My Fates Codex in Type-Moon

"Hmm... probably. It was my first time coming to this country too, so I felt a little uneasy."

If there had been a third party present with the sensibilities of an ordinary Japanese citizen, they would certainly have taken issue with Irisviel's opinion.

Before setting out, Irisviel had specially commissioned a set of modern clothes tailored for Saber, then picked them up from a retailer at Frankfurt Airport. It consisted of a navy dress shirt, a tie, and a dark Western-style suit in the French fashion. It was entirely masculine attire.

A girl around one hundred and fifty-five centimeters tall would presumably have looked strange and amusing in such an outfit—but that was not the case when Saber wore it.

It was not the twisted aesthetic of a beautiful woman dressed as a man. Saber's beauty was accentuated by a cold, heroic air wholly unlike feminine allure. In menswear, she resembled an otherworldly beautiful youth; her slender body and fair skin naturally called to mind a pure boy who had yet to acquire the charm of a mature man.

"Come to think of it, this outfit was originally prepared for a young man. But that child left too hurriedly, so I never got the chance to give it to him. Luckily, you came along, Saber. Otherwise, these clothes would have just gathered dust." Looking over the valiant-looking Saber, Irisviel brought her palms together and revealed a childlike smile.

"Was it for Mr. Shirou?" Artoria knew whom Irisviel meant. When she had descended, the chapel had only just been repaired, and the brilliant divine aura lingering over Winter's Castle's Ley Line could not escape her senses.

As for Shirou, the young man who had nearly turned Winter's Castle upside down, the meticulous Saber naturally made a point of asking about him.

However, Irisviel's daughter and the head of Winter's Castle had given vastly conflicting descriptions of that young man.

"Illya said that young man was gentle and kind, a very, very good big brother. But Jubstacheit von Einzbern said he was a cold-blooded and cruel executioner. Kiritsugu said nothing, but his wariness toward Shirou was like what he would show a Master in the Holy Grail War—perhaps even more cautious than that... Come to think of it, I have not asked you yet, Irisviel. What kind of person do you think he is?"

"Him?" Irisviel walked ahead with her hands behind her back, skipping lightly. "He is a very interesting, very mysterious child."

After thinking for a moment, she added, "Mm, he is a good person."

A good person?

Saber considered it seriously, then shook her head with a laugh.

For Irisviel, anyone who treated her well was a good person, wasn't he?

But who could possibly bear ill will toward this pure Princess of Winter?

That was precisely why she was willing to protect Irisviel.

Thinking this, the knight who had manifested in the Saber class quickened her pace and followed closely after Irisviel.

Inevitably, she became immensely curious about the young man called Shirou.

What kind of person was he, exactly?

The luggage unloaded from the cargo hold was left to the attendants. Empty-handed, Irisviel and Saber headed toward customs, but they disagreed over their plans afterward.

The serious Artoria believed they should meet up with Kiritsugu Emiya as soon as possible, while Irisviel, for some reason, was deeply interested in Fuyuki City.

Under Artoria's questioning, Irisviel seemed to realize that her choice lacked any sense of danger. After hesitating for a moment, she chose to tell the truth.

As a homunculus created for this Holy Grail War, Irisviel had always lived in Winter's Castle—this was her first time leaving it and venturing into the outside world.

Artoria was greatly shocked by this revelation.

Her own life had not exactly been happy, but if the woman before her had truly been confined in that frozen castle since birth, living like a bird in a cage...

After a moment of silence, Artoria had the driver stop the car. She stepped out and opened the door for Irisviel.

"Saber?"

"Though this is my first time walking through this city as well, guiding a lady is a knight's duty." The golden-haired, green-eyed knight removed the glove from her right hand and extended it toward the princess, her gaze filled with gentleness.

"Please."

Blinking, Irisviel's eyes filled with bright delight as she reached out and hooked her hand around Saber's.

Leaving behind the car that separated them from the outside world, the naturally graceful young woman and the beauty in menswear strolled leisurely through the bustling downtown streets.

Somewhere along this street, a white-haired young man with golden eyes seemed to sense something. He gazed into the distance, a smile curling at his lips.

"Found you..."

Even amid the bustling city streets, Saber and Irisviel made for an exceptionally eye-catching pair.

The young woman possessed an extraordinary bearing. Her shining silver hair and cashmere coat did not seem overly luxurious, but rather perfectly natural. Beside her was a beautiful youth she had linked arms with. Unless one attended a star-studded cocktail party for movie celebrities, an ordinary person would never have the chance to see such a perfectly matched pair.

Such a beautiful illusion, fit only for the silver screen, was strolling leisurely down the streets of a provincial Japanese city. Every passerby froze in place for an instant, their eyes widening.

Yet no matter how amazed they were, none of them felt inclined to approach and speak to them.

It was because the pair seemed to adhere to some unspoken propriety. Though they blended into the noisy crowd, they always maintained a certain distance, quietly observing the city's activities.

Just then, the door of a nearby shop opened. A black-haired girl stepped out and, caught off guard, collided directly with the silver-haired, red-eyed woman.

"Be careful." Irisviel caught the little girl before she could fall, while Saber stepped forward and suddenly positioned herself in front of them.

A powerful warning from her Instinct made her cast a sharp gaze at a certain figure inside the shop.

Under her scrutiny, the handsome young man in a dark suit embroidered with golden patterns curled his lips and smiled brightly at the stunned Irisviel.

"Long time no see, ma'am."

Dangerous. Extremely dangerous.

That was Artoria's first reaction.

This was by no means baseless speculation. She possessed the innate skill known as Instinct, at rank A, which could even briefly predict the future.

Just now, she had keenly caught a possibility from the strands of the future: countless blades piercing through her body and killing her.

Although the odds of such a thing happening were infinitesimal, it still proved that this young man possessed the power to kill her.

But Saber soon realized her vigilance was unnecessary, because after a brief daze, Irisviel quickly broke into a delighted smile. "It is Shirou! I never expected to run into you here. Illya has missed you very much."

Shirou? Saber froze, then abruptly turned her head.

Red hair, brown eyes, and eyebrows whose outer ends resembled lightning.

But the illusion quickly faded. The young man standing before her had white hair, and even his eyes had become brilliant gold.

Strange... The handsome knight frowned, sensing an immense familiarity and an equally immense sense of incongruity for reasons she could not understand.

Meanwhile, Miyu, who had returned to Sakutsuki's side, raised her eyes and secretly studied her brother.

"...Shirou?"

That name again, yet Miyu could not remember it no matter how hard she tried.

But it truly felt so familiar.

More than once, Miyu had been troubled by the gaps in her memories.

Fate was amusing and cruel in this way. It gathered people whose destinies were intertwined onto the same stage, only to strip away their ability to recognize one another, maliciously awaiting the actors' belated awakening and their march toward a tragic end.

But this time, a soul from another world stood above it all, looking down and seeing every thread of fate clearly.

"Greetings, Irisviel, Master of the Einzbern family." Sakutsuki deliberately used an unfamiliar form of address as he removed the glove from his left hand and extended it toward her.

The three Command Seals on his hand burned as brilliantly as flames.

"As a fellow participant in the Holy Grail War, Sakutsuki greets you."

Irisviel unconsciously reached out. It was not until Sakutsuki released her hand that she finally came back to her senses.

"So, Shirou is..."

"It was just a name I came up with on a whim. Do not mind it." Sakutsuki suppressed the stir in his heart and spoke blandly.

"Oh..." Irisviel nodded as though she half understood. "Kiritsugu told me a long time ago that you might join the Holy Grail War as well. I just did not expect to encounter you so soon."

"Kiritsugu..." Recalling that man, Sakutsuki nodded. "If it is him, I am not surprised at all."

After all, he was the man who ended this Holy Grail War.

"Ah, right!" As if suddenly remembering something, Irisviel clapped her hands and asked as casually as if she were asking what to have for dinner. "What class is the Servant you summoned, Shirou?"

"Caster," Sakutsuki answered openly, without concealing anything.

Upon hearing that, the lady suddenly wore a smug smile.

By the time Artoria sensed that something was wrong and tried to speak, it was already too late.

"My Servant is Saber, the finest class in the Holy Grail War." As though introducing her best friend, the lady wrapped her arms around Artoria's arm, her tone full of pride.

"Irisviel!" The golden-haired beauty in menswear glared at her, her green eyes full of helplessness. Still, she stepped forward and performed a knight's salute. "Servant Saber. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Sakutsuki was about to return the salute, but Miyu stepped forward first, her small face solemn. "Servant Caster. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"My!" Irisviel covered her mouth, her eyes sparkling. "You are such an adorable girl?"

"Be careful, Irisviel. Her strength must not be underestimated." Sensing the vast magical energy within the girl, Artoria warned her.

But the naturally innocent lady paid no heed. She lowered her head to look at the cool-faced Miyu, then simply opened her arms and pulled her into an embrace.

"Mm." Softness pressed against her. Miyu struggled slightly, only for Irisviel to hug her even tighter.

Under the helpless gazes of Sakutsuki and Saber, the motherly Irisviel raised her head, blinked her beautiful red eyes, and spoke in the same innocent tone.

"So... Sakutsuki, are you here to form an alliance with us, or are you an opponent?"

"You have already captured my Servant. What else can I say?" Sakutsuki laughed helplessly.

"I only came to find you and have some fun."

At some point, the low winter sun had vanished beyond the far side of the hills. The streets beneath the night sky began to show a different face, with colorful lights flickering and reflecting in the group's eyes like shining stars.

Irisviel was undoubtedly the most lively among them. Holding Miyu's hand, she walked ahead, occasionally letting out laughter brimming with joy.

There were surely many cities in the world with nightscapes more beautiful than Fuyuki City's. But for Irisviel, the view before her now and the emotion it brought were precious treasures she had obtained for the first time.

"It is so beautiful... So many people live here, and at night, it becomes this dazzling..."

Moved, Irisviel's murmur reached Miyu's ears.

Miyu looked up at this woman who appeared to be an adult but was actually as innocent as a child, and could not stop herself from recalling her own past.

Because of the Holy Grail's rules, most of her memories had been sealed away. Even so, Miyu clearly remembered that, for various reasons, she too had once been confined indoors for countless years without ever taking a single step outside.

She still remembered the loneliness and sense of loss brought by long-term confinement.

That was why Miyu understood better than anyone how heartbreaking Irisviel's feelings were.

She squeezed the hand clasped with hers. When Irisviel lowered her head in confusion, Miyu rose onto her tiptoes and gently kissed her on the cheek.

"Let's go have fun, Irisviel."

Though she did not know why she had done it, Miyu felt that she had wanted to do so since long ago.

"!!!" Irisviel's eyes widened soundlessly. Then she quickly covered her mouth and laughed. "Mm! Where does Miyu want to go?"

Miyu thought for a moment, then looked toward Sakutsuki, who was walking side by side with Saber behind them. Seeing their matching dark suits, she puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.

"First, a clothing store."

A short while later, Sakutsuki had changed out of his suit and emerged in a kimono alongside Miyu, who was also dressed in a kimono. Looking at the blank-faced Saber and the laughing Irisviel, he felt that something was off.

Was there a problem with the suits they had been wearing earlier?

Then, in the next instant, everyone present changed expression.

It was a presence that only participants in the Holy Grail War could sense.

It shattered the false peace and pierced through the harmonious atmosphere around the group, its sharpness impossible to ignore.

This was a battlefield.

Peace had never belonged to them.

Saber naturally grasped Irisviel's upper arm and gently pulled her to her side. At that simple gesture, Irisviel exchanged a calm look with Saber.

"...An enemy Servant?"

"Yes."

As Artoria spoke, her green eyes remained fixed on the two kimono-clad figures, one large and one small.

As a Servant manifested in the Saber class, she was not skilled at tracking enemies. But if even she had noticed it, that meant the Caster group had sensed that provocative presence as well.