Chapter 16: It's All Tohsaka Tokiomi's Fault!  

"You broke the bracelet Gilles de Rais gave me and caused me so much trouble. Although I don't like damaging materials before creating art, naughty children need to be punished. Hmm, since you're so active, how about I cut your tendons first?"

With a sea demon in front and a deranged kidnapper behind, Tohsaka Rin was in dire straits. Fear showed on her small face, but she still shielded her desk mate, backing into a corner with no escape.

"Be good this time, and don't resist, or I'll cut your stomach open."

The children huddled to the side, too scared to intervene. But just as Ryūnosuke finished his threat...

"Boom!"

The sea demon at the door suddenly exploded. A small figure descended from above, using the force of the fall to crush the sea demon. Purple blood and severed tentacles splattered onto Ryūnosuke's face.

"Do you want to hurt my friend?"

Broly, still holding the takoyaki box, caught the falling takoyaki balls and glared at Ryūnosuke with hostility.

[This doesn't look good...]

Ryūnosuke wiped the sea demon's blood from his face. Broly's entrance was clearly extraordinary, and he had just crushed Gilles de Rais's protective familiar.

"Don't be so serious. I was just joking with your friend."

Ryūnosuke lied smoothly, and Broly was momentarily confused.

"Now's my chance!"

Seeing Broly's confusion, Ryūnosuke thrust his knife toward the boy's temple.

"Watch out!"

Tohsaka Rin's warning came too late. The knife struck, but it didn't penetrate. The blade felt like it was hitting tough leather.

"What's a joke?"

Broly asked curiously, his focus still on the strange concept.

"Actually, this is the joke."

Ryūnosuke awkwardly explained, retracting the knife.

"No way! He was trying to kill you and us!"

Tohsaka Rin immediately refuted his claim.

"Shut up, brat. Who asked you?"

Ryūnosuke reached out to grab Tohsaka Rin's head, but before he could touch her, he was sent flying.

"Crash!"

The wooden bar shattered as his body crashed into a stack of wooden boxes, breaking them apart.

"You tried to hurt my friend. You should..."

Broly's angry words were cut short as he saw the man he had kicked, now impaled by wooden splinters, hanging lifelessly on the broken boxes.

[Where am I? Who am I? It hurts!]

This was Ryūnosuke's first thought upon regaining consciousness. His stomach had been crushed instantly, and his adrenaline-producing organs turned to mush before they could react.

He was fully aware, feeling the pain, wanting to scream, but only blood gushed from his mouth.

[So this is what it feels like to have your guts ripped out. The intestines I've been searching for were inside me all along. It hurts, but the colors are so vivid...]

Ryūnosuke died with a twisted expression, part crying, part laughing, but mostly in agony.

His lifeless eyes reflected a confused boy. Broly felt only one thing: he hadn't even used much force, and the man was already down. Should he still be angry?

Tohsaka Rin was stunned. From facing certain doom to her new desk mate's dramatic entrance, to Broly being ambushed, then kicking the villain to death—all within a minute.

"Kotone, don't look. Come with me."

After another glance at the dead villain, Tohsaka Rin's face paled at the gruesome sight. She called her old desk mate and carefully led her past Broly toward the exit.

Broly turned his head, watching her, unsure of what to do next.

"You come too."

So, after passing Broly, Tohsaka Rin stopped.

Gritting her teeth, she took Broly's hand and led him away as well.

Outside, a patrol car passed by. Tohsaka Rin told Kotone to seek help from the police while she took the opportunity to leave with Broly.

The appearance of the missing children quickly drew more police cars, and the area around the underground bar was soon cordoned off.

"What exactly are you?"

Once safely hidden in an alley, Tohsaka Rin finally had the chance to question Broly.

"What do you mean?"

Broly was confused.

"I mean, how did you suddenly appear, then kick that kidnapper to death?"

Tohsaka Rin asked.

"I was eating takoyaki. After finishing my portion, I noticed your happiness value had dropped suddenly, so I brought your takoyaki and came to find you."

Broly gave a brief explanation of what had just happened, his gaze returning to the takoyaki in his hand. Tohsaka Rin could clearly see the desire to eat on his face.

"Uh, if you still want to eat, go ahead."

"But this is your food."

"I don't have much of an appetite right now."

Tohsaka Rin was telling the truth. The octopus tentacles on the takoyaki reminded her of the sea demon's tentacles from earlier, and the gruesome sight of Ryūnosuke Uryū's near-bisected body had killed her appetite.

"Tohsaka, you're a good wife!"

Broly looked at the girl seriously and suddenly said.

"Huh?!"

Tohsaka Rin's eyes widened as she watched Broly start eating the takoyaki, a satisfied expression on his face.

"You really are a strange guy."

Broly had just kicked a man to death, and even though that man was a kidnapper and murderer, Tohsaka Rin still felt a bit of fear. It was a natural instinct to fear something that could easily kill you. But now, watching Broly being satisfied by something as simple as takoyaki, that fear seemed to fade away.

"Strange?"

Broly was a bit confused, but before he could ponder the meaning of "strange," Tohsaka Rin continued.

"Thank you so much for today. If it weren't for you, I might have been in real danger."

[Tohsaka Rin's happiness value is rising.]

Hearing the Crystal Palace's notification in his mind, Broly felt like his happiness had returned. If he equated happiness points to bottles of "Happy Water," then at this moment, he had just gained several hundred more bottles.

"Thank you."

Tohsaka Rin reached out her hand to shake Broly's, but Broly just stared at her hand, not reacting, which made her a bit awkward.

"Give me your hand."

"Why?"

"Will you give it or not?"

"Yes."

"Shake hands, good friends. This means from now on, you're my best friend, Tohsaka Rin."

"So that's how it is."

Broly felt like he had learned something new.

"By the way, your home..."

Tohsaka Rin was about to bring up helping Broly get home when the magic compass around her neck reacted again.

"Thud!"

Another sea demon dropped from the rooftop, landing in the alley behind Broly.

"Watch out!"

Tohsaka Rin's face changed, but before she could warn him, a buzzing sound filled the air. A swarm of insects flew past her, attacking the sea demon and devouring it at an astonishing speed.

"Rin, are you okay?"

A familiar voice came from behind.

"Uncle Kariya!"

Tohsaka Rin called out in surprise, but when she turned around, she was startled.

"Sorry, I must look a bit scary right now."

Under the streetlight, a man pulled his hood lower, trying to hide half of his face, which was wrinkled like an old man's. Beneath his skin, something seemed to be wriggling, making him look terrifying.

"What happened to you?"

"Nothing, just a bit sick. But why are you in Fuyuki City? Didn't you go to the Zenjou residence with your mother?"

"I... came to look for a friend."

Tohsaka Rin hesitated but explained her reason for being in Fuyuki City to this kind uncle.

"This place is dangerous. You and your friend need to leave immediately."

Kariya Matou glanced at Broly, mistaking him for the friend Tohsaka Rin was looking for, and urged them to leave.

Around 7 p.m., Aoi Zenjou, having received a call from Kariya Matou, drove to Fuyuki City.

"Rin, how could you suddenly run back to Fuyuki City alone?"

At a nearby park, Aoi Zenjou scolded her daughter after arriving.

"Mom, my friend went missing. I was worried something bad had happened..."

Tohsaka Rin explained softly.

"It's good that nothing happened."

Aoi Zenjou then turned to Kariya Matou.

"Kariya, you protected Rin, didn't you? Thank you."

She said.

"And Broly, he protected me too."

Tohsaka Rin added.

"Huh?"

Aoi Zenjou looked in the direction her daughter pointed and saw a young boy.

"This is Broly. He's my best friend now."

Tohsaka Rin introduced Broly to her mother.

[The legacy of Cao Cao.]

Broly's mind suddenly conjured this strange phrase when he saw Aoi Zenjou.

But he couldn't understand its meaning and quickly dismissed it.

Aoi Zenjou nodded politely at the boy, not saying much.

She couldn't very well blame a child for her daughter's reckless actions.

Clearly, she had misunderstood, and Broly had taken the blame for the girl named Kotone.

"Protecting Rin is something I should do."

The adults began their conversation, while the children were ignored.

"Licking dogs don't get houses."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying something that just popped into my head."

Meanwhile, the children had their own conversation.

"What's that?"

"I don't know."

Broly shook his head but pointed at Kariya Matou.

"But I know he's a licking dog."

"So, what's a licking dog?"

"I don't know."

Tohsaka Rin was speechless, once again confirming that Broly was indeed a strange guy.

As the children's conversation ended, the adults' discussion grew heated.

The main point of contention was Kariya Matou's participation in the Holy Grail War, which led to an argument with Aoi Zenjou.

Aoi Zenjou couldn't understand why her childhood friend would suddenly join such a deadly competition.

"I did it for..."

Kariya Matou stopped. Some past feelings, once hidden, now seemed pointless to bring up.

He could only say that he had misjudged Tohsaka Tokiomi back then, or he would never have let Aoi Zenjou marry him.

"What did you do it for? Tell me!"

Under Aoi Zenjou's pressing, Kariya Matou could only come up with an excuse.

"I did it for your daughter, to prevent her from ending up like me."

"What?"

"Don't worry, Zouken Matou only wants the Holy Grail. If I can get it for him, Sakura will be safe. I'll make sure she returns to you and Rin."

Aoi Zenjou: "..."

She seemed to hesitate, unsure of what to say.

"You don't need to worry about me. My Servant is the strongest."

Seeing Aoi Zenjou's expression, Kariya Matou thought she was worried about him and quickly reassured her.

"No, I just wanted to say that Sakura has already returned. She's at the Zenjou residence now, living with me and Rin."

"What?"

"She ran away from the Matou household and returned to the Tohsaka residence. Then Tokiomi sent her to me."

Kariya Matou: "..."

Sakura had already returned home? Then why had he paid such a heavy price, with less than a month left to live, to participate in this Holy Grail War?

Kariya Matou's expression now resembled the two highest cards in a deck of poker. But could he blame his childhood sweetheart, Aoi Zenjou? Or could he blame the sweet little girl who called him "Uncle Kariya" with a gentle smile?

No, he couldn't blame them. So, the only one left to blame was that guy.

[That's right, it's all Tohsaka Tokiomi's fault!]

"Is that so? That's good."

Rage burned in Kariya Matou's heart, but he forced a smile at Aoi Zenjou. After saying this, he turned and left without hesitation.

His body, eroded by the Crest Worms, was destined to die from the moment he decided to participate in the Holy Grail War.

Although the goal he had been striving for was now gone, Kariya Matou had found a new purpose. In the limited time he had left, he would make sure to crush Tohsaka Tokiomi, that despicable man.

Kariya Matou left, but his conversation with Aoi Zenjou had revealed Sakura's situation to Broly.

[So they're sisters. Hmm, both are good wives, both gave me food.]

Broly thought this, and Tohsaka Rin leaned in.

"Should I ask my mom to take you home?"

"No need, I can get back on my own."

"Let's go, Rin. Time to go home."

Aoi Zenjou called her daughter.

"Then, see you tomorrow."

Having witnessed Broly's strength, Tohsaka Rin didn't doubt his ability to get home. She waved goodbye to Broly.

After Tohsaka Rin and her mother left, Broly lifted off the ground and flew toward the Fujimura residence.

His speed was like a starving student rushing to the cafeteria, creating ripples of air around him.

Fortunately, night had fallen, and even if someone heard the strange noise, it would be hard to spot the boy flying swiftly through the dark sky.