Fate: Hero of Justice Takeover

After scraping the last bit of sauce clean, Kirei Kotomine finally put down his spoon.

The entire plate of bright red, specially made Mapo Tofu had disappeared, leaving only the smooth, pristine white porcelain plate.

"It's my first time seeing you like this, Kirei."

Archer said lazily from the sofa beside him, smiling.

Only he had witnessed the whirlwind feast that had taken place just minutes ago.

After confirming that it was just a normal plate of Mapo Tofu, Kirei had taken a bite. After that—this was the result.

Whether it was due to a sensory difference or some other reason, Kirei's sense of taste wasn't very sensitive. Only when experiencing extreme spiciness, which bordered on pain, would he notice the deliciousness of food.

For him, this plate of Mapo Tofu was already a rare delicacy.

But... It was made by Sakatsuki. Even Kirei, who had seen all sorts of things in the world, found it quite strange.

The person who wanted to kill you didn't make any threats, but treated you to a good meal? What is this? A "death feast"?

Or is it... a challenge?

"Seems like you share the same thoughts. Interesting..."

Gilgamesh said as if seeing through Kirei's mind. His serpent-like eyes narrowed with interest.

"Why not think that Sakatsuki wants to reconcile with you?"

"Even jokes have limits, Hero King."

Kirei replied calmly, wiping the corner of his mouth.

"From the moment he pursued me... No, I knew it a year ago. He truly wants to kill me, though I don't know why."

"That's because he sensed your true nature, Kirie."

Gilgamesh, sitting elegantly, raised his glass, looking down at Kirei's troubled expression.

"That chef figured out that your future actions would affect him, so rather than letting you roam free, it's better to kill you before you commit a crime."

Kirei didn't respond immediately, as he was distracted by a particular word that Gilgamesh had casually mentioned.

"Did you say... commit a 'crime'?"

"Oh, did you hear something? I didn't say anything."

Gilgamesh said with a playful smile, like a child ripping up some papers because they had too many questions.

Realizing that he couldn't extract more information from Archer, Kirei stood up and walked out in silence.

"Where are you going, Kirei?"

"Just some casual stroll. No need for you to follow, Hero King."

After saying that with a touch of sarcasm, Kirei put on his custom robe and attached several Black Keys to his belt. Through the walls of the church, he looked towards a certain place in Fuyuki City.

Though Tokiomi Tohsaka didn't show any response, after Kirei had lost his servant, he had indeed reduced communication with his disciple. But this also gave Kirei more opportunities for action.

According to the information Assassin had found "before his death," the base of the Einzbern family should be located in the deep mountains near the national highway.

Although Kirei firmly believed that he could find the answers he sought through the clash of swords, Sakatsuki's repeated attacks had already shown that his killing intent was unwavering. If Kirei appeared rashly, he would be easily killed by the Sakatsuki.

So the only remaining candidate for answers would be the Magus Killer, Kiritsugu Emiya.

What answers could he give me?

With the purest desire for knowledge, the troubled man began his journey for the night.

Behind him, the golden king smiled mysteriously.

Those who have not realized their own nature.

Those who suppress their desire to save others for the sake of their wishes.@@novelbin@@

Those who follow only their own principles.

These were the ones Gilgamesh found the most fun in this Holy Grail War, especially with the unexpected collisions between Kirei, Kiritsugu, and Sakatsuki. The drama they would create would be more interesting than any high-class film.

Amid the king's carefree laughter, the empty wine glass fell to the soft carpet, and the king who had once used it disappeared without a trace.

***

Evening.

More than thirty kilometres west of Fuyuki City. A national highway runs through a remote mountain area, with dense green forests on either side, as though it had been forgotten by the recent wave of residential development.

Rumour has it that in the deepest part of this forest lies a "dream city." Only a few magus know this castle's true existence.

It is a magical city that welcomes its master every sixty years and serves as a base during times of war.

This castle is a space protected by layers of illusions and magical barriers, making it nearly impossible for the outside world to discover. Those who know the true origin of the castle refer to this deep forest as the "Einzbern Forest."

When the Holy Grail War began in Fuyuki, the head of the Einzbern family, Jubstacheit von Einzbern, disdainfully chose not to establish a base on Tohsaka's territory. Instead, he used his wealth to purchase a large piece of spiritual land near Fuyuki and made it the Einzbern base.

The night before the Third Holy Grail War began, the world was facing the onset of World War II, a tense era. It is said that the Einzbern family used this forest as a boundary, moving an entire sub-city from Einzbern to there. This shows the astonishing wealth and determination of their family.

What's even more ironic is that the intermediaries who facilitated the land purchase or the local undercover work were all done by the Tohsaka family.

At this moment, the combatant living in this castle, Kiritsugu Emiya, was waking up from a corpse-like sleep.

Spiritual Disassembly Sleep—this is the method of sleep Kiritsugu Emiya practised. By using self-hypnosis spells, he disassembles his consciousness and uses powerful drugs to eliminate fatigue along with his awareness.

This spell, as far as self-hypnosis is concerned, wasn't particularly difficult, but even temporarily, most people would hesitate to split their consciousness into meaningless fragments, let alone willingly do so. Kiritsugu, however, purely viewed it from an efficiency standpoint and considered it the best method for rest, so he often used this.

A dreamless sleep was only a moment from the sensory perspective. After completing three hours of mental maintenance, Kiritsugu opened his eyes and quickly regained his composure. He slightly sat up and subconsciously scanned his security.

Almost in an instant, his expression froze, and his body tensed, not daring to move a muscle.

Someone had infiltrated his security during his sleep, bypassing everyone and even Saber's vigilance.

The small traps he had set were dismantled, and in some places, there were several deep shadows under the blood-red sunset.

That figure, that outline—he knew immediately what it was.

It was a bomb.

***

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