Chapter 5: A Deceptive Servant.
Church of Kotomine
"I lost my servant". He declared "Kirei" standing in front of his father, who stood before the gates of Fuyuki Church, the only Accorded Neutral Territory for the Holy Grail War.
"I have renounced my right as a Master, and I can no longer participate in the Holy Grail War According to the treaty, I, Kotomine Kirei, ask that the church protect and protect me". Kirei said, with his usual monotonous tone.
"I accept your request." Risei solemnly confirmed, Elder Kotomine pronouncing the words aloud for the benefit of family members who are surely looking from the shadows.
"In my role as Judge, I, Kotomine Risei, will guarantee your safety. Risei said, indicate the door.
"Kirei" did so, resisting the urge to look up at the laughable laughter he had been forced to pass. As if his own father denied him shelter, even if he had not lost his Master's rights.
He must admit, however, that there are worse places to seek refuge.
Despite being a Japanese city with an active Buddhist temple, the church of Kotomine has a good number of patrons, some of them very influential, and therefore the interior of the Church is wonderful to contemplate, arousing a feeling of calm as you would expect from a house of the Lord.
However, even this is just a camouflage to mask the true purpose of the Church, as it was purpose-built to serve as the basis for the operations of the Grail Wars' Watcher.
Kirei's grandfather had served as the first Supervisor over sixty years ago during the third Grail War, which ended prematurely with the destruction of the ship.
Naturally disappointed, he had passed on his wish to witness the Grail "Miracle" to his son, Risei, who no doubt would have done the same with Kirei if he failed Tokiomi's plan, which he had done in retrospect.
"What a mess ..." Risei sighed, the old Kotomine sinking on one of the benches, his face hidden in his hands as he sadly shakes his head.
"How could something like this happen?" He asked Risei.
His son "Kirei", once he played his role as a defeated Master, entered the safe room along with Risei and stopped talking. There was something strange about him, his gaze is darker and more lost than usual.
No one but a few experts can say that this "Kirei" is not the real Kirei.
The eyes of "Kirei" began to shine, a few seconds each eye projected a hologram.
The projection shows two men whom Risei knows, the first is his beloved son, Kirei, the second is the Servant of Kirei, Mask.
"Tokiomi was a good Magus, but he was a victim of the sin of pride, he survives himself and underestimates his enemies, a mistake that has cost him his life, thanks to heaven his legacy has remained intact." He spoke Mask, coldly criticizing Tokiomi, a person who killed him himself.
"At least we learned something from Tokiomi's mistake, the infamous, Emiya Kiritsugu is undoubtedly the most dangerous enemy and the greatest threat to our victory," said Mask, continuing his plan to blame Kiritsugu for the murder of Tokiomi.
"So it would seem ..." Risei growled, earning a forehead contracted by his son, who never heard his father so agitated.
"Jubstacheit ... there is nothing that would not have recourse?" He said Risei, with hate, sad about the loss of Tokiomi.
"I'm not so surprised at how the Einzberns are acting, they're angry and desperate Magus, willing to do anything to Tokens of the war are correct, the Einzbern have not won a single war since the foundation of the Heaven's Feel ritual." He said Mask, making sure that the blame goes also you have Einzbern who hired Kiritsugu.
"But still, to attack so openly one of the other founding families." Risei said, the elderly priest shaking his head in disbelief.
"Even with those techniques he uses to prolong his life, he is not immortal." Kirei told his father, deciding to see how things were going, rather than correcting his father about how Tokiomi really died.
"Most likely to assemble Emiya Kiritsugu as an additional insurance, since it is unlikely to leave the rights of her family as a Master to another." Kirei said, forming a theory, that Kiritsugu is a murderer hired by the Einzbern to eliminate the enemy Masters instead of their Masters.
"A probable theory, but I think things are more complicated, I bet my cloak, Arip ă Albă, that this Grail War can be a kind of rite of passage." He said Mask, earning an air of confusion from the couple
"Use your brains, in the name of the Root, because Einzbern, one of the premier families of Magus in all Europe, known for their tendencies of isolation, suddenly decide to welcome into their families an infamous Magus, originally from east, oriental magicians are not discriminated? " He said Mask, making a valid logical argument, using more facts and forming a more complex picture.
In fact, Kirei often reflected on this question.
The Western Magi, taken together, tended to look down on their eastern counterparts, regardless of their success.
For someone like Jubstacheit von Einzbern even deigning to recognize the existence of a heretic as Emiya Kiritsugu is very irregular.
"From what I can understand, with the exception of Tohsaka and Matou, the Einzbern have almost no regard for Eastern magicians." He said Mask, continuing his theory.
"Even putting aside the face that the Matou originally welcomed by Russia, the only reason the Einzbern had joined them in the first place is due to the suggestion of the magician Marshall." He explained Mask, finishing his little speech or deduction.
"Someone is doing the homework I see ..." Kirei said, approving while she is analyzing her enigmatic servant.
He wants to admit it, wondering how he managed to deceive his father, making him believe that he and Mask were not part of Tokiomi's death.
Mask is playing his father on the firm, clearly planned everything in minute detail, everything is following the scenario written by the same Mask. A small part of Kirei is impressed and frightened by her Servant.
"I am a person who has been struck by the curse of knowledge No matter what I do my mind and soul crave more and more knowledge.
It's a pity that I can not repay Tokiomi for giving me access to your personal archives on the Holy Grail War. "Mask said, winning Fuyuki City's best actor award.
"You did what you could, Mask." Risei said, offering the Servant a kind smile.
"If I had not recovered Tokiomi-kun's body and brought it to me, it would have been impossible to keep his Magus Crest.
At least we can ensure that his last will and will is done. "Risei said, shaking his head firmly.
"So Rin will become the new head of the Tohsaka house?" Asked Korei, more than a statement that of a question, since there was hardly anyone else to fill the role.
Tokiomi has renounced his other daughter for keeping the mercies of Matou, the only thought of the horrors that the poor girl has no doubt suffered in the past three years by sending a heretical shiver on her spine that crushed instantly.
"Yes, even if I hoped he would not have to for a while." Risei admitted that the old man looked all his years while he felt his face.
"I'm getting really too old for this, maybe it's better that Tokiomi-kun appointed you as his master and magical watchman." Risei said with a bittersweet smile.
This certainly made Kirei fight, the Mask Master was completely taken aback by the amount of trust Tokiomi had placed in him. All this did nothing but increase the blasphemous rush of euphoria that he feels for the delightful irony that said the trust had been malposed, even if indirectly.
"Such an exciting moment, even if Tokiomi is dead, his bond with Kirei still exists, and the bond between a teacher and a student, who trust one another so much, gives him the custody of his most precious, his daughter, Rin. " He said Mask, with a melancholy tone, but respectful, making dramatic gestures with his hands.
Kirei knew that actually his Servant, is smiling like a devil under his mask all the time, enjoying every moment of this play.
"Kirei does not agree with me, a bond between two people can last even beyond death." Mask said, pretending to ask a philosophical question, but the reality is asking whether Kirei also enjoyed this story.
Kirei does not trust himself, feeling the corners of his lips pulling treacherously even when he turned his back to his Servant, who turned his attention to Risei.
"Now that we have had our time to mourn our fallen comrade.
We must focus on how to act from now on. If I can elaborate a plan, it's simple enough, but incredibly useful for us. You want me to explain it or wait to hear your emergency plans. "Mask said, pretending to be courteous to Kirei and Risei, she actually understands very well, that neither of them gives any plan or tactics on how to proceed. so at the mercy of Mask and his plans.
"I see, you have a great plan, considering that you and Kirei are talking through a kind of puppet disguised as Kirei." Risei said, wanting to hear what Mask proposes, Kirei is also curious about what Mask is planning.
"Using the puppet disguised as Kirei and the fact that Kiritsugu Emiya attacked Tokiomi while I and Archer played our roles.
Everyone will think that Assassin was killed by Archer. Common sense says that the Assassins are the weakest and against one of the three classes of knights their fate is sealed.
I managed to deceive the other Masters by making him believe that
"Archer" has managed to save Tokiomi, since the other Servants will have undoubtedly guessed the disappearance of Gilgamesh.
With the play shortly before Kirei, all the other Masters Without a doubt will believe that Kirei has really lost his Servant and will focus their attention on the identification of Tokiomi before he has the chance to "recover".
"I see ..." Risei said, watching carefully, Mask, since not the slightest knowledge that his son's Servant was such a shrewd individual.
"The loss of Gilgamesh is heavy, but if Mask can be disguised as an Archer then the other Masters have no reason to suspect that Tokiomi-kun is actually dead, leaving Kirei-kun to move with anonymity." Risei said , with a sweet and sour tone.
"It's almost not an ideal scenario, almost all our enemies will hunt down an invisible enemy, showing their abilities.
No one will suspect Kirei, because we will make sure that the puppet
Doppelgänger I do some doing around the church, giving them a bomb-proof alibi, while he is planning to hit the enemy behind by the surprise effect.
Are there better conditions for a Church Executor trained in the art of Magcraft? "Mask said, smiling fiendishly under the first part of his plan is is gone, Tokiomi's commando seals are in his hands and now Kirei can act at the maximum of his abilities.
"It will be an interesting experience to interpret Gilgamesh, I believe that my Noble Phantasm, Codex Analisys, can mimic the method of attacking the Gate of Babylon.
I will be a very dangerous diversion, meanwhile distracting the Servant enemies, Kirei will have the sansa to play with the other Masters. But before Kirei needs an Upgrade and a nice mask, we do not want an enemy Master to recognize or a Servant to hit you if I can not save you in time. "He said Mask, thinking about what kind of Mystic Code or tool to use to enhance Kirei, perhaps one of its Techno-magic-based devices.
"My word ..." Risei chuckled, Elder Kotomine looked respectfully at his son's servant and, unless Kirei's senses had done so, mistrust.
"You really called an interesting servant, Kirei." Kirei said, smiling, with a similar Servant his son will have good sanse to survive this war.
"So it would seem." Kirei accepted, no longer able to resist the slight reversal of his lips, the former Executor who smiled openly for the first time since the death of his wife while he regarded his enigmatic Servant with approval.
"Very interesting indeed" said Kirei, with a small smile.
"Bay bay, Risei, was a good talk, but Kirei and I have to pay a visit to the
Ryuudou Temple. "With these last words the holograms have disappeared, ending the communication.
XXX
Later that night, at the Ryuudou Temple.
In front of the temple there are two people who are the protagonists of this story, Mask and Kirei.
Ryuudou Temple is a normal Japanese temple that you would normally see in Japanese culture or religion.
But a Magus learns that the shape is always different from nature, so Mask studied the area and learned its many advantages.
"Personally, if I were to describe the temple, either strategically or tactically, I would say it only in a short sentence:
The temple of Ryuudou is a fortress.
The shape of its structure may not seem like much in terms of modern warfare. But in terms of the Magi and the supernatural battle, the terrain is perfect and offers many advantages.
The first advantage was that the temple had a deep connection with the Leylines in the depths of the city of fuyuki, so it would naturally be rich with the Prana that any experienced or discreet sorceress could use to perform their power and skill.
The second advantage is the position that the temple of Ryuudou was built is easily defensible both in terms of defense and counterattack. The higher ground gives you a clear advantage against any incoming enemy or gives you a good vantage point that gives you a good chance to see any opponent who tries to sneak up on you.
All you needed is a skilled sniper team. A good sniper position and you can basically hold off a great deal of force, or kill any master who was foolish enough to approach the temple.
The third and most important advantage is that the temple is a natural fortress against the spirits and so on. So no servant could hope to set foot without crossing the front door of the temple. "He explained Mask to his companion Kirei.
"You want to make this place your stronghold, taking advantage of the moment, all the Masters are busy investigating what happened to Tokiomi and they believe I'm out of the loop." Kirei said, wondering what Mask is planning.
"Yes, but before I go to warn you to be careful, there are probably sanse that we would have a little comparison with a Servant, I bet Caster, so here's a gift from me," said Mask, giving Kirei a kind of grotesque mask.
" What's this ?" He asked Kirei, taking the mask, which strangely resembles the Ken Kaneki mask of the Ghoul series.
"One of the most powerful Mystic Codes I've ever created - it will make things much more interesting in this story," Mask said, smiling like a devil, who just made a pact with an innocent soul.
On this night, Ryuudou's temple did not risk being thrown into the air.
Go on ...