Fate/Britain Lostbelt : Hero of Justice

The Moss creatures let out a chorus of shrill, piercing screeches—and began to grow.

In complete defiance of the laws of physical matter, they swelled in an instant from roughly human height to towering giants nearly three meters tall.

As their bodies expanded, the magical energy within them surged as well. The black-violet sludge that composed their forms began to radiate an overwhelming curse, saturated with malevolence. At this point, even fae resistant to curses would be corrupted by mere contact—and humans with resistance wouldn't fare much better.

"These things—!"

What had seemed like a smooth breakthrough was now blocked completely. The enlarged Moss moved with unnatural agility, positioning their massive bodies to cut off every avenue of escape. Even when Shirou attempted to change direction, the Moss shifted rapidly to intercept.

Their method of attack, too, had evolved.

"Gh…!"

Shirou barely deflected a melee blow from one of the giant Moss with his holy lance, using it as a shield.

—The creature's form was almost amorphous, like a shape-shifting slime. It surged toward him, morphing into thick arms and five-pronged claws that crashed down in a wild barrage.

If Shirou hadn't inherited the battle instincts of the Lance-wielding King, he would've been turned into paste then and there. His reflexive counteraction—redirecting the blow with precision—was something he couldn't have done on his own.

And the assault didn't stop there.

While one Moss went for close-range strikes, another transformed itself into a monstrous eyeball—an ominous "demonic eye" that sprouted hardened tentacles around it and launched them like projectiles with terrifying speed.

Fortunately, Morgan summoned a volley of light projectiles just in time, annihilating the incoming tendrils before they could pierce through either of them.

But there were simply too many of them.

No matter how well Shirou and Morgan held their ground, their stamina was not limitless. As time passed and their strength waned, they would inevitably be overwhelmed by the horde.

"These enhanced Moss—larger in size, more potent in curses and venom… Shirou, we need to change our strategy."

Morgan understood that even fighting one of these evolved Moss individually would be difficult. Let alone twenty of them.

"What's your plan?"

Shirou stopped his charge and turned to her.

His instincts told him that if they didn't break the encirclement now, their end would be inevitable. He was already preparing to unleash the full power of the holy lance.

"…Ever since I drifted to Orkney, I discovered a magecraft—one that only Paradise Fairies can use."

"It summons the Bell of the Sea of Stars, enhances the warrior's body, purifies all filth, and manifests a barrier of correction."

"My magical energy is insufficient. Using it will immediately leave me drained. From that point on, I'll be counting on you, Shirou. I'm entrusting my life to you."

Morgan declared her trump card. The magecraft in question was unique to her race. Under normal conditions, she would never dare use it with her limited magical reserves. But now—now she had a foreign magus she could trust with her life.

Morgan had chosen emotion over logic.

"I'll protect you. No matter what," Shirou answered without hesitation.

He would shield Morgan behind him, even if it meant laying down his own life.

"Mn."

Morgan smiled, then raised her staff high into the sky.

"—This is the Star of Premonition, Herald of the Inevitable."

She chanted the incantation etched into her soul since birth.

From where she stood, magical energy exploded like a typhoon, billowing out in every direction.

The giant Moss sensed the threat immediately. All of them turned their attacks toward Morgan.

"Over my dead body!"

Shirou roared, twirling his holy lance at such speed it became a blur, intercepting every attack aimed at Morgan.

But in doing so, he left himself exposed. He couldn't block everything.

Toxic sludge from the Moss struck his abdomen, legs, right arm, and cheek—filling his body with agonizing curses.

"Tch…!"

He gritted his teeth, his body wracked with pain, yet refused to collapse.

"—Sanctuary of Hope, Vestige of Paradise."

Morgan chanted the next line.

In the blink of an eye, the barren earth around them was replaced by a field of radiant flowers—a hidden garden untouched by calamity.

"ROAAAR!"

Driven to madness by the sudden transformation, the giant Moss launched a frenzy of attacks.

Shirou fought back with everything he had. More wounds opened. The venom threatened to overflow into his mind and spirit.

Keep fighting!

He couldn't fall now.

Fueled by nothing but his sheer will, he endured—prepared to give his life if necessary.

"—Even without being summoned, you will cradle the stars."

Morgan could feel Shirou's torment. She clenched her jaw, swallowed her fury, and continued the spell—one of calm and serenity.

Petals danced across the air like drifting snow, and every curse, every malediction launched by the Moss was stripped layer by layer by their gentle caress.

"—For whom does fate exist?"

The final incantation rang out.

Morgan's staff pulsed, and the field of flowers shattered like glass, its essence flowing into both Morgan and Shirou, forming countless shining barriers within them.

This was called—

"—Around Caliburn."

Just as Morgan had promised, once the spell completed, the searing pain within Shirou's body vanished. The curse was exorcised entirely.

Though his physical wounds remained, the debilitating effects were gone. His combat effectiveness had largely recovered.

As for the Moss, their monstrous forms now writhed sluggishly. Morgan's magecraft had inflicted considerable damage—enough to cripple their movements and attacks.

Shirou instinctively readied his holy lance to finish them off— But the sound of a faint, exhausted whimper behind him made him pause.

He turned.

Morgan's face was pale. She was completely drained, her limbs trembling, and seconds from collapsing.

Shirou immediately caught her, wrapping his left arm around her slender waist to keep her upright.

"Thank you, Aesc."

He whispered his gratitude, then took off running, carrying her with him.

Earlier in their journey, it had been Morgan pulling Shirou forward.

Now, it was his turn to carry her toward safety.

…..

Thanks to the long-lasting reinforcement magecraft cast by Morgan, Shirou's physical parameters—strength, endurance, agility—were elevated to superhuman levels. Carrying Morgan in his arms, he moved with incredible speed.

In less than a minute, Shirou had broken through the encirclement of the Moss and didn't stop running until the giant blackened beasts were completely out of sight.

"Haa… haa… haa…"

Breathing heavily, Shirou gently set down the feverish golden-haired girl against the base of a tree. Only then did he allow himself a moment to breathe.

The earlier battle had exhausted both of them, but Shirou—thanks to the reinforcement—still retained around 40–50% of his fighting capacity. The worst off, however, was Morgan herself.

Just as she had warned, after invoking that unique magecraft, her mana reserves had been completely depleted.

No—"depleted" was too mild. Her flushed face, damp skin, and the sweat running down her brow were signs of acute mana exhaustion. She hadn't merely emptied her reserves—she had overdrawn them. That level of backlash was far more severe than expected.

Her skin was burning hot, her body trembling uncontrollably, her clothing soaked and clinging to her, and her consciousness nearly lost to the haze of fever.

"…Idiot."

Frustration surged in Shirou's heart—not at her, but at himself. He cursed under his breath.

He had let her suffer for his sake. Letting a girl collapse in pain just to protect him? That was something Emiya Shirou could never accept.

"…Ah, Shirou."

Even in her half-conscious state, Morgan could still speak, though only in fragmented sentences.

"If that magecraft… had such a cost… you should have told me sooner. I could've done something else… but for now… let's rest. There shouldn't be any Moss nearby."

He wanted to scold her, but looking at her weakened expression, his words naturally softened.

"…I know what you're thinking, Shirou… But you mustn't… absolutely mustn't… unleash Rhongomyniad…"

Her voice was feeble and broken, but he understood exactly what she meant. That was the alternative plan Shirou had considered—unleashing the power of the Divine Construct Rhongomyniad to annihilate the Moss instantly.

But Morgan knew the consequences. Rhongomyniad is no ordinary weapon. It is a Divine Construct forged by the planet, unfit for use by mere humans. Forcefully activating it could very well destroy Shirou's soul.

Compared to that, enduring mana backlash was a far more preferable price to pay.

"Hmph… Don't underestimate me."

Though she had seen right through him, Shirou answered stubbornly. Morgan tried to smile in response.

Looking at her frail state, Shirou's frustration grew. He clenched his fists tightly. He wanted to strike the tree beside him to vent his anger—but held back.

Instead, he looked down at the Command Spells engraved on his hand, reminding himself of the pact he had forged with Morgan.

This was something only he could do.

"Morgan! Quickly—take my mana! Use the bond we forged through the contract!" Shirou declared, almost shouting. "With enough mana, your condition will stabilize."

What Morgan needed most right now was magical energy. As long as she had sufficient mana, she could escape the brink of collapse.

"…No. If I do that… your body… and also…"

But she shook her head, still objecting.

She was trying to protect him—even now.

Shirou was furious. At this point, was there still any need to worry about him? He was in far better shape than her, and he had twenty-seven magical circuits within his body.

While he typically could only activate three or four due to his limited capacity, transmitting mana was a different matter. It wasn't about activation—it was about transfer.

"If you won't agree, then I'll just force it!" Shirou said resolutely. He grasped her trembling hands. "I don't know magecraft well enough, and doing it on my own would be inefficient. You need to be the one guiding the flow. It's the only way you'll absorb it properly."

"…"

Morgan didn't respond. Perhaps she was simply overwhelmed by Shirou's unwavering determination. Eventually, she gave in and began slowly drawing the mana from his circuits.

Her absorption was slow—gentle—and didn't harm Shirou at all. Meanwhile, her previously pale complexion gradually regained color.

The transmission was working. With time, Morgan would recover from her mana exhaustion. She was slowly regaining the ability to move.

"…Ngh… Shirou… Are you there?"

"I'm here. Don't worry. You're going to be alright."

The fairy of paradise softly murmured his name as she absorbed his mana. Shirou replied immediately.

Hearing his voice, Morgan smiled faintly. But what she did next was something Shirou hadn't expected.

"Aesc…?"

He felt a warm sensation at the back of his neck, followed by a force pulling him forward with surprising strength.

When he looked up, he was met by Morgan's eyes.

Eyes full of yearning—clear, intense, lacking any trace of embarrassment or restraint. They were the eyes of a woman desiring something.

"Not enough."

"What?"

"I said… the distance… it's not enough."

And before Shirou could react, she pulled him in again, sealing his lips with hers in an assertive, dominant kiss.

Shirou's mind went blank. No thoughts. No resistance.

Just stillness.

By the time he snapped out of it, a fragment of memory stirred in the back of his mind: a line from the legends of King Arthur, describing Morgan le Fay.

—Morgan, the sister of King Arthur. A cruel, selfish, seductive woman who indulged in the pleasures between men and women, and would take what she desired without hesitation.

For a moment, Shirou couldn't help but feel that the Morgan before him now matched that ancient legend.

"…"

Had it ended?

The darkness clouding his vision receded. Morgan's hands pushed lightly against his chest—not to push him away, but just to create a tiny bit of distance.

She didn't say anything. Her face was flushed.

Shirou didn't say anything either. His face, just as red.

The two stood in silence, trapped in an atmosphere far too awkward to break.

Until—

"Hey! You two! Are you alright over there?!"

A voice called out from afar.