Fate: Hero of Justice Takeover-Chapter 173: [] Kiritsugu v/s Kirei [1]

"He restores my soul; He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me—"

A familiar hymn flowed through his mind, a necessary vessel to contain the surging excitement that welled up within Kirei.

Gunpowder-propelled bullets whizzed through the dimly lit corridor, disturbing the cold air and sending a sharp breeze across his cheek.

But Kirei paid no heed. Crossing his arms, he used six enlarged Black Keys as a makeshift shield to deflect the first probing bullet, the boiling blood in his veins burning even hotter.

For the first time, the man named Kirei Kotomine felt a divine blessing. The God who had never once favored him had finally granted him revelation.

Standing before him was his reason, the very meaning of his life—his angel and his demon.

The so-called battle of seven Masters and seven Servants was merely "circumstance." To Kirei, the battlefield of Fuyuki existed for one reason only—

To eliminate the enemy standing in his path.

The long and painful search of his first half of life transformed into a hymn of praise to the Lord, while the joyous and exhilarating latter half became the very motivation for him to wield his sword.

"Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life—"

The angelic statues lining the corridor became markers of the infernal path, guiding this fallen believer as he charged forward toward the figure clad in black.

Analysis of Kirei Kotomine's Tactics

Source: Former opponents Irisviel von Einzbern and Maiya Hisau, along with scattered intel from Sakatsuki.

Long-range combat: Uses Black Key projectiles. Preparation time per throw is less than 0.3 seconds, with a confirmed firing rate of four Black Keys within 0.7 seconds. Can attack even without visual confirmation of the target. The semi-spiritual blade is strong enough to pierce steel.

Accuracy (if not affected by illusions): 100%.

Close-quarters combat: Utilizes Bajiquan. Details unknown, but his skill has reached a transcendent level. Based on his confrontation with Sakatsuki in the Einzbern forest and Sakatsuki's subsequent combat record, his strength has likely reached the realm of Servants—extremely dangerous.

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Defensive gear: His robe is bulletproof and reinforced with enchantments. 9mm military-grade bullets cannot penetrate, nor can their impact effectively suppress him.

Other intelligence: Based on reports from Tokiomi Tohsaka, Kirei's proficiency in magecraft is at the level of an advanced apprentice, with his only notable skill being spiritual healing. Kiritsugu suspects Kirei's combat-use magecraft is limited to enhancing his physical abilities to supplement his existing martial prowess.

Strategic Predictions: Critical absence of Avalon: Due to Sakatsuki's interference, Kiritsugu does not possess the key Noble Phantasm Avalon—a significant tactical disadvantage.

Unfavorable battlefield: The confined corridor is extremely disadvantageous for an assassin. If Kirei gets close, Kiritsugu will face certain death.

Kiritsugu's contingency plans: He previously acquired necromantic war gear from bounty hunter Kairi Sisigou in the Middle East. Possesses special Conceptual Bullets infused with at least two verses of magecraft.

Kiritsugu felt the cold weight of his concealed weapon pressing against his coat. His pupils flickered.

Apart from one prior usage against Lord El-Melloi, he had never revealed his trump card. Back then, the Einzbern castle's barrier had prevented Assassin from infiltrating, and Kirei had been preoccupied with battling Maiya and Irisviel. Thus, it was certain—

Kirei had no knowledge of Kiritsugu's Origin Bullet.

The first exchange began—Black Keys versus gunfire.

Kirei was at a disadvantage.

However, if he possessed any magecraft to overturn this gap in weaponry, he would not hesitate to ignore Kiritsugu's gunfire and immediately close the distance.

Predicting this, Kiritsugu took the first shot. His left hand gripped his Calico, and with a light squeeze of the trigger, a bullet was fired from the chamber.

Against an opponent of this caliber, every wasted bullet meant a decrease in his chances of survival.

As expected, the Executor raised his six Black Keys like a pair of wings and charged straight ahead. The bullets were easily deflected by the expanding fan of Black Keys, and in an instant—

The distance between them was halved.

One more step, and Kirei's merciless fists and kicks would reach him.

Kiritsugu raised his right hand. His trusted Contender flared with muzzle flash.

Once again, Kirei crossed his six Black Keys over his chest, fully neutralizing the destructive power of the .30-06 Springfield round.

Sparks erupted as the bullet ricocheted off. But this time, unable to withstand the excessive magical reinforcement—

All six Black Keys shattered.

Parrying bullets with swords was an impressive feat.

But this was also Kirei's fatal mistake.

A non-magus forcing such an unnatural technique resulted in an unforeseen consequence. The backlash was enough to destroy his own magic circuits—

Because the bullet Kiritsugu fired was no ordinary round.

It was his Origin Bullet.

By all rights, Kirei should have been completely incapacitated.

Yet—

From within the shattered fragments of his Black Keys, the black-clad figure continued his relentless charge.

Kiritsugu's eyes widened in shock. His instincts reacted before his mind could process the situation.

"Time Alter—Double Accel!"

His figure blurred backward at twice the speed of normal time.

Kirei's airborne right kick grazed the tip of his nose, followed closely by a sweeping left strike aimed at his neck—

But Kiritsugu was already gone.

Kirei's linked kicks missed their target, deceived by Kiritsugu's accelerated movement.

Then, Kiritsugu noticed something—the second Command Spell on Kirei's hand had disappeared.

His mind reached an immediate conclusion.

It was the Command Spell.

Kirei Kotomine was not a proper magus. His magic circuits were incomplete at best.

To deliver a single, unexpected killing blow, he had sacrificed a Command Spell as a temporary magic source.

And because Command Spells vanish after use, by the time his Origin Bullet activated—

There was no longer any magecraft to disrupt.

Even Kirei himself likely hadn't expected this accidental countermeasure to nullify Kiritsugu's trump card.

Their initial strategies had collapsed.

But now that Kirei had closed the distance—Kiritsugu was in dire straits.

This time, he had no time to formulate a new plan.

Because Kotomine Kirei had already stepped forward with Bajiquan's secret technique—"Huo Bu" (Explosive Step)—

Crossing five meters in an instant and crashing into Kiritsugu's arms.

"Time Alter—Double Accel!"

A violent gust from Kirei's fist tore open Kiritsugu's skin, leaving a trail of blood.

The assassin twisted his head to evade the follow-up strike and reflexively fired his Calico at Kirei's chest.

"It's useless!"

Kirei roared, his burning fervor undiminished.

With a flick of his left hand, three Black Keys materialized, forming a magical barrier.

After all, it was just an ordinary bullet.

But the moment he had this thought—

A searing pain erupted from his abdomen.

***

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