Rider had already retreated, and Lancer had left with his Master. The only ones still standing on the field were Saber's group and Caster's freak of a Master.
Saber looked at the young man, who was clearly nothing more than human, with a complicated expression.
"What exactly are you here for, Sakutsuki?"
Looking back on tonight's battle, leaving aside the fact that Sakutsuki's Servant had never appeared from beginning to end, Sakutsuki himself had fought Archer and Lancer in succession. Then, instead of taking the best opportunity to defeat Saber, he confronted Lancer and stalled until Berserker withdrew... Finally, he had challenged Lancer's Master to a duel, making it clear that tonight's turmoil was not over yet.
Yet from beginning to end, Sakutsuki had shown no intention of eliminating any Servant. Instead, he had darted back and forth, maintaining some subtle balance.
"Who knows?"
In response to Saber's question, Sakutsuki shrugged as though it had nothing to do with him.
"To borrow the King of Conquerors' words, 'Reasons, plans, all that troublesome stuff—leave it to future historians. We heroes only need to follow our hearts, burn with passion, and race across the battlefield.'"
"That is not something a king should say." Saber's answer was disappointed, yet resolute.
The Knight King believed in chivalry. Her convictions were worlds apart from Rider's wild and unrestrained motives.
"If we meet again, I will definitely settle the matter with him—"
"Alright, alright, I already regret saying that." At some point, Sakutsuki had appeared beside Saber and lifted her left hand.
"Sakutsuki!" Saber was startled and failed to dodge in time.
It was not only because Sakutsuki's actions carried no hostility and her Instinct gave no warning. The exhaustion from the successive battles had also slowed her movements by half a beat.
"This is highly improper, Sakutsuki. Please let go of me!"
"Don't get angry. I'm helping you." Sakutsuki's fingers moved rhythmically over Saber's wound. Runes of magical energy wove themselves into being, and before Artoria's astonished eyes, the numbness and pain caused by the curse began to ease.
Once the spell was complete, Sakutsuki promptly released her hand. "Although my magecraft has reached the realm of replacing concepts, Mystery submits to greater Mystery... Unfortunately, Gae Buidhe is a Noble Phantasm. The curse within it holds too much authority for me to remove it completely."
The golden-eyed young man held a short dagger, golden patterns flowing across its blade. Clearly, he had used some kind of magecraft to transfer part of Saber's curse onto the dagger.
"No, this is enough." Saber flexed her left hand. "Thank you very much, Sakutsuki."
"That serious personality of yours is one of your charms too, Saber." The young man rubbed his chin and suddenly said something strange. His expression closely resembled that of some unserious swordsmith.
A charm? What did that mean?
Although she had absorbed modern knowledge, Saber had yet to fully grasp it. She tilted her head in confusion, and the ahoge atop her head swayed on its own. Behind her, Irisviel, who understood a little, covered her mouth to hide a laugh and mischievously chose not to explain.
Seeming to realize he had misspoken, Sakutsuki gave an awkward cough. "Then, are you willing to come with me, Saber?"
"To the Hyatt Hotel, to Kayneth's workshop?" Saber did not answer. Instead, Irisviel stepped forward and spoke to Sakutsuki as her Master.
"Precisely." Sakutsuki's expression turned solemn as well. "For you, the first priority is lifting Lancer's curse. And I happen to be challenging Kayneth's Magic Workshop tonight—I believe we already have the foundation for cooperation."
"Speaking of which, why are you voluntarily walking into a magus's workshop, Sakutsuki? That should be dangerous, shouldn't it?" Irisviel asked in confusion.
Sakutsuki smiled at that. "Perhaps it's curiosity."
"Curiosity? For such a simple reason?"
"Curiosity is humanity's nature, Madam. Since I already know there is such an interesting place, why shouldn't I challenge it?"
Was that really all?
The smile on the young man's face was too sincere, yet it concealed something hidden. Faced with such a strange smile, even Irisviel was briefly left speechless. After a moment, she finally said, "Then what do you want us to do?"
"It's simple. I'll settle matters with Kayneth, while you fight Lancer. That way, no matter which side wins, Saber's curse can be lifted. And no matter which side loses... they will have no one to blame but themselves."
"A straightforward plan, but an effective one." Irisviel thought for a moment, then her smile suddenly turned teasing. "But in a way, you're also protecting that little girl named Miyu, aren't you?"
After all, Caster—Sakutsuki's Servant—had never appeared in his plan.
"That is how it should be. Isn't it only natural for an older brother to protect his younger sister?" Sakutsuki made no attempt to hide it. "Then, shall we call it a deal?"
"It seems I have no reason to refuse..." Irisviel was about to answer when Saber suddenly tugged at her sleeve and whispered something. Irisviel's expression gradually turned awkward. She looked at Sakutsuki again, opened her mouth, then suddenly fell silent.
"I'm sorry, Sakutsuki..."
"Ah, I understand. Kiritsugu said something, didn't he?" Sakutsuki interrupted Irisviel's apology and privately curled his lip.
Although he had expected Kiritsugu Emiya to refuse, he had not expected him to react so quickly. Originally, the rift between Saber and him could have grown even wider...
"Tell Kiritsugu that although I do not expect him to repay kindness, at the very least, he should slow down his actions tonight and let me properly enjoy this contest of magecraft... Otherwise, he will regret it."
With his request refused, Sakutsuki tossed out that cryptic sentence, climbed into the car without hesitation, twisted the handle, and disappeared from Irisviel and Saber's sight.
Saber silently watched the direction Sakutsuki had departed. There was no excitement at surviving that desperate battle, nor any sign of exhaustion, on her beautiful profile. The armored girl knight stood with such dignified poise upon the battlefield that she looked like a painting—beautiful and inviolable.
"Thank you, Saber. Thanks to you, I was able to survive."
Saber smiled at Irisviel's gratitude. "I was able to fight the enemy without worries because you were behind me, Irisviel."
Once again, Irisviel deeply realized just how strong, steadfast, and gentle Saber was.
Although Saber looked much younger than Irisviel and still appeared to be an immature girl—so petite, with such slender wrists—her body and heart belonged to a perfect knight, a true hero.
"The battle has only just begun, Irisviel. Tonight's situation was merely the first night in a long chain of battles to come."
"...Yes."
"Every opponent is formidable—heroes summoned from different eras... None of them are easy to deal with," Saber murmured.
Even that young man named Sakutsuki—during battle, his dignified and powerful bearing made everyone forget that he was not a Heroic Spirit, but a person of this era.
But when he called himself a hero, who could refute him?
Even with so many heroes and great figures competing against her, there was neither impatience nor fear in the girl's voice. Faced with the coming storm, she only quietly steeled herself.
That excitement, that sensation of hot blood surging through her veins, would never change in any world or era. It was proof of the spirit of a hero.
Gazing at the star-filled night sky, the King of Knights spoke softly.
"This is... the Holy Grail War."
Atop a high-rise building
After Sakutsuki left, Kiritsugu Emiya did not lower his gun. He merely took out a cigarette, placed it between his lips, and lit it with practiced ease. He let the smoke seep into his lungs before slowly exhaling.
White smoke curled upward and dispersed into the air.
He raised his arm. Of the three Command Spells on the back of his hand, one had dimmed slightly and returned to normal.
"By Command Spell, I order you: protect Master Sakutsuki, and kill Lancer... completely."
After Berserker's retreat, such a strategy was undoubtedly the most reasonable and effective. Even if it could not kill Lancer, it would still inflict severe injuries on him in a short time.
But in the end... Kiritsugu Emiya gave up.
There was no doubt that Saber, who prided herself on being a knight, would not agree to such behavior. But if he spent another Command Spell, even an unruly machine would run smoothly as though lubricated.
Yet when that time came, what awaited him? Caster's cold spearpoint, or the merciless strike of Sakutsuki, the man who had trampled Einzbern beneath his feet?
"Chivalry... So it was this kind of stubborn nonsense." The still-injured man sighed softly. "Why couldn't the Holy Grail erase the Servants' memories as well?"
And there was also that final sentence the young man had left behind.
Tell Kiritsugu that although I do not expect him to repay kindness, at the very least, he should slow down his actions tonight and let me properly enjoy this contest of magecraft.
A chill ran through his body at the thought of having been seen through. Cold wind blew through the cold night.
For a killer lurking in the shadows and waiting for the right moment, nothing was more taboo than having his actions seen through.
That Assassin had been the same. He had originally been lured away by Kiritsugu's deception, only to return after his Master warned him, nearly driving Kiritsugu into a desperate situation.
...Kirei Kotomine, the man Kiritsugu had guarded against in every possible way before the war began.
He had still been targeted by him.
The searing heat drew closer and nearly burned his lips. Kiritsugu Emiya flicked the spent cigarette butt outside and silently watched its ember go out.
He was not a warrior. He possessed no sense of honor. When facing Kirei Kotomine and Sakutsuki, what he felt was not the joy of meeting worthy opponents, but fear—a fear of the future.
Could he obtain the Holy Grail? Could he fulfill his wish?
Was Illya alright? And his wife, Irisviel...
A sharp pain pierced his heart, but Kiritsugu Emiya's expression did not waver. He remained silent for a long time before finally beginning to put away his gun, having made his decision.
Tonight.
The plan would be moved forward.
Leaping cyan fluorescence raced through the streets of Fuyuki City.
At one street corner, the motorcycle, swift as the wind, paused briefly. When it set off again, there was an adorable little girl seated behind him.
Having removed her Mystic Code, Miyu wore a patterned kimono and wrapped her arms around Sakutsuki's waist, a satisfied expression on her little face.
"Did you see Kiritsugu?" The young man's laughter drifted back from the front.
Miyu did not speak. She only nodded slightly.
After that, neither of them spoke again. They simply quietly enjoyed the night breeze.
Just like the days they had briefly shared in the past.
After an unknown amount of time, the motorcycle slowly came to a stop before a towering building.
This was currently the tallest building in Fuyuki City, the best place from which to overlook the city—the Hyatt Hotel.
Not only was it the highest, but the Hyatt Hotel's facilities and service were also unrivaled in Fuyuki City. It was the foremost name in the hotel industry, and naturally became the residence and temporary base chosen by Kayneth, the noble "Clock Tower Lord." A month before his arrival, retainers of the Archibald Family had reserved the presidential suite on the thirty-second floor. Their wealth and extravagance were obvious.
"This is it. We're here."
Sakutsuki got off the motorcycle. Even dressed in a kimono, his movements remained unhindered. Holding Miyu's hand, the two figures, one large and one small, both dressed in patterned kimonos, raised their eyes and looked ahead.
The handsome man with a tear mole at the corner of his eye was already waiting there.
To be honest, Lord Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald did not like this hotel, neither its layout nor its decorations.
In his view, the vulgar people who designed this suite did not understand what "noble grandeur" meant. It was merely an oversized room with expensive furniture and some luxurious yet hollow ornaments. Born into the nobility, Kayneth was extremely sensitive to the gaudy extravagance pursued by common people. This suite was exactly like that. It had neither historical depth nor any cultural atmosphere. It was merely an ugly pigsty adorned with superficially lavish decorations and borrowed sensibilities.
But that was in the past.
At least today, he had no mind to lament that a noble lord had been forced to gather dust in such a place. As the ancient eastern nation said, "A mountain need not be high; if an immortal dwells there, it becomes sacred."
No matter how shabby a place was, under the splendid performance of two magi, it would become holy ground in the eyes of the magecraft community.
Lancer had already been sent downstairs to stand by. Whatever he did, he only needed to make sure no other Servants interfered. As for Kayneth's beloved fiancée, although she had volunteered to go downstairs and support him, such matters did not require her to add glory to them. As the Lord of the Clock Tower, he, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, would naturally offer the glory of victory to the love of his life.
Feeling the feedback from the Magic Boundary Field, the blond man hailed as a "prodigy" at the Clock Tower revealed a cold smile. With his white-gloved right hand, he picked up a test tube and slowly poured its silver liquid onto the ground.
"Fervor, meisanguis."
As he softly recited the activation incantation, the solution, which appeared to contain only one hundred milliliters, began to expand madly the instant it left the test tube. In the end, it expanded into a silver sphere nearly one meter in diameter before spreading in every direction.
This was Kayneth's trump card, as well as the achievement he took the greatest pride in.
The Mystic Code was called Volumen Hydrargyrum. It was a unique combat Mystic Code created by Kayneth through combining his dual attributes of wind and water with the fluid manipulation magecraft he excelled at most. The silver sphere was essentially specially treated mercury, and Kayneth could freely manipulate it into any shape he wished.
Although he had transformed the entire floor into his Magic Workshop, that did not mean he intended to remain at its core and wait for an unwelcome guest to arrive.
The Mystic Code he took such pride in was what Kayneth considered his key to victory.
"Come. For the Holy Grail we both seek, let us stake our honor and our lives on a fair battle!"
His arrogant laughter echoed through the room.
014: Diarmuid (Lancer)
Character Information: A famous hero of Celtic Mythology, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, a popular knight of the Knights of Fianna. The tragedy of Diarmuid's life began with Finn's marriage to Gráinne, the daughter of King Cormac.
Hidden Information: Conditions not met
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