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Fate/Zero:Act 15 Part 2

2011-01-17T04:18:42Z

68.33.140.128:

===-17:21:41===


People remembered that day in Fuyuki city to be one of abnormal weather conditions.

Unbelievably, the daily north wind suddenly ceased, and intense, midsummer-like sunlight scorched the seemingly stagnant air, resulting in an unseasonable heat haze everywhere. Bafflingly high temperatures and humidity – inexplicable even to weather forecasters – occurred over a very limited region with Fuyuki city at its center, further fueling the premonitions first felt by the clueless townspeople when strange things had first begun to happen.

The guerrilla incidents happening one after another in the city; the bizarre, appalling murderers; the disappearance of infants – not a single clue could be found towards a solution. There was no sign of the night curfew being lifted, and worse still, there had been the incident of the waste processing plant on the Mion River the day before yesterday. With these constantly bizarre incidents grating the nerves of the exhausted people, they could not help but feel that this peculiar weather was an omen of more calamities yet to occur.

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Sitting wide awake in the shade of a tree, Emiya Kiritsugu watched as the angle of his shadow slowly changed with the blazing sunlight.

More than 40 hours had elapsed since he last slept, but his senses were still tense, never desiring rest.

Because he was in a dangerous situation, he had to time his breaks well and maintain a condition at which he could deal with things perfectly in crucial times – this was his experience as a professional fighter. Because the forewarning boundary field was already in place in key positions, when someone approached him he could instantly wake up. If he was in standby mode now, he could enter REM sleep within a few seconds, possibly dealing with his accumulated fatigue as well.

However, at this moment, Kiritsugu did not even spare a thought about such established caution. To cut off his feelings and maintain his very best condition was also one of his “mechanisms”, but under the state of being prepared to be scorched, he was able to surpass his limits and overdrive himself – this was another “mechanism”. The thing able to convert himself to such operational state was none other than the premonition of “settling the score” he felt under his skin.

Right now, the thing Kiritsugu was anticipating for was by the side of the pond in the back of Ryūdōji Temple, which was situated along the mountainside of Mount Enzō, east of Miyama town of Fuyuki city.

After confirming Tokiomi’s fallout and Kotomine Kirei’s comeback at the Tōsaka residence yesterday night, Kiritsugu launched an assault on the Shinto church immediately, but that which was supposed to be his headquarters was already empty. There were signs of humans being there about an hour before, so it was possibly a paper-thin miss. The delays during the invasions of the Matō residence and Tōsaka residence had cost him precious time.

At that point, Kiritsugu had completely abandoned his search for Irisviel. That’s because he came to the conclusion that if he continued to be attached to her, he would fall all the more into the enemy’s trap. If he wanted to have any chance of winning, Kiritsugu had no choice but to enter into battles not as a husband who lost his wife, but as a Master seeking the Holy Grail.

By relinquishing the “Holy Grail vessel” – the trump card of the Einsberns – Kiritsugu now had to participate in the Holy Grail war with terms similar to that of outsider Masters (not from the three origin families). The strategy of luring the enemy to make mistakes whilst utilizing his superiority and overlooking his defense was no longer viable; he now had to seek ambush opportunities to outsmart his leading rivals. Thinking about it, what made the strategy of jumping ahead of his opponents effective was that he could, from this point onwards, fortify his position – which was to look beyond the final stage of the battle – and to set up traps about it.

From the outside, the War of the Holy Grail was mending its image as a battle royal, but as the war progressed, it began to show signs of it being a battle of occupying each other’s camps. The ultimate goal was to hold the ceremony for the descent of the Holy Grail; but to secure a proper place for the altar was part of the victor’s path which could not be avoided.

In Fuyuki, there were only four points in the land containing the suitable spiritual ground to summon the Holy Grail.

The first key place was Mount Enzō which held the natural cavern, the “Dragon’s Hole”. At that place, the “Greater Holy Grail” – which used Justicia as a foundation – was located. It was a secret altar known only to the three origin families, their favorite ever since it was prepared 180 years ago.

The Tōsaka family – which provided the ground – had the right to use the best spiritual leyline as their base. However, the prana overflowing from Mount Enzō was too powerful, and too dangerous to be used as a living ground to bring up the next generation of magi. Hence, they set up their stronghold at the next best spiritual leyline – the Tōsaka residence of today. Though inferior to the Greater Holy Grail, this place was sustained by sufficient spiritual power to summon the Holy Grail.

The Makiri were assigned to a ground when they migrated here, but because they realized that the spiritual aura of the ground was not suitable for the family’s element, they shifted their base, the Matō residence, to a different place. The original spiritual leyline was protected by the Holy Church who intervened later. Today, it was at the top of the hill on which Fuyuki Church was built – that was the third spiritual leyline. Far away from Mount Enzō, it was located at the outskirts of Shinto, which was at the opposite side of the river – however, it was not much inferior to the second best spiritual ground.

The fourth spiritual leyline did not exist in this ground originally – because of spiritual processing by the other three spiritual leylines, the flow of mana subtly induced an anomaly; forming a gathering spot after 100 odd years, which appeared at a certain location as a result of it. It could also be called a subsequent spiritual ground. Through subsequent investigations, the fact that it was sufficiently furnished with spiritual grounds to carry out the ceremony, was confirmed; and during the third Holy Grail War, it was marked as a candidate site. Today, this place was located at the centre of the developing residential area of Shinto. Nevertheless, there was a problem with it, in that a council meeting hall was just built recently on that spot.

Even if Kotomine Kirei had taken possession of the “vessel of the Holy Grail”, in the end, he had to perform the ceremony at one of these four key spiritual grounds. If Kiritsugu went to those places, set up traps and could ambush him, then there was a high chance of turning the tables around.

With Fuyuki Church left unoccupied, Kiritsugu unexpectedly landed in a good position of being able to secure the Tōsaka residence and the Fuyuki Church – the second and third best spiritual leylines. The silver lining of the cloud; in order to use this to his fullest advantage, all the way till morning, Kiritsugu planted explosives into the two buildings, making them into traps. And then, since noon, he had set up a new position at Ryūdōji Temple, and was on the lookout all the time.

Kiritsugu anticipated that Kirei would probably choose Mount Enzō as the ceremonial place. His enemy had vanished from Fuyuki Church. Naturally there was also a possibility that his intention was to seclude himself from society, but for him to relinquish the spiritual leyline he had already secured in the first place, he would only want to perform the ceremony at the best spiritual ground – Kiritsugu thus conjectured. If he thought about it, after obliterating Tokiomi Tōsaka, his residence was also at Kirei’s disposal – but he had left that place readily, so what’s left was just the Greater Holy Grail at Mount Enzō.

Obviously, there was a non-zero possibility that all of these were just a bluff to mislead Kiritsugu, and that Kirei would return to Fuyuki Church or Tōsaka residence. However, because of that, Kiritsugu had already set traps so that if Kirei set foot in any of the buildings, he would not be able to return alive. After being bombed to death, if the “vessel of the Holy Grail” was still unharmed, then victory would easily be his – as for Irisviel’s life, Kiritsugu had already looked philosophically upon it as a loss.

If he were to further increase his chances of outwitting Kirei, he could not disregard the Fuyuki council hall – the fourth spiritual leyline. As for that place, Kiritsugu settled on placing a familiar there for the purpose of surveillance. After being confirmed as being a spiritual ground, the “ground of origin” was left just like that without any spell-like defense being set up around it. Compared with the other three ceremonial sites – which were “hard to attack and easy to defend” – the council hall was not a strategic position at all, from the view of magi battles.

Hypothetically speaking, if Kotomine Kirei were to appear at the city council hall, then Kiritsugu would carry out a full-front assault. It was of course the worst development, but the risk of such a thing happening was also the lowest. If he acted according to priorities, whether he was right or wrong, the place he had to seize no matter what was Mount Enzō.

If Maiya was not harmed, she would be able to secure the city council hall, and confront Kirei directly with her perfect preparations. But, it was futile to lament about it. At this point, he could only rely on himself.

Suddenly, Kiritsugu recalled those times after he had lost Natalia. Come to think of it, his experiences of independent action without joining anyone, was surprisingly little. To have felt that unexpectedly, was it because Kiritsugu was always the one surviving in the end?

Kiritsugu thought about it, and felt that he had led a life distantly connected to the word “alone”. It could also be called a life much crueler than being alone. There was always someone beside Kiritsugu. The one making excuses all this while for killing or causing the deaths of those “someones” was again, Kiritsugu.

Both Maiya and Irisviel were people he was destined to part with ever since he met them. Sure enough, as he thought, Kiritsugu was left on his own, trying to enter the final stage of the battle. To begin this way, and to end this way – this had to be Emiya Kiritsugu’s fate. Someone like him who had lost so many people – such absurdity was unforgivable.

–The boundary field established at the temple gates sensed the presence of something approaching. Kiritsugu cut off his disorganized emotions, held his Calico submachine gun in his hands, and stealthily examined the grounds. Nevertheless, his caution was not necessary. Kiritsugu already knew the prana waves which approached him.

Come to think of it, there was someone – who was the strongest reinforcement to him – that had not joined his side as an ally yet. At that fact, despite himself, Kiritsugu could not help but to be surprised and snigger. She was still alive. Though it was hard to decide that if this noble knight – which was not part of Kiritsugu’s tactics – joined him, whether she would be an “ally” or not.

Though hidden, a Servant could not be mistaken about her own Master’s whereabouts. Saber was not lost, and she had come all the way to the front of the treetop at which Kiritsugu was hiding himself, and had stopped within a distance from which they could talk, but outside the perimeter at which they could exchange blows – a delicate distance indeed. A distance too far for intimate words to be exchanged between them; that was also the distance separating the hearts of this Master and his Servant.

The slender figure in suit was as imposing as ever, but the exhaustion within her face could not be concealed. As a Heroic Spirit, physical fatigue was nothing to her; but the excessive exhaustion due to her worrying was a completely different matter. The commanding glint in her eyes during those times when she was waiting upon Irisviel, was evidently losing its force.

“ – Since yesterday night, I had been searching all over the streets for Irisviel. But, I still haven’t discovered anything……I’m very sorry.”

The Servant he did not think about and had left behind; Kiritsugu had no interest at all at how much time she had wasted within a night; and when he heard about her idle actions which were just as he expected, he could not even think of any words to answer her.

Even now Saber’s aim was still to “rescue Irisviel”.

From last midnight till this morning, within this time when Kiritsugu had steadily prepared the deathtraps for Kotomine Kirei, this Servant had probably sought Irisviel recklessly, and drove around in the city looking for her without even any hint of where she was.

Was that the willpower as a knight? The naively honest loyalty towards someone she had once served? …… Her actions were just a silly plan with no strategic planning whatsoever. But at the same time, it was also a stinging criticism towards Kiritsugu who had resigned to the death of his wife, and changed his strategies accordingly.

Needless to say, she did not come all the way to this place to mock him. Saber was just stopping by at Ryūdōji temple as part of her search for Irisviel, and sensed the presence of her Master. But to have to see her again the second day, and having to once again face the difference between their principles and their actions, he could do nothing but to ascertain all the more the conflicting principles between both of them.

From the dim shadows of the tree, at that cold look from Kiritsugu, the dry premonition she felt within her heart returned. – Perhaps, even until the end of the war, she would not have the chance to respectably exchange a single word with her own Master.

“……Well then, I will continue the search for Irisviel. If there’s anything, summon me with the Command Seals like last time.”

After saying that, Saber returned to the temple grounds. Needless to say, she was neither called back, nor were there any words of appreciation before her departure.

From the viewpoint of the Holy Grail contest, Kiritsugu’s actions was the best plan – Even Saber herself understood that. Because of that, she could also decide without a doubt that it was safe to leave this place to him. She had no fear of leaving Kiritsugu alone. If the situation arose when the Servant was needed, the compelling force of the Command Seals could transcend even space and summon her to his side – she had already experienced that last night, and confirmed it.

Whilst descending the flight of stone steps connecting the temple gate to the ground below, Saber squinted her eyes in the unpleasantly blazing sun.

The enemies to be killed could not be found, and the location of the one she was to protect could not be ascertained…… what’s left was just her definite intuition, which told her that she could not afford to waste a single moment.

Not even knowing where to go, she was spurred on from the inside by the tingling impatience.

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|-
| Back to [[Fate/Zero:Act_15_Part_1|Act 15, Part 1]]
| Return to [[Fate/Zero|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Fate/Zero:Act_15_Part_3|Act 15, Part 3]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Fate/Zero:Act 14 Part 3

2011-01-17T03:49:05Z

68.33.140.128:

=== -36:44:26 ===

From a building far away, three pairs of eyes watched Rider’s flying Noble Phantasm as it appeared in the airspace above Shinto city, as well as Saber as she changed her route to pursue him.

One person’s eyes expressed satisfaction. One pair of eyes was extremely fatigued. And one more person —could those eyes, filled with violent frenzy, still be said to belong to a human?

“I did not think that the real Rider would actually appear… This is truly a good show. Matō Kariya, you often bring luck to your companions on the battlefield.”

Kotomine Kirei said this with a smile, in a tone that held a slight insinuation of sarcasm. At the same time, he slapped Kariya’s shoulder to indicate admiration. Kariya's good right eye regarded him with suspicion.

“Father… do you think it is worth wasting two Command Seals on such a small matter?”

Kariya looked at his right hand, which was missing two Command Seals, with some dissatisfaction. Kirei said to him, smiling.

“There is no need to worry. Kariya, as long as you are willing to help me, you need not worry about wasting Command Seals—come, stretch out your hand.”

Kirei caught hold of Kariya’s veined and withered right hand, softly chanting a spell while tracing the mark of the Command Seals with his own hand. At his small ministration, the darkened Command Seals immediately regained their light and returned to the previous shape of three marks.

“You… really—“

“Did I not already tell you? Kariya. I accepted the duty of Supervisor, so I have the right to redistribute the Command Seals in safekeeping of the Church at will.

“…”

Kariya was unable to surmise the other’s true intentions; he regarded Kirei unabashedly, then glanced with a sigh at his own Servant.

The large silhouette standing behind him was Rider, King of Conquerors, Alexander. Whether it was the crimson mantle or the curly red hair, or the burly physique—everything was the same as the driver of the chariot that had sped out of Fuyuki City with Saber. The only difference was the pair of eerie, blood-red eyes radiating resentment… Undoubtedly, this was a characteristic unique to a Mad Enhanced Servant.

Wrapped in his thickset arms was the slender body of Irisviel, who had lost consciousness and was still in a coma. This ‘Rider’ was the true culprit who had kidnapped the ‘Guardian of the Holy Grail’ from the underground storage that Maiya protected, and had also lured Saber to give chase toward Shinto.

“… That is enough, Berserker.”

Kariya nodded. The large body of the King of Conquerors turned into a pitch-black fog as if burnt, then reverted to the armored figure filled with an ominous air. The dark energy that imitated Rider’s appearance twined about his hands and legs, obscuring small parts of the black armor.

Seeing Berserker returned to his original form, Kirei said as if groaning.

“This sort of transformation ability… It is truly wasted as a Noble Phantasm of Berserker’s level.

“This guy initially had the ability to transform into many other Heroic Spirits that had won merit in military exploits for other people. Because of the Mad Enhancement, it has been reduced to the ability of ‘imitation’.”

The black fog that twined about Berserker’s entire body was originally a Noble Phantasm that had the purpose of not only hiding his visage, but also of mimicking any person in order to deceive enemies’ ears and eyes. Ever since Berserker had been stripped of his rationality, this ability could not be brought into play. Kariya had forced this ability to manifest through the power of the Command Seals and made it possible to disguise Berserker as a fake Rider. But this ability could only be used once.

“Ar… ur…”

Berserker stared after the light of Saber’s motorcycle headlights moving gradually further away into the east, his gaze full of hatred. A bone-deep hatred caused his shoulders to shake ceaselessly, the armor chafing with a creaking sound, but he did not do anything else out of the ordinary. That was due to the binding of the ultimate command, the second Command Seal that Kariya had used—“capture Irisviel, and let Saber escape”.

In order to make Berserker, who had an unusual stubbornness when it came to Saber, follow his own instruction, it was necessary to restrict him with a forceful command.

For Berserker, it appeared that those shackles were extremely difficult to endure. Although his task was now complete, the black knight seemed like a mechanical part that had malfunctioned; his limbs continuously convulsed, stubbornly resisting this command.

Kariya felt a chill run down his back at Berserker’s willfulness. As Berserker fell into a state of uncontrollability, Kariya forcefully cut off the prana connection with him. Having lost the prana that sustained his form in this world, the Servant immediately reverted to spirit form and the body of Irisviel, losing its support, was violently thrown to the rooftop floor. On impact, the sleeping homunculus gave a soft groan of pain, but nevertheless did not open her eyes. Since being forcefully kidnapped from the Magic Circle in which she had rested, Irisviel’s awareness had become even thinner.

“Is this woman really the ‘Vessel of the Holy Grail’?”

“To be precise, it is this homunculus. If one or two more Servants are finished, then it will probably show its true form… I will prepare the ritual to receive the Grail as it descends. Until that time, let this woman also be temporarily under my protection.”

The robed man picked up the weak body of the woman; Kariya wordlessly communicated his question with his eyes.

Kirei noticed his gaze and replied as before, with a leisurely and self-satisfied smile.

“Don’t worry. I will give you the Grail as per our agreement. Because I have no need to pursue that wish-granting machine.”

“Before that, you seem to also have promised me another thing, Father.”

“Ah, that thing… Of course there is no problem. You just have to come to the church at midnight tonight. I will make the preparation for you to meet Tōsaka Tokiomi then.”

“…”

Exactly what did this priest intend? — It made Kariya’s heart very troubled to not be able to discern his true intention all this time.

Though Kotomine Kirei had once been a disciple under Tōsaka Tokiomi, for the sake of participating in the Heaven’s Feel he had split ways and become a Master—a hypocrite. But from the perspective of the Matō family that had also participated in the previous Heaven’s Feel, the collusion between the Tōsaka house and the Church had long been known. In this case, it was also obvious without needing to be said that this son of the Supervisor, who was also an Executor of the Church, had summoned Assassin as Tokiomi’s lackey.

At noon today, Kirei had actually come running all of a sudden to knock on the door of the Matō house, saying that he hoped to discuss the establishment an alliance. According to him, the responsibility for Supervisor Kotomine Risei’s death fell on Tōsaka; as the man’s son it was necessary for him to avenge his father, and so he wished to use the hand of the Matōs to kill Tokiomi.

Although Kariya knew that this intention was suspicious, the conditions laid out by Kotomine Kirei were truly too alluring to him.

This man had not only planned to trap Tokiomi, but also investigated the location in which Einsbern, protector of the ‘Vessel of the Grail’, was hiding and secretly succeeded the right to safekeep the Command Seals as Supervisor; it could be said that he held the most important trump card to the latter half of the Heaven’s Feel.

To Kariya, holding the ticking time bomb known as Berserker, isolated and unable to trust even his own kin, Kirei’s assistance was greater than an army of thousands; his heart was immediately grounded. However, the condition was that he had to trust everything that this man Kotomine Kirei said.

Kotomine Kirei could ensure that the homunculus of the Einsbern family was in his hands. He even generously replenished his consumed Command Seals… But even thus, Kariya was unable to completely trust this priest whose smile surfaced as leisurely and self-satisfied.

The attitude of this man was truly too relaxed. Perhaps it was due to the confidence brought about by the secret he held, which was the most important deciding factor. But if he were only to look at it thus simply—that indicated that he had no sense of danger in the face of battle, or a sense of anxiety in needing to consider tactics.

If it were absolutely necessary to describe, that smile was closer to that of an excited child playing a game. In the name of betraying his benefactor to avenge his father, this man had formed an alliance with him. It was very obvious that this man found great joy in this sort of situation…

“It will be too suspicious if both of us appear at the same time. Kariya, why don’t you go back first?”

“… And you?”

“I still have some small things to do… Don’t forget, Kariya. Tonight at midnight, your wish shall be accomplished there.”

The priest seemed to be even more concerned over the whole affair than Kariya himself, reminding Kariya again in a voice filled with anticipation.

Kariya once again regarded his smile with a suspicious gaze, then slowly turned around and walked toward the rooftop staircase.

Without the slightest carelessness, Kotomine Kirei listened closely to his ally’s footsteps moving into the distance. After confirming that the sound of footsteps had entirely disappeared—he again moved to a corner of the rooftop and shifted his gaze to a pile of discarded material covered by many sheets of water-resistant material.

“… I have already sent him away. I don’t know who you are, but isn’t it about time you revealed yourself?”

This voice carried an authority that did not permit compromise. After a period of silence, a hair-raising and suppressed laughter rang out, seeping into the icy night air.

“Oh, already noticed, have you? Indeed, you are worthy of being an Executor who has experienced battle. Much more sensitive than that kid Kariya."

From the darkness appeared a shadow without definite form. At first glance Kirei had even thought that it was a large pile of worms, a collection that would send a chill through anyone—but the bright moonlight immediately chased away this misconception; it was an old man, thin and small of stature, that quietly walked out.

“Executor, you have no need to worry. I am not your enemy. I am the kin of that kid who is cooperating with you.”

Since he named himself thus—in Kirei’s heart surfaced a suitable person.

“Matō Zōken… is it not?”

“Indeed. You even know my name. It seems that Tōsaka instructs his disciples well.”

The old magus quirked a corner of the lips deeply hidden in wrinkles, revealing an inhuman smile.

<center>※※※※※</center>

The thickness of the darkness spread about the mountain road was already incomparable to that of evening; it seemed that it was already night.

In the darkness that was black as ink, you would not see your hand in front of your face. The brilliance of the headlights ripped apart this patch of darkness. Saber was still driving the steel beast as if her life depended on it.

She had traveled this path when escorting Einsbern out of the city. When they had left, it had been Irisviel driving; returning, it was Saber who tightly gripped the steering wheel of the Mercedes-Benz, sure of the road. Though it was only two times that they had come and gone, it was enough for Saber. Her memory was above average; be it the width of the road or the angle of inclination or even when to make a turn, she could clearly recall it all.

Saber saw that Rider’s ‘Gordius Wheel’ had only just descended from high in the air and landed somewhere far away. For some unknown reason, the King of Conquerors had not continued to flee, but had landed on the ground, seemingly intending to respond to Saber’s challenge of having a competition of riding skills on the ground.

His air of heroism seemed not to be miscible with his sneak tactic of kidnapping Irisviel, but perhaps this was exactly the conflict between Rider and his Master. The actions of Servants restricted by the contract often brought about many contradictory results; this was not surprising.

This was exactly the personal experience that Saber herself had gained through her conflict with Emiya Kiritsugu.

It made Saber very happy that Rider could make a decision based on his own agenda in this final battleground. Between these two fast-moving riders, Kiritsugu had no way of interfering even if he wanted to. To Saber, this was something she wanted very much.

The key of the problem lay somewhere else—the vibration of the handlebars she was tightly gripping sent a message of danger.

As a man-made machine, the V-MAX had already fully manifested all of its ability. What was sad was that what was driving ahead was a quick-moving Noble Phantasm that transcended normality. Although the V-MAX was already being towed along by its rider Saber’s internal prana, the strength of its material composition and structure was definitely limited.

The engine and acceleration system, which from the city to here had been continuously used to their greatest capacity, were already showing signs of breaking down. Saber’s excellent driving allowed her to be aware of this vehicle’s internal situation as well as she would have known an extension of her own physical body. It was already possible to clearly hear the dejected cry of almost having reached its limit.

“It’ll be terrible if this goes on…”

There would be nothing more to say if she were to decelerate in consideration of the vehicle’s burden, but if it were necessary to force the motorcycle to continue at its high speed, this vehicle would fall apart within a few minutes. If no measures were taken to strengthen the innate capability of the vehicle…

Saber herself had difficulty judging the feasibility of the plan that had momentarily flashed into her mind, but there was no way to hesitate further. Saber made up her mind and entrusted everything to all the possibilities that had been given to her as a Servant.

The full-body platinum armor that she wore while fighting— she now intended not to put the armor on her own body, but to fuse it with the body of the V-MAX through intense psychokinesis. The concept was similar to the armor that protected beloved horses on the battlefield. With the sense of unity of riding as the mainstay, this time she must definitely turn this steel beast that could not speak into her own limbs…

Her prana continuously being released, the various important parts of the V-MAX that could ensure maximum speed of movement were completely covered and protected; the flexible and strong armor increased the capability of the motorcycle.

“—This is great!”

Though this usage was unexpected, Saber’s great skill made this difficult task possible. The entire structure of the V-MAX was wrapped in brand-new silver armor, beautiful and majestic to behold. This hard structure of the vehicle was in no way inferior to that monstrous, extraordinarily strong horsepower; this time, the mechanical lion had finally become a real magical beast. The exhaust pipe thundered.

Saber released the Invisible Air like an arrow directly in front of her, completely covering the body of the vehicle. Using the compression of the pneumatic umbrella to decrease air resistance to zero, the V-MAX was finally released from air resistance.

The needle of the speedometer was already damaged and could not be used. Saber’s prana had caused the rushing vehicle to transcend the laws of physics; already the speed was more than 400 kilometers per hour. The pressure released by the magecraft pressed the rear wheel firmly against the cement; even when making turns, Saber did not release the throttle and turned the body of the vehicle round by force.

Like this, it might even be possible— it made Saber extremely excited to have captured this thread of victory through so much effort.

The distance from the ‘Gordius Wheel’ in front gradually shortened. Originally it had looked like only a point of light, but now it was already possible to clearly see the entire likeness of the thundering vehicle that was releasing lightning bolts and also turning at high speeds.

On the other side, Waver, who had been sitting in the charioteer’s seat since having touched down, was constantly watching the rear. Seeing the brilliance from the headlights of the motorcycle that was suddenly approaching, he could not help but hold his breath; he tugged at Rider’s cape.

“Rider, at this rate they will catch up to us! Eh, idiot, look out behind!”

Hearing Waver’s frantic voice, Rider snorted. As a Heroic Spirit who had appeared in this world and gained the throne of Rider, even without turning back he could clearly feel the presence of Saber gradually closing in.

“This fellow, Saber. On the account that she can catch up just using that gizmo, I cannot but praise her. On the other hand…”

Rider roared, the corner of his lips twisting, showing the smile that had always seemed somewhat sinister.

“Sorry, but this is a war chariot. Now I can no longer play nicely in this game of competing speeds with you!”

Then Rider slid the enormous structure of the car to the side, arriving at the side of the road.

On the two sides of ‘Gordius Wheel’ whose dimensions were greater than an ordinary truck were fixed two large, fiercely curved sickles. On the two sides of the national highway on which Rider was now speeding were dense forests that almost covered the path. If the wheels of the chariot were moved to the very edge of the paved road, then the blade of the sickle would definitely pass into the lush green forest—

“So, Saber, pursue me from behind!”

The electrified wheels of the chariot crushed the forest as easily as if it were cutting through paper; Rider had begun a brutal deforestation.

Though the tree trunks were all very thick, for the sharp sickles flying at 400 kilometers an hour, it was as easy as sawing wood. The tree trunks that had been instantaneously broken all snapped back and were swept into the air. The sight was like shredding wood shavings, only it was a nightmare a few hundred times more majestic.

Seeing this tremendous scene of destruction, Saber could not help but hold her breath.

“Damn it…!”

The trees that had been swept up into the air descended like rain upon their target, which was obviously the head of Saber who was catching up from behind. To say nothing of being directly hit—at this speed, even if the steering wheel should be gently brushed across, it would be a matter of life and death.

Deceleration—was impossible. This was not a test that could be avoided just by retreating. The only path of survival was to rush on forward.

Saber made up her mind; after making thorough mental preparation, she rushed into the rain of continuously falling trees without any timidity whatsoever.

These things fell toward the ground like an avalanche. The V-MAX advanced forward in a twisting manner like a snake, passing through narrow spaces. Saber thought that braking to make the motorcycle stop was an act of stupidity, so not only did she not decelerate, she also made use of the momentum from acceleration to make the front wheel leave the ground, relying only on the rear wheel to maintain balance and performing the consummate stunt of controlling the driving of a motorcycle using magecraft alone. That beautiful one-wheeled dance incited Waver to stare, completely forgetting his fear; on Rider’s face also appeared a very satisfied smile.

[[Image:FZ_v04_143.png|thumb|]]
“Hahahahaha! Fabulous! Indeed the King of Knights of consummate dignity! Only you are worthy to be named flower of the battlefield!”

Laughing, Rider continued to deftly slide the chariot from side to side, closing in on the next object to be cut down.

“Here I come again—next up after the trees is a rain of stones!”

The next prey of the sickles was surprisingly the solid asphalt and concrete that covered the surface of the road. Rock had a density and hardness much greater than tree trunks. But the sickles nevertheless mercilessly crushed them to rubble, sending them flying in all directions like droplets, blocking Saber’s way.

A fatal baptism of rocks much more lethal than tree trunks. But— Saber stared ahead, moving forward bravely, the corners of her mouth suddenly showing an undefeatable smile.

“King of Conquerors, you underestimate me!”

Rocks were more dangerous than tree trunks only when first assuming that they must ‘hit’. If she could dodge it all, then it would make no difference even if it were raining rockets or bullets. Saber entrusted the last hope of victory to the V-MAX which she completely trusted, using valiant and yet beautifully skilled riding ability to pass through the gaps between the stone and concrete.

On the other side, sweeping the surface of the road with its large sickles, Rider’s war chariot had already lost its ability to accelerate. The concrete was much more difficult to cut through than tree trunks and was an obstructing force to the divine bulls, one that could not be overlooked.

Saber’s sixth sense predicted the arrival of a divine opportunity for victory. From then on, the priority was to pass through the next few successive tests safe and unharmed; there would definitely be a chance to rise again from death—
A large concrete slab that had broken off the surface of the road obstructed the path of the V-MAX. The large flat stone slab, measuring more than two meters in both length and breadth, was just like a stone screen.

Facing the blocked path right ahead of her, Saber’s gaze was unwavering; driving the V-MAX forward, she raised Invisible Air over the edge.

“Chaaaaaarge!!”

Along with her roar, the clump of air pressure—which had the momentum to sweep away an army of thousands and was supported by the release of prana – impacted heavily on the top of the stone slab; the slab, which looked as if it must weigh at least several tons, was easily flung into the air. It completely defied the laws of physics that the slender wrist of a young girl could carry out such a grand feat; this was the godly skill transcending normalcy that only a Servant could possess.

Spinning rapidly in midair, the stone slab fell forward along the fatal parabola, aligned exactly with the top of the war chariot in front. Hearing Waver’s terrible scream, Rider turned his head. Raising his sword, he stared wide-eyed at the rock over his head.

“AAAAAAAAAH!”

As if saying ‘In a competition of strength I will definitely not lose to you’, Rider boldly brandished the bronze sword level with the stone slab. The slab’s trajectory was once again changed, spinning even more wildly in midair. At last it fell down like a boomerang, embedding itself deeply in the surface of the road behind the chariot.

Seeing this scene, Saber’s entire body was electrified by a revelation.

The concrete slab embedded into the asphalt road surface—the smooth side facing the sky, it was embedded diagonally into the ground at an angle of slightly more than thirty degrees. It was like a key that foretold the presence of victory.

“Now is a good time—“

Under the thumb of her right hand, which was tightly gripping the steering wheel, was a button that she had always been acutely conscious of. Saber drove the V-MAX with extraordinary riding skill; though she did not know that button’s ‘function’, she did know that button’s ‘effect’. That was the deepest secret hidden within this horse of steel, and also the most powerful trump card.

Without the slightest hesitation, Saber pressed down on the red button; the two-wheeled beast let out a provoked roar.

Within the interior of the rapidly rotating engine, inside the valve that had switched to atomization mode and filled with oxide fuel, the nitrogenous oxide expanded under the high temperature of 300 degrees Celsius and reached the boundaries of its limit. The V-MAX, suddenly increasing acceleration twofold, sped forward; this could only be called rapid acceleration. Saber used a great deal of strength to control the body of the vehicle; her target was a slope that had just appeared before her eyes.

The front wheel had already moved onto the concrete slab which was giving out creaking sounds resembling screams. Then the body of the vehicle was propelled upward; the force of the madly spinning rear wheel suspended it in the air. Even the restriction of gravity had been broken, as it flew high into the air—

To Rider, this was definitely a surprise attack that he had not anticipated. Complacently flying his Noble Phantasm in midair, he had not at all expected that the enemy would appear right above his head.

Taking advantage of the lapse as the chariot slowed, due to a great acceleration from the V-MAX’s turbocharger, as well as having made a springboard of the slope that had come about only through coincidence, Saber found Rider’s weak spot at last.

And this position above the enemy’s head was one of absolute advantage in crossing blades. This was indeed the grace of the goddess of victory given to the sword-wielding Heroic Spirit; this time was a chance of certain victory.

“Die, Rider!”

Invisible Air, which had been lifted as if she gambled everything with this one blow — slowed slightly with hesitation at that time.

Rider raised his own blade to block. The blades that clashed together—considering only power, Saber should have had a greater chance of victory due to the advantage of her position; however, the outcome was an even match. Invisible Air could not break past Rider’s defenses, and had at last been deflected away.

There was no opportunity for the swords to clash again, not between Gordius Wheel and the V-MAX which had fallen. Saber let off the speed that had been increased by the instantaneous prana release, sustaining the balance of the vehicle in midair only with great difficulty; as the rear wheel touched the ground, all the force of impact was absorbed by the rubber tire and suspension.

Thus was an excellent opportunity to seize victory lost in vain, but Saber’s unease was for another reason.

“Einsbern is not here?!”

There was no mistake. In the instant that the V-MAX had leaped, she had seen that in the charioteer’s seat of Gordius Wheel, aside from the driver Rider there was only his Master.

In that case, then where had Irisviel, who had been kidnapped from the underground storage, gone?

Saber braked with all her strength, restraining the vehicle that weighed more than 300 kilograms. The tires skidded on the surface of the ground, stopping the violent revolutions of the two wheels. All this time, she had pursued Rider without the slightest hesitation, but now the clouds of doubt surfaced in her chest.

Exactly where was Rider’s destination as he moved?

From the city street he had moved east to pass through the national highway… His final destination was the Einsbern forest.

Rider had already walked this path once, holding a bottle of wine. After kidnapping Irisviel, why would he specifically choose an escape route that led to the enemy’s territory?

Feeling a chill that made her restless, Saber gritted her teeth.

What if this was not an escape?

And how would the Master of Rider have known about the underground cellar at Miyama—yes, it was basically impossible for him to have known. Rider’s camp had not in fact known that the Einsberns had changed their location. He had definitely thought that Saber and the rest had still been in that forested citadel, and so had, in the middle of the night, driven his chariot in midair in a blind rush there.

In that case, then who was it that had attacked Maiya and kidnapped Irisviel in the underground storage?

The truth was still unclear, but now an intense premonition rushed forth into Saber’s heart that she had been tricked. That feeling made her restless. While Saber had been pursuit Rider, the culprit that had set Rider up might be fleeing with Irisviel even now.

She could not stay here any longer. She needed to return to Shinto as quickly as possible to search for Irisviel.

And yet—though this judgment was entirely accurate, Saber did not move. There was a tense aura about her body, like the rising wind that heralds a coming storm; no useless action was allowed. She gazed upon the danger before her eyes, taking her stance and preparing to go all out at any time.

About a hundred meters away, Rider’s chariot also slowed to a stop. And it had reversed the direction that it was facing, too. All this time, it had moved straight forward to let Saber trail in its dust, but now it actually turned around; the eyes of the two divine bulls, as well as their master the King of Conquerors, were filled with a feeling of the joy of battle; he looked upon Saber with a captivating gaze.

There was no need to guess. Rider’s intentions were very obvious—he intended to fight.

From his eyes could not be seen the slightest shadow of deception or scheming; he had truly been set up. The fires of rage burned in the eyes of the King of Conquerors as if demonstrating his might and saying ‘No matter how you may stab me, I will return it in equal measure’.

If Rider had moved east because he had the intention to challenge Saber, then his situation was different from that of Saber who had been led into a trap; he was in no way opposed to the current situation.

Precisely because of this, if she were to ignore the problem of Rider and return to Fuyuki City, this would mean that she would be victim to Rider’s attack from behind while she was completely unprepared.

She could only make an immediate decision now—it was a moment with no room to choose, in which she must quickly make her choice.

The small hands of hers that gripped the hilt of her sword suddenly gave out a creaking sound.

Waver huddled on the charioteer’s seat of the Gordius Wheel; he could feel that the fighting spirit of Rider, who stood beside him, had already reached its peak.

The target of the King of Conquerors was definitely ahead of him by a hundred or so meters: Saber, riding on the large motorcycle, staring in this direction with a serious expression.

She had chased Rider fervently from Shinto till here; why would she suddenly stop now? But Rider, upon seeing that his pursuer had stopped, did not take the opportunity to flee and widen the distance, but instead immediately turned the chariot around and pull it to a halt, as if intending to have a face-to-face confrontation. It stood to reason that this was a matter of course. Because to have a showdown with Saber had been Rider’s intention from the start. If the other had given up the pursuit, then it would be necessary for this side to take the initiative.

But—although Waver was not yet very mature, he still bore the burden of being a Master; feeling restless and uneasy, he could not help but bite his lip.

This distance, and this position, was all terrible.

Saber’s Noble Phantasm, which had taken the life of Caster at Mion River—ever since witnessing the ‘Sword of Promised Victory’, the war situation in front of him was clear at a glance. This was a straight road that was not obstructed by anything. There was no worry that unrelated people could be affected. Both sides were still as they stared at each other—without a doubt, the current situation was a uniquely advantageous condition for Saber’s Noble Phantasm.

Small things of this magnitude would not have gone unnoticed by war veteran Rider. He had also witnessed the might of Saber’s Noble Phantasm at Mion River. Although his judgment was more often based on emotion than reason, in matters of war strategy, this Servant would definitely not judge wrongly.

If, at this moment, the mechanical energy of the Gordius Wheel had been manifested at the largest capacity possible, perhaps it would have even been possible to evade for a time. But for some unknown reason, Rider just had to abandon the advantage he had in leg power and choose instead to confront Saber directly.

“Hey, Rider…”

“Nn. Even if it is to you, my Master, I must first make this clear.”

As if seeing through Waver’s doubt, Rider surfaced an irrepressible smile; nevertheless, his gaze never shifted from Saber as he said to the youth beside him.

“From now on, I will put aside my thoughts of winning the Grail; I intend to raise the stakes. If you wish to use a Command Seal to stop me, then perhaps now is the time?”

“…”

Because he knew the haughty personality of this Servant, he could understand his intention.

A rational Master would definitely use the power of the Command Seal to stop him; the Servant himself knew this well, too, but he wished to act recklessly anyway. Was this the case?

“You… are you really going to initiate the attack? From this angle? Rush straight over?”

“That sword of light that we saw at the riverside. When Saber has taken her stance and is preparing to use it, we shall see if my Gordius Wheel can use the time lapse to cross this distance. This is what we are contesting.”

Waver’s expression changed drastically; he began to recalculate the distance between both sides.

It would be just in time; this was so alarmingly dangerous.

Comparing the time he remembered it would take Saber to activate her Noble Phantasm and the acceleration power of Rider’s Noble Phantasm... No matter what angle he looked at it, it was very difficult to guess at the final result. The distance across which the two confronted each other was really very opportune.

“… How sure are you of victory? Rider?”

“About half.”

The King of Conquerors replied with a dignified air, in a tone that was nevertheless very relaxed. To one who managed military affairs, this statistic was not in fact very optimistic.

If the chance of victory was half, then the chance of failure was also half. It was as absurd as flipping a coin to decide between life and death. This sort of thing was definitely not worth being called a ‘strategy’. If one absolutely had to name it something, then it could only be called ‘the stratagem of gambling with one’s life’. Only under conditions in which there was no other way out would one adopt such foolish action.

“Why do you want to… act irresponsibly like this?”

“Precisely because it is acting irresponsibly, therefore.”

The Servant said softly, showing a somewhat sinister smile; his eyes were filled with the belief in victory— while gazing fixedly upon an uncertain future of which he was only fifty percent assured.

“If a challenge is made under conditions like this when both sides are evenly matched, then the side that loses will definitely be left with no excuses or face. This is the true ‘ultimate defeat’. I don’t actually think that that the sword of that girl who’s always trying to show off her cleverness can use this opportunity to bring me down. If I can completely defeat her in this way, then perhaps this time she will feel fear at her own incompetence, and from then on become my subordinate and serve me.”

“…”

Waver furrowed his brow; he could only sigh. There were truly no words that could be said.

In the end, it was only thus. Compared to the war centered around the Holy Grail, they placed even greater importance on the open and aboveboard competition between themselves as Heroic Spirits.

“…You... want to win against Saber so much that you are willing to do something like this?“

“Mn, indeed, I would like that very much.”

Rider nodded his head without the slightest hesitation.

“On the battlefield, she is certainly a star on earth. Rather than letting her make those jokes about whether or not she is actually an ideal king, it is better that she emit true light as a subordinate under me.”

This despot had defeated countless nobility and war generals; ignoring their power and wealth, he had obtained their ‘souls’.

It was for this reason that people called him the King of Conquerors.

He did not eliminate the enemy, nor belittle them; he subdued a standing opponent—this was what he thought was the true form of victory.

What right had one who relied only on the Grail to connect and establish a contract to be concerned with whether this was right or wrong?

“… Forget it, Rider. If you can win by your methods, then that’s okay too.”

Waver had given up; exhaling frustratedly, he threw out such a sentence.

This was not a case of sending the helve after the hatchet. To Rider, whose prana had been replenished through a day of rest, this was an excellent opportunity to make a challenge; it was an opportunity that would definitely not come again. No one could guarantee that the next time he confronted Saber, his physical condition would be better than this.

In that case, instead of believing in a statistical chance of victory, it was better to place his bet on Rider’s fighting spirit.

Compared to attempting to convince the King of Conquerors through logical reasoning, it was better to let him do things on his own grounds—it was precisely that transcendent personality that was afraid of neither heaven nor earth that perhaps formed a chance of victory one could believe in.

Waver’s expression was serious, as if having said these many reasons in order to convince himself. Rider maintained a confident smile.

“Hehe, kid, you seem to be starting to understand this idea of ‘supremacy’.”

His confidence was not hollow. Though he had said that it was a large gamble, Rider himself had full confidence in his victory.

“Light is at the other end of the world—conquer! Via Expugnatio: Distant Trampling Domination!”

The true name of that which had finally been released, the chariot drawn by divine bulls from which lightning suddenly burst forth. The majestic braying of the divine bulls under whose feet Berserker had been trampled in the first battle could never compare to this.

“—Let the wind come!”

Seeing her opponent rush towards her, Saber also hurriedly pulled out her sword under the protection of the air pressure.

Opening the vortex of the hurricane, a golden light shone forth as if to show the kingship of the knight; prana was continuously roiling.

“AAAALaLaLaLaLaie !!”

Accompanying Rider’s roar, the bulls stamped hard once on the asphalt ground; their cloven hooves rushed forward like raging billows. Waver, though overwhelmed by their majesty, nevertheless made an utmost effort to open his eyes wide, so as not to pass out again like the last time. At the fore was a very strong anti-city Noble Phantasm about to be released; in order to gain the initiative, Rider rushed as if his life depended on it, definitely unwilling to give up an opportunity to defeat Saber.

The King of Conquerors’ direct attack sent a shiver down Saber’s spine. By the rushing of the divine bulls, the hundred-meter distance had instantaneously been decreased to zero. In the blink of an eye, the might of Gordius Wheel manifested before her eyes.

If the hilt of her precious sword had still been in her hand, then she would definitely have been certain of victory; facing the golden radiance that Rider raised, there was only one thing that she could shout out, one true name.

“Ex—“

In the moment that the rushing incarnation of thunder was about to trample upon Saber’s small frame—

“Calibur!”

Golden lightning, as if radiating countless comets, made the night as bright as day.

“—!”

Waver’s gaze was drawn by this, dazzled by this, and he could not help but turn around—within the intense attack, he rationalized extremely calmly and realized one thing.

He had personally witnessed the light of Saber’s Noble Phantasm, and that meant… the result was that, before the Gordius Wheel had reached its final step, the King of Knights had taken the first step to initiate her attack.

But even thus, the touch of the thickset arm that extended all the way to his shoulder nevertheless did not disappear.

To be aware of one’s own defeat at the same time indicated the truth that one was still alive and clearheadedly conscious.

Waver gingerly opened his eyes and saw the appalling condition of the battlefield.

Due to Excalibur's blow, the surface of the road had instantly been burned away; even the forest a little way away had been instantly blown to waste. The road was scarred, carved in the likeness of a single straight line. The molten asphalt gave off a revolting stench; it was extremely pungent. Waver felt as if his body was floating through the universe… no, carried by a strong man on his shoulders. Who was it that carried his young Master like a small luggage bag— it was not necessary to ask to know.

“Ah… we’ve failed.”

Rider said softly, as if remorseful from the heart. But considering the current situation, it did seem like too much of an understatement.

It appeared that Rider was not hurt, either. But the chariot in which he rode, as well as the two divine bulls, had all vanished without a trace. The Noble Phantasm ‘Gordius Wheel’ had borne the might of the ‘Sword of Promised Victory’ and so had, like Caster’s sea monster, vanished and left no trace, not even a speck of dust.

In the moment at which he had bordered the line of death, Rider, who had understood his failure, had quickly plucked Waver from the charioteer’s seat and narrowly escaped from under the attack of the anti-city Noble Phantasm. It could really be said that the two had cheated death. But the price was high enough. The flying chariot, which Rider had used as his main weapon all this time, had at the last minute gone up in smoke.

But this was not yet over—using his will to fight, Waver immediately chased away his frustration at failure. Even if the ‘Gordius Wheel’ had been taken away, the King of Conquerors still had one last real trump card.

“Rider! Use ‘Ionian Hetairoi’—“

Toward Waver who spoke thus, Rider lightly but very firmly shook his head. The King of Conquerors seemed to not yet intend to dismiss his foresight regarding the latter half of the war, which he had come up with while resting. If Saber was his opponent, it was best to use the chariot. As for the summoning of the Hetairoi, which could only be activated once, it was necessary to save it for the showdown with Archer later.

But no matter how physically strong and unwilling to admit defeat Rider was, to engage in a battle of blades without mechanical force was clearly a definitively advantageous position for Saber. Though the build of the two were vastly different, this was a battle between Servants that transcended normalcy. Though Saber looked weak, she had a monstrous fighting ability; from the battles so far, Waver had long since become aware of this.

Very obviously, Rider understood her strength well. But the King of Conquerors still did not look at all afraid; he confronted Saber open and aboveboard by raising his sword, without the slightest indication of retreat.

In this closely matched staring competition, it was Saber who lost first.

She slid the sword wrapped in windstorms back into its sheath, then released the throttle and slid the rear wheel around to turn the vehicle, speeding away with her back to Rider.

Saber did not show off her weakness to Rider at all; at the same time she was moving the rear wheel, she also quickly accelerated, leaving behind only a tremendous roar of exhaust and moving quickly in the direction of Fuyuki City in one breath.

To Waver and Rider, this was certainly unexpected; now Saber needed to quickly search for Irisviel and had no time for a showdown with Rider. She needed to find the culprit who had led her to clash with Rider, then snatch Irisviel back from that person; for this goal, even if she had to throw aside the showdown with Rider, she needed to retreat as soon as possible.

In the blink of an eye she had disappeared from sight, leaving only the roar of a motorcycle that was moving away. Waver and Rider stood there stupefied, listening to the sound of the motorcycle. Rider, who had been listening intensely to the sound of the exhaust, nodded, showing a knowing expression.

“A motorcycle… Nn, it is truly a good thing.”

“—You—after being defeated, this is really the first thing you have to say?”

In the aftermath of battle, all the strength had drained out of Waver’s body; angrily questioning Rider, he suddenly became aware of an important problem and became dismayed.

“Hey, Rider—how are we ever going to get back?”

“Ah, that… We shall have to walk.”

“—Yeah.”

In the darkness, Waver gazed upon Shinto which shone with light in the distance, and sighed heavily.

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| Back to [[Fate/Zero:Act_14_Part_2|Act 14, Part 2]]
| Return to [[Fate/Zero|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[Fate/Zero:Act_14_Part_4|Act 14, Part 4]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

Fate/Zero:Act 14 Part 1

2010-12-12T18:51:06Z

68.33.140.128: /* -37:02:20 */

[[Image:FZ_v04_097.png|thumb|Act 14]]

=== -37:02:20 ===

When it was almost dusk, it vaguely occurred to Saber that today’s ambush might once again be a waste of effort. She was frustrated and unsettled by the thought.

Following the intelligence gained from Tōsaka Tokiomi, master of Archer, Saber arrived at Miyama Town. There she indeed found the residence of the Glen Mackenzie couple. On hearing the doorbell, the old woman appeared in front of Saber; according to the words of this old woman, her grandson and his friend had indeed stayed here these few days. The old woman seemed to have mistaken Saber for her grandson’s friend as well, and so had told the whole truth without hesitation.

Saber persuaded the old woman to tell her of the appearance and clothing of the two people; undoubtedly, those two people were Rider and his Master. It was regrettable, however, that she could not feel the presence of any Servant. A house of such proportions—if there was a Servant hiding within, it should be possible to sense his presence even standing at the entrance.

According to the old woman, those two people had left in the morning and not returned since. The exact methods they had learned of Saber’s arrival and fled were worthy of suspicion, but it was truly difficult to imagine that the haughty King of Conquerors would actually resort to tricks of such cowardice as flight. If he intended to seize victory he would definitely attack head-on.

In the end, the conclusion Saber arrived at was that this ‘miss’ was only a chance coincidence; courteously taking her leave of the old woman, she decided to keep watch from an area slightly further away from the house, and wait for Rider to return.
Of course, she would hide all of the truth from the old woman. Though they had been deceived by Waver Velvet, this family was still normal people who had nothing to do with the whole event. Rider must have considered this as well.

To stop Caster’s atrocities, and prevent Fuyuki City from falling into dangerous circumstances, Rider had been able to temporarily set aside the fight for the Holy Grail. Thus Saber made the judgment: those deeds, worthy of pride, that a true Heroic Spirit would do—the King of Conquerors would absolutely not go against them. After Rider returned and discovered Saber, he would definitely choose a location worthy of a Servants’ battle and carry out a showdown that was open and aboveboard.

Aware that even just walking around she was already very conspicuous, Saber decided to sit on a chair at the closest bus station and wait. Henceforth, she began keeping intent watch, but a few hours passed without any movement, until now.
Though she was not in a position in which she could directly see the Mackenzie house, upon Rider’s return he would definitely sense the presence of a Servant, and seek out Saber. He was not the sort of opponent who would use methods such as running away or sneak attacks. He would definitely welcome Saber’s intent of challenge, and lead her to a suitable location for combat.

Though it seems a little strange to say it, toward this Servant-Rider, Saber professes a hundred percent trust. Though their respective viewpoints could not be reconciled, the Heroic Spirit would take action on the basis of his pride as a King—this point was incontestable. He would only challenge openly, and would definitely not make secret plans or commit acts of betrayal. Because Rider would never choose despicable tactics or strategy that would damage his reputation.
Saber’s unease, it could be said, originated from her allies rather than from her opponents.

Her Master, Emiya Kiritsugu, was eyeing the Master of Rider with intentions and combat goals completely opposite of her own. Even at this very instant, it could even be that he had used Saber as bait to lure Rider, and was now keeping watch from afar—there was nothing wrong with thinking like this. Truly she had to make this mental preparation. Kiritsugu probably believed that the instant at which Rider went all out to confront Saber was the optimal opportunity to assassinate his Master.
Thinking this, Saber’s heart could not help but be weighed down. Kiritsugu might as well carry out a showdown between magi, with the masters of Berserker and Archer as targets. It was actually all right like this. Saber did not completely reject a victory obtained not through reliance on Servants but only through strategy and power play. It was for his own legitimate reasons that Kiritsugu wanted the Grail. It was not unreasonable to desire victory that could be obtained through more reliable means.

But in this showdown with Rider, Alexander King of Conquerors, Saber also had a bottom line which she was absolutely not willing to concede.

If there could not be a fair showdown between them—not as Servants, the tools by which to fight for the Grail, but as Heroic Spirits who possess strong pride—Saber would be forever unable to undo the knot left in her heart by the ‘Grail question-and-answer’ from several days ago.

Alexander revels without restraint in his tyrannical kingship; he revels in the violent way of the Ionian Hetairoi, and takes pride in it. If she were not to fell him with a similar symbol of the ideology of the King of Knights, the ‘Sword of Promised Victory’, Arturia’s kingship would be broken, and thus ended.

Rider’s Noble Phantasm was strong to the point that even just thinking about it would cause one to tremble all over. Even if Saber were to exert the strength of her own Noble Phantasm to the greatest extent, it could not assure victory.

What result would come of a showdown between an anti-army and anti-city Noble Phantasm, was already beyond the capacity of human imagination. If such a large price had to be paid as the stakes for victory, Emiya Kiritsugu would definitely think this a foolish cause of action, and pay it only a perfunctory smile. But to Saber, the Holy Grail should be a thing to be fought for on the premise of sticking to one’s ideals. Since there was someone who threatened the basis of her kingship, it was definitely intolerable to Saber to even consider using methods that sidestepped this problem.

Only by assuring the Kingship that is the pride of the King of Knight, will the Holy Grail choose the King of Knights.
Precisely because of this--- for example the battle with Lancer the previous day, if Kiritsugu had interfered in the showdown with Lancer, to Saber this Heaven’s Feel could be considered completely void. Even if the final victory was obtained through those despicable methods, Saber would definitely not be willing to take the fruit of victory, the Grail.

If Rider were to set up a Reality Marble to protect his Master in, then carry out the battle, then it would not be interrupted. But Kiritsugu was also very clear of Rider’s techniques. If he were to play any tricks before the activation of the Ionian Hetairoi…
Saber sat curled up on the chair, teeth gritted. She felt very frustrated at herself, who could not read Emiya Kiritsugu’s intentions. In the face of a strong adversary, she yet could not concentrate her full strength.
At the same time she was waiting uneasily, the bone-chilling north wind became even colder, making Saber even more anxious.

Just like Saber had worried, Emiya Kiritsugu was indeed there.
Approximately eight hundred meters from where she was, one street away, on the rooftop of a six-story apartment of a public housing estate.

Different from the haphazardly arranged edifices, the rooftop of the apartment was structured somewhat strangely, because it was not necessary to consider that the residents would use it. Though it was somewhat difficult to enter, once inside, one could hardly be disturbed. After hiding behind the water tower, even from downstairs one could not be seen; it is an excellent position suited to sniping or setting up an ambush.

Even the smoke and smell of tobacco could not be noticed here. To be able to enjoy to his heart’s content the cigarettes that could bring vitality and energy—Kiritsugu’s mental burden here was much smaller than Saber’s.
The sniper rifle sighting device propped on the scaffolding was directed at the front door of the Mackenzie home.
And another specially prepared portable sighting device could clearly see every action of Saber, who was sitting in front of the bus stop.

It was fairly difficult to observe while switching between two telescopes without any break in between, but this could not be helped because he was unable to rely on Maiya’s help. Since she had been entrusted with the job of guarding Irisviel, until the end she could not leave. From this day on, ‘hunting’ adversaries could only fall to Kiritsugu alone.
Kiritsugu had begun observing the Mackenzie house slightly later than Saber had; he saw that Saber, who could definitely feel the presence of Servants, was doing nothing, which indicated clearly that Rider was not at home right now.

In which case then the Master was definitely not around either. The Master was not bold enough to stay home alone under these circumstances. Once he discovered that the enemy’s Servant was pacing at the door, he would definitely summon Rider at once.
Kiritsugu was different from Saber; the situation in which the targeted prey did not remain at the stronghold seemed more serious. Precisely the day after Kiritsugu had learned about the existence of Glen Mackenzie and family, they had left home and had yet to return; this timing was too much of a coincidence. Though there was no concrete evidence, there was still a relatively high chance that Waver Velvet had discovered the enemy’s attack and fled in a hurry.

Even thus, Kiritsugu nevertheless continued waiting there with a thread of hope, thinking that this was also an issue worthy of thought.
If Waver returned again to the Mackenzie house, it was definitely necessary to blow up the house. If he had already fled, then he must have already found another stronghold. The probability of his returning to this house was very low.
It looked like it would no longer be appropriate to use that old couple to lead Waver into a trap, in the same way that he had used Sola as bait to lure Kayneth.

Waver’s method of being indifferent to the security of the fortress, and choose an ordinary household as his stronghold—Kiritsugu regarded it highly. In comparison to the three families of the beginning and Kayneth, who had built extravagant strongholds where they could easily be found, Waver’s strategy was much better. It was difficult to conclude that a magus who could make this judgment would show sympathy for the household he was temporarily living in. To Waver, the Mackenzie couple were only pawns to be abandoned.

The impatience that wasted precious time, and the taboo of acting with undue haste—these two thoughts crossed swords in Kiritsugu’s heart.
On one hand he had given up hope of Waver’s return; on the other , he was unable to completely abandon the possibility that his departure was only coincidence. The important reason for this was—it was very difficult to imagine that the young magus would actually be one step ahead of Kiritsugu in a battle of information.
At the start, Kiritsugu had never treated Waver master of Rider as an opponent. Though he had later learnt of some of his background through additional investigation, even then he had only treated Waver Velvet as a novice magus who had become a Master by chance, and made the conclusion that he was a layman who was no different from ordinary people who did not know magic.

Of course, Kiritsugu was not the sort of person who directly correlated ability and experience. Kiritsugu still remembered that he had already been a ruthless assassin when he had made his debut, and he did not think himself a rare example.
But he had observed Waver Velvet’s performance on the battlefield several times; it was still very difficult to say if he could become a strong opponent who could surpass Kiritsugu.
Having never gotten an answer, at the time when he was beginning to feel an inexplicable anxiety…
Suddenly, intense pain burnt at the base of Kiritsugu’s last finger; his back stiffened.
“…?!”
Ever since he had started truly treating Hisau Maiya as his assistant, Kiritsugu had put a spell on a strand of her hair and embedded it in the subcutaneous tissue of his last finger. At the same time Maiya had also embedded a strand of Kiritsugu’s hair in her finger. If one of their magic circuits was in a state of extreme stagnation, the stage in which the life force was weak to the point of being on the verge of the impasse of death, the strand of hair given to the other person would burn, warning the other and notifying them of the existence of danger.

That was a measure implemented for a worst-case scenario in which it was already impossible to use the wireless network, or familiars, to convey information; that is to say, this is only a signal to inform that “it is already too late’. Now, that it would be activated at this occasion—what exactly it meant…
Before wavering, one must be first caught in a quandary. Kiritsugu mobilized all his brain cells and began to ponder the situation at hand as well as formulate response plans.

Maiya was on the verge of death—in other words, this meant that Irisviel, hidden in the underground storage, was in danger. The sequence of events and its cause could not be determined now.
Now the absolute priority was to carry out help as soon as possible—the only method that could be chosen was the fastest—a miracle that would be made to happen by the command seals on his right hand.
“In the name of the Command Seals I order my puppet!”
Kiritsugu clenched his fist, at the same time reciting the spell as quickly as an automatic machine.
“Saber, return to the underground storage quickly! At once!”
The magic awoke in one of the command seals carved on the back of Kiritsugu’s hand, projecting light.

It is definitely not an overstatement to say that Saber was very surprised by this.
What was immediately understood was that she had been subject to a strong magic. In the next instant, she had been stripped of all recognition of the surrounding space, and sent into the midst of ’transfer’ that did not have an existence or direction.
That was probably the legendary ultimate spell specific to ‘commanding Servants’. An ultimate speed that almost caused the laws of cause and effect to break down, in a ‘moment’ a fraction of the speed of light, she had already broken the distance of space, and completed the instantaneous movement between two different points in space.

Though it was like this, she was not without reason the sword-wielding Heroic Spirit that had undergone special treatment. Though she had just been ‘transported’ from a chair beside a bus stop to a completely different place, after becoming aware that this was the underground storage that was so familiar, she immediately understood that the strange phenomenon just now was caused by the activation of Kiritsugu’s command seal. Also, there must have occurred some emergency situation that caused the Servant to have to immediately hurry to the guarded stronghold. In the few milliseconds between completing the space break and arriving on the floor of the underground storage, Saber had already completed the transformation from her suit disguise to her platinum armor.
The situation, without the need to ask anyone, was clear at a glance.

The metal door that had been broken down by a crude strength. Irisviel, who should have been lying in the middle of the magic circle, had vanished; in its place was the body of Maiya, covered in blood, writhing and discarded.
“Maiya!”
Saber quickly ran to her side; she could not help but furrow her brow on seeing the depth of her wounds. The injuries sustained in the Einsbern forest could not begin to compare with this. What she had sustained now, were injuries that would cause death if not given emergency treatment as soon as possible.
As if feeling the Servant’s radiant presence, Maiya slowly opened her eyes.
“Sa…ber…?”
“Maiya, pull yourself together! I will bind these wound immediately. It’s all right—“
But Maiya pushed away the hand that Saber stretched out to her.
“Quickly… go after him, quickly, outside... Rider, he…”
“…”
Compared to having been sent to this place by the command seals, Saber was even more surprised at Maiya’s reaction.
Maiya must already have known the extent of her injuries. She must have fully understood that she was on the verge of death. But this silent assistant to an assassin—compared to her own life, she cared more for the safety of Irisviel who had been kidnapped, and was urging Saber to prioritize consideration of the matter on helping Irisviel.
“But, then—“
Just as she was about to ask a question in reply, Saber suddenly understood.

This woman was also a knight. Though different from her own expressions of pride, this courage to be willing to abandon life for the duty that she had taken up—was precisely the way of the knight that Saber so firmly believed in.
I must protect Irisviel in the underground storage until the last moment—Hisau Maiya had certainly already made an oath to Kiritsugu and Irisviel. In order to entrust to Saber that agreement she could not carry out till the end, she was willing to diminish her own life.

“I… it’s all right… very soon, Kiritsugu will come… so… you must, quickly…”
Saber gritted her teeth and shut her eyes.
Reasonably reckoning—every minute and every second that Saber now expended on worrying about Maiya, Irisviel who had been taken away could be moving toward a hopeless situation.
That Maiya could be saved by Kiritsugu who would quickly rush here—this thread of hope still remained. But the fate of Irisviel who had been taken away—if Saber did not give chase immediately there would be no guarantee. According to the marks left behind in the underground storage, undoubtedly that was a Servant’s doing. The follow-up attack could only be carried out by Saber who was likewise a Servant.

“—Maiya, you must hold on till Kiritsugu arrives. I will bring Irisviel back safely.”
Maiya nodded, and shut her eyes as if reassured.
Saber had used a new vow to continue Maiya’s vow—there was no way to hesitate further.
She ran out of the underground storage like a hurricane, leaping too the roof in a single bound, gazing into the darkened, faraway sky in search of the enemy’s silhouette.
Since it was a godspeed instantaneous transfer caused by a command seal, surely the attacker must not have left here very long ago. The enemy had not yet gone far. Even unable to sense him through his presence, it was still possible to find him by sight alone.
Saber stood on the rooftop, and using the paranormal vision of servants, glanced through the surroundings—effortlessly capturing the sight of the enemy.

A distance of about half a kilometer… majestically standing on the roof of what looked like the apartments of the business district.
A robust physique, curly flame-colored hair and a crimson mantle. No doubt that was Rider, King of Conquerors, Alexander, whom she had met many times before on the battlefield.
“It wouldn’t be—unless it really was Rider?!”
Saber still held on to a strand of suspicion of Maiya’s eyewitness statement.
That the King of Conquerors, whose name had been unyielding all along, would employ such base methods—it was indeed difficult to believe. But his thickset hands were indeed holding up the unconscious form of Irisviel; after seeing this sight there was no way to doubt further. Though it was not known how they had guessed Saber’s new stronghold, undoubtedly this was Rider who had just now ambushed Maiya and seriously injured her.

Rider showed himself openly as if luring the enemy to venture in deeper; immediately after meeting Saber’s gaze he immediately turned and vanished to one side of the edifice.
“Damn…!”
Saber took her stance and intended to continue pursuit, but the adversary was that Heroic Spirit of the Rider—Saber could not but purse her lips.

It would be easy to continue like this, leaping through the streets in pursuit. But that was assuming that the other part was also travelling on foot, like her. If Rider fled on his Gordius Wheel. No matter how good Saber’s legs, she would not be able to catch up.

But Saber also had the skill of Riding. Compared to utilizing a Noble Phantasm that could fly in the air to reach his destination, it was necessary to utilize a long-distance cruiser that could surpass the mechanical energy of walking.
If this had been in the past, Saber would definitely have given up the pursuit because she had no way to catch up. But luckily or unluckily, the previous day Maiya had given her a new ‘steed’.
With a deep gratitude to Kiritsugu’s foresight and meticulousness in preparing for every eventuality, Saber leaped onto the ‘horse’, removing the magical armor that impeded riding the ‘horse’, and got onto the steed that was parked in the abandoned courtyard.

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Fate/Zero:Act 13 Part 4

2010-12-06T22:47:45Z

68.33.140.128: /* -37:02:47 */

=== -37:02:47 ===

When Irisviel opened her eyes again, the first thing to fall into her sight was the light of the setting sun that dyed the high windows of the underground storage into a sheen of crimson red.

Since she lost consciousness, she has been immersed in a deep sleep and felt as if the entire day had disappeared. Rather than sleep, this gradually shattering body might as well be described as going into a near death state.

But it currently seemed fine for her, as if resting for such a long time had some effect after all. Although she still didn’t have enough strength to sit up, she could at least gather enough breath to speak.

Irisviel looked to her side, and discovered Hisau Maiya was still sitting at a corner of the room, still as a painting. It was at the same place and with the same stance as she had before Irisviel fell asleep. However, the blade-sharp look emitting from her eyes had not a sliver of exhaustion or fatigue. She was simply looking blankly into air.

While looking at her gave a feeling of reliability, she’s also easily mistaken as a familiar or robot. Even Irisviel couldn’t help but have a certain degree of fear towards her. Just what kind of training and how strong a will does she have, to maintain such a degree of focus? It was unimaginable.

With some awe, Irisviel suddenly realized – this woman called Hisau Maiya may have achieved a status above the realm that Kiritsugu pursued.

“– Hey, Maiya.”

Irisviel called softly. Like a hound that suddenly heard its calling trumpet, Maiya immediately turned her eyes towards Irisviel.

“Why… do you fight for Kiritsugu?”

“… Because I have nothing else.”

When she realized that her protégée didn’t have any pain or discomfort and just wanted to chat, Maiya relaxed her taunt nerves a little and answered after a short pause for thought.

“I can’t remember anything concerning my family or my name. This name, Hisau Maiya, was given to me by Kiritsugu when he made my fake passport.”

“ – Huh?”

Seeing the surprised expression on Irisviel’s face, the end of Maiya’s mouth twitched in a small smile. For her, who has absolutely no emotions discernable from her face, this was already the maximum she can do to show her relaxed mood.

“All I could remember was that it was a very poor country. There was no hope, there was no future. All that were left were communal hatred, and fighting over food in order to survive.

War will never end. There were no funds left to maintain armies, but the mutual slaughter continued without a moment’s pause… no one remembered whose idea it was, but at that time someone decided it was faster to get children to go to the frontline with guns than to hire soldiers and train them.”

“…”

“Therefore, I don’t remember anything before I had a gun in my hand. I could only keep killing others to prolong my own life. Snipe my enemy, press down the trigger; that was the only function left in this human being. Everything else was discarded… the children who couldn’t do that were all killed by those children who could.I lived on aimlessly just like that, until I met Kiritsugu.”

As Maiya spoke, she lowered her head to look her at hands. Those long slender fingers had no feminine gentleness, but could only invoke comparisons with sharp weapons of murder.

“As a human, my heart had already died. Only my external organs still functioned, maintaining my human behaviors. The person who picked me up and kept my ‘life’ was Kiritsugu, therefore he can use my life in any way he wishes… that is the reason I’m staying here.”

Although Irisviel had long predicted Maiya was someone with a tragic past, those things that she now said far surpassed Irisviel’s initial imagination.

Irisviel was silent and didn’t know how to respond. This time, it was Maiya who opened her mouth and questioned instead.

“– Oh?”

Irisviel never expected Maiya to say something like this, and couldn’t help but feel surprised.

“You’ve always lived in such a secluded castle and knew preciously little about the outside world. Why would you support Kiritsugu, who vowed to change the world, to such a degree that you would be willing to sacrifice your own life…?”

“I –”

Maiya’s words once again made Irisviel sink deep into thought.

Emiya Kiritsugu, her husband, the man with the dream of ‘saving the world’. After knowing that what he sought is the Holy Grail hidden within her own body, would her current self still have the same ideal as him?

“ – True. To be honest, I don’t understand Kiritsugu’s ideal all that much.”

Yes, her answer was – negative.

“At the end, I probably only pretended to understand. Maybe it was just to stay together with the person I love. Like you said, Maiya, I know almost nothing of the world Kiritsugu wants to change. The ideal in my heart was probably merely something that Kiritsugu taught me.”

“… Do you think that?”

“Mmm. But please keep it as a secret to Kiritsugu.”

This was an incredible feeling for Irisviel. She said in front of this person words that she would never say in front of her husband.

“No matter what time times may be, I would tell him I firmly believe him to be right. I can even sacrifice my own life for his ideal. I pretended that I possess the same ideal as him. If I have the same ideal as him, and give my life for that ideal – compared to a woman who simply sacrificed herself for her husband, wouldn’t I become less of a burden for Kiritsugu?”

“I see.”

Her love for Kiritsugu and her trust in Saber were two completely different feelings. For Irisviel, this feeling of replying on someone, which she felt for the first time, can probably be called ‘friendship’.

“Then, madam, don’t you have any wishes of your own?”

As she was again asked this question, Irisviel couldn’t help but remember the battle in the forest she faced together with Maiya. At that time, before Kotomine Kirei’s enormous and overwhelming presence, just where did her surging fighting spirit come from?

“I probably do have… a wish. I wish Kiritsugu and Saber can obtain victory. I wish they can gain the Grail.”

Of course, at the same time it would mean Irisviel’s death, her eternal farewell with Kiritsugu.

However, even so, this wish – became the fountain that provided the heaving courage in Irisviel’s heart.

“Is that… the so-called wish of the Einsbern family, the achievement of the Third Magic?”

“No. I don’t mind even if we don’t reach the Greater Grail. What I hope for is to end the war forever. It’s the same as what Kiritsugu seeks; to change the structure of this world, and end all fighting. This battle for the Holy Grail at Fuyuki City would be no exception, wouldn’t it?

This is already the fourth time, and I wish this would be the last Heaven’s Feel. In terms of homunculi sacrificed as the vessel of the Grail – I hope I would be last one.”

“Mmm.”

Illyasviel von Einsbern. A creature that gathered all the great achievements of alchemy within her, born from the womb of a homunculus and conceived with the sperm of a magus. Although she hasn’t seen her with her own eyes, Maiya had heard of her existence long ago.

“It was the plan of the head of the family. For the ‘protector of the Grail’ after me, he planned to use a homunculus with even greater mechanisms. He didn’t only implant the secrets of the Holy Grail into the embryo, but also added Magic Circuits to her outside and made her physical body able to become the vessel of the ‘Grail’ by itself.

The head of the family had already predicted the possibility of ‘the Fifth round’ before the ‘Fourth’ Heaven’s Feel began, and he allowed be to give birth to Illya. If Kiritsugu and I fail, then that child would become the experimental specimen for ‘the Dress of Heaven’.”

At this time, Irisviel’s voice was full of the gentleness of familial love.

This was the concrete evidence the homunculus called Irisviel was not simply a created machine. She has the heart of a human, the benevolence of love, the smile of happiness and tears of sadness. The warmth swelling in her heart is the most important part of being human.

“While I held that child and fed her… I was also very much aware that this child wouldn’t escape the destiny of becoming a ‘vessel’ at the end. Can you understand the feelings of a mother who felt endless despair when looking at her beloved child?”

“…”

Maiya was silent and didn’t answer. Irisviel continued.

“However, that is the destiny carried by the homunculi of the Einsberns. Be it that child, or my granddaughter; this sorrow is tasted again and again every time a daughter is born. This fate would be repeated every time the Fuyuki Holy Grail descends.

Therefore, I hope this pain can end here with me, using my body to end the stubborn wish of the Einsberns. If my wish can be fulfilled, then my daughter will be freed from this tragic destiny. That child would probably be able to live her entire life as a human, and have nothing to do with the Holy Grail.”

“Is that the feelings of a mother?”

Irisviel only realized she just exposed too much of her feelings when Maiya asked this. She gave an embarrassed, bitter smile.

“Perhaps. Maybe you find it hard to understand, Maiya.”

“Not too hard. I’ve also been a mother, myself.”

“– Huh?”

It really was a surprising reply. Irisviel almost doubted her own ears.

As if feeling slightly apologetic to surprising Irisviel so, Maiya recounted evenly with a calm tone.

“I… actually experienced pregnancy and delivery, although it could’ve been said to be an accident.”

“… Were you married once?”

“No. I don’t know who the father is. During battle, every night in the barracks, the male soldiers would come to all us the female soldiers and… I can’t remember when it started… anyways, I became pregnant soon after I became a woman.

That child wasn’t even given a name, and I don’t know if he’s still alive. If he hasn’t died, then he must be still existing at some remote corner of that battlefield and fighting for his life. The children there are all given guns and sent to battle when they turn five years old.”

“How can it…”

When she heard this former child soldier in front of her recounting the tragic stories of the past, Irisviel couldn’t help but feel stunned.

“Are you surprised? But such things are definitely not new in this world, isn’t it? Modern terrorists and guerrilla warfare groups all know the benefits of using children as soldiers, and early successful examples such as I also serve as evidence. Therefore, children who share my experience did not decrease in the modern age, but rather became more and more.”

Maiya recounted silently as her eyes seemed less and less alive. Sorrow and hatred also gradually disappeared from her voice. Perhaps the only thing left in her memories was endless despair.

“Madam, you perhaps thought this world, which you saw for the first time with your own eyes, as very beautiful, and envied those happy people who live in this world. However, I am very envious of you, who always lived in that castle. You did not experience any of the terror and ugliness of this world.”

Although there were no feelings of jealously or hatred in Maiya’s contemplation, Irisviel felt rather embarrassed upon hearing it.

Maiya seemed to detect Irisviel’s feelings, so she continued.

“If such a world can really be changed… then no matter how Kiritsugu chooses to use my life in order to achieve this, I would not say a single word of refusal.”

But I don’t know how to do anything apart from fighting – Maiya muttered softly to herself. There were no exaggerations in this sentence. Without goals and without hope; her heart was as desolated as a fire-ravaged barren field.

Although her inner feelings were completely different from Kiritsugu’s, they were amazing similar as soldiers. Maiya’s existence constantly reminded Kiritsugu, and at the same time provided him with an example. Kiritsugu sealed himself within this dilemma because of Maiya’s existence close to him, and made himself into a completely merciless and cruel hunting machine.

“What… do you want to do after Kiritsugu achieved his wish?”

When Irisviel asked this, Maiya’s eyes once again became confused.

“– I never imagined I’d be able to complete this task alive. If I really managed to stay alive, then I have no reasons to keep living. There shouldn’t be any place for me in the world changed by Kiritsugu.”

A world without war has no place for someone like her, someone who knew nothing except combat. For Maiya, it was the logical conclusion.

Such melancholic and sad feelings made Irisviel speak out.

“No, that’s not true. Maiya, you still have things you have to do after the war finishes.”

“…”

Irisviel continued speaking while staring at the confused eyes of the female soldier.

“You must search for your family and your own name, and the whereabouts of your child. They are things that shouldn’t be forgotten. They are things that should be remembered.”

“Is that so…”

Contrary to Irisviel’s passion, Maiya’s reply was full of emotionless nonchalance.

“If we really can usher in a world without war, then the memories of people like me would be nothing short of nightmarish. Remembering them would only make me more painful. Would you want me to bring the seed of hatred into the utopia that we’ve finally created?”

“That’s not true. Your life wasn’t a dream. There are all facts that really happened. A peace created by burying all these memories in the darkness of the past is nothing but a sinful lie. I think a truly peaceful world shouldn’t simply forget those past pains. Instead, we should solemnly remember those previous pains and sacrifices, so we wouldn’t go down the same sad road and can thus create a peaceful new world.”

“…”

Maiya gazed at Irisviel silently – then, she spoke after her face seemed a little bit more relieved.

“You should have said these things to Kiritsugu earlier. Had you done that, maybe he’d already obtained salvation.”

Maiya’s heartfelt words brought joy and loneliness both into Irisviel’s heart.

Perhaps – as she was on the verge of destruction, she won’t ever have the chance to chat with her husband again.

“– Then, Maiya, I entrust you to bring these words to him. Tell him I said it.”

Maiya replied with a vague shrug of her shoulders.

“I’ll do as I see fit. But that’s to come after the war finishes. We shouldn’t be careless for now.”

Although Maiya’s tone was very cold, Irisviel still heard the playfulness Maiya put into her words.

“Really, you’re just –”

The underground storage suddenly began to shake violently before Irisviel finished speaking.

Maiya rushed next to Irisviel and held her shoulders, and quickly switched to battle mode. Her gaze became as sharp as a blade, and she grabbed the light machine gun with her right hand and aimed at the iron doors of the underground storage.

The underground storage shook once again. This time, the thick and heavy iron door deformed with a violent impact from the outside, as if someone outside was powerfully banging on the door of the underground storage. It was a terrible feat only managed through the use of a mechanical crane. For the two of them, who were participating in the Heaven’s Feel, it wasn’t something worthy of being surprised for – rather than surprise, they only felt despair.

If it were really a Servant who’s currently attempting to charge into the underground storage, then Maiya’s weapons would be completely useless against it. Moreover, they can’t even escape in the current situation, and they’re truly trapped at a blind end.

However, before the terror, what first passed through their minds was a disbelieving confusion.

Who could have known that Irisviel was hiding – within this underground storage?

The protective barrier should have detected any familiars arriving or clairvoyance being used. However, the enemy did not undertake any reconnaissance and directly sent the Servant to Irisviel’s safe house with such accuracy; could it be that the enemy knew of this place a long time ago?

A third shockwave. Before the iron doors were destroyed, the earthen walls around it could no longer take such a powerful impact and collapsed first.

Together with soaring dust, the iron doors fell into the underground storage. The setting sun shone in through the doorway, dying the room in a shade of bloodstained red.

And that giant figure looming over the debris and dust was undoubtedly – Servant Rider, King of Conquerors, Alexander.

Maiya could only hold onto the light machine gun in her hands with utter despair.

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