Chapter 37

The sun had not yet reached its peak when Edmund and his peculiar group left the hotel. Rin walked with her arms crossed, occasionally shooting annoyed glances at Edmund, while Sakura, in complete silence, followed her sister without uttering a single word. Alice, on the other hand, maintained her usual expressionless demeanor, her elegant stride and aura of indifference unchanged. She seemed to be the only one unaffected by the strange situation they found themselves in.

To passersby, they looked like an ordinary family of four. Edmund, his appearance altered by magic, appeared to be a man in his thirties. Alice, with her serene bearing and peculiar beauty, easily fit the role of a young wife. Rin and Sakura, with their contrasting expressions, were the two daughters of this fictional marriage. The scene itself didn't seem out of place, but for those involved, the reality was very different.

Sakura lowered her gaze, uncomfortable under the stares of the crowd. She wasn't used to so much attention, and the feeling of being watched made her feel small. Rin, meanwhile, walked with her head held high, though she occasionally let out a sound of displeasure.

"Hmm... I don't like this" Rin muttered, gripping the handle of her suitcase tightly.

"If anyone actually believes we're a family, I'm going to be really mad."

Edmund, walking a few steps ahead, smiled without turning around.

"You should relax, Rin. Right now, it's best if we stay unnoticed."

"Stay unnoticed?" Rin huffed. "Then why did you make me come with you in the first place? I could've just stayed at the hotel!"

"That wasn't an option," Edmund replied without hesitation.

"I'm not leaving you in a place where just anyone could find you. Remember, you're part of a dangerous world now—if you let your guard down, another mage could end up killing you."

Edmund's words made Rin stop dead in her tracks. A chill ran down her spine, but she quickly shook her head and kept walking, saying nothing more. Sakura simply watched her in silence.

Alice, who had remained quiet until now, glanced sideways at Edmund. "Was that really necessary to say?"

"It's always necessary to remind them of reality," Edmund answered with a shrug. "If they think they can still act like normal girls, this world will devour them before they can even do anything about it."

Alice sighed but didn't argue. She knew Edmund wasn't one to sugarcoat the truth. In his own way, he was looking out for Rin and Sakura—even if his methods were harsh.

The group continued on their way toward the airport. There was no particular hurry, but Edmund knew it was best to leave Japan as soon as possible. The longer they stayed in Fuyuki, the higher the chances someone might try to interfere with his plans. He had already done enough by altering the fates of several participants in the war—he had no intention of staying any longer than necessary.

The walk to the airport wasn't particularly long. After a few minutes, they arrived—though they had only been walking for about five minutes when Alice suddenly announced she wanted to take a car instead. Edmund had no choice but to oblige, so they hailed a nearby taxi and made their way to the airport swiftly.

The airport bustled with people coming and going—families saying their goodbyes, businessmen in a hurry, and excited tourists eager for their next adventure. Amid the chaos, one group stood out from the rest: a tall man with a mature appearance, accompanied by a young woman with dark hair and two girls. To any casual observer, they looked like an ordinary family patiently waiting for their flight.

Edmund had secured the tickets without any trouble. There were no complications during check-in, and no one cast a suspicious eye on their group. The projection magecraft he had used to alter their appearances ensured he wouldn't be recognized. As far as the outside world was concerned, they were just another normal family about to board an international flight.

Rin, however, wasn't satisfied. Despite having reluctantly accepted the situation, she kept shooting annoyed glances at Edmund. Sakura, on the other hand, kept her head down without uttering a single word. She was too accustomed to following orders, too fearful to challenge their circumstances.

As they waited at the boarding gate, Edmund crossed his legs and sighed. He was exhausted. The recent events had drained him, and all he wanted now was to leave Japan once and for all. His mind briefly wandered to the events of the previous night—particularly Kayneth and Hector's brutal deaths at Gilgamesh's hands. All his efforts to prevent Kayneth from meeting a miserable end at Kiritsugu's hands had been in vain. In the end, his brother-in-law had met an even worse fate.

"Tch... all for nothing..." he muttered to himself with an ironic smile.

There wasn't much left to do. What mattered now was putting distance between themselves and the Holy Grail War.

When they finally boarded the plane and took off without incident, Edmund leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes for a moment. He felt strangely relaxed as the plane ascended into the sky, carrying them away from Fuyuki City. But just as he thought he might allow himself to rest, his familiar—a small raven-like creature—sent him a vision.

There, on the ground below, Kariya Matou was screaming.

Edmund leaned forward with interest. Through his familiar's eyes, he watched Kariya kneeling in a deserted street, writhing in frustration, his face gaunt from overusing the Crest Worms. His mouth opened and closed, screaming words Edmund couldn't hear, but the fury in his eyes said everything.

"Ah... I almost forgot..." Edmund smirked mockingly as he reclined in his seat.

He had promised Kariya he would prove Sakura was safe if the man did as he asked. The previous night, when the Assassins attacked Einzbern Castle, Kariya had sent Berserker to interfere with their assassination mission. His intervention had allowed Saber to survive - exactly as Edmund wanted. But he'd never formed a magical contract with Kariya. His words had been empty promises. And now the man was left in complete despair.

Edmund gave a sardonic smile and shrugged.

"Sorry, Kariya. Empty promises in exchange for utility... that's just how life works."

"Ah... so that's why he came earlier? I thought it was about something else... Had I known, I wouldn't have created the bounded field for Alice to torment him."

Edmund recalled what had happened just minutes before, when Kariya Matou had tried to interfere with his perfect kidnapping operation.

Kariya, who had been near the airport, caught a glimpse of Sakura inside a taxi. At first, he felt relief seeing her in good health—but that relief turned to suspicion as he followed them to the airport.

He needed to confirm Sakura was truly safe. That's why he sent out surveillance insects to monitor her. But when he saw Rin and Sakura with Edmund, his initial relief at the younger girl's well-being quickly twisted into something darker. The moment he noticed Rin was with them too, his mind reached a desperate conclusion: Edmund had kidnapped them both.

He knew it was Edmund—there was no other mage who would have shown him a photo of Sakura and now sat right beside her.

Kariya staggered, his body ravaged by the parasites sustaining his existence. With a face contorted in fury and resolve, he forced himself forward. He couldn't let them be taken. He wouldn't allow another tragedy to unfold.

But just as he was about to storm into the airport…

A figure blocked his path.

Alice Kuonji.

At first, Kariya barely registered her—just a young, seemingly fragile girl in a black dress. But when he tried to push past, she calmly raised her hand and stopped him dead with nothing more than a subtle gesture.

Kariya scowled. He was too desperate to humor a stranger.

"Get out of my way."

Alice tilted her head and answered softly…

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

Kariya gritted his teeth and tried to push forward again, but this time Alice made a subtle magical gesture with her hand.

An invisible force slammed violently into him, throwing him backward.

Kariya staggered and fell to his knees. His bloodshot eyes glared up at her as he panted heavily.

Alice merely sighed and took another step forward, cutting off his path once more.

"There's no need to be so hasty," she said in her usual tranquil tone.

"You'll only make things difficult for yourself if you persist."

A chill ran down Kariya's spine.

At that precise moment, a bounded field activated around them. The magical barrier instantly severed their space from the outside world.

The environment distorted around them.

The airport lights, passengers' voices, and city noises vanished in an instant. Kariya Matou felt his body grow numb from the sudden isolation. The ground beneath his feet was no longer asphalt, but an indistinct surface - a warped reflection of reality. He understood immediately.

A bounded field.

He raised his gaze with fury. Standing just meters away, a young woman with black hair watched him coldly. Her expressionless face showed neither mockery nor pity—only immutable indifference.

Kariya had no time for questions. The only thing that mattered was reaching Rin and Sakura. He didn't understand why this woman was here or why she'd dragged him into this space severed from reality, but one thing was clear: he had to go through her.

Without hesitation, he raised his arm—blackened and corrupted by Zouken's worms—and thrust it toward her.

Thousands of insects erupted from his flesh, surging toward Alice in a ravenous tide.

The grotesque swarm of parasites flew straight at the young woman, ready to tear through her skin, infiltrate her body, and consume her from within.

But then—

An invisible wall rose before her.

The insects slammed into the barrier and disintegrated instantly. Like mere specks of dust dashed against glass, they vanished without a trace.

Kariya froze.

Alice didn't even flinch.

The barrier around her was an automatic spell—a protective veil that required not even a thought from her to maintain.

It was futile.

He was futile.

Alice, after observing his pathetic attempt, sighed.

"How bothersome…"

"The moon above, the sun below,

Shadows dance to whispers' flow…"

But before she could continue, something made her pause.

Four shadows emerged from nowhere and lunged at Kariya before Alice could finish her incantation.

Wolves.

Four dark beasts—eyes glowing like embers, jaws gaping—sprang toward him.

Alice narrowed her eyes and cut off her chant. These weren't hers.

The magical energy within them didn't belong to her.

Edmund.

Kariya barely had time to raise his arms in defense before fangs sank into his flesh. One clamped onto his forearm with crushing force, while another slammed into him, hurling him to the ground with brutal impact.

The metallic tang of blood flooded his mouth.

The wolves didn't kill him. They merely pinned him there—immobilized against the ground, fangs pressing just enough to warn that any further struggle would be his end.

Alice watched the scene silently. So Edmund had intervened.

Without a word, she stepped closer.

"Stop. Don't go any further."

Her voice was quiet, soft. Yet it carried absolute weight.

Kariya, gasping for air, tried to rise again.

He couldn't.

There was nothing he could do. Nothing.

Trembling, he struggled to gather his thoughts.

Rin. Sakura. I'm sorry… I couldn't protect you.

They were in the hands of that mage—Edmund.

A stranger.

Someone he knew absolutely nothing about.

But then Alice spoke again.

"Don't worry…" she whispered.

"Edmund will look after them until they come of age."

Kariya's body stiffened.

"…What?"

"I wouldn't say it if it weren't true." Alice tilted her head slightly.

"They'll be safe."

Kariya clenched his teeth.

Could he believe her?

He didn't want to.

But…

If this girl's words were true…

If the girls really would be kept safe…

If Sakura would never fall into his grandfather's hands again…

Then…

His shadowed eyes opened heavily.

He felt the strength leave his body.

There was no reason left to stand.

No reason left to fight.

Kariya Matou, with nothing left to do, let out a bitter laugh.

A broken laugh.

He never stood a chance.

Alice watched him a moment longer, then turned away.

The wolves retreated in opposite directions, dissolving into the bounded field's mist.

Kariya felt them leave—felt the pressure of fangs vanish from his flesh.

But he didn't move.

He simply lay there, on the ground, staring up at the distorted sky of the bounded field as tears spilled from his eyes, thinking of Sakura's future.

A smile formed on his face as he imagined it.

Unable to hold on any longer, his consciousness slowly crumbled into nothing.

Alice faded into the shadows.

And the world fell silent once more.

....................

Ah... well, I'll just say this: the protagonist's seemingly chaotic personality is due to his difficult childhood. I want to delve deeper into this later, into his character development, but I don't know if I'll finally get around to it.