A Twist of Fate (Fate Zero & Fate Stay/Night:UBW)

Chapter 14: The Decisive Battle

As he waited for his opponent, Kirei Kotomine could feel the blood coursing through his veins. The excitement he savored was far more divine than any benediction he could care to think of.

This demented ritual where everyone clawed desperately for the chance to obtain a wish-granting cup was something he found delightfully appealing to his sadistic nature. People were willing to kill and betray (or in his case, both) to whisper their deepest desires to the omnipotent Grail. It was the perfect display of human nature. Hearing the approaching footsteps, he recited a biblical verse.

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

Since the beginning, he had been drawn towards Kiritsugu like a rabid dog, pursuing him with an unrelenting resolve. All because in the midst of this bloodbath, Kirei Kotomine had found his reason to fight, and was now looking at it dead in the eye. He kissed the golden crucifix hung around his neck, smiling contemptuously.

Kiritsugu took his stance. This was the Executor in the flesh. He had cut off all other ties of emotion and was only focused on the adversary before him. There was no fear, no hatred, no underestimation nor compassion. Eliminating the target was his objective now, nothing else.

As this fight to the death was nearing its conclusion, it seemed as if the stars had aligned themselves for this one battle. Kiritsugu Emiya had his gun barrel trained on the priest. Kirei Kotomine pulled out his Black Keys, three in his left and three in his right, then sprinted forth to meet his opponent.

With proficiency that was developed over the years, Kiritsugu fired his first shot from the Contender. Meanwhile, Kirei made use of one command seal, causing his Black Keys to swell to two times their original proportions. He whipped them in front of his chest like a giant metal fan.

The bullet reached its target, but instead of causing Kirei's magic circuits to misfire, it was absorbed by the magically enhanced Black Keys. However, the forceful execution of this large scale magecraft transcended the weapon's physical limitations. Upon the bullet's impact, they shattered into countless pieces.

A figure in dark robes drew nearer, like a deadly arrow released from its bowstring. Kiritsugu's breath hitched in his throat.

"Time Alter, Double Accel!"

His instincts had saved him from a critical injury. Bending backwards at the last second, he watched as Kirei's right foot swept over him, missing the tip of his nose. He jumped away, avoiding a kick that was meant for his neck. With his machine gun, he held off further advancements from the priest.

Kirei somersaulted back to safety. The bullets that ricocheted off the Black Keys diverged from their path and shattered the ceiling above. Landing on his feet, he deflected the remaining bullets with flawlessly executed maneuvers. A silence reigned between them as the tip of his blades repelled the last projectile.

The Origin Round isn't working.

Kiritsugu's frown slashed deeper upon further inspection.

Īe... Naruhodo. He's using command seals as his mana source. By the time the round takes effect, the command seal has already vanished. Since he doesn't use his own magic circuits, the Origin Round's magic won't work. But if I can hit him, it'll still be strong enough to kill him.