"What are you grinning about, my husband? Did being kissed by that man make you so happy?"
"?"
Shirou looked up toward the voice.
"Ah... Morgan-nee-san!"
The Fairy Consort landed lightly beside him.
Shirou forced his battered body upright, rushed over, and embraced her.
During the battle just now, he had destroyed his eyes along with their Magic Circuits to counter Crimson Moon.
At the time, Shirou had already resigned himself to never seeing anything again.
Now that he could see Morgan's face once more, he could not contain his joy.
"Mm... Not in a place like this...!"
Morgan had intended to make a few cutting remarks about the strange tension between Shirou and Crimson Moon, but the moment he hugged her, she found herself unable to say anything. All she could do was turn her face aside in embarrassment.
"You really are hopeless."
"The war is over," Shirou said.
"Mm."
Morgan merely nodded, as though her husband's defeat of Crimson Moon were nothing worth making a fuss over.
Perhaps she had known how today's battle would end all along, Shirou thought.
Morgan was a genius Magus on the same level as Merlin.
Even without the highest rank of Clairvoyance, glimpsing a fragment of the future would hardly be difficult for her.
"Your eyes..."
Morgan gently caressed her husband's cheek, a hint of unease appearing on her dignified face.
A pair of crimson eyes shimmering with iridescent light now rested in the boy's face.
After his ambition to invade Earth had been thwarted, Crimson Moon had chosen not to turn Shirou into a Dead Apostle. Instead, he had given Shirou his Mystic Eyes.
It was the King of the True Ancestors' final Curse (Gift) before his death.
Whether he wanted to or not, Shirou would have to live with Crimson Moon Brunestud's eyes from now on.
However, there was one problem the arrogant King of the Moon had never considered.
His Gift, those Mystic Eyes, was not something the current Shirou could withstand.
Mystic Eyes were magical organs belonging to a Magus, capable of independently activating spells and generating magical energy.
That was precisely why they could be removed or transplanted on their own.
Although Mystic Eyes could be inherited through bloodlines, those of a higher rank were often the result of something akin to a genetic mutation.
Every pair possessed a different ability, making them more like special Magic Crests capable of adapting to someone from a different bloodline.
Unlike ordinary Magic Circuits, eyes of a noble color were closer to the movements of celestial bodies.
Even among ordinary people with no connection to Magecraft, an extremely rare few were born with Mystic Eyes.
However, the magical energy generated by Mystic Eyes was not necessarily proportionate to the spells they contained.
That was the difference between Crimson Moon's Mystic Eyes and Albion's Heart.
The latter was a Magical Energy Reactor that supplied Mana without end. The former was a double-edged sword that consumed it.
In severe cases, Mystic Eyes could activate their spells on their own and forcibly drain Od from the Magus's Magic Circuits. This phenomenon was known as a runaway.
Once that happened, it became a living hell.
Mystic Eyes affected not only the body, but the mind as well.
Countless Magi had been driven insane by the inherent [demonic nature] of their own Mystic Eyes.
Had Shirou still been young or at the height of his power, he might have managed. But he was already middle-aged.
Years of war, followed by the final battle against Crimson Moon, had burned through the last of his reserves.
Even if he could barely control these [Rainbow]-rank Mystic Eyes now, there was no telling what would happen several years later.
In fact, only two minutes had passed since the transplant, yet Shirou was already beginning to feel dizzy.
Through the King of the Moon's eyes, the world reflected in the boy's mind was stained a bloody crimson.
This was how Crimson Moon Brunestud had perceived the world, wavering like a mirage, suspended between reality and illusion.
Was the world truly this fragile?
Everything seemed unbearably delicate, as though the slightest touch would shatter it.
The blood-red vision pressed against Shirou's nerves, leaving him dizzy and disoriented.
Crimson Moon... Had he really remained sane while seeing the world like this all the time?
Shirou suddenly hallucinated that Morgan's body was beginning to dissolve as she spoke to him.
"Should I have them removed?" he asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.
He felt a little guilty toward Crimson Moon, but he was sorry. Shirou still wanted to spend a few more affectionate years with his two lovely wives.
Morgan rested a hand beneath her delicate chin. After thinking for a moment, she shook her head.
"It's no use. It's already too late."
"[Crimson Moon's Mystic Eyes] have already invaded your brain. Even if the eyeballs are destroyed, you will continue to see through them."
The Fairy Consort gently placed her fingers over Shirou's eyelids.
"It would not be difficult to prevent the Mystic Eyes from disrupting your daily life. You merely need to shift your focus."
"Shift my focus?"
Shirou thought he understood what she meant.
"That's right," Morgan said. "Try not to focus your gaze directly on anything."
"All right. I'll try."
Following the Fairy Consort's instructions, Shirou shifted the focal point of his eyes.
It worked. The crimson color staining his vision faded slightly.
"It really does work. Things look a little more like they used to, though my head still feels uncomfortable."
Shirou muttered, "The only problem is that I can't see Morgan's face clearly anymore."
"!!!"
The Fairy Consort's eyes widened.
"Wh... What's wrong?"
Shirou suddenly sensed a wave of killing intent.
Morgan's elegant brows drew together, displeasure appearing on her face.
Being unable to let her beloved husband see her face clearly at all times was an outcome the Fairy Consort could never tolerate.
"How unfortunate... It seems this method will not work after all. We have failed, my husband."
"Huh? It didn't fail."
"...Shh."
Morgan pressed a finger against Shirou's lips and reconsidered her strategy.
A few seconds later, she brightened.
"Since [shifting focus] will not work, we shall [switch worlds] on a physical level instead."
Shirou had no idea what method she had devised this time. In any case, he could only obediently let her do as she pleased.
"Wait... Aren't you getting too close? I'm not ready for this yet!"
Morgan lifted her black veil, cupped Shirou's face in both hands, and pressed her forehead against his.
"Be quiet and listen to me, my husband."
"[Crimson Moon's Mystic Eyes] contain nearly every type of Mystic Eye, every [color], in this world."
"However, [Gram Sight] is not itself a Mystic Eye. It is the innate vision of fairies that allows them to [switch worlds]."
"The eyes of high-ranking fairies are said to see through every lie and reveal the truth."
"To fairies, goodwill and malice belong to the same category, so this ability holds little special meaning for them."
"But when humans, who are easily influenced by good and evil, acquire such eyes, it rarely ends well."
"Still, you should be fine, Shirou."
With their foreheads pressed together and their breaths mingling at such close range, Shirou was far too distracted to pay proper attention.
"Next, you will use those eyes to imitate the function of my [Gram Sight]."
"Huh? Is something like that even possible?"
"An ordinary person could never do it, but you can. You have always possessed powers of observation far beyond those of normal people."
"Your extraordinary Projection Magecraft and Reinforcement Magecraft are not merely products of magical talent. They also come from your insight."
"You do not simply observe the surface of an object. You perceive its inner essence... You never realized that yourself, did you?"
Shirou fell silent.
Morgan continued, "Since you can reproduce a Mystic Code after seeing it only once, reproducing my [Gram Sight] should not be impossible."
She really was asking the impossible of him.
Still, he was happy to be praised by Morgan-nee-san.
He would give it a try.
Shirou nodded, then solemnly looked into Morgan's eyes.
Her gemlike [Gram Sight] was beautiful no matter how many times he saw it. He almost wanted to lick them...
"Why has your breathing suddenly become so ragged, my husband?" Morgan asked, furrowing her brows.
"S-shut up! I'm only just getting into the right state of mind!"
Shirou cast aside his distracting thoughts and sharpened his concentration.
Identify the concept behind its creation.
Establish the basic framework.
Replicate its constituent materials.
Imitate the techniques used to produce it.
Synchronize with its history of growth.
Recreate the years it had accumulated.
Surpass and complete every process.
"Uwaaaaaah!"
The red-haired boy was violently thrown backward as though struck by a high-voltage current.
"Shirou!"
Morgan cried out in alarm and hurriedly helped her fallen husband upright.
When Shirou opened his eyes again, the crimson irises had vanished.
In their place was a pair of amber eyes.
These were the very eyes Rita Rozay-en, mistress of the Demon Eye Train, had called [counterfeits] descended from the [genuine article].
A replica of a fairy's [Gram Sight], constructed upon the foundation of [Crimson Moon's Mystic Eyes].
The [Mystic Eyes of the End] had been completed.
"It worked."
Morgan released a long breath, then buried her face in Shirou's chest.
He lowered his head.
The deep crimson haze that had stained his vision was gone.
Shirou could now clearly see Morgan's beautiful face and long silver hair.
Looking toward the island of Britannia, Shirou said, "All right, Morgan-nee-san."
"We should head back soon. If we stay here any longer, Guinevere and the others will start worrying."
"And if you want to be affectionate, well... we can still do that tonight..."
However, the Fairy Consort merely shook her head, her face still buried against Shirou's chest.
Was something wrong?
For some reason, an inexplicable sadness surrounded Morgan.
With nothing else he could do, Shirou gently stroked the Fairy Consort's hair.
"You really do love being spoiled, Morgan."
"..."
For once, Morgan did not argue. She silently accepted his touch.
Several minutes passed with the two of them remaining in that position, Morgan nestled against Shirou's chest.
Perhaps it would not be so bad if time stopped forever at this moment...
As Shirou thought that, Morgan raised her face.
"...Were you crying, Morgan?"
Shirou stared in shock.
A tear clung to the corner of the Fairy Consort's eye.
He instinctively reached out to wipe it away, but Morgan caught his hand before he could touch her.
"My husband... It is time to wake from this dream."
"?"
Shirou frowned.
"What are you talking about, Morgan-nee-san?"
"We're about to return to Camelot and attend the people's victory parade..."
Morgan shook her head.
"So you truly have forgotten."
"No. Even if you forgot, how could you possibly fail to notice [the flaws in this world] when even I could see them?"
"You must have deliberately chosen to forget, all so that you could remain with me."
"What are you talking about, Morgan-nee-san?"
The red-haired boy smiled, but the Fairy Consort's expression remained solemn.
"Shirou. This world is not real."
"Wh..."
Shirou's expression froze.
Something seemed to shatter deep inside his mind.
His subconscious warned him not to think any further.
But Morgan mercilessly revealed the truth.
"Do you remember now?"
"This is a dream created when you fell under a certain vampire's Mystic Eyes. It is a world born from your subconscious."
"Everything that has happened until now has been nothing more than a [reenactment] of events you once experienced."
"This is not [reality]. It is [memory]."
"Wait... Hold on...!"
Shirou struggled to breathe. Unwilling to accept her words, he grabbed Morgan by the shoulders.
"Are you saying... that even you, Morgan-nee-san, standing here alive before me, are fake?!"
Morgan nodded without expression.
"I am merely a thought given form, created by you alongside this world."
"..."
Shirou released her.
The despair on his face showed that he had accepted the truth.
Then the boy seemed to realize something.
He had noticed a crucial detail in Morgan's words.
"Then, Morgan-nee-san... You mentioned [the flaws in this world] just now. Does that mean... you...?"
The Fairy Consort nodded gently.
"I did not recognize this world as false from the very beginning. I only discovered the truth after conducting a series of investigations."
"But..."
Fear crept into Shirou's voice.
"When? When did you first realize something was wrong?"
Morgan's answer left him speechless.
"At the very beginning."
"When you first created this world. In other words, on the first night we met."
"...Huh?"
"Did you truly believe I would fail to notice something was wrong with my husband? Whose wife do you think I am? Whose older sister?"
"After losing his memories in battle, Shirou behaved very strangely toward me."
"So I investigated a little and quickly realized this was not the real world."
"I also realized that even I, the person contemplating that fact, was not real."
Shirou's mouth fell open.
"W-why...? Why would you do that? If you had simply told me..."
Seeing her husband's bewildered expression, Morgan answered with a smile.
"Because I am a selfish, greedy, evil witch."
"Even knowing it was all false... I still wanted your love."
Shirou froze.
[She], whom Shirou had created as a copy of the Fairy Consort, did not hate him.
Instead, she loved him deeply.
Even though she knew this world was a bubble that could burst at any moment, she wanted to spend even one more day with Shirou as his wife.
What had [she] felt when she learned that she was nothing more than a thought living within his memories?
Shirou did not dare imagine it.
She must have felt such despair, such pain, such unbearable sorrow.
She was not a real existence, only a counterfeit that acted according to the Principle of [Morgan, the Fairy Consort].
She was not truly Shirou's queen consort, but a doll possessing the thought patterns of [Morgan, the Fairy Consort].
Even so, [she] had continued to pretend she knew nothing.
She had pretended not to notice anything at all.
For more than a month within this false time and space, Morgan had borne all the loneliness and despair in the world by herself.
Of course [she] knew that one day she would return to nothingness.
Nothing would remain.
No one would remember that [she] had ever existed.
Even so, "she" continued to smile at Shirou, silently supporting and protecting him as his wife.
Just moments ago, "she" had still been worried about Shirou's eyes.
A false world? I'm going to disappear?
Morgan did not care about any of that.
More than the world itself, "she" wanted to spend this fleeting life as Shirou's wife.
"But... but you're about to disappear. You could have avoided this... Why did you tell me the truth?"
Shirou raised his voice. "You could have stayed silent if you wanted things to remain as they were. You didn't have to say anything..."
"I wanted to keep living with Morgan-nee-san forever too! So why!?"
Now that Shirou knew the truth, the contradiction caused the dream world to collapse.
The sky shattered, the earth withered, and even Shirou and Morgan's existence began to grow uncertain.
"...Why? Hehe, didn't you hear what I just said? It's because..."
Morgan took a deep breath.
All "she" had ever wanted was to say these words to Shirou.
For "her," a being created by Shirou, it was less a wish than a mission.
Even if everything was false, "she" still believed wholeheartedly in her feelings.
Morgan gently caressed her husband's cheek and proudly declared,
"I love you."
Even if this love was nothing more than a fabricated imitation, "she" still treasured it above all else.
Because of Shirou, she had been able to live a happy life.
Because of Shirou, she had learned how beautiful the world could be.
Because of Shirou, her existence had gained meaning.
At that moment, words felt utterly inadequate.
"...Ah... I... I see."
Shirou's cheeks flushed slightly.
Morgan could not help laughing at his bashful expression.
She was truly glad that she had been able to tell him herself at the very end of her life.
She needed no answer, because "she" already knew that he loved her just as deeply.
Morgan wrapped both arms around the back of the boy's head and abruptly pulled him closer.
"Mmm...♡"
Morgan pressed her lips to his.
It was the reward a wife had rightfully earned from her husband after all her hard work.
The Fairy Queen pressed harder and harder and harder against Shirou's lips.
There was no lust in the kiss. It was clumsy and desperate, given only so that she could carve herself into the heart of the one she loved.
Even if nothing remained but the sensation of this kiss, "she" hoped it would stay deep within Shirou's heart.
"Morgan-nee-san..."
"I love you... I love you... Truly, more than anyone else... Perhaps I even love you more than the real Morgan does."
"Morgan-nee-san! Let's find a way to keep this dream going! There might still be a chance to save it..."
Morgan silenced Shirou with another kiss.
Absolutely not.
She had finally created such a perfect atmosphere.
Wouldn't all her efforts go to waste if she did not disappear now?
The evil witch had long since accepted her fate.
Her one selfish wish was that the boy would never forget her.
"My husband... Please, promise me you'll never forget me..."
"I won't. I'll never forget you."
Shirou tried to embrace Morgan, but his hands could no longer feel anything.
How strange, Morgan thought wistfully.
Her body had already vanished, yet she could still feel him holding her tightly in his arms.
Was this what it meant to be loved?
She was so happy.
It was almost too much happiness to bear.
Morgan's heart overflowed with joy. At that moment, she was happier than any other woman in the world.
She wanted to stay in his arms forever and let him spoil her.
But she could not.
"Farewell, my husband..."
"Wait... Morgan... No... Don't go!"
"It's time to wake up, Shirou..."
Smiling, Morgan slowly faded from the boy's sight.
"In that world I know nothing about, you're not allowed to be too unfaithful. Keep your harem within reason, all right...?"
It was truly wonderful to have come into this world.
Before her consciousness faded completely, "she" thought those words from the bottom of her heart.
...
The Fairy Kingdom, the Queen's City.
"Mother! Mother!"
The red-haired fairy gently shook her mother awake as she slept upon the throne.
"Ah... Mm..."
The Fairy Queen, Morgan, slowly opened her eyes.
"Mother, why did you fall asleep on the throne? What if you catch a cold?"
When the Queen pressed a hand to her forehead, the red-haired fairy leaned closer with a worried expression.
"Wah! Mother, why are you crying? If the other fairies see you like this, it'll damage the Queen's dignity!"
The girl hurriedly pulled out a handkerchief and wiped away her mother's tears, but Queen Morgan paid her no attention. She remained lost in thought.
She had just dreamed for the first time in ages...
Ever since the beginning of the Queen's Reign, ever since she had founded this city, she had ceased to dream.
Yet just now, for some inexplicable reason, she had experienced an unbearably sorrowful dream.
In that dream, she had become a doll living within someone else's memories.
She had become the lingering feelings of another Witch of Britain.
She had become a replica of the wife of a certain King of Britain.
And of course, she knew the name of the young man from whom she had been parted by life and death.
He was her husband.
"Shirou..."
That name, sealed away for a thousand years, slipped from the lips of the Queen who had once been a fairy of the Garden of Eden.
Simply speaking it made the Queen of Winter feel a warmth she had not known in a very long time.
Shirou.
The human who had accompanied Queen Morgan on her pilgrimage during the Fairy Calendar.
He was the first Knight of the "Savior" and the final King served by the "Witch."
He was the deceased husband of the "Queen of Winter."
Come to think of it, had that truly been a dream?
If it was only a dream, then it had been far too...
Or perhaps...
A possibility occurred to her, and the Queen of Winter's eyes widened.
Could he... still be alive?
Shirou had originally been a stranger who drifted into this world.
After living out his natural lifespan here, it was not impossible that he had returned to his original world.
Her heart began to race, and her breathing grew unsteady.
Her temperature rose, and her cheeks flushed.
Queen Morgan clenched her fists.
If Shirou was still alive, she wanted to see him again.
This time, she wanted to properly convey the words she had failed to tell him a thousand years ago, along with all the feelings she had kept locked away in her heart.
And if she could become his wife once more...
The Queen's body, frozen for a thousand years in the Fairy Kingdom, felt as though it had returned to the warmth of that spring so long ago.
"...Shirou."
The Queen softly murmured the name of her beloved as she gazed out at the twilight sky of the Fairy Kingdom.