A dimensional journey starting from the Dragon Clan

Chapter 1158 Pleasure will guide the direction

"Humph, is that so?"

Even though Kirei gave in, Archer still had an unpredictable look in his bright red pupils.

"But Kirei, let's assume now - if miracles and luck are intertwined, Berserker and his Master survive to the end and obtain the Holy Grail. What will happen at that time, have you ever thought about it?"

Hypothesis, that is, a completely fictional thing...

The final outcome that Matou Kariya pursues is just a showdown with Tokiomi Tohsaka. Let's not talk about his chances of winning, assuming that he finally defeats Tokiomi and gets the Holy Grail. What will Kariya face at that time?

...No need to think about it, it must be his own darkness. It was originally to help Aoi regain her daughter, but now she wants to take away the life of Aoi's husband. He didn't seem to be aware of this contradiction. No, it was not so much that he was unaware, but that he deliberately deceived himself and concealed this feeling because of his inner jealousy and selfishness.

When he finally faced that blood-stained victory, Matou Kariya would definitely be in the dilemma of having to face the ugliness in his heart.

Looking at Kirei who was silently thinking, Archer smiled and said.

"I said, Kirei. Have you discovered the true meaning of the question I asked you?"

"……What's the meaning?"

Archer's hint made Kirei even more confused.

Is there anything imperfect in my thinking just now...

"Tell me, Archer. What is the point of assuming Matou Kariya's final victory?"

"No, it makes no sense at all - Hey, don't make such a scary expression. I've told you so many times, I didn't mean to tease you.

Think about it carefully, why has Kotomine Kirei never noticed the meaninglessness of this question? Don’t you think this matter itself is worth thinking about? "

If he continues talking, Archer will continue to lead him step by step. So Kirei simply gave up thinking, leaned his whole body on the chair and said.

"You might as well just say it, Archer."

"If I had asked you the same question just now using other Masters as examples, you would have immediately realized that this was an unquestionable question and just kicked away this boring question. But for Kariya It's different. You didn't think this was a boring question, but indulged in this hypothetical thinking with great interest.

Don't care about doing such futile things. This is the genuine ‘interest’. Congratulations, Kirei, you can finally understand what ‘entertainment’ is. "

"...Entertainment? You mean, pleasure?"

"Of course."

Hearing Archer's assertion, Kirei shook his head firmly.

"There is absolutely no element of 'pleasure' in Matou Kariya's fate. The longer his life is, the heavier the pain and lamentation accumulated in him. For him, it is better to end his life as soon as possible On the contrary, it is a kind of redemption.”

"——Kirei, why do you have such a narrow definition of 'pleasure'?"

As if facing a student with poor understanding, Archer sighed deeply.

"What is the contradiction between pain and lamentation and 'pleasure'? The so-called pleasure has no specific form. It is precisely because you don't understand this that you are confused."

"it's not like that!"

Kirei's angry voice sounded like a reflex.

"King of Heroes, only a demonic person like you would take pleasure in savoring the pain of others. However, doing so is a sinner's soul and a crime that deserves punishment. In any case, I, Kotomine Kirei, believe in The road will not go with you."

"So you think pleasure itself is a sin? Haha, you are quite good at coming up with fallacies. You are becoming more and more interesting."

Just when Kirei wanted to retort a few more words, a sharp pain suddenly spread throughout his body, causing him to bend over involuntarily.

"——!?"

There was a burning pain in his left forearm near the elbow. Although he didn't know the reason, Kirei had definitely experienced this feeling before. Kirei had already experienced the same painful and strange feeling three years ago. At that time, it was on his left arm. That's when it all started.

The pain was gradually replaced by waves of burning heat. Kirei stopped thinking because of his surprise, and just rolled up the sleeves of his clothes unconsciously and checked his wrists.

On his left arm, the stigmata of fate suddenly appeared. The remaining command spell, which had been used once on Assassin and lost part of its pattern, reappeared still maintaining its original size.

"Haha, is it really what I thought? But it happened too fast."

"asshole--"

New command spell. The numbness caused by the severe pain confirmed that this was a genuine stigmata, but even so, Kirei still couldn't come to his senses for a moment, and was speechless, unable to say a word.

This is simply impossible to happen.

Currently all Masters are still alive. And no Servant has canceled the contract. To be given a Command Seal again under such circumstances is unprecedented.

Moreover, Kirei does not yet belong to the "Three Founding Families". What kind of expectations does the Holy Grail have for him when it once again bestows the same stigmata on him, a person who has withdrawn? This is simply an abnormal situation where the situation is completely unclear.

"It seems that the Holy Grail still has great expectations for you."

Archer said to the embarrassed Kirei with a slightly evil smile.

"Kotomine Kirei, you should also respond to the expectations of the Holy Grail. In any case, you must have a reason to hope to obtain the Holy Grail."

"The reason why I... got the Holy Grail?"

"If that is truly a miracle that can grant any wish - the Holy Grail will definitely be able to grant the deepest wish in your heart that you are not even aware of."

Looking at Archer's expression, Kirei suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu. Yes – that’s the expression of the Serpent in the Garden of Eden as depicted in biblical illustrations.

"Kirei. Thinking will not bring you the answer. It is this kind of thinking that is bound by ethics that distorts your cognition.

Pray that you can get the Holy Grail. At that time, you will find the answer to the true happiness you seek among what the Holy Grail brings to you. "

"..."

This was something Kirei had never thought about.

This is putting the cart before the horse and means. Because he doesn't know what his wish is, he wants to find out by getting the Holy Grail that can grant all wishes.

Just looking for an answer - this does have an immediate effect.

"...But if this is the case, I will have to destroy the wishes of the other six people with my own hands before I can find the answer. Moreover, if I want to obtain the Holy Grail for my own personal purposes...I will also become the enemy of my mentor."

"You have to find a powerful Servant first, otherwise how will you compete with me."

As if talking about someone else's business, Archer took a sip of red wine leisurely and said.

"Anyway, as a necessary prerequisite, you first need to capture a Servant from others.

What happens next—hehe, Kirei, it’s up to you. "

Seemingly becoming more and more interested in Kirei, who had been given the stigmata again, the King of Heroes' bright red eyes shone with joy.

"Pursue your own desires. This is the right way of entertainment. Then entertainment will bring pleasure, and pleasure will guide you in the direction of happiness.

The path has been shown to you, Kirei. It was pointed out to you very clearly. "

············

The indispensable elements for a knight should first be the sword and armor. Another important item that is indispensable is the mount.

Sitting astride the saddle, freely controlling the reins and galloping through the battlefield is the posture a knight should have. It is not limited to horses, but other four-legged beasts, chariots, and even phantom beasts are also acceptable. This sense of mobility and freedom that far exceeds walking speed is the essential joy shared by all "riding" skills.

For Saber, who has fought her whole life as the King of Knights, the act of "controlling" something has become deeply ingrained in her soul. The "riding" skill she possesses as the embodiment of a Servant is probably a true reflection of this aspect of her.

This is really amazing - Saber sighed in her heart while gently stroking the steering wheel of the Mercedes-Benz 300SL.

The feeling of controlling this mechanical device is completely different from that of driving a horse, but after trying it once, you will find that this exquisite mechanical device gives people the illusion of being a living object.

It is clearly a machine gear without blood and soul, but it can move forward at high speed and majesticly according to the wishes of Saber as the driver. The submissiveness shown by Mercedes is simply like driving her own beloved horse, which makes people full of trust and satisfaction.

"No wonder Irisviel is so keen on driving."

Just when she realized this, a small question broke into her mind - since driving this car is so pleasurable, why did Irisviel choose to drive this car this time? The opportunity was given to me?

"How does it feel to drive? Saber."

Irisviel, who was sitting in the passenger seat, asked with a satisfied smile. She looked like a mother who brought a new toy to her child, looking at her child with a satisfied expression.

"It's really an amazing horse. If this thing had appeared in my time, it would be unimaginable."

Saber said frankly with a smile, and at the same time, she cleared away the doubts in her mind just now. Irisviel must have convinced Saber that she would feel happy after driving, so she gave her the opportunity to drive. Perhaps this was a tribute to her loyalty as a knight. So in this case, Saber, as a knight, should naturally return the favor.

"However, the Servant's abilities are indeed very powerful. It's obviously your first time operating a machine, but your technical level is truly top-notch."

"I also had a somewhat strange feeling - as if I had done it a long time ago. Although I didn't know the reason, I did it like a natural reflex."

Irisviel hummed for a while, and then a mischievous smile suddenly appeared on her face.

"I suddenly had an idea. I should go to the black market and buy some of the latest tanks or fighter jets. If you drive one, wouldn't this Holy Grail War be wiped out in one fell swoop?" (This is obviously infected by Kiritsugu... …)

Even though she knew Irisviel was joking, Saber could only smile helplessly.

"Although your idea is very good, I can confirm that no matter what era, there is no weapon that can beat my sword." (Want to try a nuclear bomb?...)

Although Saber's words seemed a bit overconfident, Irisviel had no intention of refuting. Anyone who has ever fought with this Servant has confirmed with their own eyes that what she said is true.

"Speaking of which, Maiya has entered Fuyuki City more and more——"

Saber whispered while looking at Kuu Maiya's light truck in front of her.

"——Is it really okay? Is the house called the new stronghold a little too close to the center of the battlefield?"

"There is nothing to worry about. Both the Tosaka and Matou families openly built fortifications in the city. Other Masters from outside also settled in the city generously, but they built the city so remote. The Einzbern family seems a little different.”

For the Holy Grail War, which basically requires secret fighting, the location of the stronghold has no special significance. The so-called "geographical advantage" simply means that there are magical elements related to spiritual energy on the earth's veins.

"And from the perspective of concealment, the new location Kiritsugu has chosen may be more reliable than the previous residence."

"..."

It seemed that Saber herself didn't notice that when Kiritsugu's name was mentioned, a gloom fell over her face.

There was nothing Irisviel could do about this. The friction between the two of them was predictable from the start.

The wonderful combination of a light truck and a classic sports car finally crossed the winter wooden bridge and entered the town of Miyama. The surrounding scenery is completely different from that of Xindu. Everywhere is full of a simple and demure style with a strong sense of history.

"This place is really close to Tohsaka and Matou's stronghold. It's really an unexpected place."

"The so-called most dangerous place is also the safest. When it comes to surprise, Kiritsugu's vision is indeed very accurate."

Although it was a very fair comment, Saber's voice still seemed a bit stiff. For Saber, Kiritsugu's theory is worthy of approval on a strategic level. What she couldn't tolerate was Kiritsugu's coldness and cruelty in tactics.