Dawn had broken. Today marked the penultimate day of the Holy Grail War. After Lancer and Rider both withdrew the night before last, only three Servants remained.
Originally, Yoru had been worried that Archer might launch a surprise attack during the night. And if that had happened, Yoru honestly didn't have the confidence to put up a fight.
With Saber gravely wounded and still unconscious, relying solely on himself and Flandre would make it incredibly difficult to stand against the most powerful of the Golden Servants.
Maybe it wasn't entirely hopeless, but aside from Saber, there was also Irisviel—someone Yoru couldn't afford to neglect.
Archer might be known as the famed King of Heroes, but the impression he left on Yoru was vastly different from the other two kings.
The hostility in that man's eyes and the constant aura of brutality and bloodlust around him made Yoru deeply uneasy. At worst, Rider was just a war-hungry tyrant, but Archer—he was a true despot.
A tyrant who would do whatever cruel thing he pleased, and no one would be surprised.
In some ways, dealing with an enemy like that was even more frustrating than dealing with Kiritsugu Emiya—or maybe, even worse.
At least Kiritsugu was an open villain. A clearly despicable man that you knew you needed to guard against. Archer, on the other hand… was impossible to read.
You'd expect the oldest Heroic King to show some measure of grace and kingly demeanor, but he was nothing more than a self-indulgent bastard, spewing vulgarities without shame. He'd lose his temper over the smallest things and fly into a blind rage. Yoru simply couldn't muster even a shred of goodwill toward someone like that.
He respected Rider. Admired him, even. But toward Archer? There wasn't a trace of that feeling.
Though Archer was a king, Yoru couldn't see a single ounce of royal dignity in him.
Hot-headed, foul-mouthed, violent—Yoru couldn't even imagine what kind of world a country ruled by that man would look like.
The morning sun shone harshly on Yoru's face. As he stepped out of the main hall, the man blinked wearily. He'd stayed up all night beside his wife, too worried about a potential ambush by Archer to sleep.
Now that it was morning, he could barely stand. His body, still human, couldn't withstand going so many nights without rest. On top of that, Flandre had drained so much of his blood that this current state of exhaustion was hardly surprising.
"Master, are you alright?"
Flandre, who had also stayed up the whole night, walked over and gently supported Yoru, who looked like he could collapse at any moment.
"I'm fine. Just tired, that's all."
Yoru shook his head lightly, rubbing his temples as he spoke in a low voice.
"How's Saber? Has she woken up?"
"Not yet… and for some reason, her wounds aren't healing at all. In fact, they seem to be getting worse. Her mana's growing weaker too… it's like she might disappear at any moment."
Flandre frowned slightly, her voice laced with concern. No matter how you looked at it, Saber was a crucial ally. Losing her now would be a real shame.
"I see… You go get some rest, Flandre. I think I know what needs to be done."
"Okay. But you make sure to rest too, Master."
Nodding obediently, Flandre—being more active at night by nature—headed off to her room to sleep. Meanwhile, Yoru made his way to the room where Saber was lying.
The reason Saber's wounds wouldn't heal and were worsening was simple—she had betrayed her original Master, Kiritsugu Emiya, and broken the contract between Servant and Master. Without a mana source, she was left powerless.
When a Servant loses their Master, unless they possess Independent Action like Archer, they can't remain in the world for long. The fact that Saber had even survived this long after such an intense battle was remarkable. But now, it seemed, she had reached her limit.
Getting her to stay was simple—Yoru just had to form a new contract with her. It wasn't complicated. As long as one possessed Command Seals, they had the right to contract with a Servant.
Once both sides agreed, the contract could be established smoothly.
"I hope you'll lend me your strength, Saber."
Yoru said as he gently took Saber's hand. The crimson Command Seals on the back of his hand began to glow with a strange light.
The moment the contract was formed, a surge of mana rushed into Saber's body, and in a matter of moments, her injuries were completely healed.
To instantly heal a severely wounded Servant—that was the miraculous power of the Holy Grail and the Command Seals.
With all her injuries gone, Saber slowly opened her eyes. Though she had been unconscious, she was fully aware of everything Yoru had done. After all, she couldn't have responded to the contract while unconscious if she hadn't been aware.
Becoming Yoru's Servant filled her heart with nothing but joy. She had always been meant to serve him—and now, at last, she had returned to his side.
"Thus the contract is sealed. My sword is yours. Your fate is mine."
Tears of emotion welled in her eyes as Saber spoke. The girl struggled to sit up on the bed, and the blanket covering her gently slid off.
Yoru immediately turned his head away in embarrassment. The reason was obvious—under the blanket, Saber had been completely naked, not a single piece of clothing in sight.
It must've been when Flandre brought her to bed last night. Seeing her bloodied and in tattered clothes, Flandre probably undressed her to clean her up…
But still, that girl… couldn't she have left something on her?!
Yoru didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Meanwhile, Saber realized the awkward situation as well.
But instead of reacting like most girls—screaming and hiding in shame—Saber didn't seem to mind at all. She didn't seem the least bit embarrassed to have her body seen by Yoru.
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