Fate: Hero of Justice Takeover

Half an hour later, a tense atmosphere filled the guest room, and the invisible pressure almost caused Irisviel to gasp for air.

The cause of it all was the several small cylindrical objects on the guest table.

Those were trigger bombs, incredibly dangerous weapons for humans.

Standing beside the table, Kiritsugu Emiya's gaze was deep, and his limbs moved with slight pain.

To avoid setting off an explosion with his reckless actions, he didn't immediately try immediately go for the bomb, instead used his contract with his Saber to have her call Maiya Hisau over. Maiya broke a hole in the wall to enter, allowing them to safely dismantle all the bombs in the room.

"The analysis report is done. The tripwires are connected to the room's door. The affected area is small, only destroying the bedroom."

After disassembling one of the bombs, Maiya concluded.

"So, it's an attack specifically aimed at me..."

Even after narrowly escaping death, Kiritsugu's expression remained unchanged, as he calmly pondered and asked.

"By the way, Iri, have you grasped the barrier's formation for this forest yet?"

"Yes. I haven't found any flaws in the barrier. The alarms and patrol functions are all normal... I'm sorry."

"It's okay. The larger the barrier, the more flaws there are. If someone's focused on infiltrating, it's normal for it to be breached."

After casually comforting her, Kiritsugu continued his thoughts.

"The curse on Saber still hasn't been lifted, so is it Lancer's Master seeking revenge? No, he's a proper magus, and using bombs in his eyes is an insult. Archer's Master is the same."

"Rider's Master? No, let alone that kid, Rider's personality wouldn't allow him to do this."

"Berserker's Master is suspected to be a member of the Matou family, but there's no feud between the Matou and Einzbern families. And the chances of them finding this castle and attacking me this way are very low."

So, the remaining possibilities are just two…

Such an obvious conclusion cast a shadow over both Kiritsugu and Irisviel's faces.

Assassin's Master, Kirei Kotomine, or Caster's Master, Sakatsuki.

Ironically, both of these Masters are considered weak in the Holy Grail War, yet they posed immense pressure on Kiritsugu, who had Saber, the strongest class.

Whether it was Kirei with his elusive nature with strong combat skills. Or Sakatsuki, who rivalled a Servant and seen through Kiritsugu's every move, they were both dangerous enemies in his eyes.

Sakatsuki's base was unknown, and Caster, who could technically be considered his weak spot, was someone who could single-handedly kill Assassin. There were no clear opportunity to strike. But Kirei was different, he had falsely claimed Assassin was dead and openly sought shelter in the Church.

Assassin was captured, losing the contract with Kirei just a few hours ago, but the Church wouldn't be foolish enough to announce Assassin's "real" death. As a result, the other Masters were kept in the dark and still thought that Kirei had Assassin as a trump card for the information war.

With a deep sigh and a puff of purple smoke from his lungs, Kiritsugu took a moment to calm himself.

Even Irisviel didn't know that he and Maiya had hidden a modified tank in a rented garage in a neighbouring town. It was a cheap but destructive weapon often used by terrorists, and it was his trump card in case Matou or Tosaka tried to attempt a siege. If that thing crashed into the Church, where Kirei was hiding, even the Executor would be powerless to stop it.

Shaking his head, Kiritsugu cleared his thoughts, returning to a calm state of mind.

The immediate priority wasn't the two potential formidable foes, but a more imminent and dangerous reality.

"Iri, pack up. We need to evacuate. Our base has been exposed."

"...Understood."

After a brief silence, Irisviel got up and walked out of the guest room. Before leaving, she glanced back at Kiritsugu, her eyes filled with regret.

She had, in the end, not spoken her suspicion.

This wasn't logic or reasoning; it was a woman's intuition—Sakatsuki had placed the bomb.

Not to kill her husband, but simply as a malicious reminder, like a hunter in the jungle deliberately releasing its prey to make the hunt more interesting.

Look, I've already found you.

Keep running. Keep running as fast as you can... until the moment I catch you again.

Sakatsuki, in a certain sense, was just as cold as Kiritsugu.

"Since both are fighting for their own desires, let's give it our all. No need to hold back."

"It's just a matter of betting our lives on it. Once that wish surpasses everything you've lived for, then death is nothing fear."

When such passionate words turned into reality, Irisviel once again felt deep unease.

It wasn't the unease from a friend, but the worry a wife feels for her husband.

'Can Kiritsugu really survive the clash between Kirei and Sakatsuki?'

She had barely taken a few steps when the shouting from the meeting room pulled Irisviel back.

"Kiritsugu Emiya, you're insulting the Servants. I was summoned to take your place in battle, to reduce the sacrifices, to replace thousands with a single person, and to bear fate to win... That's the meaning of our existence as Servants. But why don't you let me fight?!"

Saberl shouted, her green eyes filled with anger.

"Your actions last night, attacking Lancer's Master and Sakatsuki, were the same. If something went wrong, it would've turned into an irreversible tragedy. Even without those methods, Lancer already agreed to fight me again! Not to mention that Sakatsuki and his Caster are not enemies!"

"Or, Kiritsugu, you don't trust your own Servant? You don't trust me?"

Faced with Saber's accusation, the Kiritsugu didn't respond. He silently continued packing his equipment—his actions only deepening the rift between him and his Servant. His expressionless face seemed like he wore a mask, one that filled Irisviel with a deep sense of disgust.

That wasn't the Kiritsugu Emiya she knew.

"If there's doubt in your heart, it must be corrected."

"If the one you love is making a mistake, you must be the first to stand up and challenge them."

Even though they were now enemies, his words still guided her.

Irisviel closed her eyes. Just as she was about to speak, an unexpected jolt in her chest made her body stiffen.

The barrier formation she had just grasped sent a powerful pulse through her magical circuits.

It was an alarm.

Someone had invaded the Einzbern Forest.

***

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