Part 167: Chasing prohibited / Another blessing / Choice
Music: Surrounded by Smiling Faces
"
"This is it for today.
I'll call it good since I found out Issei's unrelated to the Holy Grail War.
"…Huh? Sakura's not at school?"
"Shinji was absent as well. They were both absent without notice today, so the teachers are wondering if something happened at their house or not."
"
"I'm at a loss for words, being confronted with a problem I'd forgotten.
"Oh, lunch break is over. Let's go back to the classroom."
Issei pushes me out of the student council room.
…All the while…
Thoughts of Sakura's absence and what Shinji may have done after losing Rider twirl around in my head.
Don't want to think about it, don't want to think about it, don't want to ... gahhh
Music: Stop
Music: Church on the Hill
He looks around.
The church is empty, with the morning service already over.
The only light is the sunlight coming in from overhead.
The silence creates a solemn atmosphere, and the stopped space creates a clear silence.
He is like a heresy in it all.
"It has been six days since the war started. You are the first one to come here."
"
!"He straightens his body that's about to fall onto the ground.
When did he appear?
He looks with bloodshot eyes at the priest before the altar, and he says something.
"
"The priest frowns.
He did not completely understand the boy, but it seems he is asking for help.
He wants protection.
A Master that has lost his Servant may ask for protection under the condition that he withdraw from the war.
The place of retreat, the last sanctuary, is this church.
And the master of this place is the priest called Kotomine Kirei.
"
Then you will withdraw from this war, boy?"The boy reacts like fire to the quiet voice.
"O-Of course! Are you telling me to die…!?
I can't kill anyone without a Servant, so I don't want to be a Master…! I-I'm a normal person. I'm a victim, right!? It's unfair for anyone to kill someone like me…!"
…well, what do you know… Kotomine IS a priest.
"
What? Do you have a problem?""No. You are the first to withdraw this time, and you are the first user of this church since it was built. I shall treat you properly in the stead of my father who started this place."
"Huh? What, I'm the only one who retired? …Damn, this is shameful. I don't know what my grandfather will say if he finds out about this.
Man, this is all you guys' fault…! It's so unfair that I got a piece of shit like Rider!"
He strikes the ground in rage.
The sound of the punch echoes like a bell, and the priest smiles with great interest.
"So, Rider was useless?"
"Right! …Man, she was only useful as a woman.
Something tells me he wasn't giving her magical energy
Damn, she died so easily even though I did so much for her! Another Servant would've been so much more useful!"
"
""…Oh. But I did well. I did as my grandfather told me, and everything was set!
But they all got in my way…! It was two against one. There was no way I could've won in a situation like that.
…Yeah, it wasn't my fault that I lost.
It's just the difference in quality of our Servants. But
they were so elated with their victory!!!"
"Damn
Damn, damn, damn, damn!"He repeats his agony.
In the midst of it
Tap.
The priest's footsteps echo through the room as if to break the frozen air.
The priest slowly puts his hand on the boy's shoulder.
"
So.This means you still have the will to fight?"
He looks down at the loser and says so with a kind voice.
"Huh
?"He cannot understand the priest's words.
The priest in black has a friendly smile on his face.
"You are very fortunate. There is a Servant who is available right now."
The priest offers a new salvation, as if suppressing his joy.
Music: Stop
