Chapter 41: 41 Imperfect
"Look at what I've found! A lone Kotomine Kirei."
Returning once again to the farewell park, this time he encountered the emotionless priest, Kotomine Kirei.
Kayneth, having captured the Lesser Grail, Irisviel, had awakened his scientific spirit and was now busy studying the secrets of her body.
With Rider and Lancer guarding the base, the situation was quite secure. Roy had also revealed a lot of his own secrets to Kayneth.
He explained how he became a magus, acquired his magic crest, and recounted his experiences with Merlin, clarifying his stance to Kayneth.
To prevent a second incident of betrayal, Roy even signed a second contract, finally putting Kayneth at ease.
When Kayneth heard that Roy could connect with Merlin in his dreams, he was thrilled.
As a British noble of magical lineage, he was well aware of the story of Merlin, the legendary court magus of Britain. Merlin, the wise man who personally raised King Arthur, was famous even in the world of the mystic arts.
So, upon hearing that his student could communicate with such a great sage in dreams, Kayneth was naturally overjoyed.
If not for his pride preventing him from such shameless acts, he would have definitely used Matou Zouken's crest to meet Merlin in a dream. Though what he didn't know was that Merlin would likely ignore him anyway.
However, at the moment, Kayneth was more interested in the Einzbern Lesser Grail than Merlin. So, at Kayneth's request, Fionn escorted Irisviel into the basement.
With Waver resting, Rider protecting the base, and Kayneth researching the Lesser Grail, Roy was the only one free, and he decided to go for a walk.
"I remember you. You're Caster's Master, right? It's still the Holy Grail War, so why have you come here? You should be in hiding."
"Caster is long dead. I was never Caster's Master. And you, Father, aren't in hiding either."
"…I have my reasons."
Kirei remained silent, but his vigilance toward Roy did not fade.
"You're here without the protection of a Servant, so why approach me? Even during the day, recklessly approaching an enemy can be dangerous…"
"Yes, so will you attack me?"
Roy gazed at the expressionless Kirei before him.
"If you wanted to kill me, Assassin would have done it on the way here. There was no need to wait."
Kirei didn't respond.
"Father, what are you here for? Are you also here to pay respects to Matou Kariya?"
"Yes…"
Surprisingly, Kirei nodded and looked at the tree where Matou Kariya was buried.
"I'm curious. What kind of man could change the will of a magus and make Tohsaka Tokiomi voluntarily give up the Grail?"
"So, you came here to find out? Not to wait for me?"
He shook his head. "No, I've been here all along."
"I see. You're confused and can't find a reason, so you've stayed here thinking. You don't have any clues, just wandering aimlessly. You don't even know why you're thinking, do you?"
"…"
Kirei's silence was his answer to Roy's question.
"In that case, are you interested in talking with me? I think I might be able to help you."
"You're trying to recruit me?"
"Haha, not at all. This is just casual conversation between two Masters during the Holy Grail War. Battles happen at night, right? Chatting during the day doesn't break any rules, does it? If you don't want to, that's fine."
"Wait, I do have something I'd like to ask you."
Kirei seriously looked at this young man he couldn't figure out.
When Kirei first met Roy, the young man was cautious and fearful of the unknown, deliberately keeping his distance. Back then, Roy was no different from an ordinary person.
But the second time they met, Roy had already become a magus, no longer afraid of the unknown.
Now, upon their third encounter, Roy had transformed into someone completely unreadable, someone even Assassin had sensed as dangerous and remained highly wary of.
What kind of transformation was this? Could this strange man offer the answers Kirei sought?
Secretly, Kirei found himself anticipating.
Then, Roy posed a question, "Kirei, do you want to see it? The scenery your heart truly desires."
The scenery he truly desires?
Kirei was startled and instinctively looked at his chest. He began to wonder... what does his calm heart truly want to see? What does he truly desire?
But he didn't know the answer.
His chest felt empty, and his heart was filled with confusion, as though something was missing.
"I do want to see."
"Haha, is that so? But could you trust me a little? For example, perhaps have the Assassin hiding behind me put her dagger down. She's so close, it's making me a little nervous."
"…"
Kirei fell into thought and then followed Roy's gesture. He saw Assassin, who had been perched in the tree, keeping a close watch on Roy, and was surprised.
Assassin's actions weren't based on his orders. This was the Hundred-Faced Hassan's instinctive behavior, and he hadn't been aware that Hassan was there.
"Assassin, stand down. He's not an enemy right now."
"As you command."
With the order given, the dark figure leaped down from the tree and quietly stood beside Kirei, though her gaze towards Roy grew more vigilant.
A mere magus, yet he had easily sensed what even her Servant could deceive with her Presence Concealment skill.
What kind of monster is he?
"There's no need to be so tense. I'm just an ordinary magus. A formidable Hassan like you shouldn't be afraid of me, right?"
"And besides, don't you have many more copies of yourself? For an assassin, you seem quite afraid of death. No wonder you receive so much criticism."
"Criticism?" The Hundred-Faced Hassan was puzzled. She didn't remember being criticized.
"Ahem…"
Roy cleared his throat and then mimicked Kirei's deep voice.
"Hassan of the Hundred Faces, what have you accumulated with your countless pieces of wisdom? A desire forged by a hundred souls fighting for one? Foolish… hand over your head!"
Shocked!
That familiar tone, that unforgettable voice! Hassan's head instantly stiffened as if she were a broken doll, and her body instinctively knelt, too nervous to speak.
"T-The First Master?!"
"See, didn't they criticize you like this right before you died? How could you have forgotten? Was Hassan's sword not fast enough?"
"What is happening?"
Roy imitated his own voice, and immediately, Hundred-Faced Hassan knelt down, while Kotomine Kirei looked on, perplexed by the scene.
"Oh, this is the commandment left by the leader of the Hashshashin, the King of the Hassans, when executing her. Since it was something she heard right before dying, it left a deep impression on her."
*Whoosh*
As soon as he finished speaking, a dagger flashed in front of Roy's face.
The dagger swung by none other than Hundred-Faced Hassan, who had just moments ago collapsed in fear on the ground.
Judging by her furious expression, it seemed that using King Hassan to mess with her had truly provoked her, and now she wanted to teach him a lesson.
However...
In the horrified gazes of Kotomine Kirei and Hundred-Faced Hassan, Roy stood still, raising only his index finger to block the blade.
*Clang*
Under Hundred-Faced Hassan's stunned eyes, it was as if she was staring at the First Hassan himself. Her dagger had struck Roy's finger with all its force.
Yet, it couldn't move forward even an inch.
Roy's finger effortlessly held back the blade, casually stopping its advance.
Then, his other two fingers slowly reached down and gently rested on the dagger.
"Hundred-Faced, keeping calm is a crucial skill for any assassin. Acting so recklessly will only get your head chopped off again."
Still holding the dagger in place with his fingers, Roy lightly pushed her away, leaving Hundred-Faced Hassan frozen in place.
"Alright, now let's continue our conversation."
Roy chuckled softly and waved toward Kotomine Kirei. "Interested in seeking some answers?"
"What... exactly is going on?"
Seeing what had just happened, Kotomine Kirei, usually so composed, felt his heart race. A chill ran down his spine as he looked at Roy as if he were staring at a monster.
What kind of magus could so effortlessly block a Servant's attack?
Compared to himself, it was Roy who seemed more like the monster.
If he could suppress Hundred-Faced Hassan so easily, then he could just as effortlessly take his life at this distance.
"A bit of reinforcement magecraft, nothing more." Roy answered calmly.
"Reinforcement magecraft that can block a Servant?" Kirei was shocked by how blatantly Roy lied with a straight face.
If Kirei hadn't been there to witness it himself, he might've almost believed him.
Roy shook his head. "Assassins aren't known for their strength. Their frontal abilities are too weak."
"But still, that's not something an ordinary magus could block." Kirei sighed, speechless at Roy's deflection.
However, as terrifying as Roy's combat abilities were, Kirei was more concerned with his own issue.
"What is it that I truly desire?"
"How would I know? That's something only you can answer."
"Then why did you say..."
"I'm just helping you take a look." Roy shrugged. "Whether or not you can see clearly is entirely up to you."
"Up to me?"
"Exactly. Have you ever thought about why the Holy Grail chose you? The Grail only chooses those with wishes. And what about you?"
Kirei fell silent for a moment.
"I'm searching for a reason, but..."
"You can't find one, right? But it's there. There are no coincidences in this world, only inevitabilities."
"The Grail didn't choose you for no reason. Even though on the surface, you may appear to be without desire, without emotion..."
Roy raised a finger in front of Kirei's face, then pointed to his chest.
"Your wish is still there. It might be right before your eyes or hidden deep in your heart. Even if you haven't realized it yet, it's been there all along."
"An empty heart, missing emotions. Perhaps it's because of this void that the Grail selected you. You're seeking an answer, but the answer has always been right in front of you."
"Right in front of me, yet unseen?"
A hint of surprise flashed in Kirei's empty eyes as he touched his chest. "Precisely because of the void, there's something to be gained."
"Exactly. It's your imperfection that grants you the chance to become perfect." Roy's lips curved slightly.
"Perfection is despair, something beyond anything you've experienced so far. But absolute perfection is never allowed. A human being must be tormented by such contradictions, constantly seeking pleasure."
"So, this imperfection you carry is a trial given to you by your god. In the end, you will truly become perfect..."
"Does that make sense to you?"
Kirei's eyes widened instinctively.
At that moment, his long-dormant heart began to stir once again in response to Roy's words.
"Imperfect? Perfect? I feel like I'm starting to understand..."
Kirei repeated in awe, his expression filled with excitement. Looking at the Command Seals on his hand, a smile appeared on his face. "This is indeed a trial. Now I think I understand why the Grail chose me."
Yes, there was indeed a desire hidden deep within him. The void in his heart was, in fact, his desire. The Grail had chosen him to fill that void, to make him perfect and fulfilled.
So...
"Have you figured out what you truly want?"
"Yes." Kirei nodded.
"I will wish upon the Grail to fulfill me and make me perfect."
"Wishing upon the Grail, huh? That's certainly the simplest way..."
"But Kirei, have you thought about this? The perfection granted to you by the Grail... is it really the kind of perfection you desire? Will the void the Grail fills really be the one missing from your heart?"
"Huh?" Kirei's eyes widened.
"It's said to be an omnipotent wish-granting device, but how omnipotent is it really? Who knows its limits, or if it's truly as powerful as the legends claim? No one actually knows for sure. After all, no one has ever seen the Grail, right? Are you really willing to entrust your pursuit of fulfillment to something so uncertain?"
"You... are right."
Kirei paused to reflect, gradually understanding what Roy was trying to convey.
Would he truly entrust himself to something uncertain? Even if the Grail made him perfect, that perfection wouldn't necessarily be what he sought.
After all, even he didn't know what kind of perfection he truly desired.
Then what should he do...?
"If you don't know, then try searching for it." Roy smiled gently, placing a finger on Kirei's chest.
"After all, even if you tear open your chest, you won't find what's in your heart. And gouging out your eyes won't make your thoughts any clearer."
"In the end, it's up to you to search. Nothing will come in an instant. Who you want to become is entirely up to you."
"Up to... me?"
"Exactly, it's all up to you. As long as you move toward what you believe is right, no matter what the outcome, it will be the most satisfying answer for you."
With that, Roy pulled a pure white flower from his pocket and pinned it to Kirei's chest.
It was a daisy, as white as the snow in winter. It symbolized innocence and anticipation for the future.
"Well, we've talked long enough. I should be going. After all, it's getting late, and when night falls, we'll be enemies again."
As Kirei touched the daisy on his chest, a warmth seemed to flow through his heart. He watched Roy's figure fade into the distance, lost in thought.
"A perfect person, huh..."
It seemed he had found his path as well.
Filling the void and becoming perfect, finding fulfillment... that was what he truly wanted.
"Master..."
Assassin, who had been watching from the shadows, slowly knelt down toward Roy's departing figure.
This time, it wasn't due to the pressure of his power, but from genuine gratitude deep within.
***
Keeping a precious item like the Power Stone is hard, so for your own sake, drop the Power Stone here, otherwise I can't guarantee your safety!
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