"Shirou, welcome back."
When the group returned to Uruk, a beautiful girl with long purple hair was waiting for them at the city gate.
"Ritsuka, Mash, welcome back to you too. Merlin is still alive? That's great."
"A-Ana-san?"
Looking closer, they realized it was none other than Ana, her hood now removed.
She hadn't taken part in the operation against Ereshkigal, instead staying behind at the flower shop to keep the old woman company.
Since Ana was here to welcome them back, the citizens of Uruk whose souls had been taken must have already woken up.
"Ana-san, you took off your cloak? Are you sure that's okay? You always kept it on before..."
The girl lowered her head and touched her exposed face before nodding. "Mm... The people of Uruk have been taking care of me all this time, so I felt like it wasn't right to keep hiding my face... And they all said I look better with my face uncovered."
She paused, the tips of her ears turning slightly red, then added, "So I took it off."
Ritsuka Fujimaru immediately beamed. "You're so cute! Just like I imagined! Right, Mash?"
"That's certainly true, but your ulterior motives are practically spilling out, Senpai... Can't you act a little more naturally, like Shirou-san?"
That phrasing...
The corner of Shirou's mouth twitched. Mash-san, you're making it sound like I'm especially good at charming girls.
Ana said she still had work to do at the farm, so she said goodbye and left.
From the lightness in her step, it was obvious she was in a good mood. The silver-haired Incubus wiped away nonexistent tears and murmured, "The child has grown up."
Uruk was as lively as if the entire city were celebrating a festival.
Ever since Gorgon, who called herself the Goddess Tiamat, had appeared, a cloud of gloom had hung over Uruk. Today, that gloom had finally been swept away.
Street vendors called out loudly from their stalls, pedestrians streamed endlessly along the roads, and smiles could be seen everywhere.
"Special Sale Celebrating His Majesty's Third Return from the Underworld!"
A huge sign bearing those words stood at the entrance to the market.
Apparently, the hottest merchandise in Uruk right now was a Nendoroid set featuring King Gilgamesh and the hero Shirou.
Ishtar forced a merchant to sell her a pair at half price, then promptly tossed the Gilgamesh figurine to Fou as a toy, or more accurately, a chew toy.
"He's already bragging to everyone about his glorious exploits..."
Merlin nodded. "Of course. Recounting heroic chronicles is an important duty of a king."
"The priests would never let an occasion like his successful return from the Underworld pass without recording it."
"The King was probably forced to dictate the whole story for three days and three nights."
After that, the group headed straight for the Divine Tower of Uruk.
They had only just returned from the Underworld, but there was no time to rest.
According to their intelligence, Gorgon's army, her children, had already gathered in the forest not far from the northern wall.
Around two hundred thousand Magical Beasts had assembled in the Cedar Forest, more than twenty times Uruk's total military strength.
When Siduri reported those numbers, Quetzalcoatl looked somewhat surprised. "Gorgon's Magical Beasts have increased that much... She really has been focusing entirely on producing them.
"She calls herself the Goddess of Vengeance, yet she's been steadily pursuing the most practical strategy possible."
King Gilgamesh, who had finally escaped the priests, said, "Precisely. The northern wall has been reinforced, but once the attack begins, I doubt it will last even half a day."
"And if Gorgon herself appears, the wall will be meaningless."
"Once it falls, the soldiers will have nowhere to retreat. They will be completely swallowed by the Magical Beasts."
"Your Majesty, are you saying...?"
Gilgamesh rose from his throne and declared, "We strike first."
"The soldiers and citizens of Uruk, together with Leonidas and the others, will fight with everything they have to hold the enemy at the northern wall for half a day. During that time, you will assault the Blood Fort deep within the Cedar Forest!"
The Goddess of Demonic Beasts possessed such overwhelming power not only because of the Holy Grail, but also because she had constructed a temple in this era.
If the Blood Fort was destroyed, Gorgon's Divinity would be reduced by half. That was the only way to defeat the Goddess of Demonic Beasts.
Shirou was tempted to point out that if Gorgon's Divinity weakened, wouldn't the special attack effect of the "Blades of Chaos" weaken as well?
However, Gorgon's Divinity also affected the capabilities of the Magical Beasts. Considering the pressure on the soldiers at the front...
Destroying the Blood Fort was still the right choice.
Defeating Gorgon was important, of course, but there would be little point if every man in Uruk was slaughtered by Magical Beasts in the process.
Afterward, the group worked out a more detailed battle plan.
The team assigned to defeat Gorgon, made up of Shirou, Ritsuka, and the others, would depart the following morning.
Once their audience at the Divine Tower was over, the group returned to the embassy, only to find it completely surrounded by citizens.
Word had spread that a small victory celebration would be held there, so people had voluntarily brought ingredients such as lamb and vegetables.
As Shirou accepted the food and thanked everyone, he spoke to the orange-haired girl beside him.
"Don't eat too much tonight, Ritsuka... Tomorrow is the decisive battle. It'd be bad if you ended up with an upset stomach."
"I won't! My appetite is perfectly average for a high school girl. It's just because Shirou-san's cooking is so good... I can't help myself," the girl muttered, blushing.
...
...
Shirou, Ritsuka, Mash, Merlin, and Ana left Uruk in the morning and finally reached the Demonic Front before nightfall.
If they hadn't encountered so many Magical Beasts along the way, they could have arrived much sooner.
Waiting for them at the Monster Front were Leonidas I and the other Heroic Spirits summoned by Gilgamesh.
"My Lord!"
"Big Brother!"
The moment Shirou appeared, Tomoe Gozen and Ushiwakamaru each seized one of his arms and dragged him away.
"You're as popular as ever, Shirou-dono."
Leonidas I watched the boy disappear between the two girls and spoke with feeling.
"Long time no see, Leonidas-san!"
"Oh, Mash... It has been a while."
The King of Sparta studied the girl before him. "Hmm. You seem to have grown quite a bit."
"You can tell?" Mash asked delightedly.
"Of course. Your Shield is shining brilliantly."
"That's great!"
Mash and Ritsuka celebrated with a high five.
This was their third month in the Mesopotamia Singularity.
During the first two months, Mash had often undergone Leonidas I's Spartan training whenever she had time between missions.
Chaldea had no other Shielder besides her, making this an extremely valuable training opportunity for the girl.
And from the perspective of Leonidas I, her instructor, Mash's growth during this period had been astonishing. She could almost be called a completely different person.
One day, you will become a Guardian who surpasses me as a Shielder.
Gentle words like those would never come from a Spartan drill instructor's mouth.
"Mash, even though this is the last day, you must not neglect your training..."
"Tomorrow, show that fallen Greek goddess your spirit and your muscles!"
"Yes, Leonidas-san!"
"..."
Ritsuka looked at her adorable junior's increasingly rounded upper arms with complicated feelings.
Maybe she really should stop here and not train any more...
...
...
After that, everyone split up.
Quetzalcoatl went with Leonidas to visit the soldiers of Uruk.
As one of the "Three Goddess Alliance," she was unable to attack Gorgon directly. She therefore wouldn't participate in tomorrow's assault and would remain at the front instead.
Ishtar rode Maanna away from the northern wall to meet up with Jaguar Warrior, who was transporting Marduk's Axe.
Because she didn't want Ereshkigal taking control of her body, she had already gone thirty hours without sleep and intended to stay awake through the night as well.
"Ah... Found him."
In the officers' quarters, Ritsuka Fujimaru found the red-haired boy surrounded by Tomoe Gozen and Ushiwakamaru in the middle of a full-blown romantic standoff.
"Sorry, Tomoe-san! Ushiwakamaru-san! I need to borrow Shirou-san for a little while."
With that, Ritsuka linked her arm through Shirou's and pulled him out into the corridor.
"You're pretty forceful... What is it?"
Ritsuka took out a floral wreath woven from fresh flowers.
Shirou looked surprised. "Is that... for me?"
"Of course not."
Ritsuka Fujimaru rolled her eyes, then told Shirou what had happened the previous afternoon.
She and Mash had met an old woman in front of the Chaldea Embassy.
The old woman had also been among those whose souls were taken by Ereshkigal. Her family had already been prepared to give up on her, but Ana had absolutely refused to let them dispose of her body.
The old woman had heard Ana's voice in the Underworld, and that awakened in her the desire to live a little longer. That was why she hadn't disappeared.
When she woke again, Ana was leaning over the side of her bed.
It was the first time the old woman had seen Ana's face. She had never imagined such beauty was hidden beneath that hood.
It would be such a waste to keep a face that pretty covered beneath black cloth all the time.
So the old woman had stayed up through the night weaving a floral wreath, hoping to use it to express her gratitude.
"The old woman from the flower shop..."
"Shirou-san knows her too?"
Ritsuka blinked. "That makes things even easier. Could you give this to Ana-chan for me?"
"Why me?" Shirou asked, puzzled.
Ritsuka answered as though it were obvious. "She'll be happier if Shirou-san is the one who gives it to her."
"But..."
"Hmm?"
"Never mind. It's nothing... All right. I'll give the wreath to Ana."
"Then I'm counting on you, Shirou-san of the 'Goddess Strike'!"
Ritsuka Fujimaru grinned brightly and slapped him on the back.
"By the way, Ritsuka... There's something I've wanted to ask for a while now. Have we met somewhere before...?"
Before Shirou could finish, the girl had already run off.
"I'm going to find Mash! I'm leaving Ana-chan to you! If you make her cry, I definitely won't forgive you!"
Without looking back, Ritsuka Fujimaru ran off toward her junior.
"Ana is up on the wall right now, looking at the stars. Better hurry over there~"
"Merlin, you... mind your own business."
Shirou knocked away the hand that had landed on his shoulder from behind, then scooped Fou into his arms.
...
...
Shirou found Ana on top of the wall, standing in the night breeze.
"Good evening, Ana. Aren't you going to sleep?"
The girl turned around. When she saw that it was Shirou taking Fou for a walk, she relaxed.
"...I couldn't sleep, so I came here to rest. What about you, Shirou? Is it okay for you to stay awake?"
Shirou walked over beside her. "I couldn't sleep either."
Ana froze for a moment. "That's unexpected... Even Shirou has trouble sleeping? I thought that would never happen."
"Insomnia isn't a sign of weakness... More importantly, what kind of person do you think I am, Ana? Aren't you giving me too much credit?"
"Unlike a half-baked Servant like me, you're someone people can rely on... a true hero."
There was no exaggeration in the girl's voice. She was simply stating exactly what she believed.
"I've always thought of myself as an efficient Heroic Spirit, someone who can be useful."
"So being this unsettled now feels wrong... But hearing that even Shirou can't sleep before the decisive battle makes me feel a little better."
Ana gave him a shy smile.
After that, the two talked about the six months they had spent in Uruk.
Whenever they spoke about the people and events of Uruk, a faint but unmistakable warmth entered the girl's eyes.
Stroking the fur of the small beast in his arms, Shirou asked, "Ana, do you still hate humans?"
"I do."
The girl answered without hesitation, and the warmth vanished completely from her jewel-like eyes.
"Humans are very intelligent creatures. You don't cling to a single method. You're always searching for 'more possibilities.'"
"You're creatures who choose what you consider the 'better existence.' That's why human cities are always changing."
"But when something new appears, what happens to the things that are no longer considered the 'better existence'? Being forgotten would still be bearable."
"But humans reject them as 'bad things,' simply because keeping them around would get in the way of the new things making a profit."
She bit her lip lightly.
"That old woman was like that..."
"She stayed in a room without sunlight, watching over withered flowers... At first, I only helped her because it was part of my job."
"But she was so happy. She talked to me so much."
"She couldn't see anymore, yet she was always so calm. She wouldn't even admit that she was lonely."
"She treated me like her granddaughter and invited me to eat butter cake with her. She said, 'It's delicious'... even though she had already lost her sense of taste."
"Maybe it really was delicious."
"If that were true, I'd be happy... But I never got to say goodbye to her..."
"What is it, Shirou? Why are you reaching into your pocket...? What's that?"
"This is for you."
Shirou held out the floral wreath Ritsuka had entrusted to him.
"This is... for me?"
Shirou nodded. "The old woman from the flower shop wanted you to have it."
"She said it would definitely suit you. She also said that when you grow up, you'll become the most beautiful woman in Uruk."
"..."
Ana's shoulders began to tremble.
"...That's impossible. I won't allow this body to keep growing..."
"I hate humans, but... this feels warm."
"Uruk was once my dream."
"Shirou, you asked why I thought so highly of you, didn't you?"
"Because you were the first human who was ever kind to me."
"Wanting humans to treat me kindly, and wanting to treat others kindly in return... Those were dreams I used to have a very long time ago."
"But once I grew up... I couldn't remember any of them anymore."
The girl gently pushed the floral wreath back toward him. "...Thank you, but I can't accept it."
"Because that old woman's grandson was killed by a Magical Beast at the northern wall..."
"Are you saying you're responsible for her grandson's death?"
"!"
Ana's eyes widened in shock. "Shirou, you..."
Shirou said nothing. He simply set Fou down on the ground and opened his left hand.
A purple scythe appeared in his palm, gleaming with an eerie, demonic light beneath the moon.
It was the very weapon Ana had used in every battle until now, the Immortal-Slaying Blade known as "Harpe."
In Greek mythology, it was a sword forged by Hephaestus, god of fire, and wielded by the hero Perseus to sever the head of the snake-haired monster Gorgon.
During the Great Holy Grail War in another world, Shirou had projected and wielded it himself.
If Ana possessed this weapon as a Servant, then there was only one possibility.
"Ana, your true identity..."
Shirou's gaze sharpened as he looked down at the sweating girl.
"Are you Perseus?"
"Fou! Fou-wu!! (Quit making stupid jokes! Be serious!)"
"S-sorry! I was just trying to lighten the mood..."
Fou bit down on Shirou's hand, making him cry out and beg for mercy.
Ana lowered her head. "Shirou, did you know from the beginning?"
"Yeah. I figured out your True Name right from the start."
"And from how fixated you were on the Goddess of Demonic Beasts... I also had a vague idea of her True Name."
Ana seemed thoughtful. "I see. Shirou, you already knew..."
"I was obviously suspicious, yet you never questioned me about anything. You really are kind."
"Because Ana is dependable."
The moment Shirou said that, the girl shook her head fiercely.
"That's not true. I'm an unreliable goddess... That's why that tragedy happened."
"My sisters died because of me, and even the old woman's grandson... All I ever do is bring disaster to everyone."
"It wasn't Ana's fault, and Ana didn't bring any disaster on them."
"Shirou...?"
"Never think that way... Ana hasn't done anything wrong. I can promise you that."
"..."
A long silence followed.
The girl clearly wasn't entirely convinced, but she said nothing.
"Thank you, Shirou... I'll accept those words as an attempt to comfort me."
Shirou brightened. "Then how about accepting the wreath while you're at it?"
She ignored him.
Ana pulled her pitch-black hood back over her head. There was no longer any hesitation in her eyes.
"I came here to defeat Gorgon, but during this journey, my reason for fighting changed."
"Before, I was fighting for myself. Now, I'm fighting for the people of Uruk."
"This is the least I can do to atone."
"You're planning to take Gorgon down with you, aren't you?"
"..."
"I won't allow that. Ana should come back with us and let the citizens welcome you home."
Shirou stopped dancing around the subject and stated it plainly.
"Just think of it as a request I received from the old woman at the flower shop. I'm supposed to protect Ana until she grows up."
"...Do whatever you want."
Ana gave Shirou one last cold look, then turned and walked away.
Being told something like that by the man she admired, it would have been a lie to say she wasn't happy.
The girl hid that tiny warmth beneath her cold black cloak and disappeared into the night.
***
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