Fate: Hero of Justice Takeover

"This is really too much, Kirei. Why would you equate pleasure with sin?"

"Because the pleasure gained from doing evil is indeed a form of sin, but doing good can also bring joy. Why then should we claim that pleasure itself is evil?"

"So-called pleasure is, in other words, a form of the soul's spirit. When discussing pleasure, it's not about 'having' or 'not having', but about 'knowing' or 'not knowing'. Kirei, you still don't understand your own spiritual world. You say there's no pleasure in your heart, but that's precisely it."

"Anyway, first, you should learn what entertainment is."

"Don't say that. This task can be done during your leisure time while you're carrying out the work assigned by Tokiomi. Kirei, your duty is to track the other five Masters, isn't it? Not only investigate their intentions or strategies, but you should also find out their motives and tell me about them. This should be simple enough, right?"

"I know you've lost Assassin—do you think the person standing before you right now is who?"

"I have treasures in my vault!"

"Didn't I just say? I enjoy the entanglements of human emotions. Right now, someone is trying to defy fate and even relying on miracles just to fulfil their persistent desires. Among them, there will surely be one or two interesting individuals. At least they should be more interesting than Tokiomi, right?"

"In the future, I'll still come by to enjoy your good wine. Although it's not the finest, it's a decent vintage, and it's a pity to let it sour in a monk's wine cabinet."

After Archer left, the light in the room faded, and the atmosphere in Kirei's room returned to its usual dullness.

Kirei, with a calm expression, sat on the sofa, gazing at several small objects on the table resembling eyeballs.

These were the treasures Gilgamesh had given him. Though they were inferior to Assassin's abilities, they were much more discreet than ordinary familiars and would certainly fulfil Archer's request.

Upon further reflection, those participating in the Holy Grail War—whether Masters or Servants—were all individuals desperately trying to achieve their long-held wishes. But this hero king, who marched to the beat of his own drum, wasn't participating in the Holy Grail War for the sake of the Grail. He merely disliked seeing others fight for treasures behind his back, which was why he joined the fray.

Among the Servants in Fuyuki City, there was probably no one with a more indifferent reason for participating in the war than Gilgamesh. In this respect, Kirei and he were quite similar—Kirei himself didn't understand why he was taking part in the Holy Grail War, and there might not be anyone else who shared his sentiment.

No, there must be a reason for Kirei's participation; otherwise, it wouldn't explain why he was the second to obtain a Command Spell, after Tokiomi Tohsaka. Perhaps deep inside, unbeknownst to Kirei himself, he also yearned for the miracle of the Holy Grail.

But what he sought was definitely not the "pleasure" Archer mentioned—no, absolutely not!

Kirei began to tidy up the table, his thoughts drifting.

The true answer wasn't something Archer knew—it must lie elsewhere.

Kiritsugu Emiya. That man was closer than anyone to the answer Kirei was searching for. Kirei couldn't help but think, just like when he spoke to Archer earlier, what if he could have an exchange with that man?

Of course, their positions were entirely different. Their relationship would not be one of conversation but one of bullets and blades. But that didn't matter—Kirei merely wanted to understand Kiritsugu, and a life-or-death battle would reveal his true heart more clearly than any words.

And there was also... Kirei's hand paused as he cleaned up the table.

The young man who had been relentlessly pursuing him from the start—Sakatsuki.

Where did his murderous intent come from? What was it about Kirei that attracted him?

Somehow, Kirei felt that understanding the will of either one of them would bring him closer to understanding his own nature.

As for survival or destruction, that would be something to consider after finding the answer.

***

The next morning, Kariya Matou's residence.

After a night that left them mentally exhausted, Sakatsuki and Miyu woke up together in the same bed.

Sakatsuki sat up, stretched, scratched his tousled hair, and turned to sit on the bed's edge to put on his slippers.

—These movements were completely in sync with Miyu.

She wore white child's slippers with bunny ears, which made adorable sounds as she walked—these were Sakura's keepsakes.

The two moved in perfect harmony as they crossed the living room, which was scattered with books and snacks, and walked into the bathroom.

Once in the bathroom, Sakatsuki skillfully used his foot to pull out a small stool from under the sink. He then passed his arms under Miyu's armpits, lifting her up and placing her on the stool so she could reach the mirror.

He filled two cups with water, applied toothpaste to two toothbrushes—one large and one small—and handed the child-sized toothbrush to Miyu. The two then began brushing their teeth in sync.

"Brush up and down, gargle, gargle, gargle..."

"I know, Onii-chan!"

From the mirror, the sight would be a harmonious one; two lazy individuals with sleep still in their eyes, diligently getting ready.

Next, Sakatsuki used warm water to wring out a small towel and placed it on Miyu's face. She obediently stretched out her little hand and began wiping it herself.

During this time, Sakatsuki also finished his own routine. When they both looked up at each other, their eyes met.

In unison, they extended their hands—

"Rock, paper, scissors."

They played the age-old game to settle disputes, and the result was Miyu maintained her champion status. Sakatsuki withdrew his hand, and Miyu, with a victorious smile, lifted her chin proudly and declared her win.

"Fresh milk pancakes, honey-roasted banana yoghurt, and..."

"Sushi, sushi. By the way, I bought salmon yesterday. Let's make teriyaki salmon, Sakatsuki."

Just as they were speaking, the bathroom door opened, and in came a pair of synchronized figures—Kariya, squinting, and Sakura, looking like she hadn't slept well either.

Their conversation was interrupted, and Miyu pouted in displeasure. However, her body was gently lifted as Sakatsuki carried her out of the bathroom.

"You wanted yuzu tea, right? I'll make it for you. I'll make everything for you."

Sakatsuki teased, gently tapping Miyu's nose. He then turned and headed for the kitchen.

"Let's go, we still have things to do later."

"Don't forget the teriyaki salmon!"

"Go away!"

***

After enjoying a delicious breakfast, Kariya and Sakura went off to attend to their own matters. Meanwhile, Miyu and Sakatsuki descended the stairs and entered the basement, which was protected by several layers of magical barriers.

They pushed open the door to reveal figures of various appearances, all bound by magical energy and wearing skull masks, heads bowed as though still unconscious—looking like a human trafficking den.

[Fate Compendium Updated.]

[016: Hassan of the Hundred Faces (Assassin)]

[Character information: One of the nineteen Hassan's of the Assassin Sect. Assassin, as a class, is used to summon Hassan as a catalyst. Therefore, when summoned using the standard procedure, Hassan-i-Sabbah will appear.]

[Hidden information: Although Hassan-i-Sabbah is guaranteed to appear when summoned through the proper procedure, there are other, unorthodox methods of summoning, like the one used in the Fifth Holy Grail War when Caster summoned Assassin, or others like Scáthach, Heroine X, and Assassin Emiya...]

[Record conditions (2/2)]:

[•Find the assassin under Presence Concealment. (Completed)]

[•Defeat, kill, or capture Hassan-i-Sabbah. (Completed)]

[Condition 1 Reward: Presence Concealment.]

[Condition 2 Reward: Initial @幽#￥%!]

***

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