"What the hell happened here?"
Kariya Matou stood bewildered.
He had no idea what had occurred.
His so-called father, that centuries-old zombie, Zouken... where had he taken Sakura?
The possibility of Zouken being dead never crossed Kariya's mind.
That monster couldn't die so easily.
Kicking a nearby lamppost, Kariya muttered, "Sakura, where are you?"
The thought of that innocent girl enduring torment filled him with guilt and self-blame.
"No, I still have a chance."
"If I can summon a powerful Servant, I'll definitely bring Sakura back!"
He glanced at the blood-red marks on his hand... the proof of being chosen by the Holy Grail.
Before, Kariya, who despised magecraft, wouldn't have cared for such trivial things.
But now, these Command Seals were his last lifeline!
"Excuse me, are you Mr. Kariya?"
As Kariya pondered how to tap into the Matou family's legacy for enough mana to join the Holy Grail War, a figure appeared behind him.
Kariya spun around in a panic, his pupils shrinking.
Before him stood a girl in a miko outfit... a Kijin named Shuna!
Kariya knew of Japan's oni legends, and with the Holy Grail War looming, he connected the dots. "Are you the Servant who destroyed the Matou residence?"
Not human, appearing here, and radiating danger... these clues led Kariya to one conclusion: she was the early-arrived Servant the Grail system had hinted at!
And now, she stood before him. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on NoveI-Fire.ɴet
Kariya's mind raced to a grim possibility... she was here to silence him!
"Something like that."
"But please, don't misunderstand. I mean you no harm, Mr. Kariya."
Shuna smiled faintly, gesturing invitingly. "I'm here on my lord's orders to invite you to meet him."
Kariya wanted to refuse, but Shuna's next words shattered his composure.
"If you want to see Sakura, come with me."
Kariya's voice rose. "Where is she? What have you done to her?"
"Don't worry, she's safe now."
As the Fourth War's purest devotee to love, Kariya's tragedy was real, but his care for Sakura was genuine.
To save her, he'd do anything.
"Please don't resist."
Shuna cast a spatial spell, instantly transporting Kariya to the villa where Damien now resided.
For Sakura's comfort, Damien had moved out of the hotel the next day.
Using magic, he easily acquired ownership of the villa.
Rest assured, he paid for it... triple the market price, in full.
"My lord and Sakura are waiting in the study."
Led by Shuna, Kariya crossed the courtyard and reached a study door.
The door opened automatically, revealing a spacious study over a hundred square meters.
Inside, Damien sat, playing a board game with a beautiful girl with snow-white hair.
Nearby, Sakura hugged a plush toy, surrounded by various toys.
She wasn't alone... a cute, hooded kimono-clad girl, about twelve or thirteen, played with her.
Seeing her safe, Kariya exhaled in relief, calling out excitedly.
Noticing a stranger, Sakura instinctively hid behind Ogerpon.
She recognized the man... Kariya-jiisan, whom she used to like.
Now, her heart was filled with Damien, leaving no room for others.
Seeing her reaction, Kariya froze mid-step.
Clearly, she had suffered inhumane torment at the Matou residence.
'If I'd returned sooner, maybe Sakura wouldn't…'
Imagining her tortured by those vile worms, Kariya's heart ached.
He wanted to take her home.
But before he could speak, Sakura, as if sensing his intent, darted to Damien, clutching his sleeve.
"I don't want to go back!"
"Damien-nii, don't abandon Sakura…"
Under Damien's care, Sakura had recovered well these past few days.
The trauma from the crest worms wasn't something that could be erased quickly.
And Damien had promised not to leave her.
'If my plan succeeds, I can break the limit that only Familiars can cross worlds.'
Even if it failed, Damien had prepared a fallback for Sakura.
This villa, plus a bank account he'd set up, would ensure she lived comfortably if he left.
"Please, sit, Mr. Kariya."
Damien stood, facing Kariya, and spoke. "You've seen the Matou residence's state. Yes, that was my doing."
"The reason? Let's say I couldn't stand that old worm bullying an innocent girl."
He gently patted Sakura's head, letting her sit beside him.
"Thank you for saving Sakura."
Seeing her reliance on Damien, Kariya was mostly convinced. "So, you're a participant in the Holy Grail War?"
A Servant was indeed a participant.
"Thank you again for saving her!"
Kariya asked, "So, Mr. Damien, why did you summon me?"
"I want your Command Seals."
Damien didn't beat around the bush, stating his goal outright.
Kariya glanced at the red marks on his hand, then nodded. "Fine. As payment for saving Sakura, you can have them."
His sole reason for joining the war was to save her.
Now, with Zouken "defeated" by Damien (Kariya didn't believe he was dead) and Sakura safe, the Command Seals were meaningless.
They were a fair price to pay.
Damien shook his head. "You do owe me, but not for Sakura. It's because I killed that old worm!"
Kariya shot to his feet. "Impossible! How could you kill him?!"
If he could, Kariya would've ended Zouken himself.
Having grown up in the Matou family, he knew how terrifying the old man was.
"Is it because of the crest worms?"
Damien revealed the secret of Zouken's immortality. "Don't worry. I locked onto his soul and destroyed all his backups."
How to kill Zouken was something even Kariya didn't know.
Yet, in Damien's words, it sounded no harder than squashing an ant.
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
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