IBHJ Chapter 862

"Gilgamesh!" he snarled.

"Hahahahaha! Shirou, I've come to play again!"

Gil-kun sauntered in, the Chains of Heaven coiling around him.

But before Gil-kun could take another step, Shirou launched Excalibur at him. Gil-kun ducked just in time, narrowly avoiding the blade.

"What are you doing, King of Knights? Throwing a sword at a defenseless pretty boy is quite unbecoming!" Gil-kun glared at 'Artoria'.

"I don't consider throwing a sword at an intruder who's broken down my door three times to be unbecoming at all!" he retorted, arms crossed.

"I broke down Shirou's door, not yours. What's it to you?" Gil-kun looked exasperated.

"What do you mean, what's it to me? Of course it's my business!" Shirou fumed. "Do you know how much a new door costs? I..."

He caught himself, remembering he was currently Artoria. He pointed at Artoria and said, "Do you know how much trouble this causes the king?"

Gil-kun was about to reply when a thud came from behind them. They turned to see Artoria collapsed on the floor, trembling as she looked at Shirou.

"What's wrong with you, Shirou?" Gil-kun eyed 'Artoria' suspiciously.

Shirou's heart sank. "The king isn't feeling well today," he quickly said.

"Hmm...!" Artoria cowered, shaking more violently as she stared at Shirou with fear in her eyes.

"Whatever. I don't have time for this," Gil-kun said, walking towards Artoria. "Come on, Shirou, let's go play and leave this old hag alone."

As Gil-kun reached for Artoria's hand, Shirou panicked and, without hesitation, swung Excalibur again.

Gilgamesh jumped back, his eyes blazing with fury. "What are you doing, King of Knights?"

"S-Stay back!" Shirou shouted.

"You—!" Gilgamesh looked ready to pounce, but then a smirk spread across his face. "Ah, I see how it is... My, you certainly mistake me, a man, for an enemy! This is quite amusing - your real enemies are Scathach and Morgan le Fay! Ah well, I won't disturb you any further. Hahaha..."

With a hearty laugh, Gilgamesh turned and left, leaving a confused Shirou behind.

What was that about? Shirou wondered, completely baffled.

"My king..." Artoria's voice was hesitant as she shakily stood up.

"Don't worry, the magic will wear off soon. But until then, you need to act like me."

"Act like...my king?" She looked puzzled. "Why not just tell the truth? It's the effect of a Noble Phantasm, surely it's not a big deal? There are fused Heroic Spirits in Chaldea. I'm sure everyone would understand."

"Normally, yes. It's nothing to be ashamed of. But...if Gilgamesh found out, he...he'd never let me live it down! I'd never hear the end of it!"

He grimaced and pointed at her. "Listen, Artie. Until this wears off, you have to be me, got it?"

Seeing his serious expression, she understood the gravity of the situation and nodded rapidly. "Yes, I will complete your mission without fail!"

"Good. Then let's practice a bit first."

"Practice?" she tilted her head, confused.

He nodded, then took a deep breath, cupping his hands in front of his chest and gazing at her with a gentle, feminine air. In a soft voice, he said, "My king..."

"Eek!" she clutched at her chest, letting out a pained squeak as she crumpled to the ground.

"What are you doing? You need to practice properly!" he said in displeasure.

"But...but..." she gripped her chest with a pained expression. "This is too much for my heart!"

...

Due to the Formless Vortex, Shirou and Artoria had switched bodies. To keep Gil-kun in the dark, they had to swap living quarters. Artoria stayed in his room, while he headed to Artoria's place in A-417.

On the way, he kept thinking about how to act like Artoria. Pretending to be someone else was tough. Even though he knew Artoria pretty well, there was still a chance he'd slip up.

Of course, being found out wasn't the worst thing that could happen. The real problem was if Gilgamesh found out – Shirou would be subjected to that idiot's mocking "Kehahahahaha!" laughter for the rest of his life.

That absolutely couldn't happen!

Shirou took a deep breath as he reached A-417. As soon as he opened the door, the smell of food hit him.

"Yo, look who's back!" Mo-chan greeted him cheerfully as 'Artoria' walked in.

Of course, she had no idea that the current Artoria was actually Shirou.

"Mm," he grunted, looking around the room in confusion. Was this a private room, or some kind of dorm?

Not only Shirou and Mo-chan were there, but also Salter, Nero, Chloe holding baby Miyu, and Mash. They were all gathered around the dining table, laughing and chatting.

Just then, ten-year-old Gray, wearing a pink apron, emerged from the kitchen carrying a fragrant fish dish.

Setting the food down, Gray looked at him with gentle eyes. "Welcome back, Your Highness. Please, have a seat."

"Yeah, come sit down, Father. It's dinner time," Mo-chan smiled.

Salter put down the bag of chips she'd been munching on and scooted over, making space as her dark golden eyes looked at him. "Sit here, my other self."

Seeing this harmonious scene, he felt a cold sweat break out on the back of his neck.

Oh no, this is bad!

I sense trouble brewing!

Shirou sensed the incoming disaster.

No...

If it was just regular trouble it wouldn't matter, but if Gilgamesh found out about the body swap between him and Artoria, it would be catastrophic!

He'd lose all face and dignity!

"Come over here, my other self!" Salter called out again, her voice warm and inviting.

"Oh...okay," he walked over cautiously.

As soon as he sat down, Salter handed him a bag of snacks. "Here, have some."

"Oh...thank you," he accepted it, relieved. It didn't seem like a big deal after all. He had just been overthinking it.

Damn it! I've faced all sorts of great trials before, yet I'm getting flustered over a situation like this... Gilgamesh, this is all your fault! He inwardly cursed Gilgamesh's name.

At that moment, Gray suddenly looked up at him with an expectant gaze. "Your Highness, do you remember what today is?"

Today...?!

What was so special about today?

Shirou looked back blankly, but seeing Gray's expectant eyes, his heart sank. It seemed today was some kind of special occasion. But... Artoria hadn't told him anything! What am I supposed to do now?

However, looking at Gray's hopeful face, today must be a rather special day for her. If he bluntly said he forgot, she would probably be heartbroken. But he wasn't the real Artoria, so how could he possibly know about the significance of the day between her and Artoria?

As he racked his brain, his eyes glanced over and caught sight of Salter sitting nearby eating chips. A flash of inspiration hit him. Without hesitation, he reached out and roughly tore open the bag of chips Salter had given him earlier. He grabbed a big handful and shoved them into his mouth, wolfing them down. Then, with his mouth still full, he gave Gray an indistinct "Mmhmm" in response.

"That's wonderful!" Gray clapped her hands together, gazing at him with a sweet, happy smile. "I knew Your Highness would remember - today is the day you broke my fate."

The day he broke Gray's fate?

Shirou remembered—today was the anniversary of the London incident 13 years ago, when Artoria had refused to use Gray as a vessel for her resurrection.

Seeing Gray's joyful expression, his eyes softened. Ah, so that's what it was - this child still cherished that memory.

At this moment, Mo-chan reached out and put her hand on his shoulder. Shirou turned his eyes towards her in confusion. "What is it, Mordred?"

Although Mo-chan had yet to take her name back from Mordred, Artoria generally just called her normally, so Shirou followed suit.

"You've got something on your mouth there, Father," Mo-chan said, picking up a napkin and gently wiping the corner of his lips. Her focused expression made it seem like she was crafting a work of exquisite art rather than just wiping someone's mouth.

"Honestly, even if you're starving you need to mind your manners - that's what Father taught me. You shouldn't be forgetting your own lessons," Mo-chan said with one eye closed in a cool manner.

How should Artoria respond in this situation?

Shirou recalled how Artoria usually responded to him, then cupped his hands over his heart as his eyes softened while gazing at her. In a gentle voice, he said, "Thank you, Mordred."

"Ungh...!!"

Mo-chan's face flushed red as she hastily straightened her posture, head bowed as she mumbled, "N-No need, Father."