People in Type-Moon start from adopting Sakura

However, Kotomine Kirei knew very well that the man was far from being as simple as he had imagined.

When he and Tōsaka Tokiomi went to the Einzbern family's headquarters to seek an alliance, that was when he first saw Emiya Kiritsugu in person, Kotomine Kirei felt a unique aura from this man that was different from that of ordinary people, and he became curious about it.

It was definitely not something superficial like the magic flowing from a magician, but something deeper, a unique aura hidden in the soul.

This breath is very similar to the feeling in my heart, but it is also different.

However, it was precisely because of this that Kotomine Kirei developed a strong interest in this strange man who was very similar to himself.

So when Assassin was completely annihilated due to Tōsaka Tokiomi's command error and all members attacked head-on, Kotomine Kirei went out of his way to investigate all the information about Emiya Kiritsugu.

The results of the investigation were indeed as expected. This man named Emiya Kiritsugu had a life as contradictory as his own. He was definitely not the kind of hateful mercenary who would do anything to make money as rumored by the outside world.

Kotomine Kirei dared to swear that this strange man, Emiya Kiritsugu, was definitely not just acting for money. If he really wanted to make money, there were countless more convenient and safer ways than marrying into the Einzbern family and participating in the Holy Grail War on their behalf, or making a promise to win the Holy Grail for money.

Just as the mysterious attracts the mysterious and the weird attracts the weird, people who are most similar will be attracted to each other.

As his investigation deepened, Kotomine Kirei became more and more curious about the man named Emiya Kiritsugu.

He wanted to know what was keeping this conflicted man, who had experienced so much tragedy and should have despaired of the world, feeling as he continued to move forward? What was his true desire? What was his purpose, his ideal?

Kotomine Kirei desperately wanted to know the answer.

He had already taken a significant step forward in his pursuit of evil, and was about to truly advance. However, after experiencing the fleeting memory of life and death, his heart, which should have been silent, began to beat again. However, the reason was different from the joy he had felt while pursuing evil. This time, he felt a more complex, yet completely different, emotion.

Many years ago, his father, Kotomine Risho, had told him about this situation, and its name was - redemption.

what……

Redemption?

What a strange and luxurious word.

For Kotomine Kirei, that was the feeling and answer he had been seeking for more than twenty years but had never been able to experience.

Just when he was about to give up seeking salvation from God and seeking beauty from the world, and was about to turn to evil and try to fill his empty heart with joy, this miracle that he had never seen before actually appeared in his heart, which made him feel extremely complicated.

"Redemption...Redemption...What is redemption?"

The thing that I once desperately sought but could never get now appears before my eyes. It is simply fate's trick.

If it were any earlier, Kotomine Kirei would have been delighted by this and immersed himself in the experience, but not now.

Because it was too late. He had already embarked on a path of evil and killed Tōsaka Tokiomi with his own hands. He was no longer qualified to be redeemed...

"Do I really want to follow that king's guidance and continue to sink into depravity? Ignore this fleeting glimmer of light and continue to pursue malice?"

'No, no, there must be another way!'

Perhaps I suddenly thought of the story in the Bible, Matthew and Genesis, about the Lord forgiving your sins.

At this final moment, Kotomine Kirei still chose to make one last attempt, trying hard to grasp the fleeting salvation and pursue the answer in his heart.

Even though he was still confused and bewildered in his heart, his intuition still told him to keep moving forward. He just needed to find Kiritsugu Emiya and ask him in person to confirm what he was pursuing.

By then, I will get the answer.

"Let's keep going..."

Kotomine Kirei looked down at his body that had experienced resurrection from the dead. He stared at his hands and sighed involuntarily.

People's wishes are beautiful.

It has no basis and even contradicts the facts before our eyes, but it is also filled with all kinds of beauty. Similarly, humans will follow their instincts to pursue beauty.

Even someone like Kotomine Kirei who yearns to explore malice once chased after that fleeting beauty, but in the end he got nothing, which inevitably led him into confusion, and he began to explore things he had never touched before, that is, the twisted side - evil.

Originally, his pursuit was merely a yearning and curiosity, but under the malicious instigation of the King of Heroes, he took his curiosity as his natural yearning. Even though Kotomine Kirei knew that doing so was wrong for an agent, he still did it in order to understand his true nature.

It’s just that human nature rarely has pure evil or pure good. Human nature is to pursue beauty and yearn for better.

As a person with correct educational concepts, after experiencing death, Kotomine Kirei finally realized this simple truth and realized that he seemed to have entered a misunderstanding...

What the King of Heroes said to himself was not necessarily correct.

Joy... Redemption...

He redefined his own desires, then realized what redemption was, and once again sought his own salvation.

Compared to Emiya Kiritsugu's absurd and crazy desire to save all mankind, what Kotomine Kirei is pursuing at this moment is only the redemption of his own life.

……

A great alchemist once said: "The essence of alchemy is the exchange of equivalents."

But this principle is only reflected in alchemical magic.

Some wishes are so huge and so absurd that no matter how much you sacrifice, what you will get in the end will not be the satisfaction of having your wish fulfilled, but only the pain of failure.

After all, the rules of this world are made by the world itself and the people within it. Equivalent exchange is not the only important rule within it. Moreover...

"Is this the choice you made? The Lesser Holy Grail, no, it should be the Einzbern..."

Looking at the White Saint Irisviel lying on the altar, about to lose her life and transform into a small Holy Grail, Kotomine Kirei's face showed a complex expression.

"In the end, did Emiya Kiritsugu really make this choice?"

After killing his biological father and adoptive mother with his own hands, he is now willing to sacrifice his wife for his own wishes...

What desire was it that sustained him? What made him make such a choice after losing so many precious things? What was the landscape in that man's heart like?

If it were not long ago, Kotomine Kirei might have quietly watched this drama of sacrificing his wife with his own hands in order to fulfill his own wish, but now he wanted to know the answer more urgently.

"Sacrificing for the ideals of others... even giving up your own life for it, what are you pursuing? What is Emiya Kiritsugu pursuing? What kind of goal could make that man drag his broken body to this point? What kind of wish could make you willingly give up your hard-earned life for him? Please answer my question, Einzbern." Staring at the white saint in front of him, Kotomine Kirei urgently asked the doubts that were bothering him.

"...Kiritsugu's life is truly exhausting. He was born destined to be a savior, and he has remained steadfast in his goal from the beginning to the end. He wants to save this world full of tragedy and bring salvation to mankind."

"That man's wish... is to lead humanity back to the Garden of Eden?"

Hearing Irisviel's answer, Kotomine Kirei's expression was somewhat stunned.

But for a moment, he was not surprised at all by this unexpected yet reasonable answer.

Kotomine Kirei had a negative attitude towards what Irisviel said, that Emiya Kiritsugu wanted to save all of humanity and eradicate all evil and tragedy.

Because he knew that this wish was not a wish at all, but a delusion, just the crazy talk of a madman, a delusion that would never be realized.

but--

At this moment, he finally understood what Kiritsugu Emiya truly pursued, and also understood what the biggest difference between him and himself was.

There was a fundamental difference between himself and Emiya Kiritsugu in the way they pursued their goals. While he seemed to be pursuing happiness, he actually prioritized inner satisfaction and meaning, even sacrificing everything for this inner fulfillment, even going so far as to stray from the right path. In contrast, Emiya Kiritsugu was willing to sacrifice everything for a supreme ideal, even if it meant immense pain and sacrifice. Even if that path was a mistake from the beginning, it was precisely because of this that he remained unable to detect it.

He pursues only his own redemption and happiness, while Emiya Kiritsugu considers the happiness of others as his own. To achieve this goal, he's willing to distort his own nature, going to extremes and measuring the weight of happiness and right and wrong based on his own values. This difference in their definition and pursuit of happiness creates similarities, yet also fundamental differences.

"Thanks for clearing up the confusion."

Hearing this, Kotomine Kirei seemed to have understood the answer in his heart...

Although he still couldn't agree with Emiya Kiritsugu's absurd actions and dreams, he could now confirm that the other party was indeed pursuing beauty and redemption, and always followed his own will to do what he thought was right. This was also the biggest difference between him and Emiya Kiritsugu.

"Do what you think is right, Kirei..."

His father's words still echoed in his ears, and for a moment Kotomine Kirei's eyes became much clearer. Finally, he looked solemnly at the dying Irisviel before him, and then continued to ask: "Is this worth it to you?"

"Well, it's worth it."

Irisviel gently placed her palm on her heart, and the satisfied and sad smile on her face made Kotomine Kirei fall silent.

"Because, I also want to fulfill Kiritsugu's wish."

"Even though the fulfillment of this wish involves your own death?"

"There's nothing I can do about it... This is a necessary sacrifice, and it's also my mission..."

Facing the question raised by Kotomine Kirei, Irisviel lowered her eyes.

She could feel that her life was slipping away faster and she would soon leave this world completely.

That time is very close, perhaps just the next second...

However, at this last moment, Kotomine Kirei still asked her the last crucial question of his trip.

"Then...did he ever think of running away? Or did he regret it?"

"Regret, and want to escape?"

Irisviel's expression was slightly stunned, and then a scene from long ago emerged in her mind.

One night, Emiya Kiritsugu, a man who had been strong throughout his life and always pursued his ideals, finally revealed his inner weakness in front of his wife.

He knelt in front of her, hugged her tightly, and then begged in a painful voice: "Eri, let's run away together! Don't worry about the Holy Grail War! Maiya and I will find a way to deal with Illya! Anyway, follow me..."

After enduring countless separations and separations, and enduring countless years of mental oppression and torture, Emiya Kiritsugu, nearing collapse, revealed a hidden side of himself to his most trusted wife: weakness, cowardice, and regret. He wanted to retreat, to flee with his hard-earned happiness. He wanted to forget the past, to try to start anew, to protect his own happiness.

However, Irisviel rejected him and personally pushed this man onto a path of no return.

"...That's it."

Although he did not receive any definitive answer, Kotomine Kirei, who saw this scene, already understood everything in his heart.

"You know what? It was you who pushed him to his doom, Einzbern... Although running away is shameful, sometimes it's a better option than persevering."

In the end, he was no longer expressionless as usual, but let out a faint sigh.

After getting the answers to all the questions he wanted to know and hearing about the life of that man, Emiya Kiritsugu, some of the shackles that had been troubling Kotomine Kirei's heart were quietly opened.

He knew that Emiya Kiritsugu was, like himself, a lost man. But he wasn't as cold-blooded and ruthless as his appearance and profile suggested. On the contrary, his repeated killings of his loved ones, his repeated severing of those memories and happiness that were difficult to part with, gradually made this man extremely fragile.

To the extent that, he finally did the same thing as himself, seeking his own salvation and choosing to escape.

It was just that his wife, Irisviel, rejected him.

This also forced the man to cut off the past again, and as always embark on the wrong path that was doomed to fail, continuing to indulge in the dream of bringing mankind back to the Garden of Eden.

"I feel a little sympathetic towards him..." After getting the answer, Kotomine Kirei showed a smile on his face, but this smile was completely different from the joyful and crazy smile when he killed Tokiomi teacher. This smile was a bitter smile, and there was also a bit of pity in it.

"Unlike me, I was lost because I couldn't find the right path, but he was lost because he had to take the wrong path, and gradually became paranoid and crazy."

Those involved in the matter are often confused, while those who are watching can see things more clearly. At this moment, Kotomine Kirei, who was standing as a third party, saw things more clearly than anyone else. He slowly took out the Bible from his pocket, and then provided the last bit of hospice care to Irisviel, the dying woman in front of him.

"Do you think it was Emiya Kiritsugu who made the choice? Actually, that's not the case. He never made a choice. Do you understand? Einzbern, although your self-sacrifice is great, you are not human, nor a qualified wife. It was you who personally cut off that man's last escape route, forcing him to take this desperate path."

"The salvation of all mankind? What a great wish... but it's ultimately just wishful thinking. And how can a mere dream compare to one's own happiness? Humans are not holy spirits, nor are they perfect creatures. It's only natural for us to have some selfishness in our hearts."

After chanting his final prayer and receiving the answer he wanted, Kotomine Kirei turned and left.

"What are you going to do?"

"To do what I think is right, to find my own redemption, and also to give a blessing to someone who is like me but is trapped in pain and paranoia."

Kotomine Kirei didn't turn around, but answered the question calmly, "But depending on the circumstances, what it means is... your husband will be killed by me, and then you will be truly liberated."

After saying this, Kotomine Kirei waved his hand, and the two familiar black keys that exuded a cold light were once again tightly grasped in his hands.

"Wait a minute!"

On the altar, Irisviel saw Kotomine Kirei preparing to kill Emiya Kiritsugu and shouted anxiously, but to no avail.

At this moment, she was about to be completely reduced to the Lesser Holy Grail, unable to move at all. She could only watch Kotomine Kirei do what he thought was right until his figure completely disappeared.

……

--Da da da.

The sound of Kotomine Kirei's footsteps, which he had not concealed at all, echoed in the empty area.

Finally, he followed the traces of magic all the way to the area where Kiritsugu Emiya was, which was also a special area prepared for him.

The room where Irisviel was was too small, and it was difficult for him to fight there, so he deliberately left his traces and waited for the enemy to come and find him.

Because it has never been renovated, the entire area is extremely empty, so empty that you can feel the boundary at a glance, just like the empty heart of Emiya Kiritsugu at this moment.

"Didn't you prepare any shelters or other weapons? Choosing to fight in such an open area, does that mean you're aware that you have no way out?" Kotomine Kirei gripped the black keys tightly and glanced at the surrounding situation in confusion.

Similarly, seeing Emiya Kiritsugu appear here intact, he continued: "Since you are still alive, your assistant should have been killed by Gilgamesh, right? And she died for you..."

“…Maiya, you actually dared to mention her in front of me? Isn’t this all your fault?”

Emiya Kiritsugu changed the magazine in his hand with an expressionless face, and a hint of extreme anger appeared in his eyes.

"It's our fault... Indeed, the one who killed her was Gilgamesh, my current partner. But she died because of you, didn't she? Gilgamesh said that Kungunir would only hit its designated target. Since it killed your assistant, it means that the person who launched the missile that night, killing me, the entire forest, and even the innocent people passing by, was your assistant. Which means..."