"I understand... let me think for a bit."
"Of course."
With that, Kiritsugu left the room. Iri looked antsy, debating whether she should follow him or let him be. She decided quickly.
"I'm sorry, I'll also just..."
"Please, go ahead."
There was no reason to stop her. I had spoken the truth with all sincerity. They were convinced. If this failed, there was nothing more I could do. I felt calm, like after a test where I had done my best.
There were three of us in the room now. First, there was me, sitting alone at a large table that could comfortably seat 20 people. Then there was Saber, who had been standing behind Kiritsugu and Iri and was still standing there. The third was Maiya Hisau, a woman standing rigidly by the door, more still than even Saber.
I didn't think either of them would speak, so I was surprised when Saber broke the silence.
"Excuse me. May I ask you something?"
"...Hm? Oh, what is it?"
I forced my eyelids open, which were beginning to droop from having nothing to do.
"I never got to ask about the holy sword you were holding..."
Ah, right, I had forgotten about that.
"Go ahead."
"Ah."
I took out my Super Cosmic Holy Sword Space Caliber and placed it on the table.
"Go on, touch it. See for yourself."
"Then, if you'll excuse me... This is..."
"It's not similar at all, is it?"
"No... I thought there might be some feeling since it's related to me... but it's completely different, only the appearance is similar..."
Saber picked it up, looking intrigued.
"It's a replica of the King of Knights' holy sword. A trinket made by people of the future. I don't think it's a pleasant object."
"I agree. I would not want this sword to fall into just anyone's hands."
"..."
I wondered what she would think if she knew that in some timelines, not only was there a sword, but she herself had been mass-produced.
"Is there something you want to say?"
"Nothing at all."
---------
"Kiritsugu?"
"Iri..."
Irisviel found Kiritsugu smoking on the moonlit terrace and quietly stood beside him. Knowing she disliked the smell of cigarettes, he immediately put it out and tossed it aside.
Kiritsugu's quiet voice broke the cold night air.
"The irregular servant's story makes sense. If the Holy Grail can't grant our wishes, then we have no use for it. In fact, it's a curse that shouldn't be left alone. It's horrifying to think we were trying to help it be completed."
Iri chose her words carefully.
"So the Heaven's Feel... the Einzbern family's wish...?"
"At the very least, we won't get what people imagined a thousand years ago."
To Iri, Kiritsugu's wish was more important than her family's. It was now confirmed that the Saber team's wish for the Holy Grail War would not be granted.
"The irregular's plan seems roundabout, but it's all in our favor now. We can reduce the number of servants until your consciousness is on the verge of dissolving into the Grail, then the remaining servants won't have to fight. We'll buy time to dismantle the Grail. You won't die, and that curse won't be released. We can eliminate the hostile masters... with the least amount of sacrifice."
"What's wrong, Kiritsugu?"
Iri felt there was a hidden doubt in his tone. Kiritsugu himself knew the plan was the best option. She wondered what was bothering him and came to a simple conclusion.
"You don't trust him?"
"No, that's not it. I believe he's telling the truth. He's 'easy to read.' His expressions and tone are easy to see through."
But she was wrong. What was it, then, that was bothering him?
"The irregular is a rare kind of person, globally. Not by bloodline or nationality, but because he's willing to sacrifice himself for a stranger without expecting anything in return. If that were all, I wouldn't have to think about it. As rare as they are, people like that do exist."
And those were the lives Kiritsugu would have been the first to cut away.
"The problem is that this good person has created lives that he'll sacrifice without hesitation for his own plan."
"Maybe... he just thought he couldn't cooperate with that team after seeing the incident data...?"
Kiritsugu shook his head at Iri's question.
"Those kinds of good people don't have the idea of cutting off other people's lives. And even if they did, they would feel a suitable amount of guilt."
"He didn't?"
"No, not from what I saw. He doesn't have any emotion toward the lives he's going to abandon."
Iri was slowly starting to understand what Kiritsugu meant.
"...But he's still a good person, isn't he?"
"Without a doubt. Everything he said was honest: that he understood our situation and wanted to help, and that he wanted to ensure his master got through the Holy Grail War safely. He's inconsistent. Parts of him don't fit together. I've never met anyone like him before."
A good person with a wicked side who would do anything for his own goals. That was Kiritsugu's assessment of Sho. He finished what he had to say and looked off into the distance.
"What are you going to do?"
"I'll accept it. Compared to the hardships to come, I must be able to handle a small bomb like this. Besides, he's still a good person. He said he wants to help us. Then there's less to worry about."
Despite all his harsh words, Kiritsugu's conclusion remained unchanged. Iri felt a headache coming on, sensing that this night was far from over. Just then, the castle's boundary field registered a reaction.
"!!"
"What is it, Iri?"
"An intruder. I'll get the crystal ball for remote viewing."
The long night was far from over.
---------
"--There it is."
"Ah, it's Caster."
A figure in a black robe slowly moved through the dense forest. Kiritsugu and Iri returned with a large crystal ball, announcing that there was an intruder on the grounds.
The image in the crystal ball showed Caster's servant, Gilles de Rais. His appearance was more intense than any horror movie. I'm not a fan of dark places, and if I had met him without warning, I would have passed out.
Gilles de Rais wasn't alone. He hadn't come with his master, but with something else.
"What are these children?"
He was leading about ten children, the oldest of whom seemed to be in elementary school. Their unsteady gait showed they were not acting of their own will. They were under Gilles de Rais' spell.
"Are they hostages?"
"Even so, we must go. The enemy is baiting us. To save those children, I must..."
Iri wanted her to, but Saber was still cursed from her battle with Lancer. She couldn't fight at full strength.
My beautiful holy maiden, I wish to see you.
While they were debating, the Gilles de Rais in the crystal ball easily saw through their scrying and spoke to them. He even provided a demonstration for when there was no response. The children's spell broke, and they returned to their senses. What would their young eyes think of a person's head being crushed in front of them? Iri instinctively covered her mouth and screamed, "Stop it!!"
"Saber, defeat Caster."
"Yes."
"Gilles de Rais specializes in demon summoning. Saber's magic resistance won't be of much use. I'm going too."
"Please."
Saber was already gone. The moment she received her master's permission, she became a blur and headed for the battlefield. I couldn't move that fast.
"Wait."
I had to tell them something before I left.
"Lancer will attack after this."
"Lancer too!?"
"Yes. His master is here at the castle. Be careful. Also... Kirei Kotomine is coming."
"What!?"
Kiritsugu reacted with a start. Of course he would; Kirei was the last person he wanted to see. At worst, they might have to consider abandoning this place without a fight.
"I see... I wanted to kill Lancer's master here if I could... All right, we'll begin preparations to retreat. We'll meet up later."
"Understood."
While we were talking, the attackers were closing the distance. There wasn't much time left. I jumped out the window. My destination was where I could feel Saber's magical energy.
A massive surge of mana, an invisible wave, was shaking the air, indicating that a battle had already begun. The rage that accompanied it must have been Saber's, aimed at Gilles de Rais's heinous acts.
"You're fast. You're too fast."
There was Lancer, the servant with two spears. I knew he was coming and was on my guard. But to think he'd just bypass Saber and come here. His unwavering advance made it seem as if I had been his target from the beginning. I didn't think I had bothered the Lancer team that much, so when had they started to see me as a target?
"I've found you, irregular."
Diarmuid turned to face me.
"Ah, sorry, but I'll have to deal with you quickly. I'm worried about Saber."
"Don't worry. I, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, will take care of Saber. You will become a prize for my master."
"I'll have to decline."
My opponent was a spearman, clearly faster than me. A close-quarters fight would be reckless.
"Ha!"
I summoned MechaGodzilla. A dazzling beam of light shot at Lancer, but...
"Is that all!"
He swatted it away with a single sweep of his spear.
"There's more."
It didn't matter if he dodged. The important thing was to keep firing. I added the fingernail bullets from Tusk.
"Just this!"
He deftly parried the barrage of beams and Stand attacks with his two spears, closing in on me.
But I wasn't trying to buy time. In this situation where battle had already begun, if I tried to transform into Paradox, my attack would weaken, and my arm would be cut off before I could complete the transformation.
I had so few things I could use. I had gained new abilities, but it was difficult for me to use them to their full potential right now. It wasn't an issue with my skill, but something else.
I used Time Alter to accelerate the time within my body and reload my Tusk's nail ammunition. But...
"!!"
"There!"
Seeing an opening in my barrage, he took a large step forward and unleashed a single flash of his spear of certain death. The Cursed Yellow Rose of Mortality grazed my side.
"Damn it..."
"You took the hit... my Cursed Yellow Rose of Mortality."
"Ha, no way."
"Oh, yes you did."
"Hmm."
I had a Dark Shadow armor deployed just beneath my clothes. Thanks to it, I was completely unharmed.
"The spear that severs mana flow and the spear that gives a wound that cannot be healed have dreadful effects, but that's all. Lancer's spear skill is terrifying, but I can at least defend against it."
That's right, it didn't work. The high physical defense of my Dark Shadow and the fact that my ability system was a 'Quirk,' not magic or psychic power, was my advantage. I was using a power that didn't exist in this world.
"But it doesn't change the fact that I have the advantage, does it?"
Lancer's stance showed no tension about his Noble Phantasm being countered. He was right. Since I couldn't keep up with Diarmuid's speed, I had no chance of winning.
"I guess I have no choice..."
At this rate, I'd be worn down. I'd already wasted enough time. I had to go help Saber, so I couldn't afford to be held up anymore.
"...What are you doing?"
"Nothing, I'm just going all out."
I started rotating my fingernails, extending that rotation into my body. I transferred the power of the rotation into the golden and black mana that had newly taken root within me.
"Time Alter..."
Time Alter was one of the few spells I could use. Instead of specifying acceleration or stagnation, I created a lump of magical energy in my palm.
Seeing this, a smile appeared on Diarmuid's face. He was a warrior, and my words about going all out and this new way of using mana must have excited him.
"Come! I will take you on!"
"Fixed, controlled. Dark Magic: Magia Elevea."
---------
"..."
"..."
"...He's late, isn't he?"
Sho said he'd be back before the day was over. It was past one in the morning, and he still wasn't back. Waver was starting to worry. Of course, it was a negotiation with a master. Waver didn't expect them to just become allies easily, but the feeling of helplessness when he didn't return was overwhelming.
(No, no! What am I thinking! If he's gone, we'll just be back to our original strength! Servants are just like shadows that disappear after the Holy Grail War. I shouldn't have any extra feelings for them!)
"Boy, why are you shaking your head like that? Are you that worried, hm?"
"N-no! It's not that! You're up too, aren't you! You look bored!"
He was teasing Waver, who was up doing nothing.
"A servant like me doesn't need sleep."
Iskandar closed the book he was reading and stood up from his lazy position. Just that action made the space feel constricted, as if the room had shrunk. Was it the fighting spirit of a Heroic Spirit, or was it his bursting muscles? Either way, it wasn't a pleasant feeling for Waver.
"What's wrong, standing up all of a sudden?"
"If you're that worried, I'm thinking of going to help."
"How? He told us not to come in the first place."
"But he wouldn't be able to refuse if it was his master's will."
"So...?"
Their gazes turned to Sakura, who was waiting for Sho's return despite looking sleepy. Even though Sho seemed to have full authority as a servant, he was still a servant. He couldn't just ignore his master.
"But he doesn't use mana to materialize, so even a master doesn't know where he is, right? What are you going to do?"
"Then we'll just find him when he's fighting."
Iskandar didn't think the negotiation would end peacefully. Sho had made so many enemies in his first battle and was a special existence. There was no way he wouldn't be challenged.
"...Well?"
"Hm, I feel something draining from my body."
"Can you tell which direction? The direction the mana is heading?"
"More or less."
Iskandar smoothly drew his sword. With a single swing, he could summon one of his miracles, his Gordius Wheel. With this Noble Phantasm that rode the sky with thunder, they could get to the scene in an instant.
"Don't do it here."
With Waver's words, they quietly snuck out of the house.
--------------------------------------------
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