Under the cover of night, Roland walked toward his apartment.
Looking at the quiet city, Roland felt a little nostalgic. His days as an ordinary human after obtaining his first Contract Spirit were insignificant compared with his later experiences, but perhaps because some of that naive foolishness still lingered in his heart, scenes like this gave him a different kind of comfort.
Mana Ouma still held his arm obediently, but she did not speak to interrupt him at a time like this. After all, as long as she could be with Roland, she was happy no matter what.
However, this harmonious atmosphere did not last long before another heavy presence shattered it.
It belonged to a tall man with half his body hidden in the darkness.
He looked like a middle-aged man in his forties and carried an incredible, rock-solid sense of pressure.
On the man's face was an anguish Roland had only ever seen on Kirei Kotomine, though the nature of the two was completely different. Kirei Kotomine's was a numbness born of emptiness and pain.
The distress this man displayed, however, was more like a tangible manifestation of living in hell.
This suspicious man did not stand in Roland's way, but neither did he seem intent on hiding himself. He simply stood some distance away, silently staring at Roland, playing the role of an observer.
"Araya Souren."
Roland identified the man, looking somewhat surprised.
Throughout the story of The Garden of Sinners, he had played the role of the mastermind behind the scenes, second in importance only to Shiki Ryougi herself.
Once a monk of Tendai Buddhism, his original wish had been to save humanity. In the process, however, he had gradually become obsessed, much like Kiritsugu Emiya, and veered toward the opposite extreme, abandoning his faith to