His expression remained unchanged. "Such a minor injury is nothing..."
"Raku, your body!" Saber said urgently, but what happened next left her stunned.
Crimson flames suddenly erupted from Ryougi Raku's wound, like a phoenix reborn from ashes. The flames instantly enveloped him.
It happened faster than the eye could follow. The moment the flames appeared, Ryougi Raku's body returned to its original state—even his clothes were exactly as they had been before the battle, without a trace of blood. If not for the fatigue visible on Ryougi Raku's face, indicating that such recovery consumed energy, one might have thought everything that happened before was an illusion.
'What is this? A reversal of time?' Everyone who witnessed it couldn't help but think this...
---
"H-how is this possible?" Irisviel exclaimed. This eerie resurrection was truly terrifying; even the Dead Apostles she remembered didn't possess such rapid recovery.
"You... you're not human, are you?" Kiritsugu Emiya gasped, speaking in broken sentences.
Only Saber remained calm. She could clearly sense that Ryougi Raku's existence was indeed human; his abnormality lay in his power, not in the fundamental nature of his species.
But this terrifying regeneration surpassed even her imagination... Kiritsugu Emiya secretly regretted attacking so rashly without deeply understanding his enemy. It was a foolish move. Perhaps Ryougi Raku's consistently strange behavior had clouded Kiritsugu Emiya's judgment. 'Even if Saber used her Noble Phantasm, she wouldn't be able to kill him!' This thought suddenly crossed his mind.
"I'm not in the mood to fight today!" Ryougi Raku said with a smile. Regardless, Lancer had accompanied him for several days, always faithfully performing his duties. Now that he had vanished, Ryougi Raku naturally felt a certain emotional fluctuation.
"Saber, you don't need to feel guilty. This isn't your fault at all, is it?"
"However, it was still a consequence of my actions. Therefore, I must solemnly apologize!" Saber's expression was serious, but she also secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although an injury of that magnitude couldn't be resolved by a mere apology, Ryougi Raku was ultimately unharmed.
"Heh, Saber, you're still so serious... But I have to say, that's what makes you so charming, Saber..." Ryougi Raku chuckled.
"Although we're already quite familiar, as a king, the word 'charming' shouldn't be used to describe me!" Saber protested, a hint of displeasure in her voice.
"Alright, alright... Anyway, you see I'm fine now. At least the outcome is good, isn't it? However, having such a Master is truly your misfortune, Saber!" Ryougi Raku shrugged, speaking calmly.
Saber remained silent, not refuting Ryougi Raku's words.
"Kiritsugu Emiya, I have nothing more to say to you, but you will regret this. I look forward to the moment you kneel on the ground, weeping in repentance!" Ryougi Raku coldly swept his gaze over Kiritsugu Emiya on the ground, as if looking at a lifeless object, and spoke in a chilling tone.
No one understood Ryougi Raku's words, nor what he meant by 'regret,' but in the current situation, they couldn't ask him... Although Kiritsugu Emiya was puzzled, his conviction remained unshaken... "That's enough for today. As things stand, I suppose I've lost my qualification for the Holy Grail War..." He glanced at the back of his hand; the Command Spells had disappeared without him noticing. Ryougi Raku's tone was very nonchalant.
"...Raku, I once promised Lancer that I would protect your safety!" Saber suddenly said, her eyes filled with commitment.
Ryougi Raku was startled, then laughed, "Then thank you very much, Saber... I hope this promise lasts longer than eternity." The last sentence was so quiet it was almost inaudible; no one present heard it.
"Then I shall take my leave. I hope we have a chance to meet again, Saber! And Kiritsugu Emiya, I hope I can still see you after this war ends..." Ryougi Raku nodded to Saber, preparing to depart.
Saber naturally wouldn't stop him; in fact, she wished Ryougi Raku would leave as soon as possible. Kiritsugu Emiya's actions had chilled her heart, but she had once sworn to protect him, and now she found herself in a dilemma... "Ah, right, one more thing..." Ryougi Raku, who was about to leave, suddenly turned his head to face Irisviel, "...Madam, please try to be less active. Your body is already failing. No matter what, life is so precious; it is the greatest miracle!" With that, he headed straight towards the city, never looking back... Saber watched Ryougi Raku disappear from sight before turning to look at Irisviel, hoping she could explain the meaning of Ryougi Raku's last words. But what she saw was Irisviel collapsed on the ground, unconscious... "Iri..." Saber gasped, quickly supporting her. She breathed a sigh of relief when she realized Irisviel was only unconscious... The afternoon sun shone in, the air was still cold, but the sunlight still made one feel lazy.
Beside the magic circle, Irisviel slept peacefully.
Ever since Ryougi Raku left, Irisviel had been unconscious. She hadn't woken up until now. As a homunculus, her bodily functions had developed some problems.
But Saber didn't know the specifics; she would have to wait until Irisviel woke up to ask.
Finally, after a long wait, Irisviel groaned and slowly sat up.
"Iri, how do you feel?" Saber immediately came to her side, asking with concern.
"Saber?" Perhaps because she had just woken up, Irisviel still seemed a little disoriented.
"Mm, it's nothing." Leaning back comfortably, Irisviel answered with a smile, hoping to reassure Saber.
But how could Saber be at ease?
"Iri, what exactly is wrong with your body? And what did Raku mean when he left?" The thought of Ryougi Raku saying that Irisviel's life was short worried Saber deeply.
"I didn't expect... Raku knows so much..." With a slight bitter smile, Irisviel knew she couldn't hide anything anymore.
"Saber, from the moment I was born, I existed for the Holy Grail. You know, I was born with the vessel that can bring it forth..."
Saber nodded. She already knew that Irisviel's mission was to be the guardian of the vessel, though she didn't know how or where Irisviel had hidden such a thing as the Holy Grail's vessel.
"Actually, Saber, you don't know that this Holy Grail vessel isn't an object but merely me..." Smiling, Irisviel revealed the true nature of the Holy Grail vessel.
"Yes, the descent of the Holy Grail only requires me. And the reason I fell unconscious is because of the powerful magical energy brought by the departing Servants, stored within my body. To cope with this sudden surge of magical energy, my body's functions automatically entered a state of hibernation to weather it. Finally, I will gather all the magical energy from the departed Servants and use this power to summon the Holy Grail..." Irisviel calmly told Saber the truth so easily.
Saber naturally understood the meaning; to put it plainly, summoning the Holy Grail required the sacrifice of Irisviel's life!
Saber fell silent. This was unacceptable to her. Sacrificing others to achieve one's own goals did not align with her chivalry!
"Does Kiritsugu Emiya know?" Saber suddenly asked.
Irisviel nodded, indicating that he already knew.
Saber couldn't understand. She could see that Kiritsugu Emiya and Irisviel loved each other so deeply, but if Kiritsugu Emiya knew that summoning the Holy Grail would sacrifice his wife, why would he still pursue it??
Irisviel naturally saw Saber's thoughts. She gently held Saber's hand: "Everyone has their own mission, don't they? My mission has been this way since birth. I don't resent it, nor do I wish to change it. Since it is my mission, I should fulfill it. Saber, you shouldn't feel any psychological pressure... I only hope that you can understand Kiritsugu. His wish is great, not for his own selfish desires. I only hope that, in the end, you can both lift the Holy Grail together; then I will be content."
It was incredibly difficult to get the King of Knights and the Magus Killer to cooperate wholeheartedly to obtain the Holy Grail. But Irisviel had told Saber the truth, hoping to use herself to improve the relationship between Saber and Kiritsugu Emiya. Whether it succeeded or not, she had to try... Saber gritted her teeth. She was naturally unwilling to cooperate with the man who defiled the honor of knights, but facing Irisviel, she could only say, "When I was first summoned, I swore to protect you all and to win the final victory. I do not intend to break that oath!"
Irisviel smiled ambiguously, already very satisfied with that answer... Ryougi Raku returned to the Matou residence... and saw a weakened Matou Kariya.
No matter what, although his body had been healed, the blow was simply too great. Matou Kariya's weakness was so evident.
"My lord..." Struggling, he greeted Ryougi Raku.
"Hmm, Kariya, are you alright?" Ryougi Raku stopped him and asked.
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(˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶) ‹ (TL : More Chapters @patreon.com/c/Gooberilla)