Chapter 4: Standing Up is a Lie; Arguing is the Real Goal!
After Broly left the Kimoto residence, the headless corpse inside the insect chamber regenerated a new head—an old man's head—formed from a writhing cluster of insects.
"What a dangerous boy. Power like that is not something an ordinary human could possess. Yet, I can't sense any magical energy from him... A Heroic Spirit, perhaps?"
That was the only explanation Zouken Matou could accept. Fully aware of the gap between himself and a Heroic Spirit, he had faked death the moment his head was blown off. His true body was hidden deep within the insect chamber, and he feared the consequences of a direct confrontation.
"The Kimoto clan's involvement in this Holy Grail War isn't a secret. But who was behind the attacker? Why take Sakura from the Kimoto? Do they think they can use her to threaten the Kimoto—or perhaps the Tohsaka?"
Zouken muttered as he exited the basement and began walking along a dark corridor. He stopped near a corner window.
"Could it be that Tohsaka Tokiomi is behind this? Maybe he discovered that the Kimoto's magecraft changed from water-based to insect-based, and to preserve their alliance without direct betrayal, he's using this roundabout method to reclaim his daughter."
The old man's ghastly reflection appeared in the window, his sunken eyes narrowing.
"No... Tokiomi is a traditionalist. A man bound by the rigid rules of the Tohsaka family. He wouldn't break a pact so easily. But humans are complex. What if... just what if..."
He stopped his train of thought.
"Ugh, I'm getting senile. No point speculating. It's better to run a small experiment to test it."
Zouken shook his head and continued walking.
"Hey, Grandpa, you're back?!"
Turning the corner, he bumped into his so-called grandson.
"Ah, Grandpa! It's terrible! Someone took Sakura! You have to save her!"
(This foolish boy… No magical talent, yet still clinging to innocence and kindness. I wonder how that naïveté will shatter once he learns the truth—that he's worthless. Just thinking about it excites me... Hmph. I'm a magus elder, yet I enjoy the thought of watching my descendants suffer. It seems my soul is already rotting. Holy Grail... I must claim it before I forget who I truly am.)
"Shinji, have you finished your holiday homework?"
"Uh… no, Grandpa. But this isn't the time for—"
"You haven't? Then what are you doing here blabbering?"
Zouken's smile vanished. He scolded the boy harshly.
"Get back to your room and finish your homework."
"But... Sakura…"
"She's just your adopted sister. Mind your own business."
Shinji looked upset but didn't dare talk back. He turned and returned to his room quietly.
---
Meanwhile, in Fuyuki City, where the Fourth Holy Grail War was already underway, a conflict was brewing inside a humble donburi restaurant.
Broly was seated at a table, happily digging into his pork cutlet bowl. Then, suddenly, the restaurant stopped serving him.
"Why'd the food stop coming?" he asked, confused.
"I'd like to serve more, kid, but... you two have already ordered a ton. Do you even have the money to pay for all this?"
The restaurant owner crossed his arms and stared them down. Business had been tough lately, and he'd just been burned by a dine-and-dash.
Two kids—tiny enough to barely reach his thigh—had walked in earlier and ordered generously, claiming an adult would join them soon. But no adult had shown up, and the food hadn't all been served yet.
"Money?"
Broly paused. A vague concept of "money" floated to the surface of his memory. Right—money was this world's method for acquiring food.
But he had none.
He turned to Sakura.
"Excuse me," she asked politely, "how much does all the food cost?"
The owner named the amount. Sakura carefully pulled out the pocket money Shinji had given her and counted. Sadly, it only covered a fraction.
The owner sighed. "If you're only paying for what you've already eaten, I'll still need two thousand yen more."
Sakura froze.
She couldn't even calculate if she had that much left—she hadn't entered elementary school yet. She glanced helplessly at Broly.
He blinked back at her, completely clueless.
If Sakura was a child from a structured, civilized world, then Broly was a pure savage—raised on a remote planet by Paragus, who only taught him one thing: how to fight. Math? Money? None of that mattered in his world.
So, Broly just kept eating, unaware that they were now in debt.
Their eyes met. Sakura's heart sank.
This older boy… who saved me… doesn't even know how to pay for a meal.
She turned back to the owner. "I don't have any more money."
"Then call your parents."
"I… I don't have a home anymore. My parents… don't want me."
The restaurant owner frowned. "What are you trying to say? You're gonna dine and dash?"
Sakura shook her head. "I'll work off the debt."
She'd read about magus contracts and negotiations. But the owner scoffed.
"What can a little kid like you do? Clean dishes? Chop onions?"
He didn't believe her, and told her to call home again.
"Alert: Matou Sakura's happiness level is falling. Host, please pay attention."
The message rang in Broly's mind.
He turned to the owner, frowning.
"Don't make things hard for her."
The owner squinted at him. "Oh? And you gonna pay the bill?"
"I don't have money," Broly said honestly. "My father isn't in this world. I don't know who my mother is."
"So what, you both expect a free meal?" the owner snapped.
"If you two are lying, I'll call the cops!"
Broly narrowed his eyes dangerously.
He was raised on Planet Vampa, where food was taken by force. If someone owned food and refused to give it up… the solution was simple: eliminate them.
He clenched his fist.
Just as things were about to escalate—
"Bang!"
A loud slap on a nearby table broke the tension.
"This is absurd! You're an adult! How can you bully two kids like this?!"
The one who spoke was a teenage girl with fiery orange hair tied in a ponytail.
"I'm Fujimura Taiga! And even if I'm not involved, I can't ignore this."
"Lady, this is none of your business."
"Maybe not, but you should be ashamed! They're just kids! One said her father died, and the other was abandoned!"
"They could be lying."
"I'm not lying!" Broly and Sakura shouted in unison.
Taiga turned back to the owner. "Even if it were a lie—what if it's not? What kind of man scares children with threats of police? Do you know what kind of trauma that causes? You're an adult, not a thug!"
Customers gathered at the entrance, watching the drama unfold.
"Alright, alright! I get it! I'm sorry! I'll let it go!" the owner finally surrendered, trying to save face.
"Hmph. Good. Know your place."
The man reluctantly accepted the few coins Sakura still had.
"Smack!"
But Taiga walked up and slapped two thousand-yen bills on the counter.
"I'll cover the rest. I'm not here to bully anyone."
The owner forced a smile. "You're too kind, miss. Thank you."
"If you'd just told me you'd pay for them earlier—"
"Ha! No way. I wanted to argue."
Taiga grinned. She'd just had a nasty fight with her parents over dyeing her hair orange, and unloading her frustration through this argument had made her feel way better.
The owner stared in disbelief.
So the point was to argue?!
But since he got paid in the end, he let it slide.
"Come again next time!" he forced a cheerful tone.