Chapter 249: Can Swimsuits Be Far Behind?
"No... perhaps you'll have a use for them very soon," Da Vinci said meaningfully.
"Eh? What?" Shirou looked in confusion at the black-haired noblewoman in the holographic image, whom only he could see.
"Swimsuits! Look forward to it. For Chaldea, this is something like a regular annual program," Da Vinci said with a mysterious smile.
"Why do you sound like you're the one plotting this behind the scenes?" Shirou looked at her suspiciously.
"Oh, stop it! As a manager, I would never abuse my authority for personal gain. It's just that every year, for some reason, whenever summer arrives, there are always various reasons that drag Gudako into strange places where she encounters a bunch of Servants who have... turned a bit odd," Da Vinci said, waving her hand dismissively.
'That sounds even more suspicious...' Shirou thought. However, even if he asked, she wouldn't admit it, so he let it go.
"Of course, if we're talking about the highest probability, it has to be the current Artoria! Variations of Artoria pop up one after another: there's the swimsuit Artoria wrapped in a green blanket; the Rider Artoria on a motorcycle; the Maid Artoria in a maid outfit; the Artoria with the 'glasses' attribute; and there's even an Assassin-class Artoria whose goal is to kill all other Artorias.
There's also the pure Artoria Lily, who is like a girl-next-door; and for pets, there's even a 'Lion Artoria' wearing a lion onesie."
"An Artoria in a lion onesie, huh... I might actually want to raise one," Shirou muttered, imagining a hungry little Artoria. But he quickly snapped out of it and retorted, "Wait a minute! Most of what you're describing is just plain cosplay!"
"Shirou... you just don't understand. Although it looks like she just changed her clothes or did her hair, the important thing is the internal change—different convictions, different eras, different memories, and different experiences.
These alone are enough to say they are different people. Even if they originate from the same Heroic Spirit, they are distinct individuals.
Naturally, the same applies to Jeanne now. As long as she keeps trying new things and mastering new skills, it's not impossible for her to change her Saint Graph and shift into any class she desires."
"Is that so..." Shirou furrowed his brows, troubled. For some reason, he envisioned a scene where a dozen Artorias with the exact same face were sitting around the dinner table, fighting over food...
Because the image was too vivid, Shirou fell into a daze for a moment.
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.
.
Inside the shop, Artoria and Jeanne were still causing a huge scene.
Seeing that the shop assistant was on the verge of tears, Komachi finally stepped in, but once those two started fighting, they wouldn't stop easily.
Compared to Jeanne, who had an excellent figure, the petite Artoria seemed to be quite conflicted about these beautiful but ill-fitting swimsuits.
But that couldn't be helped. From the moment she pulled the Holy Sword from the stone, her body had been frozen at the age of fourteen or fifteen.
"There's really no need to worry; Artoria is plenty beautiful as she is now," Shirou murmured.
Back in Chaldea, Da Vinci covered her mouth and giggled, wearing an "I get it, I get it" expression. "By the way, if you utilize the Holy Grail properly, even a Servant's body can experience 'growth.'"
'Growth?' In Shirou's mind, a record from FGO surfaced—a certain Black Lion King Alter riding a dark horse, wearing black armor that was as revealing as a swimsuit, making one's heart race.
Could Artoria really grow to that extent in the future?!
Feeling that such thoughts were too rude to the current Artoria, Shirou shook his head repeatedly to clear the stray thoughts from his mind.
"Fufufu, hm? Someone is coming. I'll make my exit now." Da Vinci giggled and cut off the holographic projection.
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"My, isn't this Shirou-kun? It's been half a month; you seem to have grown taller. You're looking more and more like a fine man." A flippant, charming female voice drifted over.
The newcomer walked straight up and grabbed the youth's arm, preventing him from dodging, and leaned the weight of her body against him.
"Since you're in Shinjuku, why didn't you stop by my shop?" The speaker was the woman with the stunning figure whom Shirou had encountered when he ordered his suit. He hadn't expected to run into the boutique owner here on the street.
Today, she wore a stylish pink coat wrapped in white fox fur, crystal earrings on both sides, and seductive makeup. Every glance and smile was the height of charm.
"Hello. I'm just here accompanying my family to buy casual clothes today. If I need a suit, I'll be sure to bother your shop again." Shirou calmly pulled his arm away. Looking at the owner, he felt she was slightly different than before.
The owner wasn't angry at all. The predatory desire in her eyes didn't fade; instead, she seemed even more interested in the boy.
"Which of the girls inside is your sister? And the others..." The sexy shop owner surveyed the girls inside through the glass door, smiling charmingly while tracing circles on Shirou's chest with her finger.
"Onii-chan is being harassed by a weird person!" Komachi, who had been trying to stop the fight inside, suddenly pointed outside and shouted to Artoria and Jeanne.
The girls inside stopped their squabbling just as their gazes collided with the shop owner's look.
"My, those looks are scary, like they want to kill someone." The owner smiled at the girls inside, then turned back to Shirou.
"I see, I see... so that's how it is. You're quite popular, Shirou.
What a shame. Those girls have such great potential; I'd love to invite them to be models. I'd really like you to introduce them to me.
However, big sister here happens to have an important date, so let's have a good talk next time we meet~" The owner wore a lingering expression. She deliberately hugged him tighter for a moment before letting go, her hand reaching up as if to caress his face.
"If they are interested in part-time work, I'll let them know," Shirou said, taking two steps back to avoid her hand.
"Well then, goodbye. I look forward to our next meeting." The shop owner smiled unbothered, waved to the girls inside through the glass, and walked away with a sway of her hips.
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