Chapter 373

Chapter 373: Chapter 373

"It’s simple. If the magical energy inside the Holy Grail has been corrupted, then all we have to do is purify it."

Kiriya delivered the answer so casually that Caster could only stare at him.

"Can something like that... really be done?" she murmured.

As a Heroic Spirit summoned through the Greater Grail, she understood better than most just how enormous the system’s magical reserves truly were.

If an ordinary Magus possessed the equivalent of a small water tank, and an exceptionally gifted Magus carried something closer to a pond within them, then the magical energy accumulated inside the Greater Grail was an entire ocean.

The difference was not merely one of degree; they existed on completely different scales.

Even if the purification method Kiriya had in mind possessed Mystery of an extraordinarily high order and was theoretically capable of eradicating the All the World’s Evil permeating the Grail, there was still another fundamental problem.

Would anyone have enough power to sustain such purification until the entire Greater Grail had been cleansed?

Her new Master’s reserves were undeniably monstrous, surpassing those of the overwhelming majority of Magi even from the Age of Gods, but accomplishing a feat of this magnitude still seemed beyond what a single person should be capable of.

Caster glanced toward Ryuu, expecting the elf to offer some comment.

Instead, Ryuu looked perfectly calm, as though Kiriya had merely announced that he intended to make fried chicken for dinner.

The whole situation felt absurdly surreal.

"You don’t need to worry about that. I have my methods."

Kiriya winked before patting Caster on the shoulder.

"I’ll leave deciphering the Greater Grail ritual and developing the necessary bounded field to you. No problem, right?"

"You’re leaving all of it to me?"

Caster’s instincts immediately warned her that something was wrong.

"Then what exactly are you going to be doing?"

"Obviously, I’m going out."

Kiriya grinned, flashing a perfect row of white teeth.

"There are so many powerful opponents wandering around outside. I’m not wasting all my time burying myself in dusty old books."

That was what he said, at least.

The arm still comfortably wrapped around Ryuu’s slender waist suggested there might be another reason he was so eager to leave the research to somebody else.

Caster’s mouth twitched.

"Heh. You’re really willing to leave me alone with all this?"

She gave him a cold smile.

"Aren’t you worried I might sabotage something?"

"You’re intelligent enough to know what your best option is."

Kiriya remained completely unruffled.

"If you don’t cooperate with me, you have no chance of getting any share of the Holy Grail."

He paused deliberately.

"Especially not a genuine Greater Grail that has been completely purified of its corruption."

Caster clenched her teeth.

If fulfilling her wish was the goal, then she truly had no reason to refuse.

Still, the thought of being left here to work herself to exhaustion while this bastard wandered around Fuyuki holding hands with beautiful women and enjoying himself made her deeply unhappy.

So she couldn’t resist pushing back.

"That’s not necessarily true. I am the Witch of Betrayal, after all. Sometimes I enjoy making impulsive decisions."

Kiriya gave her a mysterious smile.

His eyes abruptly transformed into the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.

"Of course."

The smile never left his face.

"You’re welcome to try."

Ryuu’s eyes narrowed at the same time, one hand instinctively settling on the hilt of the Stardust Sword.

The coordination between the two was so natural that they perfectly embodied the idea of a couple moving in complete harmony.

The cold killing intent concealed beneath their words raised goosebumps across Caster’s entire body.

Whatever lingering resentment she had possessed immediately disappeared, and her eyes became remarkably clear.

A woman’s sixth sense told her that if she genuinely did something foolish, whatever happened afterward might be a hundred—or a thousand—times worse than death.

Caster had already died once.

Death itself no longer frightened her.

But those unknown Mystic Eyes exerted an entirely different kind of pressure, almost like standing before the unfathomable goddess who had once been her teacher.

"Hahaha... I was only joking."

Caster laughed dryly and immediately changed the subject, looking around the underground archive with a dissatisfied expression.

"Master, if you’re going to work me this hard, shouldn’t you at least provide decent working conditions?"

"Oh?"

Kiriya looked amused.

"And what exactly do you want?"

"At minimum, I want a spacious, bright room, pleasant surroundings, a comfortable bed, delicious food..."

Caster began counting on her fingers.

"After all, people work much more efficiently when they’re well fed and properly rested, don’t they?"

"Wake up. You’re a Servant."

Kiriya sounded exactly like an exceptionally heartless corporate executive.

"You won’t die even if you neither eat nor sleep."

"But a good mood still improves productivity, doesn’t it, Master?"

Caster lifted her chin and chest, presenting her argument with complete righteousness.

"That’s fair."

Kiriya suddenly smiled.

Still holding Ryuu’s jade-like hand, he placed his other hand on top of Caster’s head.

The three disappeared instantly.

...

At a secluded Matou estate on the outskirts of Fuyuki City, Sakura was bustling around the kitchen in an apron, humming softly to herself as she moved from counter to stove.

Her steps were light, her skirt fluttering with every turn, making her resemble a cheerful little butterfly.

Early that morning, she had gone shopping with Jeanne and Rider, carefully selecting only the freshest and finest ingredients before preparing everything in advance.

After lunch, Sakura had immediately begun working on dinner.

She wanted Kiriya and the others to return to a rich, satisfying meal, so she had poured every bit of culinary skill she possessed into the preparations.

After an entire afternoon of work, the dining table was already covered with beautifully prepared dishes, each one fragrant and colorful enough to make anyone’s appetite surge at first glance.

"That’s enough, Sakura."

Rider finally couldn’t bear to keep watching and tried to persuade her to stop.

At this rate, there wouldn’t even be room left on the table.

"I still have one more dish and a soup. I’ll be finished soon."

Sakura gave her a sweet smile.

"Kiriya and the others all have pretty good appetites, so I need to work hard. I don’t want to disappoint them."

"Tch."

Rider said nothing aloud, but Sakura’s obvious attachment to Kiriya irritated her considerably.

She understood why Sakura felt that way.

The girl’s life had been miserable.

Ever since being sent to the Matou family, she had barely experienced genuine affection from anyone.

Zouken’s twisted abuse had pushed her to the edge of collapse more than once, and Sakura had survived largely by numbing herself emotionally.

Then Kiriya had appeared like some storybook prince, descending into that nightmare and destroying everything evil around her.

How could Sakura not develop an enormous amount of affection and dependence toward him?

Rider understood that perfectly.

Understanding it, however, did not mean she wanted Sakura falling too deeply.

There was one very simple reason.

Kiriya was obviously a womanizer.

What?

How could Rider possibly know that?

Please.

Just last night, he had dragged her through one ridiculous dream scenario after another, and then when morning came, he hadn’t even offered her a single sweet word before turning around and spending the entire day being affectionate with another woman.

He had been gone all day!

If that wasn’t the behavior of a shameless flirt, what was?

Sakura was too innocent and emotionally vulnerable.

If she suffered another serious emotional wound after everything she had already survived, Rider genuinely worried whether the girl would be able to endure it.

’Sakura, these waters are too deep for you. You won’t be able to handle him.’

’Leave this to me.’

’I’ll repay the debt for you.’

’Whatever price has to be paid... I’ll bear it myself.’

After successfully convincing herself of the nobility of this plan, Rider silently made her decision.

Then her expression abruptly sharpened.

Three presences had appeared in the living room.

Two belonged to Kiriya and Ryuu.

The third... was unfamiliar.

"How bold!"

Rider’s expression turned cold.

She exploded out of the kitchen, and the short blade in her hand shot forward like a bullet, aimed directly at the unknown intruder.