Influence, The Holy Grail, and Irisviel

The Noble Phantasm's light slowly dissipated, and within a two-hundred-meter radius, the impossibly neat and perfect cut surfaces silently testified to the Black Knight's Noble Phantasm's terrifyingly powerful destructive force.

The Black Knight's voice echoed through the silent forest, carrying a hint of imperceptible joy and satisfaction.

"Master, Archer has been eliminated."

"I know."

Shiki responded, his tone calm. Everything had unfolded as he expected.

Archer's defeat was, in a sense, predetermined.

While King's Treasure was called a Noble Phantasm, its essence was actually a form of magecraft.

The upgraded "Red Rose of Purgation" just so happened to counter this magecraft, easily severing the connection between it and Archer.

Without the ability to activate King's Treasure and no Noble Phantasm to wield, how could Gilgamesh possibly escape?

"Although the plan had a slight hiccup, the final result turned out well."

Shiki murmured to himself, recalling their initial plan.

Originally, he and the Black Knight had intended to force Archer to reveal EA, then use "Red Rose of Purgation" to sever the connection, compelling Archer to fight with EA in hand.

Perhaps that would have been more troublesome; EA's power was not something to be trifled with.

However, Gilgamesh was too arrogant and looked down on the Black Knight, believing him unworthy of facing EA. As a result, he never got the chance to draw his sword again.

Shiki shifted the bow in his hand. Fortunately, with the Winter Saintess's support, the Noble Phantasm didn't feel heavy in his grasp.

"Mr. Lancelot, let's head back. Tonight's operation was a success."

"As you command, Master."

A smile touched the Black Knight's lips as he slowly vanished into the shadows of the forest.

Tonight, he and his Master had successfully hunted another Heroic Spirit.

Now, only three Heroic Spirits remained in the Holy Grail War.

Tomorrow, as long as they could eliminate Rider, he would be able to fight the Saber, King of Knights, as promised.

At the thought, an irrepressible anticipation surged within the Black Knight. He yearned for that day to arrive, for it was the most important moment of his short life.

Using the Deva Path ability, Shiki flew towards Mount Sonoyama like a shooting star, concealed by the darkness of the night.

Many things awaited him tomorrow, so tonight he needed to rest well.

However, while Shiki was preparing to savor the afterglow of victory, Kiritsugu was plunged into extreme anxiety.

When he saw the fierce conflict erupting near the church from afar, an ominous premonition welled up in his heart. By the time he rushed to the church, the battle had already ended, and the scene was deathly silent.

He didn't know who had won this battle. As he walked into the church, he saw a heavily wounded Kirei Kotomine lying amidst the ruins.

Kiritsugu's heart sank. This dangerous individual, whom he had never been able to fully understand, had actually been defeated.

Then, according to his deductions, the powerful Archer had likely also been eliminated. Coupled with the memory of the young Master he encountered in the new city earlier, a startling hypothesis surfaced in Kiritsugu's mind.

"Berserker defeated Archer!!"

Adding to what he had learned from Irisviel about Berserker defeating Lancelot, Berserker had managed to defeat two Servants in just two days.

Lancelot aside, Kiritsugu considered him not to be of top-tier strength, so his defeat was somewhat understandable. But Archer's power was evident to all, and now he too had fallen to Berserker, which filled Kiritsugu with unprecedented pressure.

The Holy Grail War was drawing to a close, and his relationship with Saber had become extremely tense, almost completely broken, due to Irisviel.

Kiritsugu knew very well that under these circumstances, it would be difficult for him to receive any assistance from Saber. Then, could he still reach the end of this brutal Holy Grail War?

The answer seemed obvious; hope was slim.

"I can't defeat anyone alone, especially Berserker's Master. We must unite all our forces to deal with Berserker."

Kiritsugu pondered, slowly lowering the gun he had been pointing at Kirei Kotomine.

Before, Kiritsugu had desperately wanted to finish off this Priest with a single shot, but now, he had to weigh the pros and cons.

The consequences of killing the Priest were too severe, not because he feared the Priest's influence, nor because he had suddenly become merciful, but because he knew that to obtain the Holy Grail, he must utilize all available power.

This unfathomable Priest had crossed paths with that young man and should be considered a fighting force.

Kiritsugu stood there, lost in thought for a long time. Finally, he bent down, picked up the heavily wounded Kirei Kotomine, and silently left the church, which had now become a ruin, his figure casting a long shadow in the moonlight.

Meanwhile, at the Emiya Residence in Miyamachi, Irisviel was leaning in Saber's arms, trembling slightly.

"Irisviel!! Please, hold on!"

Saber tightly gripped Irisviel's hand, continuously channeling her own magical energy into her, activating Irisviel's conceptual armament, Avalon, to maximize its protective effect, sustain Irisviel's life, and prevent her form from dissipating and becoming the Holy Grail.

Golden light slowly illuminated Irisviel's body. Irisviel gritted her teeth, trying her best to endure, sweat soaking her silver hair, the strands clinging to her cheeks.

Her face was as pale as paper, yet it held a tragic beauty.

This struggle lasted for more than ten minutes, and finally, the golden light stabilized, achieving victory. Another minute or two later, Irisviel, cradled in Saber's arms, slowly opened her eyes.

Irisviel managed a weak smile towards Saber and said faintly, "Saber, I promised you I would cherish my life. This time, I held on."

Hearing Irisviel's voice, Saber was overjoyed. She hugged her tightly and said excitedly, "That's wonderful, Irisviel! You won! That's wonderful!"

Yes, Irisviel had won.

With a tenacious will, coupled with Avalon's immense power, she temporarily overcame the Holy Grail's corruption, preventing her form from immediately dissolving into the Grail.

Irisviel stood up, but her own weakness forced her to lean on Saber's shoulder. She whispered, "Listen to me, Saber. Another Servant was just eliminated. The opponent's Servant soul was incredibly vast; he alone managed to fill the Lesser Grail. I think, Saber, you know who it was."

Saber's heart sank, and she slowly uttered the name, "Archer."

In this Holy Grail War, if there was one Servant whose soul could match four or five others, it would only be the King of Heroes, Archer Gilgamesh. His Servant soul had the largest scale.

As for who made the move, Saber could also guess.

"It was Lancelot."

With Archer's death, only three Servants remained.

Rider had a pact with her, and they would contact each other when confronting Archer.

But since she hadn't received any contact from Rider, it meant Rider wasn't the one who acted. The most likely candidate was Lancelot.

The thought of Lancelot being able to defeat Archer made Saber's feelings even more complicated.

Lancelot's strength surpassed her expectations. The upcoming battle with Lancelot, even with their mutual understanding and familiarity, was full of variables. More than anything, she felt a strong curiosity about her friend's power.

Lancelot's Master possessed a miraculous ability, capable of restoring sanity to a rampaging Berserker.

Could that person...

Saber looked at Irisviel. What worried her even more was the girl beside her.

Irisviel also noticed Saber's concern, but she misunderstood, thinking Saber was worried about the upcoming battles.

In reality, she had been deeply troubled, not only by the relationship between Kiritsugu and Saber but also by her own deteriorating physical condition.

She understood the terrifying nature of that mysterious and dangerous Berserker better than anyone.

After changing Masters, two Servants had been eliminated in just two days, and the rampaging Berserker had been restored to sanity. From any perspective, the Berserker team was the most dangerous existence in the Holy Grail War.

"Saber, if it's possible, I wish..."

Irisviel wanted to ask Saber and Kiritsugu to join forces, believing they might be able to hold on in the upcoming battles. But as soon as the words left her mouth, she realized it seemed a bit too demanding for Saber.

"Irisviel?"

Finally, Irisviel forced a smile and said, "It's nothing. I was just thinking, if only this day could last forever, if only tomorrow would never come. How wonderful that would be."

How could Saber not see Irisviel's thoughts? She wanted Saber to cooperate with Kiritsugu, but Saber couldn't. She couldn't just stand by and watch Irisviel die.

Saber softly said, "Irisviel, please rest well. I will stay by your side."

"Thank you, Saber."

The struggle against the Holy Grail within her was far more difficult than Irisviel had imagined, and it had drained her of too much energy.

Saber gently laid Irisviel on the bed and watched her gradually fall asleep. She suddenly stood up, clenching her fists tightly. She knew she couldn't wait passively any longer; she had to take the initiative.

Otherwise, Irisviel might not last until the next Servant was eliminated.

Although Saber wasn't very skilled in conventional magecraft, there was one type of magecraft that was essential for their Knights of the Round Table – a communication signal.

Arriving at the entrance of the Emiya Residence, Saber attached this signal to a familiar and gently spoke to the small bird.

"Be good, beautiful bird. Go now, go find that person."

The little bird tilted its head, preened its feathers, then turned and flew into the darkness.

Saber quietly watched the receding figure of the bird, silently praying that tomorrow would bring good news.