In Type-Moon, it all starts with adopting Sakura.

And the flames behind him will serve as the best funeral he could give to that teacher...

……

"Cough cough... Which damned bastard started this fire?"

Shortly after Kirei Kotomine left, a disheveled figure suddenly emerged from the Tohsaka family's basement.

The person who arrived was none other than Matou Kariya, who had skipped the King's Banquet and instead came here to wait and prepare a surprise for Tohsaka Tokiomi.

He coughed and brushed the dust off his body, wondering what was going on.

So he immediately began exploring the mansion, which was engulfed in flames. When he pushed open the door to the study and saw the familiar figure lying in a pool of blood, barely alive, Matou Kariya's pupils contracted sharply, and he exclaimed the figure's name in surprise.

"Tokiomi Tohsaka!!"

Chapter Sixty-Four: The Curtain Rises (5,500 words)

[—Ultimately, I will step into that abyss.]

……

……

Freedom and happiness are two very broad terms.

All human beings experience joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.

Whether you are an elderly person or a child who has just begun to understand things.

Everyone knows it, but what exactly is that feeling like?

Kirei Kotomine was unaware of this.

From birth, he was very different from other humans, and completely opposite to children of the same age.

While his peers were feeling joy and happiness from small things like praise, gifts, and encouragement, he, despite receiving the same things, simply stood by and watched, his expression one of silence.

He couldn't understand why other people could smile over such trivial things. He also found it even harder to comprehend what their inner world was like, and how it differed from his own empty and devoid of anything.

This is the biggest problem that has always puzzled Kirei Kotomine.

In the past, he simply followed the dogmas recorded in the book and tried his best to play his role on the stage called the world.

As a clergyman, one must be fair and just, and above all, upright; as a husband, one should naturally love his wife and stay by her side until her death; as a student, one should unconditionally respect his teacher and do everything in his power to help him.

These are not what he truly thinks, nor are they what he wants to do.

For Kirei Kotomine, this was nothing more than a set of rigid doctrines recorded in books; he was entitled to do so, and logically he should do so.

but……

After repeating this for so long, even he, who was indifferent to everything, couldn't help but think, and his heart began to waver and waver.

What exactly is it that I want to do?

He is incapable of feeling joy or pain in the world. Nor does he endure anything for any reason; everything he does is purely and simply…

It's just imitation.

Just like in this era (in reality), those who feel lost about their future are engaged in a frenzied competition, learning everything they can in university, just so they might be able to make a difference in society in the future...

I've always had a confused state of mind.

However, not many people could sense this emotion in his heart. Even his father and teachers did not realize that in their eyes he was still a saint worthy of cultivation and someone they could entrust with their future.

When he was at the church, a colleague and senior colleague who always argued with him about whether to have Mapo Tofu or Curry for dinner once asked him the same question.

"Kiri, don't you have anything you want to do?"

Perhaps it was because of his excellent grades, second only to hers back then, that he attracted her attention? As for the more specific reasons, Kirei Kotomine was not clear about them.

He answered the blue-haired girl's question without hesitation: "I want to inherit my father's position and join the Eighth Mystery."

This answer was so standard, as if it had been rehearsed a thousand times. And that was indeed what he was thinking at the time. After all, there was nothing wrong with a child inheriting his father's position, continuing to shine and dedicate himself to the Lord.

However, the blue-haired girl, who was extremely sensitive to malice and soul due to some tragic past experiences, realized that this was probably not his truest thought.

This junior... seems to be far more naive than he appears on the surface.

Even the well-informed Merlin Solomon from the Burial Agency once gave Kirei Kotomine this evaluation in private.

'This junior is either a saint or a demon.'

Because she had lived a long time and seen too much, and because she had traveled between the world of humans and the Dead Apostles for many years, Mei Lian had a vague sense of the demonic nature that remained in Kirei Kotomine, and her feelings about it were far more profound than those of Chiel.

but……

Even if they discover it, so what? Some things can't be corrected simply by discovering them. Even with their great power, it's difficult to provide proper guidance.

Mei Lian himself is not human. In his view, the existence of demonic nature in humans is undoubtedly a perfectly normal thing, so why is there any need to guide them? Or perhaps he is also looking forward to seeing what special beings like Kirei Kotomine will become in the future?

Meanwhile, Hierle's heart was also overwhelmed by anger and rage. She herself could not get out of her own heart, so how could she give Kirei Kotomine the right guidance?

Therefore, they all chose to observe the situation regarding Kirei Kotomine's problems. Even though they vaguely sensed that he might be an unawakened demon, they did not take any action rashly.

Hier could only pray for him silently.

However, Mei Lian was not worried about this matter.

Because in that mysterious and barren Far East, there is no one who can discover and guide this demonic power...

Perhaps Kirei Kotomine's fate is simply to live a mundane life as the priest he portrays?

Perhaps he will remain lost and confused until his death?

That might not be so bad for him.

After all, this was the right way to live, so neither of them interfered too much.

As the two had predicted, Kirei Kotomine continued to live a confused yet correct life for a very long time. If there had been no external interference, he would likely have lived a peaceful life.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. By sheer chance, he was drawn into a magical ritual called the Holy Grail War, where he met someone who could detect the demonic nature within him and guide and amplify it.

At this moment, that demonic nature had fully blossomed, overflowing continuously from that physical form.

The longer the suppression lasts, the more terrifying the counterattack will be.

The more you suppress your feelings, the more ferocious they will be when released; the more you crave something, the sweeter it will feel when you get it.

At this moment, after the fragment of pleasure filled the emptiness in Kirei Kotomine's heart, he was completely immersed in this pleasure.

"This is pleasure, what a wonderful feeling..."

So much so that even his usually expressionless face had begun to unconsciously display a strange smile.

"Now, I am completely happy."

He has completely understood.

……

"Hmph, so he's already dead."

Sitting alone in the park, Gilgamesh couldn't help but sneer after realizing that his contract with Tokiomi Tohsaka had been abruptly broken.

He hadn't expected that the pieces he had placed on a whim would play their role so quickly, which surprised Gilgamesh.

It seems that the demonic nature accumulating within that self-proclaimed desireless youth is far greater and more intriguing than he imagined.

'It seems he's unleashed a formidable monster.'

A slight smile curved his lips.

However, it's good that Tokiomi Tohsaka is dead; now he doesn't have to worry about anyone plotting against him. He had originally planned to personally execute this clown as the opening act of the bloody battle, but Kirei Kotomine beat him to it.

'Master and disciple killing each other... What an interesting scene. It's a pity we didn't see Tokiomi Tohsaka's expression before he died. It must have been one of utter despair and sweetness...'

Gilgamesh murmured to himself.

At that moment, in the hazy darkness of the night, a young man with traces of blood still on his body was slowly walking towards him.

Hearing the approaching footsteps, Gilgamesh glanced sideways, a slight smile appearing on his lips.

"Have you arrived, Kirei?"

Gilgamesh was not surprised by the young man's appearance, nor did he show much emotion, as if he were talking about something completely ordinary. He then spoke coldly.

"I never expected you to kill Tokiomi so easily. It seems that idiot was even less useful than I thought."

"Or rather, he seems to genuinely trust you, Kirei?"

Gilgamesh's tone was filled with endless sarcasm when he mentioned Tokiomi Tohsaka, that despicable fellow. To him, Tokiomi's death was undoubtedly a trivial matter that didn't matter at all.

He's just a magician; there are countless people who could replace him, and he wouldn't even bother with them.

"There's nothing we can do. Our teacher is just a magician who studies theories. He has never experienced a real life-or-death battle. Without a Servant protecting him, even the weakest Assassin clone would have a chance to kill him."

"In my opinion, compared to everyone else, the teacher is the least suitable magician to participate in this Holy Grail War."

Kirei Kotomine smiled calmly and answered Gilgamesh's question as if nothing had happened.

Clearly, he had completely recovered from the panic of killing Tokiomi Tohsaka, and the smile on his face was that of his true self, a smile with pure, demonic power.

"Oh? You've already learned to make fun of people so quickly? And you're even casually making fun of the teacher you just killed. Kirei... you've really improved rapidly."

Gilgamesh clapped his hands slightly, seemingly extremely pleased with it.

"So, you came to see me with the intention of being prepared, didn't you?"

Immediately afterwards, he squinted and looked at Kirei Kotomine in front of him, asking a question.

"Of course, after killing the teacher, the next step is naturally to sign the contract. The banquet has just ended, and I'm sure the other magicians are already impatient. Now, sign the new contract, prepare to defeat all the enemies, and then witness Archer personally killing the remaining Lancer, Saber, Rider, Caster, and Berserker."

"Let's truly achieve the goal of single-handedly destroying the entire Holy Grail War!!"

Kirei Kotomine opened his arms and looked at Gilgamesh in front of him.

'Can he single-handedly fight against the entire Holy Grail War?'

"Haha ...

Gilgamesh covered his face and laughed loudly, undoubtedly feeling extremely satisfied with the outcome at this moment.

Moreover, this Holy Grail War not only features interesting opponents, but also treasures that he has never owned and coveted. Such a grand occasion has long made him want to take the initiative.

This Holy Grail War is indeed much more interesting than he expected.