"What am I even doing...?"
In the kitchen, the red-haired boy, wearing an apron, grumbled as he chopped vegetables.
Because a girl who looked very much like Jeanne had asked him to, Shirou, who had been sucked into Metatron's body, temporarily set aside the situation outside, the end of the world and his companions fighting to the death, and started preparing lunch with surprising enthusiasm.
Thankfully, the fridge was well stocked with ingredients... No, wait! That was not the point!
"...Mm."
Shirou peeked from the kitchen at the blonde girl in the living room.
The girl had originally planned to go back to her room and sleep, but Shirou had scolded her, saying, "Now that you're up, don't just lie down again! Have some discipline!" So she had obediently followed him to the living room.
Right now, she had her head resting on the table, fast asleep with a blissful look on her face.
Somehow, he just could not leave her alone...
A girl younger than him had asked, "I'm hungry, make me food," and he could not help preparing a meal for her, even though she might be an enemy.
Not being able to stand seeing others go hungry, was that my weakness?
Reflected in the glass of the cupboard, Shirou's face was twisted into an unhappy frown.
He was upset, but the kitchen knife in his hand never stopped moving.
"Fine..."
Shirou made up his mind. Once they were eating, he would make sure to have a proper talk with her.
Thirty minutes later.
Shirou prepared tableware for two, served the finished lunch, and carried it into the living room.
"Lunch is ready."
With a thud, he placed the rice bowl in front of the girl.
The blonde girl rubbed her eyes, yawned, and sat up.
"Good morning... Hm? Are you mad? Should I have helped carry the food?"
"I'm not mad."
Shirou sat down at the head of the table, still visibly sulking.
"This tastes really good. Mm, mm, mm."
The girl ate heartily without caring about appearances, nodding again and again. She seemed extremely satisfied with Shirou's cooking.
"Who are you? Why are you in Metatron's mental world?"
Shirou asked, "Could you be... Jeanne, sealed inside Metatron?"
Come to think of it, another reason he had been so compliant with this girl was that she might be Jeanne, whose body had been taken over by the Archangel.
"I'm not Jeanne."
Shirou's fantasy popped like a balloon.
The girl scooped up a bite of rice and said, "If you're looking for Jeanne, she's in the innermost room of the guest quarters."
"Why didn't you say that earlier!!!!"
Shirou rushed out of the living room, and the girl's complaint drifted after him.
"You never asked me."
The girl had not lied to Shirou. Sure enough, he found Jeanne in the room, except Jeanne was frozen in ice.
Like a Holy Maiden sealed in amber within an ice coffin, her hands were clasped together, her expression filled with immeasurable sorrow.
"Jeanne!"
Shirou's shout made the Holy Maiden inside the ice coffin open her eyes.
When she saw Shirou's face, she first looked shaken, then gave him a weary smile.
"Artorius-sama, you have come here as well... Then that means..."
"Yeah, I was sucked into Metatron's body. More importantly, can you get out of that ice coffin first?"
Jeanne shook her head. "Metatron-sama passed judgment on me and made me understand my own sins.
As atonement, I sealed myself in this ice to accept my punishment."
"Hah? What sin do you have?"
Shirou said unhappily, "Don't tell me you think wanting to save humanity was wrong, and now you've started believing this world ought to be destroyed."
"That is..."
Jeanne fell silent for a moment before speaking. "I do not believe Metatron-sama's method is correct, but I cannot refute her actions through words alone.
Her claim is cruel, but it is deeply persuasive.
I can feel her resolve, her determination to devote everything she has to watching over the new humanity.
So I accepted the fate Metatron entrusted to me. I will continue praying here...
As a member of old humanity, I will offer prayers and atonement for my vanished kin."
Jeanne said sorrowfully, "Metatron-sama's sins are my sins as well.
If I can share even a little of that burden with her, then being punished here has meaning."
Shirou's expression turned grave. "Doesn't it hurt?"
Jeanne forced a smile. "Artorius-sama, you truly are gentle. But I do not feel pain.
Hardship and suffering are indispensable to my existence.
What saddens me most is that I can no longer help you, that I can no longer become your strength.
But that, too, is a form of punishment for me. So, Artorius-sama, please do not concern yourself with me anymore..."
"Trace On."
Shirou gripped a massive sword that looked as though it had been carved from obsidian and brought it down hard against the ice coffin.
"Wait... Artorius! What are you doing!? Stop this at once!" Jeanne shouted in panic.
"You've been talking to yourself and wallowing in your own misery this whole time. What, do you think you're the heroine of a morning drama?"
Shirou angrily scolded her while smashing the outer layer of the ice coffin.
"Come to think of it, I've always thought you were the type to get carried away by your own emotions...
This is ridiculous! Get out here! I'm going to smack your ass until you understand exactly what you did wrong!"
With one powerful swing, he shattered the ice coffin outright. Shirou forcefully grabbed the wrists of the Holy Maiden whose hands were clasped in prayer.
"...!"
Jeanne looked shaken, but in the end, she stopped praying and allowed the boy to pull her out of the ice.
The two of them fell onto the tatami, and for a while, neither of them moved.
In the end, Jeanne was the one who broke the silence.
"That was really... far too reckless... You idiot, Artorius..."
The Holy Maiden lay in the red-haired boy's arms and murmured her complaint.
Shirou held her slender, soft waist tightly, as if worried she might run away the moment he stopped paying attention.
Although he had said he would beat Jeanne until she came to her senses, now that the moment had come, Shirou's heart softened.
"Jeanne, I need you. Fight with me."
"Even if you say that, I still don't know what to do..."
The Holy Maiden fidgeted, an awkward expression on her face.
"Is Metatron more important to you than I am?"
"This is not a matter of choosing one over the other.
I want to save humanity too, and I want to stop Metatron-sama as well. But..."
Jeanne no longer avoided Shirou's gaze as she asked, "Why does it have to be me?
There are many others who can help Artorius. Why me, specifically...?"
"Because you're special, Jeanne."
"Huh...?"
Jeanne's pupils widened slightly.
Shirou said with a serious expression, "Maybe you aren't the strongest Servant, and maybe you aren't the best at fighting, but...
If Jeanne is willing to be my companion, I feel incredibly at ease.
Should I call it charisma? Or personal charm?
Nothing makes me feel more reassured than having you by my side. To me, Jeanne, you are that kind of special existence."
Shirou looked into her beautiful amethyst eyes, doing his best to convey his sincerity.
"..."
Jeanne's cheeks heated rapidly from embarrassment, turning bright red all at once.
I-Is this a confession?
This has to be a confession, right?
Did Artorius just confess to me?
Using the noble cause of saving the world to confess to me, that is way too unfair!
"Uuuuuuh..."
Jeanne held her cheeks in both hands and shook her head again and again. Seeing that, Shirou asked once more what she wanted.
"After you've gone that far, what else am I supposed to say...?"
Shirou stared at the blonde girl squirming shyly in his arms and pressed her further. "I want a clearer answer."
"You're so mean..."
Jeanne gave him a faint glare.
"I'm sorry. I'm not in the mood to answer a confession right now, because the world is still in danger. But...
I'll help you! Even if that means making an enemy of Metatron-sama, I'll stand by your side until the very end!"
"Thank you, Jeanne."
"......Mm."
Jeanne nodded bashfully.
A question rose in Shirou's mind. Come to think of it, what did she mean by "answer a confession"?
Just as he was about to ask,
"How long are you two planning to hug each other?"
Another blonde girl's voice came from the doorway.
Jeanne sprang out of Shirou's arms like a startled rabbit.
...
...
The three of them returned to the living room, and Shirou prepared chopsticks and a rice bowl for Jeanne as well.
"Wow... Artorius really can cook, and it's delicious! So it wasn't a lie after all!"
Jeanne ate the food Shirou had made with great relish, taking big mouthfuls.
She had spent what felt like a very long time inside Metatron's body and had no idea how long it had been since she last ate.
Seeing her enjoy the food so much did make Shirou happy, but wasn't there something more important right now? You gluttonous Holy Maiden!
Shirou kicked Jeanne under the table, then gave her a look.
"Ah... right. Let me introduce her."
Jeanne looked embarrassed and put down her chopsticks. "This is Miss Metatron, who currently occupies my Spirit Origin."
"That's how it is. Got it?"
Metatron wore an expression that was both impatient and slightly smug.
"A different aspect?"
"Exactly. The one over there is the one trying to destroy the world. I'm just a resident of this house, that's all.
All right~ That topic ends here. Refill my rice."
The blonde girl confidently handed her empty rice bowl to Shirou.
Does everyone with that face eat this much?
Shirou stood up to refill her rice while asking Jeanne, "Can she be counted as our ally? If we convince her, can we stop the other Metatron?"
"From both perspectives, the answer is no."
Jeanne explained.
From the first perspective, the blonde girl was neutral. She would not stop the other Metatron's actions.
From the second perspective, there was her strength. Since most of the Spirit Origin was on the other side, this Metatron was extremely, extremely weak.
The moment Shirou heard Jeanne say that, his expression cooled.
"Get it yourself!"
He tossed the rice bowl back.
After all that, she turned out to be someone he had no need to please.
"Ahh... What a pain..."
The blonde girl reluctantly got up and went to the kitchen to refill her own rice.
After lunch, Shirou and Jeanne discussed how to escape from this place.
"This is Artorius's home in Japan..."
After learning that, Jeanne excitedly looked around everywhere.
In other words, if I marry Artorius successfully... I'll be the mistress of this house...?
I-Idiot! What am I thinking!? This is no time to get carried away with things like that! We have to defeat Metatron and save all of humanity!
"...What's wrong?"
"N-Nothing."
Jeanne hid her inner panic and changed the subject. "Have you looked outside?"
"There's nothing outside."
"Nothing?"
"Right. An empty void with nothing in it."
"I see." Jeanne rested her chin on her hand and thought. "Should we try demolishing this mansion?"
"Demolish it? It hurts, but right now, I suppose that's all we can try."
Shirou agreed with Jeanne's suggestion.
This mansion symbolized the peace and quiet in his heart.
It should have been the one place where Shirou could feel at ease, his place to belong. Now, however, it had become the obstacle preventing him from leaving Metatron's body.
Shirou and Jeanne left the mansion, forcibly dragging Metatron out from the kotatsu along the way.
"...Haa."
Shirou took a deep breath and drew the Holy Sword from the void.
Destroying the home into which he had poured so much effort, the place filled with countless memories, still required a certain amount of resolve, even if he knew it was an illusion.
"Do your best, Artorius!" Jeanne cheered him on.
"Yeah. Here I go."
Shirou raised the Holy Sword high. "Ex..."
"Hurry up and stop, you idiots."
The blonde girl stood in front of Shirou.
"I-Idiots!?" Jeanne was stunned.
"Yes, idiots. What else am I supposed to call you besides idiots, idiots?"
She looked utterly exasperated. "You get nervous, anxious, reckless, and this is the best stupid idea you can come up with."
Jeanne argued back, "That's not it, Miss Metatron. We have a reason we need to hurry."
The blonde girl said, "No, you don't. This is inside my body.
Time here is infinite. Being anxious is a grave sin."
"It is a sin...?"
"It is. At least for me."
The blonde girl said firmly, "Therefore, if you don't want to be imprisoned here forever, you should spend each day at your leisure."
As she spoke, her small body gradually began to emit light.
"I've been worried about you two as well. So for now, please be 'lazy' for a while."
The light released from the girl's body wrapped around Shirou and Jeanne.
"..."
Shirou felt a pair of hands gently cradle the back of his head, pulling him into a soft embrace.
"You too..."
"You've been fighting, and fighting, all alone for so very long. It must have been exhausting."
"So at least for now... rest a little."
One month later.
Early in the morning, Shirou slowly opened his eyes.
Several rays of light slipped in through the curtains, illuminating the dim Japanese-style room.
Shirou pulled back the blanket and checked the time. It was 6:30 in the morning. A new day had begun.
Shirou quietly opened the sliding door to the next room.
On the futon, Jeanne was curled up like a cat, still sound asleep.
After all, the three of them had played TRPG until midnight last night...
Shirou stretched and walked into the living room, only to find someone unexpected there.
Miss Metatron, who normally never woke up before ten in the morning, was busy in the kitchen.
"Good morning," Shirou said in surprise. "Why are you up so early?"
Without looking up, Metatron said, "It's my turn to make breakfast today."
"Oh, right. I forgot. My body clock's been a mess lately... Need any help?"
Metatron chased Shirou out of the kitchen.
"No. It's almost done. Don't try to steal credit. Go wake Jeanne up."
"Oh, okay..."
Shirou was just about to return to the Japanese-style room when he saw Jeanne, dressed in pajamas, rubbing her eyes as she walked into the living room.
"You're awake, Jeanne."
"Did Shirou come into my room just now?" she asked drowsily.
Shirou scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Sorry. Did I wake you?"
"I thought I was about to be attacked."
"I wouldn't do that!"
"Hm~"
Jeanne played with the tips of her golden hair and swayed unsteadily over to sit at the table.
"It's ready."
Metatron brought breakfast over.
"I made this myself, you know. Eat it with gratitude! It's cereal and milk... How about that!"
"..."
Shirou was somewhat speechless. "Let me say this first. I don't really have any objections, since cereal for breakfast is perfectly normal.
But what made you call this handmade cooking?"
"Mm. The moment I stood in the kitchen... I felt... like I had become 'lazy'...
The feeling just welled up in me that as long as it's edible, it's fine..."
Hearing her explanation, Shirou looked enlightened and said with conviction, "That really is deadly, huh? 'Laziness'... Well, I guess it can't be helped."
It actually tasted pretty good.
Shirou normally did not buy cereal at the supermarket, and he had no idea where Metatron had gotten it from... Well, no point thinking about complicated things.
"Give me another bowl."
"Sure, sure~ Shirou's still growing, so eat plenty~"
Metatron smiled smugly, while Jeanne looked a little dissatisfied. "It feels like you cut corners...
On the days Shirou cooks, breakfast is always thoughtful and filling. I still want to eat Shirou's cooking.
Shirou may usually be lazy and laid-back, but when it comes to cooking, he's serious."
Metatron put her hands on her hips in a huff. "How is cereal with milk cutting corners!? Don't compare me to that monster!"
"I'm getting a little sleepy. Maybe I should go back to bed for a nap."
Shirou thought that while eating his cereal.
This was the everyday life of Shirou, Jeanne, and Metatron living together.
Peaceful, lazy, warm, and happy. There was nothing to complain about, and he wanted life to go on like this forever.
If he had to find one thing to complain about, Shirou wished Jeanne and Metatron would be a little more aware that they were living together with a boy.
Shirou had already accidentally walked in on them using the bathroom several times. Sometimes one of them was inside, sometimes both of them were in there together.
Metatron's criminally youthful body and Jeanne's full naked figure, far too bewitching for a clergywoman, made it difficult for Shirou to fall asleep at night.
Somehow...
Shirou frowned. He felt as if he had forgotten something very important...
Forget it. Rather than think about complicated things like that, he should decide what they were going to do for fun tonight.