Seeing what he was willing to sacrifice for her made a genuine smile slowly bloom on Irisviel's lips.
It was not the elegant, polite smile she usually wore to reassure others.
Nor the artificial smile that hid her pain.
"With this, I'll be able to maintain my functions with a smile until the end of this Holy Grail War."
Her voice was light.
"For me, simply being free from pain and able to act normally like this... is already enough to make me happy."
She turned her gaze toward the two of them.
"Thank you, Arthur... Artie."
After resting for a few more minutes, Iri slowly began moving her body.
She wanted to get used to that constant feeling of weakness as quickly as possible, so she would not have to repeat the humiliation of collapsing after taking only a few steps.
Artoria stayed by her side the entire time.
Ready to catch her at the slightest sign of imbalance.
Every time Iri swayed even a little, Artoria's hand moved before she could truly stumble.
"Alright, time to rest," Arthur suddenly declared, crossing his arms as though concluding a training session.
"It's almost lunchtime. Artie, can you go to the market and buy some ingredients?"
Artoria's eyes immediately turned serious upon hearing that.
Her expression took on the gravity of someone receiving a decisive mission in the middle of a battlefield.
Before Arthur could add anything else, she had already left.
Iri and Arthur exchanged a glance.
Then both of them smiled at the same time, caught between amusement and resignation.
"She took that very seriously..." Iri murmured.
"I should have specified that I only meant buying food," Arthur sighed.
While waiting for her return, the two of them went to the kitchen to wash some utensils they would use later.
Even though she was still weak, Iri insisted on helping.
Arthur had to take two bowls out of her hands after she nearly dropped both of them.
"I can do it."
"That is exactly what someone incapable of holding a bowl would say."
"You're cruel."
"I'm realistic, dear."
She laughed softly.
It did not take long before the front door opened again, firm footsteps echoing through the hallway.
When Arthur and Iri turned around, they saw Artoria standing at the kitchen entrance, carrying several bags and packages in her arms, stacked in an amount questionable even for a small market run.
The two of them stared for a few seconds.
Torn between amusement and exasperation.
"Yes... this really suits you, Artie." Iri covered her mouth with one hand and smiled.
"I think she simply bought everything she wanted to eat," Arthur commented as he looked at the absurd amount of groceries.
"I did not buy all of this for such a frivolous reason, Arthur," Artoria replied immediately, frowning with wounded dignity.
"Yes, yes... you're not fooling me."
His mockery was punished instantly.
Artoria dropped the bags onto the floor and advanced.
She grabbed both of his cheeks with her hands and began pulling them irritably.
"Stop that, Artoria!" Arthur complained, speaking with difficulty as he quickly pushed her away.
Artoria huffed.
"You should be more careful with how you speak to someone older than you," she grumbled, lifting her chin.
"Don't start that. I'm over one hundred and seventy years old, and—"
Arthur stopped mid-sentence.
He blinked.
"...Wait."
He slowly looked at her.
"Did you just call yourself old?"
The atmosphere froze.
A chill ran down his spine immediately.
"What did you say?" Artoria asked with a dangerously calm smile.
At the same time, Rhongomyniad began materializing in her hand.
"Nothing."
Arthur raised both hands at once.
"I said nothing."
He took a step back.
"Now get out of here and let me prepare lunch."
Without ceremony, he began pushing both of them out of the kitchen.
Iri was laughing so hard she had to lean against the wall.
Soon after, Arthur finished preparing the meal.
The three of them ate lunch together.
After the meal, Iri's pale complexion visibly regained some of its natural color.
Her face looked less exhausted, and her eyes held more light.
Even knowing that all of it was only temporary comfort...
Even knowing that the real problem was still there, silently eating away at her...
Arthur and Artoria still felt that all the effort had been worth it.
---xXx---
Saber, Assassin, and Caster had fallen.
Lancer and Archer, on the other hand, had not suffered any relevant injuries or noticeable loss of power.
Rider, who seemed formidable at first glance but was, in essence, still inferior to those two monsters, continued fighting almost casually, like someone enjoying the spectacle while waiting for the right moment to act.
And then there was Berserker.
His situation remained uncertain.
His Master had still not been located.
He was an unpredictable piece on the board.
However, that same Berserker had once stood at his side before the final battle.
Kiritsugu knew very well that he was only a few steps away from achieving his wish of "world peace."
The distance between him and that dream had never seemed so short.
Before that, however, Kiritsugu needed to confirm the condition of the Holy Grail vessel and, if possible, recover the sheath.
Only then could he maintain composure while facing that terrifyingly powerful collaborator.
Only then could victory be placed in his hands sooner, more firmly, and with fewer variables beyond his control.
It was the most rational path and the safest path for him.
The only path he was willing to accept.
When Kiritsugu brought Maiya to visit the traditional Japanese residence he had taken from the local yakuza, he expected to find Irisviel on the verge of collapse.
Unable even to remain standing.
But instead, he found something completely different.
Iri was surprisingly energetic.
She moved normally, and her expression radiated vitality.
It was as if nothing had happened.
Kiritsugu and Maiya stood motionless at the doorway for several seconds, looking at each other in complete bewilderment.
It made no sense.
"My goodness! Kiritsugu, Maiya, you came!"
Iri's cheerful voice echoed from the living room.
She waved at the two of them naturally, as if she were welcoming ordinary guests on a peaceful afternoon.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Arthur was "training" Artoria.
At least, that was what he called the situation.
In practice, it consisted of standing behind her, guiding her movements, teaching her how to cook while using every possible excuse to get far too close.
Artoria herself had asked for help.
Arthur had, naturally, accepted gladly.
And, following the flow of events, had turned the cooking lesson into shameless flirting.
Iri, sitting happily in the living room while waiting for her meal, was the first to notice Kiritsugu and Maiya's arrival.
"Irisviel... your body..."
Kiritsugu's eyes narrowed immediately.
Although he was relieved to see her well and still able to move normally, this was far too abnormal.
Much too abnormal.
Suspicion arose in his mind almost instantly.
"Ah, it's alright, don't worry." Iri blushed lightly.
Then she placed a hand on her lower abdomen and caressed it with an almost unconscious gesture.
"I have the fruit Arthur gave me... so everything is fine."
(End of Chapter)
A/N: I was rereading some Nasuverse material and noticed a pattern: Gilgamesh is one of—if not the most misused characters since his creation. Almost every time he appears, it is either to hand over the spotlight to another character or to die in the dumbest way possible. (The only deaths of his that I personally consider good were in the Fate route during his fight with Artoria and in Absolute Demonic Front.)
Right after him come the characters based on the Bible: Solomon, David (who looks like a Genshin Impact character, is in the Caster class, and whose profile says he likes money and women and dislikes fighting—something that would make far more sense for Solomon with his incredible 700 wives and 300 concubines, unlike David who had 8), and Noah (a femboy, nothing more to say).
Besides that, the fact that Noah and Utnapishtim both exist in the same world does not make much sense. Among the biblical characters, the one with the best design, backstory, and abilities in my opinion is Samson (from Fate/Samurai Remnant), despite having green hair.