Rin crossed nearly half of Fuyuki City at top speed, rushing to the small hill.
The castle that served as the Mage's Association branch had long been reduced to rubble. The scorching dust and sand had turned into cold soil, and there was no lingering scent of battle—everything had returned to calm. The enemy had left long ago.
As she reached the mountain path, Rin saw Roy walking briskly down the slope, carrying Saber in his arms.
"Thank goodness, you're alright...!"
Seeing Roy descend unharmed, Rin let out a heavy sigh of relief, her heart finally settling back into place.
Who knew how panicked she had been when she saw that dazzling golden rain blotting out the sky? She had been terrified that in the blink of an eye, Roy would be gone.
No—truthfully, she had already believed there was no way Roy could survive such an onslaught. She had expected to arrive only to find a pile of mangled flesh. Yet, miraculously, Roy had somehow pulled through. She really had to thank the heavens.
Though she didn't know how he had managed it, Rin felt she might need to visit a shrine later to give thanks.
Roy looked at Rin, who was panting heavily, his expression frozen and silent.
"What's wrong?"
Rin's expression shifted as she noticed something off about him.
"...No, it's nothing."
Roy hesitated for a moment before shaking his head, clearly unwilling to elaborate.
Rin found it strange, but considering he had just survived such a terrifying attack, she figured he must have suffered quite a mental shock. She decided not to press further.
"What happened to Saber?"
"She forcibly used the Lesser Grail to manifest as a Counter Guardian, but the Lesser Grail finally went out of control. I barely managed to seal it temporarily, but Saber fell unconscious and shows no signs of waking up."
Roy looked down at Okita Souji in his arms.
Her breathing was steady, her body temperature normal—everything seemed fine.
Except for her complete lack of consciousness, as if she were simply asleep.
Roy couldn't wake her, nor could he find any issues with her, so he had no choice but to leave it be.
"The Lancer pair is finished too, right? All things considered, the outcome isn't too bad."
Rin said this but then let out a bitter laugh.
"But that golden Servant—how is that not cheating? What kind of absurd power is that?!"
No matter how you looked at it, the gap in strength was simply too vast.
It was so overwhelming that no tactics would work. Even Rin, usually confident, couldn't help but shudder at the thought of facing that golden Servant.
The odds of victory weren't even one in ten thousand.
Roy's brow twitched slightly.
He glanced back at the ruined hill behind him, lost in thought.
"Let's go back. The final battle is coming."
Without another word, he turned and carried Okita down the mountain.
The Lesser Grail already contained the souls of eight Servants—far exceeding the intended number for the Holy Grail War. It could erupt at any moment. Though Roy had temporarily sealed it, the seal wouldn't last long.
The final battle would likely come tonight.
"The final battle, huh..."
Just thinking about that golden Servant made Rin's head throb.
How were they supposed to win?
***
Aozaki Residence.
After the golden clouds appeared in the sky, chaos erupted throughout the Aozaki household.
That was the location Roy had told them was the Mage's Association branch. With such a massive disturbance there, no matter how hard they tried to stay calm, worry gnawed at them. Even the usually composed Hayasaka couldn't help but furrow her brows tightly.
Only when Roy returned did the tension in the Aozaki residence finally ease.
Since Okita showed no signs of waking, Roy carried her to a room. Miku volunteered to take care of her, and Roy didn't object.
In the front courtyard, Roy took out the Lesser Grail.
The Grail still shimmered with golden light, but it occasionally trembled violently. Roy had surrounded it with a full set of runic barriers to barely suppress it—but it was only a temporary measure.
"Lord Roy."
A hesitant voice called out from the side.
Roy turned to see Utaha, wrapped in a coat.
"What is it?"
"That golden light earlier tonight... was it also part of the Holy Grail War?"
"Yeah. Ridiculously strong, right? And that was just the work of a single Servant."
Roy put away the Lesser Grail and sat down on the porch, letting out an envious sigh.
"If that guy felt like it, he could wipe out all of Fuyuki City in a strike or two. That's just how broken some Servants are—completely unreasonable."
"Lord Roy, are you going to fight that Servant?"
Utaha also sat down on the porch.
She gripped the coat draped over her arms, pulling it tighter as if she felt a chill.
Honestly, Utaha wished Roy would stop participating in this so-called Holy Grail War. But she couldn't bring herself to say it. This was a war Roy had chosen to join, one he had prepared to die in. He must have resolved himself far more firmly than she could imagine. Saying such a thing would be trampling on his determination.
"Yeah. If we want to win the Holy Grail War, we can't avoid him."
Roy nodded calmly.
Gilgamesh was undoubtedly the final obstacle standing before the Greater Grail.
Before, Roy had thought the world had become so chaotic that even more outrageous figures might appear. But now, he no longer believed that. Gilgamesh was likely the last enemy of this war. Defeating him would bring the Holy Grail War to an end.
"But don't worry."
Roy suddenly smiled.
"Remember when I told you that if I died, you should seek protection from Aozaki? Forget that."
"Huh?"
Utaha blinked in surprise.
She couldn't help but misinterpret his words—was he telling her to fend for herself?
Of course, she immediately dismissed that thought. She knew full well that Roy was absolutely not that kind of person.
"Utaha, I won't die."
Roy looked at her, making a solemn promise.
"I will survive. I will win this Holy Grail War and return victorious!"
That way, she wouldn't need to seek Aozaki's protection.
"...Yes. I sincerely hope for that."
Utaha was stunned for a moment before smiling and offering her blessing in return.
"Lord Roy, please come with me."
She took Roy's hand and led him away from the courtyard.
Roy, puzzled, followed her to the side room—her own bedroom.
"Even though I have magical energy now, this much power is practically nothing to you, right? There's nothing else I can do to help. Except for this one thing. So—"
Once inside, Utaha locked the door, then stepped in front of Roy, her cheeks slightly flushed as she began unbuttoning her blouse.
"Even though we didn't get to do it during the day... I still have another pair of pantyhose. Would you like to tear them too?"
***
Hey readers!
Want to read ahead? 📖 Join my Patreon for early access to 30+ advance chapters! Your support helps me write more and bring the story to you faster.
🔹patreon.com/aarvan🔹