[F/Z] Artoria
Irisviel von Einzbern, a homunculus of the Einzbern family, the walking vessel of the Lesser Grail, possessing the appearance of the Winter Saint with white hair and red eyes, married to the magician assassin Kiritsugu Emiya, and a "pseudo" Master who participated in the Fourth Holy Grail War together.
Before the Holy Grail War began, Kiritsugu Emiya used the scabbard of a certain king to summon a Saber-class Servant. She then disguised herself as his Master to attract the attention of other Masters and Servants, so that the real Master, Kiritsugu Emiya, could act behind the scenes.
This is how it should be.
When the crimson mark appeared on Irisviel's pale hand, Yubstakhaid von Einzbern—the eighth patriarch of the Einzbern family—was utterly shocked.
The reason Irisviel was created is to collect the souls of Servants until the end of the Holy Grail War, ultimately transforming them into the Holy Grail.
Now, the Holy Grail has granted Irisviel the Command Seals, which is sufficient to indicate that she possesses the desires she holds as an "individual".
Kiritsugu Emiya's attitude toward this was even more complicated, but he successfully persuaded Eubustakhaid to allow his wife to have the right to participate in the war by arguing that having an additional Servant would be beneficial for tactical diversity.
As soon as I stepped off the private jet onto the far eastern land of "Fuyuki," a musical sound rang out from the metal cube in Irisviel's pocket.
After frantically answering the call, Kiritsugu Emiya's low, husky voice came from the other end: "Irisviel, what's Caster's situation?"
"They followed, but they still haven't shown themselves." Irisviel subconsciously looked at the back of her hand.
"I understand. At least we now know that Caster has the intention to participate in the war."
After saying that, Kiritsugu Emiya hung up the phone.
Meanwhile, the lady in the suit who had remained silent until now, the blonde servant summoned by Kiritsugu Emiya, spoke with a solemn expression: "Madam, I must remind you that if Caster has not responded by now, then we must carefully assess his intentions."
Upon hearing this, Irisviel's beautiful face blossomed into a rosy smile. "Thank you for your advice, Saber. But it's alright. Although I can't sense Caster's exact location, I'm certain that she means me no harm."
Born as a homunculus, Irisviel possesses abilities that are beyond the reach of ordinary people, making her an excellent magician. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the Servants she summons will undoubtedly be top-tier Servants as well.
The unexpected incident occurred when the head of the family, Irisviel, was preparing for a séance, and she was surprised to find that the Servant had already appeared in the world.
The contract was indeed established, but the Servant's true name, gender, and abilities remain completely unknown.
Having arrived in this world without any summoning ritual and without the Master's (Irisviel's) knowledge, the Servant's qualifications and class (Caster) are beyond question.
Considering that angering the other party would bring no benefit whatsoever, they ultimately accepted this mode of coexistence.
Irisviel could only vaguely sense that Caster was always by her side, but the other party did not intend to show herself... or rather, the other party seemed to be avoiding something.
In the dead of night, Irisviel tried to communicate with the other party: "Does Caster not want to see Kiritsugu or Saber?"
The response from Irisviel was a fleeting magical fluctuation, an acknowledgment, emanating from the other end of the contract.
Even so, will Caster still help me fulfill Kiritsugu's wish?
After speaking, Irisviel waited for a while but received no reply from the Servant, nor did she receive any negative magical energy.
Given Caster's attitude, Irisviel did not inform Kiritsugu Emiya about this interaction.
Saber—Although King Arthur, Artoria, did not agree with Irisviel's permissiveness, chose to believe in and respect the noblewoman's decision.
Even though they were acting together based on strategy, Irisviel's innocent and carefree nature, like that of a princess in her boudoir, caused the Knight King to subconsciously activate his protective instincts.
While the "master and servant" were strolling through the streets as planned, Caster Morgan, who had secretly come to the city, was busy with important preparations.
Even though she participated in the Fourth Holy Grail War as a Servant, Morgan had no interest in stepping onto the stage for others' amusement; her goal was always to reach out to King Arthur and persuade him to provide assistance.
Unfortunately, King Arthur and Morgan le Fay's relationship was far from good, and she could even imagine that if she entered his field of vision, she would probably be met with strong hostility.
...I might even burst into tears.
Therefore, even now, Morgan is not ready to face his adopted sister.
but!
What does the feud between Morgan le Fay (the Enchantress) and King Arthur have to do with Morgan (her sister)?
In short, this was her first real meeting with her sister, and she had to make sure every detail was perfect!
First, she must be an elegant, noble, and pitiful lady! Not only her clothing and overall demeanor, but also the place where they meet must be carefully planned.
As for the outfits, Morgan had considered wearing matching outfits with Artoria. Since King Arthur could pull off the dashing look of a pure black suit, Morgan could certainly do it too!
However, Morgan prefers to wear skirts, which is simply a matter of personal preference.
Besides, her relationship with Artoria is just beginning, and if she tries to get closer to her in too deliberate a way, it could backfire.
This isn't just a hard mode, it's a hellish start.
If she could, she'd love to search for walnut sprouts in the snow with Artoria! She could even pretend not to notice the sprouts beside her and give the points to Artoria!
Morgan thought resentfully.
-
As a town surrounded by mountains on three sides, Fuyuki City has a relatively inconvenient transportation and its tourism industry is not very developed. Therefore, people with non-Eastern features attract a lot of curious glances and a lot of attention when they walk on the street.
Especially since the person in question is a beautiful young woman, if it weren't for the unapproachable aura emanating from one of them, which subtly deterred several groups of people who tried to strike up a conversation.
Princess Irisviel, protected by the knight, smiled mischievously and said with a sly grin, "How reassuring."
Artoria smiled helplessly at this, and just as she was about to respond, a figure that came into view made her pause. The moment the figure overlapped with the one in her memory, she immediately went on alert!
Like molten gold that has lost its heat, it reveals hard edges to the gaze cast upon it. Its emerald irises, overflowing with unwavering resolve, ripple with intense sharpness. Beneath its tight-fitting clothes, its body is subtly tense, and the smooth undulations of its slender limbs are poised to strike.
Before Artoria could warn them, she unexpectedly heard Irisviel murmur, "Caster...?"
The world seemed to stand still for a moment.
His emerald eyes, like the surface of a winter lake, were bathed in the warm glow of the golden sunlight. His gaze swept over the pale platinum hair that had slipped down his cheeks, landing on Artoria with the gentle, serene grace of fine snowflakes.
It evokes the image of a branch sprouting a touch of green amidst the chilly mist of early spring, a time when winter has turned to spring.
With innocent and cautious steps, they cast curiosity and longing at the cruel, frozen world.
The servant had a face identical to Morgan le Fay, yet it differed from the chilling aura that Artoria remembered. While the latter became suspicious, she never lowered her guard.
Morgan Le Fey was not dressed in her usual magical attire for the challenge, but rather in a jet-black shirt dress with a bright touch at the royal blue collar. A matching ribbon was tied in a delicate bow at the right side of her waist, clearly outlining her slender waistline. The petal-like hem of the skirt, accentuated by the cherry-pink lining, added a touch of charm.
Artoria suddenly felt that Morgan le Fay was acting strangely. Her usually unwavering intuition was giving her a dulled signal, making it impossible for her to immediately determine the other party's purpose.
"Saber, it's alright, she just wants to talk to us." Irisviel placed her snow-white hand on Artoria's shoulder and gazed at the graceful figure that met their eyes before disappearing into the crowd.
Artoria frowned and said in a solemn tone, "Alice, if she is the person I know, the slightest carelessness will lead to your utter ruin."
If it weren't for the presence of many people around, and the possibility that other Masters' spies might be eavesdropping, Artoria would have almost revealed Morgan le Fay's name.
Even though a Master can forcibly command a Servant through Command Seals, Morgan le Fay's magical skill surpasses that, which fully explains why Irisviel cannot subdue her with Command Seals.
"Since you know her, could you tell me more about her?" In the legend of King Arthur, there were only a handful of powerful magicians. Judging from Artoria's reaction, it wasn't hard to guess the answer. But just as no one expected King Arthur to be a woman, perhaps she also had aspects that she didn't know about. That's why Irisviel made this suggestion.
The elderly man with white hair added, "Within an appropriate range."
—
The embodiment of Britain was destined to be misunderstood by others, and that loneliness stemmed not only from this. King Arthur, who was born for a specific purpose, may have had some similarities with him.
The location for this highly memorable and significant first meeting was chosen to be the ocean on land, namely, an aquarium.
The large viewing tank, built at great expense, is embedded in the high-ceilinged lobby of the museum, where visitors linger to admire the tranquil scene of fish swimming among the rugged rocks and soft seaweed.
Morgan stopped before the shimmering reflection, basking in the lingering glow of the water.
As the footsteps approached from afar, she sensed that her Master was some distance away and turned to look at the person approaching her.
The first thing that catches the eye is Artoria's pair of emerald eyes, filled with unwavering determination and radiating dazzling brilliance.
It is clearly a face that resembles one's own, but it is given a unique charm because of the look in one's eyes.
Using the dim light filtering through the water and the shimmering reflections, Morgan discreetly observed Artoria. This was the first time Morgan had met her legendary stepsister, and she couldn't help but feel a little excited.
Even though Morgan was a head taller than Artoria, in her eyes her adopted sister was both exquisite and cool! That awe-inspiring presence of a warrior, and that unwavering purity, made Morgan want to shout, "My sister is so beautiful and cool!!"
Before the meeting, Morgan had considered countless grand symphonies in her mind, but none of them were enough to match her emotions at that moment.
She had been waiting for this moment for so long, so long that she had almost forgotten what had happened before.
If a story needs a villain, then she is hidden by the character, a part that the character feels is unnecessary for the reader to see.
Even so, as someone who "doesn't need" her, Morgan still harbors a small wish.
"Saber, what is your wish regarding the Holy Grail?"
Artoria's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, and she immediately sensed the sound of the person opposite her casting a spell.
Presumably a magic trick to prevent the conversation from being leaked, Artoria then asked, "Are we in a relationship where we can share wishes?"
Seeing this, Morgan blinked her emerald eyes and tilted her head in a puzzled tone, asking, "What's wrong? Is your wish related to me?"
Looking at the woman who was so familiar yet so unfamiliar, Artoria's suspicions grew stronger.
Morgan Le Fey had always seen her as a thorn in his side. The scheming witch was like a venomous snake locking onto its prey, never hesitating or showing mercy when she acted, and she would never pretend to be so naive.
If Artoria hadn't known that no one could impersonate Morgan le Fay, she might have thought she had mistaken someone for someone else.
Faced with Morgan's question, which showed no malice whatsoever (which was the part that Artoria found most unbelievable), Artoria remained silent for a long time before finally answering in a solemn tone as if making a vow: "...All I seek is the peace of that kingdom."
Artoria expected Morgan to respond with either attacks or sarcasm, but instead, she was met with a radiant smile from him, as beautiful as stars.
Like a delicate rose blooming in the sun on a fragrant hill, shedding its intimidating coldness and thorns, filling the heart with the fragrance carried on a warm breeze. "Indeed, every version of you feels the same way about it. Although I don't have the right to say that, we are the same in this respect."
Something's not right.
Perhaps something was off from the moment Morgan deliberately appeared and made eye contact with him, to the seemingly harmonious conversation between the two, and the instant the other smiled at him.
Artoria's trembling heartstrings whispered this.
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