Because every interaction with Aoi Tohsaka felt awkward, Kariya Matou immediately turned his attention to the one person who could always cheer him up—someone cute and easy to talk to.
There, sitting on a small stool nearby, was a little girl with twin ponytails, as beautiful as her mother. She was swinging her legs in boredom, clearly in a bad mood.
"This bad brother only plays with Sakura and never takes me with him!"
"Little Rin!"
Kariya called out to her. As soon as Rin saw him, she jumped down from the stool and ran toward him excitedly.
"Uncle Kariya, you're back! Did you bring me any gifts?"
"Rin, don't be rude…" Aoi Tohsaka scolded gently with a smile.
Rin stuck out her tongue in embarrassment, looking adorably mischievous. Kariya chuckled—these two little girls were like his personal rays of sunshine. Without hesitation, he pulled out two small gift boxes from his coat and handed one to Rin.
"So pretty…" Rin immediately opened her gift.
Inside was a delicately crafted glass brooch. Its intricate beauty instantly captivated her. Although it was more suited for an elegant young lady than a child, Kariya knew that Rin loved pretending to be grown-up. It was the perfect choice.
"It's so beautiful! Thank you, Uncle Kariya!"
"Haha, as long as Rin likes it!"
Seeing Rin's delighted expression, Kariya felt a sense of satisfaction. Then, he reached for the second gift and looked around for the other girl, Sakura, who was always as gentle as her mother.
"Huh? Rin, where's Sakura?"
The moment Kariya asked, Rin's face darkened. She looked particularly furious, like someone whose favorite toy had just been stolen.
"She betrayed me and ran off with someone else!"
"…"
"Rin, don't talk nonsense. You were the one who refused to go," Aoi Tohsaka interjected, unable to hold back her amusement.
"Hmph!" Rin pouted and turned away.
Kariya was still confused when a voice called from behind him.
"Rin, come here, your ice cream is melting."
A young man with striking features walked over, carrying a small girl in his arms. That girl was none other than Sakura.
At that moment, the two of them also noticed Kariya.
Kariya Matou?
"Uncle Kariya!"
Sakura immediately jumped down from Arthur's arms and ran toward Kariya, leaving Arthur standing there in disbelief. Betrayed so fast?!
"Sakura, long time no see."
Kariya crouched down with a smile.
"Gimme gift!" Sakura stretched out her tiny hands expectantly.
"Haha, okay, okay."
With a chuckle, Kariya handed her the other small gift box. Sakura eagerly opened it to find an exquisite little hairpin—purple, her favorite color.
"Thank you, Uncle Kariya!"
Happily clutching her new treasure, Sakura ran off to play with Rin.
Arthur watched them go, completely speechless. "Kids… so fickle. No way am I admitting a tiny gift beat my charm."
Kariya frowned in confusion. "Who are you? I've never heard of Aoi having a friend like you."
Before Arthur could respond, Aoi greeted him warmly, "King, you're back."
"King?" Kariya repeated, looking at Arthur curiously.
"Nothing important. You'll figure it out later," Arthur said dismissively. He really didn't feel like explaining.
Kariya narrowed his eyes. "Wait a minute… You're a Servant, aren't you?"
Arthur sighed. Well, that didn't take long.
With how Aoi treated Arthur with such respect and how Tokiomi entrusted him with his family, Kariya quickly pieced things together.
"So, Tokiomi has joined the war as a Master."
"He has the qualifications for it."
Arthur noticed Kariya's expression shift. He knew the mere mention of Tokiomi irritated the man.
"Tokiomi went through a lot to get where he is now. He's earned his place."
Kariya's face darkened instantly. "Went through a lot?! That bastard was handed everything on a silver platter!"
Arthur sighed, shaking his head. "What a pity… But tell me, how can you see the rainbow without going through the storm? If you had fought as hard as Tokiomi did, maybe things would have been different."
Kariya clenched his fists.
"If I hadn't given up back then… Would Aoi have married me instead? Would she have become Aoi Matou instead of Aoi Tohsaka?"
Maybe.
But unfortunately… there was no maybe.
------
The scene shifts once more.
"Why did you end up like this? Just because of my words?"
Arthur looked at Kariya Matou with curiosity. This guy shouldn't be so easily swayed! If he were, he wouldn't have distanced himself from the world of magi in the first place.
"Enough. Just drop it," Kariya muttered, turning away. "I just want to see them one last time… and if possible, protect them for me."
With that, he limped off, his figure fading into the night.
Even in his final days, even as his body withered from the torment he endured, Kariya Matou still thought only of Aoi Tohsaka and her two daughters.
"How the hell did it come to this?" Arthur frowned. In a world without Sakura, Kariya shouldn't have been reduced to this state. He had assumed the old worm Zouken would take matters into his own hands, but reality had played out differently.
Of course, what Arthur didn't realize was that, even without Sakura, Kariya had plenty of reasons to spiral into despair—reasons that even involved him. But that's a story for another time.
Such is fate—no one escapes its cruel hands.
---
Meanwhile, in a quiet village on the outskirts of Fuyuki…
A young boy lay in bed, grinning like an idiot, his heart racing with excitement. Staring at the red markings now etched onto his hand, Waver Velvet couldn't hold back his laughter.
"As expected of me!" he snickered, rolling onto his side.
A genius magus. A man with grand ambitions. A practitioner holding a genuine Holy Relic. Of course the Holy Grail would acknowledge him as a worthy Master! There was no way it could overlook someone as amazing as him!
And now, the proof was right there—three red Command Seals.
"Waver! Dinner's ready!"
The voice of an elderly woman called from downstairs, grounding him momentarily.
"Coming!" Waver shouted back, quickly throwing on his clothes.
It was strange, really. He had no actual connection to this elderly couple, yet they treated him as if he were their own grandson. Well… that was because he had made them believe that.
A foreigner sticking out in Fuyuki would be a problem, so Waver had carefully placed a magical suggestion on the couple, making them believe he was their beloved grandson who had returned from studying overseas. Not only did this arrangement provide him free room and board, but it also saved him from the hassle of explaining himself to others.
Truly, my genius knows no bounds.
Tonight, though, was the night it would all begin.
"It's finally time for my Holy Grail War!" Waver grinned, clenching his fist.
He needed a few live chickens for the summoning ritual. It was a small price to pay for the arrival of his legendary Servant!
He was about to summon the one and only—
The King of Conquerors!
His! His Servant!
"Grandpa, Grandma, I'm going to a friend's place tonight. I might be back late, so don't wait up for me!"
"Be careful, dear. It hasn't been safe around here lately," his 'grandmother' warned.
"They say there's been a murderer on the loose again… terrifying stuff," his 'grandfather' added.
Oh, if only they knew!
A normal person might feel a chill at those words, but Waver?
He was practically buzzing with excitement!
---
Far away, in another country…
A lone man stood in the darkness, deep in thought.
"If this is what you want me to do, then I'll do it. I'll achieve your goals, one step at a time. But…"
His fist tightened.
"But I will claim the Holy Grail for myself. I will use its power to fulfill my long-cherished wish!"
This man—Kiritsugu Emiya—was a paradox. Pitiful, yet terrifying. Hated, yet respected. A man filled with contradictions, yet driven by an unwavering goal.
No one is more lost than him… yet no one is clearer about what they seek.
After entering his room, he found his wife, Irisviel, waiting. She was holding a long wooden box.
"It's amazing," Irisviel murmured as she lifted the lid. "I never thought they could actually find this..."
Kiritsugu, usually known for his cold demeanor, couldn't hide the flicker of excitement in his eyes.
Inside the box lay a golden scabbard.
Its entire surface gleamed with a divine radiance, adorned with intricate blue enamel and ancient elven inscriptions. The craftsmanship was beyond human hands—
A legendary artifact.
A Holy Relic.
Avalon.
The Ever-Distant Utopia.
A relic that once belonged to none other than King Arthur.
Kiritsugu's fingers hovered over it, his expression unreadable.
His hands trembled—not from fear, but from anticipation.
His path was clear.
The Holy Grail War was about to begin.
------
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