Lancer || Diarmuid Ua Duibhne (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
croibhristeoir) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
tvklogs2012-04-24 03:40 am
croibhristeoir) wrote in tvklogs2012-04-24 03:40 am
Entry tags:
[closed] // all of us are heaven sent
Who: Diarmuid, Shirou, Kiritsugu, and Maiya
Where: The rooftops of your average skyscrapers.
When: Night of 4/26, before the Dark Hour
Summary: => Attempt epic 4x SHOWDOWN.
Rating: call it an R, who knows
Log:
[Enough was enough. Diarmuid knew Kiritsugu was responsible for this, his instinct was never this wrong. Why was he being so foolish and waiting for a reason to proceed? Screw that, he would make a reason. This was the individual that hurt Arturia, he was certain of that and could not let such a thing go unpunished. Not as a knight, not as Arturia's friend.]
[Kiritsugu Emiya had to pay for this.]
[Waiting would serve no purpose here. Kindness and patience were worthless in this situation, and his attempts at them were an insult to Arturia and the pain she must have been suffering at this person's hands. As her left hand it was his responsibility to act and to protect her, so he didn't give it a moment's thought before taking action.]
[This wasn't quite like him, was it? The former Servant couldn't tell anymore, standing on the edge of the highest building he could find. Was this reckless on his part, or was he just so angry at his helplessness that he had once more been pushed too far? Scowling, he gripped the crimson lance in his hand a little tighter. Who cared why he was doing this? It was the right thing to do, and that was all that mattered.]
[One thing at a time. First? Find that trigger-happy bastard. Second, alert Shirou to his location and tell him what direction to approach from. Third...]
['If he were to be caught in an attempt at murdering one of us...']
[Third, maneuver himself into Kiritsugu's line of fire and hope Shirou was in position before the trigger was pulled. If not...idiot though he may have been, Diarmuid trusted Shirou as well as Edgeworth and the others to handle it from there. Death was nothing to him, not after two prior encounters. It probably wouldn't even hurt this time; he didn't really know what getting shot felt like.]
[First things first. This was one of the best vantage points in the city, and Kiritsugu wasn't there. So Diarmuid just surveyed the area as carefully as he could and sincerely hoped he found Kiritsugu before the reverse happened.]
Where: The rooftops of your average skyscrapers.
When: Night of 4/26, before the Dark Hour
Summary: => Attempt epic 4x SHOWDOWN.
Rating: call it an R, who knows
Log:
[Enough was enough. Diarmuid knew Kiritsugu was responsible for this, his instinct was never this wrong. Why was he being so foolish and waiting for a reason to proceed? Screw that, he would make a reason. This was the individual that hurt Arturia, he was certain of that and could not let such a thing go unpunished. Not as a knight, not as Arturia's friend.]
[Kiritsugu Emiya had to pay for this.]
[Waiting would serve no purpose here. Kindness and patience were worthless in this situation, and his attempts at them were an insult to Arturia and the pain she must have been suffering at this person's hands. As her left hand it was his responsibility to act and to protect her, so he didn't give it a moment's thought before taking action.]
[This wasn't quite like him, was it? The former Servant couldn't tell anymore, standing on the edge of the highest building he could find. Was this reckless on his part, or was he just so angry at his helplessness that he had once more been pushed too far? Scowling, he gripped the crimson lance in his hand a little tighter. Who cared why he was doing this? It was the right thing to do, and that was all that mattered.]
[One thing at a time. First? Find that trigger-happy bastard. Second, alert Shirou to his location and tell him what direction to approach from. Third...]
['If he were to be caught in an attempt at murdering one of us...']
[Third, maneuver himself into Kiritsugu's line of fire and hope Shirou was in position before the trigger was pulled. If not...idiot though he may have been, Diarmuid trusted Shirou as well as Edgeworth and the others to handle it from there. Death was nothing to him, not after two prior encounters. It probably wouldn't even hurt this time; he didn't really know what getting shot felt like.]
[First things first. This was one of the best vantage points in the city, and Kiritsugu wasn't there. So Diarmuid just surveyed the area as carefully as he could and sincerely hoped he found Kiritsugu before the reverse happened.]
no subject
[Therefore, it is of no surprise to him when he finds Lancer out at night, despite Kiritsugu's recent personal crusade against Grail War participants. He immediately gathers that the Heroic Spirit may have something up his sleeve. With most months seeing a joint video on the comm made by him and Saber, Kiritsugu doesn't find it difficult to believe he would be more proactive than others in trying to find the cause of her disappearance. What Lancer doesn't know is that Kiritsugu has a few surprises of his own now. Namely, support, which is not an easy thing to come by for him.]
Maiya. Maintain a watch on the perimeter. Alert me if anyone approaches. We will assign this day to Lancer.
[Kiritsugu had taken to putting Servants and Masters into slots of a sort. Each kill was made with the full understanding that they would revive at some point, and spaced out sufficiently to account for error. That way, they would never have to split up for their assassinations.]
[The Walther is compact. 6.95kg it may be, but that does not change the fact that it is a bullpup, and thus, relatively easy to carry around in isolated areas such as this. He sets it on the bipod previously folded over the 65cm barrel.]
[Kiritsugu no longer equips his sniper rifle with a AN/PVS-4. There is no use in retaining the use of a scope that came with the sniper, seeing as it being a second-generation sighting device renders it obsolete. It has since been replaced by the AN/PVS-10. With a magnification of four times that of the last scope (if unnecessary at this moment, as the gun was calibrated for much shorter distances) and the addition of a photocathode to provide a clearer image, as well as some additional functions that could be useful later, it seemed a sensible change.]
[Having set up, he prepares to take the shot, subtly removing himself from line of sight whenever it seems Lancer may look up. Wind was fairly tame tonight, and his hands, as always, remained unshakeable.]
[Just a few more seconds of stabilizing the shot, and it would just be a matter of pulling the trigger. Kiritsugu feels the need to wait a few more minutes, however, being unwilling to risk missing and alerting everyone in Prospero about his actions in turn.]
no subject
[What had enabled Diarmuid to survive in his lifetime just as much if not more than his combat skill was his mind. There were few idiots in the Fianna; the first among them was of course second in skill and cleverness only to Fionn himself, and that was on a bad day. What he might have lacked in common sense and understanding of the modern era, he made up for it tenfold with his strategic planning.]
[He knew where Kiritsugu was. And though he didn't know he was working in a pair or that the woman he'd met was his partner, knowing the location of someone like Kiritsugu was no small accomplishment. This was all as Diarmuid had predicted and planned so far, and that was why he'd sent Shirou a text message with Kiritsugu's location moments before walking into the former Master's line of sight.]
This is where he is right now. Act quickly, we don't have much time.
[Stepping into an obvious trap as bait for another trap, however? That was so monumentally stupid the Fianna would have laughed at him for it. The knight could practically hear his father berating him for how reckless he was. But it didn't matter if he lived or died at this point. All he cared about was doing the right thing--knowing Kiritsugu must have been watching him, he remained absolutely calm despite awaiting his possible and almost definite death.]
I leave the rest in your hands, Emiya Shirou. Do not disappoint me.
no subject
[Locating one of them close to Lancer to retrieve the body before the shot would have been a good move, but one that could have let the opportunity to dispose of him pass by. Who knew when it would come by again? One less person to confess suspicions of Emiya Kiritsugu was a particularly good bonus, from where he stood.]
[Slowly enough to not disrupt the process, a finger slowly strangles the trigger, forcing it to approach the now-five .308 Winchester rounds that lie inside the box right behind it.]
no subject
Kiritsugu was about ready to pull the trigger and kill. This was a familiar sight to him, considering they fought Shadows together once before. But to see him about to do it to a person?
...
That.
That was too much for the male called Shirou Emiya, who had spent his life looking up to Kiritsugu Emiya as a loving father as well as the one who taught him to be an Ally of Justice.
To Save Everyone.
Without even thinking, the boy immediately ran up to Kiritsugu from the side, fist raised. As soon as the man was within his arm's length, Shirou let loose a huge punch aimed at Kiritsugu's face!]
no subject
[So this was his surprise? Won't make a difference. None beyond disposing of another threat. Even if Lancer takes this as an opportunity to run, which Kiritsugu deems supremely unlikely, Maiya will still be there to take care of things.]
[Drawing a Glock 22 from within his coat, Kiritsugu quickly turns around as he begins to turn the safety off.]
[He never manages to do so.]
[There's not as much surprise as one would expect. In fact, even with the effects of the event, his eyes barely even change. He does not raise his gun, and the punch manages to hit him straight in the cheek.]
[Yet his reaction is completely unlike that of the last time he had an argument with his son. Kiritsugu barely even moves, and simply looks straight at him with dead eyes. No disdain in them, but none of the childish cheerfulness he had always carried, at least in some amount, in front of Shirou. The man with a gun just can't risk wielding that sort of mentality.]
[Yes. The current effects of the full moon may enhance the reactions of individuals, but that is only under the assumption that there is a reaction in the first place. To someone who can completely lock away all humanity during times of need, almost to a supernatural degree, there is nothing to be manipulated. Nothing to multiply. Not until something or someone manages to open those doors.]
Shirou. Why are you here?
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After all, she's much like them in that regard. It's strange to think about, but Maiya was raised from childbirth to hold a weapon. Many heroic spirits were the same. Heroes that earned that title because of their lifestyle.
The only difference is not in war, but in the lack of heroes this world held. In Maiya's life, she only knew of one man who could be classified as such. Kiritsugu Emiya. Her hero.
The savior of the world.
His ideals were the only thing to bring light in the darkened world of Maiya Hisau. It's because of that she would allow herself to be used in such a way. If she could be discarded to make the world a better place, then she would go through with it. That's all there is to it. There's no value in her life, only in her ability to serve her hero.
So when she doesn't hear a shot or the faint hint of a body crumpling to the ground, her gaze goes back to Lancer. It was unlike Kiritsugu Emiya to hesitate, so why was this man not dead? ]
Kiritsugu. [ His name is spoken under her breath and not meant to be heard by no other than herself. Forcing herself up from her position, she gazes around the rooftops, no longer caring if she's seen by Lancer. Something's happened to keep Kiritsugu from taking his shot and for some reason, that's worth more to her than Lancer being taken down. ] What is going on?
[ Neglecting the use of electronics as time passes on, Maiya chooses instead to slip into hiding. Dark clothing and hair of ebony made it easy to conceal herself. She's careful to run with an arm along her face to not only shield herself, but to hide the pale skin that may give her away. Once she has the higher ground, she can see the confrontation.
That young boy? She remembers him from the first night and from over the phone: "I was her Master." His hesitance struck her as odd now as she sees him fighting the man responsible for killing his Servant.
Why?
If she thought on it, she's certain the lady would have fought Kiritsugu in the same way. There was just something so charismatic about Saber that drew people in towards her. The hesitance bothers her more than ever now. If he was proud of Saber as a Servant, then surely he would have exclaimed that without any pause. So why is a boy who paused about such a statement fighting the hero over what must be done?
It doesn't matter anymore. He's an enemy. One that Kiritsugu hesitates to strike.
No matter. Picking up her speed, she moves through fire escape ladders and leaps onto lower balconies to close the gap, making her way towards the pair. All while remaining as hidden as she could be. It's not the best work, but she's being pulled by impulse to save the life of the only good in her world. ]
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[With accepting his Shadow, Lancer had accepted there was a bitter, angry, hateful part of him. Few in Prospero really knew the kind of rage he was capable of, but Kiritsugu was one of those people. And at that very moment, a small smirk crossed his face. How does it feel to be outwitted, Kiritsugu? I wasn't so foolish as to leave myself open to attack.]
[That hateful, bitter part of him was thrilled at that moment, although he knew it was terrible. He shouldn't feel as if he'd accomplished something, and yet...he did. For Arturia's safety, this plan would absolutely succeed with no real bloodshed.]
[Or at least, he thought that until he caught the smallest blur of motion out of the corner of his eye. Still too early for a Shadow, so what...no. Could someone like that really have another who tolerated him enough to work with him?! Impossible. And while he'd put Shirou in that position being certain Kiritsugu wouldn't strike against his own son? Diarmuid had no idea who this person was or what kind of complications they would bring into the matter.]
[So he had to get to Shirou and Kiritsugu before this newcomer did. A two on two fight was better odds even if he was on the side with an idiot. The formerly most agile Servant sprang into action literally and figuratively, launching himself forward along a similar path. Take out the newcomer now...? No, that wasn't right. One murder for another was even, but it wasn't fair and he knew it.]
[He'd just have to beat them there. And what was Diarmuid really known for if not running?]
no subject
[He yelled.
His vision was clouded with anger as well as the pain of betrayal.
The betrayal of the man that instilled his ideals onto him, the one who inspired him to become an Ally of Justice. The person he's staring at right now, though.
The Kiritsugu standing before him right now was not the man Shirou Emiya looked up to. The man before him was a-
Monster, Murderer, Not a hero, Never a hero, Just a man who destroys lives.
No. He had to focus, these weird emotions that appeared a few days ago are not helping him.]
Why, why did you have to kill her!?
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[He has to hand it to Lancer. This is not that dissimilar from what he would have done himself. When did he acquire weaknesses? Is it something new, or was he this weak ever since taking upon additional motivations to live, nine years ago.]
For the good of everyone else.
[A lie. A partial lie, at least. Kiritsugu's main reason for this, all of this, was to ensure the safety of the boy in front of him. The only family he could truly protect.]
[But he can't tell him that.]
[Shirou lives for something now. He is no longer the impressionable boy he was when Kiritsugu first saw him. Yes, his ideals were borrowed, but he turned them into a true desire. Shirou enjoys the pursuit of them, even if they're not the same as his predecessor's. They haven't failed him until now.]
[That's... why he can't allow him to realize just how flimsy they are. How much harm its shards can incur in their fragility. He can't allow him to know he would kill the many to save the few. The opposite of their dream.]
I told you that... didn't I, Shirou? The only people a hero can save...
[He stops looking in Diarmuid's direction, empty grey eyes once again facing those of gold.]
Are the ones he chooses to save.
[He wants to break down. Cry out in emotional torture as he did when faced with the Grail. Why can't he? Is his lock on his emotions so strong as to defy the effects of even the full moon?]
[Or, maybe, the lock itself is the emotion. An overpowering desire to block everything else out for the sake of what he cares about, but no less a desire for it.]
This peace won't last. The more Servants arrive, the bigger the inevitable conflict between them. Prospero doesn't need to see such a disaster. You of all people know that.
no subject
That boy will have to wait. Her hero surely could fight off a little boy, but with Lancer added to the mix? No, it was too dangerous. Risks are an everyday part of this lifestyle: spilled blood was only the beginning. There always was the opportunity of killing the wrong person and even if they were right, upsetting the wrong person who may just be an ally could be a fatal mistake.
There was never any resolution with death.
No, there was only the hope that killing the right person would prolong the amount of hatred the world accumulated. Or in Maiya's case, defending and following the right person would lead to a world where there was no death.
A world where people like her would have no place.
It's strange for her to be so engrossed in a future that she would have no place in, but instead of thinking of herself, she can only be passionate that it would be a good home for future generations. For an unspoken child who's features she cannot recall or for this son of Kiritsugu's he was so taken with.
There's no room for people like her or Lancer in this world.
That's why she changes the direction and the pace she runs at. Now she's not actively seeking to save Kiritsugu, she's pursuing Lancer. Another leap down onto a fire escape stairwell along the side of a building and BAM! She lands right in front of Lancer's path. With a bent knee, she reaches up along the inside of her pants to withdraw a thick combat knife.
Even without the use of magecraft, Maiya's precision and strength made this a deadlier weapon than a gun in her hands. Without wasting time, she sprints straight towards Lancer, the knife following up from the ground up with the intent of striking at his leg. ]
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[Even if she was working with Kiritsugu--and what other reason would she have?--then he had to admire her determination. Even if he wasn't a Servant anymore, he still had the skills of a hero and expert knight. Yet she faced him in a moment without hesitation, and that was an admirable thing for a mere human. And she was fast, faster than most ordinary people.]
[But Maiya now faced two main problems. One: even if he was human, Diarmuid was one of the best in the Fianna, with all the skill and experience that accompanied such a position. Even with his abilities diminished, the most skilled humans might have trouble standing on equal ground with him. It was at least a point in Maiya's favor that she'd nearly surprised him. But then there was still the second point.]
[Not once since he left to find Kiritsugu had Gae Dearg left his hand. And Diarmuid with even one lance was just as dangerous as any other Servant could be.]
[He jumped back to avoid her attack--the blade cut into his leg, but not much more than a scratch. Just a mild annoyance, little else. The upside, he noted, was that if he could keep her occupied he wouldn't have to worry about Shirou.]
Very well, if you want to be difficult--!
[Enough. He didn't want to kill or even hurt her, but anyone that could still ally with a deplorable individual like Kiritsugu was his enemy. He'd just disable her and then make sure Shirou was alright. Diarmuid twirled the crimson spear in his hand before countering as quickly as he could, blade aiming for the hand in which Maiya held her knife.]
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[Idealistic as it was, with the way the Servants are acting in this place, Shirou found it hard to believe that the ones he interacted with fought their own harsh battles before coming here, and that only in this place they started showing their true selves, the selves that exist in the time of peace.
In a sense, they were innocent, despite the Masters from the 4th War being here as well.
Why.
Why didn't he see this before?
His father believed in those very ideals he instilled upon him. And if those ideals turned him this way...
What would stop it from destroying Shirou's life?]
...You.
...
You were betrayed by your ideals.
[That was the conclusion he came to, that Kiritsugu Emiya's ideals in the end led him to the path of destruction, the path of killing one to save millions.
To Shirou Emiya, who aspired to save everyone, that path would cause him immense pain, as well as the impossibility to ever see the smiles of the people he helped.]
no subject
Even while facing an armed opponent, she's smooth enough to avoid getting hit. His speed, while impressive, was nothing in comparison to her last good fight. Kirei Kotomine's loss of humanity definitely could outmaneuver Maiya's own dormant senses, but Lancer was on the same level as her.
If not lower.
For as long as he believed in the goodness of this world, she would hold an advantage. For Maiya Hisau has given up on almost everyone in this world. The only path she can follow is the one written out for her by the man she desperately sought after.
Someone might even mistake it as love.
Maiya's certain she feels no love towards Kiritsugu. He had a wife. He had a daughter. He has a son. He has his goals and she has none of that. All she has is these hands to be used in any way he requests. Maiya Hisau is the only one who can keep Kiritsugu on his path and she intends to live up to that. Wasting time by keeping this heroic spirit away... just what was she doing?
There's that boy.
And his hesitance.
Answers that she desperately needs to fill in the blanks are what will give Lancer the advantage over this woman. Even if she knows how to counter him, even if she moves her knife in the same manner Saber carried her blade, in the end human error will catch up to her if she fails to focus.
It's hard. It's always hard the first time. The first shot fired was easy, but the first blood to spill tormented her for years. Drastic measures must be taken because time won't allow this waste.
For the first time she can recall, she doesn't think of Kiritsugu Emiya or the perfect world he'll create. No, she's slipping back into dangerous territory. A childhood full of misery and death, of violence and assaults of all natures, and with no hope. It's frightening to fall back so many steps, but at the same time, it's necessary to leap forward.
Maiya doesn't speak unless she has something important to add to the conversation. So when she charges at Lancer this time, she lets out a soft noise that's primal in nature instead. The effects of the full moon are starting to show in her every movement as she no longer moves with grace, choosing instead a more chaotic route. This is how a hopeless beast acts, lashing out until there's nothing left to rip apart. ]
no subject
['Inhuman monsters who have ruined the honor of a knight--']
[He lived by the ideals of a hero, and had been broken for it.]
[Not entirely unlike Kiritsugu himself, at this point.]
[Humanity now was nothing like the world he wanted to protect. Selfish, cruel, self-serving--so many were like Kiritsugu and Kayneth that it revolted him. The belief he held in all the good of this world was flickering like candlelight in a storm, no matter how he tried to keep it going. But what he did still hold faith in was the kindness he had been shown time and again since the end of the Fourth War. Didn't he believe in Grainne? In Neah, Edgeworth, Issei, and especially Arturia?]
[The only path Diarmuid Ua Duibhne could walk now was that which he laid with his own hands. His trust had been betrayed and wounded severely more than once, but that was alright. He would just pick himself up and travel a path without following another. Not now, not ever again.]
[This was no fight for the greater good of the world. This conflict came about because Diarmuid was enraged that someone would take the one person he did believe in above all others, the one he would trust without question...and strike her down.]
You have no earthly idea the force with which you are playing, girl.
[The growl that left his throat would have surprised him, if he cared enough to realize the impending full moon was impacting him too. But of course he didn't care. What was the point on restraining his anger so carefully? Screw Kiritsugu, this woman, Kayneth, and everyone else so disgustingly self-centered in this miserable world. People like them shouldn't have been allowed to exist. Not when they threatened those lingering few that were still good]
[He answered her attack with a similar one of his own, lacking the finely choreographed motions he so carefully executed knight after night. Instead, Maiya would be met with a mostly wild but no less dangerous strike directed towards her legs.]
no subject
[Years would pass until Kiritsugu would truly know how he imparted his childhood desire unto his son, and yet, he knows he never revealed the downfall of his wishes. It took this window, this brief glimpse of his forced nature, to infer the decades of suffering he went through. Kiritsugu's eyes narrow. It is a revelation not entirely unlike Saber's, but made by one who walks the same path. Kiritsugu doesn't hold hatred, but disappointment at himself. For failing Shirou. Just like he failed everyone else. For not even being able to keep up this illusion.]
[A moment of silence. Lancer and Maiya haven't arrived yet. There is just one possibility, then. Glock 22 at his side, Kiritsugu flips the safety off. He shows his unwillingness to attack his son by walking up to his side, just about ready to continue down the stairs in order to eliminate the Servant below, if necessary. As if he was unaware of Shirou's unwillingness to let him. As if emotions lied beyond the scope of his world. Or maybe too deep within.]
Our goal is... not impossible. If all evils of the world exist, then the opposite must also remain. There has to be a way to save the world.
But you'll lose something.
[A brief moment of hesitation. Kiritsugu opens his mouth as if to speak. The desire to let Shirou know that he just wants him to be happy. To live the life he couldn't. He shouldn't have to suffer. Kiritsugu took all sorrows, all evils of the world upon himself. So Shirou shouldn't have to do the same.]
In the end, it's the same as being a hero, Shirou. You have to make sure you retain more than you lose... but you will lose something.
I... have lost too much already. I can't find out how to make things right with what I have left.
But maybe, if I continue on this path, I can pave the road. Delay things long enough for you to do so.
no subject
Without Kiritsugu Emiya, all Maiya can see is a world of darkness. Shadows are a common cause of fright in children, the elderly, and more importantly, those who find themselves fearing everything.
The lance pierces her leg and snaps her from the frenzy she was frozen in. The wound is bad, enough that she'll need stitches for, but she's able to rip her leg free from it. Lancer without elegance is a dangerous foe, just as chaotic and unpredictable as Maiya without the hope of a new world. ]
I've watched you enough times to know, Diarmuid. [ Maiya's ruthlessness starts to replace the insatiable wrath that fueled her previously. The name spills out only to serve to highlight her next statement. ] I can't allow your blood to stain his dream after all.
[ Hoping the comment was enough to catch him off guard, she brings the heavy knife up to fling it downwards. The intent wasn't to strike at Lancer, but instead it was to knock one of the loose supporting beams of the structure. Knowing her injury now crippled her ability to fight, there was only one option left.
Sacrifice herself to kill this Servant so that the schedule could go as planned. This was Lancer's day after all and they couldn't afford to make another mistake. ]
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[That was significant. Significant enough to throw him out of the terrible rage that had been sneaking up on him far too quickly, and the enraged scowl left his face immediately to be replaced with surprise. How could she have heard something like that? The only people present when he had died were Saber, that woman in white, Kiritsugu, Sola, and Kayneth.]
[How long had someone been working in the shadows with him?!]
[That and all other thoughts were quickly driven out of his mind when he realized Maiya was moving--too late to stop her, but just barely enough time to react. In a split second he threw himself back to avoid the worst of it, but the collapsing structure was impossible to avoid completely.]
[With what felt like an earth-shattering tremor, Diarmuid quickly found himself a mess of bruises having quite a hard time staying conscious. Damn...he'd really screwed this one up, hadn't he? If nothing else, he could survive injuries like this assuming one of them didn't just finish him off...well, that was fine. He'd gone into this expecting to die. Whatever the outcome, it would have to be left in another's hands until he woke up.]
[Emi-...no, Shirou...please just finish this. Please, just save her.]
no subject
For once, Shirou had actually caught a glimpse from how his father had worked, on how he sacrificed a few to save the lives of many. And how in the end of all that, he sacrificed himself to take on all the evils of the world.
In other words, what Kiritsugu lost was his own humanity. Replaced by a cold, calculating man who kills without even remorse. Who saves people not to see their smiles, but just for the sake of saving.
It was painful, really, to see his father like this. Part of him pities him, and the other part was boiling in rage over all the unjust crimes he had performed. That was why Kiritsugu stepped right next to him, Shirou grabbed his father's coat, denying him the permission to add one more deaths in his quest.]
That's...
[Turning towards his father, with a half-raised fist, Shirou decides to speak out regarding his opinion in this matter.]
That's just the most ridiculous thing I've heard!
no subject
[He flinches. This is the point of divergence. Now Shirou truly understands that they are not the same person. Maybe this will motivate him to truly make the dream his own. But still... for once, Kiritsugu does feel some emotion surface. He can't simply let his worldview, which he gave so much for, be dismissed like that.]
I compromised. I understood what needed to be done. Even that wasn't enough.
You're searching for something even more difficult. To not have to cast anything away. An ideal even I never contemplated. [A lie. Yet another.]
Why do you think you can get out of that unscathed?
no subject
[And as all this happens, the golden eyes never let those dead eyes out of its sight, as Shirou continued to hold onto his father's coat as a lifeline, afraid of losing him yet again to his Magus Killer persona.
But is this really right? To see his father continue to suffer like this, to see him as a soulless man bent on saving the world no matter the sacrifices he has to make?
It was at this point that Shirou realized that the hatred he felt was not directed at his father, but rather at himself, for lacking the resolve to continue on the path, and fear that one day, Shirou Emiya's mind will turn to steel.
"Trace, on."
It was a simple incantation that he had always used ever since knowing of the existence of magic which he kept until now. To him, it is a symbol of who he is. One who took to the study of magic regarding one's own flaw of not being properly educated.
With that, he finished his sentence.]
I know that I will never regret what I chose for myself.
no subject
[Maybe they'll never meet eye-to-eye. That may not be such a bad thing. The less Kiritsugu's way of thinking spreads, the better. Even he recognizes that now. Given how Shirou's pursuit encompasses the journey itself, as opposed to Kiritsugu's goal-centric ideals, there's no way they can truly understand each other.]
[If that's the case, then he can't truly dismiss his claim. Is this a realization his self from five years in the future realized at any point? Or did he become too weak and frail to even give that any thought?]
[...Again, doesn't matter. What matters is the person he is now. The one that can't truly discard Shirou's statement.]
[Briefly, Kiritsugu's eyes flicker with the emotion he always gave Shirou.]
...She's not dead. Not anymore. Saber revived yesterday.
[Her influence, as that of any other Heroic Spirit, will only push Shirou further down that path. If so, might as well see him off in good terms.]
[Storing the gun inside his coat, it's soon replaced by a smoke. Whatever conflict happened below has already ended. Kiritsugu blocks thoughts of the last time he couldn't ensure Maiya's safety.]
Should be waiting for you.
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[ Maiya doesn't really understand why Kiritsugu is giving the boy false hope, especially now that she's managed to not only best Lancer, but to arrive in time. Being a hero is so unlike her, but there are things that are important to her. Yes, and it's those things she must strive to protect.
Now that Maiya's remembered all too well who it is she lives for, the pain she feels in her body is nothing compared to the pain of losing Kiritsugu. Should he go weak again what would she do?
She would lose him.
And losing Kiritsugu Emiya is something that Maiya can't handle.
Abandoning Lancer's body in the rubble and piercing metal was easy enough to do. There's no conscience in her mind and if the attack was successful, then Lancer's day was today. That's all it was. If it was a failure, she'll go back to finish the job once she's secured the safety of the only thing in her life. ]
I'll take it from here.
[ Blood pours down the side of her face from a nasty wound along her head, but it doesn't seem to draw any emotion from her. Not even annoyance at the the amount that falls into the corner of her mouth. With that damaged knife, the question of how she was able to find it in the dark unanswered, she flings it straight towards the boy with orange hair without hesitation. ]
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...!!
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[The sickening sound of flesh being pierced. Maiya's aim remains as deadly as ever. Fortunately, Kiritsugu has different proportions from his son. Sharp steel embeds itself just below his liver, slowly turning his coat an even deeper shade of black.]
Tch...!
[Kiritsugu has suffered worse injuries, but the pain from a knife wound is still incomparable to that of a gunshot. Leveling his mind, he stops his mind from being affected by the stress and adrenaline. His left hand goes to the affected area, but does not pull out the knife, what with the assassin being exceedingly aware of what a foolish move that would be. His right hand is raised to his side, as if forming a flimsy, but obvious barrier between the only two people he's ever truly saved.]
[This is an act unprecedented for him. Kiritsugu has attempted to bring salvation to others, many times, but it was always through the act of eliminating threats, not suffering them himself. For a man unwilling to put himself in actual danger most of the time, this is an action that should never be contemplated.]
[As he turns to look at Maiya, the reason becomes evident. His gaze is as determined as ever, indicating that he knows full well what he's doing, but the last few seconds bring him into a more recent state of mind. As he looks at his trusted assistant, he provides insight on himself. His eyes, with as much thought as they may display, also show emotion.]
Shirou's not a hostile. He will not provide a threat.
[As if unbearable pain wasn't afflicting him. As if simply a matter of course. Unlike his eyes, Kiritsugu's voice shows no emotion, apart from trying to keep things as brief as possible with the intent of not incurring more damage unto himself.]
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The face of his father in pain, though, was an alien concept, especially considering that it came from a bladed weapon and not his odd moments of sickness when he was young. Shirou, for the first time in his life as well, also realized that this is the first time he had ever seen his father sacrifice his own body to protect him.
Thus, when Kiritsugu turned to face his unknown assailant, Shirou figured out that he's currently sitting on the ground, where it's clear that he fell on his behind upon seeing his wounded father.]
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[ When he speaks the boy's name, everything becomes clear. It shouldn't, no, she should be left in the blind when it comes to something of this nature. Their shared last name and the fact that Kiritsugu adopted a son after the Fourth Holy Grail War click in her mind.
Of course.
Who else would he allow such risks with? It makes sense now and Maiya wishes that it didn't. Because the blood that spills forth from him is because of her. This twists thoughts into warped realities as she begins to tremble in place. Losing her composure is unlike her, but never would she strike to hurt him. ]
I... I... [ And now she can't even speak. ] Kiritsugu--!!