Promises, Dreams, and Hope

Matou Zouken's toxins had, after all, affected Shiki's body, and his movement speed was noticeably slower than before.

However, when Shiki reached Kariya, the latter still had a faint breath; he was breathing more than he was taking in, and if he wasn't treated immediately, his life would likely be in danger.

"Good, good, I didn't waste too much time. Hey, Kariya-san, are you conscious?"

Shiki quickly used the power of his Magic Eye to stabilize Kariya's injuries, preventing his life signs from completely disappearing.

He also secretly lamented that finding a good-hearted ally like himself was truly rare in this world.

Recalling this Holy Grail War, how many harmonious Master and Servant pairs could he remember?

Shiki called out a few times, and seeing that Kariya didn't react, he gently slapped him twice. This simple and direct stimulation method actually worked, and Kariya slowly opened his eyes.

"Shiki... How's the plan?"

Kariya woke up from his daze, and the first thing he saw was Shiki. A surge of excitement welled up in his heart, but he didn't dare to be sure, fearing he would hear bad news.

"Don't worry, Kariya-san, that old monster has been dealt with. You should be able to feel the worms in your body calming down; this is a sign that the mastermind has completely died. He can no longer control these things."

It was indeed true. The rampaging worms became still, as if they had lost their consciousness, like death.

"Really? That's great. That old monster, cough, is finally dead."

Kariya hadn't felt joy and happiness like this since returning to Fuyuki City a year ago.

The burden of his family, the cruelty of the Holy Grail War, the woman he loved, and Sakura—all these pressures had caused him to bury these emotions deep in his heart, leaving only coldness and resilience.

If it weren't for this, it was uncertain whether he could have persevered until now.

"Sakura!!"

The thought of Sakura made Kariya anxious. Disregarding his own terrible physical condition, he struggled to get up and immediately go see her.

He tried to stand up, but his body was weak, and he swayed a few times.

Seeing this, Shiki quickly stepped forward to support him, allowing Kariya to stand unsteadily.

"Kariya-san, you need to rest first. Your body is too bad; you can't exert yourself too much."

Shiki tried to speak as gently as possible.

In fact, Kariya himself knew how bad his condition was.

He was deeply moved by the concern shown by this young man he had met by chance. In all these years, this was the first time he had felt genuine care from an outsider Magus.

"Thank you, Shiki. I can't worry about anything else right now. I can give up anything, even my life, but Sakura, that child is the only one I care about. After the old monster dies, I must go and see how she is."

For this moment, Kariya had persevered for so long and paid so much. Now, he had only this one wish. As for teaching Tohsaka Tokiomi a lesson, shattering his elegant mask, and making him lose all face in front of the world, these were no longer important. Only Sakura's safety was something he couldn't let go of.

"Sakura, I'm coming now."

Shiki couldn't dissuade a man with a firm will, nor did he want to.

"Then I'll help you get there. You can guide me."

"Thank you, Shiki."

While supporting Kariya, Shiki discovered that Kariya's body was much lighter than it appeared.

Upon closer inspection, his left arm and left leg, almost his entire left side, were visibly lacking in body tissue, though not yet to the point of being skeletal.

Shiki felt a pang in his heart but didn't know what to say.

He admired this kind of man from the bottom of his heart. Persistence, willpower, faith, and perhaps a bit of obsessive love—these were the words to describe Kariya.

Magus were rarely normal people, and Kariya was no exception.

Or perhaps, even he himself was not normal. After all, what normal person would inexplicably transmigrate without any warning, hint, or time to prepare?

The two walked slowly, a pace set to accommodate Kariya's condition. Walking too fast would only bring him one step closer to death.

After passing through a long corridor, they finally stood before a door.

Kariya raised his hand several times, then lowered it several times, his heart full of apprehension. He dared not push open this door, fearing he would see a scene he did not wish to face—a little girl lying on a bed, her life or death unknown.

The thought of this scene made him tremble all over, his breathing difficult, and a sense of oppressive emotion surged into his heart like a tide, drowning him.

The past frantic emotions were also stirred up: the rebellion of his adolescence, the cowardice of not daring to confess to the one he liked, the anger towards his family, and the roar against the injustice of the world.

Various negative emotions impacted his soul, and deep within his heart, that dark, swirling figure slowly emerged, grasping the Kariya at the deepest part of his heart.

Just as he was about to sink into the abyss of these negative emotions, a voice of encouragement came from beside him: "You can do it, Kariya-san."

This voice was like a light in the darkness, instantly illuminating his mental space, awakening the reason suppressed in the corner, and stirring up the courage in his heart.

Kariya's consciousness returned to reality. He looked at the dark figure before him, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "I am not your slave, Berserker. I have my own path to walk. I'm sorry, but I think I'm breaking our contract this time and choosing to escape. However, I believe another Master will help you fulfill your wish."

The dark figure did not respond and slowly disappeared into the depths of his consciousness.

Kariya looked up at the light in his mind and reached out to grasp it tightly.

In the great surge of light, he broke through the darkness, and his consciousness returned to reality.

Kariya, now awake, felt a lingering fear; he had almost gone completely mad.

His physical condition was so poor that he could hardly control his Servant. If it weren't for Shiki's help, he would have been consumed by madness long ago and turned into a frenzied lunatic.

This young man who had unexpectedly entered his battle-filled life had saved him once again.

"Thank you," Kariya said, looking gratefully at Shiki.

Shiki simply smiled and gestured for him to enter.

Kariya took a deep breath and slowly pushed open the door. A small figure appeared before them.

Kariya's lips trembled with emotion. The terrifying scene he had feared hadn't materialized. Sakura was safe and sound, and that was truly wonderful.

"Kariya... Uncle?" Sakura's young voice rang out.

"It's me, Sakura!"

Tears blurred Kariya's vision, but they were tears of joy. For the past year, he had endured unimaginable suffering, and with Shiki's help, he had finally reached this happy conclusion.

"It's all over, Sakura. I've finally done what I promised you. Soon, everyone can go back to how things were, and we can play together."

"Uncle, are you crying?"

"It's okay, Uncle's just happy."

Shiki quietly withdrew from the room, leaving the space to the two of them.

After suffering, there was a need for release, even if it might further shorten Kariya's already fragile life.

"Mr. Kariya, I wish you peace."

He offered his silent blessing.