Magician in Type-Moon

Page 80

"Emiya Kiritsugu, what are you running away from..." he muttered to himself, his heart filled with contradictions and confusion.

Amidst the swirling smoke, Kiritsugu's face revealed a hint of weariness and pain. He knew that his estrangement from Irisviel was not because he didn't love her, but because he needed to maintain a certain facade.

A state of being able to sacrifice everything; Maiya's death seemed to have made him somewhat weak, but this was not allowed.

"I want to save this world... I want to realize our ideals..." Kiritsugu repeated these words to himself, as if they could give him some strength and courage.

But whenever he thought of Irisviel's smile and her trusting eyes, an indescribable sense of guilt and pain welled up inside him.

He knew that the path he was on was fraught with darkness and danger, and that Irisviel was merely an innocent victim.

He lit his second cigarette, took a deep breath, and tried to calm himself down.

Then he turned and left the corridor, heading towards the castle's basement, where he and Saber held their strategic discussions.

The castle's basement was dark and deserted, with only a few dim lights illuminating the surroundings.

When Kiritsugu entered the basement, Saber was already waiting there for a long time.

Kiritsugu Emiya didn't want to discuss the Holy Grail War strategy with Saber, but at this moment, Saber was the only one who could help.

Maiya is already dead, and Irisviel's health will deteriorate further as the Holy Grail War progresses.

As expected, the first thing I heard was a question.

"I was summoned to shed blood in your place. To avoid unnecessary bloodshed in the struggle for the Holy Grail, to minimize sacrifices, to stand alone in place of thousands, to bear the weight of fate and fight to the death... This is the meaning of our existence as Servants."

"But why are you unwilling to hand over the battle to me? The same thing happened when you attacked Master Archer yesterday. If anything had gone wrong, it would have turned into an irreparable tragedy."

"Or is it Kiritsugu? Don't you trust your own servant, don't you trust me?"

Even though Kiritsugu looked at Saber as if she were something he deeply hated, his lips, which were dangling a cigarette and puffing out smoke, remained completely still.

"It's just a strategic necessity. Not only me, but the Matou family's Masters and Assassins did the same thing, didn't they? While Lancer and Caster were fighting, they went to challenge Lancer's Master to a duel?"

Breaking from his previous silence, which remained as still as a seashell, Kiritsugu Emiya spoke in a dry voice.

Left with no other choice, we only have one helper left. If we don't appease him properly, we might be at a complete disadvantage, or even be kicked out of the game.

Although I have ways to deal with Heroic Spirits, I only use them when absolutely necessary.

“You…” Saber knew that what Kiritsugu Emiya was saying was true, but she still felt that something was wrong.

She was silent for a moment, then looked up and stared directly at Kiritsugu.

The most obvious difference between Matou Ike and Emiya Kiritsugu is that one person is willing to believe in their own Heroic Spirits and rely on their power to achieve victory in battle.

Even if I join the battle, it's only to alleviate the pressure on the Heroic Spirits' side.

Kiritsugu Emiya, on the other hand, never saw Saber as a direct means to victory; she was merely a tool he used to block certain obstacles.

"Don't you consider me a comrade at all?"

Kiritsugu's gaze wavered for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. He knew he could not deny Saber's words.

"Even if my sword wins the Holy Grail, if in the end I still have to hand it over to you, I'd rather..."

The image of the sunset over Camran flashing through her mind, along with the deep-seated sorrow in her heart, made Saber unable to continue speaking.

During this heartbreaking silence, another voice interrupted from not far behind her:

“Answer her, Kiritsugu.”

Irisviel sensed the commotion coming from the basement below and rushed to the scene.

Unlike Saber, she fully understood and could comprehend her husband's way of thinking and acting.

Kiritsugu's gaze was initially dark and cold as he looked at Saber, but when he turned to Irisviel, he immediately showed a look of shame and dejection.

"Kiritsugu, don't look at me, speak to Saber. She needs to hear your opinion."

"No, I have nothing to say to that Spirit. It's a waste of breath to talk to a killer who cheers under the banner of some glorious reputation."

Kiritsugu maintained the formality of speaking to Irisviel, unflinchingly insulting Saber. Saber, of course, would not allow herself to be humiliated.

"How dare you insult chivalry in front of me, you villain!" The Knight King's eyebrows shot up as he roared.

But Kiritsugu remained unmoved, his gaze still fixed on his wife, as if he didn't care about Saber at all.

At this point, he finally revealed his true feelings and began to speak eloquently:

"Those knights are utterly incapable of saving the world. They couldn't in the past, and they won't be able to now. These people advocate for a distinction between good and evil methods of war, as if there were some truly noble value on the battlefield."

"Because heroes throughout history have constantly promoted this fantasy, how many young people do you think were tempted by bravery or fame, and died on the battlefield?"

"That's not fantasy! As long as it's human behavior, even if it's a fight to the death, there are inviolable laws and principles. These are essential! Otherwise, every time war breaks out, this world will become a miserable hell!"

Saber's firm rebuttal only earned Kiritsugu's scorn.

"See, that's it—Alice, you heard it too. This great Heroic Spirit actually thought the battlefield was better than hell."

After saying that, the basement fell silent again.

"Forget it, let's decide on the follow-up Holy Grail plan first." Irisviel was already feeling unwell, and the argument between the two of them only made her more stressed.

She sighed, trying to break the suffocating deadlock.

She knew that the two of them might never reconcile, even until the end of the Holy Grail War.

After getting back to the main topic, Kiritsugu Emiya quickly adjusted his state and regained his composure and rationality.

He took a map from the table next to him, unfolded it on the table, and began to explain the next action plan.

“We need to be clear about every step of our actions. First, we need to find our next target,” he said, his eyes darting across the map, searching for a suitable point of attack.

Although Saber was dissatisfied with Kiritsugu's attitude, she knew that now was not the time to argue, especially in front of Irisviel.

"The church's announcement mentioned that Kirei Kotomine inherited Tokiomi Tohsaka's Heroic Spirit, Archer, and thus continued to participate in this Holy Grail War."

"And then, Irisviel, you should be able to sense that several Servants have died by now, right?" Kiritsugu Emiya asked Irisviel directly.

"There's only one..."

Kiritsugu frowned, pondering, "One? That would be one between Lancer and Assassin..."

"So we should still be the weakest group in this Holy Grail War..."

Upon hearing this, Saber unconsciously tightened her grip on her sword... but she didn't say anything more.

"Let's target Rider first... They must be in a bad situation right now." Kiritsugu Emiya turned his gaze to Saber, after all, she was the one who experienced that battle firsthand.

Saber was somewhat reluctant at this point, but still...

"The Conqueror King's Noble Phantasm as Rider was destroyed in that battle, and while that Reality Marble may be restored, it would require a huge amount of magical energy. His Master's abilities should not be sufficient to fill those gaps."

"Well, in that case, Alice, you and Saber will go together to track down Rider, but don't make a move too soon."

“Other Masters will probably want to expand their gains further. Even if we leave it alone, they will start a conflict first, so we don’t need to lift a finger.”

"On the contrary, those who start conflicts in advance are our best prey."

This idea certainly aligns with Kiritsugu Emiya's personality. In his eyes, there are no moral principles or obligations as a magician.

The tactics are calculated based on the equation of the survival of the fittest, like hunting machines.

"You..." Saber finally couldn't hold back her emotions when she heard this tactical arrangement.

But Kiritsugu Emiya ignored him and continued talking about his plans for himself.

"And I'll keep an eye on their Masters. That's all for now..."

"Hmm..." Irisviel could only agree to this arrangement for now.

But Iris felt that Kiritsugu Emiya had missed something, namely 'Maiya' whom she had just spoken with.

Although it has been assumed that Maiya will follow Kiritsugu Emiya, judging from Kiritsugu's meticulous behavior, he should not miss any members involved in the operation.

So I brought it up myself:

"What about Maimi?"

Chapter 113 The Castle Surrounded by Insect Swarms

Kiritsugu Emiya's gaze paused slightly, clearly not expecting Irisviel to mention Maiya. A fleeting, almost imperceptible emotion crossed his face, but he quickly regained his composure.

"I forgot to tell you, Maimi sacrificed herself on the battlefield yesterday..." His voice was low, carrying an undisguised weariness.

"Huh?!" Irisviel was startled by Kiritsugu Emiya's words. It was just a simple inquiry, but she received such a shocking message.

There wasn't even time to grieve, because Maiya, whom Kiritsugu Emiya had judged to be dead, had just talked with her in her room not long ago.

Could it be a ghost story?

"This is impossible!" she exclaimed. "Maimi was just here, and we even talked..."

"What?" Kiritsugu Emiya's expression turned serious, his brows furrowing. "Are you sure?"

“I’m sure,” Irisviel replied firmly. “She was just here talking to me.”

Kiritsugu Emiya's gaze sharpened instantly. He turned to Saber and said, "Go check the surroundings. We can't take any risks."

Irisviel looked at Kiritsugu Emiya, her eyes filled with doubt and worry: "Kiritsugu, what exactly happened?"

“It seems we’ve encountered some new enemy,” Kiritsugu Emiya said in a deep voice, “someone who can impersonate Maiya and deceive our senses.”

He took out the monitoring equipment, looked at it carefully, and then turned to Irisviel and said, "We must leave here immediately and find a safer place."

Irisviel nodded, though she was still filled with doubt and unease, she knew now was not the time to press for answers.

She trusted Kiritsugu's judgment and decisions, and they had to act quickly to ensure their safety.

Just then, Saber suddenly appeared, her expression grave: "I haven't found any suspicious signs around, but I don't feel safe here."

The air was thick with a sense of oppression.

A sudden throbbing in Irisviel's chest made her tense up all over.

The forest barrier spell she had only recently mastered was pulsating intensely within her magic circuits.

This is an alarm.

"—You've arrived so quickly?"

Her husband's whisper in her ear was unexpectedly calm; he had regained the indifference and coldness that Irisviel had never known before.

Kiritsugu sensed something was wrong just by looking at the expression on his wife's face.