*SNAP!*
Aslan snapped his fingers, and Kiritsugu—who had been observing them from afar—was instantly teleported right in front of Aslan, Artoria, and Irisviel.
"Kiritsugu?"
Irisviel stared in shock at the man she loved, suddenly appearing before her.
"Kiritsugu, are you alright?"
Irisviel embraced Kiritsugu, who still seemed dazed and not fully conscious. She could tell he was in terrible condition.
In fact, she almost doubted whether he was alive at all.
Just moments ago, he had experienced the sheer terror of death—an unavoidable death, even if Time Alter were accelerated to its absolute limit.
It was the most fundamental fear of life itself.
Yet his goal remained unfulfilled. How could he die halfway?
"Iri, I'm fine."
Kiritsugu didn't want Irisviel to worry. He answered quietly, saying nothing more.
Then, Kiritsugu turned his gaze toward the one responsible for bringing him here—Aslan, who was watching with calm amusement.
"Finished chatting? Not interested in talking anymore?"
Aslan paused. He had wanted to see the emotional reunion between Kiritsugu and Irisviel unfold.
Was that all there was to it?
"I wonder… is there anything I can do for you, Your Majesty?"
Kiritsugu asked humbly. In his heart, all lives were equal. He wouldn't bow simply because Aslan was King Arthur.
"Artoria has become my knight. Therefore, your contract with her must end."
Aslan spoke as he pulled out the Talisman of All Spells he had previously purchased in Little Garden.
"How could my knight serve under another's banner?"
"Choose—will you willingly sever the contract, or will you fight me until the end?"
Aslan smiled at him. Though he acknowledged Kiritsugu might be a figure he once knew, he would still act ruthlessly—even against Saber.
Let alone Kiritsugu.
"If you release the contract willingly, I can guarantee the safety of you, Irisviel, and Illya throughout this Holy Grail War."
Hearing Illya's name, Kiritsugu's heart trembled violently.
The weight of Illya in his arms wasn't even as heavy as the sniper rifle in his hands…
Memories of moments spent with Illya slowly rose to the surface of his mind.
But then he thought of his dream—if he obtained the Holy Grail, he could realize world peace and bring smiles to every face on Earth.
Gradually, Kiritsugu strengthened his resolve. There was no way he could abandon his participation in the Holy Grail War.
He had staked his family, his ideals, everything. He had no reason to give up.
"Oh, by the way—I should mention, this Holy Grail has actually been corrupted for a long time. Any wish you make will manifest in the worst possible way."
A wicked smirk curled at the corner of Aslan's lips. For some reason, the act of personally shattering someone else's dreams gave him a slight thrill.
Still, it couldn't really be called destroying their dreams—it was more like waking Kiritsugu up.
"I agree to dissolve the contract."
The moment he heard the Holy Grail was corrupted, Kiritsugu replied without the slightest hesitation.
After all, a being so overwhelmingly powerful that he could take his life effortlessly had no reason to lie to him. Moreover, this was already the best possible outcome.
If he continued fighting, his sacrifice would be meaningless.
He came to pursue the Holy Grail to fulfill his ideal of world peace—but now, the Grail was tainted.
He could already imagine how his wish would twist into reality.
His desire was world peace—but not a peace devoid of all life.
If that were the case, wasn't it better to have a warm wife and child by his side?
Aslan had no reason to deceive him.
This brutally honest truth shattered his illusion. The so-called dream of achieving world peace was, in the end, just a fantasy.
Now, it was time to wake up.
Of course, the more critical point was that, given the near-absolute difference in strength, Kiritsugu saw no possibility—none at all—of defeating Aslan.
And yet, this King Arthur had shown him mercy.
Kiritsugu willingly dissolved his contract with Saber and removed Avalon from Irisviel's body.
He exchanged Saber for Artoria.
At that moment, Kiritsugu felt an immense relief. Freed from the heavy burden of his ideals, even his expression softened into a faint smile.
"Iri, I'm back."
He wouldn't leave again. He wouldn't chase after abstract ideals.
Kiritsugu didn't say it aloud, but Irisviel could clearly see that the Kiritsugu beside her had decided to become a true husband and embrace the responsibility of being a father.
"Oh, and remember to bring Illya to visit Fuyuki City sometime. Sakura really needs a friend her own age."
Aslan turned around, waved casually, and left with Manaka and Artoria.
He had no intention of being fed dog food by Kiritsugu and Irisviel.
"I didn't expect you to be so kind."
Rider had already departed with his Master. Scáthach, however, watched Aslan's actions with keen interest.
"Of course. I'm kind-hearted and can't bear to see tragedies. If I can save someone, naturally, I'll do it."
Aslan waved his hand carelessly and glanced at Scáthach.
"By the way, aren't you going to look for your Master?"
Scáthach touched her lips with her finger, recalling the state of her Master, Kayneth.
"He's probably still studying the runes I drew randomly. He's not interested in me."
Kayneth knew his place. Though arrogant, he wasn't foolish. Scáthach was clearly not someone he could control—not even with Command Spells.
Rather than risk angering a Divine Spirit-class Servant, it was wiser to take advantage while Scáthach was in a good mood and gain as much benefit as possible.
Knowledge that was extremely valuable to him was trivial and easily accessible to Scáthach.
What was the Holy Grail War? Was it even one ten-thousandth as important as his new, revolutionary thesis?
He barely paid attention to Sola-Ui.
And Waver? Who was Waver? Did he even have such a disciple?
"Great. You're not much different either."
Aslan sighed. He spoke as if there were a huge difference between what Scáthach did and what he himself did.
Indeed, although Kayneth was a standard magus, he was also one of the few relatively humane ones.
"So you'll just stick with me?"
"What? This queen is by your side, and you're complaining?"
Scáthach shot back oddly. Her appearance and figure weren't bad, were they?
"That's not it. It's just that next up is my date with Manaka. We don't need a third wheel."
Aslan hadn't forgotten today's real purpose. Everything else had just been incidental.
"Haaaa… I've grown old. Even my disciple doesn't like me anymore."
Scáthach sighed deeply, then put away her long spear. After a few leaps, she vanished.
As for Artoria, Aslan instructed her to head first to the Matou residence.