I, Kenneth, am going to get to the root of the problem today.

Page 36

Seeing the mercury flowing again before his eyes, Kenneth, who had been operating with great care for so long, finally breathed a sigh of relief. After more than half a day of effort, the Moon Spirit Essence Liquid had finally regained some of its basic functions.

“Master, that magician assassin has been making a lot of moves. Judging from his movements, he's probably looking for you.”

Morgan, searching for the Cursed Bowl through Fuyuki's eyes, informed Kenneth, who was busy with repair work, of Emiya Kiritsugu's unusual movements. He stopped what he was doing and used his prosthetic arm to pinpoint Emiya Kiritsugu's location. Kenneth also had a glimmer of understanding in his mind.

"As expected of the Magician Killer, you're acting like a dog, planning to take advantage of my weakness to finish me off? I was originally hoping to let you live a little longer, but since you're in such a hurry, then I won't be polite!"

Without disturbing Kenneth's train of thought, Morgan maintained communication while gradually approaching the old bug's hiding place by following the tail left by the cursed wrist.

"Morgan, cancel the operation against that bug. It's going to be lively here tonight. Let Saber come back first. She's indispensable in this drama. Wait for my news tonight. Go find the Lesser Grail first."

Looking down at the endless street, Morgan stopped in her tracks. Having already placed Kenneth on the same level, Morgan didn't hesitate. After giving Artoria a look, she walked to the other end of the street.

"The plan has changed. Let's go. Spare that bug's life first."

Without explaining anything to Artoria, Morgan arranged for her to return to the workshop and then headed to the back mountain of Fuyuki City. Using the method left on Irisviel, he found a corpse with a ripped chest in front of a wooden house that had turned to ashes. He buried the body and, feeling agitated, followed Kiritsugu Emiya's trail and plunged into the mountain behind him.

As night fell, Kiritsugu Emiya, who had completely abandoned the rules of magicians, took over the Fuyuki City Police Department through magical means. After finding Kenneth's trail, he disregarded the lives of ordinary people, emptied the police department's inventory, and in the blink of an eye, a hail of bullets engulfed the tavern where Kenneth was.

Watching the ordinary people who had been dragged out by Kiritsugu Emiya under the pretext of counter-terrorism to test the workshop's defenses through remote monitoring, Archer felt that the man in front of him had gone mad. After the gunshots, the lights of the nearby houses turned on amidst screams. He paid no attention to the mysterious leak, nor did he care about the soldiers who had turned to ashes under the defensive spell. The man with a gloomy face locked onto the bar from which the gunpowder smoke was coming through the monitoring.

After the gate was riddled with bullets, the spherical mercury blocked all the ordinary firearms. Amidst the screams and gunfire, Kenneth, now back in his wheelchair, gave Karna a look. Karna, understanding the signal, picked up the wheelchair, kicked open the back door, and ran wildly towards the outskirts of Fuyuki City.

In Emiya Kiritsugu's eyes, Kenneth was now an incredibly weak and useless person. In order to show his own pathetic state and to draw out the madness in the other party's heart, Kenneth didn't mind showing the yet-to-be-revealed Emiya Kiritsugu what it meant to flee in a pathetic state. The more afraid he was, the more persistent Emiya Kiritsugu would become. Only in this way would Emiya Kiritsugu bite hard at this piece of fat meat, and only in this way would the worm in the dark reveal itself.

Through the footage transmitted by frontline police officers, Kiritsugu Emiya, who witnessed Kenneth's disheveled state, grabbed a specially made pistol from the table and rushed out of the monitoring room. With a complicated look at the ordinary person lying on the ground in the monitoring screen, the heavy-hearted Archer followed the man who had become an ideal puppet.

A strong wind blew in their faces. Kenneth, who had specifically instructed Karna and Artoria to act weak, revealed his well-thought-out expression after confirming that Kiritsugu Emiya had caught up. He put on a panicked look and, like a traditional magician, kept urging Karna to quicken his pace.

Under Kenneth's arrangement, the distance between the two sides continued to close. Turning around, he acted out his panic to the relentlessly pursuing Kiritsugu Emiya. Meeting Kiritsugu Emiya's cold gaze, Kenneth cooperated by revealing a terrified expression.

The pseudo-spiral sword was nocked, and the arrow modified by Archer shot towards Karna ahead at lightning speed. The illusion collapse was activated, and Kenneth and Karna were engulfed by the burst of flames. The next moment, Archer, who had arrived with Kiritsugu Emiya, completely blocked Kenneth's path.

At Kenneth's request, Artoria removed her armor and pretended to have insufficient magic power, blocking Archer's path. Facing King Arthur, whom he had not yet met in this timeline, Archer paused for a moment before projecting black and white twin swords.

Watching Karna walk to Artoria's side, and glancing at the fallen Kenneth, Archer, who had already made plans with Kiritsugu Emiya, slowly raised his right hand.

I am the bone of my sword.

Steel is my body, and fire is my blood.

......

Upon hearing the familiar incantation, Kenneth, who was lying on the ground, finally breathed a sigh of relief. Unlimited Blade Works, Archer was about to use his Reality Marble. Without letting Karna and Artoria take any action, Kenneth quietly waited for Archer's performance.

So as I pray, Unlimited Blade Works! !

As Archer stepped forward with his right foot, the flames spread rapidly. The shattered ground spread quickly after avoiding Kenneth and Kiritsugu Emiya. Karna's senses were blocked. Kenneth knew that he had made the right bet; Archer really wouldn't be taking him to the party.

With his leather shoes crunching on the soft mud, Kiritsugu Emiya walked expressionlessly toward Kenneth, whose fate was unknown in his eyes. He swung the gun barrel, loading the cold Origin rounds, and the black muzzle once again revealed his killing intent toward the magician.

"Rotten magicians, your existence only brings suffering to this world."

Still lying on the ground, Kenneth looked as if he had already given up. The firing pin was turned, and the man named Kiritsugu Emiya slowly raised his right hand.

"For the future of humanity, you parasites, die!"

'boom--'

After the gunshot, it wasn't Kenneth who was lying on the ground bleeding. Instead, he lowered his head with difficulty, his chest pierced by liquid mercury, and he gasped for breath. Kiritsugu Emiya looked at Kenneth, who had stood up again, in disbelief.

Peanuts aren't so easy to swallow. Even though the bulletproof vest stopped the bullet from entering his body, the impact still penetrated through the clothing and into Kenneth's internal organs. If this doll hadn't been far heavier than flesh and blood, Kenneth, who was shot at close range, would have been incapacitated on the spot.

Just as Kiritsugu Emiya thought he had succeeded, just as his vigilance as an assassin had faltered for a second, Kenneth succeeded. Under Kiritsugu Emiya's incredulous gaze, Kenneth pulled the trigger on the scalding, deformed bullet.

"I'm sorry, but you're the one who deserves to die. Drown your ridiculous ideals!!"

Liquid mercury completely bound the man named Emiya Kiritsugu, severing his communication with Archer. Hearing the incomprehensible whimpering, the silver threads fell, along with flesh and blood, and Kenneth completely removed the magic crest originating from Emiya Norikaze.

"Severance and union: As the source, will you be severed from your own origin?"

He took the pistol that Kiritsugu Emiya was holding in his palm; the bullet that had been fired at Kenneth a day earlier was now pointing at its former owner.

Chapter Ninety-Three: The Appearing Insects

Within the Reality Marble, Karna, calculating the time, tried his best to control his strength. According to the agreement between Kenneth and Karna, Karna had to keep the act going as long as possible before Archer showed any signs of fatigue. As an honest man, Karna was genuinely afraid that he might get killed by Archer if he wasn't careful.

"I hope everything goes well for Master."

With his connection blocked by the Reality Marble, Karna, preoccupied with his Master, lost control of his strength and sent Archer flying with a single thrust. Realizing his mistake, Karna panicked and immediately began to swing his spear wildly, raising an eyebrow. Just as Archer was beginning to have doubts about Karna's clumsy acting, Artoria, sensing something was wrong, immediately raised her Holy Sword and slashed down at Archer.

Archer blocked the attack with his twin swords crossed, glancing out of the corner of his eye at Karna, who was now emitting golden light. Without time to investigate further, Archer dismissed his doubts and focused entirely on dealing with Artoria in front of him.

Outside, the firing pin was turned, and the modified Rider pistol was aimed at Kiritsugu Emiya's chest. Blood splattered, and after the shot rang out, Kiritsugu Emiya's pupils suddenly contracted due to the excruciating pain. Looking at Kiritsugu Emiya's face with bulging veins and listening to his muffled whimper, an unprecedented sense of exhilaration surged into Kenneth's mind.

"Director Ken, rest in peace. I've avenged you this time."

Liquid mercury floated up under Kenneth's control. Without the support of the Moon Spirit Fluid, Kiritsugu Emiya, whose body was convulsing, trembled on the ground like an insect. Even though his Origin Ability gave him resistance to the Origin Bullet, the physical trauma and the tearing of his magic circuits brought Kiritsugu Emiya to the brink of unconsciousness. With flames of hatred burning in his eyes, Kiritsugu Emiya struggled to reach for the grenade at his waist.

As he stepped on Kiritsugu Emiya's hand, the silver thread slipped away, and a demonic hand emerged, striking straight at Kenneth's heart. The Moon Spirit Fluid's defense activated, and in the splashing mercury, the hunched figure of the Cursed Arm appeared in Kenneth's eyes.

The silver threads formed from mercury shattered, and half of Kiritsugu Emiya's face was severed and fell into the air. The cursed arm retracted rapidly, and a slowly beating heart gradually appeared in front of the pale mask.

“In the name of the Command Seal, Caster, appear beside me.”

The next moment, Morgan, who was still mining in the mountains, appeared in front of Kenneth after a dizzying moment. Sensing the aura of the cursed wrist, Morgan, who had already made a contingency plan with Kenneth, immediately summoned a barrier to seal the cursed wrist in place.

"Lancer's Master, I never expected that Caster would also be your Servant. This is truly beyond my expectations."

A carapace-covered mark insect crawled out from the cursed arm's black robe, and Zouken Matou, who was gradually learning the truth, let out a morbid laugh in his decaying voice, like the friction of glass.

"El-Melloi, do you see this? This is your heart. With just one command from me, your heart will burst like a balloon."

Amidst the shrill laughter, Kenneth placed his hand on Morgan's shoulder, signaling Morgan to remove the barrier, and walked expressionlessly toward the incessantly laughing Zouken Matou.

"Hehehe, as long as El-Melloi hands over the Command Seals of Lancer, Saber, and Caster to me, I might just order Assassin to withdraw his Noble Phantasm. How about that? Fair enough, right? Trading three mere familiars for Lord's future is a worthwhile deal, isn't it!"

Raising his head, Kenneth, seemingly persuaded by Zouken Matou, reached out his right hand, engraved with Command Seals, towards the Crest Worm that served as Zouken Matou's vessel. Seeing that Kenneth had made his choice, Zouken Matou, far away on the other side of Fuyuki City, immediately tried to manipulate this clone to remove Kenneth's Command Seals.

"I've been waiting for you for so long! You bug!!"

The mercury, transformed into silver threads, instantly shattered the incised insect that could only make out Zouken Matou's old face. A strangely shaped pistol slid out from the sleeve, firing red and green light in succession. With no room to dodge, the cursed arm ignited a soul-burning fire as its consciousness trembled. The bullets formed from the demonic eye plunged the already weak cursed arm into a state of chaos.

"Morgan!!"

"Pfft-"

The moment Kenneth called out Morgan's name, the body of the Cursed Wrist was pierced by the spikes summoned by Morgan, and the heart representing Kenneth's body was crushed the instant the Cursed Wrist recalled. He coughed up blood, and Kenneth's puppet body, which had been injured one after another, was completely destroyed.

"They took the bait! Did you hit them?"

"My attack has shattered Assassin's spirit core, and it should be out of the game soon."

Blood kept gushing from the corner of his mouth. Although he was still conscious, his body was dying like a candle in the wind under the cursed arm. Gray and white covered his arms, and Kenneth could feel the sensation of being on the verge of death.

"I'll leave the rest to you. I'll be going now."

Kenneth's body suddenly died before Morgan's eyes. Morgan closed Kenneth's eyes, which were still wide open in death. The next moment, the Reality Marble shattered, and Archer, who had lost his magical energy supply, appeared next to the fallen Kiritsugu Emiya. Without much thought, Archer assumed that Kiritsugu Emiya had been ambushed by Morgan. He picked up Kiritsugu Emiya, who was breathing more gasp than he was breathing, and said, "You're giving me a hard time."

The Undying Blade shot out, revealing the Seven Rings of the Blazing Sky. Amidst the raging divine fire, five of the seven petals of the shield blocking his way shattered instantly. Realizing that he could not withstand this attack now, Red A turned his head to look at Kiritsugu Emiya on his shoulder. As the last petal shattered, Red A threw his yet-to-be-met adoptive father out.

Amidst the raging divine fire, Red A, his body pierced and about to be eliminated, leaned against a broken rock with difficulty. His lifeless eyes looked at Karna as he approached, and a triumphant smile appeared on Red A's lips.

"Although you regard the group order called justice as good, you also become an ally of the weak. Have you noticed the contradiction in this, you weakling?"

The smile froze on his face, and the ever-dissipating golden light also came to a standstill at that moment.

"If you don't want to become a machine, then first give up your actions of standing up for justice. You can't be truly ruthless; your nature has never changed."

Karna succinctly revealed Red A's contradiction, recalling the divine spear that had sunk into the rock.

“You are different from that man. You can uphold your principles while practicing good deeds. Although I cannot understand your actions, I admire your perseverance. I hope you can find relief from that endless suffering.”

As the divine spear fell, Red A closed his eyes with a sense of relief. On the eve of his demise, Red A, who felt he had no hope for the rest of his life, received affirmation today.

"Tch, what a worrywart."

In a burst of golden light, Archer, whose bleak life had been affirmed, disappeared before Karna's eyes. Thus, the representative of the Counter Force departed the stage.

Chapter Ninety-Four: A Despicable and Corrupt Soul

In the backyard of Ryudou Temple, Kenneth's dazed mind returned to normal. After a brief period of adjustment, his consciousness regained control of his body. He moved his somewhat stiff fingers, but instead of getting up immediately, Kenneth quietly adjusted the magic power within his body.

"I got the Cursed Arm and Red A, but it feels like a bad deal no matter how I look at it!"

Although Kenneth initially used the puppets to deal with Kiritsugu Emiya, desires can grow, and as the Holy Grail War became more unpredictable, Kenneth's value to the puppets continued to rise.

"Forget it, a small opening is nothing, a small loss is nothing. There's still a bomb to deal with."

As Kenneth pondered, the coffin lid above his head was lifted, and Aozaki Aoko, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, sat cross-legged, looking at the thoughtful Kenneth.

"What are you thinking about? Tell me what happened before, I'm so bored."

As Aozaki Aoko's boisterous questioning rang in his ears, Kenneth, who desperately needed quiet time to think, tossed the coffin lid back onto his head, having inputted his memories into the gem.

With Aoko's shouts cut off, unexpected events kept happening, and the plan needed constant adjustments. Kenneth was now in a state of utter chaos. Just as Kenneth was pondering how to remove Gilgamesh, a message from Morgan made Kenneth's already meager mood even worse.

That old bug that has survived for hundreds of years is up to its old tricks again. The Church's Spirit Compass shows that Assassin has left the stage, but Assassin's Spirit Origin has not returned to the Lesser Grail. Kenneth has lost big time this time. He not only lost his puppet, but also only gained a Red Archer. He has lost everything.

Rewinding the timeline, the very next second after the Cursed Arm crushed Kenneth's heart, the Cursed Arm, burned by the Soul-Scorching Flames, returned to the basement filled with Crest Worms under the command of the Command Seal. The decaying souls became the best fuel, and the crimson flames spread rapidly along the slippery Crest Worms. Zouken Matou, who had survived for a hundred years, was not even able to dodge the riddled soul before being engulfed by the raging flames.

"How can I... how can I die here? The Holy Grail! The Holy Grail! I haven't obtained the Holy Grail yet!"

The soul of the master's body gradually disintegrated, the pale skin turned to ashes under the rising flames, the slippery marking insects kept exploding under the scorching fire of the soul, the stinking blood and blood mixed with the still writhing flesh filled the entire basement, and the withered and rotten body turned into a puddle of mud in the twisting.

"I, an old man! I want to live!!!"

As Zouken Matou screamed hysterically, the insects that had huddled in the corner due to the burning soul flames surged toward Zouken's pile of minced flesh like a wave. The twisted and slippery Crest Insects exploded like firecrackers. These weak souls were completely unable to extinguish the vengeful flames. His dark eyeballs burst open, and Zouken Matou, who was now helpless, stared at his empty, slimy eye sockets at the fallen cursed wrist.

"How can I die in a place like this?! In the name of the Command Spell, Assassin, give me everything! Give me your life!!"

Realizing that his body was completely unable to withstand the flames that burned away his soul, his five-hundred-year-old obsession was ignited at this moment. With the Matou family's control over the Command Seals, his cursed arm, whose consciousness was on the verge of collapse, rose from the ground under the command of the Command Seals. The mask covering his face fell off, and his skull-like features met Matou Zouken, who was writhing in the flesh.

“Ass...in...return...call..."

A sound like a broken bellows rang out as the demon's right arm reached across the flames and pulled out the worm writhing in the rotting flesh. Ignoring the flames that were burning the soul, the cursed arm, already on its last legs, tore open its own chest and merged the mother worm, which housed Zouken Matou's soul, into its body.

The crumbling spirit origins were calmed by the filling of the decaying soul, and the raging fire that burned the soul was extinguished by the mysticism originating from the Servant. At this moment, the two dying bodies were granted a brief respite by chance.

"Live on! I must live on! I haven't yet obtained the Holy Grail! More! More souls!!"

Sharp noises echoed in the basement, which was filled with the stench of blood and gore. The mutilated soul howled, and the shriveled head, devoid of any flesh or blood, stared at the sky above the basement. The flesh and blood that vented their desires under the light became the best food to fill this decaying body.

The floor tiles shattered, unleashing the insects raised by the dirty inkstone in droves. Starting from the dark corners, from the corners far from the bar, the roar of the stereo masked the sounds of flesh tearing apart. The splattering blood was obscured by the colorful, flashing lights. At this moment, the mortals driven by desire were completely unaware of the impending crisis.

'squeak--'

The heavy wooden door leading to the basement was pushed open from the inside. The scraping sound of the rusty hinges did not disturb the crowd lost in their revelry. A skeleton shrouded in a black cloak slowly walked to the center of the stage...

Following the last breath of the cursed arm, Morgan, having retrieved the Lesser Grail and Kiritsugu Emiya's equipment, brought Artoria to this bar located deep in an alley. Amidst the rousing music, a thick stench of blood filled their nostrils through the tightly closed door.

Realizing what was happening, Morgan pushed open the door. The scene that greeted her made even this seasoned witch feel nauseous. The bar was filled with blood and chunks of flesh, and foul-smelling slime dripped continuously from the blood-splattered ceiling. The overwhelming stench made Morgan instinctively hold her breath.

Morgan pressed Artoria, who was trying to peek out, back behind him, and closed the heavy wooden door with a blank expression. The insect had already broken free of his magic through some means. Annoyed, Morgan glanced at Artoria, who wanted to gather information, and then made her obediently withdraw her hand from the door.

"Let's go, there's no point in coming here anymore."

With a twitch of her hair, Artoria, who had entered the stage of saying one thing but meaning another under Morgan's tutelage, hesitated for a few moments before following Morgan's footsteps. Morgan glanced at Artoria, who had subconsciously stopped rejecting him, and his irritation eased somewhat.

After thinking for a moment, he handed everything Kenneth had told him to the air-like Karna, gave Artoria a look, and Artoria, who had mastered the art of eye contact under Morgan's tutelage, stood to Morgan's side with practiced ease.

"I have something to take care of, please give these things to him."

Tilting his head slightly, Karna, with his keen insight, understood Morgan's meaning and nodded thoughtfully.

"It seems you've found what you've been looking for, witch under the fading light of the divine age. May you find your own salvation. Your heart burns as fiercely as a raging fire. May you overcome this..."

'Snapped--'

Morgan frantically smeared a flyer on Karna's face, not giving him a chance to speak further, fearing that Karna might utter some outrageous words. In a disheveled state, Morgan grabbed Artoria's arm and headed towards the city center.

Chapter Ninety-Five Sisters

It's Lilith.jpg

Inside the isolated coffin, Kenneth felt his future was bleak. Not only had the old bug escaped, but even the prosthetic limb left on Kiritsugu Emiya was completely destroyed by the Origin Bullet. That night, Kenneth could be said to have lost both his wife and his army.

"Oh well, at least Red A got fed the Holy Grail, isn't that good enough? (bitter smile)"

Kenneth reached out and tried to lift the coffin lid on his head, but Aozaki Aoko, engrossed in watching her drama, instinctively pressed the coffin lid firmly down beneath her.

"Hiss, I don't believe it!!"