For now, I asked Caster to throw a time-release insecticide into the Matou mansion, and after that, there was nothing to do but wait for Zouken Matou to die.
"When will he die?"
"Hmm... if he keeps using magecraft, I believe he'll die quickly."
"I see."
"His nerves will slowly become paralyzed, and he'll die without even realizing why he collapsed. Is Zouken Matou not human to begin with?"
"From what I remember, he's a figure from about 500 years ago, right? He's probably not human. I remember his true form being a worm."
In the Sakura route of Fate/stay night, Zouken Matou appears as a worm.
I remember it being a disgusting, parasite-like creature. Anyway, thinking about how he was beaten by Sakura and fell into lava to his death, Zouken Matou is a pitiful guy.
He was originally good, but over time, his expiration date passed, he went bad, and his disposition completely reversed.
"Well, have you found Berserker's Master?"
"Yes, well... he looks like a corpse, so I don't know whether to call him a Master or a half-corpse."
In the crystal ball, Berserker's Master's hair had turned completely white, and his face was covered in writhing blood vessels. I didn't know if it was worms squirming, but in any case, he had become something far from human.
It seems that Berserker had gotten too excited, and his Master had hastily used a Command Spell before collapsing from mana exhaustion.
"How long will he live?"
"I don't know... It looks like he'll die soon. He's an ordinary person with no mana to begin with, and it seems he consumed his life force as a result of forcibly drawing it out."
"Is there a way to heal him?"
"Honestly, even if he were to be healed, I don't think he could live a normal life. We could extend his life, but we'd have to assume he won't reach the average lifespan."
At Medea's words, I could only nod.
"Well, it can't be helped. By the way, do we have enough food? Artoria is a big eater, so the food expenses must be huge."
"Well, I'll just have the Dragon Tooth Warriors handle it. Also, it seems they've eliminated about 4 to 5 Assassins. I didn't know either, but I don't know if the surprise attack was successful or if they were just unlucky. In any case, it seems Assassin's forces are down to about 74."
"They're so weak..."
"Perhaps their stats were lowered due to the division?"
It was a division ability, so it was nearly impossible for them to exert their original stats properly.
The division was only at the level of assassinating a Master; it wasn't strong enough to kill a Servant.
Well, they might have an advantage against a Caster who is weak in close combat, but other than that, it would depend on their ability to utilize the terrain, right?
Hmm, the most fearsome weapon for an Assassin is a hidden weapon.
In the famous scene where the 5th War Lancer and the True Assassin fought, if he hadn't had the Protection from Arrows skill, he would have likely been killed.
In a darkened field of vision, hidden weapons suddenly flying in from all directions would be impossible to dodge.
Considering that, fighting in a dark place was a disadvantage.
If they were to give up that advantage and be caught in a surprise attack, even an attack from a Dragon Tooth Warrior would be fatal. They weren't particularly strong in combat and couldn't fight in close quarters like Emiya. If the Assassins lost their advantage, they would be easily defeated by the Dragon Tooth Warriors.
It might have been due to the overconfidence of thinking they were already considered dead, but in any case, Assassin's Master was sure to be wary of us.
While everyone else believed them to be dead, they had been discovered by Caster. It was only natural that they would be more cautious.
"For now, shall we go meet Kariya Matou first?"
======
Meanwhile, Kariya...
"That Berserker, suddenly going berserk... A Master is just a consumable, I see."
Kariya was just smiling.
Compared to this pain, he knew that Sakura was in even more pain, which made him unable to forgive Tokiomi.
"Yes, Tokiomi's Servant has retreated... so it's my victory."
Kariya, who was obsessed with Tokiomi to the point of turning his life force into magical energy, could be seen as foolish.
He knew he would die if he continued like this, but he was still fighting無理ly.
He was in a situation where he could lightly throw away his own life to obtain the Grail and save Sakura.
"Cough, cough."
But Berserker's mana consumption was enough to kill him from a heart attack, yet Kariya endured.
"Hah, hah... It's a shame, but using a Command Spell is a huge loss. He used one too... so we're even."
But Kariya, who was just an ordinary person, was smiling in a mental victory.
"Hmph..."
He could only live by wearing a hood, going to a convenience store, and buying onigiri or bread to eat.
If anyone saw his bleached hair and a face with protruding blood vessels, they would surely report him to the police, so he had to hide his face.
"For Sakura's sake, I will win, no matter the cost!"
He had already wagered his life for Sakura.
He didn't care if his soul turned to ash or his body rotted away.
He was prepared to sacrifice everything for Sakura, but there was something important to him.
It was to kill Tokiomi, the one who had thrown Sakura into the worm pit.
"I won't forgive you, Tokiomi!!"
When his body reached its limit, he would just think of Tokiomi, and the will to drag his tired body on, with the resolve to kill him, would emerge.
No one knew if it was a power born of anger or a power born of his personal sense of justice for Sakura.
Just then, he felt a magical presence behind him. Kariya, flustered, called for Berserker.
"Hello?"
At the appearance of a young man and a beautiful woman behind him, Kariya had no choice but to be on his guard.
Kariya, wary of the situation, recognized them as Servants. But thinking of the Servant who had not appeared when Berserker had, he realized... she was Caster.
Berserker also just watched, on his guard. If he were to fight now, his own life would surely be in danger, so he had no choice but to speak first.
"Why is Caster's Master here?"
"Hmm... do you intend to save Sakura?"
At those words, Kariya trembled for a moment.
Honestly, he wanted to save Sakura, but he didn't have the ability to do so, which was why he was fighting directly in the Holy Grail War.
"What is your purpose in coming here?"
"To help you save Sakura? Shall we say I'm one of the people who wants to end this tragedy?"
At those words, Kariya could only be even more wary.
The sweet words of temptation from the start had shaken Kariya, but now, considering how difficult it was to trust him, it was impossible.
"And how can I trust you?"
"Hmm... it doesn't matter, but would you accept this capsule?"
Seeing what looked like a pill, Kariya couldn't help but ask with a bewildered expression.
"This pill is?"
"Uh... I asked Caster for it, so... I can't explain in detail, but to summarize, you can think of it as an insecticide that activates immediately upon impact. The place where Sakura is must be a place with many worms. You can just say you came to see Sakura, mention the fight where you used Berserker, and drop the capsule."
Kariya was having a conversation that was hard to believe, but the way he spoke as if he knew so much was becoming more and more persuasive.
"And it won't be for free, will it?"
"I'll take Berserker, and I'll protect Sakura. If you make it back alive, I can protect you too."
From Kariya's perspective, his words were too sweet and tempting, but his suspicion did not disappear.
He didn't even know if he was a magus or an ordinary person, and he had no information on him.
Considering that he was Caster's Master and seemed to see through every situation... the question of whether he could be trusted did not disappear.
However, Sakura's safety was his top priority over revenge on Tokiomi, so he had no choice but to struggle.
"Give me time... it would be too hard to trust you right now."
But Kariya took the pill and put it in his pocket.
"For now, I'll take this. How do I activate it?"
At that, Caster explained.
"Once it's activated, all the worms, whether they are implanted in a body or outside, will have their nerves paralyzed and will be unable to move. The activation method is simple: it works even if you just drop it on the floor, or you can bite it to break it. In any case, it's harmless to humans, but if a person's life is maintained by having worms implanted in their body, it can be fatal, so be careful."
"Ah, I see... for now, I understand. I'll think about it later and we'll meet again."
Berserker dematerialized and disappeared, and Kariya had no choice but to think for a moment.