The night air in Fuyuki City was cool and tense, the looming Holy Grail War casting its shadow over the Emiya residence. Shirou Emiya stood in the courtyard, his hands clenched into fists, still adjusting to the surreal reality of being a Master. Beside him stood Artoria Pendragon—Saber—her golden hair catching the moonlight, her blue-and-silver armor gleaming with regal authority. She was a vision of stoic nobility, her green eyes sharp and unwavering, yet there was a quiet intensity about her that Shirou couldn’t quite place.
 
Their fragile peace was shattered when Rin Tohsaka strode into view, her crimson coat fluttering dramatically behind her. The proud heiress of the Tohsaka family exuded confidence, her sharp tongue and sharper mind honed by years of magical training. She stopped a few paces away, hands on her hips, and smirked at Shirou. “Well, well, Shirou Emiya. So this is your Saber? I expected something… less underwhelming for a rookie like you.” Her tone dripped with mockery, though her eyes flicked to Artoria with a hint of wariness.
 
Artoria stepped forward, her posture rigid yet graceful, every inch the king she once was. “Rin Tohsaka, I presume,” she said, her voice calm but laced with an unshakable authority. “Your lineage is renowned, and your mana is impressive. But your arrogance will be your undoing.” There was no malice in her words—only a statement of fact, delivered with the weight of a royal decree.
 
Rin scoffed, tossing her twin-tailed hair over her shoulder. “Arrogance? Please. I’m just stating the obvious. You’re stuck with a clueless Master, and I’ve got Archer watching my back. You’re the one who’s in over her head, Saber.” She reached into her pocket, fingers brushing a gemstone, ready to cast a spell if needed.
 
Shirou opened his mouth to protest, but before he could, Artoria moved. Her speed was blinding, a blur of blue and silver as she closed the distance between herself and Rin in an instant. Her hands clamped onto Rin’s shoulders, pinning her arms with a strength that belied her slender frame. “Hey! What the—let go of me, you overgrown knight!” Rin snapped, twisting in Artoria’s grip, her confidence giving way to indignation.
 
“Saber, stop!” Shirou shouted, rushing forward. “What are you doing? She’s not attacking us!”
 
Artoria turned her head slightly, her expression serene yet resolute. “Stand back, Shirou. This is not an act of aggression—it is necessity. A king must claim what is required to protect her realm.” Her voice was steady, almost solemn, as if she were reciting an ancient law. Then, to Shirou’s horror, her mouth opened wide—far wider than humanly possible—revealing a glistening, cavernous maw that seemed to defy the laws of nature.
 
Rin’s eyes widened, her bravado crumbling into panic. “Wait, what?! You can’t be serious—!” Her words were cut off as Artoria’s lips engulfed her head in one swift, wet motion. GULP! The sound reverberated through the courtyard, a deep, forceful swallow that made Shirou’s stomach lurch. Rin’s head vanished into Artoria’s throat, her muffled screams echoing faintly as the Saber’s neck bulged grotesquely.
 
“Saber, no!” Shirou cried, his voice cracking. He stumbled forward, but Artoria raised a hand, her gaze commanding him to stay put. She was focused now, her regal demeanor unshaken as she worked her meal downward. GLURK! Another powerful swallow pulled Rin’s shoulders past her lips, the magus’s arms flailing wildly. Her crimson coat bunched up around her torso, her legs kicking in a frantic, futile dance.
 
“Get… me… OUT!” Rin’s voice was distorted, barely audible through the layers of flesh, but her fiery spirit burned through every syllable. Artoria tilted her head back, her hands guiding Rin’s wriggling form with calm precision, as if this were a sacred rite rather than a monstrous act. SLURP! Rin’s chest slid down, her curves briefly outlined against Artoria’s throat before disappearing into her expanding stomach. The armor creaked slightly, straining against the growing bulge beneath.
 
Shirou could only watch, his mind spinning, as Artoria’s belly swelled into a massive, squirming dome. With a final, resounding GULP!, she slurped up Rin’s legs, her black boots vanishing with a wet SCHLORP! as they slid down her gullet. Artoria closed her mouth, exhaling a soft, satisfied breath as she rested a hand on her distended abdomen. GRRRGLE… The stomach let out a deep, ominous rumble, and Rin’s muffled protests continued from within.
 
“Rin… Saber, you ate Rin?!” Shirou stammered, his face pale with shock. Artoria turned to him, her expression as composed as ever despite the writhing mass in her midsection. “Yes, Shirou,” she said, her tone matter-of-fact yet tinged with a hint of pride. “This is the way of a king. Rin Tohsaka was a formidable rival, a Master whose strength could have turned the tide against us. Now, she will serve a greater purpose—fueling my power for the battles ahead.”
 
Inside, Rin thrashed against the tight, slick walls of Artoria’s stomach. The air was stifling, thick with the acrid stench of digestive juices that sizzled faintly as they soaked into her clothes. “You psychotic glutton! I’ll blow you apart from the inside if I have to!” she yelled, her voice trembling with fury. She tried to summon her mana, but the oppressive heat and the relentless churning—BLORP!—sapped her strength. Artoria pressed a hand against her belly, silencing the squirms with a firm SQUISH!.
 
“There is no escape, Rin Tohsaka,” Artoria said coolly, her voice carrying a regal finality. “You fought well, but your role in this war ends here. Be honored—your mana will sustain a king’s legend.” Her stomach growled again—GURGLE!—as the digestion began in earnest. Shirou flinched at the wet, sloshing sounds, the occasional POP! of air bubbles bursting within making his skin crawl.
 
For the next few hours, Artoria stood in the courtyard, her demeanor unshaken as she explained the process to a horrified Shirou. “A king’s body is a crucible, Shirou,” she said, her tone almost scholarly despite the grotesque reality. “Rin’s flesh, her bones, her mana—all will be broken down and absorbed to strengthen me. It is a practical act, a necessity of war.” She rested a hand on her swollen belly, which jiggled slightly with every movement. GLORP… BLURBLE… The sounds grew louder, wetter, more aggressive, as Rin’s struggles weakened.
 
Rin, ever defiant, refused to go quietly. “You’ll regret this, Saber! I’m not some snack for your bloated ego!” she shouted, her voice growing fainter as the acids ate away at her. Artoria merely closed her eyes, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “Your spirit is admirable, Tohsaka. It will make your contribution all the more valuable.” The squirming slowed, then stopped entirely, replaced by a steady GLORP-GLORP! as her stomach worked tirelessly.
 
By dawn, Artoria’s massive belly had shrunk considerably, though not completely. What had once been a bulging, writhing mass was now a rounded potbelly, a soft, doughy curve that protruded beneath her armor. GRRRNT… It rumbled softly, a sign that the digestion was complete, but the final stage was yet to come. Shirou stared at the potbelly, still reeling from the night’s events. “Saber… is she really gone?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
 
Artoria nodded, patting her belly with a gentle PAT-PAT. “Yes, Shirou. Rin Tohsaka has been fully broken down. Her mana courses through me now, enhancing my strength. What remains is merely waste—a king must dispose of what is no longer needed.” She paused, her expression shifting slightly as a faint grimace crossed her face. “You may wish to step back.”
 
Before Shirou could react, a deep, rumbling BRRRRRT! erupted from Artoria’s rear, a loud, brassy fart that filled the air with a pungent mix of burnt mana and roasted flesh. Shirou coughed, waving a hand in front of his face. “Saber, what the heck?!”
 
“A natural consequence,” Artoria said, her tone unfazed despite the indignity. “Her mana was potent, and it leaves… remnants.” Another PFFFFT! followed, sharp and quick, and she sighed in relief. “It will pass. The bulk of her is still to come.” She adjusted her stance, her potbelly jiggling slightly with the movement.
 
As the sun rose higher, Artoria led Shirou to a secluded corner of the courtyard, where a patch of bare earth awaited. “The final act,” she said, crouching slightly. Shirou hesitated, torn between fleeing and staying, but Artoria’s calm authority kept him rooted in place. “Watch, Shirou. This is the cycle of conquest.”
 
With a low GRRRRNT…, the disposal began. A thick, coiling log emerged, landing on the ground with a heavy PLOP!. It was dark and smooth, studded with flecks of crimson fabric—shreds of Rin’s coat—and tiny, polished bone fragments. SPLORCH! A second log followed, softer and messier, accompanied by a loud FRRRRT! as trapped gas escaped, carrying a stench of decay and scorched magic that made Shirou gag. Artoria remained stoic, her expression one of quiet dignity as she pushed out a third mass—THUD!—this one laced with Rin’s melted gemstones, their faint glow dulled by the muck.
 
“Her tools of war,” Artoria mused, her voice steady. “Reduced to this, yet still beautiful in their way.” A final SQUELCH! marked the end, a runny pile topped with a single, intact hair clip—Rin’s last defiant trace. Artoria stood, brushing her hands together as if finishing a routine chore. Her potbelly was gone now, her figure restored to its usual lithe elegance.
 
She turned to Shirou, her gaze piercing yet calm. “Do you understand now, Shirou? A king must take what is necessary, even if it is distasteful to others. Rin was a threat, a rival whose power could have undone us. By claiming her, I have ensured our survival—and our victory—in this war.”
 
Shirou stared at the steaming pile, then back at Artoria, his mind a whirlwind of shock and confusion. “I… I get that you’re a king, Saber. But this? This is too much.”
 
Artoria placed a hand on his shoulder, her touch firm yet oddly comforting. “It is not a burden I ask you to bear, Shirou. It is mine alone. Follow me, and trust in my resolve. The Grail awaits, and with Rin’s strength within me, we are closer than ever to claiming it.”
 
With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Shirou to grapple with the grotesque, unforgettable lesson in kingship he’d just witnessed.