Fate: Hero of Justice Takeover

Kirei Kotomine fled back to the Holy Church.

His left abdomen was continuously bleeding due to the corrosion of the imaginary number particles.

However, he dared not treat it; to be precise, he dared not use magic for healing.

If his magical aura were to be exposed... that young man might find him.

The fierce figure of Sakatsuki flashed through his mind, and a surge of regret filled Kirei's heart.

He never expected that Sakatsuki would harbour such a strong desire to kill him, to the point of abandoning the almost-gunned-down Kiritsugu Emiya just to target him. It was a huge mistake.

But why?

Even though he had sacrificed Assassin to cover his retreat, Kirei still couldn't relax. He rushed back to the protected church at the fastest speed, leaving a trail of blood along the way. By the time he reached the church, he was so weak that even his vision had started to double.

"Kirei? What happened?"

A familiar yet blurry voice reached his ears. The executor, having lost too much blood, collapsed to the ground and lost consciousness.

In that brief moment before passing out, he felt something within him snap.

It was the contract.

***

After a brief commotion, the Holy Church once again fell into silence.

Kirei Kotomine walked down the quiet corridor, his eyes blank as he pondered something.

The wound at his waist had completely healed. His mentor, Tokiomi Tohsaka, used a precious gem from his collection to heal the wound and eliminate the deficit caused by the imaginary number particles. Kirei Kotomine was now in peak condition, without a doubt.

However, from the perspective of the Holy Grail, the master named Kirei Kotomine was in a dangerous situation.

Just earlier, with the joint confirmation from the overseer of the Holy Church, Kirei's mentor, and the Tohsaka family's successor, Tokiomi Tohsaka, they had to face a painful truth—the core of their earlier plans, the intelligence network led by Assassin, had just been confirmed to be destroyed.

The killer was the master, Sakatsuki.

The so-called Holy Grail War was essentially a battle of intelligence before the final showdown. Assassin's loss was a devastating blow for Tokiomi Tohsaka, meaning he had lost his greatest advantage and would have to rely on basic familiars to gather intelligence, significantly reducing efficiency.

Despite this, the elegantly dressed Tokiomi did not direct his anger at anyone. He didn't even blame Kirei for his rash actions. After a brief lapse in composure, he buried the bad news in his heart and instead comforted the "despondent" Kirei, kindly suggesting that he return to his room to rest.

Such grace was a testament to the Tohsaka family's principle of "always maintain elegance."

If anyone else had been in Kirei's position, they would have been overcome with shame and gratitude, completely captivated by the man's charm, ready to risk anything for him.

But Kirei Kotomine was not that kind of person. The concern from Tokiomi was not genuine in his eyes; his heart was as still as dead water, unaffected.

The priest in his robes stopped walking.

No, there was indeed something.

At that moment, something had stirred within him.

But... it was when his mentor lost all semblance of grace upon hearing of Assassin's death.

At that moment, Kirei realized his almost instinctive desire.

He wanted to savour that troubled expression, to enjoy... the pain of others.

"!!!"

Reason finally returned, and upon realizing his thoughts, Kirei's first reaction was not to accept them, but to bury them deep inside his heart, where even his memories couldn't reach.

"Lord..."

He instinctively recited the Bible, but his prayer felt as hollow as the wind passing through the corridor.

Nevertheless, with the help of the Lord, Kirei once again avoided confronting his true nature.

After the emptiness in his heart faded slightly, he suppressed his thoughts and sighed, pushing open the door to his room.

Immediately, Kirei felt an unnatural sense, as though he had accidentally entered someone else's room.

It wasn't the smell or the temperature that felt different, but the atmosphere. The room, once plain, now had a luxurious, regal air, almost like a palace.

Of course, the furniture and lighting hadn't changed; it was simply because a man was lazily lounging on the long couch.

"...Archer?"

A golden-haired heroic spirit, dressed in a fur-trimmed enamel coat and modern leather pants, holding a highball glass, gave Kirei a secretive smile.

Like a serpent, lying in Eden, flicking its tongue.

***

With blazing golden hair and ruby-red eyes, the man was none other than Tokiomi Tohsaka's servant—Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes.

Since his summoning, this heroic spirit had been freely roaming, enjoying his independent action skill. Recently, he had even become bolder, manifesting physically and casually strolling through the streets in "leisure wear." Kirei had heard Tokiomi complain about this, but he never expected Gilgamesh to show up in his room.

Archer showed no concern about intruding into someone else's room, even helping himself to red wine from the cabinet, elegantly tasting it.

"Though it's not much, this place has a better selection than Tokiomi's wine cellar. What a terrible disciple."

He remarked.

"..."

Kirei couldn't determine Archer's intentions. The table was filled with wine bottles, and it seemed like he had brought out all the alcohol in the room, apparently indulging in tasting it.

It might seem surprising to others. Kirei had a peculiar habit of buying top-tier wines whenever he heard about them, no matter the cost.

Wine, being a field where quality equates to endless depth, was something Kirei believed might somehow fill the void within him. He had even half-seriously thought that drowning himself in alcohol might be an option.

However, so far, his exploration of wines had yielded no results other than accumulating expensive wine bottles. Of course, he never intended to share them with guests—let alone an uninvited one. Even if the other person praised his collection, Kirei wouldn't want to entertain someone like that.

"What exactly is your purpose here?"

Kirei asked, trying to keep his composure.

"Nothing. I'm just interested in you."

Archer said, peering through his wine glass, his eyes filled with hidden meaning.

"So? Are you dissatisfied with always following Tokiomi and still unable to find satisfaction for your soul?"

"..."

Kirei didn't answer Archer's question. Instead, he coldly asked.

"Are you dissatisfied with the contract? Gilgamesh?"

Even though Archer was a legendary King, Kirei felt no fear. No matter how Tokiomi felt about him, a servant was still a servant. No matter who this heroic spirit was, as long as he remained Archer, he was merely a servant beneath Tokiomi, of equal standing to Kirei as his direct disciple. There was no need to be overly humble before him.

Kirei's attitude didn't offend Archer; he merely snorted and tasted his wine.

"To summon me was Tokiomi's decision, and my presence in this world is maintained thanks to his sustenance. More importantly, he shows me the proper respect. It's not impossible for me to respond to him."

After stating this surprisingly polite statement, Archer's abnormal blood-red eyes showed a look of disgust.

"To be honest, I didn't expect him to be such a boring person. There's nothing interesting about him."

"..."

Kirei was truly surprised. The anger he felt toward Archer's attitude and his suspicion about his visitor's intentions gradually faded. In this strange, relaxed atmosphere, Kirei almost allowed Archer to occupy a space in the room.

And so, they began to converse.

Starting with Kirei's mentor, Tokiomi Tohsaka, they swirled their wine glasses and discussed the Holy Grail, magicians, the Holy Church... Eventually, they even touched on topics like the "Root" and the inner workings of the world.

It wasn't just that. Watching Archer, who declared "I am satisfied as long as I enjoy this vast universe that belongs to my garden," Kirei sensed something like fate drawing closer.

In the past, Archer had numerous opportunities to enter this room and converse with him, but this heroic king had never done so.

So why, at this moment, when Tokiomi had used a command spell to control his actions, did this ancient King of Heroes approach him?

"I'm just interested in you."

Archer repeated as if sensing Kirei's doubts, finishing his glass of wine. Then, seemingly casually, he asked.

"Kirei, what about you? What wish do you have for the Holy Grail?"

Upon hearing Archer's question, Kirei found himself unsure of how to answer.

"I..."

Yes, that was the biggest question. Why had the Holy Mark appeared on Kirei Kotomine's right hand?

"I... don't have any particular wish."

Kirei answered, his voice filled with confusion. Archer's red eyes glimmered with an eerie light.

"This is impossible. The Holy Grail only gathers those worthy of it, doesn't it?"

"That should be the case... But... I don't understand. I have no ideals to achieve, no desires that should be fulfilled. Why was I chosen to participate in this war?"

"Is such a question really so difficult?"

Archer chuckled softly, almost mocking Kirei's stiff expression.

"If you have neither ideals nor desires, then shouldn't you just pursue pleasure?"

"That's not possible!"

Kirei's tone instinctively became agitated.

"You mean I, who serve God, should pursue pleasure—indulge in such a sinful, corrupted behavior?"

Kirei exclaimed.

***

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