It was precisely because of that past that, when Maiya first met Irisviel, she felt surprised and, in a way, comforted by that woman's sincere enthusiasm, by her almost unreal purity, by a beauty untouched by the dust and corruption of the world.
Irisviel had been born and raised inside a castle, never truly having seen the outside world. Even so, someone raised in such an isolated environment was still willing to accept Kiritsugu's desire to change the world and fight desperately for it in her own way.
To be honest, Maiya envied Irisviel.
Maiya had to crawl through the mud, endure violence, blood, degradation, and despair to reach that point. Irisviel, by contrast, seemed to have been given everything from the very beginning.
Status.
Wealth.
Power.
Beauty.
Ability.
A daughter.
And the love of the man called Kiritsugu Emiya.
Even if that love was, at its core, nothing more than something sustained by convenience and idealism, Maiya still envied it deeply.
Gradually, she began to see Irisviel as another version of herself, but placed at the opposite extreme.
Someone who, despite carrying a tragic fate, was still capable of dreaming of happiness, warmth, and beauty—things that had never been within Maiya's reach.
Even Irisviel's tragic destiny was, in Maiya's eyes, a blessing she herself could never possess.
Because Irisviel could become the most important piece in fulfilling Kiritsugu's dream.
After that, death no longer mattered.
But...
It was with that feeling that Maiya had fought alongside Irisviel until now. Yet from Maiya's perspective, Irisviel had betrayed both herself and Kiritsugu the moment she wished to keep living.
Perhaps...
Irisviel had never truly understood Kiritsugu's dreams.
Because if she had truly understood them, she would not have wavered.
Irisviel's supposed dreams were, in Maiya's eyes, nothing more than imperfect imitations of Kiritsugu's ideals.
She supported him, encouraged him, and repeated that his ideals were worth sacrificing her own life for.
But in the end, it turned out she had only been pretending all along.
How despicable, Irisviel.
Maiya's lips tightened slightly, yet there was a faint smile of relief on her face.
She should never have envied Irisviel.
After all, Maiya already possessed everything she desired.
All that remained was to continue standing beside the man she had chosen to follow, witness his path... and see how it all ended.
"Kiritsugu, where are we going now?"
After sitting in the driver's seat and fastening her seatbelt, Maiya raised her eyes to the rearview mirror and looked at Kiritsugu, who remained silent in the back seat.
His face was buried in shadow.
"Ah... yes. Let me think about that."
Kiritsugu closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose, and replied vaguely, almost automatically. Then he raised his right hand and stared at the Command Seals engraved on his skin.
All three were still there.
Since Artoria had not directly participated in any battle until now, there had been no need to use them.
But now things were different.
Two of the Command Seals began to glow faintly.
"With these two Command Seals, I order my servant, Lancer, to forget my next command... and to carry it out when the time comes, without resistance..."
The air inside the car seemed to grow even heavier.
"Is that really necessary?"
Maiya heard those words with rare hesitation. There was genuine reluctance in her voice as she watched Kiritsugu use a Command Spell to impose such an order on Artoria.
"It's fine."
Kiritsugu answered without emotion.
"She seems completely captivated by that man. It is very possible she would hesitate to kill him during a fight, and if I used only the three Command Seals in the conventional way, she would probably resist the commands."
His eyes remained empty, without the slightest wavering.
"All of this is a necessary sacrifice to achieve justice and peace."
The way he spoke sounded mechanical.
Like a puppet that kept walking even after losing its soul.
"Maiya."
"Hmm?"
"Let's go to Fuyuki Church now to obtain more Command Seals... and continue preparing for the end of this war."
His voice was calm.
"Where did you go?"
Artoria stepped out of Iri's room and found Arthur returning through the hallway carrying large bags in both hands.
"Iri said she suddenly felt like eating something spicy, so I went out to buy the ingredients." Arthur gestured casually, lifting the bags and showing their contents.
It was now a little after six in the morning.
Hearing that, Artoria's expression immediately grew serious.
"Iri usually prefers mild flavors... and normally would not even try spicy food."
"Yes..." Arthur let out a quiet sigh.
"Unfortunately, her body is reaching its limit. She is slowly losing her senses, her perception... Even her sense of taste is being affected."
His words caused the atmosphere to grow cold for a moment.
"Are you sure there is no way to stop this from continuing?" Artoria asked, staring at him intently.
"Artie..." Arthur replied as he set the bags down on the table.
"If I had a way to heal her completely right now, I would have already done it."
His voice was firm, without hesitation.
"I am not Kiritsugu. I will not abandon my desire to save her over something as pitiful as hesitation. That is proof of our humanity."
He turned toward the window, watching the pale morning light.
"So all we can do is give our best and fulfill what we must fulfill."
"Defying fate by force does not always bring happiness, but it can grant us the best ending. Death will not be the end of her life."
Arthur then turned his gaze back to Artoria.
"I guarantee you that, Artie."
There was a brief pause before he continued:
"Besides... without the Third Magic, there is no plausible way for me to bring you back once this war ends."
Artoria blinked slowly.
Then a small smile appeared on her lips.
"You sound quite confident in your victory."
"I have no doubt about it."
Arthur answered immediately, pulling her into his arms.
She did not resist.
She simply remained there for a moment, listening to the calm beat of his heart.
---
A little over an hour later...
"What did you think, Iri?" Arthur asked while Artoria watched in silence as he carefully fed Irisviel.
"So delicious~"
Iri's fair skin had become visibly flushed from the heat and spicy aroma, yet she genuinely seemed pleased and gave it a perfect evaluation.
"I'm glad you liked it."
Arthur wiped the remaining sauce from Iri's lips with a tissue and smiled faintly.
Later, while Arthur and Artoria were clearing away the dishes, Iri rested peacefully on the nearby tatami mat.
The atmosphere was calm.
Then she suddenly asked:
"Arthur... am I going to die?"
The question hung in the air without warning.
"Yes."
Arthur answered without hesitation.
"You will probably die tonight. Your body will completely collapse and transform into the 'Holy Grail'..."
For a moment, Artoria stopped moving her hands.
Iri, however—
"That's wonderful!"
A genuine and satisfied smile appeared on her face.
"In that case, Kiritsugu's, Arthur's, and Artie's wishes will all come true, right?"
Arthur let out a tired sigh.
"You do not need to pretend to be strong in front of me, Iri."
He slowly approached her.
"I know you well enough to tell when you are lying."
"But..."
She tried to continue, but was interrupted when Arthur wrapped her in a firm, warm embrace.
"Just trust me, the way you have until now."
His voice came softly, close to her ear.
"I will fulfill my promise."
Iri lightly gripped his clothes.
"Besides..." Arthur continued with a smile.
"I still have to bring my future wife back home."
Iri's face immediately turned bright red.
At the same time, she looked completely bewildered.
"F-future wife?!"
Beep beep beep!
Arthur's phone suddenly rang while he was still hugging her.
"It's Kiritsugu."
Arthur glanced at the caller ID and spoke to the two of them.
"!!!"
Upon hearing that name, both of them held their breath.
No matter how much they wanted to ignore him...
Neither of them could pretend Kiritsugu did not exist.
"What is it?" Arthur asked.
{"It's nothing serious. It's just that Archer and Rider will probably attack tonight. We need to choose a ley line as our base and complete the ritual preparations in advance so that we can wait for their assault."}
As soon as Kiritsugu finished speaking, Artoria immediately turned to look at Irisviel.
Upon hearing those words, Iri's already weakened face grew even paler.
She placed both hands over her chest.
Even trembling with fear...
Even feeling the weight of her approaching death...
She still managed to smile at Arthur and Artoria.
So that they would not have to worry about her.
"I see. We'll hold the ceremony at Ryūdō Temple, on Mount Enzou."
---
(End of Chapter)