Yet at that moment, the King of Conquerors appeared before Waver, stretching out his hand to block the attack of Kayneth's Moon Cell Essence. Looking at Kayneth with a harmless smile, he said, "Though mages must needs fight among themselves, Servants may likewise interfere in a master's battle. If you truly mean to fight, then you must reckon with me as well."
"..." Diarmuid said nothing, standing before Kayneth to shield his lord. He fixed his gaze on the King of Conquerors as though warning the other man against any reckless moves.
"A battle between Servants? What a joke! Just that fellow there—how much help could he possibly be to you?!" Kayneth sneered, glaring at Waver who was sheltered behind the King of Conquerors. His tone turned utterly frigid as he said, "When the Holy Grail War is over, whether he lives or dies rests entirely in my hands. He can hide by your side for a moment, but can he hide for a lifetime?!"
With Waver's life hanging in Kayneth's hands, speaking such words bore the distinct flavor of a heavy insult.
Yet Waver merely clenched his fists at this, offering no further retort. After all, for Kayneth, a Lord of the Clock Tower, dealing with a third-rate mage was nothing short of effortless.
To say nothing of Kayneth taking action himself; the moment he returned tonight and spoke a word, the El-Melloi Faction would let Waver learn what it meant to incur a Lord's wrath.
"Well now~ that simply won't do, which is why my little master needs to grow." The King of Conquerors let out a bold, hearty laugh. Meeting Kayneth's gaze without a trace of fear, he said, "As a teacher, you should know well enough that students are students precisely because they fail to understand the bitter trials of their masters."
"Eh??" Although Waver felt the King of Conquerors stood on his side, for some reason he felt the man was indirectly lecturing him all the same.
"Hmph, how tedious. Since you wish to partake a while longer in the Holy Grail War, then by all means, join in to your heart's content." At the King of Conquerors' words, Kayneth's expression seemed to soften ever so slightly. Staring at Waver hiding behind the giant, he said in a cold tone, "If you renounce your status as a master in this Holy Grail War right now, at least you will not perish here. Your half-baked knowledge and magical energy are utterly incapable of letting your Servant unleash their power to the fullest."
With that, Kayneth flicked his wrist and spoke indifferently to Diarmuid standing before him: "Let us go, Lancer. Tonight's operations are concluded. Though the main course does not belong to us, I now intend to enjoy a feast of my own."
It was only around eight o'clock in the evening, yet Kayneth was already eager to converse with his fiancée, Sola. Before doing so, however, he had to mobilize his intelligence network and thoroughly investigate what on earth this magical combat held in the countryside was all about.
Through tonight's battle, he keenly sensed that this journey was far from a simple trip; he had to prepare far more contingencies.
"Understood, my Lord." Diarmuid nodded. Glancing at the King of Conquerors with his gentle smile and the stubborn-faced Waver, he sighed faintly and said in a calm tone, "Young man, there are times when you should not merely look at the surface. Appearances can often be deceiving."
Having said this, Diarmuid followed behind Kayneth and departed. This could be considered a well-intentioned warning on his part.
Chapter 81: Kotomine Kirei's Thoughts
"My deepest apologies, Teacher."
Inside the Matou residence, Tohno Shiro, who was temporarily staying there, began inspecting everything left behind by Matou Zouken. Originally, he had no wish to linger in this place, but upon returning home he had found his own estate blown beyond recognition. As the fire brigade rushed to extinguish the flames, his heart sank slightly, leaving him with no choice but to come to the Matou house and borrow shelter for the night.
Right before them, Kotomine Kirei was offering a deeply sincere apology to Tohno Shiro. The fact that he had tailed Tohno Shiro had already been discovered—or rather... when Tohno Shiro was treating Matou Kariya, Kirei had been unable to hold himself back from stepping out, declaring that he too wished to assist his teacher in treating this man.
At the time, Kotomine Kirei knew he ought not to reveal himself. Yet driven by an intense curiosity as to what 'mindset' Matou Kariya possibly harbored to aid his teacher, he felt he had to appear and assist his teacher in the treatment.
Kotomine Kirei knew his teacher extremely well: the man possessed only a rudimentary grasp of healing magecraft and had not specialized in it the way Kirei had. As for the man before them named Matou Kariya—
Kotomine Kirei could tell at a single glance that the other's life was like a candle flickering in the wind. If treatment wasn't administered swiftly, the man's lifespan would likely come to an end in less than a month. Driven by his own 'desire', Kotomine Kirei had stepped forward.
"No, this is not your fault. I should have foreseen that your concern for me would lead you to defy my orders." Tohno Shiro was leafing through the books of the Matou family, a gentle smile upon his face as he addressed Kotomine Kirei. Though somewhat troubled by his disciple's disobedience, he knew the young man had only followed him out of worry.
Tohno Shiro was well aware of his disciple's capabilities. In a one-on-one duel, even Tohno Shiro lacked a seventy-percent certainty of defeating him.
Before becoming his disciple, Kotomine Kirei had been an Executor of the Holy Church. Had it not been for certain special circumstances, his position would not merely be that of an Executor, but something far more exalted.
How could Tohno Shiro ever find it in his heart to reproach a disciple so brilliantly talented, one willing to assist with all his heart and mind, and protect him even in defiance of his orders?!
"I am truly sorry." Kotomine Kirei lowered his head further. His gaze drifted, now and then, toward Gilgamesh, who sat upon an ancient sofa sipping blood-red wine. The King of Heroes seemed to be watching him as well, yet merely wore an amused smile as he continued to savor wine procured from unknown origins.
"Think nothing of it. It was merely a house. The most precious items from over there have already been brought out by me; it's just that the magic barrier will require some effort to set up anew."
Tohno Shiro had never imagined that in his bid to deal with the Matou family, he had brought out the greater part of the Tohsaka family's heritage, intending to fight a battle to the death with Matou Zouken.
Yet he had never expected that precisely because he had brought out the Tohsaka family's foundation, he had narrowly escaped this calamity. If the jewels treasured by his ancestors, the unfinished Jeweled Sword, and the items handed down to the Tohsakas by the Great Teacher had been blown to dust, then even upon reaching the Root, he would have had no face to meet his forebears.
"Still, the Einzbern family has suffered heavy losses as well, actually compelling their own Servant to unleash that Noble Phantasm." Tohno Shiro wore a faint smile, his tone remarkably calm. "Though that Noble Phantasm is exceptionally powerful, its drawbacks are far, far too great."
"Indeed, Teacher." Disregarding Gilgamesh's reaction entirely, Kotomine Kirei spoke in a flat tone, "If that Saber were to fight the King of Heroes, the outcome would be clear from the very beginning."
Given the pride of the King of Heroes, unless it was an existence he acknowledged, he would only stand in the heights, looking down upon those 'mongrels' before opening the Gate of Babylon to launch long-range attacks.
Though Mikaela's Noble Phantasm seemed thoroughly disadvantageous to Diarmuid and the King of Conquerors, in the eyes of Tohno Shiro's faction, this Noble Phantasm had appeared precisely to pave the way for their own victory!
Tohno Shiro nodded slightly. At that moment he longed to burst into roaring laughter, yet constrained by the elegance passed down through generations of the Tohsaka family, he restrained himself, telling himself inwardly that he could not afford to let down his guard yet. Tonight's operations had made it clear that the Einzbern family was not cooperating with him in good faith.
That's right; Tohno Shiro had seen through it. The one who had blown up his house tonight was Emiya Kiritsugu of the Einzbern family. Did Irisviel really take him for a fool? Did she truly think his intelligence sources lagged behind what they imagined?!
That Mage Killer, Emiya Kiritsugu, was the very object of Tohno Shiro's greatest wariness, and he possessed quite clear intelligence regarding him.
Almost without exception, the mages he had slain suffered from rampaging Magic Circuits and destroyed Magecraft Crests. Such an existence was precisely what orthodox mages like Tohno Shiro feared most.
Yet Tohno Shiro could understand the Einzberns' actions. Despite being one of the Three Great Families, the Einzberns would never lower their heads to others. Had they made no move whatsoever, it would have instead aroused Tohno Shiro's suspicions, making him think they were plotting something else entirely.
Yet things were different now. He had eliminated Matou Zouken and rescued Sakura, and now all of the Matou family's magical secrets were his to examine at will!
Although Tohno Shiro would gain nothing within the short term, practically speaking, these assets constituted a new foundation—a new heritage for the Tohsaka family.
In any era, knowledge was what the vast majority of people craved. The more knowledge one acquired, the easier it was to achieve victory in the war known as 'magecraft'.
"In that case, Teacher, I shall return to caring for Matou Kariya and your daughter." Kotomine Kirei took his leave. He had already reported all the intelligence gathered through Assassin to his teacher, and what remained was the slow treatment of Matou Kariya.
The man's physical condition was far worse than he had imagined. To rouse him as quickly as possible, he would have to tend to him without a moment's rest to accelerate his awakening.
"Thank you for your hard work." Mention of Sakura caused a flash of dimness to cross Tohno Shiro's eyes, much of his earlier joy and excitement vanishing in an instant.
Tohsaka Sakura... no, Matou Sakura, as she should be called, still refused to approach Tohno Shiro. In her own words, she had no father, no mother, and only Uncle Kariya.
Thus, she wished to stay with Matou Kariya rather than with Tohno Shiro.
Chapter 82: Matou Shinji
After Kotomine Kirei departed, Tohno Shiro sighed and cast his gaze elsewhere. At this moment, a child of the Matou family with seaweed-like hair was peering at him from outside the door with a look of extreme terror. Evidently, this child of the same age as his own daughter felt a profound dread toward this stranger.
His father, the current head of the Matou family, Matou Tsuruno, was currently unconscious nearby.
Upon learning that his daughter had been subjected to such cruel treatment, Tohno Shiro had not slain Matou Zouken with his own hands, but he had vented his fury upon Matou Tsuruno, letting him understand what the wrath of the Tohsaka family truly meant!
However, thanks to Matou Kariya's intervention—having actively had Berserker slaughter his own father, exhausted all his Command Seals, and 'spiritedly' withdrawn from this Holy Grail War—Tohno Shiro felt a deep sense of emotion, and thus chose not to press the 'ignorant' child too harshly.
"What is your name?"
Tohno Shiro wore a rather amiable smile, refraining from tormenting the seaweed-haired child. Instead, he beckoned him over, motioning for the boy to come to his side.
Perhaps due to Tohno Shiro's inherent charm, or perhaps realizing he had no hope of resisting this intruder, the seaweed-haired boy timidly approached Tohno Shiro's side. Glancing at his father, who was still twitching on the floor, he swallowed hard and stammered, "My name is Matou Shinji."
"Matou Shinji? Hn... do you know why I am here?" Tohno Shiro noticed that the child seemed 'rather clever'. Maintaining his kindly smile, he continued, "I am no mere intruder. You should have seen me here before."
Matou Shinji nodded. Seeming to realize that Tohno Shiro had no intention of harming him, his terrified expression receded slightly, and he stood beside Tohno Shiro like an apprentice as he spoke. "When you brought Sakura, ah... that is... my, oh no! Your daughter to the Matou house, I saw you."
"My father told me you are the head of the Tohsaka family, one of the Three Great Families," Matou Shinji said timidly. "You are our Matou family's ally, yet you broke into our house, killed grandfather, and knocked out my father."
Though not spoken outright, Matou Shinji was essentially calling Tohno Shiro an 'intruder'.
"Then do you know why I did not kill your father, nor kill you?" Tohno Shiro looked at Matou Shinji as though trying to pierce the boy's psyche, his tone turning ice-cold. "According to the rules among mages, I ought to seize all your wealth right now, slaughter every last one of you, and fold 'everything' you own into the Tohsaka family."
"Eek!!!!!ing!"
Matou Shinji was, after all, still a child. Under Tohno Shiro's 'intimidation', the fear that had just receded flooded back once more, though this time far more pathetically... a sudden gush of liquid soaked his trousers.
"Hahaha, I jest. Do not be alarmed, child." Realizing perhaps that he had 'overestimated' this child, Tohno Shiro wore a gentle smile and snapped his fingers lightly, using a faint flame to dry Matou Shinji's trousers. Squatting down halfway, he looked at Matou Shinji and said, "We are allies indeed, but your grandfather committed a grave error. He betrayed our alliance, and your father did likewise."
The Three Great Families could not be allowed to vanish—this was Tohno Shiro's innermost thought. He could execute Matou Zouken, or torture the current head, Matou Tsuruno, until death seemed preferable, but the Matou lineage had to be passed down through their own bloodline.
Though his chances of winning this Holy Grail War were high, they had been paved by the paths forged by his predecessors. His father had maintained a close personal friendship with Risei Kotomine of the Holy Church, and Tohno Shiro had extended that relationship.
Had it not been for the assistance of the father-and-son duo Kotomine Kirei and Risei Kotomine in this Holy Grail War, Tohno Shiro truly doubted he could have secured such a massive advantage.
"Still, as the fifth head of the Tohsaka family, I feel the Matou family's heritage ought not to perish." Watching Matou Shinji display intense interest provoked by his 'magecraft', Tohno Shiro snapped his fingers slightly.
"So... so beautiful." The fear vanished entirely from Matou Shinji's eyes. He saw blue butterflies fluttering around Tohno Shiro.
These were not cast by Tohno Shiro himself, but were an illusion he conjured to show Matou Shinji a glimpse of the Matou family's former glory—the very Matou magecraft praised even by his own ancestor, Tohno Nagato.
"!!!! What... What on earth is this?!"
Yet instantly, the butterfly magecraft morphed into bug magecraft. Hideous bugs charged toward Matou Shinji, and had he not just released some 'pressure' earlier, he likely would have released another round of 'pressure' right then and there.
"There is no need to fear."
Smiling, Tohno Shiro canceled the illusion. Looking at the shaken Matou Shinji, he said gently, "This is the origin and the downfall of your family's magecraft. You are now the sole heir to the Matou lineage. Your grandfather took the wrong path, destroying the magecraft passed down by your ancestors, and your father lacked the capacity to stop it. As your ally, it was only natural that I came to help."
Right, this was Tohno Shiro's objective: to draw the Matou family, fellow members of the Three Great Families, over to his side!
Though he hated Matou Zouken, he did not hate the Matou family. With Matou Kariya serving as a precedent, Tohno Shiro naturally found it difficult to bring himself to uproot the Matou family entirely.
Likewise... had he done so, another faction, the Einzbern family, would harbor immense hostility toward him. No matter how one looked at it, Tohno Shiro was something of a 'freak'—it was he who had given his daughter away for adoption, yet he had personally gone to rescue her afterward.
An orthodox mage, upon giving up a daughter for adoption and later learning she had suffered inhuman treatment, would simply laugh it off and continue researching the path to the 'Root'.
"Was that... our family's magecraft?!" Young Matou Shinji was naturally drawn to the beautiful butterflies rather than developing any peculiar curiosity toward those hideous bugs.
"Mm, that's right."
Tohno Shiro wore a smile as he watched Matou Shinji's expression. This little fellow wasn't half bad, accepting all of this so quickly.
"Your family's magecraft has been stained and defiled, but so long as you descendants strive, the day will come when the Matou family's butterfly magecraft is recreated. If you do not mind, today I shall take the place of your hopelessly foolish grandfather and, in the name of the Three Great Families, impart some of my magical experience to you."
At this moment, Tohno Shiro was paving the road for his family's future. The kid before him had been entirely captivated by the 'magecraft' of the Matou family's past. With just a little guidance, he would focus his entire energy on 'magecraft' rather than on his own family members.
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Notice of Leave
Resting for a day today. The author isn't feeling too well = = It doesn't feel very good.
I'll work hard to update tomorrow. Staying up late really is harmful to the body.
Five chapters tomorrow =A=!!!!
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Chapter 83: This King Will Not Go
Under Tohno Shiro's verbal assault, young Matou Shinji ultimately failed to resist the allure of 'learning magecraft'. Ignoring his father sprawled out nearby, he devotedly stayed by Tohno Shiro's side, watching the ever-shifting 'magecraft' in the man's hands, his large eyes filled with a curious wonder for these 'new things'.
After offering a brief explanation of what 'magecraft' truly was, Tohno Shiro dismissed Matou Shinji to get some rest. After all, the hour was late, and while he himself could endure it, this Matou child was still young; excessive sleep deprivation would inevitably harm his body.
"Um... Teacher, my father..." Regaining his senses, Matou Shinji gazed at his father, who lay twitching on the ground, and asked with lingering pity, "Did he do something wrong? Why must he suffer such torture?"
"That you will understand when you grow up. For now, go get some sleep." Tohno Shiro smiled, seemingly having no intention of sparing Matou Shinji's father. After all, he had come here today with the mindset of fighting the Matou family to the death.
Yet Matou Kariya had used his Command Seals to make Berserker kill Matou Zouken and destroyed the greater part of the Matou family's magic barrier, sparing Tohno Shiro the trouble of taking the historically ancient Matou estate.
Though Matou Kariya had slightly diminished Tohno Shiro's hatred toward the Matou family, it was only a fraction. Matou Zouken was dead, but Matou Kariya's older brother, Matou Tsuruno, was still alive.
Tohno Shiro was using Matou Tsuruno as a vessel to vent his fury.
"Alright."
Matou Shinji possessed no strength to resist Tohno Shiro. He could only nod, casting a mournful glance at his father. Judging by the kind uncle's demeanor, he didn't seem to want to kill his father, so... everything should be fine.
With Matou Shinji's departure, Tohno Shiro could not help but sigh. Right now, his house had been blown up, and the magic barrier that had sustained the Tohsaka family for years had been destroyed in a single stroke.
Though tonight's battle and the intelligence provided by Kirei had given Tohno Shiro a rough grasp of Saber's trump card,
as for the King of Conquerors' trump card—aside from knowing it was a space that temporarily 'imprisoned the Sea Demon'—he knew nothing else. Because all three Servants had gathered in one place at the time, Assassin had not dared to approach and gather intelligence.
Though a Master had been left isolated midway, Kotomine Kirei's orders kept Assassin from striking them down. Both of them knew that while they could slay all three Masters right then and there, the consequence would be leaving that massive Sea Demon completely unmanaged, resulting in their own elimination from the Holy Grail War.
It was precisely for this reason that Tohno Shiro let out a deep sigh, at a complete loss for what to do.
The unknown was the most terrifying thing of all.
When the Einzbern Servant revealed her Noble Phantasm, Tohno Shiro had breathed a sigh of relief. Yet the King of Conquerors' Noble Phantasm had caused him to catch his breath all over again.
Furthermore, he had no inkling whether Kayneth's Servant, Lancer, possessed an extraordinarily powerful trump card. The vast majority of crucial intelligence had been provided by the Einzbern family.
It was somewhat frustrating, but it was the undeniable truth. While Kirei's Assassin was competent and had gathered intelligence across various fronts, the critical intel had consistently come from the Einzberns.
For instance, had Irisviel not informed him that the Matou family had become tainted, Tohno Shiro would never have thought his daughter was there, intending to visit Matou Zouken personally to find her.
Had he not taken that step, Matou Kariya would not have betrayed Matou Zouken. And had Matou Kariya not betrayed Matou Zouken, once Caster was eliminated, the situation would likely have deteriorated into a nightmare.
To hypothesize, the scenario would probably have involved Matou Kariya and Kayneth cooperating to exact vengeance upon Tohno Shiro!
Indeed, vengeance. Judging by tonight's events, Matou Kariya cared nothing for the so-called Holy Grail War; he cared only for Sakura, who had been cast into the bug pit. Whoever rescued her would earn his service as a weapon.
Yet... Matou Kariya evidently refused to become Tohno Shiro's weapon. Upon discovering the purpose of his arrival, he had decisively used his three Command Seals to slay Matou Zouken while rescuing Matou Sakura, nearly driving himself to the brink of death through the excessive provision of magical energy to his Servant.
Now Berserker had vanished because Matou Kariya exhausted his Command Seals, and Caster had been utterly annihilated by Saber's Noble Phantasm. The most crucial step ahead was figuring out how to uncover the King of Conquerors' Noble Phantasm.
"Must I really go seek out the Einzberns once more?" Tohno Shiro muttered to himself, sitting upon the sofa. "After last night's battle, it should be clear that the Einzberns fear neither Lancer nor Rider. That Saber's Noble Phantasm is simply most vulnerable to long-range attacks..."
The mid-game of this Holy Grail War was slowly clearing up. Tohno Shiro did not fear Kayneth's Servant, but he deeply feared the King of Conquerors summoned by Kayneth's disciple, Waver.
At the same time, the two Servants of Kayneth and Waver felt no fear toward Tohno Shiro and Kotomine Kirei's Servants, instead holding a profound wariness toward Mikaela, who had unleashed her Noble Phantasm.
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