......

"Because the Servant has disappeared, the Master's rights have expired and he can no longer participate in the Holy Grail War. As agreed, I, Kotomine Kirei, request that the Holy Church protect me."

In front of the pure white and noble magnificent church, Kotomine Kirei spoke calmly, as if reading out a prepared script, and his words were hollowly conveyed to the supervisor of the Holy Grail War in front of him.

The plan to order one of Assassin's clones to assassinate Tohsaka Tokitoki not long ago went very smoothly, and he even had enough time to enjoy a meal of mapo tofu that he would not be able to eat for the next few days.

As for the young man who was affected by the Holy Grail War... Kotomine Kirei didn't care much about him, and he was even almost forgetting what he looked like.

Whether it was treating him or handing over the cash on him, it was simply because he would not need those mundane things in the future, and he did make me interested in him for a moment, so he gave it all to him.

However, before Yanfeng Lizheng could open his mouth, a bolt of lightning streaked down from the sky, stirring up a cloud of smoke that covered the entire exterior of the church.

The smoke cleared, revealing a tall, crimson figure standing there with his hands folded. Beside him was a black-haired boy kneeling on the ground, coughing continuously.

"Rider... Waver Velvet, you should know that the Holy Church is a neutral zone, a sacred and inviolable holy place."

Without much thought, just locking his eyes, Kotomine Risei easily called out Weber's real name.

"It has nothing to do with my Master. I came here to confirm one thing. The guy standing over there is Assassin's Master, right?"

Kotomine Kirei frowned slightly as his eyes met Iskandar's. Although the show he and Tōsaka Tokitoki were performing together was indeed for all the participants who were constantly monitoring this Holy Grail War, why would a Servant come to him at this time?

Could it be that... the plan was discovered?

No, it's impossible.

Even if the Assassin class originated from the Assassins, and the Assassins only had twenty leaders, how could any participant in such a crushing battle that deliberately didn't reveal too much information so easily guess the real name behind it?

not to mention......

Kotomine Kirei looked at the black-haired boy who had not recovered for a while, and his guess became more certain.

Furthermore, how could such a third-rate magus, who was at the bottom of the ladder in terms of experience and academics, guess Assasin's real name in just a moment like that, and how could he have noticed the plan that had been laid out months before the Holy Grail War began?

"My Servant was indeed Assassin, but he was killed by Archer. According to the agreement, I should be protected by the Holy Church."

"That being said...but why hasn't the Command Seal on the back of your hand disappeared?"

Iskandar's eyesight was so sharp that even after being told this, Kotomine Kirei hid his right hand, which held the Command Seal, behind his back, but it was still discovered.

"Rider, what on earth do you want to do?!"

Kotomine Risei spoke first, and pointed again as if in a warning to the place where they were standing, which was the neutral zone in the Holy Grail War.

But Iskandar smiled arrogantly and quickly drew the dagger from his waist.

The next moment, a bolt of lightning swiftly fell, striking where Kotomine Kirei was...

Water, Wind, Flower: Chapter 12: Assassin attacked Rider? How come I didn't know?

The thunder struck in just a moment, and everyone present felt a little bit unbelievable about this sudden attack.

The smoke cleared, and the stone bricks that should have been solid were now sunk deep into the pit created by the lightning. The power from the heroic spirit was far beyond the ability of ordinary magic to contend with, let alone this sudden attack that was completely unprepared.

"Rider!"

Raising his head amidst the commotion, Waver Velvet saw the second most horrifying scene in his life.

He had clearly said that he was only here to confirm Assassin's information, but now he had taken the initiative to attack the neutral zone set up by the Templar Church. What would happen next? Would he be deprived of his studies and become a wanted person by the Templar Church?

Don’t do that kind of thing!

"Calm down, kid. That guy summoned Assassin."

In the pit where the smoke had dissipated, stones from the damaged stone brick floor were scattered around, but in the pit that was almost half a person's height, there was no trace of any living creature.

Kotomine Risho's expression was not pleasant, but he still pointed at Kotomine Kirei, who appeared not far away and was gently placed on the ground by a tall figure in a black cloak, and spoke angrily.

"How dare you fake the destruction of your Servant and seek the protection of the Holy Church, Kotomine Kirei? Are you still the most devout believer of the church? Do you want to harm me?!"

The words that were almost cursed made Kotomine Kirei, who was standing outside the church and out of its protection, look a little moved.

In the past twenty years, he has never felt any "love", whether it is the praise from his father or the expectations of people around him since he was a child, he has never thought that such things have any meaning.

He once thought that he was different from ordinary people and was an abnormal human being. That was why he devoted himself to becoming a qualified clergyman, hoping that one day the "God" that people believed in would perform a miracle and save him.

But unfortunately, even though he practiced the oracle of the "Lord", the "Lord" did not respond at all. Instead, he vaguely realized that he was different from others in the many practices, and realized that such things were not recognized and would not be accepted by society.

It's like a glass of pure water that's stained with a little bit of ink. Even though the amount is so small that the transparency of the water doesn't change at all, the "ink" will eventually blend into the water, even if no one notices.

Realizing this, he began undertaking numerous missions that posed a high risk of death, hoping to find his own way to death. However, death could not move him. Whether in the past or now, he had never feared death. Before he knew it, he no longer had any enemies that could threaten him, and he was honored by the Holy Church as one of its strongest agents.

Everything seemed to be done inadvertently, with only one exception, his wife Claudia Ordesia.

He cannot deny that his wife loves him very much and is willing to try to help him find emotional support. Even now he will tell others that he loves his wife very much.

But this love is twisted, so twisted that even if his wife wants to rely on suicide to prove that he has love in his heart, what she finally gets is the twisted idea of ​​"Since you are going to die, why don't I end your life with my own hands?"

Kotomine Kirei slowly raised his head in the breeze, feeling the wind flowing around him. Although he felt nothing, he always felt that some strange emotions were taking root and sprouting in his heart.

To this day, the images of Claudia Ordesia's death still appear in my mind in fragments, and now is no exception.

However, the person in the picture is no longer Claudia Ordesia, but Kotomine Risei, his father...

"Before that, may I ask a question?"

"How did you realize my intention? That immature boy over there doesn't seem like someone who could realize that."

Kotomine Kirei's expression was extremely calm. Even when his plan was exposed, he still had no thoughts other than to find out why the plan was destroyed.

"Who are you calling a brat?"

Weber, who was standing next to Iskandar, clenched his fists. For some reason, he was extremely angry.

"It was you who sent Assassin to attack us first. If it weren't for me... Rider discovering it in time, I would have been the first Master to be eliminated!"

Kotomine Kirei:?

Assassin attacked Rider. How could he, as a Master, not know about this?

As he spoke, he glanced at Assassin beside him, and the latter also shook his head as if he knew nothing.

Such a response made Kotomine Kirei's face darken. Who on earth pretended to be Assassin and ruined his teacher's plan?

Could it be... the Caster that was summoned last?

After receiving this answer, Kotomine Kirei took a deep breath and then murmured.

"Go ahead, Assassin. The real war has begun..."

The sudden words startled Weber and Iskandar, who had already prepared for another conflict. It was a fantasy to let an assassin who was only good at infiltration and assassination go against a heroic spirit with unmatched courage.

But the next moment, countless black mists appeared beside Kotomine Kirei, and the black mist covering his entire body obscured his general figure. However, each of these "shadows", which had different shapes and postures, had the reactions of the servants without exception.

Was the Assassin they had seen before a ball of black mist like this?

However, Iskandar only thought for a very short time before he burst into a hearty laugh. It was too foolish to think whether the enemy was the same enemy as before. Since it was an enemy with swords against him, he should give the enemy the respect he deserved!

The violent magic power formed a hurricane that swept across the sky in an instant, sweeping up the dust that engulfed everyone present except Kotomine Risei. The intense light even swallowed up the entire field of vision...

Sitting on a hill not far away, Duanmu Ye looked at the church on the mountainside and looked at Van Gogh beside him.

"Only 78 clones were summoned. Is he holding back?... Rider has released his Noble Phantasm. Any inspiration?"

Asked this question, Van Gogh shook his head dejectedly. The portrait of Iskandar in her hand was still as blurry as before.

But before Van Gogh could speak, a violent explosion suddenly resounded throughout the valley.

"Lower your head, bastard! Did I allow you, a stinking bug, to admire my heroic figure?!"

"Rider, retreat!"

The golden figure shone brightly under the illumination of the street lamp. Looking at the scene of Gilgamesh driving the Divine Wheel and disappearing from sight, Duanmu Ye was a little surprised that Gilgamesh would appear here.

But just as he was about to turn his head towards Van Gogh, he saw Van Gogh, who had taken out a brand new drawing board at some point and was painting on it freely.

Immediately, Van Gogh, who was suddenly awakened, covered his face with the painting in his hand, revealing the work that was freely painted with golden paint.

"Sorry, Master... I only drew this..."

"Oh my god, get out of here!"

Water, Wind, Flower: Chapter 13: Who is the Bastard?

Dark clouds covered the entire Fuyuki sky, and the smoke rising like a gas explosion did not dissipate under the rain.

"The plan failed, sir. According to Rider's Master, an unknown Servant disguised as Assassin attacked them at the same time as we were executing our plan. After the church released the relevant information, we went to the church to confirm that they were not out of the game."

"..."

The silence on the other end of the phone reflected Kotomine Kirei's current state. Although he was not pursuing the Holy Grail, nor praying for miracles, he was still somewhat surprised by the sudden appearance of Rider.

"Is it Caster?"

"I can't confirm his identity at this time, but thanks to the teacher's timely dispatch of Archer to interrupt Rider's further actions, I was able to avoid being harmed by Rider's Noble Phantasm."

Using the phone stored in the church, Kotomine Kirei reported the information he had accumulated about his previous encounters.

Although it was different from the plan communicated in advance, he was undoubtedly judged to be "out" as he wished after Rider eliminated "all" of his shadows.

However, he had a trick up his sleeve. Neither his father nor that Rider realized that those independent shadows were not the whole story. Although it was a subconscious action, Assassin split off a most harmless personality and hid it in the place where he had eaten before. The Command Seal on the back of his hand was still there, proving that the Servant was still there.

At this moment, Kotomine Kirei was feeling somewhat uneasy. The strange feeling in his heart drove him not to summon all the Assassins, and he did not even inform his teacher of the fact that he still possessed a Servant when he was reporting the information to him.

Keep it secret, pretend you know nothing, keep it secret from them!

Such thoughts were as clear as someone whispering in his ear. He had never thought of such thoughts before, but both his thoughts and actions were based on such words.

The concealment of the secrets from his teacher and father made Kotomine Kirei's heart beat non-stop at this moment. The emotion that had never been so clear before was like taking some kind of addictive drug, driving Kotomine Kirei to seek more sense of guilt.

However, this feeling suddenly disappeared without a trace when I wanted to ask for more.

Having regained his composure, Kotomine Kirei stood there in a daze. The disappearance of the voice and emotion seemed to have taken away his remaining soul, leaving him somewhat dazed. He even remained silent and did not respond to the reminder from Tōsaka Tokitoki on the other end of the phone, as if he had not heard it.

In the shadows under his feet that he could not see, several tentacles that were constantly shaking gradually became quiet.

"Teacher, are you saying that Archer acts on his own?"

Kotomine Kirei's perception was so sharp that even in his trance he could still detect the heavier tone of Tōsaka Tokitoki's voice on the other end of the phone because he hadn't responded for a long time.

"Kirei, that king's arrogance is even worse than I imagined. If I didn't possess the Command Seals, I would have been wiped out on the spot for blaspheming him the moment I summoned him."

No one understood better than Kotomine Kirei how cautious his teacher was. Whether it was the trivialities of life or the planning of rituals, a magician had to be precise down to the process and time.

But now, his teacher's tone seemed a little tired.

He... couldn't control that Archer?

"After we dealt with the Assasin you had sneaked into my mansion with, he noticed something was amiss and, after showing a hint of interest, he left without saying goodbye.

The king's presence near you was not due to my orders. Now that your Assassin has been eliminated, monitoring the king's movements might provoke some uncontrollable rage. Rest well, Kirei. From now on, you will have to rely on your own means to obtain intelligence."

Trust, absolute trust from your teacher!

This trust comes from the selflessness I have always shown, and this trust comes from my obedience to orders...

But the feeling of guilt after concealing the truth did not reappear. As the phone beeped, Kotomine Kirei put the phone back on the landline and fell silent.

The emotion that just arose in an instant made him feel a little bit "alive", but he couldn't understand why he did the same thing but didn't arouse the same emotion.

Perhaps... this level of concealment is no longer enough to satisfy the aroused desire?

......

The drizzling rain wet every inch of the road. The street lights between the hills seemed to be in disrepair and flickered occasionally, which was very strange.

Walking on the street, the young man who was jogging like a drowned chicken gradually stopped. As he stood still, the street lights in front of him stopped flashing.

"You're really running away in such a panic! Do you think that by wearing human clothes, I can no longer smell the stench you exude?"

The golden servant, with a half-smile on his face, stood on the street lamp, looking down at the boy who looked a little embarrassed in the rain.

But the next moment, the golden king who met the gaze began to twitch his cheeks, and his scarlet pupils showed a bit of hideousness at this moment.

"Bug, who allowed you to look directly at this king?!"

Six light wheels unfolded from behind him in the blink of an eye, and swords and guns shot out from them and fell to the ground in an interlaced manner. But just like a cat playing with a mouse, it did not want to eat its prey from the beginning, but after teasing it and waiting until its interest was completely gone, it would finally deprive its prey of its life.

Six weapons flashing with golden light were scattered on the ground, blocking the retreat route in a certain direction. However, Duanmu Ye, who was still looking up at the figure on the street light, had the same expression.

Streetlight King, when did you come?

Although he had a bad feeling after seeing Gilgamesh stop Rider, he just thought that Kotomine Risei had found Tōsaka Tokitoki so that Gilgamesh could support Assassin, his ally.

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