C411

Sunday, July 20, 2003.

Illya's birthday party was held at the beach.

When Shirou brought the others over, there were already quite a few people present.

Illya's birthday party wasn't actually grand. Besides acquaintances, only a few of Illya's close friends attended.

A group of girls gathered together, chatting away, discussing daily life, having fun, and enjoying their youth.

However, what surprised him was that this piece of land had been bought by Luvia in the name of Edelfelt.

It was somewhat regrettable. Before going to London, he had inspected this piece of land. It had development potential, and he had originally considered investing in it. However, due to various circumstances, he was delayed and even forgot about it.

As he thought about it more, his original dream seemed pretty simple: get rich and settle down with a nice girl. So, how did he end up straying so far from that path?

Everyone gathered under a rented beach canopy, taking turns to wish Illya and the other two birthday stars well.

Irisviel's present was a no-brainer — a peck on the cheek for each birthday girl. Simple, thoughtful, and economical, yet perfect in its own right.

It was only Miyu who was a bit flustered by all of this.

Illya's school friends were experts in stirring up trouble. Each of them gave a two-piece bikini swimsuit as a gift and then gave Illya and the other two a mischievous grin. Yet, their grand plan was cut short when Chloe chased them for half a block.

Once all the gifts were opened, the present from Rin, Luvia, and Shirou seemed the most normal.

Sakura's gift doesn't need much explaining. But the present that truly spoke volumes was Gray's. A set of seventy-seven origami cranes, a true testament to her character. Gray and Artoria spent a whole day and night folding these little masterpieces. Despite the time limit, the craftsmanship was exceptionally exquisite.

They were seriously talented at this.

Shirou wasn't too shocked by Gray's skills, but when did Artoria, the rough warrior skilled in horseback riding and swordplay, pick up this artistic ability? That totally took him by surprise.

And...

"Thanks for the origami cranes, Gray. But why seventy-seven?" Illya asked curiously.

Chloe chimed in, "Oh, Illya, you silly! There's a special meaning behind it!"

Illya cocked her head, intrigued. "Well, spill the beans then. What's the special meaning?"

Miyu added, "Seven's seen as a lucky number."

Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, she went on, "Seven holds immense significance in Western culture. It symbolizes..."

"That's enough, seriously, we get it, Miyu-sensei!" Illya and Chloe jumped in, swift to stop her explanation. After hanging out with Miyu for a while, they'd come to realize the sheer scope of her knowledge.

Furthermore, when Miyu began explaining something, she tended to delve into esoteric knowledge that consumed a significant amount of time and wasn't the easiest to understand. As a result, they quickly cut her off.

At this moment, Artoria pulled out four notebooks, "Check these out, they're for you."

Chloe asked curiously, "Why notebooks?"

She said seriously, "These are your personal notebooks. Whenever you come across wisdom that needs recording, you can jot it down anytime to use for reviewing!"

Chloe's lips twitched, "So, basically class notes?"

"What's with the fourth one?" Illya asked curiously,

"That's for Gray."

"Huh?" Gray was taken aback, pointing to herself and asking, "For me?" 

"Isn't today also a celebration of your team? Of course, you deserve a gift too."

Gray accepted the notebook with a smile. Clasping it tightly, she experienced the happiness of receiving a gift for the very first time.

"What about onii-chan?" Chloe's eyes sparkled as she turned her gaze toward him.

Illya and Miyu, equally expectant, had matching expressions.

He brought out four heart-shaped necklaces, "Each of you gets one."

The necklaces were met with joy by Illya and the others. However, Gray's reaction was slightly flustered; she found herself receiving yet another gift.

He added, "You four are a team, and unity is your strength."

Irisviel playfully quipped, "A true bore can't resist giving a lecture, even at times like these."

Shirou: "..."

"I'm here too, I'm here!" Arcueid ran over with a bright smile.

A shadow fell across Artoria's face, and she turned to walk away.

Gray's voice followed, "Your Highness, where are you going?"

With a slight grimace, she replied, "My stomach is acting up, I'm going to the restroom."

Arcueid beamed as she presented three storybooks, proclaiming with pride, "Here's my gift to you! Legendary novels I self-published. Only four copies exist in the entire world!"

Illya's eyes fell on the book's title, and she read it aloud, "Eternal King Can't Possibly Be a True Ancestor Girl?"

As all eyes shifted to Arcueid, a shadow crossed Shirou's face.

"Eternal King, isn't that..." Chloe looked at him, then opened the book and read a few lines, only to blush and close the book hastily.

Illya reached out and casually flipped through the book. Chloe's voice quickly interjected, "Hold on, Illya, you can't read that. It's super weird!"

She raised an eyebrow, a hint of curiosity in her expression. "Come on, Chloe, it's just a book. Let me see... The legendary vampire hunter, Arcueid, first member of the Cult of Zaun, ends up binding the True Ancestor Eternal King and turning her into some kind of slave. She then subjects her to training in the underground chamber, starting with using her mouth..." After reading a couple of paragraphs, she abruptly shut the book, her cheeks turning a shade redder, her eyes slightly dazed.

Chloe glared at her, "Arcueid, how could you give us something like this?"

"But, how were you able to understand it?" Arcueid asked with confusion.

"Well..."

Chloe and Illya didn't know how to respond. Indeed, how did they understand it? It was a tricky question to answer.

"Forget about that," Shirou's expression turned grim. He gripped Arcueid's hair, his frustration on the verge of boiling over. His tone turned icy as he uttered, "You actually went ahead and wrote this!"

"It's an interesting concept, why not write about it?" Arcueid's confusion lingered in her words.

His face darkened even more. He clenched his hand around her hair, giving it a slight tug upwards—

"Ouch, ouch, ouch! Let go, Let go, Shirou!" Her yelp of pain echoed in the air.

He asked, "Do you realize your mistake?" 

"Born for art, die for art! That's the creed of a light novel author!" she said with conviction.

His expression sank even deeper.

The place was filled with noise and commotion. Meanwhile, Miyu squatted quietly on the side, reading "Eternal King Can't Possibly Be a True Ancestor Girl." She had an elegant and serene demeanor, much like that of a graceful young lady. Beside her, Sakura crouched, also reading the book and saying, "Turn to the next page."

Gray held the notebook in one hand and the heart-shaped necklace in the other.

Although only two people thought of giving her a gift, for the first time in fifteen years, she received a gift, of pure blessings from others!

The joy surging in her chest... Was this the happiness of being blessed by others? A faint smile appeared on Gray's lovely face.

Ritsuka stood beside a rocky outcrop near the shoreline. She cast her gaze left and right, stealing occasional glances at her brother, now playing the role of the nefarious villain boss. Observing that their focus was elsewhere, a fleeting sense of relief washed over her. She lightly patted her chest and let out a relieved exhale before enthusiastically calling out, "Awaken, Kross, the Blazing Black Devil Envoy!"

In an instant, a shadowy form materialized beside her. As the dark figure took shape, a grin tugged at the corners of her lips. She then discreetly stole a glance towards Shirou and realized that his attention was not focused on her.

Kross was the name she had given to the devil envoy that had somehow become attached to her. Probably around yesterday, while she was at the supermarket buying ice cream, a big guy tried to bully her and steal her money to play video games. However, this devil envoy suddenly appeared and taught him a good lesson.

She spent a day and night with this devil envoy and realized it was bound to her, protecting her, but with an incredibly aloof attitude. When she asked questions, it wouldn't respond.

But that was okay. In a way, since Ruby was gone, she had found another good friend!

Worries about her brother potentially sealing this newfound friend nagged at the back of her mind, prompting her to act nonchalant in a bid to stay under the radar.

However, there was something she had entirely slipped her mind about - the gift-giving for Illya and the others on their birthdays!

This situation demanded a solution, and quickly!

"Kross, let's go! Turn this ordinary rock into a 'Happy Birthday' gemstone!" she commanded.

In response, the devil envoy raised its hand and executed a swift chop.

"Ouch!" she yelped, rubbing her head with tears welling up in her eyes. Gazing at the devil envoy with a mix of shock and disbelief, "Why? What's the deal, Kross?"

The devil envoy remained silent and then returned into her body.

"Why? Uwaa!" she burst into tears.

Wasn't this obvious? After all, this so-called devil was actually a stand that Shirou had created. How could he not know that she intended to use the stand for this kind of thing?

Meanwhile, Arcueid asked curiously, "Where's Artoria? Why haven't I seen her?"

With a knowing smile, Irisviel gestured toward a nearby changing room, remarking, "She's in there!"

Without hesitation, she dashed toward the changing room and, after some rustling and shuffling, emerged with a rather pouty Artoria in tow.

"Let go of me, Arcueid!" she protested, her hand against Arcueid's face in an attempt to create some distance.

"No way! We're best friends, and you're the one I like the most!" she beamed, her hold growing firmer.

"This is crossing the line! I'm not one to be trifled with!"

She clenched her teeth, then with a defiant motion, she plucked one of her ahoge hair strands, flinging it down in a mix of frustration and embarrassment. She stated firmly, "This right here? It symbolizes my resolve..."

But before she could even complete her sentence, Arcueid lunged, causing her to crash to the ground in a tackle.

"Arcueid, seriously, release me... I'm begging with you, this is getting uncomfortable!"

On the sidelines, Irisviel found herself chuckling softly, her hand propping up her face as she delighted in the sight of Arcueid treating Artoria like a giant plush toy. "Oh my, oh my, the friendship between Arcueid and Saber is truly something to envy. It's simply heartwarming."

Driven by an innate sense of self-preservation, Chloe and Illya couldn't help but instinctively put a bit of distance between themselves and Irisviel.

Settling down beside Irisviel, Shirou asked, "Did Kiritsugu not make it?"

"Kiritsugu? He's off doing some errands."

"What sort of errands?"

"I'm not sure," she replied, shaking her head, "He just mentioned it's nothing major, so no need to worry."

He nodded in understanding.

Meanwhile, Gil made his grand entrance, steering the impressive golden boat at breakneck speed.

The dazzling Uruk No. 1 brought a spark to Rin's eyes, and everyone gathered around the massive machine, marveling at the Gundam.

Passing a set of plan documents to Gil, Shirou remarked, "Take a look at these. They outline the invasion strategies I've devised after careful consideration."

Gil checked it out and couldn't help but let surprise cross his face. He remarked, "You're even up to date on what's going on in that parallel world's Fuyuki City? You even know about Darius' and Angelica's situation down to the last detail, including their personalities... Last time I checked, your eyes weren't supposed to see into the truths of parallel worlds. And that goddess and Miyu? They shouldn't have access to such detailed information."

Shirou shrugged, "No need to worry about it. I've got my own sources of information."

"Hah, the classic outsider," Gil chuckled and added, "Once again, I'm witnessing your uniqueness, Shirou."

"Alright, enough about that. Let's talk invasion strategies – any thoughts? Take a look and let me know if you've got anything to add."

Gil let out a sigh, "You really know how to put me on the spot. Seventeen strategies, all built on understanding the enemy's intelligence and temperament, focusing on their characteristics. And the boss floor in every single one of these scenarios comes from Pandora's Box. You've taken into account every angle, even the fallout if these strategies hit a dead end. Honestly, considering the intelligence we currently have, there's hardly anything more I can add."

"But—" Gil's tone shifted.

"But what?"

Gil looked somewhat uneasy, "These plans you've come up with actually make me feel quite insecure."

"What kind of nonsense are you spouting?"

"Because the plans you've come up with have never succeeded."

 "Even you, the King of Heroes, believe in such superstition? The world is alive, and people are alive; everything is in a state of constant motion and change. All we can do is give it our all."

After a pause, he continued, "Furthermore, I've even considered the possibility of the plans failing this time. Could there really be any problems?"

Gil nodded slowly, "Guess you've got a point..."

He scratched the back of his head, a sense of unease tugging at him. Yet, looking at Shirou's confident expression, he found himself warming up to the idea.

Come to think of it, this was, after all, the Eternal King's plan, devised with the insights of his Noble Phantasm. He'd even factored in the chance of the plan going south. It was a seriously thorough invasion strategy. What reason was there not to have faith in it?

With this in mind, Gil smiled.