Chapter 64 Starting the Negotiations

My name is Illya.
Kiritsugu is in the middle of a negotiation~
82:50:11

Before participating in this Holy Grail War, Kayneth had already heard of the "Magus Killer."
To most veteran magi, this moniker was an absolute joke, capable of terrifying nothing more than naive apprentices or those lacking proper training.
In the mystical side of the world, the suffix "Killer" could only be bestowed upon a specific kind of existence. It referred to a dynamic in formal combat where one party exerted absolute dominance over another; no matter how foolish or slow-witted the dominant party might be, the disadvantaged party had zero possibility of a counter-kill. Only under such circumstances could the dominant party be legitimately called the "Disadvantaged Party Killer."
For instance, if one did not mind being mocked by other magi, one could quite accurately point at a cat and call it a "Mouse Killer," or refer to oneself as an "Ant Killer"—conceptually speaking, there was nothing wrong with this.
However, this concept was not something magi conjured up out of sheer boredom. Although its meaning had since been broadened, it was originally used exclusively to designate a classification of beings known as 【Beasts】. These entities were said to be direct creations of Gaia, brought into existence solely to facilitate the eradication of all life on Earth.

According to modern biological taxonomy, an equivalent "Killer" could be found within the 【Beast】 classification for virtually any living creature. This included such nonsensical entities as the "Tuna Killer" and the "Amazonian Yellow-Spotted Butterfly Killer," alongside formidable specimens capable of suppressing entire "families" or "genera," such as the "Phocidae Killer" and the "Felidae Killer."
If an entity could impact entire classes or phyla, that Beast was practically a natural disaster to those creatures. Fortunately, the broader the scope of their influence, the scarcer their numbers, and they rarely manifested casually. Setting aside those meaningless existences, the most renowned Beast was known as the 【Primate Murder】. It took the form of a giant white wolf capable of slaying any primate within its line of sight simply by gazing at them. Fortunately, it was eventually adopted and kept as a pet by Merlin, the greatest magician in history.
Therefore, someone like Emiya Kiritsugu, who had merely slain a couple of dozen magi and had nearly been counter-killed on several occasions, was thoroughly unworthy of such a title.
With these thoughts in mind, Kayneth stepped out through the front doors of the European-style mansion, walking toward the man in black waiting by a black SUV.

82:44:19
Thump—thump—hummm!
Taking advantage of the brief window in the ley line blockage, Kirei Kotomine once again sprinted with agile grace into a bounded field.
Whether it should be attributed to a magus's arrogance or sheer stupidity, every single bounded field Kirei had encountered thus far in the deep-mountain mansion shared almost identical analytical responses upon his arrival—hesitating for a fraction of a second before ignoring him entirely, showing zero reaction even when he repeatedly entered and exited. This proved that Kayneth had configured the analytical circuits for all the bounded fields to be completely uniform.
If what Kirei was currently doing were made public, it would likely drive an entire cohort of bounded field specialists insane: someone was actually dismantling over twenty mid-to-high-grade magical bounded fields and traps using physical martial arts alone! If this was possible, what on earth was the point of them painstakingly undertaking territory creation and repairing magical workshops?
Yet, the workshop loopholes that arose from Kayneth handling an emergency by expediency were not so easily replicated. Even now, Kirei could sense the degree of that blockage gradually lessening as time flowed on. This proved that while he might not have understood what consequences such a blockage would bring, the perfectionist instinct inherent to a magus had ultimately compelled him to sort out the ley line. Consequently, if this operation failed, rescuing Emiya would likely prove extremely difficult.

"Not here."
After breaking through the barrier and entering a new room, Kirei swiftly inspected its furnishings and layout. This space lacked the lived-in atmosphere of the rooms he had previously passed through; judging by the ornate desk, massive bookcase, murals, and decorative armor, it was merely a classical English study.
To Kirei, who was tracking the usage patterns of the rooms, this was proof that his choice at the previous hallway junction had been wrong. Just as he was about to retreat, the corner of his eye swept across a document spread out on the desk. What caught his attention was a thoroughly familiar word.

"《Research Report on the Holy Grail War (Part VII): Analysis of Individual Assassin Units》?" Kirei Kotomine walked over and picked up the document, which resembled a serialized experimental report.
There were no handwritten marks; the entire text was written in a classical cursive script, with the spacing between words as precise as if it had been measured. From this, he deduced that it must have been drafted using the "automatic recorder" equipped with a magic-infused crystal pendant resting on the desk.
This was a magical device capable of transcribing text purely based on spoken language, frequently utilized by magi when they needed to submit voluminous reports or genuinely lacked an assistant to help with documentation. It appeared that Kayneth intended to record every element of research value that had appeared in this Holy Grail War and submit it to the Clock Tower after the conflict concluded—provided he survived.
Kirei flipped through the manuscript, bypassing the descriptions of the classes, the records and speculations concerning the standard Assassins and the Four Heavenly Kings, and turned directly to the final pages.

————
Individual Codename: Assassin-5
Threat Level: Safe / Euclid
Individual Description:
Assassin-5 appears externally as a 7-year-old Central Asian girl, possessing the capacity to comprehend language and gestures, though she is nearly mute herself. Her cognitive level is lower than that of children of the same age, and she experiences distress when surrounded by multiple individuals.
Although Assassin-5 dresses very similarly to other Assassins, her identity as a Servant cannot be confirmed by any means. Routine testing identifies her as an ordinary human, and due to her special abilities, invasive damage testing cannot be performed.
Any sentient primate who remains in contact with Assassin-5 for more than ten minutes will have their mind influenced. The specific manifestations include an extreme resistance and hostility toward acts of violence directed at Assassin-5, while females and children possess a high probability of developing an additional sense of fondness. Furthermore, this influence cannot be detected or dispelled by any means; it can only be identified by observing other contacts after one has successfully resisted the effect.
Drawing upon the characteristics of other Assassin derivatives possessing specialized attributes, it is hypothesized that Assassin-5's highest attribute is Luck, with a numerical value likely beyond measurement (i.e., EX).

Containment Measures:
1. The room housing Assassin-5 must be larger than 5x5 in scale. Toys, books, and games must be kept constantly available even if she does not utilize them. Three meals must be provided normally every day, but they must not contain bell peppers or carrots, and snacks and desserts must not exceed two per day.
2. Because Assassin-5 may be influenced by Command Spells, the room must be equipped with bounded fields that provide isolation and anti-magic effects.

Note: Measure 1 is proposed to pacify the emotions of other affected contacts, whereas Measure 2 must be strictly enforced.
————

I see. A room measuring twenty-five square meters or more, suitable for setting up anti-magic bounded fields—there were only a few such locations in the entire mansion.
Kirei Kotomine closed the report, recalled the floor plan of the mansion he had gathered during Assassin's massive invasion earlier, and strode out quickly.

82:42:54
"It is an honor to meet you, Mr. Archibald, and Ms. Sophia-Ri."
After the negotiating parties halted at a certain distance from one another, Emiya Kiritsugu took the initiative to execute a magus greeting, leaving Kayneth looking thoroughly astonished.
This was a hand-over-the-chest salute that combined magecraft with the corresponding physical gesture. Beyond the words he had just spoken, an experienced magus could read from it: "As the fifth-generation successor of the Emiya family, I have come with the intention of discussing external matters."
Hah, were these magi so blinded by his moniker of "Magus Killer" that they remembered only the "Killer" while forgetting that he was, in fact, a magus as well?

"It is an honor to meet you as well, Mr. Emiya Kiritsugu." Kayneth was stunned for only a fraction of a second before immediately returning an identical salute, though as an Englishman, getting Kiritsugu's name pronounced correctly was already quite an achievement.
The implicit meaning conveyed was: "As the ninth-generation successor of the Archibald family, I consent to this discussion."
"So, this 'Magus Killer' sir, what is the subject you wish to discuss with us?" Sola-Ui, Kayneth's fiancée, could read the subtext as well, but she spoke up as though impatient with these empty formalities.
"It concerns the individual Assassin captured by your forces," Kiritsugu replied. "If your side is unable to produce any results from your research, would you be willing to either execute it directly or hand it over to us?"

The instant the words left his lips, Kiritsugu felt an overt surge of killer intent, one that nearly compelled him to launch an immediate counterattack. Yet, he relied on an ironclad will to suppress this impulse. Upon careful discrimination, he realized the murderous intent seemed to originate from Sola-Ui and the silver-haired young girl standing behind her, whereas Kayneth and the towering Rider displayed no particular reaction.
"In fact, we have already made quite significant discoveries." The one who spoke was Kayneth; evidently, as an accomplished magus, he would never admit that the research he had conducted was making zero progress.
"Oh? What discoveries?" Emiya Kiritsugu responded as though genuinely curious, though nothing he heard would alter his ultimate decision—to find a way to eliminate that Assassin directly.
A combination like Lin Hao and Caster, capable of shaking Kiritsugu's resolve, could never appear a second time in this Holy Grail War. And Assassin's Master, Kirei Kotomine—the man who unhesitatingly dispatched Assassin avatars to launch indiscriminate attacks—could hardly harbor any grandiose ambitions.
As for Kayneth, capturing an enemy Servant yet refusing to slay them immediately—even if it was merely an avatar—meant his accursed magus research obsession had flared up once more. Hopefully, he would not live to regret it if there were hidden factors capable of causing a total party wipe concealed within her.

"Our research indicates that these Assassins are neither a collective group nor individuals capable of infinite division. They are the materialization of the mental state of a certain Hassan possessing multiple personalities at the moment of his summoning," Kayneth stated, disclosing the results of his study.
"During our prior raid on the Tohsaka residence, we eliminated their true body, 'Hassan of the Hundred Faces.' Consequently, the remaining Assassin avatars have lost control, wandering around Fuyuki City much like the—the captured Assassin. No doubt your side has not been attacked by those black-clad phantoms for quite some time now."
The first part could be verified, while the latter part was sheer conjecture. Emiya Kiritsugu made his judgment regarding these research findings.
"Therefore, you intend to temporarily keep her alive. Once the other remaining Assassins are eliminated, simply executing this completely defenceless avatar will allow you to claim that you single-handedly eradicated all the Assassins." Kiritsugu nodded as he spoke. "If that is the case, our side can accept it as well—provided you can guarantee she will not accidentally escape."
"Naturally," Kayneth nodded under the sharp gazes of Sola-Ui and Luna, "the magical cage I designed is foolproof."