People in Type-Moon start from adopting Sakura

"Neither. The most likely possibility right now is that his apprentice, Kotomine Kirei, was responsible."

"Was it Kotomine Kirei who did it?"

After hearing this explosive news, a look of surprise appeared on Hisau Maiya's face.

"That's all I can think of at this stage...but it's troublesome."

Emiya Kiritsugu clicked his tongue. This unexpected situation undoubtedly completely destroyed his subsequent plans.

He had originally planned to send Saber directly out of the Tōsaka family to assist Archer in a six-person melee with the enemy's Heroic Spirits. While sacrificing King Arthur and the King of Heroes, he would also kill a few of the enemy's Heroic Spirits, gather the minimum sacrifices to directly allow the Holy Grail to descend. He would take advantage of this opportunity to take Irisviel to the predetermined location for the Greater Holy Grail to descend, thereby gaining the greatest advantage, making a wish directly, and winning this Holy Grail War.

However, the person he collaborated with, Tōsaka Tokiomi, may have died, and Kotomine Kirei's attitude is extremely unclear, and it is unknown whether he still agrees with that collaboration.

Moreover, even if he said he agreed to cooperate, it would be hard for Emiya Kiritsugu to believe a guy who killed his teacher.

In short, the situation at this moment is completely messed up.

They were already the weaker side in the war, and now at this critical moment, Tōsaka Tokiomi suddenly failed, causing the original two-horse fighting force to be instantly split into one and the other. Isn't this a clear sign that they will be directly divided and defeated by the enemy?

What's more, the Tōsaka residence had been burned down to ashes. At this moment, he had no control over the movements of Kotomine Kirei and Gilgamesh. Even if he wanted to seek cooperation, it would be impossible in such a short time.

Suddenly, Emiya Kiritsugu's already worried head started to hurt even more.

Faced with this difficult situation, he could only keep smoking to gradually calm himself down, and then think about the biggest possibility as much as possible.

"...If Archer Gilgamesh were still alive, Kotomine Kirei would definitely not have been able to kill Tōsaka Tokiomi so easily. According to the current situation, either Tōsaka Tokiomi and Gilgamesh have retired together, or... Gilgamesh has chosen another magus and abandoned Tōsaka Tokiomi. But..."

Emiya Kiritsugu analyzed the situation carefully, but then he thought of the figure of the Golden King that he had seen through the surveillance equipment that night.

No matter how much luck he harbored, he couldn't imagine being killed silently. In other words...

"Now, Archer, Gilgamesh's Master is most likely Kotomine Kirei!"

After analyzing the intelligence, Emiya Kiritsugu's eyes widened, having grasped the truth behind this matter. "Then the conclusion is that the two of them worked together to kill Tōsaka Tokiomi, and then Kotomine Kirei, who had lost his Servant, took over, thus forming a new team."

It is true that they are all mercenaries who have experienced many battles. They were able to figure out the situation in such a short time just by integrating and analyzing fragmentary intelligence.

"That's most likely the case. However, if that's the case, the previous covenant might be invalid..."

Emiya Kiritsugu thought for a moment, then spoke to his assistant.

Because he and Saber had disagreed and even clashed many times, whether it was letting Irisviel pretend to be the Master, which led to her being captured by Aozaki Touko, or using the Command Spell to control her to cooperate with Assassin in attacking Kenneth, or hiding Avalon in order to prevent her from being out of control, all of these had wiped out the only remaining trust between the two of them.

If it weren't for the Knight King's demeanor that prevented her from betraying him or swinging her sword at her Master, then Emiya Kiritsugu would probably have started to wonder if he would end up like Tōsaka Tokiomi.

However, while it hadn't escalated to the point of mutual hatred and backstabbing, the so-called tacit understanding between them was completely gone. Especially after she heard from Rowe himself that the Lesser Holy Grail would sacrifice itself for the Greater Holy Grail's arrival, she saw Emiya Kiritsugu as a scumbag who would do anything to achieve his goals, even at the cost of his own wife, and she couldn't identify with him at all.

In response to her question, Kiritsugu Emiya did not make any explanation, nor did he take the initiative to answer the question, but remained silent.

Because he knew that what Saber said was absolutely correct. He was indeed a scumbag, a complete scumbag, a scumbag who would do anything to achieve his goals.

All along the way, the corpses of my relatives and loved ones are under my feet.

The reason he could reach here today was all because of them pushing him forward. Even though the chances of winning were extremely slim, this was the closest he had ever been to achieving his goal. For that goal, he had no choice but to do this, even though this time he had to sacrifice his...wife.

As for the ideal in Kiritsugu Emiya's heart, Irisviel did not blame him for being tortured by Aozaki Touko and barely released. Instead, she gently put her arm around his shoulders and gave him the last bit of care, as a wife's support and care.

"Saber, is she still with Ellie?"

"Well, King Arthur has been staying in Miss Irisviel's room to take care of her ever since he brought her back. He hasn't come out yet. Kiritsugu, if that's the case, is it really possible..."

Hisau Maiya also noticed the current tension between Emiya Kiritsugu and Altria, which could even be called a bad relationship, and she couldn't help feeling a little worried.

"It's alright, let her be... Our incompatibility was inevitable, not to mention what happened. She was destined to be sacrificed... As long as she still desires the Holy Grail and is willing to fight, the rest is irrelevant to me."

Emiya Kiritsugu sighed. All he could do was accept Altria's current condition.

"So what do you think we should do next?"

"Well... if the Master was still Tōsaka Tokiomi, then we could undoubtedly send King Arthur directly to the Tōsaka family to assist in the battle, engage in a decisive battle with all the Servants, and facilitate everything in the simplest way. But now the Tōsaka family is gone, Tōsaka Tokiomi is also dead, and the Master is that man Kotomine Kirei. We have no way of figuring out his movements."

Hisau Maiya carefully analyzed all the information at hand and spoke frankly about her thoughts.

"However, at the banquet that day, Hero King Beng said he would punish anyone who spied on his treasures. So, in tonight's decisive battle, the Hero King might actively release his aura to attract all the Servants and directly initiate the final decisive battle. At that time, we can take the opportunity to send Saber to participate in the battle."

"Yes, that's true. Compared to that man Kotomine Kirei, I would rather engage with Tōsaka Tokiomi. Anyway, let's go back to defend first. After all, we may be one of the enemy's targets."

"But the situation is not hopeless yet. We still have a way out."

Then, Emiya Kiritsugu stroked his chin and said thoughtfully, "It just so happens that we still have one last trump card that we haven't played yet. Tonight is the perfect time and the perfect location to use it. We're in an uninhabited area, with all the Heroic Spirits gathered... This is truly a godsend opportunity. Even if they can't decide the winner, this trump card can send them both packing, whether it's the King of Heroes or the King of Conquerors."

"Kiritsugu, you mean...that?"

Hearing Emiya Kiritsugu's words, Hisau Maiya's brows couldn't help but slightly frown. She obviously knew something about the inside story of that trump card, but if that thing was really used, it would be too...

"Yes, it's the one I asked you to prepare at the Far East Garrison Base... I originally just wanted it as a precaution, but I didn't expect that I would actually need it now..."

"Although I know that doing such a thing would undoubtedly bring great disputes and harm to both countries, but now that things have come to this, I have no choice. I have already lost too much for that ideal. This time, I am the closest to completing it, so I will never allow myself to fail!"

Faced with Hisau Maiya's doubts, Emiya Kiritsugu did not hide anything. He just sighed dejectedly, then took out a sophisticated satellite communicator from the briefcase behind him and handed it to his assistant.

“Maiya, I’ll be taking Eri to the location of the Greater Holy Grail’s descent at that time, so I’ll have to leave this mission to you. When the time is right, open it and directly issue the pre-set command—Fire.”

Emiya Kiritsugu looked at his assistant Hisau Maiya, who had followed him through life and death countless times and whom he had long regarded as a family member, and solemnly entrusted his last trump card to him.

Logically speaking, as a mercenary, he would never put his fate in the hands of others, even his own Servant, whom he had never fully trusted, but Hisau Maiya was different.

She had long been regarded by Emiya Kiritsugu as the last family member in the world besides Irisviel and Illya, and now he was willing to entrust everything he had to her.

“Kiritsugu…”

Taking the satellite communication device handed over by Emiya Kiritsugu, Hisau Maiya nodded solemnly. She held the cool touch in her hand tightly, and she already had the answer in her heart.

She stared earnestly at the man in front of her, the man who had never given up his ideals and aspirations even though he had suffered losses throughout his life. The man who had rescued her from hell with his own hands. She nodded with an extremely serious expression and made a promise.

"Leave it to me, Kiritsugu. This time, I won't let you down no matter what, even if it costs me... my life."

"Maiya..."

Looking at the serious-looking woman in front of him, Emiya Kiritsugu nodded and said nothing more, only speaking slowly.

"Then I entrust everything to you."

"Ah."

……

……

"Machiri Zolgen? Isn't that the ancestor of the Matou family, the magus who lived a hundred years ago and was skilled in using butterfly familiars... No, you mean you've lived from five hundred years ago until now?"

In a roadside Sichuan restaurant, after using magic to expel all the outsiders, in a huge private room, Kenneth and Weber looked at the withered old man in front of them with shock, who looked like he had crawled out of a horror movie.

"Yes, I am the magician Machiri Zolgen from five hundred years ago. It was also I who, together with the ancestor of the Tōsaka family, Tōsaka Nagato, and the Winter Saint, Justiza, under the witness of the Second Magician, established the magical ritual of the Holy Grail War a hundred years ago."

Not paying attention to the shocked expressions of the two people in front of him, Zouken Matou pulled out a chair and sat down directly. He then took the tea poured by the Black Knight behind him, and while sipping the tea, he faced the two people and told them about himself and some things about the Holy Grail War.

"Hundreds of years ago, I traveled the world in pursuit of a certain wish, befriending countless talented individuals and all manner of geniuses. Finally, in an ancient castle outside Berlin, I met the person who might fulfill my lifelong wish: Justisa, the Winter Saint of the Einzbern family. I successfully impressed her with my sincerity and wisdom, and persuaded Justisa to help me complete my grand plan. This was the beginning of the Holy Grail War."

"So, you... you've really lived for five hundred years? And you created this Holy Grail War ritual? You even witnessed the creation of the Holy Grail War yourself?!"

Because he really didn't know where to start complaining, Weber was already confused at this moment, and so was Kenneth behind him.

He thought that a battlefield filled with heroes and him as a monarch was already luxurious enough.

I didn’t expect that there are still experts?!

How come during the fight, even a magician from five hundred years ago showed up? This guy in front of me was a historical figure who appeared in "The Golden Sails" and "The Notes of Leonardo da Vinci"...

Kenneth really found it hard to imagine that he would actually meet such an old monster here today.

He rarely looked at Rowe with a pleading look, who was sitting next to him and discussing the battle plan for the evening with Scathach and Iskandar, and they were chatting and laughing.

And Luo Wei seemed to notice Kenneth's gaze, so he immediately withdrew from the chat at the servants' table and came to the table belonging to the Master.

Seeing Kenneth's pleading look, he helped to clarify that Matou Zouken did not lie, he was really the Marichi Zorgen from a hundred years ago.

"It really is that person..."

After hearing Luo Wei's assurance, Kenneth's expression completely changed.

"Yes, it is me. And you should have seen my unworthy descendant, Matou Kariya, who escaped."

"It seems that the death of that brat Tōsaka Tokiomi was a huge blow to him, so he actually ran away not long ago and returned control of Berserker. He's really useless."

Whenever the unlucky guy Matou Kariya was mentioned, Matou Zouken couldn't help but get angry. Last night, when he saw the Tohsaka house being set on fire and that Tohsaka Tokiomi was probably in danger, he had a vague guess that something was probably going to go wrong on Matou Kariya's side.

And that loser never let him down in the area where he was let down.

When he received the news from Luo Wei and was about to come over to check on the situation, he found Lancelot had arrived at his door with the Book of Treason. Inside was a handwritten letter about Matou Kariya. The content was roughly...

[Old bug, Tōsaka Tokiomi is dead, and this Holy Grail War has no meaning to me anymore.

So just have fun by yourself, I'm going to fly away.

——Your grandfather, don’t worry. 】

When he saw this letter, Zouken Matou was almost furious with that brat.

He wished he could immediately capture Matou Kariya and teach him a lesson. Who is the grandfather and who is the grandson?

However, considering that the time for gathering was approaching, and that the boy had returned both the Berserker and the Command Seals, it was undoubtedly not worthwhile to continue wasting effort on him, so Zouken Matou came directly here to have his first meeting with the remaining two allies, Kenneth and Weber.

In order to gain their trust to the greatest extent, he also revealed a lot of information that was very explosive to them, including Berserker's real name, Lancelot.

Now it seems that the effect is not bad.

"The head of the Matou family is actually Marichi Zorgen. This is really surprising news. Also, the Lake Knight Lancelot behind you is also a good helper..."

Unlike Weber who was still stunned, the experienced Kenneth quickly recovered.

He looked at Zouken Matou in front of him, then nodded slightly, and had a new understanding of the situation on his side.

To put it simply, a monarch with two magicians, a five-hundred-year-old monster, and four servants with almost infinite magic power, this combination cannot be said to be strong, but can only be said to be invincible, and can completely serve as a terrifying force to break the balance of the Holy Grail War.

In other words, if the four of them formed an alliance, there would be nothing to fear in this Holy Grail War, and the destruction of the remaining two would be as easy as pie...

After kicking out the other two outsiders, the only ones left were Rowe and Weber's own two students. In other words, the victory of this Holy Grail War was 100% in the hands of the El-Melloi School.

Therefore, he naturally had no reason to choose to refuse. Even if he knew that the other party was an old monster who had lived for five hundred years, what could he do?

Throughout his life, Kenneth had never been inferior to anyone! His peerless talent was impeccable no matter the era. Even if the other party was really Machili Zorgen, what could he do?

Putting aside whether or not his own magical proficiency is comparable to his, the Holy Grail War isn't just about magical proficiency; it's also about the Servants...

The servants on his side undoubtedly have an absolute advantage in both quality and quantity. No matter who he is today, he cannot change the inevitable outcome.

"In other words, from now on, the four of us and the four cavalry generals will form a joint expeditionary alliance," Kayneth said with understanding. "Then there's no reason to disagree."

"..."

Everyone agreed.

"Very good, then let's confirm tonight's tactics."

"As usual, three of you will go and besiege Gilgamesh, and the other will hold King Arthur back. Does anyone have any questions?"

"No." Everyone nodded.

"Well then, Mr. Kenneth, Waver, and Matou-san will take care of Gilgamesh and Kotomine Kirei, and I'll hold Saber back. How about that?"

"Are you going to hold Saber back? This assignment is quite reasonable. After all, Queen Scathach and King Arthur once fought, and she had an absolute advantage that time."

Kenneth couldn't find any fault with this arrangement.

Although if possible, he wanted to bring Rowe and Weber together to form a master-disciple team to focus their fire on Gilgamesh, and then turn their guns to eliminate the other two.

But after knowing that Berserker's real name was Lancelot, he decisively gave up this ridiculous idea. After all, the last time Scathach was about to kill King Arthur, it was Lancelot who suddenly went crazy and stopped her.

So it can be seen that Lancelot and King Arthur's compatibility is really bad. Sending him over may even cause unnecessary trouble.

Thinking of this, Kenneth looked at Matou Zouken warily again.

While he could have taken Finn with him, he couldn't rest easy letting this five-hundred-year-old monster travel with his students. Weber and Rowe were both too young, and even he had only lived a fraction of their lives.

The older a magician gets, the more powerful he becomes. It is difficult for him to guarantee that his two students will not be tricked by the other party if he is not around, so he has to go out and keep an eye on them personally.

So, as expected, the task of holding Saber back naturally fell to Rowe.

The plan was simple and effective, and Kenneth could find no fault with it.

But now the Tōsaka family has been burned down by flames, so where should the attacking party go to find Kotomine Kirei and Gilgamesh?

However, Luo Wei had already anticipated this problem.

"If everything goes as expected, they'll probably appear in this area tonight. Teacher Kenneth, all you have to do is prepare for the battle in advance."

He took out the map he had prepared long ago, and then used a paintbrush to draw a circle at the location of the church in the suburbs of Fuyuki City.