""

Silent sobs.

After the seemingly omniscient figure on the shore disappeared, the shadow lurking in the water carefully began to "chew" the "prey" it had just captured.

According to normal circumstances, after a servant dies in battle, the soul should return directly to the Throne of Heroes. However, because of the "Holy Grail" as a containment tool, the soul of the servant will enter the "Holy Grail War" before the end of the Holy Grail War.

"The Little Holy Grail" is stored as a "hole" that opens to the source.

In this Holy Grail War, the only person who truly has the function of the "Little Holy Grail" is Illyasviel.

However, Doon received the knowledge granted by Einzbern, so he was able to use projection to create a "fake" that could be mistaken for the real thing, and successfully replaced Illya as the Small Holy Grail in the Holy Grail War.

However, the existence hidden in the water is different. Although "it" possesses the fragments of the Small Holy Grail left over from the last Holy Grail War, those are the leftovers from the last Holy Grail War and cannot be fully applied to this Holy Grail.

war.

It cannot recover the soul of the servant by staying at home like Illya and Duen. It must come to the position closest to the death of the servant and devour the soul before it returns to the real Little Holy Grail.

But this is equivalent to hindering the rules of the Holy Grail War.

Therefore, it will hurt and it will cry.

It has no consciousness of its own, just like a person who is sleepwalking, it only does certain things reflexively.

For example: attack and devour followers!

If they are heroic spirits with noble character, its existence is equivalent to a deadly virus. Not to mention being attacked and injured by it, even if they are just touched, the spiritual base that makes up the body is in danger of collapse.

Just like Cu Chulainn before, he was lured here just because of the assassin, entangled by it, and fell into a hard fight against the assassin who was far inferior to him.

In the end, if it hadn't been for Caster's sudden appearance, even his heart would have been taken away by Assassin using his Noble Phantasm.

However, just as assassin takes advantage of it by making it less susceptible to attacks, it also takes advantage of assassin.

It is actually not very strong at the beginning, and can even be said to be very weak. Even if ordinary heroic spirits are afraid of it, they will not be easily captured and defeated by it.

However, after successively devouring the soul residues of two servants in Liudong Temple, its abilities have been qualitatively improved.

Therefore, with the help of Assassin, it was able to swallow Cu Chulainn completely.

But why is it said to be residue?

Because regardless of Sasaki Kojiro or Medea, their original spiritual foundations were inherited by the current Assassin and Caster.

Since the current assassin is summoned based on the original summoning ritual, the soul left by the original assassin Sasaki Kojiro is quite rare.

But Solomon is different. He just needs a qualification, a qualification that allows him to be recognized by the Dongmu Holy Grail after being summoned abnormally.

Therefore, Medea's remaining soul is quite intact.

So, after swallowing the souls of two servants, it grew.

After devouring Cu Chulainn's soul, it transformed even further.

but

"not enough……"

A suppressed, painful, and weak female voice sounded from the calm water without any warning.

A black shadow appeared on the water, like a weightless balloon, so light that it could be blown away with just one breath.

However, that terrifying sense of domination that could make people clench their hearts instantly enveloped the surrounding space.

There is no intelligence, no reason, and it is not even a living thing.

The black shadow stayed on the water, shaking like a mirage.

"not enough……"

The suppressed voice sounded again, like a glutton awakening.

""

The black shadow disappeared without any warning.

The next second, the girl who was sleeping soundly in Hefeng's bedroom opened her eyes.

…

"senior!"

The girl's soft voice sounded outside, and Emiya Shirou, who had fallen asleep unknowingly in the warehouse, rubbed his sleepy eyes and responded.

"cherry?"

Pushing open the door of the warehouse and walking in, looking at Shirou Emiya who was wearing work clothes and looking a little confused, the girl with short purple hair raised her waist in dissatisfaction.

"Really, how can senior sleep in the warehouse? What if he catches a cold?"

The body of the girl with her waist inserted slightly leaned forward, and the pair of Europeans with rapidly growing puberty appeared in front of Emiya Shirou like little rabbits.

As a pure high school student, Emiya Shirou's face suddenly turned red.

"I, I understand. Sakura, please go out first. I'll tidy up first."

"?"

As if she didn't notice the change in Emiya Shirou's attitude, the girl tilted her head and showed a sweet smile.

"Then I'll wait for you, senior, outside. Breakfast is ready."

The girl named Sakura hummed a pleasant tune and carefully closed the warehouse door.

Touching his still-beating heart, it seems that this is the only way to prove that he is still alive.

Only here, only in this place, does Matou Sakura have a real feeling that she is still alive. Ever since she was adopted into the Matou family ten years ago, all she can feel in her life is darkness.

However, her encounter with Shirou Emiya a year ago brought a little bit of light into her dark life.

As long as this is enough, as long as it is to protect this warmth, she is willing to do whatever she is asked to do.

Even if...

The figure of a certain person flashed across his memory, as vaguely as if he saw it in his sleep. However, when he thought of that figure who seemed to know everything and was cold and machine-like, Matou Sakura couldn't help but pull at him.

Tighten your chest.

Will die!

She didn't know why, even though she had never seen that person before, she had a premonition that if she met him, she would be killed.

"it does not matter……"

Comforting herself, Matou Sakura murmured softly.

"He won't attack me here..."

After persuading and comforting herself, Matou Sakura had a smile on her face.

However, this smile disappeared in the next second.

"Ding dong~"

The doorbell rang in the direction of the courtyard gate. At six o'clock in the morning, who else would come here except Taiga Fujimura, who is Emiya Shirou's guardian?

Teacher Taiga has the key, so he will definitely break in without hesitation.

So, who is it?

Who is coming?

Matou Sakura couldn't help but take a step back, her heels hit the steps of the warehouse, and she fell backwards.

"Sakura, is there someone outside?"

Emiya Shirou just happened to open the warehouse door, and was suddenly hit by Matou Sakura.

Feeling the graceful body of the girl in his arms, Emiya Shirou's mood that had just calmed down suddenly became agitated again.

"Sakura, Sakura!?"

When she realized who she had fallen on and the warmth coming from another body, the fear in Matou Sakura's heart disappeared without a trace at this moment.

She wants to protect this beauty no matter what, and if someone wants to destroy it, no matter who it is, she will not admit defeat.

He easily climbed over the nearly two-meter-high courtyard wall and appeared in the courtyard. Looking at the two people stumbling together, the visitor said with a smile.

"It seems that your life is quite comfortable, Emiya Shirou, did I disturb you?"

Seeing the figure appearing in front of them with a faint smile, Emiya Shirou suddenly opened his eyes.

"berserker!?"
Chapter completed!