MMMS 29

In a certain year, a certain month, on a certain day.

Somewhere on the British Isles, a group of witches performed the first miracle ritual to reach the Root.

The completion of the First Magic.

That same year.

Somewhere south of Jerusalem, a virgin named Maria gave birth to a son.

The birth of the Messiah.

Later, this year would be defined as the first year of the Common Era.

The first beginning changed everything, with the second and third soon following.

And the homunculus known as the Holy Maiden of Winter, Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern, was a continuation from that first year of the Common Era.

To fulfill the wishes of magi and her family, the Holy Maiden sacrificed herself.

Her body, connected to the Root, was crushed by stone pillars, her blood flowing across a magic circle kilometers wide. The Holy Maiden became the core of all future Holy Grail Wars.

In Ryuuto's view, Justeaze was both a poor imitation and a blasphemous mockery of his existence, but could also be considered his daughter.

And Irisviel, being Justeaze's clone, was naturally his family as well.

...

Artoria, Morgan, and everyone watching stood frozen in shock as the two shared a deep French kiss right in the middle of the BBQ restaurant.

When Ryuuto finally released Irisviel's lips, she sank to the floor as if all strength had suddenly drained from her body.

"Who are you... no, wait..."

She covered her mouth with her hand, looking up at him in disbelief, her crimson eyes trembling uncontrollably.

He gave a slight smile, raising his index finger to his lips that had just claimed Irisviel's.

Shh.

"Irisviel!"

Unable to hold back any longer, Artoria rushed to Irisviel's side, placing one arm protectively in front of her while glaring fiercely at him.

"Unknown Servant... what have you done to her?!"

Her princess, whom she had sworn to protect, had just been publicly violated. Even Lancer, whose emotions were typically as restrained as a god's, was now burning with rage.

Morgan stood behind Ryuuto, watching her sister with an amused expression while staying ready to fight at any moment.

"I didn't do anything. I was just saying hello. Where I come from, this is how we show affection," he explained.

Facing Lancer's murderous glare, he raised both hands in surrender, as if trying to demonstrate his non-existent French background.

To make his story more convincing, he added: "Lancer, your sister and I greet each other this way all the time."

Morgan's eyelid twitched slightly as a confused expression slowly spread across her face.

Artoria looked at her sister with a complicated expression before finally showing an "I think I understand what's happening now" face, somewhat accepting the boy's explanation.

Taking advantage of everyone's momentary confusion, he turned back to Irisviel.

"Irisviel. Will you come with me?"

"...Come with you? What are you talking about?"

"I just can't stand watching this anymore," he said with a deep sigh.

"Iri, my sweet child... seeing someone as innocent and pure as you being manipulated by a man with such disturbing thoughts makes my heart ache. So, come join me instead. I'll help you live a normal life. You, me, and Illya—the three of us could live happily together."

Who does he think he is, some knight from the lake?! Artoria stood with her mouth half open, completely stunned by his outrageous and forward proposition.

The restaurant had fallen so quiet that everyone could have heard a pin drop.

After what felt like an eternity, Irisviel finally broke the silence.

"Don't insult Kiritsugu."

The dazed look had completely vanished from her face as she glared at him with clenched fists and eyes burning with anger.

"...And never speak Illya's name with those lips of yours."

"Well, pardon me," he replied with an embarrassed shrug before turning toward Morgan. "Seems Iri isn't in a good mood today. Let's end things here for now. Shall we go, Master?"

"You think after pulling a stunt like that, I'm just going to let you walk out of here...!" Lancer's fists were clenched as she trembled with anger.

"What's this? Does the lady knight want a kiss too? Just kidding—don't look at me like that... it's a waste of such a pretty face."

He turned around and gave her a casual wave.

"Whether I can leave or not isn't really up to you... Right, Iri?"

"...?" Lancer turned to look at Irisviel, who was standing with one hand pressed to her chest.

"E-enough... let them go, Lancer," Irisviel finally said, biting her lip.

"But—"

"...It's enough. We can't make a scene here." Irisviel cut her off mid-sentence. "Both of you—get out!"

"Yes, yes~ See you later then, my sweet, my darling Iri." he winked at her flirtatiously, causing Irisviel to turn her face away in a mixture of embarrassment and anger.

Meanwhile, Morgan gave her sister a calm, composed look of someone who knew they had the upper hand. "Try your best to win the Holy Grail this time, sister."

With Artoria's murderous glare following them, the pair calmly walked out through the restaurant's front door.

"Master, I understand your strategy of wanting to control the Lesser Grail, but don't you think your approach was a bit extreme?"

Orange sunset light washed over the Fuyuki Bridge that divided the city in two. Ryuuto and Morgan were walking from Shinto toward their base in Miyama Town.

As they walked, Morgan calmly shared her thoughts about what he had just done.

"Contaminating and taking control of the Lesser Grail through a kiss. When all six souls enter her body, you'll directly seize the original personality of the Lesser Grail and gain control of the vessel's core system. This essentially means you'll win the Holy Grail War automatically. A perfect strategy, I must admit."

Ryuuto walked with his hands in his pockets, seeming completely unconcerned about the scene he'd just created. "It's not like I could have had her drink my blood, could I?"

Morgan's analysis was mostly correct, but what she didn't know was that he had no intention of erasing Irisviel's personality. In fact, he'd done the opposite—he'd made sure she could maintain herself even after receiving all six souls.

He just wanted a failsafe, to prevent anyone from making a wish.

"Your approach was far too obvious, Master. You've already put the Lesser Grail and Lancer on high alert. Do you really think they'll do nothing about this? If the Einzbern side performs even the most basic examination of her physical condition, they'll detect something unusual, won't they? All your efforts will have been wasted," Morgan pointed out.

The corner of his lips curved into a smile. "We'll see about that. Do you think she's going to tell Kiritsugu: 'Today I was kissed by a young boy, and not only did I fail to resist, but I was actually entranced and even used my tongue'... Mm?"

Morgan: "...."