Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
A dense hail of bullets poured toward Kirei Kotomine like a torrential downpour.
He sprang into the air with a backward flip, and as if performing a magic trick, produced another six Black Keys.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Moving at astonishing speed, he swung the Black Keys with flawless precision, knocking every submachine-gun round out of the air.
Not a single bullet reached him.
Listening to the spent rounds clatter harmlessly onto the ground, Kiritsugu Emiya remained outwardly expressionless after emptying the magazine.
Inside, however, he was deeply shaken.
Whether it was the complete failure of the Origin Bullet or Kirei's reaction speed and physical ability far beyond his expectations, Kiritsugu narrowed his eyes and silently focused on the six newly drawn Black Keys.
Then his gaze settled on the crimson mark near Kirei's wrist—
A Command Seal that was gradually fading away.
No...
So that's it!
Kiritsugu understood everything in an instant.
Kirei was using the large number of Command Seals he had inherited from his father, Risei Kotomine, as an external source of magical energy to power the Black Keys.
When the Origin Bullet triggered its effect of disrupting magical energy, the Command Seal serving as the power source disappeared from Kirei's arm at the same time.
Unlike a magus's own Magic Circuits, a Command Seal functioned as an independent reserve of magical energy.
Besides compelling absolute obedience from a Servant, it was itself nothing more than a condensed mass of magical energy bestowed by the Greater Grail, drawn from the leylines beneath Fuyuki City.
As long as Kirei avoided using his own Magic Circuits and instead fueled the Black Keys with Command Seals...
Kiritsugu's Origin Bullet would have little effect on him.
Granted, using Command Seals this way was absurdly extravagant.
It was like using Excalibur to peel an apple.
But Kirei possessed enough Command Seals that he could afford such waste.
That meant—
Kiritsugu had to land the Origin Bullet directly into Kirei's body if he wanted to finish the fight in a single blow.
With that realization—
He flicked the Thompson Contender in his hand.
The spent casing flew free.
Using the pistol grip, he popped a fresh Origin Bullet from the ammunition holder on his belt, sending it spinning into the air.
With another smooth flick of the gun, the airborne round slid perfectly into the chamber.
The entire reload was clean, efficient, and completed with only one hand.
His Thompson submachine gun remained ready in the other.
Meanwhile, Kirei discarded the Black Keys altogether.
Instead, he assumed a close-quarters fighting stance.
It was clear he intended to settle this with his fists.
"Don't expect to dodge the next one."
His tone remained calm despite the threat.
For Kirei, Black Keys were merely part of his duties.
Hand-to-hand combat...
Was his true passion.
"Hmph."
"You should worry about yourself."
Kiritsugu answered coldly.
The two men shared the same philosophy—
Strategically, look down on your enemy.
Tactically, treat them with absolute seriousness.
During the brief second Kiritsugu spent reloading the Origin Bullet, Kirei had already devised a countermeasure against Time Alter — Double Accel.
Now that I know he can move at twice his normal speed...
I only need to factor that into my attack range.
He relies too heavily on external tools.
Close-quarters combat isn't his specialty.
If I get just a little closer...
Victory will be mine.
At the very same time—
Kiritsugu reached his own conclusion.
If he comes just a little closer...
Even he won't be able to evade the Origin Bullet.
Victory will be mine.
Both men saw the path to victory.
After a brief standoff—
Boom!
Kirei moved first.
His feet left a deep crater in the ground as he exploded forward.
In the blink of an eye, he was already in front of Kiritsugu.
His speed bordered on teleportation.
Kiritsugu hadn't even managed to raise the Thompson Contender.
His pupils contracted.
Time Alter—
BAM!!
Kirei's speed after abandoning the Black Keys exceeded every one of Kiritsugu's calculations.
He had no time to react.
He couldn't even activate Time Alter before Kirei's perfectly executed straight punch slammed into the left side of his chest.
Crunch!
Every rib shattered.
His heart exploded instantly.
Blood erupted from his mouth.
His body was launched more than a dozen meters through the air like a rag doll, smashing through several massive trees thick enough that a man could barely wrap his arms around them.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
Kiritsugu finally collapsed beneath the base of a tree he had nearly uprooted.
He looked...
Dead.
Completely motionless.
His heartbeat.
His pulse.
His breathing.
The flow of blood through his veins.
Every sign of life vanished from Kiritsugu Emiya's body.
"Haa..."
Even for Kirei, that burst of explosive speed followed by a full-powered punch carried a considerable burden.
He let out a heavy breath.
Kiritsugu's pupils were completely unfocused.
There was no doubt—
His heart had truly been destroyed.
A smile of satisfaction spread across Kirei's face.
"This is the end, Kiritsugu Emiya."
"Your foolish dream..."
"Ends here."
With those words—
He turned around without the slightest hesitation.
Because—
A dead Kiritsugu Emiya no longer held any interest for him.
And at the exact instant Kirei turned his back—
Kiritsugu's lifeless eyes suddenly focused once more.
Raising the Thompson submachine gun toward Kirei's completely exposed back—
He opened fire.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
"Wha—?!"
Kirei had never imagined that Kiritsugu could still "come back from the dead" after his heart had literally been destroyed.
One bullet grazed his earlobe.
A drop of crimson blood fell.
Kirei spun around instantly.
Crossing both arms in front of him, he assumed a defensive stance.
The dense stream of bullets hammered against the sleeves of his black priest's vestments.
Yet none of them managed to penetrate.
The priest's uniform issued by the Holy Church was itself a standard Mystic Code.
Its defensive performance was more than sufficient to stop ordinary rifle rounds.
Aside from the graze on his ear before he could react—
Kirei suffered no further injuries.
Only after Kiritsugu emptied another magazine did the gun finally fall silent.
"You bastard!"
Enraged at having been deceived, Kirei charged once more.
This time—
Having survived only because Avalon – The Everdistant Utopia had restored him—
Kiritsugu had already learned his lesson.
Without hesitation, he activated the fastest Time Alter his body could currently withstand under Avalon's healing.
"Time Alter — Quadruple Accel!"
Victory...
Would be decided in this single instant.
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