บท 21: Chapter 21: Death List!
"Killed by a gunshot? You idiot! Why didn't you call me?! Why did you act on your own?!"
Kyoko Sakura crouched on the ground, loosening her grip on her spear, her expression filled with frustration. In the short time she had been chasing after Caster, her Master had been killed without her knowing. During the gathering of seven Servants, it was likely only the Masters who had been fighting each other. A Master using firearms... in this war, there seemed to be only one.
That would be Saber's Master.
"That long-faced jerk... what the hell was he doing?"
Feeling the magic draining away, Kyoko knew that if this continued, she would undoubtedly be eliminated from the war. A Servant without a Master would vanish due to a lack of mana. She couldn't accept it. Disappearing like this would be far too frustrating.
Standing up, she reached into Sola's pocket and pulled out an orange Dragon Ball, its three stars shining brightly. The Dragon Ball hadn't been taken, likely because the assailant expected her to return quickly and fled instead. Her expression turned resolute as she made a decision. She couldn't just vanish. She had to find a new Master immediately.
---
"Why now?"
Kenneth clutched his bleeding left arm, feeling the pain from the sword wound on his right shoulder. He had been on the verge of killing Kotomine Kirei when the man, in a moment of desperation, used a Command Spell to summon Assassin. Assassin's arrival brought an overwhelming threat Kenneth hadn't anticipated.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
His silver liquid couldn't keep up with Assassin's speed. It wasn't just an issue of attack—defending had become nearly impossible. He was too fast. Incredibly fast! That was the overwhelming impression Assassin left.
"Slash!"
"Ugh! Aghhh!"
A sword cut into Kenneth's back, leaving a deep wound, his face twisted in pain.
'What's going on? I sent the signal—why hasn't Sola come yet?!'
Gritting his teeth, Kenneth couldn't understand why. He wasn't staying here to die pointlessly. He was stalling for time, expecting Sola to see the signal and summon Lancer. With Lancer's arrival, there would be no need to worry. But with time passing and no response, his unease grew.
"Moon—"
He opened his mouth to speak, but a sword through his throat ended his life.
"Slash!"
Blood spurted onto the ground as Kenshin withdrew his blade, the familiar sensation of killing washing over him. This was a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time. It was just like the days when he cut down enemies and high-ranking officials—ordinary humans, no matter how powerful as magi, were fragile in the face of his blade.
"Drip."
The silver liquid lost its shape, falling to the ground and turning into a puddle.
"Ha, should I say it was unfortunate or lucky?"
"Assassin happens to be Battousai, the Man Slayer."
"Facing him without a Servant's protection is pure arrogance."
Despite his own injuries, Kotomine Kirei chuckled as he looked at Kenneth, now dead with a sword through his throat. The renowned Lord of the Clock Tower had no chance against an assassin like Kenshin. Although Kenshin struggled against Saber and Berserker, he was still a formidable warrior. As Kotomine said, facing Assassin without a Servant was a death sentence. With such speed and deadly swordsmanship, he could easily kill a human body.
"Hmm?"
At that moment, Kenshin sensed an approaching presence and turned, his guard raised. In his view appeared a young girl wielding a spear, seemingly much younger than him.
"Lancer?"
Recognizing her as Lancer, Kenshin didn't underestimate her. Anyone who could become a Servant had to have formidable skills. Even if she appeared young, Kenshin, after all he had been through, knew not to be careless.
"Tch! Why do you both have to die on your own?!"
"Both of you are useless!"
Kyoko Sakura felt overwhelmed. Sola was dead, which put her on a countdown to elimination. She had hoped to find a temporary Master to buy some time, but with Kenneth dead too, her options were dwindling. Now, aside from killing for mana, her only hope was to find another Master and form a new contract.
Whoosh!
"?"
Watching as Kyoko picked up the bodies and disappeared, Kenshin found it strange. He had expected her to attack but was surprised she simply left.
"Assassin, how's the situation over there? The King should be fighting by now, correct?"
"Yes."
"Although I'd like to observe, I can't do that right now."
After fighting Kiritsugu and Kenneth, Kotomine Kirei was seriously injured. He was in a weakened state and would have been killed if he hadn't used a Command Spell to summon Assassin to his side. For now, he had no choice but to retreat and recover, leaving the ongoing battles to others.
"Let's fall back, Assassin."
---
"Elle... Maiya..."
Standing at the edge of a large crater caused by an explosion, Kiritsugu Emiya gazed at the empty ground, overcome with grief. This trap laid by Kirei had been an inescapable "open conspiracy." Unless he had been willing to abandon both Irisviel and Saber's scabbard, there had been no way out. He had always made choices that sacrificed the few for the many, but now, he couldn't hide the pain in his heart. Losing his wife and his trusted assistant weighed far more heavily on him than he had imagined.
It had been the same with his childhood friends and his adoptive mother. Now, it was his wife and trusted assistant.
'If I had given up... would things have turned out differently?'
He had considered, at times, abandoning his unrealistic ideals and living a quiet life in hiding with Irisviel, Maiya, and their daughter. But he had never fully committed to that choice. Now that he had lost them, the pain was overwhelming. As an orange Dragon Ball rolled out of his pocket and onto the ground, its single star gleaming, Kiritsugu picked it up, and for the first time, a selfish thought crossed his mind.
What if, instead of pursuing world peace, he could use the Dragon Ball to bring everything back to the way it was?
The grand ideals he had always upheld now clashed with his personal desires. Should he continue to seek world peace or wish for his wife and assistant to return? The cruelty of this war was now fully laid bare. There were always casualties, but now, the time for sacrifice had come.
---
The Death List:
Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri – DEAD
Kenneth El-Melloi Archibald – DEAD
Maiya Hisau – DEAD
Irisviel von Einzbern – DEAD
Should i use dead or deceased?
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