Why Not Find Yourselves Another Savior?

"Is that you, Kiritsugu? Kiritsugu, are you outside?"

Irisviel's voice came through the wall.

"Iri, you're safe inside. There's no need to worry."

Knowing that they had prepared enough contingencies, Kiritsugu abandoned his hostage plan.

At that moment, he saw a line of text emerge on the wall before gradually fading away.

Only the innocent may pass.

"..."

He had not expected such a barrier to be set up, and Kiritsugu felt a surge of anger at the mockery.

He did not know that this was no ordinary barrier, but one of the four major branches of magecraft Morgan excelled at—"Mirror," "Coffin," "Garden," and "Tower"—namely, "Garden."

It was called the "Garden of the Innocent," and belonged to the same category of magecraft that had imprisoned Merlin the Mage of Flowers.

However, Kiritsugu Emiya had no time to investigate the details. Irisviel's voice carried clearly through the wall, so when she suddenly let out an urgent cry, Kiritsugu heard it as well.

"What is it, Iri?!"

"Another intruder is approaching the castle from a different route," Irisviel hurriedly told Kiritsugu.

Kiritsugu could not help but smile bitterly. "This place certainly has no shortage of guests tonight."

"...Kiritsugu, the one coming... is Kirei." After a brief confirmation, Irisviel told him.

Even Kiritsugu had to feel a headache coming on at that answer.

Saber was fighting Caster, while Morgan remained in the castle to confront Kayneth and protect Xi Jianxi's two adopted daughters.

Given Morgan's circumstances, unless the new enemy involved those two children, she would never help fend them off.

"Maiya and I will go."

Kiritsugu raised the automatic rifle in his hands.

Although he had regarded Kirei as the most dangerous enemy in this Holy Grail War from the beginning and had guarded against him at every turn, Kiritsugu had not wanted to face him this early.

Yet clearly, just as Kiritsugu had noticed Kirei early on, Kirei had also set his sights on Kiritsugu long ago. He had seized this opening and infiltrated the Einzbern forest alone.

It was an unexpected variable that completely defied Kiritsugu's plans, but it worked out as well. At this moment, he had no worries holding him back.

Even he had been kept outside by the barrier. Kirei would not be able to break in either.

Iri was safe, and Saber was fighting in blood.

Having made up his mind, Kiritsugu immediately left the castle with his assistant Maiya, intending to set traps in the forest and intercept Kirei.

Kiritsugu Emiya breathed in the cold, damp air of the forest. This place was worlds apart from the Einzbern forest in Germany.

He could barely remember.

How long had it been since he had last stepped onto a battlefield where the odds of victory could not be measured?

Thirty-two, or thirty-three?

In less than a minute, Artoria had nearly slaughtered herself into a frenzy, cutting down Sea Monster after Sea Monster. She had already lost count of how many more had multiplied.

She could only vaguely feel that this would become a minute far longer than she had ever expected.

Glancing back at Xi Jianxi, she saw that his body had been stained by the Sea Monsters' blue-black fluid, yet he remained unmoved, still focusing on preparing his magecraft.

Caster clearly understood Xi Jianxi's danger. Even if his emotions ignored Xi Jianxi's appearance, his reason had not relaxed in the slightest.

Gilles de Rais drove the Noble Phantasm in his hand, Prelati's Spellbook, to its fullest extent. Ignoring the disadvantage of the terrain, he accelerated the summoning of Sea Monsters. Even he himself was swallowed by them, leaving no opening to attack.

Forty-six!

Artoria silently fixed a number in her mind with the greatest emphasis.

The forty-sixth one.

Even with sufficient magical energy supporting her, she had gone all out to carve out a circle around Xi Jianxi. Yet just as she tried to continue swinging her invisible sword, a Sea Monster seized the opportunity to wrap itself around her left wrist.

Artoria roared and severed the tentacle.

But that also created an opening. A Sea Monster pounced on Xi Jianxi from behind, about to swallow both him and the unconscious boy.

"Xi Jianxi—!"

As Artoria shouted her warning, Xi Jianxi clenched his fist, calmly turned around, and glanced at the larger Sea Monster.

Caster revealed a sinister smile that no one could see, anticipating the enormous replenishment of magical energy he would gain once the Sea Monster devoured Xi Jianxi.

Two streaks of red and yellow brilliance sliced the Sea Monster apart.

Rather than sit back and watch the fight, waiting for the outcome before taking the chance to kill Caster, Diarmuid followed his heart and came to Xi Jianxi and Artoria's aid.

"Lancer..." Artoria was deeply surprised.

Xi Jianxi gave a faint smile. "Prepare yourselves for the magical energy impact, Saber, Lancer!"

He spread his hands again, and a rune flashed past.

"Wild Thunder."

As the words left his mouth, blinding lightning burst from the void, too dazzling to look at, sweeping across the battlefield. Neither the Sea Monsters nor Caster could escape it.

Artoria and Diarmuid instinctively moved closer to Xi Jianxi, relying on their Magic Resistance to ward off the aftermath of the great magecraft.

Unable to withstand the lightning charged with such immense magical energy, the Sea Monsters convulsed irregularly for a brief moment before splitting open and exploding like water-filled balloons.

Electric currents raced through the wet mud soaked in blood. The grass and trees gradually blackened and withered, leaving the land devastated as though it had been ravaged by disaster.

"So this is..." Diarmuid exclaimed in astonishment.

"...True great magecraft." Artoria murmured softly.

It lasted less than ten seconds before the lightning swiftly faded away, leaving only a battlefield in ruins and occasional currents still crawling across the ground.

As for Caster, the instant the magecraft activated, he realized that the battle had exceeded his expectations and made an emergency retreat.

—That was probably included in what he called being "fully prepared."

"Since you stepped forward just now, I'll let your Master go tonight, Lancer." Xi Jianxi spoke calmly, as though the scene before him had nothing to do with him. Carrying the boy, he headed toward the castle. "Next time, I'll come to your door myself."

"My gratitude..."

The moment Lancer saw Xi Jianxi, he already knew what kind of enemy Kayneth had encountered.

And the other man had generously chosen to spare him.

Unfortunately, it isn't time to rest yet, my husband.

After informing Xi Jianxi of the situation at the castle, Morgan added that in a relaxed tone.

Kiritsugu vs. Kirei

Another reason Kiritsugu Emiya did not want to face Kirei so early was that his tactical analysis of this Executor was essentially nonexistent.

Kirei had sought refuge with the Holy Church under the pretext of losing his Servant. He had barely participated in any actions, instead secretly using Assassin, who had feigned withdrawal, to gather intelligence.

However, based on prior investigations, Kiritsugu was certain that Kirei was not merely an intelligence operative. Even during his time as an Executor, he had possessed a remarkably extensive combat record.

After becoming Tokiomi Tohsaka's disciple, Kirei had studied magecraft for two years. After obtaining Command Spells, he had pretended to break with Tokiomi and left the Tohsaka Family.

A man like that could never be underestimated as a Master.

If possible, Kiritsugu would actually have preferred Xi Jianxi and Kirei to fight first. No matter which side won, it would have benefited him.

And considering Xi Jianxi's unfathomable strength, if Kirei faced him, he would basically be doomed.

But that had only been the initial expectation. Now that Kirei had come to him, Kiritsugu had no way of knowing how Saber's battle with Caster was going and could not directly call Saber back to intercept Kirei.

Still, Kiritsugu believed that, looking on the bright side, the same was true for his opponent.

Weapons, magecraft, or anything else—Kiritsugu had not revealed any of them. If he seized the right opportunity and killed Kirei in this encounter, forcing Assassin's withdrawal in the process, that would also be a good outcome.

Fighting on home ground, Kiritsugu had been able to set up simple mechanisms in advance that could restrain his opponent.

The moment Kirei stepped onto the battlefield, he was met with a barrage of rifle bullets set among the trees, fired automatically with magecraft assistance.

As an experienced and battle-hardened Executor who had conducted considerable prior investigation, Kirei knew that Kiritsugu would certainly use modern weapons that Magi looked down upon, and he had prepared for it.

Originally, Assassin had merely reported that Kayneth's surprise attack on Xi Jianxi's home had failed. But upon hearing that Kayneth had turned around and gone to the Einzbern forest, Kirei became somewhat restless.

If Kiritsugu Emiya died here, Kirei's purpose in joining the Holy Grail War would be lost.

In order to see Kiritsugu Emiya, Kirei—unaware that Xi Jianxi and Berserker were also here—had infiltrated the battlefield alone.

Facing bullets flying at him from all directions, Kirei nimbly dodged while throwing the Black Keys in his hands.

Clang, clang, crack—

The sounds of metal being struck and mechanisms being destroyed rang out.

Kirei knew the Black Keys had only hit the weapons.

Were they traps set in advance? Was Kiritsugu Emiya still in the castle?

No matter what, Kirei believed it was necessary to enter. Even if he had to fight Kayneth, he had to stop Kayneth from killing Kiritsugu.

Even if Kiritsugu was to be killed, it had to be by his hand—after he obtained the answer he wanted.

Kirei stepped over dry branches scattered on the muddy ground and continued inward. The instant he took another step, an automatic rifle fired at him again.

He did not even need to look. Kirei flashed aside and threw a Black Key, but this time it missed.

Kirei dodged several times in succession. The rifle bullets could only chase half a beat behind his steps, striking the mud and tree trunks behind him.

After taking cover behind a thick tree, Kirei used magecraft-enhanced vision to confirm the enemy's position.

Then he spotted the corner of a black trench coat.

An unconscious smile appeared on Kirei's face as he spoke.

"I never expected you to take the field personally. It seems Caster has caused you quite a bit of trouble. Your Servant alone can no longer handle every situation."

Kiritsugu did not answer him, and Kirei did not expect an answer from Kiritsugu to such a question.

Instead, as his words fell, Kirei threw four Black Keys from both sides of the tree trunk.

They spun toward Kiritsugu Emiya's position. These weapons, whose blades were formed from magical energy, could also serve as shuriken that curved through the air depending on the user's skill.

Sensing Kirei's attack, Kiritsugu ducked forward at the critical moment to evade it.

Time Alter—Double Accel!

His body anticipated the danger faster than his mind could. The Magic Circuits within Kiritsugu activated the Emiya family's inherited time magecraft, creating a Reality Marble inside his body and accelerating his individual actions.

To an onlooker, it looked as though the caster had suddenly begun moving faster.

Along with the spinning Black Keys, Kirei himself launched a surprise attack. His brutal spinning kick struck a tree trunk as wide as a person, crushing a deep dent into it and slowly bending it over.

The collapsing trunk sent dust and dead leaves flying, weaving through the air.

With an unconscious smile on his face, Kirei watched Kiritsugu Emiya take cover once more.

Through that brief exchange, Kiritsugu had already deeply understood Kirei's danger. He secretly made a gesture, telling Maiya to wait for the right moment.

If she rashly provided covering fire, not only would it fail to achieve anything, it might also expose Maiya to Kirei. He could then turn to attack her first, leaving Kiritsugu unable to attend to both ends.

"I see." Kirei muttered to himself again.

His kick had missed only because he had misjudged Kiritsugu's speed, not because he could not keep up with it.

Now that he knew his opponent could use magecraft to move at double speed, he merely needed to calculate his method of attack based on that speed.

Leaning against the back of the tree, Kiritsugu breathed heavily. That was the burden placed on his body after the Magic Circuits within him activated.

He slightly turned his head, glanced at Kirei, who was still some distance away, and took a flash grenade from his trench coat. He intended to create a diversion before retreating to the castle.

A one-on-one fight, combined with his lack of preparation, was simply too disadvantageous. He did not believe his trump card could hit Kirei in the darkness.

He pulled off the pin.

Time Alter—Triple Accel!

Needing both to retreat and interfere with his opponent, Kiritsugu had no choice but to push himself to an even faster speed.

The instant the flash grenade exploded, he retreated toward the castle at tremendous speed. As long as he dragged Kirei into Morgan and Kayneth's battlefield, he would have a chance to reset the situation.