Type-Moon's Card Servants

"..." Diarmuid remained silent. As a Servant, he wouldn't utter the words 'ordinary person.' At times, he might fantasize about what his life would be like as a normal individual.

But now that he had become a Servant, he had to cast aside such thoughts, grip his weapon tightly, protect his Master, and bring him glory and victory!

"What's so great about that?" Rin Tohsaka didn't understand Mikaela's thoughts. In her opinion, she would become a magus respected by everyone, just like her father.

If she were an ordinary person, wouldn't that mean she couldn't dabble in magic? Rin Tohsaka disliked that kind of life.

Mikaela merely smiled at Rin Tohsaka's words, saying nothing more. People's ideals were inherently different.

Mikaela wished to return to her own world and live a happy, peaceful life with her parents. For that, she could kill anyone without hesitation and borrow the power and wisdom of 'others' without guilt.

"Hm? It seems his actions for tonight have concluded."

Just then, Diarmuid spoke. Mikaela and Rin Tohsaka turned their gaze to Ryunosuke. Instead of continuing towards the residential area, he had turned around and was walking in the opposite direction.

"It looks like he's heading back." Seeing Ryunosuke walk in the opposite direction, Mikaela knew that his actions for the night were likely over. Or rather... the magical tools he possessed were insufficient to control too many people, so after controlling six children, he was preparing to return.

Of course, this was just a guess. Regardless, these were magical tools created by Caster. If they couldn't control more than six children, it would be too low-tier.

"It seems tonight's operation is almost over." Diarmuid smiled. It would be best if the other party could return. When he returned to his own residence, he could act decisively! Kill the other party and rescue the children he had kidnapped.

"Indeed, it's almost over."

A strange light flickered in Mikaela's eyes. She hadn't forgotten her objective for coming out tonight. Diarmuid's arrival was an unexpected bonus; she could use him to make him fight Caster to the death.

As for who among them would die, Mikaela didn't care. Her goal was clear: to gather information on the Servants in this Holy Grail War and avoid another unexpected situation like the one with Kayneth.

She could only win this Holy Grail War! Even if she lost, she had to lose at the very end.

PS: "Owe 22 chapters."

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Matou Kariya

Time slowly passed. Ryunosuke had captured a lot of meaningful 'material' tonight, and he was in a very good mood, even wanting to burst into song.

But not now. He heard from the old man that some church was preparing to stop him from resurrecting Jeanne d'Arc, so he had to obtain more and more 'material' to craft weapons, defeat all those Servants! And then embrace the Holy Grail! To resurrect Jeanne d'Arc in this world.

As long as Jeanne d'Arc was resurrected, he himself would have no more wishes.

But Ryunosuke didn't care about Jeanne d'Arc or anything else. He cared more about what the old man named Bluebeard would give him. The things the old man showed him fascinated Ryunosuke, the murderer.

Whether it was his definition of fear, his explanation of the feeling of killing, or his recognition of his own art!

All of it made Ryunosuke deeply respect the old man who called himself Bluebeard. He thought no one in this world could understand him, but he never expected that a so-called Holy Grail War would lead him to a kindred spirit and a friend.

"Including these few, that's about twenty people. Oh dear, 'material' has been really hard to find lately." Ryunosuke looked at the children behind him and sighed, "Really, those people are so timid. Murderers? How could I be a murderer? I'm just an artist."

"..." Diarmuid's gaze sharpened. If the situation allowed, he would have rushed out right now to shoot this so-called 'artist' and make him understand! The preciousness of life.

But he couldn't kill him yet; the other party hadn't reached the place where the children were being held. He had to endure for now.

After walking for about ten minutes, Diarmuid's expression became somewhat solemn. A strange glint flashed in Mikaela's eyes, but she didn't show any outward reaction.

Rin Tohsaka felt that something was wrong with the surroundings, but she didn't retreat. If she left, who would save Kotone?

Ryunosuke, holding the children's hands, slowly walked into a basement. It seemed this was his destination.

"You all stay here."

Suddenly, Diarmuid spoke. He looked at Rin Tohsaka and 'Abigail' and said earnestly, "I'll go rescue your friend. And it's dangerous here. After I rescue your friend, you must leave immediately."

The surrounding scent became strange. Although Rin Tohsaka hadn't sensed it yet, Mikaela and Diarmuid clearly felt something unclean lurking around them.

A faint smell of blood permeated the air, and a faint evil aura began to spread.

If it weren't for the two beside him, Diarmuid would have already drawn his guns and gone into the basement to kill Caster's Master.

"No..." Rin Tohsaka seemed to want to say something more, but her eyes suddenly rolled back, and she fainted.

Mikaela slowly withdrew her hand and looked calmly at Diarmuid. "My friend is in your hands, hero from the past."

"...As expected, you are no ordinary person." Diarmuid wasn't surprised. Seeing Rin Tohsaka faint, he took out his two weapons. He glanced deeply at 'Abigail' and said plainly, "Although I knew you weren't a simple person, I didn't expect you to know about the Holy Grail War."

"She knows too. She's already guessed some things, but she thinks 'heroes' are all good people, which is why she was a bit reckless." Mikaela didn't think Rin Tohsaka saw nothing.

She might have guessed some things but didn't say them, especially since the flaws Diarmuid exposed were too numerous.

"Then, I'll leave her to you. I will also do my best to save those children." With that said, Diarmuid stopped wasting words, grabbed his two long spears, materialized, and charged into the basement Ryunosuke had entered.

"..."

Mikaela hugged Rin Tohsaka and slowly ran backward. In fact, she had already sensed someone following her from behind.

The person wasn't getting closer but was watching them from a distance. The feeling wasn't like Assassin's, but more like the gaze of an ordinary human.

Diarmuid had noticed it at the time, but he hadn't paid much attention. The main reason was that the person didn't have any hostility or killing intent. More importantly, his primary target was Ryunosuke, Caster's Master.

After running for a while, Mikaela clearly heard a scream from behind. It wasn't Ryunosuke's scream, but the scream of some monster.

It seemed Diarmuid had already begun his actions. He wasn't prioritizing killing Ryunosuke but had first cleared out some of the 'monsters' in the vicinity.

"Come out."

After running for a while, Mikaela, carrying Rin Tohsaka, felt 'someone's' gaze and shouted loudly, "Matou Kariya, I know it's you."

"..."

A person walking with a limp slowly emerged from the shadows. He stood in the darkness, his voice low, "You know me?"

'Hmph.' Mikaela inwardly let out a sigh of relief. It was Matou Kariya, which was good. If the person who appeared had been Gilgamesh, she would have crushed the card in her hand and attacked him right then.

"Tohno Shiro already knows about the Matou family's situation and is likely investigating. If nothing unexpected happens, he'll visit tomorrow or the day after."

Mikaela was well aware that Matou Kariya's mental state was currently unstable. He had been tormented by Crest Worms for an entire year! At this moment, besides his obsession with rescuing Matou Sakura, all that remained was his hatred for Tohno Shiro.

To avoid him ruining her plans, Mikaela decided to share some information with him.

"What did you say?!"

As expected, the moment he heard the name 'Tohno Shiro,' Matou Kariya's expression became incredibly distorted. He stared at Mikaela with a terrifying gaze and asked, "Are you also one of Shiro's subordinates?!"

So he's already been driven to the point of going insane just hearing Tohno Shiro's name. Mikaela looked at Matou Kariya's expression and felt a sense of unease. She decided to make Tohsaka Rin snap out of it and use her to force Matou Kariya to calm down.

"Snatch Rin away! Berserker!!!!!!"

The instant Matou Kariya shouted this, Mikaela's pupils constricted slightly. She looked behind her and retreated rapidly.

"Swish—!!"

In an instant, it could be said to be an instant, Berserker, shrouded in dark energy, snatched Tohsaka Rin from Mikaela's grasp.

So it's too much of a struggle in my normal state? Mikaela looked at Berserker holding Tohsaka Rin, her gaze turning dangerous. It seemed she shouldn't have tried to converse with a 'madman' who had been tormented for a year.

PS: "Ah, today my mom dragged me to forcefully clean my room. I'm exhausted. I have things to do tomorrow, so I'm going to sleep for now. I'll try harder tomorrow."

PS: "Owe 21 updates."

Chapter 38: Spirit Origin Reconstruction

Matou Kariya was a good person, or rather... a complete good-for-nothing if he hadn't stepped into the Matou family a year ago because of Matou Sakura and made a deal with Matou Zouken.

Even Tohno Shiro, while thinking it was a shame Matou Kariya gave up his family's magic, still considered him a very good friend and was willing to let him get close to his wife and daughter.

Tohsaka Aoi also trusted Matou Kariya immensely. Even though she was married to someone else, in her eyes, her childhood friend Matou Kariya was still very trustworthy. He was her good friend, her 'bestie.'

However, good people don't always get good rewards. The good person he is now has gone mad for Matou Sakura's future, become twisted. He hates Tohno Shiro, he hates anyone associated with Tohno Shiro.

Except for Tohsaka Aoi! Tohsaka Rin! And Tohsaka Sakura! No one else could make him fully sober. What he does is bear all the pain and torment and launch a revenge against that guy Tohno Shiro.

That's right! It's revenge! He wants to kill Tohno Shiro! That person doesn't deserve such a happy family, he doesn't deserve such a happy life at all.

"Kill him! Berserker!"

Now, upon hearing the name Tohno Shiro from Mikaela, Matou Kariya went mad. After snatching Tohsaka Rin back, he wanted to kill that little golden-haired girl!

Her eyes were filled with calmness, which reminded him of Tohno Shiro. He always put on an elegant demeanor, as if everything was within his grasp. That calmness! That composure! Made Matou Kariya feel a deep sense of disgust.

He wanted to destroy this little girl, to use her death! To send a declaration of war to Tohno Shiro.

"Roar ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah...!!!"

Berserker roared. He casually picked up a stone from the wall. The moment the stone fell into his hand, it transformed from an ordinary stone into a temporary Noble Phantasm and shot towards Mikaela.

Knight of Owner

This was one of Berserker's ultimate skills. As long as it was a 'weapon' he recognized, the moment he picked it up, it would become a D-rank Noble Phantasm. Even a stone, which was meaningless to Servants, could become a deadly weapon.

Mikaela naturally knew Berserker's true name. He was Lancelot, one of King Arthur's twelve Knights of the Round Table, known as the 'Knight of the Lake.'

His martial arts were incredibly powerful. He could be said to be the strongest martial artist in this Holy Grail War! Even in his berserk state, fighting with beastly instincts, he could easily threaten Mikaela in her non-transformed state.

If the Oath of Judas could temporarily hold off Diarmuid, then if Mikaela used the Oath of Judas against Lancelot! Mikaela would most likely be beaten to death by him!

That's right, beaten to death. While it might sound exaggerated, it wasn't an exaggeration at all. Lancelot had the strength and the capital for it.

"Swish—!!!"

As the stone flew towards her, Mikaela sighed slightly. She slowly opened her eyes, and a chilling magical aura erupted from her body.

"Why do you insist on making me fight? Can't we just talk nicely?"

When Mikaela opened her eyes again, the previously 'innocent and lively' Abigail had become somewhat cold and ruthless.

Spirit Origin Reconstruction, or rather... a pseudo-Servant state.

At this moment, 'Abigail' wore a witch's hat, a circular ring made of keys behind her, and held two ancient-looking black stone long keys in her hands. She wore a set of clothes that looked very revealing, with most of her fair skin exposed, making one want to cherish her at first glance.

"Hey, I want to ask a question." Mikaela looked at Lancelot and said calmly, "How many seconds do you think your Master would last without your protection before turning into minced meat?"

"Swish—!!!!"

Several tentacles emerged from the void. One blocked the Noble Phantasm stone flying towards Mikaela, while several others blocked in front of Lancelot. Furthermore, several tentacles launched an attack towards Matou Kariya himself.

That's right! Directly attacking the Master.

Mikaela had no sense of chivalry. Fighting Lancelot head-on would take a lot of energy and magic.

And... Mikaela didn't know how long Emiya Kiritsugu's magic could last. So, it was better to let Lancelot's inherent 'chivalry' take effect and make him protect his Master.

"Roar ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!!!"

As expected, upon discovering his Master was under attack, Lancelot immediately returned to Matou Kariya's side, ignoring Mikaela. He even held a long sword shrouded in black mist in his hand.

Clearly, the tentacles summoned by 'Abigail' put immense pressure on Lancelot. Ordinary weapons couldn't destroy those tentacles, and instead, his Master could die.

Although Lancelot was berserk, he was still very clear about one thing: protecting his Master. The moment he drew the long sword shrouded in black mist, Matou Kariya's pupils contracted. He clutched his chest with one hand and crouched down, as if a large amount of magic had been drained from him.

"Hiss~~ Hiss!!!"

Lancelot's Noble Phantasm emitted a man-eating black light, his eyes flashed red, and he let out incomprehensible roars.

"Swish—!!"

With a downward slash, the tentacles surrounding them were instantly severed. At the same time, 'Abigail' disappeared from her spot, as if she had already prepared to escape when launching the attack.

"Cough, cough, cough."

Matou Kariya held Tohsaka Rin with one arm, gasping for air. In that instant! Lancelot had actually activated his Noble Phantasm, Invincible Lake Light!

Even though it was only for a moment, Matou Kariya felt the pain of a large amount of mana being rapidly drained. This forced him to quickly place the unconscious Tohsaka Rin on the ground, then turn to a trash can and begin vomiting.

What came out wasn't undigested food, but wriggling insects, and... blood.

"Tohno Shiro! Tohno Shiro!!!!!" Matou Kariya's eyes were filled with hatred. He wiped his mouth and looked at the unconscious Tohsaka Rin, his eyes full of tenderness.

He couldn't fall yet. He had to save Sakura, and! Win this Holy Grail War.

The Crest Worms inside his body continued to generate mana, allowing Matou Kariya to move again. He gently picked up Tohsaka Rin and took out his phone from his pocket.

He dialed the number of the person he liked the most.

PS: "Writing, writing, everyone please give more recommendation tickets."

Chapter 39: King of Conquerors

Chapter 39

"It seems there are no problems with Matou Kariya."

After dodging Lancelot, Mikaela noted in his mental notebook that Matou Kariya, like in the original story, hadn't changed much.