Fate/Zero: A Different Path

Chapter 31

If you bother looking at the chapter number and point out that it's not in sync, yes I know

Chapter 27, 28, 29 and 30 are skipped respectively (one of them is a flashback). It was my choice to do so and jump straight to this one, because I can't be bothered to write the buildup for this story right now

Like...you know...writer's block, or something. I wrote on my other account that I will stop writing, but it feel so wrong to let the one I've been working hard on to be a fucking hiatus, so I decided to just skip ahead a few steps and complete the thing later

That said, if you don't want to be spoiled on chapter 27, 28, 29 and 30 of Fate: Unlimited Clockwork, which is yet to be written as of now, don't read this

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There are always a price to pay for everything, whether it be money, blood, or something more precious than that. In the Moonlit world, that rules was the basis to which all Thaumaturgical foundation in the Clock Tower have to work on

For me, 'Time' is the price I have to pay for 'Power'

The sound of police siren and helicopter flying ahead could be seen. The JSDF's vehicle rushed past the main street, their alarm ringing out at an almost painful level

Inhaling in the toxic fumes, I walked through the smoking city of Fuyuk, or, to be more exact, what remains of it after the battle that just took place

Lava rose from the cracked ground and craters. The intense heat rose up from the fire underneath me, pulsing out waves of heat that burn away at the remnants of my tattered coat

The majority of the city population was wiped out. Just like that. All their citizens, children and women alike. 475,000 human lives in total, wasted away for the ambition of one man

A violent cought tore through my throat. I held up a hand to my mouth, feeling blood trailing down the corner of my lips.

Not good

My vision has been blinded by overusing my Mystic Eyes. Most of the Origin rounds have been used up in the fight with Prelati. All my firearms and valuable armaments is, just as expected, gone with the explosion

And the deployment of my Reality Marble has been the final straw on the back, creating a temporal hole whose sheer presence alone ended up destroying the entire city of Fuyuki

"Saber" I muttered dryly "You still alive?"

"Just barely, Master"

Her weak voice sounded just behind me. That's good. My Servant's grand status has prevented her from dying in that fire

I reached out an arm-- the remaining one-- and felt the rough texture of her gauntglet grasping onto mine.

"Kiritsugu, you look hurt. Please, at least take a rest"

"No"

I bluntly brushed away her concern

"What we need to concentrate on now is to locate Kotomine Kirei. As long as we can kill either her or Assassin, the ritual would be complete, and the Grail would appear"

"And what can you do?" Her harsh tone criticized me "Both your eyes have been blinded. One of your arm is gone. Half your internal organs are barely operating. Your Mana reserve has been exhausted beyond safety limit. How do you intend to fight her in that condition?"

"That's easy. she is just as hurt as me..."

Though extremely far off from its center, Kirei has nonetheless been caught in the explosion's vicinity. The chance of her emerging unharmed from that is close to none