Tonight, the fires of war blazed fiercely across different corners of Fuyuki City.
Thirty kilometers west of Fuyuki City, deep within a forest surrounded by private estates, a fierce battle was quietly unfolding.
A mythical castle hidden within the woods, used only once every few decades, had now become a battlefield.
The man who held fast to his justice—the true Master of Saber in the Holy Grail War, the "Magus Killer" Kiritsugu Emiya—was fighting desperately within the castle against an uninvited guest: Kaineth, the representative of the Mage's Association and a lecturer of the Clock Tower's Color rank.
Modern firepower and classical magecraft intertwined, leaving the ancient castle in ruins. Bricks and rubble flew everywhere as magical radiance and gunfire flashed against one another.
Meanwhile, outside the castle, Saber and Lancer were locked in fierce combat with the visiting Caster.
On the other side of the castle, Irisviel, the Lesser Grail, and Kiritsugu's assistant Maiya happened to encounter the Church Executor Kirei Kotomine, who was acting alone.
As for Alexander the Great, Rider, who had flamboyantly exposed his identity the moment he appeared in this Holy Grail War, he had invited Archer and Saber to a banquet in the middle of the night, only to be ambushed by Assassin. After a chaotic battle, the outcome was no different from the original story.
For now, those fierce clashes could be set aside.
After midnight, everything fell silent.
Shiki was wide awake, doing his utmost to deal with the residual poison in his body. The insects cultivated by Zouken Matou were somewhat troublesome; the Mana Poison they carried could instantly bring down an ordinary person. Shiki had spent considerable effort before finally purging the poison.
After dealing with the poison, Shiki took a hot shower and made himself a late-night meal.
The night's fighting had drained a great deal of his stamina, and he had also been busy treating Kariya. By now, he was starving.
Shiki was eating heartily when Kariya slowly entered the room, dragging his weakened body along.
"Shiki," Kariya called softly, exhaustion heavy in his voice.
"Mr. Kariya, why did you come out? Go back and rest. Whatever it is can wait until tomorrow."
Shiki hurriedly set down his bowl and chopsticks and stepped forward to support Kariya.
Kariya gave a bitter smile. With Shiki's help, he sat down in a chair beside the dining table and let out a long sigh. "Shiki, Berserker's power has corroded me too deeply. If I don't resolve it soon, I'm afraid I won't last until tomorrow. Some things are better settled now."
"Settled?" Shiki frowned slightly and looked at Kariya in confusion.
Kariya raised his right hand, revealing the vivid red Command Spells on the back of it. His gaze was deep. "Shiki, I think you didn't help me purely out of kindness. You probably had your eye on these Command Spells too. You wanted to obtain a Servant through them and take part in the Holy Grail War, didn't you?"
Having his intentions seen through, Shiki was quite frank about it and nodded openly.
After all, no one offered help for nothing. There was always some motive behind it. Shiki was neither family nor some lunatic, so of course he wanted something.
Kariya knew perfectly well that the most valuable thing he possessed was these Command Spells.
Besides, Shiki had helped him escape Zouken Matou's control and freed Sakura. Kariya had decided that Shiki was a trustworthy friend. On top of that, his body was worsening by the day, and he truly could no longer control a Servant. After giving it some thought, he made a decision.
Kariya spoke decisively. "I can give these Command Spells to you."
The matter had come too suddenly, leaving Shiki momentarily stunned. "Mr. Kariya, are you really willing to give them up?"
Was he willing?
Kariya recalled everything he had endured over the past year and nodded firmly. "These Command Spells were never what I sought. Now that my wish has been fulfilled, keeping them serves no purpose. I'd rather let go and make things easier for myself."
Only then did Shiki understand that Kariya had never needed the Holy Grail's power, nor did he need the immense power of commanding a Servant.
An overly powerful Servant would only worsen the burden on his body and hasten the depletion of what little life he had left.
For Kariya as he was now, keeping the Command Spells and Berserker would bring nothing but harm.
"I understand. Then I won't stand on ceremony—I'll accept your kindness, Mr. Kariya."
Shiki walked over to Kariya, extended his right hand, and made a solemn promise. "I will use this power carefully and never bring you any danger. Once the Command Spells have been transferred, I'll immediately leave with the Heroic Spirit and formally 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, staying here any longer would only cause Kariya trouble.
Shiki did not want Kariya to become embroiled in new conflicts. Otherwise, all his previous efforts would have been wasted, and that was not his style.
Hearing this, Kariya was filled with emotion. This boy was still so young, yet he had considered everything so thoroughly and was thinking of Kariya at every turn.
But Kariya did not intend to choose that path. He said, "Shiki, if you agree, I'll notify the church responsible for supervising the Holy Grail War right away and tell them that Berserker has been taken by you. After that, I'll leave this city with Sakura and return once the war is over. During that time, you can stay with the Matou Family. I take it you don't have a place to live in this city yet, do you?"
Remembering how Shiki had not even been able to afford a gas mask when they first met and had needed Kariya to pay for it, Kariya already knew the answer.
"Haha, that's true."
Shiki rubbed his nose, a little embarrassed.
His identification documents and bank card were both gone. Reporting them lost and replacing them would be a cumbersome process that took far too long. By the time it was done, the Holy Grail War would already be over.
Moreover, without identification, he could not even report the loss himself. He could only ask his family to go to the bank and freeze his funds.
Now, he did not have a cent to his name.
Unable to refuse such sincere hospitality, Shiki accepted Kariya's kindness. He thought that once the war was over, he would definitely find a way to resolve Kariya's lack of life force. Letting him live another ten years should not be a problem.
"Then it's settled. Mr. Kariya, let's begin."
As long as the original owner agreed, transferring Command Spells was not a complicated process.
Kariya had an innate water affinity, and such a constitution was highly compatible with Command Spell transfers. It would not cause him much harm.
"O Holy Grail, I, Matou Kariya, hereby solemnly declare that I willingly entrust my Command Spells to the person before me. May each step he takes march steadfastly toward final victory and glory."
With a solemn expression, Kariya recited the words as though praying.
The moment he finished speaking, the Command Spells on the back of his hand glowed faintly before slowly fading away. At the same time, Shiki felt a slight burning pain on the back of his hand, and vivid red Command Spells emerged there, identical to the ones Kariya had borne.
However, the instant the Command Spells appeared, Shiki felt a sharp pain inside his body. It was as though seven nerve-like things extended from his right eye, ran through his body, circled around, and ultimately connected to the Command Spells.
"..."
Shiki was dumbfounded.
That was it?
The Magic Circuits he had opened using the Greater Grail's power amounted to this little?
Seven?
He had thought that with his special constitution, he would have at least seventy. Surely he could not have fewer than some all-element loli.
But reality left him deeply disappointed. With so few, he might not even compare to Waver, the weakest Master in this Holy Grail War.
Seeing the strange look on Shiki's face, Kariya, who felt completely unburdened after giving up his Command Spells, asked with concern, "What's wrong, Shiki? Did something go wrong? Didn't the Command Spells connect to Berserker?"
Although the Command Spells had been transferred, Kariya was the one who had formed the contract with the Servant. If Shiki wanted to work smoothly with Berserker, he would still need to forge a new contract himself.
"No, the Heroic Spirit is already connected, so don't worry. I was thinking about something else concerning the Heroic Spirit," Shiki hurriedly explained.
"That's good, that's good. Then I'll head back first."
After confirming that there was no problem, Kariya rose with relief and returned to his room to rest, leaving the space to Shiki.
"See you tomorrow."
After Kariya left, Shiki stared at the Command Spells on his arm and moved his mind.
In an instant, the Heroic Spirit surrounded by a pitch-black aura materialized before him.
"Well then, Mr. Heroic Spirit, it's time for the two of us to have a proper talk."
Shiki drew a deep breath and looked steadfastly at the Heroic Spirit.
Before you continue