My Fates Codex of Type-Moon

Even with the existing connection from memory, it wasn't a reason for Sakutsuki to let Kiritsugu Emiya mess around, let alone almost lose his own life this time.

Destroy the plan = Stop Sakutsuki from getting the Holy Grail = Prevent him from saving this dissipating body = He wants to kill me = Die!

Not to mention Kiritsugu Emiya also laid hands on his cutest, most well-behaved, and most beloved little sister!

Heretic, inside!

Gan Jiang and Mo Ye swung mercilessly towards Kiritsugu Emiya's arms, but they were blocked by an invisible sword.

"I'm sorry, Sakutsuki, I can't let you harm my Master." Saber's golden hair fluttered, her heroic and beautiful face possessing a unique charm under the moonlight.

Staring at the retreating Kiritsugu Emiya, Sakutsuki's golden eyes turned cold. He withdrew, the twin swords in his hands vanishing. A black iron bow was drawn, arrow nocked!

That's right, it was an arrow!

His killing intent transformed into words, Sakutsuki's gaze was icy as he whispered softly:

"Caladbolg II"

As Irisviel was the Lesser Grail and they had a friendly relationship, Sakutsuki naturally wouldn't attack her. But Kiritsugu Emiya was different—

As a filial son, he'd remove a few of his old man's body parts and let him live out his twilight years in a wheelchair, saving him from impractical fantasies of saving the world. Then he could accept the meticulous care from him and his wife… wouldn't that be wonderful!

The surging storm of mana instantly converged at a single point. The brief silence held an undisguised killing intent.

Not only Kiritsugu Emiya, but even Saber's expression changed, becoming uneasy and anxious.

"Dangerous, Irisviel, get back!"

Irisviel? Wife?

Sakutsuki's hand paused slightly.

She was here too?

Was this why Kiritsugu Emiya reacted so quickly to his scheme?

Completely unaware that the disaster was caused by his own shared food pictures, Sakutsuki watched the last glimpse of the trench coat about to disappear around the corner. He snorted in displeasure, retracted some of his mana, and the spiraling arrow left the bowstring!

"Broken Phantasm!"

Following the Hyatt Hotel, an office building next to it also cried out in agony and slowly collapsed.

The collapsing phantasm swept through every corner of reality, with only a verdant gale surging, stubbornly protecting a certain corner within the scene of destruction.

When the two buildings completely turned into history, Sakutsuki retracted his iron bow and stood silently.

Before him, the swordswoman holding the golden sword was breathing heavily. Behind her was Irisviel, her face filled with apology.

As for Kiritsugu Emiya, he had long since disappeared.

After her breathing stabilized slightly, Saber, whose holy sword was no longer concealed, said angrily, "Do you know how dangerous that was, Sakutsuki! Irisviel was almost caught in it."

In response to Saber's reprimand, the white-haired youth tilted his head and sneered:

"Ah, what a coincidence, my head was almost blown off by a shot just now."

He didn't deliberately show his pierced palm, but Artoria still noticed the terrifying wound, her blue pupils trembling slightly.

"Sakutsuki, you..."

"No need for unnecessary words, King of Knights." At some point, Sakutsuki's expression had calmed down, as if he hadn't healed Saber's injuries. He raised his twin blades.

"Kiritsugu Emiya did remind me—this is war, and I should also retract some of my careless thoughts. Things won't go according to my plan just because I wish it."

There was no anger in the youth's tone. Just as he thought, anger, shock, sadness... these emotions were merely reminders, reminders of his own shortcomings, and then he should make up for his mistakes—if he were to simply indulge in them, he wouldn't be able to move forward.

Just like tonight's operation, if he hadn't let down his guard and had been constantly monitoring the actions of other Masters, this crisis wouldn't have occurred.

However, even though I rationally realized my mistake, the melancholy in my heart won't dissipate so easily. His spiritual attire fluttered, the white-haired youth pointed the tip of his blade at Saber, his lips curling:

"Weren't you going to hold me back? It's a good time for me to vent too. How about it, Saber? Want to spar a few rounds?"

"Hoo..." Saber let out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief, subtly pushed the dazed Irisviel to a safe place, and then raised her dazzling golden sword.

"I couldn't ask for more."

The next moment, two figures clashed violently!

Another location.

This was an unnamed steel-framed floor. After construction was completed, it would be the thirty-eighth floor of the Fuyuki Central Tower.

The construction progress was only halfway through, and the exterior finishing was about to begin. This mixed-use commercial building, which would become a landmark of Fuyuki City in the future, still exposed its steel bars and concrete surfaces, vulnerable to the strong winds blowing across the night sky.

At the same time, this was also Maiya Hisau's location.

"I didn't expect you to blow up the entire building. Someone so unscrupulous doesn't seem like a magus. Or perhaps, he's very good at targeting the weaknesses of magi?"

A deep, cold male voice echoed on this floor, announcing the arrival of an uninvited guest. Maiya Hisau gripped her pistol, vigilantly watching the man in the mage's robe, and instinctively spoke his name.

"Kirei, Kotomine..."

That was the anomaly Maiya Hisau had sensed when the Hyatt Hotel collapsed.

It wasn't a sign like smell or sound, but a more abstract change in atmosphere. Only the intuition of a warrior tempered by life-and-death combat could truly sense this aura.

And an excellent assassin never ignored such a warning sign.

Focusing her mind like a blade's edge, she drew her 9mm Glock pistol from its hip holster, scanning her surroundings.

Someone had found her—

"You're quite perceptive, woman."

A low, indifferent male voice came from behind her, its echo bouncing off the surrounding steel pillars, making its source impossible to pinpoint.

Something arced slowly from the shadows of the steel pillars, landing at Maiya's feet.

Maiya quickly aimed her gun at the projectile. When she realized it wasn't dangerous, she refocused on the thrower's location.

But her peripheral vision remained locked on the object that had fallen at her feet, because she recognized what it was.

It was the corpse of a bat, with a CCD camera strapped to its abdomen. This was the familiar that Maiya had dispatched to await orders near the Fuyuki Church, and it had been out of contact ever since.

The fact that someone could throw this bat corpse at her meant their identity was obvious. The person didn't seem inclined to hide either, casually stepping out from their hiding place to stand between Maiya's line of sight and her gun.

He was a tall man with a troubled expression, exuding an indescribable pressure. His pitch-black monk's robe seemed like a three-dimensional shadow cast upon the ground, as if it enveloped all the surrounding darkness.

Maiya was no stranger to this man.

"Kirei... Kotomine..."

The Master that Kiritsugu was most wary of, and the most dangerous one.

As for Sakutsuki, Maiya had already automatically categorized him with the Servants.

"Oh? I believe this is our first meeting. Is there a reason you recognize me? Then I suppose I can guess your origin as well," the man responded.

Maiya realized she had inadvertently murmured aloud and cursed inwardly.

Kirei showed no fear of Maiya's gun, continuing calmly, "If that's the case, you must know a few other things. You know this is an excellent vantage point for monitoring the Fuyuki Hyatt Hotel's thirty-second floor, and you know who is staying in that hotel."

Maiya remained silent this time, but she was wondering why Kirei Kotomine, a Master who had previously been so secretive, would appear so brazenly.

On the other hand, Kirei turned his head slightly towards the outside of the building, glancing at the location of the Hyatt Hotel, which had vanished without a trace, leaving only a cloud of dust and smoke. He sighed in surprise.

"I didn't expect you to blow up the entire building. Someone who resorts to such desperate measures doesn't seem like a magus. Or perhaps, he's very good at exploiting the weaknesses of magi?"

Maiya was startled, realizing that this man knew as much about Kiritsugu Emiya as Kiritsugu knew about Kirei Kotomine.

"Don't make me do all the talking, woman. You only need to answer one question—where is the man who was supposed to come instead of you?"

Hearing his question, Maiya stopped speculating about Kirei Kotomine.

There was no thought other than to kill this man.

She released the safety, pulled the trigger.

The rapid-fire shots rang out continuously, three consecutive booms.

While the 9mm caliber was known as a military round and possessed sufficient lethality, it wasn't overwhelming. Therefore, hitting the abdomen three times was common sense for a professional. Rather than aiming for small, vital areas, it was better to target larger, easier-to-hit areas to incapacitate the opponent. This was the iron rule of lethal shooting techniques.

However, the bullets struck not the internal organs beneath the cassock, but the hard concrete floor.

Kirei's evasive movement was incredibly fast, but human physical capabilities couldn't outpace supersonic bullets. Kirei Kotomine had simply acted a step faster than Maiya's thought process—he had predicted his opponent's actions.

He gauged the aiming point from Maiya's line of sight, then determined the moment of firing from her tensed limbs, braced for the gun's recoil, and thereby dodged the bullets.

This was an ability that transcended the ordinary, in both the mundane world and the world of mystery.

Moreover—the one who flipped and dodged in that instant was not Kirei, but Maiya.

Her free right hand was covered in thick blood, and the Glock pistol that should have been in her hand lay on the ground with a hollow clatter.

Her astonished gaze fixed on a cold sword light embedded in the steel pillar that had been behind her moments ago. It was this sharp projectile that had silently wounded her right hand and knocked away her weapon.

It was a thin blade with a blade length exceeding one meter. While it resembled a Western sword, its hilt was too short by sword standards.

This was a special throwing weapon used by the Enforcers of the Holy Church, known as "Black Keys." The robed man had fired this blade as he dodged the trajectory of the bullets.

As one of the basic anti-heretical armaments for Holy Church Enforcers, Black Keys were naturally potent, but also extremely difficult to use. Only a master with exceptional skill could wield their power effectively. Kirei Kotomine, who had undergone masochistic training since childhood, was impeccable in this regard. Even the "Burial Agency," the ultimate force of the Church filled with monsters, might not surpass him in the art of wielding Black Keys.

The Holy Church, Enforcers.

The terrifying nature of Kirei Kotomine was evident in this swift exchange.

Maiya Hisau, a skilled killer tempered by life-and-death battles on the battlefield, almost perfect in every aspect, was wounded and disarmed in an instant, losing her combat capability. She was utterly defenseless against Kirei Kotomine and could likely be captured within tens of seconds, unable to escape or even commit suicide. The gap in their combat power was despair-inducing.

If Kirei Kotomine hadn't intended to capture her alive but to kill her, the person named Maiya Hisau would likely be a corpse lying on the ground right now.

"What's wrong, Maiya? What happened?"

An anxious inquiry came through her earpiece. Maiya Hisau's ear twitched slightly, but she didn't reply.

It wasn't that she couldn't, but that she wouldn't. She didn't want this dangerous man to get close to Kiritsugu Emiya. This terrifying Enforcer's true target wasn't Maiya, but Kiritsugu. Just as Kirei had predicted, she was Kiritsugu's subordinate, acting on his orders. She absolutely could not let Kirei Kotomine obtain proof here and now.

"What? Aren't you seeking support? Kiritsugu Emiya should be nearby, right?" Kirei directly spoke the name. He was also certain that if Kiritsugu Emiya, recruited by the Einzberns, was involved in this Holy Grail War, he would definitely make a move tonight.

But the woman remained silent, and Kirei Kotomine, who was acting on his own initiative, was growing impatient.

He must not kill her; he must capture her alive. However, as long as she could still speak, that would be enough. There was no need to keep her limbs intact.

Kirei made a cold judgment in his heart and advanced towards the woman hiding behind the steel pillar. His opponent should be disarmed by now. The disassembled assault rifle couldn't be reassembled instantly, nor did she have time to retrieve the dropped pistol.

The outcome was decided.

But just then, a white curtain suddenly rushed between him and his prey, completely obscuring his vision. The pungent smell of chemical reaction stung his nostrils.

"Smoke bomb!?"

Ahem, I've consulted with my editor. To maximize recommendations, this book will be updated once a day from now on. Updates will resume after it's put on the shelves. Please be aware.

Kiritsugu Emiya must be nearby.

Kirei Kotomine was so certain.

Even though he had never met that magus killer, even though his past was two parallel lines unrelated to the man named "Kiritsugu Emiya," the moment he obtained the information, Kirei Kotomine felt a tremor from his soul.

He was gazing at that man, firmly believing that an abyss was buried in that man's heart as well.

The Holy Grail, which could grant any wish, the Heroic Spirits who had gathered here throughout history... these things that could make one's blood boil were, in Kirei Kotomine's eyes, less important than the existence of "Kiritsugu Emiya."

He had endured his nihilistic and empty life for far too long.

He couldn't find a sense of happiness, he had no personal desires, and his devotion to religion was a hope that God would answer his inner confusion. Yet, the more proficient he became in studying doctrine and the more skilled he became in honing his techniques, the less he could find the right path he truly desired.

He became a priest because of his father's expectations, and the Master of Assassin because of his master's wish... it was as if "Kirei Kotomine" could only continue to walk in this chaotic mortal world by using others' requests as fuel.

If he had been born in an era of war, Kirei Kotomine, who had not yet uncovered his true nature, would surely have become a being like "Siegfried," wielding the holy sword Balmung, defeating the evil dragon Fafnir amidst the cheers of the people, and becoming a hero who constantly repaid the expectations of others.

But unfortunately, this was an era of peace. People's wishes were not trampled upon, and there was no need for someone to uphold justice and fight bloody battles for them.

It was precisely because of this that the void within Kirei Kotomine's heart grew larger and larger. He couldn't perceive happiness, but he could feel a peculiar pleasure from the ugliness of others—yet, the teachings he received since childhood told him that this was not permitted by God.