As soon as Arthur finished speaking, as if she had made up her mind—
Iri took the initiative, turning Arthur's face toward her and pressing her lips against his.
It caught him completely off guard.
"Don't you think that's unfair?" Artoria complained, her lips slightly pursed.
The moment Iri broke the kiss, Artoria immediately grabbed Arthur's head and turned it toward herself, imitating what Iri had just done.
As their lips met, Iri moved in, beginning to attack Arthur's neck.
Arthur had to admit—this was paradise, and he loved both of them. There was no way he would stop them. On the contrary, he was hoping nothing would interrupt them.
While the two girls were occupied, Arthur's arms moved, wrapping around their waists and pulling them closer.
"What's gotten into you two all of a sudden?" Arthur asked. "Did you flip the lust switch?"
Honestly, he had expected something like this might happen given the direction their conversation had taken—but not that they would actually take the initiative.
"Mm... we just want to help you restore your magical energy," Artoria replied, a seductive glint in her eyes as she licked her lips.
'…Maybe I've gotten myself into a very good situation,' he thought.
Before he could ask anything else, both of them resumed what they were doing.
Artoria claimed his lips again while Iri moved down to his neck.
Feeling their combined stimulation, Arthur's lower half naturally reacted.
Artoria was so absorbed in the kiss that… it was Iri who noticed first.
Seeing the growing bulge in his pants, she showed a mix of curiosity and excitement, placing her hand over it and tracing its shape with her fingers.
"Iri…"
Breaking the kiss with Artoria, Arthur turned toward Iri, who already had a mischievous smile on her lips as she continued to stroke the growing outline.
Following his gaze, Artoria then noticed what Iri was doing.
Ignoring Artoria's look, Iri smiled, knelt in front of Arthur, and spread her legs to position herself between his.
Seeing her actions, Artoria removed the towel covering her body while gazing at him with a heated expression.
At the same time Iri lowered his zipper, Artoria's full breasts came into view before his eyes.
While Iri focused on freeing him from his pants, Artoria knelt beside him, wrapped her arms around his head, and pressed his face into her chest.
As his head sank into her soft, warm body, he could feel Iri's fingers circling his semi-erect member.
Feeling the warmth of her hand, his body trembled slightly as his arms wrapped around Artoria's back, willingly burying himself deeper into her softness.
After inhaling her scent, he lifted his head to meet her gaze and, smiling, began placing kisses along her chest.
But unfortunately, all good things come to an end.
While Arthur was fully focused on Artoria, and Irisviel was somewhat clumsily trying to deal with the increasingly uncooperative "mini Arthur," an irritating burst of laughter suddenly echoed from outside the hotel.
"Hehehehehe!"
"I've come to welcome you… to this Holy Grail War!"
"?!"
Arthur, Artoria, and Iri froze instantly.
The mood shifted completely in an instant, and Arthur's expression darkened.
It wasn't just irritation—it was pure frustration.
He had been interrupted at the worst possible moment.
He stood up abruptly, his gaze already filled with cold hostility.
"Hmm?"
Artoria and Iri looked visibly confused.
They had never seen Arthur with such a cold and irritated expression.
Without a word, Arthur instantly donned his armor, his movements swift and precise, and cast a killing glare toward the source of the voice as he stepped out onto the balcony.
Outside, a strange figure stared back at him.
Bulging eyes, a twisted smile, and a loose robe draped over his body.
"An enemy?!"
Artoria recovered immediately.
Without hesitation, she dressed as well and leapt down from the balcony. Irisviel followed close behind, both landing in front of the main entrance.
"Ah~ My Jeanne… I'm so moved to be reunited with you…!"
Upon seeing Artoria, the man began laughing and crying at the same time.
His shoulders trembled, and his eyes gleamed with something utterly warped.
He held a crystal ball about 25 centimeters wide, within which images of Arthur's previous battle with Diarmuid played.
But the focus was almost entirely on Artoria.
"Arthur…"
Irisviel glanced around, clearly concerned about the surrounding streets. Even though they had chosen a quieter hotel, there were still people nearby.
It was already night—if anyone saw this, the secrecy of the Holy Grail War would be broken.
"Don't worry…"
The man's voice carried a disturbing delight.
"To avoid disturbing Jeanne's arrival… I put everyone nearby to sleep with magic before coming…!"
He tilted his head unnaturally.
"After all… my Master doesn't want to draw attention… hehehehehe!"
"Are you an idiot?" Arthur asked in pure disgust.
He wasn't just annoyed—he was genuinely irritated.
"Caster… there is no one here by that name," Artoria replied.
"No, no, no! There's no way I'm wrong!!"
The man began to thrash violently, his movements erratic.
"Ahhh~ that beautiful golden hair… that divine appearance…!"
He trembled, laughed, and cried all at once.
"Without a doubt… you are Saint Jeanne d'Arc!!"
'Jeanne d'Arc? How does Artoria resemble Jeanne d'Arc?' Arthur thought, perplexed.
"What are you talking about?" Artoria asked, even more confused now.
"How is this possible?! Have you forgotten me?!"
"This is the first time I've seen you," she replied firmly. "You've probably mistaken me for someone else."
"Ah~ no… no… no…!"
The man collapsed.
His fingers clawed at his own face, scratching his skin violently as if trying to tear away his own identity.
"IT'S ME! IT'S ME! I AM GILLES DE RAIS!!"
Tears streamed down his face, but his smile remained.
The aura around him was completely insane and rotten.
"Gilles de Rais…?" Arthur murmured.
Then he remembered the man's history—and his expression only worsened.
He had already been irritated before.
Now, it had crossed the line.
A cold smile appeared on his face—there was no humor in it, only killing intent.
His Longinus emerged from the Gate of Babylon.
"Disappear from this world… you filthy monster."
Without another word, he activated the sacred power of the spear.
Boom!!!
A beam of golden light erupted from the spear, striking Gilles directly and launching him into the sky.
Even in his anger, Arthur controlled the power of the attack, avoiding unnecessary destruction.
After all, he wasn't about to destroy property just to wipe a worm off the face of the earth.
When the light faded, something fell in front of Arthur.
A half-charred body.
"This is…" Arthur's eyes narrowed.
Irisviel stepped closer, frowning in disgust.
"So it's a clone made of human skin? It seems this Caster isn't as foolish as he looks."
"It doesn't matter how intelligent he is," Artoria said, her voice filled with fury.
"He killed people to create this." Her fists clenched.
"It would take at least a dozen people to make something like this!" Her indignation was clear.
Arthur sighed as he looked at it. His irritation was still there, but now he had calmed down enough to think clearly.
He raised his hand and placed it on Artoria's head.
"Don't worry."
His tone softened slightly.
"I'll destroy that worm."
"Ah…" Artoria let out a frustrated sigh.
But she neither pulled away nor rejected the touch.
After all, just minutes ago, they had been on the verge of crossing a much greater line.
Compared to that, such a simple gesture… was almost comforting.
"Setting that guy aside…" Arthur muttered, clearly uninterested in giving Gilles any more attention.
Without ceremony, he pulled Artoria into his arms, pressing her chest against him as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"We still have unfinished business, don't we, Artie?"
He gently lifted her chin, forcing their gazes to meet.
"Yes… we do." Her reply was quiet.
Artoria slid her arms around his neck naturally, drawing even closer.
The rigidity in her gaze had completely vanished.
Now there was something much warmer—much more provocative.
"You're not going to keep stalling, are you…?" she added.
Arthur raised an eyebrow slightly, a smirk forming.
"Kings don't rush… we do things on our own time."
Beside them, Irisviel slowly began stepping back, trying to slip away unnoticed.
She almost succeeded—but then Artoria reached out without even looking and pulled her back effortlessly.
"Irisviel… you're the one who started this 'battle'… so don't think you can just abandon it halfway through," Artoria said.
"Why?!"
Iri protested, surprised as she was pulled back.
"Running away halfway doesn't suit you, Iri," Arthur said as he held both of them and jumped back into the room.
(End of Chapter)