"I am El..."
"No need!"
Once Kiritsugu Emiya had confirmed that they had completely lost their qualifications to participate in the war, he lost interest in them.
If he could avoid killing, he still preferred not to kill.
As for that Lemon Head's threat—heh! The howling of a defeated dog!
The others visibly relaxed upon hearing that. Though Kaineth was deeply unwilling, there was nothing he could do.
Fortunately, the other side did not do anything further. He could accept defeat, but he absolutely could not accept humiliation.
"What next? Continue, or what?"
Fu Yuan left the choice to Kiritsugu Emiya. After all, he was the nominal Master now.
"Continue... forget it."
Seeing that Kariya Matou beside him was clearly not in his right state of mind, Kiritsugu Emiya abandoned the idea.
After all, they had just fought a battle, and their side was not in good condition either.
"Wait, Kiritsugu!"
Hearing the voice, Kiritsugu Emiya looked at the radio on his waist in confusion. Phones required the hassle of answering calls, so he always used a radio during battle.
"What is it?"
"...Assassin... may be dead."
The voice on the other end was clearly uncertain, but Irisviel's body was obviously abnormal to an extreme degree.
In the usual records, this phenomenon generally only appeared after four or five Heroic Spirits had died.
As for why they did not suspect Archer had died, after hearing Saber's explanation, they had never considered Archer as a possibility.
"..."
"..."
Kaineth's face twitched visibly after hearing that. I protest! They're cheating!
But when Fu Yuan looked over, his expression returned to normal, as if nothing had changed.
Being able to observe who had died at any time was extremely important for grasping the state of the battlefield.
"Then shall we continue?"
After hearing this news, Kariya Matou seemed to regain some spirit. There was one more left. If they dragged this out, there might be some unexpected development.
For example, the other side might abandon all sense of fair play!
"...Fine."
Seeing this, Fu Yuan suddenly recalled a joke from long, long ago.
Ever since ancient times, Sabers fought one against five.
Ever since ancient times, Lancers had Luck E.
Ever since ancient times, Casters loved slacking off.
Ever since ancient times, Archers were full of cheaters.
As everyone knew, Archers countered Sabers, and Sabers countered everything else.
(I forgot the rest.)
"You said Saber and the people from the Clock Tower have started fighting."
At the center of the Grand Cathedral, Kirei Kotomine casually let Assassin stand before the Lord as they discussed matters of slaughter.
"Yes. The location is Ryudoji Temple."
Assassin looked at the man before him with great respect. More precisely, most Hassans were quite obedient.
"Daddy, this character... ah!"
However, this scene of a wise master and respectful subordinate was shattered in the next instant by little Kallen, who loved learning.
Kirei Kotomine's formerly calm expression instantly cracked as he stared incredulously at Kallen, who had pushed open the door and entered.
It was midnight already! Didn't she know children needed to go to bed early?!
Kirei Kotomine gave Assassin a look. Assassin lowered his head and pretended not to see it, making Kirei Kotomine's face twitch.
After sending the message through a Command Spell, Assassin vanished, seeming to understand only vaguely.
Kirei Kotomine looked at the timid little Kallen with a headache and could only comfort her gently, playing both father and mother.
Kallen hesitated for a long time. In the end, she gathered her courage, her whole bearing becoming somewhat resolute.
"So, is Daddy a bad person?"
Kirei Kotomine had never considered this matter before. Asked so suddenly, he became flustered.
In the end, he felt his own psychological activity with some confusion.
What is wrong with me?
He stood there in a daze for a long while, until little Kallen gradually lost her courage and lowered her head timidly.
"...Does Kallen want Daddy to be a bad person?"
In the end, Kirei Kotomine spoke those words in a hoarse voice, seeming utterly powerless.
"Kallen, Kallen... even if Daddy is a bad person, Kallen won't despise Daddy."
Clearly nervous, Kallen still spoke words that went against the Lord, though there was some disappointment in her voice.
As expected, Kallen still doesn't want Daddy to be a bad person.
"..."
"What are you thinking? How could Daddy possibly be a bad person?"
Kirei Kotomine suddenly laughed and stroked Kallen's little head, as though everything before had merely been a joke.
Is this emotion?
"...Mm, Kallen believes Daddy."
Though she was still somewhat worried, a good child could not make Daddy worry, so:
Kallen believes Daddy.
Seeing Kallen's obvious smile, Kirei Kotomine also became inexplicably happy.
As if nothing had happened, he began teaching Kallen how to read, not even minding that she was staying up late.
"Then Daddy should go to sleep early too."
"Master, should we tell Lord Tokiomi this news?"
Only after confirming that Kallen would not come back did Assassin reveal himself and continue their previous topic.
Kirei Kotomine did not reply. Looking in the direction Kallen had left, then thinking of how obedient she was, his expression suddenly darkened.
Compared to the Holy Grail War, personal joy and sorrow were so insignificant.
"Interesting!"
Gilgamesh, who had already arrived above the church, suddenly became interested upon seeing this.
But this time, she did not push the door open and enter. After all, someone without delight was not worthy of her making a contract with him.
"So... Assassin, by the authority of my Command Spell, kill yourself!"
She had already fulfilled her wish!
Thank you, Saber!
The Proper Use of Closing the Five Senses!
(A free chapter. The following roughly fifteen hundred words are all recommending another book. I really want to recommend it to you all; I think it is a book that could become legendary here.
Just this once, sorry! I won't pad the word count like this again.
The entire book is suffering!
Massacres! War! Racial extermination! Dictatorship! Empire! Evil Gods in the modern world! Just in case I made a typo.
It's fine if you do not want to read the book recommendation afterward, but I really want to recommend this book to you!)
(Also, someone asked whether this book had recommendations.
I don't deserve them!
I looked at the numbers.
As bland as ever.)
"The Tohsaka Family, huh! Need help?"
After discovering that the injury on his arm would not heal for the time being, Fu Yuan simply could not be bothered with it. He was not in his normal state anyway; he would change back soon enough.
Though they were the same person, wasn't screwing himself over something everyone did?
For example, when he was young, being too lazy to do things—wasn't that just leaving them for his future self?
And there were many, many more examples.
"Of course, if you still haven't made up your mind, I won't play the villain either."
After saying that, Fu Yuan quietly watched Kariya Matou, waiting for his decision. Though it hurt, he could still endure it.
"...I... if possible, spare his life!"
Kariya Matou ultimately compromised with reality. No matter how much he hated Tokiomi Tohsaka, there was one fact he had never been able to change...
Tokiomi Tohsaka was Aoi's husband! Sakura and Rin's father!
He was no longer the madman from the original story. In the end, he still could not bear to see Aoi sad.
(At the end of the day, Kariya Matou's affection for Sakura at the beginning was entirely an extension of his love for Aoi. So he truly did love Aoi. What a pity; he lost out because of his age and status.)
"Understood."
Fu Yuan nodded, then could no longer hold on and directly turned into his 158-centimeter self, leaving Little Fu Yuan with a bewildered expression.
"It hurts! It hurts so much!"
Though he already knew about the injury on his arm, at this age, he ultimately could not endure it.
Fu Yuan glared at Heavenly Fire with reddened eyes. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became! In the end, he could not resist giving it a Heaven-Splitting strike!
Yet at that moment, he forgot something. Heavenly Fire had only recently been unleashed, and its temperature had not gone down. Though the hilt had undergone special treatment and was not too hot, the blade was still scorching hot.
And as the publicly acknowledged strongest God's Key—mainly because its user was strong—it was naturally hard as hell!
His fist, which had not been lightly injured to begin with, worsened considerably in an instant, while the pain of a second burn flooded into his mind.
He pursed his lips in utter grievance as tears kept gathering in his eyes. Reason told him he could not cry, but emotion told him that he might not be able to hold it in...
Cry! Why care what other people think?
You can't cry. If you cry, what will Little Illya and Sakura think of you?!
But Little Illya and Sakura aren't here!
They'll be there someday...
The conversation between the little black and white figures in his mind ended there. Fu Yuan ultimately... did not cry.
Fu Yuan was already a big child. He had to learn to bear his grievances himself and could not make others worry...
He had to be strong. This was the first lesson life had taught him, and he had not accepted reality. The price was... death.
Kiritsugu Emiya and Kariya Matou looked at each other, neither daring to speak. They both felt that if either opened his mouth, something terrifying might happen.
Especially Kiritsugu Emiya. He felt that if he spoke now, he might end up maimed!
Before you continue