Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Second Bomb

“So it was on that fellow, after all. Luck truly stands on my side,” Roland muttered, unable to care that others were still present. His expression twisted into a near-maniacal joy.

A ticket out of this world, a trial that could raise his authority, a brand new power—retrieving the first contracted spirit meant everything to Roland. As long as he could reclaim it, that meant eternal peace. In this ecstasy, even his nails ceased their unnatural growth.

The reason Roland had managed to stay calm while being swept into the Holy Grail War was because he had discovered traces left by the contracted spirit. Actions taken in hope always yield good results.

When Roland wandered aimlessly through Fuyuki City, there was no sign of the contracted spirit. But as he began to plan, preparing to participate in the Holy Grail War, the elusive spirit suddenly appeared before him.

He gently brushed Kuji Maiya’s hand with his fingers, feeling her legs grow weak from fear, unable to support her weight. Looking down at her, Roland offered a charming smile.

Recognizing Kuji Maiya wasn’t difficult. After gradually matching the various people he met to the figures in his memories, Roland’s ability to identify others had improved considerably. Moreover, Maiya’s mid-length hair and her penchant for firearms made her all the more unmistakable once exposed.

Upon discovering Maiya here, there was no need to guess where the contracted spirit was—it was obvious. Her overt relationship with Kiritsugu Emiya was that of lovers, but on a deeper level, their bond was like that between the brain and the organs, inseparable.

Kiritsugu Emiya was undoubtedly nearby. After Maiya made a subtle gesture to tap her communicator, she soon received a hint that the contracted spirit was close.

Roland could deduce that the lost contracted spirit was indeed with Kiritsugu Emiya.

The only thing to consider was whether a heroic spirit was by his side. Fortunately, Roland had a source of intelligence right beside him.

“Well then, Miss Kuji Maiya, now that you understand your situation, let’s begin our pleasant conversation.”

“First, I want to confirm one thing: Kiritsugu Emiya still summoned Saber, correct?”

“Kill me,” Maiya replied calmly.

“No matter what you threaten me with, it makes no difference. I will never betray Kiritsugu Emiya.”

“Is that so? Not even if I use Kiritsugu Emiya himself? Then allow me to show you a simple trick.”

Under Maiya’s gaze, Roland pulled a coin from his pocket, tossed it casually into the air. As Maiya watched, the coin exploded mid-air into fragments, the tiny black residue dissipating before it could drift down like snow.

Seeing this, Maiya’s eyes widened slightly as she realized how her firearm had disappeared.

“This is the power of my Stand, Killer Queen,” Roland said softly. “It turns anything I touch into a bomb.”

“Though that wasn’t its original purpose, I must admit, this ability is unparalleled for assassination.”

‘Unparalleled’ hardly suffices—it is nothing short of godlike.

Maiya, who had honed her assassination skills for years, could turn any crude tool into a deadly weapon; even a bamboo skewer was lethal in her hands. But that was still within human limits—it required stabbing, shooting, or planting bombs. The ability to turn anything into a bomb with a mere touch meant that all one needed was to pass through the enemy’s path, and the trap would be set.

Without knowledge, no one could react or prepare for it. Even Maiya herself couldn’t anticipate stepping on an invisible bomb simply by walking down a path.

Wait… no one?

“You’ve figured it out, haven’t you, Miss Maiya?” Roland’s smile was wicked. “Meeting me for the first time, Kiritsugu Emiya would be killed easily, completely unaware of what happened. Now, the only one who knows this crucial information—and can offer him hope—is you.”

Maiya’s gaze was as cold and murderous as death, but the devil before her only grinned slyly.

“Miss Kuji Maiya, you wouldn’t want Kiritsugu Emiya to die inexplicably, would you?”

“What do you want?”

Finally, Maiya yielded. Even someone who saw herself as a weapon had her weaknesses.

“A simple transaction. I will ask questions, and you need only confirm what I already know. If it’s something I don’t know, you don’t have to tell me. That shouldn’t count as betrayal, should it?”

Suspicion flickered in Maiya’s eyes, but in the end, she nodded reluctantly.

“Good. Then the first question remains as before: Kiritsugu Emiya’s heroic spirit is Saber, correct?”

“Yes,” she answered. She wasn’t sure how he had realized Kiritsugu was the true Master, but since he knew, there was no point in hiding the class.

After all…

“Second question: Saber stays at Irisviel’s side, and she pretends to be the Master, right?”

As expected, Maiya sighed and nodded. This plan shouldn’t have been exposed—where had he gotten his information?

“Very well… let’s move on to the third…”

Roland nodded with satisfaction. Though he’d already asked what he needed, he didn’t mind confirming a bit more. But just then, with Killer Queen’s sharp vision, he noticed a faint gathering of magical energy at Maiya’s fingertips. The next moment, a small magic projectile shot forth!

“She’s a magician?” Though he’d read the original story, Roland didn’t know Maiya’s specifics. He dared not be careless and instinctively had Killer Queen shield him.

Before the slow-moving projectile could reach him, Killer Queen shattered it with a punch.

It was a feint. Roland quickly realized this—magic projectiles were basic spells, and without proper aptitude, they lacked power. Maiya’s magical aptitude was clearly poor; the projectile was light as a balloon, harmless even if it struck.

She hadn’t intended to fight back, but to escape!

Even in surrender, this woman showed her innate charm.

While Roland defended himself, Maiya calmly retreated a bit, watching him without a change in expression. But to her surprise, Roland’s face still wore a placid smile.

“Ah, not understanding the arcane arts is a bother. Compared to a professional assassin like you, Ryunosuke Uryu is just a worthless pervert.”

Roland was mildly surprised to have been tricked, but it was within his expectations.

“You want to stall for time, wait for Kiritsugu Emiya to regroup with you? Unfortunately, that’s impossible. Do you know why I only took a fifteen-minute leave?”

Like tearing off a mask, Roland dropped all pretense, finally revealing his wild, mad grin.

“Of course—it’s because fifteen minutes is enough for me to deal with both you and Kiritsugu Emiya. While I was speaking with you, I’ve already sent another reliable person to take care of him.”

With this, Roland looked to Killer Queen at his side. On his Stand’s left hand, a small groove was already empty—the badge that had been there was gone.

“The second bomb, though far from invincible, is not something easily handled. If Kiritsugu Emiya is unlucky, we may witness a killer skilled in bombs, blown to bits in some bitterly ironic comedy.”

Roland cast an unpleasant glance at Maiya, slowly approaching her.

“In the meantime, let us continue our unfinished conversation.”