During the daylight hours, no one deliberately went looking for trouble.
After confirming that Kiritsugu was not the killer, the Einsatz stopped searching. To him, everything had lost its meaning. It no longer mattered who the killer was; he only needed to wait quietly for Kiritsugu Emiya to come to him of his own accord.
Ever since they had obtained Archer, they had possessed that confidence.
That afternoon, gentle sunlight spilled across the courtyard of the Emiya Residence.
Saber was chatting with Irisviel when she suddenly frowned slightly, keenly sensing a familiar presence approaching the gate.
"What is it, Saber?" Irisviel noticed Saber's unusual reaction and asked with concern.
Saber's expression turned grave as she said softly, "Rider is here."
"Rider?! How did he find this place?" Irisviel looked astonished. She had thought they had concealed themselves well and had not exposed their location, yet Rider had come straight to their door. That meant there had to be a leak in the secrecy of their information.
"No matter what, let's first see what he wants."
"Saber is right. Let's see what his intentions are first." Irisviel took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.
After they invited the somewhat unusual-looking Rider into the house, before Irisviel could ask anything, Rider was the first to make a shocking proposal.
"King of Knights, and your Master, I, Iskandar, King of Conquerors, now request an alliance with you in my name."
The sudden request left everyone stunned.
Rider, who had always been domineering and solitary, had actually come seeking an alliance on his own initiative. It was far too unusual.
Irisviel instinctively glanced at Rider's Master, the student from the Clock Tower. He did not seem to show any signs of being controlled.
She looked at Saber in confusion, silently asking what was going on.
Saber was equally baffled, so she asked directly, "King of Conquerors, why are you proposing an alliance at a time like this? With your abilities, I do not believe you would need an alliance to gain strength."
Rider burst into hearty laughter. Then he scratched his head, reined in his laughter, and his expression became serious.
"King of Knights, do you know that Lancer has withdrawn from the Holy Grail War?"
Irisviel and Saber exchanged glances and nodded at the same time. Aside from the killer, they had been among the first to learn of Lancer's death.
"Since you already know, I will not say much more. Do you know who killed him?"
"I don't know. Was it you, King of Conquerors?" Saber asked in return.
"Haha, King of Knights, so you can make jokes too. Of course it was not me." Rider's expression hardened as he continued, "My Master and I found that battlefield. Judging by the traces and scale of the battle, the killer used a sword. I think you, King of Knights, should be able to guess who it was."
A sword?
In this Holy Grail War, there were only two Heroic Spirits who used swords as weapons. One was the King of Knights in the Saber class, and the other was her close friend, Berserker Lancelot.
Saber lowered her head and fell silent. She had never imagined that it would be Lancelot who forced Lancer out of the war. She had originally thought that, after their promised duel, she would be the one to defeat Lancer.
"King of Conquerors, what made you come to me for an alliance? Even if Lancelot... Berserker forced Lancer out, that should not have made you so eager to seek an ally."
That was Saber's greatest doubt.
Rider's Noble Phantasm, Army of the King, was immensely powerful. In this Holy Grail War, almost no one could stand against him. Logically, he should not have feared anyone.
"King of Knights, it is only natural that you would have such doubts. But if you saw that battlefield, you would understand why I came to find you."
"The battlefield?" Saber and Irisviel both looked puzzled.
"That's right."
Half an hour later, Rider drove his chariot and brought Saber and Irisviel to that battlefield in Shinto.
When they saw the battlefield before them, resembling the surface of the moon, Saber was instantly left speechless, while Irisviel covered her mouth, her eyes filled with shock.
"How could this be? This was really the battlefield where Berserker and Lancer fought?"
It was not as though she had never witnessed battles between Heroic Spirits before. From Saber and Lancer's initial duel of swordsmanship and spearmanship to their later battle against the Sea Monster summoned by Caster, and the release of the holy sword's Noble Phantasm, she had seen it all firsthand.
She had originally thought that even the fiercest battles would only destroy some of the surrounding area. But she had never expected Berserker and Lancer's battle to leave the battlefield in such a state, as if it had endured a large-scale modern war.
Rider said gravely, "King of Knights, you should understand that this was neither ordinary magecraft nor the effect of a Noble Phantasm unleashed at full power. It was the purest display of strength from two Heroic Spirits."
Saber's expression became extremely solemn. She understood the deeper meaning behind Rider's words.
Most of the destruction in that battle had not come from Noble Phantasms, but from the combat skills and physical abilities of the two Heroic Spirits themselves.
Although part of it had been caused by the force of Noble Phantasm strikes, it was insignificant compared to the devastation across the entire battlefield.
"Saber!"
Irisviel looked at Saber worriedly. She had noticed that ever since arriving at this battlefield, Saber's expression had become unusually grave. It was the first time she had ever seen Saber so serious.
Clearly, Saber and Rider had both realized a terrifying fact from this battlefield—Berserker's current strength had already surpassed all imagination.
"I'm fine, Irisviel." Saber reassured her, then looked at Rider. "King of Conquerors, did you seek an alliance with me because you want me to deal with Berserker?"
Rider laughed heartily. "King of Knights, you truly understand my thoughts. I heard that you and Berserker have a duel between knights awaiting you. As it happens, I also have a score to settle with Archer. Among the remaining four Heroic Spirits, how about we divide things this way? After the victors of our respective battles emerge, we will have our final confrontation."
Saber understood Rider's intention.
If they did not form an alliance, Rider would very likely turn his attention toward her first. After all, no one wanted to see the liberated holy sword bloom with dazzling light while they were fighting someone else.
But with this covenant, Rider could settle his grudge with Archer without any worries, without fearing an attack from behind.
With Berserker's immense strength, if he attacked from behind, Rider would have no way to withstand him. Therefore, he had to find someone to keep Berserker occupied, and Saber was undoubtedly the most suitable choice.
Although the proposal carried a certain hint of threat toward Saber, she was not angered. She merely nodded slightly and said, "Very well. I accept this covenant, King of Conquerors."
Rider smiled in satisfaction. "Then it is agreed, King of Knights."
Their hands clasped tightly together. At that moment, they reached a certain unspoken understanding.
After returning to the Emiya Residence, Irisviel could not wait for Saber to clear up her doubts.
She could understand the matter of the covenant, but she did not understand why Saber's expression had become so grave after merely taking one look at the battlefield.
Irisviel asked anxiously, "Saber, has Berserker's strength truly exceeded our imagination?"
She was deeply worried that if that was the case, their path toward achieving their dream would become extraordinarily difficult.
Saber nodded and slowly said, "Irisviel, Lancelot may have reached the Spirit Core Limit."
"...?"
Irisviel looked utterly confused, clearly not understanding what the "Spirit Core Limit" meant.
So Saber patiently explained, "Simply put, the Spirit Origin is the framework that carries the soul of a Heroic Spirit. Once it reaches its limit, a Servant's physical abilities will also reach their limit, and all aspects of their abilities will surpass their original level."
"Saber..."
Irisviel hesitated, wanting to ask Saber whether she still had the confidence to defeat such a powerful Berserker.
But when she recalled Saber's grave expression from earlier, she swallowed the question. Saber probably did not have absolute confidence either.
Thinking of the fractured relationship between Kiritsugu and Saber, sorrow welled up in her heart.
Seeing Irisviel's concern, Saber smiled slightly. "It's all right, Irisviel. Don't worry. Even against Lancelot as he is now, I will not be afraid."
Even in the Saber class, her parameters were not low. Even if she could not compare to Lancelot at the Spirit Core Limit, the gap would not be too great.
Moreover, she possessed the inherent skill Mana Burst, which could also enhance her strength. She also held a powerful holy sword in her hand, giving her a certain chance of victory in battle.
What truly worried Saber was Irisviel's physical condition.
If they could not resolve the Lesser Grail's problem soon, then after the battle with Lancelot ended, Irisviel would very likely lose her life. She did not want to see this pure and beautiful girl die like this.
Saber looked at Irisviel seriously, her gaze filled with sincerity.
"Irisviel, there is something I hope you can promise me."
"What is it?"
"Do not easily give up your life, Irisviel. No matter who it is for, there should be better things waiting for you in your life. You should not so easily abandon yourself for the Holy Grail, for dreams and long-held wishes."
"Saber..."
Irisviel's heart was filled with warmth. She had never expected that the one who truly cared about her, who valued her life, would be Saber.
As a homunculus, she had been born for the Einzbern Family, to fulfill the long-held wish of the Holy Grail War.
She had already enjoyed more than nine colorful years in this world, and she should have been content. After all, she had experienced many important stages of life. She had gained emotions, gained a man, and even had a child.
Thinking of her child, the girl she had given birth to, a stab of pain pierced Irisviel's heart. She was so reluctant to leave that child behind.
Raising her head, Irisviel looked into Saber's expectant eyes and could not help but nod.
"I promise you, Saber. I will not easily give up my life."
Seeing Irisviel agree, a great weight lifted from Saber's heart. As long as Irisviel possessed such resolve, many things could still turn around.
"Then, Irisviel, I will charge Avalon now, so it can protect you better."
Before you continue