Tanuki Rise of the Yokai Clan

The not yet named metallic lookout. Nearing its completion, it's temporarily called the Fuyuki shopping center's thirsty eighth floor.

The construction is already more than half done, only the exterior left incomplete. This high-rise building will soon become a shopping center and the symbol of Fuyuki city, but right now, it is only an empty skeleton of reinforced concrete, buffered by the strong gales of the night.

Whether it is the streetlights on the ground or the stars in the sky, everything seems distant and beak. In this void, Kiritsugu knelt, unmoving, supporting the AUG assault riffle that had night vision equipped. The muzzle was propped up on her upright left knee.

If Magus Kayneth noticed Kiritsugu's plan and escaped from the window, Kiritsugu, who was waiting there, would ambush him.

Still, his plan was simple, and that was to bomb the Hyatt Fuyuki Hotel where Kayneth was living.

This plan might seem ridiculous to others, especially when they knew the aftermath of this action was hard to erase.

However, for Kiritsugu, this was nothing.

In the past, he had shot surface-to-air missiles, bringing down a Boeing 737, a large passenger airplane, including killing all the passengers inside.

While this act would bring him to hell, Kiritsugu didn't hesitate as he did this for justice since inside the airplane, there was a virus that turned all the passengers inside into a Dead Apostle, a zombie-like vampire.

If Kiritsugu let this airplane land, then there was a high chance that this virus would spread even further, bringing calamity to the world, so without hesitation, he destroyed this airplane, killing his mother-like figure.

Currently, his decision is the same.

To end all the sadness in this world, Kiritsugu decided to become a demon and bombed this building where all the innocent people who didn't know anything would be involved. He didn't think that his action was wrong as this was for a greater purpose. The minority might be sacrificed, but for the majority, this was nothing.

When Kiritsugu ended this Holy Grail and killed all the Masters, he would get the Holy Grail and ask for the peace of the world where no one needed to fear war and all the malicious acts that happened in this world.

This world... he was going to save it!

Yet, even if Kiritsugu acted like a hero, his eyes were dead, like he was in despair and broken.

However, if someone knew what he thought, they wouldn't think of him as a hero but think of him as a lunatic since who was thinking of bombing a hotel, even involving innocent people?

Still, even if many people thought that he was wrong, Kiritsugu didn't care. He had walked on this path for so long, and it was already too late for him to stop. He might as well fall deeper since, this way; he could come closer to his dream.

Nevertheless, Kiritsugu wouldn't do a meaningless act as he ordered his assistant, Maiya, to make all the customers in the hotel leave.

Currently, inside that hotel, only Kayneth, Sola, and Lancer were present.

Moreover, with his skill, Kiritsugu believed that he could blast this building swiftly and smoothly without a single mistake. The C4 bomb that he had set up inside the hotel would cause the building to collapse as if being sucked into the ground; that way, all the outside walls would collapse inward, and there wouldn't be any shards of debris flying outward and only dust created by the collapse spread toward the surrounding streets.

Precision blasting.

It is a highly advanced blasting technique used primarily to demolish tall buildings. Due to the load-bearing walls and key support structures, the building collapses downward and inward on its own weight. Using the least amount of explosives to obtain the result of total destruction.

For Emiya Kiritsugu, who was familiar with all the blasting techniques from past to present, there's a very special appreciation for this type of art of destruction.

Kiritsugu was confident in his art, and he didn't think that he would fail, especially when he had obtained the building's blueprints beforehand and determined the points at which to place explosives. As long as the preparations were all complete, the execution required less than an hour.

Still, usually, Kiritsugu would be the one who checked the explosion on the creme scene like an arsonist who was present when the house burnt in blazing flame.

However, his current situation didn't allow him to do so since he had become a criminal in this country.

Kiritsugu wasn't sure who that person was, but for one thing, he hated this person to death, especially someone who was so cowardly and acted like a conspirator who hid in the dark.

This position was so uncomfortable for him, especially when he was the one who usually set up the trap for his targets.

For a Magus, who was known for being proud of their Magecraft, they weren't much different from a rabbit who could be killed easily by him, so this was the first time he encountered this kind of trouble as he had never met a cunning opponent.

Kiritsugu might be a Magus, but he wasn't a qualified one. Moreover, all the people in this city knew his identity. Even if he could hypnosis one person, it was impossible for him to hypnosis the entire customers in the hotel, so in the end, he could only leave the job to check the explosion to Maiya, who wasn't known by anyone.

Kiritsugu also trusted Maiya as she was already part of his life.

Maiya also trusted Kiritsugu, and she didn't think that Kiritsugu would fail.

---

The fear and drowsiness of the customers, who had been awakened by the fire alarm in the midst of their dreams and herded outside to the parking lot, combined with the cold outside, caused them to wear difficult expressions. Amidst these people, the employees of the hotel scurried about busily.

"...Mr. Archibald! Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald! Are you here?"

Of all the names recorded on the customer's list, there is only one person whose presence has not been confirmed; the bellhop called in a frantic voice. Everyone regarded this largesse customer who had reserved the entire top floor of the hotel very tightly. On some level, this person least wants to be in danger.

"Mr. Archibald! Are you here?"

"...I am here. Do not worry."

A resonant voice came from behind the bellhop, but as the bellhop turned around, he became confused. The person speaking to him was a woman.

This kind of joke is too much! The angry bellhop was about to yell at her—but he was captivated by the woman's eyes.

That woman's eyes held an indescribable, mysterious force of attraction; the bellhop was unable to avoid her eyes and was not able to even speak.

"I am Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald. My wife Sola is with me."

This unknown woman stated in a clear voice, and the bellhop accepted this without any suspicion, as if hypnotized.

"...is that so? Ah, yes. That's it."

With this, everything was ready.

Maiya Hisau had finished her job, and it was time to end everything.

"Is everything set on your end?

"No irregularities. Ready."

Maiya held her phone as she dialed an empty number, but there was no response whatsoever from her cell phone. The modified communication wasn't connected to an analog signal but to the trigger of a C4 bomb.

Then, Maiya stood there, waiting for the explosion calmly, but as the bomb exploded, the precise and beautiful explosion didn't appear. Instead, a scene of hell where a flame expanded and swallowed everywhere appeared before her.

"?!"

Naturally, Maiya quickly ran away, but the others weren't so lucky.

Yet, even Maiya was unable to run away; her speed was far too slow to escape from this explosion, and like others, she was also swallowed.

*BOOOOOOOOOOOM!*

The collapsed building spread outward, bringing ruin to the surroundings.

"NOOOOO!!!"

"MAMA, MY BODY IS BURNING!"

"NO, I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"

None of the customers and employees could escape from this disaster.

---

From his safe position, where Kiritsugu could observe everything, his still-lit cigarette dropped as he saw not so perfect blasting technique.