As long as the Command Spell is intact, Tohsaka Tokiomi has not lost his qualification as a Master. By defeating the other six Masters, he can still obtain the Holy Grail and emerge as the ultimate victor. This is Tokiomi Tohsaka's plan. Although this path is fraught with danger and the slightest mistake could cost him his life, Tokiomi Tohsaka has no regrets. He made a firm decision to dedicate his life to magecraft, sparing no effort in reaching the "root," and ever since his ally, Kotomine Risei, passed away, he has been prepared for the worst.

He has already entrusted the matters of magecraft to his daughter, Rin Tohsaka, and his wife, Aoi, will handle the rest. In case they encounter any problems, Kotomine Kirei will also assist. Now, Tokiomi Tohsaka has no worries and can wholeheartedly pursue the Holy Grail, which is what annoys Kariya the most.

Upon hearing Kariya's words, Tokiomi Tohsaka raises his head and looks at the man he has always looked down upon. This man not only defeats his greatest reliance but also obstructs him, attempting to shatter his last hope. The thought fills Tokiomi's heart with anger, but unlike Gilgamesh, he is not consumed by rage and remains increasingly clear-headed and cautious. His gaze sweeps over Kariya's wrist, which is clean and empty.

"Kariya, you are no longer a Master. Why do you obstruct my path?" As he speaks, elegance and composure once again return to Tokiomi. His every word and action are flawless. From the day this man appeared before Aoi and Kariya, he has been perceived as "perfect and flawless," exerting an invisible pressure on Kariya, reminding him of the gap in "elegance" between the two of them."

But all of this only lasts until tonight. Kariya has already shattered Tokiomi's pride once; he knows that so-called elegance and composure do not determine anything. If he can shatter it once, he can shatter it a second time.

"It has nothing to do with being a Master. I simply dislike you as a person, Tokiomi Tohsaka! Answer me, why did you entrust Sakura to the dirty Zouken?"

"What?"

This question seems to catch Tokiomi off guard, causing him to furrow his brows. He and Kariya are like two parallel lines, with only one point of intersection and no other common ground.

"Answer me, Tokiomi!"

Faced with Kariya's bloodshot eyes, Tokiomi sighs lightly and helplessly responds.

"There's nothing to question. Of course, it's for the sake of ensuring a happy future for my beloved daughter."

"What... did you say?"

Receiving an incomprehensible answer, Kariya's mind goes temporarily blank, while Tokiomi continues in a calm tone.

"Magi who have two children face such dilemmas. They can only pass on their secret techniques to one person, while the other child must settle for mediocrity."

Mediocrity!

Although Kariya has heard similar analyses from his nephew, Shinji, before, no matter how many times he hears it, he finds the term incredibly grating. Tokiomi's words echo in his blank mind, accompanied by the warm image of Aoi, Rin, and Sakura playing and frolicking in the sunlight.

Was it for such a reason that Sakura was sent into the worm's nest and the abyss, sacrificing the happiness of the mother and his two daughters?

"Especially my wife, as the mother, she is truly exceptional. Both Rin and Sakura were born with extraordinary talent. Both of my daughters need the protection of the magecraft family. As a father, how could I hope for such a tragedy to occur, where one person's future is achieved at the cost of eradicating the possibilities for the other?"

The reasons Tokiomi eloquently presents are completely incomprehensible to Kariya, or rather, he doesn't want to understand. Even if he only grasps a small part of this magus theory, he feels like he would vomit on the spot.

"To preserve the talents of the sisters, one of them must be sent away as an adopted daughter. Thus, the Matou family's request is undoubtedly a blessing from heaven. Since they are aware of the existence of the Holy Grail, the likelihood of reaching the 'root' is relatively higher. Even if I fail, there's still Rin. And if Rin can't achieve it, there's Sakura."

"You bastard!"

How could he calmly recount such a despairing fact?

Moreover, aiming for the path to the root... Does this mean...

"Are you intending to make them compete against each other? The sisters!"

Tokiomi smiles faintly and responds coldly to Kariya's reproach.

"Even if they truly face such a situation, it is for the happiness of my children. The winner can attain glory, and even in defeat, glory will return to the ancestral name. It can be said to be a long-desired confrontation."

"You damn fool, you've gone mad."

Tokiomi casts a disdainful glance at the gritted teeth of Kariya and speaks in a mocking tone.

"It's pointless to explain these matters to someone like you who knows nothing about magecraft, someone who even betrayed magecraft..."

"Shut up, you inhuman deviant!" Kariya has never despised Tokiomi as much as he does now, wishing for his death. "Indeed, my decision was right. You can't reach anywhere, and I will shatter your delusions."

For Rin, for Sakura, for Aoi, and myself!

Magic circuit activation.

Opening of the magic circuits.

Conversion of magical energy.

Composition of the spell.

"Frost&midd (Double Ninth Festival)."

Accompanied by a short incantation, visible ice crystals appear around Kariya. The crystals rapidly spread to the surroundings, and soon frost begins to form on Kariya's attire. This is the water magecraft that has been passed down in the Matou family for 300 years, and it is the highest-level spell that he has mastered.

Amidst the freezing cold, Tokiomi Tohsaka maintains a calm and composed expression.

Naturally, his status as a magus far surpasses Kariya's. The secret technique that Kariya unleashes with all his might is neither surprising nor intimidating to Tokiomi. He can even calmly mock the twists and turns of fate in this duel against his former rival.

"A so-called magus possesses inherent power from birth, and one day, someone with even greater power will come along. Until one realizes the weight of such a fate, that responsibility exists within one's blood. That is the meaning of being a magus's child."

As Tokiomi speaks in a detached manner, he raises his ceremonial staff high, calling forth the spell of Flames from the large ruby embedded in its tip.

The defensive formation depicted in the void mimics the Tohsaka family crest, igniting the air, and creating a roaring inferno. It is an offensive defense that incinerates anything it touches. Although such behavior may seem childish when facing an almost inexperienced opponent, Tokiomi has no intention of showing mercy.

Not only because Kariya stands in his way but also because...

"Because you refused to succeed as the head of the family, allowing the Matou's magecraft to fall into Sakura's hands, I should have thanked you... but I cannot forgive you as a man. Your weakness in abandoning your bloodline's responsibility and your despicable lack of remorse—Kariya Matou, you are a disgrace to magecraft."

"What a joke... You heartless bastard!" Kariya roars, increasing the output of his magical power as more frost rushes towards Tokiomi.

"You're wrong. Being responsible for oneself is the foremost condition of being human. If you can't even fulfill that, you don't deserve to be a human; you're just a dog. Do you understand, Kariya?"

Tokiomi completely loses patience with Kariya's entanglement and lightly twirls his staff.

"IntensiveEinasg——" (Bestow upon my enemies a harsh funeral by fire)

In response to the two short incantations, the flames of the defensive formation sway like a serpent, extending towards Kariya.

In the instant before the flames reach him, Kariya quickly takes something out of his pocket and forcefully smashes it onto the ground.

"Fervuis." (Boil, my blood)

Amidst Kariya's loud incantation, a silver liquid rapidly expands. In less than three seconds, the flames summoned by Tokiomi are swept away by the silver liquid.

This is the Mystic Code recently acquired by Kariya—Volumen Hydrargyrum: Marrow of the Moon Spirit Zwei

Standing amidst the flowing mercury, Kariya squints his eyes and gazes at Tokiomi, who is examining the Mystic Code. A dark, sinister grin appears on his lips.

"Don't be too confident, Tokiomi—Scalp!" (Slash)

In the next moment, the mercury forms into a long whip and lashes down upon Tokiomi.

=====

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