Chương 59: C59
"You have no sincerity at all, Mr. Magus Killer," Shirou said, his tone cold.
Faced with the pressure of life and death on the first night, it seemed that Shirou had been forced to tap into a new level of courage. He felt that his courage had grown a lot.
In the past, when he stood on stage and spoke, he would be so nervous that he couldn't speak properly, but now that Kiritsugu had a gun aimed at his head, his heart rate had only accelerated a little, and he could still speak cohesively. It could be said that people's potential is only brought out under pressure.
"You're not so different, are you?"
"This won't work. I certainly can't trust you, and you certainly can't trust me. But we're in this together, I can't escape Assassin's pursuit, and you can't hide from Tokiomi's pursuit. It's mutually destructive," Shirou said, his voice low.
"How about a Geis?"
"I don't have a faith in Mr. Kiritsugu's Geis," Shirou said: "How about signing mine?"
"I don't believe you either."
"So, what's the solution? The consequences are clear - if we continue to mistrust each other, we both lose. Is that a fair trade-off?" Shirou questioned. "If Mr. Kiritsugu can demonstrate a little genuineness, I am willing to put my trust in you, at least for the time being."
Kiritsugu paused for a moment before taking action, firmly grasping Shirou's sword and snapping it in half. He then returned his own gun to its holster.
Shirou was surprised: "You truly have the courage."
"As you point out, if we don't take this step, there is no hope of survival."
"Since you have demonstrated your sincerity, I will do the same. If you can manage to eliminate Tohsaka Tokiomi. I am willing to forfeit the Holy Grail War."
Kiritsugu furrowed his brows, "What do you mean?"
"Mr. Kiritsugu, now that you have seen through my true identity, you must also know that this body I have descended upon is that of my Master. As a hero, how could I possibly participate in this dangerous Holy Grail War using my Master's body? So, from the moment I descended, I had planned to withdraw. But that Archer, he actually threatened to kill my Master if I did not participate in this Holy Grail War!" Shirou said, filled with anger at the thought of Gilgamesh's coercion.
"As long as you kill Tokiomi, I will willingly withdraw from the Holy Grail War, Mr. Kiritsugu," Shirou said.
"I see," Kiritsugu nodded, indicating that he understood. But in reality, he didn't trust a word of it.
This Caster was even more dirty and cunning than Kiritsugu had thought. He figured that out of every ten words Caster spoke, at least ten of them were lies. Even if any of his words were true, was there a safer way to withdraw than by dying?
Yes. Kiritsugu had already planned to kill Tokiomi and then immediately attack Shirou, forcing him to withdraw.
But what Kiritsugu didn't know was that Shirou had the same plan.
By saying these words, Shirou was showing his sincerity while also expressing his hatred for Gilgamesh. However, this did not mean that he would let Kiritsugu off the hook.
Kiritsugu had almost killed him twice, he is not a saint, and therefore it is understandable that Shirou harbors feelings of hatred towards him. He had already made up his mind to first kill Tokiomi, then immediately launch a surprise attack on Kiritsugu, beheading him with one swift strike of his sword, and finally leave Fuyuki City with a sense of satisfaction.
"In any case, let's work together for now, Mr. Kiritsugu," Shirou said, putting on a cheerful smile.
"Let's work together, Caster," Kiritsugu said, his mouth twitching slightly, which could be considered a smile, although it was a forced one.
...
"That assassin, their concealment abilities are quite impressive," Tokiomi said as he held the staff and knocked it against the ground, then contacted Kirei.
"Kirei, have all the Assassins entered?" Tokiomi asked.
"They have all entered, teacher," Kirei replied. "I have already assembled them for you."
As Kirei finished speaking, several black shadows descended from the sky and then positioned themselves in front of Tokiomi. They were the Assassins.
Tokiomi nodded with satisfaction, "I will temporarily take command of the Assassins, Kirei."
"Understood, teacher. I have given them their instructions."
"Thank you, Kirei."
Tokiomi was satisfied, then looked at the Assassins and said, "Assassins, your master has temporarily handed over command to me, and now you will take your orders from me."
"Of course, leader," the Assassins responded in unison. Some of the younger members couldn't help but laugh, indicating that they were confident in their abilities, which pleased Tokiomi. Now, it was time to set out and hunt for the Magus Killer and Lord El-Melloi.
"Some of you, go ahead and secure the exits. The rest of you, search for Kiritsugu and Lord El-Melloi!" Tokiomi gave the orders, and the Assassins dispersed to follow them.
...
Shirou and Kiritsugu were ready to launch their attack on their enemies.
"I haven't been able to get an exact count, but I believe the number of Assassins is over thirty," Shirou shared his intelligence with Kiritsugu.
"I see... I should also mention that there are currently many of Tokiomi's familiars outside, their number is unknown, but they're spread all over the area. If we leave here, we'll likely be under surveillance."
"In that case, our field of vision would be limited," Shirou murmured in agreement.
"Field of vision?" Kiritsugu was surprised, "That's a unique way of putting it."
"Do you still have the surveillance drone? The one you used to keep an eye on me before," Shirou asked Kiritsugu.
"I'm afraid not," Kiritsugu replied, gesturing to the materials in the mortuary. "But for creating familiars, isn't everything we need here?"
"Unfortunately, as a straight-laced hero, necromancy is not something I am familiar with," Shirou understood Kiritsugu's words and responded directly.
"That's truly unfortunate," Kiritsugu shook his head, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. If it were Artoria, not only would she have refused to participate, the mere mention of using the dead as familiars would have been repugnant to her. But Caster didn't have that same aversion, and he quickly understood Kiritsugu's meaning. It was almost as comfortable as when he was working with his assistant, Maiya.
He had a fondness for Shirou, but he also knew that the more he liked something, the more dangerous it was for the world. Since Shirou was not his Servant, it was better for Kiritsugu to find a way to eliminate him.
"So, based on the information provided by both of us, it appears that Tokiomi Tohsaka now has both familiars and over thirty Assassin-class servants as detection measures," Kiritsugu said. "Caster, would you be willing to lead Assassin away first?"
"If I were to have a normal descent, I would not have given a second thought to facing thirty assassins. But since I have descended into my Master's body, I cannot retreat without ensuring my Master's safety. Kiritsugu, are you trying to scheme against me?"
"Aside from this, do you have any other tricks up your sleeve?" Kiritsugu inquired.
"I wouldn't exactly call it a trick, but we can change our positions. You can go and draw Assassin's attention while I take care of Tokiomi," Shirou suggested.
"I trust your character, and I know you would not sneak attack or scheme against me. But, I don't have a reliable Servant, so I can't attract Assassin," Kiritsugu said.
"So, is there nothing left to discuss?"
"Not necessarily," Kiritsugu replied, pulling out a box of Formalin. "I understand your concern about Assassin being able to track your scent and prevent your escape. However, if you draw Assassin's attention and then use your skills to mask your Servant's aura, spraying some Formalin should completely obscure your scent. This strong smell will make it impossible for Assassin to track you."
"Oh, is there a method like that?" Shirou took the box of Formalin and eyed Kiritsugu suspiciously. "But how can I trust that you're not deceiving me? I don't trust you at all, and I know you feel the same way about me. Moreover, I know what kind of person you are, Kiritsugu."
"I have no doubt about your ability to gather information," Kiritsugu acknowledged. "In fact, I believe you possess a Noble Phantasm or Skill that allows you to see through people's true names and abilities. After all, you were able to uncover Lancer's true name and Assassin's hiding location on the first night. However, our options are now limited. We can either wait here and let them find us, which would lead to certain death. Or, I can still use my command seals to summon King Arthur, which would give me a chance at survival. But unfortunately, you, Caster, won't be so lucky."
"I understand your point, Kiritsugu," Shirou replied. "But let me remind you that neither of us stands a chance of survival. Archer's true name is Gilgamesh, and he possesses the Noble Phantasm 'Gate of Babylon.' It contains the original versions of all Noble Phantasms, including the original sword of King Arthur. He can easily defeat King Arthur head-on. So when you talk about a chance at survival, Kiritsugu, don't delude yourself. We're both like grasshoppers on a rope, with no hope of escaping."
"How can I be sure what you're saying is true?" Kiritsugu questioned, with a hint of suspicion in his voice.
"I assure you, Kiritsugu," Shirou said, with a hint of seriousness in his voice. "I would never joke about something as important as this, especially when it concerns the life of my Master."
"Same here," Kiritsugu replied, with an understanding nod. "That's what I wanted to express to you as well."
Shirou studied Kiritsugu intently, then nodded in agreement. "Okay, I trust you. I know you wouldn't take something as serious as your own life lightly, especially when you're so close to achieving your idea of justice."
Kiritsugu's eyes narrowed as he thought to himself, 'He can see right through me!'
"I'll do my best to lead Tokiomi in the opposite direction," Kiritsugu said, "I still have five flares that I can use to signal my location. Starting with the first one, I'll throw one every thirty seconds. That means, Caster, you must eliminate Assassin before I run out of flares. Otherwise, I won't be able to signal my location and I'll be killed by Tokiomi."
Kiritsugu paused for a moment before continuing, "And, of course, I trust that you, Caster, also would not take the life of your Master lightly. Once Tokiomi Tohsaka kills me, you would be next. And in dealing with you, Tokiomi would undoubtedly call upon Gilgamesh."
"Of course, I am a hero and my Master's life is my first priority," Shirou said firmly.
After considering their options, Kiritsugu and Shirou, both determined to protect their life, began to take action.
...
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