Chapter 201: Chapter 201: When It Rains, It Pours
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Along the Mion River, which divided Fuyuki City, ran a two-lane asphalt road, one of the city's main thoroughfares. But at this late hour, close to midnight, the road was deserted, a forgotten world enveloped in silence.
A black beast, its engine roaring, sped along the empty road.
"Hey, everyone, are we going too slow? Should I—speed up a bit?…" Illyasviel asked, a mischievous grin on her face as she gripped the steering wheel.
"Faster?! It's at 200 kilometers per hour!!!" Kiyohime, her face pale with terror, pointed at the dashboard, clinging to Haru's arm.
The rapidly blurring scenery outside filled her with unease.
"Just 200? That's nothing. I'm a student of Arianna-sensei, you know. My driving skills are exceptional," Illyasviel replied, her foot pressing down on the accelerator.
"Um, Haru—who is this Arianna-sensei…?" Kiyohime asked, turning to Haru, her voice strained.
"A lunatic who drives at 300 mph in city traffic. And she's never had an accident," Haru muttered, his teeth gritted as he recalled Erica Blandelli's—monstrous maid. He shouldn't have taken Illyasviel to the Campione! world. He was starting to regret it.
Saber, sitting in the passenger seat, her face a mask of nervous anticipation, forced a smile. "A—remarkable teacher, Illyasviel."
"I learned everything from her!!" Illyasviel declared, though Saber, with her knowledge of modern vehicles—courtesy of the Grail—could tell Illyasviel's shifting technique was—clumsy, like a complete beginner's.
"Haru—Illyasviel... she's…" Saber turned to Haru, her voice trailing off, gesturing towards Illyasviel's hands on the steering wheel.
Kiyohime, her face ashen, also looked at Haru, her eyes wide with fear.
Haru held up four fingers, silently telling them how many times Illyasviel had driven.
Saber and Kiyohime exchanged glances, their bodies tensing, magical energy flowing through them. They were ready to jump.
Just then, the modified Hummer's engine roared.
"Hee hee!" Illyasviel giggled as the speedometer's needle climbed past 300 kph.
"Will I return to the Throne of Heroes…?" Saber murmured, watching the scenery blur.
"Illyasviel," Kiyohime said, her voice barely a whisper, "Even if it's late, driving this fast—it's—dangerous. We might crash."
A dark shape suddenly appeared in front of the car.
BANG!
SCREEEEECH!!!
The sound of metal crunching, tires screeching, filled the air.
'Whoosh!' The airbags deployed. Illyasviel and Saber's faces slammed into the inflated cushions.
Haru and Kiyohime, in the back seat, were thrown forward, their heads hitting the seats in front of them.
"H-how could this happen…? My luck is A-rank…!" Kiyohime cried, clutching her forehead, which had smashed into the back of the driver's seat, a small trickle of blood oozing from the wound.
She was bewildered. She'd just spoken, and then—bam. They'd crashed. It didn't make sense. It defied her luck.
"Thank goodness for airbags," Saber murmured, pulling her face from the inflated cushion, a bead of sweat trickling down her forehead.
While the crash wouldn't have injured them, the experience had been—jarring. Saber's heart was still racing.
"Illyasviel? Are you alright?" Haru asked, pulling his head free from the passenger seat, his neck cracking.
"I'm fine, Haru. But—I think—I hit someone," Illyasviel said, her voice filled with uncertainty.
"It looked like a sofa," Saber added, recalling the—unidentified flying object.
"But—there was a hand on the sofa… I—I think I killed someone! What do I do? Will I go to jail?" Illyasviel's face paled.
"You were speeding in the middle of the night and hit a flying sofa? With a person on it?" Kiyohime stared at her, dumbfounded.
'A flying sofa?' Haru, shaking his head, opened the car door. "Let's go see what we hit."
"O-okay…" Illyasviel, her mind reeling, nodded quickly.
They got out of the car and looked around. Fifty meters away, a figure lay in a pool of blood.
....
Excruciating pain shot through Sola-Ui's body. As she lay dying, memories flashed through her mind.
'What a night…' She'd been attacked by an unknown Servant, then, thankfully, spared, thrown—sofa and all—towards Diarmuid.
And Diarmuid, the idiot, had mistaken her and the sofa for a projectile weapon and deflected them.
The sofa, temporarily transformed into a Noble Phantasm, had shielded her from the worst of the impact. Though her internal organs had been ruptured, she'd still been alive, her magic giving her a chance to survive.
And then, just as she'd managed to slow her descent, bracing for impact—she'd been hit by a speeding Hummer.
Her bones shattered, her ribs piercing her lungs.
'Was this—the end…?' She gathered the last of her magical energy, assessing her injuries. Her consciousness began to fade.
"There really was someone on the sofa…? She's dying—Haru-sama, should we just incinerate her?"
"Oh, God. I-I killed someone…"
"Illyasviel, calm down. Haru, what are you doing?"
"She looks familiar. I think I saw her in Kayneth's file. Sola-Ui, wasn't it…?"
Someone—know Kayneth? A Magician? Sola-Ui, clinging to life, whispered, "Help me…"
....
Kiritsugu Emiya, having dealt with the hotel staff who'd come to investigate the commotion, arrived on the top floor.
"What happened, Lancelot? Where is she?" He looked around the empty suite, his brow furrowed in confusion.
Lancelot silently pointed towards the shattered window, still reeling from Diarmuid's—efficient disposal of Sola-Ui.
"She jumped?" Kiritsugu walked to the window.
Just then, Diarmuid looked up, his sharp eyes spotting Kiritsugu on the thirty-second floor. His expression hardened.
"Master, there's an intruder. And a Servant."
Kayneth, his eyes widening in alarm, turned his head, using a spell to enhance his vision. He saw Kiritsugu's impassive face and instantly recognized him from the Matou's intel.
"The Magus Killer!" he hissed.
Kiritsugu, as if sensing Kayneth's gaze, turned his head, his cold eyes meeting Kayneth's venomous glare.
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