The moment Morpheus expelled Kiyohime and the other Servants from this world, Kirei Kotomine sensed the severance of his connection to them.
In that instant, Kirei confirmed one thing.
"They failed."
Kirei frowned slightly, the turn of events somewhat beyond his expectations. His side should have held the advantage, so why had they failed?
Glancing at Robin Hood and Astolfo, who had only just returned from their mission, Kirei's frown deepened.
Both operations had failed, and in one fell swoop, he had lost four Servants. Now, he was left with only three at his disposal.
"It seems their main force is indeed at the Emiya residence..." Robin Hood remarked, recounting what he had encountered to Kirei. As Kirei listened to Robin Hood and Astolfo's report, he fell into thought.
"So, there was only one Servant at the school initially, and it should have been easy to eliminate the Master. But an unexpected complication arose, preventing Robin Hood from taking out the Master immediately, which allowed Saber to arrive, turning the situation into a two-on-two."
Kirei considered this and quickly asked, "So, what was this unexpected complication?"
"It's that you clearly don't know her well enough," Robin Hood immediately quipped. Despite Kirei managing her family's affairs and being her caretaker, he was completely unaware of her true capabilities!
This piqued Kirei's interest. "Oh? Did she exceed my expectations in some way?"
Seeing Kirei's expression... one that seemed eager for gossip despite their dire situation... Robin Hood sighed inwardly and detailed his encounter with Rin Tohsaka.
"She possesses a peculiar magecraft that can instantly construct a formidable barrier. This barrier protected both her and her allies, and even my all-out attacks couldn't break through.
"If you had sent more forces to our side from the start, we might have had a chance to breach it together. But alone, even with Astolfo, I don't think we could have broken it.
"However, as a ranger, I have keen observational skills. Her ability to cast such powerful magecraft likely relies on the jewel on her wrist. And you didn't mention that jewel at all?!"
"A jewel? On her wrist?" Kirei pondered for a moment, realization dawning. "That's her family's heirloom, passed down from her father. In truth, it's a jewel that continuously draws mana, reusable rather than discarded after a single use. For her, its greatest utility might just be cost-saving."
Kirei shared what he knew about the Moonstone, then asked, "Why do you think that jewel is the key to her spellcasting?"
Robin Hood replied, "Its aura. The jewel shares the same aura as the protective barrier she used. That reason alone is enough for me."
"But from what I know, that jewel never displayed anything remarkable in her father's hands. If you're certain Rin's display of strength this time stems from that jewel..." Kirei mused, shaking his head. "It'll be difficult to get our hands on it now. With only three Servants left, we need to tread carefully."
Astolfo raised his hand at once. "They seemed so fierce, attacking without any attempt at negotiation. Isn't there another way?"
"There will be a way soon, Mr. Astolfo. Please be patient. To save Jeanne from the amnesiac world, we must proceed cautiously," Gilles said, his voice like that of a sinister crone, accompanied by a creepy chuckle.
"In fact, with our Master's help, I've already made preparations. If we head to this place... a stretch of ocean... and use the still-living as sacrifices, we can summon a sea demon. If necessary, we could sacrifice the entire city's population to summon the most powerful creature!
"With a mighty beast on our side, it won't matter that we're down four Servants. We can easily handle our opponents this time!"
Gilles spoke with a light tone, devoid of any hesitation or pity for the ordinary people he intended to sacrifice. There wasn't even a trace of madness in his expression.
It was a calm, unperturbed look, and it was precisely this demeanor that sent a chill through Robin Hood's heart.
No fervor, no ripples of emotion, speaking of sacrificing an entire city as casually as eating or drinking. Could this man truly be a Heroic Spirit? Was he not some kind of fiend?!
Thinking this, Robin Hood could only keep it to himself. The decisions here were made by his Master, and he was merely a Servant here to carry out orders. Clearly, the priest before him was quite approving of this plan.
But soon, he noticed a problem. "Wait a moment... what did you mean by 'those still living'? Have you been capturing people?"
"Not at all. In fact, our Master showed me the basement, where many people are kept. Though their conditions are poor, they're still alive. They have blood in their veins, they breathe, they think, they have souls. By using their blood and souls as sacrifices, we can summon a sea demon directly!"
Robin Hood immediately turned to Kirei, his eyes filled with shock.
What was this? Did this church have a tradition of kidnapping and imprisoning people?
"Ten years ago, those who were supposed to die were saved, their bodies used to sustain Gilgamesh in this world. These are merely Gilgamesh's actions. I only observed, never intervening," Kirei said with a smile. "Besides, they're in such pain now. Even if they die as sacrifices, a swift death would be a release for them, sparing them further suffering."
Though unaware of the full details, Robin Hood could piece together enough from the description. Gilles, meanwhile, spoke with exaggerated sentiment: "My Master, you are too kind. For these pitiful humans, being sacrificed directly is indeed a form of liberation!"
Just then, a loud crash resounded as the church's door was kicked open!
A man in a trench coat and fedora appeared at the entrance, gazing at the group with a smile. "To speak of your vile deeds so elegantly... truly shameless, all of you."
Seeing the figure, the group instantly knew the enemy had come knocking. Kirei glanced around and smiled. "Archer, I don't know where you get such confidence, but charging in alone like this... are you sure it's not reckless?"
His smile brimmed with assurance. "This is a church, home to multiple Servants. Moreover, the secrets hidden here make it an unsuitable battlefield for you."
"Relax, I have full confidence in myself. None of your schemes can faze me!" Morpheus declared, stepping forward. With a single step, he transformed into a hurricane, surging toward the group inside!
This was mastery over wind, a spell intertwined with wind magecraft, paired with Morpheus's supersonic physical prowess, unleashing devastating destructive force!
In an instant, the pews on either side of the church were sent tumbling and shattering by the shockwave of a sonic boom!
The sturdy stone floor cracked under the hurricane's force, some sections entirely fracturing!
Morpheus's speed was simply too fast... far beyond what an ordinary human could react to.
But Kirei Kotomine was no ordinary man. A battle-hardened priest and executor, he had already cast his magecraft the moment Morpheus appeared at the door. Bolstered by divine power and his honed martial arts, his speed and perception surged dramatically.
Just barely, he dodged Morpheus's strike. Simultaneously, he flung both hands, launching two mana-condensed daggers toward Morpheus!
At the same moment, Robin Hood leaped backward to create distance, bow in hand, an arrow already nocked. As he retreated, he drew the bowstring taut, aimed, and fired!
The arrow was enveloped in wind, its speed amplified by the element, hurtling toward Morpheus. In that moment, Robin Hood's and Kirei's attacks synchronized, poised to inflict massive damage if they struck their target!
Yet Morpheus neither dodged nor evaded, charging straight ahead, enduring the onslaught to reach Kirei.
He extended his hand, seized Kirei's head, and yanked, slamming his body into the ground!
Astolfo, standing farther away, hadn't even reacted yet, while Gilles, still chanting his incantation, hadn't finished his spell.
For Morpheus to charge through their combined assault and seize Kirei directly was an outcome none had anticipated.
Looking at Morpheus, who had slammed Kirei into the ground and followed with a kick, the group couldn't help but feel a chill. His body bore no signs of damage.
Robin Hood, the only one who had attacked, was even more stunned.
His strike hadn't been a casual one but a blow imbued with considerable power. That Morpheus didn't dodge, took it head-on, and emerged unscathed... how had he done it?!
"Priest Kirei Kotomine, was it? I'm not here just to stop you from doing something nefarious with those people downstairs out of some sense of justice. It's more about personal grudges," Morpheus said, unhesitatingly stomping down.
He controlled the force of his kick precisely, not killing Kirei nor injuring him severely, but ensuring he felt pain.
Hearing Kirei's muffled groan, Morpheus reached out, hoisted him up, and snapped his fingers. Mana formed ropes, binding Kirei tightly.
"I don't recall any conflict with you. And while you her servant, there's no enmity between Rin and me, is there?" Kirei said, his tone remarkably sincere.
Morpheus let out a scoff, glancing at the Servants hesitating nearby due to his hold on Kirei, and sneered. "Let's not talk about your feud with Rin. You killed her father and indirectly caused her mother's death... though I won't bother delving into that.
"As for the conflict between us, you harmed my sister. Is there anything wrong with me seeking revenge?"
"Your sister? Was she some rogue magus?" Kirei asked, not even questioning how Morpheus knew of past events. Perhaps because he heard he'd harmed Morpheus's sister, Kirei's expression grew even more delighted.
"My name is Morpheus Fraga McRemitz."
At that name, Kirei froze, his expression one of utter disbelief, as if he'd heard something unimaginable. After a long pause, he finally reacted.
"You're Bazett's brother?!"
"Correct."
"You're a Servant from the future?!" This revelation thrilled Kirei, and he pressed on. "So, in this Holy Grail War, who's the victor?"
He shook his head, continuing, "The course of history must have diverged. The Holy Grail's reaction suggests you're the cause of its malfunction. Coming from the future, you've used your foresight to make numerous arrangements, haven't you?"
Listening to Kirei's analysis, Morpheus merely raised his hand, conjuring a radiant lightning spear.
This spear, imbued with Zeus's thunderous might, was meant to purge filth and evil. The moment Morpheus formed it, he hurled it forward!
"Boom!"
The Servants couldn't react in time to stop it, and the bound Kirei had no chance to dodge. The lightning strike obliterated him instantly!
Having felled the priest with a single blow, Morpheus clicked his tongue. "I don't have time to explain things to you!"
***
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