Shirou's original plan had been to see Leticia onto her flight, then escort Manaka Sajyou back to Tokyo.
Leticia, however, said this was a rare opportunity, so Shirou and Manaka might as well spend a few days in France too. After all, there were no direct flights from Romania to Japan anyway.
Shirou had already heard from Jeanne that Leticia had skipped class to take part in the Holy Grail War.
In that case, shouldn't she be hurrying back to school?
Leticia brushed it off completely, saying she had already skipped three weeks, so a few more days would not matter.
"..."
Shirou had definitely heard Jeanne say that Leticia was actually a very diligent, honest, innocent girl, and that she even seemed to have a fear of men...
But after spending the past few days with her, he felt like she did not match that description at all.
In the end, Manaka Sajyou made the final decision.
"Mm~ I want to go on a date with Saber through the streets of Paris~"
Since his Master had spoken, Shirou had no choice but to comply.
Henri Coandă International Airport.
All the departure procedures Shirou and the others needed were handled entirely by Caules.
As it happened, there was a direct flight to Paris early the next morning, so Shirou checked into the airport's affiliated hotel with the two girls.
"A triple room...?"
For a moment, Shirou wondered if he had misheard.
Manaka glanced at him and said, "Saber has to stay in the same room as me to ensure my safety. That much is obvious, right? But then Leticia-san would have to stay in a single room all by herself, and that would make her seem rather pitiful."
I see. Manaka really has changed a lot. She's even started caring about other people...
"In that case, why don't Manaka and Leticia stay in a twin room, and I'll take a single room by myself?"
"Please give us a triple room. Mm! Yes, thank you!"
Shirou's suggestion was completely ignored. Leticia accepted the room key from the front desk with a bright smile.
Incidentally, she and Manaka had become especially close after the battle with Metatron.
It seemed their friendship had formed when Manaka Sajyou possessed Leticia's body and was able to fight side by side with Shirou.
For both of them, this was the first friend they had ever had.
Shirou was very glad about that, though he could not shake the feeling that he had somehow become the target of their teasing...
When it was only Manaka, she would sometimes get so shy around Shirou that she could barely speak.
When it was only Leticia, she was just a little follower circling around behind Shirou.
But once the two of them teamed up, Shirou became the one at a disadvantage.
"Well, it's not like it's a bad thing..." Shirou smiled wryly at himself.
The three of them arrived at the hotel suite on the eighth floor.
They opened the door and passed through the entryway.
Inside the spacious, tidy room, Shirou saw one double bed and one single bed.
"Phew..."
He finally felt his worries settle.
If there had only been one bed, His Majesty King Arthur would have had no choice but to sleep on the floor tonight.
Putting away their luggage and going out for dinner took about an hour and a half. After that, the three of them returned to the room.
"I'll go wash up first."
"Mm."
"Wouldn't it be better if you two went first?"
"Please hurry up, Master."
Leticia and Manaka sat on the bed playing cards, impatiently urging him along.
Shirou nodded and headed for the bathroom.
He felt a little bad using the bathroom before the girls, but back at the Amamiya household, he was actually the one who used the bathtub first every day.
Around the time he entered high school, Shirou had stopped bathing with Irisviel to avoid anything improper.
When they were deciding who should use the bathtub first each day, Irisviel had insisted Shirou go first.
"No, Iris should obviously go first, then Sella and Liz, and I should be last..."
"Shirou is the only man in the house, you know. The head of the household has to act like the head of the household. Okay~ It's settled! Shirou washes first from now on~!"
So girls really do hate it when a man uses the bath after they've soaked in it, Shirou thought, unable to stop himself from feeling a little dejected.
...
"......"
The moment Shirou disappeared from the room, Manaka and Leticia exchanged a perfectly synchronized glance. They quickly threw away the cards in their hands and used the remote to lower the TV volume.
The two of them tiptoed into the changing room, where they heard the sound of running water from the bathroom deeper inside.
"M-Manaka-san...!"
Leticia called out to Manaka, both nervous and excited, but received no answer.
When she turned around, she found the girl crouching in front of the laundry basket, pinching a small piece of fabric between her fingers.
"This is Saber's..."
Her adorable face was flushed a vivid red.
"N-no, Manaka-san! Taking an interest in someone else's underwear is perverted behav... You should only touch it after getting permission next time."
"Ugh... You're right, Leticia-san... Honestly, I can't believe I let a momentary impulse cloud my judgment."
Manaka Sajyou cleared her throat, and her cheeks returned to their snow-white color.
Leticia looked at the frosted glass door blurred by steam, took a deep breath, and said, "Okay, then let's take our clothes off and go in too..."
Just as she was about to undo the buttons of her uniform, her wrist was grabbed.
"Manaka-san?"
"W-wait a second. I'm not mentally prepared yet!"
Manaka said in a panic, her beautiful eyes shimmering with moisture.
Seeing that, Leticia muttered, "Huh? Wasn't this your idea? For the two of us to serve Master in the bath tonight..."
"I-it was my idea, yes..."
Manaka's cheeks turned scarlet.
It was something so bold that she would never have dared even imagine doing it alone, but if this girl was with her, she thought she could muster up the courage.
That was what she had believed, but now that the crucial moment had arrived, she still lost her nerve.
Impossible...
There was no way she could do this...
Just imagining her beloved standing naked in the bathroom beyond that glass door...
The girl's face flushed deep red, all the way to the tips of her ears.
Manaka looked at Leticia in confusion. How could this girl stay so calm and nonchalant?
Was it a race thing after all? Was it an issue of race and social culture?
Manaka lightly bit her lip. Grr... And those overly developed, annoyingly distracting breasts too...!!
"Manaka-san?"
Leticia felt an inexplicable, intense wave of resentment.
Manaka composed herself and said, "Now that I've thought it over carefully, I really don't think this is appropriate…"
"What's inappropriate about it?"
Leticia frowned. "Didn't you tell me that mixed-gender bathing is very common in modern Japan? And that a woman washing the back of a man she's close to is a way of deepening their friendship, nothing to make a fuss over?"
"Ugh…! Y-yes… that's right."
A flame of despair flared in Manaka's eyes. She'd never imagined that the worldly-innocent Leticia would swallow her self-serving lie whole.
So it's true after all! I'd heard the rumors about "mixed bathing" before, and they were real…
A way for men and women to grow closer, is it? All right. As my master's disciple, I can hardly shirk my duty!
The girl declared this, brimming with determination.
"This is wonderful, truly… I'd been fretting over how to repay Master's kindness."
Halfway through, Leticia's face went red with embarrassment too. "It's terribly embarrassing, but if it's the custom of a foreign land, then there's nothing for it… I-I'll do my best!"
Before Manaka could stop her, Leticia stripped down to her underwear, baring a voluptuous, perfectly curved figure.
"Manaka-san, aren't you going to undress too?"
"You…"
Manaka Sajyou was struck speechless.
She didn't think her Saber was the sort of vulgar creature to be lured in by a mere pair of soft white mounds, but Leticia's body was simply too lethal.
A frame brimming with mature feminine allure, twin peaks swaying left and right as if to flaunt themselves, a rear as plump and ripe as a peach… Is this girl really only 1■ years old?
By comparison, her own little-girl figure was…
"T-this is far too indecent…!"
"Huh!?"
"Leticia-san, you can't go in like that."
"Why not?"
The girl looked thoroughly wronged. After all, it was only because her good friend Manaka had told her this was a Japanese custom that she'd managed, with great effort, to conquer her own modesty.
"If we just barge in like this, he might end up disliking us."
After drawing a deep breath, Manaka Sajyou declared with conviction, "You see… Saber is still a virgin."
Leticia stared, dumbfounded. "What are you talking about? Didn't Master have two wives during his lifetime? Morgan the Fairy Queen, and Guinevere, Queen of Camelot. And isn't the 'Red' Saber his own child?"
Manaka mumbled and stammered, "Th-that… that was surely a political marriage… And the 'Red' Saber… maybe she's a Homunculus born from some witch's scheme?"
"Why would anyone go to such complicated lengths?"
Manaka had no answer.
"Enough talk, hurry up and get your clothes off and come inside!"
Without waiting for a reply, Leticia hauled at Manaka's pinafore dress.
"Eek! You, you really are…!"
Manaka was furious and exasperated, but when it came to raw strength she was no match at all for Leticia, who stripped her down to her underwear in a heartbeat.
"Manaka, your skin is gorgeous…"
Leticia's mouth fell open.
A flowerlike allure.
The girl's loveliness, her fragility, were just like fresh blossoms at the water's edge.
"I-is that so? Thank you…"
Manaka recovered a sliver of her confidence.
"All right then, let's go…"
"Huh? Wait, I told you I'm not ready yet…"
"If we wait any longer Master will be finished washing!"
"B-but…"
Manaka resisted and struggled, but Leticia snatched up two bath towels and dragged her bodily through the bathroom door. Yet, jostling against each other on the soaking-wet floor, the two of them had barely taken a single step before pitching forward onto the tiles.
"Guh…!"
"Oof… my chest hurts so much…"
As the two of them lay sprawled forward, whimpering, a cold voice came down from above their heads.
"What exactly are you two doing?"
Manaka and Leticia jerked their heads up on reflex.
A boy with loose red hair stood there.
"Sa…ber…"
"Master…"
Both of them, without meaning to, went wide-eyed.
Come to think of it, this was the first time either of them had seen Shirou with his clothes off.
They'd assumed that even if Shirou didn't have a girlish build like Astolfo's, he'd still be nothing like Siegfried or Achilles, and would be rather slim and slight.
But.
It was unexpected.
It was an utter shock.
It was nothing like the boyish impression Shirou gave when he was dressed. From his shoulders to his back, from his back to his waist, from his waist to his thighs, every inch of Shirou looked as though it had been tempered through endless training, the muscle laid down in exactly the right measure.
"!!!"
Almost at the same instant, the two of them, drinking in the sight, felt their cheeks heat up, their breathing turn ragged, their throats run dry…
"Ma-Master…! We came to wash your back…!"
Leticia surfaced from her daze a step ahead of Manaka.
"Hmm…?"
Shirou tilted his head, puzzled, and Leticia hurriedly nudged the other girl beside her.
"R-right? Manaka-san?"
"Ah… um, yes… Saber…"
Manaka shyly turned her burning cheek aside and murmured, "I… I wanted to reward you, for fighting on and on, for protecting me all these days…"
Her voice dropped lower the longer she spoke, and she didn't dare meet Shirou's eyes at all.
"I see. All right then." Shirou smiled.
Having bathed with Fuji-nee right up through middle school and with Iri right up through high school, Shirou was fairly oblivious about this sort of thing, or rather, his sense of propriety had simply gone numb. He saw absolutely nothing wrong with it.
"I-is that really okay?"
"Yeah, I don't see why not."
Shirou nodded and waved the two of them over. Being able to feel how much they cared was a genuinely happy thing. He'd even started to think he was being left out.
"O-okay… then, we're coming in…"
"E-excuse us…"
The glass door, fogged with steam against the chilly changing room, slid slowly shut.
Leticia: "Ah! Master! Why don't you have a towel wrapped around your lower half?!"
Shirou: "Huh? Was I supposed to?"
Leticia: "Of course you were! Ugh, the things you've made me see! (praying) Lord, impure as I am, I can no longer serve you!"
Shirou: "Sorry, I'll wrap one on right now…"
Leticia: "There's no need anymore! All right, leave the rest to me! I'll wait on you properly, Master, so just sit there and enjoy yourself~!"
Shirou: "Oh… oh, well then, I'll leave it to you…"
Manaka: "Heh…!"
Shirou: "Hm? Manaka? What is it?"
Manaka: "Saber… your body's amazing, mmm, really amazing…♡"
Shirou: "Wait… hold on, Manaka, there's something off about that look in your eyes… ah, that tickles… haha…"
Manaka: "Hehe, let me touch you a little more, Saber…♡♡♡"
Leticia: "Whoaa~ Manaka-san's turned into a lewd woman~!"
Shirou: "Don't just stand there gawking, come help! Manaka! What are you grabbing?!"
...
The next morning.
"Did we pack everything? Did we forget anything?"
Shirou stood at the doorway of the hotel suite, making one final check.
"Yeah, we've got everything. Let's go, Saber~"
Manaka naturally wrapped herself around one of Shirou's arms.
The physical contact that had still felt a little awkward until yesterday was now completely natural, and the reason was obvious.
When Shirou woke up that morning, he found two girls sleeping soundly on his chest.
As for what had happened last night in the bathroom.
Shirou, Manaka, and Leticia had followed the suggestive mood and done everything they were "supposed" to do, as well as everything they "weren't supposed" to do.
Shirou was already regretting it. Fiore had been the same back then...
Even though he had no intention of staying with them forever, he had still done something so irresponsible.
This time, the two of them had been the ones to seduce him. They had even teamed up and half-forced him into it, but still...
The fact remained that, as a man, he had failed to control himself. He really was the worst.
"Ah... Master is still thinking about last night, isn't he? ♡"
Leticia walked over with a slightly awkward gait.
With a bashful expression, the girl took Shirou's other arm and looked closely at the face of the boy who had taken her first time.
Leticia, who had always been deeply devout, had never really planned to get married.
That was also precisely why she had been able to become the vessel for Jeanne d'Arc.
She had no intention of marrying, but if the first, and only, man in her life was him, then that was more than enough... Leticia thought shyly.
"Hey... Manaka, Leticia..."
Shirou bit his lip, then said, "Do you two want to come with me?"
"Aren't we already coming with you?"
Shirou shook his head. "That's not what I mean. I mean...
Leave this world and come to mine. Let's live together from now on."
He truly wanted to stay with them, but his promise to Illya came first. This was the only solution Shirou could think of.
Sella would probably scold him with something like, "Young Master Shirou, do you have a collecting habit? What exactly do you take women for?" and Leysritt would add, "Shirou, terrible"...
But there was no helping it. Shirou had made up his mind.
He had actually invited Fiore too, but she had turned him down.
"What do you think?"
The air suddenly went quiet.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Shirou could not bear the silence.
"I'm sorry, but I can't go with you, Master," Leticia said firmly.
After all, she still had family in this world. She could not simply abandon her parents and leave.
"I see... What about you, Manaka?"
Shirou was certain Manaka would come with him.
Last night, when Shirou had pinned her beneath him, she had leaned close to his ear and murmured sweet nothings in a daze, things like "I live only for you" and "I can't live without you."
Those had to have been her true feelings.
"I'm sorry, Saber... I can't go with you either."
Shirou frowned, but Manaka looked at peace as she said, "I still have unfinished work in this world."
"Unfinished work...?"
Manaka nodded. "Didn't that high-and-mighty Archangel say so? Humanity will face decline in this century.
So I'm going to stay and change that future."
"Manaka... you mean..."
Shirou's shoulders trembled slightly.
The Root Girl reached out and stroked his cheek, then nodded as if confirming his thought.
"Of course, I have no other reason for doing this.
Because this is the world you once saved.
Because it's the world you lived in, the world you loved so deeply, I want to do everything I can to prevent its destruction."
"......"
Shirou did not know what to say. His chest felt filled to the brim with happiness and emotion.
"Me too! Me too!"
Leticia hugged Shirou tightly. "That's why I'm staying too!
I may not have much power, but I'll help Miss Manaka and do my best to avoid that terrible future!"
Although she had gone from a girl to a woman overnight, her still-youthful face shone with determination.
Shirou ruffled Leticia's hair. "Mm. Then I'm counting on you, Leticia.
Don't forget, you're the only heir to me and Jeanne."
The girl scratched her neck shyly. "Hehehe... That sounds like a huge responsibility."
"Once everything is over, we'll come find you."
Manaka held out a finger and made one final promise with Shirou.
When would they meet again?
It might be in an unimaginably distant future, or perhaps unexpectedly soon.
Only one thing was certain. That day would come.
With that thought in mind, they boarded the flight to Paris.
Since they would be traveling around France for several more days, the three of them, who had been up all night, planned to catch up on sleep on the plane.
"I'll always keep a room for you."
Shirou said this before putting on his eye mask.
Manaka rested her head on the shoulder of the man she loved and closed her eyes.
"......Mm."
…
Volume 5 Character Card:
[True Name] Shirou Amamiya (Artorius le Fay)
[Class] Keeper
[Alignment] Order · Good (Star)
[Strength] B
[Endurance] A+
[Agility] B
[Mana] EX
[Luck] A
[Noble Phantasm] EX
[Class Skills]
"Magic Resistance A," "Riding A," "Independent Action EX," "Keeper A," "Immunity to Oblivion EX"
[Personal Skills]
"Eternal Charm A++"
The talent (Charisma) of a monarch who saved Britannia and successfully preserved the Human Order.
In his parallel world, King Arthur is the strongest and most exemplary king in human history, as well as an eternal symbol of justice and hope.
...
"Infinite Core EX"
A composite skill formed from "Heart of Albion" and "Galvanism," marking the first practical application of a Type-II perpetual motion machine.
As long as Shirou still draws breath, he can obtain endless, limitless Mana from battle.
...
"Golden Rule (Women's Troubles) A"
A fate that binds him in ill-fated relationships with various women. Throughout his life, he will be plagued by endless problems involving women, while living an enviable harem life surrounded by them.
...
"Blessing of Paradise EX"
A blessing from Morgan and a certain Succubus who wishes to remain anonymous, bestowed upon their beloved King.
...
"Instinct A"
"Mind's Eye (True) A"
"Clairvoyance A"
(Since this Spirit Origin does not contain the records of the Fairy Kingdom, "Mystic Eyes of the End" cannot be used.)
[Noble Phantasms]
"Excalibur"
Shirou Amamiya's strongest Noble Phantasm. The strike that shot down the Crimson Moon: Unlimited Excalibur Works.
By continuously honing his abilities as both a Holy Sword User and a Magus, he finally reached the domain of Magic.
The range of "Projection," its replication and preservation, is no longer limited to Holy Swords recognized or used by the Holy Sword User. Even Holy Swords of the Planet from parallel worlds can resonate with him.
However, replicated Holy Swords still suffer a rank decrease.
The Lake Maidens from thousands, tens of thousands, and hundreds of millions of universes acknowledged Shirou Amamiya's justice, and countless Holy Swords became a single beam of starlight spanning the multiverse.
A savior's fantasy worthy of the name. The final, strongest, and noblest of its kind.
...
"Nine Lives"
A combat technique created by the great Greek hero, from the Heracles · Britannia branch school.
In Shirou's case, it is an eight-hit strike unleashed against "Dragonkind" and "monsters" as hypothetical enemies.
...
"Unlimited Blade Works (Vajra)"
One of Shirou's abilities as a Heroic Spirit of Ironworking, recording every weapon (sword) he has seen up to now.
As a "Reality Marble," it is extremely rare in that it simultaneously possesses three effects: "constant activation," "corrosion of the world," and "internal explosion within the enemy's body."
Under certain conditions, Projection and replication of Divine Constructs are also possible.
...
"Unlimited Blade Works (Womb)"
A Noble Phantasm that could not be used during the Great Holy Grail War in Romania.
One of Shirou's abilities as a Heroic Spirit of Ironworking, recording the weapons (swords) he has never seen... the ones that were present deep within his mind from the very beginning.
"Blades of Chaos," "Aegis (Flame)," and "Yamato" are all classified under this category.