"You two went a little overboard…"
Iri looked around, and what she saw resembled a battlefield.
Nothing was intact—the area had been completely devastated to the point of being unrecognizable.
Even so, she didn't seem frightened, only impressed.
"And here I thought it would just be a walk on the beach…" she murmured with a soft sigh.
Arthur let out a small chuckle.
"I held back quite a bit, you know? Goldie held back too. Otherwise, there wouldn't be a single stone left standing here," he replied casually.
Artoria shot him a sideways glance.
"If that was you holding back… I'm afraid to imagine the alternative." There was a faint hint of irony in her tone.
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "I'm honored by your concern."
"It's not concern," Artoria replied immediately. "…It's caution."
Iri covered her mouth, trying to suppress a smile.
---
The ferocity of the battle had far exceeded Kiritsugu's expectations.
What initially seemed like a manageable situation had become completely unpredictable with Gilgamesh's appearance.
A Berserker with abilities extremely similar—perhaps even identical—to the King of Heroes.
The King of Knights.
The King of Conquerors.
Absurd existences gathered on the same battlefield.
The mere thought made Kiritsugu's scalp tingle.
Fortunately, two of them were on his side.
Even so… could Lancer truly defeat both Gilgamesh and Berserker?
Berserker's abnormal strength could not be ignored.
That sacred spear that supposedly rivaled Lancer's own.
The golden ripples firing Noble Phantasms.
And above all, that absurd weapon both had summoned at the same time.
By the time Kiritsugu realized it, his back was completely drenched in sweat.
---
From the hotel window—
The pale moonlight illuminated his solitary figure.
Even after everyone had withdrawn, he hadn't followed Arthur's group.
He preferred to remain in the shadows.
"…Kiritsugu? Kiritsugu!"
Maiya noticed the shift in his behavior and hugged him from behind.
"Will we win?" Kiritsugu asked, his voice low.
"Yes. Definitely."
The answer came without hesitation.
"Just like we always have."
Maiya turned him to face her, smiled softly, and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him.
Kiritsugu remained still for a moment before returning the gesture, wrapping his arms around her.
---
On the other side, Arthur, Iri, and Artoria had rented a triple room in a hotel.
The idea had come from Iri herself.
According to her, it was for safety. Because of that, Artoria didn't object.
The room was spacious.
Right at the entrance, there was a bathroom with a shower and a built-in bathtub.
Along the left wall, three single beds covered in white sheets were aligned.
On the right, a television.
Near the center, three sofas arranged in a semicircle surrounded a round table.
And from the balcony, it was possible to see the silhouette of Fuyuki Bridge, rising in the distance like a red arch against the night.
Arthur and Iri had already taken their showers.
Now it was Artoria's turn.
"Arthur, come here."
Iri's voice was soft, but carried a slightly suggestive tone.
The three beds had been pushed together, forming a kind of large bed.
A clean sheet had been spread over them, keeping everything neat.
Iri, wearing a light white nightgown, was leaning against the headboard.
She lightly patted her thigh.
"What are you planning now?" Arthur asked.
Even so, he obeyed and lay down, resting his head on her lap.
"This is a reward," Iri replied with a gentle smile. "You worked hard today."
Her hands settled on his temples and began to massage with surprising precision.
The pressure was perfect—not too strong, not too light.
Arthur let out a small, involuntary sigh.
"…Hm."
"Surprised?" she asked, clearly pleased.
"A little."
He opened one eye, looking up at her.
"I didn't know homunculi came with this feature."
Iri puffed her cheeks slightly.
"That was rude."
"It was a sincere compliment," he replied, without the slightest regret.
---
"…The Saber's Master seemed very frightened at that moment, even though we had no intention of harming him."
Iri continued gently massaging Arthur's temples as they recalled the battle.
Her fingers were light and careful.
"He probably had a nervous breakdown," Arthur commented in a rather casual tone.
'It was probably because of me… but honestly, who cares?' he thought, without the slightest guilt.
"That's true." Iri nodded with a faint smile.
With his eyes closed, Arthur tilted his head slightly, instinctively adjusting for more comfort. Without ceremony, he turned his face and sank deeper into Irisviel's lap, practically nestling there.
Noticing this, she blushed faintly, but didn't stop him.
On the contrary, her fingers slid through his hair, stroking it gently.
"Iri."
"Hmm?"
"You smell really nice."
The directness of his words made Iri blink in surprise before letting out a soft laugh.
"What are you talking about~?"
She replied lightly, pinching his cheek gently.
Even embarrassed, she didn't have the heart to push him away. After all, she had been the one to offer her lap.
"Let me get a little closer, Iri."
As if he weren't already close enough, Arthur shifted slightly and wrapped an arm around her waist, hugging her without hesitation.
"Pfft—!"
Iri couldn't hold back her laughter, covering her mouth.
"You're acting like a child… what was your life like before?"
The question slipped out naturally, but as soon as she realized it, she hurried to add:
"Ah—if that's uncomfortable, you can ignore it, I didn't mean—"
"It's nothing special," Arthur replied before she could finish.
"My parents died when I was a child. So… I ended up dealing with a lot of things on my own."
The answer was simple, but Iri immediately sensed a faint melancholy in his voice.
Her arms wrapped around him more gently, and she instinctively leaned forward, trying to comfort him by pulling him closer to her chest.
"Iri… I can't breathe."
"Ah!"
She let go immediately, her face completely red.
'W-what was I doing…?'
Her eyes shifted away, unable to meet his gaze for a moment.
But when she finally looked again, Arthur was looking back.
The two locked eyes.
And almost at the same time, they burst into laughter.
"Hahaha… it's like you're really my Servant," Irisviel commented, wiping the corner of her eyes.
"Technically… I am," Arthur replied with a slight smirk.
"Irisviel, Arthur… what are you doing?"
Artoria's voice suddenly rang out.
She had just stepped out of the bathroom, wearing nothing but a white towel.
Her long blonde hair, still damp, rested over her shoulders, and her mature body, covered only by the towel, was a temptation difficult to ignore.
Iri froze.
For some reason, she felt guilty, as if she had been caught doing something wrong.
Without thinking, she quickly pulled away and sat with her back to Artoria, her face completely red.
It was strange.
When it was just her and Arthur, everything felt natural.
But with Artoria there, the feeling was completely different.
"It's… it's nothing."
She murmured, hiding her face in her hands.
"It's nothing. Iri was just giving me a lap pillow and a massage to relieve the fatigue from the earlier battle," Arthur replied casually.
'I'll just go along with it… maybe I'll get lucky again,' he thought with a mischievous smile.
"Iri is quite dedicated when it comes to this sort of thing, by the way," he added, with a slightly teasing tone.
"I-It was only because you looked tired!" Iri immediately shot back, without even realizing it.
"I see."
Artoria nodded slowly.
Her face remained neutral, but her eyes briefly shifted between the two.
Then she sat down at the edge of the bed, still holding her towel, adjusting it with one hand while maintaining her posture.
"Are you completely free of fatigue now?" There was genuine concern in her voice.
"Thanks to Iri's excellent care… almost completely. But if you'd like to confirm personally… I wouldn't refuse additional treatment," Arthur said.
"Very well. Come lie down. It will be good for Irisviel to rest now," she agreed.
"Alright." Arthur smiled calmly and rested his head on her lap, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Artoria maintained her composure at first, but her fingers almost instinctively brushed through his hair, adjusting it with a care she didn't immediately notice.
"Iri, how can we restore Arthur's mana?" Artoria asked, keeping her tone serious. "He has to sustain Berserker and still fight, so his reserves must be low."
Hearing that, Arthur raised an eyebrow while lying comfortably.
"Ah?"
Iri turned to look at the two of them, wearing a soft, slightly mischievous smile.
"It's fine. My magical reserves are very high. I could easily fight a dozen more battles like today and still not get tired," Arthur said casually.
"I understand."
Irisviel hesitated for a moment.
Then, as if she had made a decision—and completely ignoring what Arthur had just said—she leaned closer to Artoria and whispered something into her ear.
"Actually… you have to do it like this… and then…"
"Really?!"
Artoria's eyes widened immediately.
Her gaze shifted between Arthur, Irisviel, and herself.
Finally, she took a deep breath.
"Iri… please tell me exactly what I need to do," she said.
'It's happening exactly like you said back then, Arthur…' she thought.
"Wow, Artie… that was really bold!" Iri covered her mouth, laughing softly.
"What's so funny?" Artoria replied mockingly. "Don't forget that between the two of us, you're the only one here with… experience in that sort of thing."
"Eh?!" Irisviel froze for a moment, clearly caught off guard.
Arthur, who had remained silent until now, finally let out a small laugh as he lifted his head from Artoria's lap.
"You two are completely ignoring me, aren't you?" he said.
---
(End of Chapter)
Sorry for the lack of chapters yesterday, I was extremely tired when I got back from work and just wanted to sleep. By the way, I haven't forgotten that I owe two bonus chapters (one from last week and another from the week before) they will be posted on Sunday or Tuesday