"This afternoon I'm going out with Saber and her Master.
Don't you think... this is the perfect chance to kill Irisviel?"
Hearing the boy's words through the communicator, Hassan of the Hundred Faces fell silent for a moment.
Then, perhaps because some of her tension had finally eased, she let out a small laugh.
"Shirou, you're cooking up another crazy idea again, aren't you?"
"The time is right. We can finally carry out the plan we came up with earlier."
Shirou said, "Tonight.
Let us present Tokiomi Tohsaka, Kirei Kotomine, and that arrogant golden king with a performance that follows the script."
Hassan of the Hundred Faces dropped her smile and nodded gravely.
"...I see. Understood.
We'll do it the way you suggested before. I'll cooperate when the time comes. Everything will proceed according to plan."
"But... are you sure about this?"
Shirou gave Hassan of the Hundred Faces one final confirmation.
"Didn't Assassin-onee-san keep objecting before?
You said the whole plan was pointless. Should we call it off after all? We could think of some other operation instead."
"..."
Several seconds of silence passed over the communicator, and then Hassan of the Hundred Faces answered in a calm, resolute voice.
"The leader of an assassination order is one who is willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of faith.
To obtain skill, they devote decades to relentless training in brutal, unforgiving conditions.
To erase the self, they do not hesitate to cut away their own face and turn themselves into a thing without features or identity.
To gain power, they alter their body, lay hands on forbidden things, and even take the flesh and blood of demons into themselves.
I too only became one of the Hassans after countless sacrifices.
At this point, I do not even remember what I was like in the beginning.
At the end of that inhuman asceticism, my flesh and mind had both been replaced. My soul as well. Nothing in me remained the same as the self I was born with.
Back then, I could offer up everything I had without hesitation. That is precisely why I attained the position of leader.
But after inheriting the name [Hassan-i-Sabbah], I could no longer sacrifice myself carelessly.
To protect the order, to protect the people, every choice I make and every action I take as leader must be made with the utmost caution.
That is why I was enraged by the reckless orders given by Tokiomi Tohsaka and Kirei Kotomine.
For Zayd to die over something so petty, merely to flaunt Archer's power and keep the enemy from interfering... I cannot accept that.
[We] are the Old Men of the Mountain, Hassan-i-Sabbah. We will not forget our dignity or our resolve.
Even if we are destined in the end for sacrifice and self-offering, we must be the ones to choose where we die."
Assassin paused briefly, then spoke in a firm voice.
"So, Shirou... order me to die for you."
...
...
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
At the appointed time, Irisviel and Saber appeared in the Einzbern courtyard.
"Listen, Shirou! You agree that Saber would look beautiful in girls' clothes too, right?
But no matter how strongly I recommend it, she refuses to wear them. Isn't that too much? Isn't it such a waste?"
It looked like Master and Servant had just finished a round of struggle. In the end, Saber still came out wearing a black suit, while Irisviel was dressed in a high-end coat, long boots, and black stockings.
Shirou said, "If Saber doesn't like it, then don't force her."
Hearing the boy speak up for her, Saber's troubled expression immediately brightened.
"Shirou..."
Irisviel rolled her eyes. "Shirou, you hypocrite. You clearly want to see Saber in a skirt more than anyone!"
It really was a little regrettable that he would not get to see Saber in women's clothing, but Shirou was not about to make that so obvious.
"Saber looks beautiful in anything, but... only ever wearing men's clothes really is kind of a waste."
"See? Even Shirou thinks so." Irisviel looked smug.
"Shirou, I never thought even you would tease me..."
Saber's cheeks warmed slightly, and then she murmured in a low voice, "Mm... I'll think about it next time."
Shirou said, "I'll be looking forward to it."
Artoria replied, "Do not start looking forward to strange things."
"Enough standing around talking. Let's go!"
Irisviel grabbed Shirou's hand and strode spiritedly toward the garage where the sports car was parked.
Oh no... I completely forgot about that.
...
...
One of Shinto's famous landmarks, Citizens' Park, was home to Fuyuki's largest Central Library.
Since Irisviel had lured Shirou and Saber out under the excuse of [gathering intelligence], they ended up choosing this as today's destination.
Irisviel had been shopping several times before, but this was her first time visiting a library, so she was in unusually high spirits.
Shirou, meanwhile, was highly skeptical. Could they really find clues about the Hero King's and the Conqueror King's Noble Phantasms in a library?
"Come to think of it, there was a theft at the Central Library not long ago."
Shirou recalled a news report he had seen before.
"Someone broke into the library in the middle of the night and stole books from the collection."
Irisviel frowned. "That's awful. The library belongs to all the citizens. Did they ever catch the culprit?"
Shirou shook his head. "In the end, the culprit was never found."
"Oh, I see..."
"Then do you know who the culprit was, Irisviel?"
"Could it have been Shirou?"
"Why would you think that!?"
"Because you're really good at sneaking around, aren't you? Just this morning, you quietly slipped into the bath where Saber and I were without anyone noticing..."
"Let's stop this topic right here."
Shirou continued, "Although the culprit was never caught, there were still two clues."
"What were they?"
"First, the culprit directly broke the library's shutter in the middle of the night and then casually walked inside.
Second, out of all the books there, the culprit stole only two. One was Homer's [Iliad], and the other was a geography textbook that included a world map."
After hearing Shirou's explanation, both Irisviel and Saber immediately looked enlightened.
"So it was Rider who stole them..."
"Considering it was that man, he probably does not even think of what he did as theft."
And so Shirou and the others spent the entire afternoon in the Central Library.
Before leaving, Shirou and Irisviel each made themselves a library card and borrowed several books on Mesopotamian mythology and the Macedonian Empire, along with materials related to the Epic of Gilgamesh.
Although they spent a very full and satisfying afternoon there, in the end they still failed to determine what the strongest Noble Phantasms of the Hero King and the Conqueror King actually were.
Iskandar was not a Heroic Spirit famed for martial prowess, so even Shirou was curious what kind of trump card he might possess.
As for Gilgamesh, Irisviel offered her own guess.
"Maybe the Hero King does not actually have any Noble Phantasm that could be called a trump card.
Gilgamesh is the king who possesses the prototypes of all Noble Phantasms in the world, the king who gathered every treasure upon the earth.
For a king as self-supreme as he is, perhaps nothing besides himself could count as a [special existence]."
"So in your view, Irisviel, every Noble Phantasm is equal in the Hero King's eyes?
Interesting idea, but I do not think so."
Shirou said, "Precisely because he is such a powerful king with such an overwhelming sense of self, more than anyone else he should long for something capable of standing on equal footing with him.
That attitude of Gilgamesh's does not show only in how he treats people. It is projected onto how he treats objects as well.
In the king's treasury, there must be some Noble Phantasm that the Hero King regards as supreme, something he sees as the equivalent of half his own body."
And defeating that was Shirou Amamiya's duty.
"As expected of Shirou, you really do see things clearly."
Both Irisviel and Saber were convinced by Shirou's reasoning, and both looked at him with admiration.
After leaving the library, the group went to a newly opened high-end restaurant nearby at Irisviel's suggestion.
They had passed by it twice before while out shopping with Saber, and Irisviel had wanted to try it ever since.
Inside the upscale restaurant, the calm and elegant decor was pleasing, and the simple menu bore eye-watering prices.
As for the taste of the food, it was so good that even Shirou felt a competitive urge rising in him.
"It's delicious," Artoria concluded.
"Going out really was the right choice, wasn't it?" Irisviel said with a smile.
"Thank you, Irisviel."
"But being thanked over something like this makes me feel a little conflicted."
And so the princess and the knight happily enjoyed their expensive dinner, while Shirou alone was fighting a secret battle with himself.
As he tasted each dish, he observed the details and reverse-engineered it in his head.
Shirou could easily see through the structure of machines and decipher the principles behind weapons, but he could not do the same with cooking.
Cuisine really was a deep and profound field.
The boy stole a glance at Artoria, who was eating with clear satisfaction. Somehow, Saber seemed especially cute today.
By the time they came out of the restaurant, night had almost fully fallen.
Before they could begin tonight's enemy search, however, Irisviel had to stop by a designated spot to hand over the spoils of her daytime shopping to the maids.
While Irisviel was handing off the bags to a homunculus maid named Sella, Saber quietly pulled Shirou to one side.
"Shirou, what is that?"
The King of Knights pointed to a shop not far away.
It was a crepe stand.
What Saber was gazing at with shining eyes was a crepe shop just about to close for the night.
The aroma drifting from inside had lured in the legendary wielder of the holy sword.
Shirou was dumbfounded. They had just gone through practically the entire menu of a high-end restaurant, so what exactly was going on with her stomach?
I think I may have just found the real reason Britannia fell.
"Let's go get one, Saber," Shirou suggested.
"I-is that alright?" Saber asked, suddenly a little shy.
With perfect gentlemanly grace, Shirou said, "Actually, I didn't quite get full at dinner."
Artoria blinked in surprise. "You still weren't full after all that? Shirou, you really do have a huge appetite."
Shirou's fist clenched.
...
Who do you think I was saying that for!?
After that, Irisviel walked over to the crepe shop and, just before it closed, ordered three freshly made crepes.
Each of the three had different fillings, and Irisviel suggested that they trade and try one another's.
"...Mm."
Artoria accepted hers with sparkling eyes.
Infected by the eager excitement of the blonde girl, the air around them almost seemed to gain a soft glowing effect, like when Lady Avalon appeared.
Saber really is especially cute today...
While admiring the King of Knights enjoying her food, Shirou took a bite of his own crepe, filled with whipped cream and strawberries.
Delicious.
Just as Shirou was about to comment on it.
"Hmph. What a shallow and tedious flavor.
A low-grade food created by doing nothing more than piling ingredients on top of one another, utterly devoid of any unique taste.
It is nothing more than an ugly reflection of this fallen age, one in which only quantity continues to spread."
"Is that so? I think it tastes quite good.
That rich, striking sensation created by layering cream and strawberries together is wonderful.
Besides, you seem to be enjoying yours well enough too, Archer."
"Whether something tastes good and whether it possesses value are two entirely different matters.
You call yourself a hero and yet fail to grasp even such a basic principle, mongrel?"
Near the civic plaza not far away, two suspicious men were standing there with crepes in hand, talking loudly.
One was a giant red-haired man over two meters tall, wearing a tasteless game promo T-shirt and casual jeans.
The other was a blond young man with fashion sense just as appalling. A plain leather jacket on top, paired with absurdly flashy snakeskin pants below.
They were the two ancient kings who had descended upon this modern island nation. Iskandar and Gilgamesh.
"...Huh?"
Irisviel stared in disbelief.
Why were Archer and Rider standing around by the roadside in perfect harmony, eating crepes together?
It might not be wartime yet, but the two of you look way too much like foreign tourists!
Archer and Rider soon noticed them as well.
"Oh! Fancy running into you here. What a coincidence."
Rider waved and walked over with an easy smile, like a man greeting friends he had just happened to meet on the street.
Archer, meanwhile, remained where he was, his disdainful gaze sweeping over the three of them.
"Why are you here, Rider?"
In an instant, Saber switched from cute eating mode into full serious vigilance mode, silently shielding Irisviel behind her.
At that, Rider scratched his cheek in puzzlement.
"Even if you say that, this street does not belong to Einzbern, does it? Why should we not be here?"
As the King of Conquerors said, he and Archer were free to appear wherever they liked. Saber ended up sounding like the one picking a fight.
Just as Saber was about to retort.
"That is incorrect. Until the end of time itself, this entire world is this king's garden."
The golden Archer corrected the King of Conquerors with complete seriousness.
His arrogance was so natural, so matter-of-fact, that it actually robbed people of the urge to argue back.
And after learning just how absurdly overwhelming the Hero King's power was, everyone found themselves thinking that there was really nothing inappropriate about a statement like that.
"..."
Irisviel looked troubled.
She had assumed Archer and Rider would be utterly incompatible, but instead the two of them were loitering by the roadside in perfect harmony.
Even their Masters were nowhere to be seen, so could it be...
A worst-case conclusion began to form in Irisviel's mind.
She asked nervously, "You two... haven't already formed an alliance, have you?"
"——————"
A brutal chill sliced straight through the nighttime streets of Shinto.
In the instant the temperature plummeted, every living thing within several hundred meters shuddered uncontrollably.
The source of it all was Gilgamesh, whose royal pride had been offended.
"Watch your tongue, flesh puppet."
Merely being stared at by the Hero King's crimson eyes was enough to make even Irisviel, who thought herself accustomed to war, tremble all over and break out in a cold sweat.
"[Alliance] is not a word that exists in a king's dictionary. I would never form an alliance with anyone.
Upon this rotten, fallen surface of the earth, there exists no one fit to walk beside me."
Grinding the words out through clenched teeth, Gilgamesh continued, "If you dare utter such nonsense before me again, I shall return you to being a vessel that can never speak again. A lump of flesh."
The Hero King's killing intent and hostility were so immense that even the unruly Iskandar and the fiercely protective Artoria found themselves speechless.
As for the silver-haired homunculus directly under the king's wrath, she could only lower her pale face and let the cold sweat drip steadily onto the ground.
In the crushing silence, Gilgamesh turned away with his hands in his pockets, looking down on all present.
"I'm leaving. What a bore."
"So you are in an alliance after all, aren't you?"
A boyish voice stopped the Hero King in his tracks.
Shirou tightly gripped Irisviel's trembling hand and met Gilgamesh's eyes without the slightest fear.
"You're not going to tell me you know nothing about whatever dealings Tokiomi Tohsaka, Kirei Kotomine, and the Church have been carrying out behind the scenes, are you, Hero King?"
"..."
Irisviel looked up in shock at the boy beside her.
Shirou knew perfectly well that the area was crawling with Tohsaka familiars acting as spies, but he had judged that there was no longer any problem with revealing that he knew the truth.
So he deliberately exposed, in public, the greatest scandal of this Holy Grail War. The collusion between that master and disciple pair and the supervisor.
He did not particularly care to imagine how ugly Tokiomi Tohsaka's expression must be right now as he watched from afar through his familiars, or how much Kirei Kotomine must be questioning reality.
"As expected of the oldest king. Even your acting is pretty impressive.
I had a great time watching that little farce you and Assassin performed together the other night."
The red-haired boy's childish face was full of mockery as he looked at the Golden King, whose anger was visibly starting to rise again.
There was no doubt that Shirou was intentionally trying to reignite Archer's fury after it had already begun to settle down. Even Saber was too stunned to close her mouth.
Then, with a teasing smile, Shirou said the one line guaranteed to make the Hero King explode with rage.
"Could you do that one again?"
[Mongrel. Who permitted you to look upon me?]