Progress, Encounter, and Situation

The night passed quietly, and by the next morning, sunlight streamed through the mottled windows of the Matou Old House, falling upon Shiki's dining table.

This was the eighth day since the Holy Grail War officially began.

He was leisurely enjoying his breakfast, though the milk today was a bit surprising to Shiki; it lacked any sweetness. He didn't pay it much mind, perhaps they had forgotten to add sugar.

The Black Knight, Lancelot, approached, bringing news that was as expected.

"Master, a message has arrived from the Church stating that the priest responsible for overseeing the Holy Grail War has been killed," Lancelot said calmly, as if reporting an insignificant triviality.

Upon hearing this, Shiki merely nodded gently. This news was well within his predictions and didn't surprise him in the slightest.

"Then, Mr. Lancelot, there should be additional news, correct?" He put down his cutlery and looked at the Black Knight with curiosity.

"Yes, Master. Due to the priest's sudden death, the Church is in a state of chaos. The Command Spells that were originally decided to be distributed may have to be postponed."

Hearing this, Shiki couldn't help but chuckle, "Command Spells? Does the Church even have Command Spells left to distribute?" He knew clearly that the Command Spells managed by the Church were now all in his possession.

The Black Knight naturally understood this as well and nodded slightly. "Then, Master, will this matter attract the attention of other Masters?"

"Mr. Lancelot, what you're asking is whether our actions will prompt our opponents to unite against us, right?"

"Yes, Master. Now that we possess a large number of Command Spells, we are likely to become a thorn in the Church's side. If the Church shows any favoritism, the other Masters will undoubtedly target us as their primary objective."

Being targeted, this possibility indeed existed.

Command Spells, unlike other resources, were the strongest means in the Holy Grail War if used properly, capable of replenishing mana, strengthening Servants, and allowing for the continuous release of a Servant's powerful Noble Phantasm.

However, Shiki was not worried about this.

"Rest assured, Mr. Lancelot. If they want to target us, it will take time. But tonight, after dealing with a certain Archer, everything will be settled. The ultimate winner of this Holy Grail War will undoubtedly be us."

A confident gleam flickered in Shiki's eyes.

Having obtained a large number of Command Spells and Lancer's Noble Phantasm, coupled with the Black Knight's immense power, he was confident that he had already taken half a step towards victory, with only this crucial step remaining tonight.

The Black Knight, inspired by Shiki's confidence, curved his lips slightly, revealing a hint of a smile, and nodded in agreement, "Master, may the dawn of victory shine upon us soon."

"Wait, Mr. Lancelot."

Shiki suddenly called out to the Black Knight, who was about to withdraw, "The plan has changed. We are moving out of the Matou Old House today and relocating to Mount Enzō."

"Master, aren't we waiting?"

Lancelot seemed somewhat surprised. According to the original plan, they were supposed to relocate after dealing with Archer, because once Archer disappeared, they would inevitably become targets for the remaining two Heroic Spirits—the King of Knights, Saber, and the King of Conquerors, Rider.

With the strength of these two, if they were to join forces against them, the outcome of the battle would be truly unpredictable.

Therefore, they planned to defeat them one by one, which required a new base. The Matou Old House could easily become a battlefield. Although it wasn't an ideal location, the impact would be too great, and Shiki did not want to see such a situation occur.

"We're not waiting. Let's transfer over first. We can use the remaining time to study the Greater Grail."

"Understood, Master."

After receiving the order, the Black Knight immediately went to prepare.

Shiki finished his breakfast and, along with the Black Knight, transported the necessary items to the interior of Mount Enzō in a way that was difficult for ordinary people to imagine.

The entire process needs no further description.

Around nine in the morning, Kiritsugu Emiya was rushing around the city, searching for clues about the enemy Masters.

His face was etched with exhaustion, not only because the search was becoming increasingly difficult but also because a severe rift had formed in his relationship with Saber, which had kept him awake all night.

Walking down a narrow alley in the city, Kiritsugu was about to find a place to rest for a moment when he suddenly stopped. A strong sense of danger washed over him.

He swiftly drew the pistol hidden under his coat, turned, and aimed behind him, firing three shots without hesitation. "Bang, bang, bang!" The gunshots echoed in the silent alley.

However, the approaching figure simply crossed their arms in front of them, easily nullifying the three bullets.

The bulletproof magical robe they wore successfully deflected the shots.

Immediately after, the figure lunged at Kiritsugu with incredible speed, assumed a stance, and threw a powerful punch.

Kiritsugu had no doubt that the force of this punch was enough to knock him out instantly. At this critical moment, a switch in his mind was flipped.

"Time Control: Double Speed!"

Following the mental suggestion of the magical incantation, a barrier unfolded within him, and Kiritsugu's speed instantly doubled, allowing him to miraculously dodge the fatal blow.

He then quickly drew his dagger to counterattack. Since bullets were ineffective, he would use a sharp blade.

His thinking was sound, but the attacker showed no fear in the face of Kiritsugu's sudden change in speed.

With a subtle twist of their wrist, the person deflected Kiritsugu's dagger and, with rapid hand movements, engaged Kiritsugu in over a dozen exchanges in a dazzling display of action.

The two were far apart in close-quarters combat skills. In just a few seconds, Kiritsugu's sleeves were shredded by the attacker's rapid strikes.

This situation made Kiritsugu feel increasingly anxious. This coat, reinforced by the Einzbern, couldn't even withstand the opponent's attacks.

How did this person achieve such terrifying proficiency?

The duration of the magic had reached its limit, and Kiritsugu felt he couldn't hold on much longer. Having made up his mind, he deliberately exposed a weakness, allowing the attacker to knock his dagger away, sending it flying into the alley wall.

He used this opportunity to quickly retreat.

From a distance of over ten meters, he drew his pistol again and pointed it at the attacker. Enduring the immense pressure within his body from using magic, he asked in a low voice, "Kirei Kotomine, you who have lost your Master status and withdrawn from the Holy Grail War, what do you want? Do you wish to start a fight?"

That's right, this attacker was Kirei Kotomine, dressed in the Church's priestly robes.

At this moment, Kirei looked at Kiritsugu's arms, and after a moment of silence, he spoke plainly, "No, you're mistaken, Kiritsugu Emiya. The Holy Grail hasn't abandoned me yet, so how could I possibly withdraw? Besides, I don't want to fight during the day. I just wanted to confirm if you were the one who killed the church priest."

"What are you talking about? The Holy Grail hasn't abandoned you?"

Kiritsugu wasn't concerned about Kirei's mention of killing the priest. What he focused on more was Kirei's claim that the Holy Grail hadn't abandoned him.

"Wait, you mean..."

Seeing the incredulous expression on Kiritsugu's face, Kirei felt an inexplicable sense of pleasure well up within him. He slowly extended his left hand, presenting it to Kiritsugu.

On the back of his hand, two vivid crimson Command Spells gleamed, as if proclaiming some kind of immense power.

"Command Spells, the proof of a Master. I believe you understand what this signifies, Kiritsugu Emiya."

Kirei's voice echoed through the alley.

Kiritsugu understood perfectly what this meant.

It meant that Kirei Kotomine had once again become a Master in the Holy Grail War, possessing the authority to contract with a Servant.

Kiritsugu's mind raced. Of the four remaining Servants, who could Kirei Kotomine possibly contract with?

Rider? Impossible. Saber? Even more impossible, as his contract with Saber was still intact. Then Berserker? That seemed unlikely too, especially since Berserker had regained his sanity. He didn't think Kirei could have taken him so easily.

After much thought, Kiritsugu's expression turned grim. He struggled to utter a single word: "Archer!"

Only with this powerful Servant in Tokiomi Tohsaka's possession did Kirei have a chance. After all, they were master and disciple in terms of their identities.

There were ample opportunities to seize a Servant.

From a distance, Kirei showed no particular surprise at Kiritsugu guessing his Servant. At this point, what difference did it make if it was guessed?

"Kiritsugu Emiya, this battle is merely the prelude. I eagerly await the climax that follows!"

With that, Kirei's figure vanished at the end of the alley.

Kiritsugu let out a sigh of relief, but the next moment, thinking of Kirei Kotomine re-entering the Holy Grail War, his expression grew even more somber.

"The things I worried about most are happening one after another."

Even before the Holy Grail War began, he had gathered information on Kirei Kotomine. After much analysis, he still couldn't comprehend Kirei's methods or his purpose for survival.

An inscrutable opponent was always the enemy he least wished to face.

In this Holy Grail War, there was the unfathomable dangerous Church agent, a murderous fiend who killed indiscriminately, a novice Magus just starting out, and finally, a terrifyingly powerful young Magus.

Coupled with the impending breakdown of his relationship with Saber, Kiritsugu felt a strong sense that the world was deliberately targeting him.

"This is simply the worst possible scenario!"

He had no idea what even more troublesome events might unfold next.