Capture the Stronghold

"Oh? I don't think we've met before, have we?"

Kirei Kotomine raised an eyebrow. As far as he could remember, this was the first time he had met the woman in front of him.

Maiya Hisau answered him with nothing but three bullets.

The bullets that burst from the gun's muzzle should have been deadly tools in the hands of the Grim Reaper, reaping lives. Yet Kirei dodged them with ease.

The shots struck the sturdy concrete wall behind him.

Though Kirei's evasive movements were unbelievably fast, they were still no faster than a bullet traveling at supersonic speed. This had happened because he had anticipated Maiya's thoughts before she pulled the trigger and moved in advance. More than his reflexes, what deserved admiration was Kirei's tactical judgment.

To read the moment Maiya would fire and calmly evade the shots was a superhuman ability, whether in the mundane world or the realm of mystery.

And that wasn't all—in that instant, the one who flipped aside to dodge wasn't Kirei, but Maiya.

Her right hand was covered in blood, and the handgun that should have been in it fell to the ground with a metallic clatter. Her astonished gaze was fixed on the pillar she had been leaning against. A blade embedded in it gleamed coldly.

The thin blade, a full meter long, brought to mind a weapon used in fencing. Its hilt was unusually short for a sword. It was a throwing weapon used exclusively by Executors of the Holy Church, known as the Black Keys. The weapon that had just slashed the back of Maiya's right hand and knocked away her gun was one Kirei had thrown while dodging her bullets.

Though it had been thrown by hand, the weapon had enough force to pierce reinforced concrete. Even so, it had only knocked the handgun from Maiya's grasp; Kirei hadn't meant to take her life. He had deliberately used such force to take her weapon and break her fighting spirit. Ideally, he wanted to capture her alive—after all, Maiya still hadn't answered the question Kirei had asked.

"Not bad. You're pretty nimble."

With the advantage entirely his after the tables had turned, Kirei slowly approached her, utterly at ease.

Another Black Key appeared in each of his hands. The long blades of the Black Keys were semi-material constructs made entirely of magical energy. When carrying them, all he needed to hold was their small hilts. No one knew how many Black Keys Kirei had tucked beneath his loose priestly robes.

The Black Keys were standard equipment for Executors of the Holy Church. Though powerful, they were exceptionally difficult to use. Only highly skilled experts could wield them effectively—and it seemed Maiya had run into one of those rare masters.

Maiya wasn't a martial artist, only a soldier, so she had no victories to boast of—only an assessment of the situation. Kirei's combat ability clearly surpassed hers by far. With neither her equipment nor a favorable location or strategy, it was only sensible to admit defeat.

"What's going on, Maiya? What happened?"

Emiya Kiritsugu's voice came through her earpiece. The cell phone in her pocket seemed to still be connected to Kiritsugu on the ground. But Maiya couldn't answer him now. He could hear her voice. The Executor's true target wasn't Maiya, but Kiritsugu. Kirei's assessment—that Maiya was Kiritsugu's subordinate and acted on his orders—had been thoroughly confirmed.

"What's the matter? Aren't you going to ask for help? Emiya Kiritsugu is nearby, isn't he?"

When Kirei said his name, he didn't hesitate at all. He was certain his judgment was correct. If Kiritsugu wanted the Holy Grail, then he would surely make a move tonight.

The effects of Lancer's cursed yellow spear were plain to see: the opening move of the war had sealed away one of Saber's hands. With the other six Servants still in fighting shape, the situation had become extremely unfavorable. The Einzbern faction's most pressing task was to eliminate Lancer, the main source of their troubles, as soon as possible.

So Kirei had laid a trap near Kayneth's hideout and waited for an attacker to arrive.

But in the end, it wasn't Kiritsugu who showed up here, but someone else. Still, Kirei was certain she was acting on Kiritsugu's orders. This woman he was fighting had to be the key to finding Kiritsugu.

I can't kill her. It'd be best to capture her alive. As long as I can make her talk, that's enough. It doesn't matter if I break her arms and legs.

Having made his cold decision, Kirei slowly approached the woman's hiding place. She should be unarmed now, and the disassembled sniper rifle couldn't be put back together so quickly. The handgun he'd knocked away was far off, too. The outcome was already decided.

Bang—

A sudden sound from outside caught Kirei's attention. A signal.

A pattern created by Magecraft flashed across the sky above Fuyuki City.

Suddenly, a pungent smell filled Kirei's nostrils.

A smokescreen—

A cloud of smoke from a military smoke grenade had appeared right in front of Kirei. The instant it blocked his vision, Maiya made a swift escape.

Kirei threw a Black Key toward the sound as he pursued her, but it missed. The battle-hardened Executor's instincts told him not to act rashly.

Holding a Black Key in each hand, Kirei remained fully alert, watching his surroundings as he waited for the smoke to clear. The building was exposed to powerful gusts of wind, and the thick smoke dispersed after only a few seconds—but that short time had been enough for the woman to get away.

Kirei was alone. Realizing that no one else remained in the deserted building, he gave a snort and put away his Black Keys. He had no intention of chasing after her.

Kirei picked up the smoke grenade, now empty, and studied it in his hand. He began to consider whether the Magecraft signal had anything to do with the woman's escape.

Meanwhile, Emiya Kiritsugu, having successfully met up with Maiya, gazed thoughtfully at the Magecraft signal in the sky.

Chapter 30: Seizing a Stronghold

"Tsk, tsk..."

Wang Xiaoming had just reunited with Kayneth. Seeing his expression as dark as the bottom of a pot, Wang Xiaoming wisely didn't go over and rub salt in the wound.

The Clock Tower's prodigy had probably learned his lesson this time.

"Thank you for your help."

Though Wang Xiaoming hadn't approached him, Kayneth came over on his own. He hadn't heeded Wang Xiaoming's "warning" this time, but he still owed him a debt of gratitude.

"Don't mention it. We're allies, after all. Besides, I only did what I could."

Seeing Kayneth's more sincere expression, Wang Xiaoming felt somewhat relieved. After this incident, the man would probably be easier to deal with.

At least, it meant Wang Xiaoming hadn't stabbed him in the back this time for nothing.

"Master!"

At the sound of the voice, Lancer suddenly appeared on the scene and knelt before Kayneth.

"How did it go?"

Kayneth asked Lancer about what he had found while scouting.

"I spotted a suspicious man in the parking lot on the first floor. After a brief exchange, he escaped because of my negligence."

Lancer honestly reported his encounter with Emiya Kiritsugu.

"You let him get away?!"

Already in a foul mood after his stronghold had been raided, Kayneth felt even worse at this news.

"I'm sorry. It was my failure!"

Lancer bowed his head lower, but Kayneth's next words left him stunned.

"I'm beginning to wonder whether you're deliberately holding back!"

"Master!"

"The same thing happened in your fight with Saber..."

Lancer hurriedly lifted his head to explain, but Kayneth, burning with anger, swept a hand and was about to continue berating him when another, more impassioned voice rang out:

"Kayneth, what are you thinking?!"

Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri, who had been standing off to the side, suddenly erupted.

"Sola?"

Kayneth seemed surprised by the red-haired beauty's outburst.

"Lancer only gave up chasing Saber's Master and rushed back because he was worried about you."

After saying this, Sola glanced at Lancer, who was still kneeling.

"Lancer, that's what happened, right?"

"..."

Lancer simply kept his head down and didn't answer.

Kayneth seemed powerless against his fiancée. But he couldn't bring himself to back down in front of Lancer, either, and so the situation came to a standstill...

Wang Xiaoming had originally been looking forward to the show, but seeing the situation take a turn, he realized this stalemate clearly didn't serve their side's interests. With no choice, he spoke up to break the awkward silence.

"Ahem..."

Everyone's attention immediately turned to Wang Xiaoming.

"It's come to this, and you still have time to argue? Do you want to wait until Emiya Kiritsugu wipes you all out?"

Wang Xiaoming didn't mince words; he came right out with a harsh reprimand.

"Kayneth, are you telling me that the only thing the Clock Tower's prodigy can think of after a few setbacks is to complain?"

"..."

Kayneth's face turned pale, then flushed, but he had no words to refute him. His behavior just now had been completely beneath him.

But—

Kayneth's gaze shifted to Sola. Her attention was entirely on Lancer. She didn't have time to pay Kayneth any mind.

"Tsk—"

Kayneth's gaze toward Lancer was full of hostility.

"The most important thing now is to find a stronghold, isn't it? Otherwise, are we going to sleep on the street tonight?"

Seeing this, Wang Xiaoming felt a headache coming on. But he couldn't very well interfere in someone else's family affairs, so he had no choice but to change the subject.

Still, finding somewhere to stay really was their most urgent task. Wang Xiaoming looked around at the group:

Kayneth, Sola, Medea, Shirou...

They couldn't go back to staying in an abandoned factory, could they?

"Are there any good Spirit Vein locations nearby?"

Choosing a stronghold came with certain conditions. The best location was one situated on a Spirit Vein. The Hyatt Hotel had been poorly located, but Kayneth's three Mana Furnaces had supplied the stronghold's and its bounded field's daily needs.

But now—

The three Mana Furnaces had been reduced to ashes. Finding a place on a Spirit Vein wouldn't be easy.

"It doesn't have to be on a Spirit Vein."

Wang Xiaoming scratched his head.

"There's a ready-made stronghold, though. It just depends on whether you dare take it."

"Your idea really is..."

Kayneth looked toward the mansion in the distance, standing on the land below, and couldn't help feeling astonished by Wang Xiaoming's idea.

No sane person would think of attacking this place.

Unlike the Tohsaka Mansion, whose luxurious grandeur Wang Xiaoming had seen through his scouting Magecraft, this mansion exuded an oppressive darkness down to its very bones, even from a glance.

"Repulsive magical energy."

That was Medea's assessment of the mansion, given with a frown.

The Matou House—

One of the Three Founding Families behind the Holy Grail War. It was also the group's target this time.

From Wang Xiaoming's memories, the Matou House seemed like the easiest faction to defeat in the Fourth Holy Grail War.

If Lancer kept that Knight of the Lake occupied, Wang Xiaoming refused to believe their side couldn't beat that Old Worm to a pulp!

As for Matou Sakura—

Wang Xiaoming turned his gaze to Shirou.

A childhood bride, huh...

That might not be bad either.

"The Matou House is also one of the Masters participating in this war. Their Servant is Berserker."

Wang Xiaoming's words reminded everyone of the frenzied black Servant from the earlier battle in the warehouse district.

"But I don't think Lancer will have much trouble against Berserker. Besides, Berserker's Master isn't in very good shape right now. Otherwise, Berserker wouldn't have lost control and attacked Saber in that earlier battle."

There was one thing Wang Xiaoming hadn't said—

Berserker's true identity was Lancelot, after all.

According to legend, the tale of his love affair with King Arthur's queen, Guinevere, was modeled on the famous tragic romance between the Irish princess Grainne mac Cormaic, fiancée of her lord Finn, and the elite warrior Diarmuid Ua Duibhne of the Fianna.

This innate compatibility would give Lancer a much better chance of winning this battle.

But Kayneth had no time to care about any of that. The battle at the hotel had left him humiliated, and he desperately needed a victory to wash away his disgrace.

"Lancer, I don't need to say more about this battle, do I?"