CH 36

Shirou looked directly at Gilgamesh and asked, "Is that what you want? To compete with us on equal footing on the stage?"

Gilgamesh's eyes narrowed slightly, then the corners of his mouth lifted, and he laughed, "Hahahaha! Delightful, delightful! The true nature of the mongrel is finally exposed! Hahaha--!"

Gilgamesh's laughter like that of a maniac echoed throughout the area and his figure slowly disappeared. His intentions were clear through his actions.

"Since there are no objections, then, I will take my leave," Shirou said as he prepared to retreat.

"Wait, Caster!" Artoria halted Shirou, her expression serious, she repeated again: "Prepare your fortress well, don't regret it when I come to crush it head-on!"

Shirou's heart soured, but he let out a laugh, "If you have the ability, come and try! I'll show you how formidable an A+ fortification construction can be! Big talk, is not something the weak can do!"

...

"Teacher, Caster has left," Kirei reported the situation to Tokiomi.

"Have Assassin quietly follow him and eliminate the child from the Fujimaru family. This Caster is very troublesome for Gilgamesh, he must not be allowed to remain." Tokiomi calmly gave out the cruel task.

Kirei nodded calmly, "I understand."

Kirei's face was calm, his heart was calm, and his tone was calm. As a participant in the Holy Grail War, he seemed to not realize the cruelty of this task. But he felt that his actions went against the teachings of the Church, so he asked again, "Teacher, isn't this too cruel? You said that child is only six years old."

"That child has entered the world of magi. Regardless of the goal, whether it's preserving the mystery or winning the Holy Grail, he is not fit for the task. As a Master, he must bear the responsibility, regardless of his age or whether he entered the war willingly or not," Tokiomi spoke elegantly, like a noble.

"I understand. However, Caster has reportedly said that his fortification is A+. From the perspective of Assassin, it may be difficult to infiltrate his workshop," Kirei explained.

Caster's Master is a six-year-old child, and Tokiomi has already told him this. Therefore, in order to win, it is inevitable that Caster will conceal the child in his own magical workshop,

Tokiomi addressed Kirei's skepticism by saying, "Caster is known for his devious tactics, so it's hard to tell if what he says is true or false. Additionally, building an A+ rank fortification requires a significant amount of rare materials, and Caster has only been summoned for a little over two weeks. Given that his Master is a child, it's unlikely that he would have had the time to collect the necessary materials and construct a territory. So, it's likely that the territory he built is just a simple magical workshop. The most important thing to note is that there are many Assassins present. It's best to use one to investigate, and if possible, to probe Caster."

Tokiomi's plan is sound, but he failed to consider the emotional impact it would have on the Assassin who was discarded. As Tokiomi's disciple, Kirei will work to address this oversight and improve the plan.

So he nodded, "I understand."

...

"Ahh, Ahh, Ahh, Ahh, Ahh, Ahh-!"

Screaming. Wailing. Rolling.

Byakuya, the man known as the apparent head of the Matou family, had no innate talent for magecraft. Despite this, he had studied some magical knowledge from a young age and awakened weak Magic Circuits within his body. However, the magical energy that his circuits were able to produce was not sufficient to sustain the demands of the materialized Berserker, Spartacus.

His magical energy was being drained away, like a vampire relentlessly sucking his life force. His Magic Circuits were being overworked unceasingly, sapping his magical energy and making him almost faint. He had several times considered using the final command seals, to end the suffering caused by that damned Berserker and make it exit the stage.

However -

"Not allowed!" The true head of the Matou family, who exists only as a worm since his physical body has been destroyed, gave the command.

"Why, why----!!!" Byakuya Matou screamed in agony.

"Berserker may withdraw, but it won't be at the discretion of the Matou family!" Zouken declared. The Matou family, one of the three families responsible for constructing the Holy Grail War had participated in every war, including this one.

However, Matou Zouken had already decided to abandon this war and collaborate with the Tohsaka family in exchange for Tohsaka's exceptional offspring, Sakura. But, their plan failed. And, they were also discovered by Tohsaka Tokiomi while performing their secret technique.

The Matou family's magic attribute is water and absorption. They are skilled in creating familiars, and their technique of controlling familiars is based on restraint and control. In the Holy Grail War ritual, the system of summoning servants, Matou Zouken, who was known as Makiri Zolgen hundreds of years ago was the one who invented the binding of servants with Command Seals.

At that time, Makiri Zolgen was also a highly respected worm master. The use of worms as familiars was not the problem. The most significant issue was that he was discovered by Tohsaka Tokiomi to have hidden his soul in a worm's body in pursuit of immortality, as well as a huge number of questionable worms.

That man had a strong sense of dignity and considered himself a noble. Therefore, he condemned Matou Zoeken's actions as "degenerate" for abandoning the traditional magecraft of the Matou family and instead resorting to Crest Worm.

The secrets of magical families are strictly forbidden to be viewed by outsiders, and any attempt to do so is considered an act of war. So Tohsaka Tokiomi originally had only a basic understanding of the Matou family magecraft but did not know its true nature. However, after seeing Matou Zoeken's true identity and the Lust Worm, he knew that his plan had failed.

As long as Tohsaka Tokiomi is alive, Matou Zouken will not be able to obtain the long-coveted exceptional successor, and will not be able to achieve his grand plan for immortality.

The reason Matou Zouken cannot defeat Tohsaka Tokiomi is not a lack of capability on his part, but rather the timing of the situation. At this crucial juncture, Tohsaka Tokiomi has summoned a powerful servant, making him an opponent that Matou Zouken cannot currently contend with. This is due to the fact that servants are significantly stronger than magi, particularly Gilgamesh who possess multiple Noble Phantasms.

As a result, it is imperative that Berserker not be permitted to withdraw. If Tohsaka Tokiomi utilizes the servant's power to eradicate the Matou family, without a servant of their own, the Matou family will be unable to defend themselves.

Additionally, Berserker's Noble Phantasm is a major problem and source of concern.

[Crying Warmonger]

The Noble Phantasm that embodies the heroic rise of the humiliated Spartacus, enables him to convert the damage he takes into magical energy until he reaches his limit and ultimately self-destructs!

The self-destruct's massive explosion had the power to decimate a section of Fuyuki City and uncover the Matou family's secret. Should this occur, both the Clock Tower and the Church would direct their focus to the Matou family, with Matou Zouken's secret being revealed to the world. Therefore, it was imperative that Berserker not be allowed to withdraw.

At the very least, it must not be brought about by the use of Command Seals for self-destruction!

As for controlling this Berserker, it is a completely hopeless task. The individual known as Spartacus is in a state of confusion and has been assaulting Matou Zouken since the day of his summoning while shouting "oppressor."

He possesses an A-rank "Unyielding Will" skill which grants him exceptional physical and mental endurance. To use him, one must rely on command seals to control him, but with an A-rank Unyielding Will, controlling this formidable Berserker with only two command seals is impossible for most Masters.

Fortunately, the Matou family's magecraft, which is renowned for manipulating familiars, is highly proficient in control and compulsion-related magecraft. At the same time, Matou Zouken, the creator of the "Command Seals" system, also has some tricks up his sleeve when it comes to controlling.

Therefore, before Matou Byakuya summoned Spartacus, Matou Zouken made some arrangements so that he could use one command seal to achieve the effect of two command seals for forced control. 

Due to Spartacus's conditions, he cannot be controlled without a command seal, and thus, he cannot be kept within the Matou family and must be raised outside.

So -

"Endure it, my descendants. Hehehehehe..." Matou Zouken cackled sinisterly as he gazed upon the torment of his useless offspring.

Byakuya screamed in agony, his cries echoing through the room. But over the sound of his pain, he heard the chilling laughter of his grandfather. Despite his burning desire to end the old man's life, Byakuya knew it was beyond his reach. The revelation that his grandfather was a worm had left him bewildered. He couldn't be sure what kind of safeguards the old man had in place or if this was even his true form.

The enigmatic nature of the old man left Byakuya confounded, making it impossible for him to rise up against him. Furthermore, the prospect of his grandfather's army of worms filled him with dread. All he could do was endure the pain and listen to the haunting laughter of the old man.

...

After returning to the base, Shirou quickly headed to the bathroom. Once inside, he closed the door behind him and began shedding his black cloak and leather suit. As he leaned against the wall, he couldn't hold back and proceeded to vomit into the trash can.

Shirou's mind was focused on the information he had obtained and the familiar plot. By utilizing this knowledge, he was able to survive the first night. However, the overwhelming killing intent of Diarmuid and Artoria, born from the countless deaths and bloodshed, caused his modern, ordinary body to release adrenaline. His mind and body trembled as a result, ultimately leading to the physical manifestation of this phenomenon in the form of vomiting.

Thankfully, he survived.

Despite the severity of his situation, Shirou was still able to survive.

But--

It seemed that everything had returned to the starting point. The timeline had advanced by one year and the warehouse battle had occurred, but aside from the changes in the identities of certain characters such as Berserker becoming Spartacus, he becoming Caster, and Gilgamesh treating him as a plaything, it appeared that everything else had remained unchanged.

While this outcome was positive, it did not bring him any joy. This realization only served to further worry him, as it meant that there must be some significant alteration that he was currently unaware of.

But what could it be?

In fact, the reason why the timeline had advanced by one year was also a mystery.

His own transmigration had occurred only a little over a month ago and his involvement in the world was relatively limited. It appeared that all these changes, everything that happened, was a result of Sakura's defiance of fate and her decision to run away from home.

But where was the major alteration?

Where was the inconsistency?

Where was the source of the change?

Shirou had a look of confusion in his eyes. However, perhaps this was for the better. Thanks to these changes, Sakura did not inherit the Matou family and did not fall into that tragic fate. Because of this, the appearance of Spartacus added a glimmer of hope to the dire situation they currently faced. But, the events were only slightly different.

Perhaps this is good, at least the plot has not changed and the characters have not undergone big changes. And this is one of the few advantages that Shirou has.

As he lay down on his bed, Shirou thought to himself, "I'll dream of Scathach-nee tonight. I've made it through today, and that's enough." With that, he drifted off into the dream world.

Shirou did not remove his suit or black cloak, as these two layers of protection provided him with a small sense of security. Though this sense of security was insignificant, like a grain of rice, for those who were in the shadow of death, it was enough for them to cling to.

The night was cold, and the silence was all-encompassing. Perhaps, this has already become a peaceful night.

However-

"Get out!"

As Shirou entered the shadow kingdom in his dream, Scathach greeted him with a swift blow to the stomach before he had a chance to even speak.

Pain.

It hurts so much.

The sensation of being struck in the stomach was akin to being hit with a hammer. The pain in his spiritual body in the dream instantly connected to his real body's brain's pain center. The sudden jolt of pain briefly awoke Shirou from his unconscious state, causing him to sit up in surprise.

"Wha...!"

Shirou clutched his stomach, his face contorted in pain. He looked confused as he wondered why Scathach had abruptly ended his dream in such a violent manner. Could it be that Scathach was experiencing something similar to a monthly cycle? Even her, the immortal warrior queen?

Shirou had a blank expression on his face, but suddenly his expression changed!

He spoke through gritted teeth, his anger palpable, "Emiya Kiritsugu!"

In the next moment -

"BOOM--!"

A deafening sound like thunder echoed through the rental room as an inferno erupted, instantly engulfing the peaceful night in chaos and sparks. The flames burned and boiled, creating a sea of fire that seemed to consume all life in its path.

Emiya Kiritsugu stood at a distance from the remains of the Caster workshop, which had been reduced to rubble by the C4 bomb. He took a cigarette from his mouth, tossed it to the ground and crushed it underfoot.

The people around him were panicked and shouting, but he remained calm and collected, with an expression of detachment, as if he were from another world entirely.

He walked away with a steady gait.