The night passed quietly. The next morning, sunlight filtered through the mottled windows of the Matou Old House and fell across Shiki's dining table.
This was the eighth day since the Holy Grail War had officially begun.
He was leisurely enjoying breakfast, though today's milk surprised Shiki somewhat. It was not sweet at all. He did not pay it much mind, figuring someone had forgotten to add sugar.
The Black Knight Lancelot approached, bringing news that was hardly unexpected.
"Master, word has come from the Holy Church. The priest responsible for overseeing the Holy Grail War has been killed." Lancelot spoke calmly, as though reporting something utterly insignificant.
Upon hearing this, Shiki merely nodded lightly. He had expected this news long ago, and it did not surprise him in the slightest.
"Then, Mr. Lancelot, there should be additional news as well, right?" He set down his utensils and looked curiously at the Black Knight.
"Yes, Master. Because of the priest's sudden death, the Holy Church is in chaos. The Command Spells that were originally meant to be distributed may be delayed."
Shiki could not help but laugh softly at that. "Command Spells? Does the Holy Church still have any Command Spells left to hand out?" He knew perfectly well that all the Command Spells under the Holy Church's control had already fallen into his hands.
The Black Knight naturally understood that as well and nodded slightly. "Then, Master, will this draw the attention of the other Masters?"
"Mr. Lancelot, what you want to ask is whether our actions will cause our opponents to join forces against us, correct?"
"Yes, Master. We now possess a large number of Command Spells and may very well become a thorn in the Holy Church's side. If the Holy Church shows any favoritism, the other Masters will inevitably see us as their primary target."
Being targeted was indeed a possibility.
Command Spells were unlike other resources. Used properly, they could replenish mana, strengthen Servants, and allow a Servant's powerful Noble Phantasms to be unleashed consecutively. They were arguably the most powerful tool in the Holy Grail War.
However, Shiki was not worried about it.
"Rest assured, Mr. Lancelot. Even if they intend to target us, they will need time. But once we deal with a certain Archer tonight, everything will be settled. The final victors of this Holy Grail War will undoubtedly be us."
Confidence gleamed in Shiki's eyes.
Having acquired a large number of Command Spells and Lancer's Noble Phantasm, along with the Black Knight's formidable strength, he was certain that he already had one foot through the gates of victory. All that remained was tonight's crucial step.
Inspired by Shiki's confidence, the Black Knight's lips curled faintly into a smile. He nodded and replied, "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 leave. "There has been a change of plans. We are leaving the Matou Old House today and relocating to Mount Enzou."
"Master, we are not waiting?"
Lancelot was somewhat surprised. According to their original plan, they were to relocate only after dealing with Archer. Once Archer disappeared, they would inevitably become the targets of the two remaining Heroic Spirits—Saber, the King of Knights, and Rider, the King of Conquerors.
Given the strength of those two, if they joined forces against them, the outcome of the battle would be impossible to predict.
That was why they planned to defeat them one by one. For that, they needed a new base, and the Matou Old House could easily become a battlefield. Though this place was hardly ideal, the potential fallout was too great, and Shiki did not wish to see that happen.
"We will not wait. Let us move there first. We can use the remaining time to study the Greater Grail."
"As you command, Master."
After receiving the order, the Black Knight immediately went to make preparations.
After finishing breakfast, Shiki and the Black Knight transported the necessary items deep into Mount Enzou in a manner ordinary people could hardly imagine.
There was no need to describe the entire process.
At around nine in the morning, Kiritsugu Emiya was rushing through the city, searching for clues about enemy Masters.
His face was full of exhaustion, not only because the search was growing more difficult, but also because the relationship between him and Saber had developed a serious rift, leaving him unable to sleep all night.
Walking through a narrow alley in the city, Kiritsugu was about to find somewhere to rest for a moment when he suddenly stopped. A powerful sense of danger surged through him.
He swiftly drew the pistol concealed beneath his coat, spun around, aimed behind him, and fired three shots without hesitation. Bang! Bang! Bang! The gunshots echoed through the silent alley.
However, the attacking figure merely crossed both arms before his body, easily rendering the three bullets ineffective.
The bulletproof priestly robes he wore successfully deflected the bullets.
Immediately afterward, the figure rushed before Kiritsugu at tremendous speed, assumed a stance, and threw a fierce punch.
Kiritsugu had no doubt that the force behind that punch was enough to knock him down instantly. At that critical moment, some switch in his mind was flipped open.
"Time Control: Double Speed!"
With the mental suggestion of the magecraft incantation, a bounded field unfolded within his body. Kiritsugu's speed instantly doubled, allowing him to evade the fatal blow with unbelievable agility.
He then quickly drew a dagger and counterattacked. Since bullets were ineffective, he would use a sharp blade instead.
His reasoning was sound, but the attacker showed no fear whatsoever at the sudden change in Kiritsugu's speed.
The man deftly turned his wrist, deflecting Kiritsugu's dagger. His hands moved rapidly, and in a blur of dazzling motions, he exchanged more than a dozen blows with Kiritsugu in an instant.
The gap between the two in close-quarters combat was enormous. In just a few seconds, the attacker had shredded both of Kiritsugu's sleeves with his grasping hands.
This situation made Kiritsugu even more anxious. This coat, reinforced by Einzbern, could not even withstand the other man's attacks.
How had this man trained himself to such a terrifying degree?
The magecraft had reached its time limit, and Kiritsugu felt that he could no longer hold on. Having made his decision, he deliberately exposed an opening, allowing the attacker to knock the dagger from his hand and send it flying into the alley wall.
He took that opportunity to retreat rapidly.
More than ten meters away, he drew his pistol again and aimed it at the attacker. Enduring the immense pressure within his body caused by the magecraft, he demanded in a low voice, "Kirei Kotomine, you lost your status as a Master and withdrew from the Holy Grail War. What are you trying to do? Do you want to start a war?"
That was right. The attacker was Kirei Kotomine, dressed in Holy Church robes.
At that moment, Kirei looked at Kiritsugu's arms. After a moment of silence, he spoke evenly. "No, you are mistaken, Kiritsugu Emiya. The Holy Grail has not abandoned me. How could I possibly have withdrawn? And I have no intention of starting a battle in broad daylight. I merely wanted to confirm whether you were the one who killed the Holy Church priest."
"What did you say? The Holy Grail has not abandoned you?"
Kiritsugu did not care about Kirei's mention of the priest's murder. What concerned him more was Kirei's claim that the Holy Grail had not abandoned him.
"Wait, you mean..."
Seeing the disbelief on Kiritsugu's face, an inexplicable sense of pleasure rose within Kirei. He slowly extended his left hand and displayed it before Kiritsugu.
On the back of his hand, two vivid crimson Command Spells stood out brilliantly, as though proclaiming some immense power.
"Command Spells, proof of a Master's identity. I believe you, Kiritsugu Emiya, understand what this represents."
Kirei's voice echoed through the alley.
Kiritsugu understood perfectly well what it represented.
It meant that Kirei Kotomine had once again become a Master in the Holy Grail War and possessed the authority to form a contract with a Heroic Spirit.
Kiritsugu's mind raced. Of the four remaining Heroic Spirits, whom could Kirei Kotomine possibly contract with?
Rider? Impossible. Saber was even less likely, since his contract with Saber remained intact. Then Berserker? That did not seem likely either. Berserker had regained his sanity, and Kiritsugu did not believe Kirei Kotomine could seize him so easily.
After considering every possibility, Kiritsugu's expression turned extremely grim. He forced a single word from his lips: "Archer!"
Only the powerful Heroic Spirit in Tokiomi Tohsaka's possession could possibly be obtained by Kirei Kotomine. After all, the two were master and disciple.
There had been far too many opportunities for him to seize the Servant.
In the distance, Kirei showed little surprise that Kiritsugu had guessed his Heroic Spirit. At this point, what did it matter if he had figured it out?
"Kiritsugu Emiya, this battle is merely the foreplay. I look forward to the arrival of the true climax!"
With that, Kirei's figure vanished at the end of the alley.
Kiritsugu let out a breath of relief, but the moment he realized that Kirei Kotomine had once again entered the struggle for the Holy Grail, his expression became even more solemn.
"The things I feared most are happening one after another."
Even before the Holy Grail War had begun, he had gathered information on Kirei Kotomine. Yet after analyzing it, he had still been unable to understand Kirei Kotomine's behavior or purpose in life.
An opponent he could not see through was always the kind of enemy he least wanted to face.
In this Holy Grail War, there was first the dangerous and inscrutable Einsatz, then the murderer who killed indiscriminately, the inexperienced rookie Magus, and finally the young Magus powerful enough to seem inhuman.
Coupled with his relationship with Saber being on the verge of collapse, a powerful feeling rose within Kiritsugu. Was this world deliberately targeting him?
"This is simply the worst possible situation!"
He had no idea what even more troublesome events might happen next.
Before you continue