In terms of time, this battle wasn't long at all. From the moment Flandre and Yoru stepped out together to the clash between them, it had all ended within just a few minutes.
But to Waver, who had stared wide-eyed and imprinted every second of it into his mind, this heavy, dragging moment could have easily rivaled the span of his entire life.
It was unforgettable. No matter how he tried to deceive himself, he would never forget that scene. The events that unfolded before him in those few minutes had already become a part of his soul—forever inseparable.
Waver stood alone, unmoving, in the spot where he'd been left behind. He knew he had to move, but it felt as though if he so much as twitched, he would collapse to his knees.
But he could not—absolutely must not—let his knees touch the ground.
Flandre slowly approached him, her cruel, blood-red eyes fixed on Waver. With blood and slaughter in the air, the madness in the young vampire's blood surged once more.
Although the Holy Grail's overwhelming power and the rules of this world had forcibly suppressed her madness, they had not eliminated it completely.
After all, the vampire girl named Flandre had been locked in the basement for hundreds of years by her own sister precisely because she could not control her own power. This was the consequence of the primal strength that coursed through her blood as a vampire—something even the Holy Grail could only suppress temporarily.
The killing intent she exuded made Waver tremble uncontrollably, yet the boy still stood firm, staring straight back at her without fear.
Even though Rider was gone, Waver—his former Master—refused to bring shame to his name.
But soon, Yoru stepped forward from behind Flandre and gently embraced the nearly out-of-control girl.
"It's okay now... it's over."
Yoru whispered softly in her ear as he held her by the waist. Gradually, the savage expression on her face faded away, replaced by serenity.
"You can go now. Or... do you want revenge for Rider?"
"I won't. If I challenged you now, I'd die."
Waver shook his head lightly, a faint smile appearing on the boy's face.
"And there's no need for me to avenge Rider. He didn't die. He merely returned to the Throne of Heroes after a glorious and fierce battle."
"This is the Holy Grail War. To have been Rider's Master in this war is something I'm deeply proud of. And even though we lost, Rider lost with dignity and unshakable pride!"
It was over now—the Holy Grail War that had belonged to him and Rider. To have fought alongside such a great king and to have witnessed everything until the end—what an incredible honor.
That honor... even in the days to come, Waver would carry it in his heart and continue to follow in Iskandar's footsteps.
"You're right. Rider was a worthy opponent. If Saber hadn't shown up so suddenly, it's hard to say who would've won tonight," Yoru said with a soft smile.
Waver responded with a slight bow of respect before turning and walking away, stepping alone out of the Einzbern estate.
Watching the boy's somewhat weary figure disappear, Yoru couldn't help but sigh. He had to admit, the boy was lucky—to have participated in such a brutal war and still leave it alive.
Had his opponent been anyone other than Yoru, he'd probably be a corpse by now.
With Rider gone, and from what Saber had said, Lancer seemed to have been eliminated through Kiritsugu Emiya's despicable methods. That left only one enemy Servant: Archer.
Of course, Kiritsugu Emiya himself was also a formidable threat. Even without a Servant, there was no telling what that madman might do.
As Yoru pondered this, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his neck. Turning his head, he saw Flandre biting into him with force.
He gave her a slightly doting smile. It seemed that while he had managed to suppress her bloodlust, he hadn't managed to restrain other desires.
Well, whatever. It was just a little blood.
Though he thought so, Flandre's biting force was surprisingly intense—it almost felt like she wanted to devour him entirely.
Turning his gaze to the unconscious Saber on the ground, Yoru felt a wave of headache coming on.
What should he do with her? Take her back as an ally? Or...
He instinctively felt some resistance to the first option, though he couldn't explain why.
Maybe the idea of simply using someone else made him feel... uncomfortable?
To exploit the girl's feelings for him and turn her into a sword in his hand.
"Is Master troubled?"
On the other side, Flandre—now done drinking his blood—half-lay in Yoru's arms, licking the wound on his neck as she spoke playfully.
"Stop messing around..." Yoru muttered helplessly, shivering from the sensation.
"Geez, Master, you're weird. Anyone else would be overjoyed, don't you think? Gaining such a strong Servant for free—and she clearly likes you too."
"Are you feeling guilty toward Sister Irisviel?"
"There's no 'guilt' between me and Iris. Maybe... I've owed her far too much from the very beginning."
With a bitter, helpless smile, Yoru walked over and picked up the unconscious Saber in his arms, heading back into the castle.
"I just don't want to use her. I'll earn the Holy Grail with my own hands—and I'll win this war on my own terms. You wouldn't want someone else to win it for you either, right, Flandre?"
"Of course not! That flashy golden lamppost king—I'm going to defeat him myself!"
Her nickname for Gilgamesh—"Lamppost King"—made Yoru burst into laughter.
The faint white of dawn had begun to appear on the horizon. The night's battle had finally, truly, come to an end.
As of now, five days had passed in the Holy Grail War. The remaining Servants were down to just three: Saber, Berserker, and Archer.
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