Chapter 369

Even if we can't win, we can still survive.

Chapter Thirty-Three is great! Very inspiring!

Inherent Domain is a good skill, but if it can't be used for fighting, it seems it can only be used for small meetings now.

Li Pu was neither disappointed nor particularly excited, and the discussion yielded no constructive suggestions for the current situation. This was because, apart from Saber, the remaining members primarily focused on tactics and support, seemingly offering little strategic input.

Saber's strategy is also not very suitable for the Holy Grail War, otherwise her performance in the Holy Grail War would not have been so lackluster.

Ultimately, you still have to rely on yourself.

But MEI seems to be a truly reliable person; at least in terms of research, she has provided a lot of good advice.

Li Pu, who had just exited his own Inherent Domain, soon received a letter from Kiritsugu, informing him that he had found Berserker's Master. Moreover, Berserker's Master seemed somewhat interested in his deal and had arranged a place and time.

If you really want to trade with them, you can go and take a look.

"So fast!" Li Pu was a little surprised. She had thought it would take at least a day, and at most two or three days, to get a word in with Matou Kariya. She hadn't expected it to be done in less than a day.

Since it's possible, let's go.

In an unnamed park in Fuyuki City.

Matou Kariya leaned against a vending machine, panting heavily. The Engraved Worm had become an unbearable burden. Engraved Worm by them, he felt his life was nearing its end, but for the sake of his loved ones, and to save Sakura...

He gritted his teeth and persevered until now! Until that man appeared in front of him.

Kiritsugu Emiya appeared before him.

Matou Kariya Kiritsugu Emiya, Matou Zouken, as the Matou Family's representative in this Kiritsugu Emiya Holy Grail War, had provided some assistance. At the very least, he provided Matou Kariya with information on all parties involved in the Holy Grail War.

Originally, Matou Kariya was prepared for an encounter battle when faced with Kiritsugu Emiya's sudden appearance.

Now is the time for the parties that are ostensibly at an end to jointly attack Caster, but in reality, everyone knows very well that the war has never truly stopped, so Kiritsugu Emiya's sudden appearance does not mean anything good.

To Matou Kariya's surprise, this time Kiritsugu Emiya relaying a message to him on behalf of the Goddess of Fate.

The Goddess of Fate is somewhat interested in me and hopes to meet and talk to me.

This surprised Matou Kariya. He knew about Goddess of Fate. She was the most unexpected Servant in this Holy Grail War. According to the rules of the Holy Grail War, it was almost impossible to summon a god. Gods and Heroic Spirit were two different levels of existence, unless a god willingly degraded themselves to be summoned.

Although this Goddess was summoned as Servant, she was not demoted; she remains Goddess and is the most likely to win this Holy Grail War.

Matou Kariya couldn't understand why the Goddess wanted to see him. He racked his brains for a long time but couldn't find anything about himself that would interest Goddess. Unable to figure it out, he wondered if there was a trap, but then he thought that even if there were, it wouldn't be this simple. With the Goddess's abilities and strength, she wouldn't need to play these tricks on a half-crippled man like him who was about to die.

Unable to figure out the reason, Matou Kariya decided to agree first and then see what the Goddess wanted from him.

He glanced at the large clock in the park across from him; it seemed the appointed time was approaching, but the Goddess hadn't appeared. Was Goddess just playing a prank on him? That couldn't be right. Would Goddess be so bored as to make fun of a mortal like him?

Believe it or not, it's quite possible. Mythological stories are full of tales about gods taking pleasure in a mortal when they're bored.

As time ticked by, Matou Kariya shook his head. It seemed this Goddess was really making fun of him...

'What's going on?' Before he could react, the vending machine behind him started vibrating rapidly.

With a "crack," the glass shattered, and a can of drink flew out, grazing Matou Kariya's hood, spinning rapidly in the air. It spilled a large amount of something that was neither foam nor water.

The object formed a spiral pillar like a tornado in front of him, spinning rapidly for a few seconds before falling down.

"Ugh~" a pretty girl complained frantically, "The park is so big, couldn't you have chosen a better spot? You spilled your drink all over me, now I have to take a shower and do laundry when I get back."

"Do you know how difficult it is to change out of this outfit?"

The girl who kept complaining to Kariya and whose body was glowing with a beautiful light was none other than Li Pu.

The advantages of using water as a transport medium are obvious. The disadvantages are that poor water quality or high water temperature can have adverse effects on the journey.

"You are the Goddess of Fate." Matou Kariya looked the girl in front of her up and down and said, "What do you want with me?"

"Matou Kariya." Seeing that Kariya spoke first, Li Pu stopped her teasing and looked him over. "Since you asked, I'll be frank. I can grant you one wish, but the price is that you withdraw from the Holy Grail War and I become Berserker's Master."

Li Pu's straightforward attitude surprised Matou.

Instead of immediately rejecting the idea, he thought for a moment and said, "Why should I believe you?"

"Because you had no choice." Li Pu directly hit Tong's sore spot and said, "Your body simply won't last until the end of the Holy Grail War. If you're only doing this to get revenge on Tokiomi, then go ahead and do it."

"If you still want to save her, if you still want to bring her happiness, then I am your only choice!"

"This tattered body..." Matou Kariya wanted to argue.

"I can repair your body," Li Pu said. "I am Goddess, and the Engraved Worm on your body are nothing to me. I may not be able to restore you to your best condition, but I can restore you to a level close to that of a normal person. I will not be able to fully restore your lifespan, but I can at least let you live for another ten or eight years, which is no problem at all."

"You have enough time to spend with her, or with them, to give that child true happiness for at least the next few years."

"If you agree to this deal, tell me what your real wish is before I lose patience, starting with 'My wish is...'!"

"Matou Kariya! Tell me your wish loudly!"

Chapter Thirty-Four: Tell Me Your Wishes

Contrary to Li Pu's expectations, the uncle did not cry and shout out his wishes to him.

He looked at him with an expression as if he were an idiot, and for a moment, the scene fell into an awkward silence. The awkwardness was almost frightening, so frightening that Li Pu felt as if someone had discovered his childish antics. The embarrassment was so profound that you could dig three bedrooms and a living room out of your toes.

"I said..." Li Pu was a little stunned, and asked with great confusion, "Uncle..."

"Matou Kariya," she said, her voice tinged with a hint of anger, "What kind of look is that? Do you think I'm stupid?"

"No, that's not it." Matou Kariya immediately shook his head and said, "Your ability can grant wishes, but there's a price to pay. If it's a trade, that price will be transferred to me, and I'll bear it myself."

"Huh?" Li Pu was a little surprised. Wasn't this what she said at the party?

"What is the price?" Matou Kariya asked. "What price do you want if I grant you this wish?"

"I didn't expect you to know this." Li Pu didn't answer Matou Kariya directly, but said with surprise, "How did you know this when you weren't there? Did the church tell you?"

"This has nothing to do with you." Matou Kariya refused to answer Li Pu's question.

"I don't know what the price will be," Li Pu said, spreading his hands. "The price you have to pay might be your future luck, your life, or the permanent loss of something very important to you."

"I know what you're thinking." As soon as she finished speaking, she roughly understood why Matou Kariya wasn't being so proactive.

Li Pu shook his head and said, "Are you thinking that if I grant your wish, although it might seem to bring them happiness, it could also very likely lead to their deaths? And I know why you're hesitating—it's Kiritsugu, isn't it?"

It seems I mentioned Kiritsugu's wish at least once.

World peace means everyone except you dies.

Ah~ This wasn't Li Pu's own idea; it seems to be the result of fulfilling a wish using a corrupted Holy Grail. Since the Holy Grail was distorted, it naturally distorted the wishes and will of the person making the wish.

I wouldn't do that myself.

"Forget it," Li Pu said, scratching his head. "Since you refuse, then forget it. Actually, I just want to make things easier. If I were to grant my wish, although it would require a lot of divine power, it would save me a lot of steps. But since you're worried about the cost, how about we try another way?"

"How about I make the Matou Family a thing of the past?"

In any case, the most important step to realize this wish is probably to kill Matou Zouken. Once Matou Zouken dies, the Matou Family will completely collapse.

The Matou Family will become a thing of the past.

The Matou Kariya remained unmoved.

'This is really troublesome.' Li Pu couldn't help but lose patience. In other novels, if Matou Kariya knew there was another way to save Sakura, he would definitely hand over the Berserker without hesitation.

Why am I so troublesome?

"Judging from your expression," Li Pu said patiently, "I think you've met two people: Kiritsugu Emiya and Kirei Kotomine."

A slight ripple appeared in Matou Kariya's usually calm eyes.

'Just as I thought.' Li Pu finally realized that what happened in the original story had indeed occurred ahead of schedule. Kirei Kotomine had already met Matou Kariya beforehand. Matou Kariya originally had a chance for redemption, subsequently became a complete tragedy.

"Kiritsugu Emiya told you that if you want to fulfill your wish, you have to pay a price." Li Pu landed on the ground with his hands behind his back and approached Matou Kariya step by step, saying, "Kirei Kotomine probably told you that he can give you a chance to meet Tohsaka Tokiomi. If you are willing to believe him, he can help you take revenge."

Is that right?

That should be about right.

"Truly worthy of being called the Goddess of Fate." Matou Kariya sneered, "Just as they said, all of this was part of your plan. You wove a trap of fate, watching me walk into it step by step, and then you stepped forward to pretend to be kind. You, a god who manipulates the fate of mortals, your hypocritical kindness is truly disgusting!"

"If you really want to help me, if you're truly kind," Matou Kariya said fearlessly, glaring at Li Pu as he approached, "Why! Why did you give her this fate?"

"Why! Tell me!"

'Goddess of Fate...' Although it wasn't the first time, just like being antagonized by Saber because of this identity, she was also distrusted by Matou Kariya because of this identity.

"Because this is her destiny." Li Pu spread his hands and said, "If you think this is the fate I arranged for her, the fate I arranged for you, then so be it. But what can I do? I can do nothing and watch you walk towards the end of your destiny, watch you go crazy, watch you lose your original intention. I can do nothing and just wait for you to bring about your own destruction."

"But now I've decided to do something to change your future." Li Pu said, his hands clasped in front of his lower abdomen, "If you choose to refuse, then refuse."

"I have no interest in toying with the fates of mortals. If I hadn't come, you would have only one path to follow. But now that I'm here, you still have a choice, Matou Kariya!" Li Pu said, almost losing his patience. "This is my final advice to you. Your revenge is destined to be fruitless. Tokiomi can die, but if he dies by your hand, you will be forever trapped in tragedy. Because Tokiomi is the husband of the woman you love, and she is the father of the child of the woman you love. If he dies by your hand, do you think they will understand you?"

"If you think you can get revenge with Kirei Kotomine's help, do you think you can persuade them with your silver tongue?" Li Pu questioned. "Persuade them to forget the hatred for your father's murder and your husband's murder, and then spend their last days happily with you?"

"Do you have your final moments? Even if you do, will they be with you?"

Matou Kariya said, "Are you trying to persuade me to let go of my hatred?"

"Hmph~ Hatred?" Li Pu sneered. "Do you have hatred? You seem to have completely forgotten your original intention in participating in the Holy Grail War. All you have left is hatred, and you've forgotten your goodness. If you participated in the Holy Grail War just for a moment of pleasure, if you just thought that since you're going to die anyway, you might as well drag Tohsaka Tokiomi die."

"Then continue." Li Pu turned around and said, "I don't care. I don't advise anyone to let go of hatred. Since you have forgotten your original intention and your wishes."

"What does that have to do with me? Just completely see yourself as an Avenger and fight on in the Holy Grail War."

"Hmph~ the wish of mortals."

As soon as she finished speaking, Li Pu prepared to fly away. She had lost patience with Matou Kariya. It seemed this guy had gone mad; she would now try to see if she could steal him from the director's side.

Oh, speaking of which, it seems the director has been cheated on lately, right?

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Matou Kariya suddenly called out to Li Pu when he saw that Li Pu seemed to be really about to leave.

"What are you doing?" Li Pu stopped and turned to look at Matou Kariya.

"I..." Matou Kariya gritted his teeth, seemingly hesitant.

"I advise you to give up on your wish to kill Tokiomi," Li Pu said without hesitation. "I will never fulfill such a utterly pointless wish! Farewell, and I wish you success in following your heart's hatred and taking your enemy's life..."

"My wish is!" Matou Kariya suddenly shouted to Li Pu as if she had made up her mind, "I don't care what happens to me, my wish is that Sakura can be happy! Sakura can be joyful! Please! Goddess! Please save her, don't let her despair."

Matou Kariya shouted, but received no reply.

He noticed that the Goddess's eyes were gradually losing their luster and sparkle; she remained motionless, like a wooden figure, unchanged. Was his wish useless? Could she not grant his wish? Was she lying? Or was it truly as the priest had said, that God only enjoyed playing tricks on people?

Before Matou Kariya could think any further, he noticed that the Goddess's radiance had become even more dazzling.

She was like a little sun, dispelling the darkness and illuminating the earth! Her light was so intense that he dared not look directly at her, causing the Engraved Worm within him to stir restlessly, attempting to escape. The light grew brighter and brighter; Matou Kariya even felt a breeze rise.

Yes, it's windy, not a strong wind, but a gentle breeze.

It was a very comfortable feeling, but the Engraved Worm became even more restless.

Suddenly Matou Kariya noticed a blue light gathering on the Goddess's forehead, which then shot into the sky and formed a blue beam of light.

This lasted for about a minute.

The pillar of light disappeared, the Goddess's radiance vanished, and the wind calmed.

Matou Kariya didn't dare to breathe. He watched helplessly as the Goddess fell from the sky as if she had lost her life, landing motionless on the ground. She lay there for about half a minute.

"Ouch... it hurts..." Li Pu finally came to her senses. She sat up, rubbed the back of her head, and said, "Why didn't you keep going?"

"Me?" Matou Kariya was taken aback by Li Pu's question and didn't know how to answer for a moment.

"I just want to know how you suddenly came to your senses?" Li Pu said, sitting there. "You were just struggling with this a moment ago, how come you suddenly want to have your wish fulfilled?"

"Has my wish come true?" Matou Kariya asked instead of answering.

"Theoretically speaking, it's still a little short." Li Pu felt he had recovered enough and stood up, saying, "Never mind, because your wish is a bit special, we need to confirm some things before it can be considered fulfilled."

"Confirm what?" Matou Kariya asked.

"You'll find out when you go to the Matou Family," Li Pu said.

Go to the Matou Family? A bad feeling rose in Matou Kariya's heart, but he dared not say it. However, since the Goddess had spoken, he dragged his broken body and prepared to go back.

"By the time you get there, it'll be too late," Li Pu said, looking at Matou Kariya's limping gait. "I'll give you a ride!"

After saying that, she grabbed Matou Kariya from behind and lifted him into the air, saying, "Navigation."

"Oh..." Matou Kariya felt the Goddess's warm embrace, his face blushed slightly, but he quickly came to his senses, looked around, and pointed in the direction of the Matou Family's house.