Kapitel 468: Timing
Saber's injuries were severe. Her eyes were closed, seemingly unconscious, her delicate face drained of color and deathly pale. Her body was covered in wounds, her armor having deactivated due to the depletion of mana, leaving her in a tattered underlayer that had been torn in multiple places during her battle with Berserker. Her exposed skin was marred with cuts and bruises, the blood oozing from her injuries staining her wounds red.
More worrying, however, was that Saber's mana had been utterly drained in the recent battle, leaving her in a state of exhaustion. With Kiritsugu nowhere nearby, if her mana was not replenished soon, Saber might very well vanish from this world due to mana depletion.
Kaguya's delicate brows knit in concern, understanding that Saber was in critical condition. Without hesitation, she pressed her hand against Saber's heart, feeling the soft warmth of her smooth skin against her palm. Unfazed, Kaguya focused solely on channeling her mana into Saber, sending it carefully through her hand and into Saber's body, bit by bit.
Fortunately, she hadn't arrived too late. Kaguya felt relieved that she'd come in time, as even a few minutes' delay might have seen Saber fade away entirely .
As mana gradually flowed into her, Saber's form, which had been close to dissipating, began to solidify again. Her pale face regained some color, her breathing steadied, and her wounds started to close at a visible pace.
Kaguya let out a sigh of relief, though she couldn't help but feel exasperated. "This girl, really… Doesn't she know how to retreat when she's losing?" With her knightly resolve, Saber would probably never think of escaping, even if it meant risking her life. Kaguya, on the other hand, had no qualms about retreating when necessary; after all, only a fool insisted on fighting to the bitter end.
As Saber's condition stabilized, Kaguya didn't immediately pull her hand away from Saber's chest. Instead, her fingers lightly squeezed, noting that though Saber's figure was rather… petite, her skin was exceptionally smooth and unexpectedly soft, like the finest silk .
Perhaps disturbed by Kaguya's hand, Saber's eyelashes trembled, and her eyes slowly fluttered open. She looked dazed, still not fully aware of her surroundings. But when she focused on the silver-haired girl before her, Saber's eyes flew open in shock, as if electrified. She tried to push Kaguya away, but, still weak from her injuries, Saber lacked the strength even to stand, let alone shove her away.
Suddenly, Saber noticed something that froze her in place. She glanced down, her eyes widening in horror as she saw her collar undone, with Kaguya's hand boldly resting on her chest. Even worse, Kaguya's fingers gave her a rough squeeze. The delicate skin couldn't withstand such unrestrained handling, and the pain brought tears to Saber's eyes.
"I… I'll kill you!" Saber's face flushed an intense red as she felt utterly humiliated. She weakly swung a fist at Kaguya, though in her current condition, her hits were as light as a gentle massage .
"Ah, apologies, apologies," Kaguya said casually, offering a half-hearted excuse while slipping her hand away without a trace of guilt. "But considering that I saved you, claiming a little interest isn't too unreasonable, is it?"
"You… saved me?" Saber was taken aback, memories flooding back. She recalled her desperate fight with Berserker, her grievous wounds, her mana utterly drained, and the certainty that she wouldn't remain in this world much longer .
"And besides," Kaguya's lips curved into a mischievous smile, "didn't I already have my hands all over you last night? Why the bashfulness now?"
The memory of the previous night's indignity flooded Saber's mind, and her face turned beet red, as if steam were about to rise from her cheeks. With a sudden surge of strength, she pushed Kaguya away, then clenched her hand. In a flash of golden light, her sword appeared once more, gripped tightly in her hand.
Despite her exhaustion, the fiery indignation seemed to grant Saber the energy to summon her sword once more.
"Perish, vile fiend!" Saber shouted through gritted teeth, her face crimson as she swung her blade, a bright beam of gold slicing through the air toward Kaguya.
Seeing the attack coming, Kaguya's lips curled in amusement. "So it seems you didn't quite learn your lesson last night," she murmured. With a swift step, she blurred into a streak of light, dodging the beam and reappearing directly before Saber.
Caught off guard, Saber tried to block, but it was too late.
Kaguya swiftly wrapped an arm around Saber, pulling her into an embrace, and released a purple stream of energy into her through her fingertips. Saber's body immediately went limp, drained of strength .
"W-what's happening?" Saber stammered, genuine panic flashing across her face—a rare sight, which only served to heighten her allure.
"Think you can run after using my mana?" Kaguya whispered, her breath warm against Saber's ear.
The moist whisper sent an involuntary shiver through Saber's body, leaving her as stiff as wood.
Just then, Kaguya's brows knit in suspicion. She seemed to have sensed something, and as she turned her head, she shot Saber a faint smile. "It seems there's still a little pest alive. Let's go take a look." Without waiting for Saber's response, Kaguya shot off toward the disturbance at lightning speed, carrying Saber along with her.
They landed near a construction site, and Kaguya released Saber, who immediately sprang away from her, fists clenched and warily watching Kaguya, her cheeks still tinged with pink .
Kaguya, ignoring Saber, moved forward until she stopped at a corner.
In her line of sight was a young man in his twenties, his face twisted and contorted, with irregular bulges along his skin that twitched occasionally. The left side of his face was withered, his skin stretched taut over his bones like that of a skull—Kariya Matou.
Kaguya's brows furrowed slightly as she sensed Kariya Matou's weak aura. His face was deathly pale, his body extremely frail, and his mana completely exhausted—his condition was utterly beyond saving.
Due to the modifications forced on him by Kariya Matou's Crest Worms, Kariya's body had been severely damaged. His participation in the Holy Grail War had marked the start of his gradual decline. Even before the war began, his life had already been drastically shortened, leaving him with just over a month to live. Realistically, he had only survived a handful of days since then.
One could say he was perhaps one of the most tragic figures in the entire Fate series.
The woman he loved, his childhood friend Aoi Tohsaka, had married Tokiomi Tohsaka. To save her daughter, Sakura, who had been adopted into the Matou family, Kariya had endured the torment of the Crest Worms and entered the Holy Grail War. Yet, due to Kirei Kotomine's schemes, Aoi mistakenly believed that Kariya had murdered her husband, and her hatred for him ran deep. Overwhelmed by his despair, Kariya had ended up choking Aoi in a blind rage.
Now, it seemed Kariya had never been able to escape his fate.
Suddenly, Kariya, who had been slumped on the ground, sprang up and charged at Kaguya, his bloodshot eyes filled with a frantic rage. He shouted, "Aoi Tohsaka—give her back to me, you wretched bastard!"
Unmoved by Kariya's assault, Kaguya remained calm and still, letting out a soft sigh.
Just as she'd expected, Kariya staggered before he could reach her, stumbling and collapsing heavily onto the ground. A small pool of blood began to seep out around him, marking the end of his life.
He had already been at the brink of death. Holding on this long after Berserker's death was already remarkable. However, in his last moments, he seemed to have been in a state of confusion, as though under some form of external control.
"He was Berserker's Master, wasn't he?" Saber asked cautiously, moving closer and glancing in surprise at the man lying lifeless on the ground.
Though she had encountered Berserker in battle multiple times, she'd rarely seen his Master in person, only through the records Kiritsugu had gathered.
"He once was," Kaguya replied, not bothering to look back. She approached Kariya's body, snapped her fingers, and a black flame appeared in her hand, igniting Kariya's remains in an instant. The Amaterasu flames reduced him to ashes in moments.
With her suspicions now confirmed, Kaguya was certain Kirei Kotomine was responsible for manipulating events from behind the scenes.
A faint, cold smile crept onto Kaguya's lips. It seemed Kirei was becoming bolder by the day, testing her patience. Had she been too lenient, making herself appear as someone easily manipulated?
Turning toward Saber, Kaguya reached out, lightly lifting her chin, and smiled. "There are some matters I must attend to," she said. "I'll be off for a while, but I won't be gone too long."
She leaned forward, meeting Saber's slightly flustered gaze, and gently pressed her lips to hers, deepening the kiss as she savored the warmth and softness of Saber's lips.
After a moment, Kaguya finally let go, allowing Saber to regain her freedom. She released her with a soft, lingering breath, letting their lips part before licking her own with her tongue seductively, as if to relish the lingering taste.
Saber immediately took several steps back, her cheeks flushed as she glared at Kaguya in fury, her eyes nearly blazing. Yet, perhaps wary of Kaguya's mysterious abilities, Saber restrained herself, gritting her teeth and not attacking outright, knowing it would only bring her humiliation.
Kaguya smiled faintly at her, then turned, tracing a line in the air. A dark portal opened before her, and she stepped through it, disappearing as the portal gradually closed behind her.
Watching Kaguya leave, a complex expression appeared on Saber's face. Although her sense of loyalty and honor as a knight remained unshaken, deep down, she was still just a girl.
Originally, she had entered the Holy Grail War burdened by the mission of saving Britain, hoping to change her country's fate through the power of the Grail. But Kaguya's appearance had completely disrupted everything. Despite her seemingly gentle and amiable demeanor, Saber knew from experience that Kaguya's core was incredibly domineering, her possessiveness surpassing even Gilgamesh's.
Was it genuine affection, or was Kaguya merely toying with her?
For some reason, thoughts Saber would have never previously entertained suddenly surfaced in her mind. She quickly shook her head, dismissing the absurd notion. There was no way she could like someone like Kaguya. Her only goal was to win the Holy Grail War, obtain the Grail, and make her wish to save Britain a reality.
Feelings and emotions had no place in her mind at such a critical time.
Unnoticed by her, a faint trace of violet light flickered briefly in Saber's bright green eyes.
The early autumn weather had gradually cooled, shedding the summer heat and becoming refreshingly mild. The afternoon sunlight, which had once been harsh, now fell gently through the thick leaves, casting radiant patches of light onto the ground.
However, an unusual silence hung over the Tohsaka residence. The mansion was utterly still, the only sound being the faint rustling of leaves in the breeze, while even the chirping of birds seemed to have faded away.
In the villa's front garden, a pitch-black portal appeared from thin air, gradually expanding until it reached the height of a person. From the darkness, a slender leg emerged, followed by the graceful figure of a silver-haired girl—Kaguya. The portal gradually closed behind her, vanishing into the air.
A barely discernible frown appeared on Kaguya's brow as she strode toward the villa.
As the door creaked open, Kaguya stepped inside. In the dimly lit living room, a figure sat motionless on the sofa. Dressed in a red suit and sporting a familiar, well-groomed hairstyle, he appeared to be Tokiomi Tohsaka. But there was something off, something unsettling.
Suddenly, Tokiomi swayed and collapsed onto the floor with a dull thud.
At that exact moment, the front door swung open, and a familiar voice called out.
"Dad, we're back! Look, we brought you a gift! Dad…? Dad?"
The finely wrapped present fell from small hands, landing on the floor with a muffled thump.
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