Chapter 168: [168] Awake Irisviel

Words : 1444 Updated : Sep 25th, 2025

Chapter 168 - [168] Awake Irisviel Betrayed? This was the first thought that crossed Kiritsugu Emiya's mind as he groaned and woke up. He subtly moved his limbs, realizing he wasn't restrained. Then, he abruptly opened his eyes, drew his pistol from his coat, rolled to the side against the wall, and prepared to activate his Time Alter at any moment to defend against a potentially fatal strike. However, there was no one. Only then did Kiritsugu realize he was still at the second stronghold, the traditional Japanese-style courtyard. But the people around him... were all gone. The man in black looked around and eventually lowered his pistol in despair. After escaping the life-and-death crisis, the pain of betrayal once again consumed him. Saber, the Servant he had personally summoned, had turned against him... Kiritsugu instinctively raised his arm, but the Command Spells on the back of his hand showed no direction as if the corresponding Servant no longer existed. In other words, Saber had severed their Master-Servant contract, and as far as Kiritsugu knew, only one person could do such a thing. "Sakatsuki." He slowly chewed on the name, as if doing so could resist the chill spreading through his body. Kiritsugu closed his eyes, his arm trembling. "What a... joke." What he had feared had happened so easily. The demon who wasn't satisfied with just restraining him had come back, and this time, completely broke his arms and legs. He had lost his Servant, Saber, hailed as the strongest class. He had lost his assistant, Maiya Hisau, who was like his other half. He had lost his wife, Irisviel, who was also the crucial Lesser Grail in the Holy Grail War. He had lost his daughter, Illya, who seemed fine but was actually hanging by a thread, her life in the hands of Caster. He had lost... everything. Kiritsugu stumbled and sat on a chair, his eyes vacant as he stared at the ceiling, listening to the rain outside. Except for himself, Sakatsuki had left him with nothing. Suddenly, a note on the table caught Kiritsugu's dim eyes. Mechanically, he picked it up and unfolded it. ===== Dear Mr. Kiritsugu I hope this letter finds you well, though I'm sure you'd rather empty a magazine into my face right now, so I'll get straight to the point. First, as you can see, your beloved Irisviel and your assistant, Maiya Hisau, have been kidnapped by me and Saber. If you want to save them, go back to your old profession—assassination. Kill Kirei Kotomine and bring proof of his death to Mount Enzou. I'll prepare a victory toast and welcome your triumphant return with your wife. -Sakatsuki ===== Kiritsugu stared at the words for a long time, then suddenly stood up and walked into the rain outside without looking back. There was no light in his eyes, but something was burning within him, like a vengeful ghost crawling out of a tomb. *** Lost... The red-haired giant lay sprawled on the grass, his battle robes in tatters. "That guy, truly the King of Heroes of ancient Babylonia..." Iskandar forced a bitter smile as he struggled to his feet, hearing his organs protest under the strain. But these sounds were just hollow, empty echoes. He was a Servant, a being made of magical energy, without a real physical body. In other words, Servants like him were nothing more than familiars, albeit the highest class of familiars. As familiars, they needed to draw magical energy from their Masters. But now that the contract was severed, Iskandar could only fight using his own magical energy, which put him at a disadvantage in his battle with Gilgamesh. Just as he was about to use his "Ionioi Hetairoi" to end it all, Gilgamesh seemed to realize something and boarded his Vimana, disappearing from Iskandar's sight. Strictly speaking, it was a draw, but for the King of Conquerors, not capturing his opponent meant defeat. "Not much magical energy left." Iskandar muttered, but he still squeezed out the remaining power to summon his Gordius Wheel. Even in death, the King of Conquerors would die on the path of conquest, not lying on some lawn, waiting for death to take him. "You're tired too, but bear with me a little longer, my bulls." The bulls obediently lowed and then took to the sky, carrying Iskandar toward the church. Though he was late, Waver had told him everything before the contract was severed, including the fact that Kirei Kotomine, who claimed to be the overseer, had come to them. In other words, Kirei Kotomine must know something. The sky was overcast, and the rain soaked through the gaps in his armour. The red-haired giant squinted, feeling the coolness spreading through his limbs, savouring the sensation of touching the world. Being able to touch the world meant being able to measure the land with his hands and feet, to conquer all the territories within his sight. Just thinking about it filled Rider's soul with boundless joy, like drinking cool spring water on a hot day. Ah, how wonderful. It's just a pity that such enjoyment could only last until today... Suddenly, Iskandar's gaze was drawn to a man in black running through the streets. "Is that the Magus Killer from the Saber faction?" At the same time, the man in black seemed to sense something and looked up. Raindrops fell from his hair, soaking his entire body, making him look as dishevelled as Iskandar, who was also drenched in the rain, but even more gaunt, like a lone wolf with a broken leg but still ferocious. "...Rider?" A Servant who had lost his Master, a Master who had lost his Servant. The gears of fate turned, and by sheer coincidence, they united together. *** When Irisviel opened her eyes, she was surprised to find herself resting on a bed. Saber, who was beside her, first showed a relieved smile upon seeing her awake, then turned her face away in shame, refusing to look at her, and called out. "Sakatsuki, Irisviel is awake." "Ah, coming right over." A diamond-shaped space opened, and a young man wearing a cooking apron, seemingly preparing dinner, appeared before Irisviel. He greeted her with a smile under her astonished gaze. "Yo, Mrs. Einzbern, long time no see." "Where is this... you two... what's going on?" Irisviel looked at the unusually harmonious Saber and Sakatsuki, her mind blank. After a moment, she managed to form a sentence. "Have you two formed a secret alliance?" "Correct." Sakatsuki snapped his fingers. "For a certain reason, I successfully persuaded Saber to become my valuable ally." "A... reason?" "Yes, a reason." Seeing the mischievous smile on Sakatsuki's lips, Saber had a bad feeling and tried to stop him, but it was too late. "If the Einzberns still remember the major incident during the Third Holy Grail War, they should be even more cautious about the potential 'anomalies' in this Fourth War—in short, the Holy Grail has been corrupted by Avenger's magical energy and is completely ruined." "That... can't be true?" Irisviel wanted to refute, but Sakatsuki's expression showed no sign of joking, and even Saber nodded slightly, agreeing with his words. In other words, the Holy Grail system really have a problem? What about the Einzberns' thousand-year wish... What about Kiritsugu's dream? As a homunculus of the Einzbern, a staunch supporter of Kiritsugu Emiya, and the Lesser Grail responsible for the connection, Irisviel naturally fell into shock, her expression blank, her eyes vacant, as if she had broken down before the Greater Grail. "Now it's up to you, Saber. Make sure Mrs. Einzbern cooperates with our plans." Having dealt with Irisviel, Sakatsuki turned around gracefully and returned to the diamond-shaped space. "The dishes in the kitchen are just right. I'll go back to cooking. But honestly, I didn't expect Maiya Hisau to be such a good cook." As the displacement magecraft closed, Saber looked at Irisviel, who could only babble, and sighed helplessly. "Sakatsuki... you bastard." It would take a lot of effort to make Irisviel face reality. On the other hand, Waver, who had also been kidnapped, didn't face the same dire fate as Irisviel. Fortunately, this weak, pitiful, and helpless former Master was only subjected to the treatment of being tied up, imprisoned, and disciplined. And that's all. *** Hey readers! Want to read ahead? ???? Join my Patreon for early access to 30+ advance Chapters! Your support helps me write more and bring the story to you faster. ????/aarvan???? Thanks for being awesome! ❤️

Chapter 168: [168] Awake Irisviel

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