Chapter 40: Zod and the 5th Holy Grail War (7)

"Hmm... nnh... haaa~~ah."

Rin let out a yawn that was far from the ladylike decorum expected of a magus. As she rubbed her messy hair, she suddenly realized she was still in her underwear—specifically, a set of provocative, high-end lingerie brimming with an aura of seduction.

"Hyat!"

A surge of overwhelming embarrassment and confusion struck her. She reflexively pulled the duvet up to cover herself. She wondered why she was dressed in lingerie instead of pajamas—lingerie she would never normally wear—but soon, her expression shifted as if a lock had clicked into place.

"Ah... right. I became Zod's girlfriend... just as he wanted..."

The suggestion had clearly taken hold. The light in her eyes faded into a dull haze as she murmured the words. Yet, when the light returned a moment later, she checked the clock and began her morning routine with mechanical precision. She tied her hair into her signature twin-tails, staring for a moment at the hair ties her childhood friend, Shirou Emiya, had given her as a birthday gift—items she had treasured until now. Without hesitation, she tossed them into the trash and replaced them with new ones purchased by Zod. Finally, she changed into her school uniform, which had been modified and adjusted.

The blazer was standard, but the skirt, which had previously fallen below the knees, was now daringly short—dangerously close to exposing her underwear with the slightest breeze.

She donned the expensive wristwatch Zod had gifted her, and instead of her family's heirloom jewel necklace, she wore a ruby pendant of immense value, also from Zod. She then descended to the first floor. In the living area adjacent to the kitchen, Zod, Mata Hari, and Altria Alter were already eating. Archer was there as well, serving the meal.

"Good morning, Rin. I see you followed the coordination I suggested. Good girl."

"Hehe~ Of course! I'm Zod's girlfriend, after all! It's only natural for me to do as I'm told!"

"Fufu... Yes, quite. Rin is my girlfriend (slave), after all... By the way, are you wearing the underwear I picked out?"

At Zod's question, Rin boldly lifted her skirt to display the red lingerie she was wearing.

"How is it? The erotic~~ underwear you chose for me, Zod?♡"

Seeing her act so coquettish and wink at a boy several years younger than her was nothing short of a farce, but Rin was utterly oblivious to the absurdity. Mata Hari looked down on her with contempt, while Altria Alter felt a pang of pity. Archer, suppressed by Zod's magical suggestion to 'not pay attention,' failed to perceive anything unusual about the scene.

"Eat your breakfast, Rin. You need proper nutrition during your growth phase."

"Got it. You're so caring, Zod. You're so kind."

Rin sat down with a smile and asked Archer for her serving.

"I am not a chef, I'll have you know."

Despite his sigh, Archer set the plate before her. Zod watched him, voicing a genuine curiosity.

"Were you a chef in your previous life? This cooking is incredible."

Zod already possessed Emiya Alter—a corrupted version of this Archer—but that man had lost his sense of taste and wouldn't even touch a kitchen. To Zod, Archer's culinary skills were undoubtedly of a first-class tier he was experiencing for the first time.

"In life, cooking was a hobby of mine. I was responsible for all domestic chores... My foster father died young, so I had to learn to take care of myself..."

"Hmm. Did I poke at a sensitive spot?"

"Is it not the standard tragic repertoire for Heroic Spirits? Think nothing of it."

"Well, I'm the same. I have no parents. Biologically, they must exist, but I have no parents who 'bore' me in the traditional sense."

"Hah?"

Altria Alter, Rin, and Archer all froze, doubting their ears. Zod proceeded to describe his past as if it were a trivial matter.

He told them of being an artificial lifeform—a homunculus born through in-vitro fertilization—and how he had been confined to a laboratory for ten years, enduring experiment after experiment. Archer looked grim, while Rin and Altria Alter were horrified. Mata Hari, who already knew this, looked at Zod with a sorrowful gaze. Rin eventually moved to hug Zod, stroking his hair.

"You... were much like Mordred..."

Altria Alter gazed at him with pity, noting that his existence as an artificial being mirrored that of her child in life, Mordred.

"Mordred is on our side too. She's working as a security chief along with Sisigou."

"I never expected that child to be here as well."

"Fate intertwined in another Holy Grail War."

Zod shrugged. Altria Alter nodded and stepped closer, gently stroking Zod's head.

"Somehow... I do not find you disagreeable."

At Altria Alter's faint smile, Zod reached out and grabbed her breast. She let out a soft moan and glared at him.

"Though you have quite the wicked habit with your hands."

"Really? Do you hate me now?"

In response to Zod's question, Altria shook her head and spoke with a subtle smirk.

"That is not it... for some reason, it does not feel unpleasant..."

"Then that's a yes?"

Zod gripped her breast even more firmly. Feeling his touch, she simply yielded her body to him as if conceding to his whims.

"Eeeh... Zod-kun! What about my chest?!"

Mata Hari's protest echoed in the background, but it went unheeded.

"Morning, Tohsaka."

"Ah... Morning, Emiya."

As Zod's group went their separate ways, Rin headed to school. She ran into her childhood friend, Shirou, at a fork in the road. Normally, Rin would have greeted him with a sharp but warm 'tsundere' attitude, but today her demeanor was chillingly distant.

Shirou, slow to notice the shift at first, was soon struck by shock.

"To... Tohsaka! What's with your school skirt?! Why is it so short?!"

"Ah... this? My boyfriend told me to make it like this."

"What? ......"

At the mention of a 'boyfriend,' Shirou's face turned pale and rigid. Rin, however, remained indifferent.

"W-What are you talking about, Tohsaka... a boyfriend?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. I have a boyfriend now."

"No! Even so, that skirt is way too much!"

Emiya couldn't even process the fact that Rin had a boyfriend, let alone accept that this 'boyfriend' was interfering with his childhood friend's public decency.

"Emiya, are you my boyfriend or something? Why are you making such a fuss?"

"No, I mean, the skirt is just too short. One wrong move and everyone will see!"

Rin's expression hardened instantly at Shirou's protest.

"Emiya... you may be my childhood friend, but I want you to respect my boundaries. We're just childhood friends, not lovers. So knock it off... I'm going ahead. Don't talk to me for the rest of the day."

"Eh?! H-Hold on! Tohsaka!"

Shirou was bewildered by Rin's sudden change in attitude overnight, but unable to leave his friend alone, he chased after her.

.

.

.

"Artoria?"

"Who on earth are you..."

Elsewhere... another girl dear to Shirou was being targeted.

​

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