I, Kenneth, am going to get to the root of the problem today.

Page 27

"Let's go, we'll get busy once the news is confirmed."

......

Meanwhile, inside an inconspicuous folk house, Rin, after signaling to her bodyguards, quietly slipped into the street. Even without the frog-faced marshal, with Kenneth's involvement, Rin Tohsaka began her adventure just like in the original story.

"There exists something magical in this world that can point out things you can't handle..."

Recalling the time she was almost pulled into another world by the grimoire, Rin Tohsaka gripped the magic needle given to her by Tokiomi Tohsaka.

"That guy's a magician, isn't he? How dare he steal Mom and do this to Fuyuki City! I'll never forgive him! Give me back Mom!!"

Following the news this morning, Rin Tohsaka, who had already planned her route on the map, ran towards the warehouse in the suburbs. With the help of magic, Rin Tohsaka hitched a ride and quickly arrived at the warehouse, which was already cordoned off.

Even though several hours had passed, the smog and the stench of burning protein that filled the air made Rin Tohsaka, who had never seen such a scene before, instinctively gag.

"Who's there?"

Upon hearing Rin Tohsaka's retching sounds, the police officers remaining at the scene drew their pistols and approached the embankment where Rin was. Startled by the sudden shout, Rin, who was retching on the ground, immediately covered her mouth.

"This is a cordoned-off area. Please cooperate with our inspection!"

At this moment, Rin Tohsaka's red dress stood out conspicuously against the scorched earth. Watching the constantly trembling hem of her dress, the approaching police officer silently released the safety on his pistol.

"No, I am the heir of the Tohsaka family. How can I lose my composure like this? I cannot bring shame to the Tohsaka family, and I cannot forget the Tohsaka family's ancestral precepts!"

After forcing herself to calm down, Rin Tohsaka slowly raised her hands and stood up from behind the embankment. Seeing that the person who came was just a little girl, the police officer breathed a sigh of relief and put his raised pistol back into its holster.

"Little friend, are you lost?"

Taking advantage of her young age, Rin Tohsaka not only cleared herself of suspicion but also greatly increased her popularity among the police officers. Seeing the tearful little Rin nod, the police officer regretted his previous tone.

"Oh, so you got lost. This place is very dangerous. Do you know your home phone number? Uncle..."

The sound stopped abruptly, and the gem hanging around Rin Tohsaka's neck emitted a faint red light. Even though she was just a little girl, the gifted Rin Tohsaka easily controlled the police officer in front of her. With the officer's help, the little Rin successfully entered the warehouse and took out her magic meter to examine it carefully.

Following the lingering magic, the magic meter's pointer spun, and Rin Tohsaka, with her dirty little legs, took off in the direction the magic meter was pointing.

"You bastard, give me back my mother!!"

While Rin Tohsaka continued her adventure, Kenneth received information from his magician subordinates that the Matou family had not made any unusual moves and that Kariya Matou had not stepped out of the Matou residence at all. His guess was correct, and Kenneth's brows furrowed in worry.

"Matou Zouken, cut!!"

Kenneth could easily overwhelm Zouken Matou with his strength, but unfortunately, Zouken was a bug who had maxed out his survival skills. At this point in time, who knows where Zouken Matou had hidden his true form? Like a wildfire that cannot be extinguished, it will spring up again in the spring breeze. Considering Zouken's shady dealings in other timelines, Kenneth found it hard not to believe that this old bug had not exploited other loopholes in the Holy Grail system.

"Honestly, Kariya Matou, can't you last a little longer?"

There are too many faces to capture, and Gilgamesh will cause the Holy Grail to be prematurely produced. Kenneth realizes that he really has no choice. Compared to Lancelot, who can only mindlessly say "ah ah ah", Kenneth is actually more wary of Zouken Matou.

"Looks like I need to contact Aoko."

Having decided on tonight's activities, Kenneth, who had been idle all day, began to activate the magic within him.

Chapter Sixty-Seven: Red A in Action

Mo Zai.jpg

The grass in the forest swayed without wind, and the spirit form of Red A sped towards Mount Enzo. Crouching on a treetop, it glanced at Ryudoji Temple on the mountaintop, adjusted its plan, avoided the location of Ryudoji Temple, and continued to explore the depths of Mount Enzo in its spirit form.

As a turning point in Shirou Emiya's fate, even though Kiritsugu Emiya provided very little information, Archer, who was also Shirou Emiya, knew the way to the Greater Grail like an old horse. Relying on his spiritual form, he passed through the vines that covered the cave entrance. The cold, damp air reminded Archer, who was already on the verge of his death, of the day he made his choice.

On that day, to prevent the spread of malice and to uphold his ideals, a man named Shirou Emiya carried out his sense of justice right here. Facing the twisted forces, Shirou Emiya surpassed his own limits and projected an armored weapon capable of wiping out the Holy Grail. The world was safe, but Shirou Emiya also embarked on a path of no return known as the Executioner.

In a catastrophe, faced with humanity he could not save, a man named Shirou Emiya accepted the contract of the Counter Force, acquiring the power of a Heroic Spirit in his human form and becoming the Guardian of the Counter Force. From then on, the man named Shirou Emiya abandoned his name and wandered the turbulent corners of the world as a scavenger, until his death triggered a miracle, solidified into a legend, and ultimately became the executioner of Alaya, who adjusted the balance of the world.

"Shirou Emiya, what choice will you make before you awaken your true potential?"

Life flashed by rapidly before his eyes, stirring up waves in his heart, which had long been as hard as steel. Although they were not from the same world, they shared the same sins. In a daze, Archer, who briefly regained his past, seemed to see a familiar red figure turning around and beckoning him to move forward.

"Tch, you've fallen into it again. You've already abandoned that name. I'm a blood-stained executioner. I'm not worthy of these memories now!"

Having extinguished all tenderness in his heart, and with no turning back, Red A stepped into this treacherous land that would determine the course of his life. The rock walls were incredibly slippery from the water droplets, remaining in a spiritual state. The only sound in the dark cave was the dripping of water. Relying on his experience as a cleaner, Red A gradually approached the hollow where the Greater Grail was located without letting out the slightest trace of his presence.

After sixty years of accumulation, the Greater Grail, located at the core of the void, illuminated the space with its radiance. Bathed in the holy white light, Red A coldly 'tsk'ed, his gaze shifting downwards. Beneath the writhing layers of soil, veins like blood vessels were constantly drawing magical power from the ley lines below, nurturing that immature evil.

"What a disgusting thing!"

Even knowing the true nature of the Holy Grail, as its guardian, Archer had no right to interfere with anything outside of the cleanup mission. Maintaining a neutral and moderate attitude, Archer stood beneath the Holy Grail, which seemed to be wriggling. After the sounds of flesh twisting and tearing, the once solid rock wall opened up with countless eyes as it writhed. A seductive voice entered his ears, and a strong corruption was constantly enticing Archer to throw himself into that twisted wall of flesh.

"Quiet!! I don't have time for you right now."

Behind Archer, countless Noble Phantasms were projected. Realizing that he couldn't corrupt Archer, the writhing rock wall calmed down. He spat out a curse. Archer, who was not a true Servant, ignored Angra Mainyu's seduction and carefully examined the Holy Grail in front of him.

"Construction, normal; contents, equally disgusting; nodes, normal..."

The moment Archer (Red A) probed the Greater Grail system with his magic, Morgan, who had been setting up the Great Hollow for a long time, immediately noticed the anomaly. After ending Artoria's dress-up play, Morgan gave Aoko, who was watching the show, a look, and then disappeared from Ryudouji's workshop.

"The Greater Grail hasn't changed? Then the next step is connecting the Greater Grail to the ley lines. This is troublesome."

The thought that the spiritual veins of Ryudou Temple had been taken over by that Caster gave Archer, a third-rate magician, a headache. Controlling his technique, Archer tentatively injected his magic power into the spiritual veins beneath the Greater Grail. It was at this moment that the warning device Archer had left on the perimeter was triggered. Realizing that he had been exposed, Archer immediately stopped what he was doing and chose to retreat.

Taking advantage of being a local, Archer bypassed the cave he had come from and used his spirit form to traverse the narrow tunnel at lightning speed. Shortly after Archer left, Morgan, dressed in a blue dress, appeared in the empty cave and took out the Spirit Disc that she had seized from Kotomine Risei. The Spirit Disc that recorded the Servants of the Holy Grail War did not show any reaction.

"Is it just my imagination? Or is it the movement of your soon-to-be-born baby? How disgusting!"

After giving a dismissive look at the Angra Mainyu hanging on the wall as per procedure, Morgan, still feeling uneasy, carefully examined the Greater Grail in front of him. Under the immense magical power of the ley lines, Archer's probing magical power had been dispersed. After confirming that there was nothing amiss, Morgan, whose mind had been clouded by Artoria during this time, also regarded the previous anomaly as a coincidence.

On the other side of Mount Enzo, watching Morgan emerge from the cave, Archer's heart was filled with turmoil. Caster had discovered the Greater Grail, but it hadn't been tampered with. If he told that person the truth, the other party would definitely risk coming to confirm the Grail's status. At this point, he absolutely couldn't let the other party discover the truth about the Grail. As the guardian, Archer's task was to eliminate anomalies, not create them.

"This is unusual and troublesome. Oh well, my mission is just to eliminate that man; the mess that follows is not my responsibility."

Having made his decision, Red A decided to continue keeping the matter a secret. As a ruthless workaholic, Red A declared: "No salary, no overtime! No way!" Confirming that Morgan hadn't discovered him, Red A, without a care in the world, dusted himself off and left Yuanzang Mountain.

Back at Ryudou Temple, Artoria had already changed back into her previous battle dress while Morgan was away. With a furrowed brow, Morgan, who had Artoria under control with Command Seals, turned around and took out the clothes he had carefully prepared from Pinru's wardrobe. Facing Artoria's flushed face, Morgan raised the Command Seals covering his arms and glared at her with shame and indignation. Artoria skillfully removed her armor.

"Hiccup~~"

Holding her rice bowl, Aozaki Aoko, who was eating while watching the dress-up play in front of her, let out a burp, breaking the idyllic scene. Noticing the gazes from the two sisters with identical appearances, Aozaki Aoko, completely unaware that she was superfluous, tilted her head, added another bowl of rice to her bowl, and asked in confusion:

Aren't you going to eat?

Having completely adapted to Aoko's carefree attitude, Morgan rolled her eyes, ignoring Artoria's eager expression, and the ruthless Morgan continued her plan to cultivate a lady.

Chapter Sixty-Eight: Departure, the Matou Family

Following the remaining magic, a disheveled Rin Tohsaka arrived at the sewage outlet located outside the city.

"Is this the place? Is this really where magicians live?"

Under Tokiomi Tohsaka's tutelage, the naive young Rin instinctively covered her mouth and nose. In Rin's eyes, magicians were mysterious and elegant beings, but the filthy sewage outlet in front of her completely overturned her understanding of magicians.

Although doubts arose in her heart, the magic needle in her hand would not lie. Looking at the darkness ahead, her worry for her mother overcame her fear, and Rin Tohsaka stepped out of the deep pipe with her dirty little feet.

Various odors filled her nostrils. Having learned from her previous experience, Rin Tohsaka suppressed the urge to gag and followed the pointer through the intricate sewers. Along the stained railings, as the magic meter swung more and more noticeably, Rin knew she was about to find the magician!

"Found you! Bring Mom..."

Before Rin Tohsaka could take any action, everything went black, and her petite body slammed heavily against the railing in front of her.

Withdrawing his hand, Red A gently lifted Rin Tohsaka, who was about to fall, and a struggle flashed in his eyes. He looked at the gem pendant on Rin's chest, hesitated for a moment, and then, with a gradually firmer look in his eyes, Red A decided to send Rin out of there.

"Is she the intruder? I never expected her to be a child."

Emerging from the shadows, Kiritsugu Emiya's face was filled with gloom. Knowing the nature of men at this time, Archer stopped and turned his head, adjusting his expression to its usual coldness.

“She is indeed a child. To avoid trouble, I plan to erase her memory and throw her out.”

"She has a magical aura; she is a magician."

Kiritsugu Emiya's meaning was simple: magicians cannot be distinguished by age, and the coldness in his words was chilling.

The next moment, the father and son, separated by time, stared at each other in the dim sewer, their stern faces perfectly concealing their emotions.

"She's the heir to the Tohsaka family? Is it because of the news? I never expected this unexpected discovery."

After a long while, Kiritsugu Emiya, who had been standing in the shadows, stepped out and looked at Rin Tohsaka with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

At this moment, without Kiritsugu Emiya explicitly stating it, Archer understood the man's meaning. He sighed inwardly. The most important thing had been discovered by Kiritsugu Emiya, and Archer's plan to let Rin Tohsaka go had completely failed.

"The Tohsaka family has two children in this generation. The younger daughter has already been given away, which means she is the sole heir of the Tohsaka family?"

Knowing full well the importance of the successor to those traditional magicians, Kiritsugu Emiya immediately began to make plans. Thinking of the arrogant King of Heroes, and looking at Rin Tohsaka in front of him, Kiritsugu Emiya felt that even the heavens were looking out for him.

“Archer, leave her here. I think we can change our plans.”

Without giving Archer a chance to refuse, Kiritsugu Emiya packed his equipment and headed towards the sewer exit.

Looking at the man's back, Archer felt an immense weight on Rin Tohsaka in his arms. The mission he carried out overcame his personal feelings, and Archer silently followed in Kiritsugu Emiya's footsteps.

"I'm sorry, Rin, I'll have to make do with this for now."

Kenneth, who knew nothing about Little Rin's Great Adventure, was planning how to deal with Zouken Matou. Stroking the Golden Blade in his hand, Kenneth reviewed his battle plan in his mind.

Lancelot was undoubtedly going to be handed over to Karna, while Kenneth was going to use the dagger in his hand to deal with that dying insect.

However, time was of the essence, and Kenneth and Morgan were unable to locate the maggot that housed the decaying soul. Since they could not deal with the mother worm, Kenneth decided to strip away Zouken Matou's consciousness under the limited conditions. With his ability to penetrate gold, even if he did not pierce the body, it would be enough to give that old worm a hard time.

"Karna, how long will it take you to defeat the Berserker?"

"That Berserker is very skilled in combat; it will take time if we don't use our Noble Phantasm."

Although Karna is a major mana consumer after unleashing his Noble Phantasm, Kenneth obtained a total of twenty-seven Command Seals from Kotomine Risei. Apart from the twelve left by Morgan, Kenneth now has a full fifteen Command Seals to replenish his mana. With his mana abundant, Karna's weakness has been addressed, and Kenneth's confidence has suddenly increased.

"Then let's go all out! We've replenished our magic power, so let's unleash our full power and cause a ruckus!"

"I understand, Master!"

After confirming that there were no familiars around to monitor them, Kenneth and Karna quietly left the house located below Ryudouji Temple. As a long-established landlord family in Fuyuki City, the Matou family's Renaissance-style mansion, which occupied an entire street, seemed out of place with the traditional neon buildings nearby.

Several streets away, the unusual aura had long since caught Kenneth's attention. It was the demonic aura of a decaying soul, and the madness, obsession, and curses of the vengeful spirits sent chills down Kenneth's spine.

"This resentment, old bug, how many people have you devoured over the past few hundred years?"

In the neighboring realm invisible to ordinary people, through the vision of the Demon Eye, Kenneth saw a mansion filled with vengeful spirits. Twisted, frenzied, and numb souls were intertwined, and the black mist formed by these evil spirits completely engulfed the decaying Matou family. The flowers and plants in the courtyard were soaked with malice under the influence of resentment. Although they were just ordinary plants, they revealed a twisted and strange feeling everywhere.

"This number of dead souls is comparable to the number of tombs used for burial."

Concealing his magical aura and making sure he was out of the old insect's sights, Kenneth took out a bag designed and made by Morgan, filled with mysterious gems by Aozaki Aoko, and his fingertips flickered with blue-green magic. Following the fairy magic provided by Morgan, Kenneth began to set up a barrier around the Matou residence.

"Lancer, can your Noble Phantasm control its attack range? Or rather, how much can you compress the attack?"

Although the Matou family is located in a remote area, given the extent of Karna's Noble Phantasm activity, Kenneth had to consider the range of the barrier's deployment. Preventing the mystery from leaking out was a minor matter; the most important thing was to prevent Tohsaka Tokiomi from making a move if she found out. Tohsaka Tokiomi, the spearhead, wouldn't dare to do that, but he was absolutely capable of making a move while Kenneth was distracted.

Given the self-serving nature of magicians, if given the chance to eliminate Kenneth and Zouken Matou in one fell swoop, even if Gilgamesh was unwilling, Tokiomi Tohsaka would force Gilgamesh to use Command Seals. Moreover, after a successful sneak attack, Tokiomi Tohsaka could also obtain the Command Seals of Lancer and Berserker. With such temptation, Kenneth would never believe that Tokiomi Tohsaka could resist.

Tomorrow's update and thoughts

Before I knew it, it was time to go live again. First of all, I want to express my gratitude to all the readers who have made it this far. I'd like to bow down to you all! I'm a newbie and I won't be offering any bounties for going live. Please feel free to contribute whatever you feel like. I've saved up some chapters over the past few days, and I'm grateful for your support. I have no way to repay you all, so I'll do something practical. I'll just imitate the older readers in the group and start with a minimum of ten chapters. If I can squeeze out more, I'll write even more. I hope you'll all be satisfied.

Finally, I would like to thank all the experts who have persevered and read this far.

Chapter Sixty-Nine: A Five-Hundred-Year-Old Obsession

Leaping into the sky, Karna, still in his spirit form, took in the entire Matou family below.

"If Master needs it, I can control the center of the Noble Phantasm within the walls of this mansion. The area outside the walls will be impacted, approximately fifty meters away."

Fifty meters outside the wall?

Muttering to himself, Kenneth estimated the distance between himself and the Matou residence, silently retreating a hundred meters. After weighing the jewels in his bag, Kenneth retreated another twenty meters.

"Is this the maximum distance while maintaining the barrier effect?"

Burying a gem containing a portion of the Fifth Aura underground, and using Kenneth's footprint as a guide, the barrier covering the Matou residence gradually took shape. Sensing the strength of the barrier, Kenneth was also on tenterhooks.

"In the end, it was only a product of the fifth launch. Although the quantity was sufficient, the quality was still far from good enough."

After setting up the bystanders to dispel the barrier, Kenneth stepped into the barrier that had been temporarily separated from the timeline. Without Kenneth's prompting, Karna immediately manifested from his spirit form.

"In the name of the Command Seal, Lancer, unleash your Noble Phantasm with all your might!!"

A burning sensation surged into his mind, and the Command Seals, sealed away for nearly a hundred years, unleashed their essence of highly concentrated magical energy. A corner of the Greater Grail, accumulated over sixty years, began to reveal its power. With Kenneth's full support, Karna's magical energy instantly overflowed, and divine fire ignited from Karna's cloak, dispelling the chill that enveloped the barrier with the divinity of the sun.

Karna's eyes, glowing crimson from the divine fire, shone with compassion. The evil spirits, twisted by time, were purified under Karna's radiance. Karna, as noble as a saint, was enveloped in the divine fire symbolizing light. He calmly gazed down at the demonic cave, holding a gun in one hand, standing tall in the sky like the midday sun.

"Lost souls, are you also praying for liberation?"

With the intention of providing salvation, Karna raised his divine spear, and crimson divine fire ignited from the center of his spear-wielding hand. The purple and red light illuminated the night sky. Karna, who never complained or hated, responded to the prayers of the unwilling souls below, bestowing the sun's mercy indiscriminately upon the lonely souls yearning for liberation.

"Though your flowers cannot bloom, there is something noble in your seeds. I have heard your wishes, and I wish you happiness in your next life."

The blazing divine fire distorted the view, but the fire that cleansed sins did not bring the burning pain. The warmth of the sun melted away the evil, and with the mercy of a saint, Karna's spear was imbued with the aura of purification, washing away sins and sweeping away evil. The purple and red spear transformed into a streak of light and shot down into the demon cave below.

“Suriye, please see the truth. There is no more condemnation on the battlefield. My father, please forgive me. Brahma, curse me!”

“Brahmastra Kundala.”