Fourth Holy Grail War · Fuyuki City
In the dark and damp magus workshop, the dim yellow candlelight flickered, casting a mottled light and shadow upon the stone walls.
The air was thick with the obscure scent of ancient magical materials.
Various metal magical implements were piled haphazardly on the workbench, and remnants of uncleansed ritual patterns still lingered in the corners.
Gilles de Rais staggered half a step, his body nearly leaning against the cold stone wall to steady himself.
Those eyes, usually filled with madness and obsession, were now shining with a startling brilliance, churning with a nearly pious ecstasy.
His breathing was so rapid that his chest heaved violently, and his hands pressed against the edge of the table before him until his knuckles turned white from the force.
His voice cracked, roaring out with an uncontrollable trembling: “Oooohhh!
Jeanne!
My beautiful, holy, soul-shaking Holy Maiden!”
He suddenly clenched his fists, his fingers turning pale, trembling all over with excitement.
Even the corners of his eyes were flooded with a physiological redness as he murmured incoherently, his tone full of obsessed sighs: “To…
to think I could see you in such a state, so pure and lovely!”
His gaze was glued to the light screen in mid-air, unwilling even to blink.
His mouth stretched uncontrollably into a wide, manic, yet devout grin: “That slight frown of hesitation, the way your fingertips curl as you hesitate to speak, and those blushing ears, that shy, downcast gaze…
every part of it is damnably moving!”
As his words fell, he abruptly pressed his hand to his chest, his body bending in a pious arc.
His voice was choked with sobs and ecstasy, praising almost as if weeping blood: “Oooohhh!
Thank you!
My Lord!
Thank you for allowing me to witness such a sight!!”
To the side, Uryu Ryunosuke stood with one hand in his pocket, glancing indifferently at the manic Bluebeard.
He gave a casual shrug, his face devoid of expression, though a hint of impatience and coldness flickered in his eyes.
He didn’t take Gilles’s fanatical roaring to heart at all.
After a brief glance at the light screen, he looked away, his fingertips unconsciously tapping his palm.
His mind was occupied with thoughts of what kind of “materials” to find next to push his “art” to its absolute limit, to make that most vivid color bloom in its most terrifyingly beautiful form within his hands.
In the hall of another mansion, warm light spilled onto the floor through carved window lattices, making the luxurious furnishings around seem even more exquisite.
Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri had long since lost her usual dignified composure.
She leaned forward slightly, her hands tightly clasped in front of her, her cheeks flushed with a noticeable blush, and her eyes sparkling with obsession and joy.
Her voice, which had been somewhat elegant just moments ago, was now tinged with an irrepressible excitement.
Her eyes were slightly red, and she even let out a choked cry of delight: “Waaa…
what kind of divine sight is this?
Jeanne-chan is just too cute!”
She stared fixedly at the figure on the light screen, her mouth curled high in a grin, her tone full of intoxication: “A lethal reaper who is invincible on the battlefield and strikes terror into the hearts of her enemies, yet on a date, she’s such a charming and bashful maiden in love…
this sense of contrast hits me right in the heart.
I love it so much!”
Beside her, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, dressed in his crisp magus robes, still stood tall.
However, his habitually arrogant and composed face was now filled with helplessness, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
He looked at his fiancée, who had completely lost her poise, and spoke with a mix of helplessness, indulgence, and a trace of subtle embarrassment, calling out softly: “…Sola…
mind your manners.”
Sola simply waved her hand dismissively, her gaze never shifting from the light screen for a second.
Her previous obsession now carried a hint of disdain.
Seeing this, Kayneth stopped trying to manage her and thought to himself: But speaking of which, this light screen that appeared out of nowhere is far too exaggerated, isn’t it?
It can actually manifest that witch’s inner thoughts exactly as they are, leaving not even a shred of her bashfulness hidden.
In a quiet alleyway in Fuyuki City, shadows blocked out the noise of the outside world.
Waver Velvet huddled at the base of a cool wall, his fingertips still instinctively clutching the magical tome he carried.
He looked up at the light screen hanging in the air, his eyes wide with shock.
His face was filled with astonishment and disbelief as he whispered instinctively: “Wow, that black Holy Maiden surrounded by black flames…
can she really express her love for her Master so directly in her heart?
Even if they’re just thoughts and not spoken aloud, it’s still incredible!”
He straightened his back slightly, his eyes full of emotion and his tone carrying a hint of sighs as his fingertips unconsciously brushed the edge of the pages: “It really is hard to imagine—she started as a dragon witch who knew only hatred and revenge, her entire being steeped in malice.”
“Now, however, she has become a maiden in love, filled with joy at the thought of a date with her Master and hiding her bashfulness.
A person’s state of mind and appearance can actually undergo such earth-shaking changes.” (Lord El-Melloi II: You’ll understand later.)
Fifth Holy Grail War · Fuyuki City
The Einzbern castle, hidden in the outskirts of Fuyuki, was entirely snow-white, gleaming with a cold luster under the daylight.
In front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of the castle hall.
Illyasviel von Einzbern, wearing an exquisite white dress, sat firmly on Heracles’s broad shoulders.
Her sapphire-like eyes were wide open, staring intently at the light screen suspended in mid-air.
Her small face was full of joy and excitement, and she didn’t forget to gently pat the Berserker’s neck, her voice soft and high-pitched: “Wow, Basaka, look!
This Jeanne d’Arc Alter is just too cute!
Her sweet and soft appearance is nothing like the witch they described on the light screen before.”
Heracles lowered his eyes slightly to look at the little princess on his shoulder, who was smiling so much her eyes were like crescent moons.
His massive frame stood steady as he let out a low, gentle “Roar—”.
His rough palm gently touched the top of Illya’s head as if in response or to affirm her words.
The violence unique to a Berserker turned entirely into silent tenderness when facing Illya.
In a corner of the Matou residence’s courtyard, where the lush greenery held a hint of damp chill, Matou Sakura stood quietly under a wisteria trellis.
Pale purple petals drifted down onto her hair and shoulders, her plain-colored kimono making her appear even more gentle and timid.
She lowered her long eyelashes, her gaze fixed on the light screen in the air.
A hint of envy and delicate tenderness flickered in her eyes, and a faint, somewhat wistful smile touched her lips.
Her voice was as soft as the wind carrying falling petals, a murmur full of longing.
“A date…
how nice.
Walking side-by-side with someone important, with eyes only for each other.
I think I can understand a bit of that Miss Jeanne’s nervousness and joy—” Her words hid a trace of subtle yearning, drifting with the falling petals and tinged with a faint hope.
In front of the mountain gate of Ryudou Temple, a gentle breeze blew, causing the surrounding trees to rustle, making this area feel even more serene.
The swordsman known by the name Sasaki Kojiro leaned against an ancient tree by the gate, arms crossed.
His plain robes fluttered gently in the wind, and his habitually indifferent face was now graced with a rare touch of softness, his narrow eyes half-closed.
His gaze fell upon the shimmering light screen in the distance.
A faint smile touched his lips, and he sighed softly with a tone of relief and envy: “How wonderful, such a passionate and pure, youthful love.”
As his words fell, the wind blew again, carrying the fresh scent of mountain greenery, scattering his faint sentiment into the breeze.
Only his figure remained, leisurely guarding the mountain gate, now with a bit more of a human touch.