In Type-Moon, it all starts with adopting Sakura.

A blonde woman in a sharp black suit, arm in arm with a beautiful woman whose purity seemed inhuman, asked a question.

"Mmm...it feels amazing, Saber."

"This is the first time I've ever been outside my family's castle. There are all sorts of things outside that I've never seen before. I'm so happy!"

Irisviel Einzbern tiptoed around Artoria and twirled happily, a cheerful smile spreading across her face.

This was also the first time she had ever seen a city outside, having never left that snow-covered castle. Everything in the outside world was so new and exciting to her. As innocent and pure as a blank sheet of paper, she experienced true freedom in this unfamiliar city, and her most genuine smile appeared on her face.

“Irisviel…”

Looking at that flawless and beautiful smile, Artoria, who was following behind, was somewhat lost in thought.

That pure and innocent smile touched her deeply, and she couldn't help but think of her past self.

Was the original Artoria as beautiful and pure as Irisviel...?

However, the naive Irisviel was clearly unaware of just how attractive her appearance was to ordinary people.

Her light steps and her smile, enough to melt away the winter snow, constantly attracted the attention of passersby, causing them to stop and watch.

Moreover, her bodyguard, Saber, a sword spirit, possesses a beauty that is no less striking than hers.

On this street covered in winter snow, two beautiful flowers bloomed in the pure white world, each revealing a happy smile.

At this very moment, Emiya Kiritsugu, Saber's true Master, had already arrived in the city.

However, in order to conceal his whereabouts and facilitate his special operations in the Holy Grail War, Kiritsugu Emiya did not choose to travel with Artoria. Instead, he had his wife, Irisviel, stand in the open to provide cover.

There was still some time before the Holy Grail War began, so he sent Saber out with Irisviel while he went into hiding to gather information about the Servants from other groups.

Although Artoria strongly opposed Kiritsugu Emiya's actions of putting Irisviel in danger, she also did not support her going out on adventures.

Even the most meticulous swordsman will soften his heart and choose to accompany the beautiful princess on her outings when she makes a request.

"Don't be so worried, Saber. Anyway, Kiritsugu has allowed us to move around freely... So Saber, let's go and try some food that we've never tasted before."

Sensing Artoria's tension and seriousness, Irisviel, who rarely comes out, suggested they go get some food together to cheer her up.

"That shop looks like..."

After saying that, Irisviel pointed to a Japanese restaurant on the street and was about to make a suggestion when a clear, cold female voice suddenly came from beside her.

"If you're looking for something decent to eat, it's best to avoid that awful restaurant; the food in this country is really not that great. If you want my recommendation, walk all the way to the end of this street, there's a pretty good restaurant called Enma-kan."

A cold voice rang in her ears, causing Saber, who was already on guard, to widen her eyes. She turned around abruptly, staring at the person who had just spoken with a wary look.

The person standing in front of her simply smiled slightly.

A well-tailored brown and black trench coat perfectly accentuated her tall and slender figure. With her purple hair, burgundy eyes, long trousers, white sweater, and black handbag, a chic woman exuding a unique charm appeared behind them. Beside her stood a red-haired woman, a cigarette dangling from her lips, her face showing a mixture of confusion and surprise.

When she saw Artoria and Irisviel appear on the street like this, a hint of shock appeared in her eyes.

The reason for Saber's alertness is the same...

As they drew nearer, they both sensed the powerful magic emanating from each other, a magic that was unlike any other magician's, and an aura that seemed out of place in this era.

If this were anywhere else, Aozaki Touko might think she was seeing things...

But where is this?

Fuyuki City, the location of the Holy Grail War.

In other words... it's not just this ancestor beside me, but also other magicians and Servants who would come and stroll around the streets in broad daylight?

That's really surprising...

However, despite her surprise, Aozaki Touko immediately became wary upon seeing these two strange master and servant, especially the blonde girl beside her who exuded powerful magic.

Before arriving, she had already quietly taken off her glasses, switched personalities, and prepared to enter the battle at any time.

Scáthach, standing beside him, showed no particular reaction to this, whether facing the wary Artoria or the tense Aozaki Touko.

"There's no need to be so wary."

She directly pointed out what they were thinking, and then smiled calmly.

"Although it's during the Holy Grail War, it's daytime now. People from the past shouldn't disturb the peace of the present, so we can't just take action in the street, right?"

"And don't look at me with those suspicious eyes. I'm not following you. On the contrary, it's obviously you who are the ones swaggering around on the street at a time like this."

Scáthach said calmly, she wouldn't do anything in front of the two people she had just met, nor would she bother to hide anything.

Chapter Twenty-Four: Deception, Sneak Attack!

“Saber, we…”

On the streets of Fuyuki City, Irisviel, sensing that something was amiss, took a few steps back, hiding behind Artoria, her expression becoming somewhat tense.

As a special android, she is highly sensitive to magic and is far more familiar with the aura of Heroic Spirits than ordinary magicians.

Therefore, she certainly knew what made Saber so wary...

The purple-haired woman in the stylish trench coat who appeared before him exuded a terrifying aura and magical power. It was a terrifying aura that was completely different from that of modern magicians, originating from a distant divine era. Just by looking at her for the first time, one could not help but feel a chill run down one's spine.

Although the aura emanating from the other party was not as overbearing as that of the Sword Spirit Saber, it was as deep as an abyss in Irisviel's perception, and the level of danger it posed to her could even be said to far exceed that of Saber beside her.

Although Irisviel is naive and somewhat innocent, she is not stupid. On the contrary, she is able to judge her situation and recognize her own position.

Kiritsugu had repeatedly warned her to be careful before taking action.

This is no ordinary city outside. From the moment the Holy Grail War began, Fuyuki City has become a battlefield for heroes from mythology.

"This is really a headache. They didn't listen to anything I said at all..."

Looking at Artoria and Irisviel, who were both wary and distrustful, Scáthach sighed helplessly.

Even though what I just said was all correct, it still had no effect.

However, this is understandable, since the Holy Grail War is cruel and cunning. Being in such an environment, the two of them would be on high alert for their own safety.

only……

Seeing Saber slightly adjusting her magic power and preparing to attack at any moment, Scáthach couldn't help but chuckle.

A decent starting stance, excellent fighting spirit, and that pure magic...

Undoubtedly, the opponent is a powerful and battle-hardened warrior. Therefore, their class must be one of the three upper classes. If she were a Lancer, she wouldn't be so oblivious; if she were an Archer, her starting stance wouldn't match. So the answer is obvious.

The Heroic Spirit of the Sword—Saber.

That's quite a good class, and her battle aura is no less impressive than that of her apprentices. Even in Celtic mythology, she would be considered a top-tier hero.

Although she doesn't know her real name yet, Scáthach has developed quite an interest in her through careful observation.

Who would have thought that I would encounter such an outstanding soldier just by going out for a stroll?

This Holy Grail War seems to be more interesting than she imagined. Being stared at by Saber with such a battle-ready gaze, she inexplicably felt an itch to fight.

only……

Because four stunningly beautiful women with completely different styles, hair colors, and clothing had gathered together on the street, they had already created a beautiful scene on the streets of Fuyuki City, attracting passersby to stop and gaze at them with curiosity.

"They're so beautiful..."

Someone gazed at Scáthach and the others and sighed.

"Purple, gold, white, and red hair—are they foreigners?"

"It must be a big star from somewhere..."

"Can I go up and ask for a photo or their contact information?"

"Don't even think about it. Why would a big star like that bother with ordinary people like us?"

"But... what if we actually manage to get it?"

Passersby began to whisper among themselves, and some even took out their phones to take pictures of the four extremely rare beauties and then shared them online.

Even though these people were speaking very softly, Scáthach and Artoria heard everything they said thanks to the Servants' powerful hearing.

"Yeah, you see? So many people are watching us. If a fight breaks out, it'll be a real problem."

"Although I'm not afraid of trouble, my Master said that if I cause trouble for him outside, he'll deduct my allowance, so I'd better not."

Scáthach waved her hand, indicating that she had no intention of fighting here.

Surrounded by so many eyes, Artoria naturally wouldn't be so reckless as to summon her weapon and start a fight. After confirming that Scáthach really had no intention of fighting, she slowly released her hands and nodded slightly to her.

When Aozaki Touko saw that Scáthach had no intention of starting a war, she didn't say much, only letting out a disappointed "tsk." She had thought she would be able to witness a powerful battle between the Queen of the Land of Shadows and other mythical heroes.

Therefore, she was even prepared to unleash her full power and seize the seemingly frail white-haired woman with swift and decisive action once Scáthach had entangled the blonde girl in front of her.

It's important to understand that Master and Servant are essentially a unified partnership; only through perfect harmony and cooperation can they unleash their full power. If she could capture the opposing Master, the Servant's strength would be significantly weakened. Then, if she captured this white-haired woman and handed her over to Loewy, she could surely obtain quite a few valuable items in return, right?

and……

Although others might not notice, it couldn't escape her eyes.

As a Grand Puppeteer specializing in puppet magic, she has an extremely keen sense for puppets and homunculus, especially for the homunculus from the Einzbern family that she recently defeated.

Having personally dismantled so many Einzbern homunculi, how could she possibly fail to recognize Irisviel's origins? Putting aside her signature white hair, the incredibly familiar aura alone made it impossible for her to mistake her.

She couldn't defeat the heroes of the distant Age of Gods, but if it came to dealing with a mere homunculus, Aozaki Touko was 100% confident she could take it down. Unfortunately, Scáthach didn't have that idea.

Understanding Scáthach's meaning, Aozaki Touko didn't say much. She simply raised her hand and cast a hint magic spell to disperse the growing crowd of onlookers.

"...May I ask how I should address you?"

After Aozaki Touko dispersed the crowd, Artoria breathed a sigh of relief. Then, after a moment of silence, she looked at the two people in front of her, unsure of where to begin. So, she could only start with the simplest yet impossible question: asking their names.

"You're asking for my real name right off the bat? You're really decisive..."

"However, let's forget about revealing our real names; we'll find out eventually anyway. I'm just using the excuse of investigating the environment to wander around, though I don't really plan to do anything serious. But seeing you all here is still quite an achievement—the blond-haired Heroic Spirit, and the white-haired one..."

Scáthach's gaze swept briefly over Artoria, but quickly settled on Irisviel.

"Homunculi? Hmm... It's somewhat surprising that such a miracle, comparable to the creations of the Age of Gods, could appear in this era. However, considering that people in this era can even come up with something like the Holy Grail War, it's not so strange."

Scáthach smiled slightly, pleased that she had seen through Irisviel's true nature in such a short time.

After all, such a haul was made in just a short shopping trip, so his Master probably won't say anything when he gets back.

She could also take the opportunity to ask Lo Wei for more modern money to buy some interesting things from this era. Recently, she had her eye on a nice item, but she didn't have enough money in her pocket.

"..."