In stark contrast to the cold, wind-swept Warehouse Street, the Amamiya household's living room was filled with warmth.
"So strong so strong so strong so strong! Isn't this girl called Saber just ridiculously strong??"
Lady Avalon sat cross-legged in front of the crystal ball, her dreamy eyes sparkling with delight and surprise.
She grabbed Shirou's arm and shook him excitedly.
"Master, did you see that just now?
That tiny Saber actually defeated Lancer, one of the Three Knights, that easily!
So amazing! Wow, seriously amazing! Incredibly amazing! What could her True Name be? It's so hard to guess~"
"..."
Shirou didn't respond. He simply stared intently into the crystal ball.
Within the small night scene reflected inside, a petite figure stood quietly.
It was as if he had forgotten the entire world around him, his gaze locked onto that figure without wavering.
Ever since he began observing the battle at Warehouse Street, he had been like this.
No matter how much Lady Avalon fussed beside him, Shirou paid her no attention, his eyes following that one person from beginning to end.
Flowing golden hair and a refined profile.
A small frame clad in pale white armor, radiating the gallant presence of a knight beneath the night sky.
Her gaze was sharp, her posture composed, her movements clean and precise.
Even when facing an opponent far larger than herself, her flawless beauty never lost its calm composure.
More importantly, there was that fighting style, deeply engraved in Shirou's memory.
Charging forward like a wild boar.
Fierce and overpowering like a lion.
A girl like this… even across countless parallel worlds in the multiverse, there would hardly be a second like her.
And that radiant golden Holy Sword…
Shirou murmured under his breath, "Wait… could it be…?"
"M… Master?"
Lady Avalon stared at her Master in a daze.
W-what's going on? What happened to my Master?
Shirou fell back onto the tatami, staring up at the ceiling as he muttered in confusion.
"My wish… the reason I was chosen by the Holy Grail… could it be this…?"
"W-what… what's going on!? Hurry up and tell big sister Lady Avalon!"
The Flower Magus grew visibly anxious.
"This feels like it's going to be really fun, so stop keeping me in suspense and just say it already, Master!"
She could already sense that something extremely entertaining was about to happen.
Shirou suddenly sat up and grabbed Lady Avalon's soft shoulders.
"Ow… that hurts…"
"You're Merlin's sister, right?"
"Ah, um… yeah, that's right. I'm my brother's sister…"
Lady Avalon looked completely bewildered, having no idea what was going on.
Could it be that Master had figured it out!?
Shirou's face lit up with excitement.
"Since you're Merlin's sister, then you must know Morgan, right?"
"Of course… huh? Wait, what?"
Lady Avalon's eyes went wide. Why would he suddenly bring up that woman at a time like this!?
"W-well… I guess I do know her. Since she's my brother Merlin's enemy, we're not exactly close…"
"And that's exactly why you're just a small fry!"
"Guh…!"
A vein throbbed on Lady Avalon's forehead. She forced down her anger and let out a cold laugh.
"Masteeer~ what exactly are you trying to say?"
Shirou grabbed her shoulders and turned his gaze back to the crystal ball.
"Don't you think she looks a lot like someone you know?"
"I don't."
The Flower Magus shook her head blankly.
"Morgan!"
Shirou raised his voice.
"The Einzbern Servant, Saber… could her True Name be Morgan? The evil witch from Arthurian legend, the Fairy Queen Morgan!"
"Huh…?"
Lady Avalon's mind went completely blank.
Master… no, what kind of nonsense is this idiot even talking about? Did he drink something weird?
The red-haired boy shook his head.
"No… what I said just now wasn't quite right. She might not be the Morgan you know…"
He quickly cut himself off.
Not good. He'd gotten too excited and almost blurted out everything about the Fairy Kingdom.
Shirou had once decided that in this life, he would never speak of that other Britain again, keeping it as the most precious memory buried deep in his heart.
But now, Morgan might have come to Proper Human History as well.
Did it still make sense to cling to that decision?
…Wait, Shirou.
Calm down and think this through. Is this cute girl really Morgan?
Maybe she just looks similar?
No, this goes way beyond similar. She's identical.
That delicate, almost fragile beauty, that petite and endearing frame, and that reckless, headlong fighting style…
Every single detail matches Morgan perfectly.
Makiri once said that Heroic Spirits summoned in a Holy Grail War can manifest different "aspects" depending on the situation.
Saber Morgan…?
If it were Morgan from her "Rain Witch" period, she would favor Magecraft over close combat.
So this must be Morgan from her "Savior Aesc" period.
The Savior who wielded a greatsword infused with fairy tale Magecraft, sweeping away her enemies in a straightforward, almost brutal manner.
And the girl in the crystal ball was also using a Holy Sword imbued with wind Magecraft.
This was exactly Aesc's fighting style.
And the most decisive evidence of all was the Holy Sword in her hand…
There was no way he could be mistaken about that.
But…
A strange sense of unease still lingered in Shirou's heart, preventing him from fully accepting that Saber was Morgan. Something just didn't feel right.
"......Ah."
After standing there in a daze for a long while, a spark suddenly returned to Lady Avalon's eyes.
So that's what this is about…
Arthur and Morgan on this side… when you think about it, it does line up…
"Hehe…"
Covering her mouth, Lady Avalon bent forward, her shoulders trembling as she struggled to hold back her laughter.
Meanwhile, Shirou pushed himself up from the tatami.
The image in the crystal ball was too unclear. He needed to confirm it himself.
With that thought, he stood up, threw on his coat, and strode out through the entryway.
"Avalon-nee-san, let's go."
"Yes! Master!"
Merlin followed after him, beaming with excitement.