Half an hour before Shirou ran into them face to face.
Irisviel found Saber and explained her decision that the three of them would be going out together that afternoon... to gather intelligence.
With Lancer and Caster gone, the Holy Grail War had entered its middle stage.
On the surface, there were still five Servants left, but in reality only three factions remained.
The Tokiomi Tohsaka camp, Waver Velvet, and the alliance between Einzbern and Shirou.
To obtain the Holy Grail, they would have to defeat Rider and Archer.
Through Assassin-onee-san, Shirou had learned Archer's true name. Gilgamesh, the oldest King of Heroes from Mesopotamian legend, the wielder of the [Gate of Babylon], a treasury containing limitless Noble Phantasms, the prototypes of human wisdom.
On the other side was perhaps the most famous king in human history, Alexander the Great, Iskandar, who had manifested this time in the Rider class because he drove the divine chariot [Gordius Wheel], a gift from the king of gods, Zeus.
Aside from [Gate of Babylon] and [Gordius Wheel], did they possess even stronger Noble Phantasms?
Irisviel felt they needed to find that out before the decisive battle.
"So let's make good use of this afternoon and thoroughly investigate the enemy's intelligence!"
The silver-haired homunculus clenched her fist, full of enthusiasm, but Saber sensed something in her overly excited mood.
"Irisviel, you are not just trying to take Shirou out to have fun, are you?"
"E-even if I am, so what?"
With the truth exposed, Irisviel gave up pretending and pouted.
Saber smiled faintly. "No, it is nothing.
Since it is an order from Master, I naturally have no objection. As your knight, I will take responsibility for protecting your safety.
I was only wondering whether you told Shirou the same thing."
"I did, but Shirou didn't say anything. He probably didn't notice what I was really thinking, right?"
Saber shook her head. "Shirou is a gentle child. He surely just could not bear to expose you."
"Ehh~ so that's how it is~"
Irisviel was not discouraged in the least. She accepted Shirou's concern and kindness toward her as only natural.
"Since we've already decided to enjoy ourselves to the fullest this afternoon, let's go take a bath!"
"Sorry, Irisviel, I do not quite follow your logic."
Saber said, "If we are only going out shopping, there should be no problem even if we do not bathe beforehand, right?
Have we not always bathed after returning during the day, before battle began at night?"
Irisviel wagged a finger. "No, Saber.
Back then it was only girls going shopping, but this afternoon we're going out with Shirou, you know?
Saber, are you really sure you want to go out with Shirou without preparing anything at all?"
"...Mm."
For once, Artoria found herself persuaded by her own Master.
"Very well, I understand. Irisviel, you go first. Call me when you're done."
"What are you talking about, Saber? It's almost ten already. There's no time to take it easy and bathe one after another."
"Hm?"
Before Saber could fully register the ominous feeling, Irisviel tightly grabbed her wrist.
"Saber, let's bathe together today, alright? You always turn me down, but I'm not letting you escape this time."
"Wait...!"
Saber's eyes widened. "I just remembered. Servants do not actually need to bathe..."
Irisviel had clearly expected that excuse. "Saber, no lying, alright?
You cannot even turn into spirit form. You have a physical body just like I do, so how could you possibly not need a bath?"
With that, the princess of Einzbern seized the blonde girl's hand and dragged her toward the grand bathhouse.
...
...
Like the other rooms in Einzbern Castle, the bathhouse was lavishly decorated and imposing.
The bath itself was as wide as a stadium and filled with water rich in magical energy. Simply soaking in it could replenish Mana and wash away fatigue.
The homunculus maids had already adjusted the water depth in advance. When Irisviel sat down, the shimmering blue water reached exactly to the middle of her chest.
Half of her full, soft, cherry-tinted white breasts floated above the surface, presenting an irresistibly alluring sight.
"Hehe... taking a bath really is wonderful..."
Irisviel had wrapped her long silver hair up in a towel and leaned back against the edge of the bath with a thoroughly relaxed, blissful expression.
Artoria was more petite than her Master, so the water rose just past the King of Knights' delicate collarbones.
Though she did not create the same overtly provocative scene as Irisviel, Artoria still carried a fresh, flower-like charm and sensuality that was more noticeable than usual.
"I've actually wanted to bathe with Saber for a long time now!"
"I-is that so?"
"That's right."
Irisviel moved closer to the slightly stiff Saber.
"It feels really nice, taking a bath with another girl for the first time.
Even though saying that might make you angry, Saber...
Thanks to the Holy Grail War, I've been able to experience so many precious firsts."
Saber answered seriously, "I will not be angry. The time I spend together with Irisviel is also a precious memory to me."
"I'm so glad you said that~"
Just then, Saber seemed to notice something and suddenly looked toward the entrance to the bathhouse.
"...Shirou?"
"What is it, Saber?"
"No, I thought I saw Shirou just now."
"Huh? Did Shirou come too!"
Irisviel poured magical energy into her eyes, but she did not see anyone at the bathhouse entrance.
"Shirou isn't there."
"Was I mistaken?"
Artoria frowned.
Seeing the blonde girl's reaction, Irisviel teased her with a smile. "Saber, do you want to bathe with Shirou?"
"...Wh!"
Artoria's face instantly turned bright red.
"H-how could I possibly be thinking such a thing!
Even if I am far removed from what people normally imagine when they think of a girl, there is no way I could let Shirou bathe with me if I care at all about that child's physical and mental well-being, right?
What if he ends up having nightmares tonight!"
"Why would he have nightmares?" the silver-haired homunculus asked, tilting her head.
"If a boy got to bathe with a cute girl like Saber, the only dreams he'd have tonight would be the kind that make his heart race and his face burn."
"Please stop teasing me, Irisviel."
I'm serious, though, Irisviel thought to herself.
Meanwhile.
Behind one of the Roman-style columns in the corner of the bathhouse stood a boy with a bath towel wrapped around his waist.
It was Shirou Amamiya, in stealth mode.
...This is bad!
Shirou cried out inwardly.
When Saber suddenly called his name, he had panicked and fallen back on old habits, instinctively hiding himself!
If he had simply admitted right then that he had not known Irisviel and the others were bathing, he could have cleared up the misunderstanding easily. Instead, he had ended up in a situation where he could neither advance nor retreat.
Shirou glanced toward the bath.
The princess and the knight had no idea there was now a male in the bathhouse. They were completely immersed in their dreamy little world together.
"Hehe, looking at you like this, Saber really is a girl after all. You've got such a lovely figure~"
"Irisviel, are you mocking me?"
"No, I'm serious. Your arms and legs are so slender, Saber, and your skin is so smooth. I'm jealous of you... ah, let me see."
"W-wait... Irisviel!"
"Don't hide~ We're both girls, so there's nothing to be embarrassed about, right?"
Hidden behind the column, Shirou silently watched Irisviel and Saber in all their naked glory.
What an incredibly sensual scene... no, wait! Why have I started peeking at them!?
If Saber and the others find out, even jumping into the Mion River won't clear my name!
I need to get out of here, fast...
Just as Shirou was about to quietly slip out of the bathhouse.
"What does Saber think of Shirou?"
Irisviel's voice made Shirou stop in his tracks.
Saber did not think for long before answering.
"I know that days like these cannot last forever. In the end, only one pair can claim the Holy Grail.
Although Shirou says he has no interest in the Grail, I have no intention of shamelessly letting that child give it up for nothing.
Once the other Magi and Servants have all been eliminated... when that time comes, I will formally invite Shirou to a duel.
Whether that child wishes to obtain the Holy Grail or abandon it, he will first have to ask my sword."
Saber's voice was resolute. Clearly, this was not an answer she had come up with on the spot.
A few days ago, when Shirou had said, "It'd be fine to give the Holy Grail to you big sisters too~," Saber had already begun agonizing over it and eventually reached this conclusion.
You could call it selfishness. No matter what, Artoria wanted to fight Shirou at least once.
Perhaps.
From the moment Artoria saw Shirou's Reversed Aurora that night and was deeply captivated by it, this had already been on her mind.
I see... so you really did want to fight me all along...
A relieved smile appeared on Shirou's face. I was thinking the same thing, Saber.
...Alright.
When only the two of us are left, I'll answer your challenge properly.
"Hehe, so that's what Saber was thinking. You've really been giving Shirou serious thought."
A mischievous smile spread across Irisviel's face. "But that's not what I wanted to know.
What I wanted to ask was what Saber thinks of him..."
Shirou jolted and hurriedly leaned forward, straining to listen.
But just then, he felt a force lift him off the ground.
When he turned around, he saw the same expressionless face he had seen that morning.
The homunculus maid, Leysritt, had appeared behind him and lifted him up by the armpits with both hands.
Th-this is bad!
He had been so focused on eavesdropping that he had not noticed anyone coming up behind him at all!
This girl not only has no expression, she doesn't even have a presence when she moves!?
Shirou struggled desperately, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not break free from the homunculus girl's monstrous strength.
Leysritt carried Shirou to the edge of the bath.
"Milady, Shirou was peeking at the two of you while you bathed."
"Shirou!?"
Irisviel and Saber both cried out in shock.
And just like that, ShirouAmamiya was arrested on the spot as a bathhouse peeper.
My life is over, Shirou thought.
...
...
"So that's what it was. Shirou didn't know Saber and I were bathing in here."
Covering her lips, Irisviel smiled and said,
"I thought Shirou knew Saber and I were inside and snuck in on purpose to peek at us.
So that wasn't it. What a disappointment... no, I mean, what a careless child, hehe."
"I'm sorry. If I'd known you and Saber were in here, I definitely wouldn't have come in," Shirou hurriedly said.
Things had not gone in the direction Shirou had expected. He had not suffered social death.
He only gave a flustered explanation, and Irisviel believed him without hesitation. She even told Leysritt to let him go.
He had thought he would be treated as a peeping criminal and lose both of their trust...
Was this some privilege only children got to have?
Not only that, Irisviel had even said things like, "What if you catch cold if you go outside?" and "It's fine, Shirou is just a child!", and insisted on making him stay.
And now Irisviel and Saber were standing right in front of him.
The silver-haired, red-eyed homunculus. The blonde, blue-eyed King of Knights.
They had at least covered their chests with bath towels, but even through the cloth, their alluring bodies were still perfectly clear in the boy's eyes.
Irisviel's figure was almost too much to look at directly.
From her high, full breasts to her slender waist, then down to her broad, childbearing hips and long, shapely legs.
Every inch of skin, every curve, overflowed with the mature charm and sensuality of a grown woman.
Compared to her, Saber's figure was slimmer.
Soft white skin, a delicate frame, and faint lines of supple muscle visible beneath it.
Even with a peerless mature beauty like Irisviel right beside her, Artoria lost nothing by comparison. Hers was a different kind of fragile, heart-catching beauty.
"..."
Constantly staring at them probably was not appropriate, so Shirou awkwardly turned his gaze aside.
"Which do you think is better, Shirou?"
"Huhhh?"
Shirou's eyes went wide. That direct? You're really going to make me answer a death question like that?
The red-haired boy could not help sneaking a glance at the two in front of him from the corner of his eye and comparing them in his head.
The Upper House quickly began voting and reached a conclusion.
Of course it's Saber! It could only be Saber! Long live the King!
But when it came to the Lower House...
This side seemed to overwhelmingly support Irisviel.
Shirou looked thoroughly conflicted, and in the end, as expected, he could not answer.
"Don't ask such a mean-spirited question."
"Mean-spirited?"
Irisviel smiled slyly at that. "I was asking whether you prefer baths or showers. What did you think I meant?"
"How am I supposed to know what you meant?" Shirou shouted back, blushing bright red.
"Hm... I guess baths really are better. It feels like your whole body gets lighter, and they help restore magical energy too.
Keeping clean with magecraft isn't hard, but it can't compare to the comfort of hot water running over your skin."
"Doesn't staying here feel wonderful? Oh, right... why don't Saber and I wash you for you, Shirou?"
Irisviel suddenly clapped her hands and said something outrageous.
"?"
The King of Knights, who had been sitting there in embarrassed silence ever since Shirou showed up, finally reacted.
"..."
She exchanged a glance with the red-haired boy, then nodded in agreement.
"That makes sense. Shirou is our guest today, so Irisviel and I should wash you."
"Eh!?"
Shirou was stunned.
Irisviel was one thing, but why was Saber agreeing to such a ridiculous suggestion?
"Alright then, Shirou, sit here." Irisviel patted the empty spot beside her.
"Did either of you ask for my opinion?" Shirou protested sternly.
As it turned out, it would have been better if he had said nothing. The moment he protested, Irisviel eagerly closed in.
"Got you, Shirou!"
With obvious delight, Irisviel pulled the red-haired boy into her arms.
She hugged him like this often enough already, but doing it in the bath was on a completely different level.
The sweet, soft, fragrant impact nearly short-circuited Shirou's brain.
"Guh... Irisviel! Stop that, let go of me!"
"Honestly, Shirou, stop squirming... that tickles... mmh♡"
"Don't make weird noises! Iri!"
"That's only because you keep wriggling around!"
The silver-haired homunculus held the back of the boy's head tightly and spoke in a wounded tone.
"Even Saber agreed, so stop resisting already, Shirou! Be a good boy and let us wash you!"
"...Ugh."
Shirou was stunned by the heavy yet soft sensation, but at the same time he felt that something was wrong.
When he finally managed to free his line of sight, he discovered a strip of white cloth floating on the water.
"The towel! Irisviel, your towel came off!!"
"Oh, you're right. It's all because you were squirming around and pulled it off me... naughty boy."
"Don't pin that on me... no, seriously, why are you just standing there? Put it back on!"
"...Will you do it for me, Shirou?"
"Do it yourself!"
In the end, Shirou had no choice but to obediently agree to let them wash him.
After all, if he kept refusing, there was no telling what outrageous thing Irisviel might do next.
"Saber, do you want to wash the front or the back?"
Judging by Irisviel's tone, she intended for the two of them to split the work, one side each.
Artoria thought for a moment, then said, "I want to wash Shirou's back."
"Alright, then I'll take care of Shirou's front."
And just like that, they surrounded him from front and back.
From Shirou's elevated angle, he could take in the full splendor of the snow-capped Einzbern mountains wrapped in a bath towel.
Unfortunately, after everything that had already happened, he was no longer reacting strongly just because he caught sight of something he should not have seen.
"Okay, we're starting now, alright?"
"I leave it to you."
Irisviel and Saber rubbed body wash over their hands, then seriously began washing the boy's body.
"Come on, Shirou, lift your arms."
Shirou nodded obediently. "...Yes, ma'am."
As he resigned himself to being attended to by two peerless beauties, Shirou heard Saber murmur in a tone that mixed surprise and delight.
"Shirou's back... it's so small. How strange."
She gently traced her fingers across the boy's back, as if trying to feel for the reality of Shirou's existence itself.
It seemed Artoria had offered to wash Shirou's back because she wanted to use this chance to study his body.
"I'll wash this part myself."
Shirou caught Irisviel's hand just as she tried to slip it under his towel.
...
...
"That felt amazing..."
After his bath, Shirou floated back to his room on unsteady feet.
There was still some time left before they were supposed to head out.
Irisviel and Saber seemed likely to spend a while changing clothes, so Shirou stayed in his room to pass the time.
"Is Avalon-onee-san coming with me today?"
Shirou looked into the empty air beside him.
Whether it was because of yesterday's dream or simply the past few days of living together, he was now faintly able to sense where a Servant in spirit form was.
[Eh no thanks Why would I want to go play third wheel for Master?]
Lady Avalon declared that she would be sticking to her usual daytime job, house-sitting, and then her presence vanished from the room.
Shirou took out his small communicator and tried contacting Hassan of the Hundred Faces.
"Oh, finally got through."
"You sound pretty relaxed. I'm busy as hell over here."
"Did something happen on your end?"
Shirou asked curiously. He could hear constant commotion coming from Assassin-onee-san's side.
So Hassan of the Hundred Faces explained what had happened in the battle on Fuyuki Bridge last night.
"Just as you predicted, the enemy was waiting in ambush on Fuyuki Bridge, trying to snipe Irisviel."
"So it really was just like I thought." Shirou sounded very pleased with himself.
"Yes, yes, you're amazing."
Hassan of the Hundred Faces let out a dismissive snort. "But even you definitely didn't expect this, Shirou. That guy's true identity is actually a Servant."
"A Servant?"
"That's right. The eighth Servant of this Holy Grail War has appeared. Another Assassin besides [us]."
Shirou asked, "So was he one of your predecessors?"
Makiri had once said in his Holy Grail lecture that the Assassin class could only be filled by Hassan-i-Sabbah.
Hassan of the Hundred Faces answered, "No. He wasn't any of the Hassans from history."
"Are you sure you didn't get that wrong?" Shirou asked suspiciously.
Hassan of the Hundred Faces answered firmly, "Yes. Having fought him myself, I can say that with certainty.
He is the eighth Servant, an assassin who is not Hassan-i-Sabbah."
Shirou accepted that reality. "So how did the battle go last night? Did my swords feel natural enough to use?"
Late last night, Hassan of the Hundred Faces had mobilized all of [themselves] and driven back the mysterious assassin using Noble Phantasms of unknown origin.
Those were exactly the sword-type Noble Phantasms Shirou had projected.
[The Normal], [The Strong], [The Quick], [The Plotter], [The Shadow Jumper]...
For the group of eighty-eight assassins in total, Shirou had carefully prepared a suitable weapon for each and every one of them.
Just those eighty-plus projections had completely exhausted all the magical energy Shirou and Lady Avalon possessed, which was why he had not taken part in the Hyatt Hotel operation last night.
The very first time he saw Hassan of the Hundred Faces, the outline of this tactic had already begun forming in the boy's mind.
Hassan of the Hundred Faces' [Number of Techniques], combined with his own [Number of Forged Swords].
The two together were bound to become a formidable fighting force.
The actual combat results had matched Shirou's expectations as well. Assassin had easily repelled the mysterious assassin last night.
"Hmph. No wonder you worked so hard to recruit me back then."
Assassin-onee-san let out a teasing snort.
"Do you regret it?"
"You know that's impossible."
Hassan of the Hundred Faces changed the subject. "That said, because [our] actions last night were so conspicuous, Tokiomi Tohsaka has inevitably learned of the eighth Servant's existence."
Shirou said, "That's fine. If he knows, he knows. It's good to make him worry a little more."
"You really are mean-spirited."
Assassin-onee-san sounded cheerful. "Tokiomi Tohsaka was already furious first thing this morning.
[Just how many more developments are there in this Holy Grail War that I didn't foresee! Damn it!]
That's also why I've been so busy this morning. That man ordered [us] to gather intelligence again in Miyama Town and Shinto."
Shirou said, "I know you're busy right now, but there's still something I want to ask of you today."
"What?"
With the instincts of an assassin, Hassan of the Hundred Faces immediately sensed something in his tone.
So Shirou revealed his plans for the day.
"This afternoon, I'm going out with Saber and her Master.
Don't you think... this is the perfect chance to kill Irisviel?"