Only Kiritsugu Emiya could have stayed calm in a situation like this. Even with his own daughter seemingly being abducted, he still managed to maintain his composure and rapidly assess the situation.
That kind of cold rationality was something the average person simply couldn't hope to achieve.
Without a doubt, he was a true hunter—always able to keep his cool, no matter the circumstances, and capable of instantly analyzing the situation based on the information at hand.
"What a terrifying opponent," Shirou Emiya thought, casting a glance at Kiritsugu.
Even with Illya in someone else's arms, Kiritsugu's gaze remained icy, his expression utterly calm.
But what concerned Shirou the most… was Kiritsugu's Origin Bullets.
The word Origin itself had always been closely tied to Kiritsugu's identity.
Children of mage families had their magical attributes tested at birth. Kiritsugu's result was a rare dual-natured attribute—Severance and Binding.
By utilizing this unique Origin, he had created his personal Mystic Code.
He removed a pair of ribs from his abdomen, ground them into powder, and through alchemical means, forged them into the core material of sixty-six bullets—the infamous Origin Bullets.
These special bullets didn't cause visible wounds or bleeding. Instead, they induced what appeared to be necrotic injuries, completely destroying nerves and microvessels at the point of impact. Healing was impossible.
They were a form of conceptual weaponry, and for mages, the Origin Bullets were nothing short of lethal.
Of the sixty-six bullets, Kiritsugu had already used thirty-seven. And not a single one had been wasted—each bullet had killed its target. Thirty-seven mages had fallen to them.
But the bullets' true terror went far beyond that.
They didn't just affect flesh and blood. Even magical defenses and spells were useless before them. The bullets disrupted the flow of mana itself, rendering magical circuits inert the moment they were touched.
Put simply, it was like electricity meeting water—where mana was water, and the Origin Bullets were pure voltage. Once contact was made, the destruction was total.
And unless Shirou could dodge completely, there was nothing he could do to stop one. No magical defense or projected weapon would be enough.
---
While Shirou analyzed Kiritsugu, Kiritsugu was also doing the same in return.
He had already picked up on a strange detail—an extremely subtle clue.
When he fired the submachine gun, Kiritsugu had deliberately chosen an angle that would ensure Illya wasn't hit, despite the figure shielding her.
But from the timing of that dodge… it was very likely this cloaked figure had sensed his approach before he fired.
Even in the middle of evasive maneuvers, the first thing the figure did was shield Illya with his own body.
He was also afraid of Illya getting hurt?
With just a single moment of interaction, Kiritsugu had already deduced a great deal.
There was no denying it—he still lived up to his name as the Magus Killer.
---
"Am I being suppressed?" Shirou muttered inwardly.
As he circulated his magic, he could clearly feel a pressure weighing down on his mana. The entire Einzbern Castle was enveloped by a magic formation, and anyone within its bounds would find their energy restrained and their every movement monitored.
---
"Big brother, that's my papa!" Illya said, looking up at Shirou in confusion.
But Shirou didn't answer. Instead, he whispered a low chant, his voice rough and unnatural.
Almost immediately, Illya's eyes fluttered shut, and she fell peacefully asleep in his arms.
---
"I don't know how you managed to slip past the formation undetected, but your magic will be suppressed here. You won't escape," Kiritsugu said coldly. "Put Illya down, and I'll let you leave."
This wasn't like him—not the Kiritsugu of nine years ago.
But even now, despite his instincts, he was trying to avoid a direct confrontation. Because once the fight began, Illya could get caught in the crossfire.
And he couldn't bear the thought of Illya being harmed.
His daughter… had changed him.
The once-emotionless Magus Killer had started to feel again.
---
"I will take her with me," came the hoarse, beast-like voice from under the cloak. "You can't stop me."
Kiritsugu's eyes turned even colder.
That voice… and the unsettling magical energy surrounding the figure—there was no way this was a child.
What hid beneath that black cloak?
Some sort of artificial monster?
The Einzbern family were experts in such things. Both Irisviel and Illyasviel were products of their pinnacle achievements—artificially created masterpieces.
Had the Einzberns angered someone? Was this intruder after their "technical assets"?
But no matter the reason, Kiritsugu would never allow this person to take Illya.
---
Magical circuits lit up along Shirou's body.
Mana surged through them, amplifying his strength and speed—it was a basic physical reinforcement spell.
"RATATATATA!!"
Kiritsugu opened fire again with both submachine guns, bullets screaming through the air.
Shirou, still holding Illya in one arm, couldn't match the skill of a heroic spirit—he couldn't slice down bullets mid-air or deflect them with a blade like a Servant.
But—
"Projection!"
With his free hand, wrapped in black cloth, Shirou conjured a massive silver shield in front of them. The bullets slammed harmlessly into the shield, which vanished moments after absorbing the attack.
Kiritsugu's guns clicked empty. He had fired off everything.
Shirou's shield dissipated into thin air.
---
"As long as you remain within this formation, your magic will keep being suppressed," Kiritsugu said coldly. "How many more times do you think you can use tricks like that?"
He had changed—more than Shirou could have imagined.
The old Magus Killer would never have wasted time talking.
Even now, he was still hoping this creature—whatever it was—would put Illya down and simply leave.
Because his greatest fear was that this being would use Illya as leverage.
And if that moment came… if Illya were used as a hostage… what would Kiritsugu do?
Even he didn't know the answer.
---
From Kiritsugu's perspective, this creature had no escape. Unless he could completely dispel the Einzbern's formation, the pressure would only grow worse over time. Eventually, he would lose the ability to cast any spells at all.
And then—
Four figures appeared, silently surrounding Shirou from all directions. They wore identical white robes—garments resembling those of a religious order.
---
"Homunculus/Homunculi…"
Now Shirou understood.
Kiritsugu had used up his bullets so readily because it had all been to buy time.
These four reinforcements were the Einzbern family's homunculi.
With their numbers—and Kiritsugu himself—this was the kind of force that could strike fear into any mage.
A true nightmare for any intruder.
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