Heroic Spirits—heroes from legend—were remembered by the world.
When the world needed them, they descended as entities possessing immense power. Once their missions were complete, they dispersed, carrying a record back to the boundary known as the Reverse Side of the World.
It was precisely because of this mysterious phenomenon that Heroic Spirit summoning became possible, and the Holy Grail War came into being.
In the Holy Grail War, the records of seven Heroic Spirits were gathered. When they returned to the Reverse Side of the World, the unimaginable magical energy of Fuyuki City's Greater Grail would stabilize that passage, allowing Magi to reach the ultimate realm of mystery—the Root.
That was the Holy Grail War's original purpose.
Shiki had stumbled across this information in the Matou Family's library.
Guided by several connected clues, certain memories quietly stirred in his mind, and he recalled some secret records concerning this Holy Grail War.
"Heroic Spirits... Then, Sir Lancelot, do you remember anything from your childhood?"
Shiki looked toward his Servant some distance away.
The Heroic Spirit who had previously been wreathed in black smoke had now revealed his true appearance.
Beneath a suit of knightly armor stood a handsome, long-haired European man. His looks were so striking that Shiki felt inferior by comparison.
Especially those melancholy eyes of his. Though they somewhat diminished his handsomeness, they instead gave him a unique charm that would surely make him popular with women.
This knight was Shiki's Servant, a Berserker—Lancelot, the man who held the undisputed first seat among the Knights of the Round Table in ancient legend.
Hearing Shiki's question, Lancelot fell silent for a moment before answering in a remarkably mature and magnetic voice, "Master, I cannot remember anything from my youth. It is as though I suddenly matured from some point onward and became one of the Knights of the Round Table."
That answer did not surprise Shiki.
Earlier, using his Mystic Eyes and the power of the Hell Path, he had observed that the Heroic Spirit's soul was exceedingly "fresh." Even then, he had suspected that the essence of Heroic Spirits might not be the souls of living people.
"Then, Sir Lancelot, don't you find that suspicious?" Shiki pressed.
The question plunged the knight into silence once more. At last, he sighed. "Master, are you asking whether I am truly the Lancelot of legend?"
Shiki's heart stirred. He sensed that these heroes seemed to share a certain understanding regarding their own existence.
"Then, would Sir Lancelot be willing to answer that question?"
Lancelot looked deeply at his second Master. This human who had performed something astonishing, miraculously bearing the side effects of his Mad Enhancement skill perfectly, had chosen to answer him directly.
"Master, we Heroic Spirits are copies of heroic legends, shadows of the departed. That is what Heroic Spirits truly are. We have never truly lived, nor have we ever truly died. Such is the state of our existence."
"...So that was it..." Shiki murmured.
Recalling the intelligence he had obtained earlier and combining it with Lancelot's answer, he confirmed several things. They conflicted with his previous assumptions, and some of his plans would have to be rearranged.
Heroic Spirit souls were granted only temporarily. Even upon returning to the Reverse Side of the World, they would not have much impact on the world. In that case, using the Greater Grail's immense magical energy to stabilize the passage and reach the Root had become an exceedingly remote possibility.
With the odds of success so low, could his wish still be fulfilled?
But when Shiki thought of the mysterious existence within the Greater Grail, his spirits rose again.
Even if he failed to achieve his goal in the end, he would not come away empty-handed. He simply had to try, step by step.
To achieve his purpose, understanding one another was crucial. Thus, their conversation continued.
Seeing his Master fall silent, Lancelot pondered for a moment before asking, "Master, what do you think after hearing my answer? How do you view us? I would very much like to know your answer."
Shiki quickly finished reading an ancient book in his hands and gently returned it to its place, then walked over to the knight.
Looking up at Lancelot, who stood nearly a head taller than him, he smiled faintly. "Sir Lancelot, regardless of what kind of existence one is, the soul and consciousness are what matter most. Whether or not you are the hero from legend, the one standing before me now is a knight with a great and noble soul and consciousness—a living Heroic Spirit."
"Then, Master, do you also acknowledge our way of existence, as well as our dreams and wishes? Even though those dreams and wishes were inherited from others?"
Shiki walked past the knight, pulled out another book, and said with a smile, "Sir Lancelot, in some sense, human life is not so different from your existence. One day, people will be forgotten—forgotten by the world—and every trace that they ever existed will fade with time. Just as your 'false' life will vanish after this Holy Grail War ends. The only difference is the span of time involved."
The knight fell silent at those words. Was this Master's view?
"However, Sir Lancelot!"
The knight raised his head to see Shiki sitting in a chair, watching him intently.
"Sir Lancelot, must meaning truly be ranked as higher or lower, right or wrong?"
"I don't know." Was it appropriate to discuss meaning with him, a shadow of a hero?
"Yes, we truly don't know."
Shiki set down the book in his hands, which described Magecraft for controlling insects. He had no interest in such content.
At this point, his exchange with his Servant had nearly reached its end. It was time to take the crucial step.
Shiki walked up to Lancelot and said with a smile, "The meaning of existence... Perhaps, Sir Lancelot, you have only one wish you want to fulfill right now. Isn't that the meaning of your existence? Why should borrowed ideals and wishes be meaningless? Who decided that? And who can refute it?"
"..."
"A false life may not be accepted by many. They may think that falsehood is inherently inferior to truth. But I want to tell you, Sir Lancelot, that a life does not need the approval of others. Only you can affirm or deny your own life. Other people's opinions are not that important. Don't you think so, Sir Lancelot?"
"To affirm oneself and deny oneself..."
Could a false life also be worthy of respect?
Thinking back from the moment he had regained consciousness until now, Lancelot recalled the emotions he had felt from Shiki. Whether through words or feelings, their contractual connection had allowed him to truly experience respect. It was entirely different from his previous Master, Matou Kariya.
Matou Kariya had only respected his immense strength. Whether in word or in heart, he had merely treated Lancelot as a tool to fulfill his dream.
The boy before him seemed to overlap, in certain ways, with that king who had likewise respected their wishes and founded the Knights of the Round Table.
Lancelot's feelings had indeed changed somewhat. Smiling, he extended his hand and said, "Master, I am fortunate to have met a partner like you. I believe that no matter what our past was, or what our future may be, at least at this moment, I, Lancelot du Lac, first knight of the Knights of the Round Table, offer you my sincerest respect."
As he spoke, a gleaming Noble Phantasm appeared in his hand. The knight dropped to one knee and planted his sword upright before him, reenacting an ancient knightly ritual in this library.
"Here, I swear that I, Lancelot, shall become the sharp blade in Master's hand and cut down every enemy that stands in our path."
The oath caught Shiki somewhat off guard, but he quickly composed himself. He had experienced such a ceremony before as well.
Though its form and appearance differed, its meaning and resolve were no different.
He placed one hand upon the knight's shoulder and solemnly made his own promise. "Here, I, Hōraisan Shiki, swear that I shall do my utmost, never betray your trust, and use this power entrusted to me with caution and wisdom."
As those words fell, an entirely new contract was formed between them.
It was a powerful alliance between Master and Servant, founded upon mutual understanding and respect.
"Then let us advance hand in hand and fight upon this battlefield, so that every enemy may witness our strength and resolve!"
But before that, Shiki suddenly remembered something and curiously asked his knight, "By the way, in the legends, was King Arthur actually a man or a woman?"
"..."
Lancelot looked at Shiki rather helplessly. This Master of his seemed a little too fond of gossip.
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