He had been too weak.
Yet he had foolishly dreamed of achieving something far beyond his abilities.
And just as expected—
He drowned while trying to reach that dream.
But at least for that child…
He could not run away anymore.
He had to do something.
Something he could do, and something he should have done long ago.
Even if it meant paying with his life.
A slightly disheveled man in a black tracksuit waved toward a gentle woman sitting on a park bench.
She had long, deep-green hair and the calm elegance of a noble lady.
Sitting beside the woman he had not seen for so long—
the woman he still had not completely let go of—
Matou Kariya felt his thoughts drift.
On the lawn nearby, her daughter played alone.
The lively innocence of that small child shone painfully bright in Kariya's eyes.
So full of life…
So different from that child.
She had been raised well.
Before coming here, Kariya had returned briefly to the Matou household.
By the time he left again—
The man called Matou Kariya had already died.
"Hey… long time no see, Aoi."
"Mind if I sit here?"
Kariya forced a smile.
"Yes, Kariya. It's been a while."
Tohsaka Aoi gently brushed back her slightly messy hair.
"You're back from your business trip? This one lasted quite a long time…"
She smiled softly.
But the worry in her eyes could not be hidden.
"Yeah…"
Kariya nodded.
He knew exactly what she was worried about.
The Fourth Holy Grail War.
A brutal ritual where seven magi slaughter each other for the Holy Grail, the legendary wish-granting device capable of leading one to the Root.
A tragic and hateful game.
Aoi's husband—
Tohsaka Tokiomi, head of the Tohsaka family and one of the Three Founding Families—
had already been chosen as a Master due to his exceptional magical talent.
This was only natural.
After all, the Holy Grail ritual itself had been created and maintained by the Three Families.
Receiving Master qualification early wasn't even a conspiracy.
Tokiomi simply possessed the qualifications.
Unlike Matou Kariya.
He had neither the aptitude nor the status of a magus.
In pursuit of a once-ridiculous dream—rebelling against the destiny imposed on him at birth—
he had long ago abandoned his right to inherit the Matou family headship.
Now he had returned as a wanderer.
To fight fate for that child.
And also for the woman before him—
I hope you can always be happy, Aoi.
"Uncle Kariya!"
A cheerful voice called out.
A seven-year-old girl with twin ponytails ran over.
Tohsaka Rin.
It seemed she still hadn't understood what her little sister's departure truly meant.
Instead, she simply complained to Kariya about how boring it was not being able to see her sister—and how she wished they could play together again.
Kariya crouched down and gently patted Rin's head.
He gave her a pink hair clip.
Before leaving—
He turned back once more.
Aoi and Rin were standing together, leaning against each other.
Kariya stared for a moment.
As if making up his mind—
He turned away.
And returned to hell.
The Matou Household
Looking at the useless son who had stormed out of the house after arguing with him—
only to return now, shamelessly begging for Command Seals—
The hunched old man before him laughed mockingly.
His body looked like a dried corpse.
This was Matou Zouken.
"So, Kariya."
"You still have the nerve to come begging me?"
"I believe I made it very clear—"
"I never wanted to see your face again."
Zouken slammed his cane on the floor.
Despite his frail appearance, an overwhelming oppressive aura filled the room.
His cold eyes stared down at Kariya.
"Adopting that girl—Sakura—was supposedly to preserve the Matou family's magical bloodline."
"But in truth…"
"It was simply to produce a sufficiently talented descendant to obtain the Holy Grail."
"So that you could achieve immortality."
"You vampire!"
Kariya spat.
Zouken burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha!"
"Anyone else might say that—but you?"
"If it weren't for your stupidity—refusing to inherit the Matou family's position and secret arts—"
"The Matou family would never have fallen so low as to seek heirs from outside the bloodline!"
"You are responsible for half of this situation!"
Every word pierced like a knife.
"So…"
Kariya clenched his fists.
"Give me power, you parasite!"
"There's no need to keep torturing Sakura."
"And we don't need to wait another sixty years."
"I will participate in this Holy Grail War."
"And I will personally end this chain of tragic fate!"
Even if this was just another impossible dream—
Kariya would not run away anymore.
Even if he were crushed to pieces—
He would still blow the horn of rebellion against destiny.
For Aoi.
For Sakura.
And for the dream he once abandoned—
The dream of becoming a hero.
"Kariya…"
"What exactly are you trying to do?"
The moment Zouken heard the words "Holy Grail," his expression became serious.
He began calculating the possibility.
"Let's make a deal," Kariya said.
"Oh?"
"Go on."
"If I bring the Holy Grail back to the Matou family in this war—"
"You will return Sakura's freedom."
For a moment—
Silence.
Then Zouken burst into loud laughter.
"Hahahahaha!"
"Don't be ridiculous, Kariya."
"A failure who has never undergone proper mage training thinks he can become a Servant's Master within a single year?"
"Even jokes should have limits."
"It's not impossible."
Kariya pressed a hand tightly against his chest.
His eyes burned with determination.
"If I'm willing to burn my life as fuel—"
"You must have a secret technique capable of making it happen."
"I'm not ignorant of your insect magecraft."
"You mean…"
"Crest Worms?"
Zouken turned his head slowly.
"Those without talent who wish to obtain power must pay a price far heavier than they imagine."
Kariya answered quietly:
"Compared to the suffering that child is enduring now—and will endure in the future—"
"What I pay is only a life that deserves to die."
"You're not worried about me, are you…"
"Father?"
His voice was filled with hatred.
Zouken chuckled.
"Worried?"
"I abandoned such emotions five hundred years ago."
"If you truly want to die…"
"Then I'll grant your wish."
With that, Zouken turned and walked toward the basement of the Matou residence.
The place where he cultivated Crest Worms.
Now—
In a twisted sense—
It was Sakura's bedroom.
Watching Zouken's back as he left, Kariya found his legs suddenly heavy.
Like they were filled with lead.
No matter how hard he tried—
He couldn't move.
Am I… afraid?
Kariya stared at his trembling hands.
At that moment, Zouken's mocking voice echoed ahead.
"What's wrong?"
"You just made such a bold declaration."
"Regretting it already?"
"…Damn it."
Kariya cursed under his breath.
Forcing himself forward step by step, he followed Zouken.
And then—
He saw true hell.
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