IBHJ 1193

Mordred's brow furrowed. Things were getting more and more complicated by the minute.

Everything pointed back to 2003 when Fuyuki was invaded. Morgan's main body had been fighting Vivian back then, and the Emperor had been there somewhere in Pan-Human History. And that same year, Morgan had also suffered a dispersive death.

Mordred's head throbbed. Why had so much happened in 2003? Fuyuki's invasion. Gaia's manifestation. Manaka Sajyou's awakening. The Enlightened One's departure from Pan-Human History. Both Chaldea and the Council laying their foundations. Her mother Artoria manifesting. Even Morgan uncovering some secret before her dispersive death.

And now this – the Emperor had been there too.

What else had happened that year?

Could all these events be connected somehow?

She asked, "You really can't remember what secret your main body discovered?"

Morgan shook her head.

Mordred's brow furrowed. Her gut told her this was important. The Emperor, the UOs, everything... The secret that drove Morgan's main body to suicide had to be the key to solving everything.

But what had she found?

What kind of secret was so terrible that she'd chosen suicide as a form of self-preservation?

"Bzzt bzzt bzzt—" Static crackled from Galahad again.

…

In a flash of light, Shirou and the others arrived in a paradise of birdsong and flowers with a pristine sky stretching over fragrant fields - this was Avalon, a utopia untouched by worry or strife.

As soon as they arrived, Artoria clutched her wound and wailed, "Master, Master! I'm dying, save me—!"

"Well, well. Look who finally decided to come back." A gentle but scolding voice rang out. Shirou turned to see a tiny blue-haired girl, barely reaching 120 centimeters, appearing from nowhere with her hands on her hips. She gave her a stern glare.

Artoria's eyes welled up at the sight of her. Looking utterly wronged, she flung herself at the girl. "Master, help me!"

"Mmph mmph mmph—" The blue-haired girl flailed like she was drowning, batting at Artoria's arms until she finally broke free. Climbing onto a large rock, she continued scolding while Artoria sat on the ground, gazing up at her with puppy-dog eyes.

Shirou stared at the girl scolding Artoria. "Te-Tethys...?"

He couldn't believe his eyes, she looked exactly like Tethys in human form!

His voice finally drew her attention away from Artoria. "Oh? We have guests?"

Artoria seized her chance. "Master, they're terrible, evil people! They've been bullying me out there, you have to help me get justice!"

The girl rapped her knuckles on Artoria's head. "You must have been causing trouble again."

"Oww." she rubbed her head with a pout.

The girl lifted her toes from the rock, floating gracefully toward Shirou and the others.

"Master, don't leave me! I'm dying!" Artoria called out in panic.

"You silly thing, it's just a scratch. Look, you've already healed."

"Huh?" she glanced down to find the dagger wound in her stomach had disappeared.

What the hell, so it wasn't fatal after all. She patted her chest, sighing with relief.

"How fascinating." The girl studied the three of them closely. "An Apostle of the Eternal Empire, someone cursed with immortality, and then..."

"...You're my mother's lackey, aren't you? The Human King who used Avalon to commit all those atrocities in Britain?"

Shirou: "..."

Her words nearly made him choke.

Scathach shot him an amused look.

He turned helplessly to the girl. "If you mean Eternal King, then yes, that's me. And your mother... that would be Tethys?"

"Yes. I'm Nerissa, one of the Fairy Queens of Avalon." She nodded, then gestured at Artoria. "I'm sure my foolish apprentice has been causing you trouble."

"Quite a bit, actually," he agreed.

Artoria's jaw dropped - what a blatant lie!

"Just as I thought. She's always like this."

"Wait, Master, I didn't—" Before Artoria could finish, Nerissa spun around, floating above her with hands on hips. "Be quiet. You snuck out of Avalon, I'm not done with you about that."

"Um..." She ducked her head guiltily and quickly changed the subject. "By the way Master, where's Master Thessalia? I haven't seen her today."

"You're lucky. She went into hibernation yesterday. Who knows where she's hiding now."

Artoria sagged with relief.

Nerissa turned back to the three of them. "You carry Ambrosius's scent. You came from his place?"

He nodded. "That's right."

"Would you like to rest in Avalon for a while?"

"No need." he shook his head. "We should head back as soon as possible."

"Then I won't keep you. The Emperor's Hand can't reach you here, so you should be able to contact Ambrosius."

With that, Nerissa turned and drifted away.

He nodded, then glanced at Bedivere. Seeing no reaction, he prompted, "Bedivere, the box from Garand."

"Oh, right." Bedivere called out quickly. "Wait, Lady Nerissa!"

"Something wrong?" she turned back, eyeing him curiously.

"A companion asked me to deliver this to Avalon." Bedivere retrieved a box from the Imperial Armor's storage system and held it out to her.

"What's this?"

Bedivere shook his head. "My companion only said it was very important."

She landed on the ground and began working to open the box.

Everyone leaned in curiously - Shirou, Scathach, Artoria, and also Bedivere. After all, Garand had called this box's contents important to the Empire, worth defending with his life. It had to be some incredible treasure.

But when the box opened, they all froze.

A handwritten book!

Just a worn, tattered book!

"'The Tale of the Holy Sword'... what is this?" Bedivere's voice cracked with disbelief. "The important item Garand gave his life to protect... was a storybook?"

And it was such a common book...

A book of 'The Tale of the Holy Sword'!

Bedivere couldn't accept it.

Shirou shook his head. He'd thought it might contain some secret to defeating the Empire, but it was just that same book of 'The Tale of the Holy Sword' he'd read in Camlann.

"Huh? Isn't this the Emperor's notebook?" Nerissa looked up at Bedivere, puzzled. "Why are you giving me this?"

The Emperor?

Shirou raised his eyebrows. "The Emperor's notebook?"

"Yes. It looks like the one he carried when visiting Pan-Human History... though..." Her voice trailed off, uncertain of the distant memory.

"It's not just similar, this is exactly the notebook His Majesty carried back then, Lady Nerissa."

A male voice spoke from behind them. Shirou turned to see a tall, handsome man with flame-red hair approaching.

Noticing Shirou's gaze, the man gave him a smile. "We meet again, Lord Shirou."

"You're—" Shirou's brow furrowed. "Dr. Heartless, former head of Clock Tower's Modern Magecraft Theory Department?"

"I never expected that Lord Shirou... the legendary Eternal King would remember someone as insignificant as me." Dr. Heartless looked at him with surprise, smiling. "Though please, call me Adashino Kurou. My sister at Clock Tower, Adashino Hishiri, was also under your care back then."

Shirou's brow furrowed. None of this made sense. With the Council's destruction of the Human Order and the Emperor's synchronization with Pan-Human History, Dr. Heartless shouldn't even exist!

The man before him was once the head of the Modern Magecraft Theory Department at the Clock Tower. He remembered meeting him in 2003, when Miyu's arrival scattered Class Cards throughout Fuyuki City. Shirou traveled to England to consult with Zelretch at the Clock Tower. While there, Waver involved him in the succession dispute over the Castle of Separation Adra.

That incident took a dark turn when Morgan, working from the shadows, used Gray as a sacrifice to recreate the Fourth Holy Grail War. She had wanted to bring Artoria's soul, which was bound by Alaya, back into reality.

Back then, Heartless had posed as just another participant in the inheritance dispute. Even after Shirou exposed him, he managed to slip away. Looking back, he'd been nothing more than a footnote in the grand scheme of things - barely worth mentioning during the Crimson Moon incident, the Fuyuki invasion, or the crises with the Council and Lord of Salvation.

Yet here he stood, somehow existing even after the Human Order's collapse and the Emperor's invasion.

Shirou's mind flashed to Nerissa’s earlier comment about the notebook resembling the one the Emperor carried in Pan-Human History. His eyes sharpened as he studied Heartless's smiling face. "I understand now. He's the one who helped you escape from me."

"Indeed. His Majesty was a guest in Avalon then. He saw my desperation, my refusal to accept things as they were, and granted me his mercy." Dr. Heartless nodded, making no attempt to deny it.