"Times really do change..."
Standing in front of the Hyatt hotel in Fuyuki, Zoe sighed.
She still remembered those times when you could still see traces of nature on the outskirts of cities. Now, everything had become extravagantly industrialized. Even the God Pan had disappeared as a consequence of human industrialization.
As Hunter of Artemis, this was not good news for Zoe. However, there was little she could do to reverse this situation.
She shook her head, now was not the time to think about that.
Her new Master had given her a mission. It was time to start a hunt.
The prey Zoe currently had to hunt resided on the 32nd floor of the largest building in Fuyuki, the top floor. This was the largest building in Fuyuki, although it was to be surpassed when the Shinto shopping mall was completed.
There, living on probably the most luxurious floor in the entire city, was Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi.
Despite living in such a luxurious room, the person in question, sitting on a real leather sofa by the window, could not calm his depression.
For him, the objects in this room are just 'a wasteful collection'. It is merely a gloomy room, some expensive ornaments, and some whimsical everyday objects. For Kayneth, born into aristocracy, nothing alters him more than the originally common things disguised with luxurious outfits to look falsely aristocratic. But just now, that's exactly how this hotel room was. There is not the slightest hint of historical provenance or cultural heritage in this room. It's a mere pigsty decorated to look luxurious.
But the instigator of this feeling is not limited to just this hotel; this tiny nation known as Japan is full of things that leave Kayneth with an ugly and unhappy feeling.
Even the small island of Hong Kong can give a very local and folkloric feeling. But now, Fuyuki's Shinto doesn't even show a hint of its local culture. As of now, looking at the city scenery at night from this high point, there would be no way to guess precisely which city of which country you are in. Just getting the most common elements and putting them together - if he were to be asked what exactly this city is, Kayneth would say it is merely like a mountain of garbage.
If the eastern island-nation had preserved its original environment of an honest fishing village in the wasteland, then it would be much more interesting than what it is now... but unfortunately, when it comes to the ability to comprehend things like this, a race like the Japanese don't go with things like that. This underdeveloped country that didn't even have a constitution a hundred years ago wants to forge ahead and compete with Western countries by relying only on technological sciences and financial development as if they shamelessly want to force their way into the ranks of developed countries. It is indeed difficult to reason with these people.
Kayneth used a finger to gently tap his head that was suffering a slight headache from annoyance and sighed angrily.
Actually, he's not the type to lose his temper over little things like that, but something else is causing his irritation.
In front of him, the wide TV screen suddenly interrupted his evening program and began to broadcast urgent news. The news anchor is on the scene, reporting live an explosion of unknown origin on a warehouse street along the Fuyuki coast.
According to residents of nearby areas who heard the explosion, there were fire trucks on the scene four hours ago. Although there is no news yet, the police officers who have already started the investigation at the site are definitely concealing what they have found. How can common and ignorant people have a correct judgment regarding something beyond their knowledge?
It is not simple either to be the overseer of the Holy Church. Counting down the time, within 30 minutes after Kayneth called off the field, all the covert tasks had concluded.
Now the whole truth rests only in the memories of those few who were present. One of them was Kayneth; Servant Lancer - the Master of the Heroic Spirit Diarmuid ua Duibhne.
The beginning of the long awaited Heaven's Feel. And they were thoroughly prepared for the first battle. Though the results were different from their expectations.
Even in his youth, Kayneth Archibald was seen as much further ahead than other children. No matter what the problem was, no one could find a better solution than Kayneth; no opponent could win against him in a competition.
And even when their efforts did not exceed the common sense of a purpose, simply believing that their labors' results would be better than some other person somewhere or sometime. That was all.
For that reason, Kayneth had been viewed by others as a 'prodigy' in his youth.
That fact is known to all. No one has ever questioned his title as a 'prodigy', and nothing has ever threatened his position as a 'prodigy'. Thus, he had no need to be proud or egotistical; he simply enjoyed his well-deserved title of 'prodigy'.
Even in the busy Clock Tower among the numerous successful researchers, his crowning to the famous title of Lord El-Melloi was widely approved by all. But for Kayneth, who has become accustomed to being called a 'prodigy', who has always been a target of admiration and jealousy, he did not feel the slightest satisfaction or sense of accomplishment. All this is merely an 'inevitable outcome' of life for him.
The past was like this, and the future will definitely be like this. This is a sacred and inviolable 'life agreement'; for Kayneth, there is no doubt about that.
So, for him who can already predict the whole world-if a very rare, almost impossible, 'accident' were to occur, then Kayneth absolutely could not tolerate that chaos; it would be an insult and a blasphemy to God's order.
Such as... the death of his Servant, and thus his elimination from this competition for the Holy Grail.
Worst of all, his Servant had not even died at the hands of a rival Servant. He had been killed by a third party who was not involved with the war.
This was a humiliation that could not be easily forgotten by Kayneth. A stain on his record even greater than his pupil's theft of Iskandar's relic.
Yes, for he too had not forgotten that Waver was now Iskandar's Master.
"I'll kill them..."
Kayneth squeezed the crystal glass he held in his hand so hard that it shattered. The glass sank into his skin, bursting inside his palm. But he simply ignored the pain and the bleeding, focusing on the anger that was eating him up inside and the hatred he felt for the two people who had taken what was his.
"Waver Velvet... Drako... I will kill you, but first I will torture your families in front of you, I will kill them, and then I will torture you to death..."
Hatred seeped through Kayneth's voice.
"Do you really think you're going to be able to do that?"
"Who are you?"
Kayneth was alarmed when he heard the stranger's voice. But, after all, he was still one of the most influential people in the world of magic. He regained his composure quickly and waved his hand.
A large porcelain mug approached discreetly towards Kayneth.
"I'm... no, I'm not anymore. You can say I'm something like a Servant."
Actually, Zoë was going to introduce herself as one of the Artemis Hunters. In the end, she decided not to. She had already embraced her identity as Drako's Servant. It was not the time to back out.
Anger, like acid, gnawed at Kayneth drop by drop.
The girl, who looked no more than sixteen years old, reminded him too much of the person who had stolen all his dignity. She exuded that same mysterious air as Drako and his strange companion. They also happened to be something related to a Servant.
He is a first-rate mage. He would never lose his composure over emotions, especially when faced with a situation where he is fighting for his life.
In fact, this is a secret art among fellow top-notch magicians; Kayneth would not harbor things like anger at all. He would probably admire and acknowledge the opponent's abilities, calmly analyze their true value, and concentrate on performing his magecraft as an appropriate counter to the enemy's technique. Those noble and pompous games between knights are what Kayneth knew as 'battles'. For the right to use the Holy Grail at stake, he intended to compete with Tohsaka Tokiomi, Matou Zouken, and four other outstanding opponents yet unknown, and arrived at this desolate place the edge of the earth.
"What are your intentions?"
Kayneth asked in a cold, dry tone, not bothering to hide his anger.
Zoe simply raised an eyebrow and shook her head.
"Men, you're all idiots."
She muttered as she picked up the object hanging on her back.
Kayneth hadn't noticed that the girl was carrying something, so he paid special attention to it. He was surprised to see the silver glow covering the bow. His surprise increased when he realized that this glow transferred from the bow to the girl's body. He realized that he was in front of an extraordinary person.
Starlight was illuminating Zoe's body.
Or so it seemed to Kayneth's eyes. At the same time, he began to feel a sense of extreme danger.
"Fervor, mei sanguis."
Once he recited the spell that activated the magic, the contents in the mug sweated from his mouth. That liquid, giving a mirror-like metallic sheen, is a large amount of mercury. Flowing from the jar as if it were a primitive, trained creature, the nearly ten kilograms of mercury, shaking, formed a ball.
Among the many of his possessions, this is the Mystic Code in which Lord El-Melloi placed his pride. Volume Hydrargyrum: Marrow of the Moon Spirit
"Automatoportum defensio: Automatoportum quaerere: Dilectus incursio."
Following Kayneth's low chanting, the mercury mass's surface vibrated and crackled as if responding to him, rising up beside him.
Kayneth, who possesses the two attributes of water and wind, a rare case even among magicians, excels in the art of manipulating fluids, which is shared between these two attributes. Thus, he created this unique Magic Code, using magic-abundant mercury as his weapon, and controls it at will.
The formless mercury can also be sculpted into any shape -
"Decapitate!"
As soon as Kayneth shouted, a part of the mercury ball suddenly turned into a thin ribbon stretched upwards. Then, the mercury ribbon wildly lashed forward like a whip.
As it was about to strike Zoe, the mercury whip unexpectedly compressed itself into a thin edge only a few millimeters thick, transforming into a blade of mercury as sharp as a razor.
Mercury is a heavy liquid at room temperature; when moving rapidly under high pressure, it possesses powerful kinetic energy. Moreover, mercury can change into shapes like whips, spears, and swords at will. Its sharpness can even surpass LASER beams, rivaling even the cutting power of a pressurized water jet.
And this material was headed straight for Zoe's neck.
Perhaps he carries with him the confidence of assured victory. For, against Lord El-Melloi's Volumen Hydrargyrum, not even the strongest defense stands a chance. Be it titanium alloys or diamond, nothing is unbreakable—much less a girl's neck.
Things did not go Kayneth's way.
The mercury quickly surrounded him, stopping two arrows going in different directions. One was headed for Kayneth's forehead, the other for his heart.
Cold sweat covered Lord El-Melloi's back.
In the split second before the arrow fatally struck Kayneth, the mass of mercury had suddenly changed shape. Thus, he had managed to save his life.
This was the automatic defense mode of Volumen Hydrargyrum. This preset magic can automatically respond when Kayneth is threatened, forming a powerful protective membrane in a split second. This kind of reaction speed can even defend him from bullets, let alone simple magic arrows. Malleable mercury is a perfect weapon that gathered attack and defense in one, being Kayneth's sword and shield.
"That's all you have?"
Kayneth asked condescendingly, mocking Zoe's attack.
"No."
The one-time Lancer Master didn't have time to react.
Zoe was an Archer. Her archery skills were top-notch; she was undoubtedly the best archer in this world without counting Drako. But, that was not her greatest weapon.
She was a Servant, and she was also the daughter of the titan Atlas. Her physical strength was enormous. But, that was not her greatest weapon.
Zoe's agility surpassed that of Artoria and approached that of Diarmuid. As good a mage as Kayneth was and as powerful as his magic was, how could they react to Zoe's speed?
The moment Kayneth relaxed, Zoe pulled out a hunting knife and ran at him. A simple slash across his throat and the proud mage of the Clock Tower was dead.
"This man's skills were real," Zoe muttered as she looked at the mage's limp body. "If it had been the old me, I probably wouldn't have been able to overcome the defenses of his magic."
Of course, if she really had to hunt Kayneth down, she wouldn't have waited for him to conjure his magic. Zoe could have executed him before he summoned his mercury, but she was curious about this mage's abilities.
"Now, I have to stop the destruction of a building."
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