Chapter 163

In the cool morning air, Emiya Kiritsugu stood before an old, dilapidated house in the town of Miyama.

This house, having stood for decades without any renovation or repair, still had a dirt warehouse from a bygone era in its yard. It was here that he had bought as a backup base for Irisviel.

Given that Einzbern Castle outside the city had already been attacked by enemies, purchasing this hidden location was certainly not a meaningless action.

Saber was not here. He could sense his Servant through their Command Spells, but he felt nothing now.

She was probably on her way to Rider's base, Kiritsugu realized, and he planned to follow her.

For an apprentice magus like Waver, once his hiding place was found, it would be easy to assassinate him.

However, this could only be done after Saber had lured away the enemy's Servant.

Last night, Kiritsugu had followed Tohsaka Tokiomi from the Fuyuki Church to the Tohsaka mansion but had no opportunity to strike.

He could sense that Archer was watching from somewhere. To attack his Master under such circumstances would be suicidal.

Though he had pinpointed his target's location, Kiritsugu didn't head there directly. Instead, he went to this temporary base first. It wasn't intuition but a combination of various factors that led him here.

—This might be his last chance to see his wife.

With four Servants already fallen, Kiritsugu was acutely aware of Irisviel's condition as the vessel for the Holy Grail.

If he were fragile inside, he wouldn't have come here.

Meeting his wife now was a test, a form of self-punishment. Sacrificing the woman he loved for the Grail he sought—he had to face this reality without showing any wavering.

If he could overcome this test, Kiritsugu would be able to conquer all internal conflicts and proceed with machine-like precision to grasp the Holy Grail.

Therefore, this was his final and greatest test as a combat weapon.

If he failed to endure it, it would prove that Emiya Kiritsugu's ideals were worth nothing.

Kiritsugu stood before the warehouse door and knocked in a specific pattern. Soon, Maiya opened the heavy iron door from within.

Without saying a word, Kiritsugu noticed a change in Maiya—her usually cold and indifferent eyes now showed a hint of nervousness, as if his presence had unsettled her.

"...You're here to see your wife?"

Kiritsugu silently nodded, and Maiya lowered her head and whispered.

"Her condition is..."

"I know, I understand."

No matter what, Kiritsugu had to see the scene in the warehouse with his own eyes, and he was mentally prepared.

Understanding this, Maiya stepped aside and walked out of the warehouse, leaving space for the couple.

In a dim corner of the warehouse, lying quietly within a magic circle pulsating with mana, was Irisviel—a sight that brought back memories for Kiritsugu.

Their first meeting had been like this. He had been led by the patriarch Ahad to the deepest part of the Einzbern workshop, where Irisviel lay in a tank filled with amniotic fluid.

As the vessel for the Holy Grail, she was an apparatus with only a few years of use. Why give it such a beautiful appearance?

At the time, it was a complete mystery to him.

"Is this the Grail?"

When he asked the old magus beside him, she suddenly opened her eyes and looked at him through the fluid, her deep crimson gaze captivating him entirely. Even now, he couldn't forget it.

Now, it was almost the same. Irisviel opened her eyes, looked at Kiritsugu, and gently smiled.

"Ah... Kiritsugu..." Irisviel reached out, touching his cheek.

Even such a simple gesture required considerable effort for her now—her cold fingers trembled slightly, indicating this fact.

"You really came... I wasn't dreaming..."

"Yes, I'm here."

"Kiritsugu, I have something to tell you... come closer..."

Kiritsugu leaned in, lowering himself as much as possible to bring his ear close to his weak wife's mouth.

"Tonight might be... I can feel it, Justeaze is calling me. It's faint, but I can feel it, she's summoning me..."

"What?!"

Kiritsugu was startled. How could his wife, as the vessel for the Grail, sense such information?

In all the previous Holy Grail Wars he had studied, this had never happened!

Could it be that the Grail's location for this war had been confirmed?

"I see, I understand. I'll take you there as soon as possible."

After learning this unexpected news, Kiritsugu decided to pause his assassination plans and first move his wife to the Great Hole.

Coincidentally, the Great Hole at Ryuudou Temple had already been secured and heavily trapped by him, making it safer than here.

"By the way, Kiritsugu, I want to give this back..."

Knowing what his wife meant, Kiritsugu stopped her with his actions.

"No rush, let me take you there first."

Seeing Kiritsugu carry her, Irisviel said nothing more. This might be the last time she felt her beloved husband's embrace in this life.

...

"Kiritsugu? Your wife..."

At the door, seeing Kiritsugu carrying the weakly breathing Irisviel, Maiya was about to ask but was cut off by his cold response.

"We're changing bases. Prepare the vehicle."

"Yes."

...

In the Great Hole beneath Ryuudou Temple, after carefully placing Irisviel into a magic circle filled with mana flow, Kiritsugu began his final conversation and tender moments with his wife.

During this time, Irisviel returned Avalon (The Everdistant Utopia) to Kiritsugu, making her even weaker, unable to move.

"All the happiness I couldn't feel... give it all to Illya... our daughter—my precious Illya."

"Make sure to... take her."

"Show her... the cherry blossoms in spring... the white clouds in summer..."

Kiritsugu left the Great Hole, Irisviel's words echoing in his mind.

He understood why Irisviel, on the brink of destruction, could still smile so bravely.

A mother who placed her hope in her child had no fear. That was why she could face her end with a smile.

After instructing Maiya, who was setting up security familiars outside the cave, to guard well, Kiritsugu left with Avalon, but Maiya called out to him again.

"Kiritsugu..."

"What is it?"

Maiya looked into Kiritsugu's eyes for a moment, then sighed softly and lowered her gaze. "Finally, it's back. Your old expression."

...

It had been a while since Kiritsugu left, and Maiya stayed by Irisviel's side, talking a lot, mostly about a certain man.

Hiding in the shadows, Shinji couldn't help but despise this man who seemed even more like a harem king than an actual one!

Disgusting! Pah! I, Matou Shinji, will always despise men like you!

I can't stand this anymore!

With a slight smirk, Shinji gave the order to the lurking Zayd.

'Move.'

...

Maiya's chest was instantly struck by a sudden attack, blood gushing from her throat, preventing her from speaking clearly. She hadn't even had time to reach for her weapon before she was brought down.

"Keep her alive, just barely. Don't let her die, and don't give her a chance to commit suicide."

Listening to the unfamiliar man's voice, Maiya, pinned to the ground by Zayd, struggled to look at the man who appeared suddenly before the magic circle, covering Irisviel's mouth.

"Cough... mm..."

Maiya wanted to speak, but the blood gushing from her throat hindered her.

All her communication devices were destroyed by Zayd immediately.

Seeing the ordinary detective she had once monitored, Maiya realized that the greatest enemy in this Holy Grail War wasn't Kotomine Kirei.

It was this unremarkable detective whom no one had noticed!

Kiritsugu, you must... you must notice...

Maiya hoped fervently from the bottom of her heart.

"Master, why not kill this woman?"

Hearing Zayd's question, Shinji glanced at Irisviel, who could only glare at him.

"Of course, to make Emiya Kiritsugu make a choice again. I'm very curious about his answer..."

Seeing Shinji's gentle smile, Zayd realized once more that his Master wasn't a good person.

Moreover, how could such a villain smile like that!

Only good people smile like that!

Isn't it inappropriate for you, a villain, to smile like that? It must be inappropriate, right! But... why does it seem so fitting?

Zayd couldn't understand but followed his Master's orders.

Damn! Compared to Master, I am far inferior!