Aside from Archer, every Servant and Master shared a common misconception about Ludwig: they believed the youth possessed no weapon of his own and had merely played the scavenger, claiming Durandal amidst the clash between Berserker and Archer.
Ludwig had never revealed the true form of "Demonic Sword: The World" before them. Even Archer's understanding of the blade was flawed.
The youth's Demonic Sword had no fixed shape. Usually, when it first manifested, it was no larger than a single seed. At his will, the sword could alter its form at the speed of thought. The longsword shape, similar to Durandal, was the form that required the least amount of conscious effort to maintain.
To expand the blade further—as he had during his battle with Gilgamesh—or to release the Demonic Sword's true power required him to siphon massive amounts of energy and resources from the planet. Consequently, Ludwig was reluctant to use it indiscriminately; Durandal had been an unexpected windfall in that regard.
Had this been the era of the Land of Steel, where the planet was already dead, he would have used it without a second thought. But now, he didn't want to take things too far. Aside from the concern that that princess might be lured out to resume the business from the Millennium Castle, the Counter Forces of the Planet and Humanity were factors he had to consider. After all, a corpse has no opinions, but "living things" always present one problem or another.
Compared to a colossal blade capable of rivaling swords that could cleave mountains or incinerate seas, the most efficient form of "Demonic Sword: The World" was what he used now—condensed to a degree invisible to the naked eye.
In the eyes of Saber, who as a Servant could perceive magical energy, it appeared as though Kiritsugu had been slain by two blades of pressurized air.
"I told you just now, didn't I? I won't kill you, so you shouldn't try to kill me," Ludwig spoke impassively to Kiritsugu's corpse.
Kiritsugu could no longer hear, nor could he respond. The two remaining Command Spells on the back of his hand faded away, reclaimed by the Holy Grail to be redistributed to a new Master or added to the Church's stockpile.
"...Kiritsugu Emiya..." Saber felt a flicker of regret.
Her Master had trusted neither his own Servant nor anyone else; he had believed only in the power held in his own hands, and in the end, he had met this fate brought about by his own "cleverness."
"Do you intend to avenge your dead Master?"
"...No, I..." Saber shook her head.
She and Kiritsugu had never shared a conversation, let alone understanding. She was simply wondering how to explain this to Irisviel—how to report the reality of her husband's death to that woman. Especially since, to continue her pursuit of the Holy Grail, she would have to form a contract with the very man who had killed Irisviel's husband.
"Then put your sword away."
As the influence of the single Command Spell finally dissipated, Saber retracted her weapon and deactivated her armor, returning to her attire as an elegant lady in a suit. With her Master dead, her mana supply had been cut off. Without the "Independent Action" skill, Saber could likely only sustain her physical form for about two more hours using her own internal reserves.
"You don't look like you're taking this result very well," Ludwig noted, raising an eyebrow. "Can I take this to mean our negotiations have broken down?"
"...Given the current situation, if I am to change Masters and win the Holy Grail, there is no candidate more suitable than you—both in terms of combat power and your way of doing things." Saber's expression was as dark as still water.
She had confirmed that Ludwig was indeed the companion of the woman in the white hood; he was the one who had sent someone to repel Caster and save the abducted children. He was stern but not cold-blooded; he did not view everyone as a cost to be sacrificed or discarded. This youth, who was roughly the same age she had been when she inherited the throne, was an exceptionally fine warrior.
"Then why the face..." Ludwig paused as a thought struck him. "Wait, did I kill the wrong person? Was the woman acting with you last night your actual Master, and this man was just an allied Master?"
"No... this man was the Master contracted to me. The person acting with me was his wife." Saber looked up, her beautiful emerald eyes shimmering with worry under the moonlight. "I just... do not know how to tell Irisviel about this..."
"That is your prerogative; you decide for yourself," Ludwig said. "Just decide whether or not you want to contract with me before your spiritual foundation fails."
"It must be so," Saber nodded. "That woman was also my proxy Master; I have a duty to see to the aftermath."
Having reached an agreement, the two immediately set out to locate Irisviel. Tending to Kiritsugu's remains would have to wait until afterward.
Not long after Ludwig and Artoria departed, two other figures appeared on the scene. One was a man dressed as a priest, and the other was a Servant manifesting from golden magical energy.
"...So you are dead, Kiritsugu Emiya."
Kirei knelt down to inspect Kiritsugu's remains. The forest's bounded field was completely non-functional, allowing Kirei to enter easily without resistance. It was a remarkably clean death; the man had likely perished before he could even register the pain.
"Are you disappointed, Kirei?" Gilgamesh laughed idly.
"..." Kirei did not answer.
He couldn't describe the feeling in his heart. Was it disappointment? But was he disappointed that Kiritsugu had died at someone else's hand, or was he disappointed that this man had died so easily, turning Kirei's expectations into a joke?
No, he couldn't say it was "easy." The enemy was simply too powerful.
"'Vanity of vanities; all is vanity. What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?' Amen."
Kirei softly recited verses from the Book of Ecclesiastes, offering a simple funeral prayer for Kiritsugu Emiya—the man he thought would be his ultimate enemy, the man he thought held the answers he sought.
"Offering prayers for an enemy... you truly are a man of the cloth, Kirei," Gilgamesh teased sharply.
He had actually come to observe Ludwig's movements and perhaps reclaim his Noble Phantasm, but he hadn't expected the youth to move so quickly. He would let the boy keep it for a while longer—along with that head of his.
"That youth... who exactly is he? Why is he participating in the Holy Grail War? And what is his wish?" Kirei asked Gilgamesh as he stood up to leave.
"My, my, you're a bit too obsessed with seeking the truth, Kirei," Gilgamesh said with a rare trace of exasperation. "I'll give you one piece of advice: if you don't want to die, stop digging. Not because I'll do anything to you, but because you will end up exactly like this foolish man."
With those words, Gilgamesh vanished into spirit form with a low chuckle.
"End up exactly like him... will I?"
Kirei muttered to himself as he leaped out the window. If that were the case, it wouldn't be so bad. At least it would bring a swift end to this stifling, unsolvable life.
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Type-Moon: The A-Ray Knight's Holy Grail Journey
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