My Fate Compendium of Type-Moon Chapter 20

"Hmm... I suppose so. It's also my first time in this country, so I'm a little uneasy too."

If a third party with the awareness of an average Japanese commoner were present, they would surely disagree with Irisviel's assessment.

Before their departure, Irisviel had a modern outfit custom-made for Saber, which she picked up at a boutique in Frankfurt Airport. It was a navy blue dress shirt, paired with a tie and a dark, European-style suit. It was entirely menswear.

It would have been strange and amusing to see a girl around 155 cm tall wearing such an outfit—but it was a different story on Saber.

It wasn't a case of the perverse beauty of a woman dressed as a man. Saber's beauty was enhanced by a cold, heroic aura, entirely different from feminine allure. Her masculine attire made her look like an unearthly beautiful young man; her slender frame and fair skin evoked the image of a pure youth, not yet possessing the mature charm of a man.

"Speaking of which, this outfit was actually prepared for a young man, but he left in too much of a hurry, so I didn't get a chance to give it to him. Luckily, Saber, you're here, otherwise, it would have just gathered dust," Irisviel said, gazing at the spirited Saber with her hands clasped together, a childlike smile on her face.

"Is it Mr. Shirou?" Artoria knew what Irisviel was referring to. After all, when she manifested, the chapel had just been renovated, and the brilliant divine energy lingering in the ley lines of Winter's Castle had not escaped her senses.

Saber, being naturally meticulous, naturally inquired about Shirou, the young man who had practically turned Winter's Castle upside down.

However, there was a significant discrepancy between Irisviel's child's description of the young man and that of the head of Winter's Castle.

"Illya said that young man was gentle and kind, a very, very good big brother; while Jubstacheit said he was a cold-blooded, cruel executioner. And Kiritsugu, although he didn't say anything, was as wary of Shirou as if he were facing a Master in the Holy Grail War, even more so... Speaking of which, I haven't asked you yet, Irisviel, what do you think he is?"

"Him?" Irisviel walked forward, skipping along with her hands behind her back. "He's a very interesting, very mysterious child."

She thought for a moment and added, "Yes, a good person."

A good person?

Saber thought about it seriously, then chuckled and shook her head.

For Irisviel, anyone who was good to her was a good person, wasn't that right?

But then again, who would harbor ill will towards this pure princess of Winter's Castle?

This was precisely why she was willing to protect Irisviel.

Thinking this, the Knight who appeared in the "Saber" class quickened her pace, following closely behind Irisviel.

Inevitably, she developed a great curiosity about the young man named "Shirou."

What kind of person was he?

All the luggage unloaded from the cargo hold was handed over to the maids, and Irisviel and Saber walked towards customs empty-handed. However, a disagreement arose between them regarding their next course of action.

The meticulous Artoria believed they should meet up with Kiritsugu Emiya as soon as possible, while Irisviel, for some reason, was filled with interest in this Fuyuki City.

Under her persistent questioning, Irisviel seemed to realize that her choice lacked a sense of crisis. After a moment of hesitation, she chose to tell the truth.

As a puppet created for this Holy Grail War, Irisviel had lived in Winter's Castle—this was her first time leaving Winter's Castle and venturing outside.

Artoria was greatly astonished by this fact.

Her own past life hadn't been particularly happy, but if this woman had truly been confined in that frozen castle since birth, living a life like a caged bird...

After a moment of silence, Artoria had the driver stop the car, then got out herself and opened the car door for Irisviel.

"Saber?"

"Although it's my first time walking in this city, it is a knight's duty to guide a lady." The blonde-haired, blue-eyed knight took off her right glove and extended her hand to the princess, her eyes full of tenderness.

"Please."

Blinking, Irisviel's eyes were filled with bright joy as she reached out and took Saber's hand.

Leaving the secluded car, the naturally poised young woman and the man-dressed beauty walked through the bustling city center, strolling leisurely and casually.

And somewhere along this street, a young man with golden eyes and white hair sensed something, looked into the distance, and a smile curved his lips.

"I've found you..."

Even amidst the bustling city, the pair of Saber and Irisviel remained quite eye-catching.

The young woman possessed an extraordinary aura, and her shimmering silver hair, paired with a cashmere wool coat, looked not overly luxurious but perfectly natural. Beside her was a handsome young man whom she held by the arm. Most people would never have the chance to see such a perfectly matched pair unless they were attending a cocktail party filled with movie stars.

This beautiful illusion, which seemed to exist only on the silver screen, was now strolling leisurely on the streets of a provincial Japanese city, causing every passerby to stop in their tracks and widen their eyes.

But even as they marveled, the pedestrians felt no inclination to approach and strike up a conversation.

It was as if the pair adhered to some unspoken rule; though they blended into the noisy crowd, they always maintained a certain distance, content to observe the city's activities.

Just then, the door of a nearby shop opened, and a black-haired girl walked out, unexpectedly colliding head-on with the silver-haired, red-eyed woman.

"Be careful," Irisviel said, hugging the little girl to prevent her from falling, while Saber, beside her, stepped forward and suddenly shielded them.

The strong premonition from her intuition prompted her to cast a sharp glance at a figure inside the shop.

Under her gaze, a handsome young man in a dark suit embroidered with golden patterns curved his lips and smiled at the stunned Irisviel:

"Long time no see, ma'am."

Danger, extreme danger.

This was Artoria's first reaction.

This was not baseless speculation, as she possessed a Noble Phantasm called "Intuition," with a rank of A, which could even briefly predict the future.

Just moments ago, she had keenly captured a possibility from the future timeline where she was impaled by countless blades.

Although the likelihood of such an event was minuscule, it proved that this young man possessed the power to kill her.

But soon, Saber realized her caution was unnecessary, because after a brief moment of stunned silence, Irisviel quickly broke into a delighted smile: "It's Shirou! I didn't expect to meet you here. Illya misses you very much."

Shirou? Saber's movements faltered, and she immediately turned her head sharply.

Red hair and brown eyes, the shape of the tail of her eyebrows like lightning.

However, such an illusion soon dissipated. The youth standing before her had white hair, and even his eyes had turned a brilliant gold.

Strange... The handsome knight frowned, sensing a profound familiarity and incongruity for some reason.

On the other side, Miyu, who had returned to Sakutsuki's side, looked up and secretly observed her brother.

"...Shirou?"

It was that name again, but Miyu couldn't recall anything.

Still, the name felt so familiar.

More than once, Miyu had been troubled by her missing memories.

Fate was truly amusing and mocking, gathering a group of people bound by destiny on the same stage, yet stripping them of their connection, maliciously anticipating the tragic end of the actors in their belated awakening.

But this time, a soul from another world looked down from a high vantage point, discerning every thread of fate.

"Hello, Irisviel, Master from the Einzbern. Sakutsuki deliberately used an unfamiliar address, took off his left glove, and extended his hand to Mrs. Einzbern."

The three Command Seals on his hand burned with a scorching radiance like flames.

"As a participant in the Holy Grail War, Sakutsuki pays his respects."

Irisviel subconsciously reached out her hand, only reacting after Sakutsuki let go.

"So, 'Shirou' is..."

"It was a whim, don't mind it," Sakutsuki said faintly, suppressing the stirring in his heart.

"Oh..." Irisviel nodded, as if she understood but didn't quite. "Kiritsugu told me a long time ago that you might be participating in the Holy Grail War, but I didn't expect to meet you so soon."

"Kiritsugu..." Recalling that man, Sakutsuki nodded. "If it's him, I'm not surprised at all."

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

"Ah, that's right!" As if remembering something, Irisviel clapped her hands and said as casually as if asking what to eat tonight, "What class is the Servant you summoned, Shirou?"

"It's Caster," Sakutsuki replied openly without hiding anything.

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Einzbern suddenly wore a triumphant smile.

By the time Artoria realized something was wrong and wanted to speak, it was too late.

"My Servant is Saber, the most outstanding class in the Holy Grail War." As if introducing her best friend, Mrs. Einzbern hugged Artoria's arm, her tone undeniably boastful.

"Irisviel!" The blonde, boyish beauty glared at her, her blue pupils filled with helplessness, but she still stepped forward and performed a knight's bow. "Servant Saber, please guide me."

Just as Sakutsuki was about to return the bow, Miyu stepped forward, her small face solemn. "Servant Caster, please guide me."

"Oh my!" Irisviel covered her mouth, her eyes sparkling like little stars. "Your Servant is such a cute girl?"

"Be careful, Irisviel. Her strength should not be underestimated," Artoria warned, sensing the vast magical energy emanating from the girl.

However, the innocent Mrs. Einzbern paid no mind. She looked down at the cool and aloof Miyu, and finally, simply opened her arms and hugged her.

"Mmph." A soft sensation met her face. Miyu struggled slightly, but Irisviel only hugged her tighter.

Under the helpless gazes of Sakutsuki and Saber, the maternal Irisviel looked up, blinked her beautiful red eyes, and her tone remained as innocent as ever:

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

"You've already captured my Servant, what else can I say?" Sakutsuki chuckled helplessly.

"I just came to hang out with you."

The low winter sun had long since hidden behind the mountains. The city streets, shrouded in night, began to reveal a different aspect. Colorful lights twinkled, reflecting in the eyes of the group, shining like stars.

And Irisviel was undoubtedly the most lively. She walked ahead, holding Miyu's hand, occasionally letting out joyful laughter.

There must be many cities in the world with more beautiful night views than Fuyuki City. But for Irisviel, the night view she saw now, this emotion, was the precious treasure she had gained for the first time.

"It's so beautiful... With so many people living here, the night becomes so dazzling..."

Beneath her emotion, Irisviel's whisper reached Miyu's ears.

Miyu looked up at the woman, who looked like an adult but was actually as innocent and pure as a child, and couldn't help but recall her own past.

Due to the rules of the Holy Grail, most of her memories were sealed. But even so, Miyu clearly remembered that for various reasons, she had been confined to a room for countless years, never taking a single step outside.

She still remembered the loneliness and despair brought on by prolonged confinement.

It was precisely because of this that Miyu understood all too well how pitiable Irisviel's sentiment was.

She squeezed the hand she held. When Irisviel looked down in confusion, Miyu stood on tiptoe and gently pecked her on the cheek.

"Let's go play, Irisviel."

Although she didn't know why she did it, Miyu felt as if she had wanted to do this for a very long time.

"!!!" Irisviel's eyes widened silently, then she quickly covered her mouth and giggled. "Yes! Where does Miyu want to go play?"

Miyu thought for a moment, then looked at Sakutsuki, who was walking side-by-side with Saber behind her. Seeing their perfectly matched dark suits, she pouted slightly with dissatisfaction.

"First, to the clothing store."

A moment later, Sakutsuki, having changed out of his suit and into a kimono, emerged hand-in-hand with Miyu, who was also wearing a kimono. Seeing Saber looking bewildered and Irisviel covering her mouth as she giggled, he felt something was off.

Was there something wrong with his previous suit?

The next instant, everyone present changed their expressions.

It was an aura that only participants of the Holy Grail War could sense.

It shattered the false peace, pierced the harmonious atmosphere surrounding the group, and was so sharp it was impossible to ignore.

This was the territory of war.

Peace had never belonged to them.

Saber naturally gripped Irisviel's upper arm, gently pulling her closer. With this simple gesture, Irisviel met Saber's gaze with a calm look.

"...An enemy Servant?"

"Yes."

Artoria spoke, but her blue eyes were fixed on the two figures, one large and one small, dressed in kimonos.

As Saber, she wasn't skilled at enemy detection, but if even she had noticed, it meant the Caster group had also sensed this provocative aura.