Fate/Zero (Viet):Interlude
Thời gian, địa điểm không xác định
"Kerry, em có biết tên của hòn đảo này có nguồn gốc từ đâu không?"
Shirley hỏi khi đang chậm rãi điều khiển cái vô lăng cũ mèm.
Cậu bé tên Kerry đang ngồi ở ghế hành khách, lắc đầu và cẩn thận nói ra câu "Em không bết" như đang sợ mấy cú xóc sẽ làm mình cắn phải lưỡi.
Cái xe tải hai người họ đang lái thuộc hàng cổ tới mức có lẽ là thế hệ sau của xe ngựa bốn bánh. Thêm nữa, con đường họ đang đi là đường đất chứ không phải đường nhựa. Thậm chí xe bò cũng không dám đi nhanh trên con đường này. Giờ đây họ có cảm giác mình đang ở trên ột con thuyền trôi chầm chậm trong cơn bão.
Dù cái xe này trông y như một đống sắt vụn, thì nó cũng là một trong ba-bốn chiếc xe hiếm hoi trên đảo Arimago – Với lại, ở một làng chài chỉ có khoảng 300 hộ dân, không có mấy người trên đảo Arimago cần đến xe hơi. Những người cảm thấy bất tiện khi không có xe chắc chỉ có mỗi gia đình cậu bé và Shirley, người giúp việc cho gia đình cậu. Trong căn nhà biệt lập của cậu bé, cách xa khỏi làng chài, cũng không có phương tiện di chuyển nào khác ngoài cái xe tải cũ nát này.
"Arimago... ý là mấy con cua khổng lồ à?"
Shirley gật đầu và trả lời câu hỏi của cậu bé.
"Rất rất lâu về trước, hòn đảo này là nơi giữ tế phẩm cho vị thần của biển cả. Nhưng đã có một cô bé không kiếm được thức ăn cho người mẹ đang bị ốm của mình, đã phải ăn cắp tế phẩm. Rồi cô bé bị đem đi tế sống và biến thành một con cua."
"Câu chuyện kinh khủng quá."
"Kể từ đó có lời đồn rằng, thịt cua bắt trên hòn đảo này có thể chữa bách bệnh. Mẹ của cô gái cũng đã lành bệnh."
"Vậy còn tệ hơn nữa. Thần biển gì mà ngang ngược thế."
Nhưng những câu chuyện cổ tích được dựng nên để tạo thương hiệu như vậy không phải là hiếm. Nếu tìm hiểu kỹ, những câu chuyện này có ở khắp thế giới.
"Vậy cái ngôi đền người ta dùng để tế sống cô gái đó có còn không?"
"Nó biến mất lâu rồi. Mà cũng không ai biết nó có thật hay không. Theo như truyền thuyết thì nó ở ngay cạnh nhà em bây giờ đấy."
“Vậy là cô gái bị biến thành cua đó thực sự đã chạy vào giữa khu rừng xa xôi này chỉ để trộm tế phẩm? Bắt vài con cá ngoài bãi biển sẽ tiện hơn nhiều.”
“Do cái truyền thuyết đó mà người làng không ai dám lại gần nhà em đấy. Nghe nói đó là một nơi quái gở và nếu thường xuyên đến đó thì sẽ bị nguyền rủa. Chị cũng được cảnh báo như vậy."
"Nguyền rủa cách nào được!... Vậy còn những người sống ở đó như em thì sao?"
"Là do Kerry là người ngoại quốc. Nhưng mà chẳng phải người làng vẫn xem em là em trai chị đó sao?"
Dù cụm từ ‘em trai’ không làm cậu bé cảm thấy thoải mái hơn, thì so với bố mình, người không bao giờ bước chân ra khỏi nhà, Kerry lúc nào cũng phải giúp Shirley mua sắm đồ đạc. Cũng vì lẽ đó nên ngày nào họ cũng phải đi xe vào làng.
Cậu đã chuyển tới hòn đảo này được gần một năm. Bất kỳ người dân nào trên đảo cũng vui vẻ chào cậu mỗi khi gặp mặt. Kể cả các cậu bé trong làng, trước đây mỗi lần thấy mặt nhau là đánh lộn, cũng đã bắt đầu bày trò chọc phá người khác cùng Kerry.
Mặc cho đang ở đất khách quê người, cậu bé vẫn rất thích hòn đảo Arimago này.
Vài tuần đầu tiên khi cậu chuyển đến đây cực kỳ chán, nhưng ánh mặt trời chói lọi của miền Nam và những con sóng lấp lánh của đại dương đã dần dần hớp hồn Kerry.
Nhưng với cha cậu bé, không tiếp xúc với bất kỳ ai và không ra khỏi nhà nửa bước, lại thấy rằng chẳng có gì thú vị cả.
"Nếu bố chịu tiếp xúc với người làng nhiều hơn, chắc chắn ông ấy sẽ thay đổi..."
"Hừm, khó nói lắm..."
Trong khi đang điều khiển chiếc xe lách khỏi những tảng đá lớn trên đường, Shirley cười chua chát.
"Cha Simon không thích những hoạt động của bố em, và lúc nào cũng thuết giảng rằng sớm muộn gì chị cũng sẽ bị hãm hại nếu cứ tiếp tục tới nhà em."
"… Vậy ạ."
Cậu bé không tránh khỏi cảm giác thất vọng khi biết rằng Cha Simon, người lúc nào cũng có vẻ ngoài tốt bụng, lại ngấm ngầm có nhận xét về cha cậu như vậy. Nhưng cũng không trách được. Thay vào đó cậu nên lấy làm vui mừng vì những lời nhận xét không đến mức quá nghiêm trọng. Cha Simon chắc chắn sẽ đuổi cả hai bố con cậu bé ra khỏi hòn đảo nhỏ này nếu ông biết được công việc thực sự của cha cậu.
Shirley vỗ ngang hông mình, và ra hiệu cho Kerry nhìn vào con dao bằng bạc trên thắt lưng.
"Nhìn con dao này. Cha Simon bắt chị mang theo và không được tháo ra. Ông ấy nói nó là một lá bùa cực mạnh."
"… Đây là con dao chị vẫn dùng để cắt trái cây mà?"
"Mmm, vì nó rất sắc và rất dễ dùng. Chắc là phải quý lắm."
Shirley tiếp tục nói với giọng đều đều. Khác hẳn cậu bé, cô có vẻ rất thoải mái khi bàn đến vấn đề này.
"Chị không sợ sao, Shirley? Chị không sợ bố em sao?"
Dù có hơi ngại, cuối cùng cậu bé vẫn hỏi. Shirley gật ngay.
"Chị hiểu bố em không phải là một người bình thường, và dựa vào những hành động của ông thì người làng thấy cảnh giác cũng đúng. Những nghiên cứu của ông buộc ông phải rời khỏi thành phố lớn mà sống ẩn dật ở một hòn đảo xa xôi thế này. Nhưng như vậy càng chứng tỏ bố em là một người vĩ đại."
Cậu bé đột nhiên nhận ra rằng mỗi khi nói về bố mình, Shirley lại trở nên trưởng thành và nhạy bén khác thường. Cô ấy chỉ lớn hơn cậu 4 tuổi; rõ ràng chưa thể trưởng thành như người lớn được.
"Nếu biết được bất kỳ tri thức hoặc nghiên cứu nào của ông ấy, đó sẽ là một phát kiến vĩ đại có thể thay đổi thế giới. Tất nhiên ai cũng sẽ sợ hãi khi biết được những điều đó, vậy nên chúng phải được giấu kín... nhưng với chị, chị thực sự tin rằng những điều đó có thể giúp ích cho thế giới này. Chị lúc nào cũng tin như vậy."
"... Những điều đó có thể xảy ra thật sao?"
"Có thể ông ấy đã từ bỏ rồi. Nhưng nếu là Kerry, chị nghĩ chắc chắn em sẽ thành công!"
Shirley nói với vẻ mặt rất nghiêm túc. Nhưng cậu bé đáp lại một cách thất vọng.
"Ý chị là sao? Không phải Shirley mới là học trò cưng của bố à? Người được truyền lại là chị mới đúng chứ?"
Shirley, không chỉ đến nhà cậu bé để dọn dẹp; mà còn là phụ tá giúp đỡ bố cậu trong công việc nghiên cứu. Bố cậu từng nói rằng cô gái tên Shirley này có trí thông minh và tài năng thiên bẩm, thực sự rất lãng phí nếu phải sống cả đời trên hòn đảo này. Tài năng của Shirley là không cần bàn cãi nếu cha cậu, người luôn tuân thủ quy tắc bí mật, lại tin tưởng một cô gái xa lạ đến vậy.
Nhưng Shirley lại cười lớn và lắc đầu.
"Chị chẳng phải học trò gì cả. Cùng lắm chỉ là trợ lý, người làm việc vặt và giúp đỡ bố em thôi. Chị chẳng biết gì về những thứ quan trọng cả.
Nhưng em thì khác, Kerry à. Em chắc chắn sẽ kế nghiệp bố mình. Một ngày nào đó các nghiên cứu của ông sẽ truyền lại hết cho em. Em đã sẵn sàng chưa? Mà bây giờ nói những chuyện đó với em thì vẫn còn hơi sớm."
"..."
Shirley nói rất thật lòng, như một người chị lo cho đứa em của mình vậy. Trong giây lát, cậu bé bị kẹt vào giữa những cảm xúc phức tạp trong lòng và không nói nên lời.
Cậu không có chút ký ức nào về mẹ, người đã qua đời ngay sau khi sinh. Với cậu bé, gia đình chỉ có bố. Dù bố cậu có hơi lập dị và rất nghiêm khắc, ông vẫn là một người cha tốt và hiền từ. Ông là người cậu bé kính trọng và thương yêu nhất đời.
Nên khi mới đến đây, trái tim cậu bé đã nhói đau khi bết rằng bố mình, người cậu rất ngưỡng mộ, quan tâm đến một phụ tá hơn cả con đẻ của mình. Thậm chí đã có lúc cậu thấy ghét Shirley. Nhưng sự vui tươi và thái độ ân cần của Shirley đã cởi được nút thắt trong lòng cậu bé, khoảng thời gian ganh tỵ đó không kéo dài lâu.
Giống như gia đình cậu bé có thêm một thành viên mới. Shirley tôn trọng bố cậu như bố ruột của mình, và chăm sóc cậu bé như một đứa em trai. Về phần cậu, chưa hề có một người thân nào là phụ nữ, cụm từ ‘chị gái’ lại vượt xa ý nghĩa vốn có của nó.
Không... Có thể lúc ban đầu không đến mức như vậy, nhưng dạo gần đây những xúc cảm kỳ lạ bắt đầu xuất hiện trong lồng ngực cậu bé.
Cậu hiểu rõ sự dịu dàng, vui vẻ và các ưu điểm của Shirley. Nhưng hơn cả những điều đó, kể cả những điệu bộ không chủ đích – như hiện tại cô vừa lái xe vừa hát ngâm nga – cũng trở nên rất đẹp trong mắt cậu. Tại sao vậy?
"Kerry, em muốn trở thành người đàn ông như thế nào? Và nếu kế tục các nghiên cứu của bố thì em sẽ làm gì với chúng?"
"... eh?"
Cậu bé lơ đãng bị kéo về thực tại bởi câu hỏi của Shirley.
"Những thứ đó có thể thay đổi thế giới. Một ngày nào đó em sẽ nhận được chúng."
"..."
Kế tục bố mình. Sẽ là nói dối nếu nói rằng cậu chưa bao giờ nghĩ đến việc đó. Cậu bé hiểu rõ giá trị và tầm quan trọng của việc này.
Chưa bàn đến tác dụng của những nghiên cứu đó.
Nhưng cậu bé có vẻ ngần ngại khi phải nói ra, đặc biệt là với Shirley. Cậu không muốn người khác nói rằng giấc mơ của mình là quá ngây thơ, nhất là Shirley.
"... Đó là… bí mật."
"Mmm?"
Shirley cười ranh mãnh, rồi tếp tục hỏi.
"Vậy chị sẽ tự mình chứng kiến Kerry sẽ làm gì khi lớn lên. Chị sẽ luôn ở cạnh em đến khi có được câu trả lời. Thế nào?"
"... Tùy chị."
Dường như cảm thấy xấu hổ, cậu bé quay mặt đi nơi khác.
Nhưng dù vậy, nụ cười của cô gái gần giống như người chị vẫn quá rực rỡ trong mắt cậu bé.
Da trắng như sáp.
Các mạch máu xanh đen nổi rõ lên phá hỏng vẻ ngoài ưa nhìn của cô gái.
Trên gương mặt cô là nỗi thống khổ của một kẻ sắp chết.
Cô gái sắp chết – điều đó quá rõ ràng.
Dù cho sắp chết, thì cô vẫn đang bị hành hạ.
Nếu gương mặt kia là của một con người, thì người này sắp trở thành một thứ không còn là con người nữa – trái tim cậu bé hiểu rất rõ điều này.
Bóng tối bao trùm. Tất nhiên là trên đảo này không có đèn đường. Dù vậy thì ánh trăng lạnh lẽo bên ngoài cửa sổ vẫn lặng lẽ chiếu sáng tấn thảm kịch này.
Nơi đây là một cái chuồng gà ở ngoài rìa ngôi làng. Để tìm Shirley, đột nhiên biến mất không rõ lý do, cậu bé đã lùng sục khắp nơi trong làng. Cậu không từ bỏ và tiếp tục tìm đến khi trời tối mịt. Rồi cậu đến được đây.
Xác của những con gà bị ăn dở vương vãi khắp nơi, và “Cái xác” vẫn đang run rẩy và khóc lóc sâu bên trong chuồng gà.
“Giết chị đi –”
“Cái xác” có cùng gương mặt với người con gái cậu yêu thương van nài trong tiếng khóc.
Và rồi con dao bằng bạc bị ném xuống gần chân cậu phản chiếu thứ ánh trăng nhợt nhạt và lạnh lẽo..
Kinh hãi –
“Chị không tự làm được –”
Nên làm ơn... giết chị đi –
Khi vẫn còn kịp –
"Chuyện đó..."
Cậu bé vừa lắc đầu vừa lùi lại.
Mình không làm được.
Dù biến thành hình dạng nào, Shirley vẫn là Shirley. Chúng ta đã hứa sẽ mãi bên nhau. Cô ấy là một thành viên quan trọng trong gia đình – không, còn hơn cả một thành viên gia đình.
Làm ơn đi –
Shirley thở một cách khó nhọc. Rồi từ từ trở nên điên dại. Cùng với tiếng khóc não nề, cô gái thét lên như một con thú đói mồi.
Kết thúc – rồi – trước khi chị đánh mất bản thân – nhanh lên –
Shirley bắt đầu lên cơn co giật như bị sốt rét, rồi cô đột ngột há to miệng và cắn vào cổ tay mình.
Phụt...
Phụt... tiếng máu tươi tứa ra xuyên thẳng vào màng nhĩ cậu bé.
Làm ơn –
Tiếng van xin dai dẳng át đi tiếng khóc than của cậu bé. Cậu chạy vụt ra khỏi cái chuồng gà.
Thứ khiến cho cậu bé kinh hãi hơn cả Shirley – chính là ánh sáng phản chiếu từ con dao nằm cạnh chân cậu.
Cậu không biết đã xảy ra chuyện gì, và cũng không muốn hiểu.
Giờ đây cậu chỉ cầu nguyện sẽ có ai đó cứu họ.
Cậu bé tin rằng nhất định sẽ có người giải thoát cho họ khỏi cơn ác mộng kinh hoàng này.
Shirley sẽ được cứu. Nhất định sẽ có người tới giúp.
Cậu bé liên tục tự nhủ như thế.
Mất khoảng 5 phút để đến nhà thờ của Cha Simon nếu chạy hết tốc lực.
Cậu bé vừa chạy vừa khóc. Dù là nỗi đau trong lồng ngực hay cơn đau dưới đôi chân, cậu cũng không cảm nhận được nữa.
Natalia Kaminski. Người phụ nữ nói đó là tên cô ta.
This woman wore an inky black long coat very inappropriate for a tropical night, but there was no sign of her sweating. Rather than thinking of her pale countenance as cold and cruel, it was better described as expressionless. It would even make others doubt whether there was actually blood flowing within her, and whether she actually has body heat like normal people.
That was the appearance of the savior who saved the boy out of the ravaging pandemonium.
"Alright, kid. It's about time for you to answer a few questions for me."
With his back turned to the woman's cold voice, the boy only stared transfixed at the distant fishing village that was burning to the ground.
The village that was so peaceful till just yesterday, the village that was slumbering beneath the silent moonlight only a few hours ago, was actually burning with endless flames. He still couldn’t believe the scene before his eyes even if he was standing on top of the cliffs opposite the town and witnessed it himself; he only thought all this was a nightmare.
He would never see those familiar, gentle faces in the village again – he couldn’t believe it no matter what.
"… What exactly, happened?"
The boy asked with a dry voice. Natalia snorted.
"I was the one who asked first. Boy, isn't it time to get back to your senses?"
"..."
The boy suddenly turned his head around. Even if he owes her his life, it was really very irritating for her to ignore other’s feelings, not answer his questions, and on the contrary went on and on with her own questions.
After an obstinate silence, Natalia seemed to have grasped his thoughts. Then, she let out a helpless sigh, and gave a brief explanation.
"Now, there are two groups that caused such a tragedy in that village. One group is the Executors for the so-called Holy Church. They are completely different from the nice priests you know. They are cruel guys who believe that all those who betrayed God needs to be killed. Of course, they would naturally mercilessly eliminate something like a vampire if they see it. If they don’t have the time to check one by one who among the people had their blood sucked, they would completely destroy all suspects. In other words, these guys don’t have much time right now.
The other group is called the Association. This is a bit difficult to explain – basically they’re a group who wants to solely possess fantastic things such as vampires. Naturally, in order to have sole possession, they would kill anybody else who knew about the relevant details. There’s no point in not do things very thoroughly in order to destroy evidence and hide the truth.
Because of this, boy, you’ve got fine luck. You’re probably the only inhabitant of this island right now who managed to survive through the purge those people delivered."
The boy accepted this fact even easier than Natalia had expected. It was as if the boy had discerned the reason those dangerous men would come to Arimago Island a long time ago.
The boy rushed to Father Simon to seek help, and the priest who received this request contacted some other people. Some people outside the island must have received this intelligence while the priest delivered such information.
Leaving the sequence of events aside, at least the beginning of this tragedy was inextricably linked to himself.
If the boy had listened to Shirley's supplication and took the courage to plunge the silver white short sword into the chest of the girl he loved the most, then this present tragedy would not have happened.
If he had done that, then even if he would become a hollow shell without a soul from now on or even if he could no longer doze off in the night – these many lives won’t have been lost.
For the boy, it was the same as if he had set that memorable place on fire himself.
"... Then, which side are you on?"
"I'm like a salesman for the Association. My job is to seek out secrets they are interested in, protect this secret from being known by anyone else and pass it into their hands. Of course, it needs to be sold to them before such a huge incident happens. It can’t be sold now."
Natalia shrugged her shoulders. Perhaps she had already become accustomed to such scenes. It was as if the woman in black emanated the smell of death from her entire body.
"Alright, boy, let's get back to the previous question. It's about time for you to answer my question.
The so-called Sealing Designation – do you know what that means? Also, where is the evil magus, who’s the culprit of this vampire incident, hiding on this island? Do you know of it?”
Although those words sounded too deep for this boy, in truth it hit the bull’s eye of this problem in some way.
Kerry is not the boy’s real name.
The name of the boy, who was born in a foreign, remote country, was very hard to pronounce for the people here. At the very beginning it was Shirley who abbreviated his name into Kerry, and then the villagers all called him Kerry by habit. The boy also felt that, instead of being called a strange name such as 'Keritougu’, ‘Kerry’ sounded much friendlier.
The boy’s real name is – Kiritsugu.
The son of the magus who has been given a Sealing Designation, Emiya Norikata.
In the deep night, Kiritsugu returned to the wooden villa in the depths of the jungle, and saw his father receiving him with a worried expression.
"Ahh, Kiritsugu. Are you alright? Thank goodness…"
His father embraced him. It has been many years since he felt his father’s broad shoulders. It was a rare moment for his strong father to express his true feelings like that.
After releasing Kiritsugu from his arms, his father's expression suddenly turned severe and said.
"I told you not to step out of the barrier of the forest today no matter what. Why did you disobey me?"
"... Because I was worried about Shirley…"
His father suddenly turned his eyes aside when he heard the girl's name. Just that small gesture could completely confirm one fact.
"Dad, did you know what changes happened to her body? Is that why you didn’t allow me to go outside?"
"… About that girl, it's really a pity. Although I told her the reagent was very dangerous and to never touch it, it seems she still didn't win over her own curiosity."
Although his father’s tone was filled with bitterness, there was no regret or shame in it. It was as if he was telling off a boy who broke a flower vase with only blame and anger in his tone.
"... Dad, why would you investigate the Dead Apostles?"
"Of course that’s not my true intention. However, being the research of us, the Emiya family, we should seek it no matter how far it seems. I have to come up with a solution for aging, at least before your generation. The flesh, shackled with the destiny of death, is really too far away from the 'root'."
Shirley’s pitiful sight that he saw under the light of the moon once again appeared before Kiritsugu.
"Dad... would you eventually turn me into that shape too?"
"Nonsense. Someone who cannot control the vampiric urges and becomes a Dead Apostle is a failure... I told Shirley this a long time ago. Looks like the results of this experiment isn’t as good as I thought it’d be. I’d have to start from the basics and modify my theories again."
"... I see."
Kiritsugu nodded and said.
His father seemed to be intent in continuing. There’s no need to pay attention to sacrifices of this degree. He still needs to keep repeating it until he gets a satisfactory result.
"Kiritsugu, we’ll talk about this later. Now our top priority is to hurry and escape – I'm afraid there’s no longer time to pack. Soon those guys from the Association would see through the barrier in this dense forest. We need to leave soon."
Looks like his father made the preparations to leave a long time ago. There were already two large suitcases packed and sitting in the middle of the room. The reason he had delayed till now – was probably waiting for his own child to return.
"... Are we escaping? Right now?"
"I knew a long time ago this day would come, so I prepared a motor boat on the southern coast beforehand. You can never be too prepared.”
His father took one suitcase in each of his hands, turned around and walked towards the porch – of course, at this moment he was not guarded at all.
Then, Kiritsugu took the pistol Natalia gave to him from his trouser pocket.
It was a .32 caliber pistol. If it was fired from point-blank range, even a child can easily hit the target. The woman in black assured him of that. After that, it'd be all Kiritsugu's concern.
While aiming the gun at his father's defenseless back, the scene of village that was burned to the ground and Shirley’s final tragic expression swelled up within the boy’s heart – also, all the memories he had after living with his father for ten years, and the gentle sentiments that was hidden beneath his father’s stoic look.
His father loves him, and is full of expectations of him. He also loves his father deeply, and is proud of him.
Endless feeling tangled up and Kiritsugu wanted to close his eyes. However, contrary to his sentiments, Kiritsugu opened his eyes and aimed, then swiftly pressed the trigger.
Bam – it was an unexpected, dry and crisp sound.
His father, shot from the back of the neck, fell forward. Then Kiritsugu walked up and continued to fire towards the back of his head twice. Then he stopped, and continued to give two more shots to his back.
He couldn't believe it. Even Kiritsugu himself was afraid of his own coldness.
He wavered to the end. Certainly there was struggle in his heart. However, his hand moved as if everything was pre-established and out of his control. His body completely disregarded the thoughts in his heart, and only mechanically carried out things that 'had to be done'.
This behavior may be regarded as a talent – this thought only flicked past his heart briefly. After that, Kiritsugu once again sank into emptiness, with no sense of accomplishment.
The wooden floor gradually became stained red with blood. Father wasn't there anymore. What lay there was nothing but a corpse. This thing was the culprit. This thing rubbed away everything he had, killed everyone on the island, and burnt the village to the ground.
Shirley said he is an amazing person, someone with the power to change the world. Kiritsugu thought so as well once upon a time.
What did the two youngsters understand about the way of magecraft? And what did they expect of magi?
At the beginning, Kiritsugu didn't realize he was crying. Even he didn’t know whether his current feelings were sadness or regret. All he felt was an emptiness as if he was drained to the core.
The gun in his right hand was very heavy, almost too heavy to lift up. However, he couldn't throw it away. His fingers froze on the trigger and couldn’t move.
Kiritsugu even risked the danger of accidentally firing and swung his right hand crazily just to try to throw the gun away. But it was all useless; his fingers were holding the gun tightly as if they were glued to it.
At that moment, somebody suddenly grabbed his wrist, and then easily took the gun away from his hand. Only then did Kiritsugu realize Natalia had already appeared beside him.
"C’mon, the bounded field here isn’t as exaggerated as you said. I got in easily."
Natalia said with a rather scolding tone.
"... Are you angry?"
"You think? I’ve never given this thing for kids to play with."
Natalia glanced at the gun she took from Kiritsugu, then she put it back into her pocket after locking the safety again.
"However, it was up to your luck to see if you can make it on time."
In fact, if all that didn’t happen just now, Emiya Norikata would surely have escaped safely and went into hiding again, then restarted his research on the Dead Apostles at some other unknown place. Maybe the tragedy triggered on this island would happen once again.
This isn’t a problem that can be solved by luck. This is something that has to be stopped.
"This man, had a reason that he has to be killed – I have no other choice."
"I even encouraged a child to kill his own father; I really am a very bad person.”
Natalia said, discouraged. Hearing this, Kiritsugu smiled with traces of tears still on his face.
"... You, are a good person."
Natalia looked, stunned, at Kiritsugu’s smile. Then she sighed and heaved the corpse of Emiya Norikata onto her shoulder.
"I'll take you out of the island. You need to decide what comes afterwards yourself – is there anything you’d like to take with you?"
"Nothing at all."
Then… Kiritsugu spent the following few years beside Natalia Kaminski.
Naturally, Natalia didn't look after him like an orphan or her adopted child, but ordered Kiritsugu around as an assistant or servant. However, this was just what Kiritsugu desired.
He studied Natalia’s skills and trained his own abilities at the same time in order to walk the same path as Natalia – to become a ‘hunter’. This is the unchangeable path that Kiritsugu chose for his life.
The tragedy at Arimago Island was not a rare event. Such tragedies are repeated over and over again like daily occurrences in the shadowy places of the world.
The magi who are willing to bring ill omen into the mortal world in order to seek the knowledge that they search for and the two large organizations that used any methods necessary to hide these facts; the battle surrounding these mysterious events kept occurring at obscure places. Precisely because of this, there’s money to be made for Natalia.
Eliminating magi such as Emiya Norikata is really too far from the ideal of preventing such tragedies from happening again – if could almost be said that Emiya Norikata was only one drop of water in the vast ocean, an existence that could almost be afforded to be completely ignored.
His action on that day, killing his father by his own hands; if he was to make that event meaningful and worthy...
Then that means all heretic magi like his father must be killed. Only then can he truly prevent tragedies from occurring again.
Sealing Designation Enforcers.
Hound dogs that hunt demons that have surpassed ordinary sense. The boy chose this thorny road of Shuras without a moment’s hesitation.
Natalia does not belong to an organization, and was only a freelancer who hunted with bounty as her goal. Her targets are those Sealing Designated magi who possess precious research results, but have left the Magi’s Association and conducted secret researches. Different from the Holy Church that acted in the name of judging all heretics and killed everyone, the Magi’s Association had ensuring the safety of the research results as its priority.
And what’s the most precious of all are the Magic Crests carved on the magi’s flesh. Magic Crests that are created through generations of research can produce even greater powers when it is passed onto the successor, especially for magi families.
Through negotiations Natalia had made with the Association, a section of the Magic Crests gathered from Emiya Norikata’s body was allowed to be inherited by his son Emiya Kiritsugu. Although the important parts were confiscated by the Association and only a ‘fragment’ of barely half the original amount was allowed for Emiya Kiritsugu to inherit, it was enough for Kiritsugu to use his abilities as a magus. Besides, Kiritsugu didn’t have the intention of following his father’s dying wish and continuing magecraft research to begin with.
For Kiritsugu, magecraft isn’t his life-long career, but just a tool used to achieve his goals. Moreover, this tool was only one of the many ‘tools’ that the boy learnt from the huntress.
Tracking, assassination, the usage of various weapons – there can’t be only one ‘fang’ for a hound. All sorts of knowledge and skills are necessary for him to master in order to be able to catch up to the prey under all situations and conditions and bring it down.
In a sense, the history of human beings is a history of killing. Humans spent an endless amount of time and intelligence to research the skill of ‘killing people’ in order to hunt down the ‘two-legged beasts’ that looked the same as themselves. Kiritsugu had made his own body master all these.
The years covered in blood and gunpowder passed by flying.
Emiya Kiritsugu, who experienced the trials of too many violent battles during a time as sensitive as adolescence, no longer has any youthful innocence on his face. As an oriental person of unknown age, his three different false passports all recorded him as an adult and they hadn’t been questioned a single time.
However, judging only from his appearance, although his figure isn’t very tall and his moustache is sparse, his grim and cold look is definitely not something that a teenage boy should have.
One day –
Even when he knew that his teacher and friend – Natalia – faced the worst danger in her life, Kiritsugu still didn’t show any emotional wavering and devotedly completed his duty.
No matter how anxious or wavering his heart is, there was not a single way to help Natalia. That’s because her battlefield is inside a giant commercial airliner more than 3000 feet above in the sky.
It started with the chase for the magus known as the “Demonic Bees User”, Od Volsack.
It was said that this magus successfully created Dead Apostles and can manipulate the Demonic Bees under his control to use poisonous stings to increase the amount of Ghouls under his power; a very dangerous man indeed. Moreover, he had changed his name and face and pretended to be an ordinary person, with no information about him at all. However, four days ago, there was information that he was taking Flight A300 from Paris to New York. In the situation of being completely ignorant of the person’s appearance and name, Natalia accepted this gruelling task of finding the target among the plane’s 287 passengers and ‘erase’ him.
As her partner, Kiritsugu didn’t board the plane, but instead went ahead to New York to investigate Volsack’s fake identity. The teacher and student communicated using radio and calmly and confidently locked down the location of the prey in that sealed space 3000 feet above the sky.
Approximately three hours after the takeoff – the assassination was achieved unexpectedly smoothly. However, that was the beginning of the tragedy.
The Ghoul Bees that Volsack brought into the plane through deceiving customs caused a fatal disturbance after the death of their master. The Ghoul Bees that Natalia didn’t destroy on time raided towards the passengers one by one, and the cabin of the giant commercial airliner turned into a living hell ravaged by Ghouls in the blink of an eye.
Faced with a sealed area with nowhere to escape and Ghouls that manipulated without end, even someone as strong as Natalia felt an endless despair. Faced with this worsening situation, Kiritsugu could do nothing and can only wait for the radio communication. He must not let go of any chance of proving that Natalia was still alive.
The basic rule that Natalia had instructed Kiritsugu over and over again is – ‘no matter what method you use, you must ensure your own survival’. Since she has such a creed, Kiritsugu firmly believed that experienced huntress can definitely make it out this time too. After two hours, the radio was still silent.
Finally, when the light of the stars in the night sky was covered by the cyan shade of dawn, the tired voice of a woman was transmitted with static.
“… Can you hear me? Kid… you aren’t asleep, right?”
“Loud and clear, Natalia. We’re both at that most sleepy time right before dawn, after staying awake for the entire night.”
“Of course. If you had dared to go back and sleep last night I’ll definitely kill you afterwards… well, there’s some good news and some bad news. Which one do you want to listen to first?”
Natalia laughed briefly and said so.
“Didn’t we promise to start with the good news?”
“Ok. Then it’s good news first. First of all, I’m alive. The plane is without damage as well. I’ve just ensured the safety of the cockpit; both the captain and the co-pilot have already set the flying perimeters before their death. Even I can manage to simply drive it. Apparently the controls are the same as a Cessna.”
“Did you communicate with the control tower?”
“Got them. At the beginning they thought it was a prank, but now they’re directing me well.”
“… Then, the bad news?”
“Mm – I was the only one who didn’t get bitten. All passengers and crew, all 300 of them, perished and became Ghouls. The other side of the cockpit, divided only by a panel, already became a flying city of the dead. Don’t be surprised now.”
“…”
That’s the worst situation Kiritsugu had thought of.
“In that condition, will you… come back alive?”
“Ahh, this door is pretty rigid. Although it’s a bit wobbly now, there’s no worry about it being broken – Instead, the landing makes me more insecure. Can this giant thing really land safely?”
“… If it’s you, then you’ll surely manage.”
“Was that you encouraging me? I’m glad to hear.”
After a bitter laugh, Natalia gave a powerless sigh.
“There are still 50 minutes before arriving at the airport. It’s too early to pray – kid, chat with me for a while.”
“… I don’t mind.”
So they started a random conversation. First, they began with those two hours when communication ceased. Then they listed the dead Volsack’s many evil deeds in detail. Finally, the two of them naturally remembered the magi and Dead Apostles that they had destroyed, and those Shura’s fields that the two had faced together.
Natalia, who was usually quiet, became talkative for some reason today. The low roar of the Ghouls coming in from the cabin intertwined with the sound of them repeatedly hitting the cockpit’s door. Chatting is the single best choice to distract one’s attention from that.
“– When you first told me you want to enter this career path, I was having a real headache for a long time. Moreover, you didn’t want to change your idea no matter how much I persuaded you.”
“Was I such an unpromising disciple?”
“No… it’s because you have too much promise, too much potential.”
Natalie said with a bitter laugh.
“… What does that mean?”
“Because you can make your actions completely removed from your emotions – regular hit men can only obtain it after many years of trials. However, you had that since you were born. What a surprising talent.”
“…”
“But hey, it’s not necessarily correct to choose your life’s path based on talent and abilities alone. A person’s belief and feelings come before talents; that is the key to decide a person’s life. If that doesn’t exist, a person can’t be regarded as a person anymore. If they consider ‘What needs to be done’ before considering ‘What I want to do’ and only acted according to those rules… then they are not people but are only regarded as machines, far removed from the life of a human.”
The words of the teacher who had watched him growing up glided past the boy’s heart like cold frost.
“I, well… I had thought you are a very cold person.”
“What’s that after all this time? Isn’t that the truth? Was I ever gentle towards you?”
“No. You always were strict, absolutely merciless.”
“… Usually, disciplining a boy is the role of the father.”
On the opposite end of the radio, Natalia was silent for a while, then continued after sighing helplessly.
“However, I carry a certain degree of responsibility for causing you not to have the education from a father. Well, how to say it… it’s not that there was a way to push it off me.”
I can only teach you some survival skills; I’m useless for everything else – Natalia added that as if mocking herself.
“… You wanted to be my father?”
“Don’t mix up men with women, impertinent. At least you should call me mother.”
“… Right. Sorry.”
Although Kiritsugu’s answering tone was very even, his expression looked very shocked.
Radio can’t display the other person’s face and obviously can’t see their expressions either. Therefore, Natalia could not know of Kiritsugu’s current feelings.
“… For a long time, I experienced the blood and stench on my own. I’ve almost forgotten the fact that I am all alone.
That’s why, well… Haha. It’s almost funny. As if we are family.”
“Me too –”
What’s the meaning of saying these things now? Kiritsugu asked himself in his heart while he continued to speak.
“– I, have also regarded you as if you’re my mother. I feel that I’m not alone, and I was happy.”
“… Hey there Kiritsugu. So that we don’t feel too awkward when we meet next time, let’s stop talking about this topic.”
Natalia’s current bewildered expression could vaguely be discerned in her words. It seems she was still unaccustomed to things like ‘embarrassment’.
“Ahh, the situation got worse. I’m landing in 20 minutes. I don’t want to commit some fatal mistake at such an important time just because I remembered something funny.”
“… Sorry.”
Kiritsugu apologized.
Natalia didn’t need to choose to do an emergency landing.
She also wasn’t going to meet Kiritsugu again.
Only Kiritsugu knew that.
There is no possibility of Natalia surviving before all these Ghouls are completely destroyed. The only way to deal with this airliner full of Ghouls is to make it plunge into the Atlantic Ocean. The operation to eliminate the “Demonic Bee User” is achieved at the cost of the lives of all the passengers and crew and Natalia Kaminski – Kiritsugu was already prepared for this outcome.
But Kiritsugu knew his teacher would definitely demonstrate her amazing abilities at the last moment. Natalia, who held on to the creed of ‘must survive no matter what’, may prevent the body of the plane from crushing in order to save her own life. Kiritsugu must consider this as well – that would be the unpredictable worst result.
Natalia, who prioritizes her life above all else, must choose this outcome without hesitation after weighing out the risks.
Land the airliner filled with 300 Ghouls at the airport and release these hungry dead – she would definitely choose this method if there were no other choices. Kiritsugu had already made the preparations to deal with this 10000-to-1 possibility precisely because Kiritsugu knew her too well.
In order to prevent the disaster from expanding further, the A300 must not be allowed to land.
That is the unswayable truth regardless of Natalia’s welfare.
Kiritsugu had been around almost half of New York an hour ago and finally brought a military surface-to-air portable missile launcher from the black market.
Right now, Kiritsugu was standing in a motor boat floating on the sea, waiting for Natalia’s plane to appear in his sight. The giant airline needs to circle a while before landing at the New York International Airport; Kiritsugu’s current position can roughly get the plane into the range of his missile.
While he was purchasing the weapon and choosing the spot to fire, Kiritsugu once again doubted the construction of his own mentality.
Viewing from the perspective of avoiding a larger tragedy, it is a correct response for him to calmly face Natalia’s death.
However, what is he who gives up on the final ‘miracle’ that would make the woman he loves survive, and instead kill her with his own hands?
It would be good if everything was only an assumption, but right now Emiya Kiritsugu was facing the cruel truth. Soon, he would erase Natalia by his own hands. Now, A300 had appeared at the sky at the break of dawn with sparkling silver wings.
“… Perhaps I, have really lost it.”
Natalia still believed without a doubt that Kiritsugu, on the other side of the radio, was in a hotel in New York, so she said leisurely with no caution.
“Maybe I would never end up saying those things if such a big mistake didn’t occur. It seems my time is up, too. Should I be retiring…”
“– If you retire, then what do you plan on doing after?”
Kiritsugu still faked an even voice. Meanwhile, his two hands have started to set the missile launcher onto his shoulder, and aimed the missile at the airliner.
“If I lose my job… haha, then I may really become your mother.”
Even with his eyes running full of tears, he was still able to accurately decide the distance to the target… it was within 1500 meters. A certain hit.
“You… really are my family.”
Kiritsugu said softly, then he released the missile.
In the few seconds that the missile had to be manually directed, Kiritsugu had to keep the aim on the airliner that Natalia was on and all his memories about her resurfaced in Kiritsugu’s mind.
But that torture did not last long. Soon the missile locked onto the heat radiation the giant commercial airliner emitted out. The missile left Kiritsugu’s control, and rushed mercilessly towards the target like a hungry shark.
The missile hit squarely on the gas tank beneath the wings; Kiritsugu watched the plane tilt and fall downwards.
The collapse afterwards was like a sand picture blown apart by a stormy wind – the masses of iron that lost its thrust was dismembered like rotten wood, and became a cloud of fine dust that silently fell onto the surface of the sea. The carcass of the plane that fell in the rising morning glow danced like confetti at a gala.
The first sliver of the dawn’s light that shone out from the other side of the horizon didn’t touch Natalia’s face even at the end. Basked in the morning sun all alone, Emiya Kiritsugu started crying soundlessly.
Once again, he had saved a crowd of unknown faces. Without anyone knowing.
Did you see that, Shirley?
I have killed again this time. Killed as when I killed my father. I would never make the same mistake that I made with you back then. I, wanted to save more people…
If Kiritsugu’s actions and intentions were known by others, would they thank Kiritsugu? Would the passengers at the airport who were spared of death under the threat of the Ghouls praise Kiritsugu as a hero?
“Don’t kid me…Don’t kid me! Bastard!”
Grasping tightly the missile launcher that was starting to wear off the remaining heat, Kiritsugu roared towards the brightening sky.
He didn’t want prestige or gratitude. He just wanted to see Natalia’s face once again. He just wanted to call her “Mom” face to face.
This isn’t the conclusion he wanted. This is only the correct decision, with no other choice and no space for dispute. Kiritsugu’s decision was ‘correct’. He erased the person who must die and saved those with no reason to die. If this isn’t ‘justice’, then what would it be?
It can’t come back anymore. He remembered that distant face so long ago that asked him “What kind of a man would you like to become?” with a gentle look under the blinding morning sun.
At that time, Kiritsugu should have answered – If he has the power to freely change the world, if miracles would dwell in his hands; ‘I want to be a hero of justice!’.
The Kiritsugu back then still didn’t know what this scale named ‘justice’ would rob away, and what it would bring him.
‘Justice’ took away his father, and now it also took his mother. All it left was the sensation of blood in his hands. Even his right to remember them was also stripped away.
The people he loved. Their voices, their faces; none of them can come back. Instead, they will appear again and again in Kiritsugu’s nightmares. They would probably never forgive Kiritsugu, who took their lives away with his own hands.
That is the choice of ’justice’. The price of pursuing his ideal.
Now, Kiritsugu can no longer turn back. What he seeks will disappear with even a single moment of hesitation or uncertainty. If so, then all the prices he had paid, and all the sacrifices, would become worthless.
Surely he would follow the ideal in his heart and reach for its fulfilment while he cursed and hated at the same time?
Kiritsugu vowed silently in his heart.
He will accept that curse. He will accept this anger. At the same time, he prays that some day he will drain all his tears and reach that far distant and serene utopia.
If the cruelty that his hands carry is the limit for humans.
Then let he himself wipe away all the tears in the world.
That was the last day of Kiritsugu’s youth –
As he determinedly stepped towards that thorny and uneven path.
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