Aozaki Aoko Case File

Kirei Kotomine drove his car to the outskirts of Fuyuki City, to the forest surrounding the Einzbern Castle.

He parked the church's car by the roadside, stepped out, adjusted his priest's attire, and looked up at the forest.

Occasionally, the sounds of insects could be heard, but there were no paths for humans to walk on or traces of human habitation.

However, Kirei Kotomine could feel an immense magical aura within the forest.

His teacher, Tokiomi Tohsaka, had once taught him that a so-called bounded field was a magecraft that used webs densely woven across the ground and space, between planes and three-dimensional spaces, to transform ordinary places into otherworldly realms.

The usual function of a bounded field was either to prevent outsiders from entering or to establish otherworldly rules within the bounded field to restrict the entities inside.

What Kirei Kotomine sensed from the bounded field of the Einzbern forest was the first type—a bounded field of concealment and repulsion.

As one of the Three Great Families, the Einzbern family was undoubtedly a reclusive and powerful household in Fuyuki City. It was normal for them to set up a bounded field to hide their secrets. However, Kirei Kotomine had a peculiar intuition that the Einzbern family was preparing for something special this time.

Kotomine did not retreat because of the strength of the Einzbern bounded field. His numb face showed no expression as he walked into the forest without hesitation.

...

"Madam, an intruder has been detected within the forest's bounded field," Maiya Hisau suddenly reported to Irisviel von Einzbern, who was seated in the Einzbern Castle. "The intruder is now approximately twenty minutes away from the castle."

"Eh? Who could it be?" Irisviel asked, slightly flustered. Her husband, Kiritsugu, was not here at the moment, leaving her with only Maiya to rely on. Assassin, Semiramis, was still occupied with her work in the underground chambers.

"Based on the hidden familiars' surveillance, the intruder is Kirei Kotomine, the priest from the Fuyuki Church," Maiya replied. "However, this man is the apprentice of Tohsaka Tokiomi, the head of the Tohsaka family. He's likely an enemy."

"Then what should we do? Should we activate the defense familiars to drive him away?" Irisviel asked nervously. "Or should we notify Assassin?"

"...Please allow me to handle this first, madam," Maiya said calmly. "I believe that since Kirei Kotomine has not come with Tokiomi's Servant, it's highly possible that he's only here to deliver a message."

"But... it could still be dangerous, Maiya!" Irisviel worriedly took Maiya's hand. She could feel that this hand, unlike the youthful appearance of the woman before her, was rough and covered with calluses and scars. "How about I go with you?"

"Kiritsugu entrusted me with the task of protecting you, madam," Maiya said seriously. "If something happens to me, please proceed immediately to Assassin's side. She will surely be able to protect you."

After saying this, Maiya gently withdrew her hand from Irisviel's grasp. She gave a slight bow, picked up her equipment, and exited the Einzbern Castle through a side door, heading in the direction of Kirei Kotomine.

Kirei Kotomine had been walking in the forest for nearly half an hour. During this time, he noticed many familiars observing him.

Most of these familiars, however, were only for surveillance purposes. They were equipped with custom-designed miniature cameras and did not attempt to attack him. Thus, Kirei did not retaliate against them.

He maintained a steady pace, ignoring the strong repulsion signals emitted by the bounded field. This was a special ability of the Church's magical system, which gave him an advantage over ordinary magi when dealing with bounded fields.

When Kirei Kotomine reached a clearing in the forest, he saw someone approaching him.

The Einzbern Castle was now quite close; by looking up, one could see the pointed spires of the castle towers.

Kirei Kotomine stopped where he was, watching as a short-haired woman in a sharp business suit, armed with modern weaponry, stepped into the clearing on the opposite side.

"On behalf of my teacher, Tohsaka Tokiomi, the head of the Tohsaka family, I have come to deliver a letter to the Master of the Einzbern family," Kirei said emotionlessly as he slowly pulled a letter from inside his priest's robe. "I hope to meet with the Einzbern Master to discuss an important matter."

"Leave the letter, and you may go," Maiya Hisau replied calmly, maintaining a stance ready to draw her weapon at any moment. "The Einzbern Master does not have time to meet you right now."

Maiya could not see through this man. From head to toe, he exuded a dangerous aura, yet at the same time gave off a sense of purposelessness—like an instrument missing a string, unable to produce sound.

She could not risk allowing Irisviel to meet him as the representative of the Einzbern family. Maiya was certain that if this man decided to act here, she would likely be killed.

The seemingly plain and simple priest's robe was made of Kevlar fibers and imbued with magical elements. Kirei Kotomine was not an ordinary church member but an Executor of the Holy Church.

Kirei did not argue. After hesitating briefly, he placed the letter on the ground and turned to leave.

Before leaving, he glanced back at the Einzbern Castle. The woman who had come to meet him remained standing in place, watching him warily.

Kirei Kotomine walked away in the direction of the forest exit. On the surface, he appeared calm, but even he did not realize that his fists were clenched tightly, his nails digging into the flesh of his palms.

Once the familiars signaled that the intruder had left the bounded field, Maiya Hisau let out a sigh of relief.

She put on a pair of gloves, carefully picked up the letter from the ground, and, after confirming there were no traps, placed it away and returned to the Einzbern Castle.

...

Irisviel placed the letter on the table and meticulously checked it with Einzbern magic to ensure it contained no curses. Only then did she cautiously open it using a familiar.

Relieved to find nothing unusual about the letter, Irisviel picked it up and read it carefully. She discovered that it was an invitation to form an alliance.

The letter was written in German, with a style that exuded classical elegance—a reflection of some shared traits between the Tohsaka and Einzbern families as members of the Three Great Families.

"Maiya, please contact Kiritsugu," Irisviel said. "The contents of this letter are likely beyond what the two of us can decide."