This Is My Holy Grail War

The church bell's toll had yet to fade, and while Assassin's battle had reached its conclusion with Berserker eliminated, the night's violence was far from over.

Maiya Hisau had failed to capture Sola, who managed to escape.

However, before Sola fled, Maiya had fired a single shot, striking her in the thigh. Armed with an automatic rifle capable of rapid fire, Maiya had chosen to fire only once, intentionally avoiding a fatal blow. The bullet embedded itself in Sola's bone but didn't pierce through.

Though lacking combat experience, Sola managed to retreat into an abandoned building. Trembling in fear, she used her magical energy to hastily construct a rudimentary workshop for protection.

But Sola wasn't a doctor. Her healing spells couldn't remove the bullet lodged in her leg. Blood continued to flow, and her attempts to treat the wound proved futile.

Curled up in a corner, she summoned spirits to guard her with a hastily performed invocation. The enemy hadn't attacked yet, but Sola felt as though death was looming. She didn't want to die—she couldn't die.

At that moment, only one person could save her: her fiancé, Kenneth.

Desperate, Sola began sending signals for help. She released her familiars into the night, carrying her plea for rescue to Kenneth.

Sola had no way of knowing if her message would reach him, but she had no other choice.

---

"Familiars are leaving the target area—lots of them," Maiya reported over the radio.

"Intercept as many as you can, but don't stop them all," Kiritsugu Emiya replied, lighting a cigarette.

"Understood."

This had been Kiritsugu's plan all along.

After failing to capture Sola, he had ensured she would be trapped instead. By allowing her to send out a distress signal, he could control the flow of events without exposing himself.

Kiritsugu couldn't afford to let Kenneth know that Sola was in his hands. With Lancer still engaged in combat with Saber, letting Sola call for help served his purpose.

The trap was set. Now, he would see just how much Sola meant to Kenneth.

Unbeknownst to Sola, her desperate cry for help had become another cog in Kiritsugu's ruthless strategy.

"The explosives have been set," Maiya reported. "It's an old residential building, and the nearby area has already been evacuated."

"And the follow-up?" Kiritsugu asked.

"All preparations are complete."

"Then we wait." The brief exchange ended, leaving Kiritsugu alone with his silence. Waiting, after all, was something he had grown accustomed to.

---

On the battlefield, Lancer and Saber's duel raged on. Kenneth, amidst evaluating the clash between the two knights, suddenly received a message from one of Sola's familiars.

The contents were simple—just one desperate plea: Save me.

"Why can't you stay safe in the workshop like I told you!" Kenneth roared, fury overtaking him. "Such a useless woman!"

His words were laced with frustration, but his actions betrayed no hesitation. Without delay, he set off to rescue her.

Prudent as Kenneth was, the possibility of a trap briefly crossed his mind. But he dismissed it just as quickly.

This wasn't a cunning scheme; it was an open challenge.

No matter the risk, Kenneth would not abandon his beloved. Despite his aristocratic upbringing, Kenneth harbored emotions that set him apart from typical magi. He genuinely loved Sola.

As the head of an elite mage family, Kenneth was an anomaly—empathetic, even sentimental. He defied the norms of his peers, who often treated loved ones as tools or disposable assets.

---

When Kenneth arrived at the decrepit building where Sola had taken refuge, its shabby, low-rise structure and eerie silence heightened his unease. Not a soul was in sight.

The foreboding atmosphere made it clear that danger awaited within. Yet Kenneth stepped forward without hesitation.

"I am Archibald, ninth heir of the El-Melloi lineage! Kenneth Archibald has arrived!" Kenneth declared, his voice resonating through the desolate building.

No response came.

Kiritsugu, hidden in the shadows, ignored the noble's posturing.

"You cowardly magus, skulking in the dark—I pity the shame you bring upon your lineage!" Kenneth spat angrily as he ventured deeper into the building.

Confident in his abilities, Kenneth didn't believe any Master could stand against him directly.

But then, the unexpected happened.

The building exploded.

Kenneth hadn't considered using a Command Spell to summon Lancer. As a mage, the idea hadn't even crossed his mind.

While he had taken precautions against magical attacks, the concept of modern explosives hadn't factored into his defenses.

And now, it was too late.

"Damn it..." Kenneth growled. His mystic mercury artifact shielded his body, but the shockwave alone had nearly killed him.

Struggling to recover, Kenneth staggered amidst the ruins, only to find the entire building reduced to rubble.

For a moment, the composed aristocrat fell into despair. Abandoning all dignity, he clawed through the debris like a madman, searching for Sola with his bare hands.

"Please... please..." he whispered, trembling as he uncovered her motionless form amidst the wreckage.

His hands shook as he reached out to her, terrified that she might already be gone.

But then he felt it—her faint, shallow breaths.

Relief washed over him. She was alive. Barely, but alive.

Cradling her in his arms, Kenneth prepared to leave.

The air suddenly grew hotter.

Thick smoke from the explosion choked the surroundings, obscuring vision. Bullets wouldn't be effective in such conditions, but Kiritsugu had prepared for this. Incendiary grenades were his weapon of choice, ensuring nothing survived.

This was only the first step. The second wave of explosives had already been set, and in the distance, Kiritsugu had positioned himself with a rifle, ready to finish the job if necessary.

For Kiritsugu Emiya, leaving no loose ends was second nature.

Kenneth shielded Sola with his mystic mercury, wrapping her fragile body in its protective embrace. But his own body remained exposed to the searing flames.

The proud mage, once so composed and aloof, stumbled through the inferno like an ordinary man, desperately trying to save the woman he loved.

With every step, the flames scorched his skin. The toxic smoke invaded his lungs, poisoning him with every breath.

Yet, driven by sheer willpower, Kenneth carried Sola out of the inferno.

But just as he reached the edge of safety, another explosion detonated.

The blast threw Kenneth to the ground. Despite his broken body, he instinctively shielded Sola, using himself as a barrier against the flames.

The fire consumed him. The smoke overwhelmed his senses.

As the sound of turning wheels approached, Kenneth's strength finally gave out.

"Sola... Sola..." he murmured, his lips moving faintly as consciousness slipped away.

---

T/N: kiritsugu you fucking mongrel

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