On the night of the eighth day, Fuyuki City was unusually lively due to the destruction of the Holy Church.
The streets were thick with an atmosphere of tension and curiosity. People whispered among themselves, speculating about the truth behind the mysterious incident.
However, to Shiki, all of it was fleeting smoke, incapable of stirring the slightest interest in him.
After successfully dealing with Archer and obtaining that crucial Noble Phantasm, he returned to the great hollow within Mount Enzou to get some proper rest.
The place was quiet and dim. Water occasionally dripped from the cave walls, making crisp sounds as though softly applauding his victory.
No one could have imagined that Shiki was hiding here.
That night, after receiving the news, Rider took Waver through Fuyuki City's streets and alleys, leaving no corner unchecked, yet they never found any trace of Shiki.
Instead, they discovered Tokiomi Tohsaka's corpse within the Tohsaka Residence. His cold body seemed to speak of the cruelty of this Holy Grail War.
Thus, the night in Fuyuki City gradually passed without further incident, and the darkness was slowly driven away by the light of dawn.
The next morning.
As usual, Shiki finished his exercise and sat at a stone table, enjoying a simple breakfast.
At that moment, the Black Knight hurried in from outside, his footsteps rushed and his expression carrying an unusual hint of alarm. Shiki could not help feeling curious. He had never seen the Black Knight so flustered before. Had something astonishing happened?
Setting down his food, Shiki asked in confusion, "Sir Lancelot, did something major happen?"
"Master."
The Black Knight came to Shiki's side, surprise difficult to conceal in his voice. "I just received a magecraft signal."
Shiki frowned slightly, unable to understand.
It was merely a magecraft signal. It did not seem like anything worth making such a fuss over.
Seeing his Master's confusion, the Black Knight hurriedly explained, "The signal itself is ordinary, but this one is different. It is the exclusive signal of the Knights of the Round Table—the King's summons."
"A magecraft signal from the Knights of the Round Table? The Round... Table?" Shiki's eyes widened as he stared at the Black Knight in shock. "No way. Does Saber, the King of Knights, want to summon you, Sir Lancelot? Didn't they say you were expelled from the Order during this Holy Grail War?"
"That is what I find strange as well, Master."
As he spoke, the Black Knight took a small bird from his robes and gently placed it on the plain dining table.
The little bird hopped toward the dairy product in front of Shiki and lowered its head to peck at it.
"My milk... Forget it. It does not taste like much anyway. Drink if you want."
Shiki smiled helplessly. He did not chase the bird away, instead studying it closely in an attempt to find clues from this ordinary familiar. Yet he found nothing.
"Then what are you thinking, Sir Lancelot? Are you going?" Shiki raised his head and looked at the Black Knight.
"Master, I..."
The Black Knight hesitated. It was not that he feared his Master would refuse, but rather that he had a strange intuition.
He kept feeling that although Saber, the King of Knights, claimed to be summoning him, she actually wanted to meet his Master. The intuition had no basis, yet it lingered stubbornly in his mind.
After hesitating for a moment, he finally said directly, "Master, since we were going to search for the Holy Grail today anyway, why not..."
Searching for the Holy Grail had long been an important step in their plans.
Shiki would not let the Lesser Grail keep wandering around with Kiritsugu. He knew how dangerous this Holy Grail War was.
If he fought so hard to bring down the Holy Grail, only for Kiritsugu to make a wish before him, who knew what consequences it might bring?
Though he was certain that if Kiritsugu tried to realize that unrealistic wish, the Counter Force would intervene. Just like the Winter Saintess before: her wish for the Third Magic, to save all humanity and grant all humans eternal youth and immortality, had ultimately failed to come true.
Shiki always felt that the Counter Force had secretly interfered behind every failed Holy Grail War.
Otherwise, how could an ordinary person possibly represent all the evil of humanity?
Represent himself? Who did that? Had he agreed to it?
Why was he being represented again?
He had never agreed to be represented like that.
But even if the Counter Force intervened, who could guarantee that Kiritsugu's wish would not affect Fuyuki City in some other way?
Just like in the original timeline, where it triggered the terrifying Fuyuki City fire.
Thinking of that, Shiki worried about unforeseen complications. He absolutely could not let that happen.
Therefore, before the Holy Grail descended, he had to seize control of the Lesser Grail. The plan was set for the ninth day, after Archer had been dealt with.
"Sir Lancelot, then let's go take a look. Let's see what Saber, the King of Knights, is really up to."
The Black Knight respectfully pressed a hand to his chest and withdrew, saying gratefully, "Thank you for your understanding, Master."
Since they had decided to meet the King of Knights, Shiki quickened his pace of eating.
After breakfast, he began carefully tidying himself up, trying to make himself look more presentable.
The Black Knight stood to one side, watching his Master's actions with some confusion. His Master looked ordinary, merely somewhat pleasant to look at. No matter how much he dressed up, he could never be as handsome as the Black Knight.
Still, he did not dare voice such thoughts and merely grumbled to himself in silence.
"I get the feeling you're thinking something very rude, Sir Lancelot." Shiki seemed to sense the Black Knight's thoughts. He turned with a faintly amused smile.
The Black Knight smiled awkwardly and hurriedly covered for himself. "...Master, you are overthinking it."
Shiki did not mind the Black Knight's attitude. Once he had finished grooming himself, he looked in the mirror and felt rather satisfied.
Only that eyepatch made him feel that something was lacking. He always felt it seriously harmed his looks.
But he also knew his appearance was rather ordinary, so he did not dwell on it too much.
Come to think of it, it was rather embarrassing. Until now, Shiki had only seen Saber once from a great distance and had never met her again.
Perfect. This time, he could take a good look at the famous Saber—the Ahoge King. No, she should be the Ahoge King of Knights.
Shiki took a deep breath and turned to the Black Knight. "Good. Let's go."
"As you command, Master."
The Black Knight straightened his posture and answered solemnly.
Since they were traveling in broad daylight, flying was naturally out of the question. It would only cause unnecessary trouble.
From Ryūdō Temple to the Emiya Residence...
"By the way, Sir Lancelot, do we know where Saber, the King of Knights, is?"
Fortunately, the Black Knight was already familiar with some of his Master's little quirks. Without panic, he took out the small bird and released it.
The bird flapped its wings, circled several times in the sky, then flew in one direction.
Seeing this, Shiki nodded, glad to have the bird leading the way.
They followed the bird and proceeded down the streets.
Sunlight fell over them, bringing a hint of warmth. What weather.
After a walk that was not too long, Shiki finally arrived in front of a Japanese-style residence.
He looked up, and his first impression was that the house was enormous and exceptionally imposing. Looking more closely, he could not help sighing to himself. Kiritsugu really was rich.
However, when he saw that there was no plaque at the entrance reading something like "Emiya Residence," he nodded inwardly. If there had been one, he could have laughed at Kiritsugu Emiya for the rest of his life.
Shiki stepped forward and knocked on the door.
Knock, knock, knock. The sound was particularly loud on the quiet street.
Very soon, he sensed a powerful presence behind the door.
With a creak, the door slowly opened, revealing a petite, blue-eyed blonde beauty dressed in men's clothing before Shiki.
Shiki could not help looking her over. At first glance, he noticed that she was short, nearly a head shorter than him. At second glance, that conspicuous ahoge possessed an overwhelming presence. At third glance, his gaze unconsciously swept over her chest, and he silently complained, Flat as a board. No thanks!
But he quickly realized that thought was somewhat rude and hurriedly threw it out of his mind.
Before Shiki could decide how to greet this blonde European beauty, Saber was the one who spoke first.
"Welcome. Come in."
Saber's voice was crisp and gentle, yet it carried an innate authority.
And she was speaking Japanese, not English.
"Uh... Excuse me."
Shiki followed Saber into the Japanese-style residence.
Only after entering did Shiki truly understand just how large it was.
The courtyard was spacious and empty, with a winding pebble path leading to the main house. The building's style was simple yet elegant, exuding an ancient charm.
This residence was far larger than the home in the memories of Shiki's counterpart. He could not help wondering just how many assassination jobs Kiritsugu had taken to afford a place like this.
Entering the main house, Shiki finally saw the main body of the Lesser Grail—an Einzbern homunculus named Irisviel.
The instant he saw Irisviel, he froze.
The Irisviel before him looked far too much like the Winter Saintess. They could practically have been identical, differing only in subtle details. Irisviel's eyes were gentler, and her bust was somewhat larger.
As for the Saintess... well, she was the Saintess.
Irisviel sensed Shiki's gaze, yet she felt no hostility from him. On the contrary, she found the boy before her quite pleasant to look at.
So she smiled and greeted him. "Hello, Berserker's Master. I am Irisviel, Irisviel von Einzbern. In accordance with this country's customs, it is a pleasure to meet you."
Early that morning, Irisviel had heard Saber say that something unexpected would happen today. She had assumed meeting Berserker's Master was that event.
In her eyes, Berserker Lancelot had already exceeded her expectations.
It would be good to talk. She was not worried about her personal safety; with Saber protecting her, she felt at ease.
Shiki came back to his senses. This woman who resembled a Nordic elf was also speaking Japanese. It was a little awkward to listen to, but understandable. He wanted to give Kiritsugu a thumbs-up. Well done—at least Saber would not have to translate.
He returned the greeting.
"Hello, Lady Einzbern. I'm Shiki, Hōraisan Shiki."
In the empty room, the Black Knight silently appeared in spirit form. He respectfully bowed to Saber, the King of Knights, then quietly stood behind Shiki without another word.
At this moment, he existed only as his Master's loyal knight.
Once tea had been served, Saber sat properly across from Shiki and said something astonishing—words that nearly made Shiki lose his composure.
"Boy Shiki, I hope you can take Irisviel away."
Before you continue