Plotting

The handkerchief I'd just handed Wang Xiaoming... Had that person forgotten to give it back?

"This guy..."

Listening to the footsteps that were gradually fading away, Medea was both amused and exasperated. Yet, deep down, she also seemed a little embarrassed.

(Shirou and Wang Xiaoming: Plan successful.)

At dinner, the only ones at the enormous table were still the Matou and Wang families. Kayneth's group seemed to have sent a familiar to take care of things, or something like that.

Anyway, Medea had just casually said to Wang Xiaoming:

"Lancer just went out."

So there was no need to worry about them.

"Shirou, you seem to be in a good mood."

Seeing how Shirou could barely hide his happiness and how heartily he was eating, Kariya said with a smile.

"Do I?"

After all, he was still a child, and Shirou wasn't good at hiding his feelings.

"I got this kid's adoption papers back."

Wang Xiaoming showed no mercy to his adopted son, exposing him outright.

"Is that so?"

Hearing Wang Xiaoming's reply, Kariya froze for a moment. Then he understood and said with a smile, "You'll have your hands full from now on."

"Yeah, I sure will~"

Wang Xiaoming followed suit with a rueful sigh.

At first, Wang Xiaoming's idea of adopting Shirou had probably been more due to the peculiar sense of humor common to transmigrators than sympathy for Shirou's background.

But as time went by and his rationality gradually returned, Wang Xiaoming understood just how ridiculous that initial whim had been.

He'd never even been in a relationship, and yet he already had a son, at least in name...

How was he supposed to explain this to his parents when he got back?

Wang Xiaoming scratched his head, but when he saw Shirou serving Sakura some food and Sakura quietly thanking him, he suddenly smiled.

"As long as he can grow up feeling safe, this really isn't that much trouble when I think about it."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right."

Watching Shirou and Sakura, Kariya's lips softened into a gentle smile. His gaze flickered, though, as if he were thinking about something.

"You need something?"

After dinner, Wang Xiaoming saw Kariya approaching him and vaguely guessed what was on his mind. He gave Medea a look, and she understood, leading the two children out of the dining room.

The spacious dining room was now empty except for Wang Xiaoming and Kariya.

"My body won't last much longer. You know that, don't you, Ming?"

Kariya skipped any opening pleasantries and got straight to the point.

"Mm."

Wang Xiaoming nodded.

He'd already asked Medea about Kariya's condition. The answer hadn't been very encouraging.

Half a month was the absolute limit of Matou Kariya's life.

"I hope..."

Kariya's expression was conflicted, but in the end, he seemed to make up his mind.

He bent his knees and prostrated himself before Wang Xiaoming, his forehead resting against his hands. Using the most formal gesture he could muster, he made his request.

"I hope you'll take Sakura in. Please raise this child to adulthood!"

"Why?"

Wang Xiaoming's expression was complicated. He'd been prepared for Kariya to make this request. If Kariya hadn't brought it up himself, Wang Xiaoming would have gone to talk to him about it.

However, all of that depended on the Holy Grail War coming to an end.

But Kariya was making the request now...

"I'd planned to spend the last moments of my life with Sakura. But after talking with Shirou this afternoon, and seeing everything with my own eyes tonight..."

Kariya remained prostrated, but his voice grew more resolute.

"That's why I believe you can carry out my request!"

"What about you?" Wang Xiaoming asked again.

"Me..."

Kariya gave a bitter smile.

A figure he'd yearned for since childhood suddenly flashed through his mind.

Aoi...

Her perfect face and gentle nature had filled him with longing, yet he'd never dared to approach her, because he knew—

What kind of hell he lived in.

He absolutely couldn't let her get hurt!

So... he could only watch helplessly as she married someone else!

So... he could only watch helplessly as she bore another man's children!!

So... he watched as the happiness that should have been his was snatched away by someone else!!!

Let it be... There was nothing to complain about. If he couldn't make her happy, then he would let that man make her happy. As long as he could occasionally catch a glimpse of that perfect, gentle smile from afar, wasn't that already the greatest happiness he could hope for?

Let it be... There was nothing to complain about. If he couldn't make her happy, then he would let someone else make her happy. As long as he could occasionally catch a glimpse of that perfect, gentle smile from afar, wasn't that already the greatest happiness he could hope for?

That was why he'd left that cold home: he wanted to face her with a smile untainted by it!

That was why, no matter where he was, he always went back at the same time. His longing for her—and for her two children—was impossible to suppress! Those two adorable children hadn't inherited a single bit of that detestable man's genes. They took after her, beautiful and sweet... It was impossible not to cherish them!

It should have been like that. It should have gone on that way forever. But that detestable man didn't cherish what he had—everything Kariya longed for but could never obtain... He'd sent those adorable children straight into hell! Into the very hell Kariya had struggled so hard to escape...

How could such a frail child bear all this?

He had no power to change any of it... Even after giving everything he had, he still couldn't change it...

Then he could only face it alongside her! If he couldn't be her savior, then he could become a companion who suffered alongside her. Surely that would bring some comfort to her lonely heart?

And what about Tohsaka Tokiomi, the culprit behind all this?

Kariya could clearly feel the rage beginning to corrode his reason, drop by drop, like sulfuric acid.

There was no understanding it, and no need to understand it.

There was no forgiving him, and no way he could forgive him.

The moment Matou Kariya decided to join the Holy Grail War, the man himself had already died. The only thing left in this empty shell was a single obsession:

"I'll make Tohsaka Tokiomi regret his foolishness!"

He would stand before Tohsaka Tokiomi and demand an answer for all the suffering Sakura had endured.

When Kariya raised his head, the last trace of clarity in his one remaining eye had long since been swallowed by hatred.

Wang Xiaoming looked at Kariya with a complicated expression.

Honestly, Wang Xiaoming had never thought of himself as someone who put reason above all else. Everything he'd planned so far had been to help his side survive this cruel Holy Grail War.

Both before and after transmigrating, he'd been nothing more than an ordinary person. As far as Wang Xiaoming was concerned, the ideals of magi were nothing but a series of challenges to his own values.

Rather than sacrifice his friends to achieve his goals, Wang Xiaoming preferred an ending where everyone survived.

As if he'd seen Wang Xiaoming's inner conflict, Kariya stood up, walked over, and patted him on the shoulder.

"That's war for you... Besides, this was my own decision. You don't need to trouble yourself over it."

He'd told Lancer not to treat the Holy Grail War like a game, but in the end, was he the one who couldn't see things clearly...?

Looking at Kariya now, Wang Xiaoming sighed. His tone returned to normal.

"Then let's hold a strategy meeting first. Your grudge against Tohsaka Tokiomi happens to be one part of my plan."

P.S.: I'm collecting ideas for the protagonist's abilities~~~

If you have any good suggestions, feel free to leave them in the reviews~

Maybe I'll be able to use them in Volume Two, lol.

Book recommendation~

Miss Gudako and the FGO Journey of the Miss Who Keeps Saying Sorry

This is a story about Shirou and Tohsaka Rin's daughter, Emiya Gudako, and Yui, a transmigrator who likes saying "sorry" as much as Siegfried does, as they grow through their efforts to save the Human Order.

The author is an Emiya fan and a Siegfried fan.

Feel free to check it out~

By the way, the author of this book is also called Xiaoming, lol.

Planning

At this moment, Wang Xiaoming, Medea, Kariya, an impatient-looking Kayneth, and a silent Lancer were seated in the Matou family's reception room.

Even with everyone seated, the spacious reception room still had plenty of room. But the atmosphere had grown so heavy that everyone instinctively breathed more quietly.

"Then I'll start by explaining my plan—"

Wang Xiaoming broke the silence, his voice steadier than before.

Everyone turned their eyes toward him.

"Rider is about to hold a banquet. We don't need to concern ourselves with the reason for now, but he'll invite Saber and Archer to attend."

"Tsk—Is this so-called plan of yours to send our side to disrupt their banquet?"

Kayneth seemed to have guessed what Wang Xiaoming was about to suggest. He'd been about to sneer at Wang Xiaoming's lack of brains when he heard him ask in return:

"Why would we disrupt it? Rider, Saber, and Archer are all far above us in both abilities and Noble Phantasms. Are we supposed to go there and get ourselves killed?"

Kayneth's expression darkened and brightened by turns. Then he suddenly snorted and said nothing more.

But Wang Xiaoming had no time to concern himself with Kayneth's pride as a magus. He looked around at everyone present and asked:

"Do you know what it means for these three Heroic Spirits to gather in one place?"

"..."

When nobody answered, Wang Xiaoming continued:

"That means that, apart from Rider's Master, the Masters of both Saber and Archer will be left unguarded while they attend the banquet!"

Everyone present brightened at that.

That was right!

Rider's team always appeared with Master and Servant together, so the only way to defeat Rider was to face him head-on. This had left Kayneth, who was hiding in the shadows and waiting for a chance to personally teach his student a lesson, without an opportunity—and it drove him mad with frustration.

If there was no opportunity with Rider, then they could only target the other participants first.

Now, that opportunity had arrived—

Kariya began to tremble involuntarily.

"Tohsaka Tokiomi..."

Kariya's quiet murmur didn't escape anyone present.

"...This time, our target is Archer's Master, Tohsaka Tokiomi."