle East, and India, building an empire of over 5.5 million square kilometers that connected East and West.
During the battle on Warehouse Street, he had even boldly declared that he intended to bring the other six Servants under his command as well, only for Saber to reject him on the spot.
Irisviel frowned slightly.
"That giant is living in such a small house? It feels like just stepping into the room would make it hot."
"But weren't we supposed to attack Lancer tonight? Why are we here to see Rider?"
Shirou explained that he had no intention of launching a frontal assault on Kayneth's Magus workshop today.
After fighting all through the night yesterday, neither he nor Saber was in perfect condition.
Kayneth and the demonic man Diarmuid were not opponents they could deal with casually.
So tonight, he planned to use a relatively more "energy-efficient" approach.
Saber frowned slightly.
"Shirou, let me ask just in case. You're not here to join Rider's side, are you?"
"Of course not."
Even after hearing that, Saber still looked serious.
"Then are you planning to form an alliance with him?"
"Trust me. I'm not going to do anything Saber would hate."
Looking into the red-haired boy's earnest eyes, Artoria nodded without hesitation.
"I understand. I'll leave it to you, Shirou."
The reason she resisted cooperating with Rider was simple. Saber felt that she and that King could never be compatible.
It had nothing to do with strategy. As a matter of conviction and pride as a king, she simply could not permit herself to ally with Rider.
What?
You're asking why she could ally with Shirou when he also held the Sword of the King, Excalibur?
Saber stole a glance at the boy.
Mm. Shirou was different... he was special.
Shirou stepped forward and knocked on the door.
The ones who answered were two elderly people.
"Excuse me... and you are?"
A woman in her twenties, accompanied by a girl around fifteen or sixteen, and holding the hand of an eight-year-old boy.
This strange combination left the Mackenzies staring in confusion.
"Excuse me, is Iskandar-san staying here?"
"Ah, yes, he is."
Hearing this stranger mention the name of their grandson's friend, the elderly couple lowered their guard a little.
"We're friends of Iskandar-san. We heard he had come to Japan, so we came specifically to see him."
"He's been staying in your grandson's room recently, right? Could you please call him out for a moment?"
Irisviel nervously recited the lines Shirou had told her in advance.
Rider had obviously met Saber and Irisviel before, so what was the point of telling a lie that could be seen through immediately?
She thought, Could it be that Shirou is hoping Rider will invite us in?
To her surprise, after the elderly couple called over the red-haired giant, he merely glanced at them once, then readily welcomed them inside.
"Oh, perfect timing! I was just planning to go look for you tonight, so this saves me the trouble. Come in!"
The way Rider spoke was exactly like the owner of a house welcoming friends over, leaving Saber and Irisviel dumbfounded.
Rider was the sort of broad-minded man who would not care in the slightest even if an enemy came knocking at his door. He would just invite them right in.
Saber marveled inwardly. That was both a reflection of his open and straightforward nature, and proof of the absolute confidence he had in his own strength.
This was... the breadth of Iskandar as a king. Shirou had seen it clearly from the start.
The group followed him upstairs to a room on the second floor.
Rider pushed open the door.
"Boy, I brought some guests."
A young voice came from inside.
"Guests? What kind of people did you bring back? Don't just bring weirdos in. "
"Excuse us," Irisviel said as she stepped inside first.
The moment Waver Velvet, who was sitting on the bed, recognized who had entered, he froze in shock.
"S-Saber and her Master?!"
Waver went pale with fright and scrambled behind Rider.
"Idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot, you complete idiot!
Why did you bring the enemy into the house?!
What is going on in that head of yours?!"
Hearing his Master's protest, Rider scratched his cheek in obvious discomfort.
"When an enemy commander comes to your door on their own, how can you refuse to see them? If word of that got out, would that not make me look like a coward?"
Waver shot back, "That doesn't mean you had to let the enemy into the house! Didn't I set up that bounded field for nothing?!"
So he really did set up a bounded field around this room?
For once, Shirou and Irisviel had the exact same thought.
It was so weak neither of them noticed it at all.
Still, now that they had already been let in, there was nothing Waver could do about it. No matter how unwilling he was, he had no choice but to let Shirou's group stay.
Shirou followed close behind Artoria.
He had originally been planning to sit next to Saber, but Irisviel grabbed him and pulled him over directly.
In the end, all he could do was sit sulkily on Irisviel's lap, while the back of his head sank into something soft.
"Who's this brat? Do you Einzberns bring kids with you into the Holy Grail War? That's ridiculous."
Waver stared disdainfully at the red-haired boy in Irisviel's arms.
He thought that, as the host, he needed to show a little backbone and absolutely could not let himself be looked down on, so he immediately opened his mouth to pick a fight.
Rider looked at Shirou with interest and said, "Boy, you should be the one who destroyed the sea demon last night, yes?"
Waver's eyes went wide.
"Huh?!"
Shirou nodded, effectively admitting it.
As expected of the King of Conquerors. There was no way his little tricks could escape those eyes.
Those eyes of the giant had long since witnessed no one knew how many heroes and great men.
It was said that among the King of Conquerors' army were many warriors capable of rivaling the great heroes of myth, and all of them had wholeheartedly bowed at this man's feet.
Waver was utterly stunned.
The one who took down that monster was actually such a little kid?!
Then wasn't calling him a brat just now seriously bad?
Would he hold a grudge over it?
Thinking that, Waver hurriedly edged closer to Rider and tugged at the hem of the giant's T-shirt.
"What are you. What are you all doing in my Magus workshop?"
Shirou replied in genuine surprise, "You call this a Magus workshop?"
"Ugh...!"
Waver's face turned deathly pale.
But he did not dare talk back. All he could do was bite his lip and glare resentfully.
Shirou had not meant to humiliate him. He had simply found the idea unbelievable.
After returning to Proper Human History, Shirou had "visited" both Makiri's and Kayneth's Magus workshops.
Either one could be called an impregnable Magus fortress, a work of thaumaturgical art.
But... no matter how he looked at this room, it was just an ordinary otaku room. It even had a PlayStation that had only come out last month. He had not even bought one yet.
"Uu..."
The Clock Tower boy's shoulders trembled slightly.
Shirou had meant no harm, but to Waver, that innocent expression and tone of voice felt like the ultimate insult.
In that instant, he remembered the cold mockery and sarcasm Professor Kayneth had aimed at him so many times back in London.
Just then, a large hand came around Waver's shoulder.
Waver jumped in surprise. Normally, Rider's huge hand would have done nothing but frighten him, given how small he was by comparison, but now it gave him a strange sense of courage.
Rider, who had been all smiles just moments ago, now fixed Shirou with a serious stare.
"You did not come here just to bully my Master, did you?"
"No, that was not my intention. If what I said made the two of you uncomfortable, then please allow me to apologize."
Shirou bowed his head sincerely.
Rider turned back to Waver.
"There, you see. He does not seem to mean any harm."
"I-I know! I got it already, even without you saying it! Anyway, the bounded field I set up was trash. That's just the truth!"
Blushing furiously, Waver twisted his shoulders and shrugged off Rider's big hand.
Seeing that his Master was no longer spiraling, the King of Conquerors let it pass and spoke in his place.
"So then, why have the three of you come here tonight?"
Iskandar was a man who looked rough, but was subtle where it mattered. From the reactions of the three after entering the room, he had judged that Shirou was the real core of their group.
With the giant staring at him, Shirou said, "We came to seek cooperation."
"Oh? You mean you and Saber want to cooperate with me? Now that is unexpected."
Iskandar had not expected Shirou to come to him on his own.
Though today was their first meeting and their first conversation, Rider had already judged from experience that Shirou, like Archer and Saber, was the sort who would never cooperate with him.
At the same time, anxiety appeared on Saber's composed face.
What is going on... this is not what we agreed on before coming inside.
Why are we cooperating with Rider?!
You already have me as your partner among kingly Servants, Shirou!!
But to her surprise, the red-haired boy showed a teasing smile.
"Do not misunderstand, Rider."
"I am not here to cooperate with you, but with him."
As he said that, he looked toward the cowering Waver Velvet.
"Huh? Me?"
Shirou nodded.
"That's right. The one I'm interested in is not Rider, but you, Waver."
"..."
Waver's eyes widened in shock.
Anyone could see that in the pair of him and Rider, Rider was the absolute dominant one.
And yet, right in front of everyone, Shirou had declared that he wanted to cooperate with Waver instead. It satisfied Waver's vanity immensely.
Waver had entered the Holy Grail War precisely to prove himself. More than anyone, he wanted recognition from others.
He wanted to hold back, but the corners of the Clock Tower boy's mouth still could not help curling upward.
"Uh... so you do have a good eye after all?"
"Exactly, exactly. I wanted to work with an outstanding Magus like you!"
"I-Is that so...? As expected of the guy who took down that monster. You actually saw my hidden potential! Hah, hahaha!"
Shirou called this phenomenon [Shinji-ification Syndrome], most commonly found in young people between the ages of eight and eighteen.
Because of his interactions with his friends, Shirou was very good at handling boys like this, the kind who desperately craved recognition deep down. In just a few words, he had completely lowered Waver's guard and lured him, floating happily, straight into a pink trap. Unfortunately...
"Ugh... that hurts!"
Rider had no intention of letting his Master be led around by the nose by an enemy.
With a flick to Waver's forehead, he snapped him out of his [Shinji-ification Syndrome] state, then let out a sigh.
"To skip past me and speak directly to my Master. You had better have a reasonable explanation, or else..."
Rider's gaze turned sharp.
"I will take it as a provocation against me."
"I'll explain."
Under Irisviel and Saber's astonished gazes, Shirou began calmly spouting utter nonsense with a perfectly serious face.
"Waver, if I told you that your teacher Kayneth has now been taken hostage by his own Servant. A blackened Lancer, and is currently trapped and unable to even protect himself."
"If I told you that, what would you do? Would you just stand by and watch him die?"