Fuyuki City. Church.
Fuyuki had only one Church and, like many things in this city, it was related to the moonlight world. This place was supposed to be a safe shelter for the masters should they lose their Servants. But it hardly could be called safe anymore. After the event of the previous night, the young priest brought back his teacher here, hoping his father would lend them a hand once again.
The last night fight left two masters in terrible condition. The master of Berserker and master of Archer. were badly wounded but one of them suffered a fate worse than death for magi. As Tokiomi slowly opened his eyes he looked around and found himself inside the Church's basement, lying on the bed. He was here a few times before and recognized it quickly. The magus tried to stand up but couldn't move an inch. Fear and panic started to overwhelm him. Tokiomi couldn't feel the lower part of his body, he tried to activate his circuits but nothing worked.
What was going one?! Why couldn't he feel his magic circuits?
"Wha—! What is this—?!" he shouted with a fearful voice. His usual calmness was long gone. "Ngh! What happened?!"
"I see you are awake, teacher." Kirei's monotone voice caught Tokiomi's attention.
"Kirei! What is going on?! My body— my circuits— what happened?!" The last question was most important to him. Kirei's look was neutral and yet he looked at his teacher with pity.
"Gone." Tokiomi froze when he heard this single word." Kiritsugu Emiya destroyed all of them with one shot. I tried everything I knew, but it appears that they ruined themselves… somehow. I don't know what Emiya did, but by the time I'd realized it, I couldn't fix anything... My condolences."
Kirei silently stared at his teacher, watching as Tokiomi's face slowly became pale. He opened his mouth but nothing came out. He had an expression of anguish yet said nothing, silently screaming as tears started to fall from his face. His student wondered why he was enjoying this scene for some reason. After a few minutes, with a defeated voice, Tokiomi asked.
"W-where is Risei?" Maybe he still had a chance? Perhaps his old friend knew a way to fix it. However, his hopes died the moment Kirei answered.
"My father is dead. Killed, most likely by Lancer."
Young Kotomine said it with an indifferent tone. Truth be told he was upset by the death of the man who birthed him at first, but because he needed to help Tokiomi before anything, Kirei had little time to mourn. Besides, the sadness in his heart was soon replaced by the feeling of regret. Kirei regretted that he wasn't there when his father died.
Not to intervene, no. But not being able to see it with his own eyes.
The head of the Tohsaka clan showed a more sorrowful expression. He lost not only his magic circuits but his best ally as well. The situation was getting worse with every moment. Tokiomi was afraid to ask about Gilgamesh, fearing what the arrogant King of Uruk had done while he was unconscious.
"Wait, what about command seals? Do we still have them?"
The ones he had were already too valuable, being less than the most of the other masters at that. In order to get more of them, Tokiomi had plotted the hunt for Caster in the first place.
"No. My father's arm was cut off and all seals were taken."
Even that hope was dashed. The wounded magus clenched his teeth. He needed these seals, especially now that he had less control over Archer. Speaking about the King,
"What of Archer?"
"His highness is outside, drinking whatever is left of my wine collection. Despite what happened with your circuits, your contract with him persists." Kirei said with a tired tone. "His Independent Action allowed him to remain in this world without mana, at least for now."
Tokiomi let out a sigh. At least his servant didn't do anything dangerous, but he was scared by Kirei's next words.
"After some discussion, I and his highness agreed that we can't leave a situation like this. You are in no condition to continue fighting, teacher. His highness has no intention to back down and will start searching for a new master if nothing will be done. And so," Kirei slowly walked to Tokiomi. "Teacher, with all due respect, your strategy has failed. The end result, your current state." The man wasn't rubbing the fact to his face. He was merely stating it. It didn't stop Tokiomi's already soured expression to sour further. "We need to act quickly if we want to end this war. Break the contract with Archer and let me make a new one. Together we will end this war."
Tokiomi said nothing but stared at his student with widened eyes. Kirei was asking impossible from him. He couldn't do it! It wasn't just about his pride as the magus. Tokiomi didn't trust Kirei with Archer. Gilgamesh was acting rebellious and the younger Kotomine likely had no intentions of stopping him if needed. He was too callous, too indifferent, to be charged with such a responsibility!
The current master of Archer started to notice that his student was a little bit too willing to work with Gilgamesh. Something happened between them. However, before he could say anything, Kirei said with a cold tone.
"I'm sure you will make the right choice. After all in such conditions, you have no other options left, teacher."
His own student was threatening him… And yet, Tokiomi couldn't say anything back. Aside from his damaged circuits, uncertainty, maybe even fear, paralyzed his body as he stared at the cold eyes of the man before him.
Tokiomi didn't want to admit it but he had no choice but to obey.
***
Kirei walked out of the room where his former teacher was resting. Unknown to himself, he had on the most pleasant smile. Though, he was soon greeted with the familiar smirk of the King of Heroes.
"I can feel that our little plan worked out, master?" Gilgamesh asked with a pleasant tone before taking another sip from his wine.
"Indeed, it wasn't hard to convince my teacher in such a state. Tokiomi has no room to refuse. And he very well knows it."
Kirei eyed his command seals. After the merciless execution of all the Assassins, he had hoped most of his involvement in this war over. Not because he tired of it, but more for the interest in a particular individual he'd been nursing since the start.
But then last night's battle happened. Kirei finally saw him. The Magus Killer, Kiritsugu Emiya.
The infamous killer had the same look Kirei always had. Cold, emotionless, indifferent to the world. Perhaps it was fate guiding him that his decision to stay was a good one. Not for the sake of his teacher but to achieve his only yearning. His wish.
'I shall meet him again and see just how similar we are.' Kirei thought as a small smile formed on his face. Archer hardly missed it.
"I see that you're finally burning with anticipation." Gilgamesh's snark belied his smirk. "How does it feel to finally desire something so… vehemently?"
"Unusual… to say the least." He didn't pay the arrogant Servant's tone any mind. Now that he was Gilgamesh's master, putting up with the prideful king was merely a cheap price to pay. "But, now that I know what it is that drives me, the only question that remains now is how to go about achieving it."
Kiritsugu was a dangerous person who wouldn't show himself unless he wanted it. Kirei needed to think of a good way to force the Magus Killer out of hiding.
"I had high expectations of you. Don't disappoint me." As usual, the air that the blonde, crimson-eyed man gave off was akin to the indifference of an audience that needed to be appeased. Not an active participant, for that was what the king saw himself as. Yet, that didn't mean he didn't know how to throw his actors a bone. "But as I'm feeling generous, what of ending this war faster? That should make the mongrel that piques your interest act as well."
Kirei considered it for a moment.
"Hmm, that might work. But then I will need to speed up events to that end." He eyed his Servant, careful to phrase his words. "My king, do you perhaps want to go and slay other servants?"
The king of Uruk waved it away.
"At a later date, perhaps when I'm bored. But right now, I am irked to no end. Even if I would be forced to act, there is only one servant I want to erase more than all the others at the moment." Gilgamesh's carefree attitude disappeared and only a scowl remained on his face. "That wild dog will pay for the blasphemy he dared commit. Not only was he an animal foolish enough to touch my treasures, but Tokiomi had the nerve to lie to me about my role in this war."
Kirei had to hold his smirk back, though he didn't know he was subconsciously doing so already. During their last night talk, Kirei finally decided to share information about the true purpose behind servant summoning.
Glorified fuel to say the least.
Gilgamesh wasn't pleased with this. It took Kirei quite a lot of patience and tactful convincing to stop him from killing Tokiomi right then and there. Not out of the goodness of his heart, no. Kirei had other plans with what to do with his old teacher.
'He is a liability in such a state, but I might have use for him. Not to mention, his highness might enjoy it as well.' Kirei thought how amusing it might be if one master saw Tokiomi in such a state. A sadistic smile appeared on his face.
"My king, perhaps I have a solution for your resentment. As well as maybe a bit of a show for your entertainment."
After all, they didn't need the man anymore and he needed to appease his new Servant's temper. There was also the fact that Kariya Matou wanted his revenge. Killing three birds with one stone like this made Kirei anticipate it even more.