Chapter 61 Recovery Training

My name is Illya.

I am sparring with Lily.

84:35:23

Hisau Maiya had been instructed by Kiritsugu to remain in the courtyard and await further contact, while he himself went out accompanied by Saber Alter.

This was a logical arrangement. With the Assassins nearly annihilated and the intelligence of all factions laid bare, her role as a low-combat scout was no longer necessary in the field. Instead, she was ideally positioned to serve as the communications link between the headquarters and Kiritsugu. Furthermore, should the need arise, she could utilize modern technological means to protect the two Masters, Irisviel and Lin Hao.

Caster seemed to have done something yesterday that displeased Irisviel. Having spent the entire day hiding outside, Caster had just returned only to be immediately caught and subjected to a lecture. Maiya had listened briefly; the scolding appeared to concern a reckless action Caster had taken that completely disregarded her own safety.

Without a doubt, Caster had once again forgotten that the Holy Grail War was underway and run off to heal the sick and wounded. This could easily be deduced from her Master's personality. No doubt throughout today, many people suffering from chronic ailments had been pleasantly surprised by their sudden and unexpected recovery.

Regarding the wish of Caster and Lin Hao—to bear the misfortunes of the entire world—though Kiritsugu had once explicitly admitted defeat, Maiya, after much contemplation, did not share that view.

Perhaps accidents like illnesses and natural disasters could be transferred, and crimes and harms born of the darkness in human hearts could be thwarted using Kiritsugu's methods, but what about war?

Wars throughout human history rarely offered a simple distinction between good and evil. Scholars debating this had even coined a term: relative justice. When the definition of absolute justice remained ambiguous, the parties in almost every war could claim relative justice.

To Maiya, however, her own relative justice was remarkably simple: Emiya Kiritsugu was justice itself.

——"Heh, I was actually a bit troubled because this war looked like it would be evenly matched."

The young girl—not yet named Hisau Maiya—had firmly etched that figure, descending like a god, deep into her soul.

——"I'll help out on your side."

The backdrop was heavily armed hostile intruders and parents who had protected her unto death.

Afterward, that war, which might otherwise have dragged on for days, was swiftly brought to an end by the intervention of the magus. Maiya's talent in utilizing familiars was discovered by Kiritsugu, leading him to take her under his wing for training so she could assist him in executing justice.

And then... Kiritsugu married into the Einzbern family.

Clearly, she was the one who had met him first, whether it was knowing Kiritsugu or identifying with his perspective...

As someone had once said, was admiration perhaps the emotion furthest removed from understanding?

————

"Caster, please cross blades with me in a spar."

The white-armored Saber suddenly spoke, snapping Maiya out of her inadvertent descent into memories while simultaneously making her wonder if she had misheard.

Though the information she had gathered from Kiritsugu was limited, Saber, belonging to the strongest class, fundamentally possessed the powerful [Magic Resistance] skill. Even though she had just recovered from her weakened state by replenishing her energy, facing Caster still placed her at an overwhelming disadvantage. What was the point of such a spar?

"Alright~" Caster unexpectedly agreed without hesitation.

"Saber?" Irisviel asked with a puzzled expression, evidently harboring doubts about the efficacy of such a sparring match.

"During my previous confrontation against Archer alongside my other self, I played almost no role," Saber Lily said. "Merely parrying the treasures of the King of Heroes hurled at me required every ounce of my strength. Even when we finally unleashed the True Name of our Noble Phantasm together, I was entirely in a supporting role during our clashes. Therefore, for the sake of the battles to come, I must enhance my own strength."

These words caused Maiya to look at her in a new light, for she had finally recognized the problem. While Saber Lily usually maintained a modest demeanor, speaking of her own immaturity, deep down she possessed a peculiar, innate confidence that she would one day be the King of England. It seemed recent battles had made her realize that regardless of the future, the present moment was paramount.

"I understand. Rehabilitation training, right?" Caster predictably trotted out medical terminology. "However, given the nature of your [Magic Resistance], I'm afraid I won't be able to hold back. You'll need to mentally prepare yourself to die at any moment—oh no, rather, to be frozen solid."

"Of course. Please advise me." Saber stepped into a relatively spacious area of the courtyard, materialized her golden sword, and offered a knightly salute to Caster.

"Irisviel will get angry if we ruin the courtyard," Lin Hao suddenly remarked, sitting quietly in her wheelchair and observing the scene.

"Ah, true. Wait a moment." Caster pondered for a moment, then raised both hands and began to weave magecraft.

Regarding Lin Hao, Maiya's feelings were equally complex. Initially, she had assumed Lin Hao was merely an ordinary magus dragged into the Holy Grail War to make up numbers. But after spending this time together, Maiya had to admit that Lin Hao's steadfastness in her convictions rivaled even Kiritsugu's.

Although the onset of active combat meant Lin Hao could no longer visit medical facilities to transfer others' illnesses to herself, she had never once raised an objection to Caster's actions—actions that completely ignored her own safety or losses, and even caused self-harm. In fact, she supported them wholeheartedly.

Perhaps Irisviel's faith in the Maiden of Winter prevented her from delving deeper, but Maiya, observing from a neutral and objective standpoint, could clearly discern that beneath the premise of "bearing the misfortunes of the entire world," this Master and servant harbored the resolute determination to protect Irisviel, Kiritsugu, and even an outsider like Maiya, even if it meant sacrificing themselves.

As for why Lin Hao always spoke coldly to Kiritsugu, it was likely out of dissatisfaction that "Caster has given so much, yet you offer nothing in return." But the deeper reasons behind such a dynamic remained beyond Maiya's grasp for now.

————

The winter wind was biting.

What pulled Maiya's attention away from perimeter surveillance and back to the courtyard duel was the pristine, snowy "arena" that stood in jarring contrast to its surroundings. Circular in shape, it occupied the majority of the courtyard's center—spacious enough for two warriors to fight each other, while its perimeter was encircled by an invisible barrier where snowflakes danced wildly.

"Although it takes advantage of the terrain, this is the best way to ensure our combat doesn't damage the courtyard or leak our magical aura," Caster explained.

"Please enlighten me." Saber seemed to have no objections, nodding slightly as she raised her sword.

"Mmh~" Caster crossed her fingers and raised her hands above her head, stretching lazily. With that motion, her light purple knitted dress vanished in a flash of white light, replaced by her Noble Phantasm, the [Dress of Heaven]. Her silver-white shoulder-length hair also took on a faint, icy blue sheen.

This was the formal combat posture of the "Maiden of Winter," which had only appeared once before when she cooperated with Rider to defeat Berserker. It apparently provided a tremendous boost to her ice-and-snow-based magecraft.

"Hoo—" Caster let out a yawn, as if matching her lazy stretch.

*Saber is at a disadvantage from the start,* Maiya thought. Having followed Kiritsugu to hunt down numerous magi, she knew very well never to ignore a magus's movements, especially once they had entered combat mode.

And Caster, holding the magus class, was naturally among the elite.

"Well then, I shall beg—huh?" Saber Lily attempted to adjust her footing while holding her sword, only to find that both of her feet had been completely frozen to the ground, the thick layer of ice creeping all the way up to her knees.

That seemingly casual yawn had actually exhaled a ground-hugging freezing wind that firmly anchored her lower body.

*Crackle, crackle, crackle*—Caster did not give Saber time to break free. A pair of ice skates equipped with sharp blades materialized beneath Caster's feet as she swiftly glided toward the immobilized Lily.

*A Caster engaging in close-quarters combat?* Hisau Maiya felt a wave of perplexity.

"Hah!" Channeling her magical energy to shatter the ice encasing her legs, Saber swung her sword down toward the oncoming Caster.

Caster raised a hand to block the golden sword—using a shroud of mist summoned around her arm. Before that mist dissipated, she rapidly spun upward into the air, the massive accumulation of ice and snow swirling around her leveraging centrifugal force to deflect Saber's blade off-target.

Taking advantage of the momentum, Saber spun halfway around to unleash a slashing counter-attack. But by then, Caster had already used the momentum to leap high into the air, spreading her arms wide to rain a barrage of razor-sharp icicles down upon Saber from behind.

Saber seemed to harbor some lingering trauma from attacks resembling the Gate of Babylon. Wielding her golden sword like a whirlwind, she struck down every single icicle within range, regardless of whether it was strictly necessary.

*Saber has lost,* Maiya thought, shaking her head and sighing inwardly.

While projecting those icicles, Caster executed a backflip, landing directly behind Saber to wait out her defensive flurry. She even had the leisure to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. It was only when the white-armored female knight realized something was amiss and prepared to withdraw or counterattack that Caster's hands pressed firmly down onto Saber's shoulder pauldrons.

"[Frozen Execution]!" Caster shouted out the name of her released magecraft as if invoking a Noble Phantasm. Without the slightest suspense, Saber Lily was instantly encased inside a massive block of ice.

"Ugh..." Caster let out a distressed sound, her magical aura still flickering unsettledly. She took half a step back, lowered herself, and pressed her hands against the ground. Four massive, razor-sharp icicles erupted haphazardly from the earth before instantly shattering and vanishing.

So, impaling the frozen enemy with those icicles was the true, complete form of "Frozen Execution"? But had she actually done that, this Saber would likely have been sent straight back to the Throne of Heroes.

"Sorry, I can't undo this one myself. It's supposed to be shattered by a final four-hit combo of [Diamond Ice Blades], but I wasn't confident I could do that without hurting you." Caster's explanation confirmed Maiya's suspicion. With that, Caster turned and walked back to the side of Irisviel and Lin Hao.

"To forge such close-quarters combat techniques as a Caster, you must have had a tough time back then, right?"

"Not really. After all, not many people dare to provoke the 'Maiden of Winter'."

As expected, Irisviel was worrying about bizarre details again.

"Can you make ice cream?"

"No, I can't. That's just ice and snow simulated by magical energy; it's completely inedible."

The way this Master and servant interacted remained as strange as ever.

*Crack, crunch—shatter!*

The giant block of ice burst apart from the middle, and Saber Lily stepped out from the debris.

"Again!" her voice brimming with fighting spirit, "I can feel that I've grown stronger!"