Shirou's Return From the Fae Kingdom

"How is that possible..."

Even under the influence of suggestion Magic, Kariya Matou couldn't believe it.

How could he believe that an immortal monster had so easily lost to a seven-year-old child?

"Kukuku... still the same, looking like a hateful stray dog, Kariya."

Just as Kariya Matou's mind went blank, a wet, sinister laugh echoed in the room.

"!!!"

The young man leaped up, looking around as if facing a great enemy.

"Stop playing games, where are you? Get out here! Zouken Matou!"

He would never forget this voice. It belonged to the monster's "father"—

"Don't be so jumpy, I'm even ashamed of you."

The voice came from a small yellow rubber duck on the table.

Kariya Matou: "???"

Volume 1, Chapter 013: "Magic Terminal Makiri"

Zouken Matou.

Even Kariya Matou didn't know his true age.

No one knew how many centuries this old man had existed.

A Magus who had extended his lifespan time and again through indescribably terrifying methods, the progenitor of Kariya Matou's bloodline, a living yokai who had survived into modern times.

This was Zouken, the man Kariya Matou hated most in his life.

However, now he had become a small yellow rubber duck for the bathtub.

Kariya Matou stared, dumbfounded, at the rubber duck on the table, hearing it speak in a dignified, sinister voice.

"Kariya, didn't you once swear never to appear before me again...?"

"No, even if you say that..."

Kariya Matou was speechless with astonishment.

Even though he harbored a lifetime of hatred, disgust, and contempt for this voice, upon seeing the cute appearance of the rubber duck, all his anger vanished.

He glanced at the red-haired boy beside him. Shirou's expression made it impossible for him to understand what the boy was thinking.

"Are... are you really Zouken Matou?"

"Zouken Matou, that was indeed one of the names I used in the past, but my current name is 'Magic Terminal Makiri'."

Magic Terminal...

Although Kariya Matou had never seriously studied Magic, he vaguely understood the meaning.

The foundation of Zouken Matou's existence—both "body" and "soul"—had turned to ash.

What remained in the toy now was "spirit (personality)."

"Ugh!"

Kariya Matou suddenly covered his face.

The object of his hatred had physically died, but his memories remained like an inextinguishable Curse—

This feeling, both liberating and incredibly frustrating, left him bewildered.

After a long time, having composed himself, the young man spoke with a cold smile.

"Your longed-for eternal life is now impossible. How do you feel now, 'father'?"

"My feelings... I no longer have the functions that can be called emotions. If I must conclude something, it would be relief."

Kariya Matou frowned, displeased with the unsatisfactory answer. "Relief? You don't seriously think you're still 'alive,' do you? Don't make me laugh!"

"Looking back now, the eternal life I once craved, the fundamental reason for it—was the unbearable decline of my physical body."

The rubber duck said in a slow tone.

"How to maintain my increasingly decaying body and soul, this question plagued me for a long time and eventually became a mental obsession.

So, at some point, I became solely focused on how to merely survive.

But now, having lost my body and soul, my greatest worry no longer exists.

Now, I can think more calmly... Isn't that a form of relief?"

The rubber duck let out a quacking laugh, though there was no genuine biological emotion in the sound.

"...Hmph!"

Tongue-tied by the rebuttal, Kariya Matou changed the subject. "Why did you adopt the Tohsaka Family's daughter?"

The rubber duck said, "To continue the survival of the Matou Family... If it were Zouken Matou, he would have answered you like this and berated you, my boy, for your betrayal."

"Of course—the true objective is the Holy Grail; the Matou family's survival is irrelevant."

"Magic Terminal Makiri" switched to a tone that was much closer to the old Magus.

"The sixty-year cycle is approaching, yet the Matou family has no pieces to participate in the Fourth Holy Grail War.

With Tsuruno's level of magic, controlling a Servant is impossible. We'll have to forgo this time, but I still have a chance in another sixty years.

That daughter from the Tohsaka family possesses infinite potential—her womb is sure to bear excellent Magus, though she'll need thorough training first..."

"Slap!"

Kariya Matou finally lost his temper and furiously threw the little yellow duck at the wall.

The little yellow duck hit the wall, then bounced back due to its elasticity, hitting Kariya Matou's face.

"Mmph...!"

"Still impatient as ever, Kariya. You'll suffer consequences if you continue like this."

"Don't put on a fatherly face at this point, I don't want to hear it!" Kariya Matou roared.

The yellow toy, which had quietly fallen onto the carpet, seemed to mock him with its upturned beak: "Well, what happens with the Tohsaka daughter is already a closed topic."

"Indeed, you are now..."

"That's not what I intended to say."

"Magic Terminal Makiri" spoke: "Sakura Matou is useless now, because we've found a prodigy far surpassing that little girl."

Kariya Matou subconsciously turned his head, looking at the red-haired boy on the sofa happily watching the touching father-son scene.

"Me?"

Shirou pointed at himself, tilting his head cutely.

The little yellow duck let out its usual sinister chuckle: "The hidden talent within this brat, even I cannot fully fathom or comprehend.

If it's him... this brat who killed me, it wouldn't be strange even if he actually claimed the Holy Grail."

Although Zouken Matou no longer had the desire for eternal life or the craving for the Holy Grail, he was driven by the Magus's instinct to explore the unknown, and became deeply interested in Shirou Amamiya, who had eliminated him.

His power, his nature, and his way of existence...

Witnessing him claim the Holy Grail and recording this outcome had now become "Magic Terminal Makiri's" core logic.

Shirou frowned and protested: "Hey, don't make decisions for others without permission, Makiri. Who said I'm participating in the Holy Grail War?"

"Oh, you're not participating this time? Shirou Amamiya, are you also betting everything on the next one, like I once did?"

The little yellow duck's wide eyes looked delighted: "Your offspring with Sakura Matou should be excellent enough to shake the Magus world... I'm truly looking forward to it."

"I said, don't make decisions for others without permission."

Shirou stepped on the toy little yellow duck, deactivating the Magic Terminal.

"Kukuku... You're not denying it..."

Zouken Matou's voice gradually faded.

"..."

Kariya Matou's expression returned to one of stunned disbelief.

"Uncle Kariya?"

"Ah!"

He yelped and fell to the floor upon seeing the boy's face approaching him.

Shirou kindly extended his hand: "Are you alright, Uncle?"

Kariya Matou understood the boy's respectful demeanor—he was a monster who surpassed Zouken Matou.

"I, I won't believe you!"

Kariya Matou pushed Shirou's hand away.

Although he looked like a cute boy, ... how could someone who could communicate harmoniously with that old monster be trusted with Sakura?

Shirou nodded: "Yes, that's what I think too."

"What?"

"Uncle Kariya, starting today, you'll stay at the Matou house to study, along with Sakura and Shinji."

Kariya Matou gritted his teeth: "Why?!"

"You're too weak. No matter how strong your words are, it's just empty bravado. I've seen plenty of people like you—

If you want to protect Sakura, try to gain strength with your own hands.

It's fine if you lose to me, but don't even lose to Shinji."

Shirou said only this, leaving Kariya Matou dumbfounded, and exited the room.

Pushing for rankings on Monday. The two chapters for tomorrow will be released around midnight tomorrow night, making it a total of 5 chapters. No need to wait during the day.

Volume 1, Chapter 014: A Chance Encounter

Time flies, and three months have passed in the blink of an eye.

Kariya Matou remained at the Matou residence, starting his Magic education from scratch alongside Sakura and Shinji.

"You two have to study hard, Shinji, Kariya. You're carrying the pride of the Matou men on your shoulders... I mean, don't fall too far behind Little Sakura."

Meanwhile, Shirou, as usual, was cramming knowledge about this world while adapting to life in the city.

His days were fulfilling, yet Shirou had recently been feeling increasingly restless.

Every night, an inexplicable loneliness would creep in.

I can't just go to Shinji's room every night, Shirou thought after pondering for a long time, and he found the root of the problem—

It was this house.

This was the Matou Family's home, not Shirou's.

It wasn't that Shirou had started to dislike the Matou family.

Shinji and Sakura were the only two friends he had in this world, though taking care of children was a bit of a struggle.

Tsuruno was surprisingly competent at his job; if Shirou asked him to look up some information, he'd have the results by the next day.

Kariya had an unyielding spirit and was upright and righteous, hating evil with a passion—Shirou's kind of person.

They were all good, but this was ultimately not his "place to belong."

"Brother Shirou, are you leaving us!?"