The Far East, Fuyuki...
The last time Guinevere set foot in this city was in another world, when she came to keep an eye on Illya.
That was about three years ago.
And the difference between the two worlds, three years apart, was like heaven and earth.
This world was far more desolate, and there was even the Fuyuki Fire that had destroyed half the city.
Yet, despite the drastic changes, some things remained faithful to her memories.
For instance, descending from Ryudou Temple and taking a nearby bus to the city, Guinevere easily found the "Kōshū Ensaikan Taizan" that was still there.
She went through the door, but Guinevere did not order the mapo tofu that Kirei Kotomine loved. She only ordered a dozen or so of her favorite Sichuan dishes.
Having contracted with Medea, she couldn't be provided with much mana, which meant Guinevere also had to rely on eating to slightly replenish her mana.
Of course, satisfying her taste buds was also one of Guinevere's goals.
"I say, how much longer do you plan to follow me? You've been following me ever since I stepped out of the temple gate, haven't you?"
Because of the Blessing of the First Hassan, Guinevere could have made her disguise more complete, but even if it were completely thorough, it would be impossible to fool someone who had been watching her all along.
At this moment, opposite Guinevere, a man with blonde hair and red eyes, dressed in black casual clothes, sat teasingly.
"Mongrel, I never expected it to be you..."
"King of Heroes, did you follow me all this way just to ask this? Hmm, no, what do you mean 'it's really me'? You actually recognize me?"
"Mongrel, are you sure you want to deliberately act like a fool in front of me?"
It was the main hall, but there were only the two of them as guests. The only owner, who also served as the waiter and chef, was currently in the kitchen.
"Gilgamesh, you surely don't have the memory of being blasted to pieces by me and Lia in the Fourth War, do you?"
Shortly after arriving in this world, Guinevere's initial thought was... that this world was a timeline she had not interfered with.
Therefore, according to her original memories, the King of Heroes had survived the Fourth War, but because [ All the World's Evil ] had taken incarnation, in the ten years before the Fifth War began, he had been sustained by... literally eating people, under Kirei Kotomine's arrangements.
Therefore, Guinevere instinctively detested him, refusing to believe that the King of Heroes who had existed in this world for ten years could actually have memories of her.
But the reality was that the King of Heroes had recognized her, followed her here, and struck up a conversation.
"Tell me, King who spews the word 'mongrel' so freely, who am I, and what am I in your eyes? Since you chose to speak, you surely don't want to be my enemy again, do you?"
"Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia. This King owes you a favor for that possibility."
Across the table, Guinevere couldn't stop her lips from twitching. She had just come down from the mountain, yet reality had immediately revealed a scene that did not match her memories, making her distrust her own [ Future Sight ] even more.
However, it was expected that reality would change, for she herself was the greatest change.
Silence. The index finger of her right hand tapped the table. The King of Heroes, after letting out a soft chuckle, leaned back, as unconstrained as if he were in his own home.
And he was waiting for Guinevere to digest the information he had just spoken.
"So, do you wish to become my dog? The King of Heroes who seems to want to settle the favor you mentioned?"
If this were the arrogant, conceited Fifth War King of Heroes from Guinevere's memory, he should have already taken the bait and launched the most brutal attack on Guinevere.
But his smile remained unchanged, his gaze like that of someone looking at a clown.
"Mongrel, is it your own waning power that has made you resort to such an irritatingly obvious probe? If it were you as a Caster, or you flaunting your love with the King of Knights in my presence, neither of those versions of you would care about my attitude, nor would they consider whether I am willing to help as an important matter."
At this point, the King of Heroes' unconstrained posture subsided, and his tilted chair returned to its normal position. Propping his chin on a closed fist and leaning his elbow on the table, he continued:
"Tell me, what do you wish to ask this King to do? The fact that I owe you a favor is the simple truth. If you wish for this King to directly grant you the Holy Grail, I could even agree to that. But I suspect you have no need for the Holy Grail."
The King of Heroes could think whatever he wished, but judging from his refusal to beat around the bush, it was indeed Guinevere who had been interpreting his motives with suspicion.
"Gilgamesh, it's not that I lack confidence in myself. It's that you actually know me, and even know about the Absolute Demonic Front, which caused my composure to falter for a moment."
"But since you've laid it out plainly, let's make this a trade of favors, Gilgamesh. The Old Worm of the Matou House—I'll have you kill him, and kill him completely. Also, I'll ask that you avoid harming any innocents."
"Hmph. Indeed, with my current abilities, killing him completely would be an extraordinary hassle. But in my eyes, he's simply too much of an eyesore."
The memories of the Absolute Demonic Front and the Fourth Holy Grail War from another world had actually been suddenly forced into his mind by the Holy Grail after the current Holy Grail War began. It was as if the Wise King himself had deliberately done this.
At the time, he still didn't understand why, until he was wandering Fuyuki as usual, quietly following the Old Worm from the previous night to the vicinity of Ryudou Temple.
Back then, Guinevere still had her original face.
"Guinevere, even in another world, you still care so much for Sakura? You've come too late, though. She has already become something... corrupted."
But since this is your request, I shall grant it. Consider it repayment for your help on the Absolute Demonic Front.
As Gilgamesh spoke, Guinevere's slight twitch of the lip shifted to her pressing a hand to her brow. From the King of Heroes' words, she learned that in this timeline—one without her presence ten years ago—Sakura Matou's tragedy had still unfolded.
A faint sense of helplessness washed over her, but this was beyond her power to change. She could not save every Sakura Matou in every parallel world; she could only save the one she had encountered.
"In that case," she said, "I ask you to grant Sakura a healthy body. This is a favor I request in the King of Knights' name."
"Tch."
The King of Heroes clicked his tongue, his expression unreadable. Whether he would actually fulfill the request remained entirely up to his whim.
Yet, after striking this deal with Guinevere, he did not immediately depart. Instead, he produced a familiar-looking handheld console and began playing, waiting for the rest of the meal to arrive. Having obtained two special memories, he no longer minded Guinevere meeting his gaze as an equal, nor did he begrudge her the privilege of sharing a table with him.
"Guinevere, a question: what is your purpose in accepting this summons?"
"To recall my original intention," she answered, "and to understand why I wield my sword."
She offered no concealment in her reply. The King of Heroes, eating the freshly served dishes, sank into thought before speaking:
"In that case, it seems I won't need to hold back later. I've paid my debt, so now it's time for revenge."
The King of Heroes spoke calmly, but as Guinevere looked up from her bowl of rice, her teeth began to ache faintly.
In the Fourth Holy Grail War of her world, the King of Heroes had indeed been killed by her and the King of Knights.
"Heh, is that so? Then you can just wait to be killed by me again."
The tension at the table was palpable, yet the two continued eating their meal... ravenously.