Time slipped quietly by. After an unknown amount of time, Shiki slowly woke from a deep sleep.
"This is the first time I've slept so comfortably. Saving Irisviel must have drained too much of my energy."
Sitting up, he realized he was not lying in a familiar bed, but on top of the altar.
Shiki's expression immediately stiffened. He hurriedly turned to look at Irisviel beside him. Only after seeing that she was still sleeping peacefully and that nothing had gone wrong did he let out a sigh of relief.
Good. Nothing embarrassing happened. Then again, while he was in such a deep sleep, he could not have done anything anyway.
"Master, you are awake."
The materialized Black Knight, Lancelot, emerged from the air.
Shiki raised a hand in greeting before asking, "Sir Lancelot, what time is it now?"
"Master, it is currently 4:30 p.m. local time." Lancelot's answer was brief and precise.
"Almost five in the afternoon? I actually slept that long."
Shiki sighed as he stretched lazily.
He stepped down from the altar and went to the edge of the pool, carefully washing his face while making sure not to splash water onto his eyepatch. Once he had dried himself off, he felt much more alert.
"Sir Lancelot, nothing major happened while I was asleep, right?"
"Nothing major occurred, Master. Everything in the city is normal."
"Everything is normal... That's what makes it abnormal."
Shiki pondered inwardly. After Archer had been eliminated, only three Heroic Spirits remained.
Other than the Black Knight, the other two showed no signs of conflict. That likely meant they had reached some sort of alliance.
"Ah, I was so focused on Irisviel and the Holy Grail back then that I neglected to ask the King of Knights whether she had an alliance with Rider. What a waste."
The Black Knight handed him a towel. Shiki took it, dried the water from his face, then tossed it back to him.
"Sir Lancelot, tonight, we will make Rider leave the stage. After that comes the final battle against Saber. Are you ready?"
Was he ready?
Lancelot clenched the towel in his hand and repeatedly asked himself that question.
Fighting spirit, will to battle, and complicated emotions beyond description surged within him.
There was no doubt about it. He had long been ready.
"Master, thank you for all you have done and for your help. I, Lancelot, am ready."
The Black Knight dropped to one knee and answered sincerely.
This was his final courtesy. Afterward, he would bring this brief yet fulfilling Holy Grail War to an end, just as he had once pursued his dream.
"Good."
Shiki gave the Black Knight a faint smile. He knew the other man's wish. After all, they had exchanged vows. At this moment, all he could do was silently wish for the Black Knight to get what he desired.
"Then, once Irisviel is settled, we will depart."
"As you command, Master."
But how was he supposed to settle Irisviel?
He could not simply leave her here.
"Oh, right."
Shiki seemed to remember something. He walked to the altar's edge and looked at Irisviel, the Norse fairy sleeping like an infant. Tilting his head slightly, he hesitated for a moment before gently placing both hands on her abdomen.
"Avalon, distant utopia, appear in the name of Hōraisan Shiki. Come!"
As soon as he spoke, a streak of golden radiance slowly emerged from Irisviel's abdomen. As Shiki gradually raised his hand, a Golden Sword Sheath shining with sacred light floated into the air.
"The distant utopia... It has been far too long since I last saw this treasure."
The Black Knight, who had somehow come to Shiki's side, could not help sighing. His gaze remained fixed on the Golden Sword Sheath, as though he could see distant memories long buried in the past through it.
Shiki was also carefully sensing this treasure that truly existed.
Judging by its appearance, it looked less like a weapon and more like a precious ornament that displayed supreme authority.
The lost fairy script on the scabbard silently proved that it had not been made by human hands.
At that moment, the radiant treasure seemed ready to dye the somewhat dim Great Hollow in dazzling gold.
"Amazing!"
Shiki could not help exclaiming sincerely. This was the first time he had felt the immense power contained within a treasure from such close range. Even the Noble Phantasms of Heroic Spirits seemed to pale in comparison.
Especially once he realized that the scabbard temporarily belonged to him and that he could fully wield its power, the shock became even more profound.
Hearing Shiki's praise, the Black Knight unconsciously revealed a trace of pride. After all, anyone who had personally experienced the might of this holy sword's scabbard would be astonished by it without exception.
He said earnestly, "Master, with this scabbard, your safety is absolutely guaranteed. That way, your knight, Lancelot, will have no more worries."
The Black Knight knew that Shiki's abilities were extraordinary and mysterious. However, the limitations of a human body still meant that his Master's strength lagged far behind that of a Heroic Spirit.
On this brutal battlefield, even a modern bullet could easily take Master's life.
No one could predict when an accident might strike.
But now, with the scabbard protecting Master, Lancelot could finally pursue and fulfill his wish without restraint.
That was right. The Holy Grail War was nearing its end, and Shiki was arming himself as thoroughly as possible.
Since he had such a powerful treasure in hand, he naturally had to make full use of it.
The reason he had hesitated to remove the scabbard from Irisviel's body before was only because he feared it would further delay her awakening.
But on second thought, Irisviel did not urgently need to wake up immediately. If she woke too early and saw certain things, Shiki would only find it troublesome.
Thinking that, he finally took out the scabbard. Distant utopia.
With a turn of his wrist, Shiki activated the treasure's power.
"Scatter!"
In an instant, the golden scabbard broke apart like shattered porcelain, splitting into hundreds of fragments that enveloped Shiki.
An invisible barrier instantly unfolded, firmly protecting the sole person within it.
The ability activating so smoothly was within Shiki's expectations. After all, he was currently Avalon's authorized holder, even if only temporarily.
"Return!"
After confirming the effect of the ability, Shiki recalled the scabbard.
This time, however, he did not restore it to its original form. Instead, just as it had previously attached itself to Irisviel, he had it attach itself to his own body.
However, after the scabbard's ability took effect on Shiki, the result differed from what he had expected.
"..."
He had hoped that the damage to his right eye would be healed. Legend said that this scabbard possessed the miraculous power to heal its bearer's injuries, yet his right eye remained unchanged.
The Black Knight standing nearby noticed Shiki's confusion and took the initiative to explain. "Master, could it be that your Mystic Eyes are interfering with Avalon's healing effect?"
Mystic Eyes...
Shiki touched his eyepatch.
Mystic Eyes—top-tier Rainbow Magic Eyes—were inextricably connected to the Root.
He had thought Avalon could break through that obstacle. Apparently, it could not.
Then the legendary defensive barrier that even the Five Magics could not breach was merely a legend after all.
"Master?" the Black Knight called softly.
"Forget it. It is no great concern if it did not work. Sir Lancelot, take Irisviel. Let's depart."
Shiki no longer dwelled on the issue of its healing ability.
They ate their final meal. Then, under the cover of night, Shiki and the Black Knight flew like a streak of black lightning in a straight line across Miyamachi and Shinto, heading for the Einzbern Forest more than thirty kilometers outside Fuyuki City.
They quickly found the castle hidden by a barrier.
The castle was now completely empty. It had suffered severe damage from the aftermath of the battle between Kiritsugu and Kaineth.
Combined with Rider's exceptionally flamboyant entrance back then, Kiritsugu had been forced to abandon this base.
However, several rooms in the castle were still intact.
If there was anywhere Irisviel could be safely settled, it would be here.
"Next, we go fight, Sir Lancelot."
Shiki looked west toward Fuyuki City, confidence shining in his single left eye.
"Yes, my Master."
The Black Knight Lancelot was equally full of fighting spirit as he answered his Master.
At this moment, both Shiki and the Black Knight were fully prepared to face the final battle.
Before you continue