MMMS 73

After shaking off his daze, Ryuuto snapped his head toward the mountains many kilometers away. Over there was Tokiomi's base at the far side of Fuyuki City.

Gilgamesh had disappeared through spatial transfer, a form of magecraft bordering on True Magic. The most basic way to accomplish this was by using Command Seals.

A hollow feeling of disappointment settled in Ryuuto's chest. The fight he craved had been snatched away.

"Tokiomi Tohsaka, you fucking..." he glared at the Tohsaka family mansion, teeth clenched as he squeezed Ea's hilt.

"OHHHHHHH!!!" Iskandar's booming voice jolted him back to reality.

"That was incredible! You pushed the King of Heroes to such extremes!" The King of Conquerors strolled up to him with casual familiarity and slapped his back with excessive force.

"No time to waste! Fight me next, young man!"

"...I've had enough." Ryuuto winced. His spine felt like it might snap under Rider's massive hand.

"What? Speak louder!" Iskandar grinned broadly while continuing to pound his back.

"I'm tired. I'll fight you next time... I'm going back." Though they'd just met, Ryuuto already recognized Iskandar as the type of person he struggled to handle.

"Eh? Wait, wait wait wait!" Iskandar clutched his arm with a look of exaggerated disappointment. "Hey! Boy! You said it yourself earlier that you'd kill both me and Archer. How can you just break your promise like that?"

"..."

Ryuuto let out a weary sigh. "Old man, you watched my battle with Archer, right? You should understand by now that I'm not an opponent you can defeat." He shrugged. "Anyway, I'm heading back now. There's a girl waiting for me."

"...How would I know without trying?" Iskandar's voice carried genuine curiosity.

"..." Ryuuto froze for a moment, then met Iskandar's refreshing gaze. The King's eyes held not a hint of hesitation—he truly wanted this fight. After all, with the King of Heroes now gone and no longer in his peak condition, the King of Conquerors had only one way to prove himself the strongest king: defeat Ryuuto and claim victory. The logic was simple: King of Conquerors > Ryuuto > King of Heroes. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity he wouldn't let slip away.

"...Ah, I see." Ryuuto paused, considering his words carefully. "True, I did say I would be your and Archer's opponent. But you've misunderstood something important, Rider."

He peeled the giant's hand from his shoulder and walked toward the castle entrance without looking back.

"What I meant is, you and the King of Heroes should team up to be my opponents."

…

The magnificent battle had finally come to an end.

After everyone had left, Lancer stood alone in the castle corridor. She gazed silently at the devastated courtyard, her expression unreadable in the fading light.

Irisviel approached her cautiously. "Lancer... is something wrong?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.

"No, I'm probably overthinking things." Lancer's lips curved into a small, forced smile that didn't reach her eyes. Her fingers tightened slightly around her weapon. "Let's go, Irisviel. It's getting late, we should rest early today."

"Yes, you're right."

The King of Knights and the princess walked quietly toward their bedchambers, their footsteps echoing softly against the stone floor.

"Oh, Iri! Lancer!" A familiar voice called out from the dim corridor ahead. Ryuuto appeared, the youth who had just effortlessly defeated the King of Heroes. He carried a pillow tucked under his arm as he greeted them with a casual wave.

"Lord Ryuuto, where are you going?" Lancer asked, her eyes narrowing slightly at his nighttime wandering.

"Don't wait up for me. I'll be staying in Caster's room tonight." he spoke casually, but his eyes gleamed with satisfaction.

He glanced toward Irisviel and caught the momentary flicker of surprise in her eyes, just before she looked down and fidgeted with the edge of her sleeve.

“I-Is that so…? You won’t be sleeping in the room tonight… I see,” she murmured, trying to sound unaffected.

"Master." Artoria called to him, her face hardening with seriousness.

“Hm?” he tilted his head, his brows lifting slightly.

"..."

The corridor fell silent, the air between them growing heavy with unspoken words.

After what felt like forever, she shook her head, her lips parting then closing again as she reconsidered. "No, nothing. Just… please don’t trouble my sister too much.”

With that, she turned and walked away.

"Oh..."

"Then, I'll take my leave too." Irisviel pursed her lips into a small pout. She shot him a quick, resentful glance before hurrying after Artoria, the soft swish of her dress trailing behind her.

"By the way, Irisviel," he called after her, making her pause mid-step. "Prepare to go with me to the neighboring town tomorrow morning."

She half-turned, confusion written across her face. "...The neighboring town?"

"Yes." In the darkness of the hallway, he ran his tongue across his dry lips, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

To-ki-o-mi-Toh-sa-ka.

‘Since you won't let me enjoy the battle with the King of Heroes,’ he thought, ‘I'll have to seek physical pleasure from your wife instead.’

A wicked revenge plan took shape in his mind as he watched Irisviel's retreating figure.

…

This world was full of cruel ironies. When Ryuuto arrived at the courtyard the next morning and saw Irisviel standing proudly beside a silver luxury car, he finally understood what people meant when they said fate was unavoidable. Some things were simply destined to happen—like the torture of having Irisviel as his driver.

The Einzbern family vehicle was a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL, famously known as the "Car of the Century." It boasted a six-cylinder engine, 2996cc displacement, and could reach a maximum speed of 260km/h. With its streamlined body that perfectly balanced sportiness and luxury, it was the world's first gull-wing double-door sedan.

Its initial price tag had been an astronomical $10,000 at release, making it highly coveted by car enthusiasts and collectors alike. By 2018, auction prices had soared to a staggering $5 million.

In the morning sunlight, the Mercedes with its gull-wings spread wide looked as graceful as a noble lady at a ball. The beautiful winter Princess Irisviel stood beside it, radiating an aura of nobility and composure. But he knew all too well that this elegant poise was merely a façade. Soon, he would be trapped in a high-speed nightmare.

"Lord Ryuuto, please get in the car."

Irisviel placed her hand on his shoulder while gracefully tucking a strand of silver hair behind her ear with slender fingers. As she leaned slightly toward him, her ample cleavage and shapely curves, barely contained by her tight coat, created a provocative and enticing silhouette.

"Hmm…" he swallowed hard. Iri looked particularly elegant today. Was it because of the excitement of being able to drive soon? He shifted uncomfortably. "Iri, why don't we take the bus instead?"

"Lord Ryuuto, please get in the car." She repeated, her delicate wrist applying just enough pressure on his shoulder to make her point clear.

For a brief moment, he felt the glint in Irisviel's crimson eyes held no less intensity than Gilgamesh's golden gaze.

There would be no escape today.