KyokaSuigetsu
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Chapter 20: Matou Kariya's Trial
🕑 Added 2025-05-06 12:41:36 +0000 UTCAfter finishing dinner, Takashi Kuroda was about to rest and open some champagne with his two little goddesses. But at that moment, he sensed the mansion's front door opening once again. A man walked straight in, heading directly for Matou Zouken's room.
"Hmph, finally here, huh? Matou Kariya. Little Medusa, go hide Sakura for now." With that, Takashi Kuroda made his way toward the basement. He intended to set the stage properly, to give Matou Kariya a little surprise. Along the way, he used the Ruination's power to manipulate Matou Zouken into engaging in scripted dialogue with Kariya.
Deep in the basement, this was once where Matou Zouken stored his vast collection of Crest Worms and lewd insects. It was also the place where Sakura had nearly undergone physical "modification." Of course, those insects had long since been utterly annihilated.
"Barren wasteland."
Now, Takashi Kuroda infused the space with his Ruination, letting specters roam freely, creating an atmosphere even more sinister and terrifying than the worms. Though not as viscerally disgusting, the sheer horror of it was enough to make anyone hesitate before stepping inside.
As for the old worm, he naturally responded to Kariya's demand—to exchange the Holy Grail for Sakura's return to the Tohsaka family—with cold mockery. However, since Takashi Kuroda had already set the trap, he made sure Zouken steered the conversation toward Sakura.
"If your goal was to avoid involving outsiders, Kariya... it seems you're a little late now." Matou Zouken grinned cruelly.
"You damn old man... don't tell me you—?!" Thinking of Zouken's vile insects, a terrible premonition surged in Kariya's heart. Zouken didn’t elaborate, simply gesturing for Kariya to follow him toward the basement.
......
"Groooowl—!"
"Aaaah—!"
Screams and curses echoed endlessly as wraiths darted about. Kariya’s face paled. He had expected the old bastard to unleash his grotesque insects, but instead, the basement was filled with vengeful spirits—so many that the sheer terror and resentment made him wonder just how many lives had been sacrificed to create this nightmare.
What chilled Kariya even more was the thick, impenetrable black mist deeper within, where even more tormented souls writhed. And Sakura—she had been thrown into that hell for her so-called "training."
"For the first three days, she cried and screamed desperately. By the fourth, she fell completely silent. At dawn today, I placed her at the very center of these vengeful spirits, just to see how long she could last. Even after half a day of torment, she hasn’t broken yet. The Tohsaka bloodline truly is valuable." Zouken spoke calmly, as if discussing nothing more than the weather.
"Sakura!" Despite the horror, Kariya forced himself forward, descending step by step.
"Well then, what will you choose? That girl’s body and soul have been thoroughly ravaged by those wraiths. She’s on the verge of collapse. But if you still wish to save her despite that... I might be persuaded."
"Of course I’ll save her." Kariya answered without hesitation.
"Kukuku... Very well. But until you produce results, Sakura’s 'education' will continue. I still intend to place my greatest bet on the next Holy Grail War. However, should you actually obtain the Grail, the girl will have outlived her usefulness. In that case, her training need only last one more year." Zouken chuckled. The "one year" was deliberate—Kariya still believed the next Grail War was a year away.
"You won’t go back on your word, will you, Matou Zouken?" Kariya demanded.
"If you go down there now, endure the wraiths’ corruption, and survive... I’ll take that as proof of your sincerity." Zouken’s gaze locked onto Kariya, as if eagerly awaiting his next move.
Kariya clenched his fists and stepped forward without hesitation. But before he could take more than a few steps, a cold male voice echoed from below:
"How foolish."
"Who’s there?!" Kariya froze. He never expected a third man to be present besides himself and Zouken.
"Tap... tap..."
Footsteps ascended the stairs. Something—no, someone—was emerging from the black mist below. The sheer wrongness of the situation weighed heavily on Kariya, filling him with dread.
"This... is a trial!"
A man stepped out from the swirling darkness, gripping the hem of his coat and pulling it off as he walked. He continued speaking, his voice steady:
"I believe this is a trial meant to overcome the past. Only by conquering that immature, escapist past can a person truly grow."
After removing his coat, the man struck a classic angled pose, then slowly addressed Kariya above him:
"Well? You agree, don’t you... Matou Kariya?"
"Y-You... Who the hell are you?! Old man, what’s the meaning of—?!" Kariya whirled to confront Zouken—only to see the old man’s body dissolve into another wailing specter, floating aimlessly before letting out a shriek.
"Silence." The man’s quiet command instantly stilled the screaming spirits.
Kariya’s shock gave way to realization.
"It’s... you. You’re the one behind this mist... And Matou Zouken—you killed him?!"
"Correct. The Matou family is already dead in all but name." The man’s tone was indifferent.
"Sakura—where is Sakura?! Gah—!!" Before Kariya could finish, a claw of black mist seized his throat, choking off his words.
"Watch your tone. And you have no right to ask about Sakura’s condition. Not when you arrived so late." The man released his grip, sending Kariya collapsing onto the stairs, coughing violently.
"As I said earlier, this was a trial—one to overcome an immature past. Unfortunately, Matou Kariya... you failed."
"What... the hell are you talking about?!" Kariya couldn’t make sense of any of it. Why was Zouken dead? Where was Sakura now? What did this man want?
"You don’t understand? As Zouken himself would say—whose fault was it that the girl was handed over to the Matou family in the first place?" The man stared down at Kariya, sprawled on the steps.
"You ran from your duty as a Matou. And in doing so, you passed that burden to an outsider. Am I wrong? I doubt I’m the first to tell you this."
Kariya bit his lip, silent. Those words—Zouken had said them. His elder brother, Matou Byakuya, had said them. Even Aoi had coldly thrown them in his face.
"But I’m not unreasonable. The root of this sin lies elsewhere. Your escape wasn’t the true mistake—Zouken was. If he hadn’t pursued those disgusting insect magecraft, if he hadn’t fallen into depravity, none of this would have happened. In that regard... I understand you, Matou Kariya."
"Then why—?"
"That’s why I killed Zouken. And that’s why I set up this trial for you. A shame... you didn’t pass." The man shook his head.
"Wait! What trial?! Explain yourself!" Kariya forced himself up, glaring.
"I was testing whether you had truly overcome your past—whether you genuinely wanted to save Sakura from the heart. But you failed. You couldn’t conquer your history."
"Of course I want to save Sakura! How dare you question that?!" Kariya’s voice rose in anger.
"Still defiant? Fine. Then answer me two questions." The man held up two fingers.
"First—when you learned Sakura was sent to the Matou family, why didn’t you tell Aoi about Zouken’s insect magecraft?"
"Second—when you saw with your own eyes the hell Sakura was trapped in, when you knew she suffered daily... why did you agree to let her endure another year of torment? Why not deceive Zouken, then immediately inform Aoi and Tokiomi of what was happening to Sakura? Why not free her from that hell as soon as possible?"
