บท 4: Chapter 4: Aftermath!
"Maiya, are you okay?"
"I'm fine for now. I was far enough away to avoid the blast, but what about Irisviel?"
Speaking through the radio, Kiritsugu relied on Saber's protection to barely shield himself from the attack.
His usually emotionless face showed only a slight shift as he assessed the situation before quickly contacting another ally.
"You!"
Nearby, Saber stood in her knightly armor, glaring furiously at him.
The cold, ruthless man before her had done something she couldn't comprehend. His willingness to sacrifice his own family just to increase his chances of survival was beyond her understanding.
"If you have something to say, I suggest you ask yourself why you didn't notice another Servant lurking above us during the battle."
"You only reacted after they attacked."
"Even you couldn't have protected her in that situation."
Kiritsugu's eyes barely betrayed any emotion as he turned the accusation back on her.
Emiya Kiritsugu was a hardcore realist. He always made the most practical decisions, no matter how heartless they seemed.
In that earlier scenario, if he had left Saber where she was, it was possible she could have shielded his wife, Irisviel, but it would have come at a significant risk to his own life.
To avoid that danger, he had chosen to have Saber protect him instead of gambling on a slim chance of keeping Irisviel alive.
Cold and cruel as it seemed to others, this was how Kiritsugu operated.
And he had reason to feel confident.
Irisviel carried within her Saber's scabbard, which he had secretly placed inside her. Even if she had taken the full force of the blast, there was still a chance she would survive.
"!"
Saber had no rebuttal.
She hadn't considered Kiritsugu's reasoning, and now, she couldn't deny the truth of his words.
In the end, she had failed to detect the hidden attacker, and it was her responsibility. She couldn't just blame Kiritsugu for making a cold, yet rational choice.
'A blast from the sky...'
'What kind of Servant would launch such an attack?'
Kiritsugu furrowed his brows, deeply concerned by the unprovoked assault.
The enemy clearly didn't care about chivalry or honor—something Saber held dear—but Kiritsugu still had to check on Irisviel. Whether she was alive or dead, he needed to know.
If the scabbard was left exposed, it could be problematic. However, if he sent Saber, she would easily discover the scabbard.
He wasn't ready to return the scabbard to Saber just yet, but the airborne enemy might still be watching. He couldn't risk being shot at again.
Given the power of that blast, he wasn't confident he could survive another hit.
It seemed like every factor was working against him, creating an almost impossible situation.
---
"Rider, it looks like... no one died?"
Sitting in the cockpit, Waver carefully watched his Servant's expression before speaking.
Rider had boasted earlier about the "Gundam's" power, but it seemed the attack hadn't yielded the expected results.
"Servants surviving is one thing, but how did that woman survive?"
Lelouch frowned at the screen showing the aftermath.
It made sense for legendary heroes to have a chance of surviving, but a normal Master should have been obliterated by that explosion.
"Her wounds seem to be healing slowly?"
"It doesn't look like healing magic, but something else..."
Both Lelouch and Waver began to piece together the puzzle.
"Rider, Assassin is carrying her away. Shouldn't we chase them?"
Waver pointed to the screen, showing Assassin sprinting away with Irisviel in his arms.
"It's pointless. That attack already alerted them to our presence. Even if we caught up, we can't use the mecha anymore."
Given the necessity of maintaining "secrecy," firing a blast on a deserted beach was one thing, but doing so in the city would cause too much trouble.
Lelouch wasn't foolish enough to risk being surrounded by other Servants just to pursue them now.
"Chasing them would only invite interference from the observer."
The golden-armored figure that had been standing on the lamppost watching the battle had already caught Lelouch's attention. Surviving the blast unscathed, that Servant clearly possessed extraordinary abilities.
"Let's pull back for now. Tonight's outcome has been successful enough."
"We've uncovered Saber's true Master and injured Assassin. That's more than enough."
The hidden mecha began to retract, the clouds that had concealed them fading away, revealing the bright moonlight.
---
"What?"
"It's over already?"
Standing on the lamppost, Gilgamesh watched as the others retreated, a tone of dissatisfaction in his voice.
He had just started enjoying the spectacle, only for it to end so quickly. It was a bit of a letdown.
"Hmph, fine then. That light, though..."
"That was an interesting sight."
Gilgamesh stroked his chin thoughtfully, recalling the image of Irisviel's wounds healing in the midst of the battle.
If he wasn't mistaken, it might be—
---
"Assassin, why did you bring this woman back?"
"She was probably just a decoy sent by Saber's Master."
"It's pure luck she survived that explosion."
Kirei Kotomine had just returned from a strategy meeting with Tohsaka Tokiomi, only to find Kenshin placing a wounded Irisviel on the carpet.
Her pale skin and alluring body lay exposed, but neither man had the slightest interest in observing her.
Without offering an explanation, Kenshin leaned against the wall, breathing heavily.
He had taken the full brunt of that magical energy cannon. Honestly, if not for his sheer will to survive and his last-minute evasion, he would have been dead on the spot.
Even so, he had lost his right arm in the explosion, and his body was covered in injuries.
Under normal circumstances, he would have been forced to retire from the war.
"Injuries... Wait, is this...?"
Kirei's eyes widened as he noticed something unusual about Irisviel.
"She's hiding something extraordinary."
Unable to resist, Kirei reached out to touch her, realizing what was concealed beneath the surface.
"Mm..."
Whether from pain or some other sensation, Irisviel groaned faintly, still unconscious from the blast's aftermath.
---
"Berserker, what was that just now?"
Lying in bed, Sakura, who had been asleep, was startled awake by the commotion.
But her anxious heart calmed when she saw Berserker sitting beside her.
His mature, rugged face, now visible after removing his helmet, filled her with reassurance.
"..."
He didn't speak, almost as if he couldn't.
Berserker could only communicate through subtle gestures and expressions.
"It's okay."
"As long as you're here, nothing will be a problem."
For the first time, Sakura felt a sense of peace, and she smiled softly.
"Oh, right, I had a dream earlier."
"A story about a hero who helped everyone, defeating an evil dragon, restoring his friend's kingdom, and saving the world."
"Isn't that amazing?"
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