"Is this… sunshower?"
Cool raindrops brushed his face. The white-haired boy murmured softly, a look of nostalgia surfacing in his eyes.
"Honestly, you really do sound like an old man," the woman behind him said with a mocking lilt. "If you love reminiscing that much, why not just stay in the past forever?"
She was tall and slender, black hair cascading down her back. Her flawless curves carried a dangerous allure—one glance was enough to steal a person's reason. Even the silver nail driven through her palm, the black ribbon tied around it, only added a cruel, exquisite beauty.
Semiramis.
The infamous Queen of Assyria, remembered for countless deeds—most notably, murdering her husband to seize the throne.
A Heroic Spirit who should have been a cunning tyrant now stood quietly behind the boy, speaking with teasing intimacy.
Perhaps even for a venomous queen like her, this scene was a luxury. Something unreal. Something that should never have existed.
Yet the air remained gentle, the mood subdued and refined. Semiramis smiled, every bit the noble lady—dignified, commanding, and unmistakably feminine.
"Stay in the past? I only needed to do that once," the white-haired boy replied calmly. His eyes were clear, yet burdened with unspoken weight.
"You're still brooding over that foolish wish of yours?" Semiramis said with a light laugh, approval woven into her tone. "Under rain like this, shouldn't you enjoy the scenery instead?"
"Don't you think this world is incomplete?" The boy—no, the solemn priest—closed his eyes. Pain flickered across his face. "This world is broken. Humanity has no salvation. Magi and ordinary people alike hurt one another, drowning in endless conflict."
"Oh? Isn't that simply the norm?"
"You already know the answer." He blinked, a self-mocking smile tugging at his lips. "Of course it is. But to change this filth—that is why I was born into this world."
"You think far too highly of yourself, Amakusa," the black-haired lady said softly. Her words carried weight. "To this world, to Gaia and Alaya, even Heroic Spirits are insignificant. At best, slightly sturdier insects."
"Yes. Exactly so." The boy—Amakusa Shirou Tokisada—spoke with solemn devotion, sorrow glinting beneath his faith. "That is why I must grant everyone true salvation. This is the wish I share with my companions who fight beside me. I will realize it with these hands."
"This Holy Grail War is the miracle I must seize."
"I see… Truly your will." Semiramis smiled faintly. "I'll savor this drama to the end. Don't die too easily, Amakusa."
Her form dissolved into black motes of magical energy, vanishing into the sunlit rain.
Amakusa Shirou Tokisada tilted his head back and smiled bitterly. "It really is a sunshower. Every time I see one, I think of the fox's wedding. If an enemy summoned the Golden White-Faced one, this Holy Grail War would become impossible to predict."
◇◇◇
Within the stronghold of the Black Faction.
Yggdmillennia's castle.
Doll-like maid girls in black-and-white uniforms—cut daringly short—aimed a variety of firearms at a fox-tailed girl dressed in blue silk.
"Release Master! Let me take him!" RyuZU shouted. Twin pitch-black scythes were already in her hands, but Rhodes was cradled tightly in the fox girl's arms. There was no way to pull him free.
"Hah? What's wrong with you cheating cats?" the fox girl snapped. "Pointing weapons at me? If Master weren't asleep, I'd have torn you to pieces already!"
She bared her teeth, posture sharp with predatory threat.
"Put Master down," RyuZU said coldly. "We will restore his magical energy."
Her expression grew increasingly tense. The Time Stop formula was gathering power, ready to reclaim Rhodes from the fox's embrace in a single instant.
"How would I know what you cheating cats really are!" the fox girl roared. Despite the bluster, unease flickered across her face.
"Ugh…" A faint groan came from her arms. Rhodes lifted a hand, pushing aside the massive, fluffy obstruction pressed against his face. "Hah… I almost suffocated."
"Huh? You're awake, Master!" The pink-haired fox girl leaned in, joy bursting across her face.
"Then you really are my Master! I knew it! The contract is complete!" She grinned brightly. "I am Tamamo-no-Mae. I look forward to our life together—"
She rattled on breathlessly, then seized the moment. While Rhodes was still dazed, she lunged for his lips without hesitation, every inch the lovestruck fool.
Bang.
A dull sound echoed through the workshop.
Unable to endure the sight, RyuZU released Time Stop and appeared at Tamamo-no-Mae's side, slamming the dark scythe between their faces.
Tamamo-no-Mae's face smashed squarely into the flat of the blade. Had RyuZU not feared injuring Rhodes, it would have been the edge instead.
"Ow! Ow! That hurts—!" The fox yelped pitifully.
Rhodes took the chance to escape her fragrant, dangerously soft embrace.
He had modeled Tamamo-no-Mae's current doll body after her appearance in FGO—making a few… generous adjustments. Enough that even he found his self-control slipping.
"Whew…" Finally free, Rhodes exhaled and spoke. "Don't you resent me? I'm the one who trapped you in the present world, keeping you from returning to the Throne of Heroes."
"What?" Tamamo-no-Mae stared at him, baffled. "What kind of nonsense is that, Master? Do you really think Heroic Spirits enjoy staying in that boring Throne of Heroes? Anyone who thinks that is either an idiot or a shut-in!"
"Tch. I feel strangely insulted…" Rhodes shook his head, then continued. "In that case, how about summoning a few more Heroic Spirits?"
"Absolutely not!" Tamamo-no-Mae yelped, like a house cat whose tail had been stepped on. "If Master summons anyone else, I— I'll cry right here!" Her eyes shimmered. "I finally got this body! I can stay with you forever! If a third party appears—"
"I'll teach you the true meaning of the 'Polygamy Castration Fist: Marriage Fraud Punishment Cannon'!"