My Fates Codex in Type-Moon

"Ire: sanctio!" (Pursue: Exterminate)

The mercury received its command. Fine tendrils scattered like spray, once again conducting a carpet search across the entire first floor. The mercury sphere immediately found the target's location, rolling swiftly across the floor in urgent pursuit. Kayneth, running behind it, wore a sadistic smile at the corner of his mouth.

The chase had begun.

There were differences between the anime and the original novel. In the novel, Volumen Hydrargyrum was stored directly in a ceramic jar, ten liters in total, as if he were carrying an urn of ashes... Kayneth holding that thing instantly wrecked his cool image, didn't it? In the anime, it had been changed into a single test tube, and its stylishness shot straight up.

As had been mentioned before, the intermediary when the Einzbern family purchased this land had been Fuyuki City's magecraft administrator—the Tohsaka Estate.

Even if Tokiomi Tohsaka had been gentlemanly enough not to make any moves before this, that did not mean he would be foolish enough to refrain from setting up surveillance here during the Holy Grail War.

Especially after losing Assassin under such terrible circumstances.

Although the overly vast forest prevented familiars from conducting a complete search, not long after the magical clash, Tokiomi Tohsaka's familiar arrived at the scene and provided the magus with a view.

It was a massive melee between Berserker, Lancer, and Saber.

Though Lancer had come to Saber's rescue and spared her from disaster, that did not mean they were allies. It was merely mutual respect between those who followed chivalry.

Saber's goal was to stop the intruders. Besides Berserker, Lancer, who had entered the forest alongside his Master, was also within the scope of her interception.

Lancer's goal, meanwhile, was to ensure no one disturbed his Master Kayneth's battle for revenge. Thus, while preventing Berserker from attacking Saber, he could not possibly allow Saber any chance to free herself up.

As for Berserker... he fought anyone he saw. He had never cared whether someone was an ally or an enemy.

For that very reason, the conflict among the three Servants had fallen into a bizarre stalemate, with no victor decided even now.

In Tokiomi Tohsaka's eyes, however, the significance of the three Servants appearing was far greater than their current battle.

"So that Clock Tower lord invaded Einzbern to avenge last night's battle? Against Kayneth, who stands only one step away from the Grand rank, Einzbern's homunculi have little chance of winning... But why did Berserker go to war with Einzbern today? Who exactly is the Matou family's Master?"

At the mention of the Matou family, Tokiomi Tohsaka inevitably thought of his—no, his former daughter, Sakura.

Over the past year, although Tokiomi Tohsaka had insisted on keeping his distance from Sakura after severing ties with her, he could not withstand the pleas of his wife and daughter. He had still gone to the Matou Estate and met Sakura once.

At that time, Sakura Matou's hair and eyes had already turned purple. Standing behind her was not Zouken Matou, the old head of the Matou family, but Kariya Matou, who had mastered water magecraft.

Setting aside the Matou family's abnormalities—such as being rebuilt after getting blown up—Kariya Matou's inexplicable hostility toward him had also left Tokiomi Tohsaka deeply puzzled.

But even if Kariya Matou had joined the Holy Grail War... he should have chosen to oppose the Tohsaka Estate. Why had he become Einzbern's enemy?

Lost in thought, he failed to notice a faint fluctuation coming from the Tohsaka Estate's barrier. Yet it quickly vanished without a trace.

A black shadow resembling Assassin appeared at the entrance to the Tohsaka Residence and looked up at the silent house.

Please note, this was not a drill.

Repeating.

This was not a drill.

A short-haired man in a pitch-black cassock, tall and imposing, his expression stern, was walking along the other side of the forest.

Kirei Kotomine had no intention of inserting himself into the battle. The eastern side of the forest was highly likely to become the battlefield, since enemies coming from Fuyuki would generally think to attack from that direction.

So Kirei waited outside the western edge of the forest for the fighting to begin. When the battle unfolded in the east as he expected, he intended to gamble on whether he could launch a surprise attack on the castle from behind the battlefield.

It was not that he had failed to notice the warning barrier. Rather, it was precisely because of it that he had walked over so openly.

The reason was simple: Kirei Kotomine was waiting for Einzbern's participant to arrive.

Kiritsugu Emiya.

He desperately wanted to find an answer from that man.

What he did not know was that several people closely connected to Kiritsugu Emiya stood between him and his wish.

For example, two women who had originally intended to flee, only to return to the battlefield in order to protect the same man.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Gunfire erupted like a storm.

But before that, the composed priest had already crouched down, pinpointed the enemy's position from the direction of the shots, and fired two Black Keys.

A dull sound came as the blades pierced tree trunks.

"...Hm?" He had missed. Kirei was somewhat surprised by the result.

In that instant of distraction, gunfire came from his left again. Although Kirei dodged at the last possible moment, this situation was even more dangerous than the previous volley. His earlier conclusion that there was only one enemy had slowed his reaction slightly.

But it was truly strange. The firing positions had been completely different both times. The other party moved far too quickly. If there had been two shooters from the start, they should have coordinated their timing and used crossfire to snipe him.

Before the doubt in his heart could be resolved, Kirei Kotomine sensed four more presences. He immediately drew two Black Keys in each hand, four in total.

After that instinctive reaction, the experienced Kirei Kotomine realized something in an instant.

"This is... an illusion?"

It was not impossible. He had already ventured quite deeply into the forest barrier. If illusion magecraft had been incorporated into the barrier, and there was a caster nearby capable of manipulating it, then that person could interfere specifically with Kirei's senses.

Was there really only one invisible sniper? If there was only one, was that person also controlling the illusion? Or was someone else providing support...

No matter what, until he found a clue to break through the spell, he could only dance to the enemy's tune.

The priest in his cassock raised his four Black Keys and rapidly hurled them toward the four presences in succession—sure enough, none struck their targets.

Then, immediately afterward, a bullet struck him directly in the back.

It was a high-speed bullet whose presence could not be sensed at all. The barrier set up in Einzbern Forest could not only create killing intent to deceive enemies, but also conceal true murderous intent.

This third shot was the real killing blow.

Maiya Hisau, who had orchestrated this battle, slowly lowered her gun.

Under Irisviel's illusion, a .300 Winchester round passed through the positions Kirei had already cleared with his Black Keys, crossing more than a hundred meters with almost no killing intent and striking Kirei Kotomine's spine with precision.

Given the destructive power of the Walther WA2000, Maiya was certain the target's spinal cord had been pierced through.

Kirei Kotomine reacted exactly as Maiya had imagined. He did not even have time to scream before falling flat onto his back, without convulsing or letting out a pained groan.

He should have died on the spot after his spine was shot through according to plan—Maiya made that judgment, rose from her sniping position, aimed the Calico submachine gun in her hand at the prone Kirei, and carefully approached him.

"Maiya, don't!" Irisviel immediately saw that it was a trap and sent Maiya a telepathic warning, but it was already too late.

Kirei did not rise from where he lay. He merely flicked an arm and launched a concealed Black Key. The low-flying blade slashed Maiya's lower right leg, causing her to miss her chance to make her next move.

The next moment, the tall body of the man in black sprang up like a coiled spring and charged fiercely at Maiya.

Maiya showed no fear and opened fire. Yet Kirei did not even dodge, merely shielding his face with both hands. From the high collar of his cassock to its sleeves, everything was made from Kevlar fiber, with another tightly fitted layer of protective thaumaturgy specially designed for Church Executors woven inside. Even at point-blank range, nine-millimeter bullets could not penetrate it.

Even so, the kinetic force of ten shots per second at two hundred and fifty feet per second battered Kirei's body repeatedly like heavy blows from a metal bat. Yet his muscles, honed to their absolute limit, were like armor, completely protecting his bones and organs from the impact.

Realizing Kirei was wearing body armor all over, Maiya immediately discarded her Calico submachine gun and drew a Rambo knife from the side of her thigh.

Contrary to its resistance against bullets, Kevlar fiber could be cut very easily by sharp blades. If guns did not work, close combat was her only path to survival.

The instant the barrage stopped, Kirei drew another Black Key in each hand and launched a cross slash at Maiya from both sides. Despite her injured right leg, Maiya was not slowed in the slightest, using the heavy blade of her knife to knock aside the barrage of Black Keys.

Although the Black Keys were far longer than a tactical combat knife, they were ultimately knives reinforced for throwing. In close combat, compared with the Black Keys, which lacked balance due to their extremely short hilts, Maiya's tactical knife held an overwhelming advantage through its flexibility.

"I have an opening!"

Having confirmed her advantage, Maiya lunged forward in a near-suicidal posture—the Black Keys would have difficulty defending against an attack at this range, and even if she was hit by a counterattack, the chance of severe injury was low.

Kirei also caught Maiya's dagger with the Black Key in his right hand. He appeared to be planning to counterattack using the length of his blade, and the sword shadow that crossed past the dagger thrust toward her. Maiya, who had been prepared for this, easily dodged the counterattack. She merely tilted her head slightly to avoid the tip of the Black Key and pressed straight into the enemy's guard.

But just as Maiya became certain victory was within reach, Kirei performed an unexpected move that left her stunned.

Their right hands crossed each other like cross-counters in boxing—but Kirei's right hand, which should have been holding the short hilt of a Black Key, was empty. Halfway through the thrust, he had released his weapon.

In other words, Kirei's right hand had never intended to kill Maiya with the Black Key.

Strong, solid fingers wrapped around Maiya's right wrist. His tall, lean body in its black robe bent fluidly like a snake, slipping beneath Maiya's right arm. The next second, Kirei hooked Maiya's right arm behind his shoulder in a posture resembling someone helping an injured person walk.

In a fatal, helpless sense of despair, Maiya realized she had been deceived by her preconceived notion that her opponent was an Executor who used Black Keys. This movement came from Chinese martial arts—Bajiquan!

In that fatal despair, Kirei's side pressed tightly against Maiya's waist. His left elbow struck her solar plexus, while his left foot delivered a beautiful blow to her supporting leg.

Bajiquan's most iconic technique—Inner Gate Elbow Strike.

Maiya could not even break her fall and crashed heavily to the ground. The impact was so intense that she even felt as though her limbs had been torn from her body. Her entire body was numb and unable to move. All she could feel was the agonizing pain in her chest where the elbow had struck; at least two ribs had been broken.

Although he had rendered Maiya Hisau unable to fight with a single strike, Kirei did not stop there.

Kirei Kotomine's target was only Kiritsugu Emiya. He held no attachment to Maiya Hisau. Thus, he clenched his fist and prepared to deliver the final blow to the enemy before him.

At that moment, a clear, ringing chant resounded.

"Shape ist leben!" (Form, gain life!)

That had been earlier that morning.

"Kirei Kotomine... Why did you suddenly bring him up, Irisviel?" The golden-eyed young man handed Saber some snacks he had bought from a roadside stall, looking puzzled.

"Mm, although gathering information this way is somewhat underhanded, you're the only person who has ever come into contact with Kirei Kotomine, so..." Irisviel's cheeks reddened slightly. She took a deep breath and said, "I want to know what abilities that man, whom even Kiritsugu is extremely wary of, actually possesses!"

"Ohhh?" Sakutsuki narrowed his eyes and said meaningfully, "It's not because you noticed that man getting closer to Kiritsugu Emiya and felt jealous, is it?"

"N-No, no, no, no! Of course not!" Irisviel waved her hands desperately in denial.

"Irisviel, forbidden feelings between two men are not allowed." Saber offered a quiet reminder from the side.

"How could that possibly be the case, Saber?!" Her inner secret exposed, Irisviel's face flushed bright red, and she gave the clueless Knight King a flurry of soft punches.

"Hahaha... All right, I'll stop teasing you." After laughing for a while, Sakutsuki returned to the subject. "Kirei Kotomine is a very dangerous person. Excluding me, his strength is among the very best in this Holy Grail War. He can rival Kayneth."

"Kayneth... Then what about Kiritsugu? Which one is stronger, him or Kirei Kotomine?" asked the silver-haired, red-eyed homunculus, her puzzled expression like that of a child asking whether Ultraman could defeat a monster.

In response, Sakutsuki mercilessly shook his head. "Unfortunately, he can't."

"No way..."

"He is right, Irisviel." Saber supported his words, giving a fair assessment. "No matter what, Kiritsugu is an assassin. His strength lies in catching people off guard. Since Kirei Kotomine is called an Executor of the Church, his overall capabilities must surpass Kiritsugu Emiya's."

"Exactly." Sakutsuki nodded. "Kirei Kotomine is not a genius. He has merely put in dozens of times more effort than others, but precisely because of that, every aspect of his abilities has reached the first-class level."

"At range, he has the Church Executor's Black Keys. Up close, he has Bajiquan from Chinese martial arts. His cassock can not only stop bullets, but also defend against magecraft. More importantly, his will is as firm as stone; ordinary illusions are useless against him. Unless you can absolutely crush him in raw power like Saber and I can, it will be difficult for you to find any chance of victory."

"You can't say that, though. What Kiritsugu taught me wasn't just how to drive." Irisviel puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.

"I know. You mean Einzbern's specialty, alchemy, right?" The golden-eyed young man exposed Irisviel's trump card with a single sentence. "But the problem is, as a Church Executor, do you think Kirei Kotomine has encountered few magi?"

The magi hunted by the Church were those who had gone too far and too deep down the path of magecraft, even endangering the world, prompting the Church to issue orders for their execution—no matter how naturally gifted Irisviel was, she could not compare to wanted criminals who had immersed themselves in the mysteries for decades.

"If you are forced to encounter Kirei Kotomine and Saber is not there to protect you, Irisviel, you have only one option." Exchanging a glance with Saber, the young man raised one finger. "Throw all your magecraft at Kirei Kotomine, restrain him, and then... run!"

"Run as far as you can!" Sakutsuki's expression was resolute.

"Preferably to my side!" Saber's tone was firm.

Their seamless coordination left Irisviel caught between laughter and tears. Only after a while did she speak.

"You two... have such good chemistry."

"Huh? D-Do we?" The ahoge on Saber's head swayed.

"I'll accept that as a compliment." The golden-eyed young man smiled slyly and nodded with mock seriousness.

The memory ended there. Irisviel fixed her beautiful red eyes on Kirei Kotomine. The countless Magic Circuits within her body operated together, summoning the Einzbern family's signature specialty.

"Shape ist leben!" (Form, gain life!)

The brief two-line chant completed the magecraft in one breath. Silver threads crisscrossed and curved through the air, forming a complex outline. They wound around one another, entwining like woven wicker as they took on a complicated three-dimensional form. Majestic wings, a sharp beak, and feet armed with hooked talons. The finely wrought silver threads formed an imitation of a gigantic eagle.

No, it was not merely an imitation of its shape—

"Kyeeee!" The silver-threaded eagle let out a shriek like metal blades scraping together and spread its wings from Irisviel's arm. It was a rapidly grown artificial lifeform created through alchemy. Faced with a life-or-death crisis, Irisviel had placed her life in the hands of this "weapon."

The eagle flew as fast as a bullet, far beyond Kirei's expectations. He immediately twisted his body and barely evaded it. Its razor-sharp beak brushed right past the tip of his nose.

Its first attack having missed, the silver alchemical creation immediately soared high into the air and circled above Kirei's head. Like a hawk hunting on the plains, it spread its talons and swooped down at high speed, aiming for Kirei's face.