Encounter, the Boy and the White Hair

The crisis was temporarily averted, and Shiki finally had a chance to catch his breath, calm his thoughts, and assess himself.

Countless memories surged through his mind like a tide.

There was the surprise and emotion when he first saw a panda in Tokyo; in middle school, fueled by youthful passion, he couldn't stand by while thugs bullied students from the girls' school next door, stepping in only to get beaten black and blue; and scenes of him and his classmates being mischievous, trying to act cool in elementary school. His memories continued to rewind, going back to his childhood, being scolded by his mother for being naughty at three or four years old, and finally, the hazy fragments from his infancy.

These were the memories of his counterpart in this world.

Since Shiki's consciousness had merged with him, this originally 17-year-old boy, also named Shiki, had completely become him.

It felt like waking up from a long dream; the memories of the 17-year-old boy felt like his own from yesterday, and today, he was still himself.

He remembered the reason he came from his hometown in Chiba Prefecture's Mount Fuji City to Fuyuki City in Hyogo Prefecture: to find a cure for the strange illness that had plagued him since childhood.

Doctors had diagnosed this strange illness, predicting he wouldn't live past twenty, and it had troubled the boy's family for years. His parents had taken him to countless renowned doctors, but all efforts were in vain. Later, he heard at his hometown school that there might be a skilled doctor in Fuyuki City, so he took leave and came alone.

But he never expected that instead of finding a doctor, he'd run into a group of swindlers. He was knocked unconscious by them, robbed of his valuables, and finally thrown into this abandoned bar to fend for himself.

"Is this fate playing tricks, or something else..." Shiki murmured to himself.

At this moment, he saw the police of this era arrive and take away the children who had been lured away by the blond man, which finally put him slightly at ease. Even if that blond man had magical artifacts, he wouldn't dare attack again in broad daylight, as the modern weapons in the police's hands were not to be trifled with.

"You can rest easy now, sir?"

Shiki stood on the edge of the rooftop, speaking to a hooded man who had suddenly appeared behind him without turning his head. He turned around and raised an eyebrow, looking at the newcomer. Even in the dim light, his awakened vision allowed him to clearly see the man's face.

This man was truly ugly, Shiki's first thought. The man had short, pale hair, and the left side of his face was covered in wrinkles, his skin loose and lifeless. His milky-white eye also indicated that it had lost its normal function.

The second reaction was that, based on the scattered memories in his mind, Shiki recognized this person – Matou Kariya, the man known as "the last conscience of the Matou family."

Matou Kariya stared at the boy before him with unfriendly eyes, scrutinizing him from head to toe.

The boy was about his height, perhaps slightly taller, wearing a common tracksuit. He was thin and showed no sign of the agility and nimbleness he had displayed during the previous fight.

Although his appearance was ordinary, it was enduring. Especially his pair of jet-black eyes, which seemed to hold endless magic, drawing people in.

The boy wore a smile, a smile that seemed to possess a charm that could make even those on guard unconsciously relax.

Kariya could sense that the person before him harbored no ill will. Moreover, he had saved Rin earlier, and he should have been grateful.

But for some reason, he felt an inexplicable resistance towards this mysterious person who had suddenly intruded into the Holy Grail War. In his eyes, all Magus were scum, beasts, utterly unworthy of living in this world.

"Who are you? Why are you in this city at this time?" Kariya asked coldly.

Shiki secretly breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the other party was willing to speak, there was a possibility of communication. He hated people who remained silent; it made it impossible to know where to start a conversation.

Shiki collected himself, sat down on the edge of the rooftop, and said with a smile, "Who I am, hmm... that's a long story."

Kariya frowned, impatiently saying, "Then make it a short one."

"Alright, to put it simply, I'm just a passerby who accidentally got caught up in a mysterious incident."

"...That was indeed quite short. Since the incident is over, young man, you should leave this city as soon as possible. If you continue to stay here, you might die." With that, Kariya turned to leave. He had said what he needed to say and had no interest in continuing to chat with the other party. But as soon as he turned, Shiki called out to him.

"Wait!"

Kariya stopped, turned around, and looked at Shiki silently, waiting for him to speak.

"I say, the people you care about below are safe now, so there's no need to rush off, is there?"

Shiki hadn't expected the man to want to leave after just a few words. If that happened, his plan would be ruined, which wouldn't do.

He stood up, took two steps forward, maintaining a safe distance from Kariya, and continued, "I have many good qualities: I'm honest, trustworthy, upright, kind, optimistic, and disciplined. However, I do have one small flaw: I always get revenge when wronged. Being targeted by a murderer for no reason and being attacked by him, I won't feel at ease if I don't retaliate."

Kariya found the young man before him a bit strange; who would praise themselves like this? Moreover, how could seeking revenge be considered a flaw? It was clearly a personality trait.

"So, young man, you intend to confront that murderer?" Kariya said, a hint of a sneer appearing on his lips. "Give it up, young man. You might have some special abilities, but trying to contend with a Servant is overestimating yourself, and it will cost you your life. I advise you to leave this city quickly; it's not a place for young people like you."

He felt he had done his utmost. Advising the young man to leave was also out of consideration for his previous kindness, which had stirred a sliver of conscience within him. He had more important things to do and no time to waste here.

"Yes, I don't have much power right now."

Seeing that the other party was about to leave again, Shiki didn't stop him and continued, "But, sir, with my abilities, perhaps I can help you last longer. You should be aware that your physical condition is very poor, and your life force is rapidly draining. This feeling must be unpleasant. You probably won't live for another half a month. No matter what dreams you have, they will all disappear after death."

Kariya abruptly turned back, his right eye shooting out a cold gaze, as if sizing up a dead man.

"Young man, do you know what you're talking about?"

Shiki paid no mind to the cold gaze and smiled slightly, "Sir, of course, I do. I am dealing with a Master in the Holy Grail War."

Kariya gave the young man a deep look. "It seems you know quite a bit."

Although the Holy Grail War was a secret ritual, it wasn't entirely impenetrable. Since the other party was involved in a world of mystery, it wasn't surprising that he knew this information.

"But why should I help you? I don't trust you."

"Heh, sir, trust is something that needs to be built slowly. How about we find a place to have dinner and have a good talk, try to understand each other?" Shiki wasn't in a hurry at all. If he were in Kariya's shoes, he wouldn't easily believe a stranger's words either. Moreover, Kariya was deeply embroiled in the urgent Holy Grail War and wouldn't easily place his trust in others.

Shiki looked around and said meaningfully, "Sir, you wouldn't want to discuss those secret matters under someone's surveillance, would you?"

"Hmph, a bunch of rats hiding in the shadows." Kariya certainly knew he was being watched. Not only were there eyes from his household, but also external ones, and possibly even Servants.

He hadn't possessed this ability to sense before. Since establishing a connection with a Servant and borrowing some of the Servant's beast-like intuition, he had become aware of Servants lurking nearby, likely Assassin monitoring him.

However, this was not his primary concern. As long as they didn't interfere, he wouldn't waste his precious life on these people.

As for the young man's proposal, Kariya was somewhat tempted.

His physical condition was truly dire. A large amount of his life force was being consumed by the Crest Worms, leaving his body hollowed out and severely limiting his mobility.

If it could truly alleviate his physical condition, perhaps his Servant could become stronger, increasing the chances of obtaining the Holy Grail. That way, the child he cared about could truly be set free.

With that thought, Kariya turned and went downstairs, his voice following, "Follow me."

Hearing this, Shiki smiled happily.

This crucial first step towards achieving his goal had finally been successfully taken. As long as they slowly deepened their understanding and built trust, what he wanted would eventually be within his grasp.

The Holy Grail, he too wanted to witness it, to see if it could truly grant his wish.

Even though Shiki knew clearly that the Holy Grail's interior was already corrupted. Whatever wish was made, it would be granted in the most wicked way.

Still, he wanted to try.

And at this moment, his immediate priority was to fill his stomach quickly. He didn't know how many days his counterpart in this other world had gone without eating. Even if he had been completely robbed by a con artist, he shouldn't be this hungry.