There was a sickening smell of thick blood, and weak wails and sobs were heard everywhere.
One can perceive all kinds of horrors, and the curtain of darkness that closes all vision at this time may instead be a screen full of compassion.
In the midst of this darkness, there is a circle that emits a faint white light, just like the full moon that you can see when you look up from the bottom of the water.
It was a crystal ball the size of a ball of thread.
The hazy white light is the image that emerges from the crystal ball.
In that image, the corpse of Uryuu Ryunosuke appeared, and the figure of the red-haired boy flashed by.
"Is that you..."
Knowing who the culprit was, Caster didn't immediately retaliate.
This friend who had just met was something that could be discarded at any time compared to the purpose of Caster's participation in the Holy Grail War.
Taking a deep breath, the sad expression on Caster's face faded away, and he continued to look at the image in the crystal ball as usual, in which his dead wood-like fingers clenched a yellowed book.
...
Tohsaka Aoi only found out that her daughter was missing an hour later.
Perhaps afraid of being scolded by her mother, the child kept a note next to her bed, saying that she was going to find her classmate Kotone, whose whereabouts were unknown.
Aoi immediately regretted it.
At dinner, Rin mentioned Kotone and asked Aoi about Fuyuki's current situation.
At that time, Aoi thought that she should not hide anything, so she said to her plainly, "You should forget this friend."
Tokiomi should have been told, but this thought was immediately suppressed by her reason.
Aoi cannot do magic, but she's a magus's wife after all.
She knows that her husband doesn't have time to worry about his daughter now.
Her husband is still on the battlefield and has devoted his life and all his energy to fighting.
The only one who can protect Rin now is herself.
Aoi ran out of the Zenjou Mansion in her home clothes and drove on the national highway at night.
Since I don't know where Rin has gone, I can only guess the scope of her movements, and then look for where she might go one by one.
If you want to take the train from home, the first thing you must go to is Fuyuki Station in Shinto, and then walk for 30 minutes on a child's feet, which is about...
Aoi's first thought was the Civic Park by the river.
The silence of the park in the middle of the night is very reminiscent of a cemetery.
In the deserted square, the dim light of the street lamps set off the darkness and silence a little frighteningly.
The night air in Fuyuki City has deteriorated significantly.
Living with a magus and accustomed to many strange phenomena, Aoi immediately discovers this.
Suddenly, Aoi's eyes were fixed on a park bench not far away.
"Rin!"
The girl in red was sitting on a bench at the moment, talking to a boy next to her.
After hearing Aoi's call, the twin-tailed girl turned her head, and her face immediately lit up with joy.
"Mom!"
She hurriedly trotted into her mother's warm embrace.
Shirou, who was standing in the back, smiled lightly and watched this scene quietly.
Aoi felt her daughter's even breathing and warm body temperature, and from her appearance it seemed that there was no external injury. Aoi finally shed tears of relief.
"Great... Rin, it's great that you're okay..."
"Mommy..."
Rin's face was full of shame, and she wanted to say something to comfort her, but she couldn't organize the words.
At this time, after a long while, Aoi, who was filled with joy, finally calmed down and looked at the boy who was standing by a wooden bench not far behind Rin.
His red hair fluttered slightly in the evening breeze, and he had a slightly immature face with a gentle smile.
Although he is a stranger, Aoi is not too wary, thinking that he is just a child.
If she knew that it was Shirou who saved the children and Rin, and killed the killer by the way, I don't know how she would have reacted.
"Mom, it was Fujimaru-san who sent me all the way back."
Rin rolled her eyes around, pondering her words, not saying what she had seen that would frighten Aoi.
"I see, that's right. Thank you, Fujimaru-kun."
Aoi hurriedly nodded to Shirou in gratitude.
"Since you're here to pick up Rin, I'll go first."
Shirou waved at Rin, who was held in Aoi's arms, then took two steps back and walked towards the path that led to the outside of the park.
After watching the figure in the blue and white shirt fade away, Aoi looked at Rin with a faint gaze.
"You're going to sleep when we get back, you know?"
Seeing that there was no punishment, Rin hurriedly nodded obediently.
"Un!"
Seeing this, Aoi smiled slightly, her eyes full of tenderness.
Then, as she walked back holding Rin's hand, Aoi asked in a seemingly casual tone.
"That kid just called Rin's name, right?"
"Ah... h..."
Seeing her daughter's cheeks flushed like apples, Aoi suddenly chuckled.
...
The mansion of the Matou family.
The silvery-white glow of the moonlight shines in front of this towering Western-style building.
A green figure flashed through the surrounding forest, like a sports car speeding down the highway, but without the sound of a noisy engine.
"This is it."
Diarmuid looked at the mansion, which looked a little secluded in the moonlight, and couldn't help but mutter.
Then, he lifted his leg and kicked the door of the mansion.
Bang!
The fragile wooden door shattered.
Diarmuid conjured the scarlet spear in his right hand and stepped inside.
At the staircase leading to the upper floor, the corner of the entrance passage leads to the upper floor, and the sound of footsteps going downstairs is slowly sounding.
"Who visited the old man late at night? He didn't even know the etiquette of knocking on the door————"
The old man on crutches walked down the stairs. His head was bald, his limbs as thin as mummies, his sunken eye sockets showing a stunning gaze, his short hunchback, and a strange man who was unusual in appearance and behavior.
Because he has abandoned his original body, he looks a bit like a maggot, and when he appears, it is always accompanied by an unpleasant smell of corruption.
Dressed in a dark blue and dark gray kimono, he holds a wooden cane.
Matou Zouken, standing on the stairs near the entrance to look in the direction of the door, suddenly had his pupils shrink, stunned on the spot.
"You are..."
The green dress and countenance, as well as the spears of different lengths and wrapped in strips of cloth in each hand, do not look like the characteristics of people of this era.
"Well, all the characteristics match perfectly. But in order to be sure, I would like to ask, are you Matou Zouken?"
Diarmuid looked at the old man and asked out loud.
"It's indeed the old man. Who are you? What are you looking for the old man for?"
Matou Zouken squinted slightly, and had already secretly manipulated the crest worms to gather.