The next day, the sun shone brightly.
Irisviel was awakened by the sound of clashing metal from the castle's courtyard.
After their "battle" in bed had ended in another "draw," the two had moved on to a true sword duel, separated by 1,500 years.
The two Holy Swords collided, unleashing explosive bursts of mana. The intensity of the fight far surpassed the King of Knights' battle against Lancer.
And this time, the duel ended in Guinevere's victory.
"Hehe, a grand victory for Caster-chan!"
Guinevere's sword rested on the King of Knights' shoulder. With a little more force, she could have severed her head, but she would never follow through.
Seeing Guinevere's smug satisfaction, the King of Knights puffed out her cheeks, her face a mask of defiance. She was far more expressive now than she had been in life.
"Guinevere, again!"
She parried the sword, retreated into a ready stance, and unleashed the storm once more—only to be defeated again.
Yet, after each loss, she demanded another battle. This cycle repeated until the King of Knights gradually adapted to her new stats, glimpsed a path to victory, and began to change her fighting style.
With Irisviel as her Master instead of Kayneth, Guinevere's Strength and Endurance had dropped by one rank, becoming B.
Conversely, with Guinevere as her Master, the King of Knights' other base stats remained A, while her Strength rose from B to A. She was now an "All-A King"—including her bust size.
Thanks to this, the King of Knights could, for the first time, overpower Guinevere with sheer strength, giving her a better chance of victory than she ever had in life.
"Hah!"
The storm raged again. But even after two more bouts and fully adapting, the King of Knights still couldn't secure a win.
"Ugh."
A little discouraged, a little unwilling to accept defeat, the King of Knights reminded herself she had lost plenty in her lifetime. With a brief mental adjustment, her spirits lifted. But by now, it was past noon, and her stomach was growling.
"Guinevere... hungry... food..."
She huffed softly, sheathed her Holy Sword, and rubbed her belly. The sparring had worked up an appetite, and with Guinevere right there, her thoughts naturally turned to the delicious meals Guinevere used to cook. She found herself fondly recalling their three-person dinners with Morgan.
For a moment, the King of Knights froze. She couldn't imagine whether she would have truly had Mordred with Morgan if she had never met Guinevere.
Huu...
She let out a long breath, but the thought of the slander Guinevere had endured made her gaze turn icy again.
"I say, Lia, what are you thinking about with that ever-changing expression? Didn't you just ask me to make you food?"
Silence. The King of Knights didn't speak. As she watched Guinevere sheathe her own sword, her face grew increasingly red.
The war in bed, the duel with real swords—she had lost both. If they had established a Knight's Contract before fighting, she might have had no choice but to obey.
At this thought, the King of Knights remembered she hadn't fulfilled Guinevere's request from the previous night. She glanced left and right, saw Irisviel and the others still watching, then decisively strode up to Guinevere. Embracing her from behind, she used the same stern tone she usually employed to mask her emotions. "Master, go cook me a couple of dishes."
The King of Knights had called her "Master." Guinevere's eyes widened, her body stiffening in shock. She remained frozen until the King of Knights pushed her into the kitchen, only then snapping back to her senses.
They were like an old married couple, and it had been a long time since Guinevere had felt her heart flutter like this.
But just as she was about to retaliate, the King of Knights pressed down her rebellious cowlick and beat a hasty retreat.
Guinevere prepared some standard dishes, but remembering they were in Fuyuki, she also made an extra-spicy Mapo Tofu.
They ate and chatted. Watching the King of Knights' blissful expression as she savored the modern seasonings, seeing the others glare at her after being scorched by the Mapo Tofu, and observing Irisviel and the two maids focus intently on their meal, Guinevere felt a deep sense of satisfaction.
"If only we had more ingredients and spices stocked here," she remarked. "I could have made it even more delicious."
"Caster, shall we go shopping?"
Everyone's eyes lit up with anticipation, and Irisviel was the first to speak up.
The Holy Grail War lasted only seven days, and it was already the fourth. Knowing her own lifespan was on a countdown, Irisviel was more determined than ever to enjoy life to the fullest.
Seeing her hopeful expression and considering that daytime battles were rare—mostly consisting of Masters gathering intelligence on each other—Guinevere nodded. "Alright. I also want to buy some modern clothes for Lia."
Kiritsugu Emiya had left early that morning, likely to hunt down Rin Tohsaka. He was acting alone, and it was uncertain if he could evade Assassin's surveillance.
Their presence in the city should draw some attention away from him.
Just as Guinevere had predicted, the moment the three of them appeared in Fuyuki's bustling downtown, they fell under the watchful eyes of various factions.
It was common for girls to link arms, and after a brief moment of surprise, the King of Knights allowed Irisviel to take Guinevere's arm.
One wore a purple dress and white skirt, her silver hair cascading down her back. The other wore a white dress and white skirt, her grayish-white hair flowing nearly to her hips.
Walking together, they looked like sisters—Irisviel the elder, and Guinevere, who maintained the appearance of a sixteen-year-old, the younger.
Following behind them, the King of Knights was dressed in a suit, a dashing beauty in men's attire just as she had been upon her arrival in Fuyuki.
Her expression was cold as she watched the two ahead laughing and chatting. When Guinevere occasionally glanced back, their eyes met, and Guinevere stuck out her tongue provocatively.
Her fists clenched, but her ahoge remained stubbornly flat.
Guinevere seemed determined to prove her earlier threat: if the King of Knights returned to the past, she would run wild in the modern era.
"Damn it!"
The King of Knights could tolerate the doujinshi and even Guinevere's tarnished reputation, but what she absolutely could not stand was Guinevere being so affectionate with another woman right in front of her.
Gritting her teeth, she cast aside her royal dignity, strode up to Guinevere's other side, and possessively seized her hand.
In her sixteen-year-old form, Guinevere was only slightly taller than the King of Knights. As their fingers intertwined, onlookers exchanged bewildered glances.
A smirk played on Guinevere's lips, and both she and Irisviel stifled giggles. The Innocent Monster skill could indeed attract married individuals, but if the target possessed a strong will, it merely made it easier for Guinevere to raise their affection level.
"Ah, I'm so jealous..."
"Is that... allowed? Two girls?"
"What do you know? Beauty is justice!"
-
Due to the two explosions the day before yesterday, and the havoc Ryuunosuke Uryuu had wrought even earlier, Fuyuki City was now much quieter. Still, there were plenty of pedestrians on the streets.
They murmured to themselves and their companions as they watched the three beauties—each so stunning she could topple a nation—enter a clothing store.
After a brief, tense standoff with a handsome, golden-haired man, they brushed past each other.
Inside the shop, the King of Knights shed her suit and let Guinevere dress her in a more traditionally feminine outfit.
It was a long, blue dress—conservative and simple, yet breathtakingly beautiful.
After wearing it for a moment, the King of Knights glanced down at her chest, then up in silent contemplation. Finally, she leaned over and bit Guinevere on the neck.
"Guinevere, cut out your twisted humor. This dress... you should have saved it for my adult self to wear."
"But then it would be too small."
As the King and Queen conversed, Irisviel's eyes lit up. In the stories she had witnessed through the Master-Servant Contract, the adult King of Knights was incredibly mature.
However, as the three continued their conversation, their topic eventually shifted to the blond man they had encountered upon entering the shop.
"The King of Heroes, Gilgamesh... Was he the one who completely overwhelmed the Faerie Girl version of Lancelot? Guinevere, could you defeat him?"