Fate: Question And Answer System of Traversing Heroic Spirits

"Found it."

At that same moment, on the rooftop of a tall building in the distance, Emiya Kiritsugu adjusted his scope, aiming directly at Waver.

Though he couldn't be certain if Waver was also using a decoy like Kayneth, he wasn't about to let such a good opportunity slip by.

Bang!

A flash of fire burst from the muzzle, and the sniper bullet shot straight toward Waver's head.

Clang.

Suddenly, silver liquid emerged from Waver's body, intercepting the bullet in mid-air.

It was the Marrow of the Moon Spirit .

Seeing this, Emiya Kiritsugu furrowed his brows, confused.

How does Waver have access to the Volumen Hydrargyrum? Did Kayneth create multiple versions of it?

"So close…"

Waver looked at the bullet on the ground with a sense of lingering fear. The silver liquid around him pooled together, taking the form of a mercury maid-like doll.

This wasn't Kayneth's Marrow of the Moon Sprit, but an autonomous doll that Waver had received from the golden treasure chest as a reward from a previous question-and-answer session. The doll was advanced enough that, in the future, it would even develop its own personality.

When Waver first received this doll, it had scared him out of his wits. After all, she had introduced herself as the T-1000, claiming to be a "terminator" sent from the future. It wasn't until El-Melloi II arrived that he managed to clear up the misunderstanding.

Whoosh.

The shot hadn't gone unnoticed. Brynhildr had tracked down Kiritsugu's location, immediately giving chase.

Naturally, Kiritsugu decided to retreat at once. He'd considered firing another shot but ultimately thought better of it. With the mercury maid protecting Waver, his regular bullets were ineffective, and his Origin Bullets couldn't be used for long-range sniping anyway.

Meanwhile, back on the battlefield, Brynhildr's pursuit of Kiritsugu helped relieve some of the pressure on Heroic Spirit Kiritsugu.

With his agility and sharp instincts, he continued dodging the combined attacks of Diarmuid and El-Melloi II.

"By the Command Spell—kill him immediately," Kayneth's voice commanded, fueling Diarmuid with the power of the Command Spell.

Today, Kayneth was determined to put an end to Heroic Spirit Kiritsugu. Although the earlier ambush had only struck his decoy, it felt as though he himself had been targeted. And that was an insult Kayneth could not forgive.

He cursed the origin of Emiya Kiritsugu's Origin Bullets, convinced that without such a weapon, the so-called Magus Killer would be no match for him.

Diarmuid's strength and speed surged with the Command Spell's enhancement. His twin spears struck like a violent storm, attempting to overwhelm his target completely.

But Heroic Spirit Kiritsugu rarely engaged in direct combat. He used Diarmuid's aggressive assault as a distraction, gradually retreating from the battlefield.

It was clearly a sign of withdrawal.

Diarmuid, unwilling to let him escape, threw his crimson spear, Gáe Dearg, directly at Kiritsugu's fleeing form.

Heroic Spirit Kiritsugu responded by firing a bullet at the oncoming spear, attempting to deflect it. But as expected, the bullet was simply repelled by Gáe Dearg.

Thud.

The spear's magic-breaking properties pierced Heroic Spirit Kiritsugu's armor, wounding his left shoulder.

Yet despite the injury, Heroic Spirit Kiritsugu didn't panic. In fact, he appeared unfazed, as if he'd anticipated this.

Diarmuid sensed something amiss, but before he could react, a sharp pain erupted in his chest. Looking down, he was shocked to find a bullet wound that hadn't been there moments before.

He couldn't understand it. He'd clearly seen the previous bullet deflected. How could it have hit him now?

Diarmuid's spiritual core began to fracture, the telltale sign of the Origin Bullet's devastating effects.

This bullet wasn't an ordinary one. The Origin Bullet held a unique power—capable of disrupting not just magical circuits, but the very essence of a Heroic Spirit's spiritual foundation.

"How… did you do it?"

Diarmuid fell to his knees, staring up at Heroic Spirit Kiritsugu in bewilderment. But Kiritsugu offered no explanation, merely turning away and retreating into the shadows.

As Diarmuid faded back into the Throne of Heroes, he felt an ache of regret. He hadn't even had the chance to duel Artoria as he'd longed to.

Watching this unfold, El-Melloi II felt a sharp pang of frustration.

He didn't fully understand what Heroic Spirit Kiritsugu had done, but he suspected it involved an item or ability Kiritsugu or Emiya had obtained from a treasure chest.

And he was right. Heroic Spirit Kiritsugu had used a specialized artifact—Magic Item: Fragarach.

Emiya Kiritsugu had acquired this item from a bronze treasure chest. Fragarach had a unique ability: the power to reverse cause and effect. However, it was tricky to activate, only working when both parties attacked at the same time, and Kiritsugu's attack was timed as the last.

Fragarach's ability allowed him to make his attack retroactively occur before Diarmuid's, bypassing the interference from Gáe Dearg. His bullet reached Diarmuid first, unimpeded, inflicting a fatal wound.

This had been Heroic Spirit Kiritsugu's strategy all along. Knowing that Diarmuid's spear would disrupt any magical defense, he'd used Fragarach's reversal effect to catch Diarmuid off guard.

It all happened so quickly, leaving El-Melloi II stunned. Even Kayneth, watching from a distance, was left speechless.

His Servant… was simply gone.

What… just happened?

---

Meanwhile, on the mountain road outside Fuyuki City…

"Tell me, King of Knights, where did you get that motorcycle?"

Artoria and Iskandar had been racing through the streets. Due to vehicle issues, Iskandar had been struggling to keep up with Artoria, much to his frustration.

I'm the Rider, he thought irritably. I shouldn't be losing just because of a car problem.

"Don't even think about it. You can't get one of these," Artoria replied coolly, effectively dashing his hopes.

"Hahaha, so cruel!" Iskandar laughed. "Still, since you led me all the way out here, I suppose it's time to settle things."

He wasn't a fool—he'd realized that Artoria had been drawing him away from the others. But, eager for a proper battle with her, he'd followed willingly.

Artoria shifted back into her battle attire, raising her sword. "As you wish, King of Conquerors."

"Excellent."

Iskandar raised his hand, summoning his Ionioi Hetairoi, the vast desert where his loyal army gathered behind him, ready for battle.

"Come, King of Knights! Show me your true power!" Iskandar shouted as he mounted his warhorse.

"I understand."

Artoria took a deep breath, preparing to unleash her Noble Phantasm. She knew her chances were slim—Excalibur alone might not be enough to cut down Iskandar's entire army.

But if there was even the slightest chance…

---

Back in Fuyuki, trouble was brewing for Waver once again.

As he attempted to regroup, an unexpected threat emerged—Lancelot, wielding a blue-flamed Gatling gun, suddenly appeared, launching a furious assault.

Waver narrowly avoided death thanks to his Mercury Maid's protection, but the relentless attack left him scrambling for cover.

El-Melloi II stepped in to assist, but even he struggled to hold off Lancelot's frenzied barrage. His Unreturning Formation was shattered, leaving them both vulnerable.

Neither of them understood why Lancelot had chosen to target them so suddenly.

Left with no choice, Waver sent a desperate plea for help to Iskandar.

"What?!"

Iskandar's face darkened upon receiving the message. He raised his hand, halting his army's advance.

"What's going on?" Artoria asked, puzzled by his abrupt change.

"Today's battle is over," Iskandar announced, dispersing his soldiers and summoning his chariot. Without another word, he sped off in the direction of Waver's distress signal.

Artoria stood there, stunned. She had been prepared to risk everything, but the fight had ended before it even began.

The entire battle had lasted only a few minutes. She hadn't even unleashed a proper attack.

"What… was that?" she murmured, bewildered.

As Iskandar arrived, Lancelot abruptly ceased his attack, retreating with surprising speed.

Waver, equally baffled, struggled to comprehend what was happening. It was as though Lancelot had received orders to withdraw.

Iskandar glanced around, confusion written across his face. "Are you alright, little master?"

"Uh… where did the enemy go?"

Watching all this unfold, El-Melloi II found a quiet corner and lit a cigarette, exhaling a cloud of smoke as he stared into the night.

Just… what is going on tonight?

***

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