The ritual held in Fuyuki was originally an experiment to gather the souls of seven heroic spirits as offerings, attempting to open a path to the "Root."
The promise of "achieving a miracle" was merely bait to summon the heroic spirits. Due to the rampant rumours about this "bait," only the current form of the Holy Grail War has been passed down.
This truth is known only to the Matou, Tohsaka, and Einzbern families, as well as those closely involved. Outsider magus and the seven Servants must never learn of it.
"In this war, the only magician who truly wishes to fulfill his long-cherished desire is Tokiomi Tohsaka. He intends to kill all seven Servants to activate the 'Greater Holy Grail.' All seven of them."
This time, it was Kirei's turn to find amusement in the King of Heroes' reaction.
"All of them, understand? Gilgamesh, this is the reason why Tokiomi-sensei is so reluctant to use his Command Spells. He can only use two Command Spells at most in battles against other Masters, because the final Command Spell must be used after the war ends to command his own Servant to commit suicide."
Archer listened to all this, yet his expression remained unchanged.
"Are you saying that Tokiomi's loyalty to me is entirely false?"
Kirei shook his head.
"He indeed holds the utmost respect for the 'King of Heroes, Gilgamesh.' But you, as the Archer-class Servant, are a different matter."
"You are like a replica of the King of Heroes, merely a statue, a portrait. Ultimately, Tokiomi-sensei is a thorough magus. He knows very well that Servants are just tools. Even if he respects heroic spirits, he holds no illusions about heroic idols."
After hearing all this, Archer seemed to finally understand, nodding deeply. His face once again revealed his characteristic evil smile, broad and cruel, lofty and supreme—a smile befitting an absolute monarch whose values are determined solely by his own aesthetic.
"Tokiomi—finally, he's becoming somewhat interesting. It seems that dull man might finally bring me some amusement."
Just a slight consideration of the implications behind these words reveals how ferocious and chilling this declaration is, enough to freeze one's blood.
"What do you plan to do, King of Heroes? After hearing all this, will you still stand by Tokiomi-sensei's side and condemn my betrayal?"
"What should I do? Although Tokiomi is disloyal to me, he is still supplying me with magical energy. Even for me, completely abandoning a Master would have an impact on this world..."
As Archer spoke, his meaningful gaze fixed unwaveringly on Kirei.
"I remember—there seems to be a Master who has obtained Command Spells but has no contracted Servant, looking for a rogue Servant to break the contract."
"Now that you mention it, there is indeed such a person."
Faced with Archer's blatant invitation, Kirei chuckled and nodded in response.
"But I don't know if he is a Master worthy of the King of Heroes."
"No problem. Although he is a bit too stubborn, which is a slight flaw, his future is still bright. He should be able to entertain me well."
Thus, the most evil Master and Servant pair exchanged smiles.
Perhaps this is the interesting part of fate—even though Sakatsuki had targeted Kirei so much, even imprisoning him, he and Archer, like the two poles of a magnet, effortlessly came together.
***
By nightfall, Kirei Kotomine stood before the gates of the Tohsaka residence.
With Archer's help, escaping from prison was a trivial matter. In just half an hour, Kirei Kotomine stood before the mansion where he had spent three years of his life.
"Welcome, Kirei. I've been looking for you."
Although Kirei's visit was sudden, Tokiomi Tohsaka appeared at the door as soon as the doorbell rang. After the incident with the priest being stabbed that afternoon, he must have been busy.
"I came here to discuss the matter of my father's death."
"Is that so... It was so sudden, I truly feel sorry. I never expected my old friend to leave us in such a manner."
"I feel the same. My father should not have left so hastily."
Kirei Kotomine agreed deeply and, at Tokiomi Tohsaka's invitation, stepped into his home once more.
From Tokiomi's haggard appearance and the loss of his usual composure, it was clear that the death of the old priest, Risei Kotomine, had dealt him a heavy blow.
Enjoying his teacher's pain, Kirei Kotomine earnestly conversed with Tokiomi Tohsaka, reaffirming their long-standing alliance, promising to take care of his daughter, accepting his praises... Just as he was about to act, Tokiomi suddenly picked up a slender ebony box from the desk and handed it to Kirei.
"Open it. This is something I personally want to give you."
Kirei opened the box as instructed and found an elegant dagger lying on a velvet lining.
"This is—"
"This is the Azoth Sword, a family heirloom of the Tohsaka family. When filled with magical energy, it can also be used as a mystic code—this sword signifies that you have completed your apprenticeship in the Tohsaka family's magecraft."
Kirei picked up the dagger and examined it, spending a considerable amount of time scrutinizing its sharp tip.
In Tokiomi's eyes, Kirei's emotionless face might have seemed deeply moved.
"Master... You have shown such great kindness to this unworthy disciple. I truly do not know how to express my gratitude."
"I should be the one thanking you, Kirei. Now I can face the final battle without any worries."
Tokiomi stood up from the sofa, his expression bright and without malice.
At this moment—the word "fate" involuntarily surfaced in Kirei's mind.
Some say that fate is a vague attempt to find special meaning in accumulated coincidences. Then, was there no inevitability in the fact that Tokiomi personally handed the dagger to Kirei at this very moment?
"I'm sorry for taking up so much of your time. In the upcoming Holy Grail War, I will fight for both you and the old priest, and achieve victory—"
And now, was it also a coincidence that Tokiomi, walking towards the door, presented his back so defenselessly to Kirei?
"No, you need not worry, Master."
If this is an inevitability, is fate simply the result of stupidity, mistakes, and ignorance? Is it meant to betray people's prayers and hopes, leading everything in the wrong direction?
Kirei smiled, a smile of unprecedented joy.
"Because I never intended to withdraw from the Holy Grail War."
Kirei was surprised that he could even show such a smile. Faced with this unexpected gain, even the sensation of the dagger piercing the back before him became indistinct.
"...Huh?"
The mercury sword, a symbol of friendship and trust, smoothly slipped between the ribs and pierced the center of the heart. Only a trained executor could perform such a precise thrust. Without a hint of killing intent or any warning, even Tokiomi himself might not have immediately understood the significance of the intense pain in his chest.
But something reacted faster than Tokiomi.
The gems in his pocket shattered one after another, and a magical force field woven from mana ejected the dagger. Pure energy poured into his magical circuits, continuously transforming into life force, attempting to repair Tokiomi's shattered heart.
After Matou Kariya's first assassination attempt nearly succeeded, Tokiomi had already made ample preparations, guarding against a second assassination attempt that could come at any time.
But perhaps because the assailant was Kirei, his proud student, Tokiomi did not activate all his mystic codes. The only gem capable of sensing danger and providing protection in advance also conflicted with the mana Tokiomi himself had infused into the Azoth Sword, ultimately delaying its activation.
"Kirei, you—!"
Blood gushed from Tokiomi's throat as he mumbled indistinctly, reaching out to grab the cane on the table to counterattack.
However, as an executor, Kirei reacted faster. The moment the dagger was ejected, he mercilessly discarded the mercury sword and lunged at Tokiomi with fists that seemed capable of tearing through the air.
His most skilled killing technique was not something a mere dagger could compare to!
Just as Kirei Kotomine's fists were about to strike Tokiomi, a shadow darted out faster than both of them, grabbing the severely wounded Tokiomi. With a monstrously strong right hand, it blocked Kirei's punch and, using the force, broke through the mansion's wall, disappearing into the night outside.
***
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