IBHJ 1321

They reached the elementary school where parents had already gathered outside. The dismissal bell chimed, and children streamed out in excited clusters.

Shirou quickly spotted Mordred in the crowd, surrounded by a gaggle of girls. He raised his hand and waved.

"Look, your dad's here to pick you up, Akari-chan," one of the girls said.

"See you tomorrow, Akari-chan!" called another.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," Mordred replied with a wave, saying goodbye to her school friends.

Shirou gave Mordred's shoulder a light pat. "How was school today?"

"Boring as always. I already regret coming," Mordred said with a pout, then looked up at him accusingly. "And this name—Akari? So lame. Even for a fake name, couldn't you have picked something with a bit more flair?"

"Like what?"

"Something way cooler!"

"Akari is a lovely name. Too bad your school registration is already finalized, dear Akari-chan," he said, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

She huffed. "Once I figure out all the rules of this modern world, I'm definitely changing my name!"

"That'll take some time. You've still got junior high, high school, and university ahead. No rush learning the rules, Akari-chan."

She shot a glare at her teasing father, then noticed Skadi smiling beside them. Her eyes suddenly brightened as she greeted her enthusiastically. "Skadi! What brings you here?"

Skadi smiled warmly. "I came to check how Scathach has been doing lately."

Mordred glanced knowingly between Skadi and Shirou, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "I don't think you came to see Scathach at all. You came for a certain someone else, didn't you?"

Skadi's smile froze instantly.

He reached out and gently tapped Mordred's head. "Don't tease her like that."

She stuck out her tongue playfully, then glanced around. "Where's mom? Did she skip picking me up again?"

"You know how it is. She and Gray are working on new cake recipes at the main store."

Mordred's eyes flashed with annoyance. Her cheeks puffed out as she grumbled, "She likes Gray more than me. I swear, one of these days I'm going to sneak in and steal her underwear collection!"

He tapped her head again.

The three walked home together, laughing and chatting along the way. As they strolled, Mordred spotted a little girl riding happily on her father's shoulders. Her eyes lingered on them wistfully, though she said nothing. Before she knew what was happening, Shirou had scooped her up in his arms.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" she protested, her face flushing with embarrassment.

"Giving you a chance to fly." With a warm smile, he hoisted her onto his shoulders and held her ankles securely. "Hold on tight so you don't fall."

"This is so embarrassing!" She grabbed fistfuls of his hair and hissed, "Put me down right now!"

He just laughed, completely unfazed as he continued walking with Mordred perched on his shoulders.

Mordred was thoroughly embarrassed at first, but soon she was humming a little tune under her breath.

"Don't get the wrong idea—I'm not enjoying this at all," she declared, even as she continued humming.

"Of course not. How could my princess be happy about something so trivial? But I, your devoted father, am having a wonderful time." He gripped her ankles more securely. "Hold on tight—we're about to take off!" With that, he broke into a light jog.

"Whoa~~ I'm flying!" she shouted, a genuine smile breaking across her face.

Skadi watched their playful interaction, a smile touching her lips. "This is the life Shirou has always wanted."

When she snapped out of her thoughts, Skadi realized Shirou and his daughter had already raced far ahead. "Hey!" she called after them. "I don't know where your house is—wait for me!"

She hurried to catch up with the laughing pair.

…

On the edge of Miyama stood a spacious white mansion, Shirou’s home, the Fujimaru residence. It had been acquired with the land deed after New Fuyuki City was rebuilt following the Invasion Incident in 2003. Artie had managed it all this time before handing it back to him six months ago.

Shirou and Mordred walked in through the front door, still laughing from their conversation. Before they could even slip off their shoes, a tired voice drifted from the living room:

"—So you're back."

Mordred whipped her head toward the sofa, where she spotted a massive pile of garbage bags strewn about. Her smile froze, face dropping instantly. "You pest! You've turned the living room into a trash heap again!"

"Ugh, so annoying. Why does everyone call me a pest?" Arcueid pushed herself up from the sofa, dark circles prominent under her bloodshot eyes. She wore just a simple white shirt and white underwear, looking every bit like someone who'd locked herself indoors for years - a total NEET with zero concern for appearances.

"The manuscript deadline is creeping closer, but my brain's completely empty... My inspiration has totally dried up. God, I'm dying here!" she moaned, ruffling her already messy hair in frustration.

"That's not even the issue. The real question is: when are you planning to gracefully exit my home?" Mordred tossed the scattered potato chip bags on the floor into the trash can, giving Arcueid a blank stare.

"That's what I'd like to know too," Kama said as she walked out of the kitchen with the same deadpan expression. "I'm at my limit here. Haven't I told you at least a hundred times? Stop trashing my home!"

"Huh?" Arcueid tilted her head with genuine confusion. "Isn't this my home?"

Both Mordred and Kama's faces twisted with irritation at her response. Kama had already grabbed a kitchen knife, which didn't go unnoticed.

Seeing that Mordred and Kama might team up to pin her down for a beating, Arcueid quickly waved her hands in surrender. "Okay, okay... I get it! I'll clean everything up. The world is so beautiful, yet you're both so grumpy. That's not good at all, not good."

Morrigan, who had just come down the stairs, overheard this and couldn't help but chime in: "Then why did you push Hinako down the other day? You're literally the last person who should be saying that, Arcueid!"

Shirou noticed Morrigan's elegant white dress and asked curiously, "You look so nice today. Do you have a date with someone, sis?"

"Oh, I'm thinking about opening a fortune-telling shop in the city, so I asked Hinako to help me check out potential locations," she explained.

Mordred asked. "Why with Hinako?"

"It's all because of this menace!" She jabbed a finger toward Arcueid angrily. "The day before yesterday when Hinako came to visit, this person pinned her to the bed! Now Hinako's totally depressed, so I'm taking her out to cheer her up. Seriously, who bullies people like that?!"

"How was that bullying?" Arcueid whined with a hurt expression. "She's the only other True Ancestor besides me. I was just trying to connect with her."

"Who 'connects' with someone like that?" Morrigan shot her an angry glare before her gaze drifted to Skadi. Her eyes immediately lit up. "Oh, Skadi! You're here to visit?"

"Glad you finally noticed me," Skadi said with a gentle smile. She nodded and added, "I came to see Scathach. Where is she?"

"She's probably off hunting some beasts somewhere," Morrigan replied with a hint of uncertainty. "That woman just can't sit still for more than five minutes."