~ Support & Read 10 Advanced Chapters on my Patreon!
<><><><>
The Lesser Grail pulsed with an intense, golden light, its form obscured by the brilliance, until it resembled nothing more than a radiant sphere of energy.
The sphere, hovering beside Haru, vibrated, sending tremors through the air.
"A++ rank Knight of Owner and Indestructible? What a generous gift," Haru murmured, dispelling the black aura that had clung to his hand.
He turned his gaze towards Saber, who stood beneath a nearby tree. Her usual, warrior-like posture seemed—softer now, her form radiating a subtle—vulnerability.
"Here. You've become a bit of a mess." He walked over to her, offering a handful of tissues.
"Thank you," Saber murmured, taking the tissues and wiping the tears from her eyes.
"So, what are your thoughts? After speaking with Lancelot," Haru asked, noticing her slightly red and swollen eyes.
A bright smile, like the morning sun breaking through the clouds, lit up Saber's face. "I'm—grateful. To have such a loyal knight."
"I'm happy for you both," Haru said, his voice sincere.
Saber nodded, her gaze fixed on the spot where Lancelot had been standing, a wistful expression on her face.
After a moment, Haru grinned, his expression turning playful. "So—do you still want to go back and change history?"
Saber shook her head. "No. My knights—they wish to share the burden of Camelot's fall. If I changed the past—it would be a betrayal of their sacrifice."
"What a shame. I even prepared some high-yield crop seeds, just in case you were still worried about food shortages." Haru shrugged, his voice laced with mock disappointment.
"…Food shortages?" Saber froze, her face flushing crimson as she recalled the copious amounts of food she'd consumed over the past few days.
"I'm probably the only one who could afford to feed you," Haru said, his grin widening.
"Feed me?" Saber's eyes widened, then narrowed. "What do you mean by that?"
Haru's hands moved, pinning Saber's arms against the tree trunk, his face now serious, his voice low. "I mean—Marry me, Artoria."
Saber stared at him, dumbfounded.
He leaned in, closing the distance between them, giving her no room to escape.
Seeing his intentions, his face so close to hers, Saber's eyes widened in alarm. She tried to pull away, her back hitting the tree trunk with a soft thud.
Trapped, she forced her voice to remain calm, her expression stern. "I'm afraid—I'm already married."
"According to the laws of your time, pretending to be a man to get married is fraud. So, technically—your marriage is invalid, Artoria," Haru said, his voice playful, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Saber's face burned.
She took a deep breath, regaining her composure. "Even so—I must refuse. After the Grail War, I will return to the Throne of Heroes. We have no future together."
Haru stared at her, his expression incredulous.
"Is something wrong?" Saber asked, seeing his reaction.
"You made a contract with Alaya to become a Servant, didn't you?" he asked, his voice laced with a hint of malice.
A sense of foreboding washed over Saber. She'd forgotten something important. Then, her eyes widened in horror. "The Counter Force—ordered me to find a lover?!"
She remembered.
Haru was Alaya's son!
"I'm afraid so, Artoria. You signed a contract," Haru said, his grin widening.
"You win, Haru—you bastard." Saber's voice was a low growl.
"Come on, then. Let's go find someone—and then we'll deal with the Grail." He reached out his hand.
Saber, sighing in defeat, took his hand, her emerald eyes fixed on his face, her voice firm. "Just so we're clear, this is just dating. I will not be sharing your genetic material."
"Sure, sure, whatever you say," Haru replied dismissively. To him, her refusal simply meant she didn't want to carry his child.
There were other ways to express their affection.
Saber, her innocent heart unaware of his true intentions, relaxed, allowing him to lead her towards Fuyuki City.
——
"Haah…" Tokiomi Tohsaka, feeling the flow of magical energy returning to his body, sighed in relief.
"The drain has stopped. It seems—the Queen of Heroes has finished her task. And my Command Spells are still intact…" He spoke into the communication device, his voice filled with renewed confidence. "Kirei, report. What's the situation? Which Servants remain?"
"There are no Servants remaining at the Einzbern Castle," Hassan-i Sabbah's voice, cold and impassive—she was impersonating Kirei—came through the gramophone's horn. And she wasn't lying. The Servants had gone to Mount Enzō to prepare for the summoning of the Grail.
"So, only Emiya remains." Tokiomi nodded, a satisfied smile on his face.
Lancelot and Diarmuid, though skilled, were no match for Gilgamesh. The Grail was practically his.
"I'm grateful for your assistance in this war, Kirei. If not for you and Risei-san, I wouldn't be so close to achieving the Tohsaka's dream of reaching the Root."
"You're too kind, Master," Hassan replied, barely suppressing a giggle.
A golden light shimmered, and Gilgamesh materialized before Tokiomi.
He quickly rose, brushing the dust from his clothes, and knelt before her. "Welcome back, Your Majesty, my King of Kings."
With two enemy Servants remaining, Tokiomi knew he had to keep the Queen of Heroes—happy. He'd deal with her later—Once the Grail was his.
'That day is fast approaching…' he thought, his gaze fixed on the Command Spells on his hand.
"Tokiomi. You have some nerve. You dared to command me," Gilgamesh said, her voice cold, a hint of menace in it.
"Your Majesty, it was a strategic decision, a necessary sacrifice to ensure your victory. And besides—you despise that—True Magic user, don't you?"
"What?" Gilgamesh looked at him, her brow furrowed in confusion. She found Haru—annoying, perhaps. A bit uncouth. But she'd never said she despised him.
Then, she remembered the remote control device Haru had given her.
She pulled it out, her gaze fixed on the red button on the left.
"Supreme Joy?…" She pressed the button, her curiosity piqued.
<><><><>
Support & Read 10 Advanced Chapters.
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)
There is 9 Exciting Fanfics already available on my Patreon!