Morning, Fuyuki Airport.
"Yawn, I'm so tired..."
"Lean on Mama, child."
『Sigh, Master... who exactly are we waiting for?』
"Ah, we're here to meet Saber and Saber's mana-supplying Master."
『Are you a suicide volunteer!? Casters absolutely cannot engage in frontal combat, so you know!』
But in Fate/stay night, she fought Saber in close combat, didn't she?
This Medea has become something of a coward...
It seems a Servant's disposition really does change depending on their Master.
"Let me know if you see a beautiful woman with white hair and another with blonde hair."
『Understood. I'll have to reduce my presence to the absolute minimum.』
About 30 minutes passed.
I turned on my phone and checked it. The plane would be arriving in 3 to 5 minutes.
I didn't know Irisviel's location, but I could find Artoria Pendragon's.
For now, only the locations of Command Spell holders and Servants were displayed. The location of the mana provider didn't show up, but their name did.
Well, it was better than knowing nothing at all, but perhaps I was being too greedy.
The plane arrived, and I could see them coming down the escalator.
They captured the attention of everyone around them. Maids with dead-fish eyes assisted Irisviel as she descended.
And next to Irisviel, I could see Artoria acting as her guard.
"Found them."
『Confirmed.』
"Is it time to move?"
"Yes..."
As I stood up, Tiamat also rose and we headed toward Irisviel.
"Excuse me, hello."
"Oh? Yes, hello?"
I could see the surprise on her face at the sudden greeting. Artoria, seeing the Command Spells on my hand, became extremely wary.
"Are you Saber's Master?"
I had already blocked out the surrounding conversation. Kiritsugu was likely watching from somewhere nearby, but it didn't matter.
"Hmm... it seems there are many eyes and ears here. Shall we move to another place to talk?"
Irisviel spoke naturally, and I couldn't help but admire her artistic beauty.
"Of course. A café, perhaps?"
"Hmm... Saber, is there anywhere you'd like to go?"
"What? No, this isn't the time for..."
"...A restaurant? If it's too expensive, it'll be a burden for me..."
I looked at Artoria. Irisviel thought for a moment, then nodded and said:
"Hmm... then shall we go to a nearby café?"
"Excellent."
I searched for a nearby café on my smartphone, and we headed there.
We found a suitable place with a moderate number of people where we could talk. After taking our seats and ordering a few drinks, Artoria proceeded to order about ten slices of cake.
Café: -5,500 JPY
Remaining Balance: 411,939 JPY.
"Hmm... well, what should we talk about first..."
"Eh? Didn't you call us here to talk about something specific?"
Irisviel was flustered by my lack of a plan.
Honestly, I had just waited impulsively and managed to get them here for a conversation.
And when I couldn't think of anything to say, I was the one who made the situation awkward.
"For starters, I was thinking of separating the Grail. What do you think?"
"Um, that's very sudden... could you explain in more detail?"
"Well, Irisviel, you're the vessel for the Grail, right?"
"Yes..."
"And the part of you that serves as the vessel is your heart, correct?"
"I'm not too sure about that myself."
"Caster, could you examine Irisviel's condition?"
Medea then materialized from her Spirit Form and approached Irisviel.
"Irisviel!"
"Saber, I'm fine."
"But!?"
"She doesn't seem to have any hostile intent... probably."
With an expression that said she had no idea what was going on, Caster began to examine Irisviel.
"Hmm... a Lesser Grail. The Lesser Grail is fused into her body... Did you not feel a sharp pain when Assassin was eliminated? If the Holy Grail War continues like this, you will break down before long."
"Yes... I see."
Irisviel wore a bitter smile, as if she already knew.
"Is it possible to separate her from the Lesser Grail?"
"Hmm... In theory, it should be possible. My past self could have done it, but it would be difficult for me now... The probability of survival during the surgery is about 30%... If we had a healing-type magical artifact, the chances would be higher."
"...I want to save her... is it her destiny to die... Would it be possible if I used my Command Spells?"
"Hmm... it might be possible, but it's uncertain."
"That's enough. Is that all you wanted to say? As a participant in the Holy Grail War, why are you speaking from such an ambiguous position? This isn't a negotiation or a parley... What do you take the Holy Grail War for!"
"The king does not understand the hearts of people."
At those words, Artoria's eyes began to tremble as she stared at me.
"Who are you... What is your purpose for coming here..."
Her wariness intensified.
Well, I had already predicted this, but the fact that she hadn't swung her sword proved her immense patience.
"Well, I didn't have a purpose, I was just waiting around without much thought... Maybe I just wanted to meet you... Hey, Irisviel?"
"Yes, what is it?"
"By any chance, do you have Avalon?"
"How did you..."
I thought for a moment.
"I think we can separate you from the Lesser Grail."
"What? What do you mean?"
"Avalon's effect heals the owner's wounds, halts their aging, and restores their magical energy. It's a Noble Phantasm with healing on par with a vampire's regeneration... Even with surgery, you'll survive."
"...Excuse me, what about my opinion?"
"Your opinion will not be accepted. Please just allow yourself to be kidnapped."
"Do you take me for an idiot?"
Saber then swore, drawing her invisible sword and protecting Irisviel.
"Not an idiot... this is only natural..., Tiamat, if you would."
"Of course..."
Her red Mystic Eyes cast a curse upon Saber. Saber, flustered, was inevitably caught in the curse.
As a bonus, a giant magic circle bound Saber, and under Tiamat's curse, she was unable to use her Magic Resistance.
"Kuh... This is... Mystic Eyes. Two Servants? No, this isn't a Servant, but a living Divine Spirit...? Who are you?"
"Hmm... we can talk about that slowly. Caster, your Noble Phantasm."
"Yes... His means of using Command Spells are blocked, his vision is obscured, and all witnesses are gone... 『Rule Breaker』."
Caster's dagger pierced Saber's chest.
"Kuaaaargh!?"
"Saber!?"
Caster stole the Command Spells related to Saber, and I obtained Saber.
"For now, Artoria, I'm sorry, but I have no intention of fighting."
"You coward..."
"Sorry, I'm no knight, just a coward..."
"......"
Irisviel glared at me.
"Hmm... it's a bit much for you to look at me like that, Irisviel."
"I would appreciate it if you'd think about what you've just done."
"Hmm..."
Showing up suddenly, stealing her Servant, taking the Command Spells, and trying to kidnap her...
"Yes... you're right. For now, I'd like to separate you from the Lesser Grail. Is that possible?"
"Did I ever have a choice?"
"No, but if you'd said it was possible, wouldn't it have made me feel a little better?"
"Sigh... fine."
Irisviel let out a deep sigh.
"Caster, let's move to our base."
"...Very well."
We teleported and arrived at the mansion. Caster took Irisviel to the operating room. The moment the curse was lifted, Saber came straight for me and grabbed me by the collar.
"Who are you! And why is a Divine Spirit alive in this era?"
"......Let's take it slow. Step by step... I acted on impulse without thinking, so I feel like I'm going to lose my mind too!"
"Hmph... For now, is your objective truly to save Irisviel?"
"Yes. If things continue as they are, Irisviel will disappear in the process of becoming the Grail."
"Hmph... The moment Irisviel dies, I will cut you down."
Artoria's words were chilling, but I nodded and said:
"Fine. Before that, shall we talk about another Servant? About Lancelot, who has become Berserker."
"...Sir Lancelot?"
Artoria's expression darkened.
Why? Because even after becoming the King of Britain, she could never shake the habit of shouldering everything by herself.
You could call it her chronic disease.
"First of all, Artoria, I believe your wish is mistaken."
"Grk... How much do you know, and how much do you intend to insult me?"
"Assuming your wish is to pull the sword of selection once more. You do realize that means you're dismissing the will of the knights and people who fought alongside you, right?"
"...!?"
"To correct the past. To create a new path for the past is the same as betraying the retainers and people who were with you. To selfishly harbor such a wish out of regret, without asking for their opinion, is a mistaken act."
At those words, Artoria nodded.
"I have realized an important truth before making my wish... Honestly, I may have been too hasty due to the tragedy of Britain. But before that, how do you know my wish so well? Are you actually Merlin?"
I never imagined she'd use a British insult on me.
"That's a bit harsh."
"Ahem... It seems you are not."
Somewhere out there, I could almost hear someone shouting, 『How cruel! Since when did my name become an insult!?』
"Britain was destined to fall anyway, wasn't it? Can't you be satisfied with having protected it for as long as you did?"
"But such a tragedy occurred because of my wrong choices... How can I be satisfied..."
Artoria slammed her fist on a nearby table, and with her Magic Resistance, it shattered into pieces.
"...It seems this isn't something I can convince you of. If you meet Lancelot later, try talking to him. I'll try to remove his Madness Enhancement."
"Hmph, what do you take the Holy Grail War for... You speak as if it's a child's game."
Artoria's eyes were filled with distrust.
Honestly, I had wanted to meet the real Irisviel and Artoria so much that I brought Saber here without thinking, but considering I had just revoked Kiritsugu's status as a Master, I realized that I had truly done something major.
In any case, I was mentally exhausted. Artoria, having no other choice, simply waited. Tiamat and I went to get some sleep.