Type-Moon: My Destiny Guide

This separation was completely different from the ending he had hoped for—or so he had thought back then. Hadn't Kirei already realized what he was seeking by lying beside that terminally ill woman?

I hope to make this woman even more...

I want to see her in an even more... [unclear] way—

At that moment, just like now, Kirei Kotomine once again felt the same frantic and bewildered feeling he had three years ago.

At least let him experience the most extreme things before his father dies.

"The soul seeks pleasure, just as a wild animal is drawn to the scent of blood—"

His ruby-like eyes held a wicked smile as he whispered something to him.

"Now, you should be able to give me your answer, right? About that matter."

Kirei Kotomine knew what he was talking about. It was a "recreation" he was asked to participate in on the night of loss, which was to satisfy his bored curiosity about the motivations of each Master in their pursuit of the Holy Grail. For this, the King of Heroes generously gave him his treasured Noble Phantasm.

One of them was placed in the church by Kirei Kotomine, revealing that Sakugetsu had stolen the Spirit Disc. The rest were indeed released by Kirei for surveillance, and some results were achieved.

But what's the point of saying this now?

With a feeling akin to escapism, Kirei, behind the iron bars, finally opened his mouth and began to speak slowly.

He spoke of Masters who pursued victory for the honor of a magus, Masters who were once like his teacher but now seemed to have a new understanding, Masters who were mysterious and unpredictable and harbored murderous intent towards him, and Masters who, unable to find out the whereabouts of Master Kiritsugu Emiya, used lies to cover it up, and then went on to speak of Master Kariya Matou.

"A self-taught magician is taking on a crazed Servant. They initially seemed to be forming an alliance, but recently it seems they've drawn a line. Moreover, he appears to have a past connection with Tokiomi's wife, Aoi, and he's now taking in both of Tohsaka-sensei's daughters..."

Suddenly, he spoke, interrupting Kirei's narration.

"Now, Kirei, let's consider a hypothetical situation—if a miracle occurs and by sheer luck, and the Master actually survives to the end, can you imagine what would happen then?"

Assuming. If it's just fiction and imagination...

If the Master were to defeat everyone and even obtain the Holy Grail, what would Kariya have to face then?

Needless to say, he had to confront his own dark side. He was brandishing the banner of justice to reclaim his daughter from Aoi, yet he also had to take her husband away—a major contradiction. Kariya didn't realize this contradiction within himself… no, he deliberately ignored it. This also meant he was deceiving himself, concealing his jealousy and base desires.

Standing atop the blood-stained peak of victory, Matou Kariya will be forced to confront the ugliest side of his own heart.

Seeing Kirei's thoughtful face, he smiled knowingly.

"Kirei, you should have realized by now what the real meaning of this issue is, right?"

What did you say? "

"If you were asked the same question by any other Master, you would quickly realize that the question is meaningless and a complete waste of time. But you didn't realize that about Kariya. You abandoned your usual precise thinking and indulged in pointless fantasies. You forgot how meaningless this matter was, and you didn't feel bitter even if it was futile. This is what is called 'interest'."

He spread his arms, but his face still showed no warmth. Instead, he radiated the pure joy of a child observing an anthill.

“Celebrate, Kirei, your relentless pilgrimage is finally coming to an end—you finally understand what ‘entertainment’ is.”

Trembling as if struck by lightning, Kirei Kotomine's mind went blank, yet something seemed to rise to the surface in that vast sea of ​​his soul.

He wanted to see his wife in even more pain—

I wanted my father to experience the most extreme form of death—

I'm really looking forward to the ugly ending after Kariya's wish comes true—

The divine admonitions could no longer stop Kirei; he finally understood that righteousness and morality could not provide him with any answers.

Finally, the man let out a long sigh, a sigh that was both slightly lonely and full of joy at having reached his destination:

"What is this...? What am I?"

Finally, even the feigned sighs ceased, and the man dressed as a priest clutched his stomach and burst into laughter, laughing uncontrollably even as he gasped for breath.

"So twisted? So filthy? Is this really Kotomine Risei's offspring? Hahahaha, impossible, no way! What is this? Could it be that my father actually gave birth to a four-legged beast?"

"Are you satisfied, Kirei?" Gilgamesh asked with a pleased smile.

"No, not yet. That's not enough."

Kirei wiped away his tears and shook his head as he answered:

"I did find the answer in this period of life dedicated solely to seeking, which is a significant step forward. However, it didn't solve the problem at all. The answer was simply thrown in front of me, omitting the process or means of finding it. How can I accept that?"

The priest, his appearance completely refreshed, smiled and raised his right hand.

Was it because his excessive joy made him ignore the pain in the back of his hand? At some point, the Command Seals symbolizing his Master reappeared on his hand.

"The formula that led to my bizarre existence must be some kind of clear reason, existing somewhere. No, it must exist. I must pursue and explore what that thing is... and in this Holy Grail War, the answer I seek will surely be found."

Upon hearing Kirei Kotomine's declaration of rejoining the fight, I burst out laughing:

"Hahaha, you're really something to look at... It seems my forced growth was worth it. But Kirei, you're about to run into big trouble."

After laughing for a while, a cunning yet extremely dangerous look appeared in his blood-red eyes.

"If you choose to participate in the Holy Grail War based on your own will, Tokiomi Tohsaka will become your enemy. That means you are currently unarmed, facing the enemy's Servant in a room with your bare hands. Don't you think this situation is dangerous?"

"Not entirely. I've already planned how to beg for forgiveness."

"Oh?"

With a keen interest, Kirei narrowed his eyes, while continuing calmly.

"Since I'm going to be an enemy of Master Tokiomi, I don't need to cover up his lies anymore—Gilgamesh, I'll tell you the truth behind the Holy Grail War that you don't yet know."

Chapter 160 The Tokiomi Disaster

The ceremony held in Fuyuki was actually an experiment to gather the souls of seven Heroic Spirits as sacrifices in an attempt to open a passage to the 'Root'.

The promise to 'achieve a miracle' was merely a lure to summon Heroic Spirits. Because rumors about the 'lure' were rampant, only the current form of the Holy Grail War has survived.

This truth is known only to the Matou, Tohsaka, and Einzbern families, as well as those involved; it must never be revealed to outside magicians or the seven Servants.

"In this war, the only magician who truly wants to fulfill his long-cherished wish is Tokiomi Tohsaka. He wants to kill all seven Servants to activate the 'Greater Grail'. Seven people."

This time, it was Kirei's turn to find amusement in the King of Heroes' reaction:

"Do you understand, Gilgamesh? This is why Master Tokiomi is so reluctant to use Command Seals. He can only use a maximum of two Command Seals in battles against other Masters, because the last Command Seal must be used to command his Servant to commit suicide after the war is completely over."

He listened to all this, but his face remained expressionless.

"Are you saying that Tokiomi's loyalty to the king is all false?"

Kirei shook his head and said, "He certainly held the utmost respect for 'Gilgamesh, the King of Heroes.' But you, as an Archer Servant, are a different story."

"You are like a replica of the King of Heroes, just a statue, a portrait. In the end, Tokiomi-sensei is a complete magician. He knows very well that Servants are just tools. Even if he has respect for Heroic Spirits, he would not have any illusions about heroic idols."

After hearing everything, he seemed to finally understand, nodding deeply. His characteristic wicked smile reappeared on his face—a broad and cruel, arrogant and supreme expression, the smile of an absolute king whose values ​​depended solely on his own aesthetic sense.

"That Tokiomi guy—finally he's starting to look somewhat interesting. It seems that this boring man can finally bring me some amusement."

A little thought into the implied meaning of this statement reveals just how fierce and chilling it is, enough to freeze one's blood.

"What do you plan to do, King of Heroes? After hearing all this, are you still going to stand by Tokiomi-sensei and condemn my betrayal?"

"What should I do? Although Tokiomi is disloyal to me, he is still offering me magical energy. Even for me, completely abandoning my Master would have repercussions for the world..."

At this point, his meaningful gaze was fixed on Kirei without any attempt to conceal it.

“I remember now—there seems to be a Master who has obtained Command Seals but has no contract partner and is looking for a wandering Servant who has broken free of the contract.”

Now that you mention it, it is indeed true.

Faced with such a blatant invitation, Kirei chuckled and nodded in response.

"But I don't know if he is a Master that the King of Heroes would consider."

"No problem. Although his stubbornness is a bit of a drawback, his future is still bright, and he should be able to please me well."

And so, the most wicked Master and Servant looked at each other and smiled.

This is perhaps the interesting thing about fate—even though Shuoyue targeted Kirei so much, even putting him in prison, he and Kirei were like the two poles of a magnet, so easily getting mixed up together.

As night fell, Kirei Kotomine stood in front of the Tohsaka mansion.

With his help, escaping from prison was a piece of cake. In just a quarter of an hour, Kirei Kotomine was standing in front of the mansion where he had spent three years.

"Welcome, Kirei. I've been looking for you."

Although Kirei's visit was unexpected, Tokiomi Tohsaka immediately appeared at the door upon hearing the doorbell. He must have been busy since the priest was stabbed that afternoon.

"I am here to discuss the matter of my father's death."

"Really... It's so sudden, I'm really sorry. I never imagined my old friend would leave us in this way."

“I feel the same way. Father shouldn’t have left so hastily.” Kirei Kotomine agreed wholeheartedly and stepped into Tokiomi Tohsaka’s house again at his invitation.

Judging from Tokiomi Tohsaka's haggard appearance and the loss of his composure, the death of the old priest, Risei Kotomine, must have been a great blow to him.

Appreciating his teacher's pain, Kirei Kotomine earnestly communicated with Tokiomi Tohsaka, promising to maintain their alliance, take care of his beloved daughter, and accept his praise... Just as he was about to make his move, Tokiomi suddenly picked up a slender ebony box from the desk and handed it to Kirei.

"Open it and take a look. This is something I personally wanted to give you."

As instructed, Qili opened the box and saw a dashing short sword lying inside the velvet lining.

"This is--"

"This is the Asod Sword, a gemstone artifact passed down in my family. If you infuse it with magic, it can also be used as a formal attire—this sword proves that you have completed your apprenticeship in the Tohsaka family's magic training."

Kirei picked up the short sword and examined it, spending quite some time scrutinizing its sharp tip.

In Tokiomi's eyes, Kirei's face, which concealed all emotion, was probably filled with deep emotion.

“My master… I really don’t know how to express my gratitude for your kindness to your unworthy disciple.”

"I should be thanking you, Kirei Kotomine. Now I can face the final battle without any worries."

With a bright, harmless expression, Tokiomi stood up from the sofa.

At this moment—the word "fate" involuntarily came to mind for Kirei.

Some say that fate is a faint attempt to find special meaning in accumulated coincidences. So, when Tokiomi Tohsaka personally handed the sword to Kirei Kotomine at this moment, was there no inevitability even in this highly coincidental event?

"I'm sorry to have taken up so much of your time. In the upcoming Holy Grail War, I will achieve victory for both you and the old priest—"

And now, is it just a coincidence that Tokiomi, walking towards the door, unsuspectingly exposed his back to Kirei?

"No, you don't need to worry, mentor."

If this is inevitable, is so-called fate simply caused by stupidity, mistakes, and ignorance? Is it meant to betray people's prayers and hopes, leading everything in the wrong direction?

Kirei smiled, a smile he had never shown before.