"Are you okay, Iri?" Arthur asked as he approached her.
"Yes… thanks to Artie, I feel much better now." Iri smiled at him, though her face was still slightly pale.
Arthur raised an eyebrow slightly.
He cast a sideways glance at Artoria, clearly holding back a comment.
Artoria maintained her firm posture, but her gaze shifted away for a brief moment.
"I only did what was necessary."
Arthur let out a soft, amused nasal sigh.
"Of course. 'What was necessary.' You're being quite modest for someone who nearly charged in alone through a rain of Noble Phantasms."
"Berserker." Artoria replied in a low tone, her gaze tightening slightly—she didn't even say his name this time.
Irisviel covered her mouth, hiding a small smile.
"You two really get along well."
"It's a relationship based on mutual tolerance," Arthur replied immediately.
"I tolerate him," Artoria shot back without hesitation.
"See? Perfectly balanced. She adores me," Arthur said.
"'Adore' is a very strong word," Artoria retorted.
Arthur laughed, then shifted his focus back to Irisviel.
"Anyway… are you really okay?"
"Yes." Iri confirmed, more firmly this time. "I'm fine."
Arthur relaxed his shoulders slightly.
At the same time—
Kiritsugu's voice sounded in his ear, informing him of the location of Assassin and Saber's Master.
Arthur's gaze changed.
His eyes locked onto the rooftop where Assassin was hiding.
"!!"
Hassan trembled violently the moment he felt Arthur's gaze fall upon him.
That overwhelming sense of dread was unmistakable.
"M-Master… it seems the Lancer has noticed me!"
"Do not panic." Kirei's voice was calm, almost indifferent. "If he makes a move, I will recall you with a Command Spell. There is no need to worry."
But in truth, Kirei's curiosity only grew stronger.
That "Lancer"… and his strange resemblance to the King of Heroes was something he wanted to witness until the very end.
On the other hand, Kayneth was furious.
Losing his Servant like that was unacceptable.
His anger was so intense that he nearly revealed himself.
Kayneth's entire body froze the moment Arthur's gaze fell on him.
It felt as though he had been marked by a predator at the top of the food chain.
As he tried to retreat, Arthur vanished.
"Oh no—"
The magic circle beneath his feet began to glow, but it was already too late.
Arthur appeared right in front of him in an instant. With a single step, he shattered the magic circle beneath Kayneth's feet, completely cutting off his escape route.
Then he reached for his neck.
"Fervor, mei sanguis!!"
In desperation, Kayneth shattered a test tube containing his Mystic Code.
The mercury responded instantly, forming a large protective sphere around him.
"This is useless."
Arthur's voice was calm.
His hand pressed against the sphere, slowly tearing it open. Once the opening was large enough, he peeked inside.
"Here's Johnny!" he said with a grin.
"Don't come any closer, you monster!"
Kayneth's terrified scream echoed from inside the sphere.
Then the sphere burst like a balloon.
BOOM!!!
The mercury scattered instantly, but did not disappear.
Instead, it reformed around Arthur, transforming from a shield into a prison.
A liquid cage.
"I am Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald! How could I die here—huh?!"
But before he could finish, he saw his Mystic Code—something he took immense pride in—being torn apart like paper.
The mercury structure collapsed under Arthur's brute force.
"Aaaaaah!"
Kayneth's legs glowed with blue patterns as he leapt away.
For the continuation of my family! For Sola-Ui!
I can't die! I can't die here!
His thoughts spiraled.
Fear.
Survival instinct.
Desperation.
He didn't look back—he just ran.
Drawing out all his power to reinforce his body.
But it was useless.
Kayneth had only run about 250 meters when Arthur caught up to him and grabbed him by the collar, dragging him back without the slightest ceremony.
Kayneth's pride, once unshakable, was crushed in that instant.
He was a man of arrogance and dignity.
But now, only desperation remained.
His pride, his dignity, his honor… all of it had been trampled by that Servant.
Back where Irisviel and Artoria stood, Arthur simply tossed him to the ground as if discarding something worthless.
"Just kill me… stop humiliating me…" he said.
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
Arthur blinked, genuinely confused, as if he didn't understand where such dramatics were coming from.
Irisviel stepped forward, placing a hand gently over her chest.
"Arthur, he—"
Before she could finish, a deafening roar split the sky and a bolt of blue lightning struck violently in front of them.
Without thinking, Arthur pulled Irisviel and Artoria into his arms in one fluid motion, completely shielding them from the impact.
Then, as the lightning faded, they opened their eyes—
A chariot was suspended in the air.
On it stood Iskandar, with Kayneth beside him.
Meanwhile, Waver clung to the chariot with all his strength, as if his soul might leave his body at any moment.
He looked at Kayneth nervously.
"A-are you okay… Professor Kayneth?"
"W-what…? Is that you, Waver…?"
Kayneth raised his head slightly, giving him a tired glance before letting it drop again with a bitter laugh.
"I never thought… I would stoop so low as to be rescued by a student… ha…"
Iskandar laughed loudly.
"Lancer! I'm taking this one with me!"
He pointed casually at Kayneth, as if borrowing something.
"My Master was practically crying and begging me to come save his professor, hahaha!"
"W-what?! I wasn't crying or making a scene!" Waver protested immediately, avoiding Kayneth's gaze.
"Waver…"
His name came out heavily.
Kayneth looked at him with a complicated expression—shame, frustration, and something else he couldn't quite admit.
This was a complete affront to his position.
How could he face his students after this?
"Hahahaha!"
Iskandar completely ignored the awkward atmosphere.
"Lancer! Let's postpone our battle for another day! Until then… make sure you don't lose to anyone!"
With a firm pull of the reins, the chariot shot off like a blue bolt of lightning, disappearing into the horizon.
Silence returned.
Arthur slowly released Irisviel and Artoria, though not before casting one last glance in the direction Iskandar had gone.
"So, Iri… want me to go after them?" he asked casually.
"Forget it." Irisviel replied immediately, shaking her head gently.
"You used a lot of your magical energy when you unleashed that Noble Phantasm, didn't you? We can't put all the burden on your shoulders… we're partners, remember?"
Arthur remained silent for a moment.
In reality… I barely used anything… he thought, but didn't say it out loud.
Irisviel then took a handkerchief from her pocket and stepped closer, rising on her toes as she carefully wiped his face.
"You always overdo things a bit, don't you?" she murmured with a soft smile.
"Let me do that, Iri." Artoria stepped forward, extending her hand firmly.
But Irisviel sidestepped lightly.
"It's fine, I can do it."
"I will do it."
"It's fine."
"I will do it."
"It's fine."
"I will do it."
The air turned… strange.
For a moment, it felt like another battle was about to begin.
Arthur looked at the two of them, then at the handkerchief. Without a word, he tore it in half.
"Why don't you both do it at the same time?"
He shrugged.
"I can handle both of you."
…
Silence.
Then—
"Pfft!" Irisviel was the first to laugh.
She covered her mouth, trying to hold it in, but failed.
"Artie… it looks like we're fighting over him… haha~"
"No chance…" Artoria replied immediately.
A faint blush appeared on her cheeks.
"Artie, you're blushing."
"I'm not."
"You are."
Irisviel smiled mischievously, then stepped behind Artoria and hugged her, teasing her shamelessly.
"Look at this~"
She lightly squeezed her chest like an old pervert.
"Denying it so strongly only makes it more obvious. How can a woman with such a mature body act like a lovestruck girl?" Irisviel teased.
"Irisviel!" Artoria struggled, clearly embarrassed.
Irisviel then shot Arthur a knowing glance.
Arthur simply gave a thumbs-up, as if fully approving the situation.
Thank you for blessing me with this heavenly view, Iri, Arthur thought, clasping his hands together in silent gratitude.
---
(End of Chapter)