FSN Fate Day 14 (EN)

Scene 00
My happy mind freezes in an instant. Goosebumps form all over my body, and my throat won't move as if it's forgotten how to breathe. "...Shi... rou." It must be the same for Saber behind me. Her hand holds me tightly. ――Just as I feel an unavoidable death. Saber too feels an inconcealable desperation. "I have kept you waiting, Saber. I have come for you as promised." ...His voice sounds like it's sneering. Haughty and merciless. I can feel no human emotion in his arrogance, nothing that has ever considered the opinions of others. "Ar... cher―――――" My voice is shaking. ――The golden Servant. The unknown heroic spirit who swept away the bone creatures and even Caster herself without any difficulty. That monster is in front of us. He's so close to us. At a distance with which we could start fighting if we wanted to face a "death" greater than Berserker. "What's wrong, Saber? I have come specially for you. It would be rude to stay silent. Or――do you intend to play around for a bit before you become mine, king of knights?" Archer stifles his laughter happily. His eyes aren't looking at me. He's only watching Saber. With his rude red eyes, he's looking at her as if evaluating a work of art. Saber's presence changes. ...She must have prepared herself. Unlike me unable to even move a finger, she is already glaring at that enemy Servant. "...Shirou, I will block his first attack no matter what. Please retreat from here in that time. ...I know how hard that is, but that is all I can manage against this Servant." Her back asks me to forgive her. ...Even Saber can only manage to block his first attack. The chance of success of retreating from a guy like this is low. Saber is asking for my forgiveness for that low chance. ...Probably... ...She knows she has no way to defeat that Servant. "―――――" She can't do that. This is different from when we fought Berserker. For some reason, I know that making Saber fight this Servant would be bad. ...No, I may know the reason. I felt it when I saw his Noble Phantasms last night. ――Saber will not be able to beat this man no matter what. It's not about skills as a swordsman. Before that, the prerequisites are wrong. As long as they are heroic spirits, no heroic spirit will be able to beat him―― "――No. You're the one who's running away, Saber." "Shirou...!?" I cover Saber and face Archer. "Oh――yeah, you had a Master, huh? He was so shabby that I thought he was a dog or something." He says happily. The man raises his hand and slowly brings his fingers together. "――" I feel sick. I'll be killed if I don't retreat now. There's no reason or logic behind it. I just feel instinctively that I'll be killed if I stay in front of him, and―― "――Go, Saber...! The church is nearby. It should be able to shelter you even against him――!" I push Saber away and run as if shaking off the premonition of death attacking me. There's only one thing to do. I'll run up to him, "project" Saber's sword like when I fought Berserker, and―― "――" My body flies. ――What happened? The instant that man clicked his fingers, something appeared right beside me. "O――w." I can tell it was a big hammer, and that I was smashed away flying across the ground like trash. "Ha――ah." I can't move. I feel like all the bones in my body are broken. I can't feel my limbs, my pain is numbed, and I can't even tell if I'm alive or not. "I will not kill you. Saber would disappear if I killed you now. It is against my will, but I shall let you live until the Holy Grail appears." The man laughs. "Ah――kuh――" I move my hands to try to get up, but my body won't move at all. My blood isn't flowing. It feels like the energy to move my body has stopped reaching my limbs. "But do not be conceited, lowlife. There are ways to let a Servant stay in this world without you. It is just that this is the least troublesome state. I will kill you if you annoy me." "――" That kills my mind. He will kill me. If I move any more, he will do so without hesitation. "―――――" How could anyone move after being told that――? "Shirou――!" Saber tries to run to me. "Where are you going? There is no one left to intrude. That piece of shit is not the man you should be running to." But the man won't allow that. He stands before me and waits for Saber to come to him. "――!" Saber stops and glares at the man. There's about ten meters between them. It's a distance Saber would be able to close instantly, but―― "...Huh. It seems you are not willing to come to me. I find that hard to understand. A heroic spirit like you must know how valuable it is to be chosen by me." "――Nonsense. I am a king even though I am a heroic spirit. I will not submit to you." "Is that so? Even if you are a king, you are still a woman. It should be a woman's joy to be held down and be violated. So why do you refuse? It is not like you are a virgin. Are you scared to become mine?" "You――" "Do not resent me so. I do not only take. I shall give you pleasure equally. If you are to become mine, I will literally give you everything in this world. Be proud, I have accepted that you have such value." ...The man moves. He opens his arms as if to accept Saber. "That is right. You do not need to be a guardian nor will you return to your point of death. I will say this once more, Saber. Be mine. Let us enjoy our second lives in this world." "――I refuse. I have no interest in such things, and most of all――I do not want to live with you." She does not nod or retreat. Saber looks at Archer head on. "Ku――fu, haha, hahahahahahahahaha!" He stops. I don't know what's so funny, but the man starts laughing. "Great, that is what I expect from the woman I chose! Yes, there must be at least one that will not obey me...! "All right. Then I shall do so by force. After I obtain the Holy Grail, I shall pour the contents onto you. "――Rejoice, Saber. You will not need your Master after that. You will be taking in all the power of the omnipotent vessel. You shall not be a familiar to humans like the Servants." The man says so with satisfaction. To that, Saber replies. "...Archer. What is your intention?" She must have realized that fighting is the only way. Saber asks for her enemy's reasons at the end. ――But. The man's answer is an unexpected one. "Intention? I do not remember. Unfortunately, I have obtained everything, so there is nothing I wish for." "Wha――then, you do not seek the Holy Grail?" "The Holy Grail? Oh, immortality. Heh, I gave that to the snake." "――You gave immortality to a snake...?" Saber's presence freezes. ...What was that conversation? Saber shakes her head and tries to deny the word. "――But this world is interesting. The basic principles do not change, but the decorations are so elaborate that it seems different when it has come this far. In this case, it will not be too bad to reign over this world. ...Yes, I think that is my intent. If it will let me do that efficiently, the Holy Grail is not without use." "...The desire to rule? You are despicable, Archer. You seek the Holy Grail for such a purpose?" "I do not seek it. Everything in this world is mine. I just do not like others using what is mine. You too should hate having your holy sword used by strangers, king of knights." "―――――" ――Saber's body grows misty. After a brief flash, Saber is wearing her silver armor. "Oh――" The man does not even move. In the next instant, Saber dashes forward. She runs up to the man instantly and slashes her invisible sword with deadly speed――! "――!" Repelled, Saber jumps backward. If Saber's armor is materialized from her magical energy, his armor must be the same as well. In the short battle, the enemy has armed himself. "―――――" Saber looks calmly at Archer, holding her sword ready. Even with her stare, the man does not stop smiling. "――All right. I shall allow you to oppose me, Saber." The enemy happily announces the beginning of the battle. The white light runs through the darkness. Saber, running up to the golden knight without hesitation, slashes her sword down surrounded by lightning―― One blow, two, three, four――! Each time Saber's sword finds the enemy, blinding light is released. Combinations like a strobe. It's just like when I first saw Saber when she fought Lancer. Saber drives magical energy into her sword and strikes with it like lightning. The sword and armor clash. The man hasn't even drawn his weapon yet. With Saber's sword in front of him, he is just protecting his head with his hands. That man does not have the skill to block Saber's sword. Saber is much better than this man at sword techniques. And on top of that, Saber's sword is invisible. Even if the man had a weapon, I don't think he would be able to block that invisible sword. The invisible sword keeps hitting the man's armor. The sword smashes against the armor, shaves it, letting off lightning sparks. All the man can do is to protect his head with his hands. This isn't even a match. This is just one-sided elimination. ――But. Still, the golden armor retains its shape. If the armor is free of damage even after taking Saber's attacks so many times... ...Could it be that his Noble Phantasm is his golden armor――? "...Heh. I guess any more would be bad. You certainly do have a large supply of magical energy. My armor does not give out often, but――" The enemy who was merely defending raises his arm. Not toward Saber. I don't know why, but the man raises his hand to the night sky, and―― "Enough playing around. Offer me your body, right here." ――Is it an illusion? In his hand. A shortsword like a key is in his hand. "――!" Saber attacks with all her power. But... ...The enemy repels it with his dark red sword. "...! ――That is a Noble Phantasm bearing a curse of vengeance――!?" Saber distances herself and glares at the sword in her enemy's hand. ...The fact that the enemy has revealed his weapon is a threat. But at the same time, it means that the enemy's attacks are revealed. It doesn't matter if his Noble Phantasm is a sword or armor. As long as you can see it, you're able to deal with it. Saber readies herself. ...As the man said, his armor is at its limit. If Saber relaunches her fierce barrage of attacks, she should be able to slash him through his armor. Even if he has brought out his Noble Phantasm, it won't make a difference to the fact that the next blow will decide the match. "――This is it. Let us decide the match we could not finish before, Archer." The sword in her hand is still invisible. Readying the holy sword sealed in wind, Saber stares at her enemy. ...It seems Saber knows what that Noble Phantasm is. That's why she intentionally distanced herself. And since she knows how to deal with it, she's confronting the enemy straight on. If their Noble Phantasms are swords and if the swords' abilities are equal, the deciding factor will be their own sword techniques. By that theory, Saber has to win. "All right――then come at me. In deference to your sword, I shall show you everything I have." The man laughs. "Fine――!" Saber charges without hesitation. ――Saber's sword will slash his armor for sure. The instant I think that. "――Gate of Babylon." An invisible "door" opens behind the man. "Wh――at...!?" Saber's body stops. The weapons the enemy takes are different from the previous dark red sword. The first is an invisible sword like Saber's. As soon as Saber defends against it, the man is holding yet another sword. This sword is of ice. She twists her body to avoid it, but the space the sword goes through freezes. Saber retreats, covered in ice. As the ice starts to break, the enemy holds a sickle-like weapon. "――――!" She instantly tries to block the weapon approaching her neck with her gauntlet. But it's useless. The sickle goes through her arm like the gauntlet isn't there and takes away her magical energy. ...As if cutting away her bone and not her flesh or blood. "Ah――kuh...!" Saber totters, but manages to stay standing. ...It is a different kind of retreat now. Not to distance herself and prepare for the next attack. It's a desperate retreat, just to get away from the enemy―― "That is――impossible." Saber glares at the enemy, drawing magical energy into her arm. ...Many handles are floating around the man. That's what slaughtered Caster, ...And those are the Noble Phantasms of the golden knight who cornered Saber. It's a scene that makes even me want to doubt my own eyes. Those handles floating behind him are surely those of Noble Phantasms. Not just ten or twenty. No, even though I can't see them, I can feel that they are infinite. From all times and places. As if to say, that Servant has all the divine mysteries from every legend―― "Archer. Who are you?" Saber's voice is trembling. A Servant will not answer when asked their true identity. But the enemy's Noble Phantasm is so strange that Saber has to ask. "Answer me, Archer...! A heroic spirit can only have one Noble Phantasm. No, some have more, but two should be the limit. ――A heroic spirit with infinite Noble Phantasms cannot exist...!" "Cannot exist...? You are jumping to conclusions, Saber. Heroic spirits' Noble Phantasms are the weapons they had when they were alive. So this is a simple story. All these Noble Phantasms are things I collected while I was alive." "――Are you insulting me, Archer? That is even more impossible. No matter who you are, it would be impossible for you to collect all the Noble Phantasms, the symbols of other heroic spirits. No such heroic spirit exists." Saber is right. All the Noble Phantasms he has are real. There are demonic swords from Northern Europe, and demonic swords from South America. No hero made his name in so many different places. And first of all, only Lancer has Gae Bolg. Heroic spirits' Noble Phantasms are the weapons they had when they were alive. By that rule, as soon as he has Gae Bolg, he has to be Cu Chulainn. But he isn't Cu Chulainn. So that lance cannot be Gae Bolg. But the thing is, that is definitely the real Gae Bolg. This could be all explained if it was a fake. But as long as it's real, this contradiction is.... No, hold on. Original――the model of weapon......? "――It can't be. But, wait..." It is possible. Myths and legends do not start from nothing. All myths have common points because a single foundation became their model. Because legends that become objects of faith are only those that originate in that land. I think demonic swords and holy swords start having special abilities around that time. So, before that. What if the Noble Phantasms in myths and legends had a form before they were given names――? "Oh. It seems your Master is not so bad after all. It seems he has a hunch about my true identity." "Eh――?" Saber looks towards me. ...So far away. I can't even help her if she's so far away. My body has only recovered to the point where I can barely move my fingers. "Run... Saber――his... Noble Phantasm is..." "Real, right? Yes, it is really simple, Saber. Let me tell you about the most ancient time, when the world was still one. That kingdom flourished, and the king collected every treasure in the world. There was nothing he could not collect, and he lacked nothing. The king had a perfect treasury, and the masses of weapons in there were never used, but instead went to sleep with the king." "――The story is that simple. After the king's death, the contents of the treasury room spread all over the world. They were valued because they were splendid swords, and they eventually became Noble Phantasms. ...Do you understand, king of knights? The Noble Phantasms you use are just the king's possessions." ...It's like inheritance. If you go back far enough, a "model" must exist. So it is only natural for every legend, myth, folklore, and Noble Phantasm to have an original model. And――in the distant past, if it was possible to collect all of their models, then one could possess all of the Noble Phantasms. Only one hero could correspond to that. One with origins in a legend far older than that of King Arthur or Hercules. One said to rule over ancient Mesopotamia. The half-god, half-human king who collected treasures as he wished and sought immortality at the end. His name was―― "Gilgamesh――mankind's oldest king of heroes――" Saber sounds shocked. The golden knight――Gilgamesh accepts the shock with satisfaction. "――Indeed. I am the strongest heroic spirit. You shall be no match." And the golden knight moves forward. ――There's nothing else to talk about. All that remains is for him to use his many Noble Phantasms to defeat his enemy. "Oh? You would still oppose me even after you know my name? You must know you have no chance of winning." "――I do not know unless I try. Even the king of heroes must have something he cannot surpass." Saber's surroundings waver. The wind starts to twirl and becomes a raging gale to protect her. At the same time, the golden sword appears. "――No, Saber..." ...It can't be. Saber's going to use the Excalibur here...!? Gilgamesh stops. He too must know the holy sword's power as his composure vanishes. Saber keeps staring at Gilgamesh and looks in my direction for an instant. "......" Is she telling me to run? Gilgamesh has his back to the river. And Saber is over here. It must have been when she attacked him earlier. Before I realize it, Saber is confronting Gilgamesh to protect me. "――No. You can't use it here――" I pour strength into my limbs. Even if I try to move my numb body, all I can move is one of my arms. But I still collect all the magical energy in my body to raise my body with that one arm. "Guh――damn it――!" My senses were gone, but every bone in my body starts to scream once I start moving. The pain is a warning. The pain is telling me I will break if I move any further. "――! ...!" I ignore it and raise my body up. "Ah――haa, ha――ah...!" I bear my pain. I don't have time to deal with it. I have to get up quickly and protect Saber. ――Because I have a bad feeling about this. A premonition I felt when I faced that enemy. She will never be able to beat him. The instinctive feeling that I should never let Saber fight him won't go away―― "――Humph. A holy sword, huh? Fine." The twirling wind is now a raging storm. Even with the holy sword shining in front of him, the golden knight does not back away. Moreover... "Then, I shall use a weapon appropriate against it." He pulls an incongruous 'sword' from the gate behind him. ――That's the cause of my bad feeling. That sword does not appear in any legend. I could identify every one of the Noble Phantasms that were floating behind him. But even I cannot tell what that sword is. "I have the original models of all the Noble Phantasms. But they are all nameless, and I am not their only possessor." A cylindrical sword. The sword is made of three parts, and each part is turning slowly in different directions. It looks like a rock drill to pierce through a hard surface. "But this is different. This sword is truly a sword that only the king of heroes possesses. ――It has no name, so I just call it Ea." "――Are you saying we shall just compare the strengths of our Noble Phantasms...?" The light concentrates. There's only about ten meters between them. Within that distance, Gilgamesh shouldn't even be able to dodge her attack. "Right. You do not need to hold back. I have always wanted to take the sword said to be the most powerful." His laughter echoes through the park. She must consider that provocation. "――All right. Then try to defend yourself against my sword...!" Saber's sword moves. Her lips move to say its true name. There's nowhere to run now. The Noble Phantasm released with its true name will smash all of its power onto Gilgamesh. "It's your turn. Wake up, Ea." The cylindrical sword, Ea, roars. In response to Gilgamesh's words, the three blades turn with a whirring sound. If Saber's Excalibur brings on a whirlwind by releasing the wind, Gilgamesh's Ea creates a storm by swallowing the surrounding winds―― "EX――" Saber is more experienced with anti-castle Noble Phantasms. It is faster than Ea's roar. Saber pours magical energy into the sword up to its limit in a matter of seconds and executes it with the greatest power―― "――CALIBUR――!!" There's no hesitation. Saber releases the holy sword that can even split a river in two――! Just before that. "Enuma Elish――" A light of the same magnitude takes on Excalibur's light. A huge impact――!! The raging wind knocks over trees, and the crashing lights become an exploding sun burning my eyes...! "Ha... no, my body――" My body is almost blown away by the wind. I manage to dig myself into the ground with one hand and endure the waves of light and heat. ――How long will the conflict last? The battle of the two rumblings that make me fear the Earth is going to split into two is... "Ku――ah...!" ...Suddenly ended with her figure surrounded by a white light. A crash. I hear something falling right beside me. "――Sa... ber...?" What it is. I can tell even with my blinded eyes. ――I thought she might be dead. That's how torn up Saber is. "Fu――haha, kuhahahahahahahahahahaha!" In the distance. The golden knight is laughing crazily, unscathed. "Ha, so the most powerful holy sword is only that strong, huh!? Humanity's illusions are mere child's play after all!" His laugh is high pitched, and it seems like it will carry over the burning air into the heavens. ――Is it that much fun? He doesn't even look at Saber as he laughs only for his own sake.

Scene 01 [WARNING: H]
"――――――――" Our eyes meet. Rejecting words and responding body. When I notice... I am kissing Saber while embracing her body. "......! ――――――――" I can feel Saber's breath through my mouth. ......Hesitation at first. Saber places her hands on my chest as if to push me away. "......Hmm......ah――――――――" She does not push me away, but tenses her body. "――――Sa...ber――――" Our lips are only slightly touching. I am not tasting Saber's soft lips nor am I pressing hard against them. A clumsy kiss only to feel her lips with mine. It is a beautiful kiss that does not arouse excitement nor desire. Her small body. I just find the shaking girl so dear. ......I don't know how long we've been like this. It's not just her lips that I'm feeling. I'm feeling her whole body in our embrace. I can't help but recall that night. But this feeling is different. I want to embrace her harder and tell her more about how I feel. Not just for my lust... But I want Saber to be happy about being here. "......Shirou. That kiss was..." Does she want to say it's a mistake? She looks up at me with a face about to cry. "It's not a mistake. I'll say it as many times as I need to. I like you and I can't just let you go. Tell me if you don't like it. Tell me that we're only a Master and a Servant and contradict me." "......How unfair. Are you telling me to say such a thing?" "Yeah. I won't hold back if you won't tell me clearly. If you won't refuse me―――I want to do you right now." "――――――――" I said it. I said it straight to her face while blushing. I said it believing it is the best sincerity I can do. "――――――――" ......A long silence. Saber looks up at me and lowers her face. "......Shirou. Does that mean you will embrace me like you did that night?" A weak power is put into her hand on my chest. She grabs my shirt with weak strength. "――――That's different. We were desperate and we couldn't do anything back then. ......I didn't want to do such a thing. I want to treat you more valuably and do it with just the two of us." "............I see. I understand how you feel." "Oh――――" ......Saber puts power into her arms. She taps. She pushes me and gets away from me. "――――Saber." "......I have a proposal as well. Please look away until I tell you to, Shirou." "――――――――" ......Saber's voice is too frail. I nod back and turn around. ......I hear a small sound. It sounds like paper rubbing together or water flowing. Then, I notice it's the sound of clothes rustling. "......I am done. You can turn back now, Shirou." I open my eyes and turn back to her. "―――――――" White body glowing in the darkness. Everything goes away the moment I see her. There's no hesitation nor desire. What is before me is just so beautiful that my mind goes completely blank. "Sa...ber..." "......" Turning her back, Saber averts her gaze while hiding her breasts. ......She must be embarrassed about exposing her bare skin. Even the red tint is so beautiful that it blows my mind away. "......I cannot answer your feeling. But I support your idea." "Support―――you mean..." "......I used my Noble Phantasm. In any case, I cannot fight unless I receive your power." "......Please take off your clothes, Shirou. We are going to embrace each other, so I need for you to be naked as well so I can feel you. ......And it is unfair like this. I would like to see you naked as well." My heart jumps. I thought my heart would explode from just that line. "Ah―――uh." "I would like to see you naked――――"[r] That's so unfair. Nobody would be able to stay calm if she says such a thing. "......Shirou? Are you not going to do it?" Saber says so while she blushes. Her voice contains anxiety, embarrassment, and hidden hope―――― "――――――!" Still numb, I place my hands on my clothes. Repair is hopeless. My mind is completely destroyed from Saber's bare skin and words, and I take off my clothes to answer her request. ――――Saber sits on the futon. When I get naked, Saber stops hanging her head down. ......Um, I think she's interested in my naked body. She looks at me from time to time with her face blushing. "――――――――" If I talk about blushing, I bet I'm blushing much more than her. ......She made me realize all the more, but Saber is just too cute. She is trained as a knight, but no muscle on her is hard. Slender arms and legs. Her body that has yet to mature is sweet yet dignified. But what makes her so different is... "......Saber. You took your hair down?" "Eh......? Y-Yes. I only fasten my hair during battle. I thought I would not need to do so right now." "――――――――" That's the reason I was mesmerized. With her hair down, there's no trace of her as a swordsman. She is bare naked right now. "S-Shirou. ......Um, we are starting, right? ......Then having you standing up is somewhat troubling." "――――――――!" That line troubles me more. To be honest, my body would not move. Saber is just so beautiful that I have no idea how to start so that I can get her happy. ......First of all, this is the first time I've been like this with a girl. And even though I'm the one who proposed this, my head is so blank―――― "Ah......uh...Hold...on. I'm embarrassed to say this, but I'm not ready yet. ―――No, I am, but it went away when I saw you." I say a shameful thing while burning up my face. "......? Looking at me?" Saber looks at me in question. A total cruelty for me......! "Why? ......Um, this is what you have proposed, so nothing should hold you back..." "Uh―――no, well.. because... you're so beautiful... it was a surprise... and I was shocked." ......Our standpoints have reversed. Saber's skin and her stare is so embarrassing that I admit so while averting my gaze. "......? Why? You have already seen my naked body before..." "I-I didn't. If I did, I wouldn't be able to talk to you......! I'm not that strong. If I saw it, I would've been hitting on you the moment we got out of the forest......!" "Eh......Shirou?" Saber looks at me with more wonder. Crap. I'm so embarrassed that my head is empty and it's about to crack. "Uh. ―――Um, so, it was so dark, I was in a panic, and I was just too into it......! See, we were so desperate at that time!" "......I see. My naked body must have been nothing for you." "Hey, that's not true......! Of course I was fascinated by your body at that time......! But you were in pain, you weren't the only one, I had my hands full restraining myself, and I had to act calm even after it so that I wouldn't attack you, well, that's not true, but um――――" Man, I feel like I'm getting deeper into the hole the more I talk. I have to get out of this conversation and get calm! Or I won't be able to see her......! "―――Yes. So what is it, Shirou?" Saber is acting more calm...man, what happened to her being embarrassed......!? "Please be clear, Shirou. Or morning will come." "Ugh――――" Saber looks at me with a smile. Damn......I feel like I just lost a match, but it'll be more shameful if I change the subject right now. "......So, um...We're naked, but..." You could say I have no guts, but... "―――You're just so beautiful that I don't know how I should do it." ......I throw away my pride and tell her honestly. Because everything I knew was blown away. I don't know what'll make her happy as I was mesmerized by her and was just standing there like an idiot. "―――Fufu. That is so unlike you." ......Did she just laugh? Saber looks up at me and... "All right. I shall start in that case." She smiles. The smile she always gives when answering my trust. "Eh......?" Still kneeling on the futon, Saber makes her way over to me. "......Oh. You are tense as well, Shirou." The voice comes from right below me―――right by my waist. Saber is looking at my contracted thing. "......Cute. I should make it big." "Hey, Saber......!?" "Please do not move. Stay as you are, Shirou." "Wh――――" I stop halfway. "――――!" I feel Saber's fingers. Saber gently wraps her fingers around my dick as if holding something precious. "Hmm.......I only touched it and it is getting so hard." I feel blood rushing into my waist. My dick that was so tense is standing up from just one stroke by Saber. "―――Gah―――Saber, hold..." My voice trying to stop her is so small. It's embarrassing. It's really embarrassing, but I don't want Saber to stop. I want her to continue. Even though my head is empty, I'm wishing for more and―――― "――――No, don't worry about me, Saber..." But I summon all the reasoning inside of me to place my hand on Saber's shoulder. But... "......Please let me handle it, Shirou. I know how to make a man happy." She stops me by kissing it with her warm breath. "Mn―――Shirou, please stay still――――" "――――――――!" I have to pull my waist back because of the strong sensation. ―――My reasoning is really blown away. A soft sensation around my tip. My thing is covered in a wet, warm mouth――――― "Haa――――Saber, this is......!" I know this is a blow job, but Saber is doing such a thing!? "Ah―――fu, um.......Shirou, it is all right, so please come forward..." "......!?" I feel something on the tip. With a wet feeling, a rough surface traces my head. "――――!" Electricity runs through my spine. The instant I realize it's Saber's tongue, the electricity burns up my brain. "H-Hold on......! No, Saber. You..." I can't tell her she doesn't need to do this. I realize for the first time. That there exists a temptation that is so hard to resist that I have to grit my teeth. "Hm......hmmm, mm――――good......Shirou, you are getting bigger." ......My cock is already fully erect. My meat that is surrounded by Saber's finger is ridiculously erect and showing grotesque veins. "Hm......mn, fu......hmm, um......!" "――――!" Crap. I grit my teeth to keep myself from fainting. Her lips capture the head of my cock. They gently move back and forth and the instant she puts it in her mouth, her tongue licks behind the head. "Hmm, oh......Shirou, you are beginning to get wet......ku, hmm......please......do not try to hold back――――" Her caress is soft and she is only trying to please me. Saber slowly swallows my member. Without putting her mouth on the shaft, she wraps her fingers around it. "Hmm......! Kuh, mm....fu, hmm.....hmmm......" Her white fingers stroke my entire shaft in unison with the movement of her mouth. I feel myself rubbing on her. I almost lose to her caress. "Ha, hmm......! Oh, it is getting larger......ah, it is......hmm.....!" With a wet sound... She deep throats it for an instant and presses the tip. "Haa......mn, hm......it is......getting harder――――" "――――! Ku......!" Saber's mouth is drooling her own saliva and my pre-cum. Saber is drinking down what is flowing out of me. "Haa.....you are really getting wet, Shirou......fuu, um......that is good, please feel me more......!" My tongue is numb. Her mouth is on my tip. After thoroughly licking my head, she moderately licks my hole. "――――! S-Sab..." "Ya, mm......hmm......should I be slower or more gentle......?" My brain is being melted. It's not just the feeling of her mouth on me and the tongue licking me. "Haa, hm......ahh......I understand......you like it here......?" Saber gently caresses me. Her figure drives me nuts. She is gently wrapping me, but it feels like I'm being wildly caressed. "......Fu, ku......hmm......ah, fuh......ahh......" "Saber――――" I try hard not to let it out. The hot shaft is now wet with Saber's saliva. Wet sliding. Using the liquid spilling out her mouth as lubrication, she moves her hand with strength. "――――!" My meat expands to its limits. "Hmm......ahh......it is getting larger still――――" Saber gets more wild with her mouth. "......Hmm......ahh......hmm......ohh......ah, hmm, ahh......" ......Saber's caress increases its intensity every time her mouth covers my shaft. Shutting her mouth, she uses her mouth to give me pleasure. Her fingers are grabbing me hard. My pre-cum is being extracted from the base. "Ahh, fu......fuu......hmm...mn" Clear liquid flows down her chin. "Kufu......haa, ah―――hmm......" Saber swallows my pre-cum. A dirty wet sound is made as my head is sucked on. Only my head is in her mouth, but it feels like my whole body is in her. Every time I try to pull back from too much sensation... "......Hmm, no......you have to......finish off―――" ...She grips my shaft and keeps it there. She sucks on my dick's head hard so as not to let me go. "......! Ku――――ah――――ha――――" My mind is going white. I want to just melt. I can only hear Saber's breath and the sound of the sucking. "Fu......um, umm, mm......" She carefully, carefully caresses me. Her warm mouth is now hot as fire. "Hmm......fu......hmmm.....ah, ahh, ah, Shirou―――" ......It's just not my heat. Saber must be pleasing herself as well with this act. Her tongue that was trying to please me is becoming greedy and going after my cock. "――――, ――――" ......Something is really wrong with me. Seeing her like that, I want to embrace her even more, but at the same time... I want to let it out on her face and push her down. "Hmm.....ahh......hm, fu......!" Her mouth moves back and forth without stopping. Saber's tongue licks the head of my cock. Her fingers on my shaft grab me hard from time to time as if to embrace me. "Haa――――" ......My waist is about to give out. I might collapse. I can't bear to stay standing. I need something to lean onto. A handle, I need a handle to grab on or―――― "――――No, Saber, I――――" If I stay like this, I'll really let it out in Saber's mouth. I pull my waist back with my shaking knees. But... "Haa, mm......ahh......! ......hmm......this place seems to be in pain as well, Shirou." Saber's right hand reaches down below my shaft. "......!!!?" I jump at a totally different sensation. "Wha-What――――?" Saber has reached under my shaft to stroke my balls. "Ah―――guh, Saber, that's......" ―――I can't bear this. If she touches me there like that, everything I've held back would explode――――! "Hmm......are you sensitive here as well, Shirou......? Ha, hmm......hmmm............Fufu, this is so big and hard.....and yet this is so soft." "――――――――" I can't say anything. If I don't concentrate, I'll let it out in Saber's mouth. "――――! ―――!' I can't do that. I can't...but...[r] "......Hmm......then I shall attack you here. It is natural to attack the weakest point." She strokes my balls even more......! "Agh――――!" Her fingers dance around my balls. They move around. "Gah, no Saber......" My back tenses up. I'm about to explode. "Haa......ahh......is it tough, Shirou......?" This is much more than that......! I'll collapse if she does any more. I won't be able to bear it if she even breathes on it again. "Hmm......fu, ahh, mm―――hmmm. ......Yes, you can relieve yourself now......ahhh......Shirou, please give yourself to me." Saber's mouth contracts. Saber sucks on the head of my cock and... She sucks on my dick as if to guide my cum that's trying to escape. "......!" I let it out. I release what I've been holding in for so long into Saber's small mouth. "Ahh――――, ――――!" Without knowing, I have grabbed Saber's head. Did I grab for balance since I arched back from the great sensation? Or did I just want her to take me in? "Fuaa, ahh......hm, mm......" ......Saber doesn't resist. She sucks on the ejaculating penis and moves her throat. "Hmm......kuh. Ah―――Ahhh." My cum drips down her mouth as she cannot drink all of it. It must be painful, but Saber tries hard to drink my cum and soothes my burning heat. "Fu――――――hm......" Her lips move away. My cum creates a string from her mouth. Without showing concern for it, Saber gently strokes my cock. "......!' A numbing sensation runs up my penis. Saber makes me ejaculate the rest with her fingers. I ejaculate even more. What's left of my cum splashes onto Saber's body. "Ah......ahhh.....this is Shirou's smell―――" Saber's heated voice. Saber puts her finger in the cum on her chest and takes it to her mouth. "......Hmm.....so good......" She swallows it. What came out of me. Saber swallowed my desire itself as if being intoxicated by it. "――――――――" Saber crouches down as if to rest. I don't know if she's tired, but her eyes are empty and they're not focused on anything. "......Mm......ahh......" Then is she doing this unconsciously? Saber's hand is on her crotch. "Mm......ah.....fa, ah, ahh......" She's breathing like she has a fever. ――――There's no doubt about it. Saber doesn't know how turned on she is. "―――――――" Is it because I've calmed down after letting it out once? My blank mind slowly returns to its original state. ―――The girl before me is too cute. I want to please her as much as she pleased me. "――――Saber. You can rest since you must be tired. It's my turn next, so get on the futon." "Eh......?" She looks at me absent-mindedly. "Just do as I say." "Um...if you say so." Not knowing what I want to do myself, I let Saber rest. ......A stretched out white body. I place my face between her legs ignoring my erecting penis. "Ah, what......!?" Saber's hand touches my head. Ignoring her, I open up her legs and place my head between them. "Wh......what are you doing, Shirou......!?" Blushing furiously, Saber resists me. "I'm just getting you back. I told you it's my turn." I say so right near her. I'm so near her that her hair would move just by breathing on it. "Ha, hmm......! I-I do not need any return......! P-Please get away from such a place, Shirou......!" "I don't care. I told you the same thing before, but you didn't listen to me either. So we're fair now. And I want to see this as well." "――――!" Saber blushes even more. I can totally see her pussy. A slight pink slit and the inner wall I can see because her legs are open. A small clit that's swollen up. I can tell everything about it from her form up to her hair growth. "N-No......! I-I do not want you to look at me so close―――" Saber wiggles. But Saber can't get away. I don't know if it's because I'm grabbing her legs or that Saber is hoping for something. With her body still on the futon, she lets me do what I'm doing. "――――――――" ―――Saber's pussy is right in front of me. Just that fact causes my penis to go erect again. Her womanly part that is in contrast to her sweet figure. That imbalance stimulates my mind and my breathing goes wild. "Hmm......so this is Saber's......" Without being able to stop myself, I slip my tongue onto her. "No―――No, Shirou......! Y-You will be dirtied if you place your tongue on such a place......!" I don't hear her. I touch her soft meat while she tries to push me away. "It's not dirty at all. ......You did the same thing to me, so I have to do the same to you as well." "......Ah, hmm......! Haa, no, not...inside......!" I stick my tongue on the warm slit. The small slit that doesn't know the pleasure of a woman. "Haa.....nha, no, please do not look...no, it will flow out.....!" But it starts to drip out juice just from getting licked softly. I lick that juice and suck on it by making sound. "S-Shirou......!? W-W-What are you doing......!? Are you sane......!?" "Hm......it's not bad......but I think it's like sweat. It smells like you." "......! A-A-A-A-A-A-Are you stupid and curious? H-H-How can you say such a shameful thing?" "Hey, I can't help it. Your pussy's so wet just when I open it. ......It's more of your fault than mine. See?" "......Kuh, ah.....!" I move the outer wall with my tongue and taste her inner meat. ......Saber is already wet. It's not really wet, but the hole is burning and starting to squeeze out love juice. "......See. Wow, it's wetter than that time. You weren't like this even with Tohsaka." "Ah......but that is because..." "......I see. So you were pleasing yourself when you were licking me." "N-No......! T-This is just my body getting heated up and――――Shirou, you were being mean――――" So she's fine doing it, but doesn't want others to do it on her? Saber is blushing red and grabs onto my hair. "......No, no. Please get away. I would not allow any more even from you―――ahhh.....!" Saber pulls her waist back to get away from embarrassment. But wanting to see her more like that, I put my tongue on her slit. "Ahh......! ......No, ah......ahh.....!" I lick it. I lick up and down her slit as if stroking her warm pussy. "......Ah, nn....., fua......!" ......My head feels dizzy. It's not only Saber's sensation on my tongue. It's my sense of smell rather than my touch that's driving me crazy. ......I can smell her love juice. The taste of Saber and the smell of Saber captivate me. "......Hmm, fu――――" I lick it thoroughly. As Saber did so to me, I want to value her pussy and lick it with all my heart. "......Haa, ah......ahh......Ah......haa." ......Her voice still contains fear and hesitation. Saber can still think. She looks at my caressing with half-absent eyes. "......Shirou is licking my dirty area―――" With a voice more turned on than scared, she tries to stop her moaning. "――――――" This thing isn't dirty at all. A girl-like skinny figure. It's very clean down here and the walls are perfectly arranged. It looks grotesque yet beautiful. "Hmmm......it's not dirty here, Saber." "Eh......ah, fuahh, ahh――――!" I lick up her flowing juice. I can feel her hair tickling on my nose. I feel her clit every time I move my neck. I bare it with just my tongue. "Ahh......kuhh――――!" ......Saber jumps. It was only a soft touch. I was only caressing it, but Saber is getting turned on without limit. "Haa, ahh, ahhhhh.....! ......Ahh, ah..........No――――No, please stop, Shirou―――please......!" It must have scared her as she frantically shakes her head. But in contrast to her words, her pussy gets wetter and wetter. "......Why? Does it not feel good?" "U-Um―――well, but, um...." She tells me with her eyes that pleasure will overcome her reasoning. ......That's too late. The instant she can't resist me straight on, she has already lost. "What?" "Ah......ahn......! Haa......I am saying.. ahh――――!" "I don't know what you're saying if you don't tell me clearly. I'll continue if you don't hate it." "Um, well...ahhh......!" I don't wait for her answer. I can't stand waiting around. Something so young and vivacious is in front of me, so I can't just taste the surface forever. "Ahh――――! Shirou, you used your mouth for...ahhh, ah―――!" Her body tenses up. Saber's body reacts to a foreign object. "Ahh......! Your tongue...it is coming in......!" I stick my tongue out and insert it into her. "......! Fuh, ah......ah―――――" There's no pain in Saber's voice. ......My tongue is too small compared to what entered her before. I bet something this small is more appropriate for Saber's small hole, though. "Haa......mn, ah, ahh――――" Saber kills her voice and relaxes her body. Pleasure and embarrassment were in conflict up until now. But―――the insertion of the tongue has completely tipped the scale to one side. "Haa......why......can I not think――――ahhh......!" I insert my tongue into her red throbbing hole and lick it up. "No......! Shirou, that is......!" Juice flows out without limit. "Ah――――hm――――" I swallow it without hesitation. I suck it up with a sound and place the juice and her meat into my mouth. "Ah.....ahhh......! Shirou......no, please do not make sounds――――!" ―――Saber's fingers are trembling. I drink it up without caring. Is it because my mouth was dry from that blow job earlier? There's no saltiness on the juice, but rather... "......Hmm......it's so good――――" It tastes better than anything else in the world. "Shirou――――" Saber sounds entranced. ......My thirst is still not quenched. I place my mouth on her pussy, roll my tongue around inside it, and quench my thirst. "......! Ah......ah.....!! No, I-I......!" ......Saber shakes even more. Ignoring it, I suck up Saber even more. "Ah, ahhh......! .........Ahh, stronger...please......!" ―――Her shaking gets even stronger. "Ahh......! Ah, Shirou, Shirou......!!!" Saber bites her lip and kills her voice. Her body convulses and her stiff legs weaken up. "――――Saber――――" ......I let my mouth go. Saber is without power. That makes me realize that Saber has reached orgasm. "......Ah......ah..." She lets out a sweet gasp and throws out her limbs. "......Ah......Shi...rou..." Her eyes are damp and her body is still hot. ......Was the orgasm a light one? Saber is resting in satisfaction, yet she is looking at me as if she wants more. Even if the body is satisfied, her mind is wanting more. "......Shirou. I have yet to..." She must be embarrassed about her sexual desire. With her burned body, Saber is looking at my erect self. "―――――――Saber." But I'm the one who can't wait any longer. I want it much more than Saber does. I can only think about feeling good with Saber. I grab Saber's legs. I grab her burning hot legs and place my erect self between her legs. "......Ahh......Mmm......" I hear a wet sound. ......It's Saber's slit. I go between them and place my tip between the slit. "Ahhh......Shirou, you are so hot....." The voice sounds surprised and ecstatic. Her eyes look at me as if asking for help. I take it straight on. "I'm putting it in, Saber." "............Mm―――――" She must be embarrassed about even letting her voice out. Saber nods once and accepts me to come in. "Mm, ahaaaa―――! ......Ahh......Shirou is coming in――――!" The insertion went surprisingly smooth and I was able to easily put it all in. It must be because Saber is so wet. The small hole that accepted me could not bear the stimulation as it takes away Saber's reasoning. "Ahh......ha.....ahh......!" She must be scared of this pleasure that is too strong. Saber hugs her own body and tries to keep herself. That behavior is just too cute. She acts strongly trying not to be overwhelmed. Her girl-like breasts pressed down by her arms excite my male instincts. "......I'm moving, Saber." "Oh......yes......please, ah......please do as you wish...Shirou." I move my hips slowly. Trying not to stimulate her too much as she is sensitive, I slowly move in her. "Fu, ahh......! Ah, ahh......! Fu, mm.....! Ahh―――Shirou, you are kind――――" ......! I slowly pull then slowly push it in. Her pussy is wet with her juice. There's no resistance as Saber takes me deep in her with every stroke. "――――!" This sensation. My erect penis that is now a giant nerve system moves back and forth between her tight walls. Saber's pussy is really tight. There's no pain since it's so wet, but the rubbing and the grip makes me go dizzy. "Fuu, nha, ahh......! It feels good, Shirou―――[r] So good......ahh......!" The pleasure through my penis and the fulfillment of being in Saber increase my pleasure. "Ahh......!! Oh, it is getting...even...bigger......!" It feels like I'm getting licked there. It's not a sensation where it takes everything away. The slow movement increases our sensitivity slowly. "Mnn, ahh......! Fuaahhhh......" Because of her overflowing juice, it doesn't feel like we're rubbing ourselves. The walls grip around me tightly as if to refuse me, but there's more than enough lubrication. "Fuh―――then, I can―――" I raise my hips to give her more pleasure. "Aha, no, not so high......!" Not just back and forth, but I also add in up and down movements. My hard cock rages inside of Saber. "......! Ah, ahh, hah......!!" It must feel good as Saber begins to moan harder. ......Her white skin gets a tint of red. The slow movement and the pleasure is heating up the girl called Saber. "Ahn, it feels so good......ah......, hmm......Shirou......me too――――" "Saber......?" "Ahh......I would like――――to be kind to you as well――――"[r] "Eh?" She sounds like she's in a dream. She must be starting to get used to the sensation as she looks up me and... "Ah, kuh――――!?" ...Saber wraps her pussy around me as if to please me. "Ah, wait――――" Saber's inner walls move around in a completely different fashion. Numerous walls wrap around me. The walls which used to only tighten around me now wrap themselves on me to please me――――! "Saber, this is――――!" I bite my lip at the sensation. "Haa......a......―――I want Shirou...to feel good...as well..." Her voice is heated up. Withstanding her own pleasure, Saber tries her best to please me. "――――――――" That fact blows my mind away. That causes my pre-cum to come out and it starts to mix in with Saber's juice. Our meats make a soppy sound. "Ahh, fua, ah――――!" The lubricant coming out from both of us tells me I can move faster. "......! Deeper, Shirou.....!" I thrust my hips forward. I insert my dick deep inside her and grind my hips in. "Ah......! Ahh......hmm, ah――――!" Saber's body arcs back and her meat tightens around me at the sudden sensation. "Haa――――" That causes me to go even wilder. "Ahh, ahh―――" I don't need any more kindness like before. I tense my hips up and concentrate on my erect penis. "Haa――――ua,ah, ahn, ahh――――! ......Uha......ah......haa...I-I do not...mind Shirou......harder, please――――!" Saber screams out as if getting resolute. "―――――――" My mind goes completely blank. I unconsciously raise Saber's hips and wildly thrust my dick into her. ".......!!!! Yah, ha, nhaa......! Yes, ah......, ahhhhhh......!!" "Ugh――――!" I thrust. I thrust my dick as if thrusting my whole body into her. "It is in......! I can feel...you...in my...stomach――――!" I can't tell if her scream is pain or pleasure. Saber is only accepting whatever sensation there is. "Hya―――!? Ah, haa, ah......!!" "――――!" The previous movement is nothing compared to this. Our parts rub hard against each other and my senses are taken away each time I move. Saber's body reacts by moaning every time I thrust. Her warm pussy is wet with her juice and it feels like I'm thrusting into some liquid. "Ahh, ah―――! ......Ahh, it is flowing―――Shirou...and...I ...Are melting――――!" "――――!" It feels like my reasoning will just escape out of my mouth. It's not just myself thrusting into Saber. Every time I thrust forward, Saber wettens herself and tightens her pussy. She reacts to my every move. There's no end to this pleasure. We lust for each other like man and woman, like animals. "Ha, ah, no, it feels too...good......!" Our movement causes dirty sounds. "Nha, na, it is...scary, Shirou...you feel too...good, ahh――――!" I'm holding nothing back now. I thrust inside her with force. Our crotches hit each other. My erect penis mercilessly strikes her. "Fua, ya, haa, ahh, ah―――!!!" Her body heats up. Drops of sweat form on her pink body. "!! No, Shirou......! I will...go...crazy...if this continues......!!" Saber screams to keep her consciousness. Her pussy tightens around me. "Haa, ah――――! Ah, ahh, Shi...Rou......! Haa, Shirou, Shirou, Shirou, Shirou――――!" My mind goes white. I want to embrace Saber. I want to bite on her lips. I want to obtain everything about her. "Ah, guh, Saber......!" My desire takes form and comes up. My dick begins its last expansion. "Ah, ahhhhhhhh......! It is expanding......!?" Saber's body jumps at the pressure of expansion. "―――Haa, nha, ah, ahhhhh――――! ......No, I cannot...keep my consciousness anymore―――I-I―――!" Her pussy convulses hard. A rough sensation wraps around the head of my manhood. That finishes me off. The last wall is destroyed inside Saber. "Ahh――――me too, Saber―――" "Ahh――――Ahh, ah, Shirou......! Please come closer, Shirou, Shirou――――!!!!!" I fall onto Saber. She must have felt it as Saber's pussy contracts and accepts me. "Nha, ha......! Ahh, yah, ahn, uhh, haa......ahh―――together..." Saber tightens herself around me hard. Right before her small body explodes... "Nha, ah―――please come together, Shirou――――!" A sensation like I'm being pulled in. I finally explode. I ejaculate inside of her as if to shoot her down――― ......And a dream is over. Saber is lying there, and I also cannot get up from exhaustion. "――――――――" We are collapsed together in the darkness. Our body temperature hits our tired minds. "......Saber." I call out to the girl laying beside me. ......The question I asked her before I had sex with her. To find out the reply for me wanting her. "......Magical energy replenishment has been completed. I can fight as your Servant starting tomorrow." "Saber." "......That is it for now, Shirou. My role is to protect you and to obtain the Holy Grail. I cannot think about anything else until the battle is over." "―――But..." "......Is that not right? Because you have..." "...Chosen to fight to end this war." Her voice echoes through the darkness. "......" I can't argue against her. If I want to do something about us, I have to end this war beforehand. First of all, we have to defeat that man who's after Saber or I can't protect Saber. ――――But. Do we have a way to defeat that king of heroes? "―――――――" "―――――――" We grow quiet and stare at the darkness. ......How long were we like that? Right when my body wants to take a rest and my eyes start to close... "―――Huh?" I feel something on my hand. "Saber......?" "......Yes. Let us think tomorrow, Shirou. We might come up with a good plan tomorrow. And..." ―――I would like to sleep like this for now." She says so while holding my hand. "――――Yeah. I wanted to do so too." "......Yes. Good night, Shirou. ......Let us return to our previous selves when we wake up." I close my eyes with her close to me. ......My last vision of Saber sees her smiling warmly. I don't care if that was just for this night. Right now, her hand is warm. That is more than enough for me right now as I fall into a comfortable sleep. ―――I fall asleep... ...Without knowing if we will be able to keep our hands connected even after everything is over...

Scene 02
"Sa... ber――" ...There's no reply. But blood gushes out from her mouth as she tries to gasp. "―――――" My vision turns red. ――What was I doing? I knew this was going to happen. I knew Saber wouldn't be able to beat Gilgamesh, so why didn't I stop her or even use my Command Spell? "But this is rather boring. A complete victory for me, huh!? I am disappointed that you could not even offset my attack, Saber. Oh, I see. I should have taken it easier on you. After all, I am fighting women and children!" His irritating laugh. The responsibility is mine. ...I thought she could win. No matter how bad it felt, I thought Saber's Excalibur would be able to beat him. That's why even though I told her to stop, my Command Spell didn't react. ――I wasn't serious. If I really wanted to protect Saber, I could have made her run away using my Command Spell――and there would have been infinite ways for me to fight by myself. "Well then. Let me have you now. You are dirtied, but you would have eventually ended up the same way. It is no problem that you are hurt now." The laughter approaches. "――" She must have noticed that, as Saber faintly opens her eyes. "...! Saber, are you all right...!?" I can see her breathing, but I can't touch her even if I reach out. My body still won't move and I can't even run to her. So I can only call out to her. "Saber...! Saber, Saber...!" "...Ah..." Saber's mouth opens. She breathes in as if asking for help, and coughs as if even that is painful. "...Shirou...? Are you... there...?" She raises a faint voice, telling me she cannot see me. "――Hold on. I'll――" I can't say I'll help her. I'm on the ground too, and I can only move my arms. I can only call out to her and encourage her. ...She can't even see me in this ugly state? "...Oh, I see. I have been defeated..." She speaks in a soft voice and looks at me with no light in her eyes. "――I am sorry... please run away, Master..." She says something absurd while coughing up blood. "―――――" My vision turns red with anger. I completely depended on Saber unconsciously, and this is the result? I can't even stand up after a sudden attack? ――I grab my head with the only arm that moves. I want to kill myself. So I put strength into my hand as if to squash my head. A firing hammer goes down. I take the switch to turn myself into a magus and smash it on with a hammer instead of my finger. "――Never use it again. Projection magic is beyond your level――"[l] Tohsaka's words. She says magic beyond one's level will turn the caster into a cripple. So what? She's more important than that. If I can't protect her, I don't need my body. She has helped me many times. There never has been anyone I cared so much about. So. If I can't protect her, Emiya Shirou can just die here――! ...I can hear sounds of metal. Metallic magical energy reinforces all the bones in my body and all the broken parts of my body. I'll give it everything I have. I'll put it in the highest gear in the highest rotation from the start, and ignoring my limits, I'll create as much magical energy as possible...! "―――――Gih." My spine catches fire and my whole body grows red hot. I bite my tongue to bear the feeling of my brain melting. I bite down on the pink flesh. If I can keep my consciousness just by making a hole in my tongue, there's no problem. "――What?" The footsteps stop. His laughter stops as well. "What――Shirou...? W-What are you doing...!? If you do that, your body will...!" She must feel it even though she can't see. Saber screams, trying to get back up. ――That makes my last powers turn on. I stand back up. The body that wouldn't obey me starts to move because of the magical energy poured in past its limits. This is like setting my body on fire to make it run towards water. But I don't care. It's better than watching Saber get hurt. ...That's right. I finally realize, with a mind that's about to burn away. From the beginning. I swore to hold the sword because I didn't want to see her hurt. "Wha――I am telling you to run, so why...!?" I obstruct the enemy. Saber is behind me. Now... I cannot even take one step backwards. "Trace, on." ...I hold down my brain which is rolling around on fire and manage my mind. I am imaging only one thing. I'll divide the projection into eight sections to create the lost sword―― I feel something hard in my left hand. ...I don't even need to look to check. The second manufacture of the sword proved successful without slowing down even once. "My... sword――n-no, that is still not enough. You must know you cannot beat him with that...! If you can move, please run away――" "I won't. I came to pick you up, so I can't run home by myself." I ready my sword. I hold the sword, heavier than a shinai, and glare at the enemy. "――Stop, Shirou. This man is――" I shake off Saber's words and step forward. ...There're four meters between us. If I step forward with all my might, I'll be able to attack him. The enemy doesn't move. Gilgamesh watches me for a second, then laughs. "――I guess I'll kill you." He says in an emotionless voice. "――!" I instantly block the attack swung at me――! "――! You――!" I sway my body to the side to avoid the attack. "――!!" But I'm not fast enough. If the first attack was a sudden gust, the next barrage of attacks is a raging wind. "Ha――kuh, guh...!" Parrying is all I can do. No, I wouldn't even have been able to block the first attack by myself. It is fortunate that I also reproduced its memory when I reproduced the sword. A sword with a long past holds will and experience. This sword must already be familiar with such attacks. I can't judge Gilgamesh's attacks, but this sword is able to. So the sword reacts to his attacks before my hands do. I swing to follow the sword, and as a result, I can block his attacks. "Ha――Haa, guh――!" But that doesn't last long. My fingers numb every time I swing, and slowly, I cannot catch up with the sword. "――Lowlife. You are worse than unsightly." He must dislike even the slight resistance. He glares at me in anger and retreats a bit. "Ah... haa, haa, ha――" ...Thank God. If he had kept attacking me, I would not have lasted more than a few seconds. I take a deep breath and try to control my breathing. ――And then. "You filthy imitator. If you like it so much, I shall show you the real one." He takes out a sword. "Wha――" That... is a familiar sword. The ornamentation on it is different. But its true nature, the idea of its creation, and its soul are too close to those of this sword―― "It can't be――this sword's model..." "It is. But its strength as a Noble Phantasm is incomparable. What you have, 'the sword in the stone', originated from the legend of 'the sword of supremacy in the tree' from Northern Europe――But this is the original model, the foundation of the sacred right to select the king." The sword of supremacy in the tree――Gram, the demonic sword of Sigmund, hero of northern Europe――its original model...? "Children cannot defeat their parents. An imitation that deteriorates every time it is renewed cannot match the original model――!" Light runs. The sword understands better than anything that this is the same attack that terminated Berserker in one slash. "――!" It must be protecting its owner. The sword in my hand goes for the enemy's sword with its utmost power. The name of the Noble Phantasm is Caliburn (Golden Sword of Assured Victory). But... ...It is destroyed without a trace by the sword called Merodach. I hear something sliding on the ground. Sliding. Is the ground of the park slippery because it's level? I slide across the ground and finally come to a stop. "Shirou――Shirou, Shirou...!!!!" That voice makes me realize I'm still alive. "Oh. Saber, you're pretty near me." Thinking so, I'm relieved. It felt like I was blown away, but it's fine if Saber's nearby. So all I have to do is get up and I can run to Saber―― "Hu――h?" I look at my arm while I stay on the ground. It's red. My arm is surrounded by a red membrane and there's no blood coming out of it. "Do not move...! Please, please do not move, Shirou...!" ...I can hear Saber's voice. It seems my body has been injured. That attack. I'm sure I was blown away by Gilgamesh's sword. So the wound must be――oh, I see. Now I understand why Saber is acting like that. I can only move my right hand. My left hand won't move. First of all, my left shoulder isn't attached to my body. "―――――Ha." I can't even breathe. Diagonally down from my left shoulder. As my body is cut from the shoulder down, it's separated like lego pieces that don't fit together. It looks like a ginkgo leaf. I've been cut from my shoulder down to my waist. It's strange that I'm alive. ...But that miracle should soon run out. I'm barely conscious right now, and my vision narrows by the second. First of all, my insides will fall out if I move. Maybe I'm already dead and my mind is lingering like a ghost. "Fu, hahahahahahaha! I see, I thought you would be scattered, but you are rather tough. I see! Clinging to life is the only merit of a lowlife!" He laughs. ――Honestly, I'm thankful. The more irritating he is, the more my mind stays conscious. "But that is all. A lion doesn't suit you. I will take that woman." Footsteps. The sound of him walking to obtain Saber for sure this time.

Scene 03
"―――――" ...The laughing voice approaches me. As soon as I put my hands down to get up, lightning runs through my spine. Every fiber and cell in my body is telling me I can't fight anymore. "―――――" ...I can't get up. Even if I do get up, I can't beat that guy with my body like this. As soon as I admit that, my body stops trying to stay alive. ...The power that was protecting Emiya Shirou up to now starts to fade. ...My consciousness clouds up. With my dying mind, my life ends as well.

Scene 04
"Ha... ah――!" I put power into my right hand. I grab the ground and raise my half-sliced body. "――!" I see Saber's face for an instant. She looks like she's about to cry. I'm proud of myself for falling in love with her. "――Hold on. I'm not done yet." I raise my body with just one arm. My legs won't move. The magical energy that forced my body to move has depleted. The only thing remaining is my beating heart and my organs screaming in pain. "Oh, lingering affection? I would assume so. This treasure is beyond you. I understand how you must feel. It must be really vexing to have it taken away by another man." That does it. I can't stand his talking anymore―― "I'm saying――don't talk like... you're treating... Saber... as an object――" I put power into my right arm. Is there metal in it? With a creaking noise, my body reacts to my wishes. "Ha――ah, guh――!" I get up on one knee. "Ku――damn, do as I tell you――" I put power into my body. As I do so, the things I need to live flow out. "――Why? Why do you not understand that it is useless now...!?" Saber's voice is almost insulting. She's a long way away. From a distant place, she is watching me in vexation. "Ha――gu, guh――!" I ignore it and keep trying. Saber's voice is just a burden. Not my body nor Gilgamesh, but Saber is my greatest enemy now. Because... if she objects with an expression like that, my mind will die. Finally. My knee finally has strength, so all that's left is to stand―― "...No. I do not need your help. As I have been defeated, I am not your sword anymore...! Disappearing like this is the natural end for a Servant...!" Saber's voice. ...Damn. If she interrupts me any more, I'll get mad even at her...! "No――please stop, Shirou. You cannot go on...! You will really die. I-If you die here, I will――" ――! How can she say such selfish things without knowing how I feel... "――Shut up, just be quiet for a second...! At times like this, you can rely on me...!" "That is not true, Shirou. Please do not get your priorities wrong. My life is not important. You should put your life first rather than such a thing――" She sounds like she's begging. ...My mind almost collapses, thinking that I'm making her sound like that. But still―― "――I refuse. There's nothing I want more than you." I can't accept her words. "Wha――" Saber looks at me in astonishment. ...I don't know why she looks like that. But I remember. She told me I was a fool who didn't know the value of his own life. I think she's right. It's too conceited for someone who can't even think about himself to try to help someone else. That's just complacent happiness, and it's an unstable happiness for the other party. The most important person is yourself. That kind of person probably can become happy and share their happiness. "...Yeah. I'm certainly a fool who doesn't consider his own life." I was wrong about what's most important for me. ――Since that day. That seat has been empty. ...But I'm grateful for that abnormality. Because in that empty seat... ...Is sitting a person I want to save from the bottom of my heart. "But Saber. This wouldn't change even if I valued my life above all. You're more beautiful than that. There's nothing inside me that can take your place." ――That makes me realize. I didn't feel sympathy for her. The girl I saw in my dream. She fought alone and died alone. I thought she was unrewarded, but at the same time, I was charmed by her. I just thought she was beautiful. She pulled out the sword and ran through her life without looking back. Her life itself was so brilliant. "――That's right. So..." So, I have to protect her. So that you, all alone, won't be engulfed in darkness in your last moments. ...That's right. So that in your last moments, on the verge of your death... So that you can be proud of your life―― ――My doubts disappear. My path is so clear. "――Sorry. I like you the most, Saber. So I won't give you to a guy like him." After I say that, I regret apologizing to her. But I had to say it. I wanted to say it now at this moment because there would be no impurities mixed in my words. "―――――" I hear her gasp. I wanted to turn around and see, but I won't since I can't really see anymore. I get up. I can still fight if my heart is beating. My magical energy is my life. As long as my heart is beating, I'll keep on recreating her sword. "Well done. ―――So, now what? What can you do now?" ――I feel a burning heat on my right hand. Perhaps because I'm close to death, I remember ten years ago. ...It's a terrible illusion. My body feels like it's still in that fire, reaching out for life. "Go away. I can't give Saber to you." I raise my right hand and say that. "Fool. I do not need your consent." The enemy raises his sword. "Get down, Shirou――!" I hear Saber's voice from behind me. I ignore it and using my remaining magical energy, I "project" the sword once more―― And I'm stopped by that light. Even though it's not as strong as Excalibur, the light that can burn away everything it touches is coming for me. "―――――" Feeling the heat on my body, I don't think about my death, but about Saber behind me. "―――――" She'll be dragged in like this. So I have to at least protect her. I said I'd protect Saber. Yes, I wanted to protect her. ...She's strong, but at the same time, she could've broken down at any moment. So I have to hold steady. She's like a drawn sword, so I have to help her so she doesn't get hurt―― ――And then. Before I realize it, there's something like a sword in my right hand. "Wh――at?" Whose voice was that? The hesitation is only for an instant. At the same moment the golden knight, the absolute victor, retreats... "Shirou, let me――!" ...Saber takes my hand. ――The rising light stops. Right beside me is Saber. Right before me is Gilgamesh, opening his eyes and bleeding. "―――――" I don't know what happened. But I know this is a repeat of the battle against Berserker. Saber used something I made and defeated Gilgamesh's sword. A light pushed back his light and must have injured him, who was unscathed up to now. "―――――" ――A frighteningly murderous intent. It feels like he needs to kill everything he sees in order to calm down. But the golden knight leaves silently. "...Eh?" I don't even have time to be surprised. I don't know why he left. But even my fading mind knows that the battle is over. My knees give away. All tension disappears, and my body falls to the ground. "Shirou...!" Saber instantly supports me. With Saber supporting me, I look down at my body. "Ha――" I let out a gasp. My wounds are so bad they cannot be treated. "Ah――haa, haa, ha――" My body, cut from my left shoulder, should have died instantly. "――Oh. This is too..." I must be barely alive because of that healing power, but it must have its limits. My body is almost split in two. I'm sure nothing will be able to fix my body now. ...I can't even tell if I'm still breathing or not, and my consciousness is starting to fade. ――The end is near. But the fortunate thing is about Saber. I have a fatal wound, but it seems Saber is just fatigued. She is unarmed now and her wounds are completely healed. So――even if I retire now, Tohsaka should be able to do something. That sound again. A sound as if my bones are creaking is coming from my body. I look down at my wound. "――――Wha?" There are many swords. What look like the blades of swords are layered on top of each other and crowding together to connect my separated body, making that sound. I feel dizzy. It feels like every bone in my body, every muscle in my body is made out of swords―― "――Eh?" There's no such thing. It must have been my imagination as my body is just fine. As proof of that, my separated body is starting to connect and my cuts are healing quickly. It's more like restoration than healing. This is more creepy than strange. "Wha――" It seems I'll be saved. But this is too―― "――I am glad. It seems that you will not die, Master." I hear Saber's voice by my ear. Uh... it's really close by. "Well... that's... great... but――what's going on...?" Trying to finish, I'm assailed by dizziness. ――Then. My body is enclosed by soft arms. "Eh――Sa... ber...?" "No. I finally understand. It is only natural for your body to heal." ...I can't stay conscious. It's because I produced too much magical energy. My tired mind wants to sleep right now. ...How strong is she? Saber wraps her arms around me and holds me tight. "――I finally understand. You were my sheath, Shirou..." ...She says so in a deep, seeping voice. The feeling is so comfortable that my remaining consciousness fades away. I'm glad to be saved and I let my body sleep. ...But before that. I complain to myself that it would have been more perfect if our positions were reversed――

Scene 06
――So. Before I realize it, it's morning already. "...I'm useless. I couldn't get any sleep at all." I stop the alarm clock with a sigh. Today is my date with Saber, no matter what she says. I'm going to go take her to places she hasn't been and play around, and the most important thing is for her to enjoy herself. I was trying to use the knowledge I don't have to come up with a plan for the day, but the alarm clock went off before I noticed the time. "......" I set the alarm clock, just in case. I couldn't come up with any good plans last night, so I borrowed it from Tohsaka thinking I might take a long time to come up with a plan. I used it going against my principles, but it was useless in the end. "...Come to think of it, I've never gone on a date before." I sigh again. That's the problem. Even more shocking than the fact that I couldn't get any sleep is the fact that I couldn't come up with any plan that might make a girl happy, even though I thought about it all night. "――Fine. I'll leave this to luck. I'll take her everywhere and make her realize what it means to have fun...!" Saber is a girl. If we go to cute-looking stores, she's bound to have fun. Well, I think the plan has some weak points, but I've made up my mind so that's what I'm going to do. It's not like I have any other ideas, so I'm going to entertain her today until she gives up. "Then Ilyasviel has not woken up yet?" "Nope, she's still asleep. It looks like it'll take her a bit longer to wake up, but I guess that's good luck today. If she were awake, she'd be following Shirou around and bothering him." "Yes. We cannot have her continue to accompany Shirou as she has been. It ended like that last night, but we are going to start seriously searching for the remaining Master today. Shirou cannot be concerned with Ilyasviel." "Oh, that's not what I meant, but... oh well. It won't do any good if I tell you, and this is yours and Shirou's problem." Tohsaka tries to hide her laughter. "Huh? A problem for me and Shirou...?" Saber's expression questions me. "―――――" We're done eating breakfast, so this is a good time. Saber is ready to go and search for Masters, but I have willpower as well. I just need to come out with it like a man. "About that, Saber. We'll be going into the neighboring town today. So if you need to get ready, do so now." "Looking for the Master? In that case, I would have thought the suburbs would be a better choice than the neighboring town――" "No. We're going to go hang out, so there's no point in going to the suburbs." "Huh――?" Saber freezes. ...I'll really have to get back at the person behind her who's trying not to laugh. "Um, Shirou... what do you mean by that? You are not going to go hang out with Rin, but, um..." "I'm going, so who else but you will come with me? Tohsaka has nothing to do with this since she'll be staying here to take care of Ilya." "――How ridiculous. We would not accomplish much even if we did search the neighboring town. Doing such a thing is meaningless. What are you trying to do?" Saber complains directly. ...This is what I expected, but the future looks troublesome as she still thinks we're going to town to look for the Master even after I told her clearly. "...Geez. You don't understand when I put it this clearly? In other words, I'm saying let's go on a date. How about it?" I ask, ignoring Tohsaka's stare. I don't know how much she understands. "I do not understand what you are saying. Can you give me a concrete description?" She asks, even less happily. "―――――" That flips a switch within me. ...It seems like caring for her has the opposite effect when it comes to things like this. It seems it would be to both our benefits to state it clearly. "Shirou. I will obey if you want to go into town, but please explain to me what you mean by going to this 'date'. Even though I am familiar with this age, there are words I still do not understand. Please do not use technical vocabulary." "It's not a technical vocabulary. I'll tell you since you don't know. Going on a date means going out to play with a girl." "Huh――?" Saber freezes. "...? A girl... you mean, me...?" She murmurs, still astonished. When I nod, Saber frowns even more unhappily. "...I understand the meaning of the word, but I do not understand your intent. What is the reasoning behind such a thing?" "――Hm." Her reaction is unexpected. The intention of a date is obvious, but I'm a bit hesitant to tell Saber straight on―― "Geez. She's misunderstanding because of the words you're using. Don't use the word date, explain it to her in simpler terms." Tohsaka interrupts as if unable to ignore us. "Look, Saber. A date is basically a rendezvous. Shirou says he's going to play, but it's a chance for a man to appeal to a woman he likes." "――!" I cough. Tohsaka is right, but I think a date and a rendezvous are vastly different. "―――――" ...But I shouldn't interrupt. It seems Saber finally understands what a date is. "――That's right, Saber. We're not going to fight today, but we're going to go into town instead. After all, we won't be able to fight during the daytime since there are a lot of people around. So, we should be able to do whatever we want right now." "――That is true, but... this is too meaningless. There is no benefit for you in doing this." "That's not true. Even if it were, I wouldn't mind. I've already decided to spend today for you, so don't worry about me. Anyways, we're going into town today. I won't change my mind no matter what." I stare straight on at Saber. "―――――" After thinking with a serious face for a while... "...Then will you go into town by yourself even if I do not go?" "Yeah, I'm definitely going. Or the stuff I thought about all night will go to waste." "...Then I will have to go with you. As a Servant, I cannot leave my Master alone." With a deep sigh, Saber answers in her usual manner. "―――――" I get really angry about her following me because she's my Servant. But I managed to succeed in getting Saber out. So I just have to take Saber to places without thinking too much about it―― "See ya. Bring me back something." I gesture to Tohsaka to go to hell as she makes fun of me right to the end, and we go outside. "――So. What are we going to do exactly, Shirou?" "We'll go the neighboring town. There's a bus from the intersection, so let's take that." The road is awfully quiet. It's past nine on a weekday. The town is starting to come alive, but it must be a bit too early for people to start going anywhere. There's no one out on the road, and it's like we have the place to ourselves. "...Come to think of it, I'm starting to feel no resistance to skipping school. I've been at home all the time recently." "Of course. You are a Master, so it would be strange for you to be out walking." She replies sharply. ...She's walking behind me as usual, but it feels different today. To put it nicely, I feel pressure from behind me. Anyways, Saber is going to be harder to handle today. We get on the bus. It would have been full of people an hour ago, but there aren't many people using it at this time. The only people on the bus are an old lady and a kid, so it's like we have this place to ourselves. "Let's sit at the back, Saber." I call out to Saber, about to sit right at the front, and sit at the back end of the bus. "......" Saber watches the passing scenery silently. ...Looking at her, I realize how crazy I'm being right now. The bus to the neighboring town is ordinary for me. But in this ordinary thing, there is something extraordinary. ...Well, in short... To be honest, my mind starts to twist like a Rubik's cube realizing we're about to go on a date. "―――――" ――Oh. Crap, I'm getting really nervous. "―――――" I take a deep breath, trying not to let Saber notice. And I know I shouldn't, but I sneak one more glance at Saber. "――!" My heart jumps. ...The Saber sitting next to me is a Saber I don't know. No, Saber herself is the same. All that's changed is the place. But still. Just that makes me realize she is 'different'. Something I didn't notice back at my place. This ordinary scene seems like a different world just because it has Saber in it. Her hair is like golden silk, and her green eyes are so beautiful that their mere presence is overwhelming. There wasn't much to compare her against up to now, so I forgot about it. ...I remember the time I first met Saber. I was probably avoiding her because I was embarrassed about being fascinated by her. No matter what Saber says, she is a girl before she is a swordsman for me. I didn't know how to approach her and didn't realize my feelings for her. "......" It seems I got the order wrong. I was finally able to believe in Saber with everything I have, and then I decided to go on a date with her. Just those two are in the wrong order. And I finally realize when our day is about to begin, just how big a deal it is to go on a date with a girl you like. But so what? I can only do my best, so I can't back out now. "―――――" I calm myself and shake off my weak spirits. The bus has crossed the bridge and it's going into the developing area where the buildings are. I breathe out and prepare myself. The announcer I'm so used to hearing announces the next stop, Shinto station.

Scene 07
We do the same thing in the afternoon. I go to every place I can think of, and Saber follows me silently. But it's not as painful as it was in the morning. I don't know if it's because I'm getting used to it or whether Saber is complying. Saber still isn't talkative, but if I look closely, her expression isn't like it is when she's mad. There's a feeling of accomplishment and happiness when I see Saber leave a shop with light steps. ――So. Considering many factors that might make Saber happy from many angles... I'm a bit dubious, but I've determined that this shop will be the best suited for Saber. "Wha――" Saber stands there dumbfounded. I don't know if her shoulders are shaking because she's angry or because she's deeply moved. "S-Shirou, this is...?" "The biggest stuffed animal shop in town. I've never been here before since men aren't allowed in." Of course, there's actually not a rule like that. But since there're only women and no men, it's like an unwritten rule. To prove it, there are only girls in here. The golden-haired Saber is being stared at, but being a guy, I'm being glared at. I'm sure they want to tell me not to come into their sanctuary. ...I feel the same way. I would not approve of men entering this place. "Well, let's ignore everyone and look around since we're here. Saber, is there an animal you like?" "Eh... um, I feel that lions and panthers are lovely, but... is that strange?" She asks me with upturned eyes. "――!" I look away instantly and contain my laughter. The funny thing is, Saber is strange for thinking she's strange for thinking lions are cute. "...Shirou, that gesture was unnatural. I feel unreasonable anger, but perhaps it is just my imagination?" "Oh, sorry. Liking lions is so like you, so I had to laugh." "...! How dare you laugh at other people's preferences!? There is nothing wrong with lions!" "I'm telling you I'm sorry. I'll take you somewhere good as an apology, so don't get mad." I go into the store while trying to hold my laughter. Well, it looks like the stuffed animals are that way. So. It's taken about an hour to go around the store. I looked at Saber staring at stuffed animals and felt really nervous with all the girls there. Anyways, it was the most tiring hour so far. But the worst part is, we've only looked through half the store. It took us this long to look at just half of it because Saber was frequently paralyzed... I mean, Saber kept staring down stuffed animals. It looks like Saber is interested in the other half too, so I'll have to accompany her... "Shirou...? Why are you sighing? Are you tired from walking...?" "Hm...? Yeah, I'm a bit tired. I'm usually not so weak, but this place is special. I guess I shouldn't be doing things I'm not accustomed to." I let out a big sigh. I don't mind being looked at by other people while walking with Saber, but a girls-only place like this is really uncomfortable. Boredom sometimes tires one's body. "How about you? This must be your first time in a place like this. Tell me if you're tired." "I certainly do not feel calm, but you look more uncomfortable. Not just here, but you seemed this way in the previous store and the store before that. ...I do not want to think this, but are you choosing places you do not wish to go to?" "―――――" For me... Saber's words are enough to cast away my worries. "Yeah. To be honest, I'm choosing places I don't like." "...As I thought. Why do you continue to choose places you are unfamiliar with? You will..." "Well, because these kinds of places are suitable for girls. I'm the one that started this whole thing and today's your day as well." "――" "And it's not that uncomfortable either. It's fine since you're with me. I have such a cute girl with me, so people might get jealous, but I'll never be out of place." "H-How ridiculous. I am a Servant even though I am not armed. You do not need to treat me as a woman just because we are not fighting. Please treat me as a Servant as usual." "You're the ridiculous one. You're a girl to begin with. It's not like I'm treating you differently today. Am I acting any differently?" "Oh――" In astonishment, Saber opens her mouth as if she's just realized that. "No, you are the same. You are acting the same as always, Shirou." "Yeah. So you don't need to worry about me. So let's go. We're going to buy the one you like the most, so we have to go look at the remaining half." I take Saber's hand. Saber silently follows me. "...That is right. It has been like this from the start, but I did not realize it until this moment..." She murmurs to herself.

Scene 08
It's still nine in the morning, but the area in front of the station is crowded. Most shops open at ten, but cafes and bookstores are already open. There are already many more people than there were at Miyama City, and this place is as crowded as it is on weekends. "......" Getting off the bus, Saber looks around unhappily. ...It's only natural. Saber was against this date and people passing by are looking at her curiously. She must not feel too good about that. "...Ugh. Come to think of it, this was bound to happen if I brought Saber here in the morning." But that's going to follow us around for the whole day. If there's a way to calm it down, it's to make Saber have so much fun that she forgets about the people staring at her. "――All right." I pound a fist and turn to Saber. "Saber. I'll ask you first. Is there any place you want to go? We've come all the way here, so we should at least do whatever we want today." "I do not know. I have no place that interests me. Before even that, I have no knowledge on which to base such a decision." "Really? ...That's too bad. Then I guess it's really up to luck. The future looks bad if you don't have anywhere you want to go and I don't have any idea where to go." "...I don't want to ask this, but you do not have a plan, Shirou?" "Hm? Well, I have a few, but no details. Let's just go to random stores." Well, that's still difficult. I know places where I won't get bored, but I can't even imagine where a girl would be happy to go to. ...Geez, if it's going to end up like this, I wish I'd gone out with a girl just once.... "...Honestly. Please do not take offence, but there is something wrong with you. Your plan to take a rest is fine, but how can you not even have a plan for that rest?" Oh, Saber enters her scolding mode. ...This is the first time she's started to complain about something outside of the dojo. I knew she was irritated not being up for this and being looked at by curious eyes, but I didn't think she was this irritated. "I have always wanted to object to your lack of planning. You are closely aware of everyone around you, but you treat yourself too carelessly. As a result, you yourself have to pay the price for this discrepancy. ――Are you listening to me, Shirou!?" "I am. So basically, you're not happy about being here right now, right? Well, it's natural you wouldn't like it since it's pretty obvious it's going to be boring going anywhere with me." "Eh――um, it is not that, but I――I am saying, now is not the time to be doing such things." "I know that too. But I won't listen since I've already decided to have you accompany me today. I won't change my mind no matter what." I look at Saber. Saber just looks back at me in shock. "――But I'll listen if you have something to say. I'm sure you have complaints, so tell me them right now. I won't have to worry about making you unhappy if you do so. If you say you don't want to go on a date, I'll think of something else." "Um... no, I do not think you need to go that far... I, um...." Saber averts her gaze and runs out of words. "You have no complaints? Then let's go. You have no requests, so don't get mad at me wherever we go." I'm considering an ordinary place like an aquarium. I decide and grab Saber's hand. "H-Hey, Shirou! I-I have no complaints, but there is no need to hold my hand!" "...? I don't want to waste time, so we'll be running for a while. I'll show you the way, so follow me." "Eh... no, I cannot do so in a situation like this...!" I start to run without waiting for Saber's reply. Since I've talked big to Saber, I can't act miserable now. I just have to take her to every possible place I can think of. I run, holding Saber's hand. She must have accepted it as Saber finally stops complaining and follows me quietly. Well, it's before ten o'clock. I'll make the two hours before lunchtime worthwhile and surprise her―― To summarize, the two hours went by like a storm. We went to a boutique I usually don't go to, and we played bowling while I taught her the rules. I couldn't find an aquarium, but we fed some birds in a park. We also went to an antique store, and I still think it was best not to go to the movie theater. Anyways, I kept taking her to places a girl might like for the past two hours and there were many results: honorable defeats and total defeats. ...But I don't think this is what people would call a date. This is more like a contest, a fight to the death where the first one to give up loses. Saber is the same as usual no matter where I take her, and she sometimes goes so quiet that I seriously start wondering if she's really mad. She gives no reaction, so I became desperate to make her happy at the next place I take her to. As a result, I became obstinate about making Saber smile and ran around different places all morning. But it's already noon without much success. So. As Saber reminded me it's time for lunch, I decided to take a short break, but... "...What is this place?" I complain once we're seated at a table. "I recommend the restaurant by the river if you're going to have lunch." That was the only advice Tohsaka gave me last night. I trusted her and chose this place, but I never thought it would be so fastidious. "......" I look at the menu. Fortunately, the menu has a version in Japanese as well, so I have no problems reading it. But the trouble is, I can't understand what kind of food it is from the name and the prices are outrageous. "...Am I on Mars? I seriously don't know what I should order...." I groan, looking at the menu. "Shirou...? Did we not come by here to eat lunch?" I hear a rather frail voice from the other side of the table. "Yeah, but it's too different from what I'm used to..." I raise my head. And then. There is Saber, with an expression like a cornered rabbit. "Saber...?" "If this place is not suitable for lunch, let us return to the mansion. I prefer the food you prepare, Shirou." "Eh... you mean, you want to go home?" "No, I do not want to go back home, but, um... today has been really exhausting, so I am more tired than usual." "Really? ...I see, I thought about going out into town again after eating, but... if you're tired, we can rest here for a while." "No, that is not what I meant! Tired was not the word I meant. Um, it should have been..." Saber stops. The small gurgling sound was fortunately small enough that only I could hear. ...Oh. If she was hungry, she could've just told me. "Excuse me. So in other words, I am saying it would be helpful for us to have lunch quickly." "Roger. Yeah, it's no fun, but let's order something safe and get our food quickly." It's simple if all we want are light snacks. I order two things from the lunch menu and decide to eat quickly. I consider what to do in the afternoon while drinking the after-meal coffee. What I learned this morning is that anything physical is not good. Saber gets serious when it comes to contests. That's good for me, but it makes Saber stand out even more. After we finished a game, Saber got angry because she caught all the attention she wanted to avoid. "So we should avoid anywhere that involves moving around... Hey, Saber? I'm asking for the second time, but is there anywhere you want to go?" "Me? No, there is not. I cannot tell, so I will leave it up to you." Saying so, Saber lifts her teacup. Saber ordered English tea and it seems she really likes the taste. We don't have much English tea at my place, and even if we did, it's all instant tea-bags. It seems Saber was a bit dissatisfied with the drinks at my house as she seems to like English tea. I should put that into consideration starting tonight. "―――――" Saber is sitting there and drinking tea. She doesn't seem happy or bored. If I had to use one word to describe her, it'd be that she looks natural. She drinks her tea, sitting up straight in the shadows of the streaming sunlight. Even though this is the first time I've seen such a thing, it doesn't seem strange. It feels like I've seen such a scene before. ...Why do I feel that? The Saber I know is a tense girl, who's always holding a sword and fighting. "――Oh, I see." But it's only natural. I also know her attitude after she lets go of her sword. Once she stops fighting, Saber has always been calm and gentle. This scene looks natural rather than new because this is her true nature. No matter how superior she is as a swordsman, it is natural for Saber to be like this. Rather, it's abnormal for her to hold a sword at all. ...I once thought in my dream that she wasn't suited for fighting. I don't think I'm wrong. No matter how superior her technique or no matter how many battles she's experienced... As long as she is who she is, it can't have been a comfortable place to be. ...So this is natural. Saber is resting, not holding a sword. This calm scene is the way she should be.

Scene 09
The unusual day goes by quickly. Saber never laughed nor could I laugh from my heart. It's not like there was any memorable moments nor were it so boring that I regret doing it. To be frank, this was nothing. Saber might have been happier if we'd stayed at the mansion and trained together. But today wasn't bad. It wasn't fun or boring, but I can be proud of it in the end. ...After the battle is over and everything goes back to normal... It would be too sad if all the time Saber and I had was spent fighting. Even if it's something stupid, she has to spend some time not fighting, or there's no point in her being here. So I can be proud of myself for now. ...The end is near. When everything comes to an end and when there's no more need to fight... If Saber will remember this moment and remember that this happened, that alone is enough for me to be proud of. We go home on foot. Because Saber said, "Let us walk home." ...Just as I decided to go home by bus. There's some wind now. The vivid setting sun is lighting the bridge red. "――Oh." Saber notices something and stops. She is watching a mountain of rubble. It's not that tall even though it's a 'mountain' of rubble. Steel frames and the likes are piled right up to the water surface and are slightly distorting the flow of the river. I don't know why, but it seems like a ship sank or something, and pieces of it flowed into a mountain. I heard the local residents have been demanding its removal for a long time since it damages the beautiful sight. "...? What's wrong, Saber? Did that catch your attention?" "No, I was noticing that it still remains because I was the cause of it. I used the Noble Phantasm here, having fought on water in the previous war. The only damage was that the river dried up, but I also destroyed the ship that was unfortunately anchored there." "Huh――? You mean Excalibur!?" "Y-Yes. But fortunately, nobody was on board and the damage was minimal. The river is back to normal, so you should not get so mad. "...I regret it as well." "......" ...I should watch out. I have to take care to only use Excalibur in an open place like this. "Shirou...? Are you still mad?" "Eh? No, I'm not mad. I was just surprised. And I was just thinking how many traces there are from the last war. The rubble in the river shouldn't be a problem compared to the wasteland in that park. Well, I guess it was unfortunate for the owner of that ship." "Please do not worry as Kiritsugu said the owner had insurance. He parked the ship there as a buffer, so he used the ship as a wall to reduce the power of the Noble Phantasm." "...Oh. So you destroyed the ship knowing it was there?" "I did not know! Kiritsugu prepared it without telling me. ...I think Kiritsugu knew how the battle would turn out. I did not notice since he never said anything before or after he prepared the ship." Saber looks down at the river yearningly. The water surface reflects the sunset. The wind coming from the river is a bit strong and flutters Saber's hair. ...Is it because she looks so beautiful like that? "Saber, did you have fun today?" I was assaulted by a sudden fear that Saber might just disappear, and I ask something I don't need to ask. "Huh? Did you say something, Shirou?" "Yeah. I asked you if you had fun today." ...She gasps. Saber opens her eyes in amazement. "Yes. I would be lying if I said this was not new to me." She says so in a voice of hope. As if such a thing will never happen again. "――" ...I knew what her answer would be. All I can do now is nod and just go home. Everything can return to the way it was――just like that. "I see." I nod, looking at Saber. "Then let's go again. It's not like this has to be the last time." And I say something I won't be able to take back. "―――――" Saber freezes. ...She must have realized what I want to say. She shakes her head, looking directly at me. As if saying there won't be a next time. As if this mistake is only for today. "――Why?" I know Saber's answer. But I ask, not liking the answer I expect. "I do not even need to explain. Servants exist to fight. A day like today is merely denying my own existence. I obeyed since you decided to take a rest, but I believe resting should not be necessary from now on. There are only a few enemies left. I would like to start searching for Lancer right now if you would order me to..." She looks at me with eyes full of fire. Saber is saying she will start fighting right now if I order it. That... ...Causes me to get mad about all the things I can't approve of. "――What's with that? You really want to fight that much?" "Of course. I draw closer to the Holy Grail the more I fight. Battle should be prioritized over everything. You should know that as well." "Yeah, I understand. That's why it's strange. I've always wanted to say this, but you're contradicting yourself. You say fighting is important, but you don't like fighting. You're fighting against your will because there's no other way, right?" "Wha... that is not true. I do not hesitate to fight. I have already told you that I will do anything to win." Yeah, she did say that. But that's not a reason to like fighting. "As far as you can manage, right? ...Look, Saber. If you just want to defeat other Masters and obtain the Holy Grail, you could just attack people and take their power. But you don't want to do that, right?" "――That is..." "It's not that you don't want to involve innocent people. You know well enough that people will be dying once you start fighting. That's why you want to minimize the battles. People will die if you fight, so you want to end the battle as quickly as possible. ――In other words, you're frightened of fights with victims." "―――――" She gasps. After opening her eyes as if she's seen a ghost, she grits her teeth and straightens her stare. "You are wrong. I do not fear battles." "...Yeah. I don't think you were ever scared. Because an individual's fear must have been suppressed by what you call the king's mission." "――!" "But you still fear battles. You were strong and good at fighting. But that's not a talent you ever wanted, right? ――I'll say this honestly. Fighting doesn't suit you. You must have hated even pulling out that sword. Your claim that fighting is your only objective is just an excuse to try to deceive yourself." ――It's so simple. Why didn't you or anybody around you notice it? "――Shirou. I will not tolerate any more insults even from you." "You can't stand it because it's the truth, right? You won't be able to fight anymore if you admit it." She grits her teeth. Saber glares at me in anger. "―――――" I can't back away. If I believe I'm right, I can't run away. "...So, you should stop. You want to stop too, right? You must know fighting doesn't suit you. So just quit it. Stop being a Servant and do something that suits you." She needs to regain the happiness she should have had as a human. For that, I―― "――How ridiculous. I have no choices besides fighting. I only exist to obtain the Holy Grail. I submitted my body to fulfill my promise as king. I cannot allow any other use for myself." "You――" 'I only exist to obtain the Holy Grail'. That annoys me the most. Why does she say ridiculous things like that as if to convince herself? Everyone around her took her word because she kept saying things like that. "You idiot! That's not true...! There are infinite ways! You're here and different from before...! So――you have to live for yourself. Don't make any mistakes and don't use the Holy Grail..." ――The final wish she's permitted. "...Don't use it for people you don't care about. If you're here, you need to be happy here." I hear the wind. Saber doesn't answer. She doesn't even nod. She just looks back at me. "――I cannot accept your words. I made a contract to obey you, but I did not give you my heart, Master." She replies with a strong voice. "I cannot forsake my oath as a king. There is a duty I must fulfill as the king. King Arthur's goal is to obtain the Holy Grail. Even if I achieve that goal, I will not return to being Arturia. I have only ever had one wish. ――This wish has never changed since I pulled out the sword." "...Why? That's not a thing you have to do. It's wrong for you to be unrewarded for your actions. You don't need the Holy Grail. And..." ...And Saber's wish won't come true. It's impossible to erase everything that's happened. "Saber. You can't redo what's already done. ...No, I think it's something you mustn't do. You should know that." "...No. That is not true." "――I'll tell you. However bad the result, you can't change what's happened. Wanting to redo something because you couldn't do it is just childish selfishness...!" ...Our words end there. Saber doesn't say anything, and I don't have anything to say. The wind has stopped as well. No. The wind hasn't stopped, it's only died down for a second. Another sound of wind. Just as I feel the wind on my cheek... "――I thought you would understand, Shirou." The wind has changed into a headwind. "Is that all you wanted to say after wasting this meaningless day?" A cold voice. It contains only rejection. "Do not be so conceited. What makes you think you understand me? You have no right to invade me. Do not fight? What are you saying when you need me to protect you? Please, give me that nonsense after you are able to fight on your own. ――Humph. I do not think that will ever occur." "No――it's not nonsense...!" "It is nonsense. Think about myself? That goes for you as well. You do not consider your life. You say I am mistaken, but you are even more mistaken. ...Only corpses consider others more important than themselves. How can a fool who does not even know the value of his own life address me so?" "Wha――Saber, you..." "Did I annoy you? Then I will not mind if you dissolve your contract with me. You do not need the Holy Grail anyway.[l] I will defeat the remaining Masters by myself and obtain the Holy Grail myself. ...If you do not wish to fight, you can go and hide somewhere far away." "Saber. Are you serious?" I ask with a trembling voice. My teeth are chattering because I'm suppressing my emotion. "Of course. My only goal is the Holy Grail. Everything else is unnecessary. ――You are no exception, Shirou." The hammer comes down. I bear my head going white and stop myself from raising my fist. "You blockhead...! Fine, if you want to fight, go ahead and do what you want! I don't care anymore!" But I can't stop my emotions. I yell what sounds like an excuse and run away from Saber. I get away from her. But, for a moment. I think I see Saber standing there absent-mindedly. "Dammit, dammit, dammit...!" I run. I keep running, not knowing what's so vexing or maddening. 'Everything else is unnecessary. You are no exception, Shirou.' "...!" I grit my teeth hard and stop myself from yelling out. Just remembering it makes me white out and I might run into a pole or something. ...No, it would be easy if I could do that. If I was just angry at Saber, I could just take it out on something. But that's not the cause of this fury. It's not just Saber that I'm mad at. It's so vexing, and I keep running so hard because I hate how weak I am. ...Saber was standing there absent-mindedly. The words she said, just as the wind changed directions. 'I thought you would understand, Shirou――' "...! Damn it! You idiot, I don't understand...!" I spit that out, then regret it so much that I almost fall. ...What was it about? Her voice like a farewell sounded like she was crying. Come to think of it, maybe those words were the only honest thing she said. Those words murmured with her head hung. A voice of hope, disappointment, and wishes. ――Then... Who was the betrayer, and who was betrayed? I run into my room and shut the door. I collapse. I don't want to stand up. I just want to lie down and go to sleep. "Haa――Haa, haa, ha――" But my body is still burning. My heart feels like it's splitting open and my lungs are desperate for air. I ran full speed from the bridge to here. My body must be exhausted. I haven't run enough emotionally, but my body is telling me to calm down. "Haa... haa, haa, ha――" I slowly calm down. I take a deep breath and let it out. "Haa... haa... haa." And after I settle my breathing. All that fills my head is the question of why I was so enraged. "―――――" ...I don't even have to think about it. I ran as if throwing something off me because I was so powerless. ...I can't save Saber. That fact is so vexing that I was angry at myself. I can't do anything. I promised to make her laugh. I promised to protect her, but I can't do anything. That makes me furious. "...But what can I do? It's useless for anyone to say anything if Saber herself doesn't want happiness." That's why I tried hard, so she'd be able to find her own happiness. But she told me that was meaningless, and on top of that, she called me a fool. "A fool who doesn't even know the value of his own life, huh?" ...What can I do when she says that? I value my life as well and I don't want to do anything that might endanger it. But this has nothing to do with Saber. I think it's unfair of her to bring it up right there. No matter how stupid I am, I'm sure Saber's wrong. But if she denies me like that, I can't do anything―― "...Dammit. Man, she can do whatever she likes...!" I turn over and lie on my stomach. The floor is the only view, so I close my eyes to black out my mind. "......" That's it. I don't care about Saber anymore. If the Holy Grail is so important to her, she can go marry it. She is so obstinate that she doesn't understand after I've told her this much. I'll be burned if I associate with her any more. No, I'll be seriously hurt. "――!" I've already been hurt, though. Not just burned. I met her, fought with her many times, and even had sex with her even though it was just to survive. The heat of that night wasn't a burn, but it almost killed my brain. Why――Why do I recall such a thing when I'm so pissed off? If I recall that, it won't matter what Saber says. "...Something only used to fight? Then don't show your weak parts..." ...Anyways, Saber is unfair. I don't know what's so unfair, but I think it's unfair that I don't know what's unfair. I can't hate her even though I'm this mad, and the more I try to ignore her, the more I can't. It's such a contradiction. Her whole existence is unfair. I can't hate her no matter what. "――Damn it. I guess the one who's in love loses..." ...But I can't help it. If I can't give up no matter how useless she tells me it is, I have to keep trying until the end. No matter how much Saber hates it or rejects me, if I believe I'm right―― 'I thought you would understand, Shirou――' "...!" I remember her face, about to cry. In the future. Will she make that kind of a face every time I repeat this? "...But still. I can't agree no matter what." ...Even if I'm wrong and Saber's right. If she's really important to me, I can never apologize to her――

Scene 10
I thought I heard a sound. ...When did the sun set? The room is dark. The sound of the second hand on the clock is annoying. "Hey, how long are you going to sleep? I need you to wake up." "――?" "Wake up already. It's past ten o'clock. Ilya's bugging me to get dinner ready, so wake up and go keep her company." An angry voice. That wakes me up completely. "P-Past ten――!?" I get up quickly. "Yup. Ten-seventeen to be exact. It's way past dinnertime." Tohsaka looks flabbergasted. "...Sorry, I fell asleep. I'll go right away, so wait for me in the living room." "That's fine, but where's Saber?" "...? Well, if she's not here, she must be in the dojo or the living room." "Shirou. I'm asking you because she's not here." "――" Tohsaka is serious. That tells me what the situation is in an instant. "She's not back...!?" "Hold on, Shirou! What do you mean by that...!?" Tohsaka runs out of the room after me. But I don't have time to explain. I run outside, ignoring Tohsaka's words behind me. The town is quiet. A world like yesterday, where all signs of people have vanished. I don't have enough composure to think it strange now. Saber isn't back. ...Come to think of it, that's only natural. We argued so much. She said she would fight by herself. So――considering her personality, she really would go and fight by herself. Saber could be anywhere. It's possible that I won't find her, and that she's fighting Lancer right now. ...But still, I came here first. The air by the river is cold. The park is so cold that it feels like frost is packed here. My breath is white, and my cheeks and ears hurt. It's so cold here, so how cold must it be on the bridge where the wind from the river rises? That is where she is standing. Right where I fled from her. Saber is looking out at the river, not doing anything. ...Is she looking at the long-gone sunset? Her gaze into the distance seems to be watching a red horizon that has already disappeared. "―――――" That makes me realize. She's strong, yet so weak. Her gallant figure must be proof that she could live without anybody's help. But she is also so weak that my hand might go through her if I reach out. She can't do it alone, but she defends her pride until the end. ――That's why... It was the same for me, watching stars that cannot be reached. ...The girl stares at the distant set sun, as if she knows nothing else. I can't leave her alone. If I lost, it was a complete loss for me. It made me swear to myself that I would never let her make such a face. I walk on the bridge. I'm making sounds, but Saber doesn't notice. "―――――" I walk towards her in silence and stand next to her. "Saber. You'll freeze if you stay out here." She jumps. ...She must finally have noticed me. "――Shirou?" Saber turns around as if to question me. "What are you doing out so late? Tohsaka was worried since you didn't come home." "――I see. I should apologize to her." "...It's fine. But why were you here? ...Well, it doesn't matter since it was easy for me to find you." "...I was still here because I did not yet know where to go. You told me to do as I wished. So I tried to do so. But I could not think what I should do or where I want to go. So I was thinking all this time about where I should be going." She speaks like a lost child. She must feel guilty, as Saber keeps averting her gaze. ...We did have that big fight. It's only natural for her to think I'm still mad. "...I am sorry. Please tell Rin she has helped me very much. I shall return to you once I defeat Lancer and obtain the Holy Grail, so until then――" Is she saying she'll wander around without a place to return to? "What are you talking about? You're coming back to my house, right? I've prepared your bed and your food." "――But you said you do not understand me..." "That's right. I don't know what you're thinking." So saying, I take Saber's hand. "――Shirou." "Let's go home. Even a Servant will catch a cold if they stay out here this long. Let's hurry back and eat something warm." "――U-Um, but I..." "And I won't apologize to you. If you have any complaints, tell me now." I say so rudely, looking away from Saber. "―――――" She looks at me, astonished. She looks like she wants to apologize, but I ignore her. ...That must have worked on her. Saber doesn't say anything and follows while holding my hand. We come down from the bridge and into the park. ...It's eleven o'clock. There's nobody in the park, but it's overly decorated with things like the fountain and street lights. "―――――" "―――――" We keep walking. Saber is walking slowly. ...She was standing on that bridge for more than five hours. She must be freezing and be tired as well. She falls forward sometimes as I pull her by the hand. "Should I walk slower, Saber? You don't seem to be doing well." I turn around to check on her. "N-No. I feel fine...! It is just that... it is not because of Rin, but it really seems like a rendezvous if we are holding hands like this...." "Eh――?" So. Hearing that, I feel my face burn up in an instant. "Y-Yeah. ...Um, should I let go? Um, I mean, if you don't like it..." "No, this is fine. Your hand is warm and very comforting." ...Our conversation ends right there. I walk on to hide my embarrassment. Saber silently accompanies me. How much further is it to the mansion? I feel embarrassed by the warmth in my hand as I leave the park. ...Many things happened today. But if it ends with this warmth, I can change religion and start to pray with that priest. But the instant I think so... "――Where are you going? Do not take what is mine, kid." ――We meet someone we never should have met.

Scene 11
――At the end... I see that red hill once more. A red memory. I dive deeper into her memory, and I realize this is the last time. These are the memories of a knight which I have seen many times before. After becoming king and becoming the will of the country by killing her own will, her days were filled with neglect even from her trusted knights. Every time she won a battle, Arturia was made to wish for a battle she did not wish for. She continued to hide her sex, surrounded by suspicion. What awaited this isolated girl was a rebellion by one of her relatives. A young knight took over the country while the king was on an expedition. The man's name was Mordred. That knight who was son of Morgan, the sister of the king of knights, was actually the son of the king of knights. ――To start at the end, Arturia could not have children as a woman. But Mordred certainly inherited the blood of Arturia. Arturia's older sister, Morgan――I am not sure how far she went, but she despised Arturia for becoming king even though Arturia was younger than her. Mordred was created as her other self. He served the king as a knight with an unknown father, waited for his chance to take over the throne, and finally organized a revolt. ――This was the battle later known as the battle of Camlann. The end of King Arthur. King Arthur discovered Mordred's betrayal on her expedition and returned to her homeland with her tired troops to invade her own territory. She slashed away knights that used to serve her. She attacked the lands she once protected. The few knights that stayed with her died off, and the only ones standing in the end were her and Mordred. Their personal combat ended with the king's victory. ...But she did not emerge unscathed. Mordred was bound by a strong curse, so he still swung his sword even after his death and left a fatal wound on the king. That is the end of this battle. The last of her, the one called the king of knights. ――It must have been painful. Come to think of it, none of her battles were painless. Every one of her twelve battles was severe, and this just happened to be the greatest wound appropriate for her end. She returned to Britain and destroyed her own army. She punished the knights who used to serve her, and the knights following her all died. And in the end, she had to kill her own son, even if he was son only in name. ...I cannot tell what went through her mind. But I have to wish. The lone king, who tried to be a king until her last moments... I wish that her last dream might be a normal dream, one that the girl called Arturia might wish for. "Hm..." I open my eyes. I don't know when I got back, but I'm in my room lying on my futon. "――Oh. You have awoken, Shirou." "...Saber. Why am I..." "You have been sleeping since that time. Your body is almost completely healed, so you do not need to worry." "...I see. That's great, but...." What about Saber? If my wound has healed, I'm fine. But Saber's different. Even though she can heal her wounds, her magical energy isn't infinite. It wouldn't be a problem if she had just fought, but she used Excalibur. "...Saber. Um, were you treating me all this time...?" "I merely wiped your sweat. I cannot treat wounds as Rin does." "――Idiot. You didn't need to do that. It must be more painful for you right now." "That is not true. I only have a light wound compared to you. But I cannot ignore what you just said. Even if your wounds have healed, they were bad enough that you could have died. Please worry about yourself for now." Saying so, Saber reaches for the washbowl beside her. There's a cold towel in there and after squeezing the water out of it, she wipes my sweating body. "―――――!" I'm really embarrassed. "...? Shirou, does your wound hurt? It seems you are getting a fever again――" "I-I don't have a fever...! No, you can just rest for now. You might be all right, but you used Excalibur. So you should be the one resting! You'll collapse again at this rate." "Eh... well, that is true, but..." She hesitates, squeezing the towel. "But, I am doing better than you right now. It is only natural for me to protect you until you get better." "――" ...What's with that? I can't object if she says so with that kind of an expression. "...Then you'll rest once I recover, Saber?" "Of course. I need to sleep as well." Saber says so in her usual tone. ...So, I let Saber take care of me and suppress my embarrassment. "―――――" ...Time passes slowly. Have I ever looked so closely at Saber without doing anything? Saber is the same as always, and moonlight is shining on her. "―――――" Looking at her now, she really is feminine. White fingers and slender arms. She looks so lovely that it doesn't seem like she would be capable of fighting. ...That's why I can't stay calm. She's been fighting all this time with that slim body of hers. "Shirou...? Why are you staring at my arm? ...I do not want to suspect this, but are you comparing my arms to those of Rin?" ...Is she angry or sulking? She has such slender arms, but she thinks her arms aren't cute at all. Probably because there's some muscle on them, but they're rather cute to me. "No. The wound doesn't hurt, so I was just spacing out. It's not like I have anything to say about your arms." "I see. That is good." Saber seems relieved. Then... Saber notices something as she closes her eyes and nods. "So your wound is fine now? I was seriously angry before, but I will forget about it if you are all right. ...It is rather late to say this, but I thank you, Shirou. And I am really happy that you are safe." She says happily. Then, she smiles faintly. "Wha――" She's smiling about such a thing. ...I recall her memories in my dream. She didn't know happiness or entertainment, but she's going to smile about something like this? ――No. She can only smile at somebody else's safety and not at her own happiness. Those words from before. That she was happier seeing me smile. She said that with a satisfied expression. "―――――" I'm going mad. I really feel like I'm crazy, and... "...! Shirou...!?" ...I hug Saber with all my strength. "Sh-Shirou...! W-What are you doing...!?" She wriggles to tries to free herself. I ignore that and embrace her tighter. "――! Shirou, please stop...! I do not know what is going on, but this is going too far for a joke...!" Her arms resist me. But. I don't listen. "Shirou, please――!" Saber raises her arm to hit me. To that... "――It's okay. Listen, you have to smile for your own sake." I say so from the bottom of my heart. "Eh――Shi... rou...?" I don't know why she hesitated. I just spat out what was inside me. "――Why..." ...I can understand her being focused on the Holy Grail. But I can never approve of that. I want her to know normal happiness. I think it'll all be a lie if she doesn't. Because all this time, she's fought for others. So she should be as happy as the people she's made happy. "...Are you crying――?" "―――――!" When she asks that, I realize my eyes are watery. Not because I'm sad. It's just too vexing. I'm annoyed that Saber can only smile for others. It's just that my head went crazy because it pissed me off so much―― "...Saber. Isn't this enough? You've done your best. You fought even by yourself. So――you have to find your own happiness. You've fulfilled your oath, so you can return to being Arturia." "Wha――you are still talking about that?" "Yeah, I'll keep on saying it...! I can't help it because I've fallen in love with you...! I won't give up until you change your mind...!" I yell and embrace Saber as if to stop her from struggling. "Wha――" ...She's weak. She curls up in my arms and looks away. "...Shirou. Please do not bother me. ...This is unpleasant even if you are my Master, Shirou." "I'll move away if you don't want this. ...I said I like you, so I'll let you go if you don't like me." "......" Saber doesn't answer. She just hangs her head to escape my stare. "...You are being unfair. You knew my past, but you continued to invade me. You should know my answer already, so why――why are you still concerned about me? ...You must have seen all the sins I have committed." ――Yeah, I did. She sacrificed many people in the name of the king and killed many enemies. I don't intend to ignore that or pretend it didn't happen. But still, even knowing that, I want the girl named Arturia to become happy. "――So what? I don't know what this emotion is. I just can't leave you alone. Please smile. I want to be with you, Saber―" A child-like unilateral confession. Saber bites her lip, still hanging her head. "...My answer will not change. I cannot break my oath as a king. Even if I was not appropriate for the role, I was entrusted with my country as the king. I could not fulfill my duty, so this... this freedom is not permitted to me." She looks at me straight on like she's about to cry.

Scene 12
――You... ...Fuckin' chicken grill!!! I can't believe this! I can't believe anyone could be such an insane gamer that they'd come to this Tiger Dojo! Osu! You shouldn't be here! Beat that goldie quickly and protect Saber or I'm going to get mad! Is that okay, buruma? Oh, hi, Senpai. ...Well, it's a bit vexing to be honest. But I want him to act cool if things have gone this far. Fu. Well, this dojo is done. Quickly go back to the choice and beat him, Shirou!