Urobuchi, p.9
Urobuchi, page 9
“… That is enough, Berserker.”
Kariya nodded. The large body of the King of Conquerors turned into a pitch-black fog as if burnt, then reverted to the armored figure filled with an ominous air. The dark energy that imitated Rider’s appearance twined about his hands and legs, obscuring small parts of the black armor.
Seeing Berserker returned to his original form, Kirei said as if groaning.
“This sort of transformation ability… It is truly wasted as a Noble Phantasm of Berserker’s level.
“This guy initially had the ability to transform into many other Heroic Spirits that had won merit in military exploits for other people. Because of the Mad Enhancement, it has been reduced to the ability of ‘imitation’.”
The black fog that twined about Berserker’s entire body was originally a Noble Phantasm that had the purpose of not only hiding his visage, but also of mimicking any person in order to deceive enemies’ ears and eyes. Ever since Berserker had been stripped of his rationality, this ability could not be brought into play. Kariya had forced this ability to manifest through the power of the Command Seals and made it possible to disguise Berserker as a fake Rider. But this ability could only be used once.
“Ar… ur…”
Berserker stared after the light of Saber’s motorcycle headlights moving gradually further away into the east, his gaze full of hatred. A bone-deep hatred caused his shoulders to shake ceaselessly, the armor chafing with a creaking sound, but he did not do anything else out of the ordinary. That was due to the binding of the ultimate command, the second Command Seal that Kariya had used—“capture Irisviel, and let Saber escape”.
In order to make Berserker, who had an unusual stubbornness when it came to Saber, follow his own instruction, it was necessary to restrict him with a forceful command.
For Berserker, it appeared that those shackles were extremely difficult to endure.
Although his task was now complete, the black knight seemed like a mechanical part that had malfunctioned; his limbs continuously convulsed, stubbornly resisting this command.
Kariya felt a chill run down his back at Berserker’s willfulness. As Berserker fell into a state of uncontrollability, Kariya forcefully cut off the prana connection with him.
Having lost the prana that sustained his form in this world, the Servant immediately reverted to spirit form and the body of Irisviel, losing its support, was violently thrown to the rooftop floor. On impact, the sleeping homunculus gave a soft groan of pain, but nevertheless did not open her eyes. Since being forcefully kidnapped from the Magic Circle in which she had rested, Irisviel’s awareness had become even thinner.
“Is this woman really the ‘Vessel of the Holy Grail’?”
“To be precise, it is this homunculus. If one or two more Servants are finished, then it will probably show its true form… I will prepare the ritual to receive the Grail as it descends. Until that time, let this woman also be temporarily under my protection.”
The robed man picked up the weak body of the woman; Kariya wordlessly communicated his question with his eyes.
Kirei noticed his gaze and replied as before, with a leisurely and self-satisfied smile.
“Don’t worry. I will give you the Grail as per our agreement. Because I have no need to pursue that wish-granting machine.”
“Before that, you seem to also have promised me another thing, Father.”
“Ah, that thing… Of course there is no problem. You just have to come to the church at midnight tonight. I will make the preparation for you to meet Tōsaka Tokiomi then.”
“…”
Exactly what did this priest intend? — It made Kariya’s heart very troubled to not be able to discern his true intention all this time.
Though Kotomine Kirei had once been a disciple under Tōsaka Tokiomi, for the sake of participating in the Heaven’s Feel he had split ways and become a Master—
a hypocrite. But from the perspective of the Matō family that had also participated in
the previous Heaven’s Feel, the collusion between the Tōsaka house and the Church had long been known. In this case, it was also obvious without needing to be said that this son of the Supervisor, who was also an Executor of the Church, had summoned Assassin as Tokiomi’s lackey.
At noon today, Kirei had actually come running all of a sudden to knock on the door of the Matō house, saying that he hoped to discuss the establishment an alliance.
According to him, the responsibility for Supervisor Kotomine Risei’s death fell on Tōsaka; as the man’s son it was necessary for him to avenge his father, and so he wished to use the hand of the Matōs to kill Tokiomi.
Although Kariya knew that this intention was suspicious, the conditions laid out by Kotomine Kirei were truly too alluring to him.
This man had not only planned to trap Tokiomi, but also investigated the location in which Einsbern, protector of the ‘Vessel of the Grail’, was hiding and secretly succeeded the right to safekeep the Command Seals as Supervisor; it could be said that he held the most important trump card to the latter half of the Heaven’s Feel.
To Kariya, holding the ticking time bomb known as Berserker, isolated and unable to trust even his own kin, Kirei’s assistance was greater than an army of thousands; his heart was immediately grounded. However, the condition was that he had to trust everything that this man Kotomine Kirei said.
Kotomine Kirei could ensure that the homunculus of the Einsbern family was in his hands. He even generously replenished his consumed Command Seals… But even thus, Kariya was unable to completely trust this priest whose smile surfaced as leisurely and self-satisfied.
The attitude of this man was truly too relaxed. Perhaps it was due to the confidence brought about by the secret he held, which was the most important deciding factor.
But if he were only to look at it thus simply—that indicated that he had no sense of danger in the face of battle, or a sense of anxiety in needing to consider tactics.
If it were absolutely necessary to describe, that smile was closer to that of an excited child playing a game. In the name of betraying his benefactor to avenge his father, this man had formed an alliance with him. It was very obvious that this man found great joy in this sort of situation…
“It will be too suspicious if both of us appear at the same time. Kariya, why don’t you go back first?”
“… And you?”
“I still have some small things to do… Don’t forget, Kariya. Tonight at midnight, your wish shall be accomplished there.”
The priest seemed to be even more concerned over the whole affair than Kariya himself, reminding Kariya again in a voice filled with anticipation.
Kariya once again regarded his smile with a suspicious gaze, then slowly turned around and walked toward the rooftop staircase.
Without the slightest carelessness, Kotomine Kirei listened closely to his ally’s footsteps moving into the distance. After confirming that the sound of footsteps had entirely disappeared—he again moved to a corner of the rooftop and shifted his gaze to a pile of discarded material covered by many sheets of water-resistant material.
“… I have already sent him away. I don’t know who you are, but isn’t it about time you revealed yourself?”
This voice carried an authority that did not permit compromise. After a period of silence, a hair-raising and suppressed laughter rang out, seeping into the icy night air.
“Oh, already noticed, have you? Indeed, you are worthy of being an Executor who has experienced battle. Much more sensitive than that kid Kariya."
From the darkness appeared a shadow without definite form. At first glance Kirei had even thought that it was a large pile of worms, a collection that would send a chill through anyone—but the bright moonlight immediately chased away this misconception; it was an old man, thin and small of stature, that quietly walked out.
“Executor, you have no need to worry. I am not your enemy. I am the kin of that kid who is cooperating with you.”
Since he named himself thus—in Kirei’s heart surfaced a suitable person.
“Matō Zōken… is it not?”
“Indeed. You even know my name. It seems that Tōsaka instructs his disciples well.”
The old magus quirked a corner of the lips deeply hidden in wrinkles, revealing an inhuman smile.
※※※※※
The thickness of the darkness spread about the mountain road was already incomparable to that of evening; it seemed that it was already night.
In the darkness that was black as ink, you would not see your hand in front of your face. The brilliance of the headlights ripped apart this patch of darkness. Saber was still driving the steel beast as if her life depended on it.
She had traveled this path when escorting Einsbern out of the city. When they had left, it had been Irisviel driving; returning, it was Saber who tightly gripped the steering wheel of the Mercedes-Benz, sure of the road. Though it was only two times that they had come and gone, it was enough for Saber. Her memory was above average; be it the width of the road or the angle of inclination or even when to make a turn, she could clearly recall it all.
Saber saw that Rider’s ‘Gordius Wheel’ had only just descended from high in the air and landed somewhere far away. For some unknown reason, the King of Conquerors had not continued to flee, but had landed on the ground, seemingly intending to respond to Saber’s challenge of having a competition of riding skills on the ground.
His air of heroism seemed not to be miscible with his sneak tactic of kidnapping Irisviel, but perhaps this was exactly the conflict between Rider and his Master. The actions of Servants restricted by the contract often brought about many contradictory results; this was not surprising.
This was exactly the personal experience that Saber herself had gained through her conflict with Emiya Kiritsugu.
It made Saber very happy that Rider could make a decision based on his own agenda in this final battleground. Between these two fast-moving riders, Kiritsugu had no way of interfering even if he wanted to. To Saber, this was something she wanted very much.
The key of the problem lay somewhere else—the vibration of the handlebars she was tightly gripping sent a message of danger.
As a man-made machine, the V-MAX had already fully manifested all of its ability.
What was sad was that what was driving ahead was a quick-moving Noble
Phantasm that transcended normality. Although the V-MAX was already being towed along by its rider Saber’s internal prana, the strength of its material composition and structure was definitely limited.
The engine and acceleration system, which from the city to here had been continuously used to their greatest capacity, were already showing signs of breaking down. Saber’s excellent driving allowed her to be aware of this vehicle’s internal situation as well as she would have known an extension of her own physical body. It was already possible to clearly hear the dejected cry of almost having reached its limit.
“It’ll be terrible if this goes on…”
There would be nothing more to say if she were to decelerate in consideration of the vehicle’s burden, but if it were necessary to force the motorcycle to continue at its high speed, this vehicle would fall apart within a few minutes. If no measures were taken to strengthen the innate capability of the vehicle…
Saber herself had difficulty judging the feasibility of the plan that had momentarily flashed into her mind, but there was no way to hesitate further. Saber made up her mind and entrusted everything to all the possibilities that had been given to her as a Servant.
The full-body platinum armor that she wore while fighting— she now intended not to put the armor on her own body, but to fuse it with the body of the V-MAX through intense psychokinesis. The concept was similar to the armor that protected beloved horses on the battlefield. With the sense of unity of riding as the mainstay, this time she must definitely turn this steel beast that could not speak into her own limbs…
Her prana continuously being released, the various important parts of the V-MAX
that could ensure maximum speed of movement were completely covered and protected; the flexible and strong armor increased the capability of the motorcycle.
“—This is great!”
Though this usage was unexpected, Saber’s great skill made this difficult task possible. The entire structure of the V-MAX was wrapped in brand-new silver armor, beautiful and majestic to behold. This hard structure of the vehicle was in no way inferior to that monstrous, extraordinarily strong horsepower; this time, the mechanical lion had finally become a real magical beast. The exhaust pipe thundered.
Saber released the Invisible Air like an arrow directly in front of her, completely covering the body of the vehicle. Using the compression of the pneumatic umbrella to decrease air resistance to zero, the V-MAX was finally released from air resistance.
The needle of the speedometer was already damaged and could not be used.
Saber’s prana had caused the rushing vehicle to transcend the laws of physics; already the speed was more than 400 kilometers per hour. The pressure released by the magecraft pressed the rear wheel firmly against the cement; even when making turns, Saber did not release the throttle and turned the body of the vehicle round by force.
Like this, it might even be possible— it made Saber extremely excited to have captured this thread of victory through so much effort.
The distance from the ‘Gordius Wheel’ in front gradually shortened. Originally it had looked like only a point of light, but now it was already possible to clearly see the entire likeness of the thundering vehicle that was releasing lightning bolts and also turning at high speeds.
On the other side, Waver, who had been sitting in the charioteer’s seat since having touched down, was constantly watching the rear. Seeing the brilliance from the headlights of the motorcycle that was suddenly approaching, he could not help but hold his breath; he tugged at Rider’s cape.
“Rider, at this rate they will catch up to us! Eh, idiot, look out behind!”
Hearing Waver’s frantic voice, Rider snorted. As a Heroic Spirit who had appeared in this world and gained the throne of Rider, even without turning back he could clearly feel the presence of Saber gradually closing in.
“This fellow, Saber. On the account that she can catch up just using that gizmo, I cannot but praise her. On the other hand…”
Rider roared, the corner of his lips twisting, showing the smile that had always seemed somewhat sinister.
“Sorry, but this is a war chariot. Now I can no longer play nicely in this game of competing speeds with you!”
Then Rider slid the enormous structure of the car to the side, arriving at the side of the road.
On the two sides of ‘Gordius Wheel’ whose dimensions were greater than an ordinary truck were fixed two large, fiercely curved sickles. On the two sides of the national highway on which Rider was now speeding were dense forests that almost covered the path. If the wheels of the chariot were moved to the very edge of the paved road, then the blade of the sickle would definitely pass into the lush green forest—
“So, Saber, pursue me from behind!”
The electrified wheels of the chariot crushed the forest as easily as if it were cutting through paper; Rider had begun a brutal deforestation.
Though the tree trunks were all very thick, for the sharp sickles flying at 400
kilometers an hour, it was as easy as sawing wood. The tree trunks that had been instantaneously broken all snapped back and were swept into the air. The sight was like shredding wood shavings, only it was a nightmare a few hundred times more majestic.
Seeing this tremendous scene of destruction, Saber could not help but hold her breath.
“Damn it…!”
The trees that had been swept up into the air descended like rain upon their target, which was obviously the head of Saber who was catching up from behind. To say nothing of being directly hit—at this speed, even if the steering wheel should be gently brushed across, it would be a matter of life and death.
Deceleration—was impossible. This was not a test that could be avoided just by retreating. The only path of survival was to rush on forward.
Saber made up her mind; after making thorough mental preparation, she rushed into the rain of continuously falling trees without any timidity whatsoever.
These things fell toward the ground like an avalanche. The V-MAX advanced forward in a twisting manner like a snake, passing through narrow spaces. Saber thought that braking to make the motorcycle stop was an act of stupidity, so not only did she not decelerate, she also made use of the momentum from acceleration to make the front wheel leave the ground, relying only on the rear wheel to maintain balance and performing the consummate stunt of controlling the driving of a motorcycle using magecraft alone. That beautiful one-wheeled dance incited Waver
to stare, completely forgetting his fear; on Rider’s face also appeared a very satisfied smile.
“Hahahahaha! Fabulous! Indeed the King of Knights of consummate dignity! Only you are worthy to be named flower of the battlefield!”
Laughing, Rider continued to deftly slide the chariot from side to side, closing in on the next object to be cut down.
“Here I come again—next up after the trees is a rain of stones!”
The next prey of the sickles was surprisingly the solid asphalt and concrete that covered the surface of the road. Rock had a density and hardness much greater than tree trunks. But the sickles nevertheless mercilessly crushed them to rubble, sending them flying in all directions like droplets, blocking Saber’s way.
A fatal baptism of rocks much more lethal than tree trunks. But— Saber stared ahead, moving forward bravely, the corners of her mouth suddenly showing an undefeatable smile.
“King of Conquerors, you underestimate me!”
Rocks were more dangerous than tree trunks only when first assuming that they must ‘hit’. If she could dodge it all, then it would make no difference even if it were raining rockets or bullets. Saber entrusted the last hope of victory to the V-MAX
