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IBHJ Chapter 55
🕑 Added 2023-01-27 03:56:13 +0000 UTCThrough the binoculars, Shirou observed Tokiomi as he entered the police hospital.
"What is he doing here?" Shirou furrowed his brow in confusion. He had originally planned to use Ryuunosuke as bait to lure Kiritsugu and then kill him, but he never expected his target to shift to Tokiomi.
"Kill him!"
Shirou almost immediately changed the target of his attack. Compared to Tokiomi, Kiritsugu was insignificant now!
Shirou and Spartacus formed an alliance, thinking he had a chance against Waver and Iskander because Iskander did not possess a Noble Phantasm that could instantly kill Spartacus.
However, Gilgamesh was a different story. The opponent held a Noble Phantasm that not only could kill Spartacus instantly, but also could destroy his Unlimited Blade Works. It was a formidable enemy. To contend with Gilgamesh, their only option was to target Tokiomi.
But Tohsaka Tokiomi had always been hiding in his mansion, protected by a powerful Bounded Field. Shirou did not know if Gilgamesh would be in the mansion or not, so he had not intended to attack Tohsaka Tokiomi. However, the opponent has unexpectedly appeared here, providing an opportunity for Shirou!
Kill!
At the very least, he should try to cut off his hands!
This may be the best opportunity to neutralize Gilgamesh.
Compared to Gilgamesh, who had dragged Shirou into the war and consistently oppressed him, Kiritsugu and even the Knight King Artoria were insignificant. This was a golden opportunity!
Shirou's first priority was to make Gilgamesh withdraw from the Holy Grail War!
As long as Gilgamesh withdrew, Shirou would be free to do as he pleased, whether it be to fight or hide, to stay in Fuyuki City, or go to Hokkaido, there would be no obstacles!
With this thought in mind, Shirou put down his binoculars and prepared to infiltrate the police hospital.
Kiritsugu, who had been relying on drone monitors to track his targets, furrowed his brow. The monitor at the police hospital had been destroyed, leaving him in the dark about the situation inside. Meanwhile, the suspected master of the Matou family had begun to make his move.
The destruction of the monitor at the police station hospital indicated that there was a problem inside, and it was highly likely that someone was lying in wait for him. This person could be another master, or it could be that the master of Caster was not dead and had anticipated Kiritsugu's arrival, setting a trap. However, this assumption was at odds with the actions of Caster's master the day before. Kiritsugu couldn't help but wonder what the reality of the situation was.
Kiritsugu, unaware of the strange circumstances, found himself in a familiar situation. As a magus killer, he knew that during the Holy Grail War, there could potentially be multiple Masters in this police hospital.
Without hesitation, Kiritsugu opened the large toolbox beside him to prepare for whatever choice he needed to make.
Normally, Kiritsugu's toolbox would be filled with handguns, sniper rifles, and other firearms. But this toolbox was different. Its wide and heavy appearance was a clear indication that it was filled with Kiritsugu's most treasured weapon, a portable rocket launcher, specifically an RPG!
With the knowledge that there was a problem in this police hospital and at least two Masters present, Kiritsugu's plan was simple. Why bother going in when he could just fire a few RPGs and send them all to heaven?
He expertly loaded the bulky RPG rocket launcher with a steady hand, the weight of the weapon barely registering in his grip. He stood tall on the roof of the car, his eyes locked onto the nearest power plant looming in the distance. He took a deep breath, steadied his aim, and pressed the launch button.
...
"Whoosh!"
Shirou moved cautiously as he made his way into the police hospital, unnoticed by Tohsaka Tokiomi. He was just about to let out a sigh of relief when a loud sound filled his ears.
Startled, he looked up and was met with a sight that left him stunned. A rocket was spinning through the air, leaving a long trail of smoke in its wake as it hurtled toward a nearby diesel power plant.
"Shit!!!!"
Without hesitation, Shirou quickly rolled to the side and jumped into a nearby small pond, instantly projecting multiple shield plates around himself to create a crude barrier for protection.
The next moment--
"BOOM!!!"
A sound like thunder blasted in Shirou's ears, and he felt the ground beneath him tremble violently. There was no mistaking it, the power plant had been blown apart in a devastating explosion.
The next moment--
"BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!"
The sound of even more terrifying explosions rang out, and a sudden burst of heat erupted, like a fiery inferno unleashed upon the world.
Shirou, even while submerged in the water, could feel the burning sensation as if it was consuming everything in its path.
There was no doubt that the RPG bombing of the power plant had caused a major explosion in the building, and the diesel inside had been ignited as a result!
Feeling that the outside had calmed down, Shirou opened some of the shields around him and his head emerged from the water, surveying the area. He couldn't help but swallow his saliva as he looked around.
Everywhere his gaze fell, he saw nothing but ruins, crumbling walls, and withered branches.
A sea of fire!
An RPG caused a huge explosion and it destroyed a quarter of the police hospital!
If there were still people in the police station's hospital... the casualties would be incalculable!
His throat constricted as he struggled to swallow. "This is brutal, but who could have done such a thing? Kiritsugu, could it be you?"
Shirou's initial suspicion fell on Kiritsugu, as he was his primary target. However, as he had not seen Kiritsugu present at the scene, he couldn't be certain if it was him or someone else. It was also possible that the perpetrator had expertly concealed themselves and had outsmarted Shirou's detection abilities, attacking him in a spot where he had let his guard down.
As he was deep in thought, a sudden "whoosh" caught his attention. He looked up to see another RPG rocket soaring through the sky, hurtling towards a distant building.
"Dammit! There's another one!" Shirou swore as he quickly dove back into the water, using his shield to protect himself tightly.
Faced with Kiritsugu's formidable RPG attack, Shirou was not the only one affected. Even Tokiomi, who had been waiting in the hospital building with a composed smile on his face, couldn't help but furrow his brow.
"As expected of the despicable magus killer. Using missiles to attack me..." Tokiomi felt slightly troubled because this meant that most of the arrangements he had set up around the hospital were basically destroyed.
However, he did not let any hint of composure slip. The poise and grace of nobility had been ingrained in him for a long time and even under the most difficult circumstances, he would not let himself appear undignified. The destruction of most of his arrangements by the missile attack did not mean defeat for him.
Tokiomi chuckled and reached out to Kirei. "Kirei, bring in Assassin. That insignificant magus will certainly investigate after the bombing to check if I and the El-Melloi have been killed. Use this opportunity to draw their attention, and have Assassin eliminate both him and El-Melloi."
"I understand, teacher."
Tokiomi nodded, then ended the communication. He knew that his student, who had been serving in the Holy Church all this time, would use Assassin to aid him.
"I must express my gratitude to Kirei. Once he graduates, I will give him a more precious gift." Tokiomi thought to himself.
However, he was unaware that at that very moment, Kirei, the person he trusted, was secretly mocking his naivety.
Preparations for the war were plentiful, the considerations were thorough, and even the enemy's character and movements were studied in depth, yet it was always at this crucial moment that Tokiomi failed to notice the small details that determined the outcome.
Indeed, Kirei was not in the basement of the Church, but in a small hotel located not far from the police hospital. The people around there had been dispersed by him, otherwise, Kiritsugu's RPG would have caused a commotion.
"Shall we go inside, Master?" Assassin, who stood before Kirei, asked.
"No, just wait outside," Kirei said.
"Oh? Are you planning to take action against Tokiomi?"
The Assassins were aware of the alliance between Kirei and Tokiomi, however, they soon came to realize that the bond between the two was fragile and could easily be severed. Following the war, they believed that the alliance had indeed crumbled, with Kirei allegedly scheming to take action against Tokiomi.
Kirei remained silent, simply taking a seat in the chair and glancing over at the unconscious Ryuunosuke. He then reached over and plucked the transparent film, imbued with magical energy from Ryuunosuke's right hand.
A small, almost imperceptible smile curled the corners of his lips.
"To think that such a childish method of disguising the master was effective, fooling even the most astute among us," Kirei mused. "It's no wonder Gilgamesh has taken an interest in him."
Kirei withdrew a book of God's teachings from his pocket, flipping through the pages as he pondered. His understanding of God's law had undergone a huge shift.
...
With only five rockets remaining in his luggage, Kiritsugu launched each one until the once grand police hospital was reduced to nothing more than a pile of rubble, engulfed in raging flames.
Kiritsugu methodically organized his weapons, making sure to replace all the bullets in his prized gun with Origin bullets. With everything in order, he charged into the police hospital.
The RPG caused a chain reaction that detonated the power plant, resulting in nearly nine consecutive explosions. Kiritsugu couldn't be certain if the Master hiding inside had been killed, but if the opponent had set up any Bounded Fields within the police hospital, they were now undoubtedly destroyed.
His remaining objective was to enter the building, search for corpses, and eliminate any Masters who were still clinging to life.
...
After submerging for some time, Shirou felt as though the oxygen in his lungs was running low, but the explosions outside had finally ceased. He emerged from the water and looked around, a chill running down his spine as he surveyed the destruction.
The scene before him was devastating; towering buildings reduced to rubble, lush greenery reduced to ashes, everywhere he looked all he saw was fire, like a sea of flames that had consumed everything.
The thick black smoke rose and darkened the sky, making it feel like a giant hand of darkness was covering it, and the light had become dim. It was impossible to fathom the amount of money that had been lost in this single attack. Shirou pushed these thoughts aside, knowing that now was not the time to dwell on them.
The current situation suggested that Tohsaka Tokiomi was undoubtedly present within the police hospital, and that the previous RPG attack was highly likely to have been carried out by Kiritsugu. With this in mind, the police hospital presented the perfect opportunity for Shirou to defeat Gilgamesh and Artoria!
The flames roared around Shirou, casting an eerie glow on his face as he dismissed his shields and projected two long, sharp swords, holding them firmly in his hands.
Regardless of whether it was Tokiomi or Kiritsugu, he was determined to defeat them both and ensure his survival.
After all, what is life but the desire to simply exist? And if using everything at one's disposal is necessary to achieve that, then so be it.
