Chapter 48: Not There
Though they showed some resistance, the girls ultimately tried on the outfits Shirou recommended. Even though they changed back into their original casual clothes afterward, Shirou had already enjoyed quite a feast for the eyes.
Finally, Scathach felt that the "Office Lady" outfit Medea had tried on looked rather good, so she decided to try it herself. It must be said that the OL style fit her "mentor" persona exceptionally well.
Shirou observed intently; the white shirt and black pencil skirt outlined her near-perfect figure. The heels of her shoes made her rounded ankles appear as if they were propped up high, curving the arch of her foot and creating a sexy, alluring line with her full ball and toes.
"If you added a pair of glasses, it would be even more perfect..." Shirou judged with a hint of regret.
"That's enough out of you!" Rin glared at Shirou with an expression so fierce he genuinely worried she might lunge over and bite him the next second.
By this time, it was already dusk. Shirou's group parted ways with Caren and the others, then took the train home. By the time they reached the intersection between Miyama-cho and Shinto, the twilight had already faded away.
"Did you have fun today?" Shirou looked at Rin as they were about to separate.
"Hmm... if it were just the two of us, Shirou, I would definitely think you were trying to make me your girlfriend," Rin joked.
"Heh..."
As the girl was about to leave, Shirou leaned into her ear and whispered softly, "There will definitely be an opportunity for a real date."
Instantly, the tips of the girl's ears began to burn, followed by a deep flush. Leaving behind a quick "I'm leaving first!", she bolted away from the intersection.
The group stood there watching her silhouette grow distant. Suddenly, a raindrop the size of a grain of rice landed on a face; if not for that, it would have been hard to notice that a drizzle had started.
"Shirou, I'm hungry..." Saber looked up.
"Yeah, let's go home." Shirou reached out and patted her head.
With the experience from the first time, his patting had become much more practiced. Saber only looked at him with slightly reddened cheeks, offering no resistance. Then, Shirou pushed his luck and touched the ahoge standing tall on the girl's head.
In an instant, Saber tensed up as if facing a mortal enemy. She took a step back, guarding her ahoge with both hands.
"What's wrong?" Shirou was dumbfounded by her reaction.
"Not there...!" Saber said seriously.
"..." Shirou was momentarily speechless. "Why? Touching your head is fine, but the ahoge is off-limits?"
"This is equivalent to something like the 'King's Majesty'; you could say it's a Dragon's Reverse Scale," Saber explained with a straight face.
"...Good to know," Shirou said, twitching his lips.
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At the final moments of nightfall, a single layer of sunlight remained on the edge of the horizon. After airlifting his suitcases full of laundry, Waver Velvet was about to board his return flight. However, on the way, he encountered Amakusa Shirou, whom he had met once before.
"Are you leaving? Lord El-Melloi II."
"That's right. I've already lost; there's no need for me to stay here any longer." Waver nodded, then looked at Amakusa Shirou. "You came to find me to ask for information about the other Servants I encountered, right?"
"The moment you lost your Servant, our cooperation essentially ended. You are under no obligation to provide me with that information," Amakusa Shirou said with a smile. "However, as a friend, I still wish to know who it was that defeated you."
"I don't mind telling you. His name is Shirou Orihara. The Servant he summoned is Saber, and her identity is King Arthur of Britain."
Hearing Waver's calm reply, Amakusa Shirou nodded with some satisfaction. "I see. Even the identity is already so clear."
However, upon hearing Amakusa's words, Waver suddenly revealed a smile that seemed mysterious to the other.
"It doesn't matter even if you know that. That man doesn't care about such things at all..." Under Amakusa's stunned gaze, Waver spoke his final parting words: "Take this as a warning: don't make an enemy of that guy."
"Even if you say that..." Amakusa Shirou showed a somewhat bitter smile. "If I don't move forward, perhaps even the meaning of my existence will vanish."
"Is that so..." Giving the boy one last deep look, Waver turned and walked away, leaving behind only a travel-worn silhouette.
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The night deepened. On this winter night, the moonlight was hazy as if filtered through a thin mist, scattering a cold desolation across the ground. The streets were like a calm river winding through thick shadows of trees; only the leaves rustling in the wind and rain seemed to recall the bustle and noise of the day.
Having arrived near the Mion River, Lorelei walked alone through the deserted night streets. The riverside roads were as still as a pond in a forest.
Ribbons of blue light flowed through the air, and Morgan's form manifested. The spear in her hand—more than half a body taller than herself—had surprised Lorelei more than once. That was a Noble Phantasm that she, as a modern magus, could hardly even dream of.
"It seems the Saint Graph changes as a Servant end here. I'll just have to accept it. Compared to my original self, I'm probably at about one-third my usual level, but even so, it is enough. The outcome will be decided tonight."
Morgan's flat words did not provoke any dissatisfaction from Lorelei. Both preferred people who conveyed information concisely, so their compatibility was impeccable.
"They're here."
Hearing Morgan's words, Lorelei immediately tensed up. Sure enough, coming from the direction of the city streets, two figures were walking toward them. The red-haired boy seen two nights ago and Saber gradually approached.
As for the sisters Rin and Sakura, they had teamed up to find the Assassin who had yet to show his face, planning to resolve the extra threat before continuing their spar.
Putting the sisters out of his mind, Shirou looked at Lorelei and Morgan ahead of him. Simultaneously, Morgan saw Saber, and a grin of great interest appeared on her face.
"I didn't expect us to meet again so soon, my dear sister~"
For Saber, certain parts of her past with Morgan were a bit difficult to speak of—after all, Mordred's birth was Morgan's handiwork. In reality, the Morgan appearing here was not the same Morgan that Saber was familiar with. However, Saber did not know this, and even if she did, battle between them remained inevitable.
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