Kayneth ascended the long staircase leading to Ryuudou Temple, one of Fuyuki's most renowned landmarks. During festivals and holidays, the city's residents would flock here to pay their respects. By tomorrow... the headlines would likely report that Ryuudou Temple had suffered a catastrophic fire due to a gas explosion caused by the monks' negligence.
His heart burned with urgency, but on the surface, his expression remained grim. Hidden beneath his clothing was his meticulously crafted Mystic Code, Volumen Hydrargyrum, ready for combat at a moment's notice.
To have bypassed his bounded field and taken Sola-Ui, he strongly suspected the priest had employed Assassin's power.
In other words... he had been outmaneuvered from the very start.
The priest had deliberately agreed to Kayneth's terms, only to have Assassin retreat during the battle—or perhaps even betray him.
Kayneth wasn't surprised; he was all too familiar with such schemes.
But in truth, he was overthinking it.
Even with the intent to face a Servant, Kayneth had come here, a testament to his love for Sola-Ui.
As he stepped through the temple gate, he saw a chair placed in front of the temple. Sola-Ui was tightly bound with ropes, her face deathly pale, blood still seeping from the stump of her severed right arm.
"Welcome, Lord El-Melloi. Hmm... in just a little while, your fiancée might be beyond saving. You've arrived just in time."
Kotomine Kirei's figure emerged from the shadows. Three small sword hilts slipped from his sleeve, and as he grasped them, the hilts extended into blades.
The glint of steel flashed, and an air of lethality permeated the sacred Buddhist ground.
"Sola-Ui... Executor! What do you want? Name your price, and give her back to me!"
Kayneth's anger flared, but he managed to maintain a semblance of calm. Sola-Ui was still alive.
As a scion of a mage family, her natural Magic Circuits forcibly sustained her life. Despite the massive blood loss, she clung to survival.
With magecraft, healing her—and even reattaching her hand—was not impossible.
Facing an enemy who still commanded a Servant, Kayneth, though reluctant to admit it, knew that a Servant's power was far beyond what a typical magus could match. Even with his confidence, he had no assurance of defeating a Servant before Sola-Ui succumbed.
Moreover, this man's Assassin had performed exceptionally in prior battles, leaving Kayneth with little confidence.
"Hmph~"
A pleased expression spread across Kotomine Kirei's face. His right hand swiftly brandished the three-foot blade, hurling it forward.
These short swords were a specialized Mystic Code used by Church Executors, known as Black Keys. Normally just hilts, they transformed into razor-sharp blades upon infusion with magical energy—highly portable and exceptionally convenient weapons.
The Black Key spun rapidly through the air, tracing an arc toward Kayneth.
At the same time, Kotomine Kirei himself shot forward like an arrow.
Another Black Key slipped from his sleeve, activated in his grip.
"No Servant? He's fighting himself?"
Doubt surged in Kayneth's mind. He stepped back, chanting, "Fervor, mei sanguis!" (Boil, my blood!)
Volumen Hydrargyrum surged from the seams of his clothing, forming a spherical liquid barrier in an instant.
"Automatoportum defensio! (Automatic Defense): Automatoportum quaerere! (Automatic Tracking): Dilectus incursio! (Automatic Attack)"
Chanting three incantations in rapid succession, Volumen Hydrargyrum came alive, counterattacking autonomously.
Whip-like blades shattered the incoming Black Keys, and the liquid formed a massive hand, reaching for Kotomine Kirei.
Activated by the incantations, Volumen Hydrargyrum's strength was staggering, its grip capable of exerting several tons of force, enough to crush Kotomine Kirei into pulp.
"If I kill him... it'll be over."
No matter what, killing the Master would cause the Servant to vanish quickly due to a lack of magical energy.
This was a Master's common knowledge.
"Swish~~"
Another Black Key was thrown, spinning through the air.
"Pointless... no... wait!"
The Black Key wasn't aimed at him—it was heading for Sola-Ui behind him. If he pressed the attack, he could undoubtedly crush Kotomine Kirei.
But that Black Key would just as surely pierce Sola-Ui's throat.
"Go!"
Kayneth, ever the exceptional magus, devised a strategy in a fraction of a second, his intellect unmatched by ordinary minds.
Volumen Hydrargyrum's massive hand split apart. One portion formed a barrier to continue protecting Kayneth, while the other transformed into a separate mass of liquid, rushing at breakneck speed to envelop Sola-Ui.
Kayneth had calculated well. Even the remaining Volumen Hydrargyrum could withstand several tons of impact, and the other mass would save Sola-Ui.
But reality was far less forgiving. The Command Spells on Kotomine Kirei's hand glowed crimson, vast magical energy coalescing around him.
This was the crudest use of a Command Spell—a wasteful act for any magus, but for this Executor, it was the ultimate technique.
The immense magical energy from the Command Spell granted Kotomine Kirei physical prowess rivaling a Servant's. Combined with the Bajiquan martial arts he had trained in since childhood, this punch... could shatter mountains.
Terrifying force concentrated at a single point, delivering several tons of impact in one blow.
"Bang~"
Volumen Hydrargyrum was pierced. Kayneth's eyes widened in shock as the fist struck his chest with devastating force.
In an instant, the terrifying power shattered his ribs and ruptured his internal organs.
His heart was damaged, his organs crushed—his body's vitality was snuffed out in a moment.
The Volumen Hydrargyrum sent to aid Sola-Ui, deprived of magical energy, collapsed into a pool of mercury.
The Black Key pierced Sola-Ui's throat. In this battle... had Kotomine Kirei achieved total victory?
"Zzt, zzt~~"
A strange sound emanated from Kayneth's body—his Magic Circuits were still active. The magical energy, like electric currents, continued to stimulate his body, sustaining his nerves.
High-ranking magi had tenacious vitality, so resilient... they were like monsters.
"!!!"
Kotomine Kirei moved swiftly, aiming a fist to crush Kayneth's head.
But something was faster!
Volumen Hydrargyrum streaked across the ground, enveloping him entirely.
"Bang~~"
The massive impact penetrated Volumen Hydrargyrum but was diffused by the liquid.
"Ex... Executor..."
A guttural, hellish roar escaped Kayneth's mouth. Volumen Hydrargyrum was seeping into his body through his skin, throat, eyes—any opening it could find.
As long as a magus's Magic Circuits remained active, even if their head was severed or their organs pulverized, they remained a living monster!
***
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