"…That's the situation."
Before leaving Einzbern Castle, Leon had made a unilateral proposal to Irisviel and Kiritsugu Emiya—and had already put it into action.
"But… can we really do this? What if the enemy breaks through you directly?"
Irisviel looked at Leon with concern.
At the moment, Leon—golden-haired and green-eyed—was wearing a suit of silver armor strikingly similar to the one Artoria wore in full battle gear. Beneath the armor was a dark blue underlayer, along with a rather modern-looking hood.
"It's fine. I'm not that fragile."
Leon winked at Irisviel. Then, a holy sword materialized in his hand out of thin air. Planting both hands on the pommel, he declared with a solemn expression far removed from his usual playful demeanor:
"From this moment on, I am Arthur Pendragon, the Saber-class Servant of the Einzbern family."
Yes.
Leon's plan was essentially a scheme within a scheme within a scheme.
First he had disguised himself—a Berserker—as Berserker's Master.
And now he was pretending that this fake Berserker Master was actually Saber.
"…This is really reckless,"
Kiritsugu Emiya murmured with a slight frown. Then he turned to the real Artoria, who was standing beside Irisviel dressed in a black men's suit, posing as a bodyguard.
"Saber, what do you think?"
"Hm?"
Artoria seemed somewhat surprised that Kiritsugu had actually asked for her opinion. After a brief pause, she answered:
"Though he lacks experience, Leon's strength is not inferior to that of a standard Servant."
She didn't directly address Kiritsugu's question. After all, having someone stand in as her double somewhat conflicted with her belief in honorable knightly conduct.
However, for the sake of winning the Holy Grail War, Leon had managed to persuade her—with both logic and strength.
"You've already disguised yourself as a man before. Going a little further shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Those had been Leon's exact words.
Artoria had found them strangely reasonable, and reluctantly agreed.
What she hadn't realized was that the principles she once held firmly had gradually become far more flexible under Leon's 'persuasion.'
"I see…"
Kiritsugu fell into thought.
With Leon posing as Saber, while the real Saber secretly guarded Irisviel, they would both protect Irisviel more effectively and mislead their enemies.
More importantly, it would be extremely convenient for stabbing an opponent in the back at the critical moment.
That aligned perfectly with Kiritsugu's own philosophy—
Achieving justice by any means necessary.
Since Leon himself had no objections, Kiritsugu naturally welcomed the plan. Their odds of victory had increased.
And so—
The party consisted of:
Irisviel, the Lesser Grail VesselArtoria, the true Saber, disguised as a driver and bodyguardKiritsugu Emiya, Saber's MasterLeon, a Berserker pretending to be Berserker's Master… who was now pretending to be Saber
Each harboring their own thoughts, the group boarded the Einzbern family's private jet bound for Japan.
Originally, Leon had suggested using the Bifrost to arrive instantly.
But Kiritsugu wasn't willing to entrust his and Irisviel's lives entirely to Leon—a potential rival.
So they obediently chose the plane instead.
As for Matou Kariya, who was pretending to be Berserker, he remained in a semi-conscious state, hidden within Leon's shadow domain.
When they awoke from a short sleep, the aircraft had already landed in Japan, leaving them only about half an hour from Fuyuki City.
Kiritsugu transferred flights midway and split up from the group.
Seeing Leon's trick of a Master disguising himself as a Servant, Kiritsugu had taken inspiration from it.
He proposed that Irisviel pretend to be Saber's Master, while he—the real Master—remained hidden in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to act.
In simpler terms—
He would act as a sniper, preying on inexperienced magi who lacked proper intelligence.
Irisviel gladly accepted the plan.
With Leon, Artoria, and even Berserker lurking in the shadows, she felt perfectly safe under this triple layer of protection.
The airport was nearly empty.
Leon and Artoria, dressed in identical black suits, stepped off the plane first.
Like two gate guardians, they stood on either side of the staircase, supporting Irisviel as she gracefully descended behind them.
Her body was growing weaker by the day due to the Lesser Grail forming inside her. It seemed as if even a light breeze could blow her over.
Though that description was exaggerated, it was nonetheless the fate awaiting Irisviel.
Holding one of Irisviel's delicate hands each, Leon and Artoria exchanged a glance.
Their coordination was seamless—they had already adapted to their roles as bodyguards.
Unless a certain golden king with clairvoyance activated his ability, their true identities were almost impossible to expose.
"So this is the country where Kiritsugu was born…"
Irisviel gazed at the distant land and the clear blue sky with emotion.
Unlike the snowbound Einzbern Castle, she had spent most of her life confined within those cold walls.
Now, for the first time, she felt a sense of freedom swelling in her chest.
She spread her arms wide, breathing deeply of the open air.
The sharp wind lifted her snow-white hair.
Turning to Artoria, she asked:
"How does it feel, Saber? What are your thoughts about traveling through the sky?"
"Nothing particularly remarkable. It was more ordinary than I expected."
Artoria's answer sounded somewhat indifferent.
With the battlefield approaching, she had to maintain constant combat awareness.
"Huh?"
"Now that you've become a Heroic Spirit, flying in the sky isn't surprising anymore?" Irisviel asked curiously.
"Half and half, perhaps."
Noticing her earlier reply might have sounded cold, Artoria offered a gentle smile and explained:
"Merlin's magic—well, it would be called magecraft now."
"He's an exceptional magus. Flight is something he can accomplish quite easily. He often appears amidst a floating sea of flowers in the sky."
"Besides, when Servants are summoned to the present world, they are also granted modern knowledge. So flying in the sky isn't particularly unusual."
"I see."
"Servants really are amazing beings," Irisviel said with admiration.
At that moment, Leon reminded them:
"Al—we're about to reach Fuyuki City. Try not to say anything unnecessary. We wouldn't want your identity exposed."
"Who knows? Our enemies might already be watching us."
"Al" was a masculine nickname Leon used for Artoria, both for convenience and to maintain her disguise.
"Huh?!"
"Really?!"
Irisviel instantly covered her mouth with both hands, glancing nervously around like an innocent girl unfamiliar with the world.
"Hahahahaha!"
"Just kidding. There's no one around."
"If there were, Al and I would've eliminated them immediately."
Leon laughed triumphantly.
"Leon, honestly…"
Irisviel shot him a reproachful glance, finally relaxing.
But Artoria's expression turned slightly serious.
"Leon is right. I failed to consider that possibility. I must be more cautious."
"All right."
Leon cracked his knuckles, excitement gleaming in his eyes.
"Let's go greet our 'friends.'"
[System Prompt: Would you like to perform today's sign-in?]
'Do it!'
[System Notification! Daily sign-in completed.]
[Congratulations! You have obtained: Riding (EX).]
Riding (EX):
As long as an object—objectively or subjectively—possesses the attribute of being rideable, the user can instantly master its operation upon contact.
Description:
No naughty interpretations allowed.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Sagamaster789