Shirou's Return from the Fae Kingdom

"Good thing you didn't kill that woman. You almost did something irreversible."

On the way back, after Shirou explained everything that happened today to Little Yellow Duck, it suddenly said this.

"What's wrong?" Shirou was utterly confused.

Makiri chuckled, "Kid, you don't mean you've already figured it out, do you?"

Shirou froze for a moment, then nodded expressionlessly, "...Yes, I have."

Volume 1, Chapter 043: Shirou: "Sis, she looks a bit familiar?"

Makiri let out a satisfied snort, "That's right, your guess is correct. The Einzbern Master is very likely the Lesser Holy Grail for this Holy Grail War."

"Lesser Holy Grail?"

"The so-called Lesser Holy Grail is the key and stabilizing device used to open the Greater Holy Grail. Kid, you should have seen it with your own eyes, right? The Einzbern Master should be a 'vessel'."

"Mhm."

That was true. Shirou had indeed seen that the silver-haired homunculus's body was an empty shell. The skill "Ultimate Magic Eye" allows one to see the most essential part of things by looking through the surface. Therefore, Shirou's eyes couldn't strip Irisviel's clothes and see the number of Command Spells covering every inch of her skin. Nor could they see the flesh beneath her skin, a crystallization of magic circuits that could be called infinite. He couldn't understand that she was a "weapon" remodeled by the Einzberns to win the Holy Grail War. But he could see that Irisviel's original design intent was "vessel."

But what did that have to do with the Holy Grail?

Makiri further explained the deeper operational mechanism of the Holy Grail. The so-called Lesser Holy Grail is a "vessel" prepared by the Einzbern Family to absorb the souls of defeated Servants. If the Holy Grail is to descend, both the Greater Holy Grail located beneath Mount Enzou and the Lesser Holy Grail are indispensable. Until the last Holy Grail War, the Lesser Holy Grail was, as the name suggests, a chalice. But during the Third Holy Grail War, the Lesser Holy Grail was destroyed, and the ritual was halted. Makiri therefore speculated that the Einzbern Family would create a new, self-managing vessel this time—that is, to construct the Lesser Holy Grail with a human body. This way, they could seize the initiative and hold the key to opening the Holy Grail in their own hands.

"I see, I see, I don't understand at all." Shirou asked again, "What happens if the Lesser Holy Grail dies?"

Little Yellow Duck said, "It doesn't matter even if it dies. As long as it maintains a human form, it can continue to function as a vessel. But if the Einzbern doll loses its self-awareness, the ritual becomes troublesome. All factions will prioritize targeting the faction that has obtained the Lesser Holy Grail."

Shirou nodded, lost in thought, "Is that so? Then if it breaks... I mean, if the basic form of the 'vessel' is damaged to the point where it can no longer be guaranteed?"

"..."

Makiri: "Kid, what are you trying to do?"

"Then a new Lesser Holy Grail will have to be made. It's very simple. Just pluck out the Lesser Holy Grail's heart (core) and stuff it into another human body. The Einzbern's technology is beyond doubt; even a human body can be compatible. There aren't many requirements for magical performance; even someone like Shinji, who has no talent for magic at all, can... Kuku kuku."

Why did he have to use his own grandson as an example?

Shirou looked at the receding scenery outside the bus and fell into thought. Einzbern, homunculus, Lesser Holy Grail... He processed the knowledge he had gained today.

"Speaking of which, the Einzbern Master has an incredibly strong yakuza bodyguard by her side." Shirou remembered the boy in the black suit beside Irisviel.

"It's rare for you to say someone is strong... Is he her Servant?"

"No, although I haven't met many Servants, he didn't give me the impression of being a Servant (spiritual body). He felt more like a living human."

"I'm not too sure about that. Well... considering it's the Einzbern, it's probably a mercenary they hired with money from somewhere."

"I see."

Strangely, the image of the blonde youth's back lingered in Shirou's mind, he felt like he'd seen him somewhere before...

Final question.

"Makiri, are all Einzbern women perverts? Are they all like that?"

"..."

For some reason, the Little Yellow Duck began to curse angrily.

"Master, welcome home~ welcome home~ Shower first? Eat first? Or eat·me·first...?"

"Did anything happen while I was gone?"

"Mhm, nope. Don't stand at the door, come in quickly."

"Is this your house or mine?"

Shirou sighed and walked into the entrance hall.

Not long after, Taiga Fujimura also returned from school.

Shirou busied himself preparing dinner.

He called Sister Fujiwara to eat with him, was dragged by her to take a bath together, and finally regained his freedom, returning to his room.

As soon as he entered the room, Shirou saw Lady Avalon sitting upright, drinking tea while staring intently at a crystal ball.

"Heh heh... so this is the other world's Arthur, fufu, so cute..."

"What are you looking at?" Shirou asked curiously.

The crystal ball occasionally emitted dazzling flashes of light.

Lady Avalon turned her head and said, "Ah, Master, you're here at the perfect time. Saber and Lancer are fighting."

"?"

Shirou froze for a moment, then rushed forward to push her aside.

"You didn't call me for something this important!?"

Lady Avalon replied with a tone of utter justification:

"Hm? Wasn't Master enjoying his time bathing with a cute high school girl?

I thought it wouldn't be good to disturb you."

"I wasn't enjoying it at all!"

The red-haired youth retorted as he looked at the crystal ball.

When his gaze fell upon the blonde girl on the screen, Shirou's expression froze.

"...Huh?"

Shinto, the warehouse district by the pier.

This place had already transformed into a mythical battlefield.

Two knights clad in armor—Saber and Lancer—their duel had reached its climax.

The invisible sword and the sealed spear, each collision erupted with dazzling sparks and scorching aftershocks.

The deserted streets at night seemed to be enveloped in a storm of rampant chaos. The immense flow of magic surging from the two of them blew away nearby parked vehicles and shattered the surrounding paved ground.

The sword wielder advanced like a breaking bamboo, the spear wielder was unpredictable.

Their speed surpassed the limits of the naked eye; even if someone were to film them with a high-speed camera, only endless afterimages would be left on the CCD.

This was the Holy Grail War, the battle between Servants—

Not far away, Irisviel, who was witnessing this mythical battle with her own eyes, trembled with excitement.

The clash of their swords and spears had already exceeded twenty rounds.

From an initial state of equal footing, where neither could gain an advantage, the balance began to shift rapidly.

The petite Saber and Lancer, who was at least 20 centimeters taller than her, looked like an adult and a child in terms of physique.

However, Saber completely dominated Lancer on the battlefield.

She confidently launched a fierce assault on the spear knight, relentlessly pushing the handsome man back, unable to resist even with his two strange weapons, one long and one short.

The reason was not due to their martial arts, but a simple and clear difference in strength—

"Mana Burst."

Warriors possessing this skill could easily overpower any enemy in terms of strength, regardless of their size.

Furthermore, she possessed an overwhelming amount of magical power that was unparalleled in the Heroic Spirit seat—

The red dragon heart buried within the girl's chest was a boundless furnace of mana, capable of continuously generating immense magical power with every breath.

Furthermore, when considering mana supply alone, she was the strongest Master in history, Irisviel, whose compatibility with her Servant was also optimal.

As a result, in terms of close-quarters combat, no Servant could suppress Saber.

ps: Morgan (second ascension, Savior Ash)'s eye color is blue, but she uses glasses to alter her vision and change her eye color to green (first ascension, Witch of Rain).

Then, Queen Morgan is bba, and her pupils fade to a light blue. Thus, Morgan has three eye colors across her three Spirit Origins.

Sajyou Ayaka also has the same setting, using glasses to change her eye color.

Volume 1, Chapter 044: Is it you, Morgan?

Lancer—Diarmuid successfully faked out Saber with a beautiful feint and leaped backward.

The handsome man frowned, "That's strange... what exactly is the true form of that sword of yours?"

A playful smile appeared on the blonde girl's lips. "Yes, what could it be?"

Saber concealed her weapon through her skill "Wind King Barrier (Invisible Air)," which gave her a significant advantage in close-quarters combat.

Lancer, unable to clearly see the invisible sword in Saber's hand or discern its length, could only keep himself as far outside her attack range as possible.

Although Diarmuid himself remained unharmed, the repeated failed attacks caused the battle-hardened knight to feel anxious.

Not only was the attack range difficult to gauge, but Lancer also perceived a peculiar sensation from the clash of weapons with Saber—

It felt as if he wasn't clashing with a sword, but rather some kind of... thick, blunt weapon?