Roland lay on a bench outside the church, the clear blue sky, as though freshly washed, reflected in his eyes.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps between the surrounding leaves and fell across his face in scattered fragments, but he felt only its gentleness.
"Fuyuki City really is a beautiful city."
Just as he had at the beginning, he voiced his admiration. Suddenly, another, deeper voice picked up where he left off.
"If you wish, there is no harm in resting a little longer."
Still wearing his stern-looking priest's robes, Kirei Kotomine walked naturally to Roland's side.
"We have only just begun to make headway with the ritual. There is still quite some time before we reach a definitive conclusion, let alone carry it out. You need not leave in such a hurry."
"We've already established that the ritual will take place in this world, haven't we?"
Roland raised a hand to shade his eyes from the sunlight, speaking in an even tone.
"Yes, in this very world. Your resurrection and your Stand's evolution are both inextricably entangled with it. When you ascend to Heaven in the future, it will be here as well."
Kirei Kotomine said solemnly, "If it's only to complete Cipher, this world has plenty of places worth staying to experience."
"Yes, that's true."
Roland muttered his agreement.
"But I'm not planning to leave to complete Cipher. At least, that isn't my main purpose. It's to resolve... some problems with myself."
"Problems?"
Kirei Kotomine was somewhat puzzled. Roland's power had already surpassed the limits of his imagination. If the man before him wished to destroy the world, it would become a living hell in an extremely short time. Yet someone as great as him actually thought there were problems with himself?
"Kirei, most of the time, do you