Chapter 205: The Girl's Self-Reflection
The girl sat on the veranda of the Japanese-style garden, closing her eyes for meditation to focus her mind. Her brow was slightly furrowed, suggesting an intense internal struggle.
In fact, Artoria was holding a self-reflection session.
She had originally planned to settle everything last night. Ever since she formed a contract with Shirou, even now that she possessed a physical body, she remained connected to him through the FGO system.
The current Shirou possessed a unique power in his Mystic Eyes. Its potential for growth might even surpass all the Mystic Eyes she had ever witnessed, be it Merlin's Clairvoyance, the petrification or charm Mystic Eyes of Servants, or the Mystic Eyes possessed by the knights and fairies she had met. Compared to Shirou's eyes, there was a fundamental difference in certain aspects.
Yes, these Mystic Eyes could not be, as Shirou claimed, a simple breakthrough miracle achieved at the moment of near-death.
Although no one had explicitly pointed this out yet, Da Vinci at Chaldea and the other Mages must have already noticed. That's why Merlin had been constantly paying attention to Shirou.
This was definitely not something that could be easily generated. Even miracles had different grades, like soaring at the highest peak of the world's tallest mountain, swimming deep beneath the ocean where light couldn't reach, or delving thousands of meters into the underground world.
Making it rain, generating fire with a touch of the hand, making barren land fertile, growing all kinds of plants, and enjoying food and clothes year-round.
Water, fire, land, and food are indispensable to humans. Traveling through the sky, diving into the sea, and burrowing underground were considered the abilities of deities, like miracles to ancient people.
Perhaps what humanity considers futuristic today—space travel, vacationing on Mars or the Moon, or a Star Wars scenario where a single missile can destroy a planet nearly the size of Earth—these limits seem distant, but in a few hundred years, it might be like those war movies where, despite being individually strong and completely superior to the invaders in both intelligence and combat power, the country is still occupied by a group of dim-witted aggressors.
Even if ten different miracles capable of solving the current situation were to occur simultaneously, eyes of this caliber could not be easily produced.
Those eyes seemed to be connected to the Root of all things, allowing him to perceive all the phenomena of the world. Because it was the Root, it could open a channel and connect to parallel worlds with similarities, or even entities in another universe.
Perhaps this was why, when she dreamed, she often saw the boy's past in this world, and through the Mystic Eyes' connection, she saw the experiences of different versions of the boy in alternate worlds.
The current boy had a family, but when he grew up, there would always be a time when he would leave home. When he had no other concerns, there would be a time for him to make his own choices.
Judging by the future she witnessed in her dreams, if he were left alone, the outcome was always unsatisfactory.
Shirou would always push himself to the limit for a difficult ideal, striving with all his might, gritting his teeth and pressing forward even when covered in scars, until the last moment of his life. He was like a machine operating under an overload, a broken piece of steel, overheating, smoking, igniting, and burning to ashes.
The only version that lived to old age was the one who was injured by a shell in a war and lost his memory, only recovering it on the day the world ended.
But by then, his body was frail. The decades of life he lived were meaningless, and he could only watch the coming of the end in endless regret, as humanity suffered unprecedented tragedy.
Only by establishing a deep bond and having someone constantly by Shirou's side, moving forward and retreating with him, could he find happiness.
Shirou in his youth was like an unknown egg that might hatch into anything. It could be a phoenix rising from the ashes, or it could die in the shell.
Although the blue Saber was indeed herself, a different facet produced by the same heroic spirit, like two people with a shared past but different personalities.
In her memories, however, when she was alive, she was indeed known as a King who represented chivalric virtues like fairness and integrity. In the many timelines, only a few ended up with Shirou, and only one actually lived out their lives together.
In most other timelines, he either fought alone until death, failing to save the people at the last moment, living a life misunderstood and unrespected, saving thousands, yet not recognized as a hero, which was heartbreaking.
The rest of the time... he was stolen by other women: the traditional, sharp-tongued girl in red, the seemingly weak but actually difficult girl with purple hair, the silver-haired little girl...
And that woman with the great figure who rode a white horse...
There was also the future where the honest and cheerful student council president of the Archery Club, Mitsuzuri Ayako, brought him back into the club, and he became an Archery Master who established his own school.
And the future where he entered politics through the daughter of the Fuyuki City Mayor, Himuro Kane. This was the world's cultural war, where he summoned the Vietnamese King Saber—Lê Lợi, who launched the Lam Sơn uprising, proclaimed himself the 'Pacifying King,' resisted the Ming Dynasty, unified Giao Chỉ (Jiaozhi), and was eventually recognized by Emperor Xuande of Ming as the founding monarch, Lê Thái Tổ.
She didn't know why, but that face felt somewhat familiar. And throwing the sword back into the lake, where it was caught by a magical turtle... was that plagiarism?
And Taiga! The Taiga route! The gag character Taiga, with her EX luck, who saves the world on a whim, actually had a higher probability of ending up with Shirou than she did.
She simply couldn't tolerate that. She would use Excalibur's Noble Phantasm to sweep those futures away.
"Shirou is my Knight, and he must be led by me, the King," Artoria shouted internally while meditating with her eyes closed.
But because last night's dinner was simply too delicious, she was entirely focused on eating. The fire burning in her body had subsided, and the roaring red dragon was thoroughly satisfied.
Mashiro also went to bed early because of the long flight and the jet lag. Shirou was still in the kitchen making the melon bread, which had changed from a late-night snack to breakfast. Although she offered to help, Shirou and Komachi pushed her out.
So, she went to rest in bed for a while, only planning to lie down briefly, but ended up sleeping until five o'clock.
As a form of self-reflection, Artoria came to the garden alone, ready to swing her sword ten thousand times as a profound lesson to herself.
She didn't expect Shirou to come over and ask for a sparring match.
Mhm, the sparring was enjoyable. Since defeating Vortigern, she hadn't encountered a worthy opponent. Her heart was leaping with joy, her battle-craving blood was boiling, and her body was excited. Shirou's martial arts seemed to have improved since their last meeting, but of course, he still couldn't beat her!
After all, how could the King lose to her own Knight? Even if his skill surpassed hers, she would win back with the power of her magical energy and the Holy Sword or Holy Lance.
The high-hanging sun shone on the girl's hair, which had turned from golden-yellow to platinum-like due to her reversal, sparkling with an incredible brilliance, as if light were shining on a gem.
With her eyes closed, the girl's face was exquisitely beautiful, her demeanor still somewhat dignified and cold, but her eyes and brows were much softer, like a goddess descended to earth.
While in meditation, Artoria smelled the aroma of ham and the sweet scent of bread. Because Shirou made it, it seemed to smell even more fragrant, and her stomach involuntarily let out a 'grumble, grumble' sound.
Artoria opened her eyes, her solitary golden pupils looking down at her flat stomach. She thought, "It seems I'm living too comfortably in this world. Has my heart started to relax? Although my age is fixed by the Holy Sword, now that I've obtained a real physical body, I am also a newborn human.
Although my outward appearance hasn't changed, has my inner self been affected? Is this the so-called 'psychological flab'?
No! Is this still the King of Britain?! For the honor of the Knights of the Round Table, tonight! I must defeat Shirou tonight!' Artoria made up her mind.
"Artoria, hey, Artoria, what's wrong? It's almost time to wake Mashiro up," Shirou, who had finished preparing breakfast, walked out and called out.
"Ah, yes, I'll go now," Artoria said, maintaining her composure and not letting any emotion show on her face. She stood up, nodded in agreement, and then headed upstairs.
"Hmm? Why does she seem a little flustered?" Shirou looked at the girl's retreating back strangely, noting that she definitely seemed different from usual.
"Mashiro, it's time to get up." Artoria pushed open the door and saw a mysterious creature, a tangle of blankets wrapped around its head, on the lower bunk of the wooden bunk bed.
"Mashiro, wake up. It's time for breakfast. There's the melon bread you wanted," Artoria said.
"Mhm... melon bread..." Mashiro poked her head out from under the blanket, revealing her fair shoulder.
"How does she manage to sleep like this?" Although Artoria had been looking after Mashiro for a while, she still couldn't understand. Mashiro went to bed wearing pajamas, but in the morning, she was often down to just a pair of panties.
"Here, change your clothes and wash up." Artoria found the discarded clothing, picked it up, and handed it to the girl.
"I understand..." Mashiro took the clothes, first slipped one hand into a bra strap, fastened it in the front, adjusted it with her hand to a comfortable position, then reached back to hook it, and only then slowly put on the rest of her clothes.
When the two girls came downstairs together, Komachi was already in the kitchen helping to set the breakfast on the dining table. The golden-brown melon bread had raised, dark-yellow square patterns on top.
There were also pan-fried toast, ham, and fried eggs. Because Artoria liked fragrant food, the toast was not done in a toaster, but deliberately pan-fried in a bit of aromatic oil until slightly crisp. Eaten with the ham and fried egg, it was very satisfying.
Adding a salad made of several vegetables, the tender green lettuce leaves and red cherry tomatoes making a pleasant color combination, paired with each person's preferred drink—coffee, milk, milk tea, or cereal with milk—it was a decent and nutritious breakfast.
When the parents also woke up, the whole family sat down to eat breakfast together.
The golden crust on the melon bread had been deliberately scored with small knife cuts and then brushed with egg wash to create the pineapple-like surface. The sweet melon bread was crispy at the first bite and soft inside, filling the mouth with rich aroma when chewed.
"Shirou's bread..." Mashiro bit into the melon bread, her eyes happily squinting. In this world, there were two kinds of melon bread: one was Shirou's ultra-delicious melon bread, and the other was just delicious melon bread.
Everyone around them smiled with the fond indulgence one shows a child, sharing the melon bread on their plates with the girl.
"Here, eat more," Mom pushed her plate toward the girl.
" Mashiro-nee, you can have Komachi's share too," Komachi offered.
"Thank you," Mashiro continued nibbling on the bread in small bites, accepting the bread on the plate without reservation. When it came to melon bread, she could eat any amount until her stomach was full.
"By the way, Onii-chan, do you have any plans for today?" Komachi asked, finishing a glass of milk, taking another step toward having a perfect JK body, and then puffing out her modest chest as she looked at the boy.
"Mhm, I got a notification from Hiratsuka-sensei. The exchange students have a wrap-up meeting at school at two in the afternoon," Shirou said.
"Then can you go out with Komachi this morning? Since Rita-nee and Mashiro-nee are here, let's all go on a date~! A date!" Komachi blinked rapidly at the boy, hinting, 'I'll drag Mashiro-nee away later, so you two can enjoy some private time!'
"That's right, Shirou, why don't you take Artoria and Mashiro out somewhere fun?" Dad said, looking up from his newspaper.
"Yes, since they're staying with us, they're part of the family. I'll give you two some spending money now. Buy whatever you want," Mom said, taking out her wallet and pulling out two large bills.
"Mom, you need to prepare Komachi's share too," Komachi said sweetly.
"Alright, you won't be left out. You never miss an opportunity for a benefit. You truly are my daughter," Mom said, smiling at Komachi.
"Hehe, thank you, Mom~!" Komachi smiled and agreed, then looked toward her brother.
'Of course, Komachi will later use all the Komachi Points she's accumulated to demand the best gift as a thank you,' Komachi blinked her left eye, then her right eye at her brother, hinting playfully.
Shirou immediately looked away, indicating that he hadn't inherited the skill of communicating through winks. Assuming his sister's eye was just itchy, he turned his gaze to his mother and answered honestly, "Yes, it is the holidays, so I need to find time to take them around Chiba and Tokyo. But not today. I plan to buy some things."
"Ah, you mentioned last night that you wanted to buy a large oven because Mashiro likes Baumkuchen," Mom recalled.
"Artoria, Mashiro, do you want to come along? There are quite a few things we need to buy, right?" Shirou asked.
"Mhm," Artoria nodded. She had only brought one suitcase for the move, keeping everything simple. Although she could create Spirit-Bonds with her magical energy, Mashiro definitely needed some house clothes, and they also needed to replenish some essential daily necessities.
Furthermore... for tonight, she felt it necessary to buy a box of bubble gum-like chewing gum. Now that she had a real body, she needed to take precautions.
Mashiro saw Artoria nod and nodded in turn. 'Wherever Rita goes, I go!' the girl thought.
Thus, the three reached a consensus: their destination was the nearby large shopping mall/supermarket.
"Don't stay out too late, and come home for dinner tonight," Mom reminded them.
"Honestly!" Komachi pouted, having realized all her winks were for nothing. "I want to go too!"
So, taking Artoria and Mashiro out for a tour of the area, Komachi tagged along. They would also stop at the mall to purchase the large oven.
A boy who looked like the boy next door walked into the supermarket pushing a shopping cart. He seemed friendly enough, but when people saw that he was followed by three beautiful girls, they all gave him looks of indignation.
A product like that should ideally be bought at the famous electronics district. If you knew the right channels you could buy broken phones at the lowest price, take out the good components, combine them with parts from another phone, and a perfect refurbished phone was born.
Of course, if one could make the components themselves, it would be even cheaper. But now wasn't the time to discuss such things. Mashiro was watching him with eyes full of anticipation.
So, the goal was efficiency. They would go straight to the nearest supermarket and have it delivered to the door.
Shirou went directly to the brand store, chose a good oven, and paid for it.
"Please sign the address here," the salesperson said, handing over the form.
Shirou took the pen and wrote down his home address and contact number.
"Excellent. This oven will be delivered to your home before noon today," the salesperson said with a smile.
"Thank you for your business. This is a complimentary gift for you," the woman at the checkout counter said, smiling and handing over a small bag of something.
Shirou looked at the gift, a small bag of chocolate milk candy, and then looked at the girls around him.
"...I don't need it," Artoria refused flatly. It wasn't a hamburger, nor fried chicken. Humans needed high-calorie meat and bread. Candy? What was so good about that?
"No need," Mashiro also shook her head. Too much candy was bad for teeth. Bread and cake were best.
"Hmph~!" Komachi snorted and turned her head away, thinking, 'You think such a small candy can make me forgive you? Komachi is not that cheap of a woman! It has to be pure chocolate!'
Shirou had no choice but to put the bag of candy into his pocket and walked out with the girls.
Next, they all went to the nearby arcade.
In the claw machine, there was a lion plush toy. Artoria immediately stopped in her tracks as they passed by.
The three girls silently looked at the boy in unison.
Shirou silently pulled out his wallet and took out all the coins inside.
"Aww, it fell again!"
This was the tenth failure. The three girls took turns, but their lack of skill meant the claw kept releasing the plush just as it was in a good position. When the claw was stable, they failed to grab it properly.
"How about I try to find a way?" Shirou's eyes flashed with the light of his Mystic Eyes. If necessary, he could use reinforcement to modify the claw through the glass so that it wouldn't drop the plush once it touched it.
"No. At this point, only a monetary offensive is necessary!" Artoria said, pulling out the large bill she received from his mother earlier. As a King, her goal was not to forcibly change her opponent's nature but to achieve her goal through sheer ability.
The claw machine's trick was very obvious: it would only maintain its grip for a set number of attempts. Otherwise, even if the grab was perfect, it would loosen. Even though they knew the trap was there, and that they could probably buy the plush directly for less than the cost of trying, this type of game remained popular. Some people even developed exquisite skills for it. Just setting up a few machines in a high-traffic area could make a fortune.
In some small shops in remote urban villages, these machines were even used to dispense cigarettes or other high-value items, where the cost of the pack of cigarettes could be exchanged for that much money at the shop. So, people would exchange hundreds of coins to play for hours, and at night, a long queue might form to play.
The claw machine was a gambling device that played with the human heart. In an era where fruit machines and coin pushers faded from the market, only casino slots and Pachinko could rival it.
In the end, Artoria held the lion plush in one hand and a small bag of snacks and treats in the other. Mashiro held a very similar, but maneless, kitten plush. Their arms were linked together, embracing each other like close sisters.
After winning the plush toys, the girls bought clothes and various ingredients. They walked out of the mall's main door, satisfied.
Shirou couldn't escape the fate of escorting girls shopping, following behind them laden with large and small bags.
"Hey, Komachi, if you don't catch up, we're leaving you behind," Shirou called back to Komachi, who was lagging behind.
"Oh, oh... I'm coming right away." Komachi, who was standing still at the back, had a look of shock still on her face. She was looking at Artoria's back with an extraordinary gaze.
Komachi's feelings were complex at the moment, as if something that had been with her all her life was suddenly about to be marked and scented by someone else.
Although her brother had been distracted and didn't see it, Komachi had clearly and distinctly observed every move made by Artoria-nee!
This person was serious! Genuinely serious about getting with her Onii-chan! She had only moved in for less than a full day, and she was already making moves, openly and brazenly, in front of her, his little sister!
Komachi glanced at the boy, temporarily setting aside her inner conflict, and considered the crucial question: Should she choose to support her? Support her? Or support her?!
'Rita-nee... no! Maybe tomorrow I can skip her name and just call her Onee-chan!'
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