However... when Artoria caught sight of Shirou Chiko lying unconscious on the bed from the corner of her eye... she felt another pang of pain and conflict in her heart.
After a long while, perhaps her conversation with Leonidas had helped Artoria understand something, perhaps she had ultimately been unable to overcome the kindness in her heart... or perhaps this was simply the "fate" between her and Shirou. At that moment, Artoria finally made her decision.
This was not a world he should have entered. This was not pain he should have endured.
This Holy Grail War should not make this young boy into a sacrifice...
"Leonidas... I want to save him. I want to save this boy..."
The Battle at Einzbern Castle
Saving Shirou Chiko was not something Artoria and Leonidas could accomplish by themselves.
After all, she, Artoria Pendragon, was not the Artoria Caster who would appear in the Lostbelt in the future.
"What are you planning to do, Arthur...?"
Taking off her gloves and gently holding Shirou Chiko's little hand, Artoria's gaze grew firmer as she spoke.
"Magical matters should be handled by a magus..."
"A magus... are you planning to leave Kiritsugu?"
Artoria did not answer, but Leonidas, sensing her determination, understood clearly that she had made up her mind to take the child on the bed away from Kiritsugu Emiya.
In truth, Leonidas disliked Kiritsugu Emiya as well.
Like Artoria, he was a warrior and King who saw protecting his people as his duty. Although he and Artoria could understand many of Kiritsugu Emiya's actions, neither could truly accept them.
But unlike Artoria, who had found her goal for the coming days, Leonidas, who merely wanted a good, satisfying fight, had not found a reason to leave Kiritsugu Emiya.
"Fine by me. Arthur, I've always wanted to cross blades with you... Settle this brat somewhere safe first... then, if there's a chance, let's have a decisive battle."
Raising a hand to pat his massive chest muscles, Leonidas grinned carelessly. Without question, he had made his decision.
"Thank you... Leonidas."
Artoria sincerely thanked Leonidas, but she did not immediately hurry off with Shirou Chiko.
Even with Leonidas's help, taking Shirou Chiko away from Kiritsugu Emiya would not be easy.
After all, Einsbern Castle was covered by a detection barrier, and the contract between Artoria and Kiritsugu Emiya still remained.
If Artoria left the castle without reason, Kiritsugu Emiya would likely discover through the barrier that she had taken Shirou Chiko and activate a Command Seal the moment she left... Artoria could hardly strike first and kill her current Master.
Therefore, if Artoria wanted to take Shirou Chiko away from Kiritsugu Emiya and Zouken Matou, she had to wait for the right opportunity...
Night fell, and the silver moonlight spread across the earth.
Under the hazy moonlight, Einsbern Castle seemed draped in a dreamy veil.
Within the forest at the very edge of the castle's barrier, the energetic Kischur Zelretch was evaluating the dreamlike castle before him with an expression of disgust as he spoke to Marisbury beside him.
"This is the standard of the prestigious Einzbern family...? Wasteful. Utterly wasteful. These barrier nodes should have been put to use, with magical traps arranged around them... And that castle too—such a structure built from so many precious materials, yet it is not even a workshop. If it were you or me..."
Marisbury, who had always lacked funds and had entered this Holy Grail War primarily to obtain money through a wish upon the Holy Grail, also seemed displeased by the "extravagantly wasteful" castle before him.
Always smiling and gentle like a refined young nobleman no matter the occasion, Marisbury actually picked up where Kischur Zelretch had left off.
"If it were you or me, we could at least build a temple... What about you, Solomon?"
"Master, there is no difference. Whether it is sand and dirt or precious materials, they are all the same to me..."
They exchanged glances. After hearing Solomon say that in such a matter-of-fact tone, Kischur Zelretch and Marisbury both saw a certain longing in each other's eyes...
"Hey, are you three done talking? What waste, what materials... Tch. After we win, just take it all, won't you?"
Mordred had no interest whatsoever in the conversation among the three. Looking at the dreamlike castle beneath the moonlight in the distance, she had long been impatient to have a "loving slaughter" with her Father King. Why would she care about the endless chatter of three Magi?
Summoning her greatsword with a raised hand, the impatient Mordred was the first to stride into the barrier with high spirits.
"Mordred, slaughter to your heart's content!"
A Command Seal vanished from the back of Kischur Zelretch's hand. As Mordred took that step, Kischur Zelretch's Perfect Finale began.
Against intruders, the barrier of Einsbern Castle naturally carried out its duty faithfully, sounding an alarm to Kiritsugu Emiya the instant it discovered the invaders.
However, its life lasted only for that instant.
The moment Solomon entered the barrier beside his Master... the barrier painstakingly crafted by the Einzbern family shattered outright.
Bang!
Looking up at the barrier in the sky as it broke into countless fragments and turned into specks of luminous sand, Kiritsugu Emiya confirmed from the final information transmitted by the barrier that there were four intruders. He immediately climbed out of bed. Without even having time to get dressed, he opened his wardrobe and began checking the weapons at hand.
But clearly, Kiritsugu Emiya did not have much time to prepare.
With a roar, the castle's heavy gates crashed to the ground. Carrying a greatsword and clad in heavy armor, Mordred, making no attempt to conceal herself, was the first to enter the castle courtyard.
Fast—far too fast.
Only a dozen seconds had passed since Kiritsugu Emiya learned of the invaders, yet Mordred had already crossed several hundred meters of forest and entered the castle.
"Arthur... come out... face me!"
Excited and uneasy at once, Mordred unconsciously bared her fangs in a grin. Holding a "shield" in one hand and a sword in the other, she stood directly in the center of the castle garden and challenged Artoria...
Three figures descended. In response to Mordred's intrusion, the three Servants had naturally come to the garden under the orders of their respective "Masters." Kiritsugu Emiya appeared alongside them.
"Hehehe... Kill her!"
Letting out a sinister cackle, Kiritsugu Emiya, who looked wrong in every way, pointed at Mordred in the courtyard the instant he appeared and gave the order.
"Get lost... This is a duel between Arthur and me..."
Neither Arthur nor Leonidas responded to Kiritsugu Emiya's order. Instead, the unidentified Berserker immediately roared and launched an attack at Mordred.
"Caster... fulfill your agreement with me!"
Solomon's Methods, Kischur Zelretch Battles Kiritsugu Emiya Again
"What a splendid battle... Is this what it looks like when Servants slaughter each other, Solomon?"
Standing atop the castle wall as though he were watching a stage play, Marisbury sounded admiring, but Solomon could easily tell that his praise was actually mockery.
"I cannot achieve such a thing... As for Servants..."
"Servants... What incredible power. Solomon, I'm suddenly a little worried. I think I might lose."
"Please rest assured... In a few days, those remaining by your side will be nothing more than ordinary people."
They smiled at each other. Perhaps this was the tacit understanding between this Master and Servant whose fate had brought them together.
At that moment, both understood the humor in the other's "joke."
Just as the Master and Servant pair, who had always seemed mysterious, were having their inexplicable "joking" conversation.
Below, Mordred, having driven Berserker back for who knew how many times, roared for Solomon once again.
"Enough joking, Solomon. It's time... We've kept Miss Mordred waiting long enough."
"Understood."
The smile vanished from his face as Solomon returned to the solemn demeanor of a King and made his move.
There were no dazzling effects, nor was there any scene that made one's blood boil.
A faint glow like a Fire Fly lit up from one of the rings on Solomon's hand. Then, Artoria and Mordred vanished from the garden.
After transferring Artoria and Mordred away.
Solomon stepped through the air and walked down the castle wall one step at a time. Straightening his robe, he approached Kiritsugu Emiya, Leonidas, and Berserker before their very eyes.
Facing Solomon, who had casually made two Servants disappear, they could roughly infer from the details revealed beneath his robe that he was Caster—the Servant least suited for direct combat among the seven standard classes.
Yet the small display Solomon had just made was enough to make even a Caster a dangerous opponent.
However, just because the Master and Servant trio did not move did not mean Solomon intended to stand there with them.
A glimmer flashed through his eyes beneath the hood. In an instant, magecraft equivalent to the effect of Gilgamesh's Star of Revelation activated, and Solomon effortlessly read all the information on the three people before him.
"Let's see... Lancer—Leonidas, a warrior with muscles for brains... But you are a decent fellow.
Berserker—Xu Chu. So you are a warrior from that continent... I see. You were summoned through an illegal method. No wonder your Noble Phantasm and inherent skills are all sealed, requiring a special Command Seal to unlock them.
As for you... Zouken Matou... I will refrain from commenting."
Solomon gave Zouken Matou, who wore Kiritsugu Emiya's appearance, a mysterious smile. Having nearly been unable to resist purifying Zouken Matou just moments earlier, Solomon swept his gaze over the three and ended his assessment.
Leonidas did not care about Solomon's remarks at all. After all, Solomon's words had been fair enough; Leonidas truly was a musclehead. Berserker cared even less, since he did not possess a shred of reason. Without orders, he was simply a puppet.
But it was different for Zouken Matou.
It was true that he had used an illegal summoning method to summon Berserker, but... how did the Caster before him know? Zouken Matou was certain that the method he had used to summon Berserker was a secret known only to himself.
Could he clearly see the past?
Then what about the future?
Could this Caster see that as well?
He suddenly broke apart into a mass of insects, then reassembled himself once more.
Restored to his own appearance, Zouken Matou's gaze at Caster gradually became greedy.
"Berserker, capture him for this old man! I want him alive!"
"...What is going on? Berserker, didn't you hear me? Capture him for this old man!"
"Damn it, what are you doing? Carry out this old man's order!"
However... no matter what methods Zouken Matou used, Berserker acted as though he had not heard a single command. He remained standing motionlessly in place like a puppet.
Again and again, Zouken Matou failed to make Berserker act.
The greed filling Zouken Matou's heart gradually faded, allowing him to regain his senses. He looked at the motionless Berserker, then at the lower half of Solomon's face, which wore a faintly amused expression.
Damn it... This old man lost his composure so easily... I must replace this ruined body as soon as possible.
Making Zouken Matou unable to command Berserker was simple—at least, it was simple for Solomon.
He merely had to block the commands Zouken Matou issued through various means and prevent them from reaching Berserker.
Without an order, or without a Command Seal to release part of his sanity, Berserker was little more than a puppet.
Having already obtained all the information on the three people before him, Solomon found such a minor trick absurdly easy.
After dealing with Zouken Matou and Berserker, all Solomon had to do was keep an eye on Leonidas and allow this Perfect Finale to proceed smoothly according to the script.
While Solomon effortlessly sealed Berserker away and kept Leonidas in check.
With Solomon's help this time, Kischur Zelretch quickly found Kiritsugu Emiya on the roof of Einsbern Castle, where he was holding a sniper rifle and monitoring the garden.
For Kiritsugu Emiya, who had grown up amid war, watching in all directions and listening to every sound was merely a basic ability.
Thus, the instant Kischur Zelretch stepped onto the castle roof, a battle that needed no words began atop the open rooftop.
Mercury danced with bullets, while brass casings striking mercury projectiles played an impassioned symphony.
"Kiritsugu Emiya, how long are you going to keep playing these little tricks? Where is your Origin Bullet?!"
Twisting aside, Kiritsugu Emiya avoided the mercury blade rushing at him.
Hearing Kischur Zelretch mention the words Origin Bullet, Kiritsugu Emiya silently picked up a Submachine Gun that had been placed on the castle roof beforehand. Then, without hesitation, he opened fire on Kischur Zelretch.
"Or do you think a defeated opponent like me is not worth using an Origin Bullet on? Kiritsugu Emiya... There are limits to looking down on people!"
Just as Kischur Zelretch mistakenly believed Kiritsugu Emiya was refusing to use the Origin Bullet because he looked down on him, angrily shouting at Kiritsugu Emiya.
Kiritsugu Emiya had never underestimated anyone. The only reason he did not use the Origin Bullet was that, to achieve its greatest effect, it had to catch the enemy by surprise.
With Kischur Zelretch already aware of its existence and certain to guard against it, the Origin Bullet was far from the best choice.
Glancing at the recoilless cannon lying along the other side of the roof, disguised as a rooftop drainage pipe, Kiritsugu Emiya continued inching toward it by pulling himself along, silently calculating.
Kischur Zelretch Fell Again...