[FMMISM] Chapter 81: Tohsaka Aoi is My Friend

In the end, the grand and devastating battle between Ragna and Gilgamesh ended bizarrely.

After everyone had left, Artoria stood silently in the castle hallway, gazing at the desolate courtyard through the window.

Irisviel watched her back, sensing an endless loneliness.

With a hint of unease, Irisviel spoke up.

"Lancer… Is something wrong?"

"No, maybe I'm just overthinking it..." Artoria replied with ambiguous words, forcing a wry smile onto her pensive face. "Let's go, Iri. It's getting late. We should get some rest."

"Um, you're right."

With that, both of them walked silently toward the bedroom when someone suddenly called them.

"Oh, Iri! Lancer!"

Obviously, who else if not Ragna?

At this moment, the boy who had just effortlessly defeated the King of Heroes was carrying a pillow as he greeted them.

"Lord Ragna, where are you headed?" Irisviel asked in surprise.

"Ah, don't wait for me. I'll be staying the night in Caster's room."

Ragna answered casually, though inside he felt a secret thrill.

'Yeah, being a popular man is difficult.'

As Ragna looked at Irisviel, he noticed she was visibly agitated when she heard he wouldn't be sleeping in her room tonight.

"I-I see…" Irisviel said nervously. "Lord Ragna, you won't be staying in the room tonight… I understand..."

"Master." Artoria called out with a serious expression.

"Hmm? What's up?" Ragna tilted his head.

"..."

Suddenly, everyone in the hallway fell silent.

After a long pause, Artoria hesitated, then shook her head.

"No, never mind. Please don't trouble my sister too much."

Leaving these words behind, Artoria walked away with determination.

"Oh…" Ragna raised his eyebrows.

"Well then, I'll take my leave too, Lord Ragna. Good night."

Irisviel pouted and gave him a dejected look before following after Artoria.

"By the way, Iri, get ready tomorrow morning to come with me to the neighboring town."

Ragna suddenly spoke, stopping Irisviel in her tracks

"…Neighboring town?"

"Yeah..." Ragna replied, then licked his dry lips. 'Get ready, Tokiomi... Since you won't let me enjoy the thrill of battle with Gilgamesh, I'll just have to find another pleasure in your wife instead...'

With such a thought, a revenge plan unfolded in his mind.

===

Ragna realized that this world was filled with tragic fatalism.

When he arrived at the castle's courtyard the next morning and saw Irisviel and her elegant silver luxury car, he finally understood what it meant when people said, 'If it's meant to be, it'll happen'.

For example, the torment of being in a car driven by Irisviel.

Irisviel's vehicle, the Einzbern family's mode of transportation in Fuyuki, was a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL with a six-cylinder engine, a 2996 cc displacement, and a top speed of 260 km/h.

Its streamlined body, combining sportiness and luxury, was the world's first gull-winged two-door coupe.

Originally priced at what was considered a sky-high sum of ten thousand dollars, it was highly sought after by car enthusiasts and collectors.

By 2018, the auction's latest sale price had soared to five million dollars.

Under the sunlight, the Mercedes with its gull-wing doors open looked as splendid as a beautiful lady. With the gorgeous Irisviel standing beside it, the car exuded an air of grace and dignity.

However, Ragna knew well that this grace and dignity were just a facade.

What awaited him next was going to be a wild ride.

"Lord Ragna, please get in the car."

Irisviel placed her hand on Ragna's shoulder and gracefully tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear with her long, slender fingers. As she bent slightly, her coat wrapped around her ample chest and hips, outlining a tempting curve.

"Mmm..."

Ragna couldn't help but feel that Irisviel looked especially sensual today.

Could it be the excitement of getting to drive soon?

Ragna hesitated for a moment before speaking up.

"Iri, how about we take the bus instead?"

"Lord Ragna, please get in the car." Irisviel repeated, gently pressing down on his shoulder with her delicate wrist.

For a moment, Ragna felt that the light in her crimson eyes held a fierceness comparable to Gilgamesh's.

"Oh..."

Ragna's mouth twitched.

"Why are you so obsessed with this Mercedes anyway?"

Ragna muttered quietly as he got into the passenger seat under Irisviel's beaming gaze.

Irisviel, her face flushed with excitement, gripped the steering wheel, while her elegant high-heeled boots rested on the clutch and accelerator pedals.

'...By the way, isn't it not allowed to drive in high heels?'

Seeing Irisviel's high-heeled boots, Ragna felt a pang of concern and then spoke up while strapping on his seatbelt.

"Listen, there are thousands of roads, but safety comes first. If you drive recklessly, your loved ones will shed tears. Got it, Iri?"

"Don't worry, Lord Ragna! My driving skills have been praised by Lancer."

"...Are you serious?"

Ragna glanced at Artoria, who was standing by the car door and seeing them off.

When Irisviel mentioned her name, Artoria crossed her arms over her ample chest and turned her face away, looking apologetic.

'...As I thought, it's definitely bullshit...' Ragna thought resignedly.

"Then... Let's go!"

With Irisviel's foot pressing the gas pedal, the six-cylinder engine roared like a beast, sending the sports car speeding down the courtyard road.

In the rearview mirror, Ragna saw Artoria's sympathetic expression.

"Fufufu... Lord Ragna, how's it going? Isn't my beloved horse wild?"

Irisviel, grinning with pride while gripping the steering wheel, spoke to the nervous Ragna sitting beside her.

"Lancer said my driving style is just like Llamrei's!"

'Is it just me, or does her whole persona seem to change the moment she touches the steering wheel?' Ragna thought, clutching the corner of Irisviel's coat in a panic. 'Moreover, the car hasn't even hit the highway yet, but it's already speeding over 110 km/h!'

"By the way, isn't Llamrei the black horse of King Arthur…" Ragna muttered with wonder, but then he paused as he noticed something. "Wait, Iri! What about your seatbelt?!"

"…"

Irisviel slowly turned her face toward him, tilting her head with a clueless expression that seemed like a grim reaper's greeting to the young man.

"Lord Ragna, what's a seatbelt?"

"..."

Ragna was dumbfounded.

Irisviel, however, continued to stare at his face, finding his reaction amusing.

"I'm just kidding! C'mon, don't be so serious! Of course I know what a seatbelt is, heehee..."

'Please, spare me...' Ragna sighed. "Alright, alright, I know you're capable, but look at the road ahead! Don't look at me!"

"Oh, right... Um, you need to watch the road when driving!"

Irisviel nodded casually as if she'd just made a minor mistake, then turned her face back to the road.

Ragna kept his eyes glued to her every move, worried she might make another mistake.

However, Irisviel seemed to think Ragna was fascinated by her exceptional driving skills, and her expression became even more vibrant.

Having been in Fuyuki for over half a month now, she had completely mastered road signs under Artoria's guidance.

Even though Irisviel understood the rules of driving on the left side and stopping at red lights, Ragna was still worried about whether he'd safely reach his destination.

In truth, he knew that a mere car accident was nothing to him, but due to some unpleasant memories from his past life, he couldn’t help but feel a bit apprehensive when riding in a car that drove recklessly.

"By the way, where are we heading next, Lord Ragna?"

"To the house of Tohsaka Tokiomi's wife."

"Eh?! Lancer definitely wouldn't agree to this!"

Irisviel seemed to misunderstand that Ragna was planning to kidnap the enemy Master's family.

'Bruh, that's something Kiritsugu would do, not me. I, Ragna, have always conducted myself with integrity and have never taken more than the heart of another man's wife.'

Ragna rolled his eyes, understanding what she meant.

"It's nothing serious. It's just to scout the enemy's situation. By the way, Tohsaka Aoi is my friend."

"Friend?"

Irisviel, speeding furiously, reacted with perplexity to Ragna's unexpected words. After all, describing a married woman in her thirties and a teenage boy who seemed to be still in elementary or middle school as 'friends' seemed odd.

"Lord Ragna! You didn't force a kiss on Tohsaka Tokiomi's wife like you did with me, did you?"

Irisviel suddenly puffed up her cheeks and asked unhappily.

"Of course not. What kind of image do you have of me?" Ragna shrugged.

"An image of hugging someone else's wife and kissing her in broad daylight, then forcing her to sleep in the same bed with you at night?" Irisviel replied, rolling her eyes with an imperceptible smile on her face.

However, upon hearing that Ragna had not forcibly kissed Aoi as he had done to her, Irisviel's face brightened with a hint of joy. Feeling happy, she quickly pressed the gas pedal deeply with her boots.