First Meeting with Mapo

A man approached from a distance—short black hair, handsome features, sharp brows, and bright eyes, with a face chiseled like a knife. He was dressed entirely in black: a black suit, black pants, and black shoes. His posture was upright, like a flagpole, and the ornament on his chest stood out prominently.

If Kaguya wasn't mistaken, this man should be none other than Kirei Kotomine, the "Priest."

He didn't yet have the depth or maturity he would later acquire, still appearing somewhat youthful and inexperienced. At this point, he had not been swayed by Gilgamesh and likely hadn't yet considered betraying Tokiomi Tohsaka .

But just because he didn't have treacherous thoughts now didn't mean he wouldn't develop them later. From Kaguya's estimation, it wouldn't be long before this guy walked down the path of pleasure... no, tax evasion, alongside Gilgamesh.

However, at this moment, Kirei was still a model youth.

What surprised Kaguya was that, for some reason, Tohsaka Rin seemed to greatly dislike Kirei Kotomine, even to the point of apparent disdain. Maybe it was because of his involvement in the Holy Grail War alongside her father? Kaguya didn't think so. She believed more in Rin's natural instincts. Children, especially those with magical talent, often had a sense for things like this.

Of course, this was purely Kaguya's own speculation, with no real evidence to back it up.

"Hello," Kirei Kotomine gave a slight bow and said, his eyes flickering briefly in surprise when he saw Kaguya, before turning his gaze away.

Rin ignored him, frowning slightly as she sat on the sofa, making it clear she didn't want to engage with him.

Matou Sakura, on the other hand, stood up and politely bowed, smiling as she said, "Hello."

Kirei Kotomine nodded slightly in return.

As for Kaguya, she found this mentally twisted individual rather curious—a person who could only find happiness in others' misfortune, someone who felt that life had no meaning unless others were suffering. What kind of person was this?

But after meeting him, Kaguya was somewhat disappointed. He didn't seem particularly special on the outside.

"Are you here to see your teacher?" Kaguya stood up from the sofa, walked over to him, and smiled.

"Yes," Kirei Kotomine replied. For some reason, this silver-haired girl, whose height didn't even reach his chest, made him feel slightly nervous. Her clear, transparent eyes seemed to see right through him, making him uncomfortable.

"He's waiting for you," Kaguya said. "Can you tell me why he called for you?"

"Apologies, but I cannot casually disclose my teacher's instructions to outsiders," Kirei replied with a slight sense of regret.

"That's a shame," Kaguya said, "But I've heard you studied Bajiquan during your time in China."

"Yes, I did study it for a time," Kirei answered.

"I'm also quite interested in Bajiquan. If possible, I'd like to spar with you," Kaguya said with a light smile.

"Spar?" Kirei was taken aback for a moment, then bowed slightly, saying, "I'm terribly sorry, but I have important matters to attend to at the moment and cannot accompany you. Perhaps another time, if you're still interested, we could practice together."

Clearly, Kirei regarded her as just a regular little girl eager to learn Bajiquan. Though polite in his response, he didn't take Kaguya seriously.

"I see," Kaguya's lips curved upward slightly, "But I can't wait that long."

As soon as she finished speaking, Kaguya's body moved like lightning. In the blink of an eye, she rushed toward Kirei with a speed that caught him off guard. Her arm extended, and her palm shot toward him.

Kirei's face changed dramatically. His arms barely crossed in front of him when the fierce attack hit him with incredible force.

"Boom!"

A deafening explosion rang out, and Kirei's body flew backward as if struck by a speeding train. The sheer impact sent him skidding several meters before he finally stopped.

"Not bad. It seems your Bajiquan has some merit," Kaguya remarked without following up, smiling as she relaxed her stance. "Your Servant isn't too shabby either, managing to block my attack head-on."

Kirei quickly turned his head and saw his Servant, Assassin, embedded in the wall. His body had been smashed into the surface, leaving cracks spreading across the wall from the massive impact.

Assassin's bones were completely shattered, his body limp as blood oozed from his mouth and skin, dripping onto the floor with a sickening sound. The air quickly filled with a pungent, metallic smell.

Before long, Assassin's broken body disintegrated into light particles, fading away into the air.

Kirei turned back, his face full of shock as he stared at the silver-haired girl in front of him, whose pretty face still bore a gentle smile. Not only was she incredibly beautiful, but she also possessed terrifying strength—enough to kill Assassin with a single palm strike. Had Assassin not shielded him, Kirei knew he would have shared the same fate.

Even so, his arms were already numb. He had been wearing a Kevlar-reinforced bulletproof monk's robe, layered with special protective talismans from the Church. This attire could withstand 9mm handgun bullets at point-blank range, and his well-trained muscles provided additional protection against the shock of bullets.

In terms of defense, it was already quite formidable.

At that moment, Kirei's eyes suddenly widened, and he realized Kaguya's true identity—she was a Servant. For him, this wasn't a particularly difficult deduction, but he hadn't initially considered it, assuming she was just an ordinary girl.

"Stop."

A calm, magnetic voice sounded from upstairs as a refined man descended the staircase—it was Tokiomi Tohsaka.

"What happened here?" Tokiomi asked, surveying the room that had been left in shambles.

"Nothing much," Kaguya replied with a light smile, "I was just interested in your disciple, so we had a little sparring match." With that, she waved her hand, and in an instant, the cracked walls, broken vases, and all the destruction in the room were restored to their original state, as if nothing had been damaged.

This was the power of Kaguya's Mirror Flower, Water Moon ability. Although she couldn't yet fully materialize imagined objects, it was sufficient for repairing ordinary items.

Seeing Kaguya's casual gesture, both Kirei Kotomine and Tokiomi Tohsaka's eyes narrowed in astonishment.