People in Type-Moon start from adopting Sakura

On the contrary, Scathach thought this seemed very cool, and she also summoned her own weapon and stood shoulder to shoulder with him. Then, together they walked into this endless world.

Yes, there is absolutely no rival ahead of us.

He firmly believed it in his heart.

……

Meanwhile, at the Tohsaka residence.

"Thank you for your hard work, Kirei. Now it's the final moments, and without your Servant, you can no longer provide any help. But this is also fine. Leave the rest of the Holy Grail War to me."

Not long ago, Kotomine Kirei came to bid farewell to Tōsaka Tokiomi, citing the fact that his Assassin had retired, and explained his intention to return to the headquarters of the Holy Church.

Although Tōsaka Tokiomi felt sorry for this, he couldn't force it any further. After all, Kotomine Kirei had already provided him with more than enough help during this Holy Grail War. Whether it was Assassin's cooperation or his running around to handle the situation, Tōsaka Tokiomi felt relieved.

As expected of Kotomine Risei's son, he is indeed smart and capable, and will surely become a great man in the future. Therefore, Tōsaka Tokiomi also admires Kotomine Kirei as a student.

If he could escape unscathed, Tōsaka Tokiomi would be happy for him.

"I'm sorry, Master."

However, in response to Tōsaka Tokiomi's sigh, Kotomine Kirei kept his head down, making it difficult to see his expression at the moment.

"No, I should be the one to apologize. Anyway, thank you for your hard work..."

Tōsaka Tokiomi shook his head slightly, then took out a gray box with an antique texture from the box he had taken out and handed it to Kotomine Kirei.

"This is……?"

Seeing the box that Tōsaka Tokiomi handed to him, Kotomine Kirei was slightly stunned.

"This is the Mercury Sword."

Tōsaka Tokiomi gently opened the wooden box in his hand, and then solemnly handed the silver-white ceremonial sword in his hand to Kotomine Kirei, his favorite disciple.

"This ceremonial sword was passed down to me by my father many years ago. It symbolizes completing the entire magecraft training of the Tōsaka family and becoming a master magus. Now, as your teacher, I wish to bestow this gift upon you."

"..."

Kotomine Kirei silently took the dagger and did not answer.

After presenting the ceremonial garment, Tōsaka Tokiomi continued with a serious expression, "Kirei, just in case, I've already made all the arrangements for my death. But even with all this, I still feel uneasy. So, I hope that if I do die in this Holy Grail War, you will support the Tōsaka family out of our past relationship as master and disciple, and become Rin's teacher."

Because there were too many variables, coupled with Luo Wei's explanation, all the truth was revealed, causing the current battle situation to become completely unpredictable.

Tōsaka Tokiomi could sense that the King of Heroes was completely fed up with him, even angry. If he didn't need his magic power, Gilgamesh would have already accused him of a crime and executed him without hesitation.

So at this moment, Tōsaka Tokiomi was very clear that his situation was like walking on the edge of a knife.

But even so, his inner obsession with his roots and his magus's pride kept him from giving up on the Holy Grail War. He knew he was walking on the edge of a knife, but he was determined to keep going. Even though he had already broken up with Gilgamesh, he still had to keep going.

Until now, all of this has been for the so-called purpose of reaching the source...

"Teacher, is it possible that I will die..."

After hearing Tōsaka Tokiomi's instructions and his emotion, Kotomine Kirei, who lowered his head and stroked the mercury sword in his hand, could not help but stir up waves in his originally dead heart. He could not help but recall the tragic and beautiful appearance of his wife before her death, and recalled his true thoughts at that time.

Since the teacher is bound to die, why not kill him yourself?

For a moment, his heart was in great conflict, and then, the words that the golden king had said to him not long ago also emerged in his mind at this moment.

"Hey, Kirei, do you know? People actually live for pleasure."

Joy, joy...

His heart kept murmuring, echoing with devilish whispers, tempting the priest in front of him to fall.

Then, in response to Tōsaka Tokiomi's words, he nodded slightly and replied:

"I understand, teacher."

"Well, then, without further ado, you should leave as soon as possible so as not to miss your flight. Also, remember to return to Europe and develop well. I hope everything is going well for you."

Patting Kotomine Kirei on the shoulder, Tōsaka Tokiomi stood up and walked to the window alone, feeling a little lonely.

As expected, the path of magic is destined to be lonely and desolate. At this point, do I have to face all this alone?

"Aoi, Rin, and... Sakura, please bless me. I must fulfill the long-cherished wish of the Tōsaka family this time and not let down our ancestors..."

--puff! !

Blood suddenly splattered out, and then a chill suddenly hit my chest.

As he was secretly making up his mind and seeking the blessing of his ancestors, Tohsaka Tokiomi suddenly felt a void behind him. The intense pain that followed made it almost impossible for him to breathe.

"Teacher, since this is a situation where you are already doomed, why not let me escort you on your way... For you, perhaps freeing yourself from this obsession sooner rather than later would be a kind act?"

The devil's voice broke through the empty chest and descended into the mortal world, echoing in Tōsaka Tokiomi's ears.

The mercury sword that he had just gifted to his disciple was now on his chest. Tōsaka Tokiomi's face gradually became distorted and solidified due to the extreme pain. He looked at his most proud disciple with a stiff head -

At this moment, his smile was so strange.

That strange look was like Mephistopheles who had just obtained Faust's soul.

...Tick, tick.

Scarlet blood kept dripping down his chest, soon staining the ground beneath his feet red. Tōsaka Tokiomi stumbled and swayed, and suddenly fell to the ground.

"It's Caster... It must be the Caster who never showed up. He was the one who controlled his students while I was gone..."

Until his death, Tōsaka Tokiomi still could not believe his student's betrayal, and he naturally excused him and put all the blame on Caster, who had never existed.

what……

what……

I'm sorry, Kirei... It was my negligence that allowed you to fall into my trap...

I'm sorry, Aoi... Rin... and Sakura...

...My father's life may be coming to an end.

And, Kariya...

It is said that in the revolving lantern before death, one will see the most impressive person in his life. But for some reason, in his dying moments, Tōsaka Tokiomi's heart recalled the childhood acquaintance whom he had always looked down upon...

Perhaps he thought that if that old acquaintance appeared here, maybe you could...

Save...save him...

In the final moments, Tōsaka Tokiomi's consciousness gradually dissipated, and even his remaining consciousness continued to disappear at this moment...

And as if he had heard the last apology from Tōsaka Tokiomi, Kotomine Kirei's eyes showed a complicated look.

Then he glanced at the dying Tōsaka Tokiomi and left the room without hesitation, leaving him there to continue waiting for death in pain.

Before leaving, he did not forget to personally peel off the two blood-stained Command Seals that remained on the back of his hand.

Then a flame completely burned down the building that held everything for him and Tōsaka Tokiomi, announcing his farewell to the past.

In the flames ignited by his teacher's corpse, Kotomine Kirei covered his face and laughed, his body involuntarily dancing a joyful dance.

Joy, satisfaction, distortion...

All kinds of emotions kept gathering in him.

He just danced and danced...

Enjoy the completely different kind of joy in your heart at this moment.

And the flames behind him will become the best funeral for his teacher...

……

"Ahem... who the hell set the fire?"

Shortly after Kotomine Kirei left, a disheveled figure suddenly emerged from the basement of the Tōsaka family.

The person who came was none other than Matou Kariya, who did not go to the King's Banquet, but came here to wait and prepare to give Tōsaka Tokiomi a surprise.

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

So he hurriedly began to explore the mansion that was burning with flames. When he pushed open the door of the study and saw the familiar figure lying in a pool of blood, dying in front of him, Matou Kariya's pupils suddenly contracted, and then he shouted the figure's name in surprise.

"Tousaka Tokiomi!!"

Chapter 5: The Curtain Rises (5K words)

[——I will eventually step into that abyss.]

……

……

Freedom and happiness are two very broad words.

As long as we are human, we will have joy, anger, sorrow and happiness.

Whether you are an elderly person or a child who has just grown up.

Everyone knows it, but what does it feel like?

Kotomine Kirei was not aware of this in his heart.

From birth, he was very different from the rest of the human race, and was completely different from other children of the same age.

While other children of his age were still feeling happy and joyful because of small things such as praise, gifts and encouragement, he, who had clearly received the same things, just stood by and watched with a silent expression.

He couldn't understand why others could smile for such trivial things. He also found it even harder to understand what these people's inner worlds were like. How was it different from his own empty, barren heart?

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

In the past, he just kept following the doctrines recorded in the book, and tried his best to play his role as well as possible on the stage called the world.

As a clergyman, he must be fair and just, and more importantly, he must have integrity; as a husband, he should love his wife and stay by her side until her death; as a student, he must respect his teacher unconditionally and help him to the best of his ability.

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

To Kotomine Kirei, this was merely a rigid doctrine written in books. He was supposed to understand this and should have done so.

but……

After repeating this for so long, even he who used to be indifferent to everything couldn't help but think about it, and began to hesitate and waver in his heart.

'What exactly do you want to do?'

He couldn't feel happiness or pain in the things of this world. He also couldn't endure anything. Everything he did was extremely simple...

Just to imitate.

Just like in this era (in reality), those who are confused about their future and are so crazy about internal competition that they can only learn everything they can learn in college, just for the possibility of playing a role in society in the future...

I have always been in a confused state of mind.

However, not many people could sense such emotions in his heart. Even his father and teacher had never noticed. In their eyes, he was still a saint worthy of training and someone they could trust... right?

When he was in the cathedral church, a colleague and senior who always argued with him about whether to have mapo tofu or curry in the evening also asked him the same question.

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

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

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

This answer was very standard, as if it had been rehearsed thousands of times, and this was indeed what he thought in his heart at the time. After all, the child inherited his father's position, continued to shine in it, and devoted himself to the Lord. There was nothing wrong with this.

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

This junior...seems to be far less innocent than he appears.

Even the knowledgeable Meiren Solomon in the Buried Organ had once given Kotomine Kirei such an evaluation in private.

"This junior, if not a saint, is a monster."

Because she had lived for a long time and had seen so much, and because she had been traveling between the worlds of humans and Dead Apostles for many years, Mei Lian had a vague sense of the demonic nature that lingered in Kotomine Kirei, and her feelings about it were far more profound than those of Hiel.