I had a dream. It was a place I had never seen before. There were no buildings to identify the location. There were just countless corpses lying around. Some were pierced through their armor by spears, others were slashed by swords, and still others were shot through with arrows.
...It was in terribly poor taste. Such a vivid nightmare. It felt so real, I could almost smell the blood.
Amidst this scene, there was a knight, his face splattered with blood, leaning on his sword, still alive. He was on a small hill, and because of the number of fallen soldiers on the ground, it looked as if he were at the peak of a mountain of corpses.
Seeing that, I understood. This was Artoria's dream.
The Knight King who, with her Holy Sword, brought a fleeting peace and a final era of prosperity to Britain in a time when chivalry had scattered like petals.
As the embodiment of righteousness, Artoria must have been the object of admiration for all knights and a source of hope for her people. Her figure—a 15-year-old girl who sacrificed her own life for their sake.
The country was plagued by poor harvests, making it difficult even to maintain an army. The course of action Artoria took created a decisive rift with her Knights of the Round Table. To maintain the army, she sacrificed the very villages where the Knights of the Round Table had been born and raised.
"The King does not understand the human heart."
Leaving with those words, the Knights of the Round Table departed. Though she was left alone, Artoria repelled the invading foreign peoples, but she could not change her fate of ruin.
Mordred's rebellion was the final blow. Artoria vanquished Mordred on the Hill of Camlann, but she, too, was wounded and fell to her knees.
That was the exact scene. I don't know why I would have a dream of this specific moment. However, it's undeniable that something was influencing me. I'm not so naive as to dismiss it as a mere coincidence.
But as a flimsy, ghost-like version of myself, I could do nothing more. Only Artoria's pained expression was burned into my memory—
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I thought I had woken up, but maybe I'm in another dream? What's going on here?!
My body felt more than perfect. I couldn't complain about that.
The problem was that the wound from Gilgamesh was gone, and Saber was sleeping right next to me! On top of that, I was holding Saber in my arms!
Saber, who is a Servant, was sleeping peacefully, her breath a soft rhythm, as if the rule that Servants don't sleep had been thrown out the window. I don't remember getting into bed yesterday, but that must be because I passed out from my injuries, right? I didn't do anything intimate with Saber, right? We're both fully clothed. But my hand is holding hers.
We're just... really close. Of course we are, since I'm holding Saber in my arms. No, it wasn't on purpose. There's no way I could stop myself from using her as a body pillow in my sleep. And my... "son" getting excited as I realize the situation is an involuntary reaction.
Even so, she's so defenseless, which is unbefitting for a knight. Her face is so close to mine. If I wanted to, I could easily steal a kiss. Should I? No, I shouldn't.
Giving up on those useless thoughts, I started to move my body. I tried to pull away without waking Saber. But it seemed that was a bit too high-level of a task for me.
I slowly began to extract my arm, which was sandwiched between the soft bed and Saber's gentle warmth. The sensitive (not in that way) Saber immediately felt her eyelashes flutter. Even with clothing, anyone would wake up if you tickled their tight waist, I suppose.
"Mmm..."
Saber's eyes opened slightly. My work of hiding the evidence was just finishing up. Now, I was just sleeping next to her... but isn't that still bad?
"Good morning. Are your wounds alright?"
"They've already healed... but I'd like an explanation of how this happened."
I took advantage of Saber's lack of concern to ask for a situational explanation.
"It's a simple story. I used my Noble Phantasm, Avalon, The Everdistant Utopia."
"---Ah, I see."
Everything made sense. The reason I had a dream about Artoria and the reason my wound from Gilgamesh had healed.
Avalon, The Everdistant Utopia. It was another Noble Phantasm Artoria possessed, and perhaps because of its power, it wasn't used much in the main story. It was a scabbard that suppressed its owner's aging, repelled curses, and healed wounds.
Using this, my treatment would be simple. And because of the connection formed at that time, we shared a dream like a Master and Servant.
"I only learned this yesterday as well, but it was stored inside of Irisviel's body. I had it transferred to you and connected our magical pathways."
"So you came to sleep with me?"
"The effect is stronger the closer we are. So, it came to this. I must have been a nuisance, wasn't I?"
"Why would you say that?"
I should be the one asking if I was a nuisance, right? Since she had to sleep next to a guy.
"I didn't think any man would be happy to share a bed with a woman who wields a sword like me. My body isn't as feminine as Irisviel's either. I thought you might have been uncomfortable."
"Of course not."
I scoffed.
"Listen, Saber. The country I'm from, Japan, is called the 'Country of HENTAI.' I call it that, anyway."
"Yes?"
I ignored her wide-eyed expression and continued.
"Some guys get excited about little girls, and some get excited about animal ears. Some have pioneered a new dimension with 'otokonoko,' and some have turned male historical figures into women and spread that overseas. Battleships and horses are anthropomorphized—it's a complete mess."
"Is... that country a normal country?"
"No, it's not normal at all."
But that's what's good about it.
"So, Saber, you aren't lacking in charm at all. In fact, there's no part of you that isn't charming."
If Saber had transferred to my school, she would have a fan club on the first day. She would be popular with both guys and girls.
Saber looked surprisingly serious at my impassioned speech.
"Does that mean..."
"Hm?"
"That you also see your Master in that way...?"
"Why would you think that?!"
I couldn't help but shout.
"Why? You've been sleeping with your Master since you were summoned, haven't you?"
That's not wrong. And one time, because of me, though it wasn't my fault or hers... there's a previous conviction...
"It's a joke."
"Eh! Ah, is that so?"
Don't make such heart-stopping jokes. I was really flustered.
"It sounds like a good country. For people to be able to have so many thoughts freely. The rulers must be excellent."
It's one thing to think freely, but saying or acting on those thoughts can cause a lot of trouble. That's a given.
"I'm ignoring all the political stuff when I say this... but I do admit it's a free country. Oh, but it's not fair to compare it to Britain. The times and people's thoughts are completely different."
I quickly followed up. The topic had somehow become "countries," which was a bit of a taboo subject.
"I don't mind. You haven't changed."
"Haven't changed?"
I raised my eyebrows, not understanding what she meant.
"Unlike us Servants, you were unwillingly dragged into the Holy Grail War, and yet you can always act while considering your surroundings. That hasn't changed, even with a temporary being like me."
"There's no reason to pick a fight, after all."
"Your initiative and judgment are worthy of respect."
When a serious Saber says something like that to my face, I get embarrassed.
"---So, how long do you plan to continue this?"
---------
"If you were there, you could have said something..."
"I assumed a Servant could sense my presence."
A valid point.
The woman walking in front of me, Maiya-san, said in an unemotional voice. To think she'd been listening the whole time—it's the shame of a lifetime.
And if you knew she was there, Saber, why did you say all that?! I was the only one who ended up humiliated.
I had a lot I wanted to say, but there was something more important right now.
"Iri-san..."
Following Maiya-san, I found Iri-san, who was in bed with a pale face. Kiritsugu-san, who was next to her, was fully armed. However, with the hand not holding his gun, he was holding Iri-san's hand.
Kiritsugu-san had apparently been keeping a lookout all night instead of the Servants, but his face didn't show much fatigue. Perhaps a sleepless night was normal for him during his mercenary days, or perhaps he was already exhausted from the time I first met him.
"Oh, Sho-kun. You've gotten better. I'm so glad..."
"Yes. This time, thank you so much, really."
The Holy Grail was inside Iri-san's body. When Servants are defeated and their souls accumulate, Iri-san's body and personality, which are the shell, start to disappear. The symptoms, which had been suppressed by Avalon, The Everdistant Utopia, had reappeared.
"Irregular. We will immediately transfer Avalon, The Everdistant Utopia, back to Iri."
"Of course."
Kiritsugu-san said, as if he couldn't wait. I, of course, nodded, as there was no reason to object.
After Avalon, The Everdistant Utopia, was transferred back to Iri-san, she seemed to feel a bit better. A blush returned to her cheeks, and she was able to get up from the futon on her own.
"Wife, please don't overdo it."
"Please don't overdo it, Irisviel."
"Thank you, Maiya-san. And Saber too."
Turning our backs on the women, Kiritsugu-san and I stepped out of the room.
"You've recovered, Irregular."
"Yes. I'm completely fine now. As expected of the scabbard of the Holy Sword."
I moved my body to show that I was well.
"I heard the details from Rider's Master. You were defeated by Archer, apparently, after your Master used a Command Spell."
"Sakura-chan didn't mean to use it. Please don't blame her too much."
"Things aren't forgiven just because there was no ill will. Don't you feel anything? Even after nearly dying because of a selfish child?"
He's quite irritated.
"Irisviel was the one who decided to use Avalon, The Everdistant Utopia, wasn't she? She was considering Sakura-chan's feelings. You have a daughter, too. Don't you understand?"
"..."
Kiritsugu-san was silent for a few seconds.
"How do we beat Archer?"
It was an overly forceful change of topic, but I decided to continue without saying anything.
"His Noble Phantasm, Gate of Babylon, is clearly abnormal. Is there any plan to win?"
We had already shared the Servant information.
"We do have a plan of sorts. It involves Berserker."
"The Noble Phantasm that can make another person's Noble Phantasm his own. So we fight him while taking his Noble Phantasms, just like that night's battle?"
"Yes. As of now, that has the highest chance of winning. The others will be providing support for Berserker."
"But that's only on the premise that he only uses swords and spears. From what I've heard, doesn't Archer have other weapons too?"
"One more thing, he's always careless. He's careless right up until the moment he's about to die, especially with opponents he doesn't acknowledge. We'll exploit that."
That's the only way. Despite all the talk, we knew that Gilgamesh's power was immense.
"...Understood. You've already negotiated with Berserker's Master, haven't you? Have you been able to contact him?"
"He's been out of contact for now."
"Then I'll look into it on my end."
Just as we finished talking, Maiya-san came out of the room. From the large luggage she was carrying, it seemed she was ready to go.
The two left without exchanging a single word. It meant they had no intention of staying here any longer. Even though they should have been worried about Iri-san.
"...They can have all the time in the world if everything ends safely."
I'm here to create a time when Kiritsugu-san, Iri-san, and Illya-chan can live without worries.
"The last one is my Master, huh?"
I knew she was close by. I knew she was hiding and watching us the whole time Kiritsugu-san and I were talking. Her shadow was clearly visible on the shoji screen.
"Sakura-chan, you're there, aren't you?"
When I called out, I could hear her breathing hesitantly. Beyond the opened shoji screen, a tense Sakura-chan was standing there.
"...Are you better?"
"I am. I'm all better now."
"That's... good."
I waited for Sakura-chan to say something. Like a child being scolded by their parents, she would open her mouth to say something and then close it tightly, repeating the action.
Eventually, she started to speak, bit by bit.
"The fight back then... it was my fault, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, it was."
I told her the truth. Waver and Kayneth had probably already told her. Even if they hadn't, a Master would know by instinct.
"...I'm sorry."
I said she was like a child being scolded, and Sakura-chan was indeed feeling like she was being yelled at by her parents. She thought I was angry because she had nearly killed me with her careless words.
Of course, I don't mind. It hurt like hell, but I really don't mind it. But if I said, "I don't mind at all!", the situation wouldn't improve at all, would it? In that case,
"Are you angry...?"
"Well..."
She glanced at me from under her eyelids as I remained silent.
"Then, you'll have to make it up to me."
"Make it up to you?"
"That's right. You can help me make meals, and clean the house. If you do that, I'll forgive you."
"Eh, but... something so simple..."
"You won't do it?"
"I... I will!"
"Alright, I'm hungry, so let's go eat."
"Okay!"
We held hands and started walking. A simple punishment is best for an earnest girl. I thought it would be much better than just forgiving her, and I was glad it worked out.
I felt a sense of relief.
But I couldn't relax for long. With the Holy Grail discussion over and Lancer gone, the only remaining enemy Servants were Caster and Archer. Caster's Noble Phantasm was destroyed, so she wasn't much of a threat, which meant the final battle with Archer was practically imminent.
Could we really beat him?
That anxiety swirled inside me.
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