Chapter 30: This Is Kiritsugu Emiya

Roland watched Kiritsugu Emiya with a gentle smile. If one had to name a protagonist among the participants of the Fourth Holy Grail War, it would be the man before him—his expression utterly devoid of life, clad in a black trench coat, his eyes as deep and hopeless as a still well, brimming with despair.

Even after the Holy Grail War concluded, the lingering shadow of this dead man continued to haunt the world, giving rise to new tales.

Of all the Masters, Roland least wished to face this one. Yet, now that the Command Seal was in his hands, it no longer mattered.

“Maiya Hisau has already been dealt with by me. The Einzbern homunculus has yet to arrive in Fuyuki, but that’s irrelevant,” Roland said, extending his index finger to point at Kiritsugu and made his proclamation, “Next, it’s your turn, Kiritsugu Emiya.”

Such a close and immediate threat finally stirred Kiritsugu, who had not yet recovered from the previous scene.

What did he feel for Maiya Hisau? If pressed to answer, even Kiritsugu could not say. Maiya had long since steeled herself for sacrifice. She would never wish for Kiritsugu to seek revenge on her behalf, for he was not a man to be swayed by the words of others, nor would he change because of shifting circumstances. Like a machine, he would pursue the dream of becoming a champion of justice.

Yet, in this moment, the murderous intent surging within his chest was anything but false.

“Bastard!”

He forced himself to regain composure. Though still wounded, his body seemed to be ignited by emotion, brimming with inexhaustible strength. Without a trace of sentiment, Kiritsugu advanced toward Roland, each step heavy and resolute.

This unexpected move made Roland pause for a moment.

But, feeling the Key of All Souls pulsing more fiercely, sensing the miracle within his grasp, the corners of Roland’s mouth curled involuntarily into an excited grin. He spread his arms open.

“Well now, you’re actually coming toward me? Not running away, but giving yourself up so readily?”

“Your assistant, Maiya Hisau, risked her life to reveal the secret of my ability to you—like a student furiously scribbling answers at the end of an exam.”

“If I didn’t approach, how else could I kill you?”

Kiritsugu’s eyes glinted with icy light as his steps never faltered.

“Very well, then come a little closer,” Roland replied, leaving his spot to walk toward Kiritsugu. He knew his adversary possessed Command Seals, but he felt no fear. No matter what, he was determined to kill Kiritsugu and seize the Command Spirit. He was confident he could finish him off before the Command Seals could be used.

Moreover, Roland held unwavering confidence in Kiritsugu Emiya himself.

This man harbored an obsession as twisted as a curse. Until his defenses were utterly shattered, he could place his father, his adoptive mother, even his wife upon the scales and abandon personal feelings, reducing them to mere numbers for the sake of sacrifice.

Maiya Hisau might have been of some use alive, but after her death, Kiritsugu would calmly appraise the value of the loss. Clearly, when weighed against the Holy Grail, she would be a thing to discard.

If it were solely for revenge, Kiritsugu would have summoned a Servant at the first possible moment.

The two men, like Western gunslingers preparing for a duel, stopped at a safe distance and faced each other.

“Not going to use a Command Seal?” Roland was the first to speak.

“A simple exchange of pieces is meaningless. But if you intend to waste a Command Seal here, I’ll oblige you.”

Seeing Roland’s calm, unflinching expression, a heaviness settled in Kiritsugu’s heart. Although not all Masters had arrived, all the Servants must have already been summoned. At this stage, unless a Master had no interest in the war or was an accidental participant, it was inconceivable that any had yet to summon their Servant.

Yet Maiya Hisau was clearly not someone a lucky bystander could have dealt with. To Kiritsugu, Roland seemed like a scheming conspirator who not only saw through his identity as the true Master, but, tracing back through his career as a mage killer, had found and eliminated his assistant. He could not be underestimated.

All the more reason, then, for Kiritsugu to make Maiya’s death count for as much as possible. She had revealed the enemy’s identity as the seventh Master. He’d witnessed Roland’s prowess with explosives, and since Maiya had still been able to contact him before her death, it was likely Roland’s Servant had already been sent elsewhere.

This man was very much like himself. Such seemingly arrogant moves only proved that Roland was absolutely confident in his ability to handle battles between Masters.

—Beyond that, Kiritsugu could think of no other reason why his enemy would so recklessly leave his Servant’s side. Surely it couldn’t be that he had no Servant at all?

And that, was his chance.

One-on-one against another Master, Kiritsugu was fully confident. While the enemy was swelling with pride over a recent victory, he would eliminate a rival in advance!

Kiritsugu moved with sudden, lightning speed. Concealed by his coat, he drew a pistol and fired without hesitation.

“Firing head-on? You should know such things are useless against me.”

The firing rate of a semiautomatic pistol was far too easy for Killer Queen to intercept. It stood before Roland, using only one hand, making a few casual sweeps in the air. Then, as if putting on a show, Killer Queen slowly unclenched its grasp, letting the brass bullets fall harmlessly to the ground with a crisp sound.

The display made Kiritsugu’s eyelid twitch, and for a moment, a flicker of shock flashed across his face, quickly replaced by an even deeper gravity.

Unlike other magi he had faced, who relied on talismans or mystic codes to defend themselves, this mysterious Master’s familiar could simply catch bullets out of the air.

He needed to force the man to expend more magical energy, to deepen the link between him and his familiar.

Kiritsugu made up his mind. Like a hunting leopard, he crouched low and sprang forward, drawing a submachine gun and spraying fire in Roland’s direction.

Not wanting to take any chances, Roland retreated slightly to cover. Sheltered by Killer Queen, he made it behind cover without a scratch.

“Is this all? Then how did you deal with the withering heart-piercing attack? That child shouldn’t be so easily misled by such things,” Roland muttered, frowning. He sensed that the Command Spirit was not attached to Kiritsugu. Could it be the man had used a special tool to borrow the Command Spirit’s abilities? But if so, how could his mind remain so clear?

This time, however, Kiritsugu, who had been silent, finally replied.

“Isn’t dealing with that simple enough? You just need to pay an extra price, that’s all.”

His voice was as calm as ever as he explained his method.

“It’s a death god that seeks out heat, so just create a place with an even higher temperature.”

As if struck by a realization, Roland instinctively glanced out the window. Though his view was limited, the gloomy black sky was already tinged with an unusual color.

—It was the shimmering light of flames.

Most of the buildings in these abandoned districts were still wooden. Once a fire started and wasn’t immediately controlled, it would quickly spread.

This was a method the protagonists in the original story would never have used—so ruthless that even villains would hesitate to react in time.

Roland raised his brow, as if reappraising the silent man before him.

Until his goal was achieved, this man would treat all other lives as nothing more than the final blood to be shed before attaining the Grail.

Such was the so-called champion of justice—Kiritsugu Emiya.