Promise, Dreams, and Hope

Matou Zouken's toxins had ultimately affected Shiki's body, noticeably slowing his movements compared to before.

However, when Shiki reached Kariya's side, the latter still had a faint breath. He was taking more breaths out than in; without immediate treatment, his life would likely be in danger.

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

Shiki hurriedly used the power of his Mystic Eyes to stabilize Kariya's injuries, preventing his vital signs from vanishing completely.

He even secretly sighed to himself. A kind-hearted ally like him was truly hard to find in this world.

Thinking back on this Holy Grail War, how many Master and Servant pairs had actually gotten along well?

Shiki called out several times, but seeing no response from Kariya, he lightly slapped him twice. This simple, direct method of stimulation proved effective, and Kariya slowly opened his eyes.

"Shiki... How did the plan go?"

Kariya woke from his daze. The first thing he saw was Shiki, and a surge of excitement rose within him, yet he did not dare be certain, afraid of hearing bad news.

"Don't worry, Mr. Kariya. That old monster has been dealt with. You should be able to feel it—the insects in your body have gone quiet. That is the sign that the mastermind is completely dead. He can no longer control these things."

It really was true. The rampaging insects had fallen silent, as though they had lost their consciousness and died.

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

Ever since Kariya had returned to Fuyuki City a year ago, he had never again felt such joy and happiness.

The burdens of his family, the brutality of the Holy Grail War, the woman he loved, and Sakura—every kind of pressure had forced him to bury those feelings deep inside, leaving behind only coldness and resolve.

If not for that, it was uncertain whether he could have held on until now.

"Sakura!!"

The moment he thought of Sakura, Kariya became frantic. Completely disregarding his terrible physical condition, he struggled to go see her at once.

He tried to stand, but lacked the strength. His body swayed several times.

Seeing this, Shiki hurried forward to support him, allowing Kariya to barely steady himself.

"Mr. Kariya, you need to rest first. Your body is in terrible shape; you can't exert yourself too much."

Shiki tried to phrase it as gently as possible.

In truth, Kariya himself knew exactly how terrible his condition was.

This boy he had met by chance cared so much about him, deeply moving him. In all these years, it was the first time he had felt such genuine concern from an outsider Magus.

"Thank you, Shiki. I can't worry about that now. I can give up anything, even my life, but Sakura... that child is the only one I care about. Now that the old monster is dead, I have to see how she is."

Kariya had endured for so long and sacrificed so much for this moment. Now, he had only this one wish. As for teaching Tohsaka Tokiomi a lesson, shattering his elegant mask, and making him lose all face before the world, none of that mattered anymore. Only Sakura's safety was something he could not let go of.

"Sakura, I'm coming."

Shiki could not persuade a man with such firm resolve, nor did he want to.

"Then I'll help you over. Show me the way."

"Thank you, Shiki."

As Shiki supported Kariya forward, he realized that Kariya's body was far lighter than it appeared.

Upon closer inspection, his left arm, left leg, nearly the entire left side of his body—while not yet reduced to bare bones—clearly showed signs of missing tissue.

Shiki felt a stirring in his heart, yet did not know what to say.

He admired this man from the bottom of his heart. Persistence, willpower, conviction, perhaps even that somewhat obsessive love—those were the only words that could describe Kariya.

Few Magi were normal people, and Kariya was no exception.

Or perhaps Shiki himself was not normal either. After all, what normal person would suddenly transmigrate for no reason, without any warning, hints, or time to prepare?

Their steps were slow, so as to accommodate Kariya's body. Walking too quickly would only bring him one step closer to death.

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

Kariya's hand rose several times, then fell again. His heart was filled with unease. He did not dare push open the door, afraid of seeing a scene he did not wish to face—a little girl lying on the bed, her life and death unknown.

At the thought of that image, his entire body trembled and breathing became difficult. A suffocating emotion surged over him like a tide, drowning him.

Those mad emotions from the past were stirred as well: the rebellion of his adolescent years, the cowardice that kept him from confessing to the person he loved, his anger toward his family, and his furious cries against the world's unfairness.

All sorts of negative emotions battered his mind. Deep within it, a shadow wreathed in darkness slowly emerged and seized the Kariya hidden in the depths of his heart.

Just as he was about to sink into the abyss of those negative emotions, an encouraging voice came from beside him. "Come on, Mr. Kariya."

That voice was like a ray of light in the darkness, instantly illuminating the space within his mind, awakening the reason suppressed in a corner and stirring up the courage in his heart.

Kariya regained clarity within his consciousness. Looking at the shadow before him, he fell silent for a moment before saying, "I am not your slave, Berserker. I have my own path to walk. Sorry, but this time, I will probably be the one to break the contract first and choose to escape. Still, I think another Master will help you fulfill your wish."

The shadow did not respond and slowly vanished into the depths of his consciousness.

Kariya raised his head toward the light in his mind and reached out to grasp it tightly.

As the light blazed brightly, he broke through the darkness, and his consciousness returned to reality.

After waking, Kariya was still shaken. He had almost gone completely mad.

His physical condition had deteriorated to the point where he could no longer control his Servant. If not for Shiki's help, he would likely have long since been consumed by madness and turned into a deranged lunatic.

This boy who had unexpectedly entered his life of battle had saved him once again.

"Thank you." Kariya looked at Shiki gratefully.

Shiki merely smiled and made a welcoming gesture.

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

Kariya's lips trembled with excitement. The horrifying scene he had feared had not appeared. Sakura was safe and sound. It was truly wonderful.

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

"It's me, Sakura!"

Tears blurred Kariya's vision, but they were tears of joy. Over the past year, he had endured pain beyond what ordinary people could imagine. With Shiki's help, he had finally reached this happy ending.

"Everything is over, Sakura. I finally did what I promised you. Very soon, everyone can return to how things were and play together again."

"Uncle, are you crying?"

"It's nothing. Uncle is just happy."

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

After suffering came the need for release, even though it might further shorten Kariya's already fragile life.

"Mr. Kariya, I wish you a good ending."

He silently offered his blessing in his heart.