A Saiyan's Journey

Matou Kariya, despondent and lost, walked out of the Hyatt Hotel and sat by the street, unsure of what to do next.

His clothes were disheveled from being carried through the air by Zuke earlier, and combined with his messy hair and frail body, he resembled a homeless man. He would occasionally cough up blood, sometimes even spitting out a small crest worm that writhed violently. Seeing the reaction of the crest worms he coughed out, Kariya knew his life wouldn't last much longer.

The crest worms, controlled by Matou Zouken's insect magic, were now going berserk after Zouken's death, voraciously devouring Kariya's life force. 

He had considered exhausting all his remaining life to launch a magical attack on Zuke but found no justification for doing so—nor did he believe he could defeat him. Even his Servant had been instantly destroyed by Zuke. As a mage with minimal talent, Kariya felt he wouldn't even scratch Zuke, who would likely find it laughable.

Facing Servants was hopeless. But against ordinary people… maybe a sneak attack could work?

Kariya thought of Zuke's Master but quickly realized he had no idea who that was. If he couldn't find Zuke's Master, perhaps he could turn his target toward the person he hated most?

With that thought, Kariya's eyes grew vicious.

In the Tohsaka family's basement, Tohsaka Tokiomi was meticulously recording information with a magical device on the table. Despite the prevalence of modern equipment, as a traditional mage, Tokiomi insisted on using ancient magical tools. It made him feel more like a mage and less like someone sullied by modern technology.

"Teacher," a young priest in tight-fitting clothing appeared behind him, addressing him.

"There's a man named Matou Kariya at the Tohsaka family gate, asking to see you."

This priest, Kotomine Kirei, was also a participant in the current Holy Grail War as the Master of Assassin, secretly allied with Tokiomi. His father, the overseer of the Holy Grail War, maintained close ties with Tokiomi.

Believing that "it's better to give the Grail to someone trustworthy than to outsiders," the overseer had entrusted Tokiomi with plans to claim the Grail. As the overseer's son and Tokiomi's disciple, Kirei had joined forces with him, summoning Assassin to assist.

"Matou Kariya? What does that failure of the Matou family want with me?" Tokiomi frowned at the mention of Kariya, whom he knew as the former heir of the Matou family, discarded for his lack of magical talent.

"Just a deserter from the world of magic. Tell him I don't have time to see him."

Under normal circumstances, Tokiomi wouldn't mind meeting Kariya—after all, Kariya's presence could boost his own sense of superiority as a mage. But during the Holy Grail War, any unnecessary interactions could lead to complications, and he wasn't interested in dealing with a useless failure.

"But he has Command Seals," Kirei said flatly. Despite being nominally Tokiomi's disciple, his expression remained impassive.

"He says he's here to propose a collaboration."

"What? Command Seals?" Tokiomi's pupils narrowed, surprised to learn that Kariya was also a participant in the Holy Grail War.

Looking at the magical device recording information, Tokiomi's expression darkened slightly.

"So that's why there was no intel on the Matou family's participant. I thought they'd withdrawn from this war… I didn't expect it to be him."

As one of the three founding families of the Holy Grail War, the Matou family had yet to send out a participant, which Tokiomi found curious. It turned out to be Kariya. He began to suspect why Kariya was seeking collaboration.

"After the Matou family's estate was raided yesterday, losing hope for victory, he's come to me in desperation for an alliance… how fitting for his character."

Tokiomi smiled lightly, exuding noble elegance.

"Fine, bring him to the drawing room. Let's hear what he has to say."

"Yes," Kirei nodded slightly and turned to leave the basement to bring Kariya in.

"Wait, Kirei. Did he bring a Servant with him?"

As Kirei was about to leave, Tokiomi asked again. As someone who adhered strictly to his plans, Tokiomi wanted to eliminate any potential dangers. If Kariya had brought a Servant, it would not bode well.

"I had Assassin confirm—no, he came alone."

Kirei's response was calm. With Assassin's skill in concealment, no one could hide from their scrutiny.

"Tohsaka Tokiomi…"

After being led to the dim drawing room by Kirei, Kariya didn't wait long before Tokiomi entered. A flicker of hatred crossed Kariya's eyes but was quickly masked.

"It's been a while, Kariya." Tokiomi smiled as if greeting an old friend, showing none of the disdain he had expressed earlier in the basement.

"You seem to be in good spirits."

Hearing this, Kariya nearly lost his composure. Was Tokiomi blind, or had his ability to spout nonsense improved? How could Kariya's miserable state be considered "good spirits"? 

However, with the room unlit and Tokiomi unfamiliar with the Matou family's magic, it was perhaps natural that he failed to notice Kariya's condition. If Tokiomi understood the horrors of Matou magic, he might never have sent Sakura there.

"I didn't expect you, who once fled the Matou family, to become a participant in the Holy Grail War. Truly unexpected."

Standing by the window, Tokiomi opened it and spoke with his back to Kariya, adopting a posture he found effortlessly commanding. But to Kariya, it was an infuriating display of arrogance.

How dare he turn his back on me? Does he want to die?

Blinded by rage, Kariya acted without hesitation, pulling a dagger from his pocket. He had purchased it with his last remaining money. Tokiomi might be a mage, but his body was still human. Humans die when they are killed.

Tokiomi's casual dismissal of danger wasn't mere recklessness but a testament to his confidence in Kirei. As a Church Executor and skilled martial artist, Kirei could easily subdue Kariya in an instant.

Or so it should have been…

When Kariya drew the dagger, Kirei instinctively moved, his hands reaching for his weapon—Black Keys, sword-like blades activated by magic. With his skill, he could sever Kariya's hand in a heartbeat.

But for reasons unknown, Kirei froze mid-action. He stood motionless, watching as Kariya plunged the dagger into Tokiomi's back.

To be continued…

Hoi Ningen, the FBI is after you after going through your search history. Hand over your Power Stones to me so I can bribe them for you winks.

Advance 50 Chapters(60 for 1 day, though) are up on my Patreon!

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