After finally managing to let everything out, Irisviel completely broke down in tears.
Her body, which had remained standing until then through sheer willpower alone, finally gave out.
She sank to the floor, unable to support her own weight, while her trembling hands tried to wipe away the tears that would not stop falling.
"Iri…" Artoria immediately knelt beside her and pulled her into a firm embrace.
Arthur crouched beside them as well and gently patted Iri's back, offering a sense of steadiness that sharply contrasted with the emotional chaos consuming her.
"It's alright… you're not going to die, I promise," Arthur said.
Or at least… I'll make sure you don't stay dead.
The thought came cold and resolute, further strengthening his determination to obtain the Third Magic.
That only made Iri cry even harder.
As if she had finally found a place where she was safe enough to break down completely.
Time passed slowly, and little by little, her sobs began to subside. Her breathing gradually returned to normal.
And eventually, she calmed down.
Her eyes were swollen.
Her face was soaked with tears, yet despite that, a genuine smile appeared.
"Then… I'll leave it to you two… my knights."
Upon hearing that, Arthur and Artoria exchanged a quick glance.
There was no need for words.
Both of them nodded and answered at the same time:
"Of course!"
"But Arthur…" Artoria turned toward him, her expression still serious. "What can you do to save her life?"
I can think of a few possibilities… but… she reflected silently.
"I'm going to obtain the Third Magic," Arthur answered directly. "I possess an ability that allows me to manipulate souls. However… it has certain limitations. The Third Magic will completely eliminate those limitations."
"Yes… that is one possibility." Artoria nodded slowly.
But at that same moment, a thought crossed her mind.
The inevitable final confrontation of this Holy Grail War would be between her and Arthur.
Her eyes closed briefly.
…It doesn't matter. Even if I have to die… you will not die this time, Arthur. Her gaze returned to him.
We will stay together until the very end.
That was not merely resolve—it was her obsession and desire.
Something that went beyond duty, honor, or logic.
"You look beautiful when you're serious… but I prefer seeing you smile."
Arthur's voice completely shattered the atmosphere.
He lightly pinched her cheek.
"—!"
Artoria was caught off guard and instantly pulled out of her thoughts.
"Do not treat me like a child," she shot back, giving his hand a light slap.
But a small smile appeared on her lips.
Seeing that, Iri could not hold herself back and began to laugh.
And as if it were contagious, the heavy atmosphere hanging over the room quickly disappeared.
"Alright… now let's get to work." Arthur stood up and lightly clapped his hands together.
"I'm going to use Territory Creation and turn this entire place into my own fortress."
He looked around as though he could already visualize the finished result.
"I'll make the land accumulate mana and constantly transfer it into Iri's body. That should slow the deterioration whenever I'm not nearby."
"Wait…" Iri blinked in surprise. "Isn't Territory Creation a Caster-class skill?"
"Didn't I mention it?" Arthur replied casually. "I possess the abilities of all seven classes. Besides that, I'm also eligible as a Ruler… or even an Avenger."
"…" x2
Silence immediately filled the room.
"You're telling me… you have every class?" Iri asked, utterly bewildered.
"More precisely…" Arthur shrugged. "I would be a classless Servant. I'm not restricted by any class and possess abilities associated with each of them. I can be summoned in any of those roles."
"So that's why…" Artoria murmured. "You retain your sanity. You are not affected by Mad Enhancement."
This is… far more absurd than I imagined, she thought.
"Exactly," Arthur confirmed. "Now, how about we save this conversation for later? I'll begin the territory creation immediately."
He pulled out his stone tablet from the Gate of Babylon, already preparing himself.
"Iri… keep in mind that unfortunately, once I finish here, you won't be able to walk around with us for the time being."
"That's alright," Iri replied with a gentle smile. "I have Artie with me… so I won't feel lonely."
She turned her face slightly.
"I'll do my best to endure until the end… I want to witness the final battle between you two~"
"Just don't overdo it," Arthur laughed.
---xXx---
After settling Iri into the room they had cleaned earlier, Arthur and Artoria remained seated side by side.
Silently watching her.
Her face looked healthier, more peaceful, and surprisingly, she was sleeping with a serene smile.
"..."
The silence was comfortable.
"Hmm… I'm going to boil some water and take a bath," Artoria said, slowly rising to her feet.
She took a few steps, then stopped and looked back.
"You should come as well."
Arthur smiled, stood up, and without ceremony wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.
"Was that a request… or an order?" he asked teasingly.
Artoria did not turn around immediately.
But she answered:
"Interpret it however you like."
Then she slipped free from his embrace and left the room.
Arthur laughed again and followed her.
---xXx---
Irisviel, who had slept throughout the entire day, slowly opened her eyes.
The soft light of the room reflected in her pupils, once again revealing that deep and captivating crimson color.
"Arthur…? Artie…?"
Her vision was still slightly blurred.
But little by little, her pupils adjusted.
She turned her head slightly toward the bedside and found the two of them there.
Artoria and Arthur were sitting across from one another in a surprisingly peaceful atmosphere, drinking tea as though it were just another ordinary moment.
"Iri? How are you feeling now?" Artoria asked immediately when she noticed she was awake.
The concern in her voice was impossible to hide.
"It seems I worried you quite a bit, didn't I?" Iri replied with a forced smile.
She tried to sit up to prove she was fine.
But the instant she moved, her balance completely failed.
Her body pitched forward toward Arthur.
Without hesitation, he reached out and caught her firmly before she could fall.
"You really lost your balance just now… or was that on purpose?" Arthur asked with a faint teasing smile.
"Of course it wasn't on purpose…" she muttered, looking away.
"I'm sorry…" Her words came out quietly. "Even after everything you've done… I still haven't lived up to your expectations… I'm still like this… weak… fragile…"
Her fingers trembled slightly.
"I really am… so useless…"
Tears welled up again.
With every Servant that died, she could clearly feel her own end drawing closer.
Before, she would have accepted that fate without resistance.
With only a trace of regret.
But now it was different.
Arthur and Artoria had shattered the walls she had built around her heart.
And in their place… hope had taken root.
I don't want to die…
The thought echoed through her mind.
She truly did not want to die.
She wanted to live.
She wanted to keep experiencing everything she had only recently discovered.
More simple moments. More laughter.
"I'm truly sorry…"
Her hand clenched tightly at Arthur's clothes.
Or at least, she tried to.
Her fingers turned pale with effort.
But all she managed to do was create a slight wrinkle in the fabric.
Arthur watched in silence.
Then he took her hand.
Their fingers intertwined as a gentle smile appeared on his face.
He leaned forward until their foreheads touched.
"What are you talking about, you fool?" he said softly but firmly. "How could you possibly be useless?"
Without giving her a chance to answer, he pulled her into an embrace.
"I'm happy that you're alright. Thanks to my territory… your condition has already improved a lot."
"If your eyes lose their light… then I'll light them myself."
"If your ears can no longer hear… then I'll convey everything directly to you."
"If your legs grow too weak to walk… then I will become your legs… and carry you anywhere you wish to go."
"Death is not the end of life. As long as you remember that… you don't need to worry about anything."
As he spoke, a golden ripple formed above him.
A glass vial containing a translucent liquid fell into his hand.
"What is that?" Artoria asked.
"Long ago, death inspired neither sadness nor fear in me. But witnessing one who possessed power equal to my own perish before my eyes allowed me, for the first time, to understand the true reality of death. The despair I felt then came from seeing death as an escape from duty. To fully fulfill my mission, I was meant to observe humanity's path until its inevitable end. Sunk in depression and without vigor, I sought the Herb of Immortality—a spiritual herb of eternal youth and everlasting life."
"Don't tell me…" Artoria murmured in disbelief.
"Yes, this is a potion of youth," Arthur replied with a smile.
"I don't want Iri to turn back into a child, so she'll only take an extremely small dose—just enough to rejuvenate her by one or two years," Arthur said.
"You keep pulling more and more ridiculous things out of there," Artoria said.
"Unlike Goldie, the concept of my Gate of Babylon applies to all the treasures in the world, without exception," Arthur replied.
Another golden ripple appeared above him, and a golden apple dropped out.
"This won't heal you completely, but it will keep you healthy and prevent your body from deteriorating," Arthur said as he pulled an absurdly golden knife from the Gate of Babylon and began peeling the apple.
"A golden apple?" Iri asked in confusion.
"It's one of Idunn's golden apples. I managed to obtain a few of them, but I never used them. No one ever needed them," he said.
"And once again, you pulled out something absurd…" Artoria grumbled.
---
(End of Chapter)
A/N: It was something obvious, but I don't think I ever properly mentioned it, right? He also received all the items that version of Dark had in the Gate of Babylon shortly before the Tensura arc. That also upgraded the concept of the Gate of Babylon—now it truly contains all the treasures in the world, including all Noble Phantasms, except, of course, Divine Constructs. So yes, from time to time I can simply have Arthur pull out some random Noble phantasm from the Heian era, though it won't be common, and that is kind of part of the Gate of Babylon's concept.