Shichen didn't know whether Heroic Spirits could get pregnant, but he wasn't about to let Saber get pregnant now. Illya had been a special case; even though his paternal instincts were overflowing, he wasn't planning to be a full-time dad yet. Illya, Sakura, Kanna—he treated them all like daughters. That was enough for now.
Still, he hadn't expected Saber to ask a question like that.
"Why do you ask?"
"Because…" Saber pressed a hand, embarrassed, to her lower belly.
"Ahem. Don't worry—you won't get pregnant."
Shichen glanced at her stomach again. With nothing covering it, everything looked perfectly normal—whether because Saber was fine to begin with or because she was a Heroic Spirit, he couldn't say.
"Why not?" Saber couldn't help asking.
"I'm not ready to be a dad again so soon. And I already have Illya."
"I see… then what about later?"
"Later, sure." He looked up at her with a teasing smile. "Why, can't wait to be a mom?"
"I—I'm just curious… what it feels like." The blush on Saber's face clashed adorably with her usual seriousness.
Becoming fully a woman seemed to have shifted the way she thought.
"You can ask Iri—she's got experience."
"True."
"Clothes first. Illya and the others are probably starving."
Shichen helped Saber dress, including her underthings, then used a cleansing spell to freshen the tent and remove any lingering scent. They stepped out together.
Illya, Sakura, and Frieren were practically glued to the pot, eyes shining, mouths nearly watering.
"Dad, I'm starving!"
"Yeah? Then let's eat."
"Yay!"
"Saber… how are you?" Irisviel asked gently when Saber came over.
"Huh? Oh—I'm fine." Saber smiled and shook her head.
"Mm…" Irisviel studied her closely. No bad mood in sight—if anything, Saber looked unusually radiant today: skin clear and bright, a hint of allure at the corners of her eyes. She looked young and dazzling in a way that reminded Irisviel of a certain night.
Hmm?
That thought made Irisviel suspect the obvious. She glanced at Shichen, but of course his face gave nothing away.
"What is it?" Saber asked, puzzled.
"It's nothing. Let's eat. You must be hungry."
"Very."
After "breakfast"—really lunch—they packed up. With the Holy Grail War basically over, it was time to wrap things up.
The Gate of Babylon was ridiculously handy: mountains of gear, all stored away instantly. No packing, no hauling. Truly the ultimate travel item.
Back at the hotel, Frieren wordlessly vanished into her room. Camping had been nice, but a big soft bed was nicer. Shichen had planned to show her modern comforts slowly—to "corrupt" her—but she'd taken to it faster than expected.
She wasn't even training her mana anymore. Fortunately, she was now his "familiar," so he could channel his own mana to her—his mana was practically inexhaustible, more than she could gain in tens of thousands of years. He wondered if that convenience was part of why she'd gone soft.
"I'll head back to my room too," Saber said.
"Huh? What for?" Irisviel asked.
"I didn't sleep well last night. I'm still a little tired—going to nap."
Heroic Spirits didn't need sleep, but after last night, a nap sounded perfect.
"You didn't sleep well…" Irisviel blinked.
"What is it?"
"Nothing. Go rest."
"Alright." Saber glanced at Shichen, then returned to her room.
"What about us?" Irisviel asked Shichen.
"You want to nap too?"
"No, I slept great. But I'd love a bath."
They'd rinsed off during the trip, but never had time for a proper soak. Now that they were back, the idea was irresistible—and she had a few things to ask him anyway.
"Go ahead. I'm not stopping you."
"Come with me."
"Hm?" He stared at her.
"What, you don't want to?"
"Of course I do."
"Then let's go." Irisviel took his hand and headed for the bath.
"Go play some games, you two," Shichen called to Illya and Sakura.
"Got it! Take your time, Mom and Dad."
"Don't worry, we won't bother you."
He had the uneasy feeling the two girls knew more than they should. Hopefully that was just his imagination. They were still young; no need to grow up too fast.
In the bathroom, Irisviel didn't waste words—she started undressing. They'd bathed together for days on end before; modesty wasn't exactly an issue, and they were long past the point of coyness.
"In a hurry?" Shichen said, a little surprised.
"It's been ages since I soaked. Help me with the clasp."
"Sure."
A soft click, and her top loosened. She turned to face him and slipped it off. His eyes heated; she felt it, but she was here to bathe, not indulge him just yet.
"Hold me a second."
"Mm."
With his support, she lifted a leg and stepped out of the rest, set everything neatly aside, and moved toward the pool. "I'll go in first. Hurry up."
Admiring the elegant line of her back, Shichen blinked once, stripped quickly, and followed. Steam veiled nothing.
He eased into the water beside her. When he settled against the edge, Irisviel drifted over and sat in his lap. His hands circled her slender waist. They rested in the warmth for a while before she asked, "Did you… sleep with Saber?"
"You noticed?" he said, not denying it.
"I've been there."
"So perceptive?"
"Shut up."
He laughed, and his hands began to move. Irisviel let out a quiet sound and melted back against him. "Saber looked… happy," she murmured.
"Did she?"
"I can tell. So—how'd you manage that?"
"It just… happened."
"Of course it did. Dream come true, huh?"
"Are you jealous?"
"Hardly. But you're not going to toss me aside now, are you?" She turned, suddenly anxious.
"Don't be ridiculous." He smiled and kissed her. She turned fully, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him back.
The rest grew private and tender; steam and splashing covered what words won't.
When the water finally stilled, Irisviel lay in his arms, clinging to him. His eyes were a deep crimson now. He buried his face against the side of her neck and spoke in a low voice. "Iri, I'm going to do something. Bear with it."
"Mmm…" she breathed, eyes closed.
His fangs extended and pricked her neck. Pain flashed, then faded into a deep, head-swimming pleasure as he stopped quickly and, instead, poured mana into her—binding her as his familiar so she would no longer need to worry about being a homunculus.
There was another reason: Irisviel carried the Little Grail. Where the Little Grail was, the Great Grail was never far behind.
He thought of the system the three founding families—Tohsaka, Einzbern, and Makiri (Matou)—had built: a massive magic array tying together Command Seals and Servants and, beneath Fuyuki, the true core—the Great Grail—that drank mana from the land and, once full, opened the Holy Grail War and linked to the Throne of Heroes.
The Little Grail was a cruel human-shaped implement to collect fallen Heroic Spirits' souls and, at the end, draw forth vast power from "the other side" so human wishes could be granted.
Once Irisviel was fully bound and drawn into him, two golden items appeared in Shichen's hands: a gold chalice—the Little Grail—and a gold-trimmed, blue-inlaid scabbard: Avalon, the sheath of Excalibur, which heals the bearer and halts aging. It had been inside Irisviel all along. With her artificial body's fragility, he hadn't trusted leaving it there. He tucked the scabbard into the Gate of Babylon and examined the Grail.
The mana inside was immense, intoxicating—and tainted. Just sensing the malice within was enough to spark ugly impulses, even toward Illya and Sakura outside. If he touched it directly, who knew what he'd become? Freedom without restraint can sound nice; it wouldn't be him.
He tried a purification spell. It helped, but only a little. He'd need Aqua's help—divine power, not mana, to cleanse it fully. Quantity wasn't everything; quality mattered too.
"Shichen? Where is this?" Irisviel stirred, consciousness restored by the remaking of her body.
"You're awake." He stowed the Little Grail in the Treasury.
"Mm… Is that a Phoenix? And who is that girl?"
"Heh. You're inside me now," he said, smiling.
"Inside… you?" Irisviel blinked.
"You can sense what's around me, right?"
"We're still in the bath… I really am inside you. How did you do that? Amazing."
"Call it one of my abilities."
"Alright… and that girl?" Irisviel looked toward the figure wrapped in purple-black feathers—her "clothes" were rather revealing.
"Yatogami Tenka. Situation's similar to yours—and to Illya's."
"Similar to Illya… what do you mean?"
"She's my daughter too."
"I am not!" Tenka snapped.
"Aren't you?" he shot back.
"Of course not!"
"Iri, she's in a rebellious phase. Don't mind her."
"Get lost! Who's rebellious? And why did you bring in a woman who isn't wearing anything?"
"—!" Only then did Irisviel realize she was stark naked and, flustered in front of a young woman, she bowed her head. "S-sorry…"
"It's his fault. Just imagine what you usually wear."
"Really?" Irisviel pictured her white coat—and it manifested on her body.
"How fascinating!"
"Heh. From now on, you can use mana to construct simple things," Shichen said.
"Really? That's amazing!"
"Don't celebrate too soon."
"Hm?"
"You're no longer homunculus. Your body is now truly formed of mana."
"R-really?" She could feel the difference, but still—"You're not lying?"
"Would I?"
"T-that's wonderful!" Tears welled in her eyes.
"You never have to worry about being artificial again."
"Mm-hmm!"
"Alright. Want to head out?"
"Please." Irisviel glanced at Tenka and nodded; Tenka didn't respond.
Shichen released Irisviel. She materialized—instinctively "wearing" clothes—into the bath, yelped, dropped the illusion, and returned to her natural self. "Shichen!" she cried, throwing herself at him.
"So happy?"
"Mm." She nodded hard and kissed him. He held her and kissed back; the bath filled again with the sound of splashing and song, and we draw the curtain there.
Afterward, utterly spent, Irisviel fell asleep in his arms—more mentally drained than anything else. The pool had gone cool. Shichen lifted her, dried her with a burst of heat, and carried her to bed. Illya and the others weren't around. He tucked Irisviel in, then slipped into Saber's room.
"Shichen, you—where are your clothes?" Saber had woken already, still replaying last night in her head, and now he strode in… unbothered by modesty.
"Don't worry about it. It's not like you haven't seen," he said.
"I—I still mind…" She wanted to look away, yet couldn't.
He produced the Little Grail. "This is the Grail. You can feel the malice inside it, can't you?"
"The Grail…" Saber focused; her brows knit at once. The chill of that evil seeped straight into her bones.
"I wouldn't lie to you," he said, sitting at the edge of the bed.
"I know."
"What do you plan to do with it?" she asked.
"Have someone purify it."
"Can anyone?"
"Not in this world. In another, yes."
"Another world… Shichen, you said before you came to this world. What did you mean?"
"Simple. I'm not from here."
"Eh?"
He didn't hide anything from her; he told her all of it. And Saber believed him completely.
"Will you stay with me, Artoria?"
"I will," she answered, firm as steel.
He planned to take Illya and the others as well. None of them fit this world anymore. With the war over, he didn't care to hunt down the survivors. He'd stayed here long enough. Time to go.
Before leaving, he took Sakura to Tohsaka Tokiomi's funeral so she could say goodbye to her mother and sister. Tokiomi had been a bastard, but she needed the closure to end that chapter of father and daughter for good. The man was dead, after all. Her mother tried to keep her, but the girl refused to leave Shichen's side.
Once the funeral ended, Shichen gathered everyone and departed this world together.
~~~
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