Fate: Hero of Justice Takeover-Chapter 127: [] The Battle of the Three Noble Families

"You're confused, aren't you?"

Noticing Kariya's bewilderment, Tokiomi calmly tapped the ground with his palm and provided an answer.

"That is the work of the Grand Puppeteer, Touko Aozaki. For a magus of her caliber, crafting dolls indistinguishable from real humans is effortless. Well, aside from the price..."

From the way Tokiomi trailed off, it was clear he had been thoroughly fleeced by Touko.

But it was well worth it—his carefully prepared magical defences could not withstand the power of Delusional Heartbeat.

Had Kariya struck him by surprise, even with all his preparations, he would have been in grave danger. Fortunately, this doll allowed him to avoid disaster.

Now, it was time to punish the thief who had dared to launch a sneak attack.

Tokiomi raised his ruby-encrusted cane, the large red gemstone gleaming as it pointed directly at Kariya.

"A noble who knows nothing of magecraft, a traitor who once abandoned the path of magic—there is no point in speaking further. Experience the mysteries of magecraft with your own body."

"Enough nonsense!"

Kariya's patience had reached its limit. Overwhelming rage and hatred turned his eyes bloodshot. His life force was being consumed, transformed into a torrential surge of life force surging through his body.

"Magecraft, magecraft, always magecraft! You cast Sakura into the worm pit just for this? You abandoned the happiness of a mother and daughter so easily?"

Tokiomi was indifferent to the second part of Kariya's accusation, but his brows furrowed at the first.

"Worm pit? What do you mean? Doesn't the Matou family practice water magecraft?"

It was a natural question.

Yet, Kariya stood frozen as if struck by lightning.

Water magecraft? That had long been discarded by that old monster, cast aside along with the Matou family's past.

I see... I see now...

Before the enemy he had sworn to kill, Kariya's face twisted. He covered his face with his hands, and through his fingers, laughter burst forth—hysterical, unhinged.

But as his laughter continued, it turned into sobs, like the cries of a mad beast.

"...Has the pressure finally broken him?"

Tokiomi frowned in confusion.

Kariya's laughter and weeping suddenly ceased. He wiped away his tears and stood up. His face was a mess—eyes red, nose running—but his expression was now clear and resolute.

"No, I'm laughing at you. And at myself, Tokiomi."

Laughing at Tokiomi's ignorance, at how he knew nothing of the darkness within the Matou family.

Laughing at his own foolishness, for ever believing that Tokiomi was more worthy of Aoi than he was.

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All this time, he had thought Tokiomi had knowingly sent Sakura to the Matou, fully aware of the worm magic!

Yet compared to the cold-hearted determination to sacrifice one's daughter for magecraft, Tokiomi's self-proclaimed elegant ignorance was even more unforgivable.

A man like this—a father who so carelessly discarded his daughter—how could he possibly deserve Aoi?

And to think he had willingly stepped aside all those years ago!

"Phantasm Summon—Install."

Picking up a card from the ground, dark energy surged. Kariya once again transformed into the eerie shadow of a Servant.

Though Berserker was nearby, Tokiomi could summon Archer at any moment with a Command Spell.

If that happened, a clash between Servants would drain more of Kariya's already dwindling mana, putting him at an even greater disadvantage.

Instead, it was better to fight Tokiomi as Masters, where Kariya's odds of victory were much higher.

Even without access to Noble Phantasms, the enhancements granted by his Servant-like form would still be a tremendous advantage.

"WaMesser!"

A sharp chant left his lips. Water elements resonated in the air, forming thin, razor-sharp water blades that shot toward Tokiomi.

Faced with the deadly attack, the ever-elegant man in the red suit merely flipped his cane. A glowing red magic circle instantly appeared, blocking the water blades with ease.

"Impressive magecraft—for a beginner."

Tokiomi taunted, trying to provoke Kariya into revealing more openings.

As expected, Kariya's already unstable emotions flared. His face twisted in anger as he raised his hand again.

"Wasserkugel!"

Water bullets shot forth, but Tokiomi sighed.

Just as he said—this was far too basic. Even his young daughter Rin could perform this level of spellwork.

"Since you refused to inherit the Matou lineage, your magecraft passed to Sakura instead. I should be thanking you for that... but to think you'd participate in the Holy Grail War and stand in my way—do you regret abandoning the path of magecraft now?"

As he spoke, Tokiomi's face grew cold and stern. His gaze toward Kariya was as if he were looking at trash.

For Tokiomi, who had endured hardships and honed his craft with unwavering pride, nothing was more contemptible than those who abandoned magecraft.

And to use such pathetic spells against him—it was downright insulting.

"Shouldering one's responsibilities is the first duty of a man. If you can't even manage that, then you are nothing more than a two-legged beast. This ends now—Die."

He didn't even bother calling Kariya by name. Tokiomi gripped his cane and chanted.

"Intensive Einascherung!"

In response to the two-verse incantation, the defensive fire barrier converged and coiled like a serpent, lunging toward Kariya.

But in that moment, Kariya's fury melted away, replaced by a calm, calculated smirk.

"Your arrogance is your downfall, Tokiomi—Wasser ZuNebel kondensieren!"

As he threw an object from his cloak, a three-verse incantation clashed directly against Tokiomi's two-verse spell.

Part of it was Tokiomi underestimating him. But more importantly—this was the result of Kariya's year-long training, dedicated to defeating Tokiomi.

From the very start, Kariya had been preparing for this battle!

The blazing flames met the moisture in the air, instantly transforming into a thick, dense fog that spread outward.

"Just obscuring my vision?"

Tokiomi frowned.

But the next moment, a burning pain in his throat and lungs forced him to hunch over, coughing violently.

"Ugh—Cough! Mercury?!"

Liquid mercury evaporates at room temperature. The object Kariya had thrown was undoubtedly a magically processed mercury solution!

Guided by magic, the toxic mercury vapour wrapped around Tokiomi, seeping into his nose, mouth, and even his skin, corroding his fragile human body!

"Wache Stern!"

With a hoarse voice, he activated a defensive jewel, shattering it to create a wind barrier that dispersed the mercury fog.

Just as he prepared to heal himself, Kariya lunged forward, fist swinging like a war club, tearing through the wind.

"Did you really think I'd let you use jewel magecraft, you idiot?!"

BAM!

This was, without a doubt, the most satisfying punch Kariya had ever thrown.

With the crack of breaking bone and the impact of flesh, Tokiomi's once-handsome face swelled grotesquely, and he collapsed onto the floor, almost as if he were kneeling.

Today, one of them was going to die.

And neither realized—the battle had now spilled into the King's Banquet below.

***

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