Chapter 29: The Evils
The two people are Angra Mainyu and his Servant, Vlad III.
Since Angra Mainyu was resurrected incompletely, he and Vlad III have consistently developed in the shadows.
Taking advantage of Vlad III's Bloodsucker Demon traits, they transformed a few humans into many low-level Bloodsucker Demons.
Vlad III began to feel dissatisfied due to the Berserker class summoning he was forced into.
Seeing this, Angra Mainyu directly fed Vlad III black mud, allowing him to control Vlad III, who was corroded by the mud.
Currently, they have converted around a thousand people into Bloodsucker Demons in Fuyuki and nearby cities, including a few scattered magicians.
This could be considered a relatively large force.
Today, the two went out to find valuable people to transform and discovered Matou Kariya.
"This is quite an unexpected surprise." Angra Mainyu looked at the command seal on Matou Kariya's hand.
"I didn't expect this to be a participant of the Holy Grail War. It seems this servant's strength is considerable." Angra Mainyu's mouth curled into a slight, sinister smile. The eerie appearance made the smile terrifying.
As long as they could control this person, their combat power would surge. Angra Mainyu thought this way.
"Berserker, restrain the enemy's servant, and buy me time." Angra Mainyu then ordered Vlad III.
Vlad III, also known as the Great Prince, had eyes glowing with bright red light, a fierce expression, and a dark, incomprehensible aura emanating from his body. His pale skin did not match this ominous presence. This was a change caused by the black mud corrosion.
"The night is beautiful tonight. Let us temporarily immerse ourselves in this scenery." The Great Prince emitted a hoarse voice, holding a strange, needle-like spear resembling a syringe, launching it toward Lancelot.
"Berserker, target his crotch." Matou Kariya urgently commanded Lancelot.
Lancelot immediately grabbed the club previously used by Uryuu Ryuunosuke to attack Matou Kariya.
The attack was weak at first, but the club was immediately strengthened by Lancelot's equipment, transforming it into a D-grade artifact in an instant. The entire club now had bright red rips all over it.
Lancelot met the Great Prince's spear with his own.
In a flash of light and fire, the two weapons collided, creating a series of explosive sounds and sparks flying everywhere.
Seeing this, Matou Kariya immediately broke through the door and rushed out. Matou Kariya wasn't foolish—he knew that the enemy might be coming for him.
Knowing his own strength, combined with the uncertainty of the opponent's power, he could only think of one thing—buying time and trying to escape.
Angra Mainyu watched as Matou Kariya went outside and couldn't help but shake his head.
"Why run? Isn't it better to come here, eat the black mud, and become my companion?"
"Accepting the purification of 'this evil in between,' the achievement of rebirth would be so wonderful."
Angra Mainyu glanced at Lancelot, who was fighting the Great Prince.
"Such a strange ability, to be able to enhance a weak, fragile club into a weapon."
"Indeed, a powerful ability," Angra Mainyu said with a wicked smile. Then he turned his attention away from the battle and pursued Matou Kariya, who was trying to escape.
Lancelot and the Great Prince continued their fight inside a building, in a large hall.
This hall was the site where Uryuu Ryuunosuke had murdered people; the walls and floor were filled with tools and instruments of torture.
Among them were electric saws, hatchets, and knives—various types of weapons for attacking. These tools glinted with cold light and bore the distinct, ghastly trace of bright red blood.
"Roar!!!" Lancelot let out a scream, grabbing nearby tools.
Some of the hatchets, hammers, and small knives were enhanced by the (Knight without hands, yet still perishes) ability, transforming them into weapons, which Lancelot then threw at the Great Prince.
"Haha, what a convenient ability," the Great Prince said, admiring the weapons being thrown at him.
Then, he used his unique Bloodsucker Demon skill (transformation), allowing him to turn into mist or countless bats.
The Great Prince's body gradually became dim and blurred, then transformed into a cloud of black mist.
Whoosh—All the weapons Lancelot threw were absorbed by the black mist.
Boom—The wall behind the mist was directly smashed. The entire room shook, and the walls cracked before the whole room collapsed in a deafening crash.
Not far ahead, Matou Kariya heard the loud "Boom" sound behind him, turned around, and saw Angra Mainyu right on his tail, causing him to startle.
He couldn't help but quicken his pace. He now regretted not learning more magic; if he had, he wouldn't be struggling to run like this. If he faced another Mage Master, he might have had a chance to fight back.
But regret was useless now. All Matou Kariya could do was run.
"I can't die. Sakura is waiting for me to save her. Aoi still needs me to protect her."
As Angra Mainyu drew closer, Matou Kariya couldn't help but scream inwardly.
"Run, damn it!" Matou Kariya cursed, wishing he could tear off his own legs.
In the dark, narrow alley, Matou Kariya ran at his highest speed.
He saw the light ahead, the exit to the street.
Matou Kariya felt a surge of joy as he saw the street exit gradually approaching.
Once he reached the street, he would be safe.
Bang — Angra Mainyu appeared in front of Matou Kariya, blocking the exit.
Matou Kariya stopped in his tracks, his body trembling.
Why... He was so close, just one step away, Matou Kariya's heart screamed.
Angra Mainyu sneered, and black mud surged from behind him.
Matou Kariya saw the thick, dark mud and felt his fear grow, his legs shaking uncontrollably.
"Move! Why!" Matou Kariya couldn't even move, as though he had no courage to run anymore.
"No!!! I can't die! Aoi... Sakura... Rin are still waiting for me..." Matou Kariya screamed, but the black mud kept spreading, and he could only watch as it enveloped him.
Matou Kariya's vision darkened, and he collapsed.
Then, his expression changed, and Angra Mainyu saw him smile in the depths of his imagined "World of Evil."
"Come, join me."
In his imagination, Matou Kariya saw himself wearing a suit, lovingly marrying Aoi. They had two daughters, one named Sakura, the other Rin.
A perfect family, a warm, blissful scene.
The image shifted, and he saw himself holding Aoi lovingly, while another man with a mustache embraced her too.
Both of my daughters have abandoned him.
It seemed like the end, but suddenly, Matou Kariya found himself in a familiar, dark basement.
Matou Kariya looked up and saw countless insects. He realized he was in the Matou family's basement.
At the same time, he noticed Matou Zouken standing nearby.
A sinister smile spread across Matou Zouken's face as he spoke to Matou Kariya: "Your wife is quite talented. The insects crawling all over her, the sounds of her struggling and begging... so pleasant to hear."
"And your little daughter, Sakura. The look in her eyes as everything collapsed—it's almost impossible to stop watching, Kariya."
"Come, take a look. Over there, they won't be screaming in pain anymore."
Matou Kariya trembled and looked over. He saw Aoi and Sakura lying motionless in a heap of insects, their eyes void of light, while insects crawled all over them.
Matou Kariya collapsed, holding his head and crying out.
"No!!! This isn't real!!!"
Finally, Matou Kariya's eyes grew empty, and with a hint of madness, he awoke from the nightmare.
Angra Mainyu looked at Matou Kariya, who had been successfully transformed, and smiled.
"Come, let's go and reshape this world."
"Aha, this time, I will have you, Aoi," Matou Kariya's eyes gleamed with madness.
As the silent protector transformed into the knight who kidnapped the Demon King's princess, Matou Kariya succumbed to the darkness.
"Return, Berserker," Matou Kariya (Angra Mainyu) said.
Both of them summoned their Servants.
"Let me show you our comrades. Let's make this Holy Grail War even more enjoyable," Angra Mainyu said, grinning.
He still had other Servants under his command, and this meeting with Matou Kariya would only strengthen their team.
The two then departed.
However, not long after they left, a slender figure appeared.
"Oh, they're gone?" The figure spoke in a soft, delicate voice.
Under the moonlight, the figure gradually became visible.
A short-haired girl with golden hair, her face as flawless as a porcelain doll, with a pair of bright blue eyes, appeared here.