"How should I put this?"
Marie tilted her head, pure blue eyes sparkling as her voice dripped with honey-sweet warmth.
"Even if it's my future self, I like her a lot~"
"After all, I love everyone so much. I don't hate a single person. Everyone loves me, so I'll love them right back."
She clasped her hands over her chest, wearing that signature sunlit smile full of gentle affection.
"No matter what I end up becoming, my life has been brilliant, and that's enough. So I feel incredibly happy."
Ritsuka and Jeanne could both feel the loving aura radiating from Marie. It was as if the girl wrapped everything around her in warmth and gently spread that feeling to everyone nearby, leaving them with a cozy glow inside—like stepping into a soft spring breeze.
By the way, Kriemhild and Siegfried were still locked in their silent staring contest—one glaring without a word, the other sweating bullets and too nervous to speak.
From Swimsuit Jeanne Alter and [Martha]'s point of view, they had a perfect line of sight to Black Marie standing right behind Marie. The two of them were already settling in to watch the show.
Behind Marie stood the first-stage Spirit Origin of Black Marie.
Black Marie had arrived just in time to hear those words. Her expression turned complicated as she stared at her past self.
Looking at Marie felt like most people seeing their own innocent childhood self—full of curiosity and kindness toward everything in the world. But Black Marie was no longer that girl anymore.
She felt a quiet longing. How she wished she could go back to living that carefree life.
Still, Black Marie smiled with quiet relief at what Marie had said.
What else would you expect from her past self? She really was…
Adam, sitting across from Marie, blinked in surprise at the answer.
It was a little unexpected, yet it made perfect sense.
Of course. Marie, who poured love on everything around her, would never harbor anything like hatred.
Looked like Adam's question had been unnecessary. Even her future self, looking back, would probably feel the same warm nostalgia.
Adam glanced at Black Marie, and sure enough, she was watching Marie with that same relieved expression.
It seemed like the Emotion Points from Marie might end up a bit lower than planned, but that was fine. Adam still had ways to squeeze more out of Black Marie by riling up other people.
Just as he was thinking that…
Marie cutely tapped her cheek with her index finger, eyes drifting upward in thought as if recalling something.
"Hmm, but if I had to nitpick, I do have a few complaints about my future self."
Black Marie, who had been smiling in relief, instantly furrowed her brow.
Adam's eyebrows rose with renewed interest.
Could it be…
Marie looked down at her own modest, perfectly proportioned chest and gave it a worried squeeze, feeling its pudding-like softness.
"I'm a little worried that my future self shouldn't eat so many sweets. After all that sugar, it looks like I gained quite a bit of weight."
"I'm nowhere near as light as I am now. Carrying those two heavy burdens around all the time—don't your shoulders get sore?"
A vein popped on Black Marie's forehead, but Marie wasn't done. She kept twisting the knife.
"And another thing—I don't really get why my future self would wear such thick lipstick?"
"Hmm~ Does that color even look good?"
A second vein throbbed on Black Marie's forehead.
Black Marie silently switched her Spirit Origin from the first stage to the third.
The energetic young girl transformed into a mature, voluptuous woman. Her entire presence shifted from mischievous to elegant noblewoman.
Her weight went from 45 kilograms to 53.
"And the outfit too—it always feels a bit…"
Marie's words cut off abruptly. She suddenly sensed a burning wave of resentment blazing behind her. It was as if something had clamped down on her throat, choking off her voice.
She turned around in shock and found herself staring at the face she remembered from her future.
Black Marie was gritting her teeth, veins bulging, mouth twitching as she fought to hold back her rage.
"I never imagined my own 'self' would have this much of a problem with me!"
"Ehh!?" Marie's perfect composure shattered.
[Marie Antoinette Emotion Value +10]
[Marie Antoinette Emotion Value +10]
[Marie Antoinette Emotion Value +10]
...
Black Marie grabbed Marie's cheeks with both hands and started stretching them left and right.
"You little—calling a body like this 'fat'?"
"Is this what you call fat? Can you even call this fat?! This is clearly just the fat going exactly where it's supposed to!"
Marie still looked a little dazed, but she answered on reflex.
"Mm but still… doesn't it make your shoulders sore?"
Black Marie froze for a second.
"Uh, yeah, a little." Then she quickly shook her head. "No, that's not the point!"
"And the lipstick! That's to accentuate my presence—presence, you understand? My past self really is so shallow, hmph╭(╯^╰)╮"
"And don't even get me started on the outfit. You dress like a walking cake and you have the nerve to criticize…"
Swimsuit Jeanne Alter and [Martha] had seen this kind of thing so many times they barely reacted.
But Ritsuka and Jeanne had no idea who Black Marie was. All they saw were two nearly identical faces.
They stared at Black Marie, then at Marie, expressions cycling between pure confusion and shock.
"???"
"A giant-sized Marie just appeared!"
Jeanne couldn't help asking, "Excuse me… are you Lady Marie's mother?"
Black Marie looked at Ritsuka and Jeanne, then down at Marie beneath her. After about a second of silence, a mischievous grin spread across her face.
She switched her Spirit Origin back to the first stage.
Black Marie now looked exactly like Marie—same build, same features, even the same aura.
The only differences were her outfit and her sharp tongue.
"I'm not this kid's mother or anything like that."
"I'm Marie. Marie Antoinette~"
"We're the same person. It's just that my mindset is a little further along than hers."
Marie's face lost control again when she saw Black Marie suddenly match her exact appearance.
"Ehh!???"
[Marie Antoinette Emotion Value +10]
[Marie Antoinette Emotion Value +10]
[Marie Antoinette Emotion Value +10]
...
"Why did you suddenly change your look? The way you were just now is exactly how I remember my future self!"
Black Marie didn't answer. She simply flashed Marie's signature smile—warm, loving, and full of affection for the world.
Ritsuka and Jeanne, so used to that gentle smile from Marie, instinctively expected whatever Black Marie said next to be just as kind and heartwarming.
Instead…
"I hate it, I hate it, I hate everyone the most. I despise all of you. No matter who it is, I hate them so, so much~"
"Wha—!?"
The extreme contrast left Ritsuka and Jeanne stunned.
It was the exact same face and the exact same smile, yet the words couldn't have been more different. The whiplash was unreal!
[Fujimaru Ritsuka Emotion Value +10]
[Jeanne Emotion Value +10]
...
Adam, on the other hand, was thoroughly entertained.
After delivering that line, Black Marie stuck out her pink tongue at Marie in a cheeky taunt and pulled a silly face.
Marie: "..."
Then, under Marie's dazed stare, Black Marie skipped over to Adam, wrapped her arms around his neck, and hung off him like a koala.
She gave Adam the same loving smile—except this one hid an extra layer of something indescribable.
"Master~ Out of all the things I hate,"
"The one I hate the most, the absolute most, the one I haaaate the most… is you~"
It was the most blatant reverse psychology.
Adam, who knew Black Marie inside and out, caught the extreme sarcasm immediately.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah~" He laughed and pulled the tsundere little devil into his arms, savoring her unique brand of affection.
Marie watched the scene and froze again. Her eyes widened as she saw someone with her exact face and body shamelessly acting spoiled in Adam's embrace. Her brain felt like it was short-circuiting.
Ritsuka and Jeanne pursed their lips, brows furrowing with a strange, uncomfortable feeling in their chests.
"Anyway, proper introductions."
Adam gently set Black Marie down so she faced Ritsuka and the others.
"Black Marie already said it, but her full name is Marie Antoinette. More precisely, Marie Antoinette (Alter)."
Ritsuka, who had been feeling a little sour, instantly perked up at the suffix. It gave her a strong sense of déjà vu.
"(Alter)?" She rolled the word around in her mouth. The moment she heard it, her mind flashed back to that black King of Britain who had devoured every single hamburger in Chaldea's cafeteria.
"Adam, are you saying this Marie is like the pitch-black Arthur we met in the Fuyuki Singularity?"
Adam's eyes flickered in thought before he gave a small nod.
"Yeah, that's right. Mentally speaking… she's pretty much the same~"
"The difference is that after reversing, Lily stayed a Saber, while Black Marie's class is Avenger."
Jeanne had just shaken off that sour feeling in her chest.
After listening to Adam's introduction of Black Marie and looking back and forth between Marie and Black Marie, she suddenly started picturing her own relationship with Jeanne Alter.
It was a little similar… except Jeanne Alter used the Ruler class while Black Marie was an Avenger…
…
Jeanne suddenly realized something and stared at Black Marie.
Wait—Avenger!
She hurried over to Adam, grabbed his arm, and pulled him a few steps away from Black Marie—whether on purpose or subconsciously, she put a little extra distance between them.
Leaning close to his ear while keeping one eye on Black Marie as if she were some kind of dangerous beast, Jeanne whispered,
"Mr. Adam, this might sound a little rude to Lady Black Marie…"
"But summoning an Avenger like her… isn't that a bit too risky?"
"I know you're doing it to help restore the Human Order and strengthen the team."
"But an Avenger…"
"Isn't that Spirit Origin a little too dangerous?"
"After all, it's an Avenger!!!"
As a (half-baked) Ruler, Jeanne hadn't received the full knowledge the Grail usually granted.
But Adam had already explained the basics of the classes to her earlier—partly to prepare for Jeanne Alter's Servants and partly because Jeanne herself had asked.
Adam heard her say "It's an Avenger!!!" and quietly glanced at the few "Beasts" listed in his Servant roster.
"Avenger, yeah, definitely super dangerous~" (zero emotion)
His face showed no sign of alarm. His tone was completely flat, even carrying a hint of dismissal and amusement.
"You can't treat potential threats so lightly—"
Jeanne started lecturing him earnestly, trying to make him take the possible dangers more seriously.
Meanwhile…
Marie slowly walked up to Black Marie, her expression complicated.
Black Marie flashed that same cute, loving smile again.
"What's wrong, past me?"
"If there's nothing else, could you please go die a few times over there?"
She was still wearing that sweet, playful smile while saying the most vicious things~
Marie looked at this future version of herself, hesitated, then opened her mouth. The smile had vanished from her face, replaced by a flicker of fear toward her own future.
"…How did you end up like this? Even my future self shouldn't have turned out this way."
Black Marie froze for a second. The loving smile on her face slowly faded into a blank expression.
She found Marie's fearful, worried look increasingly irritating. She much preferred the way her past self had been before.
"You don't need to worry about that."
"The current you just needs to stay the innocent, world-loving Marie. That's enough."
Black Marie's words didn't help. Marie's face still wouldn't light up with a smile.
Black Marie clicked her tongue. Just the thought of having to comfort Marie made her want to scream.
Was there anything that could snap Marie out of this state while also making her feel a little uncomfortable?
...
...
"Oh, right~"
Black Marie seemed to have an idea. A ridiculous expression crept onto her face as she leaned in close to Marie's ear.
"Do you want to hear about the wonderful, haaaappy life 'you' are living with Master back at Chaldea?"
***
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