"Meaningless persistence! Hypocrisy!!" Seeing that he could not shake them, Iskandar let out a final roar. Driving the gordius wheel and shrouded in thousands of lightning bolts, he charged at Gilgamesh like a dying beast! "Then let this King see if your persistence can block the power of survival!!"
"Hmph, stubborn fool." Gilgamesh snorted coldly. Facing the charge, he merely raised his hand.
"Then let you, mongrel, properly repent for your folly before the true 'Eternity' (the Throne of Heroes)!"
Behind him, within those countless golden ripples, it was not a disorganized mess of Noble Phantasms that shot out. Instead, all the radiance and magical energy converged into a single point! A sword of peculiar design, wrapped in spiral patterns and seemingly containing the power to 'cut open' the world—Enuma Elish: Ea—slowly emerged!
"I speak of the beginning, when heaven and earth were divided..."
Gilgamesh began the chant for his Noble Phantasm, and the magical energy between heaven and earth began to riot wildly!
This was the final collision of ideals and paths between Kings, and it was also Gilgamesh's final stroke to end this farce.
The result of this duel would directly affect the fate of Fuyuki City and the situation of the remaining participants against Kanjuro. At a certain high point far from the battlefield, Kanjuro and Jeanne were like spectators in VIP seats, leisurely admiring the life-and-death struggle between the Kings below. Gilgamesh's Ea stirred the magical energy of heaven and earth, releasing a terrifying power that opened the void; meanwhile, Iskandar, relying on the dark power bestowed by Kanjuro that exchanged slaughter for existence, drove the gordius wheel and the Sword of Cypriotes in a frenzied and desperate counterattack.
However, the battle was almost entirely one-sided. Even with Black Magic forcibly sustaining his life and briefly boosting his power, Iskandar's attacks, rooted in his own madness and paranoia, still appeared pale and weak before Gilgamesh's Ea, which originated from the Age of Gods and contained the concept of the 'World.' The golden storm collided with the tide of lightning, but the result was the lightning being torn apart and annihilated inch by inch.
Kanjuro raised an eyebrow slightly, a trace of imperceptible surprise appearing on his face.
"Oh? This is somewhat interesting." He rubbed his chin and muttered softly, "Even though I gave him a little'sweetness' to allow him a death struggle, is the gap still this obvious when facing the king of heroes' serious Noble Phantasm... As expected of the oldest king of heroes, his trump cards are indeed solid."
But his focus soon shifted from the pure comparison of power, a glimmer of insight flashing in his eyes, and his lips curled into that signature wicked smile filled with bad taste.
"However, what interests me more is... with Gilgamesh's extremely arrogant personality, even if he disliked Iskandar's actions, according to his style, he would more likely mock him condescendingly and then casually shoot him into a sieve with the Gate of Babylon, rather than using Ea with such a'sense of ritual' as he is now, as if he were executing some 'task'..."
He turned to Jeanne beside him, his tone certain.
"For him to 'willingly' waste precious time here (for Gilgamesh, doing this kind of 'cleanup work' is a waste of time) dealing with a half-mad pawn, it seems... someone behind the scenes is using something like a command spell to 'order' him to do so."
Jeanne's ice-blue eyes looked at him. She was not surprised that Kanjuro could deduce such a conclusion from subtle details, and she simply asked calmly:
"What do you want to do?"
"How about it?" The smile on Kanjuro's face widened, as if he had found a new toy. "Of course, we're going to meet that'smart person' who can drive the king of heroes from behind the scenes and make relatively 'rational' judgments. Let's see who he really is and what he's planning. Being able to think of using this opportunity to earn prestige and initiative is at least more interesting than those idiots who only know how to go head-to-head."
He closed his eyes, and his vast perception spread rapidly throughout Fuyuki City like an invisible spider web, centered on him. The trajectories of magical power flow, the convergence of life signatures, the sources of abnormal fluctuations... countless pieces of information intertwined and filtered through his mind.
Soon, his perception locked onto a direction—a relatively secluded area on a slope in Fuyuki City. There, a building emitting a unique aura stood.
"Found it..." Kanjuro opened his eyes, his sharp gaze directed toward that location. "A church. Heh, it really is a place for hiding filth... no, a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. There is a... quite pure aura of a Magician with the scent of a'Supervisor,' and a trace of... sickening, twisted 'pleasure.'"
He was almost certain that was where the person behind the scenes was located.
"Jeanne," Kanjuro turned around, dark magical energy beginning to construct a teleportation array beneath his feet, his face filled with the excitement before a hunt. "Accompany me to visit this... interesting 'director.' Let's see how he intends to play the next act of this play he's prepared for us."
As his voice fell, the figures of the two gradually blurred in the glow of magical power, their target aimed directly at that Fuyuki Church situated on the slope.
Kanjuro's intervention would undoubtedly bring even more unpredictable variables to this already chaotic and complex Holy Grail War. Meanwhile, Kirei Kotomine in the church seemed not to have realized yet that the "risk" he was trying to avoid was actively coming to his door.
The solemn and majestic doors of the Fuyuki Church were slowly pushed open by an invisible force, making a heavy and piercing grinding sound that broke the original silence and plotting within the cathedral. Kanjuro led Jeanne, leisurely stepping into this sacred territory as if returning to his own home. The dim candlelight reflected the half-smiling expression on his face and Jeanne's frost-cold countenance.
On the front pews of the church, Kirei Kotomine and his father Risei Kotomine stood up almost simultaneously, their faces written with shock and disbelief. They never expected that this greatest variable, which they had deliberately tried to avoid, would actually come to their door so directly and abruptly!
Kanjuro's gaze swept over the Kotomine father and son with great interest, finally settling on Kirei Kotomine. He seemed to have discovered something extremely interesting and spoke in a relaxed, teasing tone:
"Oh my, this is truly... strange." He deliberately elongated his tone, glancing at Jeanne beside him before turning back to Kirei Kotomine. "I remember that the rules of the Holy Grail War are one master corresponding to one Servant. But how do I feel that there seems to be more than one Heroic Spirit's aura hidden here?"
Before his voice had fully faded, Jeanne standing by his side had already moved! She didn't even look at where the target was; relying solely on her perception of abnormal auras and her absolute understanding of Kanjuro's intentions, the holy sword burning with dark red flames in her hand thrust out like a flash of lightning piercing the darkness toward the thickest shadow on one side of the church!
Squelch—!
An extremely faint sound, like cloth being torn, rang out. That mass of shadow writhed violently, and then, a figure wearing a white skull mask—an Assassin (one of the clones of Hassan of the Hundred Faces) commanded by Kirei Kotomine—tumbled out. He looked down in disbelief at his spiritual core precisely pierced by the holy sword, and without even being able to let out a scream, he turned into black spiritual particles and completely dissipated into the air.
An instant kill! Absolute crushing power!
Kirei Kotomine's pupils shrank suddenly, and his body stiffened slightly due to extreme shock and a trace of fear. The Assassin he relied on to gather intelligence and perform assassinations couldn't even last a single exchange in the opponent's hands!
"You... what exactly do you want?!" Kirei Kotomine's voice carried an imperceptible tremor as he forced himself to maintain composure and ask.
Kanjuro did not answer immediately. He paced forward slowly, his gaze scanning Kirei Kotomine up and down like he was examining prey, finally resting on the back of his hand covered with command spells.
"What do I want? Hmm, I'm just a bit curious." Kanjuro tilted his head, his tone still relaxed, but his eyes gradually grew sharp. "On the back of your hand, besides your own command spells as a master, those others... are from Tohsaka Tokiomi, right?"
He leaned forward slightly as if sharing a secret, his voice carrying a chilling coldness:
"I remember very clearly that eight years ago, that elegant Lord of the Clock Tower died by my hands. His command spells, logically, should have dissipated with him... yet now they appear on your hand. Kirei Kotomine, you really have... such deep calculation and such fast movements."
These words were like uncovering the most hidden scar in the depths of Kirei Kotomine's heart. He felt as if the thick dark aura on Kanjuro's body was washing over him, almost becoming tangible, carrying a soul-shuddering pressure that made a chill involuntarily surge up from his spine.
"Speak," Kanjuro's voice suddenly turned cold, carrying an unquestionable tone of command. "Who gave you the hint to make you think of seizing your teacher's command spells and 'wisely' choosing to avoid me at this moment to deal with the king of conquerors first? This doesn't seem like the 'optimal solution' that a twisted person like you, who pursues inner 'pleasure,' would think of immediately."
The powerful pressure made Kirei Kotomine's breath hitch. He subconsciously took half a step back, his eyes flickering as if weighing the pros and cons. His father, Risei Kotomine, turned even paler and involuntarily took two steps back, trying to distance himself from his son, as if doing so could avoid being caught in the center of the storm.
Under Kanjuro's gaze, which seemed able to see through everything, fine beads of cold sweat broke out on Kirei Kotomine's forehead. He knew that in the face of absolute power and insight, any sophistry was futile. After struggling for a moment, he seemed to finally give up resistance and, in a nearly numb tone, raised his hand and pointed at Risei Kotomine, who was quietly retreating!
"It's... him. It was my father... Risei Kotomine... who planned it for me."
As soon as these words were spoken, the playful smile on Kanjuro's face froze instantly, then transformed into an extremely exaggerated expression mixed with shock and extreme irony.
"Oh my goodness!!!" Kanjuro let out a flamboyant exclamation, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Kirei Kotomine and the deathly pale Risei Kotomine, as if he were seeing the most absurd drama in the world.
"This is truly... too interesting!!" He pointed at Risei Kotomine and said to Kirei Kotomine, "This person... is he your biological father? Looking at your eyes and your features, you two look quite alike!"
His tone suddenly became cold and full of contempt:
"You actually... just to save your own life, so easily sold out the father who gave birth to you and raised you?! Kirei Kotomine, I thought you were just internally twisted, but I didn't expect... you really are a 'filial son'!! Hahahaha!!"
Kanjuro's malicious laughter echoed in the empty church, sounding particularly piercing.
Risei Kotomine looked at his son in disbelief, his eyes filled with the pain and despair of being betrayed. Kirei Kotomine, on the other hand, stood there expressionless, as if the person who had just identified his father wasn't himself, with only his tightly clenched fists slightly revealing that he was not entirely without inner turmoil.
Kanjuro looked at this scene of "fatherly love and filial piety" with satisfaction. He knew that this Kirei Kotomine before him was perhaps much more interesting in his degree of distortion and darkness than he had expected. With that chillingly gentle smile hanging on his face, Kanjuro walked slowly to Kirei Kotomine, like a mentor presenting a final assignment to a student. He toyed with that "sword of promised victory" wrapped in ominous black mist in his hand, the tip of the sword occasionally brushing through the air, creating faint ripples as if space itself were being corroded.
"Kirei Kotomine," Kanjuro's voice was soft, yet it carried an unquestionable decisiveness. "Now, let's play a simple multiple-choice question. You, and your father Risei Kotomine, only one person can walk out of this church alive today. Pick one."
He lightly swung the tip of that dark holy sword back and forth between Kirei Kotomine and the deathly pale Risei Kotomine, like a cold pointer waiting for the choice of fate.
Kirei Kotomine's body was stiff, and his throat bobbed with difficulty. He had almost no hesitation, not even looking at his father's instantly despairing eyes, and answered clearly in a voice that was nearly numb yet carried a trace of twisted, relief-like pleasure:
"I... want to live."
"Very good." Kanjuro nodded with satisfaction, as if praising an obedient child. He turned to look at the trembling, eyes-nearly-bursting Risei Kotomine, his gaze full of inquiry and mockery.
"Old man, did you hear that? This is the good son you raised." Kanjuro seemed to remember something, his tone carrying a trace of realization. "Speaking of which, when I killed Tohsaka Tokiomi eight years ago, there weren't many people who knew the specific details of the Fourth Holy Grail War so clearly. You... as the Supervisor of the Holy Grail War, knew quite a lot and planned very deeply in the shadows."
These words were like the final provocation, completely igniting Risei Kotomine's rage and despair.
"Beast! You beast!!" He pointed at Kirei Kotomine, old tears streaming down his face, his voice hoarse from extreme anger and betrayal. "I raised you for so many years for nothing! To think... to think you would..." He then snapped his gaze toward Kanjuro, a trace of determined madness flashing in his eyes. "This old man... this old man will fight you to the death!!"
The remaining magical power in his body from his training as a priest (though weak) and a certain secret technique for strengthening the body suddenly activated. His aged body exploded with a speed that did not match his age, rushing at Kanjuro like a moth to a flame, attempting a final resistance.
However, in Kanjuro's eyes, his movements were as slow as if they were stationary.
"Heh, the struggle of an ant." Kanjuro didn't even use the black sword of promised victory; he simply moved his mind.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
Several slimy, cold tentacles condensed from the purest dark magical power, like poisonous snakes suddenly lunging from the void, instantly pierced through Risei Kotomine's body at a speed the naked eye could barely catch! They pierced through his chest, abdomen, and even his throat!
Risei Kotomine's forward momentum stopped abruptly. He looked down in disbelief at the tentacles dripping with blood and dark energy that had pierced through his body. He opened his mouth, but could only make "gurgling" sounds of bloody froth. The light in his eyes faded rapidly, carrying endless resentment and unwillingness as his life signature receded like the tide.
Kanjuro looked expressionlessly at Risei Kotomine's corpse suspended in mid-air by the tentacles, then casually threw it onto the ground with a dull thud. Blood soon began to spread across the stone floor of the ancient church.
Kirei Kotomine looked at his father's brutally killed corpse, his face still showing no obvious expression, only subconsciously taking a few steps back to distance himself from that pool of blood and the cold corpse. In the depths of his eyes, something seemed to have completely shattered, and something else... seemed to be breaking through the soil.
Kanjuro took in his reaction, and the playful smile on his face grew even more intense.
"Don't be in a hurry to relax, Kirei Kotomine." He spoke slowly, his voice like the whisper of a demon. "Your father may be dead, but now, there is one more thing you must do. Only after you do this can I feel at ease... letting you go."
Kirei Kotomine's body trembled. He raised his head, his gaze toward Kanjuro carrying a trace of blankness, but more of it was a nearly instinctive obedience to a survival command. He asked respectfully, even with a hint of fawning:
"Lord Kanjuro... what do you need me to do?"
Kanjuro's smile became incredibly deep and cruel. He pointed at Risei Kotomine's still-warm corpse on the ground and said clearly, word by word:
"Now, I want you to... personally, dismember your father's body in front of me."
"..."
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