Does a Doll Deserve to Live a Happy Life? (Patreon)

Chapter 8: Ties That Bind

Standing atop Fuyuki Bridge, I remained silent, eyes locked on the battle unfolding below. With my enhanced vision, I could see everything in sharp detail—every movement, every pulse of mana, every clash of intent.

‘Perks of being a dragon,’ I thought idly.

Tamamo had already slipped back into her spirit form, concealed just out of sight and awaiting my orders. She was ready to move the moment I gave the word.

I, on the other hand, was still caught in indecision.

Whether or not to kidnap Irisviel.

Time was running out. I knew it. The longer I hesitated, the more tangled the situation would become. But it wasn’t a choice to make lightly.

And now… I might not have the luxury of waiting any longer.

Because Archer had just arrived.

The air shimmered as he materialized atop a lamppost—Gilgamesh, the self-proclaimed King of Heroes. The greatest threat in this war, and without question the most dangerous Servant on the field.

And if he was here… then Berserker couldn’t be far behind.

Almost on cue, Berserker burst onto the scene, revealing himself with an inhuman roar before immediately charging at Gilgamesh. The golden king bristled at the mere act of being looked upon, and the battle between them began in earnest.

Just as the chaos reignited below, a cold ripple ran down my spine.

My sixth sense screamed.

I ducked without hesitation—just in time to feel the sharp crack of a sniper bullet whip past my head.

‘Kiritsugu,’ I thought, narrowing my eyes. He was the only one in this war who used weapons like that. ‘Again! Really?’

This was the second time he’d tried to kill me but unluckily for him, I was prepared this time.

Through our bond, I could already feel Tamamo bristle with fury, barely keeping herself restrained. She was one second away from dropping her concealment and unleashing hell on the Magus Killer.

I scanned the rooftops—and there he was.

Just as I’d thought, Emiya Kiritsugu was staring straight at me from across the way, cold and expressionless as he reloaded and adjusted to a better vantage point.

That was the final push I needed.

{Tamamo,} I called out through our bond, voice cold and calm. {As soon as you get the chance—capture Irisviel and return home. I’ll be right behind you.}

There was a pause.

{…As you wish, Master,} Tamamo replied at last. Her voice was still laced with anger—but there was a distinct hint of satisfaction too.

‘Now I just need to make sure that they get away safely before following them,’ I thought privately, doing my part to keep Kiritsugu's attention locked on me.

=====

Down below, chaos reigned.

Berserker’s furious assault had provoked Gilgamesh's ire—enough that the golden king began to unleash the treasures of his Gate of Babylon. Noble Phantasms rained down like falling stars, each impact shaking the harbor with an explosion.

And yet—just as quickly as he escalated, he vanished.

A ripple of golden light signaled Archer’s forced retreat, no doubt a command from Tokiomi before Gilgamesh truly lost his temper. Berserker roared in frustration, denied of his target.

And with that, the battlefield shifted again.

Berserker turned, his attention now fixed on Saber.

She braced herself, injured and weary from her prolonged duel with Lancer, still suffering from the cursed wound on her hand.

Which left Irisviel unprotected, and exposed near a shipping container on the edge of the battlefield.

I didn’t need to say a word.

Tamamo moved.

From the shadows behind Irisviel, she emerged like a ghost.

“Forgive me, but I’m afraid I need you to come with me~,” Tamamo purred sweetly, appearing at Irisviel’s side like a wraith.

Irisviel gasped, turning and beginning a defensive spell—but Tamamo was faster.

A swift, precise chop to the back of the neck ended it before it could begin. The homunculus went limp, unconscious.

Tamamo caught her without ceremony and, clearly still miffed about my earlier sniper incident, slung her over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

“IRISVIEL!” Saber shouted from across the battlefield, finally noticing Tamamo’s presence—but unable to break away from Berserker’s relentless assault.

“I’ll be taking this doll now~!” Tamamo sang out, sticking out her tongue in Saber’s direction. “I’m sure we’ll meet again. Ciao~!”

She vanished a heartbeat later—just in time.

Gunfire erupted, cutting through the night from two directions—Kiritsugu and Maiya—but the shots harmlessly struck the shimmering barrier of Tamamo’s ward before she began jumping as fast as she could and was soon out of sight.

Lancer, ever the knight, looked ready to give chase.

I tensed, ready to intervene if necessary.

But after a second’s pause, he grimaced, then turned and joined Berserker in keeping Saber pinned down.

‘I should get out of here,’ I thought, no longer worried about bullets. Kiritsugu and Maiya’s attention was now focused on tracking down Tamamo.

With my enhanced body and a layer of Reinforcement coursing through my limbs, I moved quickly through the city—each stride carrying me closer to the nearest portal leading back to our Demiplane.

All the while, my eyes flicked between the shadows ahead and the familiar glow of the Bounty Tracker in my HUD.

I kept one eye locked on it, tracking Tamamo’s signature alongside Irisviel’s—waiting for the sign that they’d made it out.

Halfway there, I finally exhaled in relief.

Their markers blinked out of existence.

They’d reached the Demiplane.

I slowed just a bit, tension ebbing from my shoulders as I kept moving.

‘This is bound to be a pleasant conversation,’ I thought with a grimace.

=====

The moment I stepped through the portal into our Demiplane, landing in the familiar soft glow of the portal room, something small collided with my legs.

I blinked in surprise and looked down.

Nestled against me, gripping my legs with quiet determination, was a familiar head of purple hair.

Sakura.

She clung to me tightly, saying nothing, her small frame trembling just slightly. Despite everything, a small smile pulled at my lips.

‘She was probably worried about us.’

I placed a gentle hand atop her head, ruffling her hair softly.

“Hey there, Sakura,” I said, kneeling to her level. “Were you waiting for me?”

She didn’t speak—just nodded into my chest as I pulled her into a proper hug. The poor girl melted into my arms, her fingers gripping my coat as though she were afraid I might vanish again.

“Thank you,” I murmured. “That’s very sweet of you. But as you can see, I’m just fine. Tamamo is too.”

At that, she pulled back just enough to look up at me—eyes searching mine, as if trying to see through any brave fronts or lies. Then she looked over my body, scanning for wounds. Finding none, she finally slumped in relief, her tension draining.

Seeing her expression, an idea sparked in my mind, and I smiled gently.

“Hey, Sakura. How about this—tomorrow, I’ll give you a ride around the island in my dragon form.”

Her eyes widened immediately, awe and disbelief lighting up her face.

“You’ll be the first to see it,” I added, “and the first to ride me too.”

The change in her was instant.

Her expression lit up in genuine joy, unburdened and unguarded. It was the first time I’d seen her look truly happy since we’d brought her here.

“I will?” she asked softly, eyes wide.

I nodded.

She began nodding too—fast, eager, afraid I might change my mind. “Okay!” she said, almost breathless with excitement.

And just like that, my heart felt lighter.

“She refused to go to bed until she was sure you returned,” a gentle voice came from my left.

Turning, I saw Kiara and Aoi standing at the edge of the hallway. While their relief wasn’t as openly displayed as Sakura’s, it was still evident in their eyes.

“Do you need me to check you over, Sieg-kun?” Kiara stepped forward, her fingers already brushing against the hairpins in her hair—ready to summon her healing abilities.

I raised a hand lightly to stop her. “Don’t worry, Kiara. As I just explained to Sakura, I’m perfectly alright.”

I straightened to my full height, only to blink in surprise when I felt Sakura quietly latch onto my right hand.

Looking down, I saw her head turned toward the floor, her grip firm despite the shy tension in her posture. Probably embarrassed. I let it go and turned my attention back to Kiara and Aoi.

“And Tamamo?” I asked, leading the way down the corridor with Sakura glued to my side, still refusing to let go.

Kiara and Aoi fell into step beside us—Kiara on my left, Aoi flanking Sakura on her opposite side.

“She’s keeping an eye on our new guest,” Kiara replied. “I overheard her complaining that the woman has some kind of artifact accelerating her healing. Tamamo said she needed to supervise her until the effect wore off.”

“Aah… that would be Avalon then,” I said with a nod. “A Noble Phantasm of unparalleled healing. But without Saber nearby, it should run out of magical energy soon.”

I recalled how Irisviel, Kiritsugu, and Maiya had kept Avalon’s existence a secret from Artoria throughout the whole series.

Honestly, if they’d just returned Saber’s sheath from the start, she’d have no trouble sweeping through this war. She’d be an unstoppable juggernaut that was almost impossible to kill.

But Kiritsugu’s extreme paranoia had kept it hidden.

And now… that same paranoia would serve us.

We now had two bargaining chips to use for our next confrontation with Saber. Irisviel and Avalon.

‘The only problem will be if she would be willing to listen to us with how stubborn she is.’

=====

A few minutes later, we finally reached the room where Tamamo and Irisviel were. After a single knock, we stepped inside.

What greeted us was... amusing, to say the least.

Irisviel was lying on the bed, bound tightly—tied in such a way that it prominently emphasized her chest as she squirmed in place, trying to regain some modesty. Her cheeks were flushed with a mix of frustration and embarrassment.

Standing in front of her, with a composed expression and a smirk barely hidden behind her sleeve, was Tamamo.

“Oh, welcome back, Master~” Tamamo said sweetly, her eyes glinting with mischief. “As you can see, our guest has been quite energetic. I had to make sure she didn’t do anything... unladylike.”

Irisviel shot her a glare. “This is excessive! I wasn’t going to run! Now let me go!”

Tamamo tilted her head. “You were healing at an abnormal rate. I couldn’t exactly leave you unattended~ You might’ve gotten ideas.”

I sighed but couldn’t hide the faint amusement tugging at my lips. “Caster… did you really have to tie her like that?”

“I was being efficient,” she said, voice smooth as silk. “Besides, it was either rope or cursing her. This seemed kinder.”

Irisviel flinched at the change in tone and stopped squirming immediately.

Without speaking, I approached her. Under her wary gaze, I leaned down and bit into her hand—just enough to draw blood.

She winced in pain.

“Caster, she has Avalon implanted within her as a Conceptual Weapon. That’s why she was recovering so fast. Are you able to remove it?” I turned toward Tamamo.

She blinked at first, then nodded in understanding, realizing whose artifact it was based on that information alone. I deliberately left Caster’s true name unspoken. Caution was still necessary, at least until the binding took full effect and Irisviel could no longer betray us one day from now.

“Sure, Master,” Tamamo replied with a slight frown. “Though it slightly annoys me that you’re using that ability on her, when her stupid, ugly, and future-dead husband has already tried to kill you twice now.”

She pouted adorably as she moved toward Irisviel. Her hands began to glow as she extended them.

“H-H-How did you know that?” Irisviel finally found her voice, terror creeping into her expression as she looked at me. “No one’s supposed to know about Avalon! Only Kiritsugu and I—w-who are you people?”

“Fufufu~ That’s right. Be surprised, you silly doll~” Tamamo sang mockingly. “My Master is the best~ Much better than that ugly man of yours~”

Her grin widened as a golden light began to gather at Irisviel’s midsection.

“N-No! That’s not yours! That’s supposed to help Kiritsugu win this war—to help him accomplish his dream!” Irisviel shouted, struggling in vain.

But it was no use.

Moments later, the sheath fully materialized, its golden glow bathing the room in a soft, regal light.

The majestic form of Avalon had been revealed for all to see.

I immediately took it into my hands and placed it into Pocket Space for safekeeping, ignoring the despair on Irisviel’s face for now.

Finally, I turned to face her properly, noticing the few tears escaping her red eyes—eyes so similar to my own. ‘If I remember correctly, Yggdmillennia homunculi were based on the Einzberns, so it makes sense that we share similarities.’

“That wish of his will never come to pass,” I said at last, my voice soft but firm. “Not if I have anything to say about it. Even if I have to once again carry the Grail to the Reverse Side of the World—away from humanity.”

Irisviel met my gaze with a glare, defiant despite her bound state. I gave her a little credit for that.

“You won’t win,” she said sharply. “Kiritsugu will come and rescue me—before he kills you.”

Her words were met with immediate waves of killing intent from the girls in the room—especially Tamamo, whose aura surged, mana warping the space around her in visible fury.

Unbeknownst to me, however, the one with the most chilling expression wasn’t Tamamo… but Sakura. Her eyes had gone completely dark as she stared at Irisviel—her small form tense, as if she was seconds away from ending the woman with her bare hands.

“Relax, everyone,” I said calmly, raising a hand as I sensed the shift. Thankfully, they obeyed, though Tamamo had clearly lost her playful edge.

I turned back to Irisviel. “Do you and your husband really want to destroy humanity that badly?”

“What are you talking about?” she snapped, though her voice was quieter now—shaken by the response she'd just provoked. “Don’t talk like you know Kiritsugu’s wish!”

“World peace, right?” I asked, raising a brow.

That caught her off guard.

“Again—how do you know all this?”

I sighed. “So that old fool truly didn’t tell you anything, huh? Even though it’s your family’s fault that we’re in this mess to begin with.”

“You’re making no sense,” she said, frustration lacing her voice.

“I’m talking about how the Einzbern family is responsible for the Greater Grail being corrupted by the spirit of Angra Mainyu. Any wish made on that thing now will become twisted—corrupted.”

“…Wha? What do you mean?” Irisviel asked, her voice trembling slightly.

“You know it, don’t you?” I pressed, leaning forward with my arms crossed. I watched her flinch and avert her eyes. “As the host for the Lesser Grail, you should feel that something’s wrong with it—shouldn’t you?”

When Irisviel remained silent, it was all the confirmation I needed.

I leaned back, my expression hard.

“Do you even know what your actions will cause in the future?” I asked softly now, with Irisviel reluctantly turning my way again, sensing something in my voice. “Specifically, to your daughter?”

“What does my daughter have to do with any of this? We’re doing this so she won’t have to worry about it in the future!” Irisviel exclaimed, some of her old fire returning at the mention of her child.

Shaking my head, I turned to walk away—only to pause mid-step and glance back over my shoulder, locking eyes with her.

“I see that just talking with you won’t get us anywhere. So instead… I’ll show you undeniable proof.”

“Despite what you might think, I’m trying to save your life—and prevent a disaster from happening. So for now, just stay in this room. We’ll speak again two days from now, and I’ll show you what the future holds.”

I held her gaze. “Oh, and don’t bother trying to escape. The place we’re in is disconnected from the world and impenetrable to anyone not tied to me—or those I bring in.”

“In terms you might understand… think of it as a Reality Marble I can manifest anywhere in the world, but one that persists indefinitely. Everything here is under my control.”

I turned fully toward Tamamo, who straightened the moment she saw the seriousness in my expression.

“Caster,” I said firmly, “make sure she can’t leave this room. I don’t trust her yet not to try something.”

“Leave it to me, Master~,” Tamamo said with a cheerful lilt, her eyes narrowing with a glint of glee.

“Come on, Sakura. You stayed up all evening waiting for us, right? Are you hungry? Want me to make you some hot chocolate and cookies?” I asked the silent girl as I gently took her hand and led her from the room.

Sakura immediately perked up, nodding rapidly, clearly excited—she knew any food I made was super delicious.

“…Can I help?” she asked softly, but not before throwing one final glare at the still-bound woman behind us. She quickly wiped the expression away and smiled up at me.

“Of course~,” I replied with a nod, smiling warmly.

As we made our way to the kitchen, Aoi and Kiara once again walked beside us. Aoi chuckled softly, teasing, “You’re spoiling her too much, you know.”

I only shrugged and smiled.

The days ahead were bound to grow more dangerous—and we might not get as lucky as we had tonight.

So it was best to enjoy moments like these while we could.