Eriri: "So screwed. Kayneth, your death is just too miserable—"
L: "This is the price of arrogance. With his abilities, had he been just a little more cautious, defeating Kiritsugu Emiya—and even winning this Holy Grail War—would not have been impossible. What a pity. The Lancer team will be the first to be eliminated."
Kayneth: "How is that possible... What kind of bullet was that? It destroyed my Magic Circuits along with everything else—"
It was too ruthless. One had to admit, Kiritsugu Emiya's methods were far too ruthless. Non-magi might not understand, but as a top-tier magus and one of the Lords of the Clock Tower, Kayneth knew. That single shot from Kiritsugu wasn't just aimed at his life; it was meant to annihilate the Archibald family's nine generations of magical legacy in one fell swoop.
With that one shot, the Archibald family would be completely stripped of its status as one of the twelve noble houses of the Clock Tower. The title of Lord was out of the question; they would be lucky to avoid being expelled from the world of magi altogether.
Enough said. If I can't beat him, can't I at least run?
Kayneth was now thoroughly panicked. He swore that if he ever set foot in Fuyuki City again, he was a fool. This place wasn't some backwater town; it was hell itself. You could probably bring the entire Clock Tower's roster of magi here, and only a few would make it out alive. Kayneth had no wish for the Holy Grail to grant, and certainly no intention of dying in Fuyuki for some stupid cup. This godforsaken place—it was better to have never come at all.
While Kayneth was reeling in terror, Kiritsugu Emiya, inside the Einzbern Castle, took a long, melancholic drag from his cigarette. His trump card had been completely exposed.
The Origin Bullet—a bullet that materializes the "Origin" of whatever it strikes. It was his ultimate trump card. He had already used thirty-seven of them, and not a single one had been wasted. Now that Kayneth knew of the Origin Bullet's existence, defeating him with a surprise attack would no longer be so easy.
Although Kayneth's Mystic Code, Volumen Hydrargyrum, had also been revealed, as a Lord, he surely possessed more than just that one. With both of his own trump cards now exposed, defeating him in their next battle would be far more difficult...
---o---
[In the video, after Kayneth collapsed, Kiritsugu Emiya slowly advanced, reloaded his submachine gun, and prepared to deliver the final blow.
It had to be said, Kiritsugu truly lived up to his name as the greatest Magus Killer, deeply understanding the importance of securing the kill. Even with Kayneth paralyzed on the ground and completely stripped of his ability to fight, Kiritsugu was still going to finish him off.
But just then, on Kayneth's right arm, the power of a Command Spell began to manifest. As if using the very last of his magical energy, one of the seals vanished.
Seeing this, Kiritsugu's pupils contracted. Realizing what his opponent intended, he instantly raised his gun and fired at Kayneth.
However, it was too late. A terrifying surge of magical energy blasted through the corridor. Smoke and dust filled the air as stone and wood fragments flew in all directions. Half of the ancient castle trembled, shaking down clouds of dust, and the lights in this section were completely extinguished.
Lancer, having suddenly appeared, blocked Kiritsugu's bullets completely. He then helped the grievously wounded Kayneth to his feet, glaring at Kiritsugu with absolute fury, his twin spears trembling slightly from the immense force of his grip.
But Kayneth was gravely injured and could die at any moment. Saving his Master's life was a higher priority than killing Saber's Master here and now. Without a moment's hesitation, Lancer used his long spear to flick a pile of rubble into the air. As Kiritsugu dodged, Lancer took Kayneth and vanished from the spot.
With this, the Lancer team, while not completely defeated, was more or less finished. Having lost his Magic Circuits, Kayneth was now as helpless as a common man.
Just as the audience was sighing over this outcome, the video feed cut to another scene.
It was a forest shrouded in dense fog.
"—Woman, I have a question for you."
Kirei Kotomine spoke in a deep, somber voice as he slowly approached the woman who stood frozen and helpless.
The viewers were startled by the sudden scene change. Wasn't that Kirei Kotomine, Tokiomi Tohsaka's apprentice? And the woman across from him... it was Irisviel, who had just fled the castle to escape Kayneth.
It turned out that while Kiritsugu had been fighting Kayneth inside the castle, Kirei had secretly infiltrated from the rear. To prevent him from interfering with Kiritsugu, Irisviel had chosen to intercept him here.
Unfortunately, even with their best efforts, she and her companion were no match for the priest. They had barely managed to bind him to a tree before he simply tore the tree down with sheer force.
At this moment, Maiya, who was acting as Irisviel's bodyguard, had already been mercilessly beaten to the ground by Kirei and lay struggling in agony like a tattered doll.
"You two... you seemed to have challenged me for the sake of protecting Kiritsugu Emiya. Whose will was that?"
"..."
Kirei's hand shot out, clamping around the silent Irisviel's throat, and he gently lifted her off the ground. Her face, as perfectly sculpted and beautiful as a statue, was now twisted in pain.
"I will ask again, woman. By whose will do you fight?"
For Kirei, this was a question he genuinely wanted answered. Who had placed such a pointless obstacle on his path to Kiritsugu Emiya? The truth was of great importance to his empty, hollow heart.
As he mulled this over, Kirei suddenly felt a strange weight on the tip of his boot. He glanced down.
The battered, black-haired woman had reached out a trembling arm and grabbed his right foot. It was Kiritsugu's assistant, Maiya.
Her grip was weak, but it was likely all the strength she had left. She could no longer stand, nor could she even form a fist, but her eyes, burning dimly with hatred, remained fixed unwaveringly on Kirei.
Wordlessly, Kirei Kotomine lifted his foot and ruthlessly stomped down on the chest of the woman with the shattered ribs.
Even then, she did not let go. Both her hands clung tightly to Kirei as she glared at him with pure hatred.
Kirei shifted his gaze back up to the silver-haired woman suspended in the air.
Irisviel was now being suffocated, her body writhing in agony, yet there was not a trace of fear in her expression.
Realizing he would get nothing more from them, the priest made a move that stunned the entire audience.
He drew a Black Key from his coat and, without hesitation, as if slicing through cloth, he pierced Irisviel's abdomen.
"Gh...!"
The artificial woman let out a choked gasp, and blood welled up in her throat.]