บท 43: C43
"No success? No problem, the opponent is a Servant, failure is only natural... Kirei? He's targeting me? I understand, I'll be careful." Ending the communication with Maiya, Kiritsugu adjusted his weapon.
Kiritsugu's weapon of choice for killing magi was a Thompson Contender handgun, produced by the American Thompson Center Weapon Company. It featured a 381 mm stainless steel barrel that could match the power of a rifle. Kiritsugu had used magical means to reassemble the handgun, making it one of his most powerful and favorite weapons.
"Wee-woo, wee-woo-"
The sound of police sirens outside grew louder, almost without interruption. Despite the urgency of the noise, Kiritsugu's face remained calm as he continued to adjust his weapons, paying no attention to the commotion outside.
However, the next moment--
"Kiritsugu, listen to me! You're surrounded! Quickly put down your weapons and surrender, or we'll shoot!" A voice shouted from outside.
Kiritsugu, who had been adjusting his weapons, paused upon hearing the voice. He moved to the wall, using the curtains to conceal his figure, and peered out the window with a sidelong glance.
Kiritsugu could see rows of police cars parked downstairs. The police were divided into two groups, some of them aiming their guns at the window, ready to shoot Kiritsugu on sight if he showed himself, while others aimed at the apartment's front door.
What was going on?
Did the police catch on to yesterday's operation?
Kiritsugu frowned as he surveyed the front and back windows and found that both the front and back doors were already blocked by the police. It was clear that the police were trying to break in and arrest him.
"Boom!"
The front door was broken open. It was not a possibility, it was happening right now.
"Don't move!"
"Kiritsugu, an international terrorist organization criminal. Last night, you carried out a bombing and terrorist attack in our city, you are under arrest!"
A team of elite police officers trained in forced entry stormed into the apartment, guns drawn and aimed at Kiritsugu, initiating the arrest procedure. Kiritsugu turned to face them, lifting his hands in surrender, but as he attempted to use his magecraft to influence their minds, he found that their willpower was too strong to be swayed.
His magecraft failed!
Not only did he find that the police officers' willpower was too strong to be swayed, but the resulting conflict between their surface and deep consciousness also caused one of the officers, whose willpower was weaker, to lose control of his weapon and start firing at Kiritsugu.
The bullets whizzed through the air, and for a human with a physical body, dodging them would have been nearly impossible. However, Kiritsugu possessed a specialized magecraft called "Innate Time Control," which he inherited from his family and stored in a Magic Crest. This magecraft allowed him to detach a specific space from the flow of time in the outside world and manipulate it to his will. He used this ability to evade the bullet.
However, using this type of magic consumed a significant amount of magical energy and required extensive preparation.
To effectively utilize it in combat, Kiritsugu confined the boundary affected by the magecraft to his own body and restricted the duration of manipulation to just a few seconds, allowing the "flow of time" to have minimal interference with the innate boundary, making it a practical and useful magecraft in battle.
Kiritsugu can exhibit physical capabilities that are impossible for a normal human by increasing blood flow, burning hemoglobin, and muscle movement. That's why he can dodge a bullet, however, the downside is that once the boundary is lifted, the world will make corrections to the time difference between inside and outside the boundary, causing significant strain on Kiritsugu's body.
So, Kiritsugu knocks out these police officers before the inherent time control is lifted.
Kiritsugu is a complex individual, possessing both a ruthless, calculating nature and a strong sense of morality. He can use any means to achieve his goals and will kill a few people without hesitation for the sake of the majority. Life for him is just a quantity to be weighed on a scale, and he is the one who decides to keep or destroy it.
Kiritsugu is unwavering in his convictions, and will not be swayed by the opinions or actions of others. He follows his own sense of justice, regardless of the consequences or backlash.
In this particular situation, Kiritsugu chose not to kill the police officers, instead opting to knock them unconscious. He weighed the value of his own life against the lives of the officers and determined that incapacitating them was the most appropriate course of action.
On one side of the scale is him, and on the other side are the majority of lives that are trying to capture and shoot him. If it were not for this, he would have already thrown several bombs toward the police officers and bystanders downstairs who were surrounding him.
Kiritsugu has no attachment to his own life and would have no qualms about sacrificing himself in order to achieve his goals. However, in this situation, he realizes that his ultimate objective is within reach and he will not let himself be captured or killed before he can achieve it.
So he escaped
Kiritsugu believes that Caster is responsible for the police chase and capture attempt. He knows that the police had been under some sort of mind control, which he suspects to be the result of magecraft.
Kiritsugu reasoned that only a powerful and ambitious individual could have the capability and desire to orchestrate such a scheme. He also came to the conclusion that traditional and conservative magi would not take such bold and public actions, which narrowed the list of suspects even further. Taking these factors into account, Kiritsugu ultimately deduced that Caster was the most likely candidate for the mastermind behind the capture attempt.
Kiritsugu held a belief that most Servants summoned at random possessed personalities that mirrored their Masters. Drawing from Caster's performance the previous night, he deduced that his adversary was likely someone with a strategic and decisive personality. Yes. In his view, Shirou's actions during the same night were a calculated and tactical decision, even if Artoria and Diarmuid viewed them as acts of treachery.
The discrepancy in perspective between Kiritsugu and knights like Artoria was rooted in their contrasting personalities and values. Unlike the impulsive and chivalrous Artoria, Kiritsugu refrained from hastily drawing conclusions or making rash judgments without substantial evidence, even if he entertained the suspicion that Caster might seek revenge. Kiritsugu assessed the situation cautiously and employed his analytical skills to form educated guesses about the true identity of his enemy.
After the incident, Kiritsugu first reached out to Maiya and returned to her base. Maiya assisted Kiritsugu in removing three bullets from his right arm, cleaning and dressing the wounds.
Without taking a break, Kiritsugu completed the necessary medical preparations and then, to avoid being recognized, disguised himself in order to investigate the police headquarters.
Upon investigating, Kiritsugu discovered that the leaders of the police headquarters had indeed been placed under the influence of "suggestion" and the perpetrator had already fled. Rather than lifting the suggestion from these leaders, Kiritsugu implanted a suggestion within them to track down clues and leads.
Kiritsugu accessed the surveillance footage to search for any suspicious individuals. However, he was surprised to find that all footage from 10:21 to 12:25 had been erased, making it impossible for him to use it as a lead.
It was clear to Kiritsugu that the person he was dealing with was also a skilled magus well-versed in the ways of the modern world, just like him. Although his investigation yielded no results, Kiritsugu was not discouraged. He had faced many challenges and difficult opponents in his life and was not easily troubled by setbacks.
Kiritsugu was able to lift the warrant for his own arrest by implanting a "suggestion" in the police chief, however, this created a conflict with the fact that he had bombed Fuyuki City. This almost caused the police chief's subconscious to lift the "suggestion." To resolve this, Kiritsugu had to guide the "suggestion" and change "Kiritsugu bombed Fuyuki City" to "someone bombed Fuyuki City," and shift the blame to the magus he had killed before, thus freeing himself from the predicament of being wanted.
Kiritsugu also tried to use a reverse "suggestion" to find out from the police chief who had implanted the original "suggestion" on him, however, he found that his opponent had already anticipated this move and had used a "suggestion" to erase the police chief's and other officers' memories of him, making it impossible for Kiritsugu to get any information from them.
Kiritsugu's opponent proved to be more formidable than he had anticipated. The opponent had effectively eliminated all possible channels of obtaining clues, making it difficult for Kiritsugu to make any progress in his investigation. This indicated that his opponent was more knowledgeable about the ways of the modern world than him. Kiritsugu believed that among the mostly conservative magi, the one who could make such advanced cognitive moves must be Caster and his Master.
He left the police headquarters and temporarily returned to Maiya's location. As the entire city of Fuyuki now knew that an international terrorist named "Emiya Kiritsugu" was in town, he had to lay low until the influence of this news subsided. This would limit his movements, but fortunately, even without his active involvement, other Masters would be making their own moves, he could use this time to gather information and prepare for his next assassination, particularly focusing on Caster's Master.
Kiritsugu is more interested in Caster than any of the other Servants, including the Knight King, Conqueror, and the golden Servant with multiple Noble Phantasms. Caster's crafty, treacherous, and unpredictable ways of acting are perfectly suited to Kiritsugu's own methods.
Kiritsugu really wants that Caster, but unfortunately, Einzbern had provided him with an extremely incompatible Servant in the form of Saber.
During this period, Kiritsugu turned on the television, switched to the local Fuyuki channel, and prepared to gather some general information to analyze the situation in Fuyuki City. However, the news being broadcast by the local TV station was so shocking that it made him drop his cigarette in surprise.
Because this news --
It's too terrible!
"Attention all citizens: We have received reports that seven international terrorists have infiltrated the city. It is believed that these individuals are connected to both the recent serial killings in the city and last night's attack by a man known as "Emiya Kiritsugu." The wanted individual, Emiya, has been identified by a distinctive red mark on his right hand. Additionally, the other five terrorists also possess this same mark. Please be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the designated hotline immediately. Help us keep our city safe."
As Kiritsugu watched himself on the news, with his mugshot prominently displayed, the cigarette slipped from his lips.
This is too dirty!
Kiritsugu's eyes narrowed with fury as his mind boiled with rage. Being hunted by the authorities and having his mugshot broadcasted was one thing but for his Command Seal to be exposed...
He glared at the red mark displayed on the television, Kiritsugu was certain that it was his Command Seal!
I'm screwed!
Kiritsugu's mind raced with the implications of this revelation. From the moment he saw the news, he knew that something major was about to unfold. The exposure of the Command Seal itself was not a major concern, but the ramifications of its exposure were truly terrifying!
Kiritsugu always approached things with a practical mindset, so that he would not be overwhelmed by worst-case scenarios. But at this moment, the worst outcome he could imagine was sufficient to crush his ideals and shatter his spirit.
He considered himself a good person, despite the evil acts he had committed. He couldn't deny the kindness that lay deep within him, even as a man in his forties, still holding onto the dream of a world where everyone could be happy and fulfilled. This was proof that his heart was both kind and naive. He had combined a pragmatic approach with unsavory methods to try and realize his kind and naive aspirations, which was a contradiction in itself.
The most devastating aftermath caused by this news could instantly shatter the justice and ideals of a man named Kiritsugu - the revelation of the Mystery!
Yes, the most catastrophic outcome Kiritsugu could envision was the exposure of the Mystery to the public!
This could have severe consequences. In today's era, science has advanced, and many people firmly believe in materialism and atheism. However, the existence of mystery still persists and even one Messiah has the support of more than two billion people who believe in him. The shadow of idealism still lingers over the world, and it has the power to bring about its destruction. The Clock Tower, one of the three organizations of the Mage's Association, is rumored to possess a weapon that could destroy the world seven times over.
While science and materialism have not yet reached the point where they can completely eliminate the belief in gods and ghosts, the development of nuclear and hydrogen bombs in terms of military power has created a deterrent, and high-energy particle colliders are also increasingly providing insights into the fundamental nature of the world.
The physical means of science, which are accessible and understandable to the general public, allow for the exploration of the principles of the universe in accordance with universal laws. Through a spirit of inquisitiveness and a willingness to question established beliefs, the public can gradually gain a deeper understanding of the profound principles of the universe.
However, science under materialism is a relatively new development, like a newborn baby that is still growing and maturing. Therefore, science in this world may not be able to defeat mystery, but it can pose a threat to it.
So, the pattern of this world is essentially a compromise between the two factions. The mystery must be kept hidden from the general public - this is the shared understanding between the two factions.
If the mystery were to be revealed to the general public, it would lead to a weakening of the power of mystery and may even lead to its eventual downfall. At the same time, the world is also concerned that if the public were to become aware of the existence of extraordinary powers in this world, it would cause panic and chaos, which would be detrimental to maintaining order and promoting the advancement of science.
However, the worst-case scenario of this news is that it could lead to a war between the two worlds and the general public, although the likelihood of this happening is slim.
The magus community will not stand idly by as the Mystery fades away. To preserve the mystery, they will take whatever drastic actions are necessary, even those that Kiritsugu cannot fathom. Similarly, the surface world will also take measures to maintain stability.
The war between science and mystery, materialism and idealism, just the thought of the possibility of this war happening causes Kiritsugu to feel suffocated.
Who is so cruel? Who is so heartless? Who would selfishly attempt to drag innocent people into their own conflict? Kiritsugu feels an unusual anger, which is at odds with his sense of righteousness.
Kiritsugu is willing to kill a few people for the sake of many, even if that includes his relatives and friends. However, the person who exposed the command seal is the opposite of him. They selfishly attempt to drag the general public into their own conflict, without any regard for the consequences.
"No! It must be stopped!" Kiritsugu stood up, his heart filled with a desire to kill. He suspected that this matter had something to do with the Master manipulating the police department. The goal was to expand the battlefield and disrupt the war, taking advantage of the chaos to emerge victorious.
He knew this because the news of international terrorists appearing in the city was being broadcast on the television station. This kind of news would not appear on a television station unless someone had 'suggested' it to the television station.
The use of this familiar method of committing crimes is likely the work of an opponent who is well-versed in the laws of the world. Kiritsugu carefully considered the information he had about the Master, and the currently known Masters are himself, Waver, Kayneth, Tohsaka, Byakuya, Kirei, and the unknown Master of Caster.
No matter how he thinks about it, the person most likely to be behind this is the Master of Caster.
He is a practical person and will not make a hasty determination without solid evidence. He will simply list out all the possible suspects and then eliminate them one by one, starting with the person who has the highest likelihood, that's all.
"Kiritsugu, I just received a message. The supervisor of the Church overseeing the Holy Grail wants to hold a meeting for the Masters," Maiya said.
"With everything that's happening, it's strange for the supervisor to remain inactive. I suspect the supervisor might decide to take care of the person who caused this," Kiritsugu said.
As Kiritsugu suspected, none of the Masters came to the Church of the Holy Grail, all of them sent their servants instead. Kotomine Risei, the supervisor, strongly condemned this attempt to start a war between the world of magi and the surface world, then revealed that it was done by the Master of Caster, and offered the Command Seals left over from the previous Holy Grail Wars as a reward for the Masters to hunt down Caster and his Master.
This was not unexpected for Kiritsugu.
The incident had a swift impact on the well-established Tohsaka and Matou families in Fuyuki City, as they were the first to feel its effects. Moreover, Kayneth, a Clock Tower Lord, was an unlikely suspect. Kiritsugu's observation from the previous night also led him to conclude that the young Master Waver lacked the courage to orchestrate such an occurrence.
At the time of the incident, Kiritsugu initially suspected himself, considering that such a shameless and cowardly act aligned with the methods employed by a magus killer like himself. However, Kiritsugu failed to realize that in this particular Holy Grail War, there existed an opponent even more ruthless and morally unscrupulous than him.
However, the opponent will have to pay the price for their actions. They will have to face the wrath of six angry Masters and their Servants who will be out to get them!
Kiritsugu understood that his opponent was an extremely formidable one, and even the slightest misstep could lead to certain defeat. The possibility that the opponent was in complete control of all that was unfolding was not lost on him. Kiritsugu could not be sure, but he was aware that he had to treat the situation with utmost seriousness. This was because he had come face to face with an adversary even more brutal and merciless than he was!
...
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