Volume 3
The Scattered Ones
散りゆく者たち
-96:16:02
Ashes –
And a tragic scene to go with it.
It had been thoroughly ruined, to the point where one could not begin to tell what the perpetrator had intended to destroy. It was as though a storm had raged through and wrecked the workshop, leaving nothing to remind a viewer of its former appearance.
This was no storm, of course, but deliberate destruction. After all, how could a storm wash over this place, in an underground water tank? The carnage wrought on Caster’s workshop could only have been caused by the power of an anti-army or perhaps an anti-fortress Noble Phantasm.
“Oh God… this is too much!”
Uryū Ryūnosuke could do nothing more than weep and wail in despair as he looked upon the scene of this tragedy. An onlooker might have been moved to sympathy upon seeing his pitiful, agonized form… that is, if they knew nothing of him.
Ryūnosuke and Caster had been busy hunting down fresh meat the whole of last night. But when they returned to their workshop, flushed with joy, they were greeted by this scene of utter devastation.
“The art pieces we worked so hard to create… it’s too much! How can humans do this kind of thing?!”
Ryūnosuke’s shoulders shook as he sobbed. Caster gently gathered him into his comforting embrace.
“Ryūnosuke, you still haven’t seen the true evil lurking in the hearts of men, so your grief is understandable… what you need to realize is that only a small amount of people can truly comprehend beauty and harmony. The others, the rest of the rabble, will only react with bestial jealousy when they are exposed to sacred artwork. To them, beautiful things are nothing more than targets to be destroyed."
Naturally, Caster was also furious at the destruction of his sanctum. However, he had no choice but to swallow his anger and calmly accept the situation. After all, he had once been the general of a nation’s armies. His battle intuitions told him that it would be dangerous to directly confront an enemy who could destroy all the demons he had posted as sentries and wreck his workshop so thoroughly.
That Ryūnosuke had not remained in the workshop last night was also a blessing of sorts. With that in mind, Caster’s rage slowly mellowed.
“You need to know that our creations will often be destroyed by these rabble… because of that, we cannot be overly sentimental toward our art pieces. Everything we make will inevitably be destroyed. Thus, as creators, we should take joy in the act of creation.”
“You mean… it doesn’t matter if what we make is destroyed, because we can always create again?”
“Exactly! Ryūnosuke, that sharp understanding of yours is definitely the best thing about you!”
Hearing that, Ryūnosuke brushed the tears from the corner of his eyes as Caster laughed heartily. He sighed deeply as he looked around his surroundings.
“Is this God’s punishment because we pursued our happiness too much?” he mumbled.
Caster’s attitude suddenly changed as he heard Ryūnosuke’s words. He firmly gripped Ryūnosuke’s shoulders, turning him so they were face to face. A sharp glint flickered in his eyes as he looked at Ryūnosuke’s expression.
“I’ll only say this once, Ryunosuke… God does not punish humans. God only plays with humans.”
Bluebeard’s eyes burned with emotion, but his face was blank. It was almost as though he was a different person, compared to the tense mood he had had earlier.
“S-sir?”
“Once upon a time, I committed blackest sacrilege, the most vile, the most foul thing a man could ever do. Ryūnosuke, the sins you have commited are nothing more than child’s play in comparison. But no matter how many I killed, no matter how sinful I became, no punishment from God descended on me. By the time I had noticed, I had walked down the road to Hell for eight years. The harrowing screams and the mournful wails of thousands of children were lost in the nihilistic darkness!”
“…”
“In the end I was not eliminated by God, but by men who had endless desires, like me. The Church and King decided that I was guilty, captured and executed me. But all they wanted was my wealth and my land; they simply drew me into a trap to make those things their own. That was not punishment for my sins! That was nothing more than blatant robbery!”
At that moment, Ryūnosuke realized that he’d struck a nerve in this monster – but Uryū Ryūnosuke did not feel fear. Instead, he felt a loneliness and anguish that seemed to have no end. Compared to his prior glibness, the current expression on Caster’s face, as though he had lost everything important to him, made Ryūnosuke acutely aware of the sorrow that this great madman concealed in the depths of his heart.
“But Sir, even so… God still exists, right?”
Listening to Ryūnosuke’s soft murmur, Caster couldn’t help but hold his breath and carefully examine the expression of his common yet strangely noble Master.
“…why, Ryūnosuke? You have no religion and know nothing of miracles. Why would you think so?”
”Because it seemed as though this world was a boring place, so I kept searching. But the more I looked, the more interesting and unusual things I found.”
Ryūnosuke opened his arms as he spoke, as though he were embracing everything in the world.
“I’ve thought about this for a long time. This world is full of so many pleasures. It’s far too much luxury for an individual. If we simply change the way we look at things, we’ll discover that there are endless foreshadowings in here. In the search for true happiness, there must be no greater excitement than defeating the world. Somebody must be writing this, the world’s script. Someone must be writing this long novel with almost five billion characters… perhaps, this author is what we call God.”
Caster blinked silently, staring blankly into the emptiness as though he were contemplating Ryūnosuke’s words. After a while, he once again looked at his Master, and asked in a low, solemn voice.
“- then, Ryūnosuke, do you honestly think that God loves men?”
The serial killer answered cheerfully, “Of course. It’s a love from the depths of his heart. A God who is able to keep writing this world’s script for tens of thousands of years without stopping must love men very much. Hmm… I think God must be doing His best with His writing, while being immersed in the joy of creating His work at the same time. He is touched by the love and courage in His work, shedding tears at the sad parts, and also shocked and terrified by the horror and despair within…”
Ryūnosuke paused, as though to review what he’d already said, and then he continued.
“God enjoys the courage and hope of mankind, but he also likes the sorrow and despair of bloodshed. Otherwise… the hymn of life would lack its vivid color. Therefore, Sir, this world must be full of God’s love.”
Like a devoted believer praying before a holy painting, Caster listened to Ryūnosuke’s words with quiet solemnity. Then, he slowly lifted his head, his expression one of happiness.
“In this modern day, the people have already lost their faith and the governments have abandoned God’s creed. Once, I thought this was a world near destruction… but I am thoroughly impressed that new followers like yourself still appear at times like this. Oh Ryūnosuke, my Master!”
“Ah, no, no, I’ll be embarrassed if you say things like this.”
Although he didn’t know why, at least he knew Caster was complimenting him. Ryūnosuke coyly deflected it.
“However – from your religious perspective, my sins are tiny in comparison.”
“It is the nature of first-class entertainers to take on unpleasant chores to earn smiles, right? Sir, God will surely reward your merciless acts by joyfully returning those fools to us.”
Hearing what Ryūnosuke said, Bluebeard laughed out loud, seemingly pleased.
“Be it sacrilege or praise! For you, does it all seem to be the worship of God? Ah, Ryūnosuke, your thoughts are truly deep and philosophical. That God, who plays with the countless humans in the world is nothing more than a toy himself – I see! Then even this bad joke can be understood.”
After laughing for a while, Caster’s eyes once more bore that forlorn look, the same look a man, madly devoted to his art, would have just before reaching his frenzied climax.
“Very well. Then let us use despair and vividly-colored tears to dye this divine temple a splendid shade. I will let those in Heaven know that they are not the only ones who know what is true entertainment.”
“Do you have any brilliant ideas again, Sir?”
Ryūnosuke looked expectantly at Bluebeard, who seemed more excited than he had ever been in his life.
“Since it’s been decided, then let’s have a celebration. Ryūnosuke, today’s feast is going to be a bit special; it’s to raise the curtains on the new religion you proposed.”
“Understood. I’ll do all I can to make it as COOL as possible!”
That night, Ryūnosuke and Caster had ‘harvested’ five children. These children, brought to this unknown, lightless place, were huddled against each other, shivering as they watched the crazed performance unfold before them.
In the face of these two crazed worshippers’ new religion, the souls of these innocent children would not see even a sliver of salvation’s light.
-95:28:46
Glancing out the window on a whim, he found that it was already dawn.
The slowly-rising sun inspired no emotions in Emiya Kiritsugu’s heart, and he continued his task of compiling information.
He had met Maiya at this hotel in front of the city station, three days ago. Now it was a hidden headquarters for them, one of many. The first thing he did was to suspend room service, and then he papered the walls with blank maps of the Fuyuki region. After that, he began annotating various locations on the maps with information pertaining to them.
The data, had been collected over several days of searching on foot, reconnaissance by familiar, the variance of the leylines, tapping the police radio for information on missing people, and simple surveillance of various locations. And all these data points, dutifully indicated on the map nocturnal happenings in Fuyuki City regardless of size or importance like a mosaic, showed a state of utter chaos.
Emiya Kiritsugu’s right hand continued its work of writing while his left hand mechanically shoveled his nutrition – hamburgers from a fast food restaurant he bought while investigating – into his mouth. For nine years, Emiya Kiritsugu had eaten at the table of the Einsberns, who were merely a hair removed from royalty themselves. He had grown tired of the cuisine. This fast food, filled with the sense of slaughter, was more suited to his tastes. Being able to eat without interrupting one’s words or thoughts was better than anything, no matter how you looked at it.
When he had finally finished with his markings on the map, Kiritsugu studied them, and re-determined the direction of the Heaven’s Feel.
Archer – there was no movement at the Tōsaka house. Like a hibernating bear, Tokiomi had closed his doors with an unfathomable silence and not left ever since the defeat of Assassin.
Berserker - the silhouette entering the Matō house appeared to be a Master, and the reports from the many familiars sent out suggested that he was completely defenseless and could be attacked at leisure, but Berserker's mysterious special ability could neutralize Archer's potent Noble Phantasm. Should he be left alone as a countermeasure against Tōsaka?
Lancer – Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri had begun to act, in the place of her fiancé, the gravely injured Lord El-Melloi. She was probably the one controlling Lancer now. Was she temporarily taking on the responsibilities of a Master through the Book of the False Attendant, or had she seized the Command Seals and formed a new contract with Lancer? If it was the former, even killing Sola-Ui would not cut off Lancer’s prana supply, and it would not make him unable to fight. For now, he would have to consider whether or not to attack Sola.
Caster – the night before, more children had gone missing from the city. It would appear he did not care about the warrant for his arrest issued by the authorities, and he was still continuing his inhuman acts without restraint.
Rider – no clues at all. Being that he constantly moves with his Master in his flying Noble Phantasm, tracking them would be difficult. Appears to be openhearted and forthright, a formidable enemy without flaws.
Regarding Rider and Archer… Maiya had awakened some time back, in the Einsbern Castle, and she had relayed the majority of information from Irisviel by telephone.
It seemed that things had progressed in an unexpected direction, so Rider, left with no other choice, had to use his Noble Phantasm to wipe out Assassin.
Rider’s Noble Phantasm, “Ionian Hetairoi”, was very much a cause for concern. But what Kiritsugu cared about more was the fate of Assassin.
Assassin was a Servant that could multiply indefinitely, but what did it mean? The troop of Assassins that had attacked the Einzbern castle last night must have been their entire combat force. Otherwise they could not have been able to present strength in numbers, being individually weak in combat. This was totally different from the prior farce at the Tosaka mansion; this time, it would be safe to consider Servant Assassin to be completely eradicated.
Then – what about their Master?
Kiritsugu sighed deeply, lighting his first cigarette for the day. In the end, he still felt apprehensive about this.
Kotomine Kirei. The greatest ‘oddity’ in existence during the Fourth Heaven’s Feel –
Kiritsugu still could not understand exactly why this man had entered the war.
When he had discovered Assassin during the chaotic battle at the warehouse street, Kiritsugu had already realized that Assassin’s Master was Tōsaka Tokiomi’s puppet, only responsible for the task of scouting. But after that, Kotomine Kirei had taken many actions that Kiritsugu was unable to understand.
Kotomine Kirei, hiding in ambush at the construction site of the central building, during the attack on Kayneth at the Fuyuki Hyatt Hotel –
Kotomine Kirei, sneaking into the Einzbern castle from the opposite direction during its siege –
No matter how you looked at those events, they only made sense if you considered that Emiya Kiritsugu was his target.
First, he used the ruse of pretending to withdraw from the War, then fleeing to Fuyuki Church to request protection while dispatching large numbers of his Assassins as spies. To make this tactic even more perfect, Kirei should have continued hiding in the Fuyuki Church during this time, without setting foot outdoors. But his current actions have completely exposed himself.
Kiritsugu, originally hiding under the cover of Irisviel and Saber, had only been exposed during the confrontation with Lord El-Melloi, so nobody should have known his true identity up to the day before yesterday. Even if Tōsaka’s intelligence network had discovered that Kiritsugu was taking action in secret, he could not have concluded that Kiritsugu was the one who actually had the contract with Saber. That aside, from the overall perspective of the war, what was the point of targeting Kiritsugu?
It was possible that this could be due to an entirely illogical personal grudge, but that probability was very low. In the process of investigating Kotomine Kirei’s experiences, there were almost no instances where he had crossed paths with Emiya Kiritsugu. There were no friends or relations to Kotomine Kirei amongst the magi whom Kiritsugu had assassinated, or even in the people around them who had been sacrificed.
In any case, what is definite is that Kotomine Kirei will continue standing in Emiya Kiritsugu’s way. It is clear that this man’s actions have already exceeded the boundaries of simply fighting for the Heaven’s Feel. He will not withdraw even after losing his Servant.
Kiritsugu exhaled a mouthful of hazy cigarette smoke with an exasperated sigh as he continued thinking.
He could only feel waves of dread whenever he thought of Kotomine Kirei, as though he were imprisoned in bottomless darkness.
Kiritsugu’s tactics were to ‘confuse the opponent’s mind’ from the beginning to the end. As long as one can see through the opponent’s actions, where he is preparing to attack and what the enemy’s objective is, one can discover his opponent’s blind spot and his weakness. In addition, a magus usually possesses a greater ‘sense of purpose’ than normal people. It is only because of this that Kiritsugu has never missed while ‘hunting’.
But now there is Kotomine, an enemy whom he cannot begin to understand on a superficial or intrinsic level. This is his greatest threat. And before this powerful enemy, Kiritsugu was now all but helpless.
It was as though he had a tracker who could read through his mind and deduce all his actions. This time, Kiritsugu is not the hunter, but the hunted. This is the singular, unforeseen key factor –
“…who exactly are you?”
Kiritsugu finally murmured without thinking. The more he thought about the problem that was Kotomine Kirei, the further away from him his answer became. All he could do was become more frustrated.
What exactly was the point of this search-and-destroy operation? It looked as though he would have to continue operating with the risk of suffering a surprise attack at any time.
Kiritsugu had rented a garage in the nearby town, and hidden a modified oil tanker inside it which could be remote-controlled over long distances. This converted civilian weapon, called a “low cost cruise missile” by urban guerillas, was originally the trump card prepared for use during siege by the Matō or Tōsaka. If one were to drive it into the Fuyuki Church in which Kotomine Kirei was laying low, even that Executor would not be able to survive…
“…Bastard, that’s enough.”
Kiritsugu messily snuffed the cigarette out in the ashtray as he reminded himself of that.
Now, in front of him, there were still many enemies which took priority in terms of elimination. What he had to win was the Heaven’s Feel. From that point of view, Kotomine Kirei was only a defeated Master. Even if the reason he was attacking Kiritsugu was unknown, it would be unwise to be too absorbed with him and neglect the overall battle.
This state of being impatient and frustration irritated him. It was probably a sign that his judgement was beginning to dull. He would need to rest and start over.
It had been over seventy hours since he last slept. Though he did not feel tired under the influence of amphetamines, his fatigue was still accumulating, and as a result his focus and overall condition were both deteriorating.
There was still some time before he would have to meet Maiya today; he should use it to get some rest.
After going to the bathroom, Kiritsugu lay down on the bed and used a self-hypnosis spell to disperse his consciousness. This was a crude way of eliminating mental stress, via the disintegration and cleansing of the psyche.
This self-hypnosis was not a high-level form of thaumaturgy, but the dispersion would cause a lack and dislocation of self-consciousness, so few people were willing to use it. But to Emiya Kiritsugu, it was the most efficient, and thus the best form of rest, and so he used this method frequently.
The scattered consciousness would be restored after about two hours, and the hypnotized person would wake up. Until then, the body of the hypnotized person would be like unto a corpse in terms of unconsciousness – but it should be safe to use it at this hidden place.
Kiritsugu, relaxed after dispelling the image of his enemy from his mind, fell into a deep sleep.
Facing the rising sun, the streets outside the window began a new day.
-91:40:34
"It looks like your mood today is fairly good. Archer."
As usual as if he was in his own house, the golden-sparkling Servant, sitting as he wished in Kotomine Kirei's private room, had for an unknown reason worn an unpredictable smile since morning.
Under normal circumstances, when a person wears a smile he often will infect the people around him, easing the surrounding atmosphere, but by coincidence Kirei was of a personality that was not the sort to like seeing other people smiling; moreover, the smile of the King of Heroes in front of him could only be associated with some unsettling things.
"Though I have not yet seen the likeness of the Holy Grail— even if the Grail is a worthless trinket, I no longer care. Because I have found something else of interest."
"Oh, truly surprising. Did you not once scoff that this earth has only forgery and ugliness?"
"That has not changed. But, on the other hand I am interested in watching, until the end, the final outcome of this Heaven's Feel."
Perhaps, the miraculous feast held yesterday night at the Einsbern castle's central courtyard had caused some change in Archer's mood. But Kirei also saw a part of the process, and now in recollection— could it be because of Rider? Or because of the question-and-answer with Saber?
"I, as a person, like arrogant opponents. People who are not constrained by their own humble strength, and so are ambitious. Every time when meeting an opponent like this I will be very happy."
Looking at Kirei's puzzled expression, Archer leisurely waved the wineglass containing red wine and continued to speak.
"But there are two types of haughtiness too. The case in which the person has too low a caliber; and the case in which he has too great a wish. The former, not unusual one is very foolish, but the latter is of a difficult-to-obtain, rare species."
"Both are stupid things without any difference, isn't that so?"
"In comparison to mediocrity, this type of rare foolishness appears even more valuable, does it not? Though born human, but yet visionary of ideals so great that they are impossible to attain with human strength, and so abandon their status as a human to realize this one ideal—no matter how many times I see it I do not grow tired of it, the sorrow and despair of this sort of person."
Archer finished speaking, raising the wineglass as if in celebration, then elegantly downed the red wine inside. No matter how he appeared bold, this Heroic Spirit was completely unable to leave anyone with an impression of even slight avarice. Perhaps this was also his style of being a king.
"You said that, Kirei, but you appear unusually cheerful today."
"Only relieved. I have finally been released from a heavy burden."
The Command Seals that had originally been carved on Kirei's right hand had disappeared. During the battle last night at the Einsbern castle, his Servant-Assassin had been completely eradicated.
Kirei had completely forfeited his rights as a Master. Though it looked as if there had not been any change, but exactly as he had himself said, only now had he truly been released from the responsibilitie...
seamuss