Chapter 64: Day 11 ⑧

Leaving Shinto, I crossed the bridge and passed through Miyama-cho. Along the way, I continued my journey while conversing with a voice that reached directly into my mind.

After Lancer departed, I sought an explanation from Rin via Mental Link. Her first words in response were:

<—Alto, why do you think Lancer was able to conclude so quickly that there were only four Servants remaining? Even though Rider and Berserker were only eliminated the other day.>

Two questions had been on my mind following my exchange with Lancer: the basis for figuring out that Gilgamesh and Lancer shared the same Master, and the true identity of said Master.

This was her reply to my inquiry. In other words, the fact that Lancer knew the exact number of remaining Servants was the key to identifying his Master.

<Could it be that he was scouting, just as he said...?>

I tried to think it through, but it didn't quite click. My response ended up being a hesitant guess.

However, it wasn't entirely baseless. Lancer’s tone suggested that throughout this Holy Grail War, he had been occupied solely with reconnaissance and information gathering, never engaging in a proper battle. That was likely why he showed a flash of frustration when mentioning how few Servants were left, and why he had immediately challenged me to a duel. I figured that since he had spent his time scouting instead of fighting, his knowledge of the remaining Servants was simply the result of his diligence... but...

<—I can’t deny the possibility. But think a bit deeper. You were able to pinpoint Lancer just now because you detected his presence as a Servant, right? Even if Lancer got close enough to observe a battle inside a castle that’s invisible from the outside, is it possible that you or Lia wouldn't have sensed him at all?>

<You have a point... No, to peer inside that castle from the outside, one would have to get at least as far as the outer walls. At that distance, even I would certainly be able to sense him. While I didn't have the luxury to search for presences after firing my Noble Phantasm, I definitely felt nothing from Lancer before that. Aside from Rider, the only Servants in that vicinity should have been me, Lia, and Berserker.>

<—Actually, I checked with Ilya via Mental Link right after I heard from you. I asked about intruders who crossed the Bounded Field at the forest entrance before or after that battle. The only ones who triggered it were Gilgamesh and us. It seems Rider and Matou entered from the sky on Pegasus, which is why they weren't detected, but Lancer doesn't have a trick like that. Even assuming he slipped in while you were unconscious—after we retreated from the castle—he still wouldn't have been able to confirm Rider’s elimination, let alone Berserker, who used the castle as his base.>

This meant that for Lancer, who lacks a long-range flight Skill, it would be impossible to scout us at the Einzbern Castle and return without being noticed. Therefore, he must have obtained information he couldn't have known from somewhere else.

<—If he had been scouting the Einzberns, the sequence of his story would be strange unless he had some information regarding Gilgamesh’s identity, or at least a hint of his existence. Knowing that Ilya and Matou were acting with us, if the status of the Servants defeated by Rider or Berserker was uncertain, his natural move would be to confirm that. If he didn't, it means he already knew who defeated Rider and Berserker. But Lancer himself has no way of knowing that. He never approached the Einzbern forest. Information regarding Gilgamesh and the classes of the fallen Servants is something only the humans and Servants who fought at that castle could know.>

<If it wasn't one of us, the only one left is...>

<—Exactly. Aside from us, the only person who knows what happened at the Einzbern Castle is the perpetrator himself, Gilgamesh.>

<So, Lancer is connected to Gilgamesh through his Master?>

<—The probability is high. And in this land, the two most likely people capable of maintaining Gilgamesh—a Servant from the previous War—are Matou or Kotomine. While Sakura, Emiya-kun, or I might technically fit the criteria, I’ll exclude us for now. It’s hard to believe Matou would command Lancer and Gilgamesh alongside Rider without Matou-kun noticing either of them. Even if he isn't a Magus, he was technically Rider's Master. That leaves only one person.>

I swallowed hard, my throat making an audible sound.

<...Kotomine. Kotomine Kirei.>

<—The Church, which oversees the Holy Grail War, possesses Mystic Codes capable of detecting the presence of Servants. That would also explain why Lancer was so fixated on Archer, who should have existed but couldn't be seen. Unless there’s an interloper like Emiya-kun, I’ve already confirmed the Magus staying in Fuyuki beforehand. To hide for over ten days without leaving a trail is impossible without being more familiar with the geography than us, or unless there was an assumption that he couldn't possibly be a Master. ...If Kotomine Kirei is the Master, almost all the inconsistencies vanish.>

"It’s a bit of a stretch based on conjecture, but based on Lancer's final answer, it doesn't seem like I was wrong," Rin continued.

<—I don't know what triggered it, but Kirei seemed desperate for information on the 'Shadow.' Desperate enough to risk exposing his identity to us. If we had phrased our questions slightly differently, he probably would have dodged them successfully.>

Conversely, this meant that even Kotomine—who served as the Overseer and had been conducting his own reconnaissance—had failed to grasp the nature of that Black Shadow.

...No, it would be premature to assume that. He likely approached us because he sensed something was wrong, and there’s a high possibility he knows something we don't.

<How much do you think Kotomine knows about the Black Shadow...?>

<—I can’t say for sure, but he might have known about the Shadow’s emergence even before he asked you, Alto. He gave a harmless reason about the Servants being few, but it’s hard to believe he’d rely on us—who might not have even encountered the Shadow—just to get info. No... if Kirei already knew what the Shadow was before it appeared, he might have just needed to cross-reference his information with ours to confirm they were the same thing. Either way, Kotomine likely knows what the Black Shadow is. His understanding of it is probably deeper than ours. Perhaps he just hadn't grasped its specific abilities—or maybe he knew it could appear, but didn't know the conditions for its manifestation.>

For Kotomine, who had been moving in the shadows, the 'Black Shadow' was clearly more important than keeping his identity secret. There are only a few reasons why he would give up his overwhelming advantage against us—who could be considered his only remaining enemies in the War.

Perhaps he needs to track the Shadow’s movements to win the Holy Grail War. That is, the possibility that the Shadow itself is a requirement for obtaining the Grail. Or perhaps, instead of the Grail, his original intent was to use the Black Shadow to achieve his goals. The possibility that the Shadow was Kotomine’s objective from the very beginning.

If he were to weigh the "Omnipotent Wish-Granter" against the Black Shadow and tip toward the latter, it would likely fall into one of those two categories.

<In the first place, what is Kotomine seeking in this Holy Grail War? From his perspective, it would have been undoubtedly more advantageous to remain hidden to win.>

If he had managed things this far, couldn't he have finished everything while keeping his identity concealed? If he couldn't, the most likely reason would be a time constraint...

Either way, Kotomine's psyche is a total enigma. What does he want? How do those hollow eyes reflect this world? And why do I feel such an indescribable loathing for him?

<—For now, just come back after you've finished your errand. Regardless of the path he’s taking, trying to deduce his motives with common sense is just a waste of time and effort.>

<Understood. I’ve finished scouting the Shinto area, so I’m heading to the Einzbern Castle now.>

<—Right. Be careful.>

I ended the Mental Link and began to run.

As I headed toward the outskirts, the presence of people vanished. By the time I left the shopping district and reached the area near Rin's house, there were virtually no pedestrians or cars. Taking advantage of the lack of eyes, I lengthened my stride. Since there were fewer people here compared to Shinto, it should be fine.

I stepped down and kicked off the ground. My body leaped as if leaving the scenery behind. Running in an open space like this made the high physical specs of my Saber-class body easy to understand.

Tap, tap, tap. As I ran rhythmically, my speed soon became considerable. Specifically, I could easily cover a hundred meters in less than ten seconds. Even if I wasn't at full power yet, it wouldn't be good to be seen. Whenever I sensed a human presence approaching, I applied the brakes and returned to a jogging pace. Passersby looked at me—a girl jogging in a blouse and skirt—with curiosity, but they seemed distracted and didn't find it strange enough to stop, passing by without further thought.

Repeating this process, I reached the entrance of the Einzbern forest in no time. Judging by the angle of the sun, it was probably around 4:00 PM. I couldn't afford to waste time, so I manifested Excalibur and entered the forest, maintaining a minimum level of alertness.

Many trees at the forest entrance were still intact, but as I moved further in, those that would have been standing before were ruthlessly leveled. It had only been a day; the scene remained unchanged. The scars were fresh.

Berserker and Gilgamesh must have fought around here. I still couldn't see the castle from this spot. And yet, had he managed to retreat all the way to the castle while protecting Ilya across such a distance? I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe for Berserker. Using a Servant’s physical abilities, it’s a journey of about fifteen minutes, but it’s an incredibly long distance to retreat while protecting a Master against Gilgamesh.

Using the fallen trees as platforms, I leaped from one to another. A little further, and through the clearing, the misty castle appeared. The path, now cleared of obstacles, shortened the time needed to reach it.

The first thing I did upon reaching the castle was search for presences.

Gilgamesh lacks a presence as a Servant, but his overwhelming aura resulting from his Charisma is so far removed from that of a normal person that detecting his presence as a living being isn't difficult.

...Even as I advanced with caution, I felt no sign of a Servant or a human near the castle. Without lowering my guard, I suppressed my presence as much as possible and entered.

From the outside, the castle was marred by holes and gashes, but the interior was even worse. Simply put, it was a ruin. I hadn't had the luxury to notice my surroundings during yesterday's battle, but looking around calmly now that my condition had recovered, the devastation was striking. The stairs had collapsed, and wall materials lay like corpses everywhere. There were no voices, not even a sound, save for the wind blowing in, making a noise like a scream. As I walked through, my footsteps echoed hollowly.

It was suffocating. The Mana in the area had been ravaged by yesterday's battle, and the density of prana in the atmosphere remained thin. While it’s hard to say for sure after only a day, the Leylines might have also sustained damage. —At the very least, right now, this castle was dead.

Silently, I found the hidden door next to the central staircase that I had been told about. Peering inside, there were no lights; the light from outside was just enough to show that it led to a staircase.

I closed the door and stood still. Waiting for my eyes to adjust to the darkness, I applied Reinforcement to my vision with Prana. Then, I stirred my Magic Circuits to generate energy.

Whoosh. A faint light of Ether overflowed from within my body, dimly illuminating the surroundings. It wasn't quite a "burst," so perhaps it was just a low-level Mana Burst. It was a secondary effect, but it allowed me to see my immediate surroundings even if I couldn't see far.

Clack, clack. The sound of my footsteps echoed on the stairs leading to the basement.

Ilya had said her attendants were taking refuge in the wine cellar ahead, but being underground, it was quite cold. It certainly wasn't a comfortable space for a human to stay in. It would be best to take them back as soon as possible. If I took too long, I’d be late getting back to the Emiya household. Even when I arrived at the castle, the sky was already turning orange.

I moved to increase my pace slightly, but then stopped.

Nothing had been wrong while I was descending the stairs—but the moment I reached the bottom, a sense of dissonance hit my senses. What reached my ears was the sound of something collapsing and the whistling of wind.

Reflexively, I swung the Excalibur I held in both hands to strike back at whatever was coming toward me. What I caught in my sight as it closed in was an "axe blade," but... the handle was far too long. A halberd, perhaps?

The moment I ran a Structural Analysis upon visual confirmation, it collided with Excalibur.

It was a shock I hadn't expected. I only realized I had miscalculated after the clash. Even though it was a split-second counterattack, this blow—reinforced with Prana—caused both of us to be repelled.

Clang! A heavy sound vibrated through my core via the sword. Excalibur vibrated in my hands. The mass of the weapon was incomparable to mine. Even assuming it was being used with Reinforcement, it was absurdly heavy. That weapon was something that—even among Servants—only Berserker, or myself and Lia under the condition of sufficient Prana supply, could possibly wield.

And yet, the opponent swung this, boasting a level of physical strength capable of clashing with a Servant. Furthermore, I hadn't been able to detect their presence until the very last second. For a human, their presence was far too faint. Regardless, it was a feat no ordinary human could achieve.

While I hesitated to make the next move, the halberd swung again. In this narrow passage, the long-handled weapon was blocked by the wall before it could reach me.

—However, gouging out the wall as it went, the second strike came at me. An absurd strength reminiscent of Berserker.

"Hah!"

In response, instead of the continuous Reinforcement I used for the first strike, I used a maximum output via Mana Burst. Supported by a full supply of Prana, I unleashed an all-out strike from a stance identical to Saber's.

————The halberd, multiplied by its extraordinary mass and terrifying strength, had its power completely neutralized by the collision with my strike.

Victory naturally went to Excalibur, and my still-unseen opponent, unable to kill the momentum of the impact, was blown away. They slammed into the wall behind them, and the sound of them falling to their knees echoed through the narrow passage.

A halberd that had lost some of its power to the walls was no match for a direct hit from Excalibur. This time, the advantage of the location was mine. If we had fought in a wide space like the Great Hall, we would have traded several more blows.

The opponent immediately tried to stand up and take a stance to resume combat, but I dismissed the Excalibur in my hand and waved to show I was unarmed. I no longer had any intention of fighting. From that single exchange, I had figured out exactly who my opponent was.

"Wait. I am the Archer Servant asked by Illya to come and fetch her two attendants. I don't know if you are Sella or Leysritt, but you are Illya's attendant, right?"

The figure of the opponent, illuminated by the light of my Mana Burst, was a woman in a white maid uniform from head to toe. Surprisingly, the one wielding that monstrous halberd was a woman. No, judging by her presence and the feel of her skin, she might not even be human.

"…Illya? Safe?"

"Yes. She is currently under protection at the residence of Shirou—Saber's Master."

"Understood. I'll go call Sella."

After speaking briefly, her presence smoothly receded and could no longer be felt. Since she said she was going to get Sella, the one I just fought must be Leysritt.

Once I could no longer see her, I exhaled involuntarily. …Between that faint presence and that monstrous strength, it would have been dangerous if I hadn't been on guard and hadn't manifested Excalibur.

If I had faced her unarmed and blocked with something like Kanshou and Bakuya projected on the fly, I might have been crushed along with my defense by that weight. It was lucky that I was alert because of Gilgamesh. A being who could rival a Servant in physical ability was, as expected, unforeseen.

As I stood in the hallway, the woman called Sella appeared with a lamp in one hand, wearing the same pure white maid uniform as Leysritt.

From what I gathered, it seemed Sella had been contacted by Ilya via Mental Link. However, while they might have recognized Berserker, they had no way to confirm an unknown Servant, so they had no choice but to intercept any intruder.

The idea of "intercepting" a Servant seemed reckless, but that thought vanished when I remembered the blow from earlier. While defeating one would be difficult, she could certainly hold her own in a fight. That was how much of an outlier Leysritt’s weapon and strength were.

Tohsaka aside, Shirou would have likely been killed instantly by that first strike.

Relieved that it hadn't been Shirou, I felt a cold chill run down my spine even as a wry smile formed on my lips.