Roland watched Kiritsugu Emiya with a smile. If anyone had to be named the protagonist of the Fourth Holy Grail War, it was the man before him, clad in a black trench coat, his expression lifeless and his still, fathomless eyes filled with despair.
Even after the Holy Grail War ended, everything this dead man left behind continued to haunt the world and gave rise to new stories.
Of all the Masters, this was the one Roland least wanted to face. But with the Contract Spirit in his possession, none of that mattered anymore.
"I've already taken care of Maiya Hisau. The Einzbern homunculus hasn't arrived in Fuyuki City yet, has she? Well, that doesn't matter either."
Roland raised his index finger, pointed at Kiritsugu Emiya, and declared, "You're next, Kiritsugu Emiya."
The threat delivered at such close range stirred Kiritsugu Emiya's expression. He had yet to recover from what he had just witnessed.
What feelings did he harbor for Maiya Hisau? Even Kiritsugu himself could not have answered that question. Maiya Hisau had prepared herself for her own sacrifice long ago.
Nor would she have wanted Kiritsugu Emiya to avenge her, because that was the kind of man he was. He would not waver at another person's words or change with the circumstances. Like a machine, he struggled toward his dream of becoming a Hero of Justice.
Yet at this moment, the killing intent churning in his chest was anything but false.
"Bastard!"
He forced himself to regain his composure. As though his emotions had set his still-wounded body ablaze, inexhaustible strength surged through him. His expression unmoving, Kiritsugu Emiya advanced toward Roland with heavy, powerful steps.
The unusual move made Roland pause.
But as he felt the ever-stronger pulse of the Key of All Spirits and the yearning for the miracle right before his eyes, the corners of his mouth spread almost uncontrollably into an excited grin. He opened his arms.
"Oh? You're coming toward me? Instead of running away, you're actually coming straight to your death?"
"Your assistant, Maiya Hisau, went to such lengths to tell you the secret of my ability, desperately squeezing it out like a student still answering questions after the exam had ended."
"How am I supposed to kill you if I don't get closer?"
A cold light flickered in Kiritsugu Emiya's eyes, and his steps never faltered.
"Oh-ho, then why not come a little closer?"
Roland also left his spot and walked toward Kiritsugu Emiya. He knew the man had Command Spells, but he was not afraid. For one thing, he had to kill Kiritsugu Emiya and take the Contract Spirit no matter what, and he was confident he could kill him before he used a Command Spell.
For another, Roland had complete faith in Kiritsugu Emiya.
This man possessed an obsession as twisted as a curse. Before he finally broke, he could place even his father, adoptive mother, and wife on one side of the scales without hesitation, discard his personal feelings, and sacrifice them as mere numbers.
Maiya Hisau might still have been useful alive, but after her death, Kiritsugu Emiya would surely assess its value with a cool head. Clearly, weighed against the Holy Grail, this was something he would discard.
If revenge alone were his goal, he would already have summoned his Heroic Spirit at the first opportunity.
Like Western cowboys preparing for a showdown, the two stopped at a safe distance and stared at each other.
"Not using a Command Spell?"
Roland was the first to ask.
"A simple trade of pieces means nothing. But if you're prepared to waste a Command Spell here for no reason, I'll play along."
Seeing Roland's fearless expression, Kiritsugu Emiya's heart sank. Although not all the Masters had arrived, all the Heroic Spirits must already have been summoned.
At this point, no Master would still be without a summoned Heroic Spirit unless they had no interest in the war or were merely some lucky participant making up the numbers.
But Maiya Hisau was clearly not someone a lucky nobody could handle. In Kiritsugu Emiya's eyes, Roland resembled a seasoned schemer. Not only had he discovered that Kiritsugu was the true Master, but he had also followed the trail of his past as the Magus Killer to find Maiya, his assistant. He could not be underestimated.
Precisely for that reason, coldhearted though it might be, Kiritsugu Emiya had to extract the greatest possible value from Maiya's death.
Maiya had already exposed his identity as the Seventh Master, and Kiritsugu had witnessed his proficiency with explosions. Moreover, the fact that Maiya had still been able to send him messages earlier suggested that the man's Servant had already been dispatched elsewhere.
This man was very much like him. What appeared to be arrogance was, in fact, proof of his absolute confidence in handling a battle between Masters.
Apart from that, Kiritsugu Emiya could think of no reason why an enemy would leave his Servant's side so recklessly. Surely he could not have no Servant at all?
And that was his opportunity.
Kiritsugu Emiya had absolute confidence in a one-on-one fight between Masters. While his enemy was growing arrogant over his success, he would eliminate an opponent ahead of time!
Kiritsugu Emiya moved with sudden, remarkable speed. Concealed by his trench coat, he drew a handgun and fired without hesitation.
"Firing head-on? You should know something like that won't work on me."
The semiautomatic handgun's rate of fire was far too easy for Killer Queen to read. Standing before Roland, he used only one hand, sweeping it through the air a few times. Then, as though putting on a display, Killer Queen slowly opened his clenched hand and let the brass-colored bullets fall freely to the floor with crisp clinks.
Kiritsugu Emiya's eyelid twitched at the sight, and shock briefly crossed his face. But it was quickly suppressed by an even graver expression.
Unlike the magi he had faced before, who defended themselves with barriers generated by talismans or with Mystic Codes, the Guardian Spirit this mysterious Master relied upon could actually pluck bullets out of the air.
I have to make him increase his magical energy output and deepen his connection to that Guardian Spirit.
Settling on a plan, Kiritsugu Emiya lowered his body like a cheetah and broke into a sprint. He drew another machine pistol and sprayed bullets in Roland's direction.
To avoid an unexpected upset, Roland also retreated toward cover. Under Killer Queen's protection, he moved behind it without a scratch.
"Is that all you've got? Then how did you deal with Sheer Heart Attack? That child shouldn't be fooled by something on this level."
Roland frowned. He could sense that the Contract Spirit had not attached itself to Kiritsugu Emiya. Had he used some strange ability produced by the object the Contract Spirit possessed? That did not make sense. How could his mind remain so normal after using something like that?
But this time, Kiritsugu Emiya finally broke his silence and answered.
"Isn't dealing with something like that simple? All it takes is a few unnecessary sacrifices."
Kiritsugu Emiya explained his method in his usual flat voice.
"It's a reaper that pursues heat. So all you need to do is create somewhere hotter."
As though something had occurred to him, Roland instinctively looked out the window. Although the view was poor, a different color had already stained the gloomy black sky.
It was the shimmering glow of flames.
Most of the buildings near this abandoned building were primarily wooden. Set one alight, and unless it was brought under control immediately, the fire would spread.
This was a method the protagonists of the original story would never have used, an act that even a villain would not immediately think of.
Roland raised an eyebrow, as though seeing the silent man anew.
Until he reached his goal, this man regarded every other life as one final shedding of blood before obtaining the Holy Grail.
This was Kiritsugu Emiya, the Hero of Justice.