Apparently, the plot had already slipped its reins

Kariya Matou was engulfed in a dark dream.

You can't see any of them.

I can't hear anything.

Only the skin can feel the astonishing pressure of the darkness.

Where am I? -- This feels like inside a person's body.

So, Yanye asked the darkness—Who are you?

As if carrying a suffocating pressure, the darkness roared low and deep, howling like a raging storm, like the sky collapsing and the earth splitting.

I am--

The alienated person--

The person being mocked--

The person who is despised--"

The dense shadows lurking in the darkness resembled a restless human figure.

Armor and helmets shrouded in darkness.

Those piercing eyes were more terrifying than the darkness itself.

Brsrkr—the embodiment of Kariya Matou's curse, no, it is the S+++ novel W. LED. Crvant, summoned from the ends of time by his resentment.

There is no need to praise my name--

There's no need to envy my body--

I am the shadow beneath the brilliance of Heroic Spirit.

Born from the darkness of a dazzling legend--"

Like Miasma rising from the earth, resentful sighs surrounded Yanye from all directions.

Yanye became uneasy. Just as he was about to turn his gaze away, the cold touch of the steel handguard gradually approached and fiercely gripped Yanye's collar.

Yanye's emaciated body was lifted into the air, right in front of Brsrkr—he was forced to meet that crazed gaze.

"So--

I hate it--

I resent--

Feeding on the sighs of those trapped in darkness, cursing those who shine—"

"..."

Yanye resisted the handguard that was tightly locking his throat, and cried out in pain. But in his eyes, a different, blurry and confused scene appeared.

A gleaming sword, and a radiant young warrior holding its hilt.

Yanye was no stranger to this person.

That's Einzbern's Srvant-Sabr...

This is my shame-

Because of her immortal glory, I will be forever degraded--"

The Black Knight's helmet cracked.

The exposed face was shrouded in darkness, but the piercing eyes and the teeth trembling with hunger were clearly visible.

"You are the Sacrifice— "

He declared coldly, then pulled Yanye into his arms without another word, his gleaming teeth piercing Yan Ye's carotid artery.

Yanye screamed in agony.

But the screams failed to move the other side. The berserk black Knight sucked up the blood foam overflowing from Yanye's throat and swallowed it down heavily.

"Okay, give me some more--"

Your flesh and blood, your life--

Let them incite my hatred!

Don't want...

Stop...

Help me!

Yanye begged for forgiveness in every language he could think of, hoping someone would lend a helping hand, but in this darkness, he could not find redemption.

A blood-red blur flashed intermittently before my eyes, and my consciousness, tossed about by pain and fear, gradually became blurred.

But he still mustered his last bit of strength and shouted it out again at the top of his lungs.

-------------------A delightful reproduction of the original work---------------

--Awakened by a mournful cry, still surrounded by darkness.

Even so, the stench of the cold, damp air and the eerie sound of tens of thousands of insects crawling around clearly told him that this was undoubtedly the real world.

"..."

Between the nightmare and reality, which world is more merciful to Kariya Matou?

At least in terms of being able to forget the fact that this body is about to die, perhaps staying in the world of nightmares is happier.

Despite losing the battle against the blond, slick-haired Magecraft, his life force should have been completely depleted due to brsrkr's massive drain.

Yanye couldn't remember the details of what kind of miracle had allowed him to survive, or how he had returned to the underground Worm Pit at the Matou Residence.

He was shackled to the wall, his body weakly slumped, his only sensation the nauseating feeling of the worms wriggling beneath his skin.

His life was being devoured by these things, and now he clearly felt that he would soon die.

As he understood the fundamental law and rebelled, the images that kept flashing through his mind were those of Aoi and Sakura.

He had sworn to save them at the cost of his life... but in the end, his wish was not fulfilled. This humiliation and shame tormented Yanye's heart more than the physical pain.

He recalled the face of his beloved, but Tokiomi Tohsaka's indifferent expression and Zouken Matou's sneer overwhelmed him, making it hard to breathe.

"Asshole..."

From the depths of his parched throat, Yanye cursed angrily with the last of his strength.

"Bastard... bastard, bastard..."

His sobbing was suddenly drowned out by a burst of cheerful laughter coming from behind him.

Leaning on his cane, he slowly approached Yanye, insects swarming away from this aged and short figure. It was none other than the object of Yanye's hatred, Zouken Matou.

"Yanye, you're really in a sorry state."

The old Magecraft used his cane to lift Yanye's chin, forcing him to look up. Yanye no longer had the strength to curse him, but he still stared intently at his opponent with his remaining right eye, filled with hatred and murderous intent. Just looking down at his opponent had already exhausted him.

"Stop it, I didn't blame you at all. You were so badly injured, it's amazing you even made it back here alive— Yanye, I didn't save you. But, this battle seems to have been unlucky."

Speaking softly and gently to "Zouken" as if petting a cat, he was in an exceptionally good mood today—so his smiling face was etched with an evil glint.

"I thought you wouldn't even survive the first night, but you've managed to cling to life until now. Maybe you really do have some hope."

Just like that, after saying that, Zouken suddenly took a few steps back to distance himself from him.

"Perhaps locking you up again isn't a bad idea. Yanye, now that things have come to this, I'll bestow upon you the 'trump card' I've kept hidden away specifically for today. Come—"

Suddenly, the cane pressed against Yanye's throat, forcing him to open his mouth. Instantly, Zouken's cane moved upwards like a rat and stabbed into Yanye's mouth.

An insect crawled up his cane towards his wide-open mouth, Zouken grin as he swallowed it—

!

The moment the insect's forelegs touched Yanye's lips, it was as if a button had been pressed, and a sudden change occurred.

A viscous, silvery-gray liquid gushed from Yanye's esophagus and then sprayed from his mouth toward Zouken Matou, who was standing right next to him. Even the old Magecraft, who had been famous for hundreds of years, had not expected this to happen, and he stood there dumbfounded as the Mercury was poured all over his face.

The Mercury that came into contact with the Zouken emitted a strange light. Instead of dripping down due to gravity like ordinary liquids, it covered the Zouken's body like a film. Then, strings of incomprehensible ancient characters gradually appeared on its surface, forming a complex spell.

"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh!"

For Zouken, his body was not a vessel for his soul, but merely a shell that could be replaced at any time. Physical attacks on his body alone could not harm him. However, these Mercury- based spells followed the wisp of consciousness attached to his body that he used to manipulate its activities, searching in reverse for the location of his soul.

"Aaaaaah, damn Archibald!"

The ability to manipulate Mercury while simultaneously using Magecraft targeting Spiritual Body is something only one person in this Holy Grail War can do: Kayneth El- El-Melloi Archibald, First-Rank Lecturer in the Clock Tower's Spiritual Evocation Department!

To counter his opponent's techniques, Zouken had to focus more on this physical body, but on the inner surface of the Mercury membrane, numerous tiny protrusions were carving into Zouken's flesh like knives. The deeper his connection with this body, the greater the pain his true form felt. This was a torture comparable to being slowly sliced to death, a punishment even an ancient monster who had lived for hundreds of years would find difficult to endure.

"Damn it! You think you can take me down with just a few pieces of Mystic Code?! No one has ever been this arrogant, not even Nagato Tohsaka!"

As expected of a seasoned Magecraft, Zouken gradually turned the tide even after being caught off guard. The Magecraft brilliance on the surface of the Mercury was gradually dimming, and its activity was becoming slower and slower, like a slug whose strength had been drained.

In just a little while, Zouken will be able to break the spell on the costume, and then he can change into a different body without worrying about his soul being affected.

But he seemed to have forgotten that there was another person present.

Kariya Matou was still exhausted and aching all over. His mind was still sluggish, but he could tell that the Old Worm was suffering, and the Root of this suffering was the Mercury that had somehow parasitized his body.

Then he suddenly remembered what the assassin had said to him:

"... What would a Magecraft like Zouken Matou do after obtaining the power of immortality? Do you really think he would use his limited lifespan to benefit humanity? Would he live in harmony with the Tohsaka Family?" (The novel website does not skip words.)

"... In comparison, you might as well wish upon the cup to completely erase its existence; that would be more reliable."

Making a wish upon the Holy Grail seems impossible; it's a pipe dream to even think about obtaining Holy Grail when one can barely breathe. But now, it seems like an opportunity to defeat that Old Worm?

Although the Mercury Dress covered Zouken's body, a thin, saliva-like silver thread still remained, connecting Kariya Matou's mouth. Through this connection, Yanye could clearly feel the Mercury's activity decreasing, because its magical power was constantly diminishing.

Yanye, who doesn't understand spirit summoning Magecraft, takes over the authority to operate the Mystic Code, but he still has one life left!

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Because of brsrkr's demands, the Magic Circuits, which had been exhausted like an oil lamp, suddenly burst forth with powerful magic, all of which was transferred to the Mercury Dress.

Zouken Matou suddenly felt a powerful resistance preventing him from continuing his counterattack. His first reaction was surprise, as it was only a part of the Mystic Code that had detached from the main body, yet it contained such a large amount of magical power. The next moment, he realized:

"Yanye, you unfilial son!"

Yanye, burning with all his might for what little life he had left, didn't reply. He only gave a mocking smile, which, combined with his monstrous face, was extremely chilling, yet also heartbreaking.

The worms inside his body were devouring Yanye's internal organs, then converting his life force into magical energy. Strangely, Yanye felt no pain. His pupils gradually dilated, his vision began to blur, and Zouken's vicious curses could no longer reach his ears.

"Sakura, in the end, I still couldn't save you..."

"!"

Tokiomi Tohsaka sat up abruptly. He was lying on the sofa in his living room, covered with a thin blanket.

Looking out the window, I saw the sky was just beginning to lighten with a faint, fish-belly white glow; it must be around midnight. Looks like I haven't slept very long.

Wait a minute, when was I supposed to go to sleep?

Tokiomi desperately searched his remaining memories but couldn't recall anything. He shook his head violently to clear his mind, and as his field of vision shifted, he realized there seemed to be more than one person in the room.

"People!"

Tokiomi gathered his magic power, and a fireball the size of a soccer ball instantly appeared in his right hand. With the help of the firelight, he was able to see who was standing by the curtains.

"Assassin!"

Jizi stepped out of the shadows, bowed to Tokiomi, and said, "You're awake, Tohsaka."

Relieved Tokiomi extinguished the flames and slowly began to speak, "This is..."

"I am here on Astr's orders to report the details of last night, but when I arrived at your Workshop, I found you collapsed on the floor. So I took the liberty of moving you to the sofa."

Before Tokiomi could finish his question, Jizi interrupted. As for why they didn't move directly to the bedroom, it was because Tokiomi had placed a defensive Magecraft on his bedroom door. Although it was very easy for a Srvant to break through, the bedroom was, after all, a private place, and it was best not to trespass out of courtesy. Jizi didn't say this aloud, but Tokiomi understood.

As expected, Tokiomi's expression relaxed considerably after hearing this. He Tokiomi recalled his Afterword: working on Gems in the Workshop, but failing repeatedly due to exhaustion and distraction, and was just about to rest for a while—it seemed his fatigue was still too great, and he had actually fainted like that?

Thanks to Assassin, if he had fallen asleep on the cold floor in such a weak and exhausted state, he would have definitely caught a cold. Normally, such a minor illness would be no big deal, but during this crucial period of the Holy Grail War, no mistakes could be tolerated.

"I'm very grateful, but now that I'm awake, you can report it."

"You're too kind. Yesterday, after receiving orders to eliminate Astr, I was patrolling the riverbank..."

As she was supposed to report the details, Jizi did indeed make changes to the details. Originally, the assassination was to be interrupted by Kirei's orders, but she changed it to ANR and BRSRKR suddenly interfering. Since she would inevitably expose her whereabouts if she acted rashly, she tried every means to lure the two parties together and make them clash. Then, by the time she arrived, Ryunosuke had already been assassinated by Kiritsugu Emiya.

Neither ANR nor BRSRKR are ordinary people, and gaining an advantage over them is naturally no easy feat. It's reasonable that it would cost more, so Tokiomi didn't have any doubts. After listening, he fell into deep thought:

After so much time, a Servant has finally made it off the stage. Although he was well-informed about the other groups due to his Assassin role, Arhr was not an obedient Servant; his Buddhist name commanded him to fight the enemy. The Tohsaka Family's conspiracy with the Church was also foiled, and almost all of their original tactics failed—what should they do?

So the biggest problem really is Srvant? If I had known this, I wouldn't have summoned Gilgamesh in the first place. A powerful but disobedient Servant is worse than having no Servant at all. From the beginning of the Holy Grail War until now, Arhr's role has been even less effective than Assassin's—speaking of Assassin, she's really something else. Not only is she obedient, but she also knows proper etiquette and has such a delicate appearance...

Sitting so close to Jizi, Tokiomi's gaze involuntarily fell on her face. Her cheeks, seemingly sculpted to the golden ratio, and her beautiful, Ruby- like eyes made even the meticulous and principled Tokiomi unable to help but overthink.

But the next instant Tokiomi clenched his fist so tightly that his nails dug into his flesh—wait a minute, am I being too relaxed? How could such distracting thoughts arise in my mind?

Bringing his thoughts back to the main matter, Tokiomi thought of another problem: RIR and ANR. These two groups of outsiders who were not the Three Families had shown too much strength, and he had to find a way to curb them.

"In that case, why not—" Tokiomi stroked his beard, his plan already made up, "Assassin, help me send a letter to the Einzbern —I heard they abandoned their original stronghold, but finding their new base should be a piece of cake for you, right?"

"Of course I won't disappoint you." Jizi nodded, a few strands of silver hair falling to her forehead. She gently brushed them away, a gesture that once again stunned Tokiomi.

"Ahem! I'll go write the letter right away!"

Thanks to Tokiomi's strong willpower, he quickly regained his senses and hurriedly went to get paper and pen.

Tokiomi didn't; a playful smile appeared on Jizi's otherwise serious and earnest face as he turned his back.

----------------------------ps--------------------------

P. S. I made it in time, just before midnight!

P. S. 2. Even without the original text, it's still 3,000 words!

P. S. 3. I originally planned to speed up the completion of A Route first, but if there's a lot of interest in "The Loneliness of Seventeen," I can adjust the update schedule.

PS4. I'm even more excited about the rest of the story than you are. I've already torn up the outline three times. The plot is like a wild, untamed rainbow pony; I can't control where it'll end up... but it'll probably still run wild within certain limits.

33. It is said that the plot has begun to spiral out of control.

33. It is said that the plot has begun to spiral out of control. (This was typed by a member of [*][Novel-Network]).

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Thank you everyone!