Fate Grand Order: Broadcasting Master Love — Chapter 76

Chapter 76: Is That Really Me?

【The images on the light screen shifted, ripples of light giving way to a line of crisp text. Immediately after, a clear, commanding voice echoed across the skies of every parallel world—the summoning declaration of Lancer Artoria. “I shall respond to your call. I am your Servant, Lancer. By the Spear of the End, I am the one who shall become your strength.” The tone was absolute, carrying the unshakable composure and quiet confidence of a reigning king.】

In the world of the Fifth Holy Grail War, Emiya Shirou leaned forward, his attention entirely captured by the massive broadcast. At the sound of that dignified voice, he tilted his head, a frown creasing his brow as he absentmindedly scratched his cheek. “Strange… why does the voice of this Servant sound so familiar?”

It tugged at the edges of his memory, nearly overlapping with someone he spoke to every day, yet the exact identity hovered just out of reach.

Beside him at the low dining table, Saber’s chopsticks froze mid-air. A flash of sudden realization crossed her lowered emerald eyes. She didn’t say a word, merely resuming her meal with a stiff, mechanical grace. She knew perfectly well that, given the light screen’s usual pacing, it wouldn’t be long before Shirou connected the dots himself.

【The projection rippled, transitioning to a new scene. Lancer Artoria, having achieved her first Ascension, raised her gauntleted hands to unfasten her heavy, lion-maned helmet. As she pulled it free, a dazzling cascade of golden hair spilled out, tumbling softly over her armored shoulders to frame a breathtakingly familiar face. Her emerald eyes sparkled like a pristine lake catching the morning sun.】

【Raising a hand to brush a stray golden lock from her forehead, a faint, elegant smile graced her lips. “I have removed my helmet,” she stated, her tone light and conversational. “The overall weight of my equipment has been reduced. My defensive capabilities have dropped slightly, but it makes it far easier for me to fight.”】

Shirou’s pupils dilated. The missing puzzle piece finally clicked into place. He stared wide-eyed at the regal woman towering on the screen, then whipped his head around to stare at the petite knight sitting right beside him. “Saber… that Artoria up there… is that you?!”

No wonder the voice had been a dead ringer. They were the exact same person!

Saber met his utterly bewildered gaze and released a long, helpless sigh. A complicated emotion swirled in her green eyes. After a heavy moment of hesitation, she offered a stiff nod. “It… should be?”

It was undoubtedly an alternate version of herself, but that specific, mature manifestation was entirely outside the world of her own expectations.

Across the dimensional divide, in the world of magical girls, Illyasviel von Einzbern sat sandwiched between Miyu and Kuro, tightly gripping both of their hands. As Lancer Artoria’s unmasked face filled the sky, Illya’s ruby eyes went round. Her pink lips parted in a small gasp. “Eh? This Servant looks exactly like the Black King of Knights we fought before! But her eyes are bright green, and her hair is so shiny. The Black King had pale, washed-out hair and scary golden eyes!”

【The broadcast marched forward. Following her second Ascension, Lancer Artoria’s attire remained largely unchanged, yet the sheer weight of her aura had deepened into something impossibly grand. She raised her hand, her fingers wrapping tightly around the spiraling shaft of the Holy Spear. A resolute light flared in her emerald gaze. “Let us shine together,” she murmured, the corners of her lips lifting in a confident arc.】

【Then came the moment of her third Ascension. Lancer Artoria raised her arms, shedding the bulky, silver-white plating of her heavy armor. What remained was a tailored, royal blue outfit that clung tightly to her elegant curves. The sudden revelation of her incredibly voluptuous, mature figure immediately caused the temperature of the viewing audience across the multiverse to spike.】

【Cradling the Holy Spear against her side, she turned her head, looking off-screen with a playful glint in her eye. A teasing smile bloomed on her face. “Your power has guided me. Now, the power of the Holy Spear has also greatly increased… Master. Where are you looking? Is something the matter?”】

In the timelines of both the Fourth and Fifth Holy Grail Wars, two separate Sabers let out synchronized gasps of pure disbelief.

“What? Is that really me?” The Saber of the Fifth War slapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes blown wide as she stared at the dazzling, impossibly well-endowed blonde woman on the screen. Her mind reeled in absolute shock.

In the Fourth War, the suited Saber froze completely, her grip going slack. The invisible sword in her hands nearly clattered to the ground.

“What is this? That kind of figure… is that really Saber?” Shirou gaped at Lancer Artoria’s magnificent proportions, then instinctively turned his head to appraise the Saber sitting in his living room.

His gaze swept over her notoriously flat, slender frame. He shook his head vigorously, utterly unconvinced. “No matter how I look at it, that’s just impossible, right?”

His Saber was petite and graceful. The woman on the screen looked like an entirely different species.

“Shirou, you are being incredibly rude!” Saber’s cheeks ignited into a furious, brilliant crimson. She shot up from her cushion, her ahoge twitching wildly, and delivered a swift, sharp chop to the top of Shirou’s head. Being subjected to such a blunt, comparative stare from her Master was simply too humiliating to bear!

Back in the Fourth War, Irisviel von Einzbern stared at the sky, her crimson eyes sparkling with absolute wonder. She glanced sideways at Emiya Kiritsugu—who was currently frozen in a rare state of dumbfounded shock—before acting as his cheerful proxy. “Wow, Saber, is that really you? It’s just… so big,” Irisviel marveled, entirely lacking a filter. “Is that what you look like after you finally grow up?”

The Fourth War’s Saber flushed a deep, mortified pink. She snapped her head away, awkwardly scratching her cheek as she tried to process the impossible visual evidence. “But… my physical development stopped entirely when I pulled the sword from the stone… Why would I ever end up looking like that?”

She was completely baffled. Her body had been locked in its teenage state for her entire rule. How could a timeline exist where she blossomed into such a mature, commanding figure?

【The light screen finally settled on the stunning imagery of her fourth Ascension. Lancer Artoria stepped forward, the camera angle shifting as she proactively closed the distance toward her Master. Her emerald eyes softened into a pool of deep, gentle warmth. Gripping the Holy Spear, she gazed out into the vast distance.】

【Her voice rang out—soft, yet carrying the unbreakable weight of a vow. “…Look, Master. Though it is not the end, the world is still so beautiful. My spear exists to protect this radiance. For that, I shall remain by your side. Let us continue to fight together.”】