Night hung heavily over Japan, and after fierce clashes, this day was drawing to a close.
After successfully forcing Lancer from the battle, Shiki arranged for Black Knight to escort Kaineth and Sola out of Japan.
It was already ten at night. Though there were no direct flights to England, Kaineth said that as long as he could leave Japan, he had his own way to return safely to his homeland.
At eleven thirty, Shiki returned to the Matou Old House.
The old house was filled with an aged scent. Dim yellow lights swayed along the gloomy corridors as though they might go out at any moment.
He sat in the study, which was piled high with magecraft tomes, and began reviewing the results of tonight's battle.
He had gained much this night. Most importantly, he had obtained a large amount of magical energy, allowing him to recover part of his strength and giving him greater confidence for the brutal Holy Grail War ahead.
Besides that, he now had a Crimson Spear in his hands—the "Red Rose of Purgation."
This had originally been Lancer's primary weapon. When Lancer left the field, Shiki had used the power of his Mystic Eyes to retain it, preventing it from vanishing alongside Lancer.
After being empowered by Lancer's magical energy, this Noble Phantasm had surpassed its own rank. Even though it was still a B-rank anti-personnel Noble Phantasm, its true power was far beyond what B-rank could encompass. Calling it an anti-magic or anti-magecraft Noble Phantasm would not be an exaggeration.
Perhaps the complete Heroic Spirit Diarmuid's demonic spear had always possessed such formidable power.
Shiki picked up the spear and weighed it in his hand, frowning slightly. "A little heavy. It must weigh over ten kilograms, much heavier than the Demon Sword. Why is that?"
He thought of Black Knight's Demon Sword. It weighed just over one kilogram, less than two. Although it was a fairly large knight's sword, it was very light, and Shiki could wield it easily with one hand.
But the weight of this spear truly exceeded his expectations.
If his magical energy had not been abundant enough to enhance his physical abilities to some extent, using it flexibly would have been almost impossible.
The spear did indeed use more material than the Demon Sword, but its weight exceeded the Demon Sword's by far too much. That was clearly abnormal.
"Could it be because the Noble Phantasm Master retained violates the Holy Grail's rules? Is resisting those rules what makes Master feel that the Noble Phantasm has become heavier?"
A deep voice sounded from behind him.
Shiki turned around and saw Black Knight slowly materialize from the void in the study. He smiled and asked, "Mr. Lancelot, you're back. How did it go? Did Kaineth and the others leave the country safely?"
Black Knight knelt on one knee and answered in a low voice, "Master, I have returned. Kaineth and his fiancée have left Japan from the airport closest to Fuyuki City."
"The nearest airport... Kansai International Airport?"
"Yes, Master."
"All right."
Shiki recalled the map. If he remembered correctly, when Saber had unleashed that ridiculously overpowered version of Excalibur before, the beam had swept over Kansai International Airport.
Thinking of that, he clicked his tongue. "I hope nothing happened over there, otherwise... tsk, tsk..."
Black Knight seemed not to hear Shiki's muttering and continued, "Master, I believe it is Master's ability that is resisting the Holy Grail's rules. That is the main reason the Noble Phantasm has become heavier."
The Holy Grail's rules? Was there really such a thing?
Shiki pondered for a moment and felt that Black Knight's words made sense.
A Heroic Spirit's Noble Phantasm was originally part of that Heroic Spirit. When a Servant disappeared, the Noble Phantasm would inevitably vanish and return with it.
But who could have expected that he would be able to rely on his ability to retain a Noble Phantasm belonging to a Heroic Spirit, preventing it from returning alongside the Heroic Spirit?
As a result, the Heroic Spirit was no longer whole. By instinct, the Holy Grail would naturally try to restore the Heroic Spirit's soul to completeness, thereby pulling at this portion of the Heroic Spirit's Noble Phantasm.
This created a struggle against Shiki. The Greater Grail's power was unmatched, but when the Lesser Grail contended with Shiki's Mystic Eyes, it failed to pull the Noble Phantasm away, and the two were now locked in a stalemate.
Under the strain of those two opposing forces, the Noble Phantasm naturally became heavy.
Shiki suddenly understood. "So that's what it was."
To use this spear flexibly, he would inevitably have to deal with the Lesser Grail.
Still, he had obtained this Noble Phantasm only to deal with a particular Servant. Once he dealt with that opponent, this Noble Phantasm would be of no use to him.
"Forget it. I should get some rest. I've been busy all night and need to recharge. Tomorrow, I'll make the other guy leave the field, and this Holy Grail War will be nearing its end."
Shiki stretched and spoke with a hint of fatigue.
Black Knight nodded and slowly withdrew. He had consumed quite a bit of magical energy in today's battle with Lancer, but with Master's magical energy sustaining him, recovering would not be difficult.
Besides, Master still had quite a few Command Spells. They could prove immensely useful at a critical moment.
While Shiki prepared to rest, Kiritsugu Emiya found it difficult to sleep because of Irisviel and Saber.
Inside Fuyuki City's Holy Church, Kirei Kotomine stood alone beneath the pulpit, looking at his father lying there, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
For some unknown reason, Kirei Kotomine had not followed his father's instructions to help his teacher Tokiomi tonight. Instead, he had watched the battle in which the Heroic Spirits fought the giant Sea Monster alone.
He had witnessed Archer recklessly unleashing Noble Phantasms, turning two costly fighter jets into fireballs in an instant.
Archer's arrogant attitude, which treated human lives as worthless, was exactly that of a tyrant.
"Is the real Gilgamesh truly this kind of person...?"
He did not understand why the sight had made the corners of his mouth rise involuntarily. Nor did he understand why, upon seeing his dead father, he felt no sorrow but instead formed the absurd thought: If he had to die, why wasn't I the one who did it?
Had he already broken?
Had he never understood the true meaning of being alive from the very beginning?
"You seem lost, Kirei."
A slightly teasing voice rang through the silent Holy Church.
Kirei Kotomine looked up and saw the blond, red-eyed Archer in casual clothes approaching slowly with a glass of red wine in hand.
The faint moonlight filtering through the Holy Church's stained-glass windows fell over Archer, adding even more mystery and majesty to him.
"Archer. Gilgamesh."
Kirei Kotomine was not surprised by his appearance. This was not the first time they had met alone. Behind their teacher's back, they had spoken privately several times.
Archer walked to Kirei Kotomine's side and looked down at the old priest who had been dead for some time. Though his face showed no obvious expression, his eyes held a trace of mockery toward fate.
"The more one wishes to control something, the less one can control it. What do you think, Kirei?"
"What are you trying to say, Archer?" Kirei Kotomine frowned slightly.
"Heh, Kirei, there is a limit to playing dumb."
Archer stepped past the old priest and walked to the pulpit at the center of the Holy Church. With a faint smile, he sat atop it.
He swirled his wineglass and raised it toward the bright light. The light passed through the red wine and reflected upon their faces, as though staining them the color of blood.
"Kirei, your desire for the Holy Grail still remains, does it not?"
"I... desire the Holy Grail?"
Kirei Kotomine's face was full of confusion. His Servant Assassin had already been defeated. By all rights, he had lost his qualifications as a Master and withdrawn from the Holy Grail War.
Why would Archer say he still desired the Holy Grail?
He did not believe he had such thoughts.
"Yes. Kirei's desire and pursuit of the Holy Grail are no less than that clown's. You still wish to keep fighting, do you not?"
"Keep fighting..."
Kirei Kotomine sank into thought. That was right. He still had not understood Kiritsugu Emiya's actions and goals, nor did he understand why the woman beside Kiritsugu would sacrifice her life for him.
And on the day his wife committed suicide, he had likewise failed to understand why he had formed the absurd urge to personally end her life.
He could not understand any of it.
Archer seemed to see through Kirei Kotomine's inner struggle. He swirled his wineglass, and light and shadow shifted across their faces like dancing flames.
In a seductive tone, he said, "Stop suppressing your nature, Kirei. Did I not say so before? The more you try to control it, the less you can. There will always come a day when your nature erupts. Why not today?"
"Suppressed nature..."
Kirei Kotomine questioned himself. Had he truly been suppressing his nature?
His experiences from childhood to adulthood, his battles, and every choice he had made in life all seemed to suggest that he had been suppressing himself all along.
"Release your nature, Kirei."
Archer exerted slight force with his right hand. Cracks instantly appeared in the golden wine cup in his grasp, and it then shattered. The red wine splashed across their faces like blood.
Kirei Kotomine instinctively licked the wine from the corner of his mouth. For some reason, he could taste the inherent evil of human nature within it.
"..."
This night was destined for many things to happen.
Before you continue