Monster.
that was the only thought in Tokiomi Tohsaka's mind at this moment.
In the art of Chimera creation magecraft, it was not rare to see people who had transformed themselves beyond recognition, yet none of them possessed a form as naturally perfect as Matou Kariya's.
It was as if he had been born a beast covered in scales, blending the traits of both a lizard and a dragon.
"You should have summoned a Berserker. How did things turn out like this? Did you form an alliance with Caster's Master?"
Only heroes from ancient times could possess such mystical never before seen magecraft, something completely beyond modern understanding.
Then, Tokiomi Tohsaka delivered his judgment in a detached tone.
"Foolish. You've already prepared yourself for the battlefield, yet you're still being shackled by unnecessary emotions."
Seeing Matou Kariya's tacit agreement, Tokiomi Tohsaka shook his head in disdain.
From a young age, Tokiomi Tohsaka had known that he was not exceptionally gifted. Therefore, to walk this path and carry on the Tohsaka family lineage, he had always followed the family precepts and done what was right.
From inheriting his ancestors' will, to becoming a competent head of the family; from arranging succession, to becoming a magus who, like a moth drawn to flame, threw himself into the pursuit of the Root and abandoned all other attachments.
To a man with such clear goals, Kariya Matou's behavior was utterly repulsive.
As a qualified heir of a magus family, he had recklessly abandoned the family craft. In the end, simply because he did not want to involve Aoi in magecraft, he casually relinquished the responsibility of producing the next generation of heirs. Swayed by superfluous emotions, he drifted aimlessly. This kind of man was precisely the sort Tokiomi Tohsaka despised the most.
Tokiomi Tohsaka was also aware that he possessed ordinary human emotions, he was a loving father and a devoted husband. These were his outward roles.
But as a magus, one had to distinguish between what mattered and what did not. Compared to reaching the Root, such things were insignificant.
A magus must never be swayed by mundane human emotions.
"Fortunately, you are not the head of the Matou family. Otherwise, I would truly worry about Sakura's future. Being ruled by unnecessary emotions and lacking even basic rationality, you are unqualified to tread the path of magecraft."
"Despite being from one of the Three Founding Families, you willingly became someone else's pawn before even eliminating the outsiders. You have truly fallen."
"Have I fallen?"
Matou Kariya trembled as he stared at Tokiomi Tohsaka's arrogant face and mocking words.
For some reason, the man he once felt ashamed to even look at now seemed unbearably ridiculous.
Perhaps it was because his pristine red suit had been dirtied from rolling on the ground, or perhaps it was the bravado he maintained while being steadily overwhelmed by the insect swarm corrupted by his own demonic energy.
Tokiomi Tohsaka's once-imposing image collapsed, and then Matou Kariya burst into manic laughter.
"That's right, I've fallen! And all of this is because of you!"
Having abandoned his beloved's daughter and his original future, the only thing sustaining Matou Kariya now was resolute hatred.
"It's all your fault, Tokiomi Tohsaka!"
Matou Kariya let out a low, beastlike growl and charged straight at Tokiomi Tohsaka.
"Damn it."
Tokiomi Tohsaka cursed under his breath. In the next instant, a defensive array unfolded once more from the ruby atop his staff. This time, however, he did not expand it outward to attack. Instead, he drew it tightly around himself while taking out several gems and releasing their stored magical energy.
Gems infused with natural spirits could be used as one-time Mystic Codes when supplied with mana. Their effects were powerful and immediate, but the containers themselves would shatter after use, this was the fundamental reason the Tohsaka magi were perpetually short on funds.
Without question, the effect was immediate. A crystalline magical barrier enveloped the flames and blocked the encroaching insect swarm completely.
He had never expected to waste gems on an opponent like Matou Kariya. Had he known, it would have been easier to have Kirei support him from the sidelines. Thinking of his already depleted finances, Tokiomi Tohsaka felt a sting of regret.
Even so, he could not retract his words now. He had always upheld the family creed of maintaining elegance, no matter the circumstances.
But the next moment, despite his efforts to remain composed, Tokiomi Tohsaka's expression inevitably twisted.
"Bang—!!!"
The double-layered barrier of flame and gems began to violently tremble.
Without casting spells or summoning insects, Matou Kariya simply stood before the barrier, raised his arm, and slammed it down without hesitation.
It resembled a monster's claw—an alien limb devoid of flesh and blood, skin fused to bone, with only the writhing insects clinging to it as proof that it still lived.
Yet the defense formed by the Tohsaka family's secret techniques, something Tokiomi took immense pride in, shuddered under the weight of sheer physical force.
"With power like this, there's no need for meaningless conflict. Matou Kariya, you are still one of the Three Founding Families, and Sakura is your successor. For the sake of your family's long-cherished wish, reconciling with me is your best option!"
Seeing this, Tokiomi Tohsaka frowned deeply and took the initiative to yield, but the condescending tone only further enraged Matou Kariya.
"Reconcile? You must be joking!"
Matou Kariya sneered, ignored him entirely, and clenched his fist once more.
The next instant, blow after blow rained down, and the barrier shattered before Tokiomi Tohsaka's disbelieving eyes.
Without hesitation, Tokiomi Tohsaka hurled out two disc-shaped rubies, chanted an incantation, and released the mana within.
A scorching, desiccating wind transformed into a pure shockwave that surged toward Matou Kariya, tearing at the scales on his face and piercing his flesh. Yet he seemed unfazed, advancing against the gale. Then, the moment the wind dissipated, he suddenly spat a ball of searing flame from his mouth.
Faced with the sudden assault, Tokiomi Tohsaka barely managed to activate a gem to reinforce himself before impact. Even so, he was blasted into a miserable state.
"How is this possible? You were clearly nothing more than a half-baked amateur before!"
Confronted with the reality that his lifetime of achievements had been effortlessly shattered by Matou Kariya, the composure Tokiomi Tohsaka always wore finally collapsed. Resentment, unwillingness, and a trace of jealousy he himself had not noticed surfaced on his face.
With vision far surpassing that of ordinary humans, Matou Kariya captured that expression perfectly.
"Ha ha!"
He burst into wild laughter.
Desolate, twisted, yet filled with exhilaration.
"Finally… I've seen it. I've always wanted to see this expression on your face, this look of jealousy, that loss of composure!"
"Die, Tokiomi Tohsaka!"
Just as Matou Kariya was about to press his advantage, his movement abruptly halted.
"With someone as mediocre as you? Don't be ridiculous!"
Having been repeatedly humiliated by those he despised, Tokiomi Tohsaka finally abandoned all pretense of elegance. He seized his staff and swung it violently.
Chains erupted from the jewel-encrusted sculptures throughout the garden, binding Matou Kariya's body.
"How could someone as ignorant as you possibly comprehend the rules of a Magus's Workshop?"
Tokiomi Tohsaka slowly rose and spoke coldly.
"If not for the modifications made by Caster, someone like you wouldn't even be qualified to glimpse the workshop's entrance."
His grip slid down the staff. From the ruby at its head, dragon-breath-like flames erupted. Instead of exploding, the crimson fire condensed into a blade of light.
Holding the dangerous flaming sword, Tokiomi Tohsaka advanced step by step and thrust it straight into Matou Kariya's abdomen.
At the wound, there were no organs, no flesh, only a honeycomb-like nest of insects.
"What a monster. It seems only by piercing your heart can I kill you completely."
Tokiomi Tohsaka lifted his head, withdrew the Flame Sword, and thrust it forward once more. Yet even now, Matou Kariya showed no sign of surrender.
One arm began to shrink while the other grotesquely swelled. By redistributing the insects within his body, he was clearly attempting to gain even greater power.
Tokiomi Tohsaka scoffed. "Fool. The Tohsaka family's workshop technology is unmatched in Fuyuki!"
He raised the Flame Sword and thrust it toward Matou Kariya's heart without hesitation.
At that instant, the sound of chains snapping echoed. The blade that had pierced Kariya's chest was suddenly seized in his hand without fear.
Scorching flames charred Matou Kariya's scaled palm, insect corpses falling away endlessly. Even so, the two remained locked in a deadlock—like gunslingers in a standoff.
"Clutching the blade like that will only leave you trapped. Why insist on lingering here and struggling to survive?"
Having endured repeated humiliation, Tokiomi Tohsaka finally roared, abandoning all previous arrogance.
Matou Kariya coughed up a mouthful of blood and rasped hoarsely, "What are you waiting for, you want me… push it in?"
"I don't need someone like you to tell me that!"
Tokiomi Tohsaka gripped the staff with both hands and forced the blade deeper by another inch.
"Go on Tokiomi, If you keep stabbing in, someone will die" Matou Kariya said with amused cackle.
"It's too late for words now. Only by shredding your heart can I wash away today's humiliation!"
At such a critical moment, there was no room for hesitation.
Tokiomi Tohsaka squeezed his dwindling magical core once more, preparing to end Matou Kariya's life completely. Yet the next instant, along with the surge of mana, an even more terrifying pull emerged.
No, what is Archer doing?!
And with Kirei there, the magic furnace should have already reacted. It should have switched to normal operation and begun supplying mana at full capacity!
The familiar sensation made Tokiomi Tohsaka instantly realize what was happening. But with his mana drained, his body could no longer sustain the struggle.
In the end, he staggered backward, watching as the Flame Sword that had touched Matou Kariya's heart was slowly withdrawn by the other man.
"It's fine… there are still three chains left. As long as I retreat inside the workshop, I can activate the barrier and deal with him."
Tokiomi Tohsaka trembled as he backed toward the house, but suddenly his vision went blank.
After withdrawing the Flame Sword, Matou Kariya did not discard it, he absorbed it directly into his body.
Seeing Tokiomi Tohsaka's stunned expression, Matou Kariya revealed a fanatical smile.
"That's why I told you, if you keep stabbing, someone will die. Thank you for providing such abundant energy. It makes facing the end so much easier. Tokiomi… let's go to hell together."
Regardless of Tokiomi Tohsaka's shock and panic, a terrifying transformation was already underway.
A dazzling crimson glow shimmered across Matou Kariya's body. Flames erupted from nowhere, engulfing him and turning him into a humanoid torch.
The lethal heat spread outward, melting the ground and warping the air. Lava-like fluid seeped outward from his center.
In the next instant, the inferno surged into a towering wave that consumed everything.
When all was said and done, amid the ashes, the battered Tokiomi Tohsaka slowly crawled out, his eyes vacant.
Most of the Tohsaka residence had been reduced to ruins by Matou Kariya's self-destruction. Fragments of precision tools, antiques, and famous paintings littered the ground, and the barrier lay shattered.
Many remaining structures still burned fiercely, a tragic sight, likely secondary damage from the destruction of the magic furnace.
"Wait!! The magic furnace? Kirei, what exactly is he trying to do?!"
Tokiomi Tohsaka's expression turned grave. At the critical moment, his failure to activate the furnace had nearly cost him his life. Only by triggering it in sheer desperation had he managed to survive using the last gem on his person.
Yet there was no joy in survival. The Tohsaka family was ruined. Even the furnace they had built through debt was gone. He could already foresee the misery awaiting future generations.
As his furious voice echoed, light footsteps approached.
Unharmed, Kirei Kotomine stepped forward, gripping his dagger. He squinted, condemning himself inwardly, yet his lips slowly curved into a genuine smile. The voice of his inner restraints rang out.
'Kirei Kotomine, you are a beast. You deserve to go to hell, to be torn apart, to be hated by the world.'
As Kirei replied back to himself
'It doesn't matter. This sin will one day be redeemed. Even someone like me will find a place to belong to
As long as I follow him,
this enlightenment,
this happiness,
will eventually come to the world.
So I just have to enjoy this moment to my heart's content
This is the best moment of my life.'
Kirei Kotomine raised his blade, looked at Tokiomi Tohsaka, and delivered his verdict in a frenzied voice.
"Master, it's time to depart."
"Kirei… I truly underestimated you." Even now, Tokiomi Tohsaka forced himself to remain calm. "I don't know why you betrayed me, but you were doomed from the start. As support, the only Servant you possess is an Assassin."
Tokiomi Tohsaka slowly raised his hand and issued the command.
"By the Command Spell, Hero King, please protect your loyal subject!"
In the next instant, Gilgamesh, wounded and missing an arm, materialized out of thin air. He coughed up blood and stood in disarray before Tokiomi Tohsaka's incredulous gaze.