Death of the Magus

The image of Sakura without her smile, and of her playing with Rin and Aoi together...

With each word from this elegant magus cutting into Kariya Matou heart like a knife, he finally came to understand the undeniable truth: Tokiomi Tohsaka was a true magus, through and through.

Even while surrounded by a swarm of winged bladed insects capable of devouring a cow in moments, Tokiomi remained composed.

This aristocrat, who had emerged from the hardships of the path of magecraft, never let go of his unshakable elegance.

But the more Kariya saw this, the more intense his hatred grew—hatred for this man who embodied the very essence of what it meant to be a magus.

To Tokiomi Tohsaka, this was nothing more than a farcical show. He watched Kariya, this pitiful failure of a man whose blood vessels seemed ready to burst, his body steaming with magical energy, shrouded in a crimson mist.

All Tokiomi had done was defend himself, yet Kariya was already on the brink of death.

"Intensive einascherung—" (Grant my enemy a harsh cremation)

Reciting his incantation, Tokiomi swung his ceremonial staff, and a raging serpent of fire surged toward Kariya.

"Kariya, take this as my mercy to you."

But what Tokiomi did not notice was the radiant red glow of the Command Seals on the back of Kariya's right hand, shining through the blood mist.

—By the command of the Command Seal, come to my side, Berserker!

—By the command of the Command Seal, kill him!

Two consecutive Command Seals, and with them, a frenzied figure burst out of the blood mist.

In Kariya's heart, there was no longer any desire to claim the Holy Grail. Ever since Sakura's rescue, the lone wolf had only one thought left—to kill Tokiomi.

The dark vengeful knight, Berserker, swung his pitch-black sword, which gleamed like moonlit water, and in an instant, he was in front of Tokiomi.

—By the command of the Command Seal...

A wall of gemstones exploded in front of Tokiomi, forming a barrier. He tried to summon Archer for assistance.

But it was too late—the black cursed sword had already pierced his chest, and the rampant magical energy instantly tore everything apart.

"The Root..." Tokiomi murmured, collapsing to the ground. His dimming eyes stared blankly at the sky as the golden king finally arrived, but too late.

On the darkened river, Emiya Kiritsugu lay in wait, gripping his WA2000 sniper rifle. Through the infrared scope, he observed the battlefield.

This was a perfect opportunity, he calculated.

He then pulled the trigger, aiming at the just-victorious Kariya.

Bang—

But someone had been quicker.

"Mongrel—!" Vimana, surrounded by a barrage of Noble Phantasms, dove down from the sky, with Archer seething with fury.

While he had been toying with this mad dog, the scoundrel had suddenly disappeared, only to reappear and assassinate his Master.

Archer's blazing red eyes, furious like burning crimson lotuses, were filled with rage. He unleashed a sweeping wave of Noble Phantasms in a devastating attack.

Even with Independent Action: A, Archer could survive without a Master, but this insult required retribution.

"To dare kill my servant without permission—you shall pay for my fury with your complete obliteration."

Amid the smoke and thunderous blasts, the berserk Berserker hurled Kariya's mangled body into the dark alleyways beyond the villa, then slashed through the oncoming spear thrown by Archer and charged forward again. This time, he didn't attempt to steal Archer's Noble Phantasms.

Beneath the shadowy fog, the slim figure of the man emerged.

When he drew his cursed sword, two other Noble Phantasms were sealed, but in return, his already formidable stats were further boosted.

Archer, now deprived of magical support, found himself struggling against the relentless mad dog.

"Ha-ha-ha... ha-ha-ha-ha!" Covered in blood, Kariya's nearly broken body slumped against a shattered water pipe, laughing maniacally.

His body was teetering on the edge of death, but as he huddled in the shadows, staring up at the bright moon in the sky, he felt no regret.

"Dead... ha-ha-ha!!! He's dead!!!"

"Zouken Matou... Tokiomi Tohsaka! Dead! They're both dead!!!"

Now... even if I die, it doesn't matter anymore, he thought as blood gushed from his wounds.

But suddenly, a small purple figure appeared before his eyes.

Sakura...

I can't die yet, Kariya thought, struggling with all his remaining strength. But his left side was completely paralyzed, and his right arm was broken beyond repair, refusing to obey his will.

—Return, Berserker—

Kariya's battered body convulsed violently, coughing up more blood as he forced out his remaining magical energy. He prayed.

He prayed that Berserker, freed from the Command Seals, would regain a shred of reason.

He prayed that the Knight of the Lake, wielder of Arondight, would offer him a glimmer of aid.

He couldn't die, not yet. The salvation he sought lay within his grasp.

At the center of the Mion River, the most beautiful and wicked spirit lightly touched the water's surface with the tip of her foot, creating ripples.

"I'm ready," said Kurumi, both the one standing on the lake and the one within Rider's army.

Half of Rider's army had been slaughtered by the sea demon. The manifested Heroic Spirits had not been able to bring their Noble Phantasms with them, otherwise, the battle's outcome might have been very different.

"You're ready?!" Rider, galloping on his horse, charged back into the fray. "Then it's all up to you now, Avenger!"

In an instant, the Reality Marble, eroded by the will of the Heroic Spirits, reverted to its original state.

A colossal, mirage-like shadow blotted out the sky, before solidifying once again and falling back into the water.

Kurumi watched it, a slight smile forming at the corner of her lips.

"Zafkiel, City of Devoured Time!"

A deep black-and-red domain instantly spread across the river's surface, and those watching from the dam saw the hemispherical field encase the river.

"Avenger?" Rider looked at Kurumi in confusion. He had seen this domain before. It was strong, but it wasn't an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm. It felt more like a Debuff field that inflicted negative effects on enemies.

"Shhh—" Kurumi, standing beside Irisviel, raised a finger to her lips.

"Just watch. Just watch."

On the river, Kurumi's charming face blossomed with a satisfied smile—this was an overflowing bounty of time! A bountiful feast!

The sea demon's writhing tentacles tried to capture her, but they couldn't even touch the hem of her dress.

Under the protection of the First Bullet, the clumsy sea demon had little chance of landing a blow on her.

Everyone believed she was preparing to unleash her Noble Phantasm, but in truth, she was harvesting the fruits of time.

The clock hands in her left eye spun rapidly as her body filled with the power of time once more.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

Her witch-like laughter echoed through the mist.

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