Irisviel had, more or less, given everyone half a day to rest. So when night was about to fall and everyone arrived at the church, they had basically recovered their tired bodies. Although they hadn't returned to their peak state, it was definitely not a problem to deal with the upcoming operation. Irisviel did not enter the church beforehand, but waited for everyone to arrive together. After all, this was a matter concerning all the contestants. Doing so could be considered giving the other contestants the most basic respect.
Matou Kariya was the last Master to arrive. After all, among everyone, his physical condition was currently the worst. The key was that this person was also a bit stubborn and did not intend to use a wheelchair, so he had to slowly come to the outskirts of the church step by step with a medical crutch.
Upon seeing Kariya, Kenneth let out a light snort. "I thought that punctuality was the most basic principle a magus should respect."
Kariya also looked at the man before him, who was clearly a high-level magus noble with great magical talent. A slightly sarcastic expression appeared on his face. "Don't think that everyone wants to step onto the path of magecraft like you. If I could, I would not want to have any contact with anyone related to the path of magecraft in my life."
Kenneth raised an eyebrow, then turned his head away. Since this was a person who originally did not intend to go deep into the path of magecraft, then there was nothing more to say. To actually give up on entering the path of magecraft to pursue the Root, then the person before him was not one of them, but just a piece of withered dust that would eventually turn to nothing in the long years.
After seeing Kenneth turn his head away, Kariya naturally did not intend to continue this topic. Their worlds, their experiences, were ultimately different. Kariya rubbed the somewhat sore and already necrotic half of his body. In this Holy Grail War, besides pursuing victory to resurrect Sakura, he had no other ties. Therefore, it didn't matter if he died.
Irisviel showed a slightly helpless smile to everyone. Acting as a mediator, she nodded at the others. "Since everyone is here, let's enter the church and then talk. After all, this matter is a bit complicated. I'm afraid we'll also need some of the church's records. This is also the reason why I invited you all here before nightfall."
After all, if necessary, with so many documents and materials in the church, they would still need others to help sort through them and find clues.
The church before them was no ordinary church. More or less, the answers to all the missions conducted by this generation of the Holy Church should all be stored here. In terms of time, this church was also one of the earlier ones. Of course, it was not as old as the churches established in the era of Amakusa Shirou Tokisada. But at least, this was an existence that had been established here before the Westernization reforms in the Far East. One can imagine just how many files were piled up here.
Irisviel turned and pushed open the church doors. A smell of blood instantly filled the air. Broken chairs, scattered glass fragments on the ground, and the statue of the Holy Mother, which had completely changed its appearance. Such a scene clearly told everyone that the church had been attacked. It was just, who was the attacker? And what was the purpose of the attack? That still needed to be investigated.
Recalling the time when the Holy Grail had shown its abnormality, Irisviel couldn't help but suspect that the attack on the church and the abnormality of the Holy Grail were closely related. All of this was too coincidental.
The smell of blood in this church naturally also attracted the attention of others. Following the source of the smell, the body of the old priest lying on the ground came into everyone's view.
"Father Risei..."
As someone who had grown up in this city, although Kariya was not as close to this old priest as Tokiomi was, he still knew him more or less. At the same time, having been born into a magus family, he naturally also knew just how powerful this old priest was. If not for a surprise attack, it would be very difficult to kill him. And from the current state of the old priest, it was clear that he was definitely not in an unprepared state before he was killed.
"There should be another priest in this church. Where is that priest now? Was all of this done by that priest?"
Kenneth, compared to his original world line, had naturally investigated a lot more about the information and knowledge of the Holy Grail War. He naturally understood that there should be two priests in this church. Now that one was directly missing, it couldn't help but make people suspicious.
Irisviel nodded, unable to help but recall the information her husband had told her. Kotomine Kirei... a very special person.
"Since the situation has already developed to this point, then I'll be brief."
Just as Irisviel was preparing to tell the other contestants about the current situation and her own speculations, on the other side, in the underground of Ryuudou Temple, a dim and black light fell upon the unconscious Tokiomi. Tokiomi subconsciously widened his eyes, but those eyes were still dazed and empty. His spirit and consciousness were still sinking in an illusion. It was just that his body was instinctively curling up due to the pain, and at the same time, letting out a cry.
His limbs began to twist due to the pain. His fingers spread out towards the surroundings, but then slightly curled up, wanting to curl into a ball like an infant. But because the flesh and blood at his chest and stomach began to swell, he was forced to stretch out his body. That face, which had originally had a certain charm, began to become extremely grotesque. Like a failed plastic surgery, the skin became semi-transparent, and a large amount of turbid liquid constantly flowed between the skin and the flesh. The proliferating flesh and bones broke through Tokiomi's clothes. The next moment, it filled a corner of this underground space. Then, this mass of flesh began to surge continuously like a beating heart.
As this flesh beat like a heart, some of the weaker spots directly ruptured, and a bloody sludge like black mud flowed out, looking like a fountain. It probably wouldn't be long before a lake of black mud would accumulate here. And in this lake of black mud, it seemed some existence was gestating like an infant. Sooner or later, these existences would crawl out from the black mud.
Kirei stood on the shore of this black mud lake, watching as the black mud gradually submerged his ankles. Feeling this malice, Kirei couldn't help but bend down. He cupped the black muddy water with both hands, looking at his own face reflected on the surface. A strange smile cracked his lips. Then, feeling that his smile was not real enough, he reined it in.
Then, looking at the muddy water before him, he brought it to his lips.