Having been summoned out of thin air, Gilgamesh first cautiously scanned his surroundings, then instantly grasped the situation.
"Hmph, not even a trace of a Servant can be seen. Were you beaten into this state by a mere magus?" Gilgamesh questioned Tokiomi Tohsaka without the slightest hesitation, his gaze icy cold.
"Clown, what exactly are you doing?"
Gilgamesh had originally believed that Tokiomi Tohsaka, setting aside his disloyalty, stubbornness, and stupidity was at least passable in terms of ability and responded fairly promptly to his summons. However, he had not expected Tokiomi to have been nearly killed by other magi and to have completely lost his ability to fight. With no other choice, he had summoned him, only for this to be the result.
This coincidence, combined with the fact that both of them were now half-crippled, made Gilgamesh consider executing Tokiomi Tohsaka to vent his anger. However, he abandoned that thought the moment he noticed Kirei Kotomine standing nearby.
Such a swift death would be far too merciful for this traitor.
"My Lord of Heroes, please forgive my incompetence. After fighting the Master of Berserker, I no longer have the strength to continue fighting. And at this critical moment, Kirei has betrayed me. I ask that you lend me your strength and punish the traitor."
Despite his extreme anxiety, Tokiomi Tohsaka did not let it show and respectfully sought Archer's assistance.
Seeing Kirei Kotomine still standing silently after Archer appeared, Tokiomi Tohsaka suddenly realized that he had unknowingly fallen into an extremely dire situation.
After his conflict with Archer, Kirei Kotomine's betrayal, and the complete destruction of the Tohsaka family, he could now only hope that Gilgamesh would distinguish right from wrong and set aside past grievances.
"Since you have already admitted your incompetence, whydo you think should I accept such an incompetent subject?"
Gilgamesh stepped aside without hesitation, cast a glance at Kirei Kotomine, and spoke in a mocking tone.
"However, you need not worry, Tokiomi. Although you have failed in your duties as a subject, I will not disregard the bond between Master and Servant. Therefore, before this contract ends, I will not punish you while you are down."
Tokiomi Tohsaka was stunned.
Archer usually refused his requests outright, but what was happening now? Didn't this man understand the situation at all?
Even if Tokiomi Tohsaka had encountered agents of the Church in perfect condition, he would not have dared to claim he could handle them, let alone now, when he was half-crippled.
Upon hearing Gilgamesh's words, Kirei Kotomine, as if receiving a cue, slowly walked toward Tokiomi Tohsaka.
He could barely restrain his excitement. With every step forward, he had to forcibly calm himself, and yet with each step, the burning fire in his eyes only grew more intense.
"No, Kirei! You can't do this, I am your teacher, what would your father think, what about the ideals of the church…....."
Seeing Kirei advance unhinged, Tokiomi yelled out
"What do you want?!"
Facing death, Tokiomi Tohsaka finally panicked.
He simply could not understand why things had turned out this way. His trust in had been built little by little through past experiences. The other man's seriousness, caution, and respect had all seemed genuine.
That was the one thing he was certain he could not have been wrong about.
Moreover, what could Kirei Kotomine possibly gain from this? He had abandoned a promising future in the Church and chosen to come to Fuyuki, join the Tohsaka family, and fight alongside him. Was it all merely to seize the Tohsaka family's assets?
Yet Kirei clearly knew the current financial state of the Tohsaka family, it was nothing but a burden, a house of cards waiting to be blown away by the wind.
Completely baffled, and unable to persuade Kirei Kotomine, Tokiomi Tohsaka turned his gaze toward Archer.
Gilgamesh looked at Kirei Kotomine with anticipation, showing no intention whatsoever of helping his Master.
"Archer! Why are you just standing there watching? Have you truly betrayed me?"
"Clown, How dare you question this King!? The moment you used falsehoods to conceal the truth and deceive me, you should have already foreseen your own end."
Gilgamesh did not even deign to glance at Tokiomi Tohsaka, and this utter disregard was the most ironic punishment of all.
"To be betrayed by my own summoned Servant, a mere Servant…...."
"No!! even in death, I will-" Tokiomi Tohsaka's eyes turned ferocious as he prepared to unleash his final Command Spell.
But before he could act, a gleaming silver sword severed his wrist.
"Aaaaaah—!"
Although he appeared gravely injured, as long as he was still alive, The King of Heroes was not an opponent to be underestimated.
"Foolish Mongrel."
A hint of anger flashed across Gilgamesh's face, yet he still did not kill Tokiomi Tohsaka, because the scene he had been waiting for had finally arrived.
"In the end, Master, you still failed to understand what kind of person I truly am…"
Seeing Tokiomi Tohsaka abandoned by everyone, Kirei Kotomine stopped in front of him.
"For the past thirty years, my life has been filled with emptiness and sorrow, and I was willing to give up everything to pursue even a false sense of happiness."
"Because I am isolated from this world, as long as this emptiness persists, I will remain trapped in a life of sorrow. But from today onward, everything will change!"
Kirei Kotomine gradually let out a fervent cry, his eyes burning with zeal.
"I have been baptized! I have been saved!"
The taciturn priest's face twisted into a terrifying fanaticism. He raised the Mercury dagger mystic code, the final symbol of trust and mentorship, high above his head and precisely slashed at Tokiomi Tohsaka's unprotected neck. Before the quiet of death arrived, the only thing Tokiomi Tohsaka could hear was Kirei Kotomine's unwavering voice.
"Master, the wound on your neck is the tragic boundary between me and this world!"
Kirei Kotomine flicked the blood from his Mercury Sword and revealed a satisfied smile.
Tokiomi Tohsaka's dying scream was melodious, his collapse beautiful, and even his agonized struggle fascinating.
As if releasing all the emotions he had suppressed throughout his life, he burst into uncontrollable laughter, causing the normally self-disciplined man to lose control and collapse to his knees.
Roland had once commanded him, "Enjoy yourself."
Kirei Kotomine was personally experiencing this sweet, wicked, and cruel despair; this vivid sensation was the answer he had been searching for all along.
Yet once the novelty faded, a deeper emptiness followed. Before Kirei Kotomine could recover from this desolation, Gilgamesh had already approached.
"Well done, Kirei. Now, form a new contract with me."
Gilgamesh was also quite satisfied with his new Master. "Although he is not very mature, he is not boring either. I believe we will get along very well in the future. Now, let us leave this filthy place and find a new residence."
After the contract was completed, without waiting for Kirei Kotomine's response, Gilgamesh dissolved into spirit particles and headed toward the church.
Meanwhile, Kirei Kotomine remained standing there, staring blankly at Gilgamesh's retreating figure, a meaningful smile lingering on his face.
"As you wish, King of Heroes."