Chapter 5: A So-Called Hero? How Pathetic.

Late at night, under the cover of darkness, Ryuu made his way toward the Emiya residence.

Located in Miyama Town's northern residential district, the house itself wasn't difficult to find—but getting in undetected was another matter.

Luckily, Ryuu knew a shortcut.

Fujimura Taiga, Shirou's so-called guardian, was deeply connected to the Fujimura Yakuza. That group was well-known in Fuyuki, which meant…

All he had to do was ask a random passerby for directions to the Fujimura-gumi mansion.

From there, finding Emiya's house was child's play.

---

Arriving at a modest-looking courtyard, Ryuu confirmed his target.

"So this is it, huh?"

His golden pupils glowed faintly as he scanned the area.

His attention immediately shifted to a detached storage building.

"That should be the workshop Kiritsugu used to maintain Irisviel's body…"

And more importantly—it contained the magic circle.

That was his goal tonight.

To steal the Master qualification for himself.

---

At this point, the Holy Grail War hadn't officially begun.

The Masters hadn't yet been chosen.

And as an outsider, Ryuu wasn't even acknowledged by Alaya—meaning he couldn't become a Master through normal means.

But so what?

He was a Demon King.

If he wasn't given something, he'd take it.

However, to officially enter the war, he needed Command Seals.

The easiest way to obtain them? The Church.

But if the War was in its Fifth iteration, that meant Kotomine Kirei was the Overseer—and Gilgamesh was watching.

Ryuu was nowhere near strong enough to deal with that level of threat.

"Tch. Whatever. I'll just take Emiya's instead."

With a smirk, Ryuu strode toward the entrance.

Through the living room window, he saw a faint light still on.

"Good. That idiot is still awake."

---

Inside the house—

Hearing footsteps approach the front door, Shirou Emiya assumed it was Fujimura Taiga and hurried over.

"Sister Fuji, you're here la—"

He stopped mid-sentence.

Standing at the entrance was a stranger.

A tall, imposing figure with jet-black hair, golden eyes, and a dangerous aura.

The moment Shirou saw him, his gut twisted in discomfort.

He didn't know why, but—he instantly disliked this man.

*"A partner of justice" and a "Demon King" were inherently incompatible.

It was a natural rejection.

"Uh… who are you?"

Ryuu smiled faintly.

"Ryuu. The one who's here to kill you."

Before Shirou could react, golden light flared in Ryuu's eyes.

In a single, fluid motion, he drew his sword—Wrath.

The 1.5-meter blade gleamed under the moonlight as it thrust straight toward Shirou's heart.

---

Shirou barely dodged.

But he wasn't fast enough.

A sharp, searing pain tore through his left arm.

"AHHH!"

Blood splattered onto the floor.

Shirou staggered back, gripping his injured arm, his breathing ragged.

"Who the hell are you?! Why are you attacking me?!"

Ryuu tilted his head.

"I already told you. I'm here to kill you."

"But I've never even met you before!"

Shirou's mind raced as he desperately tried to understand the situation.

But Ryuu simply smirked.

"You wouldn't understand. There's an old saying—'A man's worth isn't measured by what he owns, but by what others desire to steal.'"

Shirou frowned.

"I… I don't get it. If you want money, take whatever you want and go!"

Ryuu sighed, spinning his sword in his grip.

"I don't want money, idiot. I want what's inside you."

Shirou took another step back, eyes filled with wariness.

"Inside me?"

---

Ryuu didn't bother explaining.

He simply raised Wrath and swung again.

Shirou instinctively tried to block, using his Projection magic to summon a short blade.

But—

The moment their weapons clashed, Shirou's dagger shattered instantly.

Ryuu's attack drove through his guard—

And pierced straight through his chest.

Blood gushed from the wound.

Shirou's vision blurred, his limbs growing cold and numb.

"I… I haven't fulfilled my dream yet… why…?"

His body collapsed.

Before he could lose consciousness, Ryuu grabbed him by the collar and dragged him toward the storage building.

---

In just a few short moments, Shirou stopped breathing.

But Ryuu wasn't concerned.

He knew Shirou wouldn't die.

Not with Avalon inside him.

This was all part of the plan.

The goal wasn't to kill Shirou—

It was to force Avalon to activate, trigger the Grail's response, and hijack the Master qualification.

If the Grail recognized Shirou as "dead", then the closest magic signature—Ryuu—would automatically receive his Command Seals.

He was betting everything on this theory.

Because technically, Ryuu's Servant summoning would be illegal.

But the Saber class itself? That was still within the Grail's framework.

---

Kicking open the storage door, Ryuu laid Shirou's body next to the inactive summoning circle.

Time passed.

Nothing happened.

Ryuu's brow furrowed.

"What's wrong? It should've activated Avalon by now…"

Then, realization hit him.

"Shit. I forgot something important."

Shirou didn't regenerate from Avalon by himself.

In the original timeline, Rin revived him using her gemstone magic.

Without an external mana source, Shirou's own magic circuits weren't strong enough to trigger Avalon's healing.

---

Ryuu scowled.

"Damn it, Kiritsugu. You really left this kid weak as hell."

Since Shirou couldn't activate Avalon alone, the only option was to inject mana into him manually.

Problem was—

Ryuu didn't know any magic.

And he had no magical catalysts on hand.

"The system can probably sell me one… but I have zero points."

In frustration, Ryuu began rummaging through Kiritsugu's old supplies, hoping to find something useful.

But after searching, all he found were pistols and bullets.

Ryuu picked up a bullet, inspecting it closely.

"Wait… could this be… an Origin Bullet?"

He debated for a moment.

Could a conceptual weapon like this trigger Avalon?

Probably not.

He discarded the idea.

But just as he was about to give up—

The magic circle suddenly activated.

---

A brilliant blue glow filled the room.

At the same time, Shirou's wound began closing.

Ryuu's lips curled into a triumphant smirk.

"Finally."

Before Shirou fully revived, he had to finish the ritual.

Taking a deep breath, he recited the incantation.

"Your body is under my command, and my fate is bound to your sword."

"Respond to the will of the Holy Grail. If you heed this call, then answer me!"

"I am the one who embodies all virtue, and I am the one who gathers all evil."

"Seven heavens, clad in three words of power."

"Come forth from the Throne of Heroes, guardian of the balance!"

A blinding pillar of light erupted from the magic circle.

A powerful, majestic presence filled the air.

A figure slowly emerged.

---

"Servant, Saber."

"I have come in response to your call."

----------------

Support and read advance chapters on patreon.com/Zexxxxy