Chapter 1176 Farewell

Chapter 1183 Farewell

"Since there is a spirit Servant next to you, it is not unreasonable to let down your guard."

Hearing Kirei's sarcasm, Archer laughed loudly.

"Have you learned to joke so quickly? Kirei, you have made great progress."

Kirei asked Archer with a serious expression.

"Do you really have no objection to doing this, Hero King Gilgamesh?"

"Before I get tired of you. When I am no longer interested in you, you will end up like the wreckage lying here. If anyone should be aware of it, it should be you."

Although the other party's answer was very sharp, Kirei still nodded without showing any sign of hesitation.

Indeed, this guy is a dangerous character who cannot be entrusted with one's life. This can be said to be a contract signed with the devil. A tyrannical and cruel Servant with neither kindness nor loyalty, and even interests are difficult to judge.

But——that is why he is just right for me.

For Kirei, those guys who claimed to be righteous and moral in the past did not bring him a real answer. Instead, this Heroic Spirit who had nothing to do with righteousness and morality could become Kirei's target for future battles.

Kirei opened his sleeves to reveal the Command Seal engraved on his wrist, and then chanted majestically.

"Your body is my use, my destiny is your sword. In the name of the Holy Grail, obey my will--"

"I swear. Your offerings are all my flesh and blood. Kotomine Kirei, my new Master."

The channel for the supply of magic power was opened the moment the contract was reached, and the Command Seal on the left hand, which was once again effective, emitted light again with a burst of pain.

The contract ended, and now, the strongest and most evil group in the fight for the Holy Grail was born here without anyone knowing.

"Well, Kirei. Shall we begin? ... You will lead and open the curtain of this farce. As a reward for you, I will give you the Holy Grail."

"No problem. King of Heroes, you will surely find pleasure in this. Before you find the answer you expect, enjoy the joy of this battle."

The red pupils filled with joy and the black pupils immersed in emotion intertwined their gazes.

·············

In the cool air of the early morning, Emiya Kiritsugu had already appeared in front of an abandoned house in Miyama Town.

As an old building that has been built for more than a few decades, it has not undergone any repairs or renovations. There are even earth warehouses built in the last era in the yard. This is the place he bought for Irisviel as a reserve base. Considering that the Einzbern City outside the city has also been attacked by the enemy, buying this hidden place is definitely not meaningless.

Saber is not here. The presence of Serrant can be felt through the Command Spell, but now he has no feeling at all. She is probably on her way to Rider's base now. Realizing this, Kiritsugu also intends to catch up with her.

It is easy to assassinate an apprentice magus like Waver as long as he knows his hiding place - but that can only be done after Saber leads the enemy's Servant away. Last night, Kiritsugu followed Tohsaka Tokiomi, who came out of Fuyuki Church alone, all the way to Tohsaka Mansion, but he never had the chance to attack. He could feel that Archer was monitoring the situation here somewhere. If he rashly attacked his Master in this situation, it would be tantamount to suicide.

Although the location of the target has been determined, Kiritsugu did not go directly to the scene. Instead, he rushed to this abandoned house as a temporary base.

It was not his intuition, but a sign of many factors combined... I am afraid this will be his last chance to communicate with his wife.

Now that three Servants have been killed, Kiritsugu knows very well the status of Irisviel, the "vessel" of the Holy Grail. If his heart is very fragile, he will definitely not come here.

Meeting his wife now is a test for Kiritsugu, and a punishment for himself.

As a sacrifice for the Holy Grail he pursued, he had to sacrifice the life of the woman he loved deeply - he had to face this reality and not show even the slightest hesitation.

If he could overcome this test, then Emiya Kiritsugu would be able to overcome all the inner entanglements and no longer have any hesitation. He would definitely hold the Holy Grail in his hands as precisely and surely as a machine.

Therefore, this was the last and greatest test for himself, who was called a combat weapon.

If he could not withstand it... it would mean that all the ideals in the heart of this man called Emiya Kiritsugu were just that.

Kiritsugu stood in front of the door of the underground warehouse and knocked on the secret signal to open the door a few times. Soon Maiya opened the heavy iron door from the inside.

Before he said a word, Kiritsugu noticed the change in Maiya.

Maiya, who always had a cold and empty look in her eyes, now had a flash of nervousness in her eyes, as if Kiritsugu's appearance made her feel shaken.

"...Are you here to visit my wife?"

Kiritsugu nodded silently, and Maiya lowered her head and whispered.

"Her condition now..."

"I know, I understand everything."

No matter what he said, Kiritsugu had to see the scene in this underground warehouse with his own eyes, and he had already been mentally prepared for it. Knowing this, Maiya said nothing more and moved out of the way, and then headed towards the underground warehouse. walked outside.

In a corner of the dark underground warehouse, Irisviel lay quietly in a magic circle filled with pulsating magic. This figure evoked Kiritsugu's memory.

The same goes for the first encounter between Kiritsugu and Irisviel. He was brought by the Ahad patriarch to Irisviel, who was sleeping in the sheep trough at the deepest part of the Einzbern family's workshop.

As the container of the Holy Grail - a device with only a few years of use, why should it be given such a beautiful appearance? I felt really incredible at the time.

Is this guy the Holy Grail? When she asked the old magician next to her, she suddenly opened her eyes while she was sleeping. Looking into his eyes through the amniotic fluid floating in front of him, Kiritsugu's eyes were filled with deep crimson and completely seduced him. Even now, he still can't forget it.

Now, it's almost exactly the same as then.

Irisviel opened her eyes, looked at each other with Kiritsugu, and then smiled softly.

"Ah - Kiritsugu -"

Irisviel reached out and stroked Kiritsugu's cheek.

Just such a simple action requires a lot of physical strength for Irisviel now - her cold fingers twitched slightly, indicating this fact.

"——Isn't it a dream? Are you really——coming to see me again——"

"Ah, yes."

It was easier than I expected, and I could still say the words smoothly. The same thing happened when he shot down Natalia. Words and actions have no influence on each other. No matter how tangled your heart is or how messy your emotions are. Both hands can complete the task very accurately.

Can win - I firmly believe this.

Now Emiya Kiritsugu has everything ready. The reliability of its functions can all be guaranteed.

Strength as a human being was never something Kiritsugu considered. No matter how confused or painful he is, it cannot affect his work. For Kiritsugu, his sense of purpose is implemented systematically and he can work without any interference at all.

From this point of view - it is precisely because I have a fatal flaw as a human being that I am the most perfect device.

"I...feel very happy..."

Irisviel gently stroked the cheek of the man who could only be called a machine and spoke softly.

"Being able to fall in love with you... marry you... have a husband, have a daughter, for several years... you have given me everything I want... I have no regrets anymore, everything in this world, everything I am already happy..."

"...Sorry, there are still many, many promises that have not been fulfilled."

I once said that I would take you away from the castle where it is winter all year round. Go and see the flowers blooming outside, go and see the sparkling ocean.

I once promised you that sooner or later I would take you out to see all this.

Looking back now, that was such an irresponsible agreement.

"No, it's already good. Yeah."

Irisviel did not complain about those unfulfilled vows and smiled slightly.

"Give all the happiness that I haven't felt... all the rest to Ilia, your daughter - my most important Ilia."

At this time, Kiritsugu finally understood the reason why Irisviel could smile so strongly even though she was on the verge of destruction.

"You must take that child with you."

A mother who puts her hope in her children has no fear.\n

That's why she smiles and faces her own demise without fear.

"Let that child see for me all the things I haven't seen...let her see. The cherry blossoms in spring, the white clouds in summer..."

"I see."

Kiritsugu nodded.

This is a meaningless act for a machine that only knows how to capture the Holy Grail, and it is another completely meaningless agreement.

But even so, as a human being I still nod.

But after he obtained the Holy Grail and fulfilled his long-cherished wish to save the world... the machine that had completed its mission would turn back into a human again, right?

By that time, he will definitely remember his promise to his wife. Then, fulfill your duty as a father and love your children well.

That is something in the near future, and it will be possible in just a few days.

But - not now.

"This... must be returned..."

Irisviel put her hand on her chest tremblingly, and then concentrated all the magic power in her body on her fingertips.

Suddenly, a golden light emitted from her hand, which had nothing at all, and enveloped the entire warehouse in a layer of warm light.

"…………"

Kiritsugu held his breath and looked at everything in front of him. The light gradually turned into an outline, and then turned into a shining metallic object that fell into Irisviel's hands.

Golden scabbard.

"Alice..."

"This... is something very necessary for you. It will definitely be useful in the final decisive battle..."

Irisviel's voice sounded even weaker than before.

This is natural. In order to slow down her destruction, Irisviel, who hid in the magic circle in the underground warehouse, separated the last miracle treasure that protected her, the "Utopia Far Away from the World" sealed in her body as a conceptual weapon, from her body.

"I... I'm fine. Maiya is here to protect me... so..."

"... I understand."

If you analyze it calmly.

Originally, as a treasure owned by Saber, "Utopia Far Away from the World" can play the role of supplying magic power to Serrant. Now that Irisviel can no longer participate in the front-line battle with Saber, it is of no strategic significance to continue to equip her with "Utopia Far Away from the World".

Even if this treasure can slow down her destruction, it is of no help to the overall situation.

——The most correct decision now is to take back this treasure.

Kiritsugu took the golden scabbard, then placed his weak wife's body on the cold floor, stood up and said.

"Then, I'm leaving."

"Well - take care."

The words of farewell were very brief.

Emiya Kiritsugu turned and walked out.

Maiya, who was standing outside waiting, couldn't help but gasp when she saw Kiritsugu coming out of the underground warehouse.

Of course, she didn't know the true meaning of the shining treasure in Kiritsugu's hand. In fact, what surprised Maiya was the change in Kiritsugu himself after he came out of the underground warehouse.

"The Master who will kill Rider today. Saber has already gone first, right?"

"...Yes. This morning, not long before you came here."

"Very good - Maiya, I will continue to entrust Irisviel's guard work to you."

"As you say... Um, Kiritsugu?"

Just as Kiritsugu was about to walk out of the door.\nMaiya called him in confusion.

"What's wrong?"

Maiya looked at Kiritsugu's eyes, stared at them for a while, sighed slightly, and lowered her head and said,

"Finally, it's back. The expression you had before."

"... Really."

After responding in a low voice, Kiritsugu continued to walk out the door without looking back.

············

After that unbelievable day, Waver finally believed the meaning of the current situation.

After getting up in the morning, Waver told the old couple that he would be back late today, and then hurried to Shinto without even having breakfast.

Although it was not yet the rush hour for work, the bus to the station seemed to be full, perhaps because there were too many people traveling between Fuyuki and the neighboring town.

While Waver was not used to being squeezed by the crowd, he felt the noise of people around him. But for Waver now, it made him feel a little more stable despite his emptiness.