For a while, Saber stood there and carefully explained everything that had happened.
She talked about the deep conversation she had with Rikka, and how the child used an illusion to show her the true, devastating outcome if she ever made a wish to save Britain.
She explained the sheer despair of being trapped inside that simulation for thousands of years even when that's her own fault, the intense grief that caused her to alter her own Saint Graph, and the brutal fight that followed.
She laid out every detail of how Rikka managed to defeat her and completely sever her contract with Kiritsugu.
The only thing Saber deliberately kept to herself was the truth about the Holy Grail being corrupted.
She knew even Irisviel would never believe her if she just blurted that out. The Grail meant everything to the Einzbern family, and Kiritsugu had staked his entire life on securing it.
Bringing it up right now would only cause unnecessary chaos and confusion.
"That's..." Irisviel trailed off, her voice barely a whisper. She honestly didn't even know how to respond to any of that.
It wasn't that she felt left out she was just in pure disbelief. She had only left them alone for five short minutes to buy some ice cream.
The idea that a massive battle, a Servant undergoing a dark transformation, and Kiritsugu losing his contract all took place in the exact amount of time it took her to walk to a vendor and back...
it was simply too much to process. It felt like she blinked and the entire world turned upside down.
Still trying to wrap her head around how fast everything had happened, Irisviel turned to her right side, looking down at Rikka sleeping soundly beneath the thick blanket.
Watching the small girl's peaceful face, Irisviel just couldn't match the crazy stories with reality.
Looking at her innocent, fragile appearance, she found it nearly impossible to believe that this was the exact same child who just went toe-to-toe with the King of Knights and actually won.
This tiny, exhausted girl had completely outsmarted and overpowered her husband's servant without a second thought.
As she stared at Rikka's sleeping face, Irisviel's hand slowly moved to her own chest. Beneath the fabric of her dress, a soft, warm light was pulsing right over her heart.
She looked down, her eyes widening slightly as she noticed a delicate, tattoo-like symbol shining through her clothing. It was a five-petaled flower with a subtle spiral at its center, glowing with a serene combination of golden and pale blue light.
"Saber..." Irisviel whispered, her voice filled with gentle confusion as she clutched the warm spot on her dress.
"What is this mark? The burning fever and pressure inside me are gone, and I can feel your prana flowing through my body. But if Kiritsugu's contract is severed, how is Avalon still working?"
Saber took a step closer to the side of the bed, her emerald eyes looking down at Rikka with deep respect.
"Reina used Circuit Grafting," Saber explained softly. "She knew that severing my contract with Kiritsugu would cause Avalon to go dormant inside you. So, to prevent your body from taking the strain of those dead Servants, Reina used her own Magic Circuits to build a bridge."
Irisviel's breath caught in her throat. "A bridge...?"
"Yes," Saber nodded, her expression filled with quiet warmth. "My energy flows directly into Reina as her Servant, and Reina channels it straight into your pathways through that mark. She took the physical and magical strain onto herself, acting as a living conduit just to keep you alive and safe."
A quiet silence settled over the bedroom. Irisviel looked down at Rikka sleeping soundly beside her, a sudden wave of quiet sadness washing over her face.
"Why...?" Irisviel whispered, her voice trembling slightly as she looked up at Saber. "Why did Reina go to such lengths for me? Why didn't you stop her, Saber?"
Saber remained silent, standing quietly beside the bed as she listened.
"I am the vessel of the Lesser Grail,"
Irisviel continued, tears pooling in her eyes as she clutched the glowing flower mark over her heart. "No matter how much she tries to protect me now, my fate is already set. As this war progresses, my human body will crumble anyway. Reina took on all this pain and exhaustion just to delay the inevitable... Why would she do something so foolish?"
Saber wasn't surprised by Irisviel's words. In the illusion Rikka had shown her before, Saber had already witnessed Irisviel's tragic death as the Lesser Grail vessel at the end of the war.
Seeing Irisviel calmly accept that same fate in reality only deepened the understanding in Saber's eyes.
Having just been saved from her own tragic fate by that exact same child, Saber understood Rikka's heart better than anyone.
"That is a question you should be asking yourself, Irisviel," Saber answered softly, her voice carrying a calm, firm presence.
"Why did you accept your own death as a certainty, without ever once wishing to be saved?"
Irisviel froze, her breath catching in her throat as Saber's words hit her.
"Because this... this is our dream," Irisviel muttered, almost as if she were trying to convince herself about the ideal of world peace they were fighting for.
Saber didn't argue with her. She just let out a soft exhale before saying, "That is fine. If you are still curious, you can ask Reina when she wakes up. For now, it seems like we have guests."
"You noticed them too, right, Caster? You should have said something instead of just watching," Saber said, turning toward Lady Ava, who was sitting casually on a nearby chair and watching them without a care in the world.
"Ehh, me?" Lady Ava blinked, feigning innocence. "No, no, that is impossible. Serious stuff is really not my area of expertise, you know. But if you want me to add some special effects while you talk, I really don't mind~"
Saber stared at her, her expression completely flat. "...Are you really not Merlin?"
"You can call me whoever you want~" Lady Ava replied, making a playful face.
Even though Saber could sense people quickly approaching the room, she didn't panic at all. She could clearly feel that there were only two people, and she already knew exactly who they were.
Suddenly, the frantic sound of footsteps echoed down the castle hallway, rushing straight toward their room. Before Irisviel could even ask what was going on, the bedroom door was violently pushed open.
"Irisviel!" Maiya yelled, her usual calm demeanor completely shattered.
She stood in the doorway, breathing hard as she carried an unconscious Kiritsugu on her back. He looked terrible. His face was deathly pale, and his breathing was incredibly shallow.
Maiya quickly rushed into the room, her eyes filled with desperate panic as she carefully lowered Kiritsugu onto the floor near the door.
Irisviel's breath caught in her throat. Seeing Kiritsugu's pale, motionless figure on the floor, she hurriedly pushed the blanket aside and swung her legs off the edge of the bed.
"Kiritsugu! What happened to him?!" Irisviel cried out in panic, dropping to her knees beside him as she frantically checked his shallow pulse.
Saber and Lady Ava, however, remained completely unbothered. They didn't move a single inch to help. Saber's contract with Kiritsugu was gone, and her loyalty belonged entirely to Rikka now—whether Kiritsugu lived or died was no longer her concern.
Through all the noise, shouting, and panic, Rikka didn't even stir.
Buried beneath her blanket, the eight-year-old girl continued to sleep soundly, completely oblivious to the chaos unfolding in the room.
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"Ughh... ahh, feels good~"
I feel incredibly fresh after waking up from my sleep. Like, this is the most refreshed I have ever felt since I was born. My mind is so light, and my body has so much energy.
I look toward the window and notice it is already dark outside. "Seems like I slept the entire afternoon."
I immediately kick off my blanket and move to the side of the bed, sitting there and letting my legs hang since they are way too short to touch the ground.
Looking at my right hand, the Command Spell is still there, but two strokes have already faded, leaving only one remaining.
I can also feel my connection with three Servants at once humming through my Magic Circuits.
It feels weird. If I want to, I can immediately find out exactly where they are just by using that connection.
I can tell Saber is standing right outside my bedroom door guarding the room, Lady Ava is casually hanging out downstairs, and Gilgamesh is somewhere further out in Fuyuki City.
Having three people constantly linked to my brain at the same time is definitely going to take some getting used to.
Before I can even process it any more, my stomach lets out a loud, echoing rumble. It reminds me that the last time I ate was back in the afternoon, and even that was just some snacks and cake.
"I'm hungry..." I mumble to myself. "But there is basically no food in this castle. First of all, none of the people here can cook..."
Well, I can, but there are no ingredients around either, so I am just going to die from hunger at this point.
Irisviel isn't here either, so she probably woke up hours before me. Maybe she can order something and ask Saber to go to town to bring me some actual food.
Deciding on that, I jump down from the bed and run toward the door to search for Irisviel.
As I pull it open, I immediately see Saber standing in the hallway, wearing her casual blue dress without her armor.
"Hello, Saber!" Because I already knew she was out there, I just cheerfully greet her.
"Master, you are awake. Do you feel anything uncomfortable?" she asks, instantly crouching down in front of me so we are eye to eye.
"No, I feel good, Saber. But now I'm hungry... is there any food?" I ask while rubbing my stomach.
"Food? Hmm, unfortunately, there is no food in this castle. When we went to the mall this morning, Irisviel and I planned to buy groceries for tonight, but unfortunately, that plan failed."
"Ehhh... so what should I eat? I'm really hungry..."
"Let's ask Irisviel. Maybe she has something," Saber says. Then, suddenly and without a single warning, she casually picks me up into her arms.
"Wha— Saber! I can walk fine, you don't need to carry me!" I protest.
"That is impossible, Master. You said you are really hungry," Saber replies seriously. "If you walk by yourself, you are going to get even hungrier. We should preserve your energy until we can get food."
"Is that how it works?" I blink.
"Of course."
And so, with me still in her arms, Saber walks down the hallway, leaving the bedroom behind to head to wherever Irisviel is.
"Also, where is Aunty Irisviel?" I ask.
"She is with Kiritsugu," Saber explains quietly. "It is my fault. Because I drained Kiritsugu's Od too much, he returned unconscious and his internal pathways were almost ruined. Thankfully, Caster managed to save him after Irisviel begged her."
Understandable. Honestly, it is more surprising that Kiritsugu managed to return here in time. Well, maybe this is just karma for him.
Well, that was the plan. But when we arrive at the bedroom where Irisviel is, we open the door just a little to take a peek inside. Through the gap, I can see Irisviel taking care of Kiritsugu from the side of the bed.
Seeing that, I can't exactly walk in there and ask for food. Honestly, I just don't understand why someone like Irisviel loves Kiritsugu so much.
Is it a case where he is the only one for her because she basically never meets other people?
Oh well, the romance of other people is not really my problem.
"Master, are we still going to enter?" Saber whispers to me.
"Of course not. I don't want to disturb them, so we should just go somewhere else."
"Oh, right! Let's go see Lady Ava."
Then we—or more like Saber, since she is still carrying me the entire time—start walking toward where I can sense Lady Ava. But right in the middle of our walk, Saber suddenly says something.
"Master... I am curious, if you don't mind. Why do you call Caster using her own... nickname, but you still call me Saber?"
"That is a pretty random question," I say. "But to answer it, it's because Lady Ava doesn't really care about names for some reason. I know Lady Ava isn't really her true name. I can find it out myself, but..."
Thinking about it, calling her Lady Ava has just been my habit since the very first time I met her.
With Void's help, I can immediately find out her true name, but why do I even need to do that? No matter what her real name is, Lady Ava is still Lady Ava.
The annoying yet beautiful woman who taught me and has been by my side for three years.
Saber listens quietly to my explanation, walking down the empty hallway with a thoughtful look on her face.
She pauses for a brief second, adjusting her grip slightly as she carries me before looking down to meet my eyes. Her green eyes carry a hesitant, almost shy softness I am not used to seeing on her.
"I see..." Saber says softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
She hesitates for a moment, her cheeks warming with a faint blush before she continues.
"In that case, Master... when we are alone like this, in private... would you consider calling me by my true name as well?"
I look at her, caught completely off guard by the request. "Your true name? You mean... Artoria?"
"Yes," Saber nods, her posture straightening just a bit. "When we are on the battlefield or around others, calling me 'Saber' is fine. But when it is just the two of us... I would prefer it if you addressed me as Artoria. Calling me 'Saber' feels like you are speaking to a stranger, rather than... the person you promised to save."
I stare at her for a second, watching how serious and genuine she looks while carrying me through the castle.
A small, playful smile creeps onto my face.
"Sure thing, Artoria," I say, testing the name out. "When it is just us, I'll call you Artoria."
Saber's eyes widen slightly in surprise before a soft, beautiful smile spreads across her face.
"Thank you, Master," she murmurs quietly, looking ahead as we continue walking down the hallway.