Shirou's Thirty Million Avatars

Shirou looked back and forth between the three of them, then let out a helpless sigh.

After his reincarnation, Aoi Tohsaka had already become a vegetable.

So even though Shirou had visited the Tohsaka house many times, he had never exchanged a word with her.

But from the looks of it now, she was just a woman with no real backbone.

"Sakura, do you want to—"

Before Shirou could finish, a new projection suddenly appeared in the sky.

In the projection, Kariya Matou, leaning on a red cane, glared at Tokiomi Tohsaka a few meters away.

Unlike Kariya's fury, Tokiomi looked completely composed, his whole demeanor quite elegant.

Though they couldn't hear the two men's voices, it was clear they had already been talking for a while.

Then came Nero's unmistakable voice:

"Registration for the Master Tournament has closed. As of just now, a total of six Masters have signed up to compete."

"I hereby declare that the first match of the Master Tournament—Kariya Matou versus Tokiomi Tohsaka—now officially begins!"

This sudden turn of events instantly grabbed everyone's attention.

Shirou looked up at the two figures in the projection, his heart full of surprise.

Didn't Sakura and I just leave the Imperial Palace? It's only been ten minutes or so—how did the Master Tournament start this fast?

All six Masters besides me actually entered the tournament? What the hell is going on?

Forget Kariya for now—even someone like Kiritsugu Emiya was willing to compete instead of hiding in the shadows and sniping?

Meanwhile, the people on the street started moving.

Some stopped by the roadside to look up at the match, but most began running, rushing to sign up for the Citizen Tournament.

"It's already starting this fast! The Citizen Tournament registration isn't closed yet, right?"

"Damn it! I have to make it—this is an unheard-of supernatural event. I'm definitely taking first place and getting those two prizes!"

"Hurry, hurry... I have to get those prizes—this is a chance to regain my youth and a ton of gold!"

The surging crowd startled Aoi Tohsaka, who quickly pulled the three children to the side of the road to avoid being knocked over.

The flow of people lasted nearly a minute before it faded.

In an instant, the street became nearly deserted.

And in the sky, the two men shown on the projection had already begun to fight.

"Why is Dad fighting Uncle Kariya?" Rin Tohsaka hesitated for a moment, then shouted, "Go, Dad! Beat Uncle Kariya!"

Sakura turned to glance at her and said quietly:

"Uncle Kariya will win. He made a promise to me."

Is Sakura mad at Dad? I guess so—I'd resent him for years too if I were her.

Seeing this as an opportunity, Rin leaned closer to Sakura and smiled:

"If that's the case, want to make a bet with me? If Dad wins, you have to play with me like before."

"Sorry, but we can't go back to how things were."

"Th-Then... do you hate me, Sakura?"

"Yeah."

"Huh...?"

Not expecting her to admit it so bluntly, Rin stood frozen in place, unable to snap out of it.

In her memory, she had never done anything to make Sakura hate her.

But thinking about it carefully, maybe that was exactly the problem—she had done nothing at all.

Inside the arena.

Kariya Matou let Tokiomi Tohsaka's flame magic strike his body, step by step walking forward.

Though he limped, his gaze was unshakably firm.

"Tokiomi! I despise you from the bottom of my heart. Today, I'm going to beat the hell out of you."

"Oh...? If you can manage it."

"You personally threw Sakura into hell without a shred of regret. Even if you didn't know, that doesn't erase your sin."

"It was for Sakura's own good. A man who only recently became a magus like you couldn't possibly understand."

"Is that so?"

Kariya's face darkened. Even with his limp, his pace kept quickening.

Tokiomi raised his cane and fired off three flame spells in a row, each one more powerful than the last.

Yet, as the flames neared Kariya Matou's body, they vanished without a trace.

"Carrying a flame-related Noble Phantasm on you, it seems? That red staff in your hand, I presume."

Tokiomi Tohsaka slowly lowered his cane, produced two jewels, and launched them with a unique technique.

The jewels flew out, instantly detonating, creating a cloud of smoke.

An opening!

Kariya Matou's staff transformed in an instant into a giant red shield, shielding him within.

Then, the shield shifted into a Red Booster, perfectly fusing with his back.

As the smoke gradually thinned, before Tokiomi Tohsaka could react, Kariya Matou lunged forward with the booster's aid.

Bam!

Both men hit the ground together.

Kariya Matou pressed his knee against Tokiomi Tohsaka's chest, and the Red Booster on his back suddenly morphed into chains, pinning the man to the ground.

In that moment, victory was decided.

"I've won, Tokiomi!"

Kariya Matou raised his fist, aimed at Tokiomi Tohsaka's cheek, and struck down hard.

One punch landed, and Tokiomi Tohsaka's cheek instantly swelled.

In such a state, no one could maintain an elegant demeanor, and Tokiomi Tohsaka was no exception.

"Enough! Kariya Matou, you've already won. There's no need to humiliate me further."

"Enough? Not enough!"

Kariya Matou's eyes widened, and he ground his teeth as he spoke:

"Do you think I'm doing this to vent my own anger? Do you think I'm avenging Aoi for you? Do you think I'm humiliating you?"

"No! I'm crying out for Sakura's sake."

"Pushing Sakura into hell with your own hands—a bastard like you doesn't deserve to be a father."

"Enough! You don't understand a thing." Tokiomi Tohsaka was equally furious. "I did this for Sakura's good. Her magical aptitude is exceptional; staying in our Tohsaka family would only waste it. Moreover, it would invite covetousness from other magi."

Chapter 13: Participation Has Risks

Section 13: Chapter 13: Participation Has Risks

"You're the one who doesn't understand a thing!"

Kariya Matou raised his fist again, struck Tokiomi Tohsaka's other cheek, and said in an extremely dark voice:

"What do you think the Matou family's inherited magecraft is? Water Magecraft? Don't make me laugh! What's passed down through the Matou family is Insect Magecraft."

"Do you know what Insect Magecraft is? Letting insects enter the body, altering the Magic Circuits, only then can the next step proceed."

"Who do you think Zouken Matou is? The current head of the family? Don't be ridiculous! He's an old monster who's clung to life for five hundred years."

"Magic Crest? How could he ever pass that on to anyone else?"

"Sakura's fate upon arriving at the Matou family is only one: spending every day in the Insect Pit, and after her body is modified, serving as a vessel to bear the next generation with magical aptitude."

"Do you think you know how Sakura has spent this past year? Do you think—"

"Stop talking!" Tokiomi Tohsaka suddenly cut off Kariya Matou's words.

At that moment, regret appeared on his face for the first time.

"Sakura... how is she now?"

"She's fine now, thanks to... a Servant's help. Zouken Matou is dead, and Sakura is safe."

"Good. In that case, the Matou family's Magic Crest?"

Bam!

Kariya Matou punched again, landing squarely on Tokiomi Tohsaka's left eye.

"Bastard! There's no such thing. The Magic Crest vanished along with Zouken Matou's corpse."

"And besides, do you want Sakura to spend the rest of her life dealing with a bunch of insects?"

Silence.

Tokiomi Tohsaka wanted to retort, but in the end, nothing came out.

When it came down to it, failing to investigate the Matou family's true nature before carelessly sending Sakura over—that was indeed his fault.

"Tell Sakura I'm sorry for me."

"Say it yourself!"

Kariya Matou stood up, looking down at Tokiomi Tohsaka on the ground, his heart filled more with emptiness.

Defeating Tokiomi Tohsaka—this was something he had dreamed of.

But now that he'd actually done it, his heart felt hollow, and for a moment, he couldn't even remember what he was supposed to do next.

Kariya Matou staggered out of the arena, moving very slowly due to his unsteady legs.

Meanwhile, Tokiomi Tohsaka remained lying on the ground, sporting a black eye as he silently gazed at the clear blue sky.

Nero's commentary rang out in sync:

"I hereby declare that the winner of the first match of this Nero Festival Master Tournament is—Kariya Matou."

"Next, proceeding to the second match of the Master Tournament: Kiritsugu Emiya versus Kayneth."

The projected stage automatically shifted to the second match.

Kiritsugu Emiya, wielding modern firearms, and Kayneth, shielded by the magical Noble Phantasm Moon Cell Liquefaction, faced off against each other within the arena.

On the city streets.

"Sakura, want to go play together?" Rin Tohsaka said excitedly.

"No. I won the bet."

"That's right, you won. So, want to go play together?"

"Why?"

"Wasn't it agreed? If I won, Sakura would play with me like before. The reverse is the same—since I lost, it's my turn to play with Sakura."

Sakura froze for a moment, stepped back half a pace, and hid behind Shirou again.

Seeing this, Rin glared at Shirou angrily, her eyes asking:

What did you do to Sakura? Why won't she talk to me?

Though she didn't say it aloud, Shirou somehow understood her meaning.

Still, Shirou doubted he could speak with his eyes.