"Is your nation well? Is it prosperous? Flourishing? Are its people happy?"
"The Britannia under my rule was the world's foremost superpower. Global unification was within arm's reach."
"Is that so?"
"Beyond that, I have nothing more to share!"
Lelouch, of course, would never disclose the details to Saber. Especially not his wish.
Before accepting this war, Lelouch had devised a plan called "Requiem."
He would create a world of happiness for his sister while severing the cycle of hatred between nations.
That had been the original plan.
But upon learning of the Dragon Balls' existence, a new possibility had surfaced. If he could seize them, a far better method of changing the world might present itself.
An opportunity this favorable was not one he'd refuse.
And so he had answered Waver's summon.
As for the danger of the Dragon Ball War? He'd long since stopped factoring that in. How many times had he brushed against death on his path? One more hardly fazed him.
Lelouch Vi Britannia was never a man of timidity.
Saber glanced at the holy sword in her hands. Something in her seemed to ease.
Regardless of circumstances, she had at least received an answer from this new King of Britannia.
A Britannia that endured as a superpower.
Wasn't that precisely what she had once "hoped for"?
Her own Britannia had fallen. Its people had suffered. That was why Saber wished to change everything.
Even if it meant a different king, as long as that person could lead Britannia to prosperity, that would be enough.
Rider's existence was the living mirror of her original wish.
And having understood that, Saber's fighting spirit dimmed.
Or rather, toward Rider, she felt something closer to admiration.
He, too, had ascended to the throne at a young age. Though she didn't know which divergent timeline he hailed from, his existence proved that her efforts hadn't been meaningless.
A fallen Britannia could be saved.
"That look of resolution on your face is completely different from before."
Gazing down, Lelouch noted the shift in her demeanor.
"Ah... my wish may have already been granted."
"So from here on, I can fight wholeheartedly for my Master."
"If your wish truly is world peace, you might actually get along well with him."
Adopting a friendlier stance, Saber spoke softly.
If Britannia truly persisted and thrived in some version of history, then she had no need to pursue the Grail or the Dragon Balls.
Now, Saber simply needed to fight her hardest for her Master, free of doubt, and secure him the victory.
"An alliance?"
Inside the cockpit, Waver seriously weighed the proposal and hesitated.
Dragon Balls. The objects that had brought them together under the promise of "granting any wish." Anyone who knew of them would covet them, inevitably sparking a life-or-death struggle.
In the end, only one victor could remain.
But if two parties shared a common goal, a mid-war alliance wasn't impossible.
"It's a tempting offer."
"But from what I hear, your Master doesn't have the best reputation."
Lelouch smiled faintly, not immediately refusing.
Setting aside the final disposition of the Dragon Balls, cooperating to eliminate other competitors was undeniably advantageous.
But acceptance shouldn't be unconditional. At minimum, a thorough assessment was needed to determine the power dynamic between both sides.
After all, weighing the relative strength of Masters, Servants, and the strategic situation determined which half of the alliance held the greater voice.
"Mm..."
Struck at the exact weak point, Saber couldn't quite formulate a rebuttal.
Emiya Kiritsugu.
His title of "Magus Killer" wasn't idle gossip. It was a reputation earned through a career of results, and the rumors circulating within the magical community were never clean.
Allying with a man like that meant running the constant risk of a bullet in the back.
Especially for someone as young as Waver, Kiritsugu had far too many ways to undermine him.
"However, we're willing to give your side one chance."
"So relay this to your Master: he'll need to demonstrate his sincerity."
Just when Saber expected the alliance to fall through, Rider's tone shifted, and she froze in surprise.
"I'll pass it along."
With nothing else to add, Saber could only agree.
'Heh... a man who'll do whatever it takes?'
'His scheming might run deeper than expected.'
Behind the alliance proposal, Lelouch harbored ulterior motives.
Geass!
The moment Saber's Master dared show his face, Lelouch would have his opening.
A harmonious, good-faith partnership?
Sorry. Lelouch wasn't that naive.
He'd sooner use Geass to subjugate the man and bring him under his command.
And Lelouch's "Geass" was the Power of the King.
Absolute Obedience!
It was irresistible. The target could not defy his commands; it could even twist their ethics, beliefs, and convictions.
This was his hidden trump card.
If possible, he wanted to locate every Master and dominate them all in a single stroke, ending the war instantly.
Heroic Spirits might possess the means to resist Geass. But ordinary humans had virtually no defense.
"Hmph, you think you can escape?!"
Sola-Ui smirked as she watched Emiya Kiritsugu stumble through the labyrinth and bail from his wrecked car.
The magecraft field she and Kayneth had established together was no simple thing to break through.
'Sola, just stay here and maintain the magical output. Don't leave.'
Recalling Kayneth's instructions, she felt a twinge of impatience.
While Kayneth was better suited for front-line combat against other Masters, as Lancer's Master, she wanted to participate personally. Sitting here on "autopilot" for a free win felt hollow. Even if they won, it wouldn't mean anything to her.
"Hmm? Did a wraith hit him?"
She spotted Kiritsugu tumbling from a dodge gone wrong, a summoned wraith's blow striking him in the chest.
"No breath, no heartbeat..."
"So much for the 'Magus Killer.' Nothing special after all."
Watching the motionless body sprawled on the ground, Sola gradually lowered her guard.
"Next, I'll go deal with Assassin's Master."
The magecraft field was only meant to prevent escape. She and Kayneth's true objective had been to "trap" both Kirei and Kiritsugu.
With Kirei now tied down by Kayneth and Kiritsugu apparently "dead," there was no reason to stay.
Click...
She stepped toward the boundary of the magecraft field.
The instant her foot crossed the threshold, an ominous sound reached her ears.
BANG!!
Splurch!!
Pain erupted from her side. A scalding sensation, as if something had punched clean through flesh.
Sola's pupils dilated and wavered. She turned toward the source.
There stood Emiya Kiritsugu, on his feet, gun raised and smoking.
Those emotionless eyes and the barrel still trailing smoke told her everything that had just transpired.
"How?!"
How was a man without breath or heartbeat standing?
How had he closed the distance that fast?
Questions flooded her mind. Before she could process any of them, Kiritsugu's answer came in the form of sustained gunfire.
Bangbangbangbangbang!!!
Splurch!!
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]