118 Dead Apostle Ancestors

In a spacious room inside the Misaki Church, Emiya Kiritsugu, forced to wear shackles, was imprisoned here.

He leaned against the wall, staring at the chandelier above, lost in thought.

Early yesterday morning, after completing his task with Roy, he happened to encounter several shadowy figures prowling in the night on his way back.

Driven by the rekindled sense of justice he had regained, he chose to quietly follow them.

Soon, he stumbled upon a scene where several low-ranking Dead Apostles were attacking a drunken man on a remote slope.

As they pinned down the middle-aged man, exposing their fangs and preparing to feast, Kiritsugu, driven by a desire to save, intervened and rescued the unfortunate man.

However, since this was in the city, using firearms could lead to unnecessary trouble. Thus, he took out a black key soaked in holy water provided by Kotomine Kirei and using his Time Alter ability, nailed the monsters to the wall, successfully saving the man.

Originally, this was just a typical act of heroism, and after dealing with the Dead Apostles, he should have quickly left the scene.

But, coincidentally, he wasn't the only one drawn to the low-ranking Dead Apostles; there were also professionals in this field.

Before he could evacuate, the church's Executor blocked his path. The Executor's power was terrifying; even with his Time Alter, he couldn't escape.

After a brief confrontation, he recognized that the other party was not an ordinary cleric. Having investigated her information, he realized she was a member of the Burial Agency from the Holy Church!

Considering the gap in their abilities and recalling his own lack of equipment, as well as his current aim to deal with the Dead Apostles, he didn't want to clash with the local church's Executor.

So, Emiya Kiritsugu decisively chose to surrender and followed her to this church. However, before he was taken away, he found an opportunity to send a distress signal to his boss with his phone.

Knowing the capabilities of his employer, he believed Roy would easily be able to extract him from this situation.

After all, a mere church division, even with members of the Burial Agency, shouldn't be able to stop him.

After all, he was a monster who could fight Servants and Magician!

...

Outside the room, in the cathedral's reception hall.

Roy, accompanied by Shiki, was having a friendly meeting with the local Executor.

However, this Executor was not the traditional image of a middle-aged priest but a blue-haired girl, a member of the Burial Agency.

The Burial Agency is the strongest department within the Holy Church, comprised of members with the highest combat abilities. The selection criteria for this department are not based on faith or loyalty to God but purely on the ability and determination to eliminate heretics. Thus, most of the members here are somewhat mentally unstable.

Regarding this, Ciel also agreed; she didn't consider herself a normal person either.

But among people, there are always more extreme ones. In the Burial Agency, her current state was already considered one of the more normal individuals.

Roy was aware of this.

This blue-haired girl cleric was likely named Ciel...

She appeared as one of the character arcs in Tsukihime, and more importantly, she was the previous reincarnation of the Dead Apostle, Roa.

He vaguely remembered that in the storyline, she appeared as senpai for Tohno Shiki, making her an important character, so he had Kiritsugu pay special attention to her.

Emiya Kiritsugu had information about this girl's life experiences, seemingly obtained from Kotomine Kirei, who was also a member of the church.

While Kirei found it somewhat puzzling that Kiritsugu was suddenly investigating members of the Burial Agency, he had nothing to hide; he had previously cooperated with this member of the Burial Agency during his time in the European church.

Since Kiritsugu wanted to know about her, Kirei faxed the information he had.

[Ciel was originally an ordinary girl. Her father was the owner of a bakery in a small town in France. However, on a day after her sixteenth birthday, the soul of the Dead Apostle Roa inadvertently awakened within her, ultimately making Ciel the seventeenth reincarnation of Roa, leading her to endless slaughter and destroying everything she had.

Originally, Roa would reincarnate into a noble family, but this time, he was eliminated before finding a suitable reincarnation target. As a result, he unexpectedly reincarnated into the body of an ordinary family's child but gained a body comparable to that of the original Roa.

The last reincarnated Roa was soon discovered and hunted down by various forces, including the Holy Church and Arcueid Brunestud. Roa's soul would transfer to the next target at the moment Ciel's body died. However, Ciel would resurrect and could not be killed, so after the church confirmed they couldn't kill her, they decided to let her join the Burial Agency.

According to the Holy Church's records, Ciel inherited the powerful body left by the Dead Apostle Roa, along with extensive magical knowledge. However, she rarely used it in general circumstances. Although she knew many spells, she was reluctant to use them. This reluctance was likely tied to her horrifying memories associated with Roa.

She is calm, efficient in her work, and formidable in strength, currently ranking seventh among the Executors in the Burial Agency, possessing the Seventh Holy Scripture.]

After reading the information provided by Kotomine Kirei, Roy gained a relatively deep understanding of this girl within the storyline.

Despite her formidable strength and calm demeanor, this girl was also part of the many tragedies within the moonlit world.

A tragic girl who lost everything she was supposed to have, forcibly bestowed with an immortal life, struggling to survive in this world, and turning the goal of avenging Roa into the meaning of her existence, which is why she has persevered until now.

Roy genuinely respected this.

He felt pity for this tragic girl. If she hadn't encountered the monster Roa, her family and friends wouldn't have died, and she wouldn't have become something inhuman; she might have been living a happy life now.

This world is full of tragedy; only magus and monsters possess freedom. Ordinary people have never been happy.

"Ah…"

While that was quite reasonable, it would have been better if he could free the blue-haired girl nailed to the wall before he started lamenting.

"It seems I might have been a bit too rough…"

Looking at Ciel, who was pinned to the wall and unable to move, Roy gently clapped his hands and summoned Volumen Hydrargyrum liquid that was fixed around her walls back to him, allowing the girl to regain her freedom.

However, she remained in a semi-conscious state.

Since she had initiated the attack first, although she didn't harbor much murderous intent, her target included Shiki, so Roy's response was a bit too extreme. The sudden punch knocked her out, and she obviously hadn't regained her senses yet.

"I should find Kiritsugu first. He should be locked up here…"

Roy retracted Volumen Hydrargyrum and placed Ciel down on a bench, worried she might catch a chill. He even covered her with a holy shroud.

To Shiki, this scene appeared somewhat strange.

"…Is the holy shroud really used like this?"

...

"Then please take a seat."

After that, Roy found the imprisoned Emiya Kiritsugu in a spacious room inside the Misaki Church and freed him.

Shortly after, the special-bodied Ciel also woke up from her coma. Just as tensions were about to rise among the three, Roy suggested that they sit down and talk first.

"..."

After comparing their strengths, Ciel did not refuse and followed Roy to a family restaurant.

However, the atmosphere was still quite tense.

Shiki observed the extraordinary Executor from the side, while Roy calmly drinking coffee. Opposite him, Ciel, who had just been fixed up, was lowering her head and devouring the curry rice on her plate.

The three of them were engrossed in their own activities, with no one speaking, creating an incredibly awkward atmosphere at the table.

Eventually, Roy broke the silence.

"Let's save the curry rice for later, Miss Ciel. I didn't bring you here just to share a meal."

"Oh? Then what exactly is your purpose, heretical magus? It's quite impolite to barge into the church's territory uninvited..."

"I don't see anything wrong with that."

Roy shook his head. "My subordinate was taken by you; I merely came to bring him back."

"Besides, from the moment I stepped through the door, the one who made the first move to test was you. I was merely defending myself."

"…"

Upon hearing this, Ciel was momentarily stunned.

"A magus like you is defending yourself in a church?"

Is there even such a thing as self-defense in someone else's home?

"Aren't churches open to all believers of the Lord? I am also a believer of the Lord; is there a problem with coming to the church?"

Roy smiled at Ciel as he answered, even taking out the black leather Bible published by the church that was given to him by Kotomine Kirei and slapping it on the table.

He emphasized the flexibility of faith.

"…"

At that moment, Ciel's small head was filled with question marks.

"You, a heretical magus, are also a believer?"

To this, Roy simply smiled and did not reply.

"…"

What is going on? When did Misaki Town get such a strange person?

Yesterday, while patrolling the city, she encountered a peculiar magus wielding the standard black key of the church's Executors, who had already hunted down some Dead Apostles before she could act.

This piqued Ciel's curiosity. As the manager of the local church, she chose to bring him back for questioning to clarify his origins, intentions, and where he got the church weapons.

However, before she could send someone to interrogate Emiya Kiritsugu, the church was invaded.

The intruder came without warning, leaving no trace and knocking out all the Executors trying to stop him, tossing them into the courtyard.

A heretical magus had come alone to the church's base, and given the recent anomalies in Misaki Town, she decided to act preemptively, planning to subdue the two intruders before questioning them. The result…

She found herself no different from the ordinary Executors; within moments of engaging, she was pinned down and knocked unconscious, unable to move.

The speed was so fast that she couldn't react, and the strength was so great that even her unique physique felt immense pain.

This overwhelming sense of powerlessness reminded her of that annoying madwoman from the Burial Agency.

Where did this monster come from?

"You can lay hands on clergymen in the church, yet I see no trace of reverence for the Lord in you." Ciel said coldly.

"Haha, belief is existence, disbelief is non-existence. You can imagine as you wish; I'm just here to bring my subordinate home."

"That doesn't seem to be the whole story."

Putting down the spoon she was holding, Ciel stared at Roy, questioning, "If you were just looking for your subordinate, you should have left once you found him."

"Although you broke into the church's base, you only knocked out those Executors without killing or harming anyone. Yet, you intentionally brought me here; what's the reason for that?"

"We are not enemies. I'm not an ordinary magus, nor do I harbor any prejudice against the church. The reason for bringing you here is quite simple."

"Since I've finally met an expert in dealing with Dead Apostles, of course, I want to ask you some questions. After all, your Burial Agency is the expert in this field, unlike someone like me who is an outsider."

Burial Agency?!

Upon hearing this term, Ciel's eyes widened.

"You seem to have known I was here from the beginning and even knew my identity. Where did you get this information?"

Her identity wasn't a huge secret within the church; Executors who cooperated with her usually had access to her data for better coordination. Yet this was not something an ordinary magus could know. What exactly was this guy?

"Sorry, that touches on my personal secrets, so I can't disclose that. However, as a member of the Burial Agency, your information isn't very confidential; anyone who cares to investigate can find it."

"So you're saying… you, a magus, actually know people among the Executors in the church…"

Ciel's expression darkened as she considered this possibility.

"Just some old friends."

"Then tell me, what is your true purpose for seeking me? It can't just be to chat here."

"Well, that's right."

Roy nodded.

"My visit this time is indeed to retrieve my subordinate whom you captured. The other purpose is to discuss issues regarding Dead Apostles and the True Ancestor with an expert like you. Also, about the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors EX seat... Roa."

Roa!

Hearing the name of the nemesis that had ruined her life, Ciel's eyes widened. Although she quickly regained her composure, the anger that slipped out unintentionally was hard to hide.

"…What do you know?"

"I know far more than you imagine."

"According to the church's records, there was a large-scale Dead Apostle attack in a certain small town in France, leading to widespread terror. The entire town fell, and it was only when the church intervened that the outbreak was contained."

Roy raised his hand and stared seriously into Ciel's eyes, continuing, "And the culprit was the Dead Apostle known as Roa, right? Although the information about the French incident has been classified by the church, it still couldn't be hidden from me."

"Am I right, Miss Elesia, the only survivor of the French incident?"

Elesia… This name was Ciel's real name.

No one had called her that since the day of the French incident.

"You even managed to find out about that; you really are impressive..."

Ciel sighed, then asked, "So why are you telling me all this? What is your purpose, magus?"

"Don't be so nervous; in terms of position and purpose, we don't actually conflict."

"What is your purpose?"

"First, to find a lost princess, then to stop the Crimson Moon from being resurrected, and finally, to clear out those troublesome Dead Apostles. It's that simple."

Clearing the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors…

Ciel was taken aback upon hearing this.

"You really dare to say that; even the Burial Agency and the Knights would pay a hefty price to deal with the members of the 27 Dead Apostles…"

"Don't worry; I have my own methods."

Roy smiled.

"Roa is also your target?"

"Of course. Like you, I have some connections with that despicable serpent. And with him..."

At this point, Roy opened his palm, and the dark flame ignited from the depths of his soul blazed fiercely.

"It's like we're natural enemies; once we meet, it's a fight to the death."

This is a gift from the Count, and within the flames lies the past.

Including the Count's hatred for Roa.

Therefore, that despicable serpent must die this time.

Seeing this, Ciel's eyes flickered unintentionally. She realized that this flame was capable of igniting souls, and the anger conveyed in Roy's eyes, along with his words of vengeance, was serious.

He, too, was a seeker of revenge against Roa, just like herself...

Thinking of this, Ciel let out a small sigh and said, "Alright, I will tentatively believe that your hatred for Roa is genuine, but how should we cooperate?"

"It's simple; you just need to provide me with information."

"Have you estimated the number of Dead Apostles?"

Hearing Roy's question, Ciel shook her head and replied, "Not yet. The number of Dead Apostles involved this time is simply too many. In just one month, I have already hunted twelve Dead Apostles."

"Because the local administrators' detection systems are in place, those Dead Apostles have been hiding their tracks and are hard to find. They only showed themselves again last night. Moreover, I have no idea where Roa is hiding in the city and is continuously creating his followers, so we still can't detect the exact number."

"Active since last night? Just when the Great Bounded Field was shattered by me, it seems the one hiding behind it can hardly contain themselves anymore."

"However, according to the Church's detection this time, among the confirmed Dead Apostle Ancestors, at least two may appear in this city."

"Which two?"

"They are, respectively, the enemy I am searching for, the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors EX seat, the Serpent of Akasha, the Infinite Reincarnator - Michael Roa Valdamjong."

"And, for reasons unknown, the Tenth Ranked Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors, Nrvnqsr Chaos, has also appeared in Japan."

"Only these two Dead Apostles?"

"What's wrong? Are you actually complaining that it's too few?"

Hearing Roy's relaxed tone as if he were discussing groceries, Ciel felt somewhat exasperated.

'You must understand that each of the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors is a dominant figure in the World of Magecraft. Normally, even if the Church wants to deal with one of them, it requires the deployment of the Burial Agency and many troops to suppress them. And now, two have appeared at once, and you're complaining that it's not enough? Do you think this is a grocery market?'

"There are indeed some, but I have prepared too much this time. If only two Dead Apostle Ancestors came, that would really be a waste. Sending Roa and his accomplices away is a matter of abundance."

Abundance...

Upon hearing this term, Ciel couldn't help but wonder if this guy was ignorant or simply overconfident. She sighed slightly and continued, "Although these Dead Apostle Ancestors are enemies, they are not necessarily Roa's accomplices."

Roy raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but it seems that no one among the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors acknowledges Roa's identity; rather, they seem to be hunting him down. The ancestors that have come this time might not protect him, but more likely, they are there to witness how long it will take for him to be eliminated again."

"That would be interesting. However, my target is very clear. If they are merely witnesses and do not cause trouble, I won't go after them. But if any unwise Dead Apostle Ancestors dares to obstruct my path..."

Suddenly, Roy's gaze turned to the back.

"Behind!"

Ciel and Shiki followed Roy's eyes.

The pair of black pupils had already transformed into icy blue, staring into the blood-red eyes of a row of crows perched on a streetlamp, which had appeared there at some point.

*Quack!!*

Then...

*Bang!*

As the crows attempted to take flight, the glass beside Roy shattered with a loud crash, and the mercury needles, formed from Volumen Hydrargyrum, swiftly pierced through these crows.

"...this is the next scene."

Seeing these bizarre crows being pierced simultaneously, Ciel was the first to realize something was wrong and immediately leaped outside to check the situation.

The customers inside the shop panicked due to the sudden shattering of the glass, and the store owner was momentarily stunned.

After leisurely finishing his coffee, Roy glanced at Shiki, nodded slightly, and then took a stack of euros out of his pocket, placing them on the table before walking out together.

"Nrvnqsr Chaos, so he actually came knocking on the door himself. This saves me some trouble." He patted Shiki's head and asked, "Shiki, get ready for battle."

"Enemies are coming."

***

Bonus Chapter:

100 Power Stones = 1 BC

300 Power Stones = 2 BC

500 Power Stones = 3 BC

700 Power Stones = 4 BC

1000 Power Stones = 5 BC

***

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