Kapitel 44: Chapter 44 - Mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind

Except for the eccentric outsider, Ryuunosuke Uryuu, none of the other Masters are fools.

They either hide in plain sight like Waver, blending into inconspicuous residences and using Rider's high mobility to carry out their operations, or they establish workshops like Shinji, fortifying their bases as much as possible.

Kenneth, as a noble "ruler," undoubtedly belongs to the latter category. Although he hasn't been in Fuyuki City for long, he has thoroughly transformed the entire Kay Hotel.

This transformation is not material but refers to the strengthening of magic. In Kenneth's own words:

"A twenty-four-layer bounded field, three magic furnaces to replace guard dogs, dozens of fiends and specters, countless traps, not even the underground sewers have been overlooked, and a portion of the corridors has been transformed into another realm. In other words, we can freely compete with our secret arts without worrying about affecting the outside world. So, let our guests have a good tour of my magic workshop."

Even from a distance of over a hundred meters, Shinji could discern the satisfaction on Kenneth's face, indicating his confidence in his workshop.

Based on Scathach's reconnaissance over the past few days, Kenneth's workshop's defensive capabilities are second only to the fully reinforced Matou Mansion, enhanced by the Original Rune, and similar self-extension workshops established by Justeaze using her Noble Phantasm. It is enough to rival the ancestral workshop that prideful Zouken Matou boasts about—solely in terms of magic defense.

Yes, the discussion is only about defense against magic, without considering other aspects.

The majority of magicians in the world subconsciously ignore or even scorn technology. In their eyes, the occult and magic reign supreme, while science is nothing more than the struggle of untalented ordinary people and not worth mentioning.

As a representative of traditional magicians, Kenneth also shares this belief and arrogantly assumes that all magicians share the same view as him. He has never considered pure physical defense or the possibility of being attacked by ordinary people.

And so, he met a tragic fate.

Before the satisfaction could fade from his face, he felt a violent shaking, as if the world was spinning.

Soon, the sound of reinforced concrete crumbling echoed through the night sky, creating a tremendously terrifying atmosphere.

The hotel collapsed!

The towering high-rise hotel, over 150 meters tall, maintained its upright position but collapsed as if being sucked into the ground. Due to the inward collapse of all the exterior walls, not a single fragment flew outside. Only the dust generated from the collapse engulfed the surrounding streets.

This was an incredibly skillful demolition technique—controlled demolition—a sophisticated explosive technique used primarily to destroy large high-rise buildings. By targeting load-bearing walls and critical pillars, the building is forced to collapse inward due to its weight. The technique employs a minimal amount of explosives to achieve destruction.

"No sound of the explosion was heard and minimal impact on the surroundings. It's simply art," Shinji remarked sincerely, putting down his binoculars.

"It is said that Kiritsugu Emiya was a master of all explosive techniques throughout history and across cultures. Today, I have witnessed firsthand that he truly deserves the title of 'Explosion Master.' He has indeed realized the concept that 'art is an explosion'."

Although he hadn't seen Kiritsugu Emiya in person, Shinji was certain that he was the director behind this grand spectacle.

As the saying goes, no matter how skilled you are, you still fear a kitchen knife, and no matter how impressive you are, a single brick can bring you down. Who needs magic when you can dismantle it from the outside without even entering the workshop? Let's see what you can do then.

Shinji dared not forget the teachings of the Matou family, and Kiritsugu Emiya, the magician assassin who valued efficiency above all else, operated on the same principle, but he took it to even greater extremes.

If Shinji were to launch an attack, at best, he would only destroy a few floors. Kiritsugu Emiya, on the other hand, would bring down the entire skyscraper with a direct explosion.

Every building in Fuyuki City that served as a stronghold for magicians was listed in Kiritsugu Emiya's destruction plan, and the Fuyuki Kay Hotel was one of them. Kiritsugu had obtained the building's blueprints in advance and identified the optimal locations for setting explosive charges. With thorough preparation, the actual operation would take less than an hour.

Based on Kiritsugu Emiya's assessment, the 32nd floor where Kenneth was located would collapse due to the chain reaction caused by the controlled explosion. It would be equivalent to a free fall from a height of 150 meters to the ground. No matter how strong the magical barriers were, they would be powerless against such destructive force, unable to protect those inside the building.

Kiritsugu Emiya was like a preying mantis, meticulously planning and hunting, and Kenneth was the cicada he had set his sights on.

To ensure the cicada's demise, Kiritsugu Emiya had even arranged for his assistant, Maya, to be stationed at a specific location for sniping. If Kenneth attempted to escape the 32nd floor using magic, Maya would take the shot immediately.

The location chosen by Maiya for the sniper attack was right beneath Shinji's feet, the observation deck on the 38th floor of the Fuyuki Central Tower.

Using the "Hades Cloak of Invisibility" to approach the high level of security, Shinji successfully infiltrated from the 40th floor to the 38th floor. At this moment, Maya was reporting to Kiritsugu through her earpiece.

"The target hasn't made any movements and hasn't escaped outside the hotel."

Although she had just witnessed a devastating destruction, there was no trace of excitement in her voice.

By now, the Kay Hotel had completely collapsed, signifying the end of Maya's surveillance mission. She took the bullet out of the gun that hadn't even had a chance to be fired, placed it in a briefcase, and then slung the sniper rifle back on her back. She stood up and walked down the stairs.

Suddenly, she sensed something unusual.

It wasn't just a general sense of strangeness but a more ambiguous change in the atmosphere.

Both Maya, a seasoned soldier, and Shinji, who had transformed compared to his past self, could feel the air changing.

It was... killing intent!

"Seems like you're quite perceptive, miss."

Behind Maya, who had stopped in her tracks, a deep and stern male voice rang out. The voice reverberated through the empty steel and concrete structure, making it impossible to determine its source.

Maya didn't answer or make any vocal inquiries. She calmly used her sharp intuition to locate the person and drew the 9mm pistol from her waist. In this time and place, anyone other than Kiritsugu Emiya was an enemy, and there was no need to show mercy.

"Hmph, it's good to see you're prepared."

The man hidden in the darkness spoke as if mocking, slowly emerging from behind the pillar where he had been hiding, exposing himself to Maya's line of sight and the barrel of her gun.

The man before her was dressed in a black cassock, exuding an inexplicable aura of dignity and oppression.