Although Kirei had no idea what "mapo" referred to, he understood that the Servant across from him had recognized him.
"You've got the wrong person." Kotomine Kirei's tone remained as calm as ever, showing not even a hint of shame for his actions. With that, he turned to leave.
"Cut it out. The only official members of the Church here are you and Kotomine Risei. Or are you going to claim you're Risei himself?" Jiang You exposed him without hesitation. Having referenced the original plot, he had already drawn his own conclusions. "You did all this because of Kiritsugu Emiya, didn't you?"
"I don't understand what you're implying." Though his words were a denial, Jiang You could tell from his halted footsteps that he was interested.
"You want to understand Kiritsugu Emiya. You see him as someone like yourself—a hollow, empty man who coldly follows orders like a machine." Jiang You began pacing in a circle around Kotomine Kirei. "But you noticed that, despite everything, he repeatedly took on high-risk missions that didn't align with his own benefit. You want to know what drives him, why he came to the Holy Grail War in the first place. And today, seeing him happy, you thought it might be worth investigating—that maybe, you could feel joy too. So you couldn't help but try it out, could you?"
"A mind-reading ability, perhaps? As expected of a Caster." Kirei nodded, neither admitting nor denying it. "Since you already know my intentions, then as a Servant of the Einzbern faction, could you answer my question?"
"Go ahead." Jiang You returned to Illya's side, nudging her and gesturing for her to turn with him.
Illya looked at him in confusion.
"The Magus Killer—Kiritsugu Emiya. What is his wish? What has driven him to risk his life in the Holy Grail War?" Having been chosen by the Holy Grail despite his supposed lack of desire, Kirei wanted to understand his own wish. He had spent his life trying to become an ordinary person, and perhaps Kiritsugu's answer could help him understand himself.
"Are you sure you want to hear it?" To be honest, Jiang You wasn't keen on revealing the utterly ridiculous truth—that the bloodstained Magus Killer's ultimate wish was an impossibly vague notion of world peace. Honestly, Jiang You thought Kiritsugu would have better luck running for U.S. President; at least that way, half the world's troubles might be reduced.
"Are you unwilling to say?" Kirei frowned. From Caster's words, it was clear he knew the answer and was willing to share it. Kirei was desperate to know. He had spent most of his life pursuing this answer—an answer he hadn't even found despite his wife's sacrifice. "Is an equivalent exchange required?"
Kirei considered what he could offer Caster in return. As a fellow participant in the Holy Grail War, perhaps betraying Tohsaka Tokiomi could serve as a trade?
Jiang You had no idea what Kirei was scheming. He simply shook his head. "It's not that I don't want to say it—it's just that it's an answer you won't be satisfied with."
"No matter what the answer is, I must know it." Like a drowning man clutching at straws, Kirei refused to let go.
"World peace."
"...What?" The simple answer echoed in Kirei's ears. He almost thought he'd misheard.
"I don't think you misheard. That's the answer. If you don't believe me, you can ask her—Kiritsugu Emiya's daughter, a neglected child, one of his many victims."
"World peace? World peace. World peace!" Kirei repeated the words, his tone growing wilder until he could no longer hold back his laughter. "Killing for world peace? And I saw myself in him? Hahaha! What is this feeling—disappointment? Pleasure? Hahaha! I don't know! Hahaha!"
Clutching his face, Kirei tried to suppress his twisted expression, but he found he couldn't. "I'm actually happy because of this? Is this my true nature? Do I find amusement in watching others be naive and contradictory? Or is it... disappointment?"
Jiang You eyed his deck of cards, considering whether to initiate a Shadow Game and immediately take out this man, who was beginning to show signs of sadistic pleasure. But thinking of his survey results and the fact that Kirei hadn't yet committed any unforgivable crimes, he put his cards away.
Referencing other works (from parallel worlds), there might be a simple solution.
Jiang You clapped Kirei on the shoulder and pulled him closer. "Don't be so quick to make a judgment. Didn't you want to understand your own desires? Come with me. Illya and I are hungry after playing all day, anyway."
When the spicy red tofu was placed in front of Illya, the overpowering aroma made her choke for a while before she finally recovered. She took a sip of clear soup to soothe her throat, then used her spoon to poke at the tofu. The special sauce-coated tofu gleamed enticingly under the red oil, its spicy and savory fragrance wafting up from the thick broth.
Illya couldn't resist taking a bite. The explosion of umami and spice flooded her tongue, the overwhelming heat rushing straight to her brain, making her scrunch up her face.
"Water... water!"
"I didn't expect 'Hongzhou Banquet - Taishan' to be around at this point. I was originally just going to take you to a random Chinese restaurant that served mapo tofu." Jiang You took two freshly served bowls of the dish from the owner and placed them in front of himself and Kirei. "Give it a try."
"Chinese cuisine, huh..." Kirei sniffed the spicy aroma, unconsciously twitching his fingers. He had already eaten earlier—while monitoring Kiritsugu, he had hastily filled his stomach with compressed biscuits. He had never had much interest in food. Yet, for some reason, he now found himself looking forward to it.
"Then I won't hold back." The anticipation clawed at him like a cat scratching at his heart. This unfamiliar experience was impossible to resist. Performing the traditional Japanese pre-meal ritual, he maintained a perfectly composed posture as he lifted a spoonful of mapo tofu to his mouth.
Beads of sweat quickly formed on his forehead, yet he remained oblivious. His movements became faster and faster, and soon, his plate was empty—even the thick, pungent sauce had been scooped up several times.
For the first time, Jiang You found himself using the word "ferocious" to describe the way someone ate. He hesitantly asked, "Would you like some more?"
Kirei knew his own appetite. At this point, he was already 80% full. Normally, he kept his food intake at about 60% to remain ready for action at all times. Eating more would be unreasonable.
And yet, the words he spoke betrayed him: "One more bowl."
Jiang You pushed his untouched portion toward Kirei, a wide grin spreading across his face. "You've found your desire, haven't you?"