Salter: "Damn it, just damn it," she growled while furiously eating the dishes the Emiya variants had left for her and the others.

She wasn't the only one. Although more moderately, each Arturia had an expression of fury on her face, thinking about the possibility that Morgan could use the poor redhead against them.

On the other hand, Lily looked at her food with a slight sadness, lost in thought, wishing she and her sister could have a better sibling relationship.

Lily: —letting out a sad sigh—

Pat!

EMIYA: "If you keep that expression, Your Majesty, your food will get cold," he said, placing a dish in front of the lions with one hand, while gently glancing at the small blonde and softly patting her head.

Lily: "S-Senpai?" —She would be lying if she said she wasn't surprised, but that feeling quickly faded, replaced by comfort—

The archer's touch on her head made the young lioness feel extremely at ease, comforted by his reassuring gesture.

DEMIYA: "If you're feeling down because you think you and Morgan can't get along, just set that aside. Though it's not good for siblings to fight, sometimes it's completely unavoidable," he said, setting another plate in front of the lions to calm them down.

The pistol-wielding archer gave a gentle pat to the blonde's head, making her bring her hands to it, looking up at both of them.

DEMIYA: "It's not bad to try and form a bond with her, but you have to understand when to keep trying and when it's better to let go. You can keep making an effort, but if you don't see any progress from her side, that's when you'll need to stop. Because sometimes... family can't always help you." —A brief memory crossed his mind as he said this—

'?: "?-nee, I promise when I grow up, I'll always protect you."'

Letting out a heavy sigh, the Alter retreated back to the kitchen, with the young lioness watching him go. The other red-clad Archer followed him to continue cooking.

Lily: "Try... or give up?" she murmured, taking another bite of her food without realizing something.

...She hadn't noticed her plate was empty.

...She noticed all the food on the table was gone.

...She lowered her head in sadness, realizing she hadn't managed to eat anything because she was too lost in thought.

Meanwhile, in another place...

Da Vinci: "Seriously, does this thing need to rest so it doesn't overheat?" she asked, noticing that the room was completely empty.

Merlin: "I don't know, but it was for another reason," he shrugged, revealing his true motive.

The brunette raised an eyebrow.

Da Vinci: "Then for what?" she crossed her arms, eyeing the Grand Caster.

Merlin: "Do you want the room to be destroyed by several Excaliburs?" he countered, raising an eyebrow in return, leaving the inventor without a proper retort.

Da Vinci: "Changing the subject," she quickly dodged the thought, not wanting to imagine that scenario, "where did you get this thing from?" She pointed at the machine. "And if you say 'from somewhere,' I'm going to have Fou smack you until the end of the day." She glared, fully aware of how mischievous the white-haired magician could be.

Merlin: "Okay..." he replied, dejected.

Back in the kitchen.

A rather depressed Lily could be seen waiting for everyone to finish so they could head back to the hall and continue watching the events of the other universe.

EMIYA: "Lily," the Archer called out to the blonde, who looked up at him.

Lily: "Senpai? What's this?" she asked, confused as she saw the cloth bag he held up.

EMIYA: "Food," he simply replied, beginning to head back to the hall.

Lily's signature strand of hair seemed to dance with joy as her eyes sparkled. She quickly followed the dark-skinned Archer, a bright smile lighting up her face.

Several other Servants were also making their way back to the hall, eager to see what the rest of that universe had in store for them.

Scene change — now back in the hall.

A blonde could be seen with a pout… jealous of herself.

Arturia: —pouting in jealousy, watching Lily get spoiled by EMIYA—

Ishtar: —unable to hide her envy for the small blonde in the white dress—

Merlin: "Alright, we're starting again!" the "mischievous mage" announced with a grin.

Atalanta: "Before we start," she raised a hand, "is it really necessary for that thing to rest? Or will we miss important parts of the story if we keep taking these breaks?" she asked, concerned about missing details.

Merlin: "Do you really want to find out by risking this thing exploding and sending us who-knows-where across the multiverse?" he raised an eyebrow in return, and the huntress quickly shook her head, unwilling to risk it.

EMIYA: "That thing was given to you by Zelretch, wasn't it?" the red-clad Archer asked, eyebrow raised, clearly suspicious.

Merlin: "...Would you believe me if I said no?" he asked with a glimmer of hope.

EMIYA said nothing in response, instead letting out a sigh and rubbing his temples in exhaustion.

EMIYA: "If anyone wants to make sure they're safe, stay close to one of the versions of me," he instructed, causing some to take his advice while others simply waited near the door. "...By the way, Edmond, why are you holding Voyager?" he asked, curious as to why the Count of Monte Cristo had the small Servant in his arms.

Edmond: "During the break, he was outside playing with Nursery Rhyme, Jack, and Abigail. He fell asleep afterward, so I brought him here," he explained, gently holding the sleeping Voyager against his chest, who snuggled in closer.

Beside him, Skadi was softly stroking Voyager's head, while Nightingale observed the scene from a distance, feeling an odd tightness in her chest.

Chiron: "Achilles, where are you?" the centaur called out, looking for his student.

Achilles: "What's up, Master?" the Heroic Spirit replied from a distance, lounging in his seat next to Penthesilea.

Why wasn't the Amazon trying to kill him?

Because Satan made it very clear she couldn't.

Merlin: "Alright, let's make things fun. The next person who speaks is gay until the universe starts!" he declared with a mischievous grin, casting a simple spell.

All the men in the room immediately fell silent, unwilling to risk anything.

The women looked on expressionless at the men's reactions, while Merlin gleefully started the machine again.

What Merlin didn't expect was what the machine showed next.

Everyone: … - No one expected this to be the first thing they'd see. -

POV: You are Emiya Shirou, and she's your girlfriend

Lily: blushing furiously

Bunnyturia: also bright red

EMIYA/DEMIYA/Senji/Angra: noses bleeding

Edmond: hat covering his face as he looks away, avoiding Skadi's intense gaze

Sigurd: unable to defend himself as his wife unleashed her Noble Phantasm on him

Kriemhilde: "DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT LOOKING, SIEGFRIED-SAMA! THOSE IMAGES ARE FAR TOO INAPPROPRIATE FOR YOU TO SEE!" bright red, preventing her husband from seeing the highly suggestive images

Siegfried: "But… Kriem… no matter how many women I've seen, no matter how many offered themselves to me, I chose you as my wife because you were the only one who captured my heart." removes her hands from his face to look into her eyes "I truly lo—" - He didn't finish because Kriemhilde delivered a massive blow to him with her demonic Balmung, her face even redder as steam erupted from her head.

Baobhan Sith: "…What the hell?!" The redhead was shocked, unable to believe this was an accident, especially knowing the Grand Caster's reputation.

Merlin: "Believe it or not, I actually didn't do it this time!" - he quickly responded, knowing that everyone would probably blame him. "Come on, work!" - He gave the machine a good smack, and the image changed, finally displaying the universe they were supposed to watch.

Gudako: "Good old-fashioned fix!" - She nodded approvingly at what Merlin did, seeing how he solved the problem with a single hit to the machine.

After that, everyone returned to normal, though many were still stuck with the previous image in their heads. Especially Fionn, Teach, Fergus, Lancelot, Super Orion, Touta, Toland, Julius Caesar, and David, who etched the scene as much as possible into their memories.

She stared at him while he dressed. In some way, he's sure it's both to assert her dominance of him and ensure he won't escape (without using some brand of magic). Frankly, he has nothing to be ashamed of. The middle-aged body he had, had been great, but his youthful one was much easier to impress with.

Silence.

Silence.

More silence.

Gudako: "Hurry up, I'm running out of signs…" -she muttered, watching as the Servants remained completely speechless.-

Salter: "…YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT WITCH WAS WATCHING HIM CHANGE THIS WHOLE TIME?!" -she screamed furiously, her brow furrowing deeply at the information.-

She wasn't the only one. Many of her other variants had contorted expressions of rage upon hearing this. Not even they had taken things that far.

Arturia: "...Even when he summoned me, I never went that far, despite always wanting to stay by his side to protect him." -She thought, as her eyes slowly began to lose their sparkle.-

And what about Irisviel?

That woman was celebrating. In her mind, the fact that Morgan had seen him naked meant (according to her) that she was interested, so in no time at all, she would be ready and willing to give her grandchildren.

Meanwhile, what happened to Baobhan?

The poor thing was in denial.

Melusine: "Tristan?" -No response.- "…Baobhan Sith?" -Still no answer.-

Barghest: … -She waved her hand in front of the redheaded fairy's face, but got no reaction. She snapped her fingers—still nothing.- "…We've lost her." -She said, realizing the fairy was in complete shock from what she had just witnessed.-

Tonelico: Steam rose from her ears as she curled up into a ball in her seat.

The Paradise Fairy wasn't getting any help from Habertrot, who was laughing uncontrollably at her misery.

Morgan: "I have the memories, in that case… why am I so embarrassed?!" -She couldn't understand why, even though she had the memories of her pan-human counterpart, her cheeks were burning and she felt deeply ashamed.-

Shirou did not think himself vain, merely proud of countless years of hard work and exercise to have a body that could do Kyudo, Kendo, and various other athletics. He'd learned a little bit late that it made him "easy on the eyes", according to Rin, though.

Ishtar: "A very good one..." -She bit her lip while staring, etching the muscles of that body into her mind. Even her vessel was in full agreement.-

Astraea: "OHOHOHOH, without a doubt, Shero knows how to give a view that whets anyone's appetite." -The Goddess of Justice laughed loudly, fanning herself to cool down the heat rising within her after seeing the impressive display.-

They weren't the only ones. Various other Rin's, Sakura's, and Arturia's faces were blushing furiously at the sight that had just been presented to them.

Lady Avalon: "Fufufufu." -She licked her lips with a flirtatious look in her eyes.- "You know, if you ever get tired of that version of my student, I'm always available." -Several Arturias glared daggers at her, while each Archer variant visibly squirmed in discomfort at the succubus's bold insinuation.-

Proto Arthur: "Control yourself." -He smacked her on the head with his sword, leaving her with a bump.-

Lady Avalon: "Don't act like you don't want to make that female version of the red-cloaked archer yours, the one we saw earlier." -She was brutally beaten by her student, who now sported a deep blush of embarrassment, having been outed by his teacher.-

Fou, meanwhile, was wholeheartedly supporting Saber, punching the air in a shadowboxing-like imitation of the beating Merlin was getting.

(Fou, always an equal-opportunity fighter—doesn't discriminate by gender. If Merlin deserves a beating, he'll get it regardless.)

He really needed to stop thinking about her. That way lay only regrets and pointless brooding. Shirou preferred to think he was rather upbeat for someone who had lived such a . . . Messy life.

Arturia, upon hearing that, grimaced in pain at his words. If he stopped thinking about her to avoid suffering…

She placed a hand over her chest as a sharp pain pierced her heart at the thought.

Lily, too, lowered her gaze for a moment. If just thinking about her caused him pain, and if he loved her, then how could she bear to make him suffer like that…

Pat!

Her train of thought was abruptly halted when the Archer gently patted her head, his touch filled with warmth and affection. The sensation spread through her, bringing a wave of comfort and security. She was melting under the tender caresses he was giving her.

"My Lady, I'm sure you could have waited outside for me to dress."

He notes, for the third time within the last ten minutes. The way her lips draw back into that smirk from the almost lazy contemplative look tells him that she had been looking at something intently. Though, what he did not know.

Silence reigned once more.

Caenis: "...Your mother really is a degenerate," she remarked to Mordred, who was blushing furiously at what her mother had been doing.

Hans: "Coming from a Greek, that doesn't really hold much weight," the blue-haired writer noted dryly. Many of the Greek Servants took offense to that comment. "Go read your own myths, then we'll talk." They backed off when he said that.

Lalter: "One minute, ten seconds..." She thought, a vein visibly twitching on her forehead, barely holding herself back from strangling the source of her irritation.

Merlin: "I'm 90% sure she was staring at his a—" He didn't finish, as several swords, bullets, and daggers whizzed past his head.

...Now pale, he turned to see every Shirou-face glaring at him, silently telling him to shut up.

Meanwhile, each Arturia was trying very hard to control themselves, feeling their bodies heat up... not from embarrassment, but from the overwhelming fury boiling inside them.

"I've seen men nude. You are not that impressive."

For a moment, he paused. Shrugging off the momentary sting of THAT face saying those words, he reminded himself of whom he was dealing with.

At that, four hands went to their chests, completely offended by her statement.

EMIYA: "...Damn it... that really hurts—my pride." He felt a sharp pang in his chest, clearly wounded. He was proud of his body, and hearing that had delivered a brutal blow to his ego.

The Arturias shared his pain, each of them similarly affected.

Arturias: "..."

Salter: "How dare she..." -The collective thought of most of the Arturias, all visibly angered by the witch's words. To even think of saying such a thing to Shirou, who undoubtedly had a perfect body, was beyond their tolerance.

Meanwhile, Morgan was sweating anime-style, knowing that her counterparts had made things far worse by offending the Arturia-faces with that comment.

Morgan (to herself): "That... that was uncalled for." She realized, trying to backtrack mentally from her counterpart's snarky remark.

"All the more reason." He noted, finally finishing with the heavy pants and the light tunic. Thankfully, they fit well and were in familiar colors to him, blue and white. For a moment, he felt startlingly like he had simply traded jeans and a tee for something less mass-produced.

Arturia: "It resembles..." She couldn't help but smile nostalgically, seeing how similar his attire was to the one she used to wear.

Senji: "That dress..." His body stirred with a strange sensation as the image of the King of Knights in a dress came to mind. "I've already made one... maybe I could make another," he mused, thinking about crafting a version of that attire in the future.

A nostalgic look appeared on the faces of both DEMIYA and EMIYA, who shared a melancholic connection to those familiar colors.

Cotton was more comfortable, though.

Gudako: "Can't argue with that," she murmured. Though her mystic codes were highly practical, she still missed the comfort of soft cotton clothes.

Iskandar: "Indeed. That stuff is comfy," he added, recalling his experience wearing modern-era shirts.

Meanwhile, Zhuge Liang broke into a cold sweat, remembering when Iskandar had worn a shirt that seemed ready to burst at the seams. It was nothing short of a miracle that they had found one in his size.

Astolfo: "He's right! And if you start looking, you can find all kinds of interesting varieties," he chimed in, recalling his little adventures in finding cute clothes that suited him perfectly.

Da Vinci, slightly offended by Gudako's earlier comment, murmured under her breath while furrowing her brow: "Well, excuse me for prioritizing your life." The Master only laughed nervously in response.

"My patience isn't infinite," Morgan warned, and Shirou quietly bowed his head in deference.

Mordred: "I can confirm that," she muttered, sweating slightly as memories of her childhood came flooding back.

If it could even be called a childhood, honestly.

Arturia: "Same," she murmured, recalling moments from her own childhood, back when she had tried to have a normal sisterly relationship with Morgan.

Gawain: "Does he have some sort of death wish? He's tempting fate way too much," she muttered, watching as Shirou continued to push the limits of Morgan's patience and supposed good humor.

Her sister overheard and nodded in agreement. Shirou was truly testing the boundaries of their mother's patience far too much.

For all her mannerisms reminded him of two different women who had habits of irritating or enraging him, he couldn't deny that she still was surprisingly demure for a woman described as a Witch amongst Witches. Perhaps he had caught her at a much more opportune time.

Lanturia: "...Much to my dismay, I have to admit that's true," she said, frustrated as she bit her nail. She had to recognize that her sister always maintained a level of elegance, despite her personality.

It didn't help that her Lostbelt Queen counterpart was even more regal than the version she and the others were familiar with.

Melusine: "Is she going to react?" she asked, glancing at the still-paralyzed Baobhan Sith.

Barghest: "Snap her out of it..." she sighed, knowing they wouldn't be able to continue if the fairy didn't wake up soon.

Melusine nodded and delivered a swift hit to the red-haired fairy, jolting her back to reality.

Baobhan Sith: "Ouch! What the hell was that for?!" she demanded, glaring at her companions after the unexpected blow.

Melusine: "You weren't responding, and we wanted to keep watching. So if you freeze up again, I'll wake you up the same way," she warned, causing a shiver to run down the redhead's spine as she eyed the dragon girl warily.

Baobhan Sith sighed, knowing she'd have to swallow her anger. She could only hope it wouldn't happen as often as she feared.

(Tyrunt, glancing ahead: "...How do we break it to her?" he asked the readers and anime audience alike.)

"Of course, My Lady." There was no need to risk being personal with her. Shirou was a bit hard-headed, but he wasn't an idiot. Besides, he had more pertinent things on his mind. "You said my timing was appropriate. What did you mean?"

Archer EMIYA let out a scoff and crossed his arms.

EMIYA: "What kind of lie is that? Emiya Shirou not being an idiot? HA, I'll believe that when he manages to win over a living, breathing woman," he bet, convinced it was impossible for Emiya Shirou to stop being foolish.

Poor him, as his words would come back to bite him eventually.

(Protagonist: "Oh, you're challenging me? Fine! Max power!")

DEMIYA: "Why does he remind me of someone?" he wondered, unable to shake the feeling that Shirou's behavior was reminiscent of someone he once knew.

Morgan's eyes narrow again, but she seems to view his question merely as the query it is. Shirou can only imagine that, in her head, she is wondering if he is a fool or a very inopportune tool.

DEMIYA/Angra/EMIYA: "A fool, just a fool," the three of them said in perfect sync.

Madricardo: "I've never seen so much self-loathing..." he muttered, anime-style sweat forming on his brow.

Medusa: "Imagine if the kid was standing in front of them," she added, knowing well how poorly the Archer got along with himself, though she couldn't help but recall how he had once extended his arm to save and help him.

DEMIYA: "I'd shoot him where the sun doesn't shine," he said, holding his gunblades at the ready.

EMIYA: "I'd stab him with enough swords to embarrass any pincushion Miss Crane might have," he remarked, brandishing Kansho and Bakuya.

He cannot grasp her, even with comparisons to be had. She is not the malevolent and traitorous Caster, nor the once honorable and upstanding Rin who steadily became like a vindictive wind who blew in only long enough to disrupt him.

Medea: "...Should I feel insulted or what?" she muttered, feeling a bit offended by the comparison.

Ishtar delivered another sharp blow to EMIYA, forcing him back into place, while Ereshkigal did the same to DEMIYA. As for Angra, he received a smack from Space Ishtar, and Senji was struck by Ishtar Rider.

Edmond: "Sometimes it's better not to stand there and take the hit..." he murmured while still holding the sleeping Voyager in his arms.

The small blonde shifted slightly, trying to find a more comfortable position, to which Edmond carefully adjusted him so he wouldn't wake up.

She is a person of significance, even if Morgan did not know that he considered her such already.

Arturias: All of their alarm bells were ringing at once as they watched the screen.

Orion: "Well, that's putting trust in someone a little too quickly," he commented flatly, observing how Shirou had placed his trust in the witch so swiftly.

EMIYA: "Yeah... that might backfire. It happened to me with my contract," he sighed, already sensing something bad was likely to happen to his younger self.

Senji: "...Why do I feel like it's something else?" Something inside him told him that something was indeed going to happen, but not necessarily something bad. Rather, it felt like someone close to Shirou would experience something instead.

For some reason, a shiver ran down the spines of several women at the same time.

"There is a tournament to be held on the morrow," She speaks, adjusting the trail of her skirts as she stands from her seat nearby.

Fergus: "She's teasing him," he muttered, watching how Shirou stared at her intensely.

Fionn: "Can't really blame him," he added, gesturing toward Morgan, the Queen of Lostbelt 6, who was watching the interaction on-screen with curiosity.

Baobhan Sith, on the other hand, gripped the armrests of her chair tightly, fury coursing through her. How dare that insignificant human trash look at her perfect mother with such eyes?! She swore by Cernunnos that she would personally make that inferior being suffer for it.

Angra: "...Okay, I admit she has a nice rear," he commented, watching Morgan sway her hips as she adjusted her clothing.

Unconsciously, Senji, DEMIYA, and EMIYA all nodded in agreement, completely immersed in the screen as they watched her movements.

Avalon: "...Bodyguards," she muttered coldly, her hair flowing as she glared at Senji, who was clearly captivated by this version of Morgan.

She wasn't the only Arturia feeling this way; in fact, she was just one of many of her versions glaring at the screen. But it wasn't just the Arturias—many other women in the room were also watching with mild irritation (not exactly anger) as this younger version of Archer EMIYA stared so intently at Morgan's body.

Meanwhile, the Queen of the Fairies let out a soft sigh, feeling the weight of Shirou's gaze on her. To make matters worse, she could hear Habertrot laughing hysterically.

Morgan: "You're supposed to be my friend, Totorot," she muttered, glancing at the small, pink-haired fairy.

Habertrot: "And I am, but as your best friend, I have to laugh at you sometimes," she replied, grinning mischievously at the silver-haired woman, who could only respond with a deadpan expression as Habertrot returned the look with a goofy smile.

Tonelico, meanwhile, was covering her face with her hat, having noticed how DEMIYA had nodded in agreement with Angra Mainyu's comment.

She begins to leave the room, and he obeys the unspoken command to follow- or at least he presumes that is the case. When she does not turn back, nor does she curse at him, he presumes he has learned well. "To gather more support for the King and those Knights."

Lancelot: "I get it now... He's fallen into the time when recruits were being sought out. I wonder how long it is until the Battle of Camlann..." he murmured as he watched Shirou preparing for the tournament.

Mordred: "That's coming soon... if things follow the usual course. But it shouldn't. With him there, it should affect things quite a bit." The blonde knight tried to recall the timeline. If it was that specific tournament, it likely meant they were less than a year or so away from the events at Camlann.

One of the blondes, however, gripped her weapon tightly, remembering how all her misfortunes began with a single loss. A loss that should have been her complete victory, but wasn't.

Arturia: "...I wonder if... you will be able to save me?" she murmured, pondering if Shirou could save her not just from what was happening, but from herself as well. Could his love truly reach the king who never understood the human heart?

Zhuge Liang sighed softly, placing his hand on the hooded head of his apprentice, Gray, gently petting her as she trembled while watching the screen.

Zhuge Liang: "Don't push yourself if it's too much, Gray," he advised, staying by her side so she wouldn't feel too overwhelmed or nervous.

Saber. He thinks, a smile lifting his lips even while he is desperately glad the sister sees it not. "And you would have me participate." He guesses. "In your honor, or without it?" The preamble is established, and now he finds out just what she considers of him. Or, he hopes to, at least.

Salter: "That witch doesn't even know the meaning of honor!" she fumed internally, knowing she couldn't say it aloud, or she would be left without food.

Morgan: "You can be sure she wouldn't have you fight in her honor, not even as a joke." It was clear; if Morgan intended to use him in her plan, having him fight in her honor would only be detrimental.

Mordred: "I had to fight without her mentioning anything about it, and definitely not as her 'son.' So yeah, if he's not careful, he'll be in a lot of trouble." As she said this, the various Shirous—EMIYA, DEMIYA, and Senji (though Senji was a bit more reluctant)—grabbed some popcorn while watching the situation unfold. Angra was grinning as usual.

EMIYA: "Shirou and stupidity are inseparable, girl," he said, fully expecting the boy to get into trouble.

Li Shuwen: "You're one to talk," the older man pointed out to the archer.

EMIYA: "That's why I'm saying it. If I made stupid mistakes, just imagine him," he dismissed, completely acknowledging that he was insulting himself twice over. He was eagerly waiting for the boy to mess up so he could laugh at him in the future.

Li Shuwen: "...I'll give you that point, boy." He had to admit, it was true.

"Do not be foolish." It could not have been more amusing if she'd called him "Baka". But he will keep that amusement inside.

Achilles: "Do the Japanese have a fetish for that or what?" he asked, somewhat baffled by the phrase, given what they learned from their summons.

EMIYA: "Why do you ask?"

Gudako: "Honestly, when a foreigner asks for things like that or the 'ara ara,' it gets exhausting real quick..." she admitted, causing several others to chuckle.

?: "KARMA FOR MAKING US FARM!" a voice shouted from the crowd.

Gudako: "WHO SAID THAT?!" she yelled furiously, glaring at the Servants, searching for the one who had dared to mock her favorite activity.

No one dared to own up, but several were secretly thankful to whoever had the guts to say it.

"It will be your chance to prove yourself, so you will assign yourself without my involvement." She has not turned back towards him, but for some reason, Shirou does not trust that she says those words. In fact, part of him feels like . . . he knows she will involve herself.

Salter: "Ugh... it's already ruined," she grumbled, realizing she'd have to look at all those portraits of Morgan on the way to wherever they were headed.

All he can do is simply nod, even as she does not look at him as they walk a hall that is decorated with countless portraits and reminders of this woman's vanity and lust.

Baobhan Sith couldn't handle it any longer and fainted, a little ghost leaving her mouth.

Melusine: "Either she couldn't handle the heat, or the shock of seeing the queen like that got to her. What do you think, Barghest?" she asked, receiving no response. "Barghest?" she repeated, only to see the blonde with a bright red face, steam practically pouring out of her ears. "...Pfff, weaklings," she muttered, only to feel something trickling down her own nose. "Eh?" She looked down and saw blood. "...I don't believe this," she said, stunned by what had just happened to her.

Tonelico was practically glowing red with embarrassment, her face a deeper shade than any standard of red.

So many are wrought of past glories, or of her family's glories. He even, despite some level of surprise, sees some that depict her sister. She continues to walk, so he must set aside time later to study these.

The reaction across all the Arturia-faces varied in levels of surprise, but one thing was certain—they were all shocked.

Salter: "Ugh... I'm going to puke," she muttered, covering her mouth as her stomach churned from seeing that her witch of a sister had paintings of her in the castle she once owned while alive.

Arturia and Lanturia were visibly surprised, while Squirturia rubbed her eyes, wondering if she was seeing things. Even Bunturia couldn't believe what she was seeing, pouring water from a bottle onto her face to snap herself out of it.

Meanwhile, Lily's characteristic hair tuft was joyfully bouncing. To her, this meant she mattered to her sister after all, and now she just had to try harder to get Morgan to express it.

They make him believe that there is more to all of this than he had ever read. Morgan had been jealous, and spiteful. It had been written in countless records, even if people in the modern age held no belief in "King Arthur", he knows that the truth exists- and is even more wild than the legends say.

Karna: "Well... for something people don't believe in, it is one of the strongest legends," he remarked, glancing at all the blondes and their male counterparts, who didn't know how to react to what they had just seen on screen.

Arjuna: "You're not one to talk," he pointed out, silencing Karna. As fellow Hindus, they knew better than to comment further.

Cu Lancer: "Does he know because he was her Servant, or because he fu—" Do we really need to finish that sentence?

He was promptly taken to the infirmary.

EMIYA: "Honestly, it was only a matter of time," he said, sweatdropping as he watched Cu get carried off for treatment.

Senji: "Any longer and it would've broken tradition," he commented, observing how the Hound of Ulster was being rushed to the healer before he was returned to the Throne.

After that thought of "returning to the Throne," for some strange reason, a certain Servant felt like that was going to be his fate after something, though he couldn't quite place what.

"Very well." She does not look at him, but he feels her smug satisfaction as he agrees. "I will . . . need some things."

Salter: "...damn witch..." she muttered under her breath, cursing her sister. If that damn fox did anything to him, she swore all the Cu would be sent back to the Throne.

For some reason, all the Cu Chulainn variants felt a horrible chill run down their spines.

DEMIYA: "This is nothing unusual in the life of Emiya Shirou," he sighed, watching how the kid was helping Arturia's sister.

He explains, softly, as she walks into an adjacent room and he finds himself in what can only be described as a lounging room. It is filled with books and furniture purely for a sole occupant. He does not think such a bare-bones place could be her Workshop- or perhaps her Temple?- but he also imagines such a place is far beyond the scope of her trust in him at that moment.

Mordred: "Nope, it's not," she answered, hearing the redhead's thoughts from the screen.

Merlin: "She has enough magical knowledge to make that small place feel much larger," he pointed out, knowing what Arturia's sister was capable of.

Castoria: "Like Grandpa's workshop," she noted, glancing at the red-haired Saber, who glared at the blonde in annoyance.

Merlin: "Exactly. She can easily pull off the same thing. If she's like Mordred's mother, she should be on par with me in terms of magic." At that moment, several Servants went silent, realizing that Morgan was comparable to the Grand Caster in magical ability.

Gilgamesh (Caster): "...She deceived you, didn't she?" That was the only way he could see her being on Merlin's level.

Merlin: "...Yeah, I need to stop thinking with the wrong head," he scratched his head as Fou prepared to smack him.

Several Caster Servants couldn't help but sigh in frustration, massaging their temples while Merlin cursed at Fou, who was now pummeling him.

Morgan was surprisingly calm as she finally settled onto a chaise longue, leaving Shirou standing in front of her. It was an instinctive power move, something he'd also learned from the Alchemists of Atlas. Yet, there was an undeniable allure in the way she presented herself.

Arturia: "...Shirou," she threatened, glaring daggers at the red-clad Archer.

EMIYA: "I'm innocent until proven otherwise," he defended himself, returning her glare.

Angra: "Then what do I do with this?" he asked, holding up a paper. "It's you kissing Morgan," he said, only for the paper to suddenly vanish from his hands.

Salter had snatched the paper and unfolded it, her face going blank as she read the words written on it.

The paper literally said: "Proven otherwise."

Salter: "...EXC—" Before she could finish, several Servants rushed to restrain her before she could destroy the place.

Five minutes later...

Salter could be seen bound and gagged, her weapons taken away, glaring apathetically at everyone, while Jalter was laughing hysterically at her misfortune, despite being tied up herself.

Shirou couldn't deny that his new... collaborator? Yes, that's neutral enough. She constantly reminded him of Saber, and so, occasionally, his feelings got mixed up. Saber would never console herself with something so feminine and seemingly self-assured, but he still saw her face and felt drawn in.

Arturia's- Lily: "OVER MY DEAD BODY!" Several voices shouted angrily at the screen. No way were they letting that witch steal their beloved king.

Lily (pouting): "Why can't we just share him, like sisters?" the little blonde muttered, sulking at her sister on the screen who was trying to steal her future lover.

The blonde crossed her arms and pouted even more, growing increasingly frustrated as she watched her future lover being stolen away.

EMIYA: "The kid seems really pent-up," he muttered nervously, noticing how much his younger self was emphasizing Morgan's beauty.

DEMIYA: "Well, he's been searching for Arturia for 20 years. Who knows how much sexual frustration he's got built up," he added nonchalantly, shrugging as he watched his counterpart.

Lady Avalon: "You heard him, Arturia. Looks like you'll have to take care of that frustration tonight to help him relax," she teased, only to be promptly smacked by Fou.

The result? Many versions of Arturia turned red, their faces flushed as red as Senji's hair. He, in turn, found himself cornered by his Castorias, each of them displaying varying shades of embarrassment. Avalon wore a faint blush, Castoria was much more prominent, and Bakastoria's face was beet red, covering her entire complexion.

Musashi: "Wow, Grandpa, who would've thought you'd be so desperate," she chuckled softly at Merlin, who glared at her in annoyance.

Suddenly, the screen changed, showing something else... once again.

Castoria: "Eh?" she asked, her expression frozen, her smile stiffening as she saw the scene unfolding.

Kotarou: "Oh right... I had almost forgotten about that," he said, a light smile playing on his lips as the memories of that time returned to him.

Katou Danzo glanced at the red-haired figure on the screen, who was smiling cordially as he interacted with the King of Knights, the Goddess of Fertility, and the Hindu Goddess.

Karna: "Parvati-sama?" He raised an eyebrow as he saw the Goddess, the wife of the Hindu leader.

Parvati: "Oh, it has been such a long time since that occasion..." she remarked with a nostalgic smile.

Iori: "...," staring at the screen in disbelief.

Yamato: "Ara... Who would've thought Iori had a stepfather... or stepmother?" she whispered, murmuring the last part while watching the female version of Musashi Miyamoto.

Yui: "Iori?" she called out, receiving no response. "Iori?" She snapped her fingers, still no answer. "...Guys, Iori's not responding," she said worriedly to the others.

Yamato: "Yui, step aside for a moment," he instructed, and she complied. "Alright... on one, two, and..." In a swift motion, he grabbed his sword and struck Iori on the back of the neck, knocking him off his seat and onto the floor. "Three!" he said, waiting for a reaction.

A few seconds later, Iori got up, clearly dazed.

Iori: "What the hell is wrong with you, Takeru?!" he yelled at the black-haired man, who feigned innocence.

Yamato: "Yup, he's fine," he said nonchalantly, ignoring Iori's outburst.

Iori: "HEY!" he shouted, frustrated by how his question was ignored.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Arturia was watching the scene unfold with a slight frown, clearly still bothered by what she was seeing.

Musashi: "I remember that..." she mentioned with a smile, recalling the time she and Senji had taken care of the little ones.

Senji: "I hope they're doing okay..." he murmured with a hint of concern in his voice, thinking about the two children they had rescued.

However, he soon noticed that Bakastoria, Castoria, and Avalon were closing in on him.

Senji: "...I'm screwed," he muttered just before the three of them pounced on him, forcing him to flee.

Gudako: "I have to admit, you two really did seem like a married couple with your kids back then," she pointed out, causing both Musashi to scratch her cheek in slight embarrassment and Senji to continue running from his impending doom.

Mash: "Sempai, don't be rude," she scolded, but her Sempai only shrugged.

Gudako: "You thought the same back then, don't deny it," she countered, leaving Mash speechless.

Da Vinci: "Merlin, fix that thing!" she commanded the Grand Caster, who simply gave the machine another smack, causing it to return to normal and show the universe they were watching.

"To make requests of me already is quite brazen." She notes, and he simply nodded in turn.

Fergus: "All that's left is for him to ask for your hand," he said with a laugh, finding the thought impossible.

Baobhan Sith was horrified by the Irishman's comment, considering how things were progressing so far.

Meanwhile, only Habertrot noticed the strange, determined glint in Melusine's eyes.

Baobhan: "OVER MY DEAD BODY WILL I LET THAT WORTHLESS HUMAN MARRY MY MOTHER!" she declared, determined to stop her perfect mother from stooping so low as to marry a worthless human.

Morgan: "Baobhan Sith... control yourself. Stop drawing unnecessary attention," she demanded with a serious tone. Her daughter, hearing her mother's voice, could only nod and swallow her anger.

EMIYA: "...Now that I think about it. Does he have it?" he asked, recalling something.

DEMIYA: "You're talking about the RM, aren't you?" he asked, already having an idea of what EMIYA was referring to.

The dark-haired man nodded.

DEMIYA: "Who knows? Maybe he'll do something like mine or yours. Only time will tell if he can use it," he shrugged. He was also curious whether the young Shirou would modify the Reality Marble or even have the ability to manifest one.

"Just some equipment, My Lady." His amber eyes moved away from her for a moment, to gaze at the room around them. "While I can supply my own, it will be . . . obvious." Shirou was aware of the flaws in his abilities- so Morgan was a suitable answer to that particular issue.

Medea: "You don't have much magic, do you?" she commented, knowing from their time travel that Shirou's magical capabilities had improved, but still limited.

EMIYA: "I have 27 circuits... and if I stayed in the modern era, their quality would be terrible since I wasn't able to use them properly for a long time. Now, he's had them awakened and usable for 20 years. Surely with that time, their quality must be better than mine or what I would have in the modern era. Maybe my projections could improve significantly because of that. I might not even face the degradation of a Noble Phantasm's rank if I project one, like, say... Rule Breaker, for example," he explained, thinking of the Noble Phantasms he'd copied in his Unlimited Blade Works, which might avoid the usual rank degradation in this world.

Medea: "Leave my Noble Phantasm out of your arsenal," she threatened, glaring at the Archer.

EMIYA: "Your Noble Phantasm is MY Noble Phantasm, and MY Noble Phantasm is MINE," he dismissed the sorceress, who could only grit her teeth in frustration.

Several Servants: "HEY!" they shouted at the idea that EMIYA could have their Noble Phantasms stored.

EMIYA: "Anyway, sometimes that thing stores some Noble Phantasms without me even realizing it. But even if I had something like the Kusanagi, I couldn't use it... without dying," he said, relieving some, but only slightly.

Jason: "...I never thought I'd see her this angry," he commented, only to be hit in the face with a blast of magic, falling to the floor with smoke rising from his mouth.

The other Argonauts sighed at the sight of their leader's misfortune.

Fighting? Fighting wasn't a problem. He had learned to fight from someone whom he considered the best.

Holmes: "You're talking about the King of Knights, right?" he asked, thinking of the obvious answer.

DEMIYA: "That, or from me... either option is possible," he replied, knowing it was likely that the young Shirou might have admired Archer's fighting style and decided to replicate it.

Arturia couldn't help but pout with jealousy at the thought of Shirou not learning to fight from her.

Mozart: "That sounded a bit arrogant," he said, sweating slightly at how the Pistolero's comment didn't make much sense.

DEMIYA: "Do I look like Gilgamesh to you?" he asked, glaring at the musician, who quickly shook his head in response.

Gilgamesh (Caster)/Gilgamesh (Archer): "...ONORE FAKER!" they both insulted the dark-haired EMIYA at the same time.

Kid Gil: "As if we'd ever be like that idiot," he said, pointing at his Archer version.

Gilgamesh (Archer): "DO YOU WANT TO FIGHT, BRAT?!" he yelled, glaring at his younger self.

Kid Gil: "TRY IT, OLD MAN! I'LL TURN YOU INTO MUSH!" he shouted back, both ready to attack each other, but they were quickly stopped by Gilgamesh (Caster), who knocked them both out before they could start a fight.

Everyone opted to keep watching the universe instead of the fight, as it was undoubtedly more depressing.

"Armor. A sword?" Morgan clarified, an amused look on her face that he recognized for what it was. His request was being taken as a very high demand rather than what he'd meant.

Georgios: "What a manipulative woman," he muttered, watching how Morgan played the situation to her advantage.

Gawain: "She wouldn't be my mother if she wasn't like that…" he sighed, clearly disappointed in Morgan, with Mordred and Gareth nodding in agreement.

EMIYA: "I could just project the armor and sword... but that would probably leave me exhausted and unable to secure a proper victory," he murmured, explaining why he was making such requests, all while unknowingly patting Lily Arturia's head. She had begun showing an expression of pure satisfaction from the gentle head patting.

Bedivere: "I hope he gets a match where he can truly shine," he murmured softly, worried but hopeful that Shirou could achieve his goal of saving their king.

The other knights beside him nodded in silent agreement, hoping that such a possibility could come true—that perhaps, the red-haired youth might save King Arthur from himself.

Shirou was beginning to realize just how dangerous it was to even say one word around Morgan Le Faye. She was like the Christian's Devil.

Salter: "She IS the devil—Lucifer, Asmodeus, Beelzebub, and Leviathan combined..." she pointed out while still bound. "Release me!" she demanded from DEMIYA, who simply stuffed a burger into her mouth to shut her up. "Mmm!" Offended, she began eating it quickly so she could speak again.

Many had beads of sweat forming on their foreheads at the sight of what the Pistolero had just done to Salter.

"Just the basics."

The redhead tried to soothe the blonde. "If I walk out there empty-handed, they will laugh." I will win. But it will require answering a lot of questions. The thought-train trailed off as he realized that most of those questions would be coming from HER, most of all. He glossed over that moment of supreme confidence- or perhaps even ego- in favor of keeping his head on a swivel around the Witch. Shirou was not remotely the match for a Knight of the Round, he wasn't foolish, but other warriors? He knew the game to play with them. Perhaps he could even stand against one of the Knights or Artoria herself if he had to, but he had very low expectations of winning since they were not Heroic Spirits and thus, only restricted by their own bodies rather than the rules of the Grail.

Lancelot: "He might have a plan to face us if necessary," he pondered, reflecting on Shirou's mindset.

EMIYA: "Most likely. He'll provoke them," he stated, noticing the knights' reactions. "Unlike you, at least in my case, I discard things like honor and pride in battle. In the mindset he'll adopt, those two things will only get in the way. Your enemy won't always share your beliefs. They won't wait for you to finish your strongest attack. Through my experiences as a Counter Guardian, I learned that these things are just obstacles. If he uses the same approach, it's likely his plan will involve attacking your ego or your honor," EMIYA explained. The knights clenched their fists at this. It was what infuriated them the most.

Bedivere: "I see... That's one possibility. Do you think there could be another plan, Emiya-san?" he asked, looking at the Archer, who simply shrugged.

EMIYA: "It's possible that's his plan, just as it's possible he'll do something else. Only time will tell what that kid will do," he responded. The silver-haired knight with the metal arm nodded in agreement.

Teach: "...I wonder what the women of that time wore. I bet their outfits were something special," he mused, already readying a camera to snap pictures of any beautiful women he came across.

Those nearby, hearing him, couldn't help but sweat-drop at his comment… except for the Pervert Club, who simply nodded in agreement.

Shirou was confident, not suicidal.

Angra: "...Did he really just say that, or am I imagining things?" He received a confirming nod from the others. "...Right, and I'm the embodiment of all goodness in the world," he spoke sarcastically, unable to believe what had been said.

"Would you have your man laughed at?" He'd meant it in a more subservient sense, but for a moment, he knew it had not come across that way. Morgan's eyes glimmered and lights ran across her skin before she seemed to gain hold of her temper. I'm . . . going to have to be careful about her. He'd already known that, but that was the first time since they'd "met" that he'd become aware that the woman before him was a "Mage" beyond his wildest dreams. The very match for Artoria's own Merlin, whom "modern magi" could not even hope to conceive of his tricks and powers.

"No." She agrees, but he knows that this agreement is going to cost him later. Even if he does not know when. "No, I would not."

Fergus: "Mark my words, they're going to screw like animals," he quipped with a laugh. Several gave him death glares, especially with the young Servants present among them.

The problem was the cold stares that the Arturias were giving their respective Shirou. Each one was shooting an icy, unyielding look at their versions of the redhead, making it clear they wouldn't let such a thing happen without making their own feelings known.

(tyrunt: "So, does that mean they lo—" was sent flying out of the scene by a nuclear-level punch)

EMIYA: "That would be way too much good luck for someone like me," he remarked, knowing his luck far too well to expect such a miracle.

Little did he know, he was underestimating his fortune by quite a bit. The future held more surprises than he could imagine.