In the warehouse of the Fukayama town stronghold, the soft morning sunlight banishes the cold darkness and warms the outer walls of the warehouse. But the air in the warehouse was still silent and cold. A few rays of sunlight poured in through the small skylight, and the warehouse seemed to be bathed in a faint twilight like dusk.

Artoria sat down against the wall, silently staring at the woman lying on her back in the magic circle with her hands crossed over her chest. Artoria could sense Alice's recovery, but the whole process was too slow, and it didn't change the deterioration of her constitution in the slightest.

Having no mood or energy to wait here, Artoria stood up. Even though she had already had several failed attempts, she was still unwilling to just stare blankly, and Artoria was willing to try her best as long as there was still a chance.

“avalon！”

Artoria pressed her hands against Alice's abdomen and whispered the true name of the Noble Phantasm. This is not the liberation of Avalon's real name, the girl just wants to make it easier for her magic to pass on to the ideal country. As an EX-class enchantment treasure, Avalon's healing power is only a small part of its function. There is no need to liberate her real name, as long as Artoria continues to provide magical power, she can restore the carrier from any injuries, even immortality.

Yes, theoretically, any injury can heal instantly, Artoria has always been convinced of this. However, what happened in front of her made Artoria lose her former self-confidence.

"Sure enough"

The moment Avalon activated, Artoria could clearly feel Alice Phil's body recover at a speed that could be followed by the naked eye. But when the effect of Avalon passed, endless weakness came up in a steady stream, and all previous efforts were suddenly wasted.

Similar situations have occurred many times, and Artoria has used the power of Avalon several times when Alice Phil faints. But every time, it can only play the role of treating the body, but the source of the disease cannot be eradicated.

There is no injury that Avalon treats badly, unless, that is not an injury in itself. It's not that Artoria didn't think of this, but Artoria subconsciously didn't want to admit it. If this state of affairs is really innate, and it was set before Alice Phil was born, then things would be too terrifying.

Alice is an artificial human, as Artoria has long known. However, the more specific inside story is not clear. Artoria wasn't a person who liked to get into her secrets, and Alice Fell didn't want to tell the story, so it didn't know.

Just as Artoria's thoughts were turning, Alice Fell moved slightly, like ripples in the still air.

Artoria immediately lowered her head, only to see Alice Phil moaning uncomfortably as she slowly sat up.

"Artoria ......?"

Lazily brushing away the silver hair in front of her, Alice Phil stared blankly at the girl guarding her.

"Woke up. ”

"Hmm. ”

"How do you feel?"

"Don't worry, I'm very clear about my own situation, after all, we androids are different from humans, and we are very clear about our own body structure. Just like a car, if a car runs out of fuel and doesn't turn on the warning light, then it's really a failure. ”

“......”

While this is true, the metaphor is not appropriate. Artoria was keenly aware of Ellie's inferiority complex from these words. As a so-called "alien", the inferiority complex is not human, so it is natural that he will care about his birth, lest the people around him show disgusted expressions. Ellie... has always lived so cautiously, even if Kiritsugu's appearance has not changed anything, but it is really rare that she can still maintain such a kind heart.

Thinking of this, Artoria felt a kind of sadness for no reason. Then she looked at Alice Fell from the front with a very serious gaze.

"It's okay... Ellie, even if you were indeed an android, I never thought of treating you differently from normal humans. Whether it's a person or anything else, Ellie will always be Ellie, and your presence is enough. ”

"Artoria... It's so gentle. ”

Faced with Artoria's unyielding attitude, Alice Phil had no choice but to admit defeat.

"Anyone you've been in contact with will think so, Alice Field, you're a very charismatic person. ”

"Thank you, Artoria. ”

"Get out of here, Ellie!" Seeing Alice Phil's somewhat sad look, Artoria couldn't help but say what she had been thinking about for a long time after thinking about it in her heart.

"Ahh Huh?!"

Artoria's sudden burst of light with an unclear sentence startled Ellie.

"You're not here for the Holy Grail, Ellie, I'm reluctant to speculate, but even Avalon can't do anything about an injury, and I don't think it's a "injury" at the root. Keep going and you'll die......"

I don't know what it was, but Artoria still said what she wanted to keep in her heart forever. Alice Phil was just a passerby in Artoria's life, far from having to go through such painstaking efforts. However, Artoria is not a god after all, and she can't be too forgetful, she sincerely treats Alice Phil as a trusted friend, and naturally doesn't want her friend to be hurt.

The king is alone, this is a word that has been repeated a thousand times. But that's the case, as King Arthur, Artoria had knights and lovers, but she lacked trustworthy friends. So when she escaped the age of kings, came to this world as a servant and made her own friends, Artoria realized the value of this friendship.

It may have been a short, short time, but Artoria never wanted to be together for long. She has infinite time, even if the beautiful memory is as brilliant as a meteor, she can slowly miss it for a long time.

I don't want to monopolize your emotions. I wish to send you to the other side of the dream, to see your smile when parting, and to complete the wish of this trip.

"So... Let's go, if Kiritsugu is your dream, then I'm willing to make it a reality. Not to snoop on your privacy, but I did hear your conversation at the castle of Einsberen. Staying away from this war and finding the life you want, it would not be necessary to be afraid of Einzbelen's power and Illya's safety. Even if Einzbelen is passed down for thousands of years, I will make it history in an instant. So, let's go, get out of here, Ellie......"

"It's not for you to run away from anything, but I hope you can pursue it more bravely..."

Artoria was able to anticipate, with Kiritsugu's paranoia, with Alice Phil's kindness. In this way, sadness will inevitably be interpreted, and Artoria does not want to do so, she wants Alice to be happy. Even if Emiya Kiritsugu still holds that paranoid ideal, he must make a choice here, and he can only choose.

"Artoria ......"

Althea was really shocked by the advice that came out of Artoria's mouth, and she was deeply moved by the kind of words that were full of concern and sincerity. I've never felt like this, even as the princess of Einzbelen, but in reality she is just a tool called the Little Holy Grail. No one has given her feelings, and she has never experienced them.

"Thank you, Artoria..."

Gently hugging Artoria, perhaps Ellie felt that this was a better way to express her feelings. Because the surging mood at the moment cannot be conveyed by words, body language can better convey it to the other party.

"I'm glad you cared for me like that. But it's too late, Artoria, since the beginning of the Holy Grail War, it's a mission that can't be escaped"

"Why?"

"I promised you that I would tell you everything when I got back, right? ”