Chapter 298: Seal Designation (2742)

Hearing the sound, Kiritsugu Emiya halted his actions.

He turned to face the man he had previously seen through his sniper scope, his body tensing slightly.

Yet this magus killer was no fool; faced with Li Ang, who had effortlessly crushed a Heroic Spirit, he chose silence, waiting to hear what the other had to say.

For a moment, the metal cage fell silent.

After a long while, seeing that Li Ang showed no intention of speaking, Kiritsugu frowned: "What do you want?"

In response, Li Ang stated his purpose bluntly: "I want to see 【Fixed Time Regulation】."

Though he had already read the Emiya family's generations of research on time manipulation, it was nothing compared to witnessing it firsthand.

Moreover, to Li Ang, the Emiya family's research on time manipulation was mediocre—barely anything usable—but Kiritsugu's specialized 【Fixed Time Regulation】 held some interest.

Something like the Dragon Clan's Word of the Dragon, Time Zero.

Upon hearing Li Ang's words, Kiritsugu's eyes flickered with confusion.

'Wants to learn 【Fixed Time Regulation】?'

That was the most plausible explanation he could think of.

But if magic were this easy to learn, magi wouldn't have needed to invent Magic Crests to preserve their knowledge.

Though puzzled, Kiritsugu ultimately activated 【Fixed Time Regulation】.

As time accelerated over his body, the magus killer unleashed a surge of immense power, followed by crushing physical strain.

In Kiritsugu's eyes, the world seemed to freeze.

He stepped beside Li Ang, ready to act—when he noticed the man beside him tilted his head.

"That's enough."

At those words, Kiritsugu immediately exited 【Fixed Time Regulation】—this was the first time he had ever encountered someone who could react while he was using it.

Of course.

Li Ang's current physical strength stat had reached a terrifying 213.3, so Kiritsugu's movements appeared no different to him than in normal time.

Raw numerical power, old man!

Kiritsugu steadied his slightly chaotic inner energy, then spoke in a voice devoid of emotion: "Aren't you afraid your actions at the Tohsaka residence will draw the Association's attention?"

He referred to Li Ang's reckless exposure of the Mystic to ordinary people.

That level of battle could no longer be dismissed as a natural gas explosion.

Even if the incident was eventually contained, it would still leave some ripple on the world's Mysticism.

Yet upon hearing the question, Li Ang wore an utterly indifferent expression: "Let them come—if they're not afraid of death."

To Li Ang, the Moshuxie Society held no figures truly worth fearing; the only one slightly troublesome, the Second Magic User, the Gemstone Elder, remained ambiguously aloof.

Having obtained what he needed, Li Ang made no further stay, leaving only these words: "After I leave, you will be released."

With that, he vanished from Kiritsugu's sight.

Left alone once more in the cage, Kiritsugu silently replayed the information he had just received.

'Leave? Where to?'

He did not for a moment believe the man meant simply leaving Fuyuki City.

Yet after long thought, Kiritsugu found no answer, and reluctantly set the question aside.

He glanced at his right hand's back, now devoid of Command Seals, and slumped against the wall.

For this magus killer, as long as he still lived, it was fine—about the Holy Grail War…

He would have to find another way to fulfill his dream.

……

Outside London, Great Britain, a massive clock tower stood shrouded in thick fog.

Forty kilometers beneath the clock tower lay a vast hollow known as 【Albion's Graveyard · Ancient Heart】.

At this moment, eleven solemn figures sat upon stone thrones at the hollow's center.

After a moment, one of them spoke: "Everyone has seen the footage collected by El-Melloi, correct?"

El-Melloi was the school to which Kenneth belonged—he was its Lord.

Undoubtedly, those present were discussing the recent battle in Fuyuki City.

Another spoke up: "Probably another old relic that crawled out from somewhere. What's the Transference Division's take?"

"The Headmaster has sent no word. We don't know what's going on."

At this, silence fell around the conference table.

After a pause, someone spoke: "It's probably unrelated to Magic—otherwise, the Magus General wouldn't have remained silent."

The Magus General Zelretch, user of the Second Magic, also known as the Gemstone Elder, currently resides in retirement within the Moshuxie Society, appearing only when matters of Magic arise.

After another silence, someone asked: "Have you asked the Alchemists of the Atlas Institute or the Ancients of the Wandering Sea?"

"Same as always—they ignore us."

Zhong Ta, the Atlas Institute, and the Wandering Sea form the three pillars of the Moshuxie Society, though authority now rests almost entirely in Zhong Ta's hands.

Silence returned to the table until a brown-haired woman with a ponytail rose to her feet.

"Initiate Seal Designation," she said. "The target's 【Destruction】 has exceeded the scope of ordinary magic."

"Such a rare individual must be properly preserved by the Society."

"Vote now. Those in favor, raise your hands."

She raised her own hand.

Seal Designation was the Moshuxie Society's practice of capturing magi with extraordinary talent under the guise of "protection" and imprisoning them.

Upon hearing the brown-haired woman's words, the remaining ten figures exchanged glances, then raised their hands.

"Agreed."

"I second that."

In theory, the decision to impose a seal designation should not be made so lightly.

But the problem is

The impact this target could cause is far too extreme.

With all eleven members raising their hands, the decision on the seal designation passed smoothly.

If an outsider had been present at this moment, they would have seen that each of them had before them a newspaper written in Japanese, its largest headline reading:

【Winter City Reveals Unknown Giant; Golden Light Piercing the Night Sky Causes Multiple Airports to Ground Flights】.

The accompanying image showed a towering giant wielding a long spear, alongside a satellite photograph.

The satellite photograph clearly showed

Under the influence of unknown power, more than half of the island nation's clouds had been split in two.

……

On the other side.

Li Ang, unaware that he had been designated for sealing, stared blankly at the pale white longsword in his hand.

"Failed again."

Beside him, Scathach and the others still bore traces of shock—they had just witnessed something truly terrifying.

Who in their right mind pulls out their entire spine and acts like nothing happened?!

Unaware of what his Servants were thinking, Li Ang frowned at the spinal blade in his hand.

Yes, he had been attempting to craft a Conceptual Weapon using information kindly provided by Kiritsugu Emiya—but it seemed to have failed.

Still, Li Ang was not discouraged; after all, Type-Moon's Conceptual Weapons and Dragon Clan's Conceptual Weapons were two entirely different things. If he had mastered it this easily, that would have been suspicious.

Besides, Kiritsugu Emiya's Origin Bullet was merely a trick.

True Conceptual Weapons are imbued with special conceptual properties through historical accumulation and legendary transmission.

"Sigh, we're all surnamed Li, we all use spinal blades—why can't I just get lucky once?"

"Nah, better not. I don't want to be labeled insane."

Thinking this, Li Ang swung the spinal blade a few times idly, then placed it on the workbench.

Just as he was about to speak to Scathach and the others, he suddenly furrowed his brow.

The maid automaton sent out to procure supplies had been destroyed.

By a magus.