Inside the Einzbern Castle, Irisviel lay quietly within the prepared magic circle. If not for her deathly pale complexion, the girl could have easily been mistaken for simply sleeping peacefully.
Flandre stood guard by Irisviel's side, struggling to suppress the rampaging power surging within her body. Unfortunately, this sort of thing was not Flandre's area of expertise. All she could manage was to stabilize the situation enough to prevent Irisviel's condition from deteriorating further—anything beyond that was beyond her capabilities.
Just as Flandre was at her wit's end, unsure what to do next, the door to the room opened, and Yoru walked in.
"Master… Don't tell me—you already defeated Rider?"
Flandre looked at Yoru in surprise. The girl found it hard to believe. Rider was undoubtedly a powerful opponent. Even Flandre herself had felt helpless in the face of Ionioi Hetairoi, that terrifying Noble Phantasm.
"No. At a critical moment, Saber suddenly appeared and helped me. Although… I'm still not quite sure why."
Yoru explained with a helpless expression on his face.
Even now, he still found it difficult to believe. Why would Artoria harbor such deep and inexplicable feelings for him?
At first, he even suspected that it might be some kind of elaborate trap devised by Kiritsugu Emiya. That kind of man pulling a stunt like this wouldn't surprise him in the least.
But he soon dismissed the idea—because Saber's eyes had told him everything.
He could feel the emotions she conveyed—emotions that were strikingly similar to his own. A burning, passionate intensity. Love at first sight was supposed to be something that only happened in fairy tales, and yet… somehow, he had already experienced it twice.
He touched the tip of his nose and let out a small laugh. Unfortunately, it was likely that he would never be able to return her feelings.
Kneeling down and looking tenderly at the woman before him, Yoru gently held her hand.
He was already carrying far too many burdens. There was no room to take on even more. Saber, as a Heroic Spirit, was fated to be nothing more than a fleeting encounter. Once the Holy Grail War ended, she would return to where she belonged.
"All right, I've activated the magic circle. You don't need to keep suppressing the power in Irisviel's body anymore."
As Yoru spoke, he channeled mana into the circle beneath Irisviel. Instantly, the blue halo began to flow gently around the array.
Flandre nodded lightly and withdrew her power. The prolonged and intense mana output had worn her down.
Mana was the only thing keeping a Servant anchored in the world. Once depleted, it wouldn't just weaken their combat strength—it would also make it impossible for them to maintain physical form.
"Let's go… I don't know why Saber helped me, but as her comrade, I can't just watch her face the enemy alone."
With those words, Yoru led Flandre out of the castle hall. Outside, in the central courtyard, the battle was already nearing its end.
Waver silently watched everything unfolding before him. Though he hadn't seen the moment Saber faced Rider's army alone, he could imagine just how brutal that scene must have been.
From the bloodstained and tattered state of her armor, one could still feel the killing intent radiating from her. In less than ten minutes… how many enemies had this girl slain?
The thought alone sent shivers down Waver's spine, making it hard for him to stay on his feet.
He was, at his core, a coward. Even though he had stolen his mentor Kayneth's relic and joined the Holy Grail War, deep down, Waver was still timid and fearful.
It was because of this cowardice that a few threatening words from Kayneth had once rendered him speechless. It was because of this cowardice that he constantly threw tantrums over Rider's reckless behavior.
His legs trembled, his eyelids twitched—Waver desperately wanted to run. To flee Fuyuki, to hell with the Holy Grail War. Let this insane game go to hell.
But he didn't run—because standing before him now was his Servant. Fighting for his sake. Fighting to win the Holy Grail and dedicate that victory to him.
"Rider, by the command seal—I order you to restore all your mana, then take Saber's head and offer me victory."
Thus, the boy raised his hand and shouted loudly, without hesitation or confusion, as he used his second Command Seal.
The power of a Command Seal was beyond comprehension—truly unimaginable. While vague commands like "Win the Holy Grail War" or "Defeat this opponent" might not yield perfect results, specific instructions like this were absolute.
For instance, upon hearing the command to restore mana, Rider immediately felt a powerful force flood his body. The massive amount of mana he had lost from using Ionioi Hetairoi was rapidly replenished.
While not fully back to peak condition—and certainly unable to use Ionioi Hetairoi again—Rider had recovered roughly 70 to 80 percent of his strength.
"Hah… This puts me in a bit of a spot. But still, nicely done. That's how a proper Master should be—fighting side by side with their Servant!"
Rider said proudly, raising his head to look at the girl standing before him, leaning on her sword—Saber.
"What a shame, Saber… or should I say, Artoria. Without a Master, without the support of your strongest backup, you're no match for me and my little Master working together."
"So bear witness to the bond between me and my Master! Now, it's time for you to exit the stage. I won't be polite about taking the famous Knight King's head!"
As his voice fell, Rider raised his sword high and swung it fiercely down at Saber.
And yet, Saber remained standing there motionless. It was clear that she had reached her limit. The exhausted girl had no strength left to resist, forced to watch helplessly as Rider's blade came crashing toward her head.
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