The Ultimate Lich King of the Multiverse

"Leave this place. I'll be the one representing the Einzbern family. You've lost your qualification."

Standing before Kiritsugu Emiya, Yoru spoke coldly. Kiritsugu frowned slightly but didn't leave.

"Is this Jubstacheit's decision? Why the sudden change? I thought it was already agreed that I would represent the Einzbern family."

Kiritsugu kept his hand on the case he carried, staring at Yoru warily. The man before him radiated an unparalleled sense of danger.

It was a feeling Kiritsugu had encountered many times before. Every mage he had killed—each one a renowned figure—had given off a similar aura. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been targeted by the Mage's Association in the first place.

Despite the tension, Kiritsugu wasn't afraid of Yoru. In his eyes, this boyish-looking mage should be easy enough to assassinate.

What on earth was Jubstacheit thinking, choosing a mere child like this for the Holy Grail War?

Ridiculous.

Kiritsugu had reasons of his own for seeking the Grail. Letting a kid join such a deadly war was nothing but foolishness.

That said, Yoru clearly had no intention of explaining anything. When he realized Kiritsugu wouldn't back down, he acted without hesitation.

He didn't intend to kill—just to issue a warning. The ice lance floating in Yoru's palm suddenly shifted and shot straight toward Kiritsugu.

Kiritsugu furrowed his brow and swiftly sidestepped at an inhuman speed, dodging the incoming projectile with ease. In the same motion, he opened the case he had been holding and pulled out a compact, folded machine gun.

Yoru was still wondering how Kiritsugu had dodged his attack when the sight of the gun made him pause.

A gun? Isn't this guy supposed to be a mage?

Strangely, even though he had never seen such weapons in Orario, Yoru instinctively understood what the machine gun was and what it could do the moment Kiritsugu drew it.

It made him chuckle a little. In a battle between magi, what good could such a crude weapon do?

As Yoru was thinking this, Kiritsugu raised the machine gun and began firing at him while staying in constant motion. Yoru didn't bother reacting—ice magic formed a crystal-clear shield before him, blocking all the bullets.

"If that's all you've got, you might as well stop embarrassing yourself now. The Holy Grail War is no child's play!"

Kiritsugu grimaced. Those were the exact words he had planned to say—and worse, he had no argument against them.

There was no helping it. In direct combat, he stood no chance.

Kiritsugu firmly believed that if he really wanted to kill this boy, he had countless ways to do it. But in this direct confrontation, he wouldn't stand a chance.

Of course, it wasn't like he had no shot at winning. He still had his mystic code, and if he used that...

But such a precious item couldn't be wasted. And besides, he had no reason to kill the boy before him.

Kiritsugu was ruthless, yes—but never without cause.

Killing this kid just to become the Einzbern representative would go against his entire reason for joining the Holy Grail War in the first place.

If the war were imminent and there were no other options, perhaps he would've chosen to do so. But there were still ten years before it began—plenty of time to make other preparations. He didn't need to tie himself to the Einzberns.

Now that someone had beaten him to it, he would simply find another way.

"You said the Holy Grail War isn't a game. Then are you ready to die for it? What kind of wish do you intend to make?!"

Though he had already decided to back out, Kiritsugu still wanted to confirm something: Why was this boy willing to risk his life for the Grail?

No one understood better than Kiritsugu what the Grail War truly entailed. No matter how powerful a mage was, in this seven-man death match, they were no different from ordinary people.

To Servants, human bodies were far too fragile—easily destroyed.

"My wish… I just want to go home. Now leave. Don't step into the Einzbern territory again."

Yoru turned his back and walked away, leaving Kiritsugu standing alone in the snowy landscape.

"Home, huh? If that's all you're fighting for, then your resolve isn't nearly enough… You're going to die in this Holy Grail War."

Leaving those words behind, Kiritsugu packed up his weapon and departed without hesitation.

It was as if he had never been interested in the Einzbern family—or in Irisviel at all.

He had no idea what Irisviel even looked like. Nor did he care what kind of woman he was supposed to marry.

His only goal had been to secure the Einzberns' recognition and enter the Holy Grail War.

Now that he'd failed, he would simply abandon them and search for another way to join the battle.

Back in the Einzbern castle dining hall, Jubstacheit sighed softly as he watched everything unfold through his crystal orb.

He had gotten what he wanted: a brief clash between Yoru and Kiritsugu. But it had been too mild—just a light skirmish—and gave him no real insight into who was stronger.

On the surface, Yoru seemed to have the upper hand. But Jubstacheit wasn't naïve—he knew the infamous Mage Killer hadn't even used any of his trump cards.

There was no way such a feared man relied solely on primitive firearms to fight mages.

"Well… in the end, the Master is just secondary. The real stars of the Holy Grail War are always the Servants. Compared to that, someone like Yoru—with vast magical reserves—is clearly the better candidate."

As Jubstacheit spoke to himself, Irisviel sat silently, her head lowered—lost in thought.

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