Chapter 67: Battle Between Magus and Magus Killer (4)

As a former partner during Kiritsugu's time as an assassin and mercenary, Maiya had natural tactical skills.

After the previous battle, Maiya knew that Kirei possessed extraordinary Black key-throwing techniques and superhuman reflexes. Engaging in confrontation with such an opponent was not advisable; they had to rely on traps.

Maiya and Irisviel's knowledge of Einzbern Forest provided the best advantage for setting up traps.

With Irisviel's assistance, Maiya successfully found a suitable terrain and set up two mechanisms, with Irisviel having control over the bounded fields. With a single command from Irisviel, an M950 pistol, and a Steyr AUG assault rifle would automatically fire at the designated positions.

Maiya hid beneath the first mechanism and aimed to deliver a fatal blow to Kirei with her H&K WA2000 semi-automatic sniper rifle.

The H&K WA2000 was the world's most advanced and highest-performing sniper rifle. With a total length of approximately 90 centimeters, excluding the magazine, it was about 65 centimeters long. It used .300 Winchester Magnum ammunition and had an effective range of up to 1,000 meters. With a unit price of $12,000, only 154 rifles were produced due to its high cost, and one of them belonged to Emiya Kiritsugu. Before leaving the castle, Kiritsugu entrusted this renowned rifle to Maiya, who shared the same purpose as him.

The two of them had used this rifle to eliminate over a hundred targets, including proficient underworld experts and magus skilled in various secret arts. Maiya believed that Kirei Kotomine would be the next enemy to fall under the barrel of this gun.

Kirei Kotomine's movements were incredibly fast. Almost in an instant after Maiya took her position, this tall and indifferent man appeared.

His aura was calm and unhurried, as if unaffected by his high-speed movement. His footsteps were steady, no different from walking on a twisted and knotted forest floor.

His composure only strengthened Maiya's determination to kill.

In a matter of a few breaths, Kirei arrived at the ambush point chosen by Maiya.

Maiya held her breath, her H&K WA2000 steady in her hands. She trusted Irisviel and believed in the woman chosen by Emiya Kiritsugu.

Irisviel did not disappoint her. The timing of the M950 firing was impeccable. Even seasoned veterans might not be able to evade such an attack.

But the Executors of the Holy Church were different. Engaging in combat with heretics and creatures beyond humans, they were much stronger than ordinary soldiers.

Faced with the unexpected gunfire, Kirei quickly dodged the first volley and calmly determined the enemy's position, throwing two Black Keys.

The Black Keys pierced into a tree trunk, producing crisp sounds.

None of them hit their mark, and Kirei seemed somewhat surprised by the result, momentarily taken aback.

At that moment, the Steyr AUG assault rifle opened fire from Kirei's left side.

At the critical moment, Kirei Kotomine performed a ground-roll maneuver, narrowly avoiding the second round of gunfire.

As expected of one of the top Executors, Kirei maintained his composure and swiftly retrieved four Black Keys. Two in his left hand, two in his right hand, he simultaneously threw them in four different directions.

These were not aimless probing throws but rather a response to the sensed presence.

Unfortunately, these four presences were also illusory, created by Irisviel utilizing the properties of bounded fields.

Just as Kirei released the Black Keys and before he could draw new ones, Maiya pulled the trigger.

The .300 Winchester Magnum bullet, concealed by Irisviel's illusion, traveled almost without any killing intent from the position already eliminated by Kirei, accurately piercing through hundreds of meters to hit Kirei Kotomine's spine.

With the destructive power of the H&K WA2000, Maiya was certain that the target's spinal cord had been penetrated.

Kirei Kotomine's reaction was just as Maiya had imagined. He didn't even have time to let out a scream before collapsing on his back, without convulsions or painful moans.

Maiya stood up from the sniping point, aiming her M950 at the fallen Kirei, cautiously approaching.

"Miss Maiya, you can't!"

Irisviel, who had detected the trap a step earlier, warned her, but it was already too late.

Kirei, still lying on his back, merely swung his arm and threw a hidden Black Key.

That Black Key, flying in a low trajectory, tore through Maiya's right leg, taking away her opportunity for the next move.

Kirei jumped up like a mechanized spring, launching a fierce charge toward Maiya.

Undeterred, Maiya pulled the trigger.

But Kirei only protected his head with both hands and did not attempt to dodge.

The Executor's cassock blocked the bullets from the M950, firing at a rate of ten rounds per second, and his well-trained muscular armor completely protected his bones and organs from the impact of the bullets.

Maiya realized that Kirei was fully equipped with bulletproof gear and immediately dropped the M950, drawing a tactical combat knife from her thigh.

In contrast to its resistance against bullet fibers, the knife was susceptible to being easily cut. If the gun was ineffective, close combat was the only way out.

As the barrage ceased, Kirei once again pulled out a new Black Key in each hand and launched a cross slash towards Maiya.

Despite the injury to her right leg, Maiya showed no signs of slowness and deflected the consecutive strikes with the hefty blade of her combat knife.

Although the length of the Black Keys exceeded that of the tactical combat knife, they were ultimately blades designed for throwing after reinforcement. In close combat, Maiya's tactical combat knife, with its agility, held overwhelming superiority over the unbalanced Black Keys due to its extremely short handles.

Having identified her advantage, Maiya fiercely charged forward in a semi-reckless posture—Black Keys were difficult to defend against at such a close distance, and even if she received a counterattack, the chances of sustaining a serious injury were low.

Kirei also caught Maiya's right-hand dagger with a Black Key in his right hand, seemingly planning to counter with the length of the blade. However, sword shadows, intermingling with the dagger, thrust toward him.

Maiya, who was prepared for this, easily evaded the counterattack. She simply tilted her head slightly and avoided the tip of the Black Key. Like that, she broke into the enemy's embrace.

But just when Maiya believed victory was within reach, she was captivated by an unexpected move from Kirei. Amidst his sudden thrust, he released his weapon, which meant that his right hand had never intended to pierce Maiya with the Black Key from the beginning.

Fingers bulging with veins, like a pair of tiger pincers, grabbed hold of Maiya's right hand. Kirei's body bent down as supple as a snake, slipping beneath Maiya's right arm.

In the next instant, as if carrying an injured person, he supported Maiya's right arm from behind his shoulder.

Maiya, who was powerless, finally understood. This Executor's ace, who made Kiritsugu feel threatened, was not using the Black Keys but rather the Chinese martial art, Bajiquan.

Regret filled Maiya's heart for her hasty retreat from the previous night. If she had observed a little longer, perhaps she wouldn't have fallen into this trap. But everything was already too late. There was no regret medicine in the world.

Amidst of deadly despair, Kirei pressed his side tightly against Maiya's waist. With a strike of his left elbow aimed at Maiya's solar plexus and a beautiful kick to support her standing leg, he executed the most distinctive technique of Bajiquan—the Lǐmén Dǐngzhǒu (Inside Gate Elbow Strike).

After her hand holding the dagger was caught, all the movements were completed in an instant, truly capturing the essence of Bajiquan.

Maiya couldn't even perform a proper breakfall and fell heavily to the ground.

Due to the intense impact, Maiya even felt an illusion that her limbs had completely detached, and her entire body was paralyzed and unable to move. In her consciousness, she only felt the intense pain in her chest from the elbow strike, with at least two ribs broken.

Although just a single strike rendered Maiya incapable of fighting, Kirei did not stop there.

Kirei's target was only Emiya Kiritsugu. Now that he had found the location of his target, he had no attachment to Maiya.

Just as Kirei clenched his fist, preparing to deliver the final blow to Maiya, he witnessed a scene that made him doubt his own eyes.

A snow-white-haired artificial human with eyes like rubies emerged from the hidden forest, standing in confrontation with the terrifying Executor.