Aozaki Aoko Case File

Credits: Butterfingers Is good

Semiramis possesses a unique skill known as Double Summon.

This skill allows her to simultaneously wield the abilities of both the Assassin and Caster classes. She can be considered a Caster with the ability of Presence Concealment, which Emiya Kiritsugu regards as a key trump card for their victory.

Leveraging this advantage, Kiritsugu had Semiramis craft several tools for him using her magical expertise. Among these tools, aside from Hydra's poison, the one Kiritsugu valued the most was the cloak currently draped over him.

This cloak, created by Semiramis, allows Kiritsugu to operate undetected even under the watchful eyes of Heroic Spirits.

In a sense, this outfit replicates Semiramis' Presence Concealment ability onto Kiritsugu himself.

At this moment, Kiritsugu is hiding in a room within an apartment building, observing the top floor of a luxury hotel through the scope of a sniper rifle.

The Hyatt Hotel, known as the most prestigious hotel in Fuyuki City, is frequented by individuals of high social status.

Its prime location offers a view of Fuyuki's most bustling district from the hotel windows. However, the top floor of the Hyatt Hotel appears unusual—every window is tightly covered with curtains, leaving no room for anyone to peek inside.

Based on intel Kiritsugu and his assistant, Maiya Hisau, had obtained earlier, the Clock Tower's Mineralogy Department Lord had set up his workshop and base of operations on this top floor alongside his student.

From the perspective of a magus, Kayneth's setup was flawless, reflecting his reputation as the Clock Tower's genius Lord. However, from Kiritsugu's vantage point as a magus killer, Kayneth's fortress was riddled with vulnerabilities. Kiritsugu could think of dozens of ways to breach it.

Kayneth and Waver's Servants undoubtedly possessed top-tier combat strength. If Kiritsugu were to confront them head-on, he had little confidence in Semiramis winning, especially since her noble phantasm wasn't ready yet.

However, Kiritsugu earned the title of Magus Killer precisely because he never engaged Magus in fair combat. He was willing to use any means necessary to kill a magus, with assassination and ambushes being his specialties.

For Kayneth and his student, who relied heavily on a stable base powered by a mana furnace, Kiritsugu's strategy was to destroy the foundation. He planned to obliterate their setup in one fell swoop, showing them the power of modern technology.

Kiritsugu and Maiya had spent considerable time preparing for this assassination. They worked in tandem—one keeping watch from a distance while the other infiltrated specific areas of the Hyatt Hotel to plant explosives and surveillance equipment.

Although most cameras near the top floor had been removed by Waver Velvet, the explosives Kiritsugu had planted on the hotel's exterior and load-bearing walls remained undiscovered.

While Waver Velvet had mitigated some of Kayneth's lack of understanding of modern technology, he was still outclassed by Kiritsugu, a professional in this field.

When Kiritsugu observed the chariot of the King of Conquerors landing on the hotel's top floor and not leaving, he confirmed that Kayneth was definitely inside his workshop.

Even if Kayneth and Waver had secretly left, the mana furnace they relied on would still be in the workshop.

Kayneth's Servants were powerful, but like all strong Servants, their immense power came with equally immense energy consumption. Kiritsugu believed that even in the worst-case scenario, his attack could sever their mana supply. This would weaken the golden-armored Lancer and Iskandar the Conqueror in future battles, and Kayneth himself would suffer from the loss of mana.

It was a win-win scenario.

"Maiya, retreat to the designated location," Kiritsugu said, contacting his assistant via radio.

["Understood,"] Maiya responded crisply and immediately withdrew after receiving the order.

Kiritsugu flipped open the protective cover of the remote detonator and glanced at his watch.

He didn't check whether Maiya had safely evacuated, as they had already synchronized their actions down to the second beforehand. He trusted his assistant.

As the watch's hands reached the designated time, Kiritsugu pressed the detonator without hesitation.

Boom!

From the direction of the Hyatt Hotel came a series of explosions. The sounds weren't particularly loud but were rhythmically precise. The strategically placed explosives detonated in sequence, systematically destroying the building's structural integrity in a matter of moments.

Kiritsugu focused intently through the scope, observing the hotel's collapse in meticulous detail. He needed to confirm whether Kayneth and Waver had been affected by the blasts.

Even after the explosions and the collapse were over, and the surrounding smoke had cleared, Kiritsugu didn't see any sign of Kayneth's Servants emerging.

Could those two magus have been killed in the blast? Kiritsugu wondered. Or perhaps they weren't in the workshop at all?

Lancer and Rider, lacking the Independent Action skill of Archers, couldn't exist for long without their Masters. If the Masters were dead, their Servants would soon disappear, and their souls would be absorbed into the Lesser Grail.

With this thought, Kiritsugu quickly packed up his equipment. He needed to return to his wife and discern whether the two Servants had perished by observing changes in her condition.

...

"These despicable, shameless magus!" Kayneth's forehead throbbed with veins of fury. "Abandoning all magecraft honor to resort to such underhanded tactics in the Holy Grail War!"

"Professor Kayneth... It's a good thing we moved the workshop underground," Waver said, clutching his chest, still shaken. "Otherwise, we would have been in danger."

"I must commend your judgment this time, Waver," Kayneth said with a snort. "Although such a vile sneak attack wouldn't have killed me, without prior preparations, the mana furnace would have been destroyed."

"I can't believe the enemy disregarded all the innocent guests in the hotel..." Waver felt sick at the thought of the civilians buried above them.

"Magus are nothing but carrion-feeding hyenas!" Kenneth growled. "They care nothing for the lives of ordinary people."

With that, Kayneth stood up, his sharp gaze piercing through the room. The golden Lancer materialized from his spirit form, while the King of Conquerors, who had been reading nearby, set his massive beer bottle on the table.

"Lancer, Rider, it's time to move out!" Kayneth declared. "I, Kenneth El-Melloi Archibald, am no coward who won't strike back!"