Fate: Hero of Justice Takeover

It was in the morning of today.

"Why suddenly bring up Kirei Kotomine, Madam?"

Sakatsuki handed over the snack he had bought from the roadside to Saber, puzzled.

"Hmm, although it's a bit underhanded to gather intelligence like this, you're the only one who has come into contact with Kirei, so..."

Irisviel blushed slightly, taking a deep breath as she spoke.

"I want to know, what kind of abilities does that man have, the one who even Kiritsugu is so wary of?"

"Oh..."

Sakatsuki squinted his eyes meaningfully.

"Could it be that you're jealous, seeing how that man is getting closer to Kiritsugu?"

"No, no, no! How could that be!?"

Irisviel frantically denied it while waving her hands.

"Irisviel, the forbidden love between two men is not permitted."

Saber whispered as a gentle reminder.

"That's impossible, Saber!"

Irisviel's face turned bright red as the hidden truth was revealed, and she playfully punched Saber with her fists, who was oblivious to the misunderstanding.

"Hahahaha... Alright, no more teasing."

Sakatsuki laughed for a moment, then got back to the main topic.

"Kirei Kotomine is a very dangerous individual. If you exclude me, his strength is one of the top in this Holy Grail War, comparable to Kayneth."

"Kayneth... Then what about Kiritsugu? Who's stronger, him or Kirei?"

Irisviel asked, her confused expression resembling that of a child wondering if Ultraman could beat a monster.

In response, Tsukizuki shook his head without mercy.

"Unfortunately, he can't."

"It can't be?" 

"He's right, Irisviel."

Saber added from the side, giving a fair evaluation.

"No matter what, Kiritsugu is a killer, excelling in surprise attacks. But Kirei, being an Executor of the Church, would definitely surpass Kiritsugu in overall combat capability."

"Exactly."

Sakatsuki nodded.

"Kirei isn't a genius, but he has put in ten times the effort of others. That's why his skills across the board have reached a first-class level."

"From the Church's Black Keys for long-range combat to Chinese martial arts like Bajiquan for close combat. His priest robe not only resists bullets but also magic. Furthermore, his willpower is as firm as a rock—ordinary illusions are useless against him. Unless you possess overwhelming strength like Saber and me, it's hard to find an opportunity to defeat him."

"You can't say that. Kiritsugu taught me more than just driving skills you know!"

Irisviel puffed her cheeks, dissatisfied.

"I know, and also the alchemy magic you're best at from Einzbern."

Sakatsuki easily exposed Irisviel's trump card.

"But the thing is, Kirei, being an Executor of the Church, has encountered many magus."

The magus targeted by the Church were those who had delved too deep into mysteries of magic, even threatening the world. No matter how talented Irisviel was, she couldn't compare to those notorious figures on the Church's wanted list, who had been immersed in magecraft for decades.

"If you find yourself facing Kirei and don't have Saber to protect you, Irisviel, you only have one option."

Sakatsuki raised his finger, exchanging a glance with Saber.

"Throw all your magic at him to restrain him, and then... Run!"

"Run as far as you can!"

Sakatsuki said with certainty.

"Better yet, come to me!"

Saber spoke resolutely.

Their seamless cooperation made Irisviel smile bitterly. After a long moment, she finally said.

"You two... are so in sync."

"Eh? Are we?"

Saber's ahoge twiched with an innocent look.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Sakatsuki smiled slyly and nodded seriously.

***

At this point in her memory, Irisviel's beautiful red eyes fixed intently on Kirei Kotomine. Her numerous magical circuits within her body opened in unison, summoning a signature technique exclusive to the Einzbern family.

"Shape ist leben!"

With just a couple of quick chants, the magic was completed. Silver threads weaved back and forth, forming a complex outline. The intertwined vines are woven into a detailed, three-dimensional object; majestic wings, a sharp beak, and claws with deadly hooks. The finely crafted silver creation mimicked the form of a huge eagle.

No, it wasn't just an imitation—

"Kyeeee!"

The silver eagle emitted a sharp, metal-like screech as it spread its wings and soared from Irisviel's arm. Created through alchemy, this artificial lifeform was her weapon of choice in this life-or-death situation.

The eagle flew faster than a bullet, far beyond Kirei's expectations. He immediately twisted his body to barely avoid it, the razor-sharp beak missing his face by inches.

After the first attack missed, the silver alchemical creation quickly soared higher, circling above Kirei's head, like a true eagle hunting in the wild. Its claws spread wide, aiming straight for Kirei's face.

But the Executor was not one to only defend. Unafraid of the sharp claws, he unleashed the martial art of Bajiquan, swinging his fist to strike the eagle down.

The eagle, now unable to alter its trajectory, collided head-on with the iron fist aimed at its abdomen.

"Ugh!?"

But the one who gasped in surprise was Kirei. The moment his fist hit, the eagle twisted its body, returning to its disordered silver thread form, which tangled around his right fist like creeping vines.

Kirei immediately tried to pull his left hand free, but the silver threads only wrapped tighter, binding both his hands together like handcuffs.

"...Hmph!"

As a warrior who had fought with numerous magus in life-or-death battles, Kirei merely snorted and suddenly rushed toward Irisviel.

His hands might be tied, but there was nothing to fear. He just needed to close the distance and kick the woman to end the battle.

"You underestimate me too much!"

Irisviel shouted, channelling more mana into the silver threads. A portion of the threads unspooled and shot out like a serpent, wrapping around the nearby tree trunk.

Even the strong Executor had to obey basic principles of physics. As Kirei lost his balance and stumbled, the silver threads wrapped more tightly around the tree, pulling him toward it. Finally, they managed to bind his hands to the trunk.

It was a tree trunk over thirty centimetres thick. For an ordinary person, it would be like trying to move a concrete pillar, but even so, Irisviel almost gave in to Kirei's strength.

She had intended to use the pressure from the silver threads to crush his hands, but the warrior's muscles, honed like steel, were incredibly strong. The threads were stretched to their limit, nearly breaking apart.

To prevent the threads from snapping, Irisviel had no choice but to continue pouring all her mana into reinforcing the wires, maintaining the tension. But this meant she couldn't escape or even move.

The battle reached a standstill.@@novelbin@@

***

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