In the battle that had unfolded at the harbor the previous night, Archer had abruptly retreated after exchanging only a few blows with Berserker.
From Kariya Matou's perspective, it was practically certain that Tokiomi Tohsaka—judging Archer unable to handle so many Servants while injured—had used a Command Spell to force a retreat.
Seeing the habitually aloof and self-important Tokiomi force his Servant to run away with his tail between his legs gave Kariya a profound sense of satisfaction. It even made the agony of the Crest Worms devouring his body feel somewhat more bearable.
However, he couldn't lose himself entirely in that joy. He knew exactly who had inflicted those wounds on Archer.
Furthermore, Berserker's sudden rampage against Saber and the way the white-haired youth had easily suppressed him afterward had given Kariya the chance to call Berserker back.
After a night of reflection, Kariya had identified the root of the problem.
If this youth named Ludwig was truly after the Holy Grail, he would be a far more troublesome enemy than Archer.
Perhaps... he could strike a bargain with him?
He could surrender his Servant in exchange for a contract where the youth assisted him in dealing with Zouken Matou.
Since the boy wasn't a Master and had expressed a desire to acquire a Servant to participate in the war the previous night, Kariya began to consider a shift in strategy as his chances of success dwindled.
Kariya knew that the nearly immortal Zouken was powerful, but he was certainly not strong enough to stand above Lancer or Berserker, let alone wound Archer.
Kariya hadn't entered the Holy Grail War for the Grail itself; he was there to use the Grail as leverage to save Sakura.
Thus, dragging his failing, sluggish body through Fuyuki City to investigate, he finally crossed paths with Ludwig at dusk.
While he wasn't sure who the white-haired woman beside the boy was, Kariya felt it didn't matter.
When Ludwig noticed Kariya, the man silently signaled his intent to meet, a gesture the boy immediately understood.
Before long, leaving behind the bustling crowds of the main thoroughfare, Ludwig arrived alone in the secluded alley where Kariya waited.
"Command Spells... so you really are a Master in this Holy Grail War?" Ludwig leaned against the wall, utterly unconcerned about his new clothes getting dirty. "Whose Master are you?"
"The Master of Berserker, Kariya Matou." Kariya sat down on a stack of beer crates nearby.
"...So you're Berserker's Master." Ludwig looked slightly surprised. "That Servant is prone to rampaging, and a rampage requires a massive amount of magical energy... In that body of yours, which is practically a living corpse, how do you expect to endure it?"
"I know my own body better than anyone," Kariya said in a low voice. "After you suppressed Berserker last night, I overheard your conversation."
"And?" Ludwig smiled.
"Since you don't have a Servant anyway, why not make a deal with me?" Kariya proposed. "After seeing your strength, I know Berserker has essentially no chance of winning, and if you were to obtain a Servant, it would be even more impossible to defeat you."
To put it bluntly, Ludwig had fought four opponents simultaneously last night while virtually bare-handed. Berserker simply wasn't that powerful.
"You're willing to give up your Servant and your status as a Master?" Ludwig was puzzled. "Didn't you join this war to heal your dying body?"
Kariya gave a dismissive laugh. "My struggle for the Grail has nothing to do with this body. I don't care if I die."
"Oh..." Ludwig was genuinely surprised.
This man, Kariya Matou, wore a look of unmistakable resolve. For the sake of some vital purpose, he was fully prepared to cast aside his life and his dignity. All that mattered was accomplishing his ultimate goal.
"Well? Instead of wasting effort trying to seize a Servant, how about this trade? I only need you to help me kill one person," Kariya restated his terms. "If you agree, I will hand over Berserker and my status as a Master to you."
"Kill one person." Ludwig crossed his arms. "It sounds like a bargain. However, even if I don't agree, I could just kill you right here and take control of Berserker anyway. Besides, even if Berserker refuses to obey me and disappears, that still benefits me by removing a player."
"...That's true," Kariya nodded bitterly.
He knew his offer wasn't particularly enticing. After all, the youth before him didn't actually need anyone to "grant" him a Master's status. Still, he had approached him with the hope of a desperate gamble.
"If we're going to fight, let's find somewhere deserted," Kariya said, preparing to stand and leave, but a hand pressed down on his shoulder.
"Don't be in such a hurry. We haven't finished talking," Ludwig said.
Kariya was confused. "What?"
"The truth is, I'm still more interested in Saber. I don't really vibe with a Servant I can't communicate with," Ludwig laughed with spirited confidence. "However, the ability Berserker showed against Archer might be of some use to me."
"You mean..."
"Tonight, I'm going to resolve the issue with Saber's Master. If I successfully become Saber's Master, I can form an alliance with you until Archer is eliminated," Ludwig said. "As for after that, I wouldn't mind helping you out—"
"The terms are too generous," Kariya said, his suspicion rising.
"The prerequisite for my help is that you must have Berserker commit suicide," Ludwig added. "That saves me the trouble of dealing with him myself."
Kariya understood the boy's plan, but he had one more question.
"And if Saber won't accept you as her Master?"
"Then we go with Plan A: you surrender your status and your Servant, and I kill your target," Ludwig replied. "Naturally, that also happens after Archer is dealt with."
"...It's a fair deal." Kariya felt a surge of excitement, his right hand instinctively clenching his paralyzed left arm.
If he could live to see Tokiomi lose his Servant and be utterly disgraced, and then see Zouken and the Matou family destroyed, he could die content.
This was nothing short of a massive gamble. Kariya was betting that an opponent far stronger than all of them was willing to form a brief alliance with him.
"Then it's settled. Stay low for now and wait for word from me." Ludwig smiled and straightened up from the wall. "By the way, it looks like someone is watching you."
"...Zouken." Kariya knew immediately who it was.
"Don't worry about today's conversation leaking, though." Ludwig gestured toward Merlin, who was waiting at the mouth of the alley. "I have someone reliable on my side. She rarely does anything decent, but she'll lend a hand at a time like this. No one besides her knows about our deal."
"That is... impressive." Kariya felt a profound sense of the "inhuman" coming from that woman.
With that, he dragged his halting, labored body away, vanishing step by step into the shadows of the alley.
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