In distant Einzbern Castle, Irisviel scrambled to forge a new contract with Saber.
A Master's death meant the contract disappeared. Fortunately, Saber was right beside her. Otherwise, being forced out before fighting a single battle because she could not find a suitable Master would have been utterly ridiculous.
After renewing the contract, Irisviel stared at the crimson Command Spells that had suddenly appeared on the back of her hand and murmured, as though she had yet to process what had happened.
"Kiritsugu?"
"Master?"
Saber looked at Irisviel with concern, a trace of sorrow stirring within her as well. According to the knowledge granted by the Holy Grail, if a Master died without someone else taking their Command Spells, those spells would be redistributed to a suitable candidate.
Although she did not know why he had failed to summon her with a Command Spell, as a knight, Saber could hardly feel good about failing to save her Master's life.
After a few seconds, Irisviel regained her composure and began to speak calmly.
"Kiritsugu Emiya lost his status as Master today and is officially deceased. I, Irisviel, will succeed him as Einzbern's Master and continue to participate in the Fourth Holy Grail War."
Whatever happened, for Illya's sake, she had to go to Fuyuki City and win this war. Recalling Illya's strange words calling for her father earlier, a resolve to accept reality flashed through Irisviel's eyes.
Seeing Irisviel's expression, Saber bowed to her once more.
"Yes, Master."
After briefly explaining things to the manager, Roland officially quit his job, pocketed his noticeably more generous wages, and left the convenience store with some reluctance.
"Who would've thought the first thing I'd grow attached to in Fuyuki City would be my workplace? What does that say about me?"
Roland gave a self-deprecating chuckle, recalling the Contract Spirit he had just seen.
Judging by how much the plot had changed, he had already guessed that the Contract Spirit escaping this time would be someone dangerous. Still, he had never expected it to be Shendu's soul.
Shendu was an incarnation of dark chi, one of the ancient Eight Great Demons. Even reduced to a soul, he was not someone Roland could easily contend with as he was now.
But things were different once he had been made into a Contract Spirit. Even Shendu would possess no consciousness of his own, reduced to a source of power with nothing but instinct.
The Key of All Spirits did not necessarily require something dead to create a Contract Spirit. Death merely made the process easier.
Even now, Roland did not understand the requirements or standards by which the Key of All Spirits created Contract Spirits. Even someone as deeply obsessed as Kiritsugu Emiya had failed to become one?
With Yoshikage Kira as a precedent, Roland naturally knew that the Key of All Spirits did not care about such things as whether a soul was present. What it absorbed seemed more like the very existence of that power.
Then why had both Ryunosuke Uryu and Kiritsugu Emiya failed? What did they lack compared to Yoshikage Kira?
And did he really want to pay that kind of price to form a contract with Shendu?
Roland's smile gradually faded. He had never thought himself particularly remarkable. Although he disliked people who had a clear goal and would sacrifice everything for it, he could understand the resolve that required.
What went through those people's minds when they faced something like this?
Roland did not agonize over it for long. He had always been quick to act. If he did not know, why not simply ask?
"You're late. How unusual. Did something happen?"
Zouken Matou stood at the entrance to the old estate, watching Roland approach. A strange gleam entered his eyes as he spoke in a teasing tone.
Over the past few days of exchanging intelligence and information, he had discovered that Roland was very punctual and would never be late without good reason.
"Oh, nothing much. I ran into the Einzbern Family's Master on the way and killed him. It took a little time."
Roland answered Zouken Matou's question casually, his arms folded across his chest and confusion still lingering on his face.
Zouken Matou, however, could not contain his shock.
He had always been wary of Roland, who had approached him of his own accord. Not because he had found any evidence, but because suspicion was in his nature.
But since his objective this time was straightforward, whether the other party was secretly plotting something meant nothing to Zouken Matou.
Whether Roland sincerely intended to ally with him or not, once he entered the Holy Grail War, he would inevitably have to face the other Masters. The only question was how efficiently he would do so.
But killing a Master already was a little too efficient, wasn't it?
"Einzbern's? That mercenary they brought in?"
"Yeah, but the Holy Grail reclaimed his Command Spells. I imagine they'll still go to Einzbern."
"That hardly matters. So what if they use a homunculus to maintain the contract? This is no boast on my part, but Einzbern's performance in actual combat is decidedly unimpressive."
"Mm," Roland answered distractedly. After pondering for a moment, he finally voiced the question on his mind.
"Zouken Matou, if a path to reaching the pinnacle in a single step lay before you, but taking it might distort something very important to you, would you still step onto it?"
"Of course." Although puzzled by what Roland meant, Zouken Matou's attitude had grown a little friendlier after hearing of his achievement.
"You're still too young. Once you've experienced a little more, you'll understand that this requires no hesitation at all."
"Humans live by pursuing things. Ideals, obsessions... in the end, even their personalities may gradually take on the shape of whatever they pursue. Can you really call that distortion?"
Zouken Matou had originally intended to offer Roland some guidance, but as he continued, his own voice seemed to freeze, sinking to a chilling depth.
He looked at his withered hands, at this disgustingly aged form, and quietly clenched his fists.
Longevity was his obsession.
Whatever price he had to pay, however twisted a form he had to assume, he would continue down this path and never regret it. He had already sacrificed far too much.
Hm, why was I pursuing longevity in the first place?
After thinking for a while, Zouken Matou found no answer, so he raised his head and looked at the thoughtful Roland.
"Socrates once said that human virtue lies in shaping the soul into something better. Everything a person pursues stems from their own goodness. Roland, what is it that you pursue?"
"Eternal peace of mind."
Roland answered without hesitation.
He had always been perfectly clear on this point. To maintain a peaceful life, he had to overcome fear and unease and put his mind at rest.
"Peace of mind? What you're pursuing is quite profound, then." An unpleasant laugh crept into Zouken Matou's words.
"What people call peace of mind changes with their perspective. Ordinary people need only marry, have children, and make friends. Once you attain a prominent position, you begin to pursue wealth and power. When you have an ideal, you pursue the Root like a magus, or love and peace, as society encourages."
A note of regret entered Zouken Matou's voice.
"Such a wish seems trivial, yet it is truly immense. Broadly speaking, all humanity pursues these things. Human ability is limited. I advise you to set your sights a little lower. That way, you might at least numb yourself with a moment of comfort."
Listening to Zouken Matou's biting words, Roland's gaze flickered, his eyes shining like stars. An inscrutable smile appeared on his face, as though something had finally clicked.
"Wonderful. I'm beginning to understand everything."
It sounded like a confession, yet also like a sigh of wonder. Roland's relaxed tone carried an impassioned exhilaration.
"Human ability really does have its limits."
"There's one thing I've learned in my short life. The more humans resort to schemes, the more unforeseen circumstances ruin them. Unless they become something beyond human..."
Scenes from the past few days flashed through his mind: the Tofu Priest Mapo, the deranged serial killer, the Magus Killer, and that damned Black Holy Grail.
Every one of them had unwittingly intruded, disrupted his peaceful life, and brought about the present situation. Compared to erasing every source of unease, what did the price he had to pay even matter?
Unable to follow Roland's train of thought at all, Zouken Matou watched this scene that lay beyond his understanding. For once, he actually felt afraid of the young man before him.
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
Roland revealed a smile unlike any he had ever shown before, so cheerful it was unsettling, and spoke softly.
"-I'm giving up my humanity!"