"Seems to be recovering well, Sakura Matou."
When Kain entered the room and saw the look on Sakura Matou's face, he couldn't help but speak. Although he had made a hole in her chest earlier, the dirty inkstone-like curse from her body had been removed. Now, Sakura Matou looked much more relaxed.
As for titles—Kain would never call a little girl "Master." No one was qualified to be called by him that, not even Command Seals.
"It's much better. Just rest for a few more days."
Before Sakura could respond, Kain walked up to her and gently placed his hand over her wound. Then he used Healing Jutsu. Within ten seconds, the injury was fully healed.
Kain rarely used medical ninjutsu, but that didn't mean he didn't know how. On the contrary, with his deep understanding of biology and cellular genetics, he was practically a master of medicine. Not many people around him ever stayed injured for long.
"Is… is my injury completely healed?"
Sakura Matou felt a warm, tingling sensation in her chest. She could tell the wound was gone, but she was too embarrassed to remove the bandages and check in front of him. She'd have to wait and look later in private.
"Now that your injury's healed, let's move on to more important things. First, you—call me. Do you have anything to say?"
Kain didn't wait for Sakura to answer. He got straight to the point. He was serious about the Holy Grail War. If Sakura turned out to be a weak-willed schoolgirl who just got in the way, he would seriously consider using the Imperius Curse to control her for the rest of the war.
"…Servant, can you tell me your next plan?" Sakura asked softly. Even though she was technically the Master, this "Servant" had already killed both Matou Shinji and Matou Zouken. He didn't seem like someone she could easily get along with. Compared to the cold but gentle Rider she was used to, Kain felt like a completely different breed.
And besides, she didn't even know his class yet. As far as she knew, she shouldn't have been able to summon two Riders at once.
"My plan is simple: obtain the Holy Grail. It's of great importance to me, and I will have it. Rider—if you have no objections, I ask for your cooperation. Once I obtain the Grail, I'll grant your wish."
Kain tilted his head toward Rider. Her raw power in a burst was formidable. Other than a few exceptional Servants, she was more than capable of handling herself. As for the difficult ones, Kain would deal with them personally.
"As for you, Matou Sakura, I hope you cooperate. If not, I'll have no choice but to control you with magic until the war is over."
After saying this, Rider merely tilted her head, while Sakura lowered hers even further. Her life had been nothing but tragedy. Adopted into the Matou family at a young age by Tokiomi Tohsaka, she was subjected to horrific torture and "modification" by Matou Zouken.
Ironically, the Matou family's magic circuit inheritance didn't even require insect torture. What happened to her was entirely due to Zouken's sadistic tendencies. He simply enjoyed tormenting his descendants.
If Rin Tohsaka had been the one adopted instead, it might've taken only two weeks to inherit the Matou magic circuits—no torture required.
Sakura's suffering had been needless, and now, Matou Zouken himself had become a candidate for the Holy Grail.
Although Kain had killed both Shinji and Zouken without hesitation—and in doing so, freed Sakura from two of her worst nightmares—his domineering attitude now left her at a loss for words.
After all, it wasn't like she had any personal desire to participate in the Holy Grail War. She had been forced into it. Her greatest wish was probably just to escape from the hellish Matou household.
"Matou Sakura, did you hear me?"
"…Yes. I understand."
Sakura quickly responded as Kain's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. But even then, Kain couldn't be sure of what she might do next.
"Very well. Once you obtain the Root, whatever you truly desire in your heart will come true. Since we're now considered to be in the same camp, I ask for your cooperation moving forward."
As Kain spoke, his gaze shifted toward Rider. His own strength was significantly suppressed due to the limitations of magical energy—Matou Sakura was of little help in that regard. She couldn't provide enough prana to support him, nor did she have the ability to tear apart Servants like a proper Master should.
Once the war began, she'd be better off staying at a safe distance. Kain also needed to prevent Sakura from falling into darkness after losing her Servants—something that could happen if her emotional stability was compromised. Keeping her alive and away from direct conflict was a good delay tactic.
Among them, only Rider still had real value. Once fully unsealed, she was a reliable combat asset.
Facing Kain's intense gaze, Rider felt a subtle sense of unease. Still, with Sakura having already agreed—and lacking any strong personal desire for the Grail herself—Rider went along with the arrangement.
"I understand. I'll cooperate with you in everything… except when it comes to protecting my Master."
Kain nodded. "Good. If nothing unexpected happens, we'll act tomorrow or the day after. Matou Sakura's magic capacity is far too limited to support both you and me. That issue must be addressed first."
Sakura lowered her head in shame at his words. But this wasn't something she had intended. How was she supposed to know she'd end up summoning an extra Servant?
Then, in a soft voice, Sakura asked, "Servant… would it be alright for you to introduce yourself? I still don't know your name."
"Kain Pent. You can just call me Kain," he said casually. "As for abilities, I'm… well-rounded. I know a bit of everything—though I wouldn't say I'm a specialist in any one thing."
As he spoke, Kain took Sakura's hand. Before the girl could even react, three new magic runes formed around the Command Seal on her left hand.
After the runes finished burning into place, Kain released her hand and said calmly, "This is insurance. Aside from calling for help, you won't be able to use any Command Seals. I don't want surprises during the Holy Grail War."
Who knew what Sakura might do if Emiya Shirou got involved? Kain couldn't take that risk. Unless she chose to end her own life, Kain wasn't planning on leaving this world just yet.
In fact, he was also searching for a way to remain here long-term, perhaps even replacing the role of a Master entirely. Using a few underhanded methods didn't bother him—he had a strong feeling that the Root was connected to something deeply important to him. He had to obtain the Holy Grail.
With their intentions aligned (at least on the surface), the team had reached a basic agreement. Though in truth, the cooperation was mostly built around Kain's terms. Still, he was somewhat grateful that an inexperienced Master like Sakura had summoned him. Otherwise, he might've been forced to manipulate or eliminate a more competent one.
The next morning, Sakura picked up her schoolbag and went off to school. Kain didn't understand why school was such a priority in this world, but as long as her life wasn't in danger, he didn't care enough to stop her.
After spending the night experimenting, Kain had found a way to accumulate magical energy—but he lacked the materials. So now, he intended to borrow some.
"Rider, let's move out."
With that call, Kain was ready to set off. His first destination: the Tohsaka residence. If he could encounter the red ace directly, he would deal with her. If not, he planned to take the magic gems and the Tohsaka family's magical inheritance.
Compared to the previous Holy Grail War, this Fifth War felt more like a game. The magi involved were mostly young and naive, lacking the ruthlessness required.
Unlike someone like Emiya Kiritsugu—who wasn't afraid to kill Masters, cheat, or smuggle weapons into battle—these participants had no idea what a real war was like.
After solving the issue of magical energy, Kain intended to visit the Einzbern estate to study their Third Magic and artificial human technology. And, of course, to take control of Illyasviel's Lesser Grail—if possible, placing it entirely under his control.
If there are no unforeseen accidents, the other Masters can only summon one Servant each. In a situation where the combat strength is equal, they won't be able to withstand a pincer attack from two Servants. What's more, even though Kain lacks sufficient magical energy, he's still not someone ordinary Servants can handle.
With his diverse methods, mastery of grand-level magic, and extensive combat experience—especially gained through training in the Devouring World—Kain is far from weak. Apart from the drawback of limited mana, no one among the current competitors could truly match him.
Not long after Matou Sakura arrived at Homurahara Academy that morning, Emiya Shirou entered the classroom.
"Sakura, you're here. Are you feeling better?"
"Yes, much better. Thank you, senpai, for your concern. I heard you came to visit yesterday, but I couldn't receive guests due to my illness."
"Don't worry about it—your health is what's most important."
Emiya Shirou quickly waved his hand, then paused and scratched his head awkwardly. "By the way, Sakura, it seems like Shinji hasn't shown up today either. Is he still sick? It's kind of weird—you two seemed to fall ill at the same time. Did you infect each other or something?"
At the mention of Matou Shinji's name, Sakura's expression froze briefly, but she forced a smile and answered, "My brother went abroad for studies. He left Fuyuki City this morning."
That was the excuse Kain had given her. If anyone tried to confirm it, he would use the Transformation Technique to impersonate Matou Zouken and maintain the lie.
"Abroad? So suddenly?"
Emiya Shirou looked surprised, but he sensed something odd about Sakura's expression and asked again, "Where did Shinji go? Doesn't he have a big archery competition coming up? Isn't he supposed to participate?"
Sakura shook her head. "I don't know either. It was my grandfather's decision."
Seeing that he wouldn't get any more information, Emiya Shirou sighed and gave up. "Alright, then. Just take care of yourself, Sakura. Remember to ask the teacher for leave if you're not feeling well."
"I understand, senpai," Sakura replied with a gentle smile. Then she seemed to recall something and added, "Senpai, I might not be able to visit your house for a few days. There are some things I need to handle at home."
"Oh, I see. That's fine, Sakura." Shirou nodded in understanding. Just as he was about to leave, a thought struck him. "Sakura… your gloves?"
"There's a wound on my hand that's bandaged, so…"
Sakura quickly hid her hands behind her back and gave a casual excuse. It was better to keep the Command Seals hidden.
A short while later, Sakura looked out the window and saw Rin Tohsaka walking onto campus. Knowing that the Tohsaka family was a bloodline of magi, Sakura was almost certain that Rin would participate in the Holy Grail War.
"In other words… are you going to fight my sister?"
As the thought crossed her mind, she suddenly noticed something strange—Rin, who had just arrived, suddenly stopped walking, then turned and sprinted off campus with her schoolbag in hand.
Most students didn't notice the odd behavior, but Matou Sakura did.
'Could this be related to Kain…?'
The thought flashed through her mind. The more she considered it, the more likely it seemed. She subconsciously reached for the Command Seal to ask—but remembered it was sealed by a magic rune. Left with no other choice, she contacted Rider instead.
"Rider, where are you now? Did you see Mr. Kain?"
Outside the Tohsaka residence, Rider responded with mild exasperation, "So… the 'operation' you mentioned was just being a thief?"
"For someone from mythology, you'd think he'd have better communication skills," she muttered under her breath.
Kain shot her a displeased look. "This is reconnaissance. If any enemies return, we'll use the opportunity to eliminate them."
"And if there are no enemies, you'll just satisfy your desire to steal?"
"I didn't realize you had such a sharp tongue."
Kain examined the Tohsaka residence's barrier, then turned to Rider. "Give me your hand. I'll take you inside. For now, we won't break the barrier—let's observe what's inside first."
Rider said nothing. Though she obediently placed her hand in his and allowed him to Apparate them both past the boundary, she silently vowed never to take part in something so underhanded again.
Stealing, or anything of the sort, was far beneath the dignity of a Heroic Spirit.
As soon as Kain pushed open the door, he noticed a sudden fluctuation in the barrier's magical energy—they had triggered it.
"Strange... I deliberately avoided the areas where the magical energy was most active. How did it still get triggered?"
Kain didn't know much about the technical side of magecraft—especially not when it came to barriers. He had used other means to detect the ward earlier, but clearly, something had gone wrong.
"Forget it. Now that the barrier's been triggered, someone will definitely come to check soon. Rider, go hide for now. When the Servant shows up, be ready to intervene and intimidate them."
With that, Kain used his electromagnetic perception to locate the area with the strongest magical signature, then headed toward the basement. Rider didn't follow; instead, as instructed, she vanished from sight, preparing to ambush any returning Servant.
The Tohsaka family, as an old and noble bloodline, had a long history of magical tradition. Their lineage could be traced back to magi who served the royal court, and their magical heritage was both sophisticated and uniquely systematized. The Tohsakas had even developed specific magecraft formulas they had registered for patent fees.
The magic passed down through the three great families—Tōsaka, Einzbern, and Makiri (Matou)—each had unique characteristics. If those families had remained allies and truly cooperated, they might have reached the Root long ago, instead of ending up corrupting the Holy Grail.
"I don't have time to read through these magic tomes. Let's find the gems first."
Kain walked past the room filled with magical texts without even glancing at the shelves. What he needed wasn't knowledge—it was mana. And that was the biggest problem he faced.
If Kain had a full reserve of magical energy—even with just half his power—he could become a godlike existence in this world.
But currently, the magical energy provided by Matou Sakura was barely on par with that of a typical jōnin-level magus. If he didn't have Rider sharing the load, it might have been a bit more, but even then, it wouldn't be enough to support him in battle.
"I found it. But… it's just this little?"
Kain opened a cabinet and found a number of magical gems stored inside. Though not a massive hoard, the collection was still respectable. These few gems alone could restore about one-tenth of his depleted strength.
However, to truly recover a significant portion of his power, he would need to tap into an artificial mana supply—or access an underground leyline.
The magical energy in the spiritual veins was connected to the gate of the Root itself. But due to the accident in the last Holy Grail War, the leyline's flow had weakened, making it difficult to draw mana from it without proper preparation.
Still, the enemy might return at any moment. Kain didn't dwell on it. He quickly took all the gems and began preparing a magic circle to replenish his energy.
…
patreon.com/Vks_sh