Shinji Matou At Your Service

Chapter 48: The Caster Group Must Die

Shinji had watched several important fights that he should have seen. The Mystic Code, 'Divine Gunblade' and 'Rune Magic Bullets,' tailored specifically for him, had successfully passed the tests. Exhausted from a night of running around, Shinji intended to go home and get a good night's sleep.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. No, it wasn't that things didn't go as planned, but rather that he found things to do for himself.

Although Shinji's heart had gradually hardened since entering the world of magecraft, he had not lost the principles and compassion he established over twenty years in his previous life. He could not tolerate murderers like Ryuunosuke, who pursued the 'art of death,' nor could he tolerate Caster, whose true name was Gilles de Rais, sacrificing humans for their wicked and lost demonic arts!

Knowing that the Caster group would self-destruct in a few days, he still sent Scáthach to relentlessly hunt down these two bastards.

Perhaps Scáthach, burdened by her role and Master, might not be able to kill the Caster group, who excelled in summoning and had various means of escape. But as long as Scáthach kept chasing them without relenting, these two bastards would be too busy running for their lives and wouldn't have time to kill. It would be good if even one potential victim could be spared.

This idea became even more resolute after Scáthach's empathetic vision revealed the situation inside the Caster Workshop.

In the heavy darkness, as thick as blood, only a flickering candle was present.

The long table, where the candlestick was placed, was stained with blood. The source of the blood was the three rows of brightly glowing flesh on the table.

They were intestines, human intestines.

On the bright red, wriggling intestines, numerous pins were stuck.

On the cross above the table, a recently deceased young girl was bound. Her lower abdomen was cut open, and her disemboweled organs were scattered on the floor.

Traces of black magecraft still lingered on the girl's body.

"Healing and regenerative magecraft, numbing pain magecraft, all to prevent her from dying too quickly. When I broke into the workshop, I faintly heard Caster's Master saying that he wanted to make her a 'human instrument,'' Scáthach explained.

Scáthach's words ignited Shinji's anger to its peak, and the combination of anger and nausea caused his stomach to churn uncontrollably.

"Damn it, Ryuunosuke, Gilles de Rais, you both deserve to die!!! Sensei, are there any survivors?"

"There are still eleven children locked up in the dungeon. I asked, and they were taken by Caster from a neighboring town. Originally, there were fourteen, but three of them have already been tortured to death by Caster and his Master."

Perhaps Shinji's emotions influenced Scáthach, who had already graduated from the mortal world, as her voice carried a hint of coldness.

"Three more lives and all of them were children with promising futures."

Shinji forcibly suppressed his inner anger and urge to vomit, and with a hoarse roar, he said as if only by doing so could he vent his anger.

"Sensei, you continue to pursue and kill those two bastards. No matter how much magical energy it takes, I will find a way to supply it. I have only one request: don't give them another chance to kill!"

"I understand." Sensing Shinji's determination, Scáthach nodded faintly.

"I will contact the Church and have them handle the aftermath. If they fail to handle it properly, we will take care of them."

Kirei and Father Risei, as humans, had strong combat abilities, but compared to Heroic Spirits, especially powerful Heroic Spirits like Scáthach, they were still no match. When Scáthach got serious, it would be effortless for her to kill them.

Shinji had always been cautious in his actions, prioritizing his safety, but this time, he couldn't bear it any longer.

Although attacking neutral supervisors was a violation of the rules and would result in retaliation from all Masters once discovered, Shinji was confident enough not to leave any evidence.

"Since you have made such a resolution, I should also make a corresponding decision."

Scáthach severed the empathetic connection with Shinji and used her magical spear to carve a rune on the floor of the workshop, symbolizing "pursuit."

...

Once again, Father Risei was awakened by a late-night phone call.

The voice coming from the receiver was unfamiliar, but the way of speaking was not unfamiliar—Assassin's Master, the mysterious magus of unknown origin.

"Why are you letting Caster and his serial killer rampage unchecked? Isn't it the duty of the supervising Master to oversee the actions of the Servants and ensure they don't have a negative impact on society? How did you become a supervisor?"

Surprisingly, the young-sounding Master on the other end of the line didn't hold back in accusing Father Risei, but Risei, wearing the garb of a priest, remained calm and responded in a composed manner.

"We are currently investigating this matter. As a supervisor, it is imperative to maintain absolute fairness and justice. Without sufficient evidence, it is inappropriate to exercise the authority of a supervisor at will. Doing so would be an insult to everyone involved."

Upon hearing Risei's response, the anger seemed to diminish on the other end of the phone.

"If you want evidence, I can provide you with enough evidence. My Servant has discovered Caster's hideout deep in the underground waterway, which flows upstream from the mouth of the Unmei River. The workshop has been cleansed of emotions. You can send someone to investigate. I apologize for not describing the details, but it's a scene straight out of hell. I hope that after seeing it, you can make the right judgment."

After uttering these words, the other party unilaterally terminated the communication.

Risei, the priest wearing the cassock, silently hung up the receiver and lowered their head in contemplation.

Based on the previous contact, it was evident that this magus possessed a sense of justice as a regular person while also exhibiting the caution and resourcefulness expected of a magus. The fact that they described the scene as hellish indicated that the actions of Caster's group were truly abhorrent.

With these thoughts in mind, Risei's expression grew grim.

Starting this month, a mysterious serial killer known as the "Demon of Fuyuki City" had been continuously reported, employing unusually brutal methods. There were already four cases associated with the killer within the city, and the most recent one involved the cruel murder of an entire sleeping family. Although the police in Fuyuki City had established a special task force and mobilized all available officers in the surrounding areas, there had been no progress. They were still stuck at a stage where they couldn't even confirm the appearance of the suspect.

However, considering the Church's latent influence, uncovering the truth behind Caster's group and the serial grotesque murders wouldn't be difficult. The problem lay in what to do once the truth was revealed.

There is nothing inherently strange about Servants attacking humans. As spiritual entities that exist on magical energy, Servants not only obtain magical replenishment from their Masters but can also gain strength by absorbing the souls of humans. In cases where Masters are incapable of providing sufficient magical energy, they sometimes compensate for the deficiency by offering sacrifices to their Servants.

Even in this Holy Grail War, the occurrence of such sacrifices was within Risei's expectations. It was an understandable practice, as magus exists outside the bounds of logic and ethics. They are willing to sacrifice innocent ordinary people as long as it is done in secrecy and concealed from public knowledge.

However, open and blatant killings, especially those causing such a significant commotion, were unacceptable.

Magic originates from mystery, and the Holy Grail War must be conducted in secrecy. This is an unchanging rule for all participants. No one would welcome individuals who attract attention to themselves in such a conspicuous manner.

Originally, Risei had intended to follow the usual protocol and issue a warning to the Caster faction, hoping they would restrain themselves. However, before the warning could be delivered, the actions of the Caster faction became increasingly reckless and disregarding consequences.

It seemed that he needed to take action as soon as possible, just as the Master of Assassin had suggested.

Before doing so, he would have to contact his ally, Tokiomi Tohsaka, who secretly governed Fuyuki City, as well as his son, the most exceptional proxy, Kirei Kotomine.

With these thoughts in mind, Risei donned his priestly attire, realizing that he would have no time to rest tonight.

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