Fate/Zero Requiem

Fuyuki City.

Rest was required.

Never had a statement about sleep rung so true for Lelouch until after the events of the night before. Kariya especially needed some sleep after what had happened. Blowing himself up, nearly being killed after succeeding in his revenge, and very much being eaten alive again by the reawakened Crest worms, it all left the man in a serious need of a vacation from this whole ordeal.

That wasn't to forget Nobu's needed time off after using her noble phantasm. With Gilgamesh's escape attempt destroying it instead of her disabling the Reality Marble, it drained her more than it had to. Last night's fight was a victory if having taken a few unexpected turns.

Yet, the young boy couldn't get his mind off of his last exchange with the King of Heroes.

Archer's words about kingship didn't leave Lelouch even as he escaped to the world of dreams. How could he when the Demon Emperor continued to reminisce about the last days of his former life? The terrible atrocities he committed, all those he'd lost… After the last battle in the skies of his world's Japan, Lelouch had an entire month to make sure no one would ever forget his name. Ever.

He killed and destroyed, Lelouch wrought hell on Earth to any and every who would dare stand in his way… all for the sake of peace…

But even now… the single thought persisted in his tired head.

'Can I take pride in my sins?'

Of course not. No sane human being could ever just accept it all like the King of Heroes had demanded of him. And yet, he hadn't exactly been a sane teenager after he took the first step on that bloody path, hadn't he? Parenticide would make anyone seem crazy.

'But I did it for Nunally… I became the emperor for the sake of Zero Requiem. Not rule the world for my own pleasure.' And yet Gilgamesh cared little about the reason, only that Lelouch ruled according to his vision of a king. A ruler. 'My mask as the last Emperor is something I have no right to discard. After all deaths and suffering I inflicted upon others, it would be cowardice to run from that part of my life. As Gilgamesh said, neither Iskandar nor Artoria would reject their reign. Their legacies.'

Except, of course, though she accepted it, the King of Knights was actively trying to avert it.

Arturia Pendragon's view on kingship was complicated. Saber's wish was to rewrite the history of her legend so the mistakes she made would all be erased. Even if that meant including wiping herself from the pages of history.

Lelouch couldn't agree with such a goal. King Arthur was the legend that inspired many generations. It was the same for him as a child. Many rulers of Britannia's past, corrupt or not, led people using that legend as an example. Even if it led to the subjugation and eventual rule over billions under their heel, it had played its part in shaping the present of his world. The same could be said of here, in this world's own Britain and Euro continent.

Take that legend away, and many things would change, cultural or not. Many would likely not speak the same language or share the same values as the idealistic king who died attempting to quell an unjustified rebellion.

And yet, he could understand where Artoria was coming from. In her eyes, she failed her nation, her people. She failed them all and could blame no one but herself. Then, of course, the only solution she'd come to was to allow someone else to lead, someone she believed would be more worthy than herself.

Lelouch would disagree with such a conclusion, but the former rebel leader Zero couldn't outright deny her desperation. He too thought about changing the history of his world, only he couldn't undo what was already set in stone. Not when he realized the flawed nature of the Grail itself could only exacerbate the problem.

The desire, quiet it may be, still remained.

'If the Holy Grail wasn't a scam, could I wish the same as Saber? Removing myself from the history of my world, making sure I wouldn't be able to hurt people who are close to me?'

Lelouch remembered the words of his first friend. Out of anger for what he'd done to Suzaku's tenuous peace, his old friend once said it would have been better if Lelouch had never been born. Perhaps it was deserved. After all, killing a thousand murderers would never atone for the sin of killing an innocent. More so Euphemia… one he'd manipulated by accident yet used to his advantage when all was said and done.

'Hm, there was a time when I could agree with him,' the boy regrettably chuckled to himself at past-sins-turned-sacrifices. 'But Gilgamesh was right. Even if my time as Demon Emperor was nothing but a play, a means to an end, I should be proud of how I played this role. Heh, indeed, my last performance won't be forgotten for generations to come.'

Therefore, an effective and worthwhile example that would deter future leaders from treading towards. He'd done his part and finished his act. No one would ever be able to top a world-conquering emperor who was as cunning as he was merciless.

Of course, there was another thing the King of Heroes said that bothered Lelouch still. The part about how there were other otherworlders like Lelouch.

Gilgamesh said something about how he vaguely remembered, yet also not, some kind of organization. However, from the way Archer said it, his encounter was outside this war. Perhaps even outside this world. Such a revelation raised even more questions. Many of which, the boy attributed to both the Grail and the so-called Throne of Heroes. But Lelouch didn't know where to start looking for definite answers.

He doubted either Rider or Saber would know anything else, forget sharing. Nobu as well didn't know what Archer was talking about apart from the Throne that she only gave a general explanation of what he was already aware of. In fact, his partner went so far as to insist on forgetting about the 'King of Fools'. Lelouch found it odd she'd still be seething at the now-dead Servant.

'Speaking of Nobu…' He held Nobu in high regard and thought of her as a dear partner of his. But without knowing how long he had, Lelouch didn't want to start something that wouldn't last. 'This uncertainty… can't persist. I don't know when I might be killed again, or what will happen once I will achieve my mission. I might even be killed today and she'll just be forced to return to Throne of Heroes.'

Gilgamesh said something about how Lelouch was a strange entity and that he would like to meet under different circumstances. However, it didn't mean that Lelouch would be free to do so after he accomplished his task. For all he knew, the power that resurrected him might have another use for him and just whisk him away elsewhere, into another world that needed his help.

His future was very much unknown even to him. Death, once an uncertainty, had been undone for him once. What's another?

'Right now our bond is good, great in fact. But I don't know what might happen if we try to advance it any further. I… don't want to give her false hope.' God knows the trouble he caused for his former accomplice, abandoning her all on her eternal own. 'For now, it will be best to continue this in a professional manner... But… if maybe—! No, don't. There's no point wistfully wondering about it now.'

Biting his lip, he sighed. Right now all of them were inside the small room in some cheap motel. It was Kariya's place, and despite not sleeping here for two nights, the man hadn't been kicked out yet thankfully. It was a sufficient place to take a quick rest and hide away from the remaining Servants. The room they stayed in wasn't big enough for four occupants, but for him and Kariya, it would suffice. Their Servants could rest in spirit form, something Berserker always did outside the fights. Nobu was less enthusiastic about not sleeping like a normal person, having gotten used to it over the times she and Lelouch slept in their hideout, but she complied anyway.

At the moment, her partner was lying on the small cot. Lelouch didn't trust the motel's cleaning service and slept in his own clothes. Not the most comfortable thing considering the long trek they'd taken in the woods, but he didn't complain. In fact, when he woke up, he felt something soft and warm pressing against his back.

It didn't take long to realize who was behind him. Kariya wasn't exactly the picture of health, so the only one who would exude such sensations was clear as day for the boy. He rolled over on his side and came face to face with his partner, literally.

The redhead Servant lay down next to him, face inches away from Lelouch. Thankfully she was wearing her battle gear, except the cape. That didn't stop her red eyes from piercing through his startled violet orbs.

"Hey," she said it with such a sultry voice, the small smile on her face looked a bit more predatory than usual.

Lelouch didn't want to give in as he narrowed his eyes, mumbling back, "You're too close."

"I can be closer if you want." The smile turned devilish wide as she leaned in closer. Lelouch could already feel her hot breath.

"Avenger—" he started, sending a quick glance over to his host still sleeping off to the opposite side of the room. But then he felt a finger shut his lips.

"Didn't you say you will do anything for me last night?" she asked with a fake innocent smile. "Right when I tried to show that King of Fools what happens when someone goes behind my back and chats with my master."

She made to emphasize the possessiveness of the word.

Lelouch remembered. Of course, he did. Gilgamesh was lying there, near-death yet still having the energy to taunt his executioner. It didn't mean that he deserved torture as death, prick to Nobu as he may have been.

But it was also done more out of precaution. After all, he still didn't know how the downtrodden King managed to get out of Nobu's Reality Marble. According to her, Archer pulled out some kind of sword that she had never seen nor understood. She couldn't describe it properly. Anytime she tried to speak about it, a headache would overcome her.

It was difficult to calm down when the lynchpin in their trap for the golden Servant was also acting odd about the unknown weapon he pulled out. But now that he was gone, they needn't worry over whatever Gilgamesh's noble phantasm was.

Still, that didn't excuse her spoiled behaviour.

"Indeed, I said as much then. But, my dear Avenger, surely you would like to wish for something more than simple copulation."

Lelouch went on the offence. Knowing her, playing defensively would only play right into her hands. Hoping a bold move will make her back down, however, backfired. Her red eyes went wide as she grabbed his hand.

Lelouch bit his lip to hold himself back from shouting in surprise. A Servant's grip was powerful. But when he saw the hungry smile on her face, a wild grin that showed her fangs, he noted she was doing it to accentuate her domination over him at the moment. That was despite the redness on her face.

"Ara, ara! How bold of you, Master. I simply thought about giving you something comfortable to sleep on." She said so whilst squeezing her bosom together suggestively. Lelouch was not amused. "But turns out my precious Master would offer me more than just some mana transfer."

"Mana what?" He didn't know what it was, but with the ferally eager look on Nobu's grin and how she trapped him from wriggling away, it sounded dangerous at the moment.

"Hahahah! You're quite the splendid guy, aren't you!" She wasn't even bothering to cover up her mirth as she chuckled silently. "Come on, come a little closer! Let this young lady treat you well! It will be a new experience for both of us!"

"Wai—!"

Nobu then closed the distance between them. Lelouch's eyes went wide, expecting her to go all out. To do so would've been shocking enough already, but in someone else's room, while they were sleeping not two meters away? That was beyond racy for Lelouch's comfort!

However, she didn't do what he was imagining. Instead, she did something… … less lecherous.

"Ngh! Oi, Avenger! Don't rub your cheeks together with mine—nya!" The Demon Emperor who took over the world said as the older woman rubbed her face against his. "I said stop!"

"Eh? Geez~~~! No need to be so embarrassed, my adorable little Lulu~~~!"

'That's enough, Nobu!' Lelouch decided to use their connection to shout his complaints. 'Our ally is literally sleeping in the next bed! Do you want to give Kariya an eyeful?! Or Berserker for that matter?!'

"Berserker is outside in spirit form." That didn't make things any better. That was still a Servant, a being whose senses were far more enhanced than a normal person. "And who cares about some walking corpse? Just look at him," she whispered such while motioning towards the man who remained still, deathly asleep on the small bed. "Hm... he actually looks like a corpse, now that I noticed."

"What—?" That she said it aloud, clearly this time, was worrying. Matou Kariya was lying quiet, motionless.

Managing to break away from Nobu, Lelouch stumbled over to stand warily over his remaining ally's side. The Master of Berserker didn't look like he was breathing at all. His body remained in one position, making the two demons observe him in perpetual silence.

'Don't tell me… Did he actually die?'

"Ngh!"

Lelouch's worries disappeared when Kariya's body suddenly jerked and the man let out a muffled yet pained groan as he sat up. Slowly breathing, Kariya tried to collect himself with an expression that looked half well-rested while also looking half-dead. A day alive meant he was happy that the Crest worms didn't eat his organs while he slept.

Turning to the boy who had a worried expression on, the man who'd been oblivious to their earlier flirting gave an awkward half-smile. "Ah. Good… morning?"

"Good… morning," Lelouch replied, still concerned. "How're you… feeling?"

"Never better!" A slight groan as the man made to move off his bed said otherwise, but Lelouch took it as the best positive Kariya could muster in his condition. "Slept well, you two?"

Considering his muddled thoughts, Lelouch could only answer vaguely. "Yeah… somewhat…"

"Tch…" Nobu, however, clicked her tongue whilst glancing to one side, earning a perplexed expression from the clueless man. 'Mood killer.'

Lelouch was grateful she kept her comment between them.

___________

Kayneth's last warehouse

In the far corner of the city, inside the abandoned building, a western magus grunted as she looked over his belongings. Or rather, what remained of hers. Almost everything Sola-Ui brought with her to Japan was lost over the course of this accursed war. Kayneth made her bring enough potions to heal and assist him. Yet, all of the high-quality stuff that wasn't lost to the building was used on the late blonde magus and his brief ally, the crippled Japanese half-magus Kariya. But that didn't matter anymore.

'Hmph…' With a sorrowful glare to the dilapidated ceiling, she sighed. 'I'm finally free…'

Usually, a fiancé would cry over the death of her deceased future husband, but not Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri. The red-haired woman stood still in the empty warehouse and was giddily ecstatic.

Her marriage with Kayneth wasn't out of love but a political alliance between two magi families. She was just a tool, forced to plan ahead in spending life with a man whom she never cared for nor loved. Before, Sola-Ui didn't really care about it. Since her childhood, the idea to marry someone for the sake of her family was hammered into her head. Besides, before this war, Kayneth didn't seem like the worst option either.

A talented magus from a prestigious noble family, aside from being wealthy and well-educated, he possessed the finest assets any magus bride would look for in a potential mate, powerful genes for a future generation she'd rear with her own skills. Before all of this, Sola didn't care and was readily looking forward to accepting such as her fate.

But then it all changed.

She'd met her knight, an actual knight, who would've saved her from this lonely existence if she'd only ask. He was the man who showed her what real love was like by simply sparing her a glance. Sola-Ui never cared about such things before, but that man changed all of it.

"Ah… my beloved… Servant Lancer, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne." His name caused Sola-Ui's heart to stir every time she said it to herself. Even as she cried herself to sleep in the past few weeks, it was the only time she would find solace, saying his name over and over to herself.

He was the one she wanted to spend her life with. He was the one she wanted to take her away from it all. Even if said knight tried to avoid her in the beginning, there was no doubt in her mind or heart that he'd accede to her every fantasy, her every wish, so long as she dared take him up with her desire. She stopped caring about anything except for Lancer. She desired him. She wanted for the Servant to be hers and hers alone.

But Kayneth ruined everything.

Not only was he Lancer's master, unworthy of him, but he also made everything interfere with their love. In Sola-Ui's mind, it was without a doubt Kayneth's fault she and Diarmuid couldn't spend more time together while he was alive. Oh, yes, when he was alive. After all, her knight wasn't alive anymore. Not after the failure of a fiancé had him fight a battle he couldn't outright win.

'Kayneth's at fault! It's all his fault! He allowed Diarmuid to die! That jealous bastard couldn't stand the truth. That I fell in love with his Servant! He should have been the one to die on that night!' Calming herself, she recomposed with only her balled fist still tensed. 'At least that part is fixed.'

There was another reason Sola-Ui didn't grieve over the death of her betrothed one. Why should she when she was the one who helped in his murder?

After the night her Diarmuid died, the woman magus started to think about a way to get rid of Kayneth. The man should have paid for his crime against her love. And so he would. Thankfully, his ally, the boy Lelouch Lamperouge, was more than willing to help her.

While the fool would continue to project his visions of grandeur, his hopes of at least getting something out of his failure of participation, she would act as a spy and inform the Master of Avenger when her sorry excuse of a fiancé will inevitably betray him. After that, it was simply too easy. Kayneth never expected her to hide some modern devices inside Kayneth's clothes when he was too trusting of her to take care of his needs in their deplorable state. Lelouch finishing the job without her having to dirty her hands was the only regret she had.

And though she was free from it all, she still wished she could've seen the last look on that despicable fool's face when he realized she was to blame before he exploded to kingdom come.

'Well… there's nothing left for me here…' With a tired sigh, the woman snapped her fingers. As soon as she did, the boundary field surrounding the premises shattered and vanished, not leaving a single trace of a magus' presence apart from the woman standing alone in the building with what little belongings she had left. One of which was a pair of plane tickets sat atop her last remaining briefcase. 'In the end, at least that man was able to procure a farewell gift.'

Before his last excursion, Kayneth had prepared means to leave Japan. All Sola-Ui needed was to make her way to the Fuyuki Airport. She'd waited the entire night until the morning, waiting if her 'dear' fiancé would show up on the off-chance Lamperouge would've failed. But it would seem the plan worked out nicely.

Her familiar was sent to scout the church only saw ruins of the building and local authorities trying to make heads or tails of what was going on. Without the guidance of the would-be arbiters or the Magus Owner of the Fuyuki Ward, Tohsaka Tokiomi, the poor detectives were at a loss on what to explain to the public.

But having been a non-participant ever since the death of her beloved, it wasn't her issue anymore. Leave it to the oblivious plebeians to deal with the bloody mess her former fiancé left. She'd achieved her end of the deal. The boy had done his.

She was done, henceforth washing her hands of this sordid affair of a Holy Grail War.

Left hand wheeling away her stuff, right hand pocketing both of the tickets, there was no point staying here any more than necessary. It was time to leave.

However, as soon as she kicked open the disgustingly rusting doorway open and walked out into the cold night air, Sola-Ui felt something wrap around her neck.

"Wha—NGMPH!" She couldn't scream when, apart from the apparent elbow, something, or someone, had pressed a rag against her face. Having not prepared to encounter a combatant so close to her base mere minutes after disabling the boundary field, she couldn't fight off her attacker. She could only whine in defiance before slumping down silent. She'd been caught where no passerby or an ally would ever be able to save her.

Her consciousness, slowly fading, had sharpened in its last moments of waking. With the temperament of a magus that toed the line of life and death, Sola-Ui tried her damned best to fight to stay awake. All that she was able to accomplish, however, was catch a glimpse of her attacker. A stern-faced woman with short black hair.

"Target has been captured. Heading back now, Kiritsugu."

'Dammit…' unable to hold on any longer, Sola-Ui's thoughts cursed her former fiancé once more. 'Of all the people… it had to be… the Magus Killer…'

The last the woman could feel before everything faded to black was being hoisted up on the woman's shoulders to be brought to who knows where.

Knowing the name and identity of who her kidnapper worked for, however, she didn't have any pleasant dreams, if any, of what was to come.

_____________

Copenhagen.

"So… What are we going to do now?" Kariya asked tersely while he sat there with an empty coffee mug.

The three of them sat inside the small coffeehouse. Surprisingly, despite the bustling time of the weekday, the place was still almost empty in the early morning. Save for the staff and a brown-haired teenager girl who was chatting with her, they had no other company. Both would occasionally glance at them, but Lelouch would politely acknowledge them with a wave, embarrassing them enough to avoid eye contact. Kariya, on the other hand, would automatically hide his face behind the hood in an attempt to spare them the gruesome sight.

"We should have gone somewhere else," he commented. "We draw too much attention like this."

"It'll happen no matter where we go," casually stated the only Servant who insisted on remaining materialized. "It's easy to stand out when I'm as charming as I am." That Avenger had no qualms claiming as such was pretty much in line with her haughty attitude so far. Yet her smug expression wavered slightly went it met her Master's gaze. "Oh, that's not to say you're bad-looking, Master. You would definitely catch my eye no matter the time of day."

"Well, aren't you humble…" Her partner simply gave her a fake smile and snorted behind his own mug of warm coffee. He took a sip before turning to Kariya. "Don't worry about it. Right now, our main concern isn't hiding but who to go after next."

Urging that they end it as fast as possible, Kariya wouldn't object as much if Lelouch was going to push that topic. "The only Servants left are… Saber and Rider. Didn't you say you have the address of Rider's master?"

Lelouch nodded. "Indeed, Waver Velvet is hiding among the regular folk. From what Kayneth's hypnotized police told us, he's staying with a foreigner family, an elderly couple."

"Elderly?" Nobu asked as she took another sip of tea. "You saying he's brought his magi family with him?"

"No. The police dug up more info on them. Kayneth said they're locals who've naturalized themselves here after a few decades. Their own family, however, hasn't contacted them in years. Our former compatriot surmised that young Waver must be using magecraft to blend in with them."

That… seems like an unnecessary risk, Kariya thought. To involve the regular people. But perhaps that Waver boy didn't care. He was a magus after all.

"Shame. Can't use them as hostages then." Nobu sighed coolly, earning the widening of Kariya's working eye as he looked around alarmed. "Do not worry, Matou. No one will hear us."

It didn't reassure the man if she was even trying. While he did murder his old enemy and a couple of others last night, it was more that they deserved it that he was able to calmly accept that fact. But the open proclamation of a crime was still a bit too much for he who'd grown used to living a normal life for almost two decades now.

Regardless, Avenger continued. "Lelouch, the location of that Magus Killer. Can we be sure Saber and her Master must be there too?"

"Yes. Their absence in most of our fights recently confirms their collusion with that man. But before heading there, it might be best to send someone as a scout, preferably someone outside our group, in order to check if this Kiritsugu Emiya prepared any traps."

The boy may have added that to make him feel less threatened, but Kariya was not a fool to think Lelouch would mean for him to go. Berserker was still necessary to keep this a two-versus-two in the worst case scenario.

Still, even if that wasn't the case, neither Kariya nor Lelouch had met the man yet. They had no idea what to expect of their opponent apart from his apparent cooperation with the Einzbern camp. But from the way others had described him already, this Magus Killer was an extremely dangerous opponent.

"I checked the map." Lelouch drew a small one out and laid it down for Kariya to see. "Their new base is located in the northern part of Miyama Town. The area is a sleeping district, not suitable for fighting. Seems that, after how many fights happened in the forest near their castle, Saber and her Master decided to hide here, biding time until the rest of us whittle each other down."

Avenger spared the map the briefest of glances before giving them each one. "But it doesn't mean the place isn't full of traps. This mercenary isn't like the pompous baldie you blew up yesterday or the one you did in. He uses modern technology, a firearm like I do. Wouldn't the civilians in the area be acting more as his living shields, making others think twice before starting an open fight near them?"

"That may be true… But… there is no one left to supervise the rules of the war."

Kariya didn't like pointing it out. Without the Church, there was no monitoring the Grail War or keeping its participants in line. It was only due to the Church that Caster's demise was made a priority in the first place. Without the priest, cheating as they may have, it wasn't likely that the remaining masters would enforce the rules.

Kariya cared little about the Grail War in general. With the boy's objective of keeping anyone from winning, he was sure Lelouch was the same. That being said, this Magus Killer had already blown up a hotel in an attempt to cripple Lancer by killing Kayneth before. Keeping a low profile may not be enforced as much as before, but it wouldn't stop him if he targeted them next. The Velvet kid was at least trying to stay low, but the police were able to find him after momentary magical coercion.

"It is true, we could be looking at an all-out guerilla defensive from Saber's Master. No doubt our remaining adversaries already learned about the fight in Church, but there is no one to tell them what exactly went down. It will take some time for them to learn about the deaths of three Masters even if they can sense the loss of one Servant. The police also wouldn't go reporting on the details of the crime scene if they haven't solidly concluded their findings either. This is the opening we can use." Lelouch took a sip of his tea before settling down the mug.

"What do we do?" Kariya asked hopefully. Seeing the boy remain as calm as can be, it subconsciously told him Lelouch already had an idea in mind.

"We still don't know what Saber's noble phantasm is. We do know her identity and her legend, but the King of Knights hasn't used her trump card yet. To what form that takes, we'll need a guinea pig to tank it before we tackle her ourselves." Refolding the map, Lelouch tucked it away in his pocket. "Not to mention, her Master has someone like the Magus Killer under their command. He's an unpredictable wild card we shouldn't underestimate. If we send either Avenger or Berserker, they might be wiped out by Saber one-on-one. But send both… Well."

They'd be dead. And, being a child and a husk of an amateur of a magus, neither of them would be able to last against a professional killer.

"It would be better if another Servant went there and lured out Saber." Lelouch continued. "Luckily, the noble phantasm of Iskandar is known to us. His mobility and powers make Rider a priority target against the two of us who can't survive without or Servants. But why not kill two birds with one stone?" Lelouch smirked.

"You'd have Saber and Rider duke it out?"

"Yes. After the banquet, Rider and Saber started to dislike each other. This is our window of opportunity. If the two were already volatile enough to disagree with one another, why not give them a chance to, heh, 'settle their differences?"

Kariya thought about it. It wasn't a bad idea. Certainly not when they'd be spared the risk to themselves. He nodded in understanding. "Okay. But how will we go about it?"

"We know where their bases are, Kariya. We're both aware of the homes either one stays in. Giving one party this information should be enough. They might do half of the job for us should one prove a challenge to put down. Yet, one Servant dying will still be weakening any opposition we have. It's still to our advantage."

"Goading them into self-destruction." Kariya was still unsure about this idea of pitting one against another, but in a state where he couldn't fight the weakest of the Masters himself, he had no choice but to agree with the plan. "So, who is it gonna be?"

Avenger quickly chuckled. "I say let's give the kid the advantage."

"Ho? I thought you were looking forward to killing Iskandar yourself?" Lelouch said with a raised eyebrow. "Are you willingly giving Saber this honour?"

"Don't be foolish, Lelouch. That brute will die by my hand." The woman's eager expression was not lost on Kariya. Surprisingly, it turned thoughtful not a second later. "But Saber's master has a mercenary under her command. One who's apparently skilled in killing the most experienced magi. That oaf's Master wouldn't stand a chance should Rider be preoccupied even for a moment."

Kariya had to agree on that one. Even a man as departed from the moonlit world as he was aware of the dangers professional killers had on the normal folk. One magus boy against a trained assassin who was also aware of the tricks of magi, it was no contest. But…

"I see your point. Alright, we'll go with Waver Velvet and Rider then, Avenger." Lelouch agreed. He did so very easily that the maimed adult could only sigh. "Something is wrong, Kariya?"

"N-not really, no…" Just… was it really right for them… to pit the kid against a professional hitman and Saber? Kariya didn't dare voice it out. Not when he'd already had blood on his own hands. That he would feel a bit reluctant about using others shouldn't be in his conscience anymore.

After all, he himself was using Lelouch to save Sakura, no? And besides, Waver Velvet was just another of their kind. A magus. In his head, that designation made the boy just the same breed as Zouken, if not younger and less experienced than the old crone.

In the end, they were all the same. Even the Mage Killer. He'd heard that the man was responsible for the Hyatt Hotel explosion in an attempt to knock out Saber's first foe, Lancer and his Master Kayneth. Sure, there were no civilian casualties, but without the arbiters to enforce the rules, who was to say it wouldn't happen again? Only this time, casualties be damned.

Emiya Kiritsugu would likely try to repeat his trick with the hotel and destroy a whole city district just to get to them. The same would be said of the boy that was Rider's Master. The same would be especially said of Zouken who'd already taken the lives of many just to survive who knows how long now.

It was only because Lelouch believed in his cause that Kariya didn't include the boy in his mental simile.

Kariya's grip on his cupped hand tightened as he sighed once more. "Ok. Does that mean we're going to a kid's place now?"

Taking a sip of coffee, Lelouch paused before replying. "No. Not just yet."

"What?"

Lelouch started. "As I said at the moment, we have a window of opportunity. But instead of simply charging into the next fight, it will be best to slow down and prepare. After last night's events, my partner used too much of her powers. Avenger needs time before she will be battle-ready again."

"You got that right. Ng!" Kariya spared a glance at the woman who stretched with her arms forward like a lazy cat. "Using my noble phantasm is exhausting, I need at least a day to gather my strength. I can fight, but not enough to end Rider." Snagging Lelouch's hand with her own, she gently tugged at his sleeve while giving an apologizing look. "Sorry for being a liability in the state like this."

The boy, to his credit, merely waved away whilst petting the top of her crimson head. "Don't be foolish. You aren't a liability. Even in your state, you still have the highest kill count in this war so far."

That was indeed true. While Kariya had been so laser-focused on Tokiomi, and Archer by proxy, Lelouch and Avenger had been cutting down their foes methodically. Caster was one thing, but Archer was a beast even Berserker had trouble ending permanently.

Not to mention the boy's cunning use of having Kayneth lose Lancer before removing the man, Assassin's former Master and Archer all in a single night. Killing two Servants was an accomplishment on its own, that Kariya would concede.

But having a Master who not only neutralized Kariya himself as a threat and managed to convince him to win this war in a different sense… It spoke volumes of their overall power in this fight. Lelouch and Avenger, both unknowns in general, were quite the powerful combo.

Still, Kariya's viewpoint was not one of fear. Mere awe. Why? Well… one was a boy giving a deadly Servant woman what was effectively a head pat and the other was a would-be historic figure acting like a tuckered yet coquettish young woman. That they were the pair who'd done the lion's share of the fighting… the current image was… odd to say the least.

Considering Kariya had been mostly privy to her maddened and battle-hardened side, the image of the redhead then snuggling up on Lelouch's arm caused Kariya to question whether his good eye was seeing things. When the boy himself continued to accept the snuggles whilst drinking coffee, Kariya felt more than out of place.

It felt like he was third-wheeling but minus the actual envy associated with it.

"Ahem." Regardless, the Master of Berserker coughed to garner their attention. "Wouldn't Berserker be able to help in this regard then… that is until Avenger is up to the task again?"

"Of course, Berserker could." Lelouch nodded and yet added. "But unless it's Avenger, I can't be certain of a win in any fight.

"You don't have faith in my Servant?" Kariya didn't understand why the words left his mouth, only that they did and he felt a bit odd competing with a child. "Even Archer was forced back by him."

"And yet, I was the one who dealt the killing blow." The smug smile on Avenger's face was fitting of a crown. "I've been on the scoreboard since Caster. Any kills to your name, besides the cripple?"

"If we're going by killing blow as a score, didn't Rider kill like… a hundred of Assassins?" Kariya snapped but immediately flinched when he felt the death glare.

"Doesn't count! That shadow was still only one Servant!" Instead of a veiled threat, what came out of the woman's mouth was a cute pout and harrumph. She even stated proudly whilst looking away, "Besides, I could have killed them all as well!"

Had this been any normal person, Kariya might've found her reaction adorable. Not so when she apparently had the armoury of a Warring States Period Shogun. Not as impressive as Gilgamesh, but it wasn't inferior, considering it managed to rend the once arrogant king down to shreds. Kariya's brow above his working eye twitched uncomfortably. No, it wasn't the worms.

"Of course, you could have, but that's beside the point, Avenger." With a hand to her shoulder, Lelouch managed to console the pouting Servant who kept glaring away from the man. The boy however gave him a pleading look, seemingly apologizing for the woman's behaviour. Kariya felt a little ashamed of losing his temper. Even the worms inside him must be cringing.

"Then, if we aren't going for the kid, what now?" In an attempt to save face, he asked quietly.

"I think we should return to our base. Mine and Avengers, to be exact. We stowed away a couple of helpful tools before we started collaborating with Kayneth. Retrieving them will be helpful for us when we face Rider and Saber."

Then it was a stockpile measure. To regroup and resupply. Granted, they'd already had a long night's rest. But they also lost Kayneth's and his fiancé's assets when they ended their alliance with the man. The magus woman would likely have already left by now. Kariya noted with a quiet nod.

"However my main objective for today was taking care of another business." Violet eyes focused on Kariya. "I think it is time to save Sakura."

"Eh?" Kariya froze. His only working eye went wide. The words itself were like ice being stabbed through muscle and bone. "What… now?"

"You don't need to look at me that way. I promised, didn't I?" The boy smiled, but Kariya couldn't.

The sick man intensely grabbed his crippled arm, like he was expecting Zouken to activate worms in any second and kill him. He opened his mouth to argue, to say he was against it. But he couldn't. He just… stopped working.

For a long while, he remained as still as a statue, with only his thoughts for company.

Kariya remembered Lelouch's words. The young man only said them a few hours before yesterday's incident. The promise of miracles. The first that would serve as a sample and proof was Tokiomi's demise and his survival through it.

The boy had delivered on that promise.

Tokiomi was dead. His Servant was dead. Coincidentally, the other two who could've done him harm after, the magus and the priest, were also dead. Of the four adults who walked into the church, Kariya was the one who walked out alive. Delivered salvation by the hands of the boy with a demonic yet kind smile.

And yet… despite what happened last night, he couldn't help but be scared by the thought of going after Zouken now.

Even after managing to kill Tokiomi, Kariya was still afraid. Confronting a cripple who was at the end of his rope was one thing. Confronting the old worm who was supposedly his father yet rumoured to be a life-sucking immortal-yet-dead vampire… one whose presence and terror had plagued him since he was a young boy who rejected magecraft… that was another issue entirely.

Even now… he abhorred the man—the monster—for what he'd done to others. For what he'd done to his family. But… more so than that… Kariya feared Matou Zouken. He feared him so much that, even crippled and free from his grasp, Kariya could only tremble where he sat.

It was no wonder Lelouch was quick to pick up on his panic.

"Kariya," the boy's hand had him jump slightly in his seat. But gently, Lelouch called out to the PTSD-suffering adult who hid under the hood. "Kariya, look at me. Look at me."

He did, albeit slowly and with the one eye darting around, scared. "Didn't I promise to show you the miracle?"

"Y-yeah…" He nodded. "You did…"

"And did I fail to do it?" The Demon Emperor waited for an answer but the grown man—the crippled and fearful adult—stayed silent. "Kariya—?"

"Are you daring to doubt my Master now, worm? After all that he did for you?" Avenger's scathing tone scratched at Kariya's pride. The annoyance and pity were not lost on him. "He'd given someone like you, a little weak man, a chance to get revenge and offered to save your pitiful little princess. If it wasn't for Lelouch, you would likely be nothing more than a feast to your parasites not two nights ago." Kariya heard a little creak on the counter's wood. A peek over to Avenger's side, he noticed her fingernail seamlessly carving grooves into the polished mahogany. "You realize, had you not been offered this deal, you would've been long a carcass, forever defeated and unremembered like the despicable worm you—!"

Her remarks suddenly stopped. Noting that she sent a wary glance to her Master, Kariya realized the boy must've sent a mental note for her to stop. Yet, Lelouch waited. And waited. Even now, as Kariya stared long and hard at his empty coffee mug, the only thing he did was tremble. All the while, Lelouch patiently waited for his response.

But Kariya couldn't say anything. He was too scared. Too weak.

His hate and desire to get back at Tokiomi was one thing. But Tokiomi was a man. Mortal. He could be killed. Zouken, however…

He felt the chills going through his body. The Crest worms still slept thanks to the last of Sola-Ui's potions, but who knows for how long until his 'parent's' maggots resume devouring him from the inside out? Once they awoke, then what? He'd die. Big deal. But even if he'd try to blow himself up and take Zouken with him, how would he be so certain the worm wouldn't rise up again, unbothered or not even inconvenienced by his actions?

And that's not forgetting the one important thing. Zouken still had Sakura.

Immortal and with a hostage. How does one win against such a foe?

The answer was simple. You don't.

"Kariya," the boy started but the man couldn't meet his gaze. "We have a chance to save Sakura right now. While there are still other Servants out and about, Zouken would be the most distracted than he'll ever be. If we do it too late, he'll have prepared for your rebellion as you offer him the Grail."

And that was if he'd even get the Grail, considering Lelouch himself stated he would never accede it, corrupted as it was. Yet, knowing the words to be true, Kariya couldn't move.

"We told you before, you can't expect to trust him to hold his word. Giving him Grail isn't an answer. Surrendering now isn't an answer."

He knew that. Kariya fucking knew that! But he still couldn't answer.

"Are you going to give in, Kariya?" The boy's words rang hollow. The adult knew what he was doing, he was very much aware of this tactic, but he couldn't refute it. "You're doing exactly what he wants. You're afraid, I get that. You don't see any other way but to obey him and win the Holy Grail for him. Even just thinking about going against him makes you terrified. Yet, surely, you understand this is wrong."

Kariya hid his face. The one eye would've started tearing up if his tear ducts hadn't died already. "Z-Zouken isn't a human. He is a monster. He has Sakura—!"

"And wasn't it that very fact the reason why you wish to save her?"

He couldn't answer that. Not when fear and reluctance gripped his heart so. The adrenaline high he'd found in the suffering of his old enemy wasn't present. The only emotions his hormones induced now was pure dread. Dread that, no matter what he'd do this time, he'd lose it all.

"I know what it's like… to have someone you care about taken away from you." The man's breath hitched when the boy's hand tapped his shoulder gently. "I… know what it's like, feeling frantic and afraid for their well-being when you wish to save them but can't. I know the fear, the vice-like grip on a person's heart when one holds that which is most dear to them above a knife's edge." The grip on his shoulder tightened. So much so that he felt his bones crack even though his skin's senses had deadened long ago. "But that is why you must fight to the very end. To gamble all you have for the sake of that goal. If you let fear itself grip you, you will lose everything even though you didn't risk anything."

He'd die anyway. But if he didn't act, she would suffer lifelong torment. Didn't he already accept that fact? Wasn't it why he accepted Lelouch's offer in the first place?

"I know what it's like to go against one's parents. And not in the childishly rebellious way, no. Patricide isn't easy, but sometimes it must be done if you wish to do what is right."

For a boy to calmly state as much without even the slightest hint of regret, he must've gone through hell if he was going to be this forward. But the same could be said of Kariya right now, was it not?

Breaking away from the slouching, Kariya's face was still hidden by the hood. But he tried to meet Lelouch's gaze, weak and distracted as he was. "What… should I do…?"

"What is it that you want to do?" The return of his question would've earned rage or a snap-back, but Lelouch didn't give him the chance to be mad when two fingers were thrust in front of Kariya's face. "Whatever Zouken did to you, it left a scar upon you. One that will never fade away. But there are two things you can do." With his back straightened, the boy stared hard back into Kariya's eye. The stern gaze pierced through him as much as it did the deep tone of the lad's voice.

"You can continue to look upon that scar, be reminded of the fear and your own weakness, forcibly making yourself cower away in defeat. Or… you can look upon that scar, decide that enough is enough, and attempt a revolt. Choose the first, and you would likely only need to cower until you expire, but choose the second and… well." The hand dropped from view as a smile flitted on the boy's face. "It can be a trophy, a reminder of the victory you achieved as well as the last souvenir you will ever take away from this brief moment of hell in your life, apart from the life of the child you saved of course."

"You… think I can… survive this?" Kariya's fingers trembled as did his gaze. "You think we can… win? Even though you've never met that bastard?!"

"You already won against Tokiomi, no? You risked everything merely to end that man's life. What's another if the prize is freedom from hell, for both you and the girl?"

"It's not that simple, Lelouch!" he hissed back. "If we fail, it's not just me who could die. Both you and Sakura could—"

"Worried for my well-being, are you? I appreciate it, Kariya." The boy smiled as easily as he stared back. "But you forget. This is a war. Even if it isn't for the Grail, even if it's just between seven people vying for supremacy, I've long come to accept the risks."

"Huh?"

"When I made an alliance to help you, I long since came to terms that I may die doing so. Did you not think the same when you accepted my offer yesterday?" Lelouch's violet orbs didn't flinch as they locked onto Kariya's greyed-out twitching own. "When you accepted my offer of an alliance, you did so with the desperation of a dying man. Your path to retreat has already been cut off and you did it with your own hand."

"I…" He did, didn't he? "I didn't…" He accepted this man's help, and, with the death of Tokiomi, the deal was as good as made. If he were to go back on it now, there was no saving Sakura. Not even if he were to somehow kill Lelouch and the other Masters and offer the Grail to Zouken.

"No," the boy shook his head as if to correct himself. "You already cut off your own escape when you joined this war in the beginning. You either win and die, or you lose and die. The only difference now is that I offer a guarantee of Sakura's survival."

Ah, that's right. In the fit of dread, he'd forgotten. The only reason he accepted Lelouch was because he wasn't the same as those magi. In fact, he was more like Kariya in regards to their views on human life. Those who kill should also be those prepared to be killed. Lelouch said as much himself last night.

In that same vein, the innocent need not suffer because of the guilty.

From the beginning, the only reason Zouken sought out a strong child with magus blood was because he'd chosen to neglect the family line, refusing it vehemently and escaping that house as soon as he had the chance. And, with Byakuya's waning magus blood, that meant no one was the legitimate heir to their household's horrendous magecraft.

His leaving led to Sakura's indoctrination.

Yeah, it was Tokiomi's fault she suffered. Had he been a decent human being, much less a father, she and Rin would've led normal happy lives. But if it wasn't for his leaving a gap for them to fill, Tokiomi wouldn't have sold her off to Zouken of all people as a kind gesture of one magus family to another.

It was his sin. And Sakura paid for it.

But now, he could right that wrong. All he needed to do… was face his fear, his own life be damned. But… could he do it? Could he beat his father, knowing he'd never been able to win against that monster all his life? Knowing all he could do… was run away?

"Don't tell me you forget your own drive, worm." Avenger's voice cut through his hesitant thoughts. "Was it not yourself who exacted revenge on the man who took everything from you? Was it not you who strode forth into a den of wolves and emerged victoriously?"

"But…" Kariya's palms tightened into fists. Only through one of them did he feel a little blood trickle from the cut his nails made. The other hung limply, dripping small red onto the wooden-tile floors below. "But if it wasn't for Lelouch's plan—"

"Nay, you fool. The one to kill that man was not my Master's plan. It was you. Meagre of a struggle as it may have been, that magus still died by your hand. His death was your victory, Matou Kariya." It might have been the first time the Servant ever acknowledged another Master apart from hers by name. "Now, answer me. Do you not remember that drive? The fire that pushed you, that goaded you into achieving a selfish victory over him? Where has that drive gone now that the fight to save your most precious one is upon you? You've risked life and limb out of a selfish desire such as revenge. Does the same fire not burn more intensely for this child's life?"

It does! It does and will forever will! It's just…

"Or… don't tell me. When it comes to a choice between fear and love, this Sakura girl was never worth a damn over your own insignificant life? Now that your revenge has been appeased, I guess she doesn't hold a candle to your trauma anymore, no?" Avenger pressed, devilish smile mocking him again in place. "Even as you yourself are aware of your approaching end, it seems cowering until your wick vanishes is better than letting it all burn for the sake of giving the girl hope. How I pity the abandoned child—"

"Avenger. That's enough." Lelouch cut her off, but his gaze never left Kariya. "I know how you feel, Kariya. God knows, I do. Being weak and unable to resist, only able to stare up in defiance but nothing more. Having to kowtow to those who pull the strings for their own amusement is nothing short of a life not worth living. When you're without your own power, any and all hope you may have had could only be seen as mere flights of fancy. You live your life, day to day, knowing you can't win no matter how hard you try. But… you still want to try, don't you?"

"I… I do…" God knows, he did. He just… couldn't. Not when he was finally thinking straight.

Insanity had the perks of losing one's own preconception of reality. Anything was possible so long as you were crazy enough to try. Even if you might be falling from the top of a building, in your head, it might as well be flight. Still didn't mean you were flying, but being broken mentally meant you didn't care about the method so long as you achieved the result. So long as it made her happy, he threw himself into the pit of worms, did he not?

Then… hadn't he already gone insane when the wretched elder's maggots had already eaten away more than half of his own organs by now?

"I—…. We…" Kariya started. Knowing the words was easy. Forcing them out, not so. "We need to contact my brother. Byakuya should know what's going inside the house."

"Byakuya?"

"My older brother...we don't have the best of sibling relationships but… I know he hates Zouken as much as I do. If not more…" A child can only take so much living in that household. In his opinion, his older brother was the far stronger of them, having lived with that wretch to this day. "But… he's probably afraid of Zouken… just as much as… me."

"Then trying to convince him will be a waste of time." Lelouch shot his hopes down immediately. It didn't take long for Kariya to reason why. Unlike he who had a goal, Byakuya was just living through the motions now. He'd grown used to cowering under Zouken's air. "Perhaps… tricking him will be the best option."

'Trick him?' An indirect method then. If convincing Byakuya's cooperation was futile, manipulating him into doing so might prove more fruitful. "I guess that will work. It shouldn't be a problem as my older brother can't use magecraft. I doubt he'd even be able to stand if you plop a Servant near him. Unless Zouken around, he can't do much of anything at all. Thankfully my nephew is away overseas."

Kariya was glad Shinji wasn't in the city. Had the boy been present instead, what would Zouken might've done to him out of desperation? Kariya didn't try to imagine what.

"So your brother has a family?" Avenger chimed in, seemingly a little interested. "What of his wife?"

"Zouken... killed her years ago." Kariya averted his gaze to the floor, not fond of that memory. "The old worm punished her because Shinji, my nephew, was born unable to use magecraft."

And wasn't that hell for the only son that remained in the house? If Zouken inspired much fear in them both, how was he and Lelouch to convince Byakuya into conspiring against their father when he hadn't the taste of freedom as Kariya had? With Zouken being an oppressor as well as a caretaker to his older brother, the risk of Byakuya turning on them out of fear of punishment was beyond nil.

"Hm. Very well, we will act during the night." Kariya's head jerked up in the decisiveness of the boy's tone. "I take only Byakuya and Zouken would be inside the family house. With exception of Sakura of course."

"Yeah," Kariya nodded then grimaced. "But… There are hundreds, if not thousands, of familiars that Zouken can use to attack us. Just the mansion alone is buzzing with them all over as a security measure."

"Please, as if some insects can harm two Servants." Avenger laughed. Even now, it seems the worms that ate away at him seemed only just that to the woman. Insects to be squashed.

But the same could not be said of Kariya. "I'm not worried about you or Berserker." Hand over his chest, he muttered whilst thinking of the creatures asleep within him. "These bugs… they're connected to that bastard. If they were awake right now… One wrong move…"

Lelouch was quick to understand. "You fear Zouken will reawaken to Crest worms inside you...or use them against Sakura."

He nodded along with grit teeth. "... I… I want to save her… no matter what. But… Zouken… he'll kill her… if I try to step out of a line. If he sees us… If he sees even me… He'll know something's up."

The thought was damning that something as horrid as the old man could be so controlling and methodical in the projection of his power over Kariya and the rest.

Old yet wise, cruel yet cunning, Zouken was a master of magecraft as he was a fiend with the guise of an elderly man. Considering the entire mansion was considered their magus family's ancient territory respected even by the Tohsakas, the Matou home was full of familiars, not just flesh-eating worms. If he carelessly approached with the obvious intent of rebellion, any fliers in the area would spot him immediately, making potential rescue missions complicated if not impossible.

Hell, had the worms within him been awake this whole time, Zouken could've just snapped his existence away without Kariya even realizing it.

Sakura was a hostage to that kind of monster. If they'll make a move, they need to act carefully. They needed to trick both Zouken and Byakuya, get close enough to them without being detected that their Servants could get the job done quickly. But Kariya didn't know-how.

He wasn't a fool. After making that deal with Zouken, he'd tried to think up numerous ways to sneak Sakura out of there. Of course, it was to no avail. When the insects constantly patrolled in revolting swarms, out of sight of the normal folk but in plain view to him and his brother, hope was a distant thought. It only got bleaker and bleaker when he became more crippled as the days went by.

Not even the Servant he got was any help at the start.

He'd hoped for a strong one, a powerful one. One that would be able to break his shackles and murder that monster. They were heroic spirits for a reason after all. But bound with the shackles of insanity, Berserker was anything but subtle.

Not a slight on Berserker's part, but unarmed and severely drained of logic and reason by Madness Enhancement, Kariya was more armed with a relentless tank than cleansing salvation. Powerful as he may be, Berserker couldn't help him the same way an Assassin or Caster could've.

The same could be said of Avenger. Despite the praises Lelouch might've had for the woman, Kariya wasn't convinced she could do what he needed her to without accidentally catching Sakura in a crossfire.

Even as the man wholly accepted this alliance to save the girl amidst his fears for their foe, any and all attempts to look on the bright side were squashed by his derisive reasoning. Even insane and desperate, Kariya grasped at straws, clinging on as best as he could before he could do something to endanger the child further.

Only the guilty should know the agony. Sakura was innocent, yet she was the one in pain, not him.

Thus, if Lelouch could somehow perform a miracle… no matter how impossible, Kariya prayed he could. He'd give anything in exchange... Even if… Even if he himself… didn't survive it.

"Please… Please tell me you have a plan…" He expressed as much to the boy sitting next to him. The words came out hoarse, desperate, wilting to the point of a silent whisper. That he was pretty much a prisoner in his own self-doubt and inferiority made it more apparent that he was. "I—I'll do anything! I… I won't continue to cower in fear of that bastard anymore… So long as… she's saved… from my crimes…"

His face, ragged as the worms and stress carved it to be, begged in prolonged silence for something—anything that Lelouch could do to bring a ray of hope to this dire situation.

What he got instead was a casual smile of the Demon who was playing human.

"What are you saying, Kariya?" the relaxed nature of Lelouch's voice was endearing, tempting to the man who'd lost all hope long before. "Didn't I already promise you a miracle?"

The first was revenge and proof of his power. The second… it was salvation.

"Hoh? So are we switching gears, Lulu? Will it be any fun like last night?"

Playing it coy, Avenger tickled the side of the boy's face with a single finger. Her persistence caused the lad to grab onto her with his own hand, but he didn't let up his smile. In fact, he seemed more amused than anything.

"Not entirely as fun, considering we're going to be delaying your little jaunt with Saber and Rider. But, even with a few changes, you'll still have something to do, my adorable Avenger." Lelouch said before turning to his fellow Master. "Tell me, Kariya. Do you know anything about the sewer system under the Matou house?"

The one working eye winced slightly in contemplation. But it didn't take long before it widened and blinked with life.

___________________

Matou residence.

Byakuya wasn't very fond of the daytime.

The pesky sun that shone in through the windows and blinded one's eyes, the hot weather that made one sweat needlessly, but also the large number of people bustling around with life and going about their business.

Or maybe his hate of the day stemmed more from dealing with a hangover he earned for drinking his sorrows away the night before. Who knows? Who cared? He didn't, that was for sure.

The morning was an annoyance to him, but it was still far better than staying the entire day at the house with his newly adopted niece and his own 'father'. Then again, should he be venting his anger on a child? Little Sakura didn't do anything to him. Even after her first training, the poor girl merely spent days just sitting in her room. Quiet. Eerily so. Had he not the small modicum of humanity he had left, he wouldn't have brought her some food. The girl had been far too shellshocked to come out for dinner.

That was a long time ago, barely a few days after she'd first arrived. Now, she was but an empty shell, an obedient doll to his father and the torturous machinations he'd commit in their basement.

'Hmph… Kariya and I went through that training dozens of times in the past… but we were older.' Any attempt at mockery deflated when he realized it. Tohsaka—no, Matou Sakura was far too young to comprehend the hell she was being put through. Using himself and his brother as a comparison, it wasn't fair. 'That girl… she must just be around Shinji's age.'

Just thinking about what if Zouken decided to train his son as well made Byakuya freeze. Neither he nor his son saw much good out of their father-son relationship. As a somewhat sober alcoholic at the moment, he preferred to avoid his only child. Not because of hate, but because Shinji was a stark reminder of Byakuya's deceased wife. The memory of his beloved being eaten alive by Zouken's little parasites haunted Byakuya to this very day.

More so when he realized those same bugs were what had eaten and consumed the rest of their predecessors to prolong Zouken's life. It led to the morbid yet hopeful thought 'Would Shinji and I… reunite with her someday?'

Such thinking nearly had him vomiting. Glass shattered as his hangover retching jerked him to kick an empty bottle aside.

'Dammit… Dammit!' He cursed. But he could only curse himself for even thinking about it. 'I… I should've been the one to run… It should've been me who left Kariya here. Not… the other way around…'

Such a curse, he could never say aloud. Not to the brother who was already knocking on death's door. Escaped once but returned for the sake of the child who was now being reared by the fiend in the magic workshop beneath the floorboards.

Zouken hadn't so much as complain. Quite opposite, the old worm preferred it this way. That was despite the fact the old crone enjoyed Kariya's continued suffering.

Between them, Kariya was at least capable of some magecraft. Neither Byakuya nor Shinji were able to, but neither of them suffered for it. Instead, it was Byakuya's wife who paid the price. No doubt Zouken did it to punish Byakuya as well. Instead of rotting in a pool of ravenous maggots, he was to live out his life in guilt and mental stress.

Had it been Byakuya who escaped… would he have returned for Shinji's sake? He didn't know himself. But he doubted it would matter now.

He wasn't his little brother. He couldn't just leave this damned house and forget this accursed home. Byakuya had nowhere else to go. Besides, even if he hated Zouken, it didn't mean he hated their family as a whole. Rather, it was because he depended on the Matou household now more than ever that he couldn't come to reject it.

The Matou clan wasn't poor by any means. Dead as their lineage was in magecraft, it was still wealthy to an extent all due to Zouken's ancient hoarding. No matter how much Byakuya spent on booze, he wouldn't ever run out of funds to satiate his addiction. And, not having a proper job, in the moonlit world or otherwise, it meant he was as much a parasite to this family as the worms were to his brother.

He thrived in this environment. Perhaps, it was the depression, the lack of motivation, the fear and distress accumulated over the decades… but it all resulted in a man as broken down and devastated as he.

It was enough to keep him satisfied enough with his place in the world. He was never happy. Not since losing the one thing, he hoped his family could never corrupt. But he was alive. That, in itself, was enough.

Besides, what could he do? He was a terrible magus. Even Kariya who ran away from family was still a better magus than him. Forced and rushed as the training was, his little brother still managed to become good enough to summon a Servant. And though that ghost of a hero was strong enough to rend people to shreds, it was still not enough to overcome Zouken.

Byakuya could see it. Kariya could never fight against Zouken. The immortal parasite was far too powerful to confront. And even if Kariya tried, he still had a hostage.

'I wish this damned war would end faster!' A migraine had started to consume him again. It has been happening more often these days. 'Just hurry up and win, you damned fool! Before your enemies decide to aim for us instead!'

Their family had long since been participants in the Holy Grail War. It was a risk that they'd soon come for them instead of beating around the bush. The Tohsaka themselves had their mansion torn asunder and they were the best magi family in town, Zouken's secret immortality be damned.

Yet still, that was the result of an attacker with severe disregard for human life. In any case, a Servant's rampage meant more danger to him who was basically just another normal human. With the apparent explosion at the Church and the confirmed bodies of the priest and his son, as well as the scattered remains of Tohsaka Tokiomi, that meant the only magi left that were considered of note were the Einzberns and them.

An enemy Servant could come breaking down their walls at any moment now, a thought that didn't sit well with the morning drunkard. That Caster once attacking Zouken for sustenance supported that theory.

Kariya's Servant would've been some help, but even the presence of Berserker had Byakuya terrified. He was afraid of that thing almost as much as he was afraid of Zouken. As far as he knew, his old man was just playing with Kariya. There was no way his younger brother could win this war. It was stupid to even believe that Zouken would willingly give up a potential heir even after, by some miracle, Kariya won the Grail. That man cared little about the outside world and treasured magecraft more than even his own children.

Byakuya felt sorry for Sakura but, regardless of whether Kariya won or not, there was no hope for the girl. It was useless to fight against Zouken. That lesson had been ingrained in him years ago.

Speaking of his dear father, "Byakuya! Come!"

Zouken's voice cracked as it was heard throughout the house. It was no longer human. In fact, it rang clearly in every room despite the thing that was his father not being present in it.

But Byakuya could only take in a deep breath, trying to gather strength, before obeying the old worm.

As of a few nights back, only two humans resided within the Matou residence. Whatever Caster did to Zouken, it changed the old man for the worse. Before, the parasite was pettily cruel as he was bossy. But recently, he rarely wasted words and more enforced others to do as they were told. He would always demand something before going on his way. Maybe even chide his only remaining son for lazing about and being drunk again. Now, however, Zouken was ordering Byakuya non-stop, always ordering his failure of a first child to act in his stead for his current state was pretty much crippled if not half-dead.

Because it was always magecraft related, Byakuya's inability to understand or do anything in the art of magic made the old worm even more furious. He was threatened with death far more often than before.

Silently making his way towards the basement, Byakuya maintained a tired scowl. The place had always been used as a training ground for the magi of the family. But in truth, it was just a breeding ground for Zouken and his Crest worms. The secret facility held only bad memories for Byakuya, no doubt for Kariya and now Sakura as well. Some part of him hoped that at least Shinji wouldn't have to suffer the same fate.

As stepped inside the giant room, he immediately felt the cold air and terrible smell. The small sounds of squishing and squirming told him as much of the monster's presence as the echoing footsteps alerted him to Byakuya's. Looking down at the pit, his father stared back up at him. A pair of glazed blacks were met with the compound-eyed stare of a nearly two-hundred-bug swarm.

The worms continued to mulch together like living organs in a pool of flesh and muck.

Caster's last and only visit left Matou Zouken in a condition that Byakuya would declare as near-death. He wasn't an expert of magecraft, far from it. But the old man had been knocked down far too low to even be considered alive at this point.

He needed his Crest worms to survive. He needed hundreds—thousands of them. But Gilles de Rais took almost everything. A majority of the bugs eaten by Caster left the fiend writhing at the bottom of the basement's pit in a deplorable rancid state of eternal decay. Forget smelling like a corpse, the entire basement was hell on earth. All that was needed now was the eternal flames of damnation.

Zouken was running low on his supplies, and it was clear with his need to pester Byakuya with his magecraft work. But, of course, because his father was calling in the morning, there was only one other task he had for his 'son'. Even now, Byakuya tried his best to not vomit at the thing writhing below.

"Byakuya! Did you bring my food?!"

His face squirmed. The 'food' the thing below demanded was the same one its abominations ate when they took away his beloved. That is to say, human flesh.

Ever since the man was reduced to this state, Byakuya had been forced to bring corpses for him to feast upon. Needing human flesh, however, he had to resort to meagre kidnappings and stealing from the morgue. All of which was aided through the use of one or two hypnosis-capable bugs the wretch would lend him, yet it still wasn't easy.

Police were on high alert as enough as it is already. Missing children, a terrorist attack on a hotel, add last night's incident with the church. The whole city was in a panic. So much so that a few places he'd buy alcohol at claimed everything was going to shit.

In the commotion, he was able to snag a few bodies here and there. It still wasn't enough though.

"I couldn't procure one last night—" His voice cut mid sentence. A growl seemed to emanate from all over yet came more from the bottom of the pit. Frustration beat back the fear as he cried out. "What am I supposed to do?! The police are everywhere! I can't even—!"

"Excuses! Always excuses! You're a worthless failure!" roared the mass of worms. "Ah… Both you and Kariya are a waste of my time! Not only was he a failure who allowed this to happen to me, but you are also still a disappointment without any use besides giving me useless offspring!" The words stung, but he bit back the bile to blame the monster. Even in this state, Zouken would still be able to kill him. If he was resentful enough, it wouldn't be quick either. "I've had enough of you. Go and prepare Sakura. Tonight, I will complete her training. At least the girl will be good for something!"

Byakuya opened his mouth, wanting to argue, but quickly shut his mouth. Not desiring to become food himself, the false patriarch of the family decided to do as he was told. This was and always will be the safest choice so long as Zouken lived. There would be nothing he could do to stop it, much less hinder the monster of the pit.

And although he knew Kariya was doing it all, suffering through this war on the back foot because he wanted to save the girl… it would appear that he wasn't fast enough. A shame.

'Sorry girl… But this is the family that accepted you.' Swallowing his pride as well as the guilt that welled up within, the parasite of the Matou home grit his teeth in shame and fear. 'Better you than me…'