MMMS 85

She drifted off into her thoughts for a moment before snapping herself out of it.

No, no…!

Was she seriously falling into some kind of Stockholm syndrome? That child was the reason she and her husband were still apart—the one who had taken Lancer away from the Einzbern faction.

And yet… even after saying, “Irisviel is already my woman,” Ryuuto had never actually crossed the line. He’d never once disrespected her.

“...!”

A sudden thought surfaced.

Was it possible that Ryuuto, who slept in her room every night, was actually… staying close just to protect her?

The homunculus princess bit her lower lip, a small tremble running through her. Something unfamiliar stirred in her chest, muddled and hard to define.

“Either way, I need to find Ryuuto and Lancer. Right now.”

Just as she dropped her gaze and let out a long breath, something inside her flared with warning.

“!?”

At the far end of the dark hallway stood a tall man dressed in black priest robes. His short hair and imposing presence filled the space with silent pressure.

Her eyes sharpened. Her voice dropped.

“…Kirei Kotomine.”

Even though Kiritsugu—the man who had once been obsessed with this executor—was no longer part of the war, this man was still standing here.

“Oh? Miss Irisviel.” His voice carried an almost amused tone. “I believe this is our first time meeting. For someone of your noble status to recognize someone as insignificant as me… I’m flattered.”

She blinked, realizing her slip. A flicker of regret passed over her face.

Kirei remained completely unfazed, his voice calm as ever. “Since you already know who I am, that makes things easier. Please come with me.”

So that’s what this was.

Her eyes narrowed.

She had been confused at first. Who would be reckless enough to attack this place? Everyone knew the current master of Einzbern Castle was that mysterious young man—someone who had taken down even the King of Heroes without breaking a sweat. To the outside world, Irisviel, once Lancer’s Master, was nothing more than his captured prize.

But now, Kirei’s intent was obvious. He was here to seize the lesser grail—the vessel who no longer had a Servant to protect her.

“To be honest, I was quite disappointed when I heard Kiritsugu had failed...”

Kirei kept talking, but Irisviel wasn’t listening anymore.

He was a seasoned executor. If she ran now, could she make it?

As the mistress of the castle, reaching Ryuuto’s room wouldn’t be difficult. And once she got there... the intruder would be erased without a trace.

She had sensed it earlier through the bounded field—tonight, Ryuuto was asleep, wrapped in the arms of both Lancer and Caster. Artoria and Morgan were with him, resting together in peaceful intimacy. That image flashed across her mind.

Then, out of nowhere, something inside her snapped.

“…!”

She made up her mind.

She wasn’t going to run. She would kill him right here.

She didn’t even know exactly why. Maybe it was to prove she wasn’t useless. Maybe it was the thought of interrupting that warm, perfect moment upstairs. Or maybe it was just pure, seething anger with nowhere to go.

Whatever the reason, her chest burned.

Without a word, Irisviel stepped forward.

“…Ho?” Kirei raised an eyebrow as the homunculus walked toward him.

Kirei knew the Einzbern were too dependent on alchemy, always lacking in real combat. All three of their past Holy Grail War attempts had ended early for exactly that reason. So even now, with the strongest ally just a floor above, she still chose to face him directly?

‘No point trying to figure out how a doll thinks,’ he scoffed inwardly.

He didn’t know how far the Einzbern had pushed their alchemy, and frankly, he didn’t care. By standard magecraft theory, homunculi weren’t even considered true beings. They had flesh, thoughts, and memories, but no soul. Not even worth comparing to ghouls or goblins—just animated shells.

So he didn’t even raise a guard. He let her approach.

Irisviel’s heart quickened. He was underestimating her.

With a calm, icy expression, she lifted her arm. From the sleeve of her nightgown, a thin silver thread slipped between her fingers.

“Shape ist Leben.”

Just a single line. That was all she needed.

The silvery strand multiplied, dancing between her hands like living threads. They twisted and spun with grace, forming into something more—razor talons, a curved beak, and sharp wings stretching outward like blades of light.

“Kyeeeee!!”

The silver eagle let out a piercing cry as it launched from her palm. It shot toward Kirei like a bullet, beak angled straight for his chest. The speed caught even him off guard.

But he didn’t flinch. Relying on pure reflex, he brought his hardened fist down on the eagle’s stomach.

“Wha—!?”

The impact didn’t destroy it. Instead, the eagle unraveled into a storm of wires mid-blow, instantly wrapping around his arm like a trap.

Kirei reached for the threads with his left hand—but it was too late. That arm was snagged too.

The bird had been a decoy. A trap. The wires coiled around both arms like living restraints, tightening with every twitch.

But Kirei wasn’t some green novice. He had stared death in the face more times than he could count. Bound hands meant nothing to him. He charged straight at her, ignoring the wires. One solid kick—that was all he needed to end this.

“Too naive!” Irisviel snapped, pouring more mana into the spell.

One of the wires shot outward, whipping toward a nearby iron window grille. With a harsh screech, it latched on tight, dragging Kirei’s arms with it. The force pinned them hard against the bars.

She managed to halt his advance, but only barely. Normally, that much tension should have snapped a magus's wrists clean. But his muscles weren’t normal. It was like trying to bind iron rods. Maintaining the restraint took constant, steady output. If she faltered even once, he’d break free.

At the same time, she reached into her pocket with her free hand. Another cluster of wire slipped between her fingers, forming into a long, silvery blade. It shimmered faintly with frost as it solidified in her grip—over two meters in length, yet light enough to wield with ease. Designed for piercing straight through the heart. It was meant for foes like him.

But just as she stepped forward to strike, realization crashed over her.

She was the one who had miscalculated.

BOOM!

The sound was deafening, and for a moment, she froze.

The iron bars beside Kirei groaned under pressure. The wall itself trembled.

He was slamming his fists into it—still bound, but not even slowing down. Using the tension in the wires like anchors, he leveraged his whole body into each blow. Legs, hips, and shoulders moved in perfect sync, compressing all that force into short, brutal strikes. A martial technique built for breaking through with minimal movement. Inch force.

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

Cracks ran through the stone. Dust rained down. In just seconds, a section of the centuries-old wall started to crumble.

There was no way to stop him.

Irisviel’s breath caught. Her hands trembled.

She had no chance—this wasn’t a man. He was a monster.