Chapter 81

["You gave me happiness I never dared to hope for."]

[Emiya Kiritsugu's icy face finally changed.]

["Sorry, I wanted to let you see more of the outside world."]

[Irisviel: "It's enough; leave the happiness I didn't get to Illya."]

"Iris, what happened to your body!"

Seeing the situation in the video, Artoria hurriedly checked Irisviel's body.

"Don't worry, Saber, I'm fine."

Irisviel smiled to comfort her, but her heart was full of bitterness.

Sure enough, that time was about to come.

She really hoped time could stop here so she could live a little longer.

But there was no way; for Kiritsugu's ideal, this was a necessary sacrifice.

[Time quickly approached dusk.]

[Emiya Kiritsugu was nowhere to be found, and Artoria was not there either, leaving only Maiya Hisau to keep watch.]

["Maiya, why do you fight for Kiritsugu?"]

[Irisviel looked at Maiya Hisau, who was organizing weapons, and spoke.]

["Because I have nothing else."]

[Maiya Hisau didn't stop her movements and answered expressionlessly: "My family, my original name, I can't remember them now."]

["Maiya Hisau is the name on the first fake passport Kiritsugu made for me."]

["The only thing I remember is that the country I was born in was very poor, but the war never stopped."]

["It's ridiculous, isn't it? Even though eating was a problem, they were still killing each other every day."]

["Later, someone suggested that instead of training soldiers, it would be better to kidnap children from other places and let them pick up weapons and go straight to battle."]

["I was kidnapped at that time."]

["After that, my heart and soul were already dead, leaving only my body living numbly."]

["My life had only one thing left: kill the enemy."]

["Except for this thought, all other emotions have been discarded by me."]

["Later, I met Kiritsugu; it was he who picked me up from the battlefield."]

["From then on, I became a weapon fighting for him; everything is just that simple."]

["..."]

Waver, Rin Tohsaka, and others were silent.

Maiya Hisau's past was too dark and oppressive.

"Sigh..."

Feng Xi also felt a bit emotional about this.

Maiya Hisau was actually very subtle; the real situation was much darker.

For a woman like Maiya Hisau, living in such a place was not luck, but a nightmare.

She was not just a weapon for killing enemies, but also a tool for men to vent.

Even Emiya Kiritsugu didn't know that Maiya Hisau actually had a son long ago.

Because this son was the product of her being violated, and also a shame she couldn't shake off for the rest of her life.

["Actually, Madam, your enthusiasm is what surprises me."]

[Maiya Hisau came to Irisviel's Reverse Reverse Reverse Reverse Side and said: "You were born in a castle and have never seen the outside world, yet you are willing to fight desperately for Kiritsugu."]

["I actually didn't understand Kiritsugu's ideal."]

[Irisviel smiled bitterly: "My so-called ideal is all a clumsy imitation of Kiritsugu."]

["But you can't tell him; after all, I have always been affirming him, pretending to be his soulmate."]

Emiya Kiritsugu: "..."

"Kiritsugu, I..."

Irisviel looked at the silent Emiya Kiritsugu, not knowing how to explain for a moment.

"It's fine."

Emiya Kiritsugu didn't care about this.

Because he had known it all along.

Although Irisviel tried her best to disguise herself in front of him, there were still loopholes.

But it didn't matter; as long as she was willing to stand by his Reverse Reverse Reverse Reverse Side.

[Maiya Hisau: "Madam, do you have no wishes?"]

[Irisviel: "I hope Kiritsugu and Saber obtain the Holy Grail."]

[Maiya Hisau: "Is it for the Einzbern family's long-cherished wish to popularize the Third Magic?"]

["No, it's for the end of war."]

[Irisviel said with a sad face: "I hope this Fourth War is the last one."]

[Maiya Hisau: "Is it for your daughter?"]

[Irisviel: "Yes, if Kiritsugu and I fail this time, the next one will be Illya."]

["This is the fate of the Einzbern family's artificial life."]

"Illya..."

Emiya Kiritsugu's hand clenched involuntarily.

Artoria also remembered that cute girl and said seriously: "Iris, don't worry, I will definitely help you win."

She descended in the Einzbern house and had seen Illya a few times after descending.

Irisviel smiled: "Thank you, Saber."

[Irisviel: "Maiya, what about you?"]

[Maiya Hisau: "I never thought I could live to the end."]

["Don't have such thoughts."]

[Irisviel advised: "I hope you live for yourself, find your family and name; after all, those are things that must never be forgotten."]

["I hope you can live on for me, Maiya."]

["Madam, you..."]

[Looking at the serious Irisviel, Maiya Hisau didn't know what to say for a moment.]

["BOOM!"]

[Just then, the warehouse door was blasted open.]

[Video paused.]

[Question: Who is the attacker?]

[A: Iskandar; B: Gilgamesh; C: Lancelot.]

[Please answer within five minutes; overtime counts as giving up.]

Waver: "Hmm? This question only has three options?"

Feng Xi: "After all, it's the first question; the difficulty can't be too high."

Said so, but he laughed out loud in his heart.

The first question already has a big trap.

Rin Tohsaka: "Do we even need to guess this? It must be Goldie; who else could it be besides that guy?"

Gilgamesh: "Mongrel, don't speculate about this King."

Rin Tohsaka: "Look, no rebuttal, proving he acknowledged it himself."

Gilgamesh: "..."

"Could this question be this simple?"

Tokiomi Tohsaka, Emiya Kiritsugu, and others were all doubtful.

After all, there had been too many reversals before, and they were really worried.

After thinking about it, they almost all chose one option each.

Answering three questions in a row is just a hope; at least answer one question correctly first.

Feng Xi: "Let's pick C for this question."

Zhang Jiao: "It's that 'Law of Greatest Improbability' of yours again."

Sigurd: "Wouldn't that be too risky? We should pick separately."

Feng Xi: "It's fine. Don't you guys trust my luck yet?"

Zhang Jiao: "That's true. This kid's luck is always freakishly good."

[Answer time ended, video continues.]

[The smoke clears, and a sturdy figure with red hair walks in from behind.]

[It is Iskandar.]

Waver: "Huh? Rider, why is it you?"

King of Conquerors: "I don't know the answer to that question either."

He is confused too; why would he go looking for Irisviel?

[Seeing that Iskandar has ill intentions, Hisau Maiya hurriedly draws her gun to fire and calls Emiya Kiritsugu.]

[At this moment, Emiya Kiritsugu has already infiltrated the Tohsaka residence and discovered the blood left behind when Tohsaka Tokiomi died last night, but he has not found Tohsaka Tokiomi's body.]

[Furthermore, Kotomine Kirei and Gilgamesh are also not in the Tohsaka residence.]

[Upon receiving Hisau Maiya's call, the usually calm Emiya Kiritsugu finally panics a little.]

["Command Spell, Saber, return to the warehouse immediately."]

[Artoria, who was wandering outside, is instantly teleported back.]

[Unfortunately, it is too late.]

[Irisviel is nowhere to be found, and Hisau Maiya lies in a pool of blood.]

[Artoria hurriedly steps forward to lift her up.]

["Saber, go chase him quickly, Rider took the Lady..."]

[Hisau Maiya says in a trembling voice; she is already on the verge of death.]

[Artoria: "But you..."]

[Hisau Maiya: "I'm fine, Kiritsugu will be back soon, so you..."]

["Alright, you must hold on."]

[Artoria grits her teeth, sets Hisau Maiya down, and goes out to pursue.]

[After jumping onto the roof, she immediately spots the figure of Iskandar in the distance, fleeing with Irisviel.]

[Artoria immediately mounts her motorcycle to give chase.]

"This person..."

Iskandar frowns.

He feels that the 'himself' in the video is not him.

However, among the remaining four Servants, who possesses such superb disguise skills?

It is not just him; Waver, Kayneth, and the others also feel that the King of Conquerors in the video is not the real one.

Because his style of conduct is too different.

More importantly, what is the deal with the King of Conquerors running on a rooftop in the video?

Could it be that Iskandar ate his Chariot of the Heavens?

"Maiya."

Irisviel subconsciously grips Hisau Maiya.

Hisau Maiya shows no fluctuation toward this; after all, she had been mentally prepared for this ending long ago.

Only Matou Kariya understands the true identity of the King of Conquerors in the video.

[By the time Emiya Kiritsugu rushes back, it is already night.]

[Confirming there are no enemies, Emiya Kiritsugu hurriedly picks up Hisau Maiya.]

["It was Rider..."]

[Hisau Maiya really only has one breath left, relying entirely on willpower to hold on to see Emiya Kiritsugu one last time.]

["I know."]

[Emiya Kiritsugu still has that expressionless face, but his eyes gradually grow moist.]

[That's right, he is crying.]

Tohsaka Tokiomi: "I didn't expect that a Jewel Jewel Mage Killer who kills without blinking would also cry."

Kayneth: "Hahaha, serves him right, this is what he deserves."

Sola: "What an ironic scene."

The others do not feel uncomfortable with the cold sarcasm from Kayneth and the others.

After all, they have the right to say so.

Having seen Kayneth's death and then watching this scene, it is indeed filled with heavy irony.

["You mustn't cry, save your tears for the Lady..."]

[Hisau Maiya forces herself to raise her hand and wipes away Emiya Kiritsugu's tears.]

["I know, you are actually very fragile, so you must not break down here."]

["You have already turned back into the Kiritsugu of the past; you cannot be shaken by such a small matter."]

[Emiya Kiritsugu lifts his head, not letting his tears fall.]

["Don't worry, Maiya, leave the rest to Saber, your mission is over."]

["..."]

[Hisau Maiya finally smiles, and at the same time, she dies.]

[Her eyes remain open; in the words of the Middle Kingdom, she died with her eyes wide open in resentment.]

[But it is not because she has unfinished business; rather, she wants to keep the image of Emiya Kiritsugu in her eyes forever.]

[Because it is said that before a person dies, they will engrave the last scene they see into their eyes forever.]

[This is love.]

"..."

Regarding this ending for Hisau Maiya, the crowd does not know how to evaluate it.

Emiya Kiritsugu and the others do not scream or refuse to accept it like Kayneth did before.

Those who kill must be prepared to be killed.

It is just that seeing Hisau Maiya's departure in the video, Emiya Kiritsugu still feels a bit of pain in his heart.

Irisviel secretly makes a decision in her heart to definitely keep Hisau Maiya by Emiya Kiritsugu's Reverse Reverse Reverse Reverse Side and not let her end up like in the original work.