On the battlefield, intelligence was the lifeline. Clearly, in this regard, his ally far surpassed them, even standing above every participant in this Holy Grail War.
Kiritsugu Emiya silently listened to the boy's information, then stared straight into his eyes, trying to find some answer within them. "I want to ask you something. Just how much do you know about the participants in this Holy Grail War?"
Kiritsugu's tactics had always been about "disrupting the opponent's mind." Where the enemy intended to attack, what their objective was—so long as he could see through their actions beforehand, he could find their blind spots and weaknesses. Moreover, as magi generally possessed a stronger "sense of purpose" than ordinary people, Kiritsugu had never failed in his "hunts."
But in a hunt, the identities of prey and hunter were never fixed. In this forest known as Fuyuki City, there had appeared a wicked beast more cunning than Kiritsugu Emiya, the lone wolf. He had gathered information on the other hunters in advance, knowing their weaknesses and habits. Then he moved among them, laying trap after trap in preparation for the final battle.
Kiritsugu Emiya had to admit that he feared Li Zihan—not because he feared the strength of Berserker, his Servant, but because he feared the unknown hidden behind Li Zihan.
"Who knows?" The boy, about to lose his anchor, did not directly answer Kiritsugu Emiya's question. "Maybe I know everything. Maybe I know nothing."
As soon as he finished speaking, the boy's figure vanished completely, leaving only his fading voice behind.
Kiritsugu Emiya stared for a long time at the spot where the boy had been standing.
"Saber, has he left?" Kiritsugu Emiya turned and asked his Servant.
"He has already left," Saber, who had remained silent until now, replied.
"That's good. I'll rest for a while first," Kiritsugu Emiya murmured. Suddenly, he clutched his chest with one hand and doubled over in a violent coughing fit. Bloody foam spilled from the corner of his mouth. He vomited a large amount of blood onto the ground, and Saber could even see fragments of internal organs in the pool of blood.
"Kiritsugu! What's wrong with you?!" Irisviel hurried forward, wanting to support Kiritsugu Emiya, but fearing that she might aggravate his injuries, she could only stand before him and help with healing magecraft.
Kiritsugu Emiya's condition had always been terrible. First, Kaineth, who had been prepared for him, bombarded him with Jewel Magecraft, forcing him to flee the Magic Circle in a miserable state. Then, after he returned to the Einzbern Family castle to recover, Berserker chased him all the way home and gave him a thorough beating.
Even now, Kiritsugu Emiya did not understand why Berserker had only chased after him. Saber, their main fighting force, had been knocked unconscious after holding Berserker off for only five minutes due to her injured hand. For the rest of the time, Berserker did only one thing.
Afterward, Kiritsugu Emiya had gained an undershirt and underpants made of bandages.
As the saying went, beat him half to death on the premise that he could not die.
Before his old wounds had healed, new ones were added.
After being violently beaten by Alcaeus, Li Zihan sent a familiar clone to pay him a visit. As the true decision-maker for the Einzbern Family in this Holy Grail War, how could Kiritsugu Emiya not step forward?
He had to forcibly suppress his injuries while guarding against Li Zihan suddenly turning hostile, then spend a great deal of effort negotiating with the group that had abruptly come seeking an alliance...
Once he confirmed that Li Zihan had truly left, Kiritsugu Emiya relaxed slightly—and immediately paid the price for it.
However, Kiritsugu Emiya had no intention of stopping. Only by continuing forward could the road beneath his feet keep extending.
"Iri, get Rider's Master on the line with me," Kiritsugu Emiya said to his wife.
"Huh? Ah? All right!" Though surprised, Irisviel looked worriedly at her husband. Kiritsugu Emiya must have had a profound reason for making such a decision, but was his body really all right?
"Kiritsugu Emiya, are you really going to ally with Berserker's Master?" Saber, who had calmed down, said to Kiritsugu Emiya. "That is like seeking a tiger's skin."
"So what?" Kiritsugu Emiya countered. "I don't believe a single word he says, but right now, we have no other choice."
"No. There was only one lie in what he said." Saber lowered her eyes, much of her holy azure gaze hidden beneath the shadows cast by her lashes.
"Which one?"
"Reconstructing the Grail."
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P.S. Damn, I suddenly found a massive plot hole in this chapter. Better fix it quickly.
Before you continue