Another reason Kiritsugu Emiya didn't want to confront Kirei Kotomine so early was simple—he had virtually no tactical data on the man.
Kirei had claimed he lost his Servant and sought shelter from the Holy Church, staying out of the action on the surface. But in reality, he had been using the supposedly retired Assassin to secretly gather intelligence all along.
However, Kiritsugu's prior investigations had convinced him that Kirei wasn't just an intel operative. During his time as an Executor, Kirei had accumulated significant combat experience. After joining Tokiomi Tohsaka's household, he spent two years studying Magecraft. Once he acquired his Command Spells, he feigned a break with Tokiomi and left the Tohsaka family.
Someone like that—no matter what—should never be underestimated as a Master.
If possible, Kiritsugu actually preferred for Tenkei Shiomi and Kirei Kotomine to clash first. Whoever won, it would work in his favor.
And judging from Shiomi's unfathomable power, Kirei would almost certainly die in the encounter.
That had been the plan—until Kirei came knocking. With no way to confirm the state of Saber's battle with Caster, Kiritsugu couldn't afford to pull Saber away to intercept him.
Still, he figured the same limitation applied to his opponent.
Kiritsugu hadn't exposed any of his weapons, Magecraft, or tactics. If he timed it right, this ambush could be a perfect opportunity to eliminate Kirei Kotomine—and, with him, Assassin.
Fighting on home ground gave him the advantage. Kiritsugu had already set up a series of crude but effective traps meant to delay or constrain the enemy.
The moment Kirei stepped onto the battlefield, automatic rifle fire rained down on him from the forest, triggered by Magecraft-assisted mechanisms.
But Kirei, a seasoned Executor with ample battle experience and prior reconnaissance, had expected this. He knew Kiritsugu would rely on modern weapons—tools most Magus scorned—and had come prepared.
Originally, Assassin had only reported that Kayneth's attack on the Shiomi household had failed. But upon hearing that Kayneth had redirected his focus toward the Einzbern forest, Kirei grew uneasy.
If Kiritsugu Emiya were to die here, the purpose of Kirei's participation in the Holy Grail War would be meaningless.
Intent on facing Kiritsugu himself, and unaware that both Tenkei Shiomi and Berserker were also present, Kirei infiltrated the battlefield alone.
As bullets flew at him from all directions, Kirei dodged with practiced precision, flinging his Black Keys mid-motion.
Clang. Clang. Crack—
He heard the unmistakable sound of metal being struck and broken.
He knew his Black Keys had hit a weapon—nothing more.
So, were these traps laid in advance? Was Kiritsugu still holed up in the castle?
Whatever the case, Kirei decided he had to press forward. Even if it meant fighting Kayneth, he had to stop him from killing Kiritsugu.
If Kiritsugu was to die, it had to be by Kirei's own hand—after he got the answers he wanted.
Kirei stepped over fallen branches and moved deeper into the woods. The moment his foot touched the ground again, another hidden rifle opened fire.
Without even looking, Kirei dodged and hurled another Black Key, but this time it missed.
He evaded several more shots in quick succession, the rifle rounds always just half a step behind, biting into the dirt and tree trunks behind him.
Taking cover behind a thick tree, Kirei used Magecraft-enhanced vision to scan the area—then caught sight of the corner of a black trench coat.
Kirei smiled faintly, then spoke.
"I didn't expect you to come to the front lines yourself. Looks like Caster gave you more trouble than expected—just relying on a Servant clearly isn't enough anymore."
Kiritsugu didn't respond, and Kirei didn't expect him to answer a question like that anyway.
Instead, as his voice faded, Kirei hurled four Black Keys from either side of the tree trunk.
Spinning through the air toward Kiritsugu Emiya, the blades—formed from Mana—could, in skilled hands, function like shuriken with curved trajectories.
Sensing the incoming attack, Kiritsugu ducked forward at the last second to avoid them.
"Time Alter—Double Accel!"
His body reacted faster than his mind. The Magic Crest embedded in him activated the Emiya family's time-altering Magecraft, generating an internal bounded field to accelerate his movements.
To an outside observer, it looked like he had suddenly become unnaturally fast.
And along with the flying Black Keys, Kirei himself launched into close combat. His brutal spinning kick struck a tree as thick as a man's torso, caving it in and bending it until it slowly gave way.
Dust and dead leaves burst into the air, swirling chaotically.
Kirei, still smiling to himself, watched as Kiritsugu vanished once more into cover.
That brief exchange had already made Kiritsugu fully aware of Kirei's danger. Quietly, he signaled Maiya to hold her position and wait.
Firing prematurely wouldn't help—it could tip Kirei off to Maiya's presence, and if he turned to attack her first, Kiritsugu wouldn't be able to protect her.
"So that's how it is," Kirei murmured to himself again.
His kick had missed not because he couldn't match the speed, but because he'd underestimated it.
Now that he knew his opponent could double his movement speed with Magecraft, he only needed to recalculate and adjust accordingly.
Leaning against the tree, Kiritsugu panted heavily. The strain from activating the Magic Crest was taking a toll on his body.
He turned his head slightly, spotted Kirei still a fair distance away, and pulled a flashbang from his coat, preparing to create a diversion and retreat toward the castle.
In a one-on-one fight with no prep time, the odds were stacked against him. He didn't believe even his trump card would hit Kirei in the dark.
He yanked the pin.
"Time Alter—Triple Accel!"
With retreat and disruption both necessary, Kiritsugu pushed himself to even greater speed.
The instant the flashbang went off, he dashed toward the castle. If he could lure Kirei into the clash between Morgan and Kayneth, he'd have a chance to regroup.
But he'd miscalculated one thing—Kirei's physical prowess.
Though the flash and blast disrupted Kirei's vision and hearing, Kiritsugu's footsteps still slipped through the noise. Kirei caught them.
Then, at a speed even faster than Kiritsugu's, Kirei caught up and, despite impaired senses, slammed a rock-hard hook into Kiritsugu's chest.
Thanks to his Magecraft still being active, Kiritsugu barely avoided a fatal blow to the heart. But he still heard the crack of ribs snapping, and the force of the hit flung him into a nearby tree.
The pain left him unable to lift his weapon. As Kirei closed the distance, Kiritsugu could only watch—until he faintly saw Maiya in the shadows, raising her gun.
He had no way to stop her from taking that risk.
But just then, as Kirei's vision and hearing began to return, he suddenly stepped back.
From within the familiar flock of crows, Tenkei Shiomi appeared.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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