"Sakura...?"
"Ah, huh...?"
Tokiomi's face in front of me was twisted in confusion. He probably couldn't comprehend his own daughter's words. From behind me, I could hear Sakura-chan's confused voice as well.
In reality, Tokiomi's love is genuine. As a magus, that is. His love is something that a child like Sakura-chan could never possibly understand.
Sakura-chan, who has experienced unimaginable hell until now, is in a very unstable state. Even after being told about it, her father still sees her as a part of his fighting force. That never changed until the very end. It was clear as day that Sakura-chan would become emotionally unstable.
"Irregular!"
I hear Saber's voice from behind me. Even as I stand here, my body is trying to punch the nobleman's face in front of me. But with each attempt, a sharp pain shoots through me.
My arm was pierced by a single sword, pinning me to the ground. It easily penetrated my body, which had been reinforced by the Dark Magic, Magia Erebia.
The one who did this was, of course, the Servant in front of me. Gilgamesh, who is now standing with his arms crossed, looking bored.
"Sakura... are you under some sort of a suggestion?"
Even in this situation, Tokiomi is saying something completely off-base.
"Calm down, Irregular!"
"I know that!"
But my body won't listen. A signal to attack the man in front of me is blinking non-stop in my head. I can't choose to retreat.
I have to counter.
"—!"
The magical energy of Knight of Honor began to corrode the sword piercing my arm—
"Hmph."
It's a miracle I wasn't killed instantly. Faster than a clap of thunder, the carefully tended flowerbed is trampled. A Noble Phantasm spear fired at close range gouged the flesh from my side and vibrated the air.
"Do not presume to touch my treasures so casually, mongrel."
I was completely wrong. This wasn't even an attack; it was like swatting a fly that doesn't understand the value of treasure. It was now crystal clear that the being in front of me was a monster on a different level entirely.
From the impact of the glancing blow from the spear, my body was now like a meat sack. My arm, where the sword was stabbed, was cleanly cut in half by the force of being thrown back. My intestines might be spilling out of my side.
I should have been standing, but when the dust cleared, I could see the sky. And even that looked blurry.
Gate of Babylon (Ō no Zaihō). A treasury containing the prototype of every treasure humanity has ever created in the past and future. I had just been shown a fragment of that power, so small it would be presumptuous to even call it a piece.
"How in the world did Shirou ever beat this guy?"
Long live the protagonist's plot armor. My raspy voice made that sound.
---------
"That was a close call."
Rider and his group had gotten into his chariot and escaped into the sky. Waver and Irisviel were shielded by Rider, and Kayneth protected himself from the blast with magecraft, so no one was injured. Only Saber remained on the ground.
With her Holy Sword held high, Saber stood her ground and stared at the Heroic King in his golden armor, never letting her guard down. Her expression showed no hint of the damage she took from the earlier conversation.
In contrast, Gilgamesh's expression was unchanged. He showed no sign of caution, even though Saber was pointing the strongest Holy Sword forged from a star at him.
To an outsider, he was full of openings. But with Sho wounded on his back, it was difficult to launch an attack.
From the chariot in the sky, Rider and the others watched this scene. The overwhelming power of Gilgamesh—which they had forgotten because of the impact of Berserker—had left them unable to move.
"Ouch."
A searing pain ran through Sakura's Command Seal, making her wince. She saw that the Command Seal she had just used was already fading. That meant Sho's life was fading as well.
"Hey! Hey, you! At this rate, he's going to die!"
"Ah, huh...!"
Waver also starts to panic. Sakura is simply overwhelmed by Waver's outburst. She never thought that a single word from her would cause something like this. She didn't even use the Command Seal intentionally, so she has no idea what to do.
"Damn it, what are you doing, Rider! Hurry up and prepare for withdrawal!"
"Oh, come on, boy... I can't just abandon him, can I?"
Rider looks at Sho, who is lying in a pool of blood. Then something strange happens. Sho's body lifts into the air. All the crew members on the chariot are startled.
"I had my Volumen Hydrargyrum (Gekirei Zuieki) Mystic Code ready for something like this! I'm going to bounce that Servant up here!"
The crew members are dumbfounded.
((If he does that—they'll get shot down!))
All of them have the same thought.
But it's too late. The mercury, with the elasticity of a trampoline, launches Sho high into the sky.
Even Tokiomi's eyes widen at such a foolish use of magecraft.
"Catch him, Rider!"
"Got it!"
Rider, skillfully maneuvering the two divine bulls, catches him with his thick hands. Without losing speed, he begins to withdraw at full speed.
"Saber, you are the rearguard! Keep that Servant back—"
His voice fades away like an echo.
Gilgamesh turns his back on Rider and his company as they flee. Tokiomi, thinking he wouldn't let them get away with this, lashes out.
"Oh King! Why?!"
"Do not be mistaken, Tokiomi. I will only fight the last one standing, or a solo Rider. My action just now was merely to brush off the sparks that were aimed at you, my Master."
"But they have formed an alliance. At this rate, the war won't progress, and the Holy Grail War will be a draw..."
"What of it? You ask me, the great me, to move for such trivial matters? That is a very presumptuous suggestion."
"!! ...My apologies."
Tokiomi decides that any further confrontation would only worsen their relationship, judging from the aura Gilgamesh is emitting. Although he is Sakura's Servant, he is an unknown irregular. Tokiomi inwardly grinds his teeth, wishing he could have finished him off now that he wasn't an ally and was on the verge of death.
Tokiomi gives up and flies toward the golden ship that has appeared in the sky.
Archer, who has completely lost his will to fight, turns his back. As he leaves, he opens his mouth.
"I hold your Path of Kingship in high regard, Saber."
"What did you say?"
His words "Path of Kingship" must refer to what Saber said during the Feast of Kings. But at the time, he just laughed it off vulgarly.
"Your words are different from before, Archer."
"Do not get angry, Saber. There is not a single flaw in the Path of Kingship you speak of. The anguish and conflict that arise from it are truly to my liking."
A forgotten anger wells up from deep within Saber.
"Keep up your efforts, little girl who calls herself the King of Knights. Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to receive further affection from me."
With that, he turns into mist and vanishes through dematerialization.
What was left after the impertinent golden light was gone was nothing but a large trail of destruction.
---------
The group was able to return home without any pursuit from Archer or others, but there was no time to rest. The tattered Sho was laid in the middle of the magic circle in the earthen storehouse. The bleeding had been forcibly stopped, but a large amount of blood had already been lost.
"I'll set up a barrier immediately!"
Irisviel immediately sets up a barrier with wound-healing effects. Its power is subtle enough not to be noticed by ordinary people, but immediately recognizable to anyone with even a little knowledge of magecraft.
She had heard from Sho that Berserker was an ally, and now that Assassin has been defeated, their only enemy is Archer. And Archer has been stalled by Saber. There will be no interruptions.
Irisviel entrusts Sakura, who has cried herself to sleep, to Sola-Ui and focuses all her attention on treating Sho.
Kayneth is also on alert around the house, setting up a detection barrier.
"Rider! Is there anything we can...!"
"Hmm, ah... well. No, to my surprise, the liquor the King of Heroes provided is surprisingly potent."
"Huh? You're saying you're drunk?!"
"That's exactly what I'm saying. My apologies, but I'll be resting a little earlier."
"Wait! Hey!"
After saying just that, he dematerializes and becomes invisible. Waver feels a surge of anger at his selfish actions, but then he feels a sense of unease.
(This is the first time he has dematerialized on his own, isn't it? Why now of all times...)
Iskandar is a man who loves to be in physical form, no matter what. The only time he has dematerialized was when he went to buy clothes that would help him blend into the modern world. Waver always tells him to dematerialize to save magical energy, but it's clear that he never listened. Besides, it's unthinkable for him to rest while his comrade is injured.
Waver almost stops to think, but he quickly shakes his head and chases the thought away. He felt that moving now was the most important thing. He approaches Irisviel, who is working diligently.
"Um, is there anything I can do to help?"
"I'd like to wipe the blood off, could you boil some water?"
"Understood!"
Waver rushes to the kitchen.
Just then, Kayneth returns after finishing the construction of his barrier.
"Einzbern, how is your Servant—"
Something impacts the courtyard.
"Irisviel, what's his condition?!"
It's Saber. Even as a Servant, she has a physical body. Her mobility is inferior to Rider's chariot that races through the sky. She must have landed with great force, as the spot where she landed had become a small crater.
Kayneth, who was knocked back by the impact like a meteorite had fallen, gets up and brushes off the dust.
"Did you defeat Archer in such a short time?"
"No, it did not turn into a battle with Archer. It seems Archer himself had no intention of fighting."
Saber calmly explains what happened, her usual seriousness overriding what was said to her and what happened during the Feast of Kings.
Watching Saber report to Kayneth, an idea flashes in Irisviel's mind.
(If I continue to treat him like this, it will take too long to fully heal him. Looking at the amount of blood he's lost, his stamina may not last. In that case...)
The highest form of miracle resides in her. If she uses the power that Kiritsugu explained to her, it would be easy to save Sho.
In that case, there is no need to hesitate.
"Archibald-san, could you give us a moment?"
"What are you planning, Einzbern?"
"To contact my husband."
Irisviel places her hand over her own chest.
"I'll use my trump card."
--------------------------------------------
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