Why so sudden..?
Snowflakes fell from the night sky onto the peak of Enzou Mountain.
Under the darkness, a special circular void symbolizing the "Greater Holy Grail" emitted a deep blue glow, looking profound and mysterious.
With the sudden appearance of the Greater Holy Grail tonight, all the Masters were starting to stir, even preparing for an impending battle.
After all, it was obvious that someone was manipulating things behind the scenes, and the enemy was likely hiding in the shadows, waiting for the Masters to clash.
That's what most of the Masters thought.
In fact, that had been Manaka Sajyou's plan all along.
It's just even the omniscient Root Princess clearly hadn't expected Alvin to proactively head to Enzou Mountain, let alone appear before her so openly.
Wasn't he afraid she'd ambush him at a time like this?
The distance between them was too close.
If she exploited a loophole in the Greater Holy Grail's rules, she might be able to seize Saber back and make him her Servant again.
Yet, at this moment, Manaka Sajyou remained motionless, her face filled with bewilderment.
"Eh..? Eh?!" She stammered and just like that, the calm composure the Root Princess had always maintained shattered.
In fact, not just her, even Ishtar, who was nearby, from some point onward, stood like a white statue ready to crumble in the wind and snow, utterly dumbfounded.
When she had sensed Alvin approaching earlier, she had even prepared to coordinate with him from the inside..
She had deliberately used a Command Spell to replenish his magical energy, so that he could attack successfully.
But..
Now you're telling me this is attacking?
After receiving the magical energy boost, Alvin had no intention of attacking.
Instead, he pulled his former Master into his arms..
Am I.. a bit redundant right now?
'While Ishtar was still reeling in confusion, she suddenly caught the young man's glance, which carried a hint of suggestion.
He was hoping to have a little private space with Manaka.
Seeing this, Ishtar shot Alvin a fierce glare.
Did this guy not realize his current role in the Holy Grail War?
Moreover, his former Master had clearly violated the rules.
Even upholding the fairness and justice of a Ruler, she couldn't just let Manaka Sajyou off.
With this thought, Ishtar felt quite displeased as she glanced at Manaka and said coldly. "Saber's former Master, if you show any further signs of tampering with the Greater Holy Grail, I will, as Ruler, expel you from this Holy Grail War."
Clearly, this goddess had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.
Though visibly annoyed, she ultimately decided to turn a blind eye for now.
If it were Ishtar in her "Venus Goddess" state, she might not have been so lenient, but as she was currently inhabiting Rin Tohsaka's body, her personality was somewhat influenced by her host.
With a whoosh, Ishtar rode her Maanna into the night sky.
The top of the mountain was quiet, save for the howling sound of the wind and snow.
Two figures stood facing each other.
Manaka Sajyou kept her eyes lowered, barely registering what Ishtar had said as her mind was still replaying Alvin's words.
Like me..?
From the moment she first saw him, she had been certain that Alvin would one day be her knight..
She was even looking forward to their encounter in the Holy Grail War.
But—
Why so sudden?!
The word "like" was so simple, yet it carried more weight than any Command Spell could... leaving the young girl, who was in the prime of her youth, frozen in place for several seconds, unable to process it.
It wasn't until she heard footsteps circling around to stand in front of her that Manaka Sajyou snapped out of it as she instinctively looked up, her pure, crystalline face flushed with shy redness.
At this moment, her small hands fidgeted, unsure where to rest, clasping together before nervously playing with her hair to ease her emotions.
"Why did you suddenly.."
She started, her voice barely above a whisper.
But before she could say anything, Alvin spoke again. "I was summoned by you as a Servant.. Isn't it only natural to like my Master?"
Eh..?
That's why?
Hearing his words, Manaka Sajyou paused for a moment, then said.
"Is that what you meant by those words?"
After all, liking a Master and liking Manaka Sajyou.. those were two entirely different things.
So you just like me because I'm your master...was?
Thinking about it, the young girl pursed her lips, her bright eyes dimming with a hint of disappointment.
Though known as the omniscient Root Princess, a girl of her age didn't yet know how to hide her emotions.
Alvin immediately sensed the disappointment in her heart.
While he had always thought mature women like Artoria or Lily were more his type, this delicate, seemingly fragile girl who looked like she'd cry from a single punch was kind of adorable too... Alvin thought to himself.
Of course, the Root Princess's appearance was deceptively fragile.
If prepared in advance, her versatile magecraft could hold its own against a Servant without much difficulty.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on that...let's handle some business first..
For Manaka Sajyou, her goal from the start had been singular, to keep the Greater Holy Grail manifested permanently.
And her reason...couldn't be simpler..
She didn't want the bond between her and Alvin to end when the Holy Grail War concluded.
To be honest, he could only sigh at this kind of love..Just pure, so pure that even if her actions might end up bringing disaster to the world, he couldn't even bring himself to blame her, because everything she did was to be with him.
But what if, after the Holy Grail War ended, even without the Greater Holy Grail, Alvin could still remain in the present world?
After quietly gazing at Manaka Sajyou for a long time, he suddenly asked. "Manaka, how much time is left on your transmigration countdown?"
Before she could answer, he continued. "The next time you transmigrate, will it still be to Fuyuki?"
This was something he had suddenly realized not long ago.
Manaka Sajyou was in Fuyuki because her transmigration point had shifted from ancient Britain to modern Fuyuki.
So, when her transmigration countdown ended, would her next transmigration point still be Fuyuki?
Hearing his words, the latter quickly masked her disappointment and said quietly. "I'm not sure, but even if the countdown ends and I return to my original era.. I'll find a way to summon you as a Servant again."
"Actually, even without the Greater Holy Grail, I won't disappear,"
At this moment, Alvin's voice sounded in her ears again.
Hearing this, Manaka Sajyou clearly froze, instinctively looking up at the young man before her.
"What did you mean by that..?"
After the Holy Grail War ends, Servants disappear..
This is an inevitable outcome.
If it weren't so, she wouldn't have been trying to make the Greater Holy Grail exist permanently.
Soon, she let out a cold laugh.
"Do you really think I'm the kind of little girl who'd be happy just from a few sweet words, Saber?"
"When the Holy Grail War ends, you can go to a place called the Clock Tower.. I'll be waiting for you there."
In the end, Alvin decided to go all in.
To be honest, he had previously kept the Clock Tower a secret for two reasons.
On one hand, while it was a gathering place for mages, it was also home to too many old monsters..
If they noticed Manaka Sajyou's unique magic circuits, it might draw unwanted attention.
On the other hand.. in this girl's perception, Alvin had always been Britain's White Dragon.
If he suddenly revealed himself as a Clock Tower student, it would inevitably lead to too many explanations and complications.
"..The Clock Tower?"
Manaka Sajyou repeated the name with suspicion, her eyes soon filled with contemplation.
She had naturally heard of the Clock Tower, and knew that it was a place incredibly distant from Japan, a unique association of mages.
'If I recall correctly, in this Holy Grail War, Lancer's Master is from the Clock Tower.'
If Alvin wasn't lying, then there was indeed no need for her to insist on keeping Fuyuki's Greater Holy Grail in existence permanently.
With this thought, the girl instinctively looked up at the young man in front of her.
"I know you won't fully believe what I say, but I don't want to always be with you as a Servant," Alvin said, gazing sincerely at the Root Princess before he continued: "I think you misunderstood what I said earlier.. Because I'm your Servant, my feelings for my Master are limited to a Master-Servant relationship."
Alvin paused, his expression softening: "But in the future, as a student of the Clock Tower.. I hope
I can be with you always."
His words were so sincere that Manaka Sajyou couldn't help but freeze for a moment.
She instinctively looked up before their eyes met, and she quickly lowering her head again.
The pure, delicate girl was so close that he could faintly catch a subtle fragrance.
At this moment, a faint blush lingered on her fair, innocent face.
After a long silence, she said softly: "Can I really meet you at the Clock Tower?"
"I wouldn't lie to you about this,"
Alvin replied as he spoke in a low and somewhat helpless tone. "I'm sorry.. If I had known what you were thinking from the start, maybe we wouldn't have had so many complications."
Manaka Sajyou was a girl, who was too starved for love.
Although her omniscience and omnipotence granted her godlike power, but at the same time, she lacked any clear understanding of "good" or "bad."
Killing or causing trouble for others carried no moral burden for her..
That was the result of growing up without a proper sense of values.
If that was the case, then he would guide Manaka toward the right path..
Manaka Sajyou gently shook her head and said softly. "It's not your fault for not guessing what I was thinking, Saber. I didn't originally plan to enact the permanent preservation of the Greater Holy Grail so soon.."
If it hadn't been for that bullet from Kiritsugu Emiya back then, she might still be Alvin's Master, and none of these subsequent events would have happened.
"But the desire to be with you forever.. that started from the first day of the Holy Grail War."
As she spoke, she guided Alvin's hand to her cheek, looking up at him.
"..Can I trust you?"
The latter silently met Manaka Sajyou's apprehensive gaze.
He could tell that she didn't fully believe his earlier words, and even now, she still harbored doubts.
But even so, the girl ultimately chose to trust him this once.
For that trust alone, he had to take responsibility to the end..
So, Alvin smiled and said: "Of course.. After the Holy Grail War ends, I'll be waiting for you at the Clock Tower."
Seeing the shyness and joy in the girl's eyes, he added timely. "It looks like the snow will get heavy tonight.. Let me take you inside to rest for a bit."
Perhaps due to the Holy Grail War, or maybe because Fuyuki's three founding families had cleared the area beforehand, Ryudou Temple was completely empty tonight.
Manaka Sajyou followed Alvin into Ryudou Temple, taking shelter from the wind and snow under the eaves.
Sitting on the veranda, she lazily propped herself up with both hands behind her.
The heavy snowfall had caused her ornate dress to cling tightly to her body, her chest slightly raised, accentuating the budding charm of her youthful figure.
Her clear, azure eyes were pure and translucent, free of any impurities. They lacked the soft allure of a mature woman but carried the innocent liveliness of a young girl.
Due to the snow tonight, her dress and even her socks were slightly damp, revealing a pair of delicate short boots under her half-length skirt.
They swayed gently.
"My whole body's soaked. Help me take off my shoes," Manaka Sajyou suddenly said.
Alvin, who had been staring at the "Greater Holy Grail" in the sky while thinking about his next steps, snapped back to reality at the girl's words.
"Can't you do that yourself?" He said, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness.
Still, he walked over to Manaka Sajyou, crouched down, and gently grasped one of her legs.
From this angle, he could faintly see the girl looking down at him, one hand resting on her fair chin, her azure eyes gleaming with a hint of amusement.
A subtle fragrance seemed to linger in the air.
Amid his scattered thoughts, Alvin held her short boot, applying a bit of force, and the boot slipped off.
But just as he was about to stand up, he heard the girl say again.
"And the socks?"
"..."
Me, the mighty White Dragon of Britain.. doing this for a girl?
He thought as much, but since he'd already gone this far, Alvin figured he might as well finish the job.
After removing her white short socks, Manaka Sajyou's delicate, fair feet were finally free to stretch.
"Finally feels better.. I was so uncomfortable with everything all wet." After happily stretching her body, she lowered her head, curiously looking at the young man for a moment.
Then, tilting her head, Manaka Sajyou asked with a puzzled tone.
"Why are you still crouching there? Don't tell me you want to lick them?"
As her words fell, a peculiar CG appeared in his vision.
[You are currently unlocking a special CG achievement with the Root Princess. The following choices will lead to different special CG images.]
[Yes / No]