"Already asleep? Then could you call him out? There's something I want to ask him." Irisviel looked at Risei Kotomine with an extremely serious expression. "We had only arrived in Fuyuki City today when we encountered Assassin. In other words, Assassin hadn't been eliminated at all."
"What? Something like that happened?" Risei Kotomine looked rather surprised, but he asked very seriously, "But are you certain it was Assassin, Master of the Einzbern family?"
"The Servants lurking in the shadows weren't just Assassin. There were other Servants as well. Assassin was killed by Archer."
"Just have Assassin's Master, Kotomine Kirei, come out and meet us!" Irisviel refused to back down. She insisted that the one she had seen was Assassin and demanded that Kotomine Kirei come out to meet them.
"You?"
Risei Kotomine's smile gradually vanished. He narrowed his eyes at Irisviel, his tone becoming somewhat hostile. "Could it be that, as a member of the Einzbern family, you intend to break the rules of the Holy Grail War?"
"This is neutral territory. While I have no authority to question the battle between you, what purpose did you have in bringing a Servant into the Holy Church?"
"Master, a Servant's presence was left here."
At that moment, Mikaela canceled his Spirit Form and stood beside Irisviel. Without even looking at Risei Kotomine, he said seriously, "Judging by the presence, it was the Assassin from this afternoon."
In truth, that presence business was all nonsense. This generation's Assassin was Hassan of the Hundred Faces. They possessed different bodies and memories, so their presences were naturally entirely different as well.
The Assassin who had discovered Mikaela and Irisviel at noon might have appeared here before, but he was definitely outside gathering intelligence now.
In any case, since the other side wanted to pin a huge accusation on them, Mikaela had to turn it back on him.
"How about this, Father?" After Mikaela stepped forward, Irisviel once more turned her gaze toward Risei Kotomine, her tone rather aggressive. "Could it be that the Holy Church intends to break the rules of the Holy Grail War and enter the fray itself?!"
"This..." Cold sweat appeared on Risei Kotomine's forehead, as though he did not know how to answer.
His gaze turned to Mikaela, who looked back at him with the same utterly calm eyes.
No Command Seals?
The atmosphere became somewhat delicate.
Irisviel and Mikaela simply watched Risei Kotomine, hoping he would give them an answer. If the Holy Church intended to break the rules and shelter a Master who still possessed a Servant, they could make quite an issue of it.
"Furthermore, if our intelligence is not mistaken, Father." Irisviel looked at Risei Kotomine and said sternly, "This generation's Assassin Master is your son, isn't he?"
Irisviel was extremely wary of Kotomine Kirei. Not for any particular reason, but because Emiya Kiritsugu believed that, in this Holy Grail War, he was the only person capable of posing a threat to their side.
Only Kotomine Kirei mattered. No one else was worth worrying about. Whether it was Tohno Shiro, who held a terrifying Servant in his grasp, or the Clock Tower genius Kayneth, neither was as frightening in Emiya Kiritsugu's eyes as Kotomine Kirei.
Because the goals of the others could be guessed. Only Kotomine Kirei's intentions were impossible to read. Opponents like that were often the most terrifying!
"Uh... well..." Risei Kotomine opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something more, but then he slowly nodded. There was no need to conceal this matter.
As one of the Three Great Families, Einzbern naturally possessed an extremely powerful intelligence network. Risei Kotomine did not think they would be unaware that he had a son.
"Father, do we have guests?"
At that moment, a deep male voice rang out. A man who seemed to have just awakened slowly emerged from the darkness.
Though he looked as if he had just awakened, he wore no pajamas. Instead, he was dressed in black training clothes, and his entire bearing was exceptionally sharp. Yet his eyes were like stagnant water, giving anyone who looked at him the feeling that he had somehow "lost" something.
"Kotomine Kirei." Irisviel looked at Kotomine Kirei and spoke his name.
Kotomine Kirei looked at Irisviel with some surprise, as if he were meeting her for the first time. He nodded and asked in an exceptionally calm voice, "Pleased to meet you, madam. Are you the Master of Einzbern?"
"Are you Assassin's Master?" Irisviel took a deep breath. After truly seeing Kotomine Kirei, she instead felt that this man really did resemble Kiritsugu in several ways.
Sure enough... this was Kiritsugu's great enemy. No matter what, she had to find a way to defeat him.
"No. I have already withdrawn from the Holy Grail War. I am not Assassin's Master." Kotomine Kirei looked at Irisviel—or rather... at Mikaela beside her—and slowly raised his hand.
"Command Seals?!"
Irisviel's pupils contracted slightly. She had clearly not expected Kotomine Kirei's hand to be completely without Command Seals!!! In other words, he truly was not Assassin's Master.
"As you can see, I have lost my qualifications as a Master. The moment my Servant died, I handed my remaining Command Seals over to my father." Kotomine Kirei said calmly, "My father is the overseer of the Holy Grail War. On one hand, he monitors whether Servants and Masters violate the rules of the Holy Grail War. On the other, he is responsible for recovering the Command Seals of Masters who have lost their qualifications."
As those words were spoken, Irisviel's brows knitted tightly. Risei Kotomine, meanwhile, recovered his smile and pulled up his sleeve, showing Irisviel and the others the arm bearing Command Seals.
This proved that his son had indeed handed over his Command Seals and had truly lost his qualifications as a Master.
"..." Mikaela took a deep look at Kotomine Kirei's hand. He was not a genuine Servant, so he naturally had no way of knowing whether Kotomine Kirei had used magecraft to conceal his Command Seals.
However, they had insufficient grounds to investigate Kotomine Kirei right now. Taking action by force would instead anger the Holy Church.
"My apologies. It seems that the one investigating us today was probably not Assassin, but another Servant." Mikaela stepped forward, apologizing in Irisviel's stead.
He looked calmly at Kotomine Kirei and Risei Kotomine. "However, if that person was not Assassin, then they are likely a Servant highly skilled at operating in secret. They may very well engage in assassination. When that time comes, Mr. Kotomine Kirei, who has already withdrawn, may very well be their first target."
"Losing a Servant does not mean one is no longer a threat. A Servant with assassination abilities would not tolerate the slightest flaw in their plans. So if Mr. Kotomine Kirei knows any intelligence, you are welcome to come find us. My Master can represent Einzbern and protect your safety."
Mikaela's words were flawless. He looked like he had come to pick a fight, when in reality he was supposedly acting for their own good.
"Hmph." Risei Kotomine snorted coldly and looked at Mikaela with some hostility. "Einzbern may be formidable, but the Holy Church is capable of protecting Masters who have lost their combat ability."
"Intelligence?" Yet Kotomine Kirei seemed to genuinely be considering whether he should go to Einzbern and speak with the "Master" Mikaela had mentioned.
"That's right. The Holy Grail War is a war. Enemies can become friends, and friends can naturally become enemies. The Einzbern family has only one long-cherished wish. I hope you will consider it carefully." Mikaela smiled faintly. Naturally, he knew why Kotomine Kirei was hesitating.
Because Kotomine Kirei had entered the Holy Grail War without any wish of his own. Even though he had been chosen by the Holy Grail, he was deeply confused and did not know what he should do.
By chance! He had seen Emiya Kiritsugu, someone much like himself. Just like him, Kiritsugu had initially fought without purpose, yet for some trivial gain, he could step onto a battlefield without hesitation.
For the first time, such a person stirred an impulse within Kotomine Kirei. He wanted to understand Emiya Kiritsugu. What did he want to do "at this moment"? What exactly did he intend to accomplish?
Could his lost soul find salvation through him?
"I understand. If I have the time, I will pay a personal visit."
Sure enough, after hesitating for a moment, Kotomine Kirei nodded and agreed to Mikaela's proposal.
Risei Kotomine, standing to the side, was somewhat surprised. But he soon concluded that his son must have some purpose for saying this, so he said nothing more.
"Then, madam, let us leave for now."
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Encountered an Enemy
"Kirei, why did you agree to them?" After Mikaela and Irisviel departed, Risei Kotomine looked at Kotomine Kirei in confusion and asked.
"Father, I believe this is an opportunity."
Kotomine Kirei looked seriously at his father. "That person just now... even Assassin could not tell whether he was Saber, Caster, or Berserker."
"Oh?" Risei Kotomine looked at his son in surprise. "Even Assassin could not identify him?"
Kotomine Kirei slowly nodded. He was not lying, because the only Servants whose Classes had yet to be confirmed were Saber, Caster, and Berserker.
"What did Assassin say?" Risei Kotomine had become interested in that Servant dressed as a maid. From his conduct and manner of speaking, it was clear that although he looked extremely young, he was exceptionally skilled at handling people.
They had clearly come to provoke them, yet when his side tried to counterattack, a few words from him made it seem as though he had provoked them for their own benefit.
"He is an ordinary person, yet he carries a presence that terrifies all of them." Kotomine Kirei said calmly, "Anyone who can become a Heroic Spirit cannot possibly be ordinary. So Assassin guessed that either he is incredibly powerful and capable of concealing his own presence, or he is an entirely ordinary person with some connection to that individual, which allowed him to be summoned."
"That individual?" Risei Kotomine was somewhat confused.
"The legendary assassin, Hassan-i Sabbah. After founding the Assassin Order, he replaced his real name with the title Old Man of the Mountain and became the first Hassan-i Sabbah."
"According to Hassan of the Hundred Faces, no Hassan could escape that person's terror, because he stood at the pinnacle of all Hassans."
"When Hassan of the Hundred Faces previously observed that Einzbern Servant, he had already discovered that he carried the presence of that legendary Hassan. Although he believed it might have been an illusion, it would be best for us to remain cautious."
Kotomine Kirei explained everything in an even, methodical tone. Risei Kotomine secretly nodded. As expected of his son—he possessed the bearing of a saint. Even when faced with a legend, he could remain so calm.
"However, a Hassan is still only a Hassan. Even a legendary Hassan could not compare with the trump card in the Tohno Family Head's hand." Risei Kotomine smiled as he looked at Kotomine Kirei. "That is Gilgamesh, another being of legend."
"Yes." Kotomine Kirei did not refute his father. In his eyes, Hassan seemed rather weak as well, while the king named Gilgamesh... they had witnessed his strength with their own eyes.
After leaving the church, Mikaela and Irisviel got into the car and headed for the Einzbern family's base in Fuyuki City.
"A miscalculation." Mikaela took Irisviel's phone again and called Emiya Kiritsugu, informing him of everything that had happened inside the Holy Church. He then said calmly, "The battle we anticipated did not break out. That man named Kotomine Kirei is difficult to deal with. Without examining his hand, I cannot determine whether he has Command Seals."
"Is that so?" Emiya Kiritsugu fell silent, seemingly disappointed by the result. Yet he became even more wary of Kotomine Kirei.
Sure enough, this man was not easy to handle. Kiritsugu had originally wanted to use this excuse to truly kill Assassin, drive him out of Fuyuki City, and expel him from this Holy Grail War.
But if they could not do so openly, then they would have to find a way to eliminate him in secret.
"Can he be assassinated?"
Having determined that the target was at the Holy Church, Emiya Kiritsugu narrowed his eyes, intending to eliminate him completely.
"No problem." Mikaela was rather satisfied by Emiya Kiritsugu's response. As expected, this man could utter the word "assassination" without a shred of hesitation.
But in the next instant, Mikaela frowned and looked out the car window, as though he had seen something. He silently hung up the phone and returned it to Irisviel.
"Beep beep beep..." Not far from the church, Emiya Kiritsugu heard the call disconnect and slowly lowered his phone. His deep gaze turned toward the distance. Then he looked at Maiya Hisau beside him and said, "Saber has run into trouble."
"If we go to support them, we will probably be too late." Maiya Hisau's voice was exceptionally calm. "We cannot interfere in a battle between Servants. If you are discovered in an open area, Saber will have to protect both you and the madam. That could put the battle in an extremely unfavorable position."
"Right. If we rush there recklessly, the enemy may turn the tables on us." Emiya Kiritsugu lit a cigarette. After seeing through Mikaela's eyes who had come, he extinguished it again and smiled. "But the opponent is an honorable knight. Upon discovering Saber and Iri, he did not launch an attack rashly. He allowed them to choose the battlefield."
"If the madam and Saber are to choose the battlefield, the most suitable place is probably that abandoned factory near them."
As Emiya Kiritsugu's assistant, Maiya Hisau had long memorized the environment around Fuyuki City.
Irisviel and Mikaela had not gone far. Emiya Kiritsugu had expected a battle to break out at the Holy Church, so he and Maiya Hisau had come here in advance to lie in wait. If they discovered any other lone Master, the two of them would kill without hesitation.
And precisely because of that, Maiya Hisau could deduce where Mikaela and Irisviel would go to fight.
"That's right. It seems Saber must reveal something tonight." Emiya Kiritsugu tossed the extinguished cigarette onto the ground and said with a smile, "But that is a good thing for me."
"An unknown fighting force will always remain unknown. Only after showing itself can its value be assessed." Maiya Hisau nodded.
"Let's go."
Emiya Kiritsugu headed toward where they had parked. He and Maiya Hisau also needed to find a good position and see which fortunate Master would appear in the sights of his gun.
"Yes." Maiya Hisau did not object and quietly followed behind Emiya Kiritsugu.
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Oath of Judas
"..."
Mikaela looked out the window, helplessness and conflict flashing through his eyes. If he could choose, he did not want to fight that person.
But the other side had already set their sights on him. Perhaps when he and Irisviel had gone to the Holy Church, Kayneth's familiar had spotted them. That was why the other side had stopped wandering through Fuyuki City and come directly to provoke them.
"An enemy Servant?" Irisviel sensed Mikaela's helplessness and conflict. Even if he said nothing, she could feel that a Servant outside had already fixed their eyes on them.
"Yes. They have not attacked, probably because they are allowing us to choose the battlefield."
Helpless, Mikaela had the driver turn around and head toward a nearby abandoned factory. In the middle of the night, the driver was naturally a hundred thousand times unwilling to drive toward a place where no one was around.
But under Irisviel's Suggestion Magic, he obediently followed the order in the end and drove toward the abandoned factory.
"Madam, please." After getting out of the car, Mikaela extended his hand and took Irisviel's small hand, helping the noblewoman from the car like a medieval knight.
"So cute~"
Irisviel covered her smile with her lips. She could tell that Mikaela was putting on an act, but for a Servant capable of freely switching his personality, it was no wonder Kiritsugu liked him so much.
"..." Mikaela rolled his eyes. But since they were acting for someone else, he could not be bothered to say anything. He merely told the driver calmly, "Leave this place at once."
"Yes." The driver, under Suggestion Magic, said nothing more and immediately drove away from the abandoned factory.
"Today, I have traveled throughout this city seeking a brave warrior who could confront me head-on, yet not one person stepped forward to fight me."
Before the man appeared, his voice already echoed from all directions. A young man holding twin spears walked out, his eyes falling on Mikaela as he smiled faintly. "Yet you appeared openly before my Lord's eyes. After discovering me, you did not choose to avoid battle. From that alone, I can see that you are unlike those skulking cowards."
"Oh? Judging from your weapons, you must be Lancer." Mikaela stepped forward and gave Lancer a knight's salute. "When we were on our way to the Holy Church, I had already received your invitation. However, I needed to investigate certain matters and could not accept your challenge for the moment."
"That truly brings me joy." Lancer—no, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne—gave Mikaela a rather delighted smile. He swung his twin spears and assumed a fighting stance, battle intent flashing through his eyes. "Then, while I do not know your Class, your etiquette alone shows that you are a noble knight."
"I am unworthy of being called a noble knight by Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, the foremost warrior of the Knights of Fianna, the man known for his 'Beauty Spot of Love.'"
Mikaela's calm statement immediately left Diarmuid frozen in place. Even Kayneth, hiding in the shadows, was somewhat shocked. Before they had even fought, the other side had actually guessed his Servant's true name?!
"I am merely a nameless knight. But your Beauty Spot of Love is simply too famous. The instant my Master and I saw you, the mana in our bodies instinctively began resisting that power of seduction."
Seemingly noticing Diarmuid's surprise, Mikaela spoke first and presented himself as female.
Tactical deception. As Emiya Kiritsugu had said, sometimes revealing certain things could deceive the enemy's eyes—just like Diarmuid right now.
Diarmuid, who had been prepared to begin fighting, stopped his movements and instead regarded Mikaela curiously. A Servant who exposed another's true name before the battle had even begun.
Before you continue