The Aftermath (I)

"Mother, we're back."

Jack cautiously pushed open a weathered wooden door, her smile and cautious demeanor resembling a mischievous child sneaking out to play in the middle of the night, completely different from the decisiveness and fierceness she displayed on the battlefield.

"Welcome home, Jack. I've prepared some late-night snacks—your favorite hamburger steak."

Rikudou Reika, wearing an apron, emerged from the kitchen, carrying a hamburger steak still steaming with warmth, and gently waved at Jack.

"Come and eat."

"Sure, Mother!" Jack shouted joyfully and rushed into the house.

"How was it, Jack? Tonight's harvest?"

Reika placed the hamburger steak on the table, took off her apron, and looked at Jack with a face full of tender love.

"Meh, not much of a haul. We fell for a trick; that mage is a Master and we can't beat his Servant."

Jack poked at the hamburger steak on her plate with a knife, expressing her frustration.

"On top of that, another powerful Servant suddenly intervened and bound me with some chains."

"Is that so?" Reika frowned slightly. "Any injuries, Jack?"

"Just a close call. He almost caught us, but he got so caught up in his intense fight with other Servants that he forgot about us, so we managed to escape."

Jack picked up a piece of hamburger steak and mumbled with her mouth full.

"But that Servant is really strong. If we encounter him again, we might not be able to run away."

"Sorry, Jack, it's all because of me..." Reika looked guilty.

After all, she was just an ordinary person, unable to sustain Jack's magical energy needs. If not for that, Jack wouldn't have to take such risks hunting outside.

"Don't say that, Mother. You're our favorite mother, and we love you the most."

Jack, like a little cat, nuzzled into Reika's arms with an affectionate expression.

Reika gently stroked Jack's slightly disheveled white hair, her eyes filled with overflowing affection and tenderness. She had lost everything, now just a walking corpse in the mortal world, and this child was the only thing worth caring about.

That was why, no matter the cost, she had to fulfill this child's wishes.

"By the way, Mother, there's something else..." Jack's small face turned serious. "This place is no longer safe; those guys have already discovered our trail."

Upon hearing her words, Reika didn't appear too alarmed. The experiences of this period had already tempered her willpower enough. 

"So, Jack, where do you think we should go next?" Reika asked softly while caressing Jack's little head.

Jack pondered for a moment before answering.

"Let's go to Trifas. We can feel there's a lot of decent food there."

"But aren't there many beings similar to Jack over there? Is it safe?" Reika looked a bit worried.

"Don't worry, Mother. As long as we're careful, it'll be fine. Besides, we're pretty strong." Jack proudly lifted her little head.

"Alright, Mother believes in you. Once you finish your hamburger steak, devour the last heart tonight, and we set off for Trifas tomorrow morning." Reika nodded, grabbing a heart from a nearby plate. "Rest assured, Jack. Mother will undoubtedly fulfill your wish."

"Yes, Mother is the best!" 

If it weren't for the heart in Reika's hand, this would have been such a warm and harmonious scene of motherly love and filial piety.

===

*PENG!*

Kairi skillfully used his shotgun's butt to shatter a car's window, then reached in and pulled open the door.

"Hey, Master, why are you so skillful in this kind of thing?"

Mordred, who had shed her armor and was back in the red jacket and fringed hot pants, tilted her head.

"Well, these things aren't important."

Kairi casually smoked while skillfully connecting wires to start the car. The whole process took less than a minute, showcasing the skills of a seasoned pro.

"Are you really not worried about missing the Holy Grail War due to getting caught by the cops?" Mordred raised an eyebrow.

"No worries, I've been to the police station before. I know how to slip away." Kairi proudly gave her a thumbs up. "Trust me, Saber, your Master is a reliable man."

"Reliable my ass! This isn't something to boast about, right?" Mordred retorted.

"What can we do? We can't just walk on foot to Trifas. It's a dangerous place, my knightly friend..."

Kairi sighed, but in the next moment, a sudden revelation hit him, and excitement quickly lit up his face.

"Wait a sec, Saber. Since you're also a Knight of the Round Table, do you have a mount like Rider? If so, you should have told me earlier. I wouldn't have risked stealing a car."

Hearing that, Mordred's mouth twitched slightly.

"Did something hit your head just now, Master? I've told you, that guy is King Arthur from another world, and we have no connection whatsoever. Stop associating me with him, you hear me!"

"But..." Kairi tilted his head. "You seem pretty interested in him, Saber?"

"Th-That—Isn't it normal?! He's King Arthur, and I'm Mordred, the Knight of Treachery! Is there a problem with me being interested?!"

Seeing her threatening expression, Kairi wisely chose to stay silent.

Mordred took a deep breath and began to calm down.

"Alright, let's go, Master. We're heading to Trifas."

"That's the Black Faction's turf, and the final battle will probably take place there, so..." Kairi cautiously warned. "Are you sure you want to go, Saber?"

What he really wanted to say was—if you go there, you'll definitely encounter Rider of Black again.

"What the heck are you talking about, Master? Our goal is the Holy Grail; obviously, we have to participate in the war." Mordred rolled her eyes. "Besides, we've already fallen out with the Red Faction. Staying here is too dangerous, I don't need to explain that, right?"

"Fair enough." Kairi nodded. "Alright, let's go."

He was about to get into the driver's seat when Mordred suddenly jumped from the side and hopped in first.

"Oy, what are you doing?" Kairi raised an eyebrow. "You don't have a driver's license."

"Huh? Driver's license? Who the fuck needs that? I have riding skills." Mordred proudly patted her chest. "Unless it's a phantasmal species, there's no ride I, Mordred, can't handle, even if I've never driven this car before, y'know!"

Kairi couldn't help but feel doubtful even if she confidently claimed like that.

"What are you still standing there for, Master? Get your ass here and get in the car already!"

Kairi sighed, walked around the car, and settled into the passenger seat. For safety's sake, he had already buckled his seatbelt.

"Before we start, let me remind you—the left is the brake, and the right is the accelerator. Don't forget—"

As he intended to give a reminder, his sentence stopped halfway as Mordred, full of excitement, slammed her foot on the accelerator, and the car shot out like an untamed wild horse.

"Let's go!"

"Holy shit—! Slow down, Saber! You haven't even buckled your seatbelt!" Kairi, frantically grabbing the edge of his seat, anxiously watched the rapidly jumping speedometer. "We're inside the city for fuck's sake!"

"Meh, this seatbelt thing is just useless!"

Mordred grinned, gripping the steering wheel tightly. Crimson thunder quickly erupted and swiftly covered the surface of the car, causing the car's speed to skyrocket once again.

"Damn! This is way more fun than riding a horse! Let's go! Woohoo—!!!"

'Are you fucking kidding me?! This brat actually used magical energy to enhance the car!'

Kairi thought in fear inside his mind before yelling with all his might.

"WHY AM I SO UNLUCKYYYYYY—?!"