Dating Caster

Kariya issued the order to Berserker: kill Tohsaka Tokiomi.

"Waaaaaaaagh!!!"

Without the need for any weapon, facing such a powerful and maddened Servant, Tohsaka Tokiomi, as a magus, could not possibly be a match for the frenzied Berserker!

And this was exactly what Kariya desired: to tear the man before him into pieces, bit by bit!

Facing the Berserker charging straight at him, there was not a hint of panic in Tohsaka Tokiomi's eyes. He raised his right hand, engraved with Command Spells, and sighed inwardly.

In the end, he still had to use this Command Spell, even though it signaled the breakdown of his relationship with the King of Heroes. But under the current circumstances, he had no other choice; if worse came to worst, he would just have to seek another Command Spell from his old friend, Risei Kotomine.

Though he lamented this in his heart, Tohsaka Tokiomi did not stop his movements, quickly and accurately chanting the incantation:

"By the name of the Command Spell, I command my puppet (Servant)!"

Simultaneously, the two remaining Command Spells on the back of his hand glowed with a faint red light.

"Archer, come to my side immediately!"

The disappearance of the Command Spell and the slight burning sensation in his Magic Circuits indicated that the order had been transmitted to Archer, but—

"???"

Tohsaka Tokiomi's expression turned one of shock and uncertainty. Logically, a Command Spell's order to a Servant was absolute; with Archer's Magic Resistance of only C, it should have been impossible for him to resist the power of the Command Spell. So why did he not see that golden, radiant figure?!

However, the situation developed too quickly for him to ponder this question. Watching Berserker, now only a few steps away, Tohsaka Tokiomi felt a threat to his life for the very first time.

Seeing Tohsaka Tokiomi display an expression other than his damned elegance brought a faint sense of pleasure to Kariya's heart, along with gratitude toward Wang Xiaoming, who had made all the preparations for him.

"Die, Tohsaka Tokiomi!"

Staring at the chilling light radiating from the eyes burning like raging fire within Berserker's black helmet, which had already charged right in front of him.

Tohsaka Tokiomi was somewhat dazed.

[No chance of victory.]

This was the result he obtained after a rapid calculation.

If that was the case...

He might as well close his eyes; admiring the sight of his own miserable death was hardly an elegant act.

The final image before Tohsaka Tokiomi's eyes plunged into darkness was Berserker swinging a massive fist at him, the metal claws covering the black gauntlet making one's heart run cold.

The next second—

Bang—

Squelch!

Blood splattered everywhere!

Everything happened in the blink of an eye, and immediately after, Kariya saw a figure like a ragdoll being sent flying.

Is it over?

A sense of emptiness suddenly welled up in Kariya's heart. Was this what it felt like to finish off one's enemy? But now was not the time for emptiness; Kariya forced himself to pull it together.

Although Tohsaka Tokiomi had been dealt with, his Servant had not yet returned to the Throne of Heroes, which meant there was still a tough battle to be fought. 10 20 0 3 7, 9, 92

Even if only to repay a debt, he had to eliminate this hidden danger for the sake of Wang Xiaoming and the others. Kariya was confident he could handle an Archer without a Master; after all, the two remaining Command Spells on the back of his hand were one of the sources of his confidence.

And so, after finishing off Archer... he would see Sakura one last time before he died, so that at least she wouldn't worry about him.

A gentle smile appeared on the corners of Kariya's mouth.

Well, as for the reason... he would just say he was going on a long trip.

But apparently, things always go against one's wishes in the most unexpected ways.

"Cough, cough cough!"

A muffled coughing sound suddenly rang out, causing Kariya to freeze in his tracks. He cast an incredulous gaze toward what should have been the corpse of Tohsaka Tokiomi.

Kariya discovered that the so-called "corpse of Tohsaka Tokiomi" was suddenly shaking violently, then was abruptly shoved aside, revealing Tohsaka Tokiomi, who was coughing incessantly beneath it.

"!!!"

If the one Berserker attacked just now wasn't Tohsaka Tokiomi, then who was it?!

But Kariya had no time to ponder this question now. If Tohsaka Tokiomi wasn't dead, then that meant...

"Berserker!"

Kariya hurriedly commanded the black Servant, wanting to finish Tohsaka Tokiomi off right here, but it was already too late.

Golden ripples were already spreading out, covering the sky and earth.

"Mongrel, how dare you disturb the King's presence!"

I'm late today, I'm very sorry!

I was held up by work at the office; I've been feeling depressed all day QAQ

Workdays should be one chapter a day for now, and I'll try to add more on the weekends?

Thank you all for your support!

"Mongrel, what is your crime for disturbing the King's carriage!"

The golden King stood with his feet upon the soft soil, gazing down at everyone present.

The overwhelming pressure caused Matou Kariya to subconsciously choke on his breath, yet it had absolutely no effect on the black, maddened Servant beside him:

"Waaaaaaaagh!!!"

A crimson light suddenly flashed where Berserker's helmet should have been. Accompanied by a roar, the black magical energy swirling around Berserker began to boil.

The defiant roar caught the attention of Archer. Crimson flames burned within his blood-red eyes, and the golden ripples behind him surged violently.

"Vile stray dog, who gave you permission to offend the dignity of a King?!"

From within the golden ripples, dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of original Noble Phantasms emerged from the King's treasury, their cold, sharp edges enough to chill one to the bone.

"I ask that you hold your hand, my King."

The voice from beside him caused Archer to turn his gaze toward his Master. Tohsaka Tokiomi had just risen from the ground; although he was still stained with a bit of dirt, the elegance etched into his very bones remained unchanged.

"Tokiomi, you repeatedly interfere with the King's decisions. Has your courage grown, or do you believe that because of my mercy, I will not punish you?"

Archer narrowed his eyes. Although the pressure receded slightly, Tohsaka Tokiomi knew this was merely the prelude to a storm. If he did not answer this question well, Archer would certainly not mind sparing a Noble Phantasm to strike him down.

Taking a deep breath, Tohsaka Tokiomi bowed his waist:

"Matou Kariya has ignored the honor of a magus, openly violated the rules between magi, and launched an attack on me. My disciple, Kirei, took the blow from Berserker to save me..."

Kirei Kotomine?

The person who had just saved Tohsaka Tokiomi and was now lying on the ground, life or death unknown, was actually Kirei Kotomine?

It turned out that when Caster had mocked Archer earlier, Kirei Kotomine, who was observing the situation nearby, had felt a vague sense of incongruity. Why would the Caster team, who could have simply sat on the sidelines and reaped the benefits, suddenly intervene in this dispute?

Sensing that something was wrong, Kirei Kotomine did not follow his master Tohsaka Tokiomi's instructions to use a Command Spell to accelerate the arrival of Assassin, but instead quickly returned to the Tohsaka Mansion.

Just as he entered the mansion, Kirei Kotomine saw the scene of Matou Kariya commanding Berserker to attack Tohsaka Tokiomi. Without a moment to think, the muscles in his legs exploded with power as he rushed in front of Tohsaka Tokiomi to block the fatal strike.

As an executor of the Church, Kirei Kotomine's strength was first-rate among humans, but he appeared powerless before a Servant. After taking the brunt of Berserker's strike, he used the momentum to shove both himself and Tohsaka Tokiomi out of Berserker's attack range.

Tohsaka Tokiomi had nearly lost consciousness from the impact.

"Therefore, as Kirei's master, I must avenge my disciple; as a magus, I, Tohsaka Tokiomi, must wash away this humiliation; and as the current head of the Tohsaka family, I must, for the glory of the Three Founding Families, strike the Matou name..."

Tohsaka Tokiomi's voice suddenly turned cold:

"From the Three Founding Families!"

"..."

Unexpectedly, Archer, as a King, listened to Tohsaka Tokiomi's plea in silence, then let out a sneer filled with disdain and disgust:

"What a boring wish, Tokiomi."

Archer's first sentence made Tohsaka Tokiomi's spine stiffen, but then he heard the golden Heroic Spirit continue:

"However, so be it. I shall let you play for a while. Just don't lose too miserably, Tokiomi."

"As you wish, my King."

Tohsaka Tokiomi bowed once more to express his gratitude.

"However..."

Archer's voice paused slightly:

"This does not mean the King's forgiveness. Tohsaka Tokiomi, after this matter is concluded, you shall take your own life to atone for your sins."

Archer's unquestionable tone made Tokiomi clench his fists, his nails digging into his palms, but he was helpless:

"As you command, my King."

"Then..."

After hearing Tokiomi's reply, Archer nodded and turned his gaze toward Berserker, his eyes once again igniting with the fire of slaughter.

"Then, it is time to deal with you, you mad dog."

The Gate of Babylon expanded, projecting a six-fold strike of Noble Phantasms. Spears and blades, flashing with dazzling brilliance, trailed light like meteors as they charged at Berserker.

"Waaaaaaaagh!!!"

The black Servant's roar, filled with resentment, echoed through the night sky as his pitch-black madness was ignited once again.

Although he had long been disgusted by Tohsaka Tokiomi, Archer still kept his word and cleared an open space for him.

"Kariya, failing to kill me will be the decision you regret the most."

Looking at Kariya opposite him, although his reason and family creed kept warning him to maintain his elegance, Tohsaka Tokiomi's voice still carried an anger he had not realized was there.

"Regret?"

Kariya sneered: "No, I am so excited right now that I am even trembling!"

Just as Kariya had said, his body was subconsciously trembling:

The person he hated most in this life stood right before him. With every passing second that he looked at that nauseating face of Tohsaka Tokiomi, the loathing in Matou Kariya's heart grew even more intense:

He hated—why did Tohsaka Tokiomi have to appear by Aoi's side?

He hated even more—why did Tohsaka Tokiomi have to send Sakura into the den of monsters that was the Matou House?

But perhaps the thing Matou Kariya hated most in his heart was... himself.

He hated himself for being cowardly, unable to personally provide Aoi with happiness.

He hated himself for being powerless, unable to change anything for Sakura, who was trapped in that den of monsters, even after exhausting every ounce of his strength.

He hated fate for why it had to make him born into the Matou House.

But he hated this man who possessed everything yet knew not how to cherish it even more!

The emptiness he felt earlier when he saw the "corpse of Tohsaka Tokiomi" fly away had long since vanished, replaced by the excitement of being able to make up for the regret of not having [personally slain Tohsaka Tokiomi]!

"No, you still don't understand, Kariya."

Tohsaka Tokiomi shook his head, looking at Matou Kariya and saying coldly:

"Although I should have thanked you because your refusal to succeed as the head of the family allowed the Matou magecraft to fall into Sakura's hands... I still cannot forgive you."

Tohsaka Tokiomi raised the Cane in his hand, and a scorching fluctuation began to radiate from the large ruby embedded in the head of the staff:

"The weakness of abandoning the responsibilities of your own bloodline, and the baseness of feeling no remorse for it—Matou Kariya, you are a disgrace to the path of magecraft. Since things have reached this point, I can only eliminate you."

"IntensiveEinascherung—"

Don't say I'm stalling, I'm going back to write, striving to get the next chapter out tonight.

Chapter 64. Command Spell