Kiritsugu's eyes were set on Kirei even as his gunshot echoed throughout the warehouse.
The man he most wary was standing meters away from him, so close and so far at the same time. Just seeing the man appear in front of him made him panic, and he had fired blindly.
It was more of a reactive shot to the man's presence, rather than a calculated one. From a distance he stared at the man who he considered the most powerful participant in the War.
Kiritsugu took deep breaths, lowering his glock and raising his Thompson Contender with his other hand. Within seconds he was calm again.
He would not miss a second time.
Kirei swallowed the questions that had been about to burst forth from his lips. He had let his excitement get the better of him.
He had been careless, approaching the man known as the Magus Killer like that and calling out to him no less! He had barely been able to avoid the bullet that has grazed his cheek, the priest's fingers met a bit of blood on them when he touched the wound.
His expression remained unchanged as he noticed Kiritsugu raise another gun. Kirei reacted immediately.
His desire for answers, answers the man in front of him could provide, pushed his body to move faster than it ever had before. Within seconds the priest was in front of the Magus Killer, much to Kiritsugu's shock.
"He's fast!"Kiritsugu realized, shocked that the man had been able to cover the distance between them so quickly.
The man jumped to the side, narrowing avoiding the fist that Kirei had driven forward. Not even a second after avoiding the blow, Kiritsugu crouched and jumped backwards, avoiding the leg that had sliced through the space in front of him like a sword.
He lift up his Thompson Contender again, raising his glock and firing with it in an attempt to ward off the priest so he could get a better mark for his Mystic Code. But Kirei followed through with his attack, still moving at a speed that was staggering for a normal man.
The priest hurled two Black Keys towards the Magus Killer, both swords cutting through the air on either side of Kiritsugu forcing him to fold his stance while at the same time keeping him boxed in. Kirei charged, following the straight path that had been outlined by the two Keys and brought his fist forward again. At his speed and with Kiritsugu having nowhere to move, he could not miss.
"Time Alter…"
However, this time was an exception. Kirei would miss.
"Double Accel!"
As the aria echoed within his mind, Kiritsugu flipped the switch of his Innate Time Control. A Bounded Field was created within his body, allowing him the time inside his body and enabling him to dodge Kirei's attack. At normal speed, it was unavoidable, but when moving at double his normal speed…
Kiritsugu swerved to the side and crouched low, avoiding Kirei's fist and squeezing through the gap between the priest and the Black Key spinning through the air on his right side. After escaping the narrow space, Kiritsugu raised his arm again, aiming his Thompson Contender towards the back of the priest's head. At the same time, he deactivated his Innate Time Control.
It was a trump card Kiritsugu could use in combat to make victory more possible, but the burden the ability placed on his body as the World caught up with his time adjustment. His nerves were screaming and it felt like his flesh was being torn but Kiritsugu ignored it as he raised his gun. Though risky, his ability had gifted him with a window to victory. He would take the dive and Kirei's life in one shot.
That window closed as soon as Kiritsugu thought it was open.
Kiritsugu's eyes widened as a blur moved across his eyes followed by intense pain from the hand that held his Contender. The Magus Killer turned his head just in time to see his gun, his strongest weapon, thrown from his hand and collided with the floor a bit away from him, Kirei's leg touched down on the ground with a soft thump, his kick having neutralized the threat and successfully disarmed his opponent. Again, Kirei brought his fist forward.
In that moment Kiritsugu felt terror penetrate his mind. To think someone could move like this, move at a speed that was just as fast if not faster than he had been moving at double speed, shocked him. It scared him to believe that Kirei was capable of such a feat, moving at impossible speeds as easily as he drew breath. Their encounter had lasted about as long as it took for him to fire a gun, and their battle had lasted barely a minute more. Their short confrontation only stretched beyond a minute, and he was forced to use his Innate Time Control and he had lost his Contender.
Emiya Kiritsugu never felt more justified in his wariness of the man known as Kotomine Kirei.
Kiritsugu turned his head back towards Kirei, eyes wide, trying to bring his glock up in an attempt to defend himself. He couldn't use the Innate Time Control, as using it again so soon before giving his body time to recover would kill him faster then even Kirei's attack would. But there was nowhere near enough time to bring his gun up. Kirei was moving to fast. Kiritsugu only had enough time for a sharp intake of breath as he braced himself for the approaching blow that would cave in his chest…!
Suddenly, just as impossible as the speed with which Kirei moved, the man's fist moved in a wildly different direction and smashed into Kiritsugu's left shoulder instead of his chest. For a brief half-second, Kiritsugu felt intense relief and incredibility that the killing blow had missed before pain overwhelmed him.
He cried out in pain as the agony of his shoulder bone shattered reached his brain. Coupled with the blow, the force of the strike sent Kiritsugu flying across the ground, smashing him into a wooden crate close to the wall.
He tried to steady himself but the pain forcing him to the ground. Kiritsugu drew harsh breathes as he laid against the wall, watching as Kirei slowly approached him. Would the next strike be the finishing blow?
Kiritsugu's confusion was equal to his fear when Kirei stopped a few feet in front of him, peering down at the man with an unreadable expression before clutching at his clothes, brought him to his knees and forcing kiritsugu to looked at him.
What is he doing?
"Emiya Kiritsugu."
Kiritsugu glanced at the priest when the man uttered his name for the second time. The stares of the two men locked together. Kiritsugu stared at the priest, expression pained but impassive, attempting to mask his fear of the man before him. Kirei stared down at the man he had wished to meet, his ever present stoic visage hiding his elation and excitement.
Kiritsugu watched Kirei silently, waiting for the man to speak. He had long since come to the conclusion that Kirei did not mean to kill him. If it was his intention, then he would already be dead. That fist should have buried itself in his chest, not his shoulder. It had been a deliberate miss, Kiritsugu realized, and that Kirei never attacked him with the intent to kill. Only to incapacitate him. To keep him from moving or attacking. But that was when the Magus Killer's confusion surpassed his fear.
Why? What reason did Kotomine Kirei have to not kill him?
The two men continued to stare at each other, waiting for… something. Anything. An eternity seemed to pass before Kiritsugu slowly moved his lips. Sweat dripping down his brow and with his shoulder throbbing in pain, Kiritsugu spoke to Kirei.
"Kotomine… Kirei."
The Magus Killer repeated the name he had responded to before the first shot had been fired.
An odd expression crossed over Kirei's face at having finally been acknowledged by the man who had been silent up until now.
The two rivals began speaking with each other.
"The Magus Killer, a machine known as Emiya Kiritsugu," Kirei told the man who stared at him.
"Earned such a title from the Mage's Association years ago after killing several heretic magi. Even before your acknowledgement from the Association you had been on countless missions, walking through the midst of war zones, throwing yourself into the center of conflict, yet you completed each mission and came back alive. Even if you had reached a normal man's breaking point, you continued to consecutively take on jobs and missions, fulfilling your objectives before pulling out of the area and following through with you next mission. Your actions almost seemed suicidal, like you were seeking your own destruction through your deeds."
Kiritsugu was shocked that the priest had seemingly read up on him just like he had read up on Kirei. It seemed outrageous that the two of them had mutual interest in the actions of the other.
"No man would risk himself like that without purpose. When I read about you, how you lived your life, I saw you as a man on a journey. You were trying to find something, were you not?" Kirei asked.
Kiritsugu frowned at his tone, which sounded a bit desperate.
"For years you lived in the midst of chaos and strife, yet nine years ago it all ended. Just like that you abandoned the life you lived to join the Einzberns. Whatever you sought… did you find it? And if so, what was it?"
Kirei's fists clenched harder at Kiritsugu clothes, anticipation getting the better of him.
"Tell me, Emiya Kiritsugu… what did you find nine years ago that made you stop?"
What??
Saber was prepared to meet Assassins assault.
The first strike came from above her, an Assassin was jumping from above trying to pierce her through her nape while she was distracted by the other Assassin.
He failed.
Before he can even touch her, Saber turned around and block the scimitar before repelling the assassin to the ground.Thrown, the assassin right himself on the air when he see Saber swinging her sword toward him.
But, before Saber sword can hit him another assassin move to intercepted Saber. It was a tall slender woman in black loose cloth, she tried to spin kick Saber from the side but she managed to dodge by ducking, in retaliation Saber changed her target into the woman.
With a horizontal swing Saber intent to bifurcated the woman, but her strike will not hit because before the attack hit her the woman twist her body in an impossible 180 degree allowing the sword to pass her stomach before kicking Saber on the chin disorienting her long enough for the woman to jump away.
While disoriented a chain found itself on Saber ankle stealing her attention before she felt herself dragged up into the air and slammed into the ground, while she tried to stand several assassin jumped at her with their dirk ready to pierce her back.
Before the assassins can even get close to her, air is gathering around Saber before erupting into a tornado repelling the airborne assassins away, clutching the chain now in her hand Saber pulled with one hand.
Suddenly the Assassin who is holding the chain was dragged toward Saber before she swing her sword and slash the defenseless assassin into two separate piece.
Standing up, Saber glared towards all the watching Assassins.
"Is that all you've got!!?" Saber shouted towards them prompting another wave of attack from the assassins.
This time three assassins simultaneously assault Saber, all with varying sizes and shaped. One of them is short with stout legs, while the other having an oversized hands, the other one is holding a claw like weapon on his hand.
When the short one arrived near Saber she tried to strike him but he managed to dodge by jumping so she opted to redirect her strike toward the big fisted one. He died instantly, before Saber turned her attention towards the clawed one as she block his strike.
While Saber is blocking the short one jump into her shoulder in his hand a dagger, in panic she kicked the clawed one and reach the short one hand grabbing it before he can stab her.
Saber then proceed to smashed the short one with the clawed one hard, killing them both instantly.
While this happened another group of assassin goes toward Saber.
Seeing a large group suddenly assault her, Saber quickly reacted, horizontally swinging her sword several assassins were killed instantly, but not all.
Those that survive managed to reach Saber before she can swing her sword again, two hand managed to hold her left hand, one managed to hold her left arm, the same can be said to her right side. Several assassins is also hugging Saber chest and waist from the front while one assassins is holding her from the armpit, all of this effectively immobilize her from moving.
Saber suddenly yelp, where the hell are they touching!!? Unfortunately before Saber could speak another assassin make himself known.
In front of her Saber saw an assassin holding a sharp spear ready to pierce her, the Spearman then charged aiming for her head. In a split second she titled her head, the spear merely grazed her cheek but the same could not be said for the assassin behind her.
The spear pierce the assassin behind Saber, the assassin soon go limp letting go of his hold of Saber as he fall down. The Spearman quickly tugged his spear back before stabbing towards Saber again.
But will Saber let herself stabbed? Of course not!
"Get your hands off me!!" Saber shouted towards the assassins immobilizing her.
Once again wind is gathering around Saber before exploding creating a small tornado as a shield, pushing all Assassin around her away. A small pause appear around her as wind is obscuring the vision of everyone allowing her to take a breath.
But one assassin with an abnormally long arm saw a gap around the wind and goes inside with dagger ready in his hand, once he saw Saber he didn't hesitate to attack.
Surprised, Saber a bit too late to react try to dodge, but the unususal length of assassin hand makes her mistakenly judge assassin attack range.
Blood spilled from Saber neck as assassin dagger managed to reach her.
As the tornado calming down, Saber took a few step back from the long hand assassin while clutching her wounded neck before going down on one knee in exhaustion.
"Assassin! You damn hyena!" She cursed towards the assassins.
Breathing hard due to fatigue, Saber remind herself to pace her strength. After all she is far from prime condition after battling Caster.
Checking her wound, she found it is not fatal. Luckily, Saber outstanding stats makes it hard for assassin to keep up with her in pure might alone. But their craftiness managed to put her on the losing end of the battle.
Looking at the warehouse, she noticed how far away the assassin managed to push her.
Anxiously Saber come to the conclusion that she cannot protect Kiritsugu while fighting Assassins here. Shaking her head she tried to contacted him.
'Master, what is your situation?' Saber asked Kiritsugu through their connection, but got no response instead.
Meanwhile one assassin on the back is observing Saber intently, before he gesture with his hand towards Saber. Instantly the other Assassins assault her again. Seeing this situation frustrated her as she cursed.
Damn it, Saber thought.
A/N
A bit busy with work, my paid vacation has ended, expect slower update.
And thank you for everyone who read my fic, your praise and support is very much appreciated.