Anime: Fight Sukuna at the beginning?.

Chapter 409 [The Most Real Lie] and the Malice Flowing Through the Fog
The Holy Grail War is on its third day, with one minute and eleven seconds remaining until sunset.

The rooftop of the Fuyuki Central Building.

Emiya Kiritsugu looked down at Fuyuki City through the scope of his sniper rifle.

Looking at the unusually dense fog rising from the Weiyuan River and surrounding the [Sea Demon], which obscured everything except for the faint outline of the monster, one could see everything.

He clicked his tongue in obvious dissatisfaction.

In order to ensure a clear view of the battle situation and to implement the tactics he had envisioned.

He occupied this newly topped-out, under-construction building as a commanding vantage point.

But just minutes earlier, an unusually thick fog had suddenly risen at the mouth of the Miwa River and throughout the entire city of Fuyuki.

This strange fog, which seemed to engulf the entire city, made the visibility to the west of the Central Building extremely low.

Even with the use of various instruments as aids.

Even with his eyes wide open, Kiritsugu Emiya could only barely make out the Fuyuki Bridge, its lights on, and its hazy silhouette in the fog.

After abandoning the adventurous idea of ​​using [Enhancement Magic] to strengthen the eyeballs and improve eyesight.

He put down the sniper rifle in his hand and shook his head helplessly.

He glanced at the red archer who had already 'died' and become a 'hidden piece' in the [Church] as planned.

Can you see it?
"The outcome of the various battlefields?"

"It seems there was more than one battle tonight."
-
The red archer, standing silently to the side with his eyes flashing blue, activated [Eagle Eye] and did not immediately reply.

After frowning, as if afraid of the cold wind that would blow at dusk, he wrapped the [Holy Shroud] around himself even tighter.

He gave a reply in a somewhat uncertain tone.

"The battle on the church's side is over."

"After the barrier was destroyed, I vaguely saw the iconic 'miracle' used by the [Church of the Holy Church]."

"I also saw that Saber; he seemed to be heading towards the mouth of the Miwa River."

The red archer spread his arms, making an extended gesture reminiscent of a baptismal chant, and then drew his conclusion.

"It seems that the supervisor, Kotomine Ryougi, has survived and is trying to dispel this strange 'mist'."

"However, I didn't see that Rider."

Emiya Kiritsugu stretched his arm, which was a little sore and numb from holding the sniper rifle.

He weighed the [Spiritual Aura Disc] that Zhang Yong had given him in advance during their cooperation negotiations, which was used to drive the Red Archers to 'attack' the church. This disc was capable of detecting the class and number of Heroic Spirits.

After some investigation, a definitive answer was given.

"One of the Rider-class Servants has disappeared; the one with the white horse and silver spear must be dead."

"The last Assassin-class Servant has also disappeared."

"It should be that 'ghost'-like Servant (Okada Izou)."

However, after revealing the news of the deaths of the two Heroic Spirits, Kiritsugu Emiya frowned.

He added a somewhat casual question.

"One of the Archers had a strange aura on his spirit disc."

Did you see anything strange just now?
-
The red archer, unsuspecting, immediately revealed information about Archer Napoleon.

"That Archer with the strange aura must be the Archer who bombarded the Church."

"Before the fog rose, he and his Master disappeared from my sight."

The red archer scratched his head, looking confused.

He provided information that only he knew, and that was appropriate for Kiritsugu Emiya to 'know' at this moment.

"What's strange is that their departure was unusually rushed."

"They actually abandoned that remarkable [Magic Furnace], which could provide magic power and amplify combat strength, and left."

"It's like being ordered around and controlled."

"Something must have changed about them."

Emiya Kiritsugu heard these words.

Looking at the fog that enveloped the entire city.

He pieced together the somewhat disjointed information in his mind.

Kiritsugu Emiya could already sense the almost naked malice emanating from the mist.

He already sensed that this Holy Grail War was likely to be an extraordinary and unusual situation.

Perhaps there are more important things to do than obtaining the Holy Grail.

He became increasingly uneasy.
-
Meanwhile, Emiya Kiritsugu looked very uneasy, unconsciously clenching his fists so tightly that the veins on the back of his hands bulged.

The red archer pursed his lips.

After suppressing the urge to confide in someone, I changed the subject.

"By the way, it seems that the [Magic Furnace] that was exposed because of the barrier was taken back by that puppeteer."

"It's that device that could be a huge asset for Master and even the magician family behind him."

"I wonder who will be lucky enough to gain the support of that puppeteer."

Emiya Kiritsugu looked on with great confusion.

He then added a flippant remark to ease the tension.

He 'complained' about Emiya Kiritsugu.

"After that item is sold, it will be enough to buy you several estates and accumulate wealth that you could never spend in several lifetimes."

"Because of the 'stealth strategy' implemented by Master, it slipped out of our sight."

"That's a bit of a shame."
-
Kiritsugu Emiya glanced at the red archer, who merely tilted his head slightly and a smile appeared on his face.

By linking Master and Servant [Causal Thread].

I've seen a few fragmented dreams, some of which were incoherent, but they did showcase some of my experiences as a follower.

He vaguely understood the meaning of that smile and the [Holy Shroud] on the other person's body.

I've already realized that the purpose of what the other person said was to change the subject.

Thus, he triggered the 'trap' he had laid in his earlier words.

"By the way, Caster."

"There are some things I forgot to tell you about Archer's matter."

Looking at the red archer, Kiritsugu Emiya spoke out the information he hadn't finished saying, word by word.

"Not just that Archer."

"Except for the two Sabers and one of the Archers."

"This kind of anomaly has occurred in other Heroic Spirits, just to varying degrees."
-
Looking at the silent red archer, who seemed to have realized something.

Kiritsugu Emiya calmly revealed his deadly 'blade' to the red archer.

"Whether it's the only remaining 'Conqueror King,' or the two Casters including you."

“I can sense some unusual energy emanating from you in the spirit energy disc.”

Emiya Kiritsugu walked up to the red archer.

She slightly raised her head to look at the servant who was much taller than her.

"In this situation."

"As someone who has experienced this firsthand, you should be familiar with this situation."

"And it should have something to say to me."

As he spoke, Kiritsugu Emiya extended the back of his hand, revealing the last remaining Command Seal on his body.

"Command it with the [Command Spell]."

"Caster, please give me a positive and accurate response to my inquiry."

"You must not lie."

Although we still don't know the other party's identity or their real name.

But I've already understood from some of the other person's experiences.

Regardless of the circumstances, this Servant has not abandoned justice.

Kiritsugu Emiya is a righteous person who will never act against himself.

He decisively used the final command spell.
-
Although it was an accidental discovery, did he manage to spot something unusual about me?

However, for his safety and to avoid involving him, I can't reveal the truth about myself right now. Let's just give him a vague answer for now.

This Command Seal has a significant 'loophole' and has already been demonstrated by others as a way to exploit it.

The red archers merely bared their teeth.

He gave Kiritsugu Emiya a nostalgic smile and began to speak of "the most truthful lie".

"Based on the information presented, my previous deduction about Archer should be wrong."

"After all, I wasn't controlled."

The red archer smiled and, while wiping the edge of the Command Seal, spoke the truth without revealing his own situation.

"Based on the information I obtained from the 'insider'."

“There is an item similar to the Holy Grail, which is craving a sacrifice called a Servant.”

"I think it must have been something the church wanted to reclaim, but it was placed there by some unknown person or force."

"A relic called 'The Right Hand of Glory' that affected the 'Holy Grail System'."
-
Kiritsugu Emiya did not answer, but simply nodded noncommittally.

He gestured for the red archer to continue speaking.

The red archer gradually offered his guesses.

"They speculate that the relic that amplifies Servants and even alters their Spirit Origins requires the deaths of seven Servants to manifest."

"At the same time, the Servant should be able to vaguely sense the existence of this [Relic]."

"Different Servants should have different levels of sensitivity, and the decisive factor in this difference should be..."

Having been misled, Kiritsugu Emiya recalled the unusual list of Servants.

A conclusion was quickly drawn.

"strength.

"It's likely that weaker Servants will sense the existence of the [Relic] earlier."

Kiritsugu Emiya instantly pieced together the truth.

"Now that six Servants have died, whether it requires the deaths of seven or more Servants, this [Relic] should be only one step away from being revealed."

"Regardless of the purpose of who placed this [Relic] to modify the [Holy Grail System]."

"This treasure needs to be known by others, otherwise there's no point in keeping it."

"If the strongest Servant obtains the [Relic], the battle will end instantly, so the weaker Servant will go first."
-
Seeing that he had successfully lured him into a trap, and that no Command Seal could restrain him anymore, Emiya Kiritsugu saw that he was now completely under control.

The red archer, now free of any burdens, gazed at the [Sea Demon] not far away and the fog permeating the entire city.

A resolute glint flashed in his eyes.

It was like seeing through the fog and glimpsing the face of the person behind everything.

He recited the oath once more in his heart.

Pursuing and realizing one's ideals requires strength and corresponding effort.

And now, I possess both the ability and the determination.

I will kill you here, ending this evil, without involving anyone else.

Because this is my 'mission' for coming here.

Then, she listened to Kiritsugu Emiya's instructions to Irisviel.

"There is no need to fear revealing your true name by using your Noble Phantasm."

"Saber is permitted to use her Noble Phantasm to kill the Sea Demon."

"We need more Command Seals, at the very least we need to get Caster one that can get him out of this predicament."

"But we need to prevent a large number of innocent people from being implicated, I have already..."

After Kiritsugu Emiya completed his deployment, the red archers gave a very positive response.

"Master, although I am not the strongest Servant."

"But I will do my best to protect you and your wife and keep you alive."

"I would do this even without the Command Seals."

"Because this is my promise to [Ilya]."
-
Meanwhile, Kiritsugu Emiya, seemingly noticing something, glanced at the resolute red archer.

Sensing something was amiss, he asked a question.

"So, is there anything else you want to say about what happened to you or what you experienced?"
"I don't know your ideals or your past yet."

"The upcoming battle for the augmented Servants [Relics] is likely to be a fierce and intense one."

"If I can't obtain the Command Seals, I'm afraid I can't guarantee anything. So, if there's anything I can do to help you..."

The red archer looked at Kiritsugu Emiya before him.

After thinking for a moment, he smiled with satisfaction and gave his response.

No, there aren't any left.

"Just like my previous response."

Nothing happened to me.

"I am not a powerful Heroic Spirit, so I don't have any noteworthy stories."

He thought back to the people he had seen and the familiar knife.

The red archer uttered a final, very brief sentence.

"To be able to come here and meet these people."

"That's enough for me."

Having received help from others, it's time for me to do something in return.
-
At the mouth of the Weiyuan River, on the riverbank.

“Saber, Kiritsugu has given you permission to use your Noble Phantasm.”

"But we need to wait for the ships that can block the control of the [Noble Phantasm] to arrive in time to prevent the [Noble Phantasm] from harming innocent people."

Artoria heard Irisviel's words.

Watching as the numerous tiny sea monsters, which had been destroyed by the [Dragon Factor] and then resurrected at lightning speed, crawled towards the shore, I watched as they were destroyed by the [Magic Release].

And tentacles that are growing in number, clustering around the summoner's body.

Through the intertwining and fusion of tens of millions of tentacles, a large mass of flesh gradually forms.

Within seconds, it expanded from a mass of flesh back into a sphere, transforming into the nightmare that dominated the otherworldly seas—the true monster form of the 'Sea Demon'.

Despite using [Magic Release] multiple times, she still achieved no results, as if her efforts had been in vain.

A sense of fatigue inevitably arose in my body.

Can this monster really be killed using a [Noble Phantasm]?

But listening to the Caster's usual annoying words like, "Welcome, Holy Virgin. It is my greatest honor to see you again," was irritating.

A slightly tired Artoria immediately retorted.

"You regard the despair of the masses as truth and take pleasure in spreading fear."

"I will stake my knightly honor on this matter, and I will never let someone as 'evil' as you get away with it."

"I will kill you again."

But as she spoke, she looked worriedly at the lights shining from the scattered houses hidden in the mist on the shore.

For some reason, the 'agents' of the [Holy Church] did not appear in time to deal with the dispersal of the crowd.

The other heroic spirits did not arrive either.

Currently, relying solely on her heroic spirit is insufficient to maintain this defense line, which is on the verge of collapse, and prevent the [Sea Demon] from landing.

In other words, before Kiritsugu Emiya's promise to control the spread of his Noble Phantasm's power and prevent harm to innocent ships is fulfilled.

There will inevitably be victims here.

This is only in comparison to castle-destroying Noble Phantasms whose power is uncontrollable.

These scattered victims seem insignificant, like tiny weights placed on the other side of a scale.

Must we sacrifice a small number of people to save more?

Thinking of this, Artoria gripped the holy sword in her hand tightly.

The next moment, she heard a somewhat amused sigh coming from mid-air.

"It's so ugly."

It was Gilgamesh.

(End of this chapter)