You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

What's that over there?

Iori noticed that this wasn't the end of the area; there were several more rooms further inside, and she asked curiously.

Merlin glanced at it, his expression indifferent: "These are the relics of the 'Masters,' no different from those here."

"..."

Iori took a deep look, but didn't ask any further questions or suggest going inside... There was always a feeling that once you went too far, there would be no turning back.

"Thank you again, Lord Iori."

On the way back, Merlin said very sincerely, "You have helped us a lot."

"Just one singularity?" Iori scoffed. "That's nothing to you, is it?"

"To be honest, in terms of the 'plot completeness' of the Singularity, you can only be considered average, after all, you are a novice... What's strange is that although the Singularity is not good enough, after contacting you, Chaldea in that world line suddenly burst forth with many possibilities, far exceeding the normal value!"

Merlin smiled with satisfaction: "This kind of situation is rare. You can only say that you are our lucky charm."

"Uh, you flatter me... maybe I was just lucky."

Chapter 157: Don't speak, kiss her!

In the magically projected image, the orange-haired girl, along with the shield maiden and Atalanta, are fighting against a massive silhouette shrouded in black mist. Judging from its sweeping fighting style and the striking battle axe, this is none other than Asterius, who has already perished in the war.

The defeated Servant souls escaped as Sera achieved the "Third Law," manifesting as shadow Servants throughout Tulipas. After Chaldea detected abnormal fluctuations, Fujimaru Ritsuka and Mash were transferred back to clean up the mess they had left undone.

What they didn't know was that their desperate struggle was being watched with great interest—a far more real sight than any Hollywood blockbuster.

"We've already dealt with Shuten-dōji and Siegfried's shadow servants, now it's Asterius... It seems we can get rid of him soon."

In a cozy cabin in the woods, Iori brought out hot water to make tea, while Sera had already prepared cookies and snacks. The two leisurely enjoyed their afternoon tea, using the magic show as a way to pass the time, and occasionally discussing it with a smile, appearing quite happy.

"They're fighting hard there, and we're here making sarcastic remarks. Isn't that going too far?"

"Really?" Iori thought for a moment. "Should we go help them?"

"Forehead……"

Sera looked down at her loose-fitting pajamas, then at the delicious snacks on the small wooden table. She pouted, picked up the steaming teacup with both hands, and changed her words.

"I don't think it's necessary, because we've fought side by side before, so I trust them completely... I'm sure they can overcome this difficulty on their own!"

"Hey!"

Iori gave a mischievous smile, and Sera, sensing his amused gaze, turned her head away.

There was nothing she could do. It wasn't that she didn't want to help Ritsuka, but the temperature had suddenly dropped recently... This kind of weather was more suitable for staying at home and enjoying a warm bed and delicious tea and snacks.

"I feel like you're gradually becoming lazier... But in a way, isn't that closer to the lifestyle of ordinary people?"

Iori put down her teacup and smiled faintly, "Seeing you like this, I can leave with peace of mind."

"..."

A ripple spread across the teacup, but Sera remained unfazed, calmly raising her red eyes.

"What do you mean?"

“Am I not clear?” Iori explained, “I’m about to leave Tulifas, or more precisely, leave this world—not to go to heaven, of course.”

"I know... I knew this day would come."

Sera blinked, thought for a moment, and asked, "Was the Greater Grail taken to the place you're about to go?"

"Hmm, one of them."

Iori frankly said, "That's not my hometown... but to be honest, I can't go back to my real hometown either. I'm currently traveling between several worlds."

"That's great! You'll definitely see lots of new and interesting things, right?" Sera smiled gently.

The Type-Moon universe itself has the concept of parallel universes, and the "Second Magic" among the five great magics can freely observe and interfere with parallel worlds. Therefore, Sera was not shocked by what Iori said, but accepted it naturally.

The silver-haired girl had already sensed something when she saw Iori disappear into thin air with the Greater Grail...

"I was a little worried about you at first, but now that it seems you're capable of taking care of yourself, I'm relieved."

Iori put down her teacup, savoring the sweet aroma on her lips and teeth, and said contentedly, "Perhaps I'm worrying unnecessarily. You're practically a third magician now, so naturally you don't need anyone else to worry about you."

“The title of Third Mage… is not something I can bear.” Sera shook her head slightly.

Sera is in better condition than the Winter Saintess was back then. After all, she has also completed the materialization of her soul. Even if her combat power is not as good as that of a Servant, it is far superior to that of an ordinary magician.

Moreover, unlike Iori, Sera, also a creation of the Third Law, not only possesses "immortality" but also inherited the Heaven's Feel, and has the magic circuits of the Winter Saintess.

While Sera is currently unable to save all of humanity, she is capable of saving individuals, just as she did with Iori—but without the Greater Grail's assistance, it would take her many years to save even one person.

Calling her the Third Magician is a bit of an exaggeration, since the Winter Saintess didn't truly reach the level of a magician. But if you say she is the inheritor of the Third Magic, then that's absolutely true!

"...I'm not as amazing as you think."

Sera hesitated before saying, "I only know the basics of Heaven's Feel, and my knowledge of magic and combat skills are not as good as those of the veterans in the Clock Tower. This world is still very dangerous for me."

"Don't worry, the Holy Grail War has only recently ended, and the Yggdrasil is facing the aftermath of the Clock Tower's reckoning. This turmoil will last a long time... As long as you keep a low profile, no one will notice you."

"If the third law is exposed..."

"Then you'll just have to be extra careful yourself."

"you!"

Sera's breathing quickened, but she quickly noticed the mischievous look in Iori's eyes. She immediately raised her eyebrows and bit her lower lip in embarrassment and annoyance.

"Don't tease me, Berserker."

"Yes, my master."

Iori leaned back on the sofa casually: "But you know the rules. If you want to communicate with me, the prerequisite is honesty."

"……responsibility."

"what?"

"Responsibility... Please take responsibility!"

Sera placed her hands on her knees, clenched her small fists tightly, and said defiantly, "You're the one who made me like this, you have to take responsibility for me!"

Don't say things like you're leaving... No matter where you go, you have an obligation to invite me to come along, understand?

"……Ah!"

Iori smiled calmly, feeling a sense of accomplishment as he watched Sera's performance.

"Although it's a bit of a stretch, I'll just accept this explanation for now."

“Iori!” Sera’s face immediately lit up with a bright smile.

"But if it's as you say... this is a bit difficult to handle, isn't it?" Iori stroked her chin, looking troubled.

"Not easy to handle?" The girl frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Although I can travel to different worlds, there is a prerequisite: only I and 'my possessions' can travel through them. I cannot take anything that does not belong to me."

“…Huh?” Sera was slightly taken aback. “So, that means?”

"That's a question you need to answer yourself."

Iori stood up, leaned down at Sera with difficulty, and roughly pinched her chin.

“Serra von Einzbern, would you be willing to become my—Aizen Iori’s—possession?”

"……Well!"

Sera's cheeks flushed slightly, her clear eyes reflecting the boy's handsome face, and she felt her ears burning hot.

"Um……"

Should I close my eyes? Am I being too forward?

"That's good."

Just as Sera was struggling with her decision and was about to close her eyes, Iori released her hand, and the delicate atmosphere was gone. The girl pursed her lips in regret.

—I gave you a chance, but you didn't do it!

Chapter 158: The Emperor is me, Aizen Iori!

"Okay, we've successfully traveled through time."

Sera felt a moment of disorientation, but regained her senses after hearing Iori's words. Feeling inexplicably uneasy, she quickly looked around. The familiar warm touch on her hand calmed her down.

"Are you scared?" Iori asked curiously, looking at her.

"...People are usually scared, right?"

Sera rolled her eyes at him: "This is what a world line jump is. Before this, I had only heard of the Second Magician having such an ability... Ah, Chaldea should count as one too?"

I still don't understand many things in my original world, let alone in another place.

Civilization, culture, race… even the laws of physics—everything familiar to us could be overturned. Wouldn't that make both magicians and ordinary people uneasy?

Iori nodded, seemingly unusually not only not hesitant in this regard, but also full of anticipation.

"But you can rest assured that although the energy systems are very different... or as you would say, the 'foundation' is different, the basic physical laws are still similar, and the intelligent race that rules this world is still humankind."

Furthermore, the overall power level here is relatively weak, with very few extraordinary individuals comparable to Servant-level beings. Even without my protection, there aren't many beings who can threaten you.

"If it weren't easy to control, I wouldn't have made this my base of operations."

"Then I'm relieved... Where is this?"

Sera looked up and found herself surrounded by magnificent and grand buildings, standing in front of a palace.

"This place feels like a palace. Let's leave quickly, or we'll be in trouble if the guards find us."

"Ok?"

Iori blinked, about to say something, when a squad of fully equipped guards emerged from around the corner in the distance.

Sera frowned slightly, only to find that Iori had taken out a mask from somewhere and put it on her face without any intention of hiding. Just as she was wondering about this, the group of soldiers discovered the place. When they saw the familiar mask, they were all startled.

The team leader was a cautious person. Although he instinctively wanted to kneel down, he hesitated when he saw Iori's attire and the unfamiliar silver-haired woman.

"What's the matter?"

Iori said calmly, "Do you intend to disturb me and my friend here?"

"His Majesty!"

The captain immediately knelt down, breaking out in a cold sweat.

It wasn't just that he noticed the strange longsword at Iori's waist, but also because of the calm and collected voice, and the subtle kingly aura that he exuded, that convinced him that this was His Majesty the Holy King, the ruler of the empire!

"I have met His Majesty!"

"I have met His Majesty!"

The soldiers all knelt down, filled with awe and trepidation, while also wondering why His Majesty had appeared here.

"Your Majesty...why are there no attendants serving you?"

"It's alright. I just had a sudden whim and went for a stroll with a friend without informing anyone else. I'm only causing you trouble."

"Don't dare!"

The captain mustered his courage and said, "Your Majesty, for your safety, please allow us to suspend our patrol and instead provide on-site protection."

"Ah."

Iori nodded lightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. The captain immediately felt relieved and turned to arrange for his men to disperse to various places to act as sentries, and to try not to appear in Iori and Sera's sight.

After everyone left, the silver-haired girl looked at Iori with her big eyes: "...Your Majesty?"

"Huh? Didn't I tell you?"

Iori points to herself: "I am the emperor of this world."

"..."

Sera took a long breath, feeling her body trembling slightly.

"These kinds of things...should have been made clear from the beginning!"

……