Disclaimer: I still own neither Blazblue nor Type-Moon.
Ducking under the sweeping chain, Kirei sent a Black Key flying toward El-Melloi's heart.
Not waiting to see if it would strike or not, he rolled back to increase the distance between the magus and himself. A metallic sound informed that his attack had been ineffective.
A frustrating situation, all things considered. Against a magus it was normally advantageous to close the distance and dispatch them as soon as possible, but in this case the violently whirling chains that surrounded his target forbid such an attempt. Worse, his suspicions had been confirmed; this wasn't simply an animated chain but rather a series of chains emanating from a point somewhere on the magus. This meant that he couldn't avoid it once and close the distance safely.
The corridor also prevented him from striking from a blind point – if the weapon even had such a thing – while the many gaps that permeated the walls indicated that it would offer no real protection against El-Melloi's strikes.
How unfortunate. If he had been aware of it beforehand, he would have been able to come up with a countermeasure.
Without allowing the slightest hint of his thoughts to be seen, he weaved through the two chains that had been launched toward him. Since the first strike there had been no attempt to impale him, most likely to avoid being dealt with in the same way.
Despite having that avenue of attack closed off the lashing chains possessed enough strength to break through the walls without slowing and he wouldn't be able to last long against such powerful blows if he were struck.
He had to admit that he was at a disadvantage. Unless something came into play to change the situation, he would be forced to retreat much like Kiritsugu had.
"Just stay still!"
The once aristocratic voice of Kayneth was barely recognizable as he snarled the words out, beginning to advance toward Kirei.
What was he doing? In this situation where he had all the advantages, it made no sense for him to-
Eyes widening in realization, the executor threw himself backward an instant before the trap snapped shut. The air in front of him shook as the air itself froze and all motion came to an end between Lord El-Melloi and himself.
Incredible. To not only be able to execute this level of magecraft, but to do so while shaking with fury? A level of mastery such that it had become instinct was frightening indeed.
A hateful smile appeared on his opponent's face even as the trap missed its mark.
Muttering under his breath Kayneth brought his hands together, causing the frozen space to turn into a maelstrom as the flow of air that had been halted increased a hundredfold, compressing between the hands of the one who claimed the battlefield.
It didn't take decades of experience to figure out what was coming. Kotomine Kirei turned and ran as if the devil himself was on his heels.
Two floors below, Tokiomi looked down at his distinctly blank right hand.
Just as he had been about to follow Kirei, the ever-present drain on his prana had ceased when the connection with his Servant had been severed. He had suspected treachery, but the disappearance of the proof of his participation forced him to acknowledge the truth; his Servant was gone. Somehow, King Arthur had been defeated.
This meant that his chances of victory were essentially nil. It was theorically possible to contract with a Servant whose master had perished, but it was far too late for him to rely on this possibility.
Closing his eyes, he sighed deeply as the weight of responsibility lifted from his shoulders.
It couldn't be helped. He had fought with his all and planned as best he could; this simply meant that the time had not yet come for the Tohsaka to reach their objectives. By the time another opportunity arose, he would be long past his prime and would stand even less chance to reach the Holy Grail.
"I shall have to entrust everything to Rin, then."
The prospect which would have led an ordinary man to shame was met with calm acceptance; Tokiomi held no delusion as to his own talents. Even if he could not attain it through effort, his daughter that would surpass him in every way should be able to. To accept one's own limitation and pass on the impossible task throughout the generation was also part of being a magus.
A crashing sound upstairs reminded him that he hardly had time to waste. Brought back to the reality of his situation, a glance confirmed that the minor spirits that his apprentice had been dealing with had either faded or retreated after the loss of the spellwork that compelled them to attack intruders.
He wouldn't retreat, of course. Even if his own battle ended in a lost, he still had obligations to meet and debts to repay.
Reaching the end of the corridor, Kirei threw himself to the side an instant before an explosion rang out as a gust of wind with power rivaling a tornado crashed against the hotel's outer wall and tore it apart.
He had barely avoided death, the fact that the tail of his coat had been shredded spoke of how close the call had truly been.
Despite this, Kirei breathed calmly. This wasn't the first time he had had a battle against a magus turn for the worst. However the situation was complicated by the time limit that none of the Masters had openly acknowledged; if the battle between Servants ended first, this battle would end a few instants later.
That was why El-Melloi had to be eliminated as soon as possible, so that the Holy Grail Vessel could be dealt with if the worst occurred.
After using magecraft of that magnitude, it would most likely take a few seconds for Kayneth to recover. In that time, Kirei balanced the resources available as he increased the distance between them.
On El-Melloi's side was an unknown weapon that could deal even with fully automated gunfire, while also possessing an offence that could break through walls. Combined with his own formidable magecraft and control over the battlefield's mana, Kayneth was undoubtedly the most dangerous combatant at present.
On his side he had his own physical abilities, Tokiomi's own magecraft which remained considerable despite his lack of battlefield experience and, if required, the trump card that he had acquired thanks to Assassin. Though it would first have to be retrieved since he had dropped it when El-Melloi had struck.
Finally, there was the wild card called Emiya Kiritsugu. Kirei didn't even entertain the notion that Kiritsugu had truly retreated; the battle between three of his four remaning opponents would be far too great an opportunity.
The battle wasn't hopeless, merely disadvantageous.
His first course of action should be to re-establish contact with Tokiomi; it was doubtful that his teacher would survive an encounter with the berserk Kayneth without assistance and Kirei himself had no means of defeating the man by his lonesome.
Considering that Kirei hadn't returned, Tokiomi would naturally realize that something had gone wrong with the upper floor's infiltration. It wasn't his style to jump into an unknown fight, so he would likely retreat and attempt to ascend via the staircase instead.
Without any further deliberation, he started to run in that direction as fast as he could.
A cracking sound alerted him to the danger an instant before the wall exploded, the fangs of a giant green snake reaching toward him to impale his heart.
Swallowing a curse he barely blocked in time with the black keys in his hands, the impact pushing him back into the wall.
With a twisted grin, Kayneth El-Melloi advanced upon his immobilized prey.
"Did you think you could escape?" The words spilled from the magus' lips like a curse. "It's as futile as your friend going for the vessel; I know where everything is in this place! I control everything in this place!"
To Kirei's sides, the air began to shake as the deadly magecraft was activated once more.
"Besides even if gets the vessel, there are other paths." Muttering to himself as he completed the deadly work, Kayneth chuckled. "...Not that you'll ever see them."