Magician in Type-Moon

Page 68

With a cold snort, he raised EA high, and a fierce light once again burst forth from the sword.

"You gods are so self-important." His voice was cold and full of contempt.

The EA spun in his hand, emitting a deafening roar, with powerful energy gathering on the blade, as if ready to unleash destructive force at any moment.

"If you dare to interfere in human affairs again, I will not hesitate to let you taste the revenge from six thousand years ago."

Gilgamesh's tone was full of domineering and resolute power, as if he were declaring war on the gods in the sky.

EA's rotation speed increased, and the resulting wind pressure directly shattered the terrifying thunderclouds in the sky. The dark clouds quickly dissipated, revealing a clear blue sky.

The light from the heavens shone like golden rays upon the ravaged earth.

The battlefield, washed clean by the rain and illuminated by the dome's light, somehow appeared to have a sense of "rebirth after destruction."

The golden king moved slowly across the ground, gradually approaching a person dressed as a priest. The interplay of light and shadow created a scene resembling a sanctuary.

The priest was kneeling quietly on the ground, reciting some kind of requiem.

Chapter 94 The Sin in My Heart

On the battlefield, the surrounding area was a scene of ruins. After the baptism of war, the ground was covered with broken tiles and collapsed buildings.

The air thick with the smell of gunpowder was washed away by the torrential rain. The rain carried away the smell of gunpowder but left behind mud and bloodstains.

A sliver of light gradually appeared on the horizon, piercing through the thick, dark clouds and spilling across the desolate land.

Sunlight pierced through the rain, shining on the priest and Gilgamesh's golden armor, reflecting a dazzling brilliance. The priest knelt silently on the ground, as if in a tranquil sanctuary.

Gilgamesh walked slowly toward the priest, his golden armor gleaming in the sunlight, a stark contrast to the surrounding ruins.

The interplay of light and shadow creates a scene resembling a sanctuary, where the priest's figure appears incredibly resilient and serene in the light.

He softly recited some kind of requiem, his voice low and steady, as if offering final peace to the deceased amidst these ruins.

Gilgamesh stopped and stared coldly at the priest before him. The radiance of Ea shone on him, making him appear exceptionally dazzling.

"What are you doing, Kirei?" Gilgamesh's voice was cold and majestic, as if it could penetrate all illusions.

The priest slowly raised his head, his gaze calmly meeting Gilgamesh's.

"My teacher has died, and I am praying for him..."

Gilgamesh's eyes remained cold, his tone laced with sarcasm:

How did Tokiomi die?

"Assassinated by Saber's Master..." Kirei's voice was low and steady, but a complex emotion flashed in his eyes, as if he was trying to hide something.

Gilgamesh gave Kirei a cold glance, his gaze sharp as a knife, as if trying to pierce his soul.

His gaze lingered on Kirei and Tokiomi's corpse for a moment, as if he had seen through everything, but he did not reveal it.

"Hmph, what a pathetic way to die. It seems his fate was destined to be the same." Gilgamesh sneered, and the radiance gradually faded from the EA in his hand.

Kirei remained kneeling on the ground, continuing to recite the requiem in a low voice, as if the world's clamor and destruction had nothing to do with him.

"Is Assassin dead?" Gilgamesh suddenly asked.

"Yes, he lost in the battle against Lancer, but Lancer should also..." Kirei's voice remained calm.

Gilgamesh nodded, seemingly unsurprised by the answer, and gave a mocking, pitying sneer.

"We've come this far, what are you still thinking about? Even if you're slow to react, there's a limit, Kirei."

"I...I think I should withdraw from this Holy Grail War..."

"—You don't really think that, do you?"

Archer's gaze seemed to see through everything, and Kirei silently glared back at him.

However, Kirei couldn't deny that Archer was right; otherwise, he should have collected Tokiomi's body and left long ago, instead of standing there on the battlefield praying for the departed.

As he delivered the final blow to Tokiomi, he sensed a sudden surge of magical power in the air.

This indicates that the battle on this battlefield has not ended, but is quietly taking place somewhere unseen and hidden.

Perhaps it was caused by the Noble Phantasm of one of the Heroic Spirits.

That's why he's waiting at this moment.

Gilgamesh sneered and continued:

"The Holy Grail is still calling you, and you yourself want to continue the fight."

Gilgamesh never expected to witness such a spectacle as soon as he emerged.

Although Tokiomi died from a bullet piercing his heart, there were signs of treatment on his body, which undoubtedly indicates that Tokiomi did not die immediately.

The fact that he didn't die immediately after being pierced through the heart means he could still survive for a while, and considering Kirei's actions...

I initially thought Tokiomi Tohsaka was murdered through a dirty scheme, but... well, I guess I'll have to wait and see what's possible with this guy in front of me...

Archer reminded Kirei again, but Kirei remained silent and did not refute him.

Anyway, there's nothing you can hide from Archer. This Heroic Spirit has already seen through Kirei's lies, so he probably already knows where the answer Kirei longs to know lies.

Those bright red eyes were like an observer looking down at a white mouse wandering aimlessly through a maze.

Offering neither guidance nor assistance, but merely amusing himself by observing the troubles and suffering of others from a superior position—that must be the pleasure of the Hero King.

"...Since I was old enough to understand, I have lived for the sole purpose of exploration."

Kirei spoke to Archer as if engaging in a dialogue with the darkness deep within his own heart.

“I spent a long time and endured all kinds of suffering... all in vain, but now I feel that the ‘answer’ is right beside me, a feeling I’ve never had before.”

As Kirei spoke, he came to a new understanding of what had driven his previous actions.

He discovered that long ago, Kirei Kotomine was no longer Tokiomi Tohsaka's lackey, but had joined the war for his own sake.

“Since you already have such a clear understanding, what is there to hesitate about?” Archer asked coldly.

Kirei looked down at her outstretched hands, then covered her face, as if letting out a silent sigh.

"This is absolutely heinous, an act that is outrageous to both gods and men."

After seeing the teacher off, I actually...

Would it be better to just abandon everything and walk away?

From now on, forget everything, ask nothing and seek nothing, and just live a simple life like grass and trees.

No matter what he loses, at least he can ensure that he can live a peaceful life from now on.

"Don't think about those nonsensical things, Kirei."

Archer immediately warned Kirei to stop his dream.

"This should be something to celebrate. Your relentless pilgrimage is finally nearing its destination."

Archer nodded, his face still devoid of any warmth, more like a child observing an anthill.

“I was very hesitant, and I even had the chance to back down. But in the end, King of Heroes, just as you said—someone like me has no other way of doing things but to keep questioning.”

As Kirei spoke, he rolled up his sleeves and looked again at the Command Seals etched on his wrist.

Two of Kili's own command seals are on his left upper arm, allowing him to re-establish a contract with his followers.

From this moment forward, Kirei's war will no longer have any just cause; it will truly become Kirei Kotomine's battle all by himself.

"Hahaha—but Kirei, you're about to run into big trouble."

After Archer laughed for a while, a cunning yet extremely evil and dangerous look appeared in his blood-red eyes.

"Do you really think that I won't punish you for killing Tokiomi Tohsaka?"

Chapter 95 Wang Lai Allows

Kirei raised his head, facing the Heroic Spirit, and said:

"Not entirely. I've already planned how to beg for forgiveness."

"Oh?"

Archer squinted with interest, while Kirei continued calmly.

"Now that I have personally destroyed Tokiomi-sensei, I no longer need to cover up his lies—Gilgamesh, I will tell you the truth behind the Holy Grail War that you do not yet know."

"......What?"

Archer frowned suspiciously. Seeing that the time was right, Kirei began to explain the truth about the Holy Grail War that his teacher, Tokiomi, had told him before.

"The miracles that happen 'inner' of this world will not affect 'outer' of the world. The struggle for the wish-granting machine is just a farce. The original three starter families' real intention in wanting to obtain the Holy Grail is not in this."

"Oh? Continue." Gilgamesh's interest was clearly piqued, and his sharp gaze locked onto Kirei.

"The true purpose of the initial three families in designing the Holy Grail War was to open the gate to the 'Root'. The so-called wish-granting machine was just a decoy, a tool to cover up their true intentions."

Kirei continued to explain:

"The purpose of the three starter families has never been to simply make a wish, but to seek the supreme 'root' and understand the source of all truth."

"This ceremony held in Fuyuki was actually an experiment to gather the souls of seven Heroic Spirits as sacrifices in an attempt to open a passage to the 'Root'. The promise to 'achieve a miracle' was just bait to summon the Heroic Spirits."

Gilgamesh remained silent for a moment, seemingly processing the information, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

Seeing the change in Archer's expression, Kirei seized the opportunity to continue:

"In this war, the only magician who truly wants to fulfill the long-cherished wish of the three founding families is Tokiomi Tohsaka. He wants to kill all seven Servant Spirits to activate the 'Greater Grail'. Kill all seven of them, do you understand? — This is why Master Tokiomi is so reluctant to use Command Seals."

"He can only use a maximum of two Command Spells when fighting other Summoners, because the last Command Spell must be used to command his follower to commit suicide after the war is completely over."

Archer listened to all this, but his face remained expressionless. He lowered his voice and asked coldly:

"Are you saying that Tokiomi's loyalty to the king is all false?"

Kirei, recalling his teacher's past conduct, shook his head and said:

"He did indeed show the utmost respect to 'Gilgamesh the Hero King,' but you, as Archer, are a different story. You are like a historical projection, a phantom used to carry out missions, merely a record copied from the Boundary Recording Tape."

"But if a new layout needs to be made and there are no extra resources, he will not hesitate to abandon you. In the end, Mr. Tokiomi is a complete 'magician'."

"With just a thought, he knew very well that the spirits were just props. Even if he had respect for the heroic spirits, he would not have any illusions about the heroes and idols."