"What?"
Tomoe Gozen instinctively turned around and found herself meeting Shirou's gaze.
A child?
No, he could no longer be called a child. He was a teenager of sixteen or seventeen, but why would he be in a place like this?
There were certainly young boys and girls among the Servants, even little girls, but this red-haired teenager was clearly a living, breathing human.
Moreover, he had explicitly mentioned King Gilgamesh just now...
Before Tomoe Gozen could give it any further thought, Shirou stepped toward her.
The female warrior paled in alarm. "Wait! Don't come any closer! You'll be caught in my flames too!"
Tomoe Gozen had already entered a state in which she was burning her Spirit Origin. With her demonic bloodline fully unleashed, she could no longer suppress her own power.
It was the primal demonic instinct she had spent her entire life sealing away through self-suggestion and countless other techniques.
Now that it had been completely unleashed, she had become a human-shaped inferno (Inferno), one that would burn both herself and her enemy to ashes.
Shirou frowned when he heard her.
"Huh? Hmm... Come to think of it, I have been feeling really hot for a while now. So that's why."
"Wait, lady, are you an Oni?"
He had noticed the large horn protruding from her forehead.
"Tomoe Gozen, the legendary female warrior of the Heian period, was actually an Oni? I don't think I'll ever be able to trust my history teacher again."
"!"
Tomoe Gozen was overwhelmed with shame.
Even though she had reached the final moments of her life as a Servant and had already resolved herself to die, the true identity she had kept hidden had still been discovered.
"That's why I'm telling you to stay away! You'll be burned to death too! Don't you care?!"
Hearing that, Shirou scratched his head, looking troubled.
"I won't die, so calm down, big sis. I'll take care of that guy."
"I made a bold promise to Gilgamesh, after all. If I go back empty-handed, he'll definitely laugh at me."
"Besides, Leonidas and the soldiers of the Magical Beast Front asked me to 'please stop Tomoe Gozen's self-sacrifice.'"
"Wh..."
Tomoe Gozen was speechless.
She had wanted to avoid causing trouble for everyone on the Magical Beast Front, but in the end, they had still worried about her.
"That's a relief. You still seem to have plenty of energy. Just wait a moment. I'll deal with this Magical Beast, then take you back."
Tomoe Gozen parted her lips, wanting to say something.
She had abandoned her humanity and transformed into a demon. There was no longer any way for her to return. Could he not understand even that?
Tomoe Gozen said nothing.
She merely stared at the red-haired boy before her in astonishment, unable to comprehend him.
"Huh? What is...?"
Just as the female warrior noticed something was wrong, the flames erupting from her body gradually began to weaken.
Tomoe Gozen's eyes widened in shock at the abnormal change.
Just as she was about to speak, Shirou raised an index finger to his lips, signaling her not to reveal his secret in front of the enemy.
Tomoe Gozen fell silent.
What happened when a self-destruct sequence was forcibly shut down?
In the next instant, all strength left Tomoe Gozen's body, and she collapsed onto the ground.
Meanwhile, the Scorpion Man finally broke free from the cage of flames.
Had the temperature continued to rise, it would undoubtedly have been reduced to ashes.
Of course, Tomoe Gozen would have been burned to death by her own flames as well.
But...
Had she failed to resolve herself to die at the very last moment?
The Scorpion Man sneered as it scattered the flames still clinging to its body, then glanced at the dazed Tomoe Gozen.
The existence of someone capable of killing it had exceeded the Magical Beast Sage's expectations. This woman truly ought to be won over and made one of Mother's children.
But before that, the Scorpion Man turned its attention to the uninvited Shirou Amamiya.
"You're the commander of the Magical Beasts, the Sage Girtablilu?"
The frail-looking human boy gazed up at the Magical Beast Commander as he asked the question.
The Scorpion Man answered loudly, "I am. Who are you?"
With a flash of light, Shirou gripped the "Yamato" that had appeared in his hand.
He slowly drew the blade, deep blue Mana coiling around it, and replied as though the answer were obvious.
"The one who's about to kill you."
That simple provocation enraged the Sage Girtablilu.
Powerful Mana erupted from its enormous body.
It was the strength it had been unable to use against Tomoe Gozen earlier, power that had remained suppressed until now.
"Watch out...!"
Tomoe Gozen shouted anxiously.
At this rate, he would be killed!
Tomoe Gozen knew better than anyone how powerful the Sage Girtablilu was.
It had received strength from the Goddess of Demonic Beasts that far surpassed that of the other Magical Beasts. A mere human body could never hope to stand against it!
"I remember now. I've heard rumors about you."
The Scorpion Man stared at the red-haired boy, suddenly recalling the recent reports from the outskirts of Uruk.
"The red-haired boy who suddenly appeared in Uruk and slaughtered large numbers of my brethren... That was you, wasn't it?"
"According to the rumors, you were supposed to be a coward who hid behind Heroic Spirits in a safe position and fired sneak attacks from afar. Yet this time, you've ventured all the way into the enemy's rear."
"It seems a few minor victories have already gone to your head."
"And King Gilgamesh, who sent you here, is every bit the fool."
Shirou sighed.
It seemed he really had caused quite a misunderstanding.
With Ushiwakamaru and Musashibō Benkei around, Shirou had never needed to engage in close combat.
As a result, not only his allies but even his enemies had come to see him as an Archer-class who could only attack from a distance, the Gilgamesh-type.
Oh well. So be it.
Shirou decided there was no need to correct them. With a relaxed expression, he said, "I don't think I'll need any close-combat skills to deal with you."
"..."
The provocation could not have been more obvious.
Girtablilu prided itself on being a Sage and should have ignored it completely.
Yet Shirou's calm, unwavering expression filled the Magical Beast Commander with an inexplicable irritation.
Enough! I'll tear this brat to pieces first!
The Scorpion Man's appearance suddenly grew even more ferocious.
Its body continued to swell as countless venomous spines emerged from the gaps in its armor-like hide.
Disbelief spread across Tomoe Gozen's face. "That wasn't even your full strength...?!"
"Of course not! This is my true form, the 'Monstrous Strength' bestowed upon me by Mother's power!"
The Scorpion Man declared proudly.
How could this be...? I may have done something that can never be undone.
The Sage Girtablilu's strength had risen to a level that even a Heroic Spirit could not withstand.
With a casual swing of its massive arm, it could probably shatter the nearby mountain peaks.
Then the colossal Magical Beast, now swollen to the proportions of a Dragonkind, charged at Shirou.
The ground seemed to quake beneath even a single step.
"Oh, so it's just a simple increase in raw strength."
Staring up at the enormous shadow that completely engulfed him, Shirou spoke as though this were nothing unusual.
"I see. It really is a Monstrous Strength beyond all common sense."
"If I fought you head-on, I'd probably be crushed before I even had a chance to use my swordsmanship."
"My body is still too fragile... Damn Merlin. He could at least have cast some Reinforcement Magecraft on me before he left."
The red-haired boy paused.
"So be good and let me cut off your head."
The moment he spoke, an alluring Mana swirled within Shirou's eyes.
No matter how greatly one enhanced their physical abilities, the body could never move faster than compressed Mana passing through the circuits.
Faster than a "One Count," it was a "Single Action" activated merely by allowing Mana to flow.
His dim, twilight-colored eyes transformed into a brilliant gold.
"...What?!"
The Sage Girtablilu's rampaging body suddenly froze.
Disbelief twisted its features, but no matter how furiously it glared at Shirou, its pincers remained suspended a few centimeters from the boy.
The "Enchanting Mystic Eyes."
They were among the most common and purest forms of Mystic Eyes, imposing a compulsory effect upon another person's body.
What made Shirou's gaze exceptional, however, was that he could output their power at the "Jewel-Class" level.
"..."
Tomoe Gozen stared blankly at the scene.
Shirou had used those incredible eyes to forcibly stop her from burning her Spirit Origin.
Having experienced their power firsthand, she understood perfectly well how intense the magical nature contained within them truly was.
For Mystic Eyes with simple mechanisms, such as the "Enchanting Mystic Eyes" or "Flaming Mystic Eye," forcibly raising their output to Jewel-Class could grant them power surpassing other Jewel-Class abilities.
However, mere "Jewel-Class" Mystic Eyes were clearly not enough to restrain a Great Magical Beast that had received the power of a goddess, nor a Heroic Spirit in the process of burning their Spirit Origin.
That was why Shirou had borrowed a little of someone else's power when he stopped Tomoe Gozen from burning herself alive.
The aftereffects would probably be severe.
"The outcome has been decided."
Shirou stepped around the Scorpion Man's pincers, moved to the side of its body, and raised the "Yamato" high.
"Any last words?"
No matter how hard it struggled, the Sage Girtablilu could not escape the restraints of the "Gaze." All it could do was roar in bitter defiance.
"Impossible... How could I die in a place like this?! I haven't yet... Mother... Aaaaaaaaaah!"
The Magical Beast's howl stopped abruptly.
Shirou brought the blade down without expression, and its severed head rolled away across the ground.
...
...
The soothing sound of the tide drew closer, washing over the boy's ears.
Once again, Shirou heard that ethereal, mournful song.
"Aa, Aaaaaa————"
Shirou forced himself to stay alert while calling for outside help in his mind.
Merlin, hey! Merlin! Answer me!
There was no response.
The Magus of Flowers, who should have been unbearably annoying, had not appeared. What did that mean?
Shirou struggled to keep his mind awake. Right... it was called REM sleep, wasn't it?
He was even aware that he was dreaming.
He was probably in an extremely light state of sleep, one that even an Incubus could not interfere with.
"Aaaa—"
The woman's singing grew clearer.
The sorrow and compassion in her voice made Shirou drowsy once more.
This couldn't go on...
"Trace... On!"
Shirou drove the projected golden knife into his thigh, finally managing to hold on to his consciousness.
Then he looked toward the source of the song.
An endless landscape stretched before him.
A dim sky and a dark, unfathomable ocean.
There was no sign of life. The desolation was so complete that it hardly seemed like Earth.
At first glance, anyone might have mistaken it for the barren landscape of an alien world. Yet Shirou's mind arrived at a clear answer.
This was Earth.
More precisely, it was the Earth before anything had been born, before the first signs of life had appeared.
The primordial ocean.
At a time when all things still existed in a state of chaos, before even the "phenomena" known as gods had manifested upon this planet, a solitary woman stood there.
She was delicate and slender.
Long, water colored hair flowed behind her, and enormous, otherworldly horns rose from her head. Her vivid eyes, set within a beautiful face, seemed to reflect the Inner Sea of the Planet.
The woman held herself tightly, as though embracing something she had lost. With sorrow on her face, she sang her lonely song.
"..."
Under normal circumstances, Shirou would undoubtedly have been at a loss.
Yet whether by fortune or misfortune, he had only just unleashed the "Mystic Eyes of the Crimson Moon."
The lingering influence of the Mystic Eyes possessed by an Ultimate ONE allowed Shirou's perception to transcend humanity's narrow perspective.
In an instant, the boy understood the nature of the being standing upon the sea.
Just as Crimson Moon Brunestud was the mind body of the Moon, this woman was the mind body of the Chaos Tide, the soup of chaos.
She was the primordial ocean itself, the source that had given birth to countless forms of life.
Recorded in mythology as an ancient creator deity, she was humanity's...
"...Mother."
Though they were separated by hundreds of meters, the woman turned her head as though she had heard Shirou's call.
The moment she saw him, surprise flashed through the eyes of the Mother of Genesis, Tiamat, only to be swallowed by an even more powerful emotion.
"AaaAAaaaa."
Her figure vanished from the sea and appeared before Shirou in the blink of an eye, stopping roughly two meters away.
The Mother of Genesis maintained that distance, staring intently at the boy before her.
The powerful emotions reflected in those dazzling eyes, which shone like stars, were overwhelming joy and desperate restraint.
"Aaaaaa..."
Tiamat murmured, her exquisite face showing both fear and concern.
Shirou could not properly understand her words.
Yet even without language, some things could still be conveyed.
An inexplicable surge of emotion filled the boy's chest. Unable to hold himself back any longer, he spoke.
"Shirou."
He opened his arms, stepped forward, and pulled the startled Mother of Genesis into his embrace.
"My name is Shirou."
"Aa... Aaaaa...?"
The sudden physical contact threw Tiamat into a panic.
Believing that her very existence could only bring harm and fear to her child, she had deliberately kept her distance from Shirou.
Yet he crossed that distance without hesitation.
Shirou felt Tiamat's love for him, along with the despair that drove her to suppress even that love.
She did not want to be hated again.
She did not want to be betrayed again.
And so the goddess had closed her heart to the outside world and kept her distance from her children.
Seeing Tiamat like this filled Shirou with profound sorrow and sympathy.
Through his actions, he made his feelings clear to her.
"I will never hate my mother, so you don't need to hold yourself back."
"Aaaaa..."
Naturally, a mother embraced by her child for the first time would be flustered and unsure of what to do. Before long, however, Tiamat's expression gradually softened.
She lowered the arms she had held against her chest and wrapped them around Shirou in return.
Then she closed her eyes in bliss.
The Mother of Genesis savored the boy's warmth and scent, experiencing a precious moment between mother and child unlike anything she had known in hundreds of millions of years.
...
Returning to reality from such a light sleep felt no different from blinking.
Shirou opened his eyes to the harsh sunlight filtering through the leaves overhead.
"Thank goodness! You're finally awake! I was terrified something had happened to you... You really do make people worry, child."
A dignified female voice, filled with relief, came from directly above him.
The face that appeared before the boy was Tomoe Gozen's delicate countenance.
Seeing that he had awakened, the warrior with silver hair and red eyes finally relaxed her furrowed brow. She let out a long breath, then smiled down at Shirou as their eyes met.
Which meant this soft, delicate sensation was...
Shirou realized that the back of his head was resting on Tomoe Gozen's thigh.
"What happened to me...?" Shirou asked, trying to change the subject.
Tomoe Gozen explained, "After you slew the Sage Girtablilu, you suddenly collapsed and lost consciousness. No matter how much I called to you, you wouldn't wake up. I thought you might have been cursed or poisoned."
"It was probably caused by overusing the Mystic Eyes."
Tomoe Gozen nodded thoughtfully. "The Mystic Eyes... I see. Please do not push yourself so hard."
It was the first time she had heard of Mystic Eyes capable of suppressing a Magical Beast approaching the level of a Divine Spirit.
"You're right. I'll be more careful from now on... though I don't think Tomoe-san is in any position to say that."
Shirou gave her a teasing look. Not long ago, this woman had been prepared to destroy her own Spirit Origin and take the enemy down with her.
"Ugh...!"
Tomoe Gozen's cheeks reddened. Her expression first twisted with utter humiliation, then she glared furiously at Shirou.
"I'm kidding. Just kidding."
Only then did she finally regain her composed demeanor.
Afterward, Shirou introduced himself to Tomoe Gozen.
"Shirou-sama... I see. So you are the child Merlin-sama brought to this era. Yes, yes... Even at the Northern Wall, we have heard rumors about you, but I never imagined you would be such a young child. You possess such powerful supernatural abilities despite your age. Even so, venturing alone behind an army of hundreds of thousands of Magical Beasts was far too reckless... Once we return to Uruk, I will definitely protest to King Gilgamesh and Merlin-sama!"
"By the way."
Something had been bothering Shirou from the beginning. Why did Tomoe Gozen keep calling him a child?
He would soon be seventeen. Even setting aside the ancient Japanese custom of coming of age at twelve, he was hardly a child by modern standards.
Just as he was about to ask, Tomoe Gozen smiled and spoke.
"Unless I am mistaken, Shirou-sama's mother is no longer with us, is she?"
"Huh?"
Shirou looked surprised.
Although Irisviel called herself "Mom," Shirou thought of her more as his most precious relative and family member.
As for regarding Irisviel as his mother...
Well, he certainly had feelings for her that were somewhat similar, but from an ethical standpoint, that would create a very serious problem... Gulp!
"How did you know that, Tomoe-san?"
"Well..."
Tomoe Gozen began hesitantly, looking a little embarrassed.
"While you were unconscious, you kept murmuring 'Mother' in your sleep. And you also..."
Shirou followed the warrior woman's gaze and discovered that their fingers were tightly intertwined.
"Ah! I'm sorry!"
Shirou hurriedly released Tomoe Gozen's hand, only for disappointment to spread across her face.
"I'm sorry. This is actually a misunderstanding..."
Shirou had never imagined that while he was clinging affectionately to the Mother of Genesis in his dream, he would do something similar to Tomoe Gozen in reality.
Was this the downside of light sleep? In the end, this was all Merlin's fault!
Tomoe Gozen gazed down with her deep crimson eyes at the boy lying absentmindedly on her lap. Then she suddenly spoke.
"If Shirou-sama truly wishes it... and absolutely insists on treating me as your mother, th-then I suppose I could allow it."
The Mixed-Blood widow with silver hair and red eyes ran a hand through her hair to hide her embarrassment. With unmistakable anticipation in her eyes, she waited for Shirou's answer.
It seemed a truly disastrous misunderstanding had taken root.