When Satsuki returned home once more, she found Iphis crouching painfully in the corner of the living room.
Her condition was quite unusual—her pale face drenched in sweat, breathing rapid and labored.
"Ugh~~"
After observing her condition with her Tenseigan, Satsuki spoke calmly.
"This is a normal physiological phenomenon for women. You'll get used to it in time."
"I... I thought you'd at least say something to comfort me."
Beads of sweat dripped continuously from Iphis' forehead. Her once-smooth silver hair now appeared disheveled, and her entire being was trapped in the agony of a tearing pain.
"If you wish, I can remove your pain."
Satsuki quietly moved to the side, raising her hand slightly as a flash of blue light flickered across it.
"No!"
Iphis raised her pale face with difficulty, looking up at Satsuki. "It's just my first time… I'm not used to it yet."
"Then I suggest you get used to it as soon as possible."
With that, Satsuki turned away and entered the kitchen.
"Honestly… Ugh…"
Just as she wanted to complain more, Iphis doubled over again, clutching her stomach.
However, moments later, Satsuki emerged from the kitchen holding a tea set—inside, warm brown sugar ginger tea.
She came to Iphis' side, gently supporting her upper body with one hand, and handed the drink to her. "Drink this."
…What a contradictory person.
A faint joy flickered through Iphis' heart, but her hands did not hesitate—she accepted the bowl and drank it down.
It wasn't particularly tasty. To Iphis, it was a strange and unfamiliar flavor, yet her body gradually grew warm beneath the effect of the brown sugar ginger tea. The pain within her eased little by little.
Half an hour later, the pain finally subsided, and Iphis' complexion looked much better.
At Satsuki's urging, she went to take a shower, washing away her sweat and fatigue. When she stepped out wearing a yukata, her expression had finally returned to normal.
At that moment, Satsuki had already prepared dinner. It had to be said that when some abilities were used for domestic life, they could produce unexpectedly delightful results—and terrifying efficiency.
After all, she herself didn't need to eat. Usually, preparing one portion of food was enough.
"Saver, was the battle smooth?"
At a loss for words, Iphis simply asked a meaningless question.
"Though there were some unexpected turns, everything remained within expectations."
Taking a sip of hot soup, Iphis began to eat while speaking, "So, the final battle is coming, right?"
"Yes. You'll need to be cautious as well." Satsuki glanced toward the window with a faint look. "If they can't find a weakness in me, you might become their next target."
"After all, with that so-called 'Magus Killer,' Kiritsugu Emiya, around, it's not unlikely…"
At that, Iphis looked toward Satsuki. "Do you have a plan? My body's that of an ordinary magus—it doesn't have much combat ability."
"That's why I've agreed to form an alliance with Tokiomi Tohsaka."
...
"What!!" ×2
The King of Knights and the King of Conquerors both looked in shock at the King of Heroes, who had come to bid them farewell.
"King of Heroes, did I hear correctly? Your Master suddenly decided to withdraw from the Three Kings Alliance?"
"I'm just as unaware." Gilgamesh's face twisted in barely contained rage. "That mongrel, who should have served me with the reverence due to a king, dared to use a Command Seal to force me into such a disgraceful act!"
"If that's true, this is terrible! Lancer has already fallen, and without your Gate of Babylon supporting my Ionioi Hetairoi, there's no way I can withstand her attack."
Iskandar sighed heavily. "Did your Master at least explain why he's withdrawing from the alliance?"
"No. Ever since he returned from a trip outside, his personality changed completely."
Beside them, Lord El-Melloi II frowned in puzzlement. "That's strange. From what I know of Tokiomi Tohsaka, he's not the sort to make such a decision."
That man was a textbook magus—someone who regarded reaching the Root as his family's ultimate purpose in life.
Under such circumstances, for him to have the King of Heroes withdraw from the Three Kings Alliance—
Now that everyone knew how terrifying the power of the Saver faction truly was, this decision was tantamount to handing victory to them on a silver platter.
At that moment, a tremor suddenly rippled across Irisviel's body.
Noticing the abnormality immediately, the King of Knights stepped forward to support her, concern written across her noble face. "Iri, what's wrong?"
"Someone has intruded into the castle's bounded field… but he's temporarily trapped within Lord El-Melloi's Eightfold Golden Lock Formation."
"At this time? Could it be Saver?"
"No. If it were Saver, my bounded field could never restrain her." As he spoke, Lord El-Melloi II sensed the presence again. "It's that executor from the Holy Church."
"Kirei Kotomine? Him?"
At the mention of the name, Kiritsugu Emiya's expression tightened. He instinctively grabbed the gun case beside him, while Maiya Hisau, who had silently followed him all along, raised a submachine gun, ready to move with him.
Lord El-Melloi II lowered his hand, a cigar once again caught between his fingers.
"This time, however, it seems he's not here with hostility. He didn't attempt to violently break through my formation—he merely revealed his presence."
Hearing that, Fujimaru Ritsuka frowned in puzzlement. "Doing that… what could he mean by it?"
El-Melloi's mind worked rapidly. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. "If my guess is correct…"
Then, two voices spoke in unison:
"—He's here to negotiate." ×2
The speakers were Iskandar, the King of Conquerors, and Lord El-Melloi II. Their gazes met for a brief instant, as though they had instantly grasped each other's thoughts.
Well… one could only say, they truly were a natural pair.
Sitting beside Iskandar, Waver watched this exchange with thinly veiled jealousy. But for now, his mind couldn't keep up with such things, and he could only sulk quietly like a pouting wife.
The King of Conquerors spoke again. "Since the other party came to negotiate, we should at least hear him out. After all, our greatest enemy right now is the Saver faction."
El-Melloi nodded in agreement. "That man has some strength and deep cunning, but ultimately, he's just a capable human. He can't possibly compare to the threat posed by Saver."
...
Everyone then turned their gaze toward Kiritsugu Emiya. Among those present, he was undoubtedly the one most opposed to any kind of negotiation with Kirei Kotomine.
"If it helps our current situation, don't mind me," the cold killer said at last, his tone devoid of emotion.
...
Dawn had yet to break.
Kirei Kotomine stood silently outside the Einzbern Castle, its surroundings damp with the morning dew.
It had been several days since the last time he had pursued Kiritsugu Emiya here.
Though the Einzbern Castle was considered one of Fuyuki's most famous landmarks, most of Kirei's time as an apprentice magus had been spent within the Church. This was only the second time he had stepped into the territory ruled by the Einzbern family.
This time, however, he had come for another purpose. Thus, when faced with the strange structures resembling eight towering pillars surrounding the area, he made no rash moves. Instead, he chose to wait quietly in place.
Though his arrival was unexpected, the eight pillars soon dissolved into particles of light—an indication that the master of the castle had permitted entry.
"A style of magecraft I've never seen before…"
With that thought, Kirei stepped forward onto the forest path that had been cleared for visitors.
Ever since the Assassin assigned to monitor the Saver faction had reported on Tokiomi Tohsaka's recent actions, Kirei had not slept since leaving Fuyuki Church the previous night.
Should he reveal what he knew? Should he still stand on the same side as Tokiomi Tohsaka? And what exactly did he seek in this war?
As time passed and he occasionally discussed these matters with Assassin, the answers became somewhat clearer to him. Yet at the same time, he came to understand the dark abyss lurking within his own heart.
The executor moved swiftly. As an agent trained by the Holy Church to combat Dead Apostles, his physical prowess and skill were far beyond that of an ordinary human.
By the time Kirei reached the snow-white castle, he could already see from afar the Masters of Saber and Rider—along with those who, though not participants in the Holy Grail War, had nevertheless been interfering from the sidelines.
He was not here for a mission this time, and polite formalities were not his strength. Therefore, he came straight to the point.
As expected, Kirei Kotomine proposed an alliance with Saber and Rider.
As Saber's Master and the nominal mistress of Einzbern Castle, Irisviel naturally held the authority to conduct negotiations.
If this were a simple alliance, there would be little need to discuss its pros and cons—both sides already understood them well.
But the most critical moment came with Irisviel's next question.
"What is the Holy Church's stance on Kiritsugu?"
"The Magus Killer, Kiritsugu Emiya?" Kirei paused for a moment before replying calmly, "This time, I am proposing this alliance as one of the Masters participating in the Holy Grail War. The pursuit of Kiritsugu Emiya, however, is a joint mission issued by the Holy Church and the Clock Tower. As an executor, I cannot refuse it."
Irisviel considered his words briefly before asking, "Then by your tone, you seem to have another way in mind?"
"As an executor, I cannot reject my duty. But as a Master in this war, I can choose which objectives to prioritize."
Kirei's words were watertight—but the sharp minds among the Einzbern group instantly understood his implication.
In truth, his meaning was clear: during the Holy Grail War, he would temporarily suspend the pursuit of Kiritsugu Emiya—but once the war ended, all bets would be off.
This executor from the Holy Church was indeed deeply calculating.
And that was only natural.
For someone to be recognized by the Magus Killer Kiritsugu Emiya as a dangerous enemy—such a person could not merely be skilled in combat.
What made Kirei Kotomine so unsettling was the expressionless face that betrayed no hint of emotion. Anyone who faced him would feel as if they were standing before a bottomless abyss.
A man whose thoughts ran deep, whose words left no weakness to exploit, and whose heart was ruthless to the core—such an opponent was among the most difficult to deal with.
Still, in truth, this alliance proposal was not as unexpected as it seemed.
From Kirei's perspective, the Holy Grail War currently offered him no tangible reward—it was simply a mission assigned from above, one he could not refuse.
Viewed this way, his relationship with Tokiomi was neither one of betrayal nor loyalty—merely a release from obligation.
Irisviel pondered for a moment before nodding slightly. "You make a fair point. Then, as a self-binding contract, we shall swear that during the Holy Grail War, you are forbidden from taking the initiative to attack Kiritsugu Emiya—and likewise, he shall not act against you."
"There's no need for that."
Kirei Kotomine lifted his gaze toward the figure standing at the second-floor window of the castle—Kiritsugu Emiya. "Such a contract would hold pitifully weak binding force and limited applicability. Even if it were established, I wouldn't trust Kiritsugu Emiya, and he wouldn't trust me."
"Then, Kirei—what do you propose to do?"
At that moment, a proud and commanding voice interrupted their conversation. A golden light flared—and the King of Heroes materialized before them.
"Archer?" Kirei Kotomine regarded the newly arrived Servant expressionlessly. "If my information is correct, you've already been forced to withdraw from your alliance with Saber and the others."
"Did that come from your Assassin's report? Amusing. Even I, the King, cannot discern that Servant's true origin."
Gilgamesh's scarlet eyes glanced down imperiously at Kirei. "Still, I do not deny his strength. And according to the King of Knights, your Servant has already declared open hostility toward Saver. Thus, at least for now, our goals in the Holy Grail War remain aligned. But that man, Tokiomi Tohsaka… his position is far more dubious."
"According to information provided by Assassin, before Tokiomi made contact with Saver's Master, he first visited his wife and daughters—and there, he encountered someone."
"Who?"
The question immediately piqued everyone's curiosity. After all, for a magus like Tokiomi—an orthodox practitioner of the highest pride—to undergo such a drastic change of heart in such a short span of time was almost unthinkable.
"Based on the residual magical circuits left at the scene and the intelligence gathered in recent days, that person was most likely a member of the Matou family."
"The Matou family?"
Irisviel murmured the name as if recalling something familiar, then suddenly understood. "One of the three founding families of the Holy Grail."
"I've heard the same from my father," Kirei said in a low voice. "Among the three magus families who created the Holy Grail, the Matou family should indeed be one of the participants in this current war. And that long-absent final Servant is very likely to belong to their camp…"
The moment that revelation dropped, everyone present froze in shock. Only then did they realize that throughout the entire Holy Grail War, there had been one Servant who had yet to appear.
That was the Berserker.
Instantly, a chilling hypothesis arose in everyone's mind—
—That the Master of Berserker had very likely formed some degree of alliance with Saver's Master.