As the horizon gradually tinged itself a faint crimson, the sun's last glow quietly retreated, giving way to the emerging moon.
Thanks to Astolfo's A+ rank [Riding] skill, their ordinary truck had attained a speed it was never meant to reach. Within less than an hour, Emiya Shirou, Sisigou Kairi, and Astolfo's Master arrived in Sighișoara.
Unfortunately, Astolfo was also one of their primary fighting forces, so he couldn't double back after Jeanne defeated Assassin to bring her here as well.
Given Astolfo's skill, Jeanne could undoubtedly have swiftly arrived to reinforce them, assuming no interference.
But realistically, as the only remaining Servant capable of directly attacking the Red Faction, it would be absurd to treat Astolfo merely as transport.
They certainly couldn't expect Emiya Shirou, a mere human, to handle the brunt of the enemy Servants' assaults while Astolfo stayed safely behind.
No matter how weak he might be, he was still a Servant.
Yet, as they sat in the truck, Emiya Shirou began to regret convincing Sisigou Kairi to continue participating in the Holy Grail War.
This wasn't a fight ordinary magi could handle; Sisigou Kairi didn't possess the strength to directly challenge a Servant.
Or rather, Kairi couldn't even adequately defend himself against a Servant's assault.
Although Shirou himself struggled when directly confronting Servants, he wouldn't easily be killed like other magi might. Unless his opponent was truly first-rate, most Servants would find killing Emiya Shirou no simple task.
Even so, Shirou considered their current mission perilous to the extreme. He suddenly felt uneasy about having dragged Kairi into such a desperate situation.
Just as Shirou opened his mouth to express his doubts again, Sisigou Kairi seemed to read his thoughts and spoke first.
"Even if you hadn't asked me, I would've chosen to join the Black Faction anyway and lend my strength."
Kairi's voice held no resentment toward Shirou for Mordred's demise. As a mature adult, Kairi merely felt regret for Mordred's tragic end.
He'd always understood Mordred would inevitably fall. Moreover, she had died without regrets, and even appeared somewhat relieved at the end.
Given that, Kairi felt Mordred dying by Arthur's sword wasn't necessarily a tragedy. At least from his perspective, Arthur had done nothing worthy of resentment. On the contrary, Arthur had continuously tried to guide Mordred, and ultimately fell by her blade as well.
Besides, Emiya Shirou had saved Kairi's life once already. He admired Shirou's character greatly. No matter how he looked at it, Kairi couldn't bear the thought of someone like Shirou perishing in a war like this.
No matter how strong Shirou was, he was ultimately human. He could never truly match a Heroic Spirit, especially considering he had lost his right arm.
Seeing Shirou's hesitant expression, Kairi took a gentle drag from the cigarette in the corner of his mouth.
"Hey, brat. Don't underestimate an old man like me—I still dream of being a hero, too."
Laughing, Kairi reached out and ruffled Shirou's hair roughly. Due to his past, Kairi always took special care of young people like Shirou.
Especially kids like Emiya Shirou and Mordred, who stubbornly held onto their ideals and dreams, recklessly chasing their goals regardless of the dangers.
Wasn't Emiya Shirou trying to use his mortal body to oppose Heroic Spirits exactly the kind of reckless bravery that kids his age often displayed?
Even first-rate magi would never confidently claim they could face a Servant directly—much less a teenager still in high school like Emiya Shirou.
Of course, there was an even more significant reason Kairi continued to fight:
This Holy Grail War had allowed him to truly feel alive once again.
Long ago, to revive their declining bloodline, the Sisigou family had made a dark pact, granting them tremendous proficiency in necromancy. But such miracles always demanded an equivalent sacrifice—Kairi himself had paid the ultimate price.
His child had died shortly after birth, his wife had left him, and despite possessing a powerful Magic Crest, the Sisigou family was doomed to end with him.
At first, the family had been optimistic. His father, Sisigou Touki, had even arranged an adopted daughter—a distant relative with faint Sisigou blood—to inherit their crest.
But tragedy struck again. The girl had died during the transplantation procedure. Upon examination, they found that Kairi's Magic Crest had turned toxic; anyone attempting to inherit it would immediately suffer lethal poisoning.
After learning the truth, Kairi swiftly stopped his father from conducting any further experiments, abandoning the family legacy altogether.
He'd left home, becoming a wandering mercenary magus.
Yet, even then, he'd never forgotten his dead adopted daughter, drifting half-dead and half-alive through the years.
If he'd had a wish to entrust to the Holy Grail, it would've simply been to have a child of his own—someone who could inherit everything he possessed.
But deep down, he'd accepted his fate. A necromancer like him was destined to die alone, forgotten in some tomb, quietly awaiting death's arrival. There would be no mourning, no rejoicing—just a silent passing into oblivion.
But now things had changed. Kairi's desire for the Grail wasn't particularly strong; otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed to Yggdmillennia's request to assist them in obtaining it.
Seeing someone like Emiya Shirou, who selflessly threw himself into danger for others, Kairi truly didn't wish for him to die here.
And frankly, before his own inevitable death, Kairi yearned to accomplish something significant. Saving the world certainly qualified as something meaningful, didn't it?
Who wouldn't feel excitement at participating directly in such a decisive battle?
Kairi put out the cigarette, revealing the gentle smile only a seasoned uncle could possess.
Emiya Shirou opened his mouth again to speak, but Kairi simply began quietly recounting his story to Shirou and the homunculus Master.
He understood perfectly well this battle would likely be his end. Yet rather than die alone in obscurity, simply having someone to remember him afterward was enough for him to risk everything.
As they stepped down from the truck, Kairi silently handed Shirou a prepared syringe from his pocket.