Comics: Starting from Killer Queen

"As for Caster, I happen to have a very good relic in my hand, and I will give it to you later."

"Well, compared to this, I am more concerned about another thing. Is the magic power supplier ready? I chose caster partly because she needs less magic power. As an ordinary person, can I easily change the magic power provider?"

"Of course not, generally speaking. After all, this contract was granted directly by the Holy Grail. But... who do you think I am? It was the Matou family who changed the system of the Holy Grail contract and granted the Command Seals, the absolute power of command over Heroic Spirits."

Matou Zouken gave Roland a reassurance with a rather arrogant expression.

"I dare to assert that no one in the Matou family, whether in the previous generation or the next generation, can know the Command Seal better than me. Tomorrow I will hand it over to you."

Having said that, Matou Zouken seemed to have thought of something funny. He grinned strangely and glanced at the hand on Roland's hand.

"I promise that you will be quite satisfied. I just hope you can restrain yourself and not mess it up before the war is over."

"What do you mean?"

Roland asked with some confusion, but Matou Zouken didn't want to answer and just left.

After perfunctorily dealing with Matou Zouken, the familiar figure appeared in the store again in the evening.

"Four mapo tofu bento boxes, please help me pay."

"Ok."

Roland picked up the bento skillfully and started to cash out. Ever since their last meeting, Kotomine Kirei came to the store where he worked every day without fail, and would buy up all the discounted mapo tofu bento in the evening, which seemed to be becoming an urban legend.

"Kotomine-kun really likes eating mapo tofu. Here."

After packing the bag and handing it to Kotomine Kirei, the distressed priest did not leave as usual. Instead, a look of hesitation appeared on his face.

"Hmm? Anything else, Kotomine-kun?"

Roland was a little confused. In the past few days, he had been wearing gloves under the pretext of working as a cashier, and Kotomine Kirei had never paid attention to this aspect. He shouldn't have exposed the Master's identity like this.

Moreover, until now, Kotomine Kirei had not looked at the back of his hand, but just in case, he was ready to call out the Killer Queen.

"Roland-kun..."

Kotomine Kirei also took a deep breath. At the end, he gently held the cross on his chest and looked at Roland with a serious face.

"What is life...?"

"?"

Did you go to the wrong set? Is this what a priest should say? You are not a voice actor.

Roland gently moved his body, subconsciously moving a little further away from Kotomine Kirei.

Chapter 20 How a Traitor is Made

It is obviously not a pleasant experience to be talked about such ambiguous topics as life by a man late at night.

Even though he knew that Kotomine Kirei didn't have any special fetishes, Roland still felt his scalp tingling and he moved his feet unconsciously.

"Kotomine-kun, what do you mean by that?"

"I want to know the answer."

Facing Roland's perfunctory response, Kotomine Kirei remained as straightforward as ever.

"After these days of observation, I am sure, Roland, you are the one I am looking for."

Although he was uncertain at first, from his observations over the past few days, Roland's performance was very much to Kotomine Kirei's liking.

He is extremely self-disciplined. He obviously has extraordinary abilities but is content with a peaceful life, as if he has no pursuits. He is obviously the same kind as others, an outlier who cannot be satisfied with the happiness of ordinary people. So why can he show such a happy and relaxed expression?

"I want to know what nature you are searching for and what answers you have found."

The priest in black cassock said solemnly and bowed deeply to Roland.

"I can give anything for this answer, please, please guide me."

It's broken, I'm golden.

Roland silently calculated the situation in front of him. Although he didn't know whether it was the so-called good luck that was at work, strictly speaking, Kira Yoshikage and Kotomine Kirei did have many similarities in their natures. However, one had already accepted his own desires, while the other would fall into perversion due to long-term repression and go to another extreme.

"Well, it's not something that can't be discussed. However, as you said, Kotomine-kun, I can only give you guidance. Only you know your true nature."

Kotomine Kirei raised his head in confusion; he wanted a more precise answer, not this vague chicken soup.

"But no matter how I practice, fill all the free time in my life with various classes and work, and pray devoutly every day, the emptiness in my heart still cannot be alleviated."

"That's because you're going in the wrong direction. Self-discipline is certainly meaningful. It not only shapes our personality, but also helps us control our desires. But in the final analysis, self-discipline is only a means, not an end. It is a painful process of suppressing our nature."

Roland asserted that since things had gotten quite out of control anyway, it would be fine for Kotomine Kirei to get the answer in advance.

"And since these processes are painful, then the nature we pursue will naturally bring us the opposite feeling. What do you think this feeling is?"

"Is it...pleasure?"

Kotomine Kirei gave the answer in a rather hesitant tone, but with a hint of forbidden anticipation, just like an elementary school student expecting to be praised by his teacher.

"Yes, it is pleasure. Everything that can make us feel happy is what our nature will pursue. No matter what means we use or how sinful the things we pursue are, human beings will continue to fall into the abyss for such things."

Roland subconsciously moved his fingers. While digesting the spirit, the spirit was also changing him. Although he still couldn't accept the hand fetish, Roland knew that some of his inner concepts had already been quietly changed, or in other words, released.

"This is not allowed. There is no redemption if you do this."

Roland laid out the most secret things in his heart, which made Kotomine Kirei immediately say no. However, his eyes were like a magnet, firmly locked on Roland.

"Of course you can't be redeemed, but the prerequisite for redemption is that you have to be a human being."

Roland's voice was as sweet as poppy, lingering in Kotomine Kirei's ears, and it was like the whisper of a devil.

"To suppress one's own nature and deny pleasure with pain is like having no ability to love a complete person, let alone love others. How can such an incomplete existence be worthy of redemption?"

"Even if the pleasure is malicious?"

As if seeking affirmation, Kotomine Kirei's voice became much louder, but Roland's tone remained calm.

"Even if this pleasure is malicious, I have said that before learning to love others, you should first love yourself."

“After becoming a complete self, even a born evil person is eligible for redemption and happiness. I am the best proof of this.”

"what……"

Kotomine Kirei agreed with Roland's words and nodded gently, sadness and joy seeping out of his heart at the same time. This was a feeling Kotomine Kirei had never experienced in his more than 30 years of life.

He was right. This man could definitely give him the right guidance.

He should have concealed it, he should have refused it, but Kotomine Kirei stretched out the hand with the Command Seal without hesitation, betraying the teachings of his master and father, and seeking Roland's affirmation and support.

"If you're still confused, can I come back to you?"

"Of course," Roland smiled and stretched out his hand, shaking hands with Kotomine Kirei, completing the ceremony of establishing friendship.

"After all, we are friends."

"Friend..." Kotomine Kirei chewed over this word which was very new to him and nodded solemnly.

"Yes, then, farewell, my friend, Roland."

After Kotomine Kirei left again, Roland frowned, thinking about an important matter.

"It seems that the guys who are inexplicably attached to me are all scum. Could it be that I am not a good person either?"

Roland was shocked. Even with the help of good luck, he was able to adapt so easily to Kira Yoshikage's spirit contract and become Kotomine Kirei's life mentor. It seemed that he had invisibly denied his own moral integrity.

After more than ten days in Fuyuki City, Roland finally gained some self-awareness.

"However," Roland walked out from behind the counter and looked at the night outside the window, "Although it is an inevitable result, the time has been advanced a lot. It seems that Tōsaka Tokiomi's bloody disaster is imminent."

-

Although it was already late at night, the lights in the basement workshop of the Toosaka family were still on.

"Kirei, has the summoning been completed?"

"Yes, Master, I have confirmed that there are currently no monitoring familiars or items near the Tousaka family."

Kotomine Kirei, who was wearing a black cassock, reported respectfully to the middle-aged man who was wearing a valuable red suit and exuded the elegance of an aristocrat.

"After all, no one would have thought that the first person to be summoned would be Assassin, so, taking this opportunity, I'll leave it to you to collect information about other Masters."

"Yes, master."

Kotomine Kirei was still very respectful, and then he issued an order in a calm tone to the motionless void beside him.

"Then I'll leave this matter to you, Assassin."

"As you command, Master."

A deep and eerie male voice came from the void, but Kotomine Kirei was not satisfied.

"There is no need to hide in front of the master. He is someone who does not require any defense."

Without any explanation, along with the surge of spirit particles, Assassin's full appearance was revealed to Tōsaka Tokiomi.

He looked very tall. Even with his body hunched, he was still taller than Kotomine Kirei, estimated to be at least two meters tall. He wore Hassan's iconic skull mask and was wrapped in a black robe. The most eye-catching thing was his right hand, which was also wrapped in a black bandage and looked extremely strong.

Toosaka Tokiomi looked at his disciple with satisfaction. Not only did he summon the weakest assassin, but he also exposed the true identity of the Heroic Spirit without hesitation, giving up the assassin's greatest advantage. Even though he knew that he should not be proud, Toosaka Tokiomi's heart was still filled with pride.

With such a perfect disciple as his helper, how could the Holy Grail not be in his pocket?

However, Tōsaka Tokiomi, who was in the midst of excitement, did not notice that, for the first time, a feeling similar to desire welled up in Kotomine Kirei's eyes as he looked at him.

If the evil that should not be pursued is his instinct, then can a betrayal that is delayed but happens at the critical moment satisfy his hungry heart?

Chapter 21: Matou Zouken keeps his promise

Matou Kariya stretched out his hand, crawled out of the cold and wet insect nest, and numbly poured out the insects that had drilled into his ears.

Using only his hands for support, he easily climbed onto the platform and silently put on the clothes placed on it.

When he reached the top of the stairs and opened the door of the brightly decorated living room, Matou Kariya saw the shadow as expected.

Or rather, the short old man hidden in the shadows.

In the large meeting room, due to the owner's preference, there is no extra furniture except the necessary decorations, making the empty space look very deserted.

There was no light in the living room. Apart from the moonlight, there was no other light source. In such a dim environment, it was almost impossible to see anything.

But for Matou Kariya, who has replaced his eyes with visual bugs, this is not a problem.

“How are you feeling today?”

A hoarse voice that was totally inhuman came out of the old man's mouth.

"As usual, the replacement of the worms in my body has been completed, and the engraved worms are in very good condition."

One year ago, Matou Kariya returned to the Matou residence and began to prepare for the Holy Grail War. He thought that with the old bug's evil personality, he would definitely torture himself more in the process of improving his quality, but to his surprise, except for the necessary pain, he didn't get anything.

It can even be said that he is much stronger than before, both in terms of combat ability and magic. Although at first he was so frightened that he vomited when he thought about the plan of replacing the body with insects and leaving only necessary organs such as the brain and the heart, but judging from the result, it was very successful.

The Marking Bugs replenished his inferior magic circuits, and the act of transforming his body into a bug nest not only improved his ability to survive, but also allowed him to switch his familiars at any time according to the situation. In this case, it was no longer a dream to maintain a high-cost Heroic Spirit battle and engage in a magic battle at the same time.

According to the old bug, this was part of his secret of longevity. If it wasn't for achieving his goal, he would never waste such precious materials on himself.

Although he still paid the price of only one month of life left, during this month, Matou Kariya's fighting ability will surprise all the magicians who looked down on him.

Under this premise, putting aside secular concepts, it is not unacceptable for the insect nest to be part of the workshop.

"Could it be that this is the true inheritance of the Matou family?"

Thinking of the tragic scene of flesh and blood being devoured by insects that he had seen when he was a child, Matou Kariya felt a little confused.

"Of course not. How can a core inheritance known as the Law of Water be understood by someone like you? Using flesh and blood to feed insects is just a degraded version of magic that was created because of your lack of talent."

Mentioning this, Matou Zouken snorted coldly, "If it weren't for you unworthy descendants, I wouldn't have to adopt the children of the Tousaka family."

"Even the heir who I didn't care about originally has problems. If I don't think of a solution, the bloodline of the Matou family will be cut off."

He didn't pay attention to Matou Zouken's broken words, even though his emotions became dull due to the replacement of organs, his obsession still burned in his heart.

"Where's Sakura? My transformation is complete. You didn't break your promise, did you?"

“Of course. How could I possibly deceive my dear child?” Matou Zouken’s gaze fell on Kariya, as if he was looking at a piece of art that deserved others’ praise.

Matou Zouken clapped his hands gently, and a girl in a purple dress walked in quietly. She was so cute that it didn't match her age, like a doll.

The only thing that makes people regretful is that pair of lifeless eyes that look numb and empty, as if they have no soul.

"cherry!"

Matou Kariya walked over quickly, his palm was slightly split, and a flying insect came out of it, and gently circled around Matou Sakura.