The Girl Is Reflecting on Herself

"Thank you, Artoria, for going to the trouble of delivering gifts to my family," Shirou said to the girl.

"No, I've learned the etiquette here, and this gift is necessary for the elders who raised Shirou." Artoria replied matter-of-factly.

"Really? This is a gift. I originally planned to give it to you when I picked you up from the airport after you finished your work and came to Chiba. I didn't expect you to arrive here before me." Shirou said, taking out a long, thin box and taking out a silver necklace from it.

"Yes, thank you, Shirou. I really like this." Artoria took the necklace and put it on. A silver ring with a holy sword engraved in the center adorned her fair, jade-like neck.

"Really? That's great! This suits you perfectly." Shirou said with a smile. He felt an instant connection to the necklace when he saw it, so he bought it.

"However, I didn't prepare a gift for Shirou." Artoria said, fiddling with the silver ornament below the necklace.

"I've received the gift. Hearing you say 'Welcome back' from inside the door today, Artoria, was the best gift of all," Shirou said sincerely from the bottom of his heart.

Stare...

All eyes in the living room were fixed on the boy and girl.

The mother even exchanged glances with Komachi, as if to say, "Is this a done deal?"

'It seems so! My brother is quite skilled!'

Stare...

The long-haired blonde girl on the other side continued to stare intently at the boy and girl.

Shirou sensed the gaze and pulled out another gift.

"Mashiro, this is a small gift. This beret is the same style as Osamu Tezuka's." Shirou took out a beret and handed it to Mashiro. She had originally bought it just for fun as a souvenir. She never expected that this girl would come to Chiba with Artoria, so it was really great that it would come in handy.

Mashiro took the hat and ceremoniously put it on her head, honestly saying, "Thank you, Shirou. Next time, just give me Baumkuchen and a pineapple bun."

"I understand," Shirou replied with a laugh. It seemed he would have to work part-time as a pastry chef for the next few days.

"Woof woof!" At this moment, Ca-vall II ran up, squatted in front of the boy's feet, raised his head, and his two big black eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"Alright, I haven't forgotten you. Here! This is Royal Canin dog food from France, eat up." Shirou opened the package and poured it into the special food bowl.

"Woof woof!" Ca-vall II wagged its tail, nuzzled Shirou affectionately, and then lowered its head to savor the imported premium dog food.

Guh~!

"Don't let your stomach growl just because you see a dog enjoying its food," Shirou retorted.

"Shirou, cook! I want fried chicken!" Artoria said.

"Baumkuchen," Mashiro continued.

"Yes, we really want to eat Shirou's cooking too," Mom and Dad chimed in.

"After all, it's been three weeks since I've had a loving meal made by my brother. No matter what I eat, it feels like something's missing. In these three weeks, Komachi has fully realized how powerful cooking can be. When school starts, I must learn from Erina-chan properly," Komachi said earnestly.

"Just learn from me! I've gained some insights into French cuisine since I came back from abroad," Shirou reminded him.

"No way! Komachi would rather die than become my brother's apprentice!" Komachi refused.

"Why?" Shirou looked at his younger sister in surprise, completely baffled by her thinking. They were siblings, after all; what couldn't they do together?

"Anyway, Shirou (brother) is counting on you~!" x5, five voices overlapped in perfect unison.

"Alright, alright, I wasn't planning on having you cook," Shirou said. "Why do I suddenly feel like there are several Komachi in the house, all clustered together?"

The two girls seemed even more like members of the Higashiya family than he was. With the unanimous approval of Hachiman's mother and family, Artoria and Mashiro officially moved into Shirou's house as boarding students.

To welcome the two new family members, Shirou got busy. Since his parents were always busy with work, the refrigerator was always stocked with vegetables, ham, and bacon.

The oven in this family of four is not equipped to make professional-grade Baumkuchen.

However, even a simplified Baumkuchen can achieve the desired texture of tightly rolled-up layers. If you think of a way, you can manage it. At least for now, just bear with this and buy a large oven tomorrow.

Shirou had already made long-term plans. Making it himself was much cheaper than buying it, and it would taste better too. Once the house next door was renovated, he could just move it over there to use.

As for pineapple buns, that's no problem; they're easy to make, but fermentation takes time, and you have to get the crust just right. However, that's a dessert, so we'll make them last, as a late-night snack for Mashiro and Artoria.

Shirou mentally prepared the dishes for tonight, and once he had a clear idea, he quickly got to work. His culinary skills, honed through countless trials, were flawless; there wasn't a single dish he couldn't prepare.

Tonight's meal, besides the pineapple bun dessert and Artoria's favorite fried chicken nuggets, will be...

Shirou also prepared various types of dumpling sets.

Take cabbage and mushroom dumplings, for example. Dumplings filled with delicious fillings are blanched in hot water, then taken out and cooled. This way of eating results in the smoothest and most tender skin, while the inside is fresh and juicy.

Take chive dumplings, for example. You make the dough yourself, and use a rolling pin to roll the flour with water into a thick, round shape. When you wrap them up and steam them, the thick dumpling skin gives you a sense of rustic comfort and a satisfying feeling for your appetite after a few bites.

For example, the garlic dumplings were made with thinner dough wrappers. They were then fried on an oiled griddle until golden brown, allowing the garlic and pork filling inside to combine with the wheat flavor. Finally, they were drizzled with a special meat sauce.

"So blissful, so delicious, snoring..." Komachi cupped her face and said, completely absorbed in the moment.

"As expected, our family's dinners really need to be this good. Shirou has to be the chef."

"Oh, these pan-fried dumplings go very well with wine," Dad said, taking out a glass of wine.

Since it was evening at home, there was no need to worry about bad breath; a shower and brushing teeth were all it took. Everyone enjoyed a hearty meal, with Shirou making a lot, until everyone was satisfied.

The next morning, Shirou got up at six o'clock and did physical training.

At this moment, Artoria was already standing in the open space of the courtyard, holding a bamboo sword in her hand and swinging it around.

"Good morning." Shirou stepped forward and greeted the girl.

"Good morning, Shirou." Artoria said to the boy as she sheathed her bamboo sword.

"Getting up so early to practice, that's really dedicated," Shirou praised.

"Well, now that I have a physical body, if I don't exercise properly, my muscles and body flexibility will easily become sluggish," Artoria explained.

"I see." Shirou nodded.

"Shirou, how about we have a sparring session?" Artoria suggested.

"Since this is a rare opportunity, let's practice together. Please give me your feedback." Shirou took a bamboo sword from the shelf where the bamboo swords were kept and agreed with a smile.

Although there was no dojo or soundproofing here, so they couldn't make too much noise, their sparring wasn't about intense clashes but rather grappling, which still looked quite exciting.

In the midst of the rapid movement, the bamboo swords blocked the attack, then dissipated the force of gravity, one excelling in offense and the other in defense.

Shirou took in the exquisite swordsmanship of the Britain king. Even after watching it hundreds of times and practicing with him dozens of times, it remained as powerful and unwavering as ever. A fire ignited within him, as if the entire scene were being relived from another world.

The bamboo swords transformed into long, sweeping shadows, and the continuous attacks created a suffocating sense of oppression.

However, the boy, skilled in defense, managed to withstand all of these attacks.

Artoria swung her sword down, the immense force causing Shirou's bamboo sword to deflect slightly.

Artoria seized the opportunity, charging straight at him and delivering a fatal blow with a swift, sweeping sword strike.

"Ha, I lost again." Shirou sat on the ground, sweating profusely and panting. It had been a long time since he had sparred so thoroughly. Artoria was still as serious and strict as ever during the battle.

"No, Shirou, you did very well. If you had used your best dual swords, I might have lost," Artoria said.

"Then let's have another match next time. But let's end today's practice here. I'm going to wash up and then prepare breakfast. You can stay here and kill some time, Artoria," Shirou said to the girl.

"I understand. I'll be responsible for waking Mashiro up in a little while," the girl nodded in agreement.

After exercising, Artoria put away her bamboo sword, sat down, and began meditating for combat training.

Chapter 205 The girl is reflecting

The girl sat on the eaves of the courtyard, closed her eyes, and meditated to improve her concentration. Her slightly furrowed brows suggested an intense internal struggle.

In fact, Artoria was currently holding a self-reflection meeting. She had already decided last night to put an end to everything. Ever since she made a contract with Shirou, even now that she had a physical body, she was still connected to Shirou through the FGO system.

The Magic Eye that Shirou possesses now are a very unique power, and their potential for growth may even surpass all the Magic Eye she has ever seen, whether it is Merlin's current Clairvoyance, the petrifying Mystic Eyes and charming Mystic Eyes among the Servant, or the Magic Eye possessed by the knights and fairies she has seen before. Compared with Shirou's eyes, they are fundamentally different in some aspects.

Yes, these Magic Eye couldn't possibly be a miracle achieved simply at the moment of death, as Shirou claimed.

Although no one has pointed this out yet, Da Vinci of Chaldea and the other Magecraft must have already noticed it, which is why Merlin has been keeping an eye on Shirou.

This is by no means something that can be easily created. So-called miracles also have different levels, like soaring high above the world's highest mountain peak, diving into the deep sea where light cannot reach, or burrowing thousands of meters underground.

Make the sky rain, press your hand and fire, turn barren land into fertile land, grow all kinds of plants, and have enough to eat and wear all year round.

Water, fire, land, and food are all indispensable to humankind. Reaching the heavens, descending to the earth, and entering the sea were considered divine abilities, and to ancient people, they were like miracles.

What seems like a journey through space to humanity today, a vacation on Mars or the Moon, could be replaced by a single missile destroying a planet roughly the size of Earth during a Star Wars conflict.

These restrictions seem far off, but hundreds of years later, just like in the war movies, even though everyone was so strong, with intelligence and strength that completely overwhelmed the Japanese, a bunch of mentally challenged invaders still managed to occupy most of the land.

How would the people of the Republic of China in this story view the future of China?

Even if ten different miracles were to occur simultaneously, each capable of resolving the situation, it would be impossible to easily produce eyes of this caliber.

Those eyes seemed to connect to the root of everything, thus seeing through all things in the world. Because they were the root, they could open channels and connect with any parallel world or even an existence in another universe that shared similarities.

Perhaps for this reason, she often saw the boy's past in this world in her dreams, and through the connection of the Magic Eye, she saw the experiences of boys in different worlds.

Today's teenagers have families, but when they grow up, there will always be a time when they leave home. When they have no other concerns, there will always be a time when they have to make their own choices.

Judging from the future foreseen through dreams, if he were left alone, the outcome would always be less than satisfactory.

Shirou always strives with all his might for ideals that are too difficult to achieve, even if he is covered in wounds, he will grit his teeth and move forward until the last moment of his life, just like an overloaded machine, a piece of steel breaking, overheating, smoking and burning, Burn to ashes.

The only one who lived to old age was injured by a shell during the war, lost his memory, and only regained it on the day the world ended.

But by then, his body was old and frail, and the decades he had lived were meaningless; he could only watch helplessly in endless regret as...

The arrival of the apocalypse brought unprecedented suffering to humanity worldwide.

Only by forging deep bonds and having someone by Shirou's side who stands by him through thick and thin can he find happiness.

As a boy Shirou was like an unknown egg, its future uncertain – whether it would rise from the ashes like a phoenix or die in its shell.

Although the blue Saber now is indeed myself, they are different aspects of the same Servant, like beings with a shared past but different personalities.

However, in her memory, when she was alive, she was indeed known as a queen who represented chivalrous virtues such as fairness and justice. In many timelines, she was with only a few people, Shirou.

Many others fought alone until their deaths, never having saved anyone in their final moments. They were misunderstood and disrespected throughout their lives, having rescued thousands upon thousands of people, yet they were not recognized as heroes. Their tragic ends are heartbreaking.

The rest were... snatched away by other women: the traditionally proud and aloof girl in red, the seemingly weak but actually quite difficult little girl with purple hair, and the silver-haired little girl...

And that woman with the amazing figure riding a white horse...

She was recruited back to the Kyudo Club by the straightforward and cheerful Kyudo Club president, Ayako Mitsuzuri, and became the future of the archery school.

Then there's Chika Himuro, the daughter who becomes the mayor of Fuyuki City. Her future in politics is that of Lê Lợi, the King of Vietnam who summoned Saber during the World Culture War, launched the Lam Son Uprising, proclaimed himself "Pacifying King," confronted the Ming Dynasty, unified Jiaozhi), and eventually became the founding emperor Emperor Lê Thái Tổ, recognized by Emperor Xuande of Ming.

I don't know why, but that face seems somewhat familiar, and the scene where the sword is thrown back into the lake and caught by the divine turtle—is that plagiarism?

And then there's Tiger! The Tiger route! That Luck EX, who's always saving the world, a comedic character like Tiger, actually has a higher chance of ending up with Shirou than she does.

This is simply unbearable. Let's use the Holy Sword to unleash its Noble Phantasm and sweep those future beings away!

"Shirou is my knight, and he must be led by me, his king!" Artoria shouted angrily, her eyes closed in meditation.

However, because yesterday's dinner was so delicious, she was completely absorbed in eating, and the burning flames within her had subsided, while the roaring Red Dragon had been fully satisfied.

Mashiro, having been on a long flight and jet-lagged, went to bed early. Shirou, meanwhile, was still in the kitchen making pineapple buns, which had gone from being a late-night snack to breakfast. Although she offered to help, Shirou and Komachi pushed her out of the kitchen.

So she went to bed to rest for a while. She was only going to lie down for a short time, but she ended up sleeping until five o'clock.

To reflect on her actions, Artoria went to the courtyard alone, preparing to swing her sword ten thousand times as a profound lesson for herself.

Unexpectedly, Shirou came to find them and they even had a sparring match.

Yes, this sparring is very enjoyable. Since defeating Vortigern, she hasn't encountered a worthy opponent. Her heart is pounding with excitement, her blood is boiling with a thirst for battle, and her body is aroused. Shirou's martial arts seem to have improved since their last meeting, but of course, he still can't beat her!

After all, how could the king lose to his knight? Even if his skills were surpassed, he would still have to rely on magic and the power of the holy sword and holy Holy Lance to win back.

The high-hanging sunlight shone on the girl's hair, which had turned from golden to almost platinum due to the reverse transformation, as if light were shining on a gemstone, making it seem to radiate an extraordinary brilliance.

The girl with her eyes closed had an exquisitely beautiful face, and her temperament was still somewhat dignified and cold, but her features had softened considerably, making her seem like a goddess descended to earth.

While in meditation, Artoria smelled the aroma of ham and the sweet scent of bread. Because it was made by Shirou, it smelled even better, and her stomach began to rumble.

Artoria opened her eyes, her aloof golden pupils looking down at her flat stomach. She thought to herself, "It seems I've been living too comfortably in this world. Has my mind started to relax? Although my age has been fixed by the Holy Sword, by obtaining a real physical body, I can now be considered a newly reborn human."

Although there are no changes in physical appearance, are the internal systems still affected? Is this what is called psychological "excess weight"?

"No! How can this be the way of the King of Britain? For the glory of the Knights of the Round Table, tonight! Tonight, we must slay Shirou!" Artoria made up her mind.

"Artoria, hey, Artoria, what's wrong? It's about time you went to wake Mashiro up." Shirou, who had almost finished preparing breakfast, came out and called out.

"Ah, okay, I'll go now." Artoria kept her expression unchanged, stood up, nodded in agreement, and then went upstairs.

"Hmm? Why does she seem a little flustered?" Shirou looked at the girl's back with a puzzled expression; she did seem different from usual.

"It's time for Mashiro to get up." Artoria pushed open the door and saw a mysterious creature with a blanket rolled up under the wooden bed frame, its head covered.