Groggy.
Dizzy.
In a half-dream, half-awake state, the door creaked open.
Two women, one tall and one short, who looked like sisters, walked into the room. The taller one carried a basin of water, while the shorter one held a towel.
Sensing the movement, Shinji reflexively opened his eyes slightly: "It's you two."
Although his voice was faint, the quiet room made it easy for the two women to hear him. They quickly put down what they were holding and gathered around him.
"Ah, Master, you're awake."
"How's your body? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"
"I... how long was I unconscious?"
After using the Spear of Ishtar as a medium to perform the Broken Phantasm, Shinji's mana and stamina were completely drained, causing him to fall into a coma and lose awareness of the outside world.
"Three full days," Artoria answered.
"Three days?"
Propping himself up on the bed, Shinji found that his physical injuries had healed. However, as his body healed, the wounds in his heart only grew heavier with time.
"Three days have passed. Has anything happened during this time?"
Jeanne shook her head: "No, we've been regrouping at Millennia Castle, while the floating garden has been stationed over the sea."
"I see. So they haven't done anything? That's strange."
"Strange? What's strange?"
"Isn't it strange? It's been three days. In three days, even I could gather enough Servant souls to activate the Greater Grail, let alone that guy."
"Master!"
Hearing Shinji's sarcastic tone, Artoria's expression darkened.
"How can you say such things? Do you also wish for the world to be destroyed?"
"Ah."
Realizing his slip, Shinji slapped himself hard.
"Sorry."
"Assassin, what's wrong with you? You're not like your usual self at all."
Jeanne's calm and serene blue eyes gazed at him, and Shinji felt his inner agitation subside somewhat.
"Maybe I still can't accept reality. After doing so much, scheming so much, in the end, it was all for nothing—doesn't that mean everything I did was meaningless?"
"No, what you did wasn't meaningless."
Jeanne leaned down and gently held Shinji's hand with her own.
"If not for your efforts, we might already be dead; if not for your efforts, the Greater Grail might already be activated; if not for your efforts, we might not even have a chance to counterattack—everything is because of you. So, you don't need to blame yourself like this."
Normally, if Jeanne treated him this way, Shinji would be ecstatic. But now, without Justeaze, he could only muster a faint smile:
"Thank you for your comfort, Jeanne. Thank you."
"This isn't comfort."
Artoria held Shinji's hand in the same manner as Jeanne, her eyes blazing with intensity.
"We're serious. The world hasn't been destroyed yet, thanks to your efforts, Master."
"But I did nothing."
"No, you—"
At that moment, the door was pushed open again, and a third face, identical to the others, peeked inside.
"Father, Ruler, Miss Fiore requests your—uh!"
Before the sentence was finished, the door exploded with a bang.
Amidst the surge of red lightning, the brilliantly shining King's Sword was summoned, accompanied by a roar filled with anger.
"You!!!"
The sudden outburst startled the three in the room. Artoria immediately turned around, glaring at the intruder angrily.
"Mordred, what are you doing?"
"You, you... he, he... you, you all..."
Mordred stammered. She was always quicker with her actions than her words. She had drawn her sword, but her mouth hadn't yet decided what to say.
"What about us?"
The naturally confused Artoria looked at Jeanne beside her, who was equally puzzled. Mordred suddenly felt very foolish, truly.
"Your hands! Your hands!"
"What about them? Shaking hands is a normal modern gesture. Do you want to try it?"
"Yes, yes!"
Mordred nodded eagerly, quickly sheathing her sword and extending her hand.
"Hehehe."
When Artoria held her hand, Mordred smiled like a child, even affecting the despondent Shinji.
"This poor child—Mordred, why are you here?"
"Miss Fiore requests your presence. She said something about the 'Lesser Grail'; it seems there's a problem."
"The Lesser Grail? How is there a Lesser Grail?"
Shinji was momentarily stunned. Wasn't that fixed to the Greater Grail?
"I don't know the details either. You should ask your Master yourself."
Because she had physical contact with her father, Mordred forgot about being angry with Shinji.
"Alright, since you're awake, let's go together and take a look."
Seeing that he seemed a bit more spirited, Artoria and Jeanne exchanged a smile and led the way.
Since Semiramis had previously launched an attack from her airborne fortress, the royal chambers at the top of the castle were no longer considered safe. Fiore, the successor to the family head, had relocated the meeting hall to the original underground restricted area where the Greater Grail altar was stored.
Present were not only the entire Yggdmillennia clan and their Servants but also the Red Faction Servants who had severed ties with Amakusa Shirou. In other words, all Masters and Servants, except for those in Amakusa's camp, were gathered together.
This was only natural. Amakusa Shirou's faction possessed formidable combat power and mobility and needed enough Servant souls to activate the Greater Grail. To avoid being picked off one by one and becoming sacrifices for his ambitions, banding together was the best choice.
As Shinji followed Artoria out of the passage, all eyes turned to him.
"Assassin!"
Fiore instinctively clenched her hands.
"You're here," Chiron said with a smile.
"What a sleeper," Caules teased, winking.
"Tch, didn't die, huh?"
Achilles whistled.
Though the others remained silent, most expressed goodwill.
Feeling so much concern, Shinji's nose tingled. The more downtrodden he felt, the more precious these sincere emotions seemed.
"I'm sorry to have worried you all," Shinji said, bowing deeply.
"It's just good that you're alright."
Fiore turned her head, her voice as clear as ever, like a mountain spring.
"Later, I have many things I want to ask you."
"Yes, don't worry. I won't hide anything this time."
At this point, there was no need for secrecy.
"Before that, I want to ask about the Lesser Grail."
It turned out that three days ago, after Darnic had left alone, Fiore followed his orders and led people to take refuge at the altar. Just as they stepped into the altar, a golden light descended from the sky, landing right beside Fiore.
At first, Fiore didn't know what it was, but instinctively felt it was something important, so she carefully kept it. It wasn't until Jeanne returned with her weary and injured group that they recognized it as the vessel for containing Servant souls—the Lesser Grail.
As she spoke, Fiore raised the vessel in her hand. Its color was identical to the central part of the Greater Grail, where the transfigured body of Justeaze resided.
Shinji couldn't help but reach out. As his fingers touched the edge of the Lesser Grail, a familiar pulse swept through his body.
"This, this is—!!!"