The cold wind blew mercilessly beneath the walls of the holy city.
Atop those towering white walls stood two imposing figures, side by side.
On one side was Artoria, her face expressionless. She wore silver and blue armor, a snow-white cloak adorned with equally white fur draped over her back.
On the other side stood Arthur, his expression serene, clad only in the lower half of his golden armor.
"Were you serious… about your decision?" Artoria's voice was calm and mechanical, devoid of any obvious emotion.
"Yes," Arthur replied as he gazed at the decaying city below the walls.
Artoria's eyes rested on him for a moment longer than usual.
"You made that decision, even knowing what I'm fighting for?" she asked again.
"It's precisely because I know that… that I made this decision," he said.
"I love you, Artie. But I can't allow you to keep walking down this path."
"Your ideal is beautiful. The idea of saving humanity… of preserving what remains of it… Even I admire that." He spoke as he gently touched her face, a faint smile on his lips.
Then his gaze hardened.
"But the way you've chosen to achieve it… is far too cruel. Even by my standards."
"So this is your final decision?" she asked once more. "You truly intend to stand with Bedivere and those from Chaldea… instead of standing by my side?"
Even though her tone remained expressionless, the emotion behind her words could still be felt.
Arthur did not look away.
"I will always stand by your side," he answered without hesitation.
"But that's exactly why I can't allow you to continue like this."
Artoria stared at him in silence for several seconds.
She did not fully understand the human heart.
Not completely, and yet—
"That's hypocrisy, Arthur. You say you love me and that you will remain by my side forever, yet now you claim you will help those who oppose me," she said.
"Yes, I am a hypocrite. But I cannot allow this situation to continue any longer," Arthur replied, turning his gaze back to the city below.
"You… really are irritating," she said.
But there was no disdain in her voice.
Only a statement of fact.
Arthur smiled faintly.
"I know."
"You understand that I will not ask forgiveness for my actions, don't you? Protecting humanity is completely different from protecting an individual," she continued.
"I don't want you to apologize, Artie. I want to show you that there are other ways to achieve that goal," Arthur said.
After looking at him for a few more seconds, she turned and began walking back toward the castle.
"Goodbye, Arthur…" she said as she walked away.
"The next time we meet, we will be enemies… and I will show no mercy, even if you are my opponent."
"I swear… I'll save you from that burden, Artie…" Arthur replied, casting one last glance at her before leaving the holy city.
---
"That dream again…" Artoria murmured as she woke in the morning.
Her eyes then shifted to Arthur, who was sleeping peacefully.
"I swear… this time, I'll be the one to stay by your side forever," she whispered.
"It will never happen again…" she added as she embraced him and drifted back to sleep.
---
When Arthur woke up that morning, he was greeted by a cascade of blonde hair spread across his chest. Artoria's body was wrapped around his, warm and relaxed, murmuring drowsily:
"I can't eat anymore… I really can't eat anymore, Arthur…"
On the other side, he felt a delicate arm wrapped around his waist, resting gently against his abdomen— Iri, just as close, still half-asleep.
Arthur smiled faintly.
"Wake up."
"..."
He paused deliberately.
"Kiritsugu is pregnant, and Archer attacked him."
"!!!" ×2
Both of them woke up instantly.
But as they stared at him in confusion, memories of the previous night came flooding back.
Without saying a word, Artoria and Irisviel got up almost simultaneously and headed straight to the bathroom.
Arthur couldn't hold back his laughter.
"We went a little overboard, didn't we?"
The only response was the sound of the door closing.
Indeed, they had gotten a bit too carried away the night before.
---
In the bathroom—
The bathtub was already full, steam rising gently as the hot water enveloped their bodies.
Sitting across from each other, close enough for their knees to nearly touch, Artoria and Irisviel relaxed in silence for a few moments.
The intimacy between them was now completely different.
The subtle marks on their skin did not go unnoticed.
"I think we really overdid it last night…" Artoria commented, closing her eyes as she leaned her head against the edge of the tub.
Her tone was calm, but a faint smile betrayed her composure.
"But I didn't expect you to be so proactive, Iri."
Irisviel raised an eyebrow slightly, smirking.
"That was your fault, Artie."
"Mine?" Artoria opened one eye, amused.
"Completely yours," Iri replied, leaning a bit closer, resting her arms on the edge. "You were the one who pulled me in."
"I only took the first step."
"Exactly." Irisviel chuckled softly. "And I just decided not to fall behind."
They looked at each other and laughed together.
"I'll admit, I thought you'd hesitate more," Artoria said. "Especially considering your situation."
"'A married woman'?" Irisviel tilted her head, amused. "That sounds more dramatic than it actually is."
"What do you mean? Aren't you married to Kiritsugu?" Artoria asked, genuinely curious.
"I am. On paper," Iri replied casually. "But there was never any romantic love in that relationship."
Artoria frowned slightly.
"And Illya? Isn't she your daughter?"
"She is," Irisviel nodded. "But the circumstances surrounding her conception and birth… are complicated."
She sighed softly, though without sadness.
"Kiritsugu is a good father. And a good man, in his own way. But to me… he was always more of a partner in purpose than someone I truly loved. And he knows that."
Artoria fell silent for a moment.
"...So that's why you…" she began.
"Yes," Irisviel confirmed with a calm smile. "There was never anything truly binding me to that marriage, aside from Illya, of course."
Then, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, she added:
"Besides… I couldn't leave that delicious bundle of trouble all to you."
Artoria let out a soft laugh.
"You're bolder than you look."
"I won't deny it," Iri replied, leaning closer with a conspiratorial smile. "But you're no different, Artie."
"I am a king, after all," Artoria replied, lifting her chin with mock dignity… before softening again.
"I don't know if we were lucky or unlucky…" Artoria said after a few seconds, thoughtful. "Arthur seems to be quite possessive."
Irisviel tilted her head, watching her with a gentle smile.
"I think that depends on how you look at it."
"What do you mean?"
"He's intense—maybe a bit too much, in my opinion," Iri said, glancing down at herself. "But he's also not someone who gives his attention lightly."
She paused briefly.
"He made that very clear yesterday."
Artoria didn't respond immediately.
"...Maybe you're right," she said, relaxing once more.
---
A short while later, Artoria and Irisviel left the bathroom.
Both were fully composed.
Seeing that it was already past 9 a.m., Arthur, now fully dressed, called them to have breakfast.
---
The scene that followed in the restaurant was, at the very least, absurd.
Irisviel stared silently for a few seconds at the small mountain of dishes stacked on the table.
"…"
Arthur and Artoria kept eating endlessly, somehow without losing their elegance.
Artoria lifted a cup of coffee to her lips with perfect posture while already reaching for another plate with her other hand.
Arthur, on the other hand, looked completely at ease, as if this were perfectly normal.
"Where does all that food go?" Iri finally asked, utterly baffled.
Her eyes shifted between the plates, then to Arthur, and finally settled on Artoria.
More specifically… her chest.
She tilted her head slightly, analyzing with a thoughtful expression.
"In Artie's case, I can understand… but what about you, Arthur?" she commented innocently.
Artoria froze for a second.
Then slowly turned her face toward Irisviel.
"...Iri."
"Hm?" Iri replied, smiling as if she hadn't said anything strange.
"You're staring too much."
"I'm just trying to understand the logic of energy distribution," Irisviel replied calmly. "It's a natural question."
"A fascinating theory," Arthur added, also glancing at Artoria's chest.
"Don't encourage this, Arthur," Artoria sighed.
Irisviel chuckled softly.
"I admit, I'm curious."
"Curious?"
"Yes." She leaned slightly over the table. "Considering… last night, I expected you to be more… exhausted."
Artoria coughed lightly.
"But instead," Iri continued, "you're eating as if nothing happened."
"My body is simply efficient," Artoria replied quickly, regaining her composure.
"Oh, I noticed," Irisviel smiled, clearly amused.
The two exchanged glances and laughed.
"I have no idea where it all goes," Arthur answered the original question, as if completely detached from everything else.
That only made Irisviel laugh even more.
"And to think that yesterday you two were—"
"Iri," Artoria interrupted firmly this time.
Arthur looked at both of them, clearly interested.
"Go on, continue the conversation. Pretend I'm not here," he said with a grin.
"It's nothing," Artoria replied quickly.
"It's definitely something," Arthur shot back.
Irisviel covered her mouth, trying to hold back her laughter.
"I can tell you exactly what she was thinking, if you want."
"You absolutely cannot," Artoria replied immediately. "Iri…"
"Yes?"
"You got worse after yesterday."
Irisviel tilted her head, pretending to think.
"Or maybe I'm just being more honest now."
---
From the window of an apartment, Kiritsugu observed Artoria, accompanied by Arthur and Irisviel, having breakfast through a pair of binoculars.
He had come to handle matters related to other Masters and Servants. Now that the Holy Grail War had begun, there was no longer any need to proceed slowly.
The ideal approach was to crush them completely before they could react.
Having witnessed the battle between Arthur and Archer, Kiritsugu believed victory was within reach.
Arthur's power had far exceeded his expectations.
With that in mind, Kiritsugu took out his phone and dialed Arthur's number.
After an entire night of investigation, he had discovered that Kayneth and Waver Velvet had formed an alliance.
Regardless of whether Kayneth had assumed control over Waver's Rider, he was still an extremely formidable opponent.
It was best to act now, while he was still unprepared.
Kiritsugu had chosen Kayneth and Waver as his primary targets for the next attack.
The tallest hotel in Fuyuki, completely transformed into a magical workshop, was the most obvious target—almost as if it were announcing to the other Masters:
"I'm very strong. I'm right here. Come at me."
And in truth, that was exactly what Kayneth was thinking.
He had absolute confidence in his abilities. He believed he could even fight weaker Servants like Hassan. He did not see himself at a disadvantage—in fact, he expected victory.
"...What did you say? You're going to blow up the entire hotel?"
When Arthur said this over the phone, both Artoria, who was eating beside him, and Irisviel, who was watching her, stopped immediately.
They exchanged glances and, almost at the same time, sharpened their senses, listening carefully.
"That's right. I'll infiltrate the hotel staff during the day and plant explosives. Once the building is evacuated at night, I'll detonate everything and destroy it completely. At that point, his advantage will be gone."
"So, in short, you want to handle this alone, right?" Arthur replied lightly… though with a subtle hint of provocation.
"Unfortunately, if that hotel is completely destroyed, I might have to get involved."
"Why?" Kiritsugu frowned.
"Because Kayneth's magical workshop is a valuable asset for the future of my adorable little sisters."
"...What?" Kiritsugu was genuinely stunned.
The answer was so out of place that, for a moment, he wondered if he had misheard.
"But let's set that aside," Arthur continued. "I have a more important target in mind."
"A more important target?" Kiritsugu asked, now alert.
"Yes. Did you read this morning's newspaper?"
"Newspaper?"
Kiritsugu frowned, then grabbed the morning paper Maiya had bought. His eyes scanned the pages until—
"You mean the gas explosion cover-up for yesterday's battle?"
"Not that."
"Look at the last page. It talks about dozens of missing children. That's our target."
The silence that followed was heavy.
"...A Servant did this?"
Kiritsugu understood immediately.
And his expression darkened at once.
"...Yes. That explains a lot." His voice turned cold. "But how are you sure he's behind it?"
"The clone he used to find us yesterday…" Arthur paused briefly.
"It was made from children's skin," he finished, his voice colder than ever.
The air seemed to freeze.
On the other end, Kiritsugu closed his eyes briefly.
His fingers tightened slightly around the phone.
There was no longer any doubt—only pure, visceral disgust.
"...I see."
But it wasn't just him.
Beside Arthur, Artoria had completely stopped.
Her usually steady eyes were now shadowed by silent fury.
Her grip tightened so much that the fork in her hand bent.
Even her knuckles turned white.
Irisviel brought a hand to her lips.
"I know you already understand," Arthur continued. "But I'll say it anyway."
"We're going to annihilate every trace of that piece of trash."
"...I know," Kiritsugu replied immediately.
"We'll begin investigating his and his Master's location right away."
"Their base is probably not in Fuyuki," Arthur added. "Also, all the disappearances have been recorded in nearby towns and villages. Start there."
"Understood," Kiritsugu said. "I'll inform you as soon as I find anything."
"Don't take too long."
"The number of missing children will only keep increasing."
"Understood."
Beep. Beep. Beep—
The call ended.
Kiritsugu slowly lowered the phone.
His face was almost entirely hidden by the shadows cast by the curtains.
Only his eyes—filled with killing intent—remained visible.
"Maiya…"
He turned.
"We have work to do."
---
(End of Chapter)