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Fate/Zero:Interlude

2011-11-16T04:16:14Z

67.189.249.209: /* Sometime, somewhere */

[[Image:FZ_v04_005.png|thumb|Interlude.]]
=== Sometime, somewhere ===

"Kerry, you do know where the name of this island comes from, right?"

Shirley asked while leisurely handling the creaking car’s wheel.

The boy called Kerry, sitting in the passenger’s seat, shook his head and squeezed out a "Not really" as if he was scared that the vehicle’s intense shaking would make him bite his tongue.

The pick-up truck they were both driving in was a vehicle so antique it may have come from the time when coaches were just running out of use. Moreover, the road they were driving on now was not a paved bitumen road but a dirt road. Even an ox-cart would have to slow down on these roads. Right now, they almost feel like they are sitting in a small boat floating on the sea during a storm.

Although this vehicle looked like a pile of junk about to go out of service, this is one of the only three or four precious vehicles on Arimago Island – Besides, as a fishing village with only about 300 families, people who need a car are uncommon enough on Arimago Island. The people troubled with living without a vehicle are probably just the family of the boy and Shirley, the maid who did the housework. In the far-removed house of the boy's family, far away from the fishing village, there were truly no other transportation facilities but this worn-out truck.

"Arimago... did it mean giant crab?"

Shirley nodded and answered the boy’s question.

"A long long time ago, this island was a place used to keep the offerings presented to a deity of the sea. However, there was a time when a girl didn't have anything to feed her sick mother, and had to steal the offerings of the deity. Then, that girl was punished with divine retribution, and was changed into the shape of a crab."

"It's a terrible story."

"After that, it was told that if you eat a crab caught on this island, it would cure any disease. The mother of the girl recovered from her long illness as well."

"That’s even worse. It is such an outrageous sea deity."

However, such folktales recorded in media such as tapestries aren't rare. If one were to look carefully, such tales can be found all over the world.

"Um, does the shrine where people sacrificed to this deity still exist?"

"It disappeared a long time ago. Besides, no one knows whether it really did exist. According to the myth, it seems to have been built right next to where Kerry's mansion is now."

“Then the girl who was turned into a crab actually made her way to the heart of this deep jungle so far away specifically to steal the offerings? It would have been much more convenient to just catch some fish at the beach instead.”

“That myth is the reason why people of the village wouldn't get close to your house. Legend says that's an ominous place, and you’ll get cursed if you go near it too often. I’ve been warned of it as well."

"But how!... then, what about me, who's living there?"

"It's because Kerry is a foreigner. But even then, don’t the people at the village see you as my little brother?"

Although the words ‘little brother’ didn’t completely make the boy feel relieved, compared to his father, who never stepped outside the house, Kerry does indeed need to help Shirley with the shopping every time. Therefore, they would basically ride in the truck to go into the village everyday.

It has been almost a year after he moved to this island. Any of the island’s inhabitants would warmly greet the boy when they saw him. Even the other boys of the village, who fought with him whenever they saw him beforehand, are also already making pranks on other people together with him.

Although he was in a strange land very far from his home land, the boy still likes this place called Arimago Island very much.

Although he felt extremely boring everyday during the first few weeks after he moved over, the dazzling southern sun and multi-colored sparkling waves of the southern ocean had gradually captured Kerry’s heart.

However, for his father, who never approached anyone and didn’t step out of the house at all, it would be hard to feel that there is anything delightful at all.

"If father would communicate more with the people at the village, he would surely be a bit different..."

"Mmm, who knows..."

While skilfully handling the steering wheel to dodge large rocks sticking out of the road, Shirley gave a bitter smile.

"Father Simon never liked your father’s actions, and had often lectured me with things like I’d sooner or later be ensnared by the devil if I go work in that house again."

"… I see."

The boy couldn’t help but feel a little down when knew that Father Simon, who always seemed to be so gentle, would judge his father in such a way behind his back. But it can't be helped. Rather, he should feel relieved that those comments were only to such an extent. Father Simon would surely expel both father and son out of this small island if he really knew about everything the boy's father did.

Shirley tapped her lower back, and motioned for Kerry to look at a silver short sword on her belt.

"Look at this knife. Father Simon forced it onto me and wants me never to part with it. He said it’s a very useful talisman."

"… Isn’t this the knife you always use to peel fruits?"

"Mmm, that's because this knife is very sharp and is easy to use. It must be something very precious."

Shirley continued to speak in a calm tone. Different from the boy, she appeared to not feel anything gloomy with this topic.

"Aren’t you afraid, Shirley? Aren’t you afraid of my father?"

Although the boy was a bit hesitant, he asked this question at the end. Shirley nodded decisively.

"I understand your father isn't a normal person, and based on his behaviors it's not unreasonable for the villagers to be guarded towards him. However, since he’s doing those kinds of researches, it can't be helped that he left the city and came to such a remote island to live a hermit’s life. But this shows your father really is an impressive person."

The boy suddenly noticed that for some reason, Shirley would suddenly become mature and sensible whenever they talked about his father. She was only a girl 4 years his elder; she definitely isn’t as mature as adults.

"If you take any one of his knowledge and discoveries, it would be an immense discovery that can change everything for this world. Of course, anyone would become scared if they knew about such things, and it can't be helped for it to be held in secret... but as for me, I really do believe such powers can help this world greatly. I’ve always firmly believed in that."

"... Can such things, really be possible?"

"He may have given it up already. But Kerry, if it were you, I believe it would definitely be successful!"

Shirley said so with a serious expression on her face. Instead, the boy said disappointedly.

"What do you mean? Aren't you, Shirley, father's favorite pupil? Wouldn’t it be Shirley who keeps it up if it comes to it?"

Shirley, who went often to his house, didn’t only do domestic chores such as tidying the house; she also helped his father in his work as an assistant. His father once said that this girl named Shirley possesses exceptional intelligence and talents, and is really a waste to leave her on this lone island. It says something about Shirley’s talents if his father, who always obeyed the creed of secrecy, trusts a female stranger to such a degree.

But Shirley herself laughed loudly and shook her head.

"I'm not any kind of a pupil. At the most I'm only an assistant, someone who does the odd jobs and give a hand. Therefore, I don’t know anything about the important parts.

But Kerry, you’re different from me. You will definitely succeed your father’s business. The researches your father is doing now will need to be kept up by you one day. Are you prepared for it? Although it is a bit to early for you to talk about such things."

"..."

Shirley said all that earnestly, like a real big sister worrying about her little brother. For one moment, the boy was caught with the complicated sentiments in his heart and couldn’t speak.

He didn’t have any memories about his mother, who passed away right after he was born. For the boy, his so-called family only consisted of his father. Although his father was eccentric and very strict, he was a very gentle and a great father. He was the person the boy respected and loved the most in the entire world.

Therefore, at the beginning, the boy's heart was in upheaval when he discovered that the father, whom he admired the most, favored an assistant more than his own son. There was a time when he even felt enmity for Shirley. But Shirley's cheerful temperament and gentle attitude untied the knot in his heart, and that time didn't last long.

It was almost as if there was a new member in his family. Shirley respected the boy's father as if he was her own father, and looked after the boy like her real little brother. For the boy, who didn’t have female relatives, the words ‘older sister’ far surpassed the meaning the words originally possessed.

No... Maybe it wasn’t so exaggerated at first, but recently such strange feelings had occurred in the boy’s chest.

He knew well Shirley's gentleness, cheerfulness, and virtue. But moreover, even her unconscious gestures – such as her current profile as she handled the steering wheel while humming – also appear to be so beautiful. Why?

"Kerry, what kind of a man would you like to become? And if you succeeded your father's work, how would you like to use it?"

"... eh?"

The absentminded boy was suddenly dragged back into reality by Shirley's question.

"It's the power to change the world. Someday you are gonna obtain it."

"..."

His father's inheritance. If would be a lie to say that he never thought about that. The boy completely understands its value and its significance.

Let alone its use.

But the boy looked rather hesitant to put it in words himself, particularly in front of Shirley. He didn’t want others to tell him that his dream is naive, above all from Shirley.

"... That's, a secret."

"Mmm?"

Shirley laughed knowingly, then kept asking.

"Then, I’ll use my own eyes to confirm what Kerry wants to do when he grows up. Until I get the answer, I'll always be beside you. How’s that?"

"... Do as you like."

As if feeling somewhat ashamed, the boy turned his eyes away.

But even so, the smile of the girl who is almost like his older sister was still far too dazzling for the boy.

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Skin white as wax.

The blue-black veins that popped up tore her looks into shards.

An expression, full with near-death anguish, filled her face.

She is about to die – that was obvious.

Although she’s about to die, she was still writhing.

If that was the expression of a human, then this human will soon become something inhuman – the boy’s heart understood this clearly.

The night outside. Of course, there are no street lights on this island. Even so, the chilly white light that came from the bright and pure moon outside silently illuminated the scene of this tragedy through the window.

This is a henhouse on the edge of the village. While searching for Shirley, who suddenly disappeared for no reason, the boy walked through every inch of the village during the day. The boy didn’t give up and kept searching till night. Then he came upon here.

The leftover carcasses of the chickens eaten, and the “Dead” that kept shivering and crying deep inside the henhouse.

''Kill me –''

The “Dead” that had the same face as the woman he liked the most begged him while sobbing.

Then, the silver short sword that was thrown near his feet reflected back a cold and pale light in the moonlight.

Terror –

''I can't do it myself –''

''Therefore, please. Kill me –''

''While there’s still time –''

"Such a thing..."

Shaking his head, the boy drew back.

I cannot do.

No matter what shape you turn into, Shirley is Shirley. We promised to be together forever. She’s a most important family – no, she even more important than family.

Please – 

Shirley panted painfully. Gradually her sounds became maddening. Together with sorrowful sobbing, the girl let out a panting like a hungry beast.

It's already – over – before I completely lose control of myself – quick – 

Shirley’s body started to tremble uncontrollably as if she got malaria, then she suddenly opened her mouth and bit into her wrist.

Spurt...

Spurt... the sound of blood splashing out entered the boy's eardrums.

''Please –''

The persistent sound of begging drowned out the boy’s tragic wails. The boy ran out of the henhouse.

What gave the boy more terror than the Shirley in front of him – was the light that the short sword emanated beside his feet.

He doesn’t know what actually happened, and he doesn’t want to understand.

Now, all that the boy prayed for is to have someone to save them.

The boy firmly believed that there must be someone who can release them from this nightmarish terror.

Shirley will surely be saved. Someone surely is going to save them.

The boy kept repeating this to himself.

It takes about 5 minutes to get to Father Simon's church if he runs as fast as he can.

The boy ran for his life as he cried. Be it the pain in his feet or the anguish in his chest, he could no longer feel any of them.

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Natalia Kaminski. The woman said that’s her name.

This woman wore an inky black long coat very inappropriate for a tropical night, but there was no sign of her sweating. Rather than thinking of her pale countenance as cold and cruel, it was better described as expressionless. It would even make others doubt whether there was actually blood flowing within her, and whether she actually has body heat like normal people.

That was the appearance of the savior who saved the boy out of the ravaging pandemonium.

"Alright, kid. It's about time for you to answer a few questions for me."

With his back turned to the woman's cold voice, the boy only stared transfixed at the distant fishing village that was burning to the ground.

The village that was so peaceful till just yesterday, the village that was slumbering beneath the silent moonlight only a few hours ago, was actually burning with endless flames. He still couldn’t believe the scene before his eyes even if he was standing on top of the cliffs opposite the town and witnessed it himself; he only thought all this was a nightmare.

He would never see those familiar, gentle faces in the village again – he couldn’t believe it no matter what.

"… What exactly, happened?"

The boy asked with a dry voice. Natalia snorted.

"I was the one who asked first. Boy, isn't it time to get back to your senses?"

"..."

The boy suddenly turned his head around. Even if he owes her his life, it was really very irritating for her to ignore other’s feelings, not answer his questions, and on the contrary went on and on with her own questions.

After an obstinate silence, Natalia seemed to have grasped his thoughts. Then, she let out a helpless sigh, and gave a brief explanation.

"Now, there are two groups that caused such a tragedy in that village. One group is the Executors for the so-called Holy Church. They are completely different from the nice priests you know. They are cruel guys who believe that all those who betrayed God needs to be killed. Of course, they would naturally mercilessly eliminate something like a vampire if they see it. If they don’t have the time to check one by one who among the people had their blood sucked, they would completely destroy all suspects. In other words, these guys don’t have much time right now.

The other group is called the Association. This is a bit difficult to explain – basically they’re a group who wants to solely possess fantastic things such as vampires. Naturally, in order to have sole possession, they would kill anybody else who knew about the relevant details. There’s no point in not do things very thoroughly in order to destroy evidence and hide the truth.

Because of this, boy, you’ve got fine luck. You’re probably the only inhabitant of this island right now who managed to survive through the purge those people delivered."

The boy accepted this fact even easier than Natalia had expected. It was as if the boy had discerned the reason those dangerous men would come to Arimago Island a long time ago.

The boy rushed to Father Simon to seek help, and the priest who received this request contacted some other people. Some people outside the island must have received this intelligence while the priest delivered such information.

Leaving the sequence of events aside, at least the beginning of this tragedy was inextricably linked to himself.

If the boy had listened to Shirley's supplication and took the courage to plunge the silver white short sword into the chest of the girl he loved the most, then this present tragedy would not have happened.

If he had done that, then even if he would become a hollow shell without a soul from now on or even if he could no longer doze off in the night – these many lives won’t have been lost.

For the boy, it was the same as if he had set that memorable place on fire himself.

"... Then, which side are you on?"

"I'm like a salesman for the Association. My job is to seek out secrets they are interested in, protect this secret from being known by anyone else and pass it into their hands. Of course, it needs to be sold to them before such a huge incident happens. It can’t be sold now."

Natalia shrugged her shoulders. Perhaps she had already become accustomed to such scenes. It was as if the woman in black emanated the smell of death from her entire body.

"Alright, boy, let's get back to the previous question. It's about time for you to answer my question.

The so-called Sealing Designation – do you know what that means? Also, where is the evil magus, who’s the culprit of this vampire incident, hiding on this island? Do you know of it?”

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Although those words sounded too deep for this boy, in truth it hit the bull’s eye of this problem in some way.

Kerry is not the boy’s real name.

The name of the boy, who was born in a foreign, remote country, was very hard to pronounce for the people here. At the very beginning it was Shirley who abbreviated his name into Kerry, and then the villagers all called him Kerry by habit. The boy also felt that, instead of being called a strange name such as 'Keritougu’, ‘Kerry’ sounded much friendlier.

The boy’s real name is – Kiritsugu.

The son of the magus who has been given a Sealing Designation, Emiya Norikata.

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In the deep night, Kiritsugu returned to the wooden villa in the depths of the jungle, and saw his father receiving him with a worried expression.

"Ahh, Kiritsugu. Are you alright? Thank goodness…"

His father embraced him. It has been many years since he felt his father’s broad shoulders. It was a rare moment for his strong father to express his true feelings like that.

After releasing Kiritsugu from his arms, his father's expression suddenly turned severe and said.

"I told you not to step out of the barrier of the forest today no matter what. Why did you disobey me?"

"... Because I was worried about Shirley…"

His father suddenly turned his eyes aside when he heard the girl's name. Just that small gesture could completely confirm one fact.

"Dad, did you know what changes happened to her body? Is that why you didn’t allow me to go outside?"

"… About that girl, it's really a pity. Although I told her the reagent was very dangerous and to never touch it, it seems she still didn't win over her own curiosity."

Although his father’s tone was filled with bitterness, there was no regret or shame in it. It was as if he was telling off a boy who broke a flower vase with only blame and anger in his tone.

"... Dad, why would you investigate the Dead Apostles?"

"Of course that’s not my true intention. However, being the research of us, the Emiya family, we should seek it no matter how far it seems. I have to come up with a solution for aging, at least before your generation. The flesh, shackled with the destiny of death, is really too far away from the 'root'."

Shirley’s pitiful sight that he saw under the light of the moon once again appeared before Kiritsugu.

"Dad... would you eventually turn me into that shape too?"

"Nonsense. Someone who cannot control the vampiric urges and becomes a Dead Apostle is a failure... I told Shirley this a long time ago. Looks like the results of this experiment isn’t as good as I thought it’d be. I’d have to start from the basics and modify my theories again."

"... I see."

Kiritsugu nodded and said.

His father seemed to be intent in continuing. There’s no need to pay attention to sacrifices of this degree. He still needs to keep repeating it until he gets a satisfactory result.

"Kiritsugu, we’ll talk about this later. Now our top priority is to hurry and escape – I'm afraid there’s no longer time to pack. Soon those guys from the Association would see through the barrier in this dense forest. We need to leave soon."

Looks like his father made the preparations to leave a long time ago. There were already two large suitcases packed and sitting in the middle of the room. The reason he had delayed till now – was probably waiting for his own child to return.

"... Are we escaping? Right now?"

"I knew a long time ago this day would come, so I prepared a motor boat on the southern coast beforehand. You can never be too prepared.”

His father took one suitcase in each of his hands, turned around and walked towards the porch – of course, at this moment he was not guarded at all.

Then, Kiritsugu took the pistol Natalia gave to him from his trouser pocket.

It was a .32 caliber pistol. If it was fired from point-blank range, even a child can easily hit the target. The woman in black assured him of that. After that, it'd be all Kiritsugu's concern.

While aiming the gun at his father's defenseless back, the scene of village that was burned to the ground and Shirley’s final tragic expression swelled up within the boy’s heart – also, all the memories he had after living with his father for ten years, and the gentle sentiments that was hidden beneath his father’s stoic look.

His father loves him, and is full of expectations of him. He also loves his father deeply, and is proud of him.

Endless feeling tangled up and Kiritsugu wanted to close his eyes. However, contrary to his sentiments, Kiritsugu opened his eyes and aimed, then swiftly pressed the trigger.

Bam – it was an unexpected, dry and crisp sound.

His father, shot from the back of the neck, fell forward. Then Kiritsugu walked up and continued to fire towards the back of his head twice. Then he stopped, and continued to give two more shots to his back.

He couldn't believe it. Even Kiritsugu himself was afraid of his own coldness.

He wavered to the end. Certainly there was struggle in his heart. However, his hand moved as if everything was pre-established and out of his control. His body completely disregarded the thoughts in his heart, and only mechanically carried out things that 'had to be done'.

This behavior may be regarded as a talent – this thought only flicked past his heart briefly. After that, Kiritsugu once again sank into emptiness, with no sense of accomplishment.

The wooden floor gradually became stained red with blood. Father wasn't there anymore. What lay there was nothing but a corpse. This thing was the culprit. This thing rubbed away everything he had, killed everyone on the island, and burnt the village to the ground.

Shirley said he is an amazing person, someone with the power to change the world. Kiritsugu thought so as well once upon a time.

What did the two youngsters understand about the way of magecraft? And what did they expect of magi?

At the beginning, Kiritsugu didn't realize he was crying. Even he didn’t know whether his current feelings were sadness or regret. All he felt was an emptiness as if he was drained to the core.

The gun in his right hand was very heavy, almost too heavy to lift up. However, he couldn't throw it away. His fingers froze on the trigger and couldn’t move.

Kiritsugu even risked the danger of accidentally firing and swung his right hand crazily just to try to throw the gun away. But it was all useless; his fingers were holding the gun tightly as if they were glued to it.

At that moment, somebody suddenly grabbed his wrist, and then easily took the gun away from his hand. Only then did Kiritsugu realize Natalia had already appeared beside him.

"C’mon, the bounded field here isn’t as exaggerated as you said. I got in easily."

Natalia said with a rather scolding tone.

"... Are you angry?"

"You think? I’ve never given this thing for kids to play with."

Natalia glanced at the gun she took from Kiritsugu, then she put it back into her pocket after locking the safety again.

"However, it was up to your luck to see if you can make it on time."

In fact, if all that didn’t happen just now, Emiya Norikata would surely have escaped safely and went into hiding again, then restarted his research on the Dead Apostles at some other unknown place. Maybe the tragedy triggered on this island would happen once again.

This isn’t a problem that can be solved by luck. This is something that has to be stopped.

"This man, had a reason that he has to be killed – I have no other choice."

"I even encouraged a child to kill his own father; I really am a very bad person.”

Natalia said, discouraged. Hearing this, Kiritsugu smiled with traces of tears still on his face.

"... You, are a good person."

Natalia looked, stunned, at Kiritsugu’s smile. Then she sighed and heaved the corpse of Emiya Norikata onto her shoulder.

"I'll take you out of the island. You need to decide what comes afterwards yourself – is there anything you’d like to take with you?"

"Nothing at all."

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Then… Kiritsugu spent the following few years beside Natalia Kaminski.

Naturally, Natalia didn't look after him like an orphan or her adopted child, but ordered Kiritsugu around as an assistant or servant. However, this was just what Kiritsugu desired.

He studied Natalia’s skills and trained his own abilities at the same time in order to walk the same path as Natalia – to become a ‘hunter’. This is the unchangeable path that Kiritsugu chose for his life.

The tragedy at Arimago Island was not a rare event. Such tragedies are repeated over and over again like daily occurrences in the shadowy places of the world.

The magi who are willing to bring ill omen into the mortal world in order to seek the knowledge that they search for and the two large organizations that used any methods necessary to hide these facts; the battle surrounding these mysterious events kept occurring at obscure places. Precisely because of this, there’s money to be made for Natalia.

Eliminating magi such as Emiya Norikata is really too far from the ideal of preventing such tragedies from happening again – if could almost be said that Emiya Norikata was only one drop of water in the vast ocean, an existence that could almost be afforded to be completely ignored.

His action on that day, killing his father by his own hands; if he was to make that event meaningful and worthy...

Then that means all heretic magi like his father must be killed. Only then can he truly prevent tragedies from occurring again.

Sealing Designation Enforcers.

Hound dogs that hunt demons that have surpassed ordinary sense. The boy chose this thorny road of Shuras without a moment’s hesitation.

Natalia does not belong to an organization, and was only a freelancer who hunted with bounty as her goal. Her targets are those Sealing Designated magi who possess precious research results, but have left the Magi’s Association and conducted secret researches. Different from the Holy Church that acted in the name of judging all heretics and killed everyone, the Magi’s Association had ensuring the safety of the research results as its priority.

And what’s the most precious of all are the Magic Crests carved on the magi’s flesh. Magic Crests that are created through generations of research can produce even greater powers when it is passed onto the successor, especially for magi families.

Through negotiations Natalia had made with the Association, a section of the Magic Crests gathered from Emiya Norikata’s body was allowed to be inherited by his son Emiya Kiritsugu. Although the important parts were confiscated by the Association and only a ‘fragment’ of barely half the original amount was allowed for Emiya Kiritsugu to inherit, it was enough for Kiritsugu to use his abilities as a magus. Besides, Kiritsugu didn’t have the intention of following his father’s dying wish and continuing magecraft research to begin with.

For Kiritsugu, magecraft isn’t his life-long career, but just a tool used to achieve his goals. Moreover, this tool was only one of the many ‘tools’ that the boy learnt from the huntress.

Tracking, assassination, the usage of various weapons – there can’t be only one ‘fang’ for a hound. All sorts of knowledge and skills are necessary for him to master in order to be able to catch up to the prey under all situations and conditions and bring it down.

In a sense, the history of human beings is a history of killing. Humans spent an endless amount of time and intelligence to research the skill of ‘killing people’ in order to hunt down the ‘two-legged beasts’ that looked the same as themselves. Kiritsugu had made his own body master all these.

The years covered in blood and gunpowder passed by flying.

Emiya Kiritsugu, who experienced the trials of too many violent battles during a time as sensitive as adolescence, no longer has any youthful innocence on his face. As an oriental person of unknown age, his three different false passports all recorded him as an adult and they hadn’t been questioned a single time.

However, judging only from his appearance, although his figure isn’t very tall and his moustache is sparse, his grim and cold look is definitely not something that a teenage boy should have.

One day –

Even when he knew that his teacher and friend – Natalia – faced the worst danger in her life, Kiritsugu still didn’t show any emotional wavering and devotedly completed his duty.

No matter how anxious or wavering his heart is, there was not a single way to help Natalia. That’s because her battlefield is inside a giant commercial airliner more than 3000 feet above in the sky.

It started with the chase for the magus known as the “Demonic Bees User”, Od Volsack.

It was said that this magus successfully created Dead Apostles and can manipulate the Demonic Bees under his control to use poisonous stings to increase the amount of Ghouls under his power; a very dangerous man indeed. Moreover, he had changed his name and face and pretended to be an ordinary person, with no information about him at all. However, four days ago, there was information that he was taking Flight A300 from Paris to New York. In the situation of being completely ignorant of the person’s appearance and name, Natalia accepted this gruelling task of finding the target among the plane’s 287 passengers and ‘erase’ him.

As her partner, Kiritsugu didn’t board the plane, but instead went ahead to New York to investigate Volsack’s fake identity. The teacher and student communicated using radio and calmly and confidently locked down the location of the prey in that sealed space 3000 feet above the sky.

Approximately three hours after the takeoff – the assassination was achieved unexpectedly smoothly. However, that was the beginning of the tragedy.

The Ghoul Bees that Volsack brought into the plane through deceiving customs caused a fatal disturbance after the death of their master. The Ghoul Bees that Natalia didn’t destroy on time raided towards the passengers one by one, and the cabin of the giant commercial airliner turned into a living hell ravaged by Ghouls in the blink of an eye.

Faced with a sealed area with nowhere to escape and Ghouls that manipulated without end, even someone as strong as Natalia felt an endless despair. Faced with this worsening situation, Kiritsugu could do nothing and can only wait for the radio communication. He must not let go of any chance of proving that Natalia was still alive.

The basic rule that Natalia had instructed Kiritsugu over and over again is – ‘no matter what method you use, you must ensure your own survival’. Since she has such a creed, Kiritsugu firmly believed that experienced huntress can definitely make it out this time too. After two hours, the radio was still silent.

Finally, when the light of the stars in the night sky was covered by the cyan shade of dawn, the tired voice of a woman was transmitted with static.

“… Can you hear me? Kid… you aren’t asleep, right?”

“Loud and clear, Natalia. We’re both at that most sleepy time right before dawn, after staying awake for the entire night.”

“Of course. If you had dared to go back and sleep last night I’ll definitely kill you afterwards… well, there’s some good news and some bad news. Which one do you want to listen to first?”

Natalia laughed briefly and said so.

“Didn’t we promise to start with the good news?”

“Ok. Then it’s good news first. First of all, I’m alive. The plane is without damage as well. I’ve just ensured the safety of the cockpit; both the captain and the co-pilot have already set the flying perimeters before their death. Even I can manage to simply drive it. Apparently the controls are the same as a Cessna.”

“Did you communicate with the control tower?”

“Got them. At the beginning they thought it was a prank, but now they’re directing me well.”

“… Then, the bad news?”

“Mm – I was the only one who didn’t get bitten. All passengers and crew, all 300 of them, perished and became Ghouls. The other side of the cockpit, divided only by a panel, already became a flying city of the dead. Don’t be surprised now.”

“…”

That’s the worst situation Kiritsugu had thought of.

“In that condition, will you… come back alive?”

“Ahh, this door is pretty rigid. Although it’s a bit wobbly now, there’s no worry about it being broken – Instead, the landing makes me more insecure. Can this giant thing really land safely?”

“… If it’s you, then you’ll surely manage.”

“Was that you encouraging me? I’m glad to hear.”

After a bitter laugh, Natalia gave a powerless sigh.

“There are still 50 minutes before arriving at the airport. It’s too early to pray – kid, chat with me for a while.”

“… I don’t mind.”

So they started a random conversation. First, they began with those two hours when communication ceased. Then they listed the dead Volsack’s many evil deeds in detail. Finally, the two of them naturally remembered the magi and Dead Apostles that they had destroyed, and those Shura’s fields that the two had faced together.

Natalia, who was usually quiet, became talkative for some reason today. The low roar of the Ghouls coming in from the cabin intertwined with the sound of them repeatedly hitting the cockpit’s door. Chatting is the single best choice to distract one’s attention from that.

“– When you first told me you want to enter this career path, I was having a real headache for a long time. Moreover, you didn’t want to change your idea no matter how much I persuaded you.”

“Was I such an unpromising disciple?”

“No… it’s because you have too much promise, too much potential.”

Natalie said with a bitter laugh.

“… What does that mean?”

“Because you can make your actions completely removed from your emotions – regular hit men can only obtain it after many years of trials. However, you had that since you were born. What a surprising talent.”

“…”

“But hey, it’s not necessarily correct to choose your life’s path based on talent and abilities alone. A person’s belief and feelings come before talents; that is the key to decide a person’s life. If that doesn’t exist, a person can’t be regarded as a person anymore. If they consider ‘What needs to be done’ before considering ‘What I want to do’ and only acted according to those rules… then they are not people but are only regarded as machines, far removed from the life of a human.”

The words of the teacher who had watched him growing up glided past the boy’s heart like cold frost.

“I, well… I had thought you are a very cold person.”

“What’s that after all this time? Isn’t that the truth? Was I ever gentle towards you?”

“No. You always were strict, absolutely merciless.”

“… Usually, disciplining a boy is the role of the father.”

On the opposite end of the radio, Natalia was silent for a while, then continued after sighing helplessly.

“However, I carry a certain degree of responsibility for causing you not to have the education from a father. Well, how to say it… it’s not that there was a way to push it off me.”

''I can only teach you some survival skills; I’m useless for everything else –'' Natalia added that as if mocking herself.

“… You wanted to be my father?”

“Don’t mix up men with women, impertinent. At least you should call me mother.”

“… Right. Sorry.”

Although Kiritsugu’s answering tone was very even, his expression looked very shocked.

Radio can’t display the other person’s face and obviously can’t see their expressions either. Therefore, Natalia could not know of Kiritsugu’s current feelings.

“… For a long time, I experienced the blood and stench on my own. I’ve almost forgotten the fact that I am all alone.

That’s why, well… Haha. It’s almost funny. As if we are family.”

“Me too –”

What’s the meaning of saying these things now? Kiritsugu asked himself in his heart while he continued to speak.

“– I, have also regarded you as if you’re my mother. I feel that I’m not alone, and I was happy.”

“… Hey there Kiritsugu. So that we don’t feel too awkward when we meet next time, let’s stop talking about this topic.”

Natalia’s current bewildered expression could vaguely be discerned in her words. It seems she was still unaccustomed to things like ‘embarrassment’.

“Ahh, the situation got worse. I’m landing in 20 minutes. I don’t want to commit some fatal mistake at such an important time just because I remembered something funny.”

“… Sorry.”

Kiritsugu apologized.

Natalia didn’t need to choose to do an emergency landing.

She also wasn’t going to meet Kiritsugu again.

Only Kiritsugu knew that.

There is no possibility of Natalia surviving before all these Ghouls are completely destroyed. The only way to deal with this airliner full of Ghouls is to make it plunge into the Atlantic Ocean. The operation to eliminate the “Demonic Bee User” is achieved at the cost of the lives of all the passengers and crew and Natalia Kaminski – Kiritsugu was already prepared for this outcome.

But Kiritsugu knew his teacher would definitely demonstrate her amazing abilities at the last moment. Natalia, who held on to the creed of ‘must survive no matter what’, may prevent the body of the plane from crushing in order to save her own life. Kiritsugu must consider this as well – that would be the unpredictable worst result.

Natalia, who prioritizes her life above all else, must choose this outcome without hesitation after weighing out the risks.

Land the airliner filled with 300 Ghouls at the airport and release these hungry dead – she would definitely choose this method if there were no other choices. Kiritsugu had already made the preparations to deal with this 10000-to-1 possibility precisely because Kiritsugu knew her too well.

In order to prevent the disaster from expanding further, the A300 must not be allowed to land.

That is the unswayable truth regardless of Natalia’s welfare.

Kiritsugu had been around almost half of New York an hour ago and finally brought a military surface-to-air portable missile launcher from the black market.

Right now, Kiritsugu was standing in a motor boat floating on the sea, waiting for Natalia’s plane to appear in his sight. The giant airline needs to circle a while before landing at the New York International Airport; Kiritsugu’s current position can roughly get the plane into the range of his missile.

While he was purchasing the weapon and choosing the spot to fire, Kiritsugu once again doubted the construction of his own mentality.

Viewing from the perspective of avoiding a larger tragedy, it is a correct response for him to calmly face Natalia’s death.

However, what is he who gives up on the final ‘miracle’ that would make the woman he loves survive, and instead kill her with his own hands?

It would be good if everything was only an assumption, but right now Emiya Kiritsugu was facing the cruel truth. Soon, he would erase Natalia by his own hands. Now, A300 had appeared at the sky at the break of dawn with sparkling silver wings.

“… Perhaps I, have really lost it.”

Natalia still believed without a doubt that Kiritsugu, on the other side of the radio, was in a hotel in New York, so she said leisurely with no caution.

“Maybe I would never end up saying those things if such a big mistake didn’t occur. It seems my time is up, too. Should I be retiring…”

“– If you retire, then what do you plan on doing after?”

Kiritsugu still faked an even voice. Meanwhile, his two hands have started to set the missile launcher onto his shoulder, and aimed the missile at the airliner.

“If I lose my job… haha, then I may really become your mother.”

Even with his eyes running full of tears, he was still able to accurately decide the distance to the target… it was within 1500 meters. A certain hit.

“You… really are my family.”

Kiritsugu said softly, then he released the missile.

In the few seconds that the missile had to be manually directed, Kiritsugu had to keep the aim on the airliner that Natalia was on and all his memories about her resurfaced in Kiritsugu’s mind.

But that torture did not last long. Soon the missile locked onto the heat radiation the giant commercial airliner emitted out. The missile left Kiritsugu’s control, and rushed mercilessly towards the target like a hungry shark.

The missile hit squarely on the gas tank beneath the wings; Kiritsugu watched the plane tilt and fall downwards.

The collapse afterwards was like a sand picture blown apart by a stormy wind – the masses of iron that lost its thrust was dismembered like rotten wood, and became a cloud of fine dust that silently fell onto the surface of the sea. The carcass of the plane that fell in the rising morning glow danced like confetti at a gala.

The first sliver of the dawn’s light that shone out from the other side of the horizon didn’t touch Natalia’s face even at the end. Basked in the morning sun all alone, Emiya Kiritsugu started crying soundlessly.

Once again, he had saved a crowd of unknown faces. Without anyone knowing.

''Did you see that, Shirley?

I have killed again this time. Killed as when I killed my father. I would never make the same mistake that I made with you back then. I, wanted to save more people…''

If Kiritsugu’s actions and intentions were known by others, would they thank Kiritsugu? Would the passengers at the airport who were spared of death under the threat of the Ghouls praise Kiritsugu as a hero?

“Don’t kid me…Don’t kid me! Bastard!”

Grasping tightly the missile launcher that was starting to wear off the remaining heat, Kiritsugu roared towards the brightening sky.

He didn’t want prestige or gratitude. He just wanted to see Natalia’s face once again. He just wanted to call her “Mom” face to face.

This isn’t the conclusion he wanted. This is only the correct decision, with no other choice and no space for dispute. Kiritsugu’s decision was ‘correct’. He erased the person who must die and saved those with no reason to die. If this isn’t ‘justice’, then what would it be?

It can’t come back anymore. He remembered that distant face so long ago that asked him “What kind of a man would you like to become?” with a gentle look under the blinding morning sun.

At that time, Kiritsugu should have answered – If he has the power to freely change the world, if miracles would dwell in his hands; ‘I want to be a hero of justice!’.

The Kiritsugu back then still didn’t know what this scale named ‘justice’ would rob away, and what it would bring him.

‘Justice’ took away his father, and now it also took his mother. All it left was the sensation of blood in his hands. Even his right to remember them was also stripped away.

The people he loved. Their voices, their faces; none of them can come back. Instead, they will appear again and again in Kiritsugu’s nightmares. They would probably never forgive Kiritsugu, who took their lives away with his own hands.

That is the choice of ’justice’. The price of pursuing his ideal.

Now, Kiritsugu can no longer turn back. What he seeks will disappear with even a single moment of hesitation or uncertainty. If so, then all the prices he had paid, and all the sacrifices, would become worthless.

Surely he would follow the ideal in his heart and reach for its fulfilment while he cursed and hated at the same time?

Kiritsugu vowed silently in his heart.

He will accept that curse. He will accept this anger. At the same time, he prays that some day he will drain all his tears and reach that far distant and serene utopia.

If the cruelty that his hands carry is the limit for humans.

Then let he himself wipe away all the tears in the world.

That was the last day of Kiritsugu’s youth –

As he determinedly stepped towards that thorny and uneven path.

<noinclude>
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| Forward to [[Fate/Zero:Act_13_Part_1|Act 13, Part 1]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Fate/Zero:Interlude

2011-11-16T04:07:08Z

67.189.249.209: /* Sometime, somewhere */

[[Image:FZ_v04_005.png|thumb|Interlude.]]
=== Sometime, somewhere ===

"Kerry, you do know where the name of this island comes from, right?"

Shirley asked while leisurely handling the creaking car’s wheel.

The boy called Kerry, sitting in the passenger’s seat, shook his head and squeezed out a "Not really" as if he was scared that the vehicle’s intense shaking would make him bite his tongue.

The pick-up truck they were both driving in was a vehicle so antique it may have come from the time when coaches were just running out of use. Moreover, the road they were driving on now was not a paved bitumen road but a dirt road. Even an ox-cart would have to slow down on these roads. Right now, they almost feel like they are sitting in a small boat floating on the sea during a storm.

Although this vehicle looked like a pile of junk about to go out of service, this is one of the only three or four precious vehicles on Arimago Island – Besides, as a fishing village with only about 300 families, people who need a car are uncommon enough on Arimago Island. The people troubled with living without a vehicle are probably just the family of the boy and Shirley, the maid who did the housework. In the far-removed house of the boy's family, far away from the fishing village, there were truly no other transportation facilities but this worn-out truck.

"Arimago... did it mean giant crab?"

Shirley nodded and answered the boy’s question.

"A long long time ago, this island was a place used to keep the offerings presented to a deity of the sea. However, there was a time when a girl didn't have anything to feed her sick mother, and had to steal the offerings of the deity. Then, that girl was punished with divine retribution, and was changed into the shape of a crab."

"It's a terrible story."

"After that, it was told that if you eat a crab caught on this island, it would cure any disease. The mother of the girl recovered from her long illness as well."

"That’s even worse. It is such an outrageous sea deity."

However, such folktales recorded in media such as tapestries aren't rare. If one were to look carefully, such tales can be found all over the world.

"Um, does the shrine where people sacrificed to this deity still exist?"

"It disappeared a long time ago. Besides, no one knows whether it really did exist. According to the myth, it seems to have been built right next to where Kerry's mansion is now."

“Then the girl who was turned into a crab actually made her way to the heart of this deep jungle so far away specifically to steal the offerings? It would have been much more convenient to just catch some fish at the beach instead.”

“That myth is the reason why people of the village wouldn't get close to your house. Legend says that's an ominous place, and you’ll get cursed if you go near it too often. I’ve been warned of it as well."

"But how!... then, what about me, who's living there?"

"It's because Kerry is a foreigner. But even then, don’t the people at the village see you as my little brother?"

Although the words ‘little brother’ didn’t completely make the boy feel relieved, compared to his father, who never stepped outside the house, Kerry does indeed need to help Shirley with the shopping every time. Therefore, they would basically ride in the truck to go into the village everyday.

It has been almost a year after he moved to this island. Any of the island’s inhabitants would warmly greet the boy when they saw him. Even the other boys of the village, who fought with him whenever they saw him beforehand, are also already making pranks on other people together with him.

Although he was in a strange land very far from his home land, the boy still likes this place called Arimago Island very much.

Although he felt extremely boring everyday during the first few weeks after he moved over, the dazzling southern sun and multi-colored sparkling waves of the southern ocean had gradually captured Kerry’s heart.

However, for his father, who never approached anyone and didn’t step out of the house at all, it would be hard to feel that there is anything delightful at all.

"If father would communicate more with the people at the village, he would surely be a bit different..."

"Mmm, who knows..."

While skilfully handling the steering wheel to dodge large rocks sticking out of the road, Shirley gave a bitter smile.

"Father Simon never liked your father’s actions, and had often lectured me with things like I’d sooner or later be ensnared by the devil if I go work in that house again."

"… I see."

The boy couldn’t help but feel a little down when knew that Father Simon, who always seemed to be so gentle, would judge his father in such a way behind his back. But it can't be helped. Rather, he should feel relieved that those comments were only to such an extent. Father Simon would surely expel both father and son out of this small island if he really knew about everything the boy's father did.

Shirley tapped her lower back, and motioned for Kerry to look at a silver short sword on her belt.

"Look at this knife. Father Simon forced it onto me and wants me never to part with it. He said it’s a very useful talisman."

"… Isn’t this the knife you always use to peel fruits?"

"Mmm, that's because this knife is very sharp and is easy to use. It must be something very precious."

Shirley continued to speak in a calm tone. Different from the boy, she appeared to not feel anything gloomy with this topic.

"Aren’t you afraid, Shirley? Aren’t you afraid of my father?"

Although the boy was a bit hesitant, he asked this question at the end. Shirley nodded decisively.

"I understand your father isn't a normal person, and based on his behaviors it's not unreasonable for the villagers to be guarded towards him. However, since he’s doing those kinds of researches, it can't be helped that he left the city and came to such a remote island to live a hermit’s life. But this shows your father really is an impressive person."

The boy suddenly noticed that for some reason, Shirley would suddenly become mature and sensible whenever they talked about his father. She was only a girl 4 years his elder; she definitely isn’t as mature as adults.

"If you take any one of his knowledge and discoveries, it would be an immense discovery that can change everything for this world. Of course, anyone would become scared if they knew about such things, and it can't be helped for it to be held in secret... but as for me, I really do believe such powers can help this world greatly. I’ve always firmly believed in that."

"... Can such things, really be possible?"

"He may have given it up already. But Kerry, if it were you, I believe it would definitely be successful!"

Shirley said so with a serious expression on her face. Instead, the boy said disappointedly.

"What do you mean? Aren't you, Shirley, father's favorite pupil? Wouldn’t it be Shirley who keeps it up if it comes to it?"

Shirley, who went often to his house, didn’t only do domestic chores such as tidying the house; she also helped his father in his work as an assistant. His father once said that this girl named Shirley possesses exceptional intelligence and talents, and is really a waste to leave her on this lone island. It says something about Shirley’s talents if his father, who always obeyed the creed of secrecy, trusts a female stranger to such a degree.

But Shirley herself laughed loudly and shook her head.

"I'm not any kind of a pupil. At the most I'm only an assistant, someone who does the odd jobs and give a hand. Therefore, I don’t know anything about the important parts.

But Kerry, you’re different from me. You will definitely succeed your father’s business. The researches your father is doing now will need to be kept up by you one day. Are you prepared for it? Although it is a bit to early for you to talk about such things."

"..."

Shirley said all that earnestly, like a real big sister worrying about her little brother. For one moment, the boy was caught with the complicated sentiments in his heart and couldn’t speak.

He didn’t have any memories about his mother, who passed away right after he was born. For the boy, his so-called family only consisted of his father. Although his father was eccentric and very strict, he was a very gentle and a great father. He was the person the boy respected and loved the most in the entire world.

Therefore, at the beginning, the boy's heart was in upheaval when he discovered that the father, whom he admired the most, favored an assistant more than his own son. There was a time when he even felt enmity for Shirley. But Shirley's cheerful temperament and gentle attitude untied the knot in his heart, and that time didn't last long.

It was almost as if there was a new member in his family. Shirley respected the boy's father as if he was her own father, and looked after the boy like her real little brother. For the boy, who didn’t have female relatives, the words ‘older sister’ far surpassed the meaning the words originally possessed.

No... Maybe it wasn’t so exaggerated at first, but recently such strange feelings had occurred in the boy’s chest.

He knew well Shirley's gentleness, cheerfulness, and virtue. But moreover, even her unconscious gestures – such as her current profile as she handled the steering wheel while humming – also appear to be so beautiful. Why?

"Kerry, what kind of a man would you like to become? And if you succeeded your father's work, how would you like to use it?"

"... eh?"

The absentminded boy was suddenly dragged back into reality by Shirley's question.

"It's the power to change the world. Someday you are gonna obtain it."

"..."

His father's inheritance. If would be a lie to say that he never thought about that. The boy completely understands its value and its significance.

Let alone its use.

But the boy looked rather hesitant to put it in words himself, particularly in front of Shirley. He didn’t want others to tell him that his dream is naive, above all from Shirley.

"... That's, a secret."

"Mmm?"

Shirley laughed knowingly, then kept asking.

"Then, I’ll use my own eyes to confirm what Kerry wants to do when he grows up. Until I get the answer, I'll always be beside you. How’s that?"

"... Do as you like."

As if feeling somewhat ashamed, the boy turned his eyes away.

But even so, the smile of the girl who is almost like his older sister was still far too dazzling for the boy.

<center>※※※※※※</center>

Skin white as wax.

The blue-black veins that popped up tore her looks into shards.

An expression, full with near-death anguish, filled her face.

She is about to die – that was obvious.

Although she’s about to die, she was still writhing.

If that was the expression of a human, then this human will soon become something inhuman – the boy’s heart understood this clearly.

The night outside. Of course, there are no street lights on this island. Even so, the chilly white light that came from the bright and pure moon outside silently illuminated the scene of this tragedy through the window.

This is a henhouse on the edge of the village. While searching for Shirley, who suddenly disappeared for no reason, the boy walked through every inch of the village during the day. The boy didn’t give up and kept searching till night. Then he came upon here.

The leftover carcasses of the chickens eaten, and the “Dead” that kept shivering and crying deep inside the henhouse.

''Kill me –''

The “Dead” that had the same face as the woman he liked the most begged him while sobbing.

Then, the silver short sword that was thrown near his feet reflected back a cold and pale light in the moonlight.

Terror –

''I can't do it myself –''

''Therefore, please. Kill me –''

''While there’s still time –''

"Such a thing..."

Shaking his head, the boy drew back.

I cannot do.

No matter what shape you turn into, Shirley is Shirley. We promised to be together forever. She’s a most important family – no, she even more important than family.

Please – 

Shirley panted painfully. Gradually her sounds became maddening. Together with sorrowful sobbing, the girl let out a panting like a hungry beast.

It's already – over – before I completely lose control of myself – quick – 

Shirley’s body started to tremble uncontrollably as if she got malaria, then she suddenly opened her mouth and bit into her wrist.

Spurt...

Spurt... the sound of blood splashing out entered the boy's eardrums.

''Please –''

The persistent sound of begging drowned out the boy’s tragic wails. The boy ran out of the henhouse.

What gave the boy more terror than the Shirley in front of him – was the light that the short sword emanated beside his feet.

He doesn’t know what actually happened, and he doesn’t want to understand.

Now, all that the boy prayed for is to have someone to save them.

The boy firmly believed that there must be someone who can release them from this nightmarish terror.

Shirley will surely be saved. Someone surely is going to save them.

The boy kept repeating this to himself.

It takes about 5 minutes to get to Father Simon's church if he runs as fast as he can.

The boy ran for his life as he cried. Be it the pain in his feet or the anguish in his chest, he could no longer feel any of them.

<center>※※※※※※</center>

Natalia Kaminski. The woman said that’s her name.

This woman wore an inky black long coat very inappropriate for a tropical night, but there was no sign of her sweating. Rather than thinking of her pale countenance as cold and cruel, it was better described as expressionless. It would even make others doubt whether there was actually blood flowing within her, and whether she actually has body heat like normal people.

That was the appearance of the savior who saved the boy out of the ravaging pandemonium.

"Alright, kid. It's about time for you to answer a few questions for me."

With his back turned to the woman's cold voice, the boy only stared transfixed at the distant fishing village that was burning to the ground.

The village that was so peaceful till just yesterday, the village that was slumbering beneath the silent moonlight only a few hours ago, was actually burning with endless flames. He still couldn’t believe the scene before his eyes even if he was standing on top of the cliffs opposite the town and witnessed it himself; he only thought all this was a nightmare.

He would never see those familiar, gentle faces in the village again – he couldn’t believe it no matter what.

"… What exactly, happened?"

The boy asked with a dry voice. Natalia snorted.

"I was the one who asked first. Boy, isn't it time to get back to your senses?"

"..."

The boy suddenly turned his head around. Even if he owes her his life, it was really very irritating for her to ignore other’s feelings, not answer his questions, and on the contrary went on and on with her own questions.

After an obstinate silence, Natalia seemed to have grasped his thoughts. Then, she let out a helpless sigh, and gave a brief explanation.

"Now, there are two groups that caused such a tragedy in that village. One group is the Executors for the so-called Holy Church. They are completely different from the nice priests you know. They are cruel guys who believe that all those who betrayed God needs to be killed. Of course, they would naturally mercilessly eliminate something like a vampire if they see it. If they don’t have the time to check one by one who among the people had their blood sucked, they would completely destroy all suspects. In other words, these guys don’t have much time right now.

The other group is called the Association. This is a bit difficult to explain – basically they’re a group who wants to solely possess fantastic things such as vampires. Naturally, in order to have sole possession, they would kill anybody else who knew about the relevant details. There’s no point in not do things very thoroughly in order to destroy evidence and hide the truth.

Because of this, boy, you’ve got fine luck. You’re probably the only inhabitant of this island right now who managed to survive through the purge those people delivered."

The boy accepted this fact even easier than Natalia had expected. It was as if the boy had discerned the reason those dangerous men would come to Arimago Island a long time ago.

The boy rushed to Father Simon to seek help, and the priest who received this request contacted some other people. Some people outside the island must have received this intelligence while the priest delivered such information.

Leaving the sequence of events aside, at least the beginning of this tragedy was inextricably linked to himself.

If the boy had listened to Shirley's supplication and took the courage to plunge the silver white short sword into the chest of the girl he loved the most, then this present tragedy would not have happened.

If he had done that, then even if he would become a hollow shell without a soul from now on or even if he could no longer doze off in the night – these many lives won’t have been lost.

For the boy, it was the same as if he had set that memorable place on fire himself.

"... Then, which side are you on?"

"I'm like a salesman for the Association. My job is to seek out secrets they are interested in, protect this secret from being known by anyone else and pass it into their hands. Of course, it needs to be sold to them before such a huge incident happens. It can’t be sold now."

Natalia shrugged her shoulders. Perhaps she had already become accustomed to such scenes. It was as if the woman in black emanated the smell of death from her entire body.

"Alright, boy, let's get back to the previous question. It's about time for you to answer my question.

The so-called Sealing Designation – do you know what that means? Also, where is the evil magus, who’s the culprit of this vampire incident, hiding on this island? Do you know of it?”

<center>※※※※※※</center>

Although those words sounded too deep for this boy, in truth it hit the bull’s eye of this problem in some way.

Kerry is not the boy’s real name.

The name of the boy, who was born in a foreign, remote country, was very hard to pronounce for the people here. At the very beginning it was Shirley who abbreviated his name into Kerry, and then the villagers all called him Kerry by habit. The boy also felt that, instead of being called a strange name such as 'Keritougu’, ‘Kerry’ sounded much friendlier.

The boy’s real name is – Kiritsugu.

The son of the magus who has been given a Sealing Designation, Emiya Norikata.

<center>※※※※※※</center>

In the deep night, Kiritsugu returned to the wooden villa in the depths of the jungle, and saw his father receiving him with a worried expression.

"Ahh, Kiritsugu. Are you alright? Thank goodness…"

His father embraced him. It has been many years since he felt his father’s broad shoulders. It was a rare moment for his strong father to express his true feelings like that.

After releasing Kiritsugu from his arms, his father's expression suddenly turned severe and said.

"I told you not to step out of the barrier of the forest today no matter what. Why did you disobey me?"

"... Because I was worried about Shirley…"

His father suddenly turned his eyes aside when he heard the girl's name. Just that small gesture could completely confirm one fact.

"Dad, did you know what changes happened to her body? Is that why you didn’t allow me to go outside?"

"… About that girl, it's really a pity. Although I told her the reagent was very dangerous and to never touch it, it seems she still didn't win over her own curiosity."

Although his father’s tone was filled with bitterness, there was no regret or shame in it. It was as if he was telling off a boy who broke a flower vase with only blame and anger in his tone.

"... Dad, why would you investigate the Dead Apostles?"

"Of course that’s not my true intention. However, being the research of us, the Emiya family, we should seek it no matter how far it seems. I have to come up with a solution for aging, at least before your generation. The flesh, shackled with the destiny of death, is really too far away from the 'root'."

Shirley’s pitiful sight that he saw under the light of the moon once again appeared before Kiritsugu.

"Dad... would you eventually turn me into that shape too?"

"Nonsense. Someone who cannot control the vampiric urges and becomes a Dead Apostle is a failure... I told Shirley this a long time ago. Looks like the results of this experiment isn’t as good as I thought it’d be. I’d have to start from the basics and modify my theories again."

"... I see."

Kiritsugu nodded and said.

His father seemed to be intent in continuing. There’s no need to pay attention to sacrifices of this degree. He still needs to keep repeating it until he gets a satisfactory result.

"Kiritsugu, we’ll talk about this later. Now our top priority is to hurry and escape – I'm afraid there’s no longer time to pack. Soon those guys from the Association would see through the barrier in this dense forest. We need to leave soon."

Looks like his father made the preparations to leave a long time ago. There were already two large suitcases packed and sitting in the middle of the room. The reason he had delayed till now – was probably waiting for his own child to return.

"... Are we escaping? Right now?"

"I knew a long time ago this day would come, so I prepared a motor boat on the southern coast beforehand. You can never be too prepared.”

His father took one suitcase in each of his hands, turned around and walked towards the porch – of course, at this moment he was not guarded at all.

Then, Kiritsugu took the pistol Natalia gave to him from his trouser pocket.

It was a .32 caliber pistol. If it was fired from point-blank range, even a child can easily hit the target. The woman in black assured him of that. After that, it'd be all Kiritsugu's concern.

While aiming the gun at his father's defenseless back, the scene of village that was burned to the ground and Shirley’s final tragic expression swelled up within the boy’s heart – also, all the memories he had after living with his father for ten years, and the gentle sentiments that was hidden beneath his father’s stoic look.

His father loves him, and is full of expectations of him. He also loves his father deeply, and is proud of him.

Endless feeling tangled up and Kiritsugu wanted to close his eyes. However, contrary to his sentiments, Kiritsugu opened his eyes and aimed, then swiftly pressed the trigger.

Bam – it was an unexpected, dry and crisp sound.

His father, shot from the back of the neck, fell forward. Then Kiritsugu walked up and continued to fire towards the back of his head twice. Then he stopped, and continued to give two more shots to his back.

He couldn't believe it. Even Kiritsugu himself was afraid of his own coldness.

He wavered to the end. Certainly there was struggle in his heart. However, his hand moved as if everything was pre-established and out of his control. His body completely disregarded the thoughts in his heart, and only mechanically carried out things that 'had to be done'.

This behavior may be regarded as a talent – this thought only flicked past his heart briefly. After that, Kiritsugu once again sank into emptiness, with no sense of accomplishment.

The wooden floor gradually became stained red with blood. Father wasn't there anymore. What lay there was nothing but a corpse. This thing was the culprit. This thing rubbed away everything he had, killed everyone on the island, and burnt the village to the ground.

Shirley said he is an amazing person, someone with the power to change the world. Kiritsugu thought so as well once upon a time.

What did the two youngsters understand about the way of magecraft? And what did they expect of magi?

At the beginning, Kiritsugu didn't realize he was crying. Even he didn’t know whether his current feelings were sadness or regret. All he felt was an emptiness as if he was drained to the core.

The gun in his right hand was very heavy, almost too heavy to lift up. However, he couldn't throw it away. His fingers froze on the trigger and couldn’t move.

Kiritsugu even risked the danger of accidentally firing and swung his right hand crazily just to try to throw the gun away. But it was all useless; his fingers were holding the gun tightly as if they were glued to it.

At that moment, somebody suddenly grabbed his wrist, and then easily took the gun away from his hand. Only then did Kiritsugu realize Natalia had already appeared beside him.

"C’mon, the bounded field here isn’t as exaggerated as you said. I got in easily."

Natalia said with a rather scolding tone.

"... Are you angry?"

"You think? I’ve never given this thing for kids to play with."

Natalia glanced at the gun she took from Kiritsugu, then she put it back into her pocket after locking the safety again.

"However, it was up to your luck to see if you can make it on time."

In fact, if all that didn’t happen just now, Emiya Norikata would surely have escaped safely and went into hiding again, then restarted his research on the Dead Apostles at some other unknown place. Maybe the tragedy triggered on this island would happen once again.

This isn’t a problem that can be solved by luck. This is something that has to be stopped.

"This man, had a reason that he has to be killed – I have no other choice."

"I even encouraged a child to kill his own father; I really am a very bad person.”

Natalia said, discouraged. Hearing this, Kiritsugu smiled with traces of tears still on his face.

"... You, are a good person."

Natalia looked, stunned, at Kiritsugu’s smile. Then she sighed and heaved the corpse of Emiya Norikata onto her shoulder.

"I'll take you out of the island. You need to decide what comes afterwards yourself – is there anything you’d like to take with you?"

"Nothing at all."

<center>※※※※※</center>

Then… Kiritsugu spent the following few years beside Natalia Kaminski.

Naturally, Natalia didn't look after him like an orphan or her adopted child, but ordered Kiritsugu around as an assistant or servant. However, this was just what Kiritsugu desired.

He studied Natalia’s skills and trained his own abilities at the same time in order to walk the same path as Natalia – to become a ‘hunter’. This is the unchangeable path that Kiritsugu chose for his life.

The tragedy at Arimago Island was not a rare event. Such tragedies are repeated over and over again like daily occurrences in the shadowy places of the world.

The magi who are willing to bring ill omen into the mortal world in order to seek the knowledge that they search for and the two large organizations that used any methods necessary to hide these facts; the battle surrounding these mysterious events kept occurring at obscure places. Precisely because of this, there’s money to be made for Natalia.

Eliminating magi such as Emiya Norikata is really too far from the ideal of preventing such tragedies from happening again – if could almost be said that Emiya Norikata was only one drop of water in the vast ocean, an existence that could almost be afforded to be completely ignored.

His action on that day, killing his father by his own hands; if he was to make that event meaningful and worthy...

Then that means all heretic magi like his father must be killed. Only then can he truly prevent tragedies from occurring again.

Sealing Designation Enforcers.

Hound dogs that hunt demons that have surpassed ordinary sense. The boy chose this thorny road of Shuras without a moment’s hesitation.

Natalia does not belong to an organization, and was only a freelancer who hunted with bounty as her goal. Her targets are those Sealing Designated magi who possess precious research results, but have left the Magi’s Association and conducted secret researches. Different from the Holy Church that acted in the name of judging all heretics and killed everyone, the Magi’s Association had ensuring the safety of the research results as its priority.

And what’s the most precious of all are the Magic Crests carved on the magi’s flesh. Magic Crests that are created through generations of research can produce even greater powers when it is passed onto the successor, especially for magi families.

Through negotiations Natalia had made with the Association, a section of the Magic Crests gathered from Emiya Norikata’s body was allowed to be inherited by his son Emiya Kiritsugu. Although the important parts were confiscated by the Association and only a ‘fragment’ of barely half the original amount was allowed for Emiya Kiritsugu to inherit, it was enough for Kiritsugu to use his abilities as a magus. Besides, Kiritsugu didn’t have the intention of following his father’s dying wish and continuing magecraft research to begin with.

For Kiritsugu, magecraft isn’t his life-long career, but just a tool used to achieve his goals. Moreover, this tool was only one of the many ‘tools’ that the boy learnt from the huntress.

Tracking, assassination, the usage of various weapons – there can’t be only one ‘fang’ for a hound. All sorts of knowledge and skills are necessary for him to master in order to be able to catch up to the prey under all situations and conditions and bring it down.

In a sense, the history of human beings is a history of killing. Humans spent an endless amount of time and intelligence to research the skill of ‘killing people’ in order to hunt down the ‘two-legged beasts’ that looked the same as themselves. Kiritsugu had made his own body master all these.

The years covered in blood and gunpowder passed by flying.

Emiya Kiritsugu, who experienced the trials of too many violent battles during a time as sensitive as adolescence, no longer has any youthful innocence on his face. As an oriental person of unknown age, his three different false passports all recorded him as an adult and they hadn’t been questioned a single time.

However, judging only from his appearance, although his figure isn’t very tall and his moustache is sparse, his grim and cold look is definitely not something that a teenage boy should have.

One day –

Even when he knew that his teacher and friend – Natalia – faced the worst danger in her life, Kiritsugu still didn’t show any emotional wavering and devotedly completed his duty.

No matter how anxious or wavering his heart is, there was not a single way to help Natalia. That’s because her battlefield is inside a giant commercial airliner more than 3000 feet above in the sky.

It started with the chase for the magus known as the “Demonic Bees User”, Od Volsack.

It was said that this magus successfully created Dead Apostles and can manipulate the Demonic Bees under his control to use poisonous stings to increase the amount of Ghouls under his power; a very dangerous man indeed. Moreover, he had changed his name and face and pretended to be an ordinary person, with no information about him at all. However, four days ago, there was information that he was taking Flight A300 from Paris to New York. In the situation of being completely ignorant of the person’s appearance and name, Natalia accepted this gruelling task of finding the target among the plane’s 287 passengers and ‘erase’ him.

As her partner, Kiritsugu didn’t board the plane, but instead went ahead to New York to investigate Volsack’s fake identity. The teacher and student communicated using radio and calmly and confidently locked down the location of the prey in that sealed space 3000 feet above the sky.

Approximately three hours after the takeoff – the assassination was achieved unexpectedly smoothly. However, that was the beginning of the tragedy.

The Ghoul Bees that Volsack brought into the plane through deceiving customs caused a fatal disturbance after the death of their master. The Ghoul Bees that Natalia didn’t destroy on time raided towards the passengers one by one, and the cabin of the giant commercial airliner turned into a living hell ravaged by Ghouls in the blink of an eye.

Faced with a sealed area with nowhere to escape and Ghouls that manipulated without end, even someone as strong as Natalia felt an endless despair. Faced with this worsening situation, Kiritsugu could do nothing and can only wait for the radio communication. He must not let go of any chance of proving that Natalia was still alive.

The basic rule that Natalia had instructed Kiritsugu over and over again is – ‘no matter what method you use, you must ensure your own survival’. Since she has such a creed, Kiritsugu firmly believed that experienced huntress can definitely make it out this time too. After two hours, the radio was still silent.

Finally, when the light of the stars in the night sky was covered by the cyan shade of dawn, the tired voice of a woman was transmitted with static.

“… Can you hear me? Kid… you aren’t asleep, right?”

“Loud and clear, Natalia. We’re both at that most sleepy time right before dawn, after staying awake for the entire night.”

“Of course. If you had dared to go back and sleep last night I’ll definitely kill you afterwards… well, there’s some good news and some bad news. Which one do you want to listen to first?”

Natalia laughed briefly and said so.

“Didn’t we promise to start with the good news?”

“Ok. Then it’s good news first. First of all, I’m alive. The plane is without damage as well. I’ve just ensured the safety of the cockpit; both the captain and the co-pilot have already set the flying perimeters before their death. Even I can manage to simply drive it. Apparently the controls are the same as a Cessna.”

“Did you communicate with the control tower?”

“Got them. At the beginning they thought it was a prank, but now they’re directing me well.”

“… Then, the bad news?”

“Mm – I was the only one who didn’t get bitten. All passengers and crew, all 300 of them, perished and became Ghouls. The other side of the cockpit, divided only by a panel, already became a flying city of the dead. Don’t be surprised now.”

“…”

That’s the worst situation Kiritsugu had thought of.

“In that condition, will you… come back alive?”

“Ahh, this door is pretty rigid. Although it’s a bit wobbly now, there’s no worry about it being broken – Instead, the landing makes me more insecure. Can this giant thing really land safely?”

“… If it’s you, then you’ll surely manage.”

“Was that you encouraging me? I’m glad to hear.”

After a bitter laugh, Natalia gave a powerless sigh.

“There are still 50 minutes before arriving at the airport. It’s too early to pray – kid, chat with me for a while.”

“… I don’t mind.”

So they started a random conversation. First, they began with those two hours when communication ceased. Then they listed the dead Volsack’s many evil deeds in detail. Finally, the two of them naturally remembered the magi and Dead Apostles that they had destroyed, and those Shura’s fields that the two had faced together.

Natalia, who was usually quiet, became talkative for some reason today. The low roar of the Ghouls coming in from the cabin intertwined with the sound of them repeatedly hitting the cockpit’s door. Chatting is the single best choice to distract one’s attention from that.

“– When you first told me you want to enter this career path, I was having a real headache for a long time. Moreover, you didn’t want to change your idea no matter how much I persuaded you.”

“Was I such an unpromising disciple?”

“No… it’s because you have too much promise, too much potential.”

Natalie said with a bitter laugh.

“… What does that mean?”

“Because you can make your actions completely removed from your emotions – regular hit men can only obtain it after many years of trials. However, you had that since you were born. What a surprising talent.”

“…”

“But hey, it’s not necessarily correct to choose your life’s path based on talent and abilities alone. A person’s belief and feelings come before talents; that is the key to decide a person’s life. If that doesn’t exist, a person can’t be regarded as a person anymore. If they consider ‘What needs to be done’ before considering ‘What I want to do’ and only acted according to those rules… then they are not people but are only regarded as machines, far removed from the life of a human.”

The words of the teacher who had watched him growing up glided past the boy’s heart like cold frost.

“I, well… I had thought you are a very cold person.”

“What’s that after all this time? Isn’t that the truth? Was I ever gentle towards you?”

“No. You always were strict, absolutely merciless.”

“… Usually, disciplining a boy is the role of the father.”

On the opposite end of the radio, Natalia was silent for a while, then continued after sighing helplessly.

“However, I carry a certain degree of responsibility for causing you not to have the education from a father. Well, how to say it… it’s not that there was a way to push it off me.”

''I can only teach you some survival skills; I’m useless for everything else –'' Natalia added that as if mocking herself.

“… You wanted to be my father?”

“Don’t mix up men with women, impertinent. At least you should call me mother.”

“… Right. Sorry.”

Although Kiritsugu’s answering tone was very even, his expression looked very shocked.

Radio can’t display the other person’s face and obviously can’t see their expressions either. Therefore, Natalia could not know of Kiritsugu’s current feelings.

“… For a long time, I experienced the blood and stench on my own. I’ve almost forgotten the fact that I am all alone.

That’s why, well… Haha. It’s almost funny. As if we are family.”

“Me too –”

What’s the meaning of saying these things now? Kiritsugu asked himself in his heart while he continued to speak.

“– I, have also regarded you as if you’re my mother. I feel that I’m not alone, and I was happy.”

“… Hey there Kiritsugu. So that we don’t feel too awkward when we meet next time, let’s stop talking about this topic.”

Natalia’s current bewildered expression could vaguely be discerned in her words. It seems she was still unaccustomed to things like ‘embarrassment’.

“Ahh, the situation got worse. I’m landing in 20 minutes. I don’t want to commit some fatal mistake at such an important time just because I remembered something funny.”

“… Sorry.”

Kiritsugu apologized.

Natalia didn’t need to choose to do an emergency landing.

She also wasn’t going to meet Kiritsugu again.

Only Kiritsugu knew that.

There is no possibility of Natalia surviving before all these Ghouls are completely destroyed. The only way to deal with this airliner full of Ghouls is to make it plunge into the Atlantic Ocean. The operation to eliminate the “Demonic Bee User” is achieved at the cost of the lives of all the passengers and crew and Natalia Kaminski – Kiritsugu was already prepared for this outcome.

But Kiritsugu knew his teacher would definitely demonstrate her amazing abilities at the last moment. Natalia, who held on to the creed of ‘must survive no matter what’, may prevent the body of the plane from crushing in order to save her own life. Kiritsugu must consider this as well – that would be the unpredictable worst result.

Natalia, who prioritizes her life above all else, must choose this outcome without hesitation after weighing out the risks.

Land the airliner filled with 300 Ghouls at the airport and release these hungry dead – she would definitely choose this method if there were no other choices. Kiritsugu had already made the preparations to deal with this 10000-to-1 possibility precisely because Kiritsugu knew her too well.

In order to prevent the disaster from expanding further, the A300 must not be allowed to land.

That is the unswayable truth regardless of Natalia’s welfare.

Kiritsugu had been around almost half of New York an hour ago and finally brought a military surface-to-air portable missile launcher from the black market.

Right now, Kiritsugu was standing in a motor boat floating on the sea, waiting for Natalia’s plane to appear in his sight. The giant airline needs to circle a while before landing at the New York International Airport; Kiritsugu’s current position can roughly get the plane into the range of his missile.

While he was purchasing the weapon and choosing the spot to fire, Kiritsugu once again doubted the construction of his own mentality.

Viewing from the perspective of avoiding a larger tragedy, it is a correct response for him to calmly face Natalia’s death.

However, what is he who gives up on the final ‘miracle’ that would make the woman he loves survive, and instead kill her with his own hands?

It would be good if everything was only an assumption, but right now Emiya Kiritsugu was facing the cruel truth. Soon, he would erase Natalia by his own hands. Now, A300 had appeared at the sky at the break of dawn with sparkling silver wings.

“… Perhaps I, have really lost it.”

Natalia still believed without a doubt that Kiritsugu, on the other side of the radio, was in a hotel in New York, so she said leisurely with no caution.

“Maybe I would never end up saying those things if such a big mistake didn’t occur. It seems my time is up, too. Should I be retiring…”

“– If you retire, then what do you plan on doing after?”

Kiritsugu still faked an even voice. Meanwhile, his two hands have started to set the missile launcher onto his shoulder, and aimed the missile at the airliner.

“If I lose my job… haha, then I may really become your mother.”

Even with his eyes running full of tears, he was still able to accurately decide the distance to the target… it was within 1500 meters. A certain hit.

“You… really are my family.”

Kiritsugu said softly, then he released the missile.

In the few seconds that the missile had to be manually directed and Kiritsugu had to keep the aim on the airliner that Natalia was on, all his memories about her resurfaced in Kiritsugu’s mind.

But that torture did not last long. Soon the missile locked onto the heat radiation the giant commercial airliner emitted out. The missile left Kiritsugu’s control, and rushed mercilessly towards the target like a hungry shark.

The missile hit squarely on the gas tank beneath the wings; Kiritsugu watched the plane tilt and fall downwards.

The collapse afterwards was like a sand picture blown apart by a stormy wind – the masses of iron that lost its thrust was dismembered like rotten wood, and became a cloud of fine dust that silently fell onto the surface of the sea. The carcass of the plane that fell in the rising morning glow danced like confetti at a gala.

The first sliver of the dawn’s light that shone out from the other side of the horizon didn’t touch Natalia’s face even at the end. Basked in the morning sun all alone, Emiya Kiritsugu started crying soundlessly.

Once again, he had saved a crowd of unknown faces. Without anyone knowing.

''Did you see that, Shirley?

I have killed again this time. Killed as when I killed my father. I would never make the same mistake that I made with you back then. I, wanted to save more people…''

If Kiritsugu’s actions and intentions were known by others, would they thank Kiritsugu? Would the passengers at the airport who were spared of death under the threat of the Ghouls praise Kiritsugu as a hero?

“Don’t kid me…Don’t kid me! Bastard!”

Grasping tightly the missile launcher that was starting to wear off the remaining heat, Kiritsugu roared towards the brightening sky.

He didn’t want prestige or gratitude. He just wanted to see Natalia’s face once again. He just wanted to call her “Mom” face to face.

This isn’t the conclusion he wanted. This is only the correct decision, with no other choice and no space for dispute. Kiritsugu’s decision was ‘correct’. He erased the person who must die and saved those with no reason to die. If this isn’t ‘justice’, then what would it be?

It can’t come back anymore. He remembered that distant face so long ago that asked him “What kind of a man would you like to become?” with a gentle look under the blinding morning sun.

At that time, Kiritsugu should have answered – If he has the power to freely change the world, if miracles would dwell in his hands; ‘I want to be a hero of justice!’.

The Kiritsugu back then still didn’t know what this scale named ‘justice’ would rob away, and what it would bring him.

‘Justice’ took away his father, and now it also took his mother. All it left was the sensation of blood in his hands. Even his right to remember them was also stripped away.

The people he loved. Their voices, their faces; none of them can come back. Instead, they will appear again and again in Kiritsugu’s nightmares. They would probably never forgive Kiritsugu, who took their lives away with his own hands.

That is the choice of ’justice’. The price of pursuing his ideal.

Now, Kiritsugu can no longer turn back. What he seeks will disappear with even a single moment of hesitation or uncertainty. If so, then all the prices he had paid, and all the sacrifices, would become worthless.

Surely he would follow the ideal in his heart and reach for its fulfilment while he cursed and hated at the same time?

Kiritsugu vowed silently in his heart.

He will accept that curse. He will accept this anger. At the same time, he prays that some day he will drain all his tears and reach that far distant and serene utopia.

If the cruelty that his hands carry is the limit for humans.

Then let he himself wipe away all the tears in the world.

That was the last day of Kiritsugu’s youth –

As he determinedly stepped towards that thorny and uneven path.

<noinclude>
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|-
| Back to [[Fate/Zero:Volume_3_Postface|Volume 3 Postface]]
| Return to [[Fate/Zero|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Fate/Zero:Act_13_Part_1|Act 13, Part 1]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Fate/Zero:Interlude

2011-11-16T03:53:44Z

67.189.249.209: /* Sometime, somewhere */

[[Image:FZ_v04_005.png|thumb|Interlude.]]
=== Sometime, somewhere ===

"Kerry, you do know where the name of this island comes from, right?"

Shirley asked while leisurely handling the creaking car’s wheel.

The boy called Kerry, sitting in the passenger’s seat, shook his head and squeezed out a "Not really" as if he was scared that the vehicle’s intense shaking would make him bite his tongue.

The pick-up truck they were both driving in was a vehicle so antique it may have come from the time when coaches were just running out of use. Moreover, the road they were driving on now was not a paved bitumen road but a dirt road. Even an ox-cart would have to slow down on these roads. Right now, they almost feel like they are sitting in a small boat floating on the sea during a storm.

Although this vehicle looked like a pile of junk about to go out of service, this is one of the only three or four precious vehicles on Arimago Island – Besides, as a fishing village with only about 300 families, people who need a car are uncommon enough on Arimago Island. The people troubled with living without a vehicle are probably just the family of the boy and Shirley, the maid who did the housework. In the far-removed house of the boy's family, far away from the fishing village, there were truly no other transportation facilities but this worn-out truck.

"Arimago... did it mean giant crab?"

Shirley nodded and answered the boy’s question.

"A long long time ago, this island was a place used to keep the offerings presented to a deity of the sea. However, there was a time when a girl didn't have anything to feed her sick mother, and had to steal the offerings of the deity. Then, that girl was punished with divine retribution, and was changed into the shape of a crab."

"It's a terrible story."

"After that, it was told that if you eat a crab caught on this island, it would cure any disease. The mother of the girl recovered from her long illness as well."

"That’s even worse. It is such an outrageous sea deity."

However, such folktales recorded in media such as tapestries aren't rare. If one were to look carefully, such tales can be found all over the world.

"Um, does the shrine where people sacrificed to this deity still exist?"

"It disappeared a long time ago. Besides, no one knows whether it really did exist. According to the myth, it seems to have been built right next to where Kerry's mansion is now."

“Then the girl who was turned into a crab actually made her way to the heart of this deep jungle so far away specifically to steal the offerings? It would have been much more convenient to just catch some fish at the beach instead.”

“That myth is the reason why people of the village wouldn't get close to your house. Legend says that's an ominous place, and you’ll get cursed if you go near it too often. I’ve been warned of it as well."

"But how!... then, what about me, who's living there?"

"It's because Kerry is a foreigner. But even then, don’t the people at the village see you as my little brother?"

Although the words ‘little brother’ didn’t completely make the boy feel relieved, compared to his father, who never stepped outside the house, Kerry does indeed need to help Shirley with the shopping every time. Therefore, they would basically ride in the truck to go into the village everyday.

It has been almost a year after he moved to this island. Any of the island’s inhabitants would warmly greet the boy when they saw him. Even the other boys of the village, who fought with him whenever they saw him beforehand, are also already making pranks on other people together with him.

Although he was in a strange land very far from his home land, the boy still likes this place called Arimago Island very much.

Although he felt extremely boring everyday during the first few weeks after he moved over, the dazzling southern sun and multi-colored sparkling waves of the southern ocean had gradually captured Kerry’s heart.

However, for his father, who never approached anyone and didn’t step out of the house at all, it would be hard to feel that there is anything delightful at all.

"If father would communicate more with the people at the village, he would surely be a bit different..."

"Mmm, who knows..."

While skilfully handling the steering wheel to dodge large rocks sticking out of the road, Shirley gave a bitter smile.

"Father Simon never liked your father’s actions, and had often lectured me with things like I’d sooner or later be ensnared by the devil if I go work in that house again."

"… I see."

The boy couldn’t help but feel a little down when knew that Father Simon, who always seemed to be so gentle, would judge his father in such a way behind his back. But it can't be helped. Rather, he should feel relieved that those comments were only to such an extent. Father Simon would surely expel both father and son out of this small island if he really knew about everything the boy's father did.

Shirley tapped her lower back, and motioned for Kerry to look at a silver short sword on her belt.

"Look at this knife. Father Simon forced it onto me and wants me never to part with it. He said it’s a very useful talisman."

"… Isn’t this the knife you always use to peel fruits?"

"Mmm, that's because this knife is very sharp and is easy to use. It must be something very precious."

Shirley continued to speak in a calm tone. Different from the boy, she appeared to not feel anything gloomy with this topic.

"Aren’t you afraid, Shirley? Aren’t you afraid of my father?"

Although the boy was a bit hesitant, he asked this question at the end. Shirley nodded decisively.

"I understand your father isn't a normal person, and based on his behaviors it's not unreasonable for the villagers to be guarded towards him. However, since he’s doing those kinds of researches, it can't be helped that he left the city and came to such a remote island to live a hermit’s life. But this shows your father really is an impressive person."

The boy suddenly noticed that for some reason, Shirley would suddenly become mature and sensible whenever they talked about his father. She was only a girl 4 years his elder; she definitely isn’t as mature as adults.

"If you take any one of his knowledge and discoveries, it would be an immense discovery that can change everything for this world. Of course, anyone would become scared if they knew about such things, and it can't be helped for it to be held in secret... but as for me, I really do believe such powers can help this world greatly. I’ve always firmly believed in that."

"... Can such things, really be possible?"

"He may have given it up already. But Kerry, if it were you, I believe it would definitely be successful!"

Shirley said so with a serious expression on her face. Instead, the boy said disappointedly.

"What do you mean? Aren't you, Shirley, father's favorite pupil? Wouldn’t it be Shirley who keeps it up if it comes to it?"

Shirley, who went often to his house, didn’t only do domestic chores such as tidying the house; she also helped his father in his work as an assistant. His father once said that this girl named Shirley possesses exceptional intelligence and talents, and is really a waste to leave her on this lone island. It says something about Shirley’s talents if his father, who always obeyed the creed of secrecy, trusts a female stranger to such a degree.

But Shirley herself laughed loudly and shook her head.

"I'm not any kind of a pupil. At the most I'm only an assistant, someone who does the odd jobs and give a hand. Therefore, I don’t know anything about the important parts.

But Kerry, you’re different from me. You will definitely succeed your father’s business. The researches your father is doing now will need to be kept up by you one day. Are you prepared for it? Although it is a bit to early for you to talk about such things."

"..."

Shirley said all that earnestly, like a real big sister worrying about her little brother. For one moment, the boy was caught with the complicated sentiments in his heart and couldn’t speak.

He didn’t have any memories about his mother, who passed away right after he was born. For the boy, his so-called family only consisted of his father. Although his father was eccentric and very strict, he was a very gentle and a great father. He was the person the boy respected and loved the most in the entire world.

Therefore, at the beginning, the boy's heart was in upheaval when he discovered that the father, whom he admired the most, favored an assistant more than his own son. There was a time when he even felt enmity for Shirley. But Shirley's cheerful temperament and gentle attitude untied the knot in his heart, and that time didn't last long.

It was almost as if there was a new member in his family. Shirley respected the boy's father as if he was her own father, and looked after the boy like her real little brother. For the boy, who didn’t have female relatives, the words ‘older sister’ far surpassed the meaning the words originally possessed.

No... Maybe it wasn’t so exaggerated at first, but recently such strange feelings had occurred in the boy’s chest.

He knew well Shirley's gentleness, cheerfulness, and virtue. But moreover, even her unconscious gestures – such as her current profile as she handled the steering wheel while humming – also appear to be so beautiful. Why?

"Kerry, what kind of a man would you like to become? And if you succeeded your father's work, how would you like to use it?"

"... eh?"

The absentminded boy was suddenly dragged back into reality by Shirley's question.

"It's the power to change the world. Someday you are gonna obtain it."

"..."

His father's inheritance. If would be a lie to say that he never thought about that. The boy completely understands its value and its significance.

Let alone its use.

But the boy looked rather hesitant to put it in words himself, particularly in front of Shirley. He didn’t want others to tell him that his dream is naive, above all from Shirley.

"... That's, a secret."

"Mmm?"

Shirley laughed knowingly, then kept asking.

"Then, I’ll use my own eyes to confirm what Kerry wants to do when he grows up. Until I get the answer, I'll always be beside you. How’s that?"

"... Do as you like."

As if feeling somewhat ashamed, the boy turned his eyes away.

But even so, the smile of the girl who is almost like his older sister was still far too dazzling for the boy.

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Skin white as wax.

The blue-black veins that popped up tore her looks into shards.

An expression, full with near-death anguish, filled her face.

She is about to die – that was obvious.

Although she’s about to die, she was still writhing.

If that was the expression of a human, then this human will soon become something inhuman – the boy’s heart understood this clearly.

The night outside. Of course, there are no street lights on this island. Even so, the chilly white light that came from the bright and pure moon outside silently illuminated the scene of this tragedy through the window.

This is a henhouse on the edge of the village. While searching for Shirley, who suddenly disappeared for no reason, the boy walked through every inch of the village during the day. The boy didn’t give up and kept searching till night. Then he came upon here.

The leftover carcasses of the chickens eaten, and the “Dead” that kept shivering and crying deep inside the henhouse.

''Kill me –''

The “Dead” that had the same face as the woman he liked the most begged him while sobbing.

Then, the silver short sword that was thrown near his feet reflected back a cold and pale light in the moonlight.

Terror –

''I can't do it myself –''

''Therefore, please. Kill me –''

''While there’s still time –''

"Such a thing..."

Shaking his head, the boy drew back.

I cannot do.

No matter what shape you turn into, Shirley is Shirley. We promised to be together forever. She’s a most important family – no, she even more important than family.

Please – 

Shirley panted painfully. Gradually her sounds became maddening. Together with sorrowful sobbing, the girl let out a panting like a hungry beast.

It's already – over – before I completely lose control of myself – quick – 

Shirley’s body started to tremble uncontrollably as if she got malaria, then she suddenly opened her mouth and bit into her wrist.

Spurt...

Spurt... the sound of blood splashing out entered the boy's eardrums.

''Please –''

The persistent sound of begging drowned out the boy’s tragic wails. The boy ran out of the henhouse.

What gave the boy more terror than the Shirley in front of him – was the light that the short sword emanated beside his feet.

He doesn’t know what actually happened, and he doesn’t want to understand.

Now, all that the boy prayed for is to have someone to save them.

The boy firmly believed that there must be someone who can release them from this nightmarish terror.

Shirley will surely be saved. Someone surely is going to save them.

The boy kept repeating this to himself.

It takes about 5 minutes to get to Father Simon's church if he runs as fast as he can.

The boy ran for his life as he cried. Be it the pain in his feet or the anguish in his chest, he could no longer feel any of them.

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Natalia Kaminski. The woman said that’s her name.

This woman wore an inky black long coat very inappropriate for a tropical night, but there was no sign of her sweating. Rather than thinking of her pale countenance as cold and cruel, it was better described as expressionless. It would even make others doubt whether there was actually blood flowing within her, and whether she actually has body heat like normal people.

That was the appearance of the savior who saved the boy out of the ravaging pandemonium.

"Alright, kid. It's about time for you to answer a few questions for me."

With his back turned to the woman's cold voice, the boy only stared transfixed at the distant fishing village that was burning to the ground.

The village that was so peaceful till just yesterday, the village that was slumbering beneath the silent moonlight only a few hours ago, was actually burning with endless flames. He still couldn’t believe the scene before his eyes even if he was standing on top of the cliffs opposite the town and witnessed it himself; he only thought all this was a nightmare.

He would never see those familiar, gentle faces in the village again – he couldn’t believe it no matter what.

"… What exactly, happened?"

The boy asked with a dry voice. Natalia snorted.

"I was the one who asked first. Boy, isn't it time to get back to your senses?"

"..."

The boy suddenly turned his head around. Even if he owes her his life, it was really very irritating for her to ignore other’s feelings, not answer his questions, and on the contrary went on and on with her own questions.

After an obstinate silence, Natalia seemed to have grasped his thoughts. Then, she let out a helpless sigh, and gave a brief explanation.

"Now, there are two groups that caused such a tragedy in that village. One group is the Executors for the so-called Holy Church. They are completely different from the nice priests you know. They are cruel guys who believe that all those who betrayed God needs to be killed. Of course, they would naturally mercilessly eliminate something like a vampire if they see it. If they don’t have the time to check one by one who among the people had their blood sucked, they would completely destroy all suspects. In other words, these guys don’t have much time right now.

The other group is called the Association. This is a bit difficult to explain – basically they’re a group who wants to solely possess fantastic things such as vampires. Naturally, in order to have sole possession, they would kill anybody else who knew about the relevant details. There’s no point in not do things very thoroughly in order to destroy evidence and hide the truth.

Because of this, boy, you’ve got fine luck. You’re probably the only inhabitant of this island right now who managed to survive through the purge those people delivered."

The boy accepted this fact even easier than Natalia had expected. It was as if the boy had discerned the reason those dangerous men would come to Arimago Island a long time ago.

The boy rushed to Father Simon to seek help, and the priest who received this request contacted some other people. Some people outside the island must have received this intelligence while the priest delivered such information.

Leaving the sequence of events aside, at least the beginning of this tragedy was inextricably linked to himself.

If the boy had listened to Shirley's supplication and took the courage to plunge the silver white short sword into the chest of the girl he loved the most, then this present tragedy would not have happened.

If he had done that, then even if he would become a hollow shell without a soul from now on or even if he could no longer doze off in the night – these many lives won’t have been lost.

For the boy, it was the same as if he had set that memorable place on fire himself.

"... Then, which side are you on?"

"I'm like a salesman for the Association. My job is to seek out secrets they are interested in, protect this secret from being known by anyone else and pass it into their hands. Of course, it needs to be sold to them before such a huge incident happens. It can’t be sold now."

Natalia shrugged her shoulders. Perhaps she had already become accustomed to such scenes. It was as if the woman in black emanated the smell of death from her entire body.

"Alright, boy, let's get back to the previous question. It's about time for you to answer my question.

The so-called Sealing Designation – do you know what that means? Also, where is the evil magus, who’s the culprit of this vampire incident, hiding on this island? Do you know of it?”

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Although those words sounded too deep for this boy, in truth it hit the bull’s eye of this problem in some way.

Kerry is not the boy’s real name.

The name of the boy, who was born in a foreign, remote country, was very hard to pronounce for the people here. At the very beginning it was Shirley who abbreviated his name into Kerry, and then the villagers all called him Kerry by habit. The boy also felt that, instead of being called a strange name such as 'Keritougu’, ‘Kerry’ sounded much friendlier.

The boy’s real name is – Kiritsugu.

The son of the magus who has been given a Sealing Designation, Emiya Norikata.

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In the deep night, Kiritsugu returned to the wooden villa in the depths of the jungle, and saw his father receiving him with a worried expression.

"Ahh, Kiritsugu. Are you alright? Thank goodness…"

His father embraced him. It has been many years since he felt his father’s broad shoulders. It was a rare moment for his strong father to express his true feelings like that.

After releasing Kiritsugu from his arms, his father's expression suddenly turned severe and said.

"I told you not to step out of the barrier of the forest today no matter what. Why did you disobey me?"

"... Because I was worried about Shirley…"

His father suddenly turned his eyes aside when he heard the girl's name. Just that small gesture could completely confirm one fact.

"Dad, did you know what changes happened to her body? Is that why you didn’t allow me to go outside?"

"… About that girl, it's really a pity. Although I told her the reagent was very dangerous and to never touch it, it seems she still didn't win over her own curiosity."

Although his father’s tone was filled with bitterness, there was no regret or shame in it. It was as if he was telling off a boy who broke a flower vase with only blame and anger in his tone.

"... Dad, why would you investigate the Dead Apostles?"

"Of course that’s not my true intention. However, being the research of us, the Emiya family, we should seek it no matter how far it seems. I have to come up with a solution for aging, at least before your generation. The flesh, shackled with the destiny of death, is really too far away from the 'root'."

Shirley’s pitiful sight that he saw under the light of the moon once again appeared before Kiritsugu.

"Dad... would you eventually turn me into that shape too?"

"Nonsense. Someone who cannot control the vampiric urges and becomes a Dead Apostle is a failure... I told Shirley this a long time ago. Looks like the results of this experiment isn’t as good as I thought it’d be. I’d have to start from the basics and modify my theories again."

"... I see."

Kiritsugu nodded and said.

His father seemed to be intent in continuing. There’s no need to pay attention to sacrifices of this degree. He still needs to keep repeating it until he gets a satisfactory result.

"Kiritsugu, we’ll talk about this later. Now our top priority is to hurry and escape – I'm afraid there’s no longer time to pack. Soon those guys from the Association would see through the barrier in this dense forest. We need to leave soon."

Looks like his father made the preparations to leave a long time ago. There were already two large suitcases packed and sitting in the middle of the room. The reason he had delayed till now – was probably waiting for his own child to return.

"... Are we escaping? Right now?"

"I knew a long time ago this day would come, so I prepared a motor boat on the southern coast beforehand. You can never be too prepared.”

His father took one suitcase in each of his hands, turned around and walked towards the porch – of course, at this moment he was not guarded at all.

Then, Kiritsugu took the pistol Natalia gave to him from his trouser pocket.

It was a .32 caliber pistol. If it was fired from point-blank range, even a child can easily hit the target. The woman in black assured him of that. After that, it'd be all Kiritsugu's concern.

While aiming the gun at his father's defenseless back, the scene of village that was burned to the ground and Shirley’s final tragic expression swelled up within the boy’s heart – also, all the memories he had after living with his father for ten years, and the gentle sentiments that was hidden beneath his father’s stoic look.

His father loves him, and is full of expectations of him. He also loves his father deeply, and is proud of him.

Endless feeling tangled up and Kiritsugu wanted to close his eyes. However, contrary to his sentiments, Kiritsugu opened his eyes and aimed, then swiftly pressed the trigger.

Bam – it was an unexpected, dry and crisp sound.

His father, shot from the back of the neck, fell forward. Then Kiritsugu walked up and continued to fire towards the back of his head twice. Then he stopped, and continued to give two more shots to his back.

He couldn't believe it. Even Kiritsugu himself was afraid of his own coldness.

He wavered to the end. Certainly there was struggle in his heart. However, his hand moved as if everything was pre-established and out of his control. His body completely disregarded the thoughts in his heart, and only mechanically carried out things that 'had to be done'.

This behavior may be regarded as a talent – this thought only flicked past his heart briefly. After that, Kiritsugu once again sank into emptiness, with no sense of accomplishment.

The wooden floor gradually became stained red with blood. Father wasn't there anymore. What lay there was nothing but a corpse. This thing was the culprit. This thing rubbed away everything he had, killed everyone on the island, and burnt the village to the ground.

Shirley said he is an amazing person, someone with the power to change the world. Kiritsugu thought so as well once upon a time.

What did the two youngsters understand about the way of magecraft? And what did they expect of magi?

At the beginning, Kiritsugu didn't realize he was crying. Even he didn’t know whether his current feelings were sadness or regret. All he felt was an emptiness as if he was drained to the core.

The gun in his right hand was very heavy, almost too heavy to lift up. However, he couldn't throw it away. His fingers froze on the trigger and couldn’t move.

Kiritsugu even risked the danger of accidentally firing and swung his right hand crazily just to try to throw the gun away. But it was all useless; his fingers were holding the gun tightly as if they were glued to it.

At that moment, somebody suddenly grabbed his wrist, and then easily took the gun away from his hand. Only then did Kiritsugu realize Natalia had already appeared beside him.

"C’mon, the bounded field here isn’t as exaggerated as you said. I got in easily."

Natalia said with a rather scolding tone.

"... Are you angry?"

"You think? I’ve never given this thing for kids to play with."

Natalia glanced at the gun she took from Kiritsugu, then she put it back into her pocket after locking the safety again.

"However, it was up to your luck to see if you can make it on time."

In fact, if all that didn’t happen just now, Emiya Norikata would surely have escaped safely and went into hiding again, then restarted his research on the Dead Apostles at some other unknown place. Maybe the tragedy triggered on this island would happen once again.

This isn’t a problem that can be solved by luck. This is something that has to be stopped.

"This man, had a reason that he has to be killed – I have no other choice."

"I even encouraged a child to kill his own father; I really am a very bad person.”

Natalia said, discouraged. Hearing this, Kiritsugu smiled with traces of tears still on his face.

"... You, are a good person."

Natalia looked, stunned, at Kiritsugu’s smile. Then she sighed and heaved the corpse of Emiya Norikata onto her shoulder.

"I'll take you out of the island. You need to decide what comes afterwards yourself – is there anything you’d like to take with you?"

"Nothing at all."

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Then… Kiritsugu spent the following few years beside Natalia Kaminski.

Naturally, Natalia didn't look after him like an orphan or her adopted child, but ordered Kiritsugu around as an assistant or servant. However, this was just what Kiritsugu desired.

He studied Natalia’s skills and trained his own abilities at the same time in order to walk the same path as Natalia – to become a ‘hunter’. This is the unchangeable path that Kiritsugu chose for his life.

The tragedy at Arimago Island was not a rare event. Such tragedies are repeated over and over again like daily occurrences in the shadowy places of the world.

The magi who are willing to bring ill omen into the mortal world in order to seek the knowledge that they search for and the two large organizations that used any methods necessary to hide these facts; the battle surrounding these mysterious events kept occurring at obscure places. Precisely because of this, there’s money to be made for Natalia.

Eliminating magi such as Emiya Norikata is really too far from the ideal of preventing such tragedies from happening again – if could almost be said that Emiya Norikata was only one drop of water in the vast ocean, an existence that could almost be afforded to be completely ignored.

His action on that day, killing his father by his own hands; if he was to make that event meaningful and worthy...

Then that means all heretic magi like his father must be killed. Only then can he truly prevent tragedies from occurring again.

Sealing Designation Enforcers.

Hound dogs that hunt demons that have surpassed ordinary sense. The boy chose this thorny road of Shuras without a moment’s hesitation.

Natalia does not belong to an organization, and was only a freelancer who hunted with bounty as her goal. Her targets are those Sealing Designated magi who possess precious research results, but have left the Magi’s Association and conducted secret researches. Different from the Holy Church that acted in the name of judging all heretics and killed everyone, the Magi’s Association had ensuring the safety of the research results as its priority.

And what’s the most precious of all are the Magic Crests carved on the magi’s flesh. Magic Crests that are created through generations of research can produce even greater powers when it is passed onto the successor, especially for magi families.

Through negotiations Natalia had made with the Association, a section of the Magic Crests gathered from Emiya Norikata’s body was allowed to be inherited by his son Emiya Kiritsugu. Although the important parts were confiscated by the Association and only a ‘fragment’ of barely half the original amount was allowed for Emiya Kiritsugu to inherit, it was enough for Kiritsugu to use his abilities as a magus. Besides, Kiritsugu didn’t have the intention of following his father’s dying wish and continuing magecraft research to begin with.

For Kiritsugu, magecraft isn’t his life-long career, but just a tool used to achieve his goals. Moreover, this tool was only one of the many ‘tools’ that the boy learnt from the huntress.

Tracking, assassination, the usage of various weapons – there can’t be only one ‘fang’ for a hound. All sorts of knowledge and skills are necessary for him to master in order to be able to catch up to the prey under all situations and conditions and bring it down.

In a sense, the history of human beings is a history of killing. Humans spent an endless amount of time and intelligence to research the skill of ‘killing people’ in order to hunt down the ‘two-legged beasts’ that looked the same as themselves. Kiritsugu had made his own body master all these.

The years covered in blood and gunpowder passed by flying.

Emiya Kiritsugu, who experienced the trials of too many violent battles during a time as sensitive as adolescence, no longer has any youthful innocence on his face. As an oriental person of unknown age, his three different false passports all recorded him as an adult and they hadn’t been questioned a single time.

However, judging only from his appearance, although his figure isn’t very tall and his moustache is sparse, his grim and cold look is definitely not something that a teenage boy should have.

One day –

Even when he knew that his teacher and friend – Natalia – faced the worst danger in her life, Kiritsugu still didn’t show any emotional wavering and devotedly completed his duty.

No matter how anxious or wavering his heart is, there was not a single way to help Natalia. That’s because her battlefield is inside a giant commercial airliner more than 3000 feet above in the sky.

It started with the chase for the magus known as the “Demonic Bees User”, Od Volsack.

It was said that this magus successfully created Dead Apostles and can manipulate the Demonic Bees under his control to use poisonous stings to increase the amount of Ghouls under his power; a very dangerous man indeed. Moreover, he had changed his name and face and pretended to be an ordinary person, with no information about him at all. However, four days ago, there was information that he was taking Flight A300 from Paris to New York. In the situation of being completely ignorant of the person’s appearance and name, Natalia accepted this gruelling task of finding the target among the plane’s 287 passengers and ‘erase’ him.

As her partner, Kiritsugu didn’t board the plane, but instead went ahead to New York to investigate Volsack’s fake identity. The teacher and student communicated using radio and calmly and confidently locked down the location of the prey in that sealed space 3000 feet above the sky.

Approximately three hours after the takeoff – the assassination was achieved unexpectedly smoothly. However, that was the beginning of the tragedy.

The Ghoul Bees that Volsack brought into the plane through deceiving customs caused a fatal disturbance after the death of their master. The Ghoul Bees that Natalia didn’t destroy on time raided towards the passengers one by one, and the cabin of the giant commercial airliner turned into a living hell ravaged by Ghouls in the blink of an eye.

Faced with a sealed area with nowhere to escape and Ghouls that manipulated without end, even someone as strong as Natalia felt an endless despair. Faced with this worsening situation, Kiritsugu could do nothing and can only wait for the radio communication. He must not let go of any chance of proving that Natalia was still alive.

The basic rule that Natalia had instructed Kiritsugu over and over again is – ‘no matter what method you use, you must ensure your own survival’. Since she has such a creed, Kiritsugu firmly believed that experienced huntress can definitely make it out this time too. After two hours, the radio was still silent.

Finally, when the light of the stars in the night sky was covered by the cyan shade of dawn, the tired voice of a woman was transmitted with static.

“… Can you hear me? Kid… you aren’t asleep, right?”

“Loud and clear, Natalia. We’re both at that most sleepy time right before dawn, after staying awake for the entire night.”

“Of course. If you dared to go back and sleep last night I’ll definitely kill you afterwards… well, there’s some good news and some bad news. Which one do you want to listen to first?”

Natalia laughed briefly and said so.

“Didn’t we promise to start with the good news?”

“Ok. Then it’s good news first. First of all, I’m alive. The plane is without damage as well. I’ve just ensured the safety of the cockpit; both the captain and the co-pilot have already set the flying perimeters before their death. Even I can manage to simply drive it. Apparently the controls are the same as a Cessna.”

“Did you communicate with the control tower?”

“Got them. At the beginning they thought it was a prank, but now they’re directing me well.”

“… Then, the bad news?”

“Mm – I was the only one who didn’t get bitten. All passengers and crew, all 300 of them, perished and became Ghouls. The other side of the cockpit, divided only by a panel, already became a flying city of the dead. Don’t be surprised now.”

“…”

That’s the worst situation Kiritsugu had thought of.

“In that condition, will you… come back alive?”

“Ahh, this door is pretty rigid. Although it’s a bit wobbly now, there’s no worry about it being broken – Instead, the landing makes me more insecure. Can this giant thing really land safely?”

“… If it’s you, then you’ll surely manage.”

“Was that you encouraging me? I’m glad to hear.”

After a bitter laugh, Natalia gave a powerless sigh.

“There are still 50 minutes before arriving at the airport. It’s too early to pray – kid, chat with me for a while.”

“… I don’t mind.”

So they started a random conversation. First, they began with those two hours when communication ceased. Then they listed the dead Volsack’s many evil deeds in detail. Finally, the two of them naturally remembered the magi and Dead Apostles that they had destroyed, and those Shura’s fields that the two had faced together.

Natalia, who was usually quiet, became talkative for some reason today. The low roar of the Ghouls coming in from the cabin intertwined with the sound of them repeatedly hitting the cockpit’s door. Chatting is the single best choice to distract one’s attention from that.

“– When you first told me you want to enter this career path, I was having a real headache for a long time. Moreover, you didn’t want to change your idea no matter how much I persuaded you.”

“Was I such an unpromising disciple?”

“No… it’s because you have too much promise, too much potential.”

Natalie said with a bitter laugh.

“… What does that mean?”

“Because you can make your actions completely removed from your emotions – regular hit men can only obtain it after many years of trials. However, you had that since you were born. What a surprising talent.”

“…”

“But hey, it’s not necessarily correct to choose your life’s path based on talent and abilities alone. A person’s belief and feelings come before talents; that is the key to decide a person’s life. If that doesn’t exist, a person can’t be regarded as a person anymore. If they consider ‘What needs to be done’ before considering ‘What I want to do’ and only acted according to those rules… then they are not people but are only regarded as machines, far removed from the life of a human.”

The words of the teacher who had watched him growing up glided past the boy’s heart like cold frost.

“I, well… I had thought you are a very cold person.”

“What’s that after all this time? Isn’t that the truth? Was I ever gentle towards you?”

“No. You always were strict, absolutely merciless.”

“… Usually, disciplining a boy is the role of the father.”

On the opposite end of the radio, Natalia was silent for a while, then continued after sighing helplessly.

“However, I carry a certain degree of responsibility for causing you not to have the education from a father. Well, how to say it… it’s not that there was a way to push it off me.”

''I can only teach you some survival skills; I’m useless for everything else –'' Natalia added that as if mocking herself.

“… You wanted to be my father?”

“Don’t mix up men with women, impertinent. At least you should call me mother.”

“… Right. Sorry.”

Although Kiritsugu’s answering tone was very even, his expression looked very shocked.

Radio can’t display the other person’s face and obviously can’t see their expressions either. Therefore, Natalia could not know of Kiritsugu’s current feelings.

“… For a long time, I experienced the blood and stench on my own. I’ve almost forgotten the fact that I am all alone.

That’s why, well… Haha. It’s almost funny. As if we are family.”

“Me too –”

What’s the meaning of saying these things now? Kiritsugu asked himself in his heart while he continued to speak.

“– I, have also regarded you as if you’re my mother. I feel that I’m not alone, and I was happy.”

“… Hey there Kiritsugu. So that we don’t feel too awkward when we meet next time, let’s stop talking about this topic.”

Natalia’s current bewildered expression could vaguely be discerned in her words. It seems she was still unaccustomed to things like ‘embarrassment’.

“Ahh, the situation got worse. I’m landing in 20 minutes. I don’t want to commit some fatal mistake at such an important time just because I remembered something funny.”

“… Sorry.”

Kiritsugu apologized.

Natalia didn’t need to choose to do an emergency landing.

She also wasn’t going to meet Kiritsugu again.

Only Kiritsugu knew that.

There is no possibility of Natalia surviving before all these Ghouls are completely destroyed. The only way to deal with this airliner full of Ghouls is to make it plunge into the Atlantic Ocean. The operation to eliminate the “Demonic Bee User” is achieved at the cost of the lives of all the passengers and crew and Natalia Kaminski – Kiritsugu was already prepared for this outcome.

But Kiritsugu knew his teacher would definitely demonstrate her amazing abilities at the last moment. Natalia, who held on to the creed of ‘must survive no matter what’, may prevent the body of the plane from crushing in order to save her own life. Kiritsugu must consider this as well – that would be the unpredictable worst result.

Natalia, who prioritizes her life above all else, must choose this outcome without hesitation after weighing out the risks.

Land the airliner filled with 300 Ghouls at the airport and release these hungry dead – she would definitely choose this method if there were no other choices. Kiritsugu had already made the preparations to deal with this 10000-to-1 possibility precisely because Kiritsugu knew her too well.

In order to prevent the disaster from expanding further, the A300 must not be allowed to land.

That is the unswayable truth regardless of Natalia’s welfare.

Kiritsugu had been around almost half of New York an hour ago and finally brought a military surface-to-air portable missile launcher from the black market.

Right now, Kiritsugu was standing in a motor boat floating on the sea, waiting for Natalia’s plane to appear in his sight. The giant airline needs to circle a while before landing at the New York International Airport; Kiritsugu’s current position can roughly get the plane into the range of his missile.

While he was purchasing the weapon and choosing the spot to fire, Kiritsugu once again doubted the construction of his own mentality.

Viewing from the perspective of avoiding a larger tragedy, it is a correct response for him to calmly face Natalia’s death.

However, what is he who gives up on the final ‘miracle’ that would make the woman he loves survive, and instead kill her with his own hands?

It would be good if everything was only an assumption, but right now Emiya Kiritsugu was facing the cruel truth. Soon, he would erase Natalia by his own hands. Now, A300 had appeared at the sky at the break of dawn with sparkling silver wings.

“… Perhaps I, have really lost it.”

Natalia still believed without a doubt that Kiritsugu, on the other side of the radio, was in a hotel in New York, so she said leisurely with no caution.

“Maybe I would never end up saying those things if such a big mistake didn’t occur. It seems my time is up, too. Should I be retiring…”

“– If you retire, then what do you plan on doing after?”

Kiritsugu still faked an even voice. Meanwhile, his two hands have started to set the missile launcher onto his shoulder, and aimed the missile at the airliner.

“If I lose my job… haha, then I may really become your mother.”

Even with his eyes running full of tears, he was still able to accurately decide the distance to the target… it was within 1500 meters. A certain hit.

“You… really are my family.”

Kiritsugu said softly, then he released the missile.

In the few seconds that the missile had to be manually directed and Kiritsugu had to keep the aim on the airliner that Natalia was on, all his memories about her resurfaced in Kiritsugu’s mind.

But that torture did not last long. Soon the missile locked onto the heat radiation the giant commercial airliner emitted out. The missile left Kiritsugu’s control, and rushed mercilessly towards the target like a hungry shark.

The missile hit squarely on the gas tank beneath the wings; Kiritsugu watched the plane tilt and fall downwards.

The collapse afterwards was like a sand picture blown apart by a stormy wind – the masses of iron that lost its thrust was dismembered like rotten wood, and became a cloud of fine dust that silently fell onto the surface of the sea. The carcass of the plane that fell in the rising morning glow danced like confetti at a gala.

The first sliver of the dawn’s light that shone out from the other side of the horizon didn’t touch Natalia’s face even at the end. Basked in the morning sun all alone, Emiya Kiritsugu started crying soundlessly.

Once again, he had saved a crowd of unknown faces. Without anyone knowing.

''Did you see that, Shirley?

I have killed again this time. Killed as when I killed my father. I would never make the same mistake that I made with you back then. I, wanted to save more people…''

If Kiritsugu’s actions and intentions were known by others, would they thank Kiritsugu? Would the passengers at the airport who were spared of death under the threat of the Ghouls praise Kiritsugu as a hero?

“Don’t kid me…Don’t kid me! Bastard!”

Grasping tightly the missile launcher that was starting to wear off the remaining heat, Kiritsugu roared towards the brightening sky.

He didn’t want prestige or gratitude. He just wanted to see Natalia’s face once again. He just wanted to call her “Mom” face to face.

This isn’t the conclusion he wanted. This is only the correct decision, with no other choice and no space for dispute. Kiritsugu’s decision was ‘correct’. He erased the person who must die and saved those with no reason to die. If this isn’t ‘justice’, then what would it be?

It can’t come back anymore. He remembered that distant face so long ago that asked him “What kind of a man would you like to become?” with a gentle look under the blinding morning sun.

At that time, Kiritsugu should have answered – If he has the power to freely change the world, if miracles would dwell in his hands; ‘I want to be a hero of justice!’.

The Kiritsugu back then still didn’t know what this scale named ‘justice’ would rob away, and what it would bring him.

‘Justice’ took away his father, and now it also took his mother. All it left was the sensation of blood in his hands. Even his right to remember them was also stripped away.

The people he loved. Their voices, their faces; none of them can come back. Instead, they will appear again and again in Kiritsugu’s nightmares. They would probably never forgive Kiritsugu, who took their lives away with his own hands.

That is the choice of ’justice’. The price of pursuing his ideal.

Now, Kiritsugu can no longer turn back. What he seeks will disappear with even a single moment of hesitation or uncertainty. If so, then all the prices he had paid, and all the sacrifices, would become worthless.

Surely he would follow the ideal in his heart and reach for its fulfilment while he cursed and hated at the same time?

Kiritsugu vowed silently in his heart.

He will accept that curse. He will accept this anger. At the same time, he prays that some day he will drain all his tears and reach that far distant and serene utopia.

If the cruelty that his hands carry is the limit for humans.

Then let he himself wipe away all the tears in the world.

That was the last day of Kiritsugu’s youth –

As he determinedly stepped towards that thorny and uneven path.

<noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[Fate/Zero:Volume_3_Postface|Volume 3 Postface]]
| Return to [[Fate/Zero|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Fate/Zero:Act_13_Part_1|Act 13, Part 1]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Fate/Zero:Act 10 Part 2

2011-06-05T01:47:47Z

67.189.249.209: /* -86:30:16 */

=== -86:30:16 ===
Archer looked down towards the distant, waveborne battle of Heroic Spirits from high in the air.

"What a disgraceful sight..."

The King of Heroes rode upon a shining bright ‘ark’ made of gold and emerald, 500 meters above the ground.

Gate of Babylon – the treasury of Gilgamesh, the primeval hero who once owned all of the treasures in the world, stored within it the original forms of many treasures that were praised by the legends and myths of latter men.

The golden ark that he is using to float in the air is also one of those 'divine secret treasures'. Indeed, this is the flying contraption that was passed from Babylon to India and recorded in the two epic sagas Ramayana and Mahabharata as the "Vimana".

"Although they’re mongrels, they are famous warriors at the very least... I wouldn’t have thought that they’ve fallen as low as joining together to finish that filthy thing. There should be a limit to deplorability. Don’t you think so, Tokiomi?"

In contrast with the languid and heedless Archer, Tōsaka Tokiomi, who was permitted to share a seat on the ark, had a heart full of anger and anxiety.

For the most part, magecraft has to be used in secret – it was indeed due to the need to obey this basic principle that the Tōsaka lineage was appointed this land's [[Fate/Zero:Translator's Notes#Second Owner|Second Owner]] by the Association. Caster's rampage not only threatens the progress of the Holy Grail War, it wholly tramples over even Tokiomi’s own prestige.

It would be a horrid tragedy if the liberated beast were to go mad again. If that happens, then the problem would no longer be a simple matter of finishing Caster's bounty, or properly conducting the Heaven’s Feel. Right now, this monster must be eliminated as soon as possible. The dignity of the Tōsaka name would be at stake if the number of witnesses increased.

"O King, that monster is an evil creature laying waste to your garden. A sinner that deserves death by any means!"

"That’s the work of the gardener."

Archer immediately rebuked Tokiomi’s request.

"Could it be, Tokiomi, that you regard this great treasure of mine as a gardener's hoe?"

"That is not what I meant! But as you can see – they won't be able to hold on much longer."

In truth, it is evident that the battle is progressing towards despair.

Although Saber and Rider’s blades continued to slash the sea demon’s gigantic body with no respite, it showed no signs of being wounded.

Of course, it wasn’t that the Servants were holding back. The unyielding sword that clove rocks and the iron hooves that brought forth roaring thunder; they ruthlessly carved out the sea demon’s flesh, scattering them about in waves of blood and decay. However, the shredded wounds would be filled up by new flesh in the blink of an eye.

The demonic monsters that Caster summoned and commanded previously also had physical regeneration abilities, so it was not surprising. However, the giant sea demon this time was indeed enormous in size. It was as if they were digging a hole in a marsh; the damage of the two Servants combined cannot keep pace with the monster's regeneration.

Even the utmost effort and combined attacks of the King of Knights and King of Conquerors could only slow down the sea demon's progress towards the river bank by a little.

"This is a great opportunity to display the majesty of a true hero. Please, give the command!"

The King of Heroes gave Tokiomi a glance of displeasure. Then he swung his right hand, which was propping up his chin on the edge of the ship. Four swords and spears appeared in the air next to him. The shining primeval Noble Phantasms unleashed a thunderous roar, and flew to impale the filthy mountain of meat that wriggled down below.

Saber and Rider reacted immediately and jumped away to avoid being caught in the attack, but Caster’s sea monster was in no ways so agile. The four Noble Phantasms hit it head on. Their power, enough to split mountains, blew one-third of the giant beast’s body into nothingness.

It was an unprecedentedly mighty impact, but Caster laughed out loud with an even more piercing sound.

"How can it be...?"

Tokiomi was dumbfounded. Beneath him, the wriggling meat mountain swelled up like a balloon, and repaired the damaged parts as he watched.

The physical structure of the giant meat lump was perhaps as simple as an amoeba. It has no bones or organs, and thus no weaknesses. Its movement won’t be impaired no matter which body part is destroyed, and it will speedily restore the destroyed parts relying on its mighty regeneration ability.

" – We're leaving, Tokiomi. I can’t watch that filthy thing a second longer."

Archer spat out while his crimson irises expressed his revulsion.

"But... please wait, King of Heroes!"

"Tokiomi, I used four Noble Phantasms for your honor. I don’t want to take them back now that they’ve been touched and stained by that thing. Don’t take my leniency so cheaply."

"You are the only one who can defeat that monster!"

Tokiomi desperately persisted. As it had progressed into such a situation, he had no time to think about the prudence a liege should have.

"With a regeneration ability of this level, we can only destroy it entirely with one blow. The only one who can do this is you, the King of Heroes, and the Sword of Rupture – "

"Fool!"

This time it was Archer who raged, his pupils a burning crimson.

"Draw my greatest treasure, Ea, here? You are senseless, Tokiomi! I should take your head for speaking such rash words to the King!"

"..."

Tokiomi lowered his gaze, grinding his teeth, and stayed silent.

Indeed, it is impossible. With Gilgamesh's pride, he would only draw his his trump card, his cherished blade, when facing an opponent whom he recognizes as 'fitting.'

However, there was no other way to completely destroy Caster’s sea demon. That was also the truth.

He was forcibly reminded of the Command Seals on his right hand. Even if he uses one here, he can obtain another one from the Holy Church as the reward for defeating Caster. However – this kind of choice would definitely cause the relationship between the King of Heroes and himself to shatter.

Since that’s the case, he could only place his hope on other Servants.

...And if Caster is successfully destroyed by the other Servants, Masters other than Tokiomi would gain the additional Command Seals held by Father Risei.

The constrained anger caused Tokiomi to clutch his hands into fists. His nails dug into his palm.

Why did things progress toward such an unexpected direction? It was supposed to be a perfectly planned and prepared Heaven’s Feel, so how did it turn into such a mad and chaotic situation?

At that moment, a thunderous sound tore apart the sky. Tokiomi lifted his head stiffly.

The lightless thunder could only be the residual noise of a sonic boom. The paired lights that flew across the night sky, north to south, were the identification lights of jet-propelled fighter aircraft.

"Damn it..."

The situation was deteriorating rapidly with every passing moment. For Tōsaka Tokiomi, the Second Owner of Fuyuki, there was nothing he could do except to look on.

<center>X X</center>

The strange scene spread below them shocked the two Eagles speechless.

"... What, is that...?"

Captain Ōgi raked his brain and considered the possibility that his eyes were playing tricks on him. Beyond that, he was doubting even his own sanity.

"And there's some strange lights at six o’clock. It's not a helicopter... is it a UFO or something?"

The stunned voice of his wingman, 2nd Lieutenant Kobayashi, coming through the wireless made the situation clear. This wasn’t an illusion that only Captain Ōgi could see.

"Control to Diablo I. Situation report."

"The situation – it's, uh – "

How can he explain this?

Disaster? Unknown craft? Airspace intrusion?

Monster – no, that can’t be considered. There isn't a codeword for that.

In order to explain this, it must be built upon the foundation of current knowledge. However, such knowledge far surpassed Captain Ōgi's capacity of thought.

"I’ll go a bit lower to look at it closely."

"Wait – Kobayashi, hold it!"

A nameless evil chill descended upon his back; Captain Ōgi reflexively tried to stop his wingman. However, Kobayashi's F15 had moved from circling to actual descent.

"Pull back! Diablo II!"

"If we observe it a bit closer, then we can know – "

At this moment, the two fighter jets were no longer onlookers.

The opponent wasn’t a modern weapon like anti-aircraft artillery or missiles, so Lieutenant Kobayashi had no way to estimate the range of the enemy’s attacks. And first of all, it would be impossible to react to tentacles that can stretch over 100 meters in the blink of an eye.

He couldn’t figure out what was happening even after the he lost control of the stick. It was as if he smacked into an invisible wall and spiralled into a fall. All he could do was scream.

Although he died this way, it may still be somewhat fortunate compared to what Captain Ōgi was seeing.

Numerous thick and robust web-like extensions stretched out from the surface of the meat lump on the river and entangled Kobayashi's craft, forcibly dragging the plane down despite the turbofan engine's thrust. Such a scene can only be called a nightmare.

The plane didn’t explode when it smashed into the meat lump. The F15, reduced into scrap iron, sank deeply into the gigantic primeval creature and was swallowed with not a single fragment left.

"Kobayashi – "

Having witnessed everything, Captain Ōgi's mind had gone over the ultimate limit of thought and comprehension, and was left solely with a perception alien to common sense.

Aah, it – was swallowed.

"Control to Diablo I. What's going on?! Report!"

"Eyes, it has eyes, so many eyes..."

Despite the thick mist Captain Ōgi still saw, very clearly, those wart-like eyes that emerged on the surface of the meat lump, which all opened at the same time and stared at the prey in the air above them.

Captain Ōgi could feel that ‘gaze’ even in the airtight cockpit.

That was it. That thing was unimaginably hungry. It focused on the next prey after it swallowed Diablo II, and kept a death glare on it...

However, overwhelming horror instead exploded into violent anger.

" – Diablo I, engaging!"

"W-wait, Ōgi! Just what is – "

He forcibly turned off the noisy radio communication and disengaged all safeties. 4 AIM-7F/M Sparrows. 4 AIM-9 Sidewinders. 940 rounds for the M61 Vulcan. All in premium condition.

Kill it before he gets swallowed.

Ōgi's lips twisted with mad laughter, having lost all normal capacities of thought. At the control column of a F15, the most powerful fighter jet in the world, he was the true God of Death.

Must avenge Kobayashi... rip that thing to shreds, then burn it to ashes.

He turned the plane around, locking onto the target with the HUD reticle. He would never miss with such a giant enemy. A saturation run, firing all weapons at once –

Powerful tremors rocked the plane’s body.

Right behind him – Ōgi battle instincts, pushed to the limit, told him this. However, judging from its results, his sudden turn to look behind him delivered the final blow to his already half-shattered consciousness.

An inky-black figure suddenly appeared on the other side of the canopy, fully exposed to the subsonic convection currents at the back of the plane. Behind his obscuring helmet, his gleaming eyes emanated blazing fire, and his gaze harbored endless hatred and madness as he stared intently into the cockpit.

In the sealed, radio-silent iron coffin, Captain Ōgi gave a final hoarse scream that reached no one.

<center>X X</center>

"That's..."

Tōsaka Tokiomi, his sight reinforced with magecraft, watched the F15 streaking through the air.

The shadow that suddenly appeared on the back of the plane, armored in dully shimmering titanium... only a Servant is capable of something like that. Judging from its appearance, it must be the Berserker mentioned in Kirei's reports.

The blackness on the armor corrupted the fighter jet's outer shell drop by drop as if it was ink.

Indeed, it was Berserker's special ability that once robbed Archer's Noble Phantasms away and transformed even scrap iron into demonic swords and spears ― perhaps that power allows him to use anything and everything that can be remotely conceptualized as a 'weapon'?

The black prana again corroded the sonic silver wings, and even that epitome of modern science was instantly changed it into a monstrous form.

"■■■■■■■〓〓〓〓■■!"

The twenty-meter-long craft having completely fallen under his control, the black knight lightly gripped its back like a dragon rider of legend. His howl, full of vengeance, reverberated through the night sky.

Tokiomi had already been informed by Kirei about the primary targets of Berserker and its Master.

Unexpectedly, the fiendish steel bird, now completely corroded by the pitch-black prana, turned its nose and charged directly towards Archer's airborne Vimana.

"Oho, is it that mad dog again...? Interesting."

Different from the initial battle at the warehouse district, Archer smiled wickedly and rose to Berserker's challenge. Tokiomi had no idea about what may have changed the King of Heroes' thoughts, and he didn't want to ponder about it either.

After all, Tokiomi had already vowed in the past to defeat that enemy with his own hands. He wasn't put off with doing it himself as the other man was an opponent who had more or less troubled him personally.

Standing at the edge of the ark, Tokiomi looked towards the highest vantage point in the area, which would be the ideal spot to spy upon Tokiomi's group ― as expected, on the high-rise apartment complex where he locked his gaze, the opponent he wished for appeared.

That man stood there, this time with no intention of concealing himself.

The left side of his face was like a corpse, distorted and stiff with pain. His right eye was like a devil's, burning with the flames of hatred.

His eyes crossed with Tokiomi's and wordlessly declared battle.

"O' King, let me be the Master's opponent."

"Very well. You can have your fun."

The Vimana glided through the air and brought Tokiomi right above his target. It would be approximately an eighty meter descent. For a magus, such a distance is nothing to be afraid of.

"The fortunes of war upon us."

Tokiomi took his staff Mystic Code, smoothed the edge of his overcoat, and fearlessly leapt down from the sky.

Alone on the Vimana, Archer gazed at the pursuing steel shadow, his eyes burning with a sadistic light.

"A despicable and lowly dog only fit to prostrate on the ground now soaring into the heavens where kings dance... Even as a jester you are beyond help, mongrel!"

He unleashed Gate of Babylon, throwing out a continuous attack of six Noble Phantasms. Sparking with blinding brilliance, spears and blades charged to meet Berserker like comets, trailed by light.

The twin turbofan engine, receiving Berserker's alien power, gave off a monstrous roar. The black F15 used its acceleration to exponentially increase its relative velocity, breaking through a gap in the tightly-knit screen of Noble Phantasms.

However, Archer's Noble Phantasms did not lose their lethality simply because they were avoided. Three out of the six - an axe, a scythe, and a scimitar - immediately spun, changing direction and closing in on the F15's tail.

Just as they were about to hit, the black F15 writhed its ailerons and flaps like a living creature, escaping the blade edges of Archer's Noble Phantasms with aerodynamically impossible abruptness. With a second, then a third barrel roll, the barrage of Noble Phantasms scattered away into the sky. The intense G's of the first spin was enough to instantly kill Captain Ōgi in the cockpit, rupturing his internal organs; but of course, this was just a trifle for Berserker.

As soon as it dodged all the attacks, the F15 forcibly performed an [[Fate/Zero:Translator's Notes#Immelmann Turn|Immelmann Turn]] and aimed its nose towards Archer, the pylons under its wings sputtering the flames of rocket motors. Two Sparrow missiles attacked Archer's Vimana with vengeance.

Although ordinary weapons would be useless in a battle of Servants, the weapons that Berserker corroded were of a different caliber. Carrying the prana of hatred, every single shot of the twenty-six-pound explosives had an annihilating might.

"How impertinent..."

Archer boldly smiled and placed his hand on the Vimana's helm. Immediately, the ark of light accelerated and evaded the missiles' attack with an elegance that Berserker's brute force control can never compare with. The legendary flying Noble Phantasm, crossing the sky at the speed of thought, has already surpassed the laws of physics.

"〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓!!"

The mad black knight roared. As if echoing his malicious call, the front stabilizers of the two Sparrows suddenly twisted and once again they bared their fangs towards the Vimana which had evaded the first attack. Even the electronic radar-guided missiles have been transformed into magic weapons that chased the subject of Berserker's hatred like hounds.

However, Archer sneered at the incoming threat, deploying Gate of Babylon once again. He took out two shields and stood them in the sky, striking down the cursed missiles. With the ark shaking with the impact of the explosion, the red eyes of the King of Heroes were gradually stained with a shade of fanaticism.

"Interesting... I haven't played like this for a long time. Even a mere wild beast can make me so pleased!"

Archer's laughter raised as the Vimana's altitude sharply increased. Berserker's F15 once again gave pursuit, clawing at its back. The two instantly broke through the sound barrier, falling up through the sea of clouds in the night sky, climbing ever higher as the dogfight continued.

<center>X X</center>

The thick evening mist enveloped the icy air as Tōsaka Tokiomi descended from the sky.

For a proficient magus, a controlled descent through manipulating mass and air currents is nothing too difficult. Or perhaps it should be said that the degree of proficiency is determined by the elegance of its execution.

Maintaining an absolutely vertical and straight path, landing as lightly as feather with his clothes and hair completely unruffled － an ordinary magus would definitely give a heartfelt praise upon seeing such an exemplary and skilled move like Tokiomi's.

But Matō Kariya had already transformed into something else. There were absolutely no respect or admiration towards magecraft in his heart.

Respect had turned into hatred, admiration had turned into anger. For Kariya, whose body was twisted into a thing ugly beyond comparison, Tokiomi's elegance and flamboyance deserve to be cursed.

You bastard － you are always like this no matter what.

His speech, his manners, and that royal disposition - this man has been 'perfect' ever since the day he appeared before Aoi and Kariya. That elegance and ease had always made Kariya feel the difference in their 'ranks'.

However, that will end tonight.

Elegance, something that this man paid the most attention to, is nothing on the battlefield where every man slaughtered one other. Now, right here, the Tōsaka family creed that was held in such pride will be dragged through the mud, destroyed...

Berserker, already in battle, began to mercilessly wring Kariya out of his prana. The agonizing pain caused by the maddening activity of the crest worms inside him was as if his hands and feet were being slashed by razors. His bones were rent, his eyes blurred.

However, such a pain is nothing when compared to the hatred that tore and gnawed at Kariya's heart.

" － It looks like you've changed, Matō Kariya."

Sharp, narrowing eyes that looked as though they were pitying; Tōsaka Tokiomi's showed his ease before battle and deliberately taunted Kariya.

"Discarding the way of magecraft, yet still longing after the Holy Grail and even returning to it in a form like this... Your shameful sight alone would be enough to cause slander of degradation of the Matō family."

Kariya replied with a mocking laugh. The sound that emerged from his mouth sounded like the chirping of insects even to himself.

"Tōsaka Tokiomi, I'll only ask you one thing... Why did you hand Sakura to Zōken?"

"...What?"

Tokiomi furrowed his brows when he heard this completely unexpected question.

"Is this a question you should care about at this time?"

"Answer me, Tokiomi!"

Tokiomi sighed, and said to the agitated Kariya.

" － You should know it without needing to ask. I only want my beloved daughter to have a happy future."

"What... did you, say?"

Upon receiving this incomprehensible reply, Kariya's brain momentarily blanked out. While Kariya froze, Tokiomi continued with an indifferent tone.

"Any magus with a second child would be troubled – the secret craft can only be passed on to one of them. This is a dilemma where one of the children must fall into mediocrity."

Mediocrity －

That word echoed in Kariya's empty mind. Sakura, who has lost her smile, and the image of Rin playing with Aoi... Tokiomi's words mixed into his few happy memories.

The image of the mother and her daughters from so long ago － did this man cleave it apart and discarded it just with the word 'mediocrity'?

"This is especially so since my wife is very outstanding as a mothering body. Both Rin and Sakura are born with equal and rare natural talents. Both daughters must have the protection of a house of magi.

Robbing away one's potential for the other's future － no father would hope for such a tragedy to occur."

Kariya couldn't understand the reasons flowing out of Tokiomi － no, he didn't want to understand. He felt that he was going to start throwing up on the spot if he understood just a small part of this magus' philosophy.

"The only thing to do in order to preserve both sisters' talents is to give one away for adoption. Old man Matō's request was a godsend. As a house that knows of the Holy Grail's existence, the possibility of reaching 'Akasha' is even higher. Even if I can't complete it, there's still Rin, and if Rin fails there's still Sakura; someone will always inherit the Tōsaka family's wish."

"You bastard..."

How can he speak of such a despairing truth with a still expression?

If they both walk the road leading to 'Akasha', then －

"...You want them to fight each other? Sister against sister?!"

Faced with Kariya's accusation, Tokiomi gave an unbidden laugh and nodded with a cold expression.

"Even if such a situation is to result, it is still happiness to the remnants of my house. If we succeed, the glory will be in our own hands; even if we fail, the glory will belong to our ancestral name. There is no such thing as a confrontation without sorrow."

"You're insane!"

Faced with Kariya, who was gritting his teeth, Tokiomi merely gave a cold glance and called out mockingly.

"It's a waste to tell you anyways. You are someone who doesn't understand the nobility of the way of magecraft at all, and had left the way and betrayed the art."

"Bullshit!"

Hatred and anger, surpassing their uttermost limit, stimulated the crest worms within Kariya into life. An evil chill and agonizing pain passed through his entire body. Even so, it is a blessing for the current Kariya.

Erode me, devour my body. Let all the prana created thus become a curse for my nemesis...

Worms slithered out from the shadows around them like galloping waves and gathered to one place. These are disgusting crawling worms that looked like maggots and have the size of mice. All of these were the fangs Kariya acquired from Matō Zōken before Kariya became a Master － weapons to deal with battles outside the laws of the ordinary world.

"I won't forgive any of you... you disgusting magi...!

I'll kill you! And Zōken! Kill until none of you are left!!"

The worms that took in Kariya's hatred twitched and twisted together in agony. Soon shimmering, steely shells and wings emerged from cracks straight down their backs.

One by one － the slithering worms metamorphosed into giant beetles, which buzzed as they spread their wings and formed battalions as they flew around Kariya. A giant group amassed in the blink of an eye. These 'blade wing worms' adjusted into battle formation as they grinded their sharp jaws threateningly and ferociously. As a worm-user, this is Matō Kariya's deadliest hand.

Tōsaka Tokiomi's expression was still impassive, faced with a mass of carnivorous worms that could devour a bull and crush even its bones in an instant.

His level as a magus was far above Kariya, after all. Therefore, the suicidal secret craft that Kariya released was neither awe-inspiring nor frightening for Tokiomi. He could even spite this mockery of fate with ease in this battle to decide the victor between two former rival suitors.
[[Image:FZ_v03_123.png|200px|thumb|]]
" － From the moment a magus is born, he is someone that has 'power'. And some day, he will achieve a 'greater power'. This responsibility was already flowing in his 'blood' before he realized this destiny. That is what it means to be born into this world as the child of a magus."

Tokiomi said coldly as he lifted his Mystic Code and unleashed the craft of fire from the giant ruby embedded into its head.

The defensive form that traced the Tōsaka family crest in the air turned into crimson flames and burned the night air. This is an aggressive defense that will burn everything it touches to ashes; even to him, it feels childish to use this against a complete novice of an enemy, but he had no intention of holding back.

After all －

"The Matō magecraft was passed into Sakura's hands because you refused to inherit the family headship. I have to thank you on that point... however, I would never forgive a man like you.

Escaping from the responsibility of your blood is a weakness, a vile behavior which can never be overlooked. Matō Kariya is a disgrace of the way of magecraft. Since we have met once again, I will have to exterminate you."

"Enough nonsense... you inhuman bastard..."

"You're wrong. Being responsible for yourself is the first requirement of being human. If you can't even do this, then you are only fit to be a dog, Kariya."

"O' worms, devour him, tear him apart!"

The dancing, scorching flames confronted the howling hive of insects.

The third deathmatch of the night had begun.

<noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[Fate/Zero:Act_10_Part_1|Act 10, Part 1]]
| Return to [[Fate/Zero|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Fate/Zero:Act_10_Part_3|Act 10, Part 3]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Fate/Zero:Act 10 Part 1

2011-06-04T21:23:24Z

67.189.249.209: /* -84:34:58 */

[[Image:FZ_v03_081.png|thumb|Act 10]]

=== -84:34:58 ===



No matter what, the ones who perceived the presence of the strange sorcery weren't Waver and Rider alone.

The spell-like waves emitted from the surrounding of Mion River were close to the multiple aria of the ritual magecraft class, something which could not be activated without at least 10 people. Certainly, every magus in Fuyuki city―namely, all the masters participating in the Holy Grail War, would have sensed that at once.

Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri who had newly acquired the rights to be a Master, and Lancer, were at that moment, looking for their enemy from a high place in Shinto best suited for a broad view, which was the rooftop of the under construction Fuyuki Centre building. Tonight, mist of a somewhat strange amount seethed from the Mion River, causing their field of vision to thin extremely. With the eyesight of human beings, only the blur figure of the illuminated Fuyuki bridge could be seen.

“―Can you see what's going on? Lancer.”

At Sola's question, Lancer who was looking through the mist with his super eyesight as a Servant, nodded.


“It really is Caster. Looks like something has set up a camp at the center of the river. As for the details, I'm afraid I can't see it.”

As usual, completely lacking any notion to conceal himself, it was the improper defencelessness as a magus. Caster was simultaneously turned into the target by many other Servants due to the supervisor's arrangement, and yet he was still not aware of it yet?

“If we want to bring him down, now's the best chance right?”

“Yes. Whatever he is doing, before he delivers his result, it would be wise to kill him first.”

Naturally, that was not all―Looking down at the Command Seals engraved on the back of her hand, which she had plundered from her fiance, Kayneth El-Melloi, she thought. ''I'm sure other Masters would have sensed Caster's appearance. If I'm aiming for the reward from the supervisor, the supplementary Command Seals, I have to go ahead of the other rivals and defeat Caster immediately.''

If they managed to seize Caster's head successfully, these Command Seals which lacked a stroke due to Kayneth's idiocy, would be complete again. Three strokes of Command Seals, the originally ideal form―Her flawless bond with heroic spirit Diarmuid would be regained back. By merely thinking of that, Sola could not suppress her violently throbbing heart.

“I will go out and attack. Sola-sama, please stay here and observe my fighting.”


“No way! Now I am a Master. I'll back you up from your side.”

At those pleading-like eyes, Lancer shook his head determinedly.

“That cannot be done. With all due respect, my lady does not have the battle knowledge like Kayneth-dono does. That riverbank will become a place of death. Even for me, a battle in which I would have to protect my lady, whose defence cannot match up; is almost impossible. Please, please understand.”

“But......”

Although she was told that, for Sola right now, merely parting from Lancer's side for a short while was a hardship beyond forlornness.

“Or else―Sola-sama, do you suspect dullness in my spear point? That I am fooling about in this selfish fight?”

At Lancer who had narrowed his eyes and asked her that, Sola shook her head hastily. Adding to the humiliation Kayneth “bestowed” towards Lancer was out of the question. By all means, Sola had to make Lancer who still swore allegiance to Kayneth, to understand that Sola was the Master truly worthy of his loyalty.

“Lancer, I will leave the judgments at the battlefield to you. Please fight this battle freely, without any regret.”

“I am indebted to you.”


After lowering his head quietly, Lancer kicked hard at his steel-framed foothold, and leaped towards the light at the street under his eyes.

Looking at the back of that Servant who leaped from one roof to another on the close-up buildings, earnestly focused on the river, Sola saw him off with bitter, painful feelings.

Ever since substituting Kayneth as Master―that heroic spirit had never smiled at her; not even once.

From the base Kiritsugu prepared to Mion River which was the source of the abnormal magecraft, Saber needed just a few more minutes to cover that distance with the Mercedes she was driving.

Logically thinking, since the streets of Miyama town were narrow and complicated, the time required would easily exceed 30 minutes. Nevertheless, the Riding skill of this Servant achieved the miracle of overthrowing this reasoning. The speed of the silver automobile which rushed through the narrow lanes and curves with bumps and close-shaves, had already achieved the preposterousness of making one doubt even the laws of nature.

Springing off from the road onto the path along the riverside, the automobile stopped after it landed with an elegant spin turn. Without waiting even for the car wing door to open, Saber leaped out, and ran up the bank. The fog was thick enough to block the vision of ordinary humans, but it did not block Servants' eyesight.


Sure enough, her bitter enemy was right in front of her, calmly standing still at the center of the river, which was 200 meters wide. Alighting from the passenger seat onto the top of the bank, Irisviel ascertained the figure in the mist with her magecraft-strengthened eyesight, and frowned with an irritated-looking expression.

“Just as I thought, it's Caster.”

Saber nodded, and observed the enemy Servant painstakingly. Alone and not accompanied by his Master as usual, he was standing straight on the sandbar-less river center, as if standing on the water surface. Upon a close look, the thing which was turning into his foothold, was grotesque shadows gathering beneath the water surface. Looks like the swarm of creatures she battled at the forest the other day, had gathered under Caster's feet, forming a “sandbar”.

From the abnormal emission of prana. there was doubt that Caster was performing some sort of large-scale magecraft. The outset of this strange fog which centered about the river, was probably an aftermath due to this as well. Not showing even the expression of him focusing on his incantations, he was merely standing relaxingly― The vortex of raging prana overflowed from the grimoire in his hands, distorting even the space around it.

An extraordinary prana kiln, a Noble Phantasm which compiles the monologic procedures......Falling into the hands of a lunatic, there were no weapons as dangerous as this.


“Welcome, holy maiden. It is my utmost delight to be able to meet you again.”

At Caster who gave a bow in his usual courteous way, Saber's eyes flared with anger.

“You're incorrigible......Heretic, what's your plan tonight!!”

“I'm very sorry, Jeanne. This evening, the guest of honor is not my lady.”

His face twisted with a sinister laughter which could make one shiver. Although he would reveal a madness which did not exist before, Caster responded.

“―In spite of that, to be honored by my lady's presence again is a supreme joy to me. Please enjoy to the fullest, the banquet of death and degeneration this unworthy Gilles de Rais prepared.”

Under the feet of Caster's who was laughing out loud, the dark surface started shaking. The countless creatures which had gathered under the summoner's feet, protruded their innumerable tentacles simultaneously―weren't they swallowing down Caster who was standing on their heads, receiving them?

At the first look, Caster appeared to have been assaulted by the familiars which had betrayed him. However, with his entire body covered by the tentacles, Caster proudly raised the voice of his mad, ringing laughter further up a tone, which was already similar to a strange shriek.


“Now, once again we'll wave the salvation flag! It's good that the abandoned had gathered. Great that the condemned had gathered as well. I am the leader! I am the commander! The resentments towards us, the oppressed ones, surely would have reached even “God”! Oooh the Lord of heavens! I receive the condemnation and offer up my body!!”

The bubbling surface swelled up, and pushed up Caster who was still being swallowed by the tentacles. Before one knows, the number of the creatures becoming his foothold increased. If one considers the depth of the river, that number was already more terrifying than imagined.

“Caster is......being absorbed??”

In front of the eyes of the horrified Saber, the amount of creatures crowding at the summoner's body itself kept swelling. The summons of {{H:title|The Text of the Spiralled Sunken Citadel|Prelati’s Spellbook}} had to be of an inexhaustible supply. The countless tentacles entwined among each other and fused together, and was already becoming a lump of meat.

The glittering, filthy mucus which could make one nauseous, was pretty much a sandbar of meat; an island of meat. Yet, as if that was still not enough, the assembly of creatures swelled continuously.

Even Caster's figure had disappeared. Only his voice reverberated like the cry of victory.

“O you proud “God”! O you cruel “God”! We'll drag you down from your heavenly seat! O Lamb loved by God! O humans who take after the image of God! At this very moment, scorn, insult, rip apart to your heart's content! We will ride on the guffaws of the rebels, to the lamentations and shrieks of God's children, and strike the gates of heaven!”


The dirty lump of meat had already swelled to the size of a sphere. No, maybe this is the real form of the diabolic underworld. All the familiars Caster had employed until today had to be but the bits and pieces of ''this''; small fries which would not exceed ''this''.

“That is......”

A grotesque shadow rising with darkness as its background. At that disgusting and yet overwhelming majesty, Saber held her breath.

Even the champions of the deep seas- whales and giant squids, could not boast of such large size. A nightmare which governs the ocean in the realm that is outside this world. Without a doubt, that aquatic giant fits the name of a “sea demon”.

It was fortunate that no one was standing with Irisviel at the river bank, but at the other shore of the river, residences had already turned their lights on. In spite the fact that it was late at night, the mad sounds would be transported by the wind there. Naturally, such an obvious mystery would be exposed to the eyes of the public. At the very least, due to the thick night fog which shrouded visions, those able to witness the monster would be limited. The residents' panic would be confined into a restricted area.

In any case, the unspoken agreement that the Holy Grail war should be conducted in secret, was completely violated.

“I have underestimated this fellow......Summoning such a monster!”

“No, no matter how strong a Servant is, the “form” of the familiar they can summon and use should be limited. However, if we were to ignore “using”, there should be no limit to it...”

The supposedly stout-hearted Irisviel revealed her awe through her voice this time.


“Neglecting the controls after the summoning, if it is just “inviting”......no matter how powerful the monsters are, logically, it is still possible. As long as he has the prana and technique to just open the door.”

“......That monster is not under Caster's control?”

“No doubt about it.”

Irisviel's state of being shaken was probably because of the terror she was able to comprehend as a magus. Nevertheless, Saber did not have any pains at grasping the gravity of the situation.

“Magecraft is “the art of flipping through evil”. But ''THAT'' is a genuine “evil” which does not apply to the reasoning of those minions. The incarnation of something which have the craving desire of endlessly devouring with thorough greediness. To summon such a thing; that act itself is neither an “art” nor anything else!”

Whilst tightening her fists in anger, Saber considered the magus' madness.

“Well then, that creature is not challenging anyone to a fight.....?”

“That's right. It was just invited to eat. A city like this takes only a few hours to be completely consumed.”

“―Tcth!”


Caster did not even have the recognition of what a battle or a victory is. That demented Servant probably planned to wreck the “Holy Grail War”- the conduct itself; and to send it back, idle. Together with all the lives in this city.

At familiar peals of thunder, Saber turned around. At the open space of the park where it was just the two of them, the shining chariot of god's authority had just landed. Holding the bridles, the gigantic Servant shot an insolent smile at the person ahead of him.

“Yo, King of Knights. What a fine night...is what I wanted to say, but looks like now's not the time for genteel greetings.”

“King of Conquerors......You're still incorrigible. Did you come again to make some jokes?”

As if evading Saber who alertly put herself on guard, Rider calmly raised his hands.

“C'mon, c'mon. Tonight's the only truce. If that HUGE FELLA is left alone, I can't do any killings in peace.

Since just now, I have been going around calling the other Servants. Lancer had agreed. He should have caught up by now.”

“......The other Servants?”

“I have squashed Assassin to death, and Berserker is out of the question. As for Archer...merely calling him is useless. He's the type which would respond to collusions.”


Saber nodded, and with a serious expression, hit her breastplate with her gauntlet hand.

“Understood. I have no objection to cooperating too. King of Conquerors, although it is just a brief alliance, let's swear our loyalty together.”

“Huhu, it's good that we have understanding when it comes to battles......Hmm? What's wrong? You Masters not happy?”

“............”

Naturally, it was not that they were unhappy. Irisviel was just somewhat daunted at Rider and Saber's practical-minded sportsmanship, having placed their past grudge on the shelves. As for Waver, he did not even try to hide his wariness, as he peeked timidly from the driver's seat of Rider's chariot, not trying to get down at all.

Be it killing the enemy, or forming alliances, for those who live in battlefields, they definitely have no space for personal feelings, and have to make cold-hearted judgements- both of them probably had the same perspective in this matter. This is the spirit which could not be shared had they not gone through similarly troubled times.

Nonetheless, whatever they were to disregard now, Caster's recklessness had to be stopped. If an oath is something good enough for trust, the most prudent decision now would be to join forces here.

“I don't mind. Einsbern accepts the truce. Rider's Master, is that okay with you?”

At Irisviel's call, Waver nodded reluctantly.


“......Einsbern, what's your plan? I heard from Lancer just now that this is not your first time fighting with Caster himself?”

Indeed. For Saber, this could be called the return match of that fight in their forest. They had barely managed to fight off Caster with Lancer's help, but having acquired incomparable battle powers, Caster had come to fight back. Nevertheless, this time Lancer was not here, and they had formed an alliance with Rider. From the way things are going, it was still not entirely gloomy.

“―Anyway, we have to defeat him swiftly. Right now that monster is probably still being maintained in this world by prana provision from Caster, but once THAT THING acquires independent provisions and starts supporting itself, things would get out of our hands. To stop Caster before that...”

Satisfied, Saber nodded.

“His grimoire right?”

The autonomic summon prana kiln, {{H:title|The Text of the Spiralled Sunken Citadel|Prelati’s Spellbook}}. That extraordinary Noble Phantasm was now buried with Caster's body inside the sea monster's heart.

“Indeed. We have to settle this before before that guy gets up the shore to ''begin his meal''. But...”

Frowning in displeasure, Rider gazed at that dark green giant which coiled round and round.

“Caster is at the depths of that massive meat. Well, what should we do?”

“Drag him out. Can't do anything else.”

At Rider's grumble, a new voice from the darkness behind responded. Under the street lights, the resplendent silhouette of the twin lances appeared. Slightly later than the chariot which dashes across the skies, it was Lancer. Finally, the three-Servant anti-Caster alliance had assembled.

“If he would just show his Noble Phantasm, I can destroy his technique with a blow from my{{H:title|Crimson Rose of Exorcism |Gáe Dearg}}......Naturally, I don't think that guy would easily allow that to happen.”

“Lancer, you can hit Caster's Noble Phantasm from the river side by hurling the lance?”

At Saber's question, Lancer laughed audaciously.

“If only he would just show ''that thing'', there won't be any trouble at all. You looking down on us lance-wielding heroic spirits?”

“Okay. So Rider and I will cover the forefront. Is that all right, King of Conquerors?”

“I don't mind, but......Even if my chariot doesn't need road to travel on, Saber, how do you plan to attack the enemy in the river?”

Being asked thus by Rider, this time it was Saber's turn to grin.

“This body of mine has received divine protection from the lady of the lake. Whatever the water is, there is nothing which can stop my advance.”

“Oh? That's something quite rare......I really want you to join my men.”

At Rider's self-centred comment, Saber whose beautiful eyebrows would usually ruffle, ignored him with a sharp glare instead.

“You will pay the price of that careless remark another time. Now, digging Caster out of the inside of the monster is the top priority.”


“Haha, aye! Well then, let me strike the first blow.” 

Together with his roar of laughter, Rider lashed at the oxen of his chariot, and dashed up to the empty sky with clapping thunders. Not caring at all about Waver's shrieks who apparently hadn't made the mental preparation, the King of Conquerors' galloping Noble Phantasm started the straight-on charge towards that gargantuan sea monster.

“Saber, good luck!”

Nodding at Irisviel who called out to her, the King of Knights leaped from the bank into the river again.

The shiny greaves hit the water surface, and silver splashes scattered in brilliance. But, the tips of her toes did not sink. With hardness identical to a ground, the water Saber stepped on accepted her sprint. It was just the miracle which could happen to the king due to the blessing of the spirit of the lake.

As she got closer, the figure of the sea monster grew all the more. As if bending over towards Saber, it overwhelmed her with its odious dignity.

Like a group of snakes, the curvy tentacles which extended all over freely, stretched out to intercept the approaching King of Knights. 

Nevertheless, neither its strangeness nor its odiousness could hinder her sprint. Right now, fear and impatience were the same in Saber's heart.


“Let's settle this, Caster!”

The beheading strike of the Barrier of the Wind King which was swung over her head with renewed fighting spirit, first hit the sea monster with a merciless stroke.

<center>X X</center>

Somewhere far away, within the thunderclouds of high altitudes at which not even birds fly, the voices of whispers being exchanged over digitally encrypted wireless radios could be heard.

''“Control to Diablo I, come in!”''

“This is Diablo I, loud and clear. Anything?”

''“Request from Fuyuki city police for disaster relief operation. Stop patrolling immediately, get there now.”''

“Disaster relief operation?” Hearing those words from the headphone, First Class Lieutenant Ōgi doubted his ears.

If it were helicopters or P3C, he could still understand. But a “disaster” which could call back an F15 fighter from its maritime border patrol, what on earth could it be?


“Control, clarifying order contents. What happened?”

At the other side of the wireless radio, there was a brief, awkward silence.

''“......Ah, okay, don't laugh. Over there......a monster had appeared.”''

To hear that in the cockpit of a subsonic cruising speed, it could be said to be a first-rate joke. Not laughing was an absurd request.

“That's the best! It was worthwhile for me to sign up for the air defense.”

''“Anyway it is an official order. Diablo I, observe and report the situation at Mion River.”''

“......It's a joke right. Oi?”

''“Diablo I, repeat.”''

[[Image:FZ_v03_099.png|thumb|]]
The irritated voice of the controller told him that he was dragged into this ridiculous prank too. Sighing, Captain Ōgi gave a fixed reply monotonously.

“Diablo I, roger that. This plane is on its way to Mion river mouth for scouting. Over!”

Despite that, Captain Ōgi had suddenly become inclined to believe the content of the conversation just now. When the thought that such absurd conversation might be recorded in the voice recorder crossed his mind, he felt an awkwardness as if he wanted to run away.

“......Diablo II, just like what was said. Turn back. Let's go back!”

''“Roger. But......is that all right?”''

The pilot of the consort plane, Diablo II- Third Class Lieutenant Kobayashi said that in a tone which did not hide his suspicion towards that absurd order.

Nonetheless, whether it was true or false, he had no choice but to carry out the orders relayed to him. At least, the only consolation was that his destination, Fuyuki city was on the air way back to his base. He didn't know who on earth would take responsibility for it, but for now. at least the jet fuel wasting due to needless loitering would be kept to a minimum.

''“If there really is a monster, you'll give us the permission to fight?”''

At Third Class Lieutenant Kobayashi's semi-desperate words, First Class Lieutenant Ōgi snorted again.

“If this is a monster film, we are surely the roles which will be ''killed''. The underdogs from Ultraman.”

''“That's not funny.”''

In the navigators' hearts, with the thunderous roar of the afterburner, turning its silver wings over, the figure of the F15J was as gallant as usual.

<noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[Fate/Zero:Act_9_Part_4|Act 9, Part 5]]
| Return to [[Fate/Zero|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Fate/Zero:Act_10_Part_2|Act 10, Part 2]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Fate/Zero:Act 9 Part 5

2011-06-04T20:53:06Z

67.189.249.209: /* -90:56:26 */

=== -90:56:26 ===

From the distant west, an army arrived, sweeping rolls of dust at its wake. No one dared to underestimate this invading army since the beginning.

Rumors about its might had already swept through the entire country like a gale long before this army arrived. Usurping the throne of the small country Macedonia in the far west country of Greece, the young king had since then subdued the neighboring countries in the blink of an eye, and became the leader of Corinth.

Alexander –

It was said that his ambition crossed over the Straits, and he had wanted to extend his insolent neck into this great empire of Persia.

Of course, none of the brave warriors who swore utter loyalty to protect their glorious country would bow his head before the invader. The warriors bet their augustness and honor as soldiers upon this and countered the attack of Alexander’s army. However, the soaring morale of the enemy that appeared before them terrified them horribly, and they shivered in fright.

It was not due to the command of gods or the call of the greater good; all were only to fulfil a tyrant’s desire of conquest. However – why would these soldiers have such a soaring morale, such a mighty fighting spirit? Even those warriors who swore to protect their country till their death could not contend with them.

However, it was not this that truly shocked the defeated generals.

Young Alexander, standing in front of the captives, opened his mouth and spoke as if he was a kid pulling a prank – what I want isn’t your country. I want to keep progressing toward the East.

Then, is this country merely a foothold for his continuing conquest? – No, of course not.

Then, could it be that his ambitions even exceeded the Iranian plains, and wants to conquer distant India? – No, it’s the East even further away than that.

Seeing that none of his foreign subjects could guess his intentions, the King said loudly.

“My goal is the end of the world. My destination is the furthest border of the East. I want to behold [[Fate/Zero:Translator's Notes#Oceanus|Oceanus]] with my own two eyes. I want leave my footprints at the beach beside that endless sea.”

Of course, no one believed in his words, and they all considered it as boasts that he used to conceal his true intentions.

But this man really did return the domination of his conquered lands to the local nobles, and brought his army away with him continuing towards the East. The defeated generals finally understood when they watched, dumbstruck, his back disappearing into the distance.

None of those ‘reasons’ that the tyrant said were lies.

He was only progressing towards the East, and swept away those who stood in his way.

How pitiful and deplorable were those soldiers who discarded all their glory and riches and left their homelands to follow him!

At first, they also felt indignant.

And they thought how deplorable they are that they have to fight due to such a foolish reason.

But very soon they, who had lost everything, suddenly thought.

What would they see behind that mountain –?

What would they see at the other side of the sky –?

To explore the unknown world; isn’t that the dream that all men had once possessed in their youth?

But as their age increased those men, who had to cement their positions and keep climbing up the social ladder, simply discarded the dream of their youth for those illusionary glories and titles. Now, this man shattered their reason of existence in one night’s time – and once again ignited the dream they had longed for in their hearts.

The men who finally understood this held up the weapons in their hands once again.

They were neither heroes, nor generals- they were just ordinary youths, having just taken out their armor and weapons from the inside of the storeroom. Those hearts from which pride and willpower had been lost, regained only the heavy thumpings of their hearts at that time, and they went after the back of the great king traveling to the east.

Thus, the army of the King increased endlessly with his victories on his road of progress.

How incredible were those people if they were to be beheld by others' eyes!

Heroes who were once defeated, generals of vanquished armies, and kings who lost their throne; everyone walked together, shoulder by shoulder, with the same smile on their faces and the same light sparkling in their eyes.

Towards Oceanus –

The men called loudly together.

Forward, to the East, to the more distant East!

Until, together with ‘that man’, they behold the legendary beach.

The long march still continued on without end.

Across boiling deserts, over chilling snow-capped mountains, fording billowing rivers, chasing away ferocious beasts, and fighting for their lives for times out of count with those alien tribes never seen before and the unknown weapons and strategies they deployed.

Innumerable soldiers died in foreign lands.

Their sight scattered while they stared at the back of the King, who continued forward.

Their hearing faded while they listened for the sounds of the tide from the distant East.

Even when they died in battle after giving all they had, their faces still held a proud smile until the end.

Very soon – they’d be able to return to the image in their dreams, the evening-mist-covered seashore that they had once seen.

There, no other sounds existed apart from the sound of the waves ceaselessly splashing against the shore; a distant and far-away sea that one cannot see the end.

That is the scene that their King described for them, but they never got to see for even once in their lives.

Therefore, this isn’t a scene in their memories –

But a scene that they continued to long for in their hearts during their heroic crusading lives.

The youth seemed to hear a billowing of the tide when the dream of the Heroic Spirit’s memories that was transmitted from a distant time and space ended.

That billowing had, perhaps, always echoed in his heart.

<center>※※※※※</center>

Rider agreed without a question as soon as Waver mentioned that they should go have a stroll in the streets.

Of course, for Waver, there was nothing that interested him much in this eastern little town compared to his hometown London. He just wanted to find a book.

Although the easiest way to find books is to use the library, it would appear a bit inconvenient when a giant such as Rider was following him. Moreover, it’s clearly foolish to bring a loud guy such as Rider into the library, which demands silence. Besides, Rider had a history of destroying the library when he was first summoned out. It’s going to be problematic if he went along, got recognized, and Waver had to pay for the damages.

So he had to search in the bookshops – he had to go to larger shops to find English books as local bookshops usually only sell books in the native language. However, a market that is too busy can also be problematic.

It was the first time Waver walked in the streets of Fuyuki Shinto during the day. It was reasonable as he hadn’t had anything in particular that needed him to come out during the day until now. The morning streets were completely void of the nocturnal feeling full of a demonic aura, and the warm sunlight and fresh air can make one’s mood very glad.

“Say, what on earth got into you this time?”

“Nothing in particular; just wanted to lighten my mood.”

Waver replied, his face full of annoyance, to Rider’s rascally question. It wasn’t as if he had something that irritated him or that he was unsatisfied with Rider’s work; it was that pointless actions such as to lighten his mood has nothing in common with Waver’s strategies.

Anyways, no matter what – he wanted to completely forget about the War of the Holy Grail even if for only a little while. That was the truth.

The meaning of joining this War of the Holy Grail had changed a little in Waver’s heart. While these changes were small they completely took over all processes of his brain, making his mind depressed or even suffocating.

“– Alright alright, just stop asking why. Anyways, weren’t you yelling since the day before yesterday that you want to stroll at some busy place?”

“Mmm, the pleasure of feeling the bustling atmosphere in a foreign market is not any less than the pleasure of battles.”

“… Countries brought into war and strife because of such reasons are pitiful indeed.”

Waver mumbled helplessly.

Hearing his words, Rider tilted his head as if very surprised, and asked.

“What’s wrong, kid? You talk as if you saw it with your own eyes.”

“Alright alright, just pretend that I didn’t say anything.”

A rare number of Masters who had established a contract with a Servant can experience former memories of the Heroic Spirit in the form of dreams. Waver was reluctant to mention what he dreamed of this morning although he didn’t know if Rider knew about this. No one should want others to see through events in their memory; moreover, Waver didn’t intentionally want to see those memories in the first place.

Rider immediately expressed immense interest to the shops around them as soon as they arrived at the bookshop in the shopping street in front of the station. It seems like Waver won’t need to worry whether this King of Conquerors will stir up some trouble before Waver’s proper business is done.

“Then I’ll deal with some business in this bookshop.”

“Mmm.”

“Basically, you can do whatever you want, but you absolutely must not step out of this shopping street. We can’t be careless even during the day. You need to be able to rush to me immediately if I am attacked.”

“Mmm! Mmm!”

He didn’t even know if Rider was listening at all. Anyways, Rider’s big eyes, sparkling with light, were completely focused on the surrounding restaurants, toy shops, gaming arcades and food stalls already.

“… Don’t conquer, don’t invade.”

“Huh!?”

“Huh what!? Seriously…”

Worried that they might draw attention if they took too long here, Waver stuffed his wallet into the King of Conquerors’s thick palm.

“Don’t steal anything, and don’t you think about eating without paying! Go use money to buy something if you want it! Do you need me to use the Command Seal to tell you this again properly?”

“Hahahaha! Don’t be so nervous. Macedonian decorum is applicable to all civilized men in any country.”

There was no way to know if he really understood what Waver meant. Rider disappeared excitedly into the crowd of packed and raucous shoppers after he left this indifferent reply. Waver could only sigh as he looked at Rider’s gradually disappearing figure. Although he was still seemingly slightly worried, Rider is extremely adaptable to foreign cultures despite his careless demeanor. The soft methods he used against the MacKenzie couple last night was the best testimony.

However, if Rider spends all the money in the wallet Waver just gave to him, then half of all the funds he prepared for the Fuyuki Holy Grail War would have disappeared. Yet, compared with having Rider trigger some unsolvable problem, it would actually be cheaper to avoid that with spending this amount of money. As long as he can get the Holy Grail, it won’t matter if he doesn’t have the return fare. Waver had more or less matured a little for him to progress from his originally stingy personality to his current caliber of indifference towards money.

For Waver – he had no plans of buying the book he wanted even if he really did find it. It would be enough to just finish reading it in the bookshop. This was because Rider would definitely interrogate him about his reasons if Rider got to know about this book he wanted to read. Therefore, Waver didn’t want to take the risk in buying it.

Perhaps because there were too many foreign residents here, the foreign language shelves not only contained tourism booklets and vulgar paperbacks but also a large variety of other books. Although Waver didn’t expect to really find the target, he found it easily contrary to his expectations. Waver immediately began to quickly browse through the content of the book.

He forgot about time as soon as the book was in his hands. This was Waver’s speciality that didn’t change since childhood. He has the confidence that he won’t lose to anyone when it comes to the understanding of a book after reading. However, in the Clock Tower, this kind of talent he has only makes it easier when researching through books, an ability that’s just like a librarian’s. Therefore, he always thought with hatred that it would definitely be more simple and straightforward had he been the one writing it whenever he saw a book full of unnecessary words and incomprehensible technical explanations.

However, those unpleasant memories were quickly chased out of his consciousness as he flipped through the pages. The content of the book Waver was now reading was very captivating, and it pulled the reader’s thoughts along to gallop together at the distant end of the world.

Waver remained in an oblivious state of reading for he didn’t how long.

Suddenly, Waver felt some extraordinarily heavy steps, different from that of an ordinary person, coming into his hearing. So he immediately put the book back and pretended a calm demeanor. His sight happened to connect with that of Rider’s, who happened to be look towards the foreign language shelves, when Waver turned his head around.

[[Image:FZ_v03_00o.jpg|thumb|“Oooh! I found you I found you! Such a short dude hiding between the shelves really can’t be seen by anyone, and is so bothersome to find.”“Normal people are all shorter than book shelves, you idiotic giant! – Speaking of, what did you buy this time?”]]
“Oooh! I found you I found you! Such a short dude hiding between the shelves really can’t be seen by anyone, and is so bothersome to find.”

“Normal people are all shorter than book shelves, you idiotic giant! – Speaking of, what did you buy this time?”

A paper bag, so large that it made Waver feel uncomfortable, was held up in one of Rider’s hands. As if he loved the contents inside to pieces, he eagerly opened it and showed it to Waver on the spot.

“Look! So ‘Admiral’s Grand Strategies IV’ goes on sale today, and I bought the open day limited edition! Wahahahaha, my luck rank indeed work as well as they look!”

Waver couldn’t help but feel a passing headache when he saw that what Rider bought was ten times more idiotic that the most idiotic thing Waver himself could think of.

“Say, you only bought the software for such a big thing…”

Half way through his sentence, Waver suddenly discovered that the large paper bag in Rider’s hand was too enormous as packaging for just one software disc. He immediately realised that this King of Conquerors bought the console as well.

“Alright kid! Let’s hurry back and play together. I even bought an extra controller!”

“Let me tell you this: I don’t have any interest at all towards this kind of vulgar games.”

Hearing Waver say this, Rider immediately furrowed his brows in irritation, and said with a heavy sigh.

“Huh, honestly, why do you like to immerse yourself in that little world of yours? …Don’t you want to just find even a little joy?”

“Stop bothering me! How would a magus like me, who’s searching for the truth, have spare time to do these pointless things? I don’t have extra brain cells to waste on computer games!”

“– Hmm? Then you have extra brain cells to waste on this book?”

As Rider spoke, he pulled out the book that Waver just stuffed back into the bookshelf. This completely unexpected action made Waver uncontrollably rebuke him, out loud and nervously.

“ O – O – Of course not! How do you know I was reading at this one before?”

“Only this one was put in the shelf the other way around; only an idiot would miss it – Huh? ‘Alexander the Great’… isn’t this my biography?”

At this moment, Waver wanted to be swallowed by a chasm opening up in the ground. This current feeling of shame was even worse than having his tutor Kayneth mock his essay.

“You really are a weird guy. Isn’t the real person standing in front of you more reliable compared to these records that you can’t confirm? Isn’t it easier to just ask me whatever questions you have?”

“Aaaaaa! Fine, I’ll ask you I’ll ask you!”

Waver yelled, half crying, and spoke after he grabbed the book from Rider’s hands and flipped to a page that he was particularly interested in.

“Historical records say you were a very short man, so why do you appear like an idiotic giant now?”

“I’m short? Where did you read that!?”

“Look at this! It is said that your feet can’t even reach the foot stool after you conquered the Persian Empire and sat on Darius’ throne, and at the end they had no other choice but to swap that foot stool for a table!”

“Aaa, you mean Darius? That couldn’t be helped; I’m indeed short compared to that tall man.”

Hearing Waver say this name, the King of Conquerors laughed loudly and clapped his hands, then said while gazing at the sky with a face full of reminiscing expressions as if he was remembering an old friend.

“– Not only was that emperor’s caliber very majestic, his figure was, too. He was indeed a ruler fitting for the mighty Persian Empire.”

From Rider’s description, the other man should have been a giant of more than three meters tall. When Waver’s brain thought of this he couldn’t help but feel a chill.

“Unimaginable… it’s really unimaginable!”

“If we think along your line, then King Arthur was actually a woman! A woman! Isn’t that more surprising compared to my height?

Ah, anyways, this so-called history written by whomever at wherever is very hard to completely and accurately describe the situation back then.”

Rider laughed optimistically and said this as if he cared nothing about the discriminating records left in history.

Waver, staring at his expression, went on to say.

“You just let other write whatever they want? – It’s history concerning you.”

“Hmm? This isn’t much to be worried about… you find it weird?”

“Of course!”

Waver continued speaking.

“Any ruler in any era would wish to have his name remembered by those after him. They’d definitely all get angry if they know records of them, made by later men, have errors or missed something out.”

“Hmm, true. If you can leave your name behind in history, then it also counts as some kind of immortality. However, all these are meaningless to me. I’d rather have twenty more years of life like this compared to existing in such books with just my name for two thousand years.”

“…”

Although he didn’t know if Rider’s reply, accompanied with a bitter smile, was his true thoughts or only a joke – for Waver, who had just finished reading the history concerning the King of Conquerors, this was exactly the heavy topic that he didn’t know how to answer.

Alexander the Great, who created the largest empire in history to date, refused to lose himself in the glory of this great accomplishment and continued forward at the same time. The curtains of his life fell after a short period of only thirty years.

No matter how later men lamented the tragedy of his passing at the height of his life, the emotions he expressed himself about his short life had a heavy feeling for others no matter how light the tone is.

“Aaa, even if I had only ten more years; I’d be able to conquer the West as well.”

“…Then, after you get the Holy Grail, how about wishing immortality to it?”

Standing behind the King of Conquerors, who excitedly wondered about the possibilities, Waver finally couldn’t control himself and asked as an interception.

“Immortality? This is a good idea. If I won’t ever die, then I’d be able to completely conquer the entire universe.”

Rider seemed to suddenly remember something as he said this, and his face darkened.

“…Speaking of, there was also an idiot who gave up the immortality he once found. Ha, that bastard really manages to stay on my mind.”

Waver had no idea what Rider was talking about, and it was also the first time that Rider spoke to himself in this matter. Right now, Waver had a new understanding to the meaning of Rider’s wish that he spoke of in the quiz of the Holy Grail last night.

In the afternoon, while the two walked on the road back home, Waver was silent the whole way through.

Everything on the streets would soon be enveloped with darkness, and the nocturnal Fuyuki city would once again become the battleground of the War of the Holy Grail. As a Master, Waver would also have no choice but face this cruel war with his Servant.

There was no terror or restlessness.

His Servant was the most powerful one; that was beyond doubt – because he witnessed the might of Rider’s true Noble Phantasm with his own eyes last night.

It still felt like as if he was right there even when he thought about it now, and he was able to feel the scent of the hot wind that blew the boiling sand dunes along.

An army of cavalry in high morale was in front of his eyes.

And also the majestic and proud face of the king who drew himself to his full height in front of that formation.

Ionian Hetairoi – a Heroic Spirit with such a mighty Noble Phantasm has no reasons for losing. Alexander would definitely defeat all other enemies and obtain the final victory.

That would definitely be called the King of Conquerors, Alexander’s victory – at that end, where would the victory of Waver Velvet, be?

Yes, he would never forget. He was once mocked and looked down upon by those so-called prestigious families and nobilities. He gambled all he had to join the War of the Holy Grail exactly as a counter blow for their contempt towards him. Obtain the victory of the War of the Holy Grail and become the best magus in the world; that was the goal Waver set to himself.

But the War of the Holy Grail that unfolded at Fuyuki completely surpassed Waver’s anticipations… the Servant he summoned happened to be a guy who completely ignored his Master’s command, and acted by himself to fight only with his mighty strength.

If this goes on, Rider would definitely walk step by step towards victory with ease. Meanwhile, could Waver only forever hide behind his Servant with fear, be of no help even till the last minute and just muddle through to the end of the War?

Would he obtain the Holy Grail just because he was lucky enough to draw the most powerful trump card? What would be proven with a self like that? Prove that he obtained glory under Rider’s shadow? At the end, this would only make others continue their mockery.

And if Rider really lost, then – what would a Master as useless as himself do?

This kind of battle… if this goes on until the end, then there would definitely be no changes in him.

It would only display his incapacity, insignificance and humiliation even more when he’s beside an overly powerful Heroic Spirit. This made Waver more ashamed that the humiliation he went through at the Clock Tower.

“– How come you’re so quiet? Hmm?”

A sound came from somewhere above Waver’s head. Looking up, he saw that Rider still wore the usual innocent smile that he found incredible, and was looking down at Waver.

''I’ve had enough with looking up at this angle.''

''I don’t want to experience this angle of being looked down upon no matter what.''

''I’ve had absolutely enough of you!''

Although he almost spurted this impulsive sentence out, Waver barely controlled his mood with the final shred of manners in him, and used a more euphemistic way instead.

“Nothing, just feeling a little bored with you.”

“See, you felt bored after all, right? That’s why I suggested us to play this game together –”

“It’s not like that!”

Like usual, this reply had nothing to do with the question, and it finally reached the limit of Waver’s patience.

“Having a Servant who’s so powerful that you’re almost guaranteed to get the Holy Grail… doesn’t bring anything to make me proud of myself! Making a contract with a Servant such as Assassin would have shown my worth even more!”

Hearing Waver’s words, Rider scratched his head with a snort.

“If you really were to do something so stupid, you’ve probably died many times over by now.”

“That’s enough from you! I have no qualms about dying in my own battle! I wouldn’t be here participating in the War of the Holy Grail if I was afraid of dying!

And – how do I say this – just from when did you become the protagonist!? Always acting by yourself before I gave the order; what kind of a position are you putting me into with all this? Just what did I come all the way to Japan for!?”

“Calm down calm down…”

Different from Waver’s worked-up mood, which was as tense as the tension between a drawn bow and bared sword, Rider still smiled without any seriousness. It was as if Waver was hammering a nail into a bag of rice; he couldn’t use any force.

“If the wish you want to fulfill after you obtain the Grail is able to move my mighty desires, then the King of Conquerors would be completely at your command from now on – how about that? Do you wish to grow a bit taller?”

“Of course not! … Haaa!”

Seeing that Waver’s mood became more agitated the more he talked, Alexander placed a hand on his head, and interrupted him as if saying ‘isn’t this good enough?’.

“Say, kid, you don’t need to be so eager, right? No matter what, this War of the Holy Grail wouldn’t count as the climax of your life, right?”

“What –!”

Isn’t this ritual the miracle of a lifetime? – Waver, who was about to open his mouth and rebuke, suddenly understood Alexander’s meaning. For this King of Conquerors, the Holy Grail is only a method to make him appear in this world again. His true goal is the conquest the entire, wide-spanning world after the War of the Holy Grail.

“If you really wish to pursue a life full of glory and dreams, then go and fight for yourself. It wouldn’t be too late to find a battlefield made for you after all that.”

“…”

In front of the miracle that was hailed as being able to grant all wishes, this guy’s wish happened to be just obtaining a human body – just how foolish does this action sound?

However, there is nothing wrong with this wish when it comes someone who thinks his own value is higher than that of the Holy Grail.

Just what kind of a person is this guy, who is so arrogant and confident about his might?

It was with such questions that Waver purposefully checked up on the historical records. However, the more he knew about the glorious accomplishments the history texts listed about this man, the more profoundly he felt that –

This man merely possessed a charisma that was overwhelming and incomparable with other mortals – so great was it that even those majestic and elite armies who worshiped him, believed in him like a god, and could even give their lives to him.

At the end, Waver had to admit – those who mocked the King of Conquerors’s wish as a boring wish are the foolish ones who merely dragged their bodies along from day to day, and spend their life away on nothing.

“I shouldn’t be the only one unsatisfied with this contract, right?”

Waver asked in a low voice after he silently swallowed his humiliation.

“Hmm?”

“You must have some complaints too, correct? Like why would I, such a useless person, end up being your Master! You would obtain victory even easier if you partnered up with an outstanding Master.”

Without showing if he really understood the meaning from Waver’s heart, Rider said evenly.

“Mmm, you’re right.”

Rider lifted his head and looked towards the sky.

“True, if your figure were more imposing, then it’d look more fitting compared to now.”

The King of Conquerors’s half mocking reply ignited all the anger in Waver’s heart in an instant. As the short Master became even angrier and almost erupted, Rider suddenly took out the world map that never left his side and spoke while pointing at the first page.

“Ok kid, look here, look at the enemy in front of us.”

“…”

The map of the entire world was portrayed in the A2 size paper. Rider’s so-called ‘enemy’ is this entire world.

“Come. Try to draw, in scale, the current appearances of us two beside our ‘enemy’. Line us up and compare us.”

Waver signed helplessly towards Rider’s pointless question.

“How can I draw that –”

“You can’t draw it, right? You wouldn’t be able to draw it no matter how fine your pen is. Even drawing with a needle tip would be too wide – us two are the same compared to the enemy in front us, just two very tiny dots.

Therefore, we shouldn’t care about whether it’s fitting or not at all.”

The tall Servant laughed without restraint.

“This body is just one grain of sand in a desert compared to what I should conquer. You and I are the same, both so tiny. Since it’s so small that it can’t be seen, what’s the point of us two comparing the sizes of our figures?”

“…”

“I feel even more elated precisely because of this.”

Rider laughed openly, and continued to speak boldly.

“The more insignificant I feel, the more I want to use this insignificant body of mine to rule over the entire world. That is indeed the most exhilarating feeling… Listen, that is truly the heartbeat of the King of the Conquerors!”

Waver was completely defeated by Rider’s vigor.

In front of Rider, whose mind was so optimistic, the irritation and anxiety in Waver’s heart were only hassles that don’t deserve to be mentioned. The King of Conquerors’s eyes couldn’t even see those daily anxieties.

“… Basically, your point is that it doesn’t matter what kind of a Master you have. No matter how weak and small I am, it won’t be a problem for you at all, right?”

“Why would you think that? Oi!”

Rider furrowed his brows, forced out a laugh, and patted Waver’s back.

“Kid, this inferiority you feel is indeed the forerunner of having the spirit of a king.

You’d still think that you are insignificant no matter how I explain to you. However, you’d still persist in marching towards a higher goal even knowing this. Aaa, from my experience, the seed of ‘supremacy’ had already started growing in your heart.”

“…You’re not praising me at all; you’re treating me as if I’m a fool.”

“However, kid, you’re so foolish that it’s cute.”

Rider smiled and spoke frankly.

“If I really made a contract with a Master whose ambitions are not too far from mine, like you said, then I would definitely feel really bored. However, your wishes far surpassed your capacities. Someone like you, who would chase after a ‘far-distant glory’, is the basic guideline of living in my time.

– Therefore, precisely because of this, I really feel very happy about making a contract with a foolish kid like you.”

“…”

Waver turned his face aside, not daring to face Rider’s rustic smile.

Why does this idiotic giant always use these unhappy things to comfort me?

Perhaps no one in the world would be happy when others call him a fool.

Thinking that he didn’t know what emotions he should face Rider with, Waver almost wanted to disappear right now –

Right this moment, an unanticipated evil chill suddenly passed through Waver’s entire body.

“Arg…!”

All the Magic Circuits in his body began to hurt terribly as if they were in a spasm.

Of course, this abnormality didn’t appear because of Waver’s internal causes. It was because an abnormal chaos appearing in the prana of the surrounding air and his Magic Circuits, calibrated to it, fell into an abnormal state with it.

Standing beside him, Rider also looked solemnly towards the East, as if he could deduce this abnormal prana’s initiating direction with a Servant’s instincts.

“…The riverside.”

Rider said in a low voice like a soldier about to walk into the battlefield. Hearing this, Waver also immediately realized tonight’s battle had already begun.

The War of the Holy Grail was still going on –

Having no time to attend to the sentiments still entwined within their hearts, the soldiers will once again throw themselves into battle.

<noinclude>
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|-
| Back to [[Fate/Zero:Act_9_Part_4|Act 9, Part 4]]
| Return to [[Fate/Zero|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Fate/Zero:Act_10_Part_1|Act 10, Part 1]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Fate/Zero:Act 7 Part 3

2011-05-29T14:51:27Z

67.189.249.209: /* -130:32:31 */

=== -130:32:31 ===




Anger, like acid, was eating away at Kayneth drop by drop.

He is a first-rate magus. He would never lose his composure due to emotions, especially when facing a situation when he is fighting for his life.

Actually, if this is a duel of secret craft between first-rate magi colleagues, Kayneth wouldn’t be harboring things like anger at all. He would probably admire and acknowledge the opponent’s ability, calmly analyzing its true value, and concentrate in performing his magecraft that would serve as a proper reply for the enemy’s craft. Those noble and flamboyant, gentlemanly games are what Kayneth knew as ‘battles’. With the right to use the Holy Grail at stake, he aimed to compete with Tōsaka Tokiomi, Matō Zōken, and four other unknown yet outstanding opponents, and arrived at this desolate place at the farthest east.

However – the pain of the wound on his right shoulder throbbed and invaded his senses as if mocking Kayneth, continuing the pain as if it was humiliating him.

This isn’t a wound taken in battle. Those things – are never fit to be called "battles".

It was as if he stepped on a piece of rotten floor board. As if he tipped over a steaming pot. As if his best suit got stained with mud.

The opponent is as insignificant as an ant, not worthy to be called an enemy. A piece of rubbish that even seeing it would make him feel dirty and unpleasant.

To feel "anger" at something like that, and risk his pride as Lord El-Melloi, would be unthinkable.

These things are just daily hassles. Something close to being bitten by a stray dog.

It was just bad luck. Dismiss it as a simple misfortune.

Even as he tried to convince himself in this way – he screamed at the pain of the wound on his shoulder. The severe pain that felt like he was slowly being burnt tormented him and ate away at his pride.

Kayneth’s icy cold face was as expressionless as a mask, not loudly swearing or gritting his teeth. For an observer, that is definitely not the expression of someone in anger.

Indeed. He didn’t hate anyone. All his anger was directed inwards. It was merely that he was provoked by a situation that surprised him – something that is impossible, unreasonable.

''Impossible –''

The rage that had nowhere to go became destructive impulses that spread to Volumen Hydragyrum. Kayneth smashed the walls of the corridors around him with his whips of blades.

''That base scum made me bleed... impossible! It shouldn’t have happened!''

His walk resembling a sleep-walker, Kayneth pursued Emiya Kiritsugu, who had fled. The shapeless mercury lump, taking the place of its master’s heart, followed him, full of murderous intent

The door that blocked his way wasn’t pushed open, but smashed apart by the mercury's weight.

Be it flower vases, paintings, or elegant furniture: all the decorations that happen to fall into his sight are smashed and destroyed.

There were many traps along the way. Wires tripped by Kayneth's defenseless feet, or a fuse in the carpet that when stepped on would cause a pre-set grenade to explode or a mine to throw out shrapnel. At those times, the mercury protective membrane would expand immediately and rush forward to block it.

Those set traps were like toys made to fool children, so ridiculous that Kayneth wanted to laugh. But the sound of his laughter was at the same time mocking Kayneth, who was hurt by those tricks that were like toys made to fool children.

Self-mockery cut into pride like a razor. That humiliation inflamed the anger in his heart even more.

Lord El-Melloi’s admirable Mystic Code isn’t something that is made for this kind of foolish tricks. His mercury should be a weapon that takes in Gandr shots, deflects magical swords, and breaks through supernatural fire, ice and lightning. It should be a craft that makes whichever magus who hates him marvel, revere, and at the same time arrive at death.

Then, what would his current distasteful situation be?

The opponent that he unleashed his proud Mystic Code to chase is nothing more than an anonymous mouse... every passing second was making him feel humiliated. The wound on his shoulder was hurting worse and worse.

An endless hysterical downward spiral – however, that had also come into sight of its conclusion.

No matter how big the castle may be, the possibilities of escape become limited if one runs upwards. The mouse finally got chased to the end of the corridors in the third floor. The stream of mercury that Kayneth sent out earlier to find the enemy accurately located him this time. Looks like the target had set himself to stay firmly where he is. He should have decided to have the final confrontation with Kayneth at that place.

Confrontation – as that word floated into Kayneth’s mind, he couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

Seems like the enemy still hasn’t given up. So that’s how it is. He had wounded Kayneth once, so there should still be a chance of victory if the same luck decided to grace him again. He should have made this final decision with all the spirit of a desperate mouse trying to bite the cat.

"Idiot..."

Kayneth’s tight mouth became twisted with his sneer as he muttered.

It wasn’t because of his skills or outstanding strategies that the mouse managed to touch Kayneth. It was just an unreasonable coincidence. There’s a need to make sure he knows the difference.

Not a confrontation. This is execution. This is slaughter.

Kayneth, as his body filled of his cruel intention to kill, turned the final corner with his Mystic Code and arrived at the end of the corridor,

It basically fitted the setting Emiya Kiritsugu expected. The third confrontation with Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald.

The distance was barely thirty meters. The width of the corridor was just over six meters. There are no places to hide. No place to retreat.

Kayneth’s Volumen Hydragyrum has potentially fatal speed and power within a radius of seven-and-a-half meters. The initiative remains with Kiritsugu until Kayneth can get in range.

In his left hand – fifty rounds of 9mm bullets in a fresh helical magazine, the Calico waited for the moment to open fire.

And his Mystic Code, the Contender Custom, in his right hand. The "magecraft bullet" was already loaded in the single-shot chamber.

Kiritsugu didn’t show any fear or beg for mercy; he merely stood silently holding two guns. This made Kayneth even more unpleasant and twisted his expression as he uttered mocking jeers.

“You wouldn’t think that the previous method would still work, right? Despicable thing.”

It won’t work. It would be a problem for Kiritsugu if it did work – however, he needn’t tell the other person this. He needed to have Kayneth think that Kiritsugu is stupid enough to repeat the exact same attack.

"I won’t just simply kill you. I’ll only heal your lungs and heart to make them revive, then I’ll slowly deal with you starting from your toes."

Kayneth said sinisterly as he slowly walked towards Kiritsugu step by step. The Volumen Hydragynum twirled beside him, flexing its countless whips dauntingly as it shook their sharp tips.

"Die in regret, in pain, in despair. And curse when you die. Curse the cowardice of your employer... the Einsbern Master who humiliated the Holy Grail War!"

Right – Kiritsugu sniggered within his heart as he regarded Kayneth’s proclamation of execution as nothing more than a breeze beside his ear. It seems the Master substitution plan he proposed worked at the end.

Fifteen meters. If he was to make a move, it would be now.

Towards Kayneth, who was looming nearer, Kiritsugu first used the Calico in his left hand, firing a rain of 9mm bullets in full-automatic. It was a completely identical replay of that sneak attack in the first floor corridor, a pinning attack made to trigger Volumen Hydragynum’s automatic defence. In order to make it unable to take the following strike by the Contender, this is a feint made to weaken the mercury’s defensive membrane.

Of course, Lord El-Melloi would not fall for the same trick twice.

“Fevor, mei sanguis!”

The mercury’s defensive form activated immediately, but this time it wasn’t a membrane. Volumen Hydragynum leapt in front of its master and formed countless spikes from the floor to the ceiling. It was like a thick bamboo forest covered Kayneth’s entire body, and at the same time completely blocked all the bullets flying near.

There’s no need to use a membrane as defense if he wasn’t facing an attack such as flames or mist. Things such as bullets would become harmless as long as it is not allowed to move in a straight line. Thus, using only “columns” to defend would be enough.

Of course, the prana needed to expand the mercury into a mountain of swords isn’t even comparable to that used to form a membrane. Every single spike, twirled as thin as a steel wire, had to be equipped with all the strength and malleability to deflect bullets. The automatic defense this time was completed using all the prana Kayneth had in his possession. The inherited Magic Crests of the Archibald family on his shoulders circulated to its ultimate limit, creating extraordinary pain to the practitioner.

It could be said that the defense this time was the true impregnable fortress.

The bullets, hindered by the silver mountain of swords, bounced back and forth in the gaps between the numerous spikes, making raucous metallic noises. Finally, they lost all power and dropped to the ground. Not one of them reached Kayneth’s body.

Then, the Contender in Kiritsugu’s right hand gave a roar. This is the single-shot bullet that made Kayneth bear his despicable scar the first time it penetrated Volumen Hydragynum’s defenses, something with far more destructive power than the 9mm bullets.

However, the degree of defence the mercury mountain of swords put up wasn’t even comparable to that of the membrane.

All the spikes closed up together like a Venus flytrap the instant before the killing move touched the mercury spikes, and surrounded the bullet. The thick cluster thin spikes became a single giant column in the blink of an eye, completely sealing off the .30-06 Springfield bullet.

Volumen Hydragynum, made to interchange forms freely, showed what marvels it can do. The immaculate skill that controlled the magecraft of fluidics to such perfection should indeed be the epitome of this unparalleled craft, fully worthy of the prestigious name of the Archibald house.

The moment he beautifully completed this magecraft he devoted all his skills in – Lord El-Melloi’s destiny also came to its end.

<center>※※※※※</center>

Even a Master and a Servant, whom had made a contract, have to use communication techniques such as speech to establish a connection between them when they are far away from each other.

But if the two of them are connected with the bondage of the Command Seal, then one party would quickly detect a disturbance in the other’s scent if the other is in a life-threatening crisis.

Therefore, Kayneth’s dire situation swiftly passed to Lancer, who was still in the forest.

"What – !?"

Lancer suddenly turned to gaze at the direction of the Einsbern castle straight after he destroyed Caster’s army of demonic monsters, just when he was prepared to finish off their nemesis with Saber. For the first time, Lancer realized the fact that his Master, whom he thought was observing his battle behind the frontline, had already entered the enemy formation and undertook another battle.

Lancer’s momentary wavering was a god-sent opening for the desperate Caster.

Within Caster’s hand, having already finished regenerating, {{H:title|Text of the Spiralled Sunken Capital|Prelati's Spellbook}} throbbed with torrents of prana. Of course, Saber wouldn’t stand aside and leave the magus’s spells alone.

"Futile struggles!"

Saber wielded her holy sword with her right hand and rush forward, trying to defeat the enemy before he could complete his incantation.

But Caster wasn’t foolish enough to pronounce incantations in front of a blade. He didn’t speak even one syllable of incantations, just chaotically let out the surge of prana that the Noble Phantasm produced.

Although the previous summoning magecraft was nullified, the pools of blood that stained the ground were still connected to the prana. The uncontrollable prana that spurt out flowed into that mesh of blood, but finally scattered apart without forming any shapes.

"Ku..."

Her sight was blocked off before she got close enough to strike; even Saber didn’t take a rash move and stopped her steps.

Caster didn’t intend to complete the spell to begin with, but forcibly activated a magecraft that was bound to fail. That would be enough in this situation. The blood that didn’t form any summoned monsters immediately boiled and evaporated due to the saturated prana in them, spreading out in all direction as a fog. This is an imprudent skill that could only be used with the enormous amount of prana provided by a Noble Phantasm.

What he expected – was a blinding mist.

Even Caster, overloaded with confidence, deducted that it would be impossible to reverse the situation and arrive at victory at this state. The magus Servant quickly removed materialization in the time while the bloody mist covered Saber and Lancer’s sight. Faced with two of the three knight classes, he didn’t even get to leave a word behind. Swallowing his anger and humiliation, Caster rapidly left the battlefield in spiritual form.

Luckily for Caster, Saber doesn’t have the ability to turn into spirit form and chase him; Lancer, who has that ability, could not chase him due to his Master’s crisis.

“Bastard... what unbelievable cowardice.”

Saber muttered in anger as she recalled {{H:title|Boundary Field of the Wind King|Invisible Air}} from the surrounding atmosphere. The refreshing wind immediately blew in from all direction and scattered the filth of the blood mist. When the two Servants regained their field of sight and {{H:title|Boundary Field of the Wind King|Invisible Air}} was recalled to once again conceal the holy sword’s form, even Caster’s spiritual aura had disappeared, not to mention his physical figure.

“Lancer, what’s wrong?”

Regarding the fact that Lancer could easily have chased their enemy but instead let Caster escape, Saber didn’t heckle him but just questioned calmly. It was obvious that something happened based on his changed expression.

“My lord is in trouble... Looks like he left me and attacked your headquarters.”

Lancer explained hesitantly. Saber also figured what have probably happened, and displayed a dejected expression.

''Then... everything did happen according to Kiritsugu’s plans.''

It wasn’t what she wanted. It wasn't that she wanted to completely deny the tactic of deception, but the cruel trap that Kiritsugu set is an existence that can not co-exist with the King of Knights’s belief of standing stoically in the battlefield no matter what happens.

"It must be my Master’s work... Lancer, you should hurry. Go save your lord."

The spearman was at first dumbfolded at Saber’s unhesitating urging, but then bowed his head deeply in thanks. For Saber, this decision was the same as going against her own lord. Retain Lancer here so his Master can be killed would be the reasonable choice made to win the Holy Grail War.

But if we continue on this train of thought, then there was no need for Lancer to fight Caster to save Saber from her crisis. He didn’t think of himself as stupid then. Therefore, he wouldn’t think Saber, who let him go on his way, as foolish now.

"I am in your debt, King of Knights."

"It’s all right. We swore to have a duel between knights. Let’s hold on to that glory till the end."

Lancer nodded briefly, then disappeared into spirit form. Just like that, he galloped towards the castle in the depth of the forest as a whirl of wind.


<center>※※※※※</center>

When the Emiya family of the previous generation determined the "Origin" of their son and heir, at a loss they named him "Kiritsugu" due to the strange results.

Basically, he possesses the dual attributes of "Fire" and "Earth". To be specific, they were composite attributes, "Severing" and "Binding". That is the form of his soul that was born with him, and the true form of his "Origin".

Sever, and bind – it’s not exactly the same as being called "destruction and rebirth", because Kiritsugu’s Origin has no meaning of "recovery". For example, a string that is cut and then connected again would have change of thickness at the point where the knot is tied. That is, the action of 'severing and binding' would cause irreversible "corruption" in the target.

Kiritsugu became particularly aware of his Origin when he was asked to complete some hands-on work. His hands weren’t very skilled. If a normal contraption breaks down, he could fix it. But if it comes to delicate machinery then everything would suddenly become the opposite. The more he wanted to fix it, the worse the damage would become for the machine.

As a matter of fact, Kiritsugu’s handcraft isn’t extraordinary. If a normal metal wire snapped, the original function can be restored by just connecting it back together. However, if he were to fix a delicate electric circuit using the same principles, the result would be fatal. It wasn’t something that would work as long as everything is connected. If the connections become out of order, the circuit would lose its function.

This wasn't something created by Kiritsugu’s personality or temperament; from magecraft’s point of view, it is the true essence of the root deep within his soul.

Emiya Kiritsugu utilized his extraordinary "Origin" to its fullest extent when he created his Mystic Code. The first and second ribs on both sides were cut off and taken out of his body. The extracted ribs were grinded into dust, condensed with a craft to preserve the soul, and sealed within sixty-six bullets as their core.

These bullets would actualize Kiritsugu’s "Origin" on the target when it hits. If it were to hit a living creature then there would be no wounds or bleeding, but the place where it was hit would appear to be suffering necrosis. The surface may seem to have healed, but the nerves and capillaries wouldn’t be regenerated properly and the original function would be lost.

Moreover, as a Conceptual Weapon, this bullet poses an even graver threat to magi in particular.

Kiritsugu had already used thirty-seven bullets, but not a single one of them was wasted. The bullets that were made using a part of his body had already completely destroyed thirty-seven magi.

Now, the thirty-eighth "Origin Bullet" severed a new sacrifice’s life force.

Kayneth probably didn’t comprehend what was happening to his body until the end. The moment that the excruciating pain spread into his body, all of his vital organs and nerves had already been torn into a shapeless mess.

Before a scream escaped his throat he was already spurting out blood. All the muscles in his body were sent into spasms with uncoordinated movements conducted by a nervous system that was on the edge of being broken; the lean body clad in the chic suit began to perform a ridiculous dance.

Using intense pressure to make the densely-packed prana, circulating in the Magic Circuits, suddenly begin to ignore those paths and flow chaotically, destroying the practitioner’s body in the process. The moment Volumen Hydragyrum blocked the Contender’s strike, Kayneth suffered damages more severe than getting directly hit by a bullet.

When Kiritsugu’s magecraft bullet is interfered by magecraft, the impact of the "Origin" within the bullet would affect all the way down to the Magic Circuits of the practitioner.

If we were to compare a magus’s Magic Circuits as a high-voltage power cable, Kiritsugu’s bullet would be a drop of water. What would happen if a conductive liquid attached to a thickly-placed electrical circuit? The short-circuiting current would destroy the circuit itself, resulting in permanent damage.

Just like that, shorting out Magic Circuits is the terrifying effect of Kiritsugu’s Mystic Code.

In order to avoid the damage of Kiritsugu’s magecraft bullets, one has to discard all magecraft and purely defend the bullet by physical means. On that point, Kiritsugu’s choice of using .30-06 Springfield bullets is a malicious one. There isn’t something that can completely block this specialized hunting rifle round to begin with. This is a type of bullet that excelled in penetration. As long as one isn’t in an armored vehicle, one can’t avoid getting hurt.

Only one shot. That would be enough. Kiritsugu dared to choose a gun that doesn’t suit real combat, the Thompson Contender, as his Mystic Code, due to the fact that it is the handgun that can deal the maximum physical damage possible.

Kiritsugu placed his finger on the spool of the trigger guard when his beloved gun finished its duty and swung the long barrel downwards as if throwing off a blood stain. The empty cartridge flew from the opened magazine into the empty air with the momentum, falling onto the marble floor with a faint trace of sulfur.

Kiritsugu felt nothing for this victory. This was exactly the same as all the times before, a successful taunt with a calculated conclusion. That is all.

The destructive power of Kiritsugu’s magecraft bullet depends on how many Magic Circuits were activated within the target the moment the bullet hit, since what destroys the practitioner’s body would be his own prana. On this point, it was absolutely fatal for Kayneth. Since he was provoked continuously and used the utmost amount of prana he had, he granted Kiritsugu the best result he could hope for.

Even the mighty Volumen Hydragyrum was finished if the practitioner’s prana was cut off. Kayneth lay recumbent in the sea of mercury that reverted to its original shape and spread all over the floor, his body twitching slightly. The former Lord El-Melloi was now as harmless as a baby. Let alone the power of a magus, his body may not even be spared a normal human’s functions.

Although he was going to die sooner or later if left alone, Kiritsugu’s principle is to give a concrete final blow to a fallen enemy. He switched the Calico into semi-automatic and walked towards Kayneth, who already resembled a breathing corpse. He was going to fire one shot into his head at critical distance. Then, one of the seven groups of people fighting for the Holy Grail would have dropped out.

But just then, Kiritsugu felt a mighty aura of prana approaching him with intimidation and frowned.

Unhesitatingly, Kiritsugu held up the Calico and took aim, firing repeatedly towards Kayneth. But the bullet emitted sparks in the empty air and sprayed in all directions and disappeared. It was the twin spears of red and yellow that performed movements too fast for eyes to see.

Facing Lancer, who materialized on a position set to protect Kayneth, Kiritsugu was gobsmacked. Stopped by the enemy’s Servant at this time; this was definitely unexpected.

Originally, Kiritsugu thought that Saber intercepted Lancer, based on the fact that Kayneth entered the castle alone. But if so, then how did the spearman get past the King of Knights? If Saber was defeated, Kiritsugu would have confirmed that the recipient of his prana had disappeared. However, Kiritsugu’s prana was definitely still being absorbed by Saber, who still existed somewhere. His Servant was wholesome without a doubt.

Then, there’s only one conclusion – he could only deduce that Saber voluntarily stepped out of Lancer’s way.

Lancer stared at Kiritsugu, who was mentally wavering, with a look as cold as ice. He shifted both spears into his right hand, emptying out his left hand to scoop up Kayneth’s body. Kiritsugu didn’t rashly attack this apparently defenceless move. He had just confirmed that bullets are useless to Servants.

"– You should understand just how easy it is to pierce you through right here, Saber’s Master."

For Lancer, had he not heard what Saber just said to him, he would find it very hard to deduce that this man in front of him, who looked nothing like a magus, is in truth the Einsbern Master. However, he knew his lord Kayneth’s strength. If he managed to break through Lord El-Melloi's magecraft, there are no grounds left for suspicion.

However – no, just because of that, Lancer’s spear tip didn’t point towards Kiritsugu.

"I won’t let you kill my Master. I won’t kill Saber’s Master either. Neither I or her want to end in this way."

"..."

Is that so? – Kiritsugu once again regretted the conflicting personalities between himself and his contracted Servant.

“Never forget. The only reason that your life is spared now is the King of Knight’s nobility.”

Lancer declared this to Kiritsugu, his tone carrying a cool sarcasm. Then he took up Kayneth and leapt out of the castle, using his torso to break the glass window.

Kiritsugu wasn’t as foolish as to chase them. Just like Lancer said, that would be a completely suicidal move. Since Saber wasn’t here, there was nothing Kiritsugu could do.

No, even if Saber is beside him, would Kiritsugu entrust this to her?

Although Lancer, the Heroic Spirit Diarmuid, is also naive, it was Saber’s idiotic chivalry, which rivalled Lancer, which completely exceeded Kiritsugu’s capacity of comprehension.

Her mind probably believed very firmly that Lancer would not kill Kiritsugu. There must be something wrong with her. How could the King of Knights do such a thing like permitting her own Master to be exposed to the enemy’s Servant alone? If Lancer decided to go back on his word, then her Holy Grail War would end right there. Even if that spearman had no such thoughts, if Kayneth remained conscious he could have used a Command Seal of demand it of him. Didn’t she even think of such a possibility?

Kiritsugu contemplated this appropriately, and lit the cigarette in his mouth.

How ironic. A Heroic Spirit who single-handedly created an extremely foolish trust with an enemy Servant, while she had great estrangements with her own Master.

It looked like he should have chosen his Servant more carefully after all – only then did Kiritsugu feel this failure with a pang, and puffed out the hazy smoke with a sigh.

<noinclude>
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|-
| Back to [[Fate/Zero:Act_7_Part_2|Act 7, Part 2]]
| Return to [[Fate/Zero|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Fate/Zero:Act_7_Part_4|Act 7, Part 4]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Fate/Zero:Act 5 Part 2

2011-05-29T01:47:31Z

67.189.249.209: /* -149:47:12 */

=== -149:47:12 ===

Looking down from the 32nd floor-- the top floor-- of Fuyuki's Hyatt hotel. There is no building taller than this in all of Fuyuki.

This title of the highest building will soon become that of the soon-to-be-completed Shinto shopping center. But because the Shinto shopping center is still under construction, this Hyatt hotel is top for already completed buildings.

Accompanying the unstoppable growth of Shinto, there will be more and more new hotels. But the Hyatt hotel, which has the most advanced facilities and best service standards, will not give up this status to anyone else. It's not only the hotel's managers and staff who think so; even the hotel's customers are amazed by Hyatt's high quality service and management.

But not even living in such a luxurious room, sitting in the real leather sofa by the window, could ease Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi's depression in the slightest.

To him, the items of this room are merely 'a wasteful gathering'. It's merely a somber room, some expensive furniture, and some fancy everyday items. To Kayneth who's been born into aristocracy, there's nothing he can't stand more than originally common things being dressed up in fancy outfits to appear falsely aristocratic. But right now that's exactly what this hotel room is like. There isn't the slightest bit of historical background or cultural heritage to this room. It is merely a pigsty decorated by a luxurious appearance.

But the instigator of this lowly feeling is not limited to just this hotel; this extremely tiny island nation known as Japan is filled with things that leave Kayneth with an unhappy, ugly feeling.

Even the tiny island of Hong Kong can give off a very local, folk-style feeling. But right now Fuyuki's Shinto does not show even a bit of its local culture. Like now, overlooking the city's night scenery from a high spot, there is no way for you to guess exactly in which city of which country you are. Simply gathering the most common items and putting them together-- if he were to be asked what exactly this city is, Kayneth would say it is merely like a mountain of rubbish.

If this easternmost island nation had preserved its original, honest backwater fishing village feeling then it would be much more interesting than it is now... but unfortunately when it comes to the ability to comprehend things like this, a race like the Japanese probably could not do it. This undeveloped country which did not even have a constitution a hundred years ago wants to forge forward and compete with western countries by purely relying on technological science and financial development, as if they wanted to unabashedly force their way into the ranks of the developed countries. It is indeed very difficult to reason with these people.

Kayneth used a finger to gently tap his head, which has a slight headache due to his annoyance, and sighed irately.

In reality, he isn't the type of person to get upset over small things such as these, but something else is the cause of his irritation.

The wide screen TV in front of him suddenly stopped its late night program and began broadcasting urgent news. The newscaster is at the scene, reporting live on an explosion caused by sources unknown on a warehouse street by the coastline of Fuyuki.

According to nearby residents who heard the explosion, firetrucks were on the scene about four hours ago. Although there is no news yet, those police who've already begun their investigation on-site are definitely hiding their findings. How can the ignorant, common people be able to make a correct judgment on something that surpasses their knowledge?

It's not simple being the supervisor in the Holy Church either. To count the time, within 30 minutes after Kayneth canceled the bounded field, all the cover-up tasks had been completed.

Now the entirety of the truth lies solely in the memories of those few who had been present. One of those people was Kayneth, Servant Lancer-- heroic spirit Diarmuid ua Duibhne's Master.

The beginning of the long-awaited Heaven's Feel. And the thoroughly prepared-for first battle. Although the results are different from his expectations.

Even in his youth, Kayneth Archibald had appeared to be more outstanding than other kids. No matter what the problem is, nobody could find a better solution than Kayneth's; an opponent who can win against him in a competition is non-existent.

Yet his effort had not surpassed the normal sense of purpose. Simply believing that his research results would be better than someone else's at some place, some time. That was all.

Because of that, Kayneth had already been seen as a 'prodigy' by others in his youth.

This fact is known by everyone. Nobody had any doubts about his title of 'prodigy', and nothing had ever threatened his position as 'prodigy'. So there was no need for him to be proud or egotistic, he simply enjoyed his deserved title as 'prodigy'.

He has never been in a tight spot, nor has he been extremely frustrated. In the world of the young Kayneth, he was the master of everything. There isn't a need to doubt this in the slightest. He was a talented magus prodigy. He was also the heir of the well-known Archibald family. Not only did he inherit the magic crest passed down through the generations, he himself possessed talent rarely witnessed in this world. All of these 'facts' made all the honors received by Kayneth seem matter-of-fact. So as to believing that there's nothing in this world Kayneth cannot achieve with his power, this kind of self-confidence is not unfounded. This is not a mistake of Kayneth himself, but the common knowledge of all those around him.

Even in the busy Clock Tower amongst the numerous, successful researchers, his crowning to the famous title Lord El-Melloi by a huge lead had made everyone nod approvingly. But to Kayneth who has become used to being called 'prodigy', to him who's always been the target of admiration and jealousy, Kayneth did not feel the slightest feeling of satisfaction or accomplishment. All of this is merely life's 'inevitable result' to him.

The past was like that, and the future will definitely be like that. This is a sacred and inviolable 'agreement of life'; to Kayneth there is no doubt about that.

Because of that, to he who can already predict the entire world-- if a very rare, to the point of impossible, 'accident' occurred, then that is the chaos Kayneth absolutely cannot tolerate; it is an insult and blasphemy to God's order.

Such as--

The Servant, Saber, who had clearly been caught in his palm, escaping so very easily. Such an unspeakable inconceivability.

"Lancer, come."

"-- Yes, awaiting orders."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the handsome Heroic Sprit appeared obediently and respectfully in front of Kayneth, stooped in a bow. To Kayneth who is the main lecturer on spirit conjuring, speaking directly with the spiritual form poses no trouble, and is in fact very familiar. But a conversation like this face-to-face is very rare.

At least, if his Servant is face to face with him, Kayneth can observe the most minute changes in his expression while conversing with him. As for calling this type of activity a conversation-- it might be more fitting to call it an interrogation instead.

"Thanks for your hard work tonight. I was able to witness very well the might of Diarmuid ua Duibhne's twin spears."

"Thank you, Master."

Lancer replied simply and frankly. He did not feel proud upon hearing the compliment, nor did he show telltale signs of happiness, nor did he seem dissatisfied. He only accepted it with the stringent humility of a knight.

But to the eyes of Kayneth, this definitely was not Lancer's normal expression-- he's hiding something.

"Ah, please answer my question honestly. ... You, what do you plan on doing?"

"... You, what do you mean?"

Even faced with Kayneth's sudden question with an air of interrogation, Lancer still kept his very cautious attitude.

"Lancer, you swore to me as a Servant. To do everything in your power to help me attain victory in the Heaven's Feel. Right?"

"Yes, that is correct."

"Then why are you not serious about this?"

Even being scolded so by Kayneth, Lancer did not show the faintest expressions of anger or guilt, he only kept his head lowered with a serious face. Perhaps he had long been prepared for this interrogation.

"... I only did it for the Knight's honor. Not for viewing the battle as a game."

"Oh? Not admitting it?"

Kayneth made a disdainful grunting sound, then continued the questions.

"Then, let me ask you, why did you let Saber go?"

"That's because--"

"You had the overwhelming advantage more than once, but both times you did not strike; do you really want me to control you with a Command Mantra?"

"..."

Lancer had no response this time, he only held his silence.

"I'll say it again. I witnessed all of tonight's battle. Only thus am I able to ask these questions. Lancer, do you feel that battles are 'fun'?"

Looking at the silent knight with his head lowered, Kayneth sneered and continued.

"Are you that happy? To fight with Saber. To the point of not being able to bring yourself to finish her off?"

To a bystander, they might praise Lancer's bravery and finesse in battle. But from the Master, Kayneth's point of view, bravery and finesse without any results-- this enrages him.

The original relic prepared to summon his preferred heroic spirit Alexander had been stolen by his ungrateful student, Waver Velvet. But this Waver's power does not match at all with that of Alexander's, in the end being unable to control his own Servant and causing Alexander to go on a rampage. Because of Waver's uselessness, the situation then descended into a chaotic status, destroying Kayneth's Lancer's chance at victory... Kayneth has never had so much bad luck. And the cause of all of this is Waver alone, but being angry at a person not in front of him is pointless. He can only store this anger inside of him, waiting for his time to face Waver in battle when he could dispel all this anger at him. Regarding this sort of 'external anger', Kayneth is very realistic, calm, and brutal.

But, conversely, Kayneth has no method of controlling his 'internal anger'. To Kayneth who has led a life of being admired, who has never had any contact with defeat his entire life, whether himself or a subordinate, anything that does not meet his expectations-- even if only a little bit-- is definitely not allowed. For he who has been successful all his life, who has never faced any setbacks, is very weak against defeat.

So, to Kayneth, right now, between the enemy Waver who obstructed his obtaining of victory and Lancer who was unable to bring him victory, the latter enrages him more.

"...I'm honestly very sorry. Master."

Noticing Kayneth's anger, Lancer bowed his head deeply and apologized in a serious tone.

"I swear on my reputation as a knight; I will bring you Saber's head. Please believe me, no matter what."

"There's no need to swear to me again! That is only the natural result!"

Kayneth, who had gradually became excited, used an angry voice to suppress Lancer's apologies.

"You already swore to me. That you would bring me, Kayneth El-Melloi, the Holy Grail! In other words, you will destroy the six other Servants; they mean to do the same thing. This is the entire battle's premise.

But what you are saying now... is that oath aimed at victory against Saber alone? This falls far short of the agreement at the start. What's wrong with you?"

"-- I think you're the one that has something wrong with him, Kayneth El-Melloi."

It's neither Lancer nor Kayneth, but the voice of a third person. Nobody knows when the woman who emerged from the bedroom had begun to hear the Servant and Master's conversation.

Although sporting red hair like burning flame, she gives off the feeling of an extraordinarily cold, icy beauty. She looks to be a bit younger than Kayneth, a high-class lady perhaps only around twenty years of age. One can tell at a glance that she's a sentimental and prestigious aristocrat. And the temperamental authority emanating from her severe eyes make her seem like an empress.

Her eyes that look as if they are scolding a subordinate are looking at only one person-- Kayneth.

"Lancer has done very well. It's you who are misjudging the situation."

"Sola, what are you saying..."

Considering Kayneth's personality, his not exploding in anger at this point is unfathomable. But this is all because that this woman is a very special being to him.

Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri. Kayneth's teacher-- the department head of the Department of Eulyphis's daughter. She is also the goddess of victory that will complete Kayneth's glory-- that is to say, she is Kayneth's fiancee.

The marriage of the two renowned families Archibald and Sophia-Ri, the union of the prodigy and the department head's daughter, this was a popular topic in the Clock Tower. Although Sophia-Ri's family crest has been passed on to the first son, so Sola doesn't have too high of a place as a magus.

But through her veins flows the ancestral magus blood of the Sophia-Ris. The union between Sola, who has magic circuits many magnitudes above the average person, and the 'prodigy' Kayneth will definitely bring about an even more excellent next generation.

But-- the glorious future seen by the bystanders may not necessarily be that happy for the people involved.

Sola who's glaring at her fiance and Kayneth who has a horrible expression because he feels humiliated-- no matter how you look at it, those two do not give off a feeling of harmonious love.

"Kayneth, if you ask me, in that situation Lancer's decision was correct. In order to contend with Berserker, he had no choice but to team up with Saber."

Although she hadn't been present to watch the battle on the warehouse street, Sola had used her own familiar to report everything that happened there. Not for the sake of entertainment. Although she has no magic crest, she's still a member of the Sophia-Ris and thus had been nurtured in the ways of magecraft since youth. Regarding a battle between magi such as the Heaven's Feel, her own knowledge is not any less than a Master such as Kayneth.

No, it's rather that from her point of view regarding the battle, the actions of Kayneth as a Master were decidedly lacking.

"Lancer's Gáe Dearg is a very effective noble phantasm against Berserker. Coupled with Saber's aid, it would be a simple matter to defeat that black Servant. This is a very good opportunity to destroy the enemy."

"... That is because you don't know how terrifying Saber is."

Kayneth, who was grinding his teeth because he could not vent his anger, rebutted in a hoarse voice.

Although Kayneth's fiancee has a very sharp eye for analysis, in the end Sola is not his master and not his commander. As Master, Kayneth had been determined to fight by relying on his own decisions since the start. Also, as a man being scolded by his own fiancee, Kayneth's dignity was hurt even more.

"I used the ability of the [[Fate/Zero:Translator's Notes#"Master's Perspective"|Master's Perspective]] to understand Saber's ability. She is a very strong Servant. Her comprehensive ability completely overrides Diarmuid's. A very good opportunity to defeat her was lost!"

"You... do you really understand the specialty of your Servant?"

Sola made a cold, nasal grunt towards the stubborn Kayneth as she said this.

"Do you think Gáe Buidhe is only for looking good? In comparison to Saber who has already received incurably critical damage, wouldn't Berserker, whose identity is unknown, be more of a threat?"

"..."

Although he wanted to argue more, Kayneth could not say even a word of rebuttal.

Towards Sola's offensive manner, Kayneth became reluctantly intimidated.

"Firstly, if you really consider Saber very dangerous--"

During Kayneth's silence, Sola continued on.

"Then why did you leave Saber's Master? That completely defenseless Einsbern woman standing to the side. When Lancer occupied Saber's attention and they were in the midst of battle, why did you not attack the opposing Master? But what you did instead was... hide on the sidelines and watch until the end? You're the one who's in the wrong."

Watching Sola sigh deeply, Kayneth felt as if he was burning with anger at this humiliation, but still he could only watch her in silence, not saying a word.

If it was any other person, Kayneth would've put an end to this humiliation long ago. Even if he had to put the title of Lord El-Melloi on the line, he would have definitely inflicted many times the humiliation back at the person.

But there's only one person in this world, only Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri, who is the exception to this.

Not only because she's the daughter of Kayneth's teacher, but also because she's Kayneth's fiancee; his marriage with her would bring Kayneth even more honor and prestige and the future he's always been pursuing.

This proud as a gem, intelligent lady is the only woman Kayneth, as a man, loves in the entire world.

The first time they met, even before exchanging a single word, Kayneth's heart had already been captured by this woman.

Perhaps noticing Kayneth's depression, Sola's tone relented a bit and she continued on with less derision:

"Kayneth. Compared to other Masters, do you know where your advantage lies? That's you yourself."

"That-- obviously--"

"Adding your own designs onto the original contract system, you really are a prodigy. You deserve being called the greatest prodigy in Eulyphis."

Even though Kayneth was completely sick of hearing words of compliment, he wouldn't mind hearing these words come out of Sola's mouth no matter how many times she says them.

But in fact, Sola's opinion of him was not solely flattery. The secret technique Kayneth prepared for this Heaven's Feel had completely overwritten the rules of the war that had been designated by the 'three original families'.

Originally, there is a cause and effect line between Servant and Master. A technique to separate the right of Command Mantras and the right of supplying prana, letting two separate summoners control one each... by way of Kayneth's prodigious ability, this impossible technique was made possible.

Kayneth is the magus who owns the Command Mantras, yet the one to supply the Servant with prana is none other than... Sola. They can be said to be a two-person team Master.

"-- But, Kayneth, although you are first-rate as a magus, as a soldier you are merely second-rate. Going through all that trouble to complete your preparations, but on the battlefield you were unable to make proper use of them, right?"

"No, I..."

"Hey, why do you think I supply prana for Lancer? This is originally what you should be responsible for, so why should I commit to it? Isn't this for the sake of your battles going well, for the sake of letting you attain victory in Heaven's Feel? Compared to those Masters who have to supply prana to their Servants, you already have a crushing advantage. You can fully utilize your prana to execute various actions."

"But... the war's just started, it's better to be cautious..."

"Oh, really? Then why do you demand results so hastily from Lancer?"

"..."

Although Sola's tone is softer than it was at the start, there is still the implicit meaning outside her words mocking Kayneth's cowardice. Kayneth's expression became even worse.

"So before you blame Lancer, you should first do some self-reflection. Kayneth, tonight you--"

"Sola-sama, please stop here."

A sudden, low-toned voice interrupted Sola.

It's Lancer. It's unknown when he raised his head, looking straight at Sola.

"If you continue to humiliate my Master, then as a knight I cannot tolerate it any longer."

"No, that wasn't my intent... I apologize. I crossed the line."

Sola, who up until a moment ago had the dignity of an empress, apologized and lowered her eyes as if in shame after one sentence from Lancer. No matter who looks at this transformation, it's way too sudden.

In Kayneth's heart, the scene before him left a very negative impact. Sola has always nagged at him incessantly, and has never listened to him even once. He, who is to become her husband soon. Sola, who is to become his wife soon. Why do the words of a Servant have more weight than those of her future husband?

And since the start, Sola had been arguing with him to protect Lancer. Perhaps she could not stand watching Lancer being scolded?

Kayneth watched Sola's eyes, which were fixated on Lancer, and saw some emotion in his fiancee's eyes that he has never before witnessed before. And then he shifted his eyes towards Lancer--

The scintillating mole under Lancer's left eye caught his attention. Is that the fabled "tear mole" of Diarmuid ua Duibhne that attracted females?

No, baseless suspicion is stupid. Even a commoner would know that Sola was the daughter of the renowned Sophia-Ri family. Even though she doe not possess a magic crest, she still has very strong resistance against this type of charm spell.

Unless, she herself does not willingly resist this type of charm, then--

Just as Kayneth was lost in thought, the fire alarm went off without warning, interrupting his train of thought.

"...What? What's happening?"

Sola mumbled confusedly, and at the same time the telephone in the room began to ring. The call display shows that it's from the lobby.

Kayneth calmly lifted up the receiver to listen to the receptionist. When he finished, Kayneth's gaze once again regained the sharpness unique to magi.

"It seems like there's a fire somewhere downstairs; the management is telling us to evacuate."

Kayneth said to Sola as he hung up the phone.

"Although the fire is not too severe, the places that caught fire are very scattered. It looks like arson."

"Arson? Tonight?"

"Yeah, I think it's definitely not coincidental."

Kayneth made a disdainful sound. The restlessness and worries that had been in his heart earlier quickly disappeared completely.

"This is a plan to disperse the crowd. The opponent must be a magus. Looks like he doesn't want to do battle in a building with too many bystanders."

Sola speaks with a tense expression.

"Then-- an ambush?"

"I'm afraid so. It might be that guy from the warehouse street who wants to play some more.

Interesting. That's exactly what we want, right Lancer?"

"Yes, exactly."

Lancer nodded definitively, as if preparing to battle with the enemy. Out of all seven Masters, there is only one person who would be in such a rush to attack Kayneth-- that is the Master of Saber, whose Servant had been hit by Gáe Buidhe. He must want to dispel this curse as soon as possible.

"Lancer, go to the floor below to meet them. But don't disperse them too quickly."

At Kayneth's hidden intents within the words, Lancer only nodded:

"Understood. Cut off the attackers' path of retreat, then chase them here, is that it?"

"Yes. Since we have visitors, then why not let them take a good look at Kayneth El-Melloi's magic atelier?"

This hotel, as Kayneth's stronghold, must have undergone complete renovation. Not the material type of renovation, but a fortification through magecraft. In this building totaling thirty-two floors, Kayneth's bounded field covers twenty-four floors. This place can be called a castle of magecraft. In addition, there are three magical furnaces for Kayneth's exclusive use, and in place of hounds there have been summoned ten-odd evil spirits and apparitions. There isn't even a flaw in the drainage pipes; Kayneth completely covered the area underneath the hall with his bounded field.

Instead of attacking enemy territory, it's much better to perfect one's own territory. As for the challenger who dares set foot in here, Kayneth will make him realize the real terror of Lord El-Melloi.

"Since all the other customers are already gone, there won't be anything to worry about. You can both use your full power to fight."

The irrepressible sound of laughter spilled out from Kayneth's throat. And the knight who had not been able to stop trembling in excitement also rushed out.

To Kayneth right now, the only thing that is needed is action. Only action and results can dispel the humiliation inflicted upon him by Sola. Right now, the only thing to do is to make full use of his own potential, that which had made others call him a prodigy, to prove his capabilities.

Yes, Kayneth right now desires blood. The dark anger that has been bottled up inside him must be offset by somebody's blood. The unfortunate enemy who coincidentally showed up to attack right now is about to become the perfect offering.

"You said I was a second rate-soldier; I'm about to make you take those words back. Sola."

"Okay. I'll be waiting."

Kayneth's fiancee who's usually always criticizing him, only at this moment did she watch him with a smiling face. Kayneth's fighting spirit heightened even more--

The fear and drowsiness of the customers, who had been awakened by the fire alarm in the midst of their dreams and herded outside to the parking lot, combined with the cold outside, caused them to wear difficult expressions. Amidst these people, the employees of the hotel scurried about busily.

"...Mr. Archibald! Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald! Are you here?"

Of all the names recorded on the customer list, there is only one person whose presence has not been confirmed; the bellhop called him in a frantic voice. Everyone regarded this largesse customer who had reserved the entire top floor of the hotel very highly. On some level, this is the person they least want to be in danger.

"Mr. Archibald! Are you here?"

"-- I am here. Do not worry."

A resonant voice came from behind the bellhop, but as the bellhop turned around he became confused. The person speaking to him was a Japanese male wearing an old-styled coat.

This kind of joke is too much. The angry bellhop was about to yell at him-- but he was captivated by the man's eyes.

That man's eyes held an indescribable, mysterious force of attraction; the bellhop was unable to avoid his eyes, and was not able to even speak.

"I am Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald. My wife Sola is with me."

This unknown Japanese male stated in a clear voice. And the bellhop accepted this without any suspicion as if hypnotized.

"...Is that so? Ah, yes. That's it."

After the bellhop checked off a spot on the 'escaped' section of his list, finally confirming that all the customers were safe, he exhaled a long breath. All of his suspicions while speaking to Archibald earlier and his feelings that something was wrong had disappeared without a trace.

Watching the employee continue on to tend to other customers, Emiya Kiritsugu left the chaotic crowd. His earlier hypnotic suggestion, to a commoner with no magic resistance whatsoever, would not be broken in a short period of time.

After walking to a shady, dark area some distance away from the hotel, Kiritsugu pulled out the cellphone in his pocket as he scanned the surroundings to ensure no one was watching him. Cellphones were very common amongst the people, and has given Kiritsugu great help. It is a simple yet useful wireless apparatus for communication and holding it will not draw any suspicion from anyone.

First he has to contact Maiya, who was positioned for surveillance.

"Everything set on your end?"

"No irregularities. Ready."

Maiya's position is a tall building still under construction diagonally across Fuyuki's Hyatt hotel. From there it's possible to clearly see Kayneth's room, that was the position Kiritsugu designated.

Kiritsugu sighed lightly, reaching for his cigarette box with one hand, dialing a set of numbers on the cellphone with the other.

Kiritsugu dialed an empty number. But there was no response whatsoever from his cellphone. The modified communication loops were connecting not to an analog signal, but to the trigger of a C4 bomb.

The bomb only caused a very small explosion, to the point where the sound of the explosion cannot even be heard outside the hotel.

But what resounded in the night was the horrifying sound of reinforced concrete splintering and collapsing.

The evacuees who had noticed something was wrong saw the sudden change in the towering building and began to shout in panic.

"The hotel, the hotel is collapsing!"

The hotel, towering at a hundred and fifty some meters in height, kept its upright posture but collapsed as if being sucked into the ground. Because all the outside walls collapsed inward, not a shard of debris flew outward and only the dust created by the collapse spread towards the surrounding streets. Precision blasting-- a highly advanced blasting technique used primarily to demolish tall buildings. Due to the destruction of load bearing walls and key support structures, the building collapses downward and inward on its own weight. Using the least amount of explosives to obtain the result of total destruction. To Emiya Kiritsugu who's familiar with all blasting techniques from past to present, there's a very special appreciation for this type of art of destruction.

All of the buildings acting as the bases of magi in Fuyuki City are listed on Emiya Kiritsugu's destruction list. And Fuyuki's Hyatt hotel is one of the list's entries. Kiritsugu obtained the building's blueprints beforehand and determined the points at which to place explosives. As long as the preparations are all complete, the actual execution requires less than an hour.

Although the evacuees were already as far as possible from the collapsing building and outside the range of flying debris, they were showered with the dust sent flying by the collapse and mired into a state of panic. While watching the disturbance in the crowd, Kiritsugu looked for a gap with weaker wind and lit the cigarette in his hand.

"Maiya, how are things on your end?"

"Up until the end there was no activity on the thirty-second floor. The target has not escaped from the building."

In other words-- Kiritsugu thought with some satisfaction as he looked at the ashes of the ruins of Fuyuki's Hyatt hotel-- the one called 'Lord El-Melloi' Kayneth-sama is now most certainly keeping the rubble company.

The thirty-second floor that Kayneth was on, due to the chain reaction caused by the precision blasting, had lost its support and practically freefallen a hundred and fifty meters to the ground. No matter how well it is defended by a bounded field, in the face of such destructive force it probably cannot protect the people inside the rooms.

Suddenly there came the sound of a child crying and Kiritsugu's attention was stolen from the ruins.

The child's mother walked past Kiritsugu holding a child who would not stop crying due to fear. Both were wearing only pajamas and covered head to toe with white ash, appearing so miserable it was hard to watch.

Kiritsugu kept watching the backs of the parent and child... up until his hand was singed by the burning tip of the cigarette, when he snapped back to attention. Kiritsugu tossed the mostly-burnt-up cigarette to the floor and stamped it out with his foot.

Emiya Kiritsugu felt a little confused; sentimentalism is definitely unacceptable for him. This kind of weak feelings would directly threaten his life. But, regarding his failure, he cannot face it with a composed attitude no matter what.

Yes. Even if he did not want to admit it, the reality was this-- Kiritsugu saw the figures of Irisviel and Ilyasviel in the receding figures of the parent and child.

Emiya Kiritsugu once believed that there was no differentiation in sacrifice. All life was equal, so choosing the path that led to a smaller sacrifice was okay. In this manner of judgment, the lives of women and children do not receive any special treatment.

The Holy Grail could be used to save the world. And Kayneth is a target that must be eliminated in order to obtain the Holy Grail. There are a thousand-some people in the Fuyuki Hyatt hotel, but the Holy Grail could save at least five billion people. Kiritsugu could completely eradicate these tenants along with Kayneth if there was the necessity to do so.

Then why did he need to set a fire beforehand to cause this disturbance?

In the beginning, he thought that this had been the obvious tactic. Kayneth specifically set many traps in order to defend against an ambush; as for the tactic against his strategic defense, this one has definitely yielded effective results. That prodigy magus held his iron wall as his pride, but he never thought that the entire castle would be destroyed so he remained inside.

But, was his real intent really just limited to this?

His sentimental hope that the innocent tenants would escape in time, is it really showing just now unconsciously?

This really is a fatal romanticism. If he was on the battlefield, this sort of sentiment would definitely lead to his death.

To steady the shaky feelings in his heart, Kiritsugu once again lit a cigarette.

He's degraded. Although he doesn't know how much weaker he is, the Emiya Kiritsugu today has definitely degraded from the one nine years ago. If this continued then he might not be able to successfully obtain victory in the Holy Grail War. No matter what, not restoring the cold manner of judgment from before is unacceptable-- the faster the better.

The neighborhood disturbed by the late-night incident has at last begun to stir. Watching the crowd gather in the street, Kiritsugu inhaled deeply and took out his cellphone to give Maiya the signal to retreat.

The sound that reached his ears was not the voice of his subordinate, but the roar of two metallic entities colliding.

<center>※※※※※</center>

The not yet named metallic lookout. Nearing its completion, it's temporarily called the Fuyuki shopping center's thirty-eighth floor.

The construction is already more than half done, only the exterior left incomplete. This high-rise building will soon become a shopping center and the symbol of Fuyuki Shinto, but right now it is only an empty skeleton of reinforced concrete, buffeted by the strong gales of the night.

Whether it is the streetlights on the ground or the stars in the sky, everything seems distant and bleak. It is in this void that Hisau Maiya knelt, unmoving, supporting on her shoulder the AUG assault rifle that had night vision equipped. The muzzle was propped on her upright left knee.

If magus Kayneth noticed Kiritsugu's plan and escaped from the window, Hisau Maiya who was waiting here would ambush him. But the result is that this preparation had been completely unnecessary.

"Maiya, what's the situation there?"

From Hisau Maiya's earphones came the questioning voice of Kiritsugu on ground level. Having needed both hands to support her rifle, Maiya switched the cellphone to earphone mode to free her hands.

"Up until the end there was no activity on the thirty-second floor. The target has not escaped from the hotel."

Maiya spoke into the microphone beside her mouth and gave Kiritsugu a brief summary of her surveillance. Although she has just witnessed a devastating destruction, her voice did not contain even a bit of excitement.

Her surveillance mission here is over. Maiya retrieved the bullets, which had not had a chance to be of use before the mission was over, from the gun, put them into a case, and then slung the assault rifle over her shoulder and stood up to head for the stairs.

At that moment, she noticed a trace of abnormality.

Not a typical abnormality, but a hard-to-detect subtle change of atmosphere. To an experienced soldier, it is an easy matter to clearly detect this kind of killing intent.

"-- Your senses are sharp, miss."

From behind the now still Maiya came a low, cold male voice. The voice echoed in the empty building of reinforced concrete, making it impossible to determine from whence it came.

Maiya did not respond or ask questions. She only calmly used her sharp intuition to determine the enemy's location and pulled out the 9mm-caliber handgun from her belt.

As for the other person in this place, the person who discovered Maiya's existence-- no matter who it is, this reason alone is sufficient for him to become Maiya's target.

"-- Hmm, it's also nice to have this kind of preparation."

The man hidden in the shadows said so in a mocking voice.

At that moment, something was tossed at Maiya's feet from the shadow of some pillar.

Maiya immediately aimed her gun at the object and after making sure it was not dangerous, she pointed her gun back towards the place where the object was tossed from. But even so, Maiya still used her peripheral vision to watch the object that was tossed out.

The corpse of a small animal.

A bat. And judging from the CCD camera on the bat's abdomen, this is definitely the bat familiar Maiya sent out. This is the one that was placed by the Fuyuki church that she had lost communication with.

Then, without doubt, the one who deliberately tossed out the corpse of the bat can only be he. And the opponent seems to have no interest in concealing himself any longer. Slowly walking out from behind the pillar where he was hiding, he exposed himself to Maiya's line of sight and line of fire.

The man in front of him seemed filled with authority and pressure, wearing a pitch black frock. Maiya knows him.

"Kotomine, Kirei..."

"Oh? This should be the first time we've met. So how do you know who I am? Is it perhaps your precognition?"

Maiya, realizing her mistake, regretted it.

Kirei did not show the slightest bit of discomfort at facing Maiya's gun and continued on calmly.

"If that's so, then you should definitely know about a lot of other things too, right? This is a prime location for spying on Fuyuki Hyatt hotel's thirty-second floor; perhaps some very important person lives there?"

This time it was Maiya's turn to be silent. But her mind was filled with suspicion: as a Master... Kotomine Kirei should carefully hide himself, so why would he choose to show up here? What is his real intention?

On the other side, Kirei diverged his sight slightly outwards-- landing on the position where the Fuyuki Hyatt hotel is now a pile of rubble. He stared intently for a while, then heaved a long sigh.

"Even so--was it really necessary to destroy the building too? To use this kind of tactics, can he still be called a magus? Or rather, maybe he shouldn't have been considered a magus to begin with?"

"..."

This man-- Maiya was suddenly surprised-- he knows. He knows all about Emiya Kiritsugu. Just like how Emiya Kiritsugu knows Kotomine Kirei.

"Look at me rambling on and on here, miss. Why don't you say something-- where is the man who should be here in your place right now?"

After being asked that, Maiya made a new judgment regarding Kotomine Kirei. This man in front of him must be killed.

The sound of Maiya's rapid fire rang out. Although the 9mm-caliber called the military bullet has a good ability to inflict damage, it is still not powerful enough. So in order to effectively kill the opponent, the key is to shoot the abdominal region three times consecutively. Compared to the small fatal point that can instantly cause death, attacking the position where it is easy to hit and inflict heavy damage seems more effective. This is the rule of killing by shooting.

Even so, Maiya's bullets did not strike the organs beneath the frock, but rather the hard concrete floor.

Even if Kotomine Kirei's evasive actions were of an unbelievable speed, they cannot be faster than the speed of sound of the bullets. But he determined Maiya's thoughts before she pulled the trigger and acted beforehand. What's amazing is Kotomine Kirei's judgment on tactics.

Predicting the moment of Maiya firing, and thus dodging the bullets. Even in the field of thaumaturgy, this is beyond the ability of the average person.

Not only that--

In that instant the person who turned to hide was not Kirei but Maiya. Her right hand was stained with blood, and the handgun that was supposed to be clutched in her hand fell to the ground with a metallic noise. And her surprise-filled eyes stared at the pillar she had been propping her back against. The keen edge that is suddenly sticking out from that pillar glints with a cold light.

The thin blade, longer than a meter, made one think of the weapons used in fencing; as a sword the hilt was very short. This is the projectile weapon used specifically by the executors in the Holy Church, called the "Black Key". Just now, this is what cut the back of Maiya's hand and made her drop her handgun. Kirei had simultaneously thrown this weapon and avoided the bullet.

Although it is a hand-tossed weapon, it had enough power to penetrate reinforced concrete. Even so, it only made Maiya drop her gun and did not contain the intent to take her life. To use such force on purpose, he probably wants to take away the opponent's weapon and at the same time destroy her morale. It's best to capture the other alive-- after all, Maiya had not yet answered Kirei's question.

"Your movements aren't bad. Very sharp."

Kirei, who's holding the position of initiative after completely reversing the situation of attack and defense, spoke and walked over leisurely. And once again a Black Key appeared in his hands. The long blade of the Black Key is a semi-solid formed by prana, so while carrying it just holding the small hilt is sufficient. Nobody knows exactly how many Black Keys are hidden under Kirei's loose frock.

The Black Key, as one of the staple equipments of the Holy Church's executors, has great power but is also very difficult to use. Someone who is able to use its power so skillfully must be a very strong expert. And Maiya seems to have encountered such a rare expert now.

Maiya is not a warrior, only a soldier. So to her there is no combat record worth boasting of, only the analysis of combat. The combat ability of Kotomine Kirei very obviously surpasses her own. In this situation where she has no equipment or advantageous terrain or tactics, admitting her defeat is wiser.

"What is it, Maiya? What happened?"

Kiritsugu's voice sounded in the earphones. It seems like the cellphone in her pocket is still keeping her in contact with Kiritsugu. But-- Maiya now cannot respond. He can hear Maiya's voice. That horrifying executor's real goal is not Maiya but Kiritsugu. Kirei's judgment that Maiya was Kiritsugu's subordinate, carrying out every action based on Kiritsugu's instructions, was verified completely here.

"What's wrong? Not calling for help? Emiya Kiritsugu is nearby, right?"

Kirei no longer had a bit of doubt left when he said this name, because he is convinced that his judgment is correct. If Kiritsugu wants the Holy Grail, then he would definitely act tonight.

The effect of the curse of Diarmuid's Gáe Buidhe is easy to see. They have been mired into a very unfavorable situation with one of Saber's arms sealed off while the six remaining Servants are still in good condition. To the Einsbern camp, the most pressing matter is to eliminate the origin of the curse, Lancer, as soon as possible.

So Kirei set up his net near Kayneth's dwelling, calmly awaiting the arrival of the ambushers.

But in the end he found not Emiya Kiritsugu but someone else. Yet Kotomine Kirei is certain that this person is acting based on Kiritsugu's instructions. So this woman he is facing right now is definitely the key to finding Emiya Kiritsugu.

He can't kill her; it's best to capture her alive. As long as he can make her talk, it's fine.

Even if he had to break her arms and legs.

After making a cruel judgment in his heart, Kotomine Kirei approached the woman's hiding place slowly. The opponent should be unarmed. The already disassembled assault rifle cannot be reassembled quick enough, and the dropped pistol is far away. This match has already been decided.

But what stopped Kotomine Kirei was an impediment beyond his expectations.

Suddenly a veil of white smoke appeared between him and the prey, completely obscuring his vision, and with it an irritating smell of chemical reactions rushed into his nostrils.

"Smokescreen!?"

What suddenly appeared in front of Kotomine Kirei was a smokescreen released by a military-use smoke dispersion bomb.

And in that instant when Kirei's sight was obscured by the smokescreen, Maiya escaped with haste.

Although Kotomine Kirei tossed a Black Key in the direction of the noise, he did not hit the target. The instinct of an executor who's been through countless battles told him that he could not move carelessly in the current predicament.

Kotomine Kirei held Black Keys in both hands, not daring to let his guard down the slightest, and surveyed his surroundings while waiting for the smoke to disperse. In this building exposed to strong winds, the thick smoke only took several seconds to dissipate-- but, that woman managed to escape in these mere seconds.

Only he was left. Realizing he was the only person left in this empty building, Kirei grunted and put away his Black Keys. He did not have any intention of pursuit.

Kirei picked up the smoke dispersion bomb, now empty of all smoke, from the ground and began to inspect it. It's an American grenade model. There isn't anything special about it; it's simply something that anyone can get if they had the right connections.

It wasn't tossed by that woman, because if he had found that she had moved in the slightest then he would've thrown a Black Key to stop her. This had been tossed in front of him by someone else to help that woman escape.

Of course, there shouldn't be anyone else inside this building. If that's the case, then the smoke grenade should have been tossed in from outside the building.

Kirei walked to the edge of the building-- ignoring the wind tugging at his frock-- and looked down.

Around the rubble of the former Fuyuki Hyatt hotel, there aren't any buildings that can stand shoulder to shoulder with this one. The distance from ground level to this position is at least a hundred and fifty meters. It'd be hard to aim at this position precisely even with a long range weapon. Not to mention a hand tossed smoke grenade. It's a cosmic farce for someone to toss that up from ground level.

But Kirei was, after all, an executor who has hunted many strange magi before. He was already thoroughly used to facing enemies who were beyond common sense. To him, this level of strangeness didn't have anything that was worth being surprised over.

Somewhere below him existed the magus who stopped him.

As long as this was confirmed, then he has gained something tonight.

At the same time, Kirei felt the breath of the strange form concealed beside him.

"Assassin?"

"Yes, it is me."

Assassin, who was sporting a long pitch-black gown, materialized kneeling in front of Kirei. This Assassin is one among the three who were spying on Irisviel and Saber in the forest, who had been charged to bring over the obtained information.

"Didn't I tell you not to materialize indoors?"

"I'm terribly sorry, but I have very urgent things to report..."

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| Back to [[Fate/Zero:Act_5_Part_1|Act 5, Part 1]]
| Return to [[Fate/Zero|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Fate/Zero:Act_5_Part_3|Act 5, Part 3]]
|-
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</noinclude>

Fate/Zero:Act 5 Part 2

2011-05-28T19:46:50Z

67.189.249.209: /* -149:47:12 */

=== -149:47:12 ===

Looking down from the 32nd floor-- the top floor-- of Fuyuki's Hyatt hotel. There is no building taller than this in all of Fuyuki.

This title of the highest building will soon become that of the soon-to-be-completed Shinto shopping center. But because the Shinto shopping center is still under construction, this Hyatt hotel is top for already completed buildings.

Accompanying the unstoppable growth of Shinto, there will be more and more new hotels. But the Hyatt hotel, which has the most advanced facilities and best service standards, will not give up this status to anyone else. It's not only the hotel's managers and staff who think so; even the hotel's customers are amazed by Hyatt's high quality service and management.

But not even living in such a luxurious room, sitting in the real leather sofa by the window, could ease Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi's depression in the slightest.

To him, the items of this room are merely 'a wasteful gathering'. It's merely a somber room, some expensive furniture, and some fancy everyday items. To Kayneth who's been born into aristocracy, there's nothing he can't stand more than originally common things being dressed up in fancy outfits to appear falsely aristocratic. But right now that's exactly what this hotel room is like. There isn't the slightest bit of historical background or cultural heritage to this room. It is merely a pigsty decorated by a luxurious appearance.

But the instigator of this lowly feeling is not limited to just this hotel; this extremely tiny island nation known as Japan is filled with things that leave Kayneth with an unhappy, ugly feeling.

Even the tiny island of Hong Kong can give off a very local, folk-style feeling. But right now Fuyuki's Shinto does not show even a bit of its local culture. Like now, overlooking the city's night scenery from a high spot, there is no way for you to guess exactly in which city of which country you are. Simply gathering the most common items and putting them together-- if he were to be asked what exactly this city is, Kayneth would say it is merely like a mountain of rubbish.

If this easternmost island nation had preserved its original, honest backwater fishing village feeling then it would be much more interesting than it is now... but unfortunately when it comes to the ability to comprehend things like this, a race like the Japanese probably could not do it. This undeveloped country which did not even have a constitution a hundred years ago wants to forge forward and compete with western countries by purely relying on technological science and financial development, as if they wanted to unabashedly force their way into the ranks of the developed countries. It is indeed very difficult to reason with these people.

Kayneth used a finger to gently tap his head, which has a slight headache due to his annoyance, and sighed irately.

In reality, he isn't the type of person to get upset over small things such as these, but something else is the cause of his irritation.

The wide screen TV in front of him suddenly stopped its late night program and began broadcasting urgent news. The newscaster is at the scene, reporting live on an explosion caused by sources unknown on a warehouse street by the coastline of Fuyuki.

According to nearby residents who heard the explosion, firetrucks were on the scene about four hours ago. Although there is no news yet, those police who've already begun their investigation on-site are definitely hiding their findings. How can the ignorant, common people be able to make a correct judgment on something that surpasses their knowledge?

It's not simple being the supervisor in the Holy Church either. To count the time, within 30 minutes after Kayneth canceled the bounded field, all the cover-up tasks had been completed.

Now the entirety of the truth lies solely in the memories of those few who had been present. One of those people was Kayneth, Servant Lancer-- heroic spirit Diarmuid ua Duibhne's Master.

The beginning of the long-awaited Heaven's Feel. And the thoroughly prepared-for first battle. Although the results are different from his expectations.

Even in his youth, Kayneth Archibald had appeared to be more outstanding than other kids. No matter what the problem is, nobody could find a better solution than Kayneth's; an opponent who can win against him in a competition is non-existent.

Yet his effort had not surpassed the normal sense of purpose. Simply believing that his research results would be better than someone else's at some place, some time. That was all.

Because of that, Kayneth had already been seen as a 'prodigy' by others in his youth.

This fact is known by everyone. Nobody had any doubts about his title of 'prodigy', and nothing had ever threatened his position as 'prodigy'. So there was no need for him to be proud or egotistic, he simply enjoyed his deserved title as 'prodigy'.

He has never been in a tight spot, nor has he been extremely frustrated. In the world of the young Kayneth, he was the master of everything. There isn't a need to doubt this in the slightest. He was a talented magus prodigy. He was also the heir of the well-known Archibald family. Not only did he inherit the magic crest passed down through the generations, he himself possessed talent rarely witnessed in this world. All of these 'facts' made all the honors received by Kayneth seem matter-of-fact. So as to believing that there's nothing in this world Kayneth cannot achieve with his power, this kind of self-confidence is not unfounded. This is not a mistake of Kayneth himself, but the common knowledge of all those around him.

Even in the busy Clock Tower amongst the numerous, successful researchers, his crowning to the famous title Lord El-Melloi by a huge lead had made everyone nod approvingly. But to Kayneth who has become used to being called 'prodigy', to him who's always been the target of admiration and jealousy, Kayneth did not feel the slightest feeling of satisfaction or accomplishment. All of this is merely life's 'inevitable result' to him.

The past was like that, and the future will definitely be like that. This is a sacred and inviolable 'agreement of life'; to Kayneth there is no doubt about that.

Because of that, to he who can already predict the entire world-- if a very rare, to the point of impossible, 'accident' occurred, then that is the chaos Kayneth absolutely cannot tolerate; it is an insult and blasphemy to God's order.

Such as--

The Servant, Saber, who had clearly been caught in his palm, escaping so very easily. Such an unspeakable inconceivability.

"Lancer, come."

"-- Yes, awaiting orders."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the handsome Heroic Sprit appeared obediently and respectfully in front of Kayneth, stooped in a bow. To Kayneth who is the main lecturer on spirit conjuring, speaking directly with the spiritual form poses no trouble, and is in fact very familiar. But a conversation like this face-to-face is very rare.

At least, if his Servant is face to face with him, Kayneth can observe the most minute changes in his expression while conversing with him. As for calling this type of activity a conversation-- it might be more fitting to call it an interrogation instead.

"Thanks for your hard work tonight. I was able to witness very well the might of Diarmuid ua Duibhne's twin spears."

"Thank you, Master."

Lancer replied simply and frankly. He did not feel proud upon hearing the compliment, nor did he show telltale signs of happiness, nor did he seem dissatisfied. He only accepted it with the stringent humility of a knight.

But to the eyes of Kayneth, this definitely was not Lancer's normal expression-- he's hiding something.

"Ah, please answer my question honestly. ... You, what do you plan on doing?"

"... You, what do you mean?"

Even faced with Kayneth's sudden question with an air of interrogation, Lancer still kept his very cautious attitude.

"Lancer, you swore to me as a Servant. To do everything in your power to help me attain victory in the Heaven's Feel. Right?"

"Yes, that is correct."

"Then why are you not serious about this?"

Even being scolded so by Kayneth, Lancer did not show the faintest expressions of anger or guilt, he only kept his head lowered with a serious face. Perhaps he had long been prepared for this interrogation.

"... I only did it for the Knight's honor. Not for viewing the battle as a game."

"Oh? Not admitting it?"

Kayneth made a disdainful grunting sound, then continued the questions.

"Then, let me ask you, why did you let Saber go?"

"That's because--"

"You had the overwhelming advantage more than once, but both times you did not strike; do you really want me to control you with a Command Mantra?"

"..."

Lancer had no response this time, he only held his silence.

"I'll say it again. I witnessed all of tonight's battle. Only thus am I able to ask these questions. Lancer, do you feel that battles are 'fun'?"

Looking at the silent knight with his head lowered, Kayneth sneered and continued.

"Are you that happy? To fight with Saber. To the point of not being able to bring yourself to finish her off?"

To a bystander, they might praise Lancer's bravery and finesse in battle. But from the Master, Kayneth's point of view, bravery and finesse without any results-- this enrages him.

The original relic prepared to summon his preferred heroic spirit Alexander had been stolen by his ungrateful student, Waver Velvet. But this Waver's power does not match at all with that of Alexander's, in the end being unable to control his own Servant and causing Alexander to go on a rampage. Because of Waver's uselessness, the situation then descended into a chaotic status, destroying Kayneth's Lancer's chance at victory... Kayneth has never had so much bad luck. And the cause of all of this is Waver alone, but being angry at a person not in front of him is pointless. He can only store this anger inside of him, waiting for his time to face Waver in battle when he could dispel all this anger at him. Regarding this sort of 'external anger', Kayneth is very realistic, calm, and brutal.

But, conversely, Kayneth has no method of controlling his 'internal anger'. To Kayneth who has led a life of being admired, who has never had any contact with defeat his entire life, whether himself or a subordinate, anything that does not meet his expectations-- even if only a little bit-- is definitely not allowed. For he who has been successful all his life, who has never faced any setbacks, is very weak against defeat.

So, to Kayneth, right now, between the enemy Waver who obstructed his obtaining of victory and Lancer who was unable to bring him victory, the latter enrages him more.

"...I'm honestly very sorry. Master."

Noticing Kayneth's anger, Lancer bowed his head deeply and apologized in a serious tone.

"I swear on my reputation as a knight; I will bring you Saber's head. Please believe me, no matter what."

"There's no need to swear to me again! That is only the natural result!"

Kayneth, who had gradually became excited, used an angry voice to suppress Lancer's apologies.

"You already swore to me. That you would bring me, Kayneth El-Melloi, the Holy Grail! In other words, you will destroy the six other Servants; they mean to do the same thing. This is the entire battle's premise.

But what you are saying now... is that oath aimed at victory against Saber alone? This falls far short of the agreement at the start. What's wrong with you?"

"-- I think you're the one that has something wrong with him, Kayneth El-Melloi."

It's neither Lancer nor Kayneth, but the voice of a third person. Nobody knows when the woman who emerged from the bedroom had begun to hear the Servant and Master's conversation.

Although sporting red hair like burning flame, she gives off the feeling of an extraordinarily cold, icy beauty. She looks to be a bit younger than Kayneth, a high-class lady perhaps only around twenty years of age. One can tell at a glance that she's a sentimental and prestigious aristocrat. And the temperamental authority emanating from her severe eyes make her seem like an empress.

Her eyes that look as if they are scolding a subordinate are looking at only one person-- Kayneth.

"Lancer has done very well. It's you who are misjudging the situation."

"Sola, what are you saying..."

Considering Kayneth's personality, his not exploding in anger at this point is unfathomable. But this is all because that this woman is a very special being to him.

Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri. Kayneth's teacher-- the department head of the Department of Eulyphis's daughter. She is also the goddess of victory that will complete Kayneth's glory-- that is to say, she is Kayneth's fiancee.

The marriage of the two renowned families Archibald and Sophia-Ri, the union of the prodigy and the department head's daughter, this was a popular topic in the Clock Tower. Although Sophia-Ri's family crest has been passed on to the first son, so Sola doesn't have too high of a place as a magus.

But through her veins flows the ancestral magus blood of the Sophia-Ris. The union between Sola, who has magic circuits many magnitudes above the average person, and the 'prodigy' Kayneth will definitely bring about an even more excellent next generation.

But-- the glorious future seen by the bystanders may not necessarily be that happy for the people involved.

Sola who's glaring at her fiance and Kayneth who has a horrible expression because he feels humiliated-- no matter how you look at it, those two do not give off a feeling of harmonious love.

"Kayneth, if you ask me, in that situation Lancer's decision was correct. In order to contend with Berserker, he had no choice but to team up with Saber."

Although she hadn't been present to watch the battle on the warehouse street, Sola had used her own familiar to report everything that happened there. Not for the sake of entertainment. Although she has no magic crest, she's still a member of the Sophia-Ris and thus had been nurtured in the ways of magecraft since youth. Regarding a battle between magi such as the Heaven's Feel, her own knowledge is not any less than a Master such as Kayneth.

No, it's rather that from her point of view regarding the battle, the actions of Kayneth as a Master were decidedly lacking.

"Lancer's Gáe Dearg is a very effective noble phantasm against Berserker. Coupled with Saber's aid, it would be a simple matter to defeat that black Servant. This is a very good opportunity to destroy the enemy."

"... That is because you don't know how terrifying Saber is."

Kayneth, who was grinding his teeth because he could not vent his anger, rebutted in a hoarse voice.

Although Kayneth's fiancee has a very sharp eye for analysis, in the end Sola is not his master and not his commander. As Master, Kayneth had been determined to fight by relying on his own decisions since the start. Also, as a man being scolded by his own fiancee, Kayneth's dignity was hurt even more.

"I used the ability of the [[Fate/Zero:Translator's Notes#"Master's Perspective"|Master's Perspective]] to understand Saber's ability. She is a very strong Servant. Her comprehensive ability completely overrides Diarmuid's. A very good opportunity to defeat her was lost!"

"You... do you really understand the specialty of your Servant?"

Sola made a cold, nasal grunt towards the stubborn Kayneth as she said this.

"Do you think Gáe Buidhe is only for looking good? In comparison to Saber who has already received incurably critical damage, wouldn't Berserker, whose identity is unknown, be more of a threat?"

"..."

Although he wanted to argue more, Kayneth could not say even a word of rebuttal.

Towards Sola's offensive manner, Kayneth became reluctantly intimidated.

"Firstly, if you really consider Saber very dangerous--"

During Kayneth's silence, Sola continued on.

"Then why did you leave Saber's Master? That completely defenseless Einsbern woman standing to the side. When Lancer occupied Saber's attention and they were in the midst of battle, why did you not attack the opposing Master? But what you did instead was... hide on the sidelines and watch until the end? You're the one who's in the wrong."

Watching Sola sigh deeply, Kayneth felt as if he was burning with anger at this humiliation, but still he could only watch her in silence, not saying a word.

If it was any other person, Kayneth would've put an end to this humiliation long ago. Even if he had to put the title of Lord El-Melloi on the line, he would have definitely inflicted many times the humiliation back at the person.

But there's only one person in this world, only Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri, who is the exception to this.

Not only because she's the daughter of Kayneth's teacher, but also because she's Kayneth's fiancee; his marriage with her would bring Kayneth even more honor and prestige and the future he's always been pursuing.

This proud as a gem, intelligent lady is the only woman Kayneth, as a man, loves in the entire world.

The first time they met, even before exchanging a single word, Kayneth's heart had already been captured by this woman.

Perhaps noticing Kayneth's depression, Sola's tone relented a bit and she continued on with less derision:

"Kayneth. Compared to other Masters, do you know where your advantage lies? That's you yourself."

"That-- obviously--"

"Adding your own designs onto the original contract system, you really are a prodigy. You deserve being called the greatest prodigy in Eulyphis."

Even though Kayneth was completely sick of hearing words of compliment, he wouldn't mind hearing these words come out of Sola's mouth no matter how many times she says them.

But in fact, Sola's opinion of him was not solely flattery. The secret technique Kayneth prepared for this Heaven's Feel had completely overwritten the rules of the war that had been designated by the 'three original families'.

Originally, there is a cause and effect line between Servant and Master. A technique to separate the right of Command Mantras and the right of supplying prana, letting two separate summoners control one each... by way of Kayneth's prodigious ability, this impossible technique was made possible.

Kayneth is the magus who owns the Command Mantras, yet the one to supply the Servant with prana is none other than... Sola. They can be said to be a two-person team Master.

"-- But, Kayneth, although you are first-rate as a magus, as a soldier you are merely second-rate. Going through all that trouble to complete your preparations, but on the battlefield you were unable to make proper use of them, right?"

"No, I..."

"Hey, why do you think I supply prana for Lancer? This is originally what you should be responsible for, so why should I commit to it? Isn't this for the sake of your battles going well, for the sake of letting you attain victory in Heaven's Feel? Compared to those Masters who have to supply prana to their Servants, you already have a crushing advantage. You can fully utilize your prana to execute various actions."

"But... the war's just started, it's better to be cautious..."

"Oh, really? Then why do you demand results so hastily from Lancer?"

"..."

Although Sola's tone is softer than it was at the start, there is still the implicit meaning outside her words mocking Kayneth's cowardice. Kayneth's expression became even worse.

"So before you blame Lancer, you should first do some self-reflection. Kayneth, tonight you--"

"Sola-sama, please stop here."

A sudden, low-toned voice interrupted Sola.

It's Lancer. It's unknown when he raised his head, looking straight at Sola.

"If you continue to humiliate my Master, then as a knight I cannot tolerate it any longer."

"No, that wasn't my intent... I apologize. I crossed the line."

Sola, who up until a moment ago had the dignity of an empress, apologized and lowered her eyes as if in shame after one sentence from Lancer. No matter who looks at this transformation, it's way too sudden.

In Kayneth's heart, the scene before him left a very negative impact. Sola has always nagged at him incessantly, and has never listened to him even once. He, who is to become her husband soon. Sola, who is to become his wife soon. Why do the words of a Servant have more weight than those of her future husband?

And since the start, Sola had been arguing with him to protect Lancer. Perhaps she could not stand watching Lancer being scolded?

Kayneth watched Sola's eyes, which were fixated on Lancer, and saw some emotion in his fiancee's eyes that he has never before witnessed before. And then he shifted his eyes towards Lancer--

The scintillating mole under Lancer's left eye caught his attention. Is that the fabled "tear mole" of Diarmuid ua Duibhne that attracted females?

No, baseless suspicion is stupid. Even a commoner would know that Sola was the daughter of the renowned Sophia-Ri family. Even though she doe not possess a magic crest, she still has very strong resistance against this type of charm spell.

Unless, she herself does not willingly resist this type of charm, then--

Just as Kayneth was lost in thought, the fire alarm went off without warning, interrupting his train of thought.

"...What? What's happening?"

Sola mumbled confusedly, and at the same time the telephone in the room began to ring. The call display shows that it's from the lobby.

Kayneth calmly lifted up the receiver to listen to the receptionist. When he finished, Kayneth's gaze once again regained the sharpness unique to magi.

"It seems like there's a fire somewhere downstairs; the management is telling us to evacuate."

Kayneth said to Sola as he hung up the phone.

"Although the fire is not too severe, the places that caught fire are very scattered. It looks like arson."

"Arson? Tonight?"

"Yeah, I think it's definitely not coincidental."

Kayneth made a disdainful sound. The restlessness and worries that had been in his heart earlier quickly disappeared completely.

"This is a plan to disperse the crowd. The opponent must be a magus. Looks like he doesn't want to do battle in a building with too many bystanders."

Sola speaks with a tense expression.

"Then-- an ambush?"

"I'm afraid so. It might be that guy from the warehouse street who wants to play some more.

Interesting. That's exactly what we want, right Lancer?"

"Yes, exactly."

Lancer nodded definitively, as if preparing to battle with the enemy. Out of all seven Masters, there is only one person who would be in such a rush to attack Kayneth-- that is the Master of Saber, whose Servant had been hit by Gáe Buidhe. He must want to dispel this curse as soon as possible.

"Lancer, go to the floor below to meet them. But don't disperse them too quickly."

At Kayneth's hidden intents within the words, Lancer only nodded:

"Understood. Cut off the attackers' path of retreat, then chase them here, is that it?"

"Yes. Since we have visitors, then why not let them take a good look at Kayneth El-Melloi's magic atelier?"

This hotel, as Kayneth's stronghold, must have undergone complete renovation. Not the material type of renovation, but a fortification through magecraft. In this building totaling thirty-two floors, Kayneth's bounded field covers twenty-four floors. This place can be called a castle of magecraft. In addition, there are three magical furnaces for Kayneth's exclusive use, and in place of hounds there have been summoned ten-odd evil spirits and apparitions. There isn't even a flaw in the drainage pipes; Kayneth completely covered the area underneath the hall with his bounded field.

Instead of attacking enemy territory, it's much better to perfect one's own territory. As for the challenger who dares set foot in here, Kayneth will make him realize the real terror of Lord El-Melloi.

"Since all the other customers are already gone, there won't be anything to worry about. You can both use your full power to fight."

The irrepressible sound of laughter spilled out from Kayneth's throat. And the knight who had not been able to stop trembling in excitement also rushed out.

To Kayneth right now, the only thing that is needed is action. Only action and results can dispel the humiliation inflicted upon him by Sola. Right now, the only thing to do is to make full use of his own potential, that which had made others call him a prodigy, to prove his capabilities.

Yes, Kayneth right now desires blood. The dark anger that has been bottled up inside him must be offset by somebody's blood. The unfortunate enemy who coincidentally showed up to attack right now is about to become the perfect offering.

"You said I was a second rate-soldier; I'm about to make you take those words back. Sola."

"Okay. I'll be waiting."

Kayneth's fiancee who's usually always criticizing him, only at this moment did she watch him with a smiling face. Kayneth's fighting spirit heightened even more--

The fear and drowsiness of the customers, who had been awakened by the fire alarm in the midst of their dreams and herded outside to the parking lot, combined with the cold outside, caused them to wear difficult expressions. Amidst these people, the employees of the hotel scurried about busily.

"...Mr. Archibald! Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald! Are you here?"

Of all the names recorded on the customer list, there is only one person whose presence has not been confirmed; the bellhop called him in a frantic voice. Everyone regarded this largesse customer who had reserved the entire top floor of the hotel very highly. On some level, this is the person they least want to be in danger.

"Mr. Archibald! Are you here?"

"-- I am here. Do not worry."

A resonant voice came from behind the bellhop, but as the bellhop turned around he became confused. The person speaking to him was a Japanese male wearing an old-styled coat.

This kind of joke is too much. The angry bellhop was about to yell at him-- but he was captivated by the man's eyes.

That man's eyes held an indescribable, mysterious force of attraction; the bellhop was unable to avoid his eyes, and was not able to even speak.

"I am Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald. My wife Sola is with me."

This unknown Japanese male stated in a clear voice. And the bellhop accepted this without any suspicion as if hypnotized.

"...Is that so? Ah, yes. That's it."

After the bellhop checked off a spot on the 'escaped' section of his list, finally confirming that all the customers were safe, he exhaled a long breath. All of his suspicions while speaking to Archibald earlier and his feelings that something was wrong had disappeared without a trace.

Watching the employee continue on to tend to other customers, Emiya Kiritsugu left the chaotic crowd. His earlier hypnotic suggestion, to a commoner with no magic resistance whatsoever, would not be broken in a short period of time.

After walking to a shady, dark area some distance away from the hotel, Kiritsugu pulled out the cellphone in his pocket as he scanned the surroundings to ensure no one was watching him. Cellphones were very common amongst the people, and has given Kiritsugu great help. It is a simple yet useful wireless apparatus for communication and holding it will not draw any suspicion from anyone.

First he has to contact Maiya, who was positioned for surveillance.

"Everything set on your end?"

"No irregularities. Ready."

Maiya's position is a tall building still under construction diagonally across Fuyuki's Hyatt hotel. From there it's possible to clearly see Kayneth's room, that was the position Kiritsugu designated.

Kiritsugu sighed lightly, reaching for his cigarette box with one hand, dialing a set of numbers on the cellphone with the other.

Kiritsugu dialed an empty number. But there was no response whatsoever from his cellphone. The modified communication loops were connecting not to an analog signal, but to the trigger of a C4 bomb.

The bomb only caused a very small explosion, to the point where the sound of the explosion cannot even be heard outside the hotel.

But what resounded in the night was the horrifying sound of reinforced concrete splintering and collapsing.

The evacuees who had noticed something was wrong saw the sudden change in the towering building and began to shout in panic.

"The hotel, the hotel is collapsing!"

The hotel, towering at a hundred and fifty some meters in height, kept its upright posture but collapsed as if being sucked into the ground. Because all the outside walls collapsed inward, not a shard of debris flew outward and only the dust created by the collapse spread towards the surrounding streets. Precision blasting-- a highly advanced blasting technique used primarily to demolish tall buildings. Due to the destruction of load bearing walls and key support structures, the building collapses downward and inward on its own weight. Using the least amount of explosives to obtain the result of total destruction. To Emiya Kiritsugu who's familiar with all blasting techniques from past to present, there's a very special appreciation for this type of art of destruction.

All of the buildings acting as the bases of magi in Fuyuki City are listed on Emiya Kiritsugu's destruction list. And Fuyuki's Hyatt hotel is one of the list's entries. Kiritsugu obtained the building's blueprints beforehand and determined the points at which to place explosives. As long as the preparations are all complete, the actual execution requires less than an hour.

Although the evacuees were already as far as possible from the collapsing building and outside the range of flying debris, they were showered with the dust sent flying by the collapse and mired into a state of panic. While watching the disturbance in the crowd, Kiritsugu looked for a gap with weaker wind and lit the cigarette in his hand.

"Maiya, how are things on your end?"

"Up until the end there was no activity on the thirty-second floor. The target has not escaped from the building."

In other words-- Kiritsugu thought with some satisfaction as he looked at the ashes of the ruins of Fuyuki's Hyatt hotel-- the one called 'Lord El-Melloi' Kayneth-sama is now most certainly keeping the rubble company.

The thirty-second floor that Kayneth was on, due to the chain reaction caused by the precision blasting, had lost its support and practically freefallen a hundred and fifty meters to the ground. No matter how well it is defended by a bounded field, in the face of such destructive force it probably cannot protect the people inside the rooms.

Suddenly there came the sound of a child crying and Kiritsugu's attention was stolen from the ruins.

The child's mother walked past Kiritsugu holding a child who would not stop crying due to fear. Both were wearing only pajamas and covered head to toe with white ash, appearing so miserable it was hard to watch.

Kiritsugu kept watching the backs of the parent and child... up until his hand was singed by the burning tip of the cigarette, when he snapped back to attention. Kiritsugu tossed the mostly-burnt-up cigarette to the floor and stamped it out with his foot.

Emiya Kiritsugu felt a little confused; sentimentalism is definitely unacceptable for him. This kind of weak feelings would directly threaten his life. But, regarding his failure, he cannot face it with a composed attitude no matter what.

Yes. Even if he did not want to admit it, the reality was this-- Kiritsugu saw the figures of Irisviel and Ilyasviel in the receding figures of the parent and child.

Emiya Kiritsugu once believed that there was no differentiation in sacrifice. All life was equal, so choosing the path that led to a smaller sacrifice was okay. In this manner of judgment, the lives of women and children do not receive any special treatment.

The Holy Grail could be used to save the world. And Kayneth is a target that must be eliminated in order to obtain the Holy Grail. There are a thousand-some people in the Fuyuki Hyatt hotel, but the Holy Grail could save at least five billion people. Kiritsugu could completely eradicate these tenants along with Kayneth if there was the necessity to do so.

Then why did he need to set a fire beforehand to cause this disturbance?

In the beginning, he thought that this had been the obvious tactic. Kayneth specifically set many traps in order to defend against an ambush; as for the tactic against his strategic defense, this one has definitely yielded effective results. That prodigy magus held his iron wall as his pride, but he never thought that the entire castle would be destroyed so he remained inside.

But, was his real intent really just limited to this?

His sentimental hope that the innocent tenants would escape in time, is it really showing just now unconsciously?

This really is a fatal romanticism. If he was on the battlefield, this sort of sentiment would definitely lead to his death.

To steady the shaky feelings in his heart, Kiritsugu once again lit a cigarette.

He's degraded. Although he doesn't know how much weaker he is, the Emiya Kiritsugu today has definitely degraded from the one nine years ago. If this continued then he might not be able to successfully obtain victory in the Holy Grail War. No matter what, not restoring the cold manner of judgment from before is unacceptable-- the faster the better.

The neighborhood disturbed by the late -ight incident has at last begun to stir. Watching the crowd gather in the street, Kiritsugu inhaled deeply and took out his cellphone to give Maiya the signal to retreat.

The sound that reached his ears was not the voice of his subordinate, but the roar of two metallic entities colliding.

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The not yet named metallic lookout. Nearing its completion, it's temporarily called the Fuyuki shopping center's thirty-eighth floor.

The construction is already more than half done, only the exterior left incomplete. This high-rise building will soon become a shopping center and the symbol of Fuyuki Shinto, but right now it is only an empty skeleton of reinforced concrete, buffeted by the strong gales of the night.

Whether it is the streetlights on the ground or the stars in the sky, everything seems distant and bleak. It is in this void that Hisau Maiya knelt, unmoving, supporting on her shoulder the AUG assault rifle that had night vision equipped. The muzzle was propped on her upright left knee.

If magus Kayneth noticed Kiritsugu's plan and escaped from the window, Hisau Maiya who was waiting here would ambush him. But the result is that this preparation had been completely unnecessary.

"Maiya, what's the situation there?"

From Hisau Maiya's earphones came the questioning voice of Kiritsugu on ground level. Having needed both hands to support her rifle, Maiya switched the cellphone to earphone mode to free her hands.

"Up until the end there was no activity on the thirty-second floor. The target has not escaped from the hotel."

Maiya spoke into the microphone beside her mouth and gave Kiritsugu a brief summary of her surveillance. Although she has just witnessed a devastating destruction, her voice did not contain even a bit of excitement.

Her surveillance mission here is over. Maiya retrieved the bullets, which had not had a chance to be of use before the mission was over, from the gun, put them into a case, and then slung the assault rifle over her shoulder and stood up to head for the stairs.

At that moment, she noticed a trace of abnormality.

Not a typical abnormality, but a hard-to-detect subtle change of atmosphere. To an experienced soldier, it is an easy matter to clearly detect this kind of killing intent.

"-- Your senses are sharp, miss."

From behind the now still Maiya came a low, cold male voice. The voice echoed in the empty building of reinforced concrete, making it impossible to determine from whence it came.

Maiya did not respond or ask questions. She only calmly used her sharp intuition to determine the enemy's location and pulled out the 9mm-caliber handgun from her belt.

As for the other person in this place, the person who discovered Maiya's existence-- no matter who it is, this reason alone is sufficient for him to become Maiya's target.

"-- Hmm, it's also nice to have this kind of preparation."

The man hidden in the shadows said so in a mocking voice.

At that moment, something was tossed at Maiya's feet from the shadow of some pillar.

Maiya immediately aimed her gun at the object and after making sure it was not dangerous, she pointed her gun back towards the place where the object was tossed from. But even so, Maiya still used her peripheral vision to watch the object that was tossed out.

The corpse of a small animal.

A bat. And judging from the CCD camera on the bat's abdomen, this is definitely the bat familiar Maiya sent out. This is the one that was placed by the Fuyuki church that she had lost communication with.

Then, without doubt, the one who deliberately tossed out the corpse of the bat can only be he. And the opponent seems to have no interest in concealing himself any longer. Slowly walking out from behind the pillar where he was hiding, he exposed himself to Maiya's line of sight and line of fire.

The man in front of him seemed filled with authority and pressure, wearing a pitch black frock. Maiya knows him.

"Kotomine, Kirei..."

"Oh? This should be the first time we've met. So how do you know who I am? Is it perhaps your precognition?"

Maiya, realizing her mistake, regretted it.

Kirei did not show the slightest bit of discomfort at facing Maiya's gun and continued on calmly.

"If that's so, then you should definitely know about a lot of other things too, right? This is a prime location for spying on Fuyuki Hyatt hotel's thirty-second floor; perhaps some very important person lives there?"

This time it was Maiya's turn to be silent. But her mind was filled with suspicion: as a Master... Kotomine Kirei should carefully hide himself, so why would he choose to show up here? What is his real intention?

On the other side, Kirei diverged his sight slightly outwards-- landing on the position where the Fuyuki Hyatt hotel is now a pile of rubble. He stared intently for a while, then heaved a long sigh.

"Even so--was it really necessary to destroy the building too? To use this kind of tactics, can he still be called a magus? Or rather, maybe he shouldn't have been considered a magus to begin with?"

"..."

This man-- Maiya was suddenly surprised-- he knows. He knows all about Emiya Kiritsugu. Just like how Emiya Kiritsugu knows Kotomine Kirei.

"Look at me rambling on and on here, miss. Why don't you say something-- where is the man who should be here in your place right now?"

After being asked that, Maiya made a new judgment regarding Kotomine Kirei. This man in front of him must be killed.

The sound of Maiya's rapid fire rang out. Although the 9mm-caliber called the military bullet has a good ability to inflict damage, it is still not powerful enough. So in order to effectively kill the opponent, the key is to shoot the abdominal region three times consecutively. Compared to the small fatal point that can instantly cause death, attacking the position where it is easy to hit and inflict heavy damage seems more effective. This is the rule of killing by shooting.

Even so, Maiya's bullets did not strike the organs beneath the frock, but rather the hard concrete floor.

Even if Kotomine Kirei's evasive actions were of an unbelievable speed, they cannot be faster than the speed of sound of the bullets. But he determined Maiya's thoughts before she pulled the trigger and acted beforehand. What's amazing is Kotomine Kirei's judgment on tactics.

Predicting the moment of Maiya firing, and thus dodging the bullets. Even in the field of thaumaturgy, this is beyond the ability of the average person.

Not only that--

In that instant the person who turned to hide was not Kirei but Maiya. Her right hand was stained with blood, and the handgun that was supposed to be clutched in her hand fell to the ground with a metallic noise. And her surprise-filled eyes stared at the pillar she had been propping her back against. The keen edge that is suddenly sticking out from that pillar glints with a cold light.

The thin blade, longer than a meter, made one think of the weapons used in fencing; as a sword the hilt was very short. This is the projectile weapon used specifically by the executors in the Holy Church, called the "Black Key". Just now, this is what cut the back of Maiya's hand and made her drop her handgun. Kirei had simultaneously thrown this weapon and avoided the bullet.

Although it is a hand-tossed weapon, it had enough power to penetrate reinforced concrete. Even so, it only made Maiya drop her gun and did not contain the intent to take her life. To use such force on purpose, he probably wants to take away the opponent's weapon and at the same time destroy her morale. It's best to capture the other alive-- after all, Maiya had not yet answered Kirei's question.

"Your movements aren't bad. Very sharp."

Kirei, who's holding the position of initiative after completely reversing the situation of attack and defense, spoke and walked over leisurely. And once again a Black Key appeared in his hands. The long blade of the Black Key is a semi-solid formed by prana, so while carrying it just holding the small hilt is sufficient. Nobody knows exactly how many Black Keys are hidden under Kirei's loose frock.

The Black Key, as one of the staple equipments of the Holy Church's executors, has great power but is also very difficult to use. Someone who is able to use its power so skillfully must be a very strong expert. And Maiya seems to have encountered such a rare expert now.

Maiya is not a warrior, only a soldier. So to her there is no combat record worth boasting of, only the analysis of combat. The combat ability of Kotomine Kirei very obviously surpasses her own. In this situation where she has no equipment or advantageous terrain or tactics, admitting her defeat is wiser.

"What is it, Maiya? What happened?"

Kiritsugu's voice sounded in the earphones. It seems like the cellphone in her pocket is still keeping her in contact with Kiritsugu. But-- Maiya now cannot respond. He can hear Maiya's voice. That horrifying executor's real goal is not Maiya but Kiritsugu. Kirei's judgment that Maiya was Kiritsugu's subordinate, carrying out every action based on Kiritsugu's instructions, was verified completely here.

"What's wrong? Not calling for help? Emiya Kiritsugu is nearby, right?"

Kirei no longer had a bit of doubt left when he said this name, because he is convinced that his judgment is correct. If Kiritsugu wants the Holy Grail, then he would definitely act tonight.

The effect of the curse of Diarmuid's Gáe Buidhe is easy to see. They have been mired into a very unfavorable situation with one of Saber's arms sealed off while the six remaining Servants are still in good condition. To the Einsbern camp, the most pressing matter is to eliminate the origin of the curse, Lancer, as soon as possible.

So Kirei set up his net near Kayneth's dwelling, calmly awaiting the arrival of the ambushers.

But in the end he found not Emiya Kiritsugu but someone else. Yet Kotomine Kirei is certain that this person is acting based on Kiritsugu's instructions. So this woman he is facing right now is definitely the key to finding Emiya Kiritsugu.

He can't kill her; it's best to capture her alive. As long as he can make her talk, it's fine.

Even if he had to break her arms and legs.

After making a cruel judgment in his heart, Kotomine Kirei approached the woman's hiding place slowly. The opponent should be unarmed. The already disassembled assault rifle cannot be reassembled quick enough, and the dropped pistol is far away. This match has already been decided.

But what stopped Kotomine Kirei was an impediment beyond his expectations.

Suddenly a veil of white smoke appeared between him and the prey, completely obscuring his vision, and with it an irritating smell of chemical reactions rushed into his nostrils.

"Smokescreen!?"

What suddenly appeared in front of Kotomine Kirei was a smokescreen released by a military-use smoke dispersion bomb.

And in that instant when Kirei's sight was obscured by the smokescreen, Maiya escaped with haste.

Although Kotomine Kirei tossed a Black Key in the direction of the noise, he did not hit the target. The instinct of an executor who's been through countless battles told him that he could not move carelessly in the current predicament.

Kotomine Kirei held Black Keys in both hands, not daring to let his guard down the slightest, and surveyed his surroundings while waiting for the smoke to disperse. In this building exposed to strong winds, the thick smoke only took several seconds to dissipate-- but, that woman managed to escape in these mere seconds.

Only he was left. Realizing he was the only person left in this empty building, Kirei grunted and put away his Black Keys. He did not have any intention of pursuit.

Kirei picked up the smoke dispersion bomb, now empty of all smoke, from the ground and began to inspect it. It's an American grenade model. There isn't anything special about it; it's simply something that anyone can get if they had the right connections.

It wasn't tossed by that woman, because if he had found that she had moved in the slightest then he would've thrown a Black Key to stop her. This had been tossed in front of him by someone else to help that woman escape.

Of course, there shouldn't be anyone else inside this building. If that's the case, then the smoke grenade should have been tossed in from outside the building.

Kirei walked to the edge of the building-- ignoring the wind tugging at his frock-- and looked down.

Around the rubble of the former Fuyuki Hyatt hotel, there aren't any buildings that can stand shoulder to shoulder with this one. The distance from ground level to this position is at least a hundred and fifty meters. It'd be hard to aim at this position precisely even with a long range weapon. Not to mention a hand tossed smoke grenade. It's a cosmic farce for someone to toss that up from ground level.

But Kirei was, after all, an executor who has hunted many strange magi before. He was already thoroughly used to facing enemies who were beyond common sense. To him, this level of strangeness didn't have anything that was worth being surprised over.

Somewhere below him existed the magus who stopped him.

As long as this was confirmed, then he has gained something tonight.

At the same time, Kirei felt the breath of the strange form concealed beside him.

"Assassin?"

"Yes, it is me."

Assassin, who was sporting a long pitch-black gown, materialized kneeling in front of Kirei. This Assassin is one among the three who were spying on Irisviel and Saber in the forest, who had been charged to bring over the obtained information.

"Didn't I tell you not to materialize indoors?"

"I'm terribly sorry, but I have very urgent things to report..."

<noinclude>
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|-
| Back to [[Fate/Zero:Act_5_Part_1|Act 5, Part 1]]
| Return to [[Fate/Zero|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Fate/Zero:Act_5_Part_3|Act 5, Part 3]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Fate/Zero:Act 3 Part 4

2011-05-28T15:41:37Z

67.189.249.209: /* -154:09:25 */

=== -154:09:25 ===


After receiving the signal sent by Irisviel, Emiya Kiritsugu and Hisau Maiya raced towards the factories according to its direction. They were welcomed by a soundless stretch of silence.

There was only the howling of the sea wind by their ears, and an atmosphere as quiet and stagnant as death. The night was so serene.

However —

“…It has already begun.”

Just by the traces of prana from the surroundings, Kiritsugu was able to accurately judge the situation.

Someone had formed a barrier. It should be the work of the enemy Servant’s Master. The goal was to segregate ordinary humans from the Heaven’s Feel, concealing the true battlefield of the war. It is a compulsory rule for magi to prevent their activities from being exposed to other mortals.

Kiritsugu began to contemplate as he held the ten-or-so kilograms heavy sniper rifle. He had already estimated Irisviel’s position according to the transmitter. However, questions remain as to how to approach the location, and where to observe once they reach it.


He did not think about joining the battle at all; that was why he brought the sniper rifle along. He wanted to inspect the battle at a suitable place, attacking with the rifle only when needed. Servants are not humans, thus only a Servant can wound another Servant. No matter how powerful Kiritsugu and Maiya’s firearms are they would not work on Servants. It was Saber’s job to battle the opposing Servant. As long as the enemy can devote himself to the battle and does not pay attention to the well-being of his Master, then it is possible to win this fight.

“Up there, that looks like that’s a good place to observe the fight.”

Maiya pointed in front of them as she spoke. It is a derrick crane that towered high into the night. Judging by sight, the control cabin hovered about 30 meters above the ground; it would be the best observation point possible if one can contrive to silently climb up there.

Kiritsugu had no objections to Maiya’s suggestion, but because of that, he shook his head.

“Yes, that is the ideal place to survey the battle. So it shouldn’t be only us that came up with the idea.”

“…”

Without further explanations on Kiritsugu’s part, Maiya had already understood his intentions.

“Maiya, slip in through the eastern bank, I’ll go through the west… Find an observation point that can overlook both Saber’s battle and the crane.”


“I understand.”

Maiya disappeared in the shadows of the factories with a jog, holding the AUG assault gun in her hands. Kiristugu checked the input from the transmitter as he cautiously moved in the opposite direction.

<center>※※※※※</center>

All Irisviel could do was to stare at the battle in front of her in astonishment.

This battle in front of her was proceeding with extraordinary intensity.

She knew it to be a merciless duel that could only have taken place in that remote era.

Warriors clad in armor, in single combat battling with all the strength in their bodies amid the light reflecting off sword and spear and the shadow of swinging blades.

But the amount of escaping prana and the intense heat were different.

If it was merely a clash between cold steel, what would be the mighty torrent of air that accompanied it and threatened to destroy all within sight?


The foot that landed crushed the ground.

The wind that followed the swinging of weapons crudely severed the lamp post in half.

Irisviel could no longer see the movements carried out at such high speeds. She was only feeling the after-shock of the conflict between the two.

The peeling sheet iron on the outer walls of the warehouses was ripped away by the wind from Irisviel’s side as if it was a piece of coiled tin foil. She could not comprehend how the iron can be torn away. Perhaps it was Saber’s sword or Lancer’s spear that brushed against its adjacent hollow space. Apart from that, she could not come up with any other explanation.

The wind was moaning.

Faced with a dimension that is completely at odds with the physical laws of this world, the air emitted paranoid wails.

A chaotic storm raged on the empty shopping street, destroying, trampling all things within.

Just hand-to-hand combat between the two would be enough to ruin an entire street.

Heaven’s Feel —

Irisviel was experiencing the awe and wonder told only in stories. The world where myths and legends dwelled came alive vividly before her eyes.

This could be the legends reborn.


Shafts of thunder tore the sky apart, knolls of roaring waves shattered the earth. The imaginary realm was miraculously materialized with astonishing clarity.

This is… the war between Servants…

Faced with a world that she had hitherto not thought possible, all Irisviel could do was stare as if transfixed.

At the same time, Saber was experiencing a similar wonder.

Slaughter at war was truly a piece of cake for her. As a knight that braved her life through countless battles, she fought with her enemies as smoothly as she would yield a knife and a fork.

In her comprehension a ‘spear’ should be a weapon that is wielded with both hands. It is common knowledge.

So she thought that for Lancer, using two spears is just a means to confuse the enemy.

As the Heroic Spirit of the Lance, the spear in his hands should be his Noble Phantasm. Whereas, revealing the true name of the Noble Phantasm in the Heaven’s Feel equates to exposing one’s true identity.

Therefore, the amulets bound onto Lancer’s spears must be for the purpose of concealing the spear’s real name. Looks like his Master and him were very prudent on the matter of hiding identities.


If that was the case, it would not be hard to explain why he was using two spears.

Because Saber does not know which spear is the true Noble Phantasm, she had to fend off the attacks made by both of them.

Even so, the long spear on the right, the short spear on the left — one of them must be Lancer's 'true weapon.'

Between one’s habitual weapon and the weapon used to dazzle the enemy, ‘feint' and ‘solid’ moves can be distinguished. So Saber paid close attention to each of his attacks. She believed that if she can recognise the true lance, her chances of winning would be improved immensely.

Yet —

Her own attack was deflected for the third time. Saber had to step back to wait for a better opportunity.

“What’s wrong, Saber? Your attacks are not really working.”

“…”

She could not argue back to Lancer’s taunts. After about thirty exchanges, she still had not managed to hit her opponent even once.

Lancer swung the lance in his right hand and approached her in a straight run. The swinging shaft covered a wide area, its strength and speed equal to what would be achieved with both hands. No, precisely because it was used with one hand, there were many moves not capable when a spear is used conventionally with two hands. The lance was thrust towards Saber from an unexpected angle.


Nevertheless a lance has its own limitations. Because of its extended length, a gap would inevitably show up between two attacks. During that time, the shorter spear from the left can follow in and continue to hassle Saber.

Saber’s attack just then was broken by the short spear’s immaculate defence.

Simultaneously using two lances, yet making no feint moves. This Heroic Spirit, Lancer, merged the lances in his left and right hands in a seamless choreography. Just what kind of devotion and practice was needed to obtain such a strong fighting style?

… This man is good!

Saber was still quivering with having a strong opponent in her first battle until then. But now Saber had suddenly escaped from that shadow of fear.

Despite that, according to observers, Lancer would appear to have an advantage with his incessant attacks, the truth was not so.

Lancer was as good as exhausted from fending off Saber’s attacks since they first engaged. Despite his taunts he was also powerless to change the situation.


For Lancer, who is capable of using his lance with just one hand, dual-wielding two spears, long and short, at the same time would enable him to attack both long-range and close-range. Taking account of the supremacy in weaponry, he should not have been forced into his current predicament by Saber and her single sword.

However —

How did the sword…

Lancer complained silently in his heart. It was not only the observing Irisviel that could not see the movement of the high-speed sword. Even Lancer, a Servant himself, could not discern the trajectory of the sword in Saber’s hands.

Lancer had no way of knowing. This too is one of Heroic Spirit Arturia's Noble Phantasms, the threat of Invisible Air • Barrier of the Wind King.

The air surrounding the sword was compacted together with immense amounts of prana, creating impossible refractions of light, rendering the sword invisible. Although it is not too much a support for the Noble Phantasm, its result was however very obvious in melee combat.

Saber’s opponent is attacked with an invisible sword, and the countering attack is similarly blocked by an invisible sword. Lancer’s worry was understandable. Even though he could decipher Saber’s attacks by her movement, he could not make surprise attacks on her due to the inability to see the length of her blade.

Therefore Lancer can only approximate things and keep himself outside of Saber’s range. Also, only then can his magnificent continuous attacks be used to their full extent. Despite him being able to block all of Saber’s attacks, he had yet to find an opportunity to deal her a lethal blow.


This woman, is quite good…!

Facing the enemy that he had just met, knowing the time had come for him fight with his life, a sad smile emerged on Lancer’s face.

The two Heroic Spirits devoted their entire selves to the fight, sparing no thoughts to the world surrounding them.

No, even if they had stayed on guard, in their current state they might still be oblivious to the fact that someone was slipping into the terrain...

The reason was that, not only is the newcomer a considerable distance from the sparks flying off the deadly dance of blade and spear, he moved soundlessly in the shadows, and also had the ability of "Presence Concealment" that can bypass a Servant’s detection.

A gust of wind from the sea fluttered the black robe; the sliver of a satisfactory smile emerged on the countenance beneath the white skull mask.

No one could have thought that the Servant "Assassin," eliminated in front of many witnesses last night, now stood in the evening shopping street.


Assassin hid in the perfect spot to observe the straightforward battle — the crane that loomed beside the cliff. The location was about 500 meters away from the site of the skirmish. As a Servant with eyesight surpassing that of a human he could clearly discern the two’s conflict, even spotting their expressions with accuracy. Meanwhile, the two combatants barely had time to consider if they were being spied upon.

He could have remained in spiritual form and obtain information from a much closer distance. But while he is in spiritual form, his senses would have turned into spiritual detection; and the job that his Master gave him tonight was to ‘observe with your eyes.'

Assassin, who understood his Master’s intentions, silently gazed at the battle in the distance according to his order.

<center>※※※※※</center>


Fifteen kilometers away from the warehouse area where the deadly struggle continued.

Someone was sitting in the darkness within the basement of the Fuyuki Church, encased by the silence of the night.

While his eyes were closed, he was not resting but sitting in silence with his nerves on edge. The jet-black figure was Kotomine Kirei's priest's frock.

From his profile, one might think that he was contemplating about certain matters. Who would have thought that he was listening to the crooning of the sea breeze, and seeing before his eyes a battle scene full of the sparks from the clashing of steel.

What he was seeing and hearing was an unknown battle between Servants taking place in the distant warehouses… the contents identical to those seen by his Servant Assassin.

He was using the result of his past three years of study. An ability called Shared Perception that was taught to him by Tōsaka Tokiomi.

Using only a prana connection, he was able to share senses with the one that made a contract with him. In the Heaven's Feel, the ability to completely monitor a Servant's actions from long-distance is very useful. If one's Servant is Assassin, who is especially skilled in reconnaissance, then the ability is peerless.

The only difficulty lies in that if the contractor does not agree to it, the ability can not be used. For Tokiomi, who taught this magecraft to Kirei himself, his suggestions were immediately rejected by Archer. For the haughty King of Heroes, even if it were his Master, to allow another to look through his eyes seems highly unlikely.


Therefore, the only ones who can achieve this are Kirei and Assassin.

“— Something is happening around the warehouses beside the estuary of the Mion River. It appears that the initial battle has begun.”

Kirei spoke, but there is no one in the darkness. Instead, there was an aged phonograph upon a table, its brass horn tilted towards Kirei. As was expected, the ordinary antique phonograph replied to his words in a human voice.

“Not the initial; officially, it is the 'second' battle, Kirei.”

Although the sound was rather distorted, the unconstrained tone filled with composure could only be the voice of Tōsaka Tokiomi.

A closer inspection of this antiquity showed that, while it could be mistaken for a phonograph with an old-style bell-type horn, beneath the apparatus there was neither a turntable nor stylus. In its place, the end of the horn was connected to a large jewel with a metal wire.

This contraption is a prana conductor that is passed down in the Tōsaka family, and which Tokiomi lent to Kirei. A similar prana conductor was placed in the workshop of the Tōsaka residence. It appears that Tokiomi was also currently sitting in front of the device. Through sympathetic vibration the jewels on the two contraptions can pass to each other the vibrations of the air inside their horns. This is the Tōsaka family using the ‘communication device’ of their jewel magecraft.


As soon as the Church of Fuyuki was put into Father Kotomine Risei’s hands, Tokiomi had placed the jewel communicator into the church. Father Risei was Tokiomi’s secret supporter, while his son Kotomine Kirei was sent into the Church for protection in the beginning of the Heaven’s Feel as the first person to be defeated. Logically, Tokiomi’s goal was to communicate discreetly with these two people.

Everything appeared to be completely normal on the outside; no one would think that Kirei could manage to contact the outside world. At the same time Kirei, who was not a magus, also thought that rather than using this strange machine, radios might just as well do the trick.

But the difference between radios and Tōsaka’s jewel communicator is that conversations on the latter cannot be eavesdropped. Upon consideration, Tokiomi’s prudent behaviour was actually more beneficial for Kirei.

No matter what, right now Assassin and Kirei have replaced Archer as Tokiomi’s scouts. Kirei used his own eyes to see what Assassin sees, and also employed the clairvoyance that came with being a Master to capture every minute detail.

“It... appears to be a battle between Saber and Lancer. The level of Saber's abilities is extremely high, mostly likely with the majority of parameters near A rank.”

“… I see. No wonder it is the strongest class. Can you see the Master?”

“I can only see one more person… a silver-haired woman standing behind Saber.”

“Hm… seems that Lancer’s Master knows he should conceal himself. Not an amateur; he understands the rule of this Heaven’s Feel… Wait, did you say Saber’s Master is a silver-haired woman?”


“Yes. A young Caucasian girl. Silver-haired with red eyes; doesn’t look quite human.”

The other side of the brass horn seemed to be silently contemplating.

“… An Einsbern homunculus? Could it be that they are still making homunculi Masters… though it is not impossible…”

“Are you saying, this woman is the Master of the Einsberns?”

“So Jubstacheit’s pawns are not just limited to Emiya Kiritsugu… It’s hard to believe that I actually predicted it wrong.”

For the first time in his life a curious agitation surged up in Kirei’s chest; within moments he realized that it was actually the emotion named disappointment.

“All in all, that woman is the key to grasping the flow of the Heaven's Feel. Kirei, you must pay close attention.”

“… I understand. I’ll send someone to follow her at all times.”

Immediately after receiving those mysterious words, Kirei continued to watch the two Heroic Spirits intently.

But be it the sparkling collision of blades or the leaping prana bursts, in Kirei’s eyes they were no longer as bright as they seemed moments ago.


<center>※※※※※</center>

Kiritsugu silently set up the Walther on the mountainous shipping containers piled on the container port beside the seaside cliffs. He took in the situation of the fight using the electronic sights that penetrated the cover of night.

Firstly, the thermographic scope… he spotted it. On the screen that displayed cool shades of black and blue, red and orange images emerged conspicuously. The heat diagram representing the two of them fused together, as if it was a giant flare.

Further in the distance two smaller heat patterns appeared. One of them was standing in the middle of the street witnessing this battle — the other was concealed on the warehouse roofs of a remoter locale.

It was very easy to decide which one of them was to be the target of assassination.


It was indeed Irisviel who stood on the road. She was almost stating that, as the partner of an excellent Saber, she should not hide away but fight a fair battle bravely and in the open. Then the heat signature on the roof would be the enemy Master… the one controlling Lancer, who was facing Kiritsugu's Saber with dual spears.

Submerged in the darkness, Kiritsugu donned a coldhearted smile. It was the best starting condition he could hope for. Lancer's Master probably relied on illusions or such presence-concealing magecraft to hide his position and thought it enough; he did not consider that this would be countered with mechanical cameras. Like all other magi who died by Kiritsugu’s hand, he would walk the same road as them to his destruction.

Kiritsugu contacted Maiya, positioned on the other side of the battlefield, with his radio.

“Maiya, Lancer’s Master is hiding on top of the warehouses, northeast to where Saber is. Can you see him?”

“… No. From my position it’s a blind spot.”

If possible, Kiritsugu wanted to cooperate with Maiya to ensure the accuracy of the attack with a crossfire. Unfortunately, only Kiritsugu himself can fire at the moment. But it would not be a problem as it was a distance of barely three hundred meters. Kiritsugu’s skills would have taken his target’s life with just one bullet. As long as he remains unaware of the presence of the sniper, no magus can defend himself from a .300 Winchester Magnum round.


Setting up the bipod, Kiritsugu had just started to get into the mood — Suddenly, with a start, he turned the Walther towards the derrick crane.

In that moment he felt that all his plans were ruined.

Keeping his disapproval inside his heart, he whispered into the radio again.

“Maiya, up on the crane…”

“… Yes, affirmative here as well; it’s just like what you thought.”

It seems that the figure seen by Kiritsugu through the night vision scope was captured in the scope of Maiya’s AUG assault rifle as well.

Meanwhile, the third party that was scrutinizing the battle between Saber and Lancer also discovered the silhouette atop the crane.

It was a completely unpredicted event. In the Holy Grail War, one would logically rather stay on the sidelines than to eagerly join in the battle. A clever Master would not step in even if other Servants jump into the fray, but would choose to keep on observing a fight. Picking on the aftermath of a conflict would also be quite a good idea. Even if one is not that fortunate, it would at least get one to know about the enemy’s conditions.

Kiritsugu, who arrived first at the battle scene, never thought that this fight would have only one team of observers. He had therefore given up the best position on the crane and chose a place that can pay attention to both it and the battlefield. The newcomer appeared to be oblivious to the fact that his location was already under surveillance, and occupied the ideal spot to observe the fight. Consequentially, he was exposed to Kiritsugu’s line of sight.


However, one important factor escaped his calculations.

Kiritsugu once again gazed upon the pale green shape within the scope. It was an observer that he had never seen before… Completely covered by a pure black robe, a skull mask over his face. Though hard to believe, it is definitely Assassin, the one who was annihilated last night at the Tōsaka residence.

Kiritsugu, who wasn't satisfied by the images recorded by Maiya's familiars, was not entirely surprised by the reappearance of the supposedly-dead Assassin. The problem, putting aside the strangeness of the situation, was that the one currently on top of the derrick crane is a Servant.

If Kiritsugu sniped Lancer's Master now, the opponent would be dead instantly, but at the same time it would also exposed the shooter’s location. Although Assassin is not a class with decisive combat strength, he is nevertheless a supernatural being, a Servant. As a magus Kiritsugu would never manage to win in such a fight.

He could not expect Saber to help him. In regard to the distance between Saber and he, Assassin was far closer to him. Besides, Saber was not even aware that Kiritsugu was at the scene; he can not hope for her to come to his aid.

Saber was also devoted to the battle with Lancer. Even though a Servant would lose his prana supply when his Master is killed, the Servant can still remain materialized in this plane with his own strength. Defeating Lancer’s Master does not mean that he had defeated Lancer.


There was only one thing left — the Command Seals.

The authority of the Command Seals is not limited to the scope of the powers of the Servant. When the Servant agrees with the Master's order without resistance, the Command Seal can have effects outside of the Servant's potential and accomplish a miracle. It would not be impossible to instantly transport Saber to Kiritsugu's location to hold off Assassin. But that would leave the defenseless Irisviel directly in front of Lancer.

— Kiritsugu thought, incessantly, combining many elements and finally came to a conclusion. Although it was the ideal opportunity to finish off Lancer’s Master, it would have to pass for the night.

Since that was decided, it would not do to have doubts on anything else.

“Maiya, you keep an eye on Assassin, I’ll observe Lancer.”

“Understood.”

Kiritsugu sighed soundlessly, lowered the bipod of the Walther, and continued to calmly observe the scene within the scope.


Since he had decided to abandon this opportunity, Saber’s effort tonight was as good as wasted. If she could restrain from showing her Noble Phantasm, or to escape immediately with Irisviel, then he would have to extend his thanks to her — But she was a haughty and proud Heroic Spirit, and those possibilities were only his conjectures.

However, it would not be a bad idea to see just once how capable his subordinate actually is.

“… That will depend on you, my lovely King of Knights".

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| Back to [[Fate/Zero:Act_3_Part_3|Act 3, part 3]]
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| Forward to [[Fate/Zero:Act_3_Part_5|Act 3, part 5]]
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</noinclude>

Fate/Zero:Act 3 Part 3

2011-05-28T15:34:46Z

67.189.249.209: /* -154:15:41 */

=== -154:15:41 ===




The broad bridge straddling the widening Mion River spans majestically over 665 meters, arching with a diameter of over three roads.

The top of the arch is over 50 meters high. Anyone standing so high and receiving the full force of the sea wind would miss a step and fall to his end into the river below, unable to go back up without great skills and a lifeline.

Atop that cold steel frame, Waver Velvet had nothing like a lifeline, clinging with only both arms and legs; thus of course he was giving up the dignity and composure he usually always had.

Right next to him, his Servant Rider is sitting cross-legged with his odious dignity.

"Ri, de, r, quick... Let's go down... Now!"

With his teeth continuously clicking from the cold and terror, Waver's complaining

voice was like the blowing wind to the giant Servant.

"This place is perfect for a look-out. Well, this isn't the time for fancy sight-seeing in a high place."

With a wine bottle in his hand, sipping from time to time, he rambled while looking down at the west bank of the bridge, toward the wide seaside park hidden from the estuary. Waver can't see it, but what Rider was looking at― were the marks a Servant has been leaving around for 4 hours.

Rider had been wandering in the streets looking for a contact with the enemy, but he noticed that Servant only late in the afternoon.

While thinking whether he should rush down on him immediately, Rider has kept observing him from a distance without moving onward. When Waver asked about it, Rider answered with a snort.

"He's clearly luring us out. For him to not pick up on us, that's strange. And it's not just me anymore, other Servants must be studying his aspect.

An impatient Master would just get tired of waiting at some point, or something. That's what we should be looking forward to."

Rider's plan had no opening that Waver could see. Rather, it was

unexpected. This broad-minded giant Servant could actually set up sly tactics.

Indeed, as Rider said, only a helpless fool would take the bait and accept the challenge. Those falling for it would only be eating each other and decrease the count. However self-confident a so provocative Servant is, anyone other than Rider going for a brawl would be good riddance. Whoever gets defeated, Rider can smash the winner. There is definitely a profit in the fight of others.

So, after it is decided so, it becomes a matter of endurance. Remaining at a fixed distance from the traces of the Servant wandering aimlessly in the city, Waver and Rider followed and were still surveying.

Nonetheless― there are obvious reasons behind taking a high point of view, but there are limits. Never mind Servants, Waver with his flesh and blood body would definitely die if he falls. It shouldn't be possible to ignore that, so how come this giant cares so little about Waver's safety?

"Co, come down! No, get the hell down! I, I've, I've had it!"

"Ah, just wait. You're a restless guy. Sitting and waiting is also part of the battle."

Sipping in his wine bottle, Rider didn't even look at Waver's half crying face when

answering so gratuitously. "High places are dangerous", such common sense hasn't been acknowledged for yet between the two.

"If you're bored, read the book I entrusted to you. It's a good book."

Hearing that, Waver remembered about the stupid weight in the knapsack hanging on his shoulder. In this situation where they shouldn't afford even one unnecessary gram, the poetry anthology with its thick hard cover really is a dead weight.

That was the one book Rider looted from the library he raided right when he arrived in the present world. The 'Iliad' written by the poet Homer in ancient Greece― the epic poem describing the Trojan war, in which fought gods and humans jumbled together.

The atlas can be okay. Exaggerating about world conquest, Rider takes interest in the geography of the modern world, even if it sounds foolish.

But what's with a poetry anthology? Rider set up a library at home even though he was preparing for war, and yet he still insisted in bringing the Iliad with him. Naturally, if he wants to bring anything that isn't his regular equipment, he would need to remain materialized; if he needs to dematerialize to hide from the other people, then after all, it's Waver who ends up having to carry the luggage.

Certainly, Rider insisted that the book was "preparation for war". But how on Earth can

a book that isn't even about war strategy be helpful on the battlefield?

"Rider... Why, did you, bring this book?"

At Waver's bitter question, the Heroic Spirit answered with a grave expression.

"The Iliad is very profound. At the height of battle, I would suddenly get the urge to read a verse of poetry. At a time like that, I feel bad when I can't reread something immediately."

"..."

He feels like his interlocutor just gave him a bullshit answer, but fear stops him from arguing back.

"At a time like that, you mean... In battle?"

"Yes."

Rider nods nonchalantly as if his reply was perfectly normal.

"... But how?"

"With my left hand, when I hold my sword in my right hand. If I need to hold the bridle with my left hand, I get a page to read it aloud."

"..."

Waver felt at loss for words at the unimaginable answer.


"It isn't that surprising. The warriors of my era all lived a life of battle. Battling while drinking and eating, embracing women while battling, battling even while sleeping. Anyone can do that."

Just ask him and he won't stop. This man does seem like he could do all that, but...

"You're kidding, right?"

"Of course. You fool."

He sniggered and gave an exploding flinch on Waver's forehead.

"Gyaa---h!!"

He didn't have the time to worry, let alone dodge. At any rate, there he was, clinging on the steel frame with all his might with both arms and legs. Waver couldn't even rub his pained forehead, as he could only howl with an unbecoming shriek.

"Hey, kid, anyone would laugh at a joke like that. When your face turns blue like that, it's because you have no guts."

Ignoring Rider's frank laugh, the magus strongly regretted choosing this Heroic Spirit as he shed tears from the pain on his forehead.

"I wanna go back... Go back to England..."

"I told you not to rush like that. Here, things are moving up at last."


"... Eh?"

Rider points at the seaside park with a stern chin.

"Even I, the King of Conquerors, noticed only just now, but― yes, it seems there was one more Servant in this park. This guy isn't hiding anything either. On the contrary, he's nearing the other one who arrived after us."

"Then, then―"

"The two seem to be going toward the port. That's a provocation. That's it― We'll study their fight."

Before one knows, his eyes start to hold the sharp gleam of a beast as he gave a threatening laugh. He was yet only a spectator, but the soul of the Heroic Spirit Alexander was already on the battlefield.

In Waver's heart, unable to move on the steel frame, Waver's misery was winning over the sense of reliability he should have from Rider. ―Moreover, he was mostly thinking that nothing mattered if he were to fall down anyway.


The west bank of the seaside park is prolonged by a row of boring storehouses. The block, which contains harbor facilities, also plays the role of a wall that separates the eastern industrial area from Shinto. At night, the pedestrian traffic ceases, and the street lights shine uselessly on the asphalt, but it makes the scenery even more empty. Unmanned derrick cranes were turned toward the dark sea, like an eerie flock of huge fossilized dinosaurs.

Indeed, this is a suitable place for Servants who must confront hidden from public view.

Saber and Irisviel walked up, magnificent as duellists going to the place of agreement, on the four lane road for the large vehicles that are meant to drive on it. The enemy as well was already showing himself, without running or hiding. The tall shadow standing in the middle of the empty street emits an extraordinary amount of prana even more outrageous than his odd outfit, clearly showing that he was much more than human.

The two Servants stop, facing each other from about 10 meters

apart.

Finally, they met the first Servant. Saber carefully observed the enemy she will be battling to death with.

He was a handsome man, with quirky long hair combed roughly backward. He charmed the eyes pretty well on the first glance. His main pole, over two meters and taller than himself, is obviously his weapon. Amongst the seven classes, he is one of the three “knight” classes― Saber, Archer, and with them, the Heroic Spirit of the lance. Undoubtedly, he is the Servant Lancer.

The strange thing is that he does not have just that one long spear.

Along with the spear Lancer was holding loose in his right hand, the head resting on his shoulder, he was also carrying in his left hand a shorter spear that was one third the length of the right one.

To handle a spear with ease, the obvious stance is of course to hold one with both hands. Whatever you can do with swords, one can't imagine that holding two spears is common.

The two spears are tightly wrapped from the handle to the tip with a cloth that looks like an amulet, hiding the shaft. This is probably a counter-measure to avoid revealing the true name of the Noble Phantasm.

"How nice of you to come. All of those who were parading around today in the town have only cowered away. ... You are the only one of valor who answered my invitation."

With a humble, cheerful praising voice, the man― the Heroic Spirit Lancer asked Saber carelessly, without

standing on guard.

"That pure fighting spirit... Am I correct in thinking you are Saber?"

"You are. Surely you must be Lancer?"

"Indeed. ―Hm, it is unusual to exchange names with the opponent in a deadly fight. That was a pleasure that is not obligatory."

In agreement, Saber loosens her feigned impudence a little.

"Certainly it isn't. Our battle isn't one for honor to begin with. You yourself are raising your spear for your master of this era, are you not?"

"Fuh, correct."

With a strange expression, Lancer answered in a cool, bitter tone, not reminding of someone who wished a deadly exchange. Looking more closely, he is a remarkably handsome and beautiful man.

His intrepid features are a high bridge of the nose and a valiant eyebrow. Despite his hard cut mouth denoting a stoic air, his eyes seemed to hide a quiet grief, yet a strong, manly scent rises from him. Below his left eye, he has a beauty spot like a grain of tear. That gives his gaze an even more impressive brilliance.

Truly, his features were those that could sweep a woman's heart at a glance. ―No, actually, does his elegant air of beauty only come from his features?


Holding back behind Saber, Irisviel shortened her breathing a little as she frowned.

"... A charm magecraft. It is impolite to use on a married woman, spearman."

Clearly, Lancer was emitting a spiritual power that could marvel a woman. As Irisviel's body is a homunculus, it is specialized in the usage of magecraft, and her magic resistance is higher than normal, but an average woman would be enslaved by this man at a glance.

Lancer shrugged with a bitter smile at Irisviel's remark.

"Sorry, that's some sort of a curse I've had since I was born. This is all you will get. Blame my birth, or your womanhood."

An example of a charm curse is a "Mystic Eye", but the only one Lancer has been looking straight at since the beginning is Saber, he hasn't looked at Irisviel behind her. The charm probably activated as soon as Irisviel looked at his face. That would make it a "Mystic Face" instead of a Mystic Eye.

Chuckling, Saber observed Lancer.

"You were not expecting my sword to grow dull with that fine look, were you, spear user?"

"That would be such a kill-joy, but indeed, the anti-magic ability of the Saber class is not vain. ... Excellent. It wouldn't suit my reputation to murder a woman weakened by my only face. I am glad

my first opponent has such backbone."

"Hoh, you were wishing for a fair fight. It is my honor to face such a proud Heroic Spirit."

Exaggerating, Saber replied with a quiet smile. It was a smile that is only for those who wish for a perfectly straightforward life-and-death exchange.

"Then― Anytime."

Picking up the long spear on his right shoulder by spinning it once, Lancer raised the tip of the short spear in his left hand. His stance, spreading both spears like wings, really was an unreadable style.

Saber's fighting spirit boiled as well, and exploded. The prana surge enveloped the girl's slender dark suit in a swirl like a tornado― and the next instant, her body was wrapped in a silver and azure armor. The armor and gauntlets created as by magic was the true form of the beautiful King of Knights, as a Heroic Spirit.

"Saber..."

Swallowing nervously, Irisviel called from behind. She could feel the fighting spirit released by both Servants, as well as the atmosphere strained by that tension. ―There was no room to disrupt this battle.

And yet, she couldn't just stand and watch. She was only a

substitute Master for Saber.

"... Take care. I can support you with healing magecraft, but no more..."

Without a word, Saber nodded.

"Leave Lancer to me. But it worries me that the enemy Master is nowhere to be seen."

As Saber said, just remaining invisible, Lancer's Master was a danger. Usually, a Master would stand by the Servant and instruct him as the battle develops, as well as providing magical support. As long as Lancer's Master doesn't have full faith in him, he has to be lurking nearby to watch over Lancer's battle.

"He might be preparing an odd trick. Please be cautious. ―Irisviel, I entrust you to watch my back."

Her jade eyes spoke calmly. Fearlessly.

''Trust the Heroic Spirit of the sword.

''As the one this Heroic Spirit recognized as her master, trust yourself likewise, Irisviel.'' —Said her eyes.

"... Understood. Saber, bring me victory."

"Yes. I will."


Nodding resolutely, Saber takes a step forward.

Toward the space of the long spear, where Lancer was standing on guard...

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| Back to [[Fate/Zero:Act_3_Part_2|Act 3, part 2]]
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| Forward to [[Fate/Zero:Act_3_Part_4|Act 3, part 4]]
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</noinclude>

Fate/Zero:Act 3 Part 2

2011-05-28T15:02:05Z

67.189.249.209: /* -162:27:03 */

=== -162:27:03 ===




Just at the time Emiya Kiritsugu and Hisau Maiya were meeting in a cheap hotel of Shinto, the Volare Italia charter coming from Germany was landing on the F lane of the airport neighboring Fuyuki city.

Even under the same frozen wind of winter, the one of Japan can't be compared to the intensity of that of the Einsbern castle. Looking up at the soft sunlight of the early afternoon, Irisviel von Einsbern feels her heart lighten.

"So, this is the country Kiritsugu was born in..."

It is a good place. Although she could get to know the place with pictures and such, Irisviel felt refreshed feeling the air through her body.

Not only her heart lightens. Coming to Japan posing as a passenger, she couldn't bring dresses for the castle, but had to bring more common clothing as much as possible to at least get to know the town. With short heeled boots and a knee-long skirt, her movements felt as light as if she was reborn.


Nonetheless, to an Einsbern who lived a secluded life oblivious of the common sense of the outside world, the dress-up she thought would be fit of common garments was already off. Her silk blouse, her knee-high long boots, her casual coat with silver fox fur, everything was coming straight out of a high class display window; it was very visible that she was a rare gem from a particular birthplace with a particular tailoring. They were clothes clearly fit for a fashion model, but to Irisviel who grew up with polished jewelry, it seemed intimate enough; even, Irisviel had indeed considered it a camouflage for towns areas, but it was simply impossible for a beauty such as her to disappear in the general public to begin with.

"So, Saber? What did you think of the plane travel?"

One step ahead down the runway, Irisviel asks the Servant with a short stature, who is leaving the lap that continues further.

"Nothing in particular. It was more wearisome than expected."

There is no lie in her words. Her azure eyes are perfectly serene.

"Oh, too bad, I thought you would be more surprised and interested."

"... Irisviel, you must be thinking of me as a primitive person."


To the frowning Saber, Irisviel replied with a bright laugh void of any ill intention.

"Flying in the sky is nothing surprising for a Heroic Spirit?"

"Not exactly, But as a Servant summoned in the present world, I have received information about this era. Also, as a Saber, I possess a skill dedicated to Riding. Presently, I might be able to ride this airplane."

Hearing that, Irisviel's eyes go round from astonishment.

"You could― pilot it?"

"Probably. My riding skill applies to all vehicles. If I can sit on a saddle and seize a bridle, I can manage the rest from instinct."

Irisviel burst into laughter from Saber's expression. She hasn't seen the cockpit. What would she think when seeing one filled with gauges instead of her saddle and bridle?

Be that as it may, she said the truth about skills. The mounting ability of the Saber class allows the use of any vehicle save for phantasmal beasts and divine beasts. If needed, she could definitely handle modern tools like a car or a bike.

"I'm still a little disappointed. You must be the first Servant ever to travel in a plane with a flesh and blood body."


"... I must apologise about that. I am not a good reference."

"Oh, it's fine. ―Don't worry. That isn't what I meant."

Foreign Masters have to travel to Japan one way or another, but Irisviel and her Servant posing together as a party of two must be an exception.

The cause was Saber. Despite being a Heroic Spirit, she had limits other Servants didn't have. The gravest amongst these was that she could not dematerialize. She didn't have the ability to cancel her physical form to move at high speed or cut down the prana consumption from her Master when at rest, something all Servants should be able to do. It's not that there had been a mistake in Kiritsugu's contract or his summoning: the soul of the hero named Arturia functioned differently from the other Heroic Spirits... Apparently. For a reason unknown to even Irisviel.

The most problematic burden was that she was unable to turn invisible and hide her existence to the other people. There was no way she would walk under her armor suit, so Saber had to dress up as a human with a costume of the latest fashion, and accompany Irisviel.

―Although, Irisviel found rather welcome that Saber would follow her in convenient garments.


"I am happy I could travel with you, Saber. I can't get tired of looking at you."

"? Irisviel, why the change?"

"No, It's nothing. Don't mind that."

Hiding a smile, Irisviel turns her head away. Saber finds that reaction suspicious.

"... It means you are holding something when you laugh like that. Tell me frankly what it is."

"It is not a problem if you always remain in physical form, really. I get to have fun choosing your clothes, like that."

"..."

How carefree― Saber wanted to reply, but sighed instead. Being unable to dematerialize is essentially a drawback that can't be dealt with for the Master. Enjoying oneself isn't the primary objective, but telling the Master it is no laughing matter would be mistaking the cause for the end.

"Irisviel, are these clothings fit to look around in town?"

"Yes, ... I guess. It is my first time in this country as well, so I am a little anxious."


If a third party with the common sensibility of a Japanese had happened to be present, he would have definitely been able to tell that Irisviel was different.

Irisviel had taken Saber's measurements before their departure and issued orders to get modern clothing at a tailor of the Frankfurt airport for a dark blue dress shirt and necktie with a French continental dark suit. That was perfect to disguise her as a man.

It would sound wild and foolish to dress a young woman of under 155 centimeters like that, but this is suddenly a different matter when speaking about Saber.

This isn't the perverted beauty of having a beautiful woman dressed as a man. The air of Saber's cold and hard face isn't that of a feminine complexion. It was already a given that her disguising as a man was unequalled as a beautiful young man. Along with her thin stature, her face was obviously glamorous and fair-skinned, which could pass as the manly, charming air of a pure young man.

"I chose the clothes to balance with my appearance, maybe you do not like them?"

"Ah, not at all. This costume allows me to move freely, and I am used to posing as a man."

The necessity of slipping out of her armored clothing was obvious, but there was no denying Irisviel had jumped straight into a dressing-up hobby more than it was required.


Entrusting to the two maids who had come with them the luggages coming out from the cargo area, Irisviel and Saber turned to the customs house with empty hands. After the two maids had sent the luggages to the Einsbern villa in the forest on the outskirts of Fuyuki city by a different route, they arranged their return to home. They were not to remain at Irisviel's sides for this Heaven's Feel. There is no need to put in danger people who aren't related. On that matter, Irisviel would care for her personal belongings by herself, and the strong-hearted Saber would remain by her side.

Completing without delay the procedure to enter the country, it didn't take much time until they were allowed to get to the airport lobby. But until they could reach it, every single one of the officials on the way got astounded by Irisviel and Saber and rolled their eyes as they passed, quickly making them uneasy.

"As I thought... Is there something wrong with my clothes?"

Sensing the eyes of the people coming and going in the lobby, Saber mutters as if feeling awkward.

"Well, it might be too elegant..."

Irisviel could only smile bitterly, but to tell the truth, she too was the center of attention. At any rate, the two of them are unequalled beauties. Their eccentric clothing, how removed from common sense they are, balances their rash match rather well. The attention from the surroundings was not just odd glances, but already envious ones.


"― Let's go, Saber. Worrying won't change much."

Saying so, Irisviel pulled Saber's hand with a bitter face.

"At last we are in Japan. We must enjoy ourselves as much as possible before the battle begins."

"No, Irisviel, the question isn't about enjoying―"

As Saber stretched her mumbling halfway, Irisviel walked like on springs to find a taxi. Somehow, Saber hadn't noticed until now how lively she was shining.

<center>※※※※※</center>

Soon after the two arrived in Fuyuki city, sunset colored the western sky as it was quite late in the afternoon.

"How lively..."

As the hired car was going down the plaza of the park in front of the station, Irisviel's impression lit her eyes as she was exposed to the traffic jam of the evening hours.


But Saber by her side was studying the surroundings just like a commander investigating the topography of a battlefield.

"Kiritsugu has already arrived in this place, hasn't he?"

"Yes. He arranged to arrive half a day before us."

Already inside the country, Kiritsugu was to hide his existence and follow a completely different route from that of Irisviel's group. He was to take a passenger flight to the international airport at Shin-Ōsaka and change for the railroad to Fuyuki city.

"Are we to meet up again?"

"It's alright. He will be the one to come to us."

Saber wouldn't show any of it, but she was quite shocked by Kiritsugu and Irisviel's plans that she didn't quite find satisfactory.

"Then, what is the plan, now?"

"Right... For now, we shall observe the changes in the situation and adapt ourselves accordingly."

"Do you mean we have nothing to do?"

"Exactly."

Irisviel gave a childish smile that looked mischievous to the discouraged Saber.


"But what a waste. After finally arriving to this distant country."

Smiling while watching the traffic jam around, Irisviel strolled a little dispirited. At her side, Saber, feeling confused, firmly followed her pace.

"And― what about trying to find an enemy Servant?"

"Hmm. No way."

Refusing blankly, Irisviel turned around, staring expectantly at her partner.

"Say, Saber. Since we have such an opportunity, we could look around the town. It must be interesting."

"..."

For an instant, Saber was taken aback by the unexpected proposition, but immediately straightened up with a stern face.

"Irisviel. We cannot be unprepared. We have to consider the land of Fuyuki we are walking in as an enemy territory already. The Heaven's Feel has already started."

"Yes. I depend on you for that, Saber. If we come near a Servant, can you notice it?"

"Well... That is correct."


Dematerialized or not, Servants can perceive the presence of other Servants. Of course, everyone has their own affinity with searching for the enemy, and there are those like Assassin who have the ability to erase their presence.

"In my case, I am able to perceive a presence in a radius of up to roughly 200 meters. Also, an opponent with the proper ability could tamper with that."

"I see... But right here and right now, there is no Servant targeting us, is there?"

"Indeed. But―"

"Then let's have a look around over there. We don't have to search anyway."

When seeking a hidden opponent, striding across the town provocatively was certainly an acceptable plan. An audacious one, but since Saber has no ability for searching actively, there is no other way to do a proactive search. Being unable to dematerialize, she also loses the choice of doing covert espionage.

But more than being based on a coherent plan, Saber sensed that Irisviel had a hidden motive. Actually, Saber could only see Irisviel's invitation as a mere sightseeing jaunt.

"Irisviel, we really should establish somewhere and reunite with Kiritsugu

to work out a plan. Hasn't the Einsbern family prepared a castle on the outskirts of the town?"

"Well... Yes, we have that."

It was Irisviel's turn to start mumbling. Apparently she was conscious that her behavior wasn't fit for a situation of crisis. Guessing there was a reason, Saber asked again.

"Why do you insist so much on visiting this town?"

"You know... This is my first time."

A little nervous, Irisviel looked down as she replied. Saber sighed from the shock.

"―As you know, by being taken over by the Grail, I have knowledge of this world. Of course I also know about this land that will become a battlefield. Irisviel, this town isn't really a place for sight-seeing. Especially since there are no particularly famous places."

"No, that isn't it. That is not what I―"

Like a child, strongly refusing to give any explanation at first, Irisviel then hesitated a little and finally confessed frankly.

"I― this is the first time I am going out."

"... Ha?"


Not understanding at first, Saber kept listening, dumbfounded.

"As I say, like a rebirth― this is the first time I walk in the outside world."

"Then ever since you were born... You have stayed in that castle all your life?"

Not liking the conclusion, Irisviel hung her head in shame, giving a small nod.

"I am a puppet created only for this Heaven's Feel. The elder has always told me I had no need to go out."

Saber didn't really have a life full of joy as Arturia either.

But she couldn't avoid feeling compassion toward this person who had been like a bird in cage, imprisoned in that frozen castle ever since she was born.

"Of course, It's not like I don't know anything, right? Especially since Kiritsugu came. He taught me a lot of the sceneries and the happenings, with movies or pictures. About New York, Paris, and all the people in the world. About Japan too, of course."

Smiling miserably, Irisviel looked at the traffic jam around.

"But... This is the first time I see this world with my own eyes. So, maybe I am being a little too happy and merry. I'm sorry."

Saber nodded, quietly turning her eyes, and gently offered her arm wrapped in her

dark suit to Irisviel.

"... Saber?"

"This is my first time walking in this town― but escort is also the duty of a knight. So I will do my best. Then, if you please."

"―Thank you."

Her eyes lit with a bright joy, Irisviel entwines her arm around Saber's elbow.

There must be a lot of time left before the night.

<center>※※※※※</center>

Saber and Irisviel easily drew all the attention in the middle of the business district.

The young woman was full of dignity, with her glittering silver hair and cashmere coat, by no mean pompous, but definitely nicely fitting, walking with a good looking young man with a brilliant face, holding her arm. That wasn't a combination you'd see anywhere except outside of a cocktail party filled with movie stars.


Those visions coming straight from the silver screen are now leisurely striding through the road of a Japanese provincial city. Anyone walking down the road would stop to look and forget walking for an instant.

The two didn't have the harmony of a couple at a date, nor the admiration of people just sightseeing, only following the flow of their journey, walking aimlessly. Sometimes, they would suddenly stop to happily gaze at the setting sun shining in the windows of the buildings and the show windows, nothing special; they wouldn't enter any shop to make any expense nor sit at a cafe terrace to rest.

Like two understanding outsiders, they would simply slip in the noisy surroundings, watching over the working life of the city from a fixed distance.

Unnoticed, the winter sun had completely sunk behind the mountain range, leaving the curtain of night to reveal a different face of the urban area. Irisviel sighed, entranced by the colorful illuminations of the twinkling scenery.

The world is probably full of towns with a more beautiful night view than that of this Fuyuki city. But Irisviel was deeply moved by the night before her eyes, as if putting her hands on a treasure for the first time.

"It's really beautiful... The life of people alone makes the night dazzling..."

Irisviel's murmur showed her emotion, to which Saber silently nodded. The political

world she once lived in was now in a distant space-time from this place, but no emotion sprang from this scene she saw for the first time. Yet, the tranquillity was only on the surface, as inside, her nerves were like a needle.

This place is already an enemy territory― this knowledge remained unchanged.

Saber is definitely not a Servant excelling in searching for the enemy, and depending on the situation, an enemy Servant would likely find her first if she was wandering about. It is hard to think that any enemy could pounce straightforwardly when everyone is looking, but still, right then, a well-timed surprise attack would not be weird.

Even so, without reproving Irisviel, she complied to her hope of fully enjoying herself freely for a brief time; the reason is her unwavering confidence in her sword.

She is the Heroic Spirit summoned as the strongest class of the Grail of Fuyuki, the position of swordsman. There is no Servant that surpasses her in close combat. She is certain that she can clear an escape route from the battlefield under any disadvantageous situation.

Actually, a surprise attack is what she desires. To withstand it fair and square, turn the table and go for the kill. If anyone is enough of a fool to plan on making her their enemy, she may remind them that the Saber class is not about gallantry.

"... Hey, Saber, do you want to see the beach next?"


As Irisviel was unable to hide her excitement, the young woman disguised as a man nodded with a smile. Her tension wasn't picking any opponent.

She had sworn she would protect Irisviel. So she would protect her to the end as she was enjoying herself. That was the strength of her high pride as a knight.

There was a vast seaside park on the opposite shore of the big bridge that crossed the Mion River.

Late at night, two persons were strolling on the lone walkway with nobody around anymore. The north wind from the sea was blowing softly uninterrupted, blowing up Irisviel's long silver hair like the trail of a shooting star. In this place, couples dating hate the chill of winter nights and would only come in summer; but Irisviel, who was seeing the sea for the first time, didn't care about the cold as she had grown accustomed to it, back at her home place.

"We should have come here when it wasn't dark..."

Simply looking at the sea at night filling the bleak darkness, Saber said so in an apologetic tone. But Irisviel was unconcerned, concentrating on the horizon that had sunk in the dark.

"It's fine. The sea at night is beautiful too. It mirrors the night sky."

Listening to the endless roar of the waves, Irisviel's smile was all over her face.


As she had greatly enjoyed today's walk, her fair-skinned cheeks were flushed. She looked more like a young woman of tender years rather than a married woman with a child, with her innocent and naïve smile.

"I really had no idea― that walking through an unknown town as a couple with a gentleman would be such an enjoyable experience."

"Was my imitation of a gentleman satisfying?"

As Irisviel rejoiced, Saber banter with her with a sarcastic tone, unusual from the stubborn Heroic Spirit.

"Plentifully. It was faultless. Saber, today, you were a superb knight."

"You honor me, princess."

The young woman in the dark suit bowed courteously in front of her. Irisviel felt a little embarrassed, turning her head toward the sea.

"Saber, do you like the sea?"

"In my time, in my country... What was beyond the sea was always the enemy.


It was annoying and not very attractive."

"I see..."

At Saber's reply, Irisviel's expression becomes a little clouded.

"... It is tough to forgive. You are a woman like me.

For you who lived as king Arthur, dating gentlemen was not a suitable thing to enjoy."

"Well yes, that it was."

Saber shrugged her shoulders, smiling nonchalantly. She had no regret from casting aside her womanhood. Instead, her small chest was filled with the pride of leading through the battlefield.

"But you, Irisviel, would you not want to walk through the city with Kiritsugu rather than with me?"

This time, it was Irisviel's face that was crossed by a smile.

"He... Cannot do that. He would be pained with mixed feelings."

Not grasping the meaning of her reply, Saber makes a dubious face.

"Can Kiritsugu not enjoy his time spent with you?"

"Not that. He would certainly enjoy it as much as I do. ... That's why he can't. He is one for whom 'happiness' is a pain."


"..."

Carefully analysing these words, Saber tries to comprehend the contradiction in the man named Emiya Kiritsugu.

"―He is a man who cannot value his happiness, is that the weakness he bears?"

"Maybe so. That man is always punishing himself deep inside. If he wants to keep chasing his dream, he has to be coldhearted."

With a distant gaze, Irisviel looks at the sea. Thinking of her husband who is hiding somewhere in the city, preparing for the same goal.

Saber reflected for a moment upon those words.

... Today, the discussion has moved on an unexpected topic after the sea. Even though they had intended the day to end on a pleasant mood.

Nonchalantly, Saber held and pulled Irisviel's upper arm. Just by this gesture, Irisviel settled down and exchanged a look with Saber.

"... An enemy Servant?"

"Yes."

The sensation didn't change. From undercover, a hundred meters on the side, he is leaving plain indications like a provocation. He is clearly conscious of Saber's presence, yet doesn't

shorten the distance, rather slowly distancing himself―

"He seems to be inviting us."

"Hmm. That is honest. Does he want to choose the battlefield?"

Without a trace of tension in her voice, Irisviel still kept cool as she replied. In this battle situation, that is the proof of her complete faith in Saber. This made Saber revise her inner judgement in favor of her mistress.

"It appears the opponent has the same expectations as us. Making the opponent bite on the indications left for show... He is a Servant looking for a frontal fight, just like you, Saber, isn't he?"

"That would be a Lancer or a Rider class. He makes a straightforward opponent."

At Saber nodding, Irisviel again returns a fearless smile.

"Then, shall we take on the invitation?"

"I wish the same."

It is dangerous to blindly take the bait and follow the enemy to a field at his advantage. But Saber isn't the frail type to fear such tricks, and her mistress doesn't underestimate her Servant either.

The marks of the enemy were getting more distant, and Saber started walking with a quiet self-confidence. Irisviel, following likewise, turned on the switch of a palm-sized device hidden in her pocket. This is a "transmission machine" entrusted by Kiritsugu, a device for him to follow the position of Irisviel's group from a different route. It is a mechanized gadget that works without prana that Kiritsugu intentionally chose.

Irisviel trusted Saber's power. Any enemy of a rank lower than Saber that they would meet shall be killed in a blink of the eye with one sword strike by her proud Servant― that was the easy development she was expecting.

Yes, as much as possible... She wanted her knight to end the fight before Kiritsugu entered the battle.

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