Type-Moon: My Fate Illustration Book Chapter 35

But Irisviel simply smiled gently, as if seeing through her husband's soul, and said:

"Can we escape?"

"We can escape. If we leave now, it's still not too late," Kiritsugu replied immediately. However, this wasn't a statement born from firm conviction; it was merely words forced out to cling to an infinitesimally small hope.

"—You're lying." So Irisviel refuted him, denying him gently yet cruelly.

"Those words are a lie. Kiritsugu Emiya, you absolutely cannot escape. You won't forgive yourself for abandoning the Holy Grail, for being unable to save the world. You will surely become the first and last punisher, killing the existence that is 'Kiritsugu Emiya'."

The man cradled in her arms fell silent.

Was he crying? Or was he letting out a silent sob?

Because he himself knew very well that there was no other choice left long ago.

The iron curtain had already fallen. The moment they stepped into Fuyuki City, there was nowhere left to run.

Once he realized this, it was as if something within him shattered.

In its place, a new conviction solidified in Kiritsugu Emiya's heart.

"Ah, yes. We can't escape anymore."

Gently, yet irrefutably, pushing away her embrace, Kiritsugu Emiya revealed himself to Irisviel once more as the cold and meticulous "Magus Killer."

"At least allow me to struggle a bit before Fate arrives."

Saying this with an utterly mocking tone, Kiritsugu Emiya had Saber take Irisviel away. He then took out a pager. This old-fashioned device neither vibrated nor rang. The reception signal was sent through a modified line into the detonator fuse connected to a C4 bomb.

He pressed the final button without hesitation.

Accompanied by a deep, thunderous rumble, a dazzling fireball suddenly engulfed the hotel.

Although the explosion wasn't large, and the sound didn't even reach beyond the deserted hotel.

But what echoed in the night sky, replacing the sound of the explosion, was the eerie wail of steel and concrete grinding against each other.

The hotel collapsed!

The skyscraper, over one hundred and fifty meters tall, maintained its upright posture as it crumbled as if being sucked into the ground. Because all the exterior walls collapsed inward, not a single piece of debris was flung outward. Only the dust generated by the collapse submerged the surrounding streets.

Under Kiritsugu Emiya's masterful demolition techniques, by destroying the load-bearing walls and key support pillars, the Hyatt Hotel pressed down under its own weight, achieving complete destruction.

There were no superfluous arrangements, minimizing the impact on the surroundings, and almost no sound was made—only the phenomenon of a 150-meter building collapsing could attest to how skilled and terrifying Kiritsugu Emiya's demolition techniques were.

Yet the man who caused all this didn't spare the demolition even a glance. His coat billowed in the gale generated by the building's fall as he walked among the crowd, with the sobs of frightened children beside him and their mothers hastily comforting them.

But such sights could no longer sway Kiritsugu Emiya's steps.

He walked forward indifferently, watching the masses flee. When the wind pressure finally subsided, he lit the cigarette in his mouth and made a call.

"Maiya, how are things on your end?"

"There was no activity from the thirty-second floor to the top. The target did not escape the building."

"Good."

Kiritsugu Emiya walked to the foot of another building. In a hidden corner by the entrance to the stairwell, he took out a case resembling a cello case.

"Prepare for the sniper shot, Maiya."

Opening the case, well-maintained gun parts lay quietly inside. The Magus Killer quickly assembled them, transforming them into a dangerous killing weapon.

With a cigarette in his mouth, Kiritsugu Emiya raised the sniper rifle and coldly declared:

"Even if Kayneth dies, Caster's Master, Sakutsuki, won't be so easily defeated."

"When the time comes, we'll pierce his head ourselves."

Several minutes before the explosion.

"Dilectus incursio!"

"The night is silent, my shadow will envelop the world—「Satz-Mein Blut widersteht invasionen」!"

Negative emotions surged, and the giant's shadow, returned from the void, descended. After devouring all the demons and monsters, it crossed paths with the poisonous mercury blades and rushed towards their respective targets.

However, the slashes, comparable to laser beams, were blocked by the distorted space. The imaginary giant lost its lock on the targets, and its attacks all missed.

After a brief respite, the two magi employed their abilities once more:

"Anfang!"

"Trace on!"

The gem bombardment of wind and fire met its match in the chaotic swordplay. The dual Yin-Yang swords, shot out from the explosion, pierced into the pillar-like mercury defense, becoming immobile.

"No need for defense, automatic attack. What a cheap tactic, truly worthy of Lord El-Melloi's ultimate Noble Phantasm, 'Volumen hydrargyrum'."

"Likewise. A virtual magus who can summon giants from another dimension has likely reached the Brand or even Grand rank."

"Ha, I'm just good at fighting."

Exchanging lukewarm words, Sakutsuki and Kayneth smiled at each other, their eyes filled with the confidence and will to kill the other.

In the long lives of magi, besides the persistent pursuit of the Root, they at least had mutual secret art exchanges to add some color to lives that could be seen at a glance.

It's just that you can't expect these guys who never went through nine years of compulsory education to have normal thinking—the so-called secret art exchange isn't a salon for socialites, with no warm music and fine food to enjoy.

Want to exchange secret arts? Fine by me!

Then bet your life on it, use your own body to feel the power of magic, and those who survive the secret art exchange will surely get one step closer to their wishes!

Call it pathological, call it raising poisonous insects, it's all just a means to approach the Root's vortex. Whether it's the mysteries of magic or one's own life, to orthodox magi, they are all chips that can be traded at any time.

That's what a magus is.

In fact, Sakutsuki can't be called a magus. He has no interest in the Root's vortex, only seeing magic as a useful tool (like Kiritsugu). People like him are merely magicians—those who deem themselves noble magi often describe them this way.

But no matter what, even if the magician Sakutsuki and the magus Kayneth have different philosophies, at this very moment, they are indeed enjoying the charm and joy of clashing magic.

However, a sudden explosion destroyed everything.

It was as if the very earth had abandoned them, the floor shaking violently, creating a sense of instability that rose from their feet, spreading throughout their bodies, and finally shattering like fragile glass.

"Rumble..."

The magically reinforced floor instantly shattered, its mysterious radiance dimmed by an almost cataclysmic force, and Sakutsuki and Kayneth, caught off guard, faced a collapsing world.

Faced with mortal destruction, their reactions differed.

Kayneth, after a brief surprise, let out a sigh of relief, but quickly realized something and panicked. He hurriedly deployed Volumen Hydrargyrum, clinging to the shattered building materials, and rushed towards a certain room like a giant spider.

Sakutsuki, on the other hand, let out an undisguised sigh, his expression filled with the helplessness of "my Papa is acting up again." He then took a step forward, his entire body disappearing into a rhomboid displacement space.

When he reappeared, he was already at the bottom of the Hyatt Hotel. The two Servants before him were waiting anxiously. Seeing Sakutsuki appear, one of them revealed a delighted smile:

"Onii-chan, welcome back!"

"Yo, Miyu, I'm back." Sakutsuki smiled and ruffled her hair, then turned to Lancer, whose face was filled with anxiety, and said, "Director Kayneth should be fine. With Volumen Hydrargyrum, he'll definitely survive."

"Thank you, Sakutsuki." After receiving a positive reply, Diarmuid relaxed. He bid farewell to Sakutsuki and hurried away, clearly going to aid his Master.

The young man and his sister who remained in place exchanged smiles. However, before Sakutsuki could say anything, an inexplicable chill suddenly crawled up his back.

Innate Skill: Mind's Eye (True), Clairvoyance activated.

Eliminate interference.

Lock onto target, trace trajectory, analyze target, complete.

It's a 7.62mm sniper rifle round!

The shooter is identified as Kiritsugu Emiya.

Caliber matches, suspected... Origin Bullet!

And the target of the shot is—

"Miyu!" With just enough time to push the girl beside him away, intense pain shot through Sakutsuki's palm.

There was no sound of a bullet entering flesh, nor any blood. Miyu's pupils constricted as she looked at the palm that had suddenly developed a hole, momentarily forgetting to breathe.

But Sakutsuki didn't have time to react to Miyu's shock. He pulled his sister behind him with his still-intact left hand, then stomped heavily. A broadsword, as wide as a shield, descended from the sky, blocking the space between Kiritsugu Emiya and Sakutsuki.

Even he hadn't expected Kiritsugu Emiya to go for a kill. He had placed a powerful suggestion magic on the personnel list and had the front desk staff call out names that were agonizing for Kiritsugu Emiya—without anyone else interfering, Kiritsugu shouldn't have recovered so quickly!

But facts were facts. After the shock, it was time to fully compensate for his miscalculation. Enduring the intense pain in his right hand, the young man's golden eyes sharpened as he quickly considered the magus killer's next move.

Due to his special physique, Sakutsuki could not confirm whether this bullet was indeed Kiritsugu's ultimate Noble Phantasm. Because of this, he had to consider both possibilities.

If this was indeed an Origin Bullet, then Kiritsugu's target was to cripple Miyu, weakening my combat power. Even I, without a Servant, would have difficulty surviving this Holy Grail War... Then he must have started to retreat. Kiritsugu knew very well how terrifying I would be in an enraged state.

But if this wasn't an Origin Bullet... I know that Origin Bullets pose a threat to magi. Even the Servant Caster could not be immune to Origin, and Miyu's Noble Phantasm, Sapphire, is very important and must not be destroyed, so I definitely wouldn't gamble on that possibility... And Kiritsugu's target could never be a Servant, it could only be... me!

This man knew from the beginning that I would shield Miyu from the shot!

Since he calculated this, Kiritsugu's attack wouldn't be so simple. He would definitely use this to achieve his goal... The question is, what is his goal?

Recalling all his actions: blocking the attack with his magic-reinforced palm, protecting Miyu, and establishing a defense line to block his sniping view... these smooth actions shouldn't have any flaws.

A cool night breeze blew, bypassing the defensive wall Sakutsuki had erected and coming from the other three sides.

Sakutsuki's defense was not impenetrable.

And Kiritsugu Emiya was not acting alone. Besides him, there was another woman who would definitely come here—

"No, Maiya Hisau!" Sakutsuki hurriedly turned back, but it was too late.

As if sensing Sakutsuki's panic, Kiritsugu Emiya let out a slight cold smile.

Still too green, kid.

For an assassin, even an exposed trump card can be used as a new killer move.

He issued an order into his earpiece.

"Maiya, move."

Instantly, dense gunfire erupted from the other end of the communication.

Kiritsugu Emiya's plan was actually very simple.

As the only Master who understood the power of the Origin Bullet, Sakutsuki would never allow him to attack the Servant of the "Caster" class. With his physical abilities comparable to a Heroic Spirit, shielding that little girl from the shot was a foregone conclusion.

What he had to do was to use this certain future to inflict a significant blow on Sakutsuki's group.

Using sniper rounds with the same caliber as the Origin Bullet as a guise, he forced Sakutsuki to erect a defense. Judging by Sakutsuki's attitude towards Caster, he wouldn't use magic to escape alone. And based on his observations, Sakutsuki's defensive methods were usually one-sided. Even with excellent defensive capabilities, he couldn't block attacks from other directions.

Servants can materialize, but their Masters cannot.

The real sniping opportunity would be left to his other half—Maiya Hisau.

With her marksmanship, while Sakutsuki was still contemplating the reason, the bullet would pierce his unguarded head.

Just as he had predicted, the moment the command was issued, gunshots rang out from Maiya's direction.

However, Kiritsugu Emiya's expression changed instantly.

This was a sniping, not a chaotic gunfight!

Such dense gunfire could only mean one thing: something had happened to Maiya, and she was fighting someone!

Flipping up his trench coat, Kiritsugu Emiya was about to go to her rescue when the wall beside him exploded, and the blast wave sent him flying.

Rising quickly, the white-haired young man appeared before him, dual-wielding blades, his gaze unfriendly.

"You really got me there, Kiritsugu. I almost lost my life."

Although it was a delayed realization, Sakutsuki had prepared himself for serious injury upon sensing Kiritsugu Emiya's plan. However, the attack from Maiya Hisau never came. As he breathed a sigh of relief, he understood that, just like in the original story, Kirei Kotomine had appeared and held Maiya Hisau back.

If a third party hadn't interfered, he would have been the one to fall.

With his worries gone, Sakutsuki immediately had Miyu materialize and then came charging with his large blade, intending to cripple Kiritsugu Emiya.

To reiterate: he, Sakutsuki, had only inherited Kiritsugu Emiya's memories!