Shirou, who returned from the Fairy Kingdom

"The so-called leader of the assassination cult is someone who is willing to sacrifice everything for their faith."

In order to acquire the skills, they persevered in their spiritual practice for decades in harsh and difficult environments.

In order to erase himself, he was willing to cut off his face and turn himself into a faceless monster.

To gain power, they modify their bodies, dabble in forbidden things, and even incorporate the flesh and blood of demons into their own bodies.

I finally became an old man in the mountains after countless sacrifices.

I don't even remember what I was like at the beginning.

At the end of this extraordinary asceticism, my body and mind were replaced, and my soul was completely different from the one I was born with.

I used to be able to give everything without restraint, and that's why I gained the position of leader.

However, after receiving the title "Hassan Sabah," I could no longer sacrifice myself so easily.

To protect the Order and safeguard the people, I, as the leader, must be extremely careful with every choice and action.

That's why I'm angry at the rash orders given by Tokiomi Tohsaka and Kirei Kotomine.

Just to demonstrate Archer's power and keep the enemy away, Zaid died for such a trivial matter... I simply cannot accept it.

"We" are the old man in the mountains, Hassan Sabah, who will never forget his own dignity and awareness.

Even if it means facing sacrifice and self-sacrifice, one must choose one's own place to die—

Assassin paused briefly, then spoke in a firm tone.

"So Shirou... commands me to die for you."

……

……

"Sorry for the waitting."

Irisviel and Saber appeared in the courtyard of Einzbern at the agreed time.

"Listen to me, Shirou! You also think Saber would look beautiful in girls' clothes, right?"

But no matter how strongly I recommended it, she refused to wear it. Isn't that going too far? Isn't that a huge waste?

It seems the two had just gone through a struggle. In the end, Saber still went out wearing a black suit, while Irisviel wore a high-class coat, knee-high boots, and black stockings.

Shirou said, "Since Saber doesn't like it, then don't force her."

Saber's previously troubled expression brightened instantly when she heard the boy was willing to speak up for her: "Shirou..."

Irisviel rolled her eyes: "Shirou, you're such a hypocrite! You clearly want to see Saber in a skirt the most!"

It's a bit of a shame that we didn't get to see Saber in women's clothing, but Shirou wouldn't be so blatant about it.

“Saber looks beautiful in everything, but... it’s a bit of a waste for her to always wear men’s clothes.”

"See? Shirou thinks so too." Irisviel said smugly.

"Shirou, I didn't expect even you to play tricks on me..."

Saber's cheeks flushed slightly, then she whispered, "Hmm, I'll consider it next time."

Shirou: "I'll be looking forward to it."

Artoria: "Don't have any strange expectations."

"Stop just standing here talking, let's go!"

Irisviel took Shirou's hand and walked confidently toward the garage where the sports cars were parked.

Oh no... I forgot about that.

……

……

Civic Park, one of the famous landmarks in the new city, is home to Fuyuki's largest central library.

Irisviel tricked Shirou and Saber into coming out under the pretext of "gathering information," and so the group decided to go there for the day.

Although Irisviel had gone shopping several times before, this was her first time visiting a library, so she was quite excited.

Shirou was very skeptical: Could he really find clues to the Noble Phantasms of the King of Heroes and the King of Conquerors in the library?

"Speaking of which, the Central Library was the site of a theft not long ago."

Shirou recalled a news report he had seen earlier: "Someone broke into the library in the middle of the night and stole the books inside."

Irisviel said angrily, "That's outrageous! The library belongs to all the citizens. So, was the culprit eventually caught?"

Shirou shook his head: "The criminal's whereabouts remained unknown until the very end."

"Oh, I see..."

"Does Irisviel know who the culprit is?"

"Could it be Shirou?"

"Why would you think that?"

"Is it because Shirou isn't very good at infiltration? This morning he sneaked into the bathhouse where Saber and I were without anyone noticing..."

"That's the end of this topic."

Shirou said, "Although the culprit was never caught, we did have two leads."

"what?"

"First of all, the criminal broke into the library's roller shutter door in the middle of the night and then swaggered in."

Secondly, the prisoner stole only two books from among the many: one was Homer's *Iliad*, and the other was a geography textbook with a world map.

After listening to Shirou's explanation, both Irisviel and Saber showed expressions of sudden realization.

"So it was Rider who stole it..."

"Considering it was that man, he probably doesn't think his actions constitute theft."

And so, Shirou and his friends spent the entire afternoon at the Central Library.

Before leaving, Shirou and Irisviel each obtained a library card and borrowed several books on Mesopotamian mythology and the Macedonian Empire, as well as related materials on the Epic of Gilgamesh.

Although everyone had a very fulfilling afternoon, they still didn't figure out what the strongest Noble Phantasms of the King of Heroes and the King of Conquerors were.

Iskandar is not a Heroic Spirit known for his martial prowess, so even Shirou is curious about what kind of trump card he might possess.

As for Gilgamesh, Irisviel believes: "Perhaps the King of Heroes does not have a Noble Phantasm that can be called an ace?"

Gilgamesh is a king who possesses the original texts of all the world's treasures and has collected all the treasures on earth.

To that self-centered king, there was nothing else who could be considered "special" except himself.

"Does Irisviel think all Noble Phantasms are equal in the eyes of the King of Heroes?"

That's an interesting idea, but I don't think so.

Shirou said, "It is precisely because he is such a strong-willed king who also possesses great power that he desires more than anyone else to be on par with him."

Gilgamesh's attitude is not only reflected in how he treats people, but also in how he handles things.

In the King's treasury, there must be a certain Noble Phantasm that the King of Heroes regards as supreme, equivalent to half of his own being.

Then, defeating it becomes Shirou Amamiya's mission.

"As expected of Shirou, you see things very clearly."

Irisviel and Saber were persuaded by Shirou, and both of them felt admiration for him.

After leaving the library, at Irisviel's suggestion, the group went to a newly opened upscale restaurant nearby for dinner.

I passed by here twice when I was shopping with Saber before, and she really wanted to come in and try it out.

In the upscale restaurant, the calm and elegant décor creates a pleasant atmosphere, while the simple menu displays shockingly high prices.

As for the taste of the dishes in the restaurant, they were so delicious that even Shirou felt a sense of urgency to fight back.

“It’s delicious,” Artoria concluded.

"Going out was definitely the right decision, wasn't it?" Irisviel smiled.

"Thank you, Irisviel."

"But I have mixed feelings about being thanked for something like this."

As a result, the princess and the knight enjoyed their expensive dinner to the fullest, while Shirou was the only one scheming against himself.

He savored the flavors, observed the details, and simultaneously reverse-engineered the dishes in his mind.

While Shirou can easily see through the structure of machines and understand the principles of weapons, he cannot do the same with cooking.

Cooking is indeed a profound and complex art.

The boy glanced at Artoria, who was happily eating: Saber seems especially cute today.

By the time we left the upscale restaurant, it was almost completely dark.

However, before starting tonight's search for the enemy, Irisviel had to go to a designated location to hand over the spoils of her daytime shopping to the maids.

While Irisviel was exchanging items with a homunculus maid named Sera, Shirou was pulled aside by Saber.

"Shirou, what's that?"

Miss Knight Wang pointed to a shop not far away.

It's a crepe.

Saber's eyes lit up as she gazed at the crepe shop that was about to close.

The aroma wafting from the shop lured the legendary Holy Sword Wielder.

Shirou was stunned: She had just tried the entire menu of the high-class restaurant, what was wrong with her stomach?

It seems we've found the reason for Britain's downfall.

“Let’s go eat, Saber,” Shirou suggested.

"Is it...is it alright?" Saber asked hesitantly.

Shirou said very politely, "Actually, I didn't eat enough for dinner."

Artoria exclaimed in surprise, "You're still not full after eating so much? Shirou has quite the appetite."

Shirou's fist hardened: "..."

Who do you think I'm saying this for?!

After that, Irisviel went to the crepe shop and ordered three freshly baked crepes before the shop closed.

The three people each added three different toppings to their crepes, and Irisviel suggested that they take turns eating them.

"……Um."

Artoria took the crepe with shining eyes.

Infected by the eager girl, the surrounding air seemed to be imbued with an atmospheric effect, almost like when Lady Avalon appeared.

Saber is so cute today...

Shirou watched the Knight Queen eat, and then took a bite of the crepe filled with cream and decorated with strawberries.

good to eat.

Just as Shirou was about to give his thoughts—

"Hmph, what a shallow and boring taste."

A poor-quality food created solely by piling up ingredients, lacking any unique flavor.

This perfectly reflects the ugly reality of this decadent era where only quantity is spreading.

"Really? I think it tastes delicious."

The impactful texture created by the layering of cream and strawberries is simply amazing.

"By the way, you seem to be enjoying your meal, Archer."

"Good taste and value are two different things."

You call yourself a hero? Don't you even understand the most basic principles, you bastard?