Chapter 167: The Premiere of Fate/Zero Chapter Two! (9)
The rest of the movie's plot focuses primarily on the perspective of Diarmuid's master, Kayneth.
After being hit by Kiritsugu Emiya's Origin Bullet last time, Kayneth's entire magic circuit was destroyed, leaving him disabled.
At this moment, he wheels himself into the Fuyuki City Church.
"Sorry to keep you waiting so long, the work tonight has been quite overwhelming," the church's priest, Risei Kotomine, said wearily. The impact of the war on the Holy Grail has been so significant that even with the church's full efforts, it's been difficult to quickly suppress the events.
In response, Kayneth smiled and said, "It's understandable given the seriousness of the situation."
While Kayneth's emotions appeared calm, his appearance was almost terrifying, nearly unrecognizable as human.
"Alright, Father. What do you think about my request?"
"Lancer indeed played a significant role in the battle against Caster, as confirmed by the reports from several observers."
"Then I am indeed qualified to receive a Command Seal, right?"
"Regarding this matter, Lancer's Master is certainly entitled to the reward... However, Mr. Kayneth, I am not sure if I can currently consider you a Master."
"For strategic reasons, I'm temporarily letting Sola hold the Command Seals, but the contract's control with Lancer is still under me."
Hearing Kayneth's insistence, Risei Kotomine finally nodded and said:
"Alright, I acknowledge your qualification to receive a Command Seal. Please, Mr. Kayneth, extend your hand."
As he gave the Command Seal to Kayneth, Kirei turned away and said loudly:
"Then please continue to fight with dignity as a Master—"
"Of course, that's a given."
With these words, Kayneth smiled broadly and pulled a gun hidden beneath his wheelchair!
"Bang!"
The old priest didn't even have a moment to react before he fell.
Kayneth muttered with a smile:
"The situation is still unfavorable; I can't allow other Masters to gain new Command Seals."
Saying this, he left the scene directly.
Following that, Kayneth returned to his base and immediately saw Diarmuid.
Moreover, Diarmuid did not return with Sola. She had mysteriously disappeared after the battle of Fuyuki.
Upon learning this fact, Kayneth flew into a rage and berated Diarmuid harshly, with his tirade containing words that even made the audience feel somewhat uncomfortable.
...
"Kayneth has gone mad?"
"He's suffered too much damage; his mind must be in disarray."
"In this situation, still berating his Servant—if it were someone like Gilgamesh, they might have killed him outright."
"Kayneth really is ruthless, killing Father Risei so decisively despite their different positions..."
"The mages in 'Fate/Zero' are truly devoid of normal morals."
The audience's comments echoed, with most expressing disdain for Kayneth's actions.
It's understandable, after all. Although Diarmuid's chivalry is overly straightforward, it's still admirable and popular among viewers. Kayneth's indiscriminate yelling at Diarmuid naturally soured his image.
Moreover, the act of killing Risei Kotomine, which initially drew some sympathy for Kayneth from the audience, has now completely turned them against him.
.....
Compared to ordinary viewers, the mages at the Imperial Mage Academy were a bit more sympathetic towards Kayneth.
They understood well that if they found themselves in Kayneth's situation, having lost their ability to perform magic, they would also struggle to withstand such a blow and be on the verge of collapse.
"Kayneth really has no options left; it's practically impossible for him to win the Holy Grail War now."
"Honestly, in his current state, it might be better if he were dead. Being a mage who can't use magic is essentially the same as being useless."
"Kiritsugu Emiya's Origin Bullet is just too cruel. I really hope such a terrifying thing doesn't exist in reality; otherwise, it would be too frightening. No mages can accept a future where they can't use magic."
"Alas, there is often something pitiable about the despicable. I just hope he has an ending he can at least accept."
The mages, as viewers, discussed this among themselves.
Just as people wondered whether Diarmuid would ultimately be unable to resist and turn against Kayneth, the plot of the movie took another turn.
...
Artoria and Irisviel arrived at the hideout where Kayneth and Diarmuid were. Confused by the scene's chaos and unable to immediately grasp the situation, they were soon confronted by Diarmuid's arrival.
After a brief exchange, Diarmuid and Artoria quickly engaged in a direct battle, both adhering to their chivalric codes, fighting each other with honor and skill. Saber even refrained from using her fully healed left hand to avoid any misunderstanding.
In an ancient war, such a duel between knights might have been a glorious event, but in this modern Holy Grail War, open honor is undoubtedly naive.
...
As the battle raged, a desperate Kayneth, eager to escape, picked up a sudden, flying note.
—If you want your lover to live, stay silent and look behind you—
Seeing the note, Kayneth's eyes widened, and he saw Kiritsugu Emiya, who appeared like a grim reaper in the night, with his gun aimed at Kayneth's fiancée, Sola.
"Of all people...it had to be him..."
Faced with Kayneth's panic, Kiritsugu tossed him a parchment. Upon reading its contents, Kayneth was horrified.
"A self-geis scroll..."
Kayneth knew that this was the strictest magical contract, used only for promises that could not be broken.
The contract Kiritsugu offered was simple: he would not harm Kayneth or Sola if Kayneth ordered Diarmuid to commit suicide.
Confronted with a choice of life or death, Kayneth ultimately gave in.
With dim, hollow eyes, he looked at the final Command Seal on his right hand and issued one last command as Lancer's Master.
"Crack!"
Without any warning, Diarmuid's body was pierced by his own spear.
Everyone was shocked—not only the characters within the scene but also the audience watching.
No one was prepared for this sudden outcome.
"Ah..."
Diarmuid's wide eyes shed two streams of crimson tears, instinctively gazing back.
In his view were Kayneth, Sola, and Kiritsugu standing beside them.
"You people… how could you..."
Diarmuid let out a howl of despair:
"Do you want to win so much!? To gain the Grail this badly!? Even trampling upon my... my only wish... How can you people not feel any shame!?"
"Unforgivable... I will never forgive you! You people, greedy for fame and fortune, trampling on the dignity of knights... Stain your dream with my blood! May the Grail be filled with curses! May your dreams bring disaster! Remember my wrath, Diarmuid's wrath, when you fall into the depths of hell!"
Diarmuid's dying roar stunned everyone.
The audience also fell into silence, unprepared for Kiritsugu Emiya's ruthless tactics to achieve ultimate victory.
What they didn't expect was that the true cruelty was yet to come.
"—So, this restricts you?" Kayneth asked with a glimmer of hope.
Kiritsugu Emiya nodded:
"Yes, the contract is in effect. I can no longer kill you."
As soon as Kiritsugu finished speaking, numerous bullets came from afar, perforating Kayneth's body completely.
"I can't, but... that only applies to myself."
Kiritsugu's cold demeanor shocked everyone.
"…Kill… me…" Kayneth pleaded, barely breathing and writhing in hellish agony.
Without even sparing him a glance, Kiritsugu calmly replied:
"I'm sorry, due to the contract's terms, I can't kill you."
Ultimately, it was Artoria who stepped in to end Kayneth's suffering.
With this, the Lancer team was completely annihilated, sparking a deep rift between Kiritsugu Emiya and Artoria.
......
The cinema fell into silence.
The audience felt chilled by Kiritsugu Emiya's cold-blooded actions.
"This is just too much. Wasn't killing the Servant enough? Why kill Kayneth and his fiancée too?"
"Yeah, using a hostage to force Kayneth to kill Lancer was already harsh but understandable. Why kill Kayneth and Sola after he'd lost his Servant?"
"Kiritsugu's actions are so ruthless. Does he have any emotions at all?"
"What does he really want? Is he seeking the Holy Grail for justice? I find that hard to believe now."
"Lancer's death was so unjust; he's probably the most tragic Servant yet."
"What a tragedy..."
Various voices arose, with most people condemning Kiritsugu's methods as overly cruel, killing Kayneth and Sola unnecessarily.
However, not everyone felt this way. Some viewers believed that in a life-or-death conflict like the Holy Grail War, leaving no loose ends was necessary. Otherwise, Kayneth might have somehow regained another Command Seal, just like Kirei Kotomine.
Yet, such opinions were in the minority, as most people denounced Kiritsugu's ruthless methods as disgraceful.
At the other end of the theater, the Emperor and his knights were equally shocked by the scene.
"This is an unexpected approach," the Emperor remarked. "While not wrong and certainly effective, the methods are too blatant. Such acts can easily unsettle one's followers—Kiritsugu seems to lack the qualities of a leader."
Wilhelm nodded in agreement, sharing a similar perspective as the Emperor from a leader's standpoint.
Wilcliff, however, was rather blunt in his evaluation of Kiritsugu:
"I agree with his methods; he achieved victory with great efficiency and minimal sacrifice. But I disapprove of his purpose. Ending war through slaughter is like sending soldiers to die just to win a war—they gain nothing in the end. Even if the war is ended and victory achieved, who will appreciate his ruthlessness? It just adds to his infamy!"
"But if the Holy Grail truly can grant any wish, what Kiritsugu did could indeed be a benefit to humanity," General Wilhelm commented.
To this, Wilcliff responded indifferently:
"That's debatable. When someone like Kiritsugu, a pure realist, seeks something as idealistic—or rather, fantastical—as the Grail, the story is bound to be absurd and tragic."
"Indeed, it's like having a cunning criminal in a fairy tale meant to symbolize good; the moment the story's creator introduced such a character, it was destined to fracture the tale, leaving no room for any semblance of beauty."
The discussion concluded with Emperor Hubbard's words.
Both rulers and generals had offered their assessments of Kiritsugu Emiya.
...
Meanwhile, at the Imperial Mage Academy, the mages were also discussing the recent plot developments.
"Kayneth was so foolish, falling for such a simple trick."
"There wasn't much choice for him at that moment. He had almost no chance of survival, so he could only hope Kiritsugu would spare him."
"Self-geis scroll... I believe there's something similar in reality, right?"
"Soul contracts, quite comparable in effect. These things supposedly originated from the chaos realm, but honestly, not many people are brave enough to use them."
"The Lancer team's death wasn't in vain. Now only four teams are left fighting for the Grail."
"What is Kirei Kotomine planning? He's not a Master anymore, right?"
"Let's see. I'm more curious about what other outrageous things Kiritsugu Emiya will do."
The mages' discussions filled the air, and everyone was eagerly anticipating the next part of the story.
Even though they knew they weren't going to see the true ending this time, they resignedly hoped that this installment would show a little more.
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