Kirei Kotomine casually removed the disc from his forehead, displaying the blond man's distorted face on its surface.
"Although he's worthless, his mind as a mage gives me the perspective to understand all this, and his memories, as someone who also helped construct the Barrier, conceal many secrets I never knew."
"All I need to do is combine the two, and accomplishing this becomes child's play."
Araya Souren gazed at his old friend's sorrowful face on the disc and sighed.
"That fool Araya Souren... I told him not to approach you. Dissolving the mind and memories and extracting them-what a terrifying ability."
"Come to think of it, I owe you my thanks, Araya. Though I was still somewhat puzzled when I received the omen, I understood everything the moment my Origin awakened."
Kirei Kotomine spread his arms and cried out with a touch of fanaticism.
"If you hadn't awakened my Origin and stirred these embers, who knows when the path to Heaven would have made any progress!"
"Now, you madman who defies Roland, receive Heaven's judgment here!"
Araya Souren did not answer. The path to the Root lay right before him, achievable in just a few steps. Whoever came to obstruct him, he would regard them as an incarnation of the Counter Force.
The surrounding air grew increasingly tense. As Araya Souren's killing intent began to twist into an almost tangible, dangerous pressure, he questioned Kirei Kotomine one last time as someone who understood him.
"Kirei Kotomine, what do you seek?"
"True happiness."
"Where do you seek it?"
"Only in Heaven, only in... Roland."
Kirei Kotomine expressed his reverence for that being without hesitation, walking step by step toward the top of the shattered staircase inside the apartment building.
"All who encounter him will ultimately be guided by him, advancing