At this moment, standing before Waver was the purple-haired, black-clad assassin, Assassin, who seemed to blend into the darkness.
But hadn't they already died?
If they weren't dead... why had they reappeared before us only now?
Suddenly struck by a chilling possibility, Waver couldn't help but shiver, clutching his soaked shoulders tightly.
Or perhaps, the current Master of Assassin had maximized the potential of this class, and Assassin had remained hidden until now, only revealing themselves to save me.
And before this, how much information had Assassin gathered from our unsuspecting selves? How many weaknesses had they uncovered?
Just thinking about it sent a cold shiver down his spine!
The prolonged immersion in water had left Waver's body cold, and the excessive thinking and worry had turned his face pale, making him look worse than death.
So, who is Assassin's Master now?
And why did they save me?
Waver was utterly perplexed, but regardless, the fact that he had been saved was undeniable. At some point, the Assassin before him had vanished without a trace.
Staring intently at the spot where the shadow had disappeared, Waver murmured softly.
"...Is this the end?"
Only when they feel certain of victory do the various lurking demons finally reveal themselves.
With a foreboding sense of an impending storm, Waver shivered and cautiously made his way out of the church.
***
He had escaped.
Looking at the pools of blood on the ground, Kiritsugu Emiya indifferently wiped the blood that had dripped to his chin. With a flick of his wrist, he closed the chamber of his gun, and the Contender once again became a fearsome weapon.
Even now, his nerves remained tightly wound, not daring to relax for a moment.
In this confrontation, it seemed as though he had the upper hand, having severely wounded Kirei while only suffering a graze from the wind pressure. The injuries inflicted by the Executor were even milder than the backlash from his Time Alter.
But in reality, this was not the case. Kirei could endure countless gunshots until he lost the ability to fight.
Yet Kiritsugu couldn't withstand a single punch from Kirei .
Click!
The dual guns emitted a pleasant sound as Kiritsugu cautiously moved towards the corner.
After the heart-shaped grenade had achieved its miraculous effect, the scales of victory had tipped in his favor. The battle-hardened Executor had clearly realized this and decisively abandoned any further attacks, turning to retreat instead.
They were not adherents of chivalry, nor did they possess the samurai spirit revered by the Japanese. Thus, Kirei had no qualms about using a tactical retreat, and Kiritsugu, equally unperturbed, pulled the trigger without hesitation.
In the face of the gunfire, the Executor in tattered robes fell like a bird with broken wings, collapsing at the corner of the hallway and disappearing from sight. Following that was a loud "bang," as if something had been smashed open.
Was it a hidden mechanism within the church? Or had Kirei unveiled a trump card to reverse his defeat?
Several guesses flashed through his mind, but due to a lack of information, he couldn't confirm anything. Kiritsugu silently adjusted his breathing, reloaded his weapons, and approached the corner with utmost caution, ready to activate Time Alter at a moment's notice.
However, to Kiritsugu's surprise, at the nearly 90-degree corner—the most ideal spot for an ambush—there was no trap as he had anticipated. Even Kirei himself had vanished, leaving only a hole in the wall where the loud noise had originated.
Kirei Kotomine had escaped, plain and simple.
And sometimes, such a straightforward escape could more effectively deceive a suspicious assassin.
Looking out through the hole, Kiritsugu saw a dense thicket. He bent down to pick up a fragment of the robe, then turned and left without a second thought.
There was no need to pursue a fleeing enemy, especially when Kirei held the advantage of terrain. The roles of hunter and prey could easily be reversed.
Kiritsugu had never intended to engage in a mutually destructive battle with Kirei. Perhaps Kirei saw him as a rival, but his true enemy was never this priest—it was Sakatsuki, who had kidnapped Irisviel and Maiya.
The remaining task was to rescue Rider's Master.
With this thought, Kiritsugu, dragging his weary body, hurried through the ravaged church and soon encountered the young Master leaning against the wall.
"Waver Velvet."
"Ah! You're from Saber's group... the assassin who killed Teacher Kayneth!"
"Think what you will. At least this time, I'm here at Rider's request to save you. If you want to live, follow me."
***
He had survived.
Kirei Kotomine lay broken in the underground passage, his body riddled with bullet wounds. His left arm, abdomen, and right thigh were particularly grievously injured. The bullets, infused with necromantic magic, not only damaged his flesh but also eroded his stamina and soul.
His robes were in tatters, some fragments embedded in his flesh from the bullet impacts. When he mercilessly pulled them out with his fingers, the blood that oozed from the torn flesh made Kirei grunt in pain, yet his expression remained indifferent.
He had experienced this kind of pain countless times during his rigorous training.
His true suffering came from within, from the bitter taste of defeat he had just experienced.
The Command Spells on his arm had been completely exhausted, yet he had failed to inflict even a single wound on that cunning hunter.
—But it didn't matter. In this battle, the information Kiritsugu Emiya had revealed was enough for Kirei to see a path to victory.
As long as he could return to Archer's side and recover, Kirei was confident he could win the next battle.
Tap, tap, tap!
Unmistakable footsteps echoed from afar, reverberating through the narrow, tomb-like underground passage.
Someone was walking in the passage.
But that was impossible!
Kirei was certain his hearing had been damaged in the battle. At this moment, aside from himself, there should be no one else in this secret passage.
Was it Kiritsugu Emiya?
No, impossible. Given his cautious nature, he would never dare to pursue alone.
Then, aside from his father and himself, who else could know about this secretly constructed escape route—
Finally, the flickering torchlight illuminated the visitor's face.
Purple hair, black clothing, an assassin who seemed to blend into the shadows.
Staring intently at this all-too-familiar figure, Kirei closed his eyes and let out a sigh, as if fate itself were mocking him.
This was the Servant he had once summoned and then abandoned. Now, she had returned from the shadows to sound the death knell for her former Master.
His vision was pitch black, yet the image of a certain white-haired, golden-eyed young man grew clearer and clearer.
Born from Hundred Faces, killed by Hundred Faces, but ultimately, it was all because of Sakatsuki.
"This is really... not enjoyable at all."
As the cold glint of a dagger flashed, Kirei collapsed to the ground, ending his life of seeking pleasure.
The second overseer of the Holy Church, the second Master of Archer, Kirei Kotomine, was dead.
The killer: Assassin, Hundred Faces.
"Master, Kirei Kotomine has been eliminated. Mission accomplished."
"Well done, Hundred Faces."
A relaxed laughter came from the other end of the causal link.
"Now, go and invite Rider and Waver, then bring them back with you—to the final battlefield—"
"Ryudou Temple."
***
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