Roland walked alongside Medea through F Airport, the airport closest to Fuyuki City.
Roland's appearance was unremarkable, but Medea still wore her purple robe, her pale, shapely thighs flickering into view with each step. Yet even such an eye-catching outfit caused no commotion.
With nothing more than a simple Barrier that interfered with perception, the two strolled openly into the airport and settled into cushioned seats in the waiting area. No other Heroic Spirit could rival a Caster's advantages in this field.
"Master, is it really wise to monitor the Grail vessel so openly? You only just killed their intended Master."
Medea asked the moment she sat down. She rested her cheek on one hand, tilted her head slightly toward Roland, and crossed her long, pale legs.
"That's exactly why we need to take a look. Heroic Spirits can assume spirit form, after all. If that supposed Saber doesn't appear physically, I'll have a headache on my hands."
Roland looked out the window. A passenger plane was slowly touching down on the runway, and the woman he had long been waiting for emerged from its door.
She had impeccably sculpted features and beautiful red eyes. Lustrous silver hair fell softly down her back, while a silver fox fur coat enveloped her magnificent, full bust. Knee-high boots encased her long legs, outlining alluring curves that were both graceful and voluptuous.
Irisviel. Her beauty, too perfect to belong to a human, readily betrayed her identity. Behind her, another tall figure slowly emerged.
He wore a black coat over a navy shirt, with a smile as warm as sunshine on his face. He looked as flawless as a prince who had stepped out of a fairy tale.
"Tch, handsome men like that always strike me as frivolous and indecisive..."
Medea passed her prejudiced judgment on Saber first. "But I can feel his deep, powerful magical energy. Probably only a Saber could feel like that. Master, it seems things are still going as you expected. The Einzberns' Master appears to have King Arthur after all."
Then she turned her head and saw the surprise on Roland's face.
"How could it be King Arthur?"
"Huh?"
That answer left Medea utterly baffled. Hadn't Roland himself insisted yesterday that he needed to confirm whether Saber was King Arthur? The answer was right, so why was her Master still dissatisfied?
"Could he be using some Noble Phantasm to disguise himself?"
"No, he is King Arthur. The problem is, why is King Arthur a man?"
Roland frowned and let out a small sigh.
Coming to take a look today had indeed been the right decision. He had never expected Avalon, possessed by Shendu, to summon Saber's prototype-the King Arthur known as Proto Saber.
In terms of combat strength, his male physique might give Proto Saber greater endurance than Artoria, but their overall fighting styles were still the same.
Their Noble Phantasms, however, were an entirely different matter. Both were Divine Constructs forged in the Inner Sea of the Planet, but by the time that sword reached Saber's hands, its output had already been capped. The one Proto Saber held merely had a sheath with conditions for releasing its seals.
To truly knowledgeable Heroic Spirits, Saber’s identity as the Wielder of the Holy Sword of the Stars shone far more brightly than that of King Arthur.
Once the Sacred Sword’s restraints were released, it could cleave through UOs and cut down Evils of Humanity. Above all else, it was powerful.
Moreover, as Roland remembered it, Proto Saber had destiny on his side as a tool for saving the world, along with special skills such as Beast Slayer.
And looking over this Holy Grail War, aside from the Absolute Evil of This World still hiding inside the Grail, the only person who was evil, powerful, secretly plotting, and a giant beast all at once seemed to be Roland himself.
"Well, Master? Shall we leave?"
"No..." Roland had been about to agree, but suddenly changed his mind. Scarlet flames filled his pupils once more. "I think I've found something interesting."
He instinctively poured magical energy into his eyes, enhancing his vision. This time, however, he looked not at the Wielder of the Holy Sword, who warranted greater caution, but at her Master, Irisviel.
"Why does the Einzbern Family's Master have traces of fire demonic qi on her?"
Faint though it was, no more than a sliver, Irisviel indeed bore the lingering presence of fire demonic qi. As the Fire Demon, Roland had absolute authority on that point.
At Roland's words, Medea also focused intently on Irisviel, but in the end, she shook her head.
"Aside from confirming that she's this war's Grail vessel, I haven't found anything."
"That's not your fault." Roland stood up. "My fire qi only remained in her for a while. It never truly became part of her. How incredible. There's no chi magic here, so how did the Einzberns extract all the fire qi from her body intact? If I hadn't come in person, I probably wouldn't have noticed."
Roland had never understood why the Soul of the Holy Lord had attached itself to Avalon. Logically, something containing vast amounts of magical energy, like the Holy Grail, should have been Shendu's first choice. Something must have happened to make him switch hosts.
And when it came to the Einzbern Family, who were hopeless at fighting but unmatched at stirring up trouble, Roland did not hesitate to entertain the most malicious suspicions.
"Let's go, Caster. Let's see just what the Einzberns got up to in the last war."
"Don't worry, Irisviel. Your daughter is a very sensible child. She only arrived half a day early. She'll be fine."
After they left the airport, Proto Saber offered some reassurance as he watched Irisviel gaze at the dazzling array of storefronts. Though curiosity filled her face, her spirits remained low.
"This is your first time leaving the castle. You should see more of this beautiful world."
"That's exactly why I'm worried." Irisviel bit her lip. "It's her first time leaving the Einzberns, too. She's still so young, yet she already has to serve as a candidate. Is Great-Grandfather unwilling to give her even these last few years?"
"I believe she has inherited your strength. Surely she agreed so readily because she trusts you to protect her."
"That's right. I have to protect her."
Irisviel took a deep breath and suppressed her unease. "Sorry, Saber. I've made you worry. Since it's not evening yet, is there anywhere you'd like to visit? Things are very different now from your time, you know."
Though it was merely a polite attempt to change the subject, Proto Saber clearly did not see it that way...
"I am rather interested in that shop." He pointed to a storefront marked BBQ. "What does that word mean? It looks like a restaurant..."
"...Hehe." Irisviel narrowed her eyes with a smile. "You're right. With the flight today, we haven't had a chance to give you a proper meal. You usually have such a big appetite. Was that little portion this morning not enough?"
"I thought it was just enough. As a knight, I cannot maintain sufficient fighting strength unless I eat my fill."
"Is that so? Then let's go. That word means they specialize in grilled meat. The portions are usually quite large, so I'm sure it'll suit your appetite."
"Really?"
Saber's eyes lit up. His sincere expression made Irisviel smile even more brightly.
"Come to think of it, she hasn't tried it either. If you like it, let's have grilled meat tonight as well."
She turned around and walked backward while watching Saber. Then, noticing the end of the display windows out of the corner of her eye, she realized she had reached a corner and hurriedly turned back around.
Yet even so, she collided squarely with a passerby coming around the corner.
"Irisviel!"
"I'm all right, Saber..."
Saber's anxious, worried call came from behind her, but she merely touched her head instinctively and answered before hurriedly apologizing.
"I'm sorry I bumped into you..."
"It's all right." The passerby at the corner offered Irisviel his hand with a friendly gesture. "You're not hurt, are you?"
Irisviel instinctively took his hand and used it to pull herself up. Then, just as she was about to continue apologizing to the gentle young man before her, the words caught in her throat.
Because in the bright display window beside the smiling young man, the reflection was not a human face, but a fearsome dragon's head.
Exactly like the one she had seen on Avalon.