In a park in Fuyuki City, a disheveled figure hid inside a dome-shaped jungle gym.
It was none other than Kariya Matou.
"Ha... That old worm... Dying so casually has really screwed me over."
Kariya trembled all over, gasping heavily. On the surface of his skin, bulging, vein-like things squirmed incessantly.
These weren't veins but the Crest Worms embedded deep within his body.
As someone with no real aptitude for magecraft, Kariya had undergone Zouken Matou's transformation to participate in the Holy Grail War.
Replacing his magical circuits with numerous Crest Worms, he produced mana by feeding the worms his life force.
This life-shortening method was his only way to gain enough power quickly, and it had granted him the qualification to compete in the Holy Grail War.
However, the cost was constant torment as the Crest Worms gnawed away at him.
To make matters worse, Zouken Matou's death had left the worms restless inside him.
For Kariya, Zouken had always been despicable. If Tokiomi Tohsaka ranked first on his hate list, Zouken was second.
But still... couldn't the old man have waited until the war was over to die? Without Zouken, how could Kariya fight the Holy Grail War?
His reasons for joining were to save Sakura Matou and exact revenge on Tokiomi Tohsaka.
But now, he couldn't even return to the Matou family estate, let alone plan his next steps.
As he endured the Crest Worms' pain and plotted Tokiomi's downfall in his mind, he suddenly noticed the area around him brighten.
Parks in Japan often feature dome-shaped jungle gyms with small spaces inside, ideal for hiding.
But now, Kariya saw the jungle gym he was hiding in being lifted effortlessly by someone outside.
The shadows that had shrouded him disappeared, and the moonlight and streetlights illuminated the area.
"I found you. You're Kariya Matou, right?"
The one lifting the jungle gym as if it were a mere sheet of paper was none other than Zuke.
With ease, Zuke revealed Kariya, who was cowering inside, his face full of shock.
Finding Kariya had been simple—this park was a frequent hangout for Aoi Tohsaka and her daughters, and Kariya had often seen them here.
For Kariya, this place held many memories. For someone as obsessed as him, hiding here was unsurprising.
"Who are you?!"
Though Kariya's obsession often clouded his judgment, he wasn't stupid. Seeing Zuke casually lift such a heavy structure, he knew this wasn't an ordinary person.
Taking a step back despite the pain wracking his body, Kariya shouted, "Berserker!"
"Roar—!"
A deep growl echoed as a knight in black armor, shrouded in dark mist, appeared by Kariya's side.
This was Kariya's Servant, Lancelot—infamous in Arthurian legend for betraying King Arthur.
Unfortunately for Lancelot, Saber (Arthur) wasn't present.
"So, you still managed to summon your Servant," Zuke remarked, nodding. He had expected this.
Even with Zouken dead, Kariya wouldn't abandon the Holy Grail War. After all, the Crest Worms inside him were killing him anyway.
"You... are you also a Servant?"
Kariya's expression darkened. Hearing Zuke mention "Servant," he realized he was dealing with another participant in the Holy Grail War.
And given Zuke's earlier display of strength, he was likely a Servant himself.
"Indeed, I am also a Berserker," Zuke replied, his gaze shifting to Lancelot.
Though truthful, Kariya's face twisted in disbelief.
You? A Berserker? Where's your madness enhancement?
"In a way, you could even call me your benefactor," Zuke added with a smirk, recalling how he had rescued Sakura and killed Zouken.
"You wanted to save Sakura and kill Zouken, right? I've done both. Don't you think you owe me a bow of gratitude?"
"You..."
Kariya froze. He finally understood that the man before him was the one who had eliminated Zouken.
He had searched for Sakura after the incident at the Matou estate but couldn't find her, even fearing the worst.
Logically, he should be overjoyed that Zouken was dead and Sakura was saved. But instead, an overwhelming fear gripped him.
Zouken's death and Sakura's rescue hadn't been his doing. This realization suffocated him.
Deep down, Kariya wanted to be the hero who saved Aoi, Rin, and Sakura. His hatred for Tokiomi stemmed from intense jealousy.
Instead of gratitude, Zuke's actions filled Kariya with resentment.
"Seems like we have nothing more to discuss," Zuke said, observing Kariya's stiff and erratic demeanor, likely worsened by the Crest Worms' torture.
"Since that's the case..."
Without wasting another word, Zuke vanished, reappearing instantly before Lancelot.
Before Lancelot could react, Zuke delivered a powerful punch.
Boom!
The night was pierced by the deafening sound of impact. Zuke's fist struck Lancelot's armor with unstoppable force.
Zuke had held back, intending for his Black Bird to devour Lancelot's abilities later. Destroying Lancelot outright wasn't part of the plan.
Even so, the park's ground shattered under the impact. Swings and slides broke apart, scattering debris everywhere amidst the chaos.
The spot where Lancelot had originally been standing was now littered with fragments so shattered that it was impossible to tell which part of him they came from.
To be continued…
Hoi Ningen, FBI is after you after going through your search history. Hand over your Power Stones to me so I can bribe them for you winks.
Advance 50 Chapters(60 for 2-3 days, though) are up on my Patreon!
pat reon.com/AlphaSenatus