Matou Residence.
Shinji Matou, who was fast asleep in bed, suddenly felt a burning sensation on the back of his hand.
"What's going on!"
The groggy Shinji Matou raised his left hand, saw the command spells appearing on the back of it, and instantly sobered up.
"command spells! The Holy Grail War! Hahahahaha!"
Just then, the door was suddenly opened. Shinji Matou stared incredulously at the figure walking in from outside. Although his memories were hazy, no one could truly forget Zouken Matou's unique appearance.
"Grandpa? No, Grandpa should have died in the last Holy Grail War! Who exactly are you!"
"Heh heh, Shinji, my dear grandson, have you forgotten your grandpa?"
Childhood memories flooded Shinji Matou's mind. 'No mistake! This is Grandpa's way of speaking. Could this really be Grandpa? But didn't he die in the last Holy Grail War?'
Zouken Matou saw Shinji Matou's confusion and cheerfully offered the ready-made explanation he had prepared.
"Shinji, I didn't die. Although Tohsaka Rin almost killed me back then, I had to hide these past years to avoid her pursuit. Now, Shinji, since you have gained eligibility for the Holy Grail War, there is no need for me to hide anymore!"
"Rin? How is that possible? Aren't we both part of the Three Founding Families? Why would Rin want to kill you? That's impossible!"
"For the Holy Grail, of course. Shinji, don't you want the Holy Grail too?"
"No! That's wrong. Although Rin is crude and irritable, she would never actively attack others, much less Grandpa, who is also one of the Three Founding Families. There must be another reason! Besides, if Rin really did it, then that guy and I should have been killed by Rin too!"
Zouken Matou's expression instantly darkened.
"Tsuruno is truly useless, failing to even raise you properly!"
"Ah!"
Following Zouken Matou's words, Shinji Matou felt a sharp pain in his heart, involuntarily rolling off the bed onto the floor, clutching his chest and wailing in agony.
"Shinji, you will cooperate with Grandpa, won't you? Otherwise, your heart will keep hurting like this. Hehehe."
The suffering Shinji Matou looked up in confusion at his grandfather, who was sneering at him.
"Why? Aren't you my grandfather? Why are you doing this to me!"
"Hehehe, Shinji. The blood you possess was granted by me, and your surname was given by me. Shinji, you are merely my tool. Now I require you to repay me. Be a good boy and become the tool for me to obtain the Holy Grail! Hehehe!"
Hearing this, Shinji Matou instantly fell into despair.
Ever since Tsuruno Matou learned that his son was being used as a nest by Zouken Matou, Tsuruno, who was never a qualified father to begin with, completely ignored Shinji Matou thereafter. When Shinji Matou was young, Tsuruno even nearly starved him to death several times.
However, after being warned by Zouken Matou, this situation didn't recur, but his attitude toward Shinji Matou became even worse. Although Shinji Matou became a Magus, his mediocre magical ability meant he couldn't leave the Matou Family and live independently, forcing him to cling to life in this house.
But Shinji Matou still held a sliver of hope: adulthood. Once he reached adulthood, he could break free, just like his uncle Kariya Matou, and leave this place. However, Zouken Matou's words just now shattered Shinji Matou's last hope.
'That's right, I'm just a tool, a tool of the Matou Family...'
Just then, Kiritsugu Emiya walked in from outside. Seeing Shinji Matou on the floor with vacant eyes, he frowned deeply.
"Zouken, are you really going through with this?"
"Hehehe, Emiya, isn't this obvious? I am merely handling this tool according to our plan. Everything is for the Holy Grail, for salvation. Isn't that what you agree with, Emiya! Hehehehe."
Kiritsugu Emiya said nothing more. He silently walked outside the Matou Residence, sat down on the steps, and lit a cigarette.
"Master, is this truly alright? You must feel sympathy for that boy. Must a youth bear a life manipulated and arranged like this?"
"Assassin, it doesn't matter. The Holy Grail—as long as I can obtain the Holy Grail, I can save everything! That's right, I can save everything, I must!"
Zouken Matou led the doll-like Shinji Matou to the basement.
After arranging everything Shinji Matou needed to do, he leaned on his cane and walked over to the Servant standing nearby.
"Begin, Shinji!"
The numb Shinji, easily manipulated by the undisturbed Crest Worms, began the Servant summoning ritual.
As a burst of light flared, King Arthur returned to the world.
"You are my Master... Ah!"
King Arthur, who was about to complete the contract ritual, was suddenly contaminated by the malice emanating from Shinji's contract, painfully dropping Excalibur and kneeling on the ground, clutching her head.
Following a flash of black and red intertwined light, the ahoge on King Arthur's head drooped, and Black Saber appeared.
"It's perfect. What do you think, Saintess?"
"Tch! Old man, don't you think what you're doing is disgusting?"
"Hehehe, then this old man apologizes to you here. Next, I must trouble you to hand Shinji over to Angra Mainyu."
"That trash? I understand. But the fellow right here doesn't seem to want us to do that!"
Black Saber looked scornfully at the Master and Servant before her, and slowly picked up Excalibur from the ground. As Black Saber touched Excalibur, the sword instantly transformed from a golden holy sword into a black demonic blade.
"What are you two whispering about over there? Hurry up and present food to this King!"
Zouken Matou was momentarily stunned by Black Saber's declaration, but then stepped forward and replied.
"Hehehe, Great King, this old man shall see to it immediately!"
Black Saber saw Zouken Matou's compliance, nodded contentedly, and then waved her hand.
"As long as you present food that satisfies this King, take that fellow on the floor if you want him..."
Fuyuki City, Church.
Kirei Kotomine took the test tube containing Gray's blood from his bosom and handed it to Shirou Kotomine.
"Start, Shirou!"
Shirou Kotomine carefully took the test tube from Kirei Kotomine, glanced at Kallen, who was looking worried nearby, walked to the summoning magic circle, and began to chant loudly as instructed by Kirei Kotomine.
Boom!
As the light dissipated, a woman wearing a crown, dressed in thin clothing with armor only at key points, appeared in the center of the magic circle, riding a horse covered in armor.
The woman raised the spear in her hand, pointed it at Shirou Kotomine in front of her, and asked.
"Are you the one who summoned this King?"
Shirou Kotomine nodded hurriedly in response to the woman before him, and then his left hand felt hot; three command spells appeared on the back of Shirou Kotomine's hand.
"I, Artoria, hereby acknowledge the contract!"
Upon hearing the Servant in front of him acknowledge the contract with him, Shirou Kotomine finally breathed a sigh of relief. After all, the pressure that Artoria brought to Shirou Kotomine was overwhelming, almost like a deity.
"Who is it? Hiding on the side, show yourself to this King."
Artoria lightly pulled the reins, and the Destrier beneath her instantly brought Artoria to a pillar in the Church. Artoria thrust her spear, piercing directly through the pillar.
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