Kirei Kotomine found his father amid the ruins of the church.
Risei Kotomine was dead, without a doubt.
He had died in the explosion of a bomb Emiya Kiritsugu had planted at some unknown time.
His eyes were still open.
Kirei Kotomine closed his own eyes.
And closed his father's eyes for him as well.
But—
He did not remain by his father's side for long.
He turned around and headed toward the direction where the holy light had thundered earlier.
His steps were not quick.
He seemed somewhat afraid.
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
Amid the ruins and thick smoke, he arrived at the place where Sakumura's final battle had taken place.
The feeling of the contract... had vanished.
Sakumura, that Assassin... had already left the stage?
Kirei Kotomine felt no real sense of it.
Slap.
He suddenly felt someone pat his shoulder.
He whirled around, but no familiar figure stood behind him.
Looking around, all he saw were shattered walls and rubble, along with the billowing smoke produced by the explosion.
Drip.
Blood from the wounds he had received in his battle with Emiya Kiritsugu fell to the ground.
He sensed a slight disturbance.
It seemed to be coming from his chest.
Kirei Kotomine took out the Poison Feather Sakumura had left him.
[ Sakumura ★ Anno ]
At some unknown time, those words had appeared on the hilt at one side of Poison Feather.
Thud—
Kirei Kotomine fell to his knees amid the ruins.
"Hehe."
"Hehehahaha."
He began to laugh.
"Hehe—hahahahahahahahaha--------"
He erupted into deafening, ecstatic, almost pathologically frenzied laughter.
"SAKUMURA ANNO—!!!"
Amid his laughter, he let out a roar.
Then he laughed until tears streamed down his face.
Collapsed on the ground, his laughter gradually died away.
This was—
The supreme—
Happiness.
"Urgh—"
At