Fate/Zero:Act 7 Part 4

—l30：32：15

Woman, I will ask you a question.

Said Kotomine Kirei with a deep voice as he slowly walked towards the woman, who, staring blankly at the empty space, had her hands tied.

The black haired woman who served as her bodyguard, lying miserably on the ground and already implacably beaten by him, was no longer a threat.

Both of you seem to have challenged me in order to protect Kiritsugu. Whose intention is that?

…

Kirei used one hand to grasp and softly raise the silent Einsbern's homunculus. Her beautiful face was torn apart by the grief inside her.

I'll ask once again. Woman, under whose orders you two fought me?

Kirei was really interested in this question's answer. Who was the person who set such an obstacle in his path to Kiritsugu. That was a very important question to him.

But Kirei did saw through one thing. No matter how he searched for them, there were no Command Seals on the body of the homunculus. She was not any Servant's Master. This recent, rash move was one that no Master would do.

In that case, it really was like what he and Tokiomi had known from the very beginning – Emiya Kiritsugu was indeed Saber's master, and these women were merely his pawns.

Now, the troublesome part:

If it was Kiritsugu who commanded these women to fight him, then he would have underestimated him. These women, as adversaries, were defeated by him without much effort.

There was also the possibility that someone else had ordered this. The main goal for the Einsbern was to conceal Kiritsugu, as a Master. For this purpose they would sacrifice anything. But they were willing to sacrifice her life just to gain some time.

Still, every possibility leaded to this one question.

Kirei carefully looked again the hard breathing face of the silver haired girl. It was too beautiful yet it was like any other human face. Her red pupils were like rubies.

She was exactly like the passed down portrait of the winter saint Lizleihi Justizia von Einsbern.

This homunculus wasn't a Master, but she still participated in the Holy Grail War. So she should be the Grail Vessel a marionette with a responsibility that won't commit mistakes.

Then she should be as well a being of great importance in the final stages of the Holy Grail War.

To send such a pawn to the front line of the war, and expose her in midst of danger, it's absolutely not a foolish move made by amateurs. Suddenly, Kirei felt a strange sense of weight in his tiptoe, and looked down.

Kirei didn't notice it until now, because it was something so subtle and not worthy of notice. It was now when a weak, pained voice started to come from below, not knowing when she approached to Kirei's feet.

With the body full of wounds, the black haired woman's hand stretched out trembling, and caught Kirei's right leg.

Even though her grip was very weak, it still may be all the strength she has left in her body. Even if she had no strength to stand up or to clench her fists, those burning black eyes were fixed upon Kirei, full with hate.

…

Kirei, without a word, lifted his foot and trampled down mercilessly upon the chest of the woman with broken ribs. 　 She already couldn't even let out a sound of pain, thus she didn't. It's just the 'gu' sound produced by the air coming out from her lungs. Even so, the woman didn't let her hands go.

As if she was the driven by the current, firmly attached to a trunk, her weak hands grasped Kirei's arm, but she kept staring at Kirei with a hatred expression.

Kirei returned his sight, and lifted up his gaze towards the silver haired woman lifted in midair. The homunculus, although muffled and twisting her pained body, had no terror reflected in her face.

If so, it's nothing special. If it's merely an imitation of humans, it's natural that it hasn't any feelings as fear towards the death or pain—but it doesn't seem like that. Because the red eyes of the homunculus were staring at Kirei, certainly full of hate and anger.

Suspended in mid air and from the ground, both women watched furiously at Kirei, their eyes full of hatred.

I won't let you pass from here.

Even at the cost of my life, I'll stop you here.

Neither of the women answered Kirei's question. Who could have been the one who ordered them to attack Kirei?

No matter how the problem is looked at, there were always contradictions in the reasoning.

Then, Kirei thought about another situation.

What if these women weren't following any instructions, but actually acted accordingly to their own will, thus deciding to fight Kirei?

That was another possibility that can't be ignored. 　　 Kirei suddenly felt a familiar spiritual body breathing quietly as it moved next to Kirei without making a noise. Assassin's words were transmitted directly to Kirei's mind.

Caster, and Lancer, as well as his master, already finished their battle. They've left the forest. Saber will catch up soon. My master, its very dangerous here.

Kirei coolly finished listening to Assassin's report, and nodded, disappointed. It was pointless to do anything there. There was no chance to confront Servant Saber face to face. Instead, even retreating and escaping safely from there was dangerous now.

Now there's one stratagem to be used – just to stop Saber's pursuit?

Kirei drawn from his shirt his new black keys, and without hesitation, as if tearing up cloth, casually stabbed the homunculus belly.

Gu...! 　 The artificial woman let out a silent cry, and blood flowed out from her mouth. So it was red-- Kirei sighed boringly as he let fall the shaking body on his hand to the ground.

It was unavoidable to hurt her. It should pass a few minutes before dying from blood loss. Save her, or let her die and chase Kirei. Saber will soon show up and will have to choose between those two acute options.

It's was done. Kirei, without a glance towards the dying women, took the path from where he came and started to gallop through the forest.

At the end of an event, there's no room for unnecessary thoughts. Regarding the two females that just entered the death match, there was nothing important nor worthy to remember.

Despite this, in the galloping Kirei's mind were imprinted the expressions of the two persons. That was truly hate. Their killing intent were absolutely not coming from their duty nor their job. Those women were not trying to achieve victory for the Einsberns, but instead they were protecting that man, Emiya Kiritsugu.

If it was the former, both women would probably be in the city with Kiritsugu, fighting their enemies. They didn't use this sort of steady battle tactic, but instead they were putting aside Kiritsugu and advancing defensively.

Even staying away from Emiya Kiritsugu, they were still willing to protect him. With a persistent desire to win a battle that can't be won. What trust and expectations did those women had towards Kiritsugu? When the battle skills are in a totally different level and the victory is unreasonable, what were they protecting, trying to do?

A reason for someone to be so thoughtless and to do such a foolishness, Kirei could only think of one.

Faith--

If those two persons were aiding Emiya Kiritsugu because of the faith they have in him, then all of their foolish actions were logical. But at the end, an important question appeared.

Women are frequently selfish beings. But only those two women fully comprehended him, and both of them were willing to sacrifice themselves for him to accomplish his goal.

That was to say—Is Emiya Kiritsugu a being that could be comprehended by others?

That's not possible...

Kirei's throat made a moaning, whispering sound. Those contradictions can't be occurring.

His expectations from Emiya Kiritsugu were completely overturned, as an ill omen.

Emiya Kiritsugu was an empty man. It should be a man who was at the verge of emptiness but still found a reason to fight. That's why Kirei was persevering. He considered that deep in Kiritsugu's heart, in that kind of lifestyle, there should be the answer he was searching for.

If he wanted to do so, Kiritsugu must have been solitary. He mustn't have been comprehended by any person, thus becoming a person who's soul has been separated from the world—Just like Kirei.

Kirei threw off the expanding suspicions in his heart, as if escaping from those thoughts, and gritted his teeth as he ran through the forest, alone. 　　 　　※※※※※

　　Irisviel heard someone calling for her from far away, and dimly opened her eyes. A familiar face and golden hair, shining even more beautifully as it reflected the light.

Irisviel, hang on there! Irisviel!

Saber...?

After Irisviel confirmed that it wasn't any other person, that it was the girl that was King of knights, was completely relieved by a sense of safety, and nearly collapsed again.

No! Keep your consciousness! I'll go call Kiritsugu right away. Resist until then!

...Kirei.... Where is the enemy?

Irisviel asked with a faint voice. Saber frowned regretfully as she answered.

He escaped. If only I was here a bit earlier, this wouldn't have happened.

...and miss Maiya?...

Although she's also heavily wounded, they aren't life threatening. Yours are worse! The amount of blood coming out from this--

Saber stopped halfway, astounded.

The blood that flowed out of Irisviel's body until now suddenly stopped. Saber carefully rolled up the broken clothes and saw that it was all stained with blood but couldn't find any trace of the wounds on her smooth skin.

—Sorry, I scared you.

With Saber holding her arm, Irisviel got up painlessly. Her face ought to be pale, but it already regained its color. The recent wound seemed like a mere illusion.

Irisviel, What's--

It should be alright. Don't worry. Compared to magecraft used to heal others, healing myself is pretty easy... from the beginning, my body wasn't created as a human's body.

Ah...

As Irisviel smiled gently towards Saber, her eyes wide of surprise, she apologized in her heart for lying to this incomparable trusting knight.

It's actually thanks to you, Saber...

Although Irisviel's body, from magecraft's perspective, is artificial, it hadn't any self healing magecraft triggered upon losing one's consciousness. What healed her was a miracle that had nothing to do with Einsbern's magecraft.

Holy relic Avalon--Heals all it's bearer's wounds, and even stops his aging. The sheath of the sword Excalibur. The artifact used back at the Einsbern's castle to summon Heroic Spirit Arturia. Now it was a conceptual weapon, introduced inside Irisviel's body.

Normally thought, it should be the Master, Kiritsugu's equipped trump card. But then, serving as the front line substitute Master Irisviel's protection, he left this utmost defensive holy relic in the hands of his wife.

Anyway, if its real owner wasn't near supporting prana, the sheath wouldn't have any properties. To Kiritsugu, who decided from the start to act separately from Saber, it was an useless thing.

Kiritsugu, who didn't trust his own servant, in order to keep it, had carefully asked Irisviel not to tell Saber about the existence of the sheath. But Irisviel, forcefully borrowing the holy relic of the king of knights, felt very uneasy in her heart about this thing.

Even so, when its effects were confirmed, it was a truly astounding power. Before Saber arrived, Irisviel was undoubtedly in fatal state. Just by the touch of the hand of the king of knights, the wounds softly healed, and the energies were rapidly recovered. It was nonetheless known as a miraculous holy relic. 　　 Her Magic Circuit, that Kirei broke by brute force, should have malfunctions, but now it hadn't any problems. So now she should be able to smoothly use magecraft as always.

So next should be treating Maiya's wounds. Fainted, but not dying, although she suffered serious wounds. 　　 Irisviel, looking at the wounds mercilessly done upon the body, realized again the terror that inspired that man, Kirei.

The perpetrator was a monster. Whether facing firearms or magecraft, he only used his physical capabilities to pulverize Irisviel and Maiya's combined attack. 　　 This isn't an enemy to be let approach Kiritsugu. Irisviel bit her lips because of the pressure he exerted.

This victory could be called a miracle attained from the persistence. But it was clearly luck. If Saber had been slightly delayed in the battle with Caster or Lancer, Kirei would have reached the castle deep within the forest.

This wasn't the end. Next time, Kirei will challenge Emiya Kiritsugu again. But it's not only me who is protecting Kiritsugu... right, miss Maiya?

Because before healing she had lost the sense of pain, the pained expression had become serene. She hadn't regained consciousness yet, and without the usual rejecting, sinister expression on her sleeping face, she just seemed an innocent girl.

She should hate her. Irisviel wasn't inhuman anymore. Because her soul became one of a woman, a wife who loved a man.

But now, Irisviel must thank Hissau Maiya. Because it was Maiya who told Irisviel her objectives in this War.

Next time we must win. We'll protect him together...

After setting a new oath, Irisviel began to concentrate on healing Maiya's bruised body.