Shinji now felt tired, very tired, extremely tired.
He hadn't stopped for 36 hours straight, and both his body and spirit were at their limits.
Picking up Jack and Reika Rikudou, helping them settle in.
Checking Fiore's leg and devising a detailed treatment plan.
Adapting to the newly acquired Third Magic, repairing two damaged Noble Phantasms.
Holding multiple meetings with Chiron and others to discuss various strategies for attacking the Hanging Garden.
Currently, he is drawing the structure diagram of the Hanging Garden. With this, the success rate of attacking the garden would be much higher.
One couldn't help but admire Type-Moon's dedication to settings. In Semiramis's entry, there were detailed settings for her Noble Phantasms, including comprehensive textual descriptions and several large illustrations, including structural sketches and completed appearance diagrams.
Shinji aimed to recreate these illustrations.
Ordinarily, this would be an impossible task. Although the setting collection was detailed, recreating it years later would be feasible only if he had a legendary ability—photographic memory. Unfortunately, though he had done quite well in his past life, he was far from a genius and naturally did not have such an ability.
Fortunately, under Justeaze's sincere guidance, he had grasped a part of the Third Magic. The Third Magic is related to souls, and reading information recorded in souls is fundamental.
Using this ability, Shinji maximized the excavation of his memories. As long as it wasn't completely deleted from his brain, he could dig it out, then combine it with what he saw and finally recreate it with his pen. For someone experienced in engraving runes and drawing various magic formations, this wasn't difficult. Though what he drew might not be aesthetically pleasing, it would certainly be accurate.
Of course, recreating such a large Hanging Garden from memory and reality naturally wouldn't be quick. From dusk till now, he had just barely completed the external view.
"At this rate, it will take at least 12 hours. There are less than 30 hours left until the scheduled total attack, and I still need to make time for Fiore's surgery and prepare materials for Gordes... which means I have to keep pushing myself?"
He dropped the pencil, flexing his stiff fingers and joints, then rubbed his sore eye corners.
"I'm running out of steam. Do I have to lift the incarnation state?"
This intense fatigue was one of the few drawbacks of a Servant's incarnation.
A human body ultimately couldn't compare to a Servant's. Even with superhuman physical parameters, it required food, excretion, and sleep to maintain itself, unlike a Servant, who could keep going as long as they had sufficient mana.
After hesitating for a while, Shinji shook his head.
"No, it's not the right time yet. Not to mention that it would increase Fiore's burden and the risk of surgery. The timing of lifting the incarnation itself is a trump card. I didn't expect using the Lesser Grail as a medium would bring such a surprise, nor did I expect those two to be willing to help me. Maybe I can make Semiramis and Amakusa Shirou suffer a big loss—if I can endure it."
"Thinking about this now is a bit premature. I should find something to refresh myself. Coffee..."
Turning his head, he saw two empty pots on the coffee table.
"Probably won't help no matter how much more I drink. Better get some medicinal soup, though it tastes awful, it's better than nothing."
Standing up from the chair, he stretched.
There was a knock on the door.
"Coming. Who could it be at this hour?"
Muttering under his breath, he opened the door.
"Papa!"
With a familiar call, a pair of small hands wrapped around Shinji's neck, clinging to him like a koala, even nuzzling against his neck affectionately.
"Hahaha, that tickles, Jack."
Naturally picking up the girl's petite body, Shinji nudged her forehead with his nose.
"Hehehe, it doesn't tickle at all, Papa."
Hearing the girl's soft voice, his highly strained nerves relaxed considerably.
Aas expected, daughters are the best remedy for mental fatigue. Being so closely hugged by her, he suddenly felt a surge of endless energy.
It's really strange, isn't it? Even though the time spent together isn't much, why does he have this heartfelt feeling of doting on her?
Perhaps, it's fate. Just like the first time he saw Sakura, the first time she called him brother, he wanted to protect her for a lifetime.
Shinji's heartfelt sighs were unknown to the naturally innocent Jack, who spoke in a child's proud tone:
"Papa, Papa, are you hungry? Mommy and We made some delicious food for you."
"Now that you mention it, I am a bit hungry. What delicious things did you make?"
"Uh-huh, there's vegetable soup, omelet rice, and fruit salad, all made by Mommy and We."
"I see, Jack is really capable—and thank you for your hard work, Miss Reika."
"No, it's not hard at all being with Jack."
The woman, carrying a tray, walked into the room with the father and daughter, smiling at their affection. Her face had completely shed the weary look she had when they first met. Who would have thought that such a person was once a high-class prostitute?
"Besides, you're Jack's papa, and I'm Jack's mama. There's no need to be so formal between us."
"True, then I'll call you Reika, and you can call me Shinji, or even papa.'"
Shinji, who used to be somewhat reserved, now held a resolve to leave no regrets, so he wouldn't be bothered by such trivial matters.
"It's a pity that there are quite a few people who fit the role of the mom. Jack, why don't you tell us who your moms are?"
"Uh, Mommy, you're the first, Toria-Mama is the second, Jeanne-Mama is the third, Fiore-Mama is the fourth, and, and—ah, that's all."
When saying "That's all," Jack had a very noticeable nose-wrinkling action. This made Reika reach out to pinch her nose, and Shinji wanted to pinch it too.
"Oh my, isn't there one more?"
"No, there isn't. Mordred is Toria-Mama's daughter, so she's our sister."
Recalling the meeting between Mordred and Jack, Shinji couldn't help but laugh.
At first, Mordred the father-complex, and tsundere tendencies flared up, as she circled around Jack baring her teeth and saying all sorts of fierce things.
Things like, "It's not so easy to be Father's daughter";
Or, "I'm the only legitimate heir of Father";
Or, "If you want to call her Mama, you have to get through me first."
The scene was quite awkward for a while.
But Jack only said one sentence: "Ah, you're Toria-Mama's daughter, so you're our sister. Hello, Sister."
This one word "Sister" hit the mark perfectly. Mordred, who had never been called "Sister" before, was instantly disarmed. All her denial, tsundere behavior, and jealousy vanished, leaving only a silly grin.
"Haha, Sister, ahahaha, someone called me Sister, say it again."
"Sister."
Jack was very obedient.
"Very good. From now on, you're my little sister. If anyone dares to bully you, just say my name, and I'll chop them up."
The stark contrast before and after made everyone laugh out loud, filling the meeting hall with a joyful atmosphere.