Type-Moon: Card Servants

"Ugh...!!!"

Matou Kariya gritted his teeth. His anger told him to kill Tohno Shiro right now, but his reason told him that Tohno Shiro had already discovered the Matou family's magecraft. Having him deal with that old worm was the best choice.

"Kariya, isn't your enemy standing right before your eyes? Why aren't you making a move?" At that moment, a bald old man emerged. His limbs were as thin and shriveled as a mummy's, and he wore a kimono of ultramarine and dark gray. His smile was hideous, like a grinning skeleton.

"Urgh—!!" As though he had suffered some kind of injury, Matou Kariya collapsed into a crouch and let out an agonized sound.

"Old Man Matou, I came to take back my child, Tohsaka Sakura." Now that the real host had appeared, Tohno Shiro stopped speaking with Matou Kariya. He looked at Matou Zouken and spoke in an icy tone.

At that moment, Tohno Shiro studied Matou Zouken with great seriousness. He had vaguely felt before that the old man carried the stench of "decay," and now it seemed that was indeed the case.

Once the other man appeared, the air itself was filled with an aura called "decay." Tohno Shiro had noticed it before, but because Matou Zouken was already advanced in years, and because he had to prepare for the Holy Grail War a year later, he had stopped indulging in wild thoughts and entrusted his daughter, Tohsaka Sakura, to the Matou family.

For some reason, the longer he looked at Matou Zouken now, the stronger the anger in Tohno Shiro's heart became. It was as if he had encountered a sworn enemy. If not for the self-restraint he had cultivated over many years, he would have already hurled a fireball at him.

"Tohsaka Sakura? Who's that? I don't know any such child. But Matou Sakura, now that child is quite outstanding."

Seeing Tohno Shiro come to his door in person, utterly disregarding victory in the Holy Grail War, Matou Zouken knew that this man intended to take "hope" from his hands.

"Kariya, why are you unwilling to act? Isn't this your goal? Kill Tohno Shiro." Matou Zouken looked at Matou Kariya, who lay on the ground like a dead dog, dissatisfaction flashing through his eyes as he said angrily, "At this point, why are you still resisting 'power' so much? This was the result you chose for yourself."

"Yes, this was the result I chose for myself."

A savage smile appeared on Matou Kariya's face. His body and mind had already been tortured beyond recognition. Looking at Tohno Shiro, who held the Jeweled Sword, he spoke with fury in his voice. "Now you understand, don't you? This is the Matou family's magecraft."

"...I'm sorry, Kariya, for dragging you into a battle that was never yours. It's all right now. I'm here." Guilt flashed through Tohno Shiro's eyes as he looked at Matou Kariya. He could have lived an ordinary life, but after Tohno Shiro sent his daughter to the Matou family—

This man, who had already left the Matou family, had returned to it once more because of him.

Tohno Shiro and Matou Kariya had always gotten along well. Though they had been rivals in their youth, Kariya had never interfered with him. On the day of his wedding, he had even told him... never to betray Aoi.

"You're here? You're too late!!!"

Matou Kariya roared as he abruptly rose to his feet. Countless insects leaped out from his body. He raised the hand bearing Command Seals, pointed it at Tohno Shiro, and shouted, "Today, I'll make you understand!!! I'm the one who can save Sakura, not you!"

"Heh." Matou Zouken smiled, seemingly quite satisfied with his son's decision.

That's right, kill him!! Kill Tohno Shiro. Just like in that novel you wrote, the magic swordsman who bore all darkness—today, you will become the protagonist of your own novel.

"..." Tohno Shiro seemed angry at Matou Kariya's fury, yet also saddened by it. He swung the incomplete Jeweled Sword in his hand. Though it was incomplete, it still carried a trace of the Second Magic. Even that faint trace was enough to give Tohno Shiro the confidence to dare enter the Matou family.

"Master, forgive my offense."

Tohno Shiro spoke in a low voice. By using the incomplete Jeweled Sword today, he was effectively borrowing the Jeweled Gentleman's power. Although this sword had been crafted through the immense effort and wealth of generations of Tohno Family Heads, the Second Magic belonged to the Jeweled Gentleman.

In a sense, Tohno Shiro was using the Jeweled Gentleman's power against the Matou family.

"By the Command Seal!! Berserker! Kill Matou Zouken!!"

"What?!!"

When Matou Kariya spoke those words, both Matou Zouken and Tohno Shiro were shocked. Tohno Shiro had already prepared to use the Jeweled Gentleman's power to kill both Matou Zouken and Matou Kariya in one stroke.

Yet Matou Kariya was actually taking the initiative to kill his own "father"?!

"Hahahaha, by the Command Seal! Berserker! I permit you to use your Noble Phantasm!!"

Matou Kariya looked at the horrified Matou Zouken and laughed with immense delight. He shouted, "You old bastard, did you really think I was afraid of you?!! My goal has always been clear!! As long as Sakura is safe, I don't care even if the Matou family is destroyed!!"

"You bastard!! I'll kill you!" Matou Zouken sensed danger approaching. Lancelot, who had been fighting Gilgamesh, suddenly appeared before him as though he had teleported, a longsword inscribed with elven runes appearing in his hand.

"Take it!! Take all my magical energy!! Hahahaha!! Anyway, all this magical energy came from you, you old bastard." Matou Kariya laughed maniacally. Though he was in immense pain, after Lancelot used his Noble Phantasm, the Crest Worms within him seemed to have been drained dry, frantically sucking away his life force to provide Lancelot with massive amounts of magical energy.

His body was in agony, yet Matou Kariya could not stop laughing. He felt that he was the victor now.

"Aryyyyyy—!!!"

After cleaving Matou Zouken in two with a single strike, Lancelot seemed to notice something. Without another word, he charged directly into the Matou family's residence.

"Boom—!!!"

The Magic Workshop Matou Zouken had maintained for many years was like brittle paper before Lancelot's attack, torn apart with a single blow!

"My final Command Seal... after killing Matou Zouken, save Sakura and hand her over to Tohno Shiro." After using his final Command Seal, Matou Kariya fell to the ground, his consciousness slipping into unconsciousness. Yet the Crest Worms inside him continued to drain away his life force.

"This one isn't bad."

Gilgamesh appeared atop the Matou family's roof, looking down at Matou Kariya. He said calmly, "Using his own life as fuel to ignite another's hope."

"..."

Accompanied by a scream from within the Matou family's residence, the Berserker wreathed in a black ** aura emerged, carrying a little girl with lifeless eyes in his arms.

"Grandfather is dead." The little girl with vacant eyes showed little emotional reaction upon seeing Tohno Shiro. Looking at Matou Kariya lying on the ground, a faint and indescribable ripple passed through her eyes, which had been as still as dead water.

"Sakura." Tohno Shiro wanted to hold his daughter, but seeing her emotionless face, he let out a deep sigh, unsure what to say. In the end, he walked over to the unconscious Matou Kariya.

"In the end, I am a failed father."

Tohno Shiro took out the gemstones he had treasured for many years and tossed them onto Matou Kariya. Countless rays of light lit up across Kariya's body, forcing the Crest Worms out of him. Healing magecraft then unfolded, beginning to mend his body, which had long been riddled with wounds.

"Judging by the outcome, this little drama was not bad. But I still wish to go over there and see what that clown will do." Gilgamesh shifted his gaze from Matou Kariya. He knew that Tohno Shiro's story for tonight had come to an end.

PS: "I owe 16 chapters. This is the third chapter; there's one more."

The Tohno Family Was Blown Up

"Well, well, have you arrived?"

On the water's surface, Gilles de Rais, who had been chanting, slowly opened his eyes and gazed up at the sky. He could already sense it—the "evil god" he had dreamed of was finally about to arrive.

But this was not the time to get excited. He could not be too unrestrained yet. He had to complete the most—!! most—!!! COOL!!! ritual and offer himself as a sacrifice to the evil god descending upon the Holy Grail War.

Thick fog slowly rose from the water's edge, while countless tentacles writhed beneath Gilles de Rais. His Master... Ryunosuke, stood on the bridge, shouting excitedly at Gilles de Rais, "Master!!! I'm over here, waiting for your coolest ritual!!! I'm sure even the evil god himself will be captivated by you."

"Ryunosuke." Looking at his Master, Gilles de Rais's heart was filled with emotion. As expected, though there were few in this world who understood the truth, it was not as if no one understood him.

My path is not a lonely one.

With that thought, Gilles de Rais continued chanting. His magecraft was nearly complete. All that remained was to wait for the "audience" to take their seats.

Once the "audience" had taken their seats, he could unfold the grandest sacrificial ritual of all!!

"This is bad, that Caster bastard."

The King of Conquerors drove his ox cart as he looked below. Perhaps because Caster was casting magecraft, thick fog had formed over the sea. This was fog condensed from "immense magical energy." To ordinary people, it was no less poisonous than venom. A single breath was enough to cause varying degrees of harm to their bodies.

Likewise, Magi could not inhale large amounts of this dense fog formed from magical energy.

"He's casting large-scale magecraft."

Kayneth put on a pair of glasses. They were also a Magic Crest, allowing him to see distant objects more clearly.

At the moment, Kayneth was analyzing Caster's "magecraft," while Diarmuid drew his twin spears, ready to strike at any moment and kill Caster!

"The distance is too great. I can't hear what incantation he's chanting, but one thing is certain: he's preparing to cast large-scale magecraft." Kayneth took off his glasses. Even a genius like him felt a certain amount of pressure at this moment.

Although he had thought that joining the Holy Grail War was merely a sightseeing trip, after seeing the large-scale magecraft Caster was casting, he put away his playful attitude and began taking this Holy Grail War seriously.

In his eyes, Caster was merely a useless Magus who had acquired immense power. Not only did he fail to wait for his enemies inside a Magic Workshop, he did not even know how to conceal traces of his magecraft.

Someone like that deserved to die!!! Yet Kayneth had never expected that someone who did not even qualify as a third-rate Magus could possess such tremendous power.

Casting large-scale magecraft alone?!! Even Kayneth was confident that he could cast large-scale magecraft by himself, but that was on the premise of having a mana furnace and being within his own Magic Workshop.

But Caster was neither in his own Magic Workshop nor supported by any other equipment. He was merely standing on an ordinary stretch of sea, using his "Noble Phantasm" to cast large-scale magecraft!!

"We'll get off here first." Mikaela did not want to remain in the King of Conquerors's ox cart. He picked up Irisviel and said evenly, "Judas can exert more of its power on the ground. Caster is clearly casting large-scale magecraft. I'll see whether I can interrupt him."

"Impossible. Caster's large-scale magecraft is already prepared. Even if you go down and fight him, you won't be able to interrupt him." Kayneth looked at Mikaela and said calmly, "It would be best to wait until he releases that magecraft. If you force an attack now, you'll only end up injuring yourself."

"..."

Mikaela fell silent. Naturally, he would not rashly attack Caster. He merely intended to take Irisviel below, then call Emiya Kiritsugu and have him come over after blowing up Tohno Shiro's home, to see whether Caster's Master—Ryunosuke—was nearby.

"Then we'll head down first. My Master is afraid of heights." Mikaela naturally could not be bothered to talk nonsense with Kayneth. Carrying Irisviel in his arms, he jumped straight down from the ox cart.

At the same time, Oath of Judas behind him extended countless golden chains, serving as Mikaela's footholds as they shot downward.

"What a convenient Noble Phantasm." Seeing Mikaela carrying Irisviel and rushing downward on golden chains, the King of Conquerors instead showed a hint of envy.

"..."

Kayneth said nothing. He glanced at the Moon Cell Essence beside him, his heart full of confidence. Though it could not be as "flashy" as Saber, the Moon Cell Essence was more than enough to protect him if he fell from such a height.

The moment they landed on Fuyuki Bridge from high above and left the King of Conquerors's group, Mikaela and Irisviel quietly breathed a sigh of relief. The psychological pressure on them both had clearly been immense just now. They had been afraid that their enemies would attack and kill the two of them.

"Irisviel, lend me your phone." Mikaela set Irisviel down beside him and held out his hand for her phone. Tonight's operation had already gone beyond his expectations. He needed Emiya Kiritsugu to get here quickly and find a chance to kill Ryunosuke.

"Mm." Irisviel nodded slightly, took the phone from inside her clothes, and handed it to Mikaela.

Mikaela decisively turned on the phone and dialed Emiya Kiritsugu's number. In a very calm voice, he said, "The plan has changed. After blowing up the Tohsaka family home, come to Caster immediately and kill Caster's Master."

"I understand." Emiya Kiritsugu's voice came from the other end of the call. He said evenly, "The Tohsaka family home has already been blown up. Everything went smoothly. Assassin did not appear, and Kotomine Kirei did not appear either."

"What?" Mikaela frowned slightly. He had not expected Kotomine Kirei and Assassin to simply let Emiya Kiritsugu blow up Tohno Shiro's residence.

At this stage, they should have been working together. Only after Caster died would Kotomine Kirei awaken to so-called "pleasure," then magnificently stab his own teacher in the back.

Why was he ignoring Tohno Shiro's base before he had even awakened to pleasure?

But there was no time to worry about that now. Blowing up Tohno Shiro's home was a good thing. That way, Tohno Shiro had lost his own Magic Workshop.

My wife.jpg

"I, the Twin Heroes of Chernobog, the Invincible Red Blade"

Synopsis: The false Red Blade: low agility, slow attacks, fragile defenses, forced to use his ultimate, controlled, then beaten to death.

The true Red Blade: high agility, high attack speed, high defense, high burst damage; able to duel invincibly at the front, instantly wipe out groups of enemies with his ultimate at the rear, escape amid flashing blades, and kill within the mortal world.

A "rat" who had struggled in the slums in his previous life reincarnated as an Avenger in the world of Arknights.

Possessing absurdly powerful attributes and explosive damage output, yet retaining the excessively cautious personality of his previous life.

Ronin: There is nothing that cannot be solved with one slash. If there is, then...

"Counter-Mobility (Speed Up)!"

"Counter-Armor (Defense Up)!"

"Stimulus (Attack Up)!"

"Vitality (Health Up)!"

"Shredding Blades (Defense, Health, Attack Up)!"

"Origin Force Fusion!"

Rumble!

This was a story about transmigrating into the invincible Red Blade Bro. Dedicated to all the operators Red Blade Bro had taught a lesson.

Sacrifice!

Now was not the time to worry about Kotomine Kirei. However, since Emiya Kiritsugu had successfully blown up Tohno Shiro's home, that meant Tohno Shiro and Gilgamesh should currently be at the Matou family estate.

"I'll go meet Caster."

After setting Irisviel down, Mikaela looked beneath the bridge. This was the closest point to Caster. With a little luck, he might even find Caster's Master, Ryunosuke.

But after watching for a while, Mikaela let out a faint sigh. He had not spotted Ryunosuke; instead, vehicles were constantly passing through the area. It seemed this was not where Ryunosuke was staying.

If he kept searching, finding Ryunosuke would only be a matter of time. But he no longer had time to search slowly. Mikaela picked up Irisviel and leaped onto the shore not far from Caster.

"Oh my, oh my. The great evil god has finally arrived."

Gilles de Rais seemed to have noticed Mikaela's arrival. He gave a slight bow in welcome, for she was an indispensable member of tonight's "audience."

"I am not an evil god, Caster," Mikaela said coldly. He shielded Irisviel behind him and took out the Oath of Judas, planting it in the ground.

"Oh!! Has even such a holy relic been tainted by the evil god?" As a devout believer, Gilles de Rais recognized the Oath of Judas's extraordinary nature at a glance. In their era, an object like this would certainly have been enshrined for worship; even the Pope would have bowed before it as a sacred relic.

Yet this sacred relic was now in the hands of an evil god. This made Gilles de Rais even more excited. If that was the case, then perhaps his wish truly could be fulfilled.

Jeanne d'Arc! If the gods in heaven refused to save you, then let me! Gilles de Rais!! Offer myself as a sacrifice to the evil god, and then—

"Can't you understand human speech? I'm not an evil god."

Mikaela repeated himself once more. He knew perfectly well that Gilles de Rais was the sort of person who, once he had fixed upon a goal, would never turn back.

Otherwise, in the original story, Artoria had told him so many times that she was not "Jeanne d'Arc," yet Gilles de Rais had still insisted, "No! You are Jeanne d'Arc! Your memories are merely in disarray!"

But Abigail's aura should no longer have lingered on him. Gilles de Rais ought to have been able to sense that.