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At that moment, Kiritsugu thought of a better plan.
While they were still allies—while Alex and Roxy still had their guard down—he could kill them both with Origin Bullets.
As soon as that thought formed, killing intent flared in Kiritsugu's eyes.
It wasn't much, but it was enough for Luo Hao and Hestia to notice instantly.
Kiritsugu glanced at Maiya beside him. She understood without a word and gave a subtle nod.
Both of them reached for their guns, quietly loading the Origin Bullets.
But every move they made was seen by Luo Hao and Hestia.
The moment Kiritsugu and Maiya raised their weapons and pulled the triggers—before the bullets could even hit their marks—Luo Hao and Hestia stepped in front of Alex and Roxy.
They caught the bullets. Bare-handed.
The sudden turn of events stunned everyone. Irisviel covered her mouth, eyes wide in disbelief.
She couldn't believe what she'd just seen.
Kiritsugu… had tried to kill their allies.
To attack during an alliance—that was beyond ruthless. It was betrayal without any shred of morality.
Kiritsugu saw the bullets caught in midair, but he didn't waste time being shocked. He immediately invoked a Command Seal.
"Use your Noble Phantasm. Kill Alex and Roxy!"
Saber's body moved against her will. The wind barrier around her holy sword dispersed, revealing its brilliant golden light.
She raised Excalibur high, her voice ringing out:
"Ex—calibur!"
The sword released a blinding pillar of golden light, slamming toward Alex and Roxy.
Everything happened too fast. Even though the two reacted instantly, there was no time to dodge.
But neither of them panicked. With Luo Hao and Hestia there, they had no reason to fear.And even if they weren't—Merlin would intervene.
As expected, the moment Saber unleashed her attack, Merlin's voice rang out as well:
"Garden of Avalon—Forever Open!"
The beam of holy light collided with the barrier of Avalon and dispersed harmlessly.
Kiritsugu froze. His plan had failed.
He turned to run—but Esdeath was already behind him.
Her sword fell.
Too fast to block.
"Time Alter—!"
Desperation kicked in. Kiritsugu invoked the Emiya family's forbidden time magic—Innate Time Control.
He severed the flow of time around himself from the outside world, manipulating it freely within a localized field. It was an incomplete Reality Marble that required immense mana and complex rituals, but Kiritsugu had modified it for battle—shrinking the field to within his own body and limiting it to a few seconds.
By accelerating his blood flow and muscle reactions, he could move faster than any normal human. Or by slowing his heartbeat and halting metabolism, he could feign death and evade detection.
The price, of course, came afterward—once time realigned, his body would suffer unbearable backlash.
Now, under Time Alter, the world around him seemed frozen.
Except Luo Hao and Hestia. They were completely unaffected.
Kiritsugu dashed out of Esdeath's attack range, and as the spell ended, normal time resumed.
Esdeath's sword cut empty air. Her expression didn't change. She vanished and reappeared before him again in an instant.
This time, Kiritsugu had no chance to cast another spell.
Cornered, he grabbed Maiya and pulled her in front of him.
The blade came down.
Blood sprayed across the ground.
Maiya's eyes widened in disbelief.
She had always been willing to die for Kiritsugu—but not like this. Not as a human shield.
Her gaze flickered toward Irisviel in the distance. The envy she once felt toward that woman faded away.
Then her vision went dark forever.
Alex's expression hardened. Anger surged through him.
"All this… just to win the Grail? You'd really stoop this low?"
Kiritsugu's face twisted with madness. "You don't understand! I'll sacrifice anything—anyone—for world peace! I must have the Grail!"
Alex's voice turned cold. Now he remembered exactly who this man was—someone who would kill the few to save the many without hesitation.
"Don't let him escape!" he ordered.
Kiritsugu raised his second Command Seal. "Saber! Hold them off!"
Once again, Saber's body moved against her will, stepping between them.
Hestia sighed. "Sorry, kid, sit this one out."
A casual strike from her was all it took to immobilize Saber completely.
Kiritsugu's face went pale. He triggered another Time Alter, trying to flee again—but the spell meant nothing to Luo Hao and Hestia.
Luo Hao merely waved a hand. Golden particles swirled in the air, forming a massive spectral hand that seized Kiritsugu like a helpless chick and dragged him back before the group.
Irisviel's face was streaked with tears. She pointed at Maiya's body, her voice trembling.
"Why, Kiritsugu? Why would you do this?"
Kiritsugu lowered his head. "Everything I do… is for peace."
Irisviel shook her head, crying harder. She didn't want to hear any more of his excuses.
Meanwhile, in the chat group watching the battle live—everyone was furious.
Misaka Mikoto: "Unbelievable. Betraying allies and then pretending it's for peace? What a hypocrite!"
Saeko Busujima: "He used a woman as a shield. And not just anyone—his closest partner. That's disgusting."
Miko Yotsuya: "I seriously thought Alex was dead for a second there…"
Erza: "As long as Luo Hao and Hestia are around, he'll be fine."
Kurumi Tokisaki: "That magic he used—it manipulates time. Alex, can you get your hands on it?"
Alex: "Leave it to me."
Tsunade: "Guess time-space abilities are valuable no matter the world."
Shinobu Kocho: "Kurumi, your power has to do with time too, right?"
Kurumi: "Mm."
Shinobu: "I'm jealous. You're all so strong."
Hestia: "Don't be. You're part of my familia now—I'll make sure you grow strong soon enough."
Shinobu: "Thank you, Lady Hestia."
Hestia: "No thanks needed. We're family."
Back in the Einzbern Castle courtyard—
Alex was done talking.
Kiritsugu had betrayed the alliance and tried to kill them. There was no reason to show mercy.
He turned to Hestia. "Transfer his Command Seals to me."
Hestia nodded with a faint smile. "No problem. Easy."
She pointed toward Kiritsugu's hand, and the glowing sigils began to peel away from his skin—
"..."
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