Kiritsugu Emiya's expression grew heavy. His left hand gripped the submachine gun aimed at Kaguya, while his other hand reached into his coat, pulling out an old-fashioned, single-shot handgun. This gun was loaded with his signature Origin Bullets, made from the powdered remains of his own ribs.
Origin Bullets were particularly destructive. When they hit a target, they not only destroyed tissue but also caused it to regenerate in a chaotic manner. While the wound would appear healed, the internal structure would be scrambled, leaving the affected area dysfunctional.
For mages, these bullets were even more dangerous. They disrupted a mage's magical circuits, effectively destroying their entire magical system and causing severe, often fatal, physical damage. This was why Kayneth was now confined to a wheelchair after being hit by one.
Kiritsugu had killed more than thirty mages using these bullets, including Kirei Kotomine in the original story. However, against Kaguya, they were useless. Her body wasn't composed of conventional magical circuits; she was a Bloodline Limit, making her entire body a source of power. To put it simply, Kaguya was magic, so the bullets held no threat to her.
"Do you really think that thing in your hand can threaten me?" Kaguya smirked, her expression turning cold. "Don't you think we have some scores to settle? After all, you made me suffer quite a bit at the Einzbern Castle."
She wasn't exaggerating. The pain Kaguya had endured from the Dragon Veins Chakra was real, though it was more spiritual than physical. That chakra's evil nature had mentally assaulted her, although she had experience dealing with such things. Of course, she exaggerated the severity to make a point.
Kayneth, who had been watching the stunning silver-haired girl in front of him, was momentarily confused before asking, "Who are you?"
It wasn't surprising he didn't recognize her—after all, the last time they had met at the docks, Kaguya had appeared as a silver-haired loli. She looked entirely different now.
Kaguya turned to him, her tone teasing. "Ah, it's Professor El-Melloi Archibald right? Or should I say Weber's instructor? Don't you recognize me?"
Kayneth blinked, still unsure. He looked at her silver hair and then seemed to realize something, his face filling with disbelief. "You… could you be…"
"That's right," Kaguya chuckled softly. "I'm the one you saw at the docks."
"Are you here to finish me off too?" Kayneth clenched his fists in frustration, his voice full of bitterness. "Are you here to kick me while I'm down?"
As a prodigious mage, head of the Archibald family, and a top lecturer at the Mage's Association Clock Tower, Kayneth had never suffered such humiliation or fallen so low. The huge gap between his former glory and his current state was unbearable. He was left powerless, his magical circuits destroyed, his fiancée in enemy hands, and no way out.
"Don't misunderstand," Kaguya smirked, a playful smile on her lips. "I'm not here to kill you. In fact, I'm here to help you."
"To help me?" Kayneth looked puzzled, unsure of her motives.
"You really think Emiya Kiritsugu will let you live, even after you give him everything he wants?" Kaguya sneered.
"Don't try to deceive me!" Kayneth shouted angrily. "You think I don't know? Once we seal the Compulsory Contract, neither of us can break it, not even after death. Even our souls would be bound!"
"That's true," Kaguya agreed with a nod. "But have you considered what would happen if he didn't do it himself? What if someone else did? Like, say, a sniper positioned 500 meters away?"
"What?!" Kayneth's eyes widened in shock. He had never considered that Kiritsugu, despite being a mage, would stoop to such dishonorable tactics. He spun around, glaring at Kiritsugu. "How dare you—"
A loud gunshot echoed through the stillness, deafening in the otherwise silent scene.
Kayneth's pupils contracted in horror.
"Trying to silence him, are you?" Kaguya mocked, standing in front of Kayneth. She opened her clenched fist, revealing a uniquely shaped bullet—the very same Origin Bullet that Kiritsugu had just fired.
Yet, in a chilling "click," Kiritsugu's submachine gun was now aimed directly at Sola-Ui's head.
Kaguya frowned slightly. It seemed that the shot had been a feint. Kiritsugu's real target hadn't been Kayneth or even Kaguya but rather Kayneth's immobilized fiancée, Sola-Ui.
It was clear that Kiritsugu had already figured out that Sola-Ui was Kayneth's greatest weakness.
At that moment, two figures swiftly appeared on the scene—Saber and Lancer, who had immediately abandoned their duel when they heard the gunshot and rushed to the source of the sound.
Upon seeing the scene in front of them, both were momentarily stunned.
"It's decision time, isn't it, Lord Archibald?" Kiritsugu ignored the new arrivals, his voice cold. "The terms remain the same. If you want to save your fiancée's life, you know what to do."
Kayneth's face twisted with conflicting emotions as he tightened his grip on the contract in his hand. Moments ago, he had clung to a faint hope, believing that perhaps there was still a chance. But it seemed fate was playing a cruel joke on him—just when hope appeared, it was ruthlessly snatched away.
Seeing the situation unfold, Saber stepped forward, furious. "Kiritsugu, this is too despicable! I cannot condone such actions. This is no better than evil trickery!"
But Kiritsugu ignored Saber entirely. Instead, he calmly flicked off the safety on his gun, his voice steady as he said, "What a shame. I suppose you've decided not to save your fiancée after all."