A few days later.
Afternoon, at the Matō residence.
Inside the old, duplex mansion, the light was dim, making the entire house look gloomy and as if it concealed something dangerous.
Whoosh—
Under the faint light, an old man, short in stature and exuding an aura of decay, watched a letter in his hand suddenly burst into flames, an expression of fury appearing on his face.
"That despicable Tohsaka Tokiomi! Not only did he repeatedly refuse my requests, but he actually adopted his daughter into the Kamitani family!"
If he had only been repeatedly refused, Matō Zōken would not have been so distraught.
As long as the highly-talented vessel hadn't been sent away, he would have had a chance to obtain Tokiomi's youngest daughter.
Even if it required some time and cost, he wouldn't have cared.
But the Tohsaka family's actions now had completely extinguished Zōken's hope.
There were less than three months left until the Holy Grail War, and the next one would require another sixty years of waiting.
And within those sixty years, the Matō family needed to prepare the necessary piece before the next Holy Grail War began, in order to seize victory.
However, the piece most likely to bring victory to the Matō family was now completely lost due to the sudden interference of the Kamitani family.
"It seems this Kamitani family, which moved here from outside, is hiding quite a few good things, enough to make Tohsaka Tokiomi abandon my Matō family's Magic Crest."
As the letter burned to ashes, Zōken gradually calmed down. Although he had already waited for hundreds of years and didn't mind waiting a little longer.
The failure of this plan, however, was somewhat unbearable for him.
"Could it be that the Matō family won't be able to participate in this Holy Grail War, or even the next one..."
Thinking this, Zōken subconsciously tightened his grip on his cane. His eyes grew increasingly gloomy, and at the same time, he made a mental note against the Kamitani family.
"This won't do. My wish for eternal life cannot end here!"
Temporarily suppressing his useless emotions, Zōken fell into contemplation, trying to find a way for the Matō family to participate in this Holy Grail War.
According to his original plan, he hadn't actually intended to participate in this Holy Grail War, but rather to pin his hopes on the Fifth Holy Grail War sixty years later.
But now, Zōken had no choice but to change his previous decision, focusing on the upcoming Fourth Holy Grail War and attempting to achieve the final victory.
If he failed, he would still have enough time to find a new, excellent vessel to continue the Matō family's magecraft bloodline.
So, where should he look for a suitable piece now?
Knock, knock!
After a while, a sudden knock on the door interrupted Zōken's train of thought. He slowly raised his head and looked toward the entrance.
The door was gently pushed open, and a small boy wearing a white shirt and black overalls walked in from the deep shadows. He kept his head down, seemingly afraid to look at the old man in the room.
"G-Grandfather, Father asked me to tell you that dinner is ready..."
"I wondered who it was. It's Shinji."
Although his thoughts were interrupted, Zōken's expression did not change. However, as if he had thought of something, he began to scrutinize Matō Shinji.
After a brief probe of his aptitude, a look of disdain appeared on Zōken's face, and he muttered to himself, "To be a waste who hasn't even activated a Magic Circuit. It seems the Matō bloodline truly is failing, isn't it?"
"However, as a one-time material, he still has some use..."
"Grandfather—"
Because he was keeping a distance from Zōken, Shinji hadn't clearly heard what was said. He asked again, nervously, "...What did you say?"
"Nothing, Shinji."
Staring intently at his grandson, Zōken suddenly smiled. He spoke in as gentle a tone as possible, "I'll come down for dinner later."
"But before that, Shinji, I have something I want to talk to you about."
Seemingly startled by his unusual attitude, Shinji lowered his head even further, his body trembling involuntarily. "W-What is it, Grandfather?"
"Shinji, no need to be so nervous." Zōken's gaze swept over Shinji again. He let out a low chuckle, his voice laced with temptation.
"Weren't you always interested in magecraft? Now, there's an opportunity. Would you like to learn the Matō family's magecraft?"
"Ah?"
Shinji was stunned. He subconsciously looked up at the old man, then swallowed, asking with some disbelief.
"Grandfather, is that true?"
"Hehehe, of course it's true. Although your talent in magecraft is low, that is not something that cannot be changed."
Saying this, a strange smile appeared on Zōken's face. A small, black beetle slowly crawled out from beneath his dark grey sleeve, silently opening its sharp-toothed mouth toward Shinji.
"It only requires a small price..."
Fuyuki City, Old Shintō, the Tohsaka residence.
"It's finally here!"
Inside the hidden magecraft workshop, Tohsaka Tokiomi carefully opened the package that had been sent from the Middle East, a look of excitement appearing in his deep blue eyes.
"The shed skin of the first serpent in the world, from that distant ancient age..."
As the package was unwrapped, a fragment that looked almost identical to a piece of a mummy lay quietly in the center of the box.
Though it looked somewhat fragmented, this was undoubtedly the relic of the serpent from Mesopotamian mythology that had stolen Gilgamesh's Elixir of Immortality.
"With this catalyst, the Servant I summon will definitely have an advantage over all other enemies." Tokiomi gazed fervently at the fossilized serpent skin before him. His hands subconsciously clenched into fists, his voice filled with confidence.
"No matter what kind of Servant the other Masters summon, they will not be a match for this King of Heroes, the oldest of them all."
"There is nothing to fear now!"
"—The victory of this Holy Grail War is destined to belong to the Tohsaka family!"
In this moment, Tohsaka Tokiomi seemed to see himself winning the Holy Grail War and fulfilling the Tohsaka family's long-cherished wish.