Old House, Freedom, and Resistance

At nine in the evening, many elderly people were already beginning to rest, replenishing the energy they had spent during the day.

But for the monster in the Matou Old House, resting or not made no difference. He had long forgotten what true rest was.

Perhaps only eternal sleep could let him experience those old feelings again.

Why was I thinking about this?

Matou Zouken found it strange that such a thought had come to him today, but he discarded it in the blink of an eye.

He had heard the front door open.

That clown of a descendant had returned.

Thinking of that fellow made Zōken want to laugh. Someone who had abandoned his family and magecraft was taking part in the Holy Grail War he had once wanted to abandon. What a ridiculous clown, sacrificing himself for others.

What else could he be but a clown?

"Kariya, I told you long ago that dreams come at a price."

Just like himself. The dreams of his youth had long been lost in the distant past. As for why he wanted the Holy Grail now, perhaps it was merely an obsession carved into his soul.

The door was pushed open, and white-haired Kariya, his legs unsteady, walked in. A black-haired boy followed behind him.

The black-and-white pair made Zōken somewhat curious. What unexpected incident had led that clown to bring back a boy?

But his curiosity was limited. Perhaps the boy was merely another fool the clown had duped.

"Kariya, have you come back this time with good news for me?"

He had not expected much. Giving his descendant Kariya power had merely been a way to let him participate in the Holy Grail War, while also watching the clown perform and providing himself with some entertainment.

But Kariya's appearance upon returning, as well as his answer, told Zōken that something had changed.

"Good news? For Sakura and me, I suppose it is."

"Hm!?"

Hunched over, Zōken raised his eyes toward his descendant, whose complexion and spirit seemed completely renewed. How had this clown suddenly become so bold?

"What did you say, Kariya?"

"I said, old man, the good news is that Sakura and I are going to be free. The bad news for you is that I'm going to kill you!"

Kariya's rage had long been ready to pierce the heavens. Born into this cold, loveless household, he had always suppressed himself. He had not even dared confess to the girl he once loved, nor had he been willing to bring her here.

He hated and despised everything in this house, whether it was magecraft or the old monster before him.

"Today, I'm going to cut it all off. I'll gain my freedom completely and send Sakura back to the arms where she belongs!!"

Those words, straight out of a hot-blooded shonen manga, made Zōken blink. Then he burst out laughing, nearly dropping the cane in his hand.

"Kariya, are you trying to amuse me? Then I would say you succeeded. However—"

Zōken's smile vanished as he spoke coldly. "Kariya, do you know the consequences of laying your cards on the table now? Not only will your life end here, but Sakura, whom you care about so much, will suffer even more painful torment. Have you considered that?"

An invisible force of will reverberated through the small room. The measures Zōken had prepared long ago immediately took effect on Kariya's body.

The insects rioted and slipped out of control, instantly plunging Kariya into pain worse than death. Veins bulged across his body, blood vessels protruded beneath his skin, and it looked as if insects were writhing beneath his face, making him appear especially grotesque.

"Ugh!!!!"

The pain made Kariya collapse onto the carpet at once. His entire body trembled, cold sweat pouring down him, yet he continued glaring fiercely at Zōken.

Just as expected, the power within him was entirely under that old monster's control.

Fortunately, the Command Spells bestowed through his connection to the Greater Grail, as well as the Servant, were not entirely under the other man's control. That gave his plan with Shiki a foundation for success.

"Sakura, wait a little longer. Just a little longer, and Uncle will end all of this!"

Such horrifying torment, pain no different from having steel rods thrust into his body and twisted, had not completely brought Kariya down. This left Zōken somewhat puzzled.

"Kariya, you...!!"

Before he could finish, he felt a figure suddenly appear before him. Before he could react, his neck was seized. A powerful hand nearly snapped it at once, and a suffocating sensation immediately overwhelmed him.

"!? When did he—what speed!!!"

Although Zōken did not care much about the body he inhabited, he could not simply discard it whenever he pleased. If he were so easily subdued and threatened, where would his dignity be?

In an instant, Zōken began communicating with the flaw in the Greater Grail's underlying system. Using the authority granted when the Three Founding Families had created the Greater Grail's Command Spell system centuries ago, he attempted to control the Command Spells in Kariya's hand.

"Servant Berserker, kill the intruder!"

Now was not the time to care about entertainment. Eliminating the young man choking him was the priority.

As one of the Three Founding Families, an elder who had added the Command Spell system to the Greater Grail and personally presided over the Heroic Spirit summoning ritual, he had both the ability and the strength to control Kariya and enjoy watching him struggle.

The Servant, the most powerful force in the Holy Grail War, materialized from spirit form. Black mist swirled around his towering body—the Heroic Spirit summoned into this Holy Grail War under the Berserker class.

Just as the towering Servant was about to move, his entire body stiffened, and he stood there without moving.

"!?"

Another startling development. Zōken barely lowered his head to look at Kariya, sprawled on the floor. Kariya glared at him, gritting his teeth.

"Old man, don't even think about controlling Berserker. The one who formed the contract with Berserker is me. I'm the true Master!!"

"!!!" It was unexpected—truly unexpected. The clown was actually capable of resisting him.

Before Zōken's fury could erupt, the boy gripping his neck used a slightly stronger twisting motion, and Zōken's head fell off.

Ignoring the bloodless corpse, Shiki hurriedly shouted at Kariya, "I found where the old monster is hiding! Freedom is almost within reach, Mr. Kariya! You have to hold on—don't let the Heroic Spirit become his weapon!!"

That was truly excellent news. Kariya's spirits lifted, and he forced down the joy in his heart, giving Shiki an encouraging look.

"I understand. I definitely won't let the old man have his way. I can still hold on."

The rebellion of the Crest Worms, combined with his struggle against Zōken for control of Berserker, had already left him mentally and physically exhausted. That pain was almost more than twice as severe as before.

But when he thought of his dream about to come true, Kariya still gritted his teeth and focused, controlling the materialized Berserker to keep him from going mad and attacking Shiki.

Though the price was that of the three bright-red Command Spells, only one remained.

The two Command Spells had been consumed during his struggle with Zōken for control. As for the last one, neither side would relax their battle of wills.

The moment either side let up, the Servant might become the blade that buried them.

"Damn old man, I'll definitely hold on to this Command Spell!!"