Fate, Handover, and Departure

Tonight, fires burned in various corners of Fuyuki City.

In the suburbs, thirty kilometers west of Fuyuki City, deep within a forest surrounded by private land, a fierce battle was silently unfolding.

A mythical castle, hidden away and only utilized once every few decades, had become the battlefield.

The man who upheld his own justice, and the true Master of the Saber class in the Holy Grail War, the "Magus Killer" Kiritsugu Emiya, was locked in a desperate struggle within the castle against an uninvited guest—Kaineth, the representative of the Magus Association and a lecturer of the Sapphire rank at the Clock Tower.

Modern firepower and ancient magic intertwined, leaving the ancient castle in ruins, with bricks and rubble flying everywhere, magic light and gunfire illuminating each other.

Meanwhile, outside the castle, Saber and Lancer were fiercely battling the visiting Caster.

And on the other side of the castle, Irisviel, the Lesser Grail, and Kiritsugu's assistant, Maiya, coincidentally encountered Kirei Kotomine, the Church's agent, who was acting alone.

As for Alexander the Great, the Rider who had ostentatiously revealed his identity upon entering this Holy Grail War, he had invited Archer and Saber to a banquet at midnight. However, they were ambushed by an Assassin, leading to a chaotic brawl, the outcome of which was no different from the original story.

These intense clashes will be set aside for now.

After midnight, all was silent.

Shiki felt no drowsiness, fully focused on dealing with the residual toxins in his body. The insects cultivated by Zouken Matou were tricky, and the Mana Poison they carried could instantly incapacitate an ordinary person. Shiki had to exert considerable effort to completely clear the toxins.

After dealing with the toxins, Shiki took a hot shower and then prepared himself a late-night snack.

He had expended a great deal of energy in the battles that night and had been busy treating Kariya, so he was already famished.

As Shiki was savoring his meal, Kariya, with his weakened body, slowly entered the room.

"Shiki," Kariya called out softly, his voice laced with exhaustion.

"Mr. Kariya, why are you out of bed? Go back and rest. We can talk about anything tomorrow."

Shiki quickly put down his bowl and chopsticks and stepped forward to help Kariya.

Kariya gave a wry smile and, with Shiki's support, sat down in a chair by the dining table, letting out a long sigh. "Shiki, I've been too deeply eroded by Berserker's power. If I don't resolve this quickly, I might not make it through tomorrow. Some things are better settled now."

"Settled?" Shiki frowned slightly, looking at Kariya with confusion.

Kariya raised his right hand, revealing the bright red Command Spells on his hand, his gaze profound. "Shiki, I believe your help wasn't just out of kindness; you're likely eyeing these Command Spells, wanting to use them to obtain a Servant and participate in the Holy Grail War, aren't you?"

His thoughts exposed, Shiki was quite forthright and nodded generously.

After all, no one would offer help for no reason; there was always an ulterior motive. For someone like Shiki, who was neither family nor a madman, it was natural to have his own agenda.

Kariya knew that the most valuable thing he possessed was these Command Spells.

Furthermore, Shiki had helped him escape Zouken Matou's control and liberated Sakura. He believed Shiki to be a trustworthy friend. Coupled with his deteriorating health, which made him unable to control a Servant, he made a decision after careful consideration.

Kariya stated it plainly: "I can give you these Command Spells."

The turn of events was too sudden, leaving Shiki momentarily stunned. "Mr. Kariya, are you really willing to part with them?"

Willing to part with them?

Kariya recalled all the experiences of the past year and nodded forcefully. "These Command Spells were never my pursuit. My wish has been fulfilled, and keeping them is useless. It's better to let go and be at ease."

Shiki finally understood that Kariya didn't need the Holy Grail's power, nor did he need to control such a powerful Servant.

An overly powerful Servant would only add to his physical burden and accelerate the depletion of his already limited lifespan.

For Kariya now, keeping the Command Spells and the Servant was nothing but detrimental.

"I understand. Then I will gratefully accept your kindness, Mr. Kariya."

Shiki walked up to Kariya, extended his right hand, and solemnly promised, "I will use this power with utmost caution and will never bring you any danger. After the transfer of the Command Spells, I will immediately leave with the Heroic Spirit and officially declare my participation in the Holy Grail War."

This was, after all, the Matou Old House, not his own territory.

Having accepted such immense power, lingering would only cause trouble for Kariya.

Shiki did not want to drag Kariya into new conflicts; otherwise, his previous efforts would be in vain, and it wouldn't be his style.

Hearing this, Kariya was filled with emotion. This young man, despite his age, was so considerate and always thinking of him.

However, Kariya would not choose that path. He spoke, "Shiki, if you agree, I will immediately notify the Church, which oversees the Holy Grail War, and inform them that Berserker has been taken by you. After that, I will take Sakura and leave this city, returning after the war ends. During this time, you can stay at the Matou residence. I assume you don't have a place to stay in this city yet?"

Recalling when they first met and Shiki couldn't even afford a gas mask, requiring Kariya to pay, Kariya knew his situation.

"Haha, that's true."

Shiki rubbed his nose, a little embarrassed.

His identification documents and bank cards were gone. The process of reporting them lost and getting replacements was complicated and time-consuming; by the time it was done, the Holy Grail War would be over.

Moreover, without his identification, he couldn't even report them lost; he could only ask his family to help freeze his funds at the bank.

He was penniless.

Unable to refuse such a generous offer, Shiki accepted Kariya's kindness. He thought that after the war ended, he would definitely find a way to help Kariya solve his life-force deficiency problem, extending his life by another ten years should be manageable.

"Then it's settled. Mr. Kariya, let's begin."

The transfer of Command Spells, with the original owner's consent, was not a complicated process.

Kariya's water-attribute constitution had a high compatibility with Command Spell transfer, so it wouldn't cause him significant harm.

"Holy Grail, I, Kariya Matou, solemnly declare that I voluntarily entrust my Command Spells to the person before me. May every step they take be a firm stride towards ultimate victory and glory."

Kariya spoke these words with a solemn expression, as if in prayer.

As soon as he spoke, the Command Spells on the back of his hand glowed faintly, then slowly disappeared. At the same time, Shiki felt a slight burning pain on the back of his hand, and a bright red Command Spell appeared, identical to Kariya's previous one.

However, as soon as the Command Spell appeared, Shiki felt a sharp pain within his body, as if seven nerve-like structures had originated from his right eye, extended along his body, and finally looped back to connect to the Command Spell.

"..."

Shiki was dumbfounded.

That's it?

This is all the magical circuits he'd opened using the Greater Grail's power?

Seven?

He had thought that with his special physique, he would have at least seventy, surely not fewer than some loli with all-attribute affinity.

But reality was a huge disappointment. This number might not even be comparable to the worst Master in this Holy Grail War, Waver.

Seeing Shiki's strange expression, Kariya, who felt relieved after giving up the Command Spells, asked with concern, "What's wrong, Shiki? Did something go wrong? Did the Command Spells not connect with Berserker?"

Although the Command Spells had been transferred, Kariya was still the one who had signed the contract with the Servant. For Shiki to cooperate smoothly with Berserker, a new contract would have to be signed, and Shiki would have to figure out how to do it himself.

"No, the Heroic Spirit is already connected, you don't have to worry. I was thinking about other things concerning the Heroic Spirit," Shiki quickly explained.

"That's good, that's good. Then I'll be going back now."

After confirming there were no problems, Kariya got up with relief and went back to his room to rest, leaving the space to Shiki.

"See you tomorrow."

After Kariya left, Shiki stared at the Command Spell on his arm and moved his consciousness.

Instantly, the Servant, enveloped in a dark aura, materialized before him.

"Well then, Mr. Servant, it's time we had a good talk."

Shiki took a deep breath, his gaze firm as he looked at the Servant.