Chapitre 21: Chapter 21: Not alone
After Choso finished crying, the eldest turned to his younger brother.
"So it's Kenjaku who's behind all this..." - Choso said drying his tears.
"You accepted all of this pretty quickly." - Itadori said, comforting his brother.
"It's because I'm your brother, I can feel it." - said Choso.
"Choso, I know it's very sudden, but I have to tell you something. What I'm going to say now seems like a lie, but come on..." - said Itadori, getting ready to speak.
Itadori Yuji was preparing to reveal the truth to Choso. Taking a deep breath, he began to speak, his eyes fixed on Choso's.
"Choso, I need to tell you something important." - Itadori began, hesitating briefly. - "I... I'm part of a secret war, the Holy Grail War. And I'm not from that universe." - Itadori said, saying it in the worst possible way.
Choso watched him attentively, without showing surprise. There was an unusual calmness on his face, as if he already knew what he was about to hear.
"You don't seem surprised" - noted Itadori, confused.
Choso gave a slight smile and shook his head. - "I already knew, Itadori. My technique allows me to feel the connections between blood connections and consequently, souls. Ever since I saw you, I realized that your presence didn't fit in this world. Something about you was always out of place."
Itadori was surprised but relieved at the same time. - "So, you knew all along?"
"Yes" - confirmed Choso. - "And I realized that this war you mention must be of extreme importance."
Itadori nodded. "The Holy Grail War is intense and dangerous because of a powerful artifact. I was brought here, but my goal remains the same: to prevent this power from falling into the wrong hands."
Choso looked at Itadori with an expression of understanding. - "So we're in this together, no matter which universe you come from. Let's fight side by side."
Itadori smiled, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. - "Thank you, Choso. It means a lot to me."
"Don't worry... But what were you doing before you came here?" - said Choso.
"I need to save someone. A girl." - Itadori said.
"A girl.... Is she yours...?" - asked Choso blushing.
"NO, NO! She is a child, she is in danger." - Itadori said.
"Is she part of this Holy Grail War?" - Choso asked.
Itadori nods his head in agreement. -"Yes... I don't know how dangerous the people are who are arresting that girl, but I need her help."
"I'll help you, little brother." - said Choso.
"Thanks, big brother." - Itadori said smiling.
Choso couldn't help but cry a little when he heard the word "big brother", but Choso tried to hide it.
a while later...
The duo teamed up to rescue the girl. - "Do you know where she is?" - Choso asked.
"I think so, but we need to find someone first." - Itadori said.
As the two ran to the square, Itadori finally found Lord Kariya.
"Hello, Mister Kariya." - Itadori said.
Matou seemed to be devastated, something happened to him. When Itadori interacted with him, Kariya seemed to be more scared than usual.
"I-Itadori?!" - Kariya said in a very suspicious way.
About that...
Irisviel was in an empty and desolate place, there was a red symbol underneath the snow-white haired woman.
"Woman. Can you hear me, woman?" - said the man who later revealed himself to be Kirei.
Irisviel slowly opened her eyes and stood up at the man's call.
"Kotomine... Kirei." - Irisviel said in an angry but controlled way.
"This is the place where the Caster Master once hid. Emiya Kiritsugu was never able to find him. Soon the Holy Grail War will come to an end. It seems that I will be the one to grant the Einzberns' wish. Are you sad that it is me ?" - Kirei said, sitting on a chair.
"I would entrust the Cup to only one man. And that person is not you, Executor. Emiya Kiritsugu already understands you. He recognizes you as his greatest enemy. Prepare yourself." - Irisviel said angrily.
"That's good news. Emiya Kiritsugu really is as I imagined." - Kirei said, getting up.
"What a joke... You couldn't be more different from him. While Kiritsugu can understand you, the opposite is impossible. You don't have anything he carries in his heart." - Irisviel said, teasing Kirei.
"I admit, I am an empty man. I saw that your Command Seal is missing." - Kirei said.
"I freed my Servant..." - said Irisviel.
"So that's why it was so easy to kidnap her..." - Kirei said after grabbing Irisviel's neck. - "What does Emiya Kiritsugu wish for the Holy Grail? What supplication would he make to the wish-granting mechanism?"
"V-Very well... I'll tell you... Emiya's w-wish.... He wishes for the salvation of humanity, the elimination of all war and bloodshed... F-For eternal peace on Earth ." - Irisviel said after Kirei released her neck.
"What?" - Kirei asked, impressed.
"You would never understand. That's the difference between you and him. He has faith in something and you don't." - Irisviel said after falling to the ground.
"What a bad joke..." - Kirei said, hanging Irisviel to death.
It wasn't long before Kirei killed Irisviel by suffocating her. - "I understand very well. So this is Emiya Kiritsugu. I can finally see... My reason for fighting. Emiya Kiritsugu. I must crush your ideals and the Holy Grail into crumbs right in front of you.
About that...
"I-Itadori?!.... W-Who's that next to you?" - said Kariya
"Mister Matou, this is Choso" - said Itadori, gesturing to his companion. - "He is a valuable ally in our fight. Choso has unique skills that will be very useful to us."
He looked at Choso hoping the introduction would help build a new bond of trust.
Choso, with his unshakable countenance, gave a small bow to Kariya. - "Pleasure to meet you." - he said with a firm tone of voice. - "I'm here to help in any way I can."
Kariya seemed somewhat indifferent to Itadori's conversation.
"What is it, Mister Matou?" - asked Itadori
"Ahm.... Choso isn't it?.... Could you let me talk alone with Itadori?" - Kariya said quite nervously.
This action surprises Choso. - "Ah... Okay. I'll be waiting near the lake, Itadori."
Choso walked away so the two could talk.
Matou Kariya sat, his face marked by an expression of deep bitterness and resignation. His eyes reflected a deep sadness and a weight of the past that seemed unbearable.
"I-Itadori..."He looked at Itadori, who was listening intently, realizing the gravity of the words that were about to be said.
"I betrayed you, Itadori. But I ended up losing everything in the process." - He paused, his eyes turning to the ground as if he was reliving the darkest moments of his life.
This startled Itadori. - "What?!"
"Didn't you see what happened to your Master?" - Itadori said confused.
Itadori feels a strange sensation. As if his last connection with his Master had been broken. - 'W-What was that?!' - thought Itadori.
"I used Berserker to kidnap Irisviel.... And I didn't do it alone. I received help from Kotomine Kirei, he gave me new Command Seals to use on Berserker." - Kariya said very regretfully.
"Why did you do that?" - asked Itadori.
"He... he manipulated my feelings and my pain, he took advantage of my weakness. - Kariya looked up, meeting Itadori's eyes. - "In the end, all I achieved was destruction. I lost my humanity, my family, my soul. And all this for a wish that will never come true."
The place fell silent, Kariya's words hanging heavily in the air. Itadori, feeling the weight of Kariya's confession, just nodded, understanding the depth of the tragedy his ally had faced.
"Y-you don't seem angry with me..." - Kariya said.
"Well... It's not the first time you've seen someone do this to me." - Itadori said.
Itadori remained silent for a few moments, processing what Kariya had shared. He could feel the pain and regret in Kariya's words, and it touched him deeply.
"Kariya, I can't imagine what you went through." - Itadori said, looking into his eyes. - "But what matters now is what we do from now on. We all have our dark pasts and full of regrets, but that doesn't define who we are today."
Kariya looked at Itadori, surprised by the understanding and strength in the younger man's words. - "Do you still believe there is hope for me, after everything I've done?" he asked, doubt and hope fighting in his eyes.
Itadori nodded firmly. - "Yes, I believe it. You are here now, fighting alongside us. It shows that you still have something good inside you, something worth fighting for. And I will be here to help you, no matter what." "
Kariya took a deep breath, feeling unexpected relief. - "Thank you, Itadori." -he said, gratitude evident in his voice.
"I knew that Kotomine Kirei was a tough guy.... When I meet him, we will have a brief dialogue..." - Itadori said, clenching his fists.
Kariya apparently wanted to say something, but ended up coughing up a lot of blood. He couldn't even hide it from Itadori.
"MISTER MATOU!" - Itadori said scared.
"Cough.... That's why.... I'm giving up.... Itadori....." - Kariya said, wiping the blood from his mouth.
"There's something I forgot to say... Tohsaka Tokiomi died.... But his Servant is in Kirei's possession.... Be very careful..." - said Kariya.
'This is going to be a problem...' - Itadori thought.
Kariya Matou was leaning over the chair, his breathing irregular and his body fragile, clearly weakened by the proximity of death. The surroundings were silent, except for the light sound of Itadori Yuji's breathing, who was beside him, watching intently with an expression of sadness and concern.
Kariya tried to stand up a little, but weakness made him give up. - "Itadori." - he began, his voice weak and hoarse. - "I am dying."
The statement, although expected, still seemed to hang heavy in the air. "I spent my entire life making wrong choices, following paths that only brought me pain and suffering." - said Kariya.
He closed his eyes for a moment, a lone tear running down his face. - "I'm so sorry for everything. I betrayed people I loved, I committed terrible acts for a desire that never came true. And now, here I am, dying alone, feeling the weight of each mistake and the loneliness of death approaching."
Itadori, with teary eyes, held Kariya's hand tightly. - "Kariya, you are not alone." - he said with determination. - "I know you made mistakes, but the fact that you regret it shows that there is still goodness in you. We all have our demons, but the important thing is what we do to face them."
Kariya looked at Itadori, trying to find some comfort in the young man's words. - "I just wanted a chance to make things right." -he murmured, his voice almost a whisper.
"I forgive you, Mister Matou." - said Itadori
Kariya felt a lightness in his heart, a sense of peace that he hadn't experienced in a long time. - "Thank you, Itadori." - he said, his voice weak but full of gratitude.
Kariya's eyes were extremely teary. - "T-Thank you." - Kariya said, crying a lot.
Kariya took a deep breath, feeling Itadori's comforting presence by his side. - "Itadori." - he began again, with difficulty. - "there's something I need to tell you. In the midst of all the darkness, there were times when I thought maybe I could find redemption, but I never had the courage or the strength to follow that path."
Itadori nodded, encouraging Kariya to continue. - "It doesn't matter how lost you felt." - Itadori said softly. - "the fact that you are here now, talking to me, shows that you have never completely lost hope."
Kariya made a weak smile. - "Maybe you're right." - he admitted. - "Maybe, deep down, I always knew there was a chance for redemption. But it's you, Itadori, who made me believe it again. Your kindness and your determination are inspiring."
Kariya closed his eyes for a moment, a peaceful expression spreading across his face. - "Thank you, Itadori." he said, his voice barely above a whisper. - "You gave me something I never thought I would find: a chance at redemption and a friend in my last moments of life."
Kariya smiled again, this time a smile of true peace and gratitude. - "You're a good person, Itadori." - he said. - "And the world needs more people like you."
Itadori didn't respond immediately, letting the comforting silence fill the space between them. He knew Kariya was at peace now, and that gave him a sense of comfort.
Itadori caught Kariya's attention. - "Want to know something?" - asked Itadori.
"About what?" - Kariya asked.
"Someone very important to me told me the importance of the value of life, about how I should treat myself and about never being alone... The value of protecting and loving people around me. There were many moments when I questioned my ideals. I just help anyone you can, even if it's just one person..." - Itadori said, turning to Kariya.
"When you're going to die, be surrounded by people.... Don't end up like me."
Those were his grandfather's words.
"So if you're going to die now, you won't be alone." - Itadori said.
Kariya felt a lightness in his heart, a sense of peace that he hadn't experienced in a long time. - "Thank you, Itadori." - he said, his voice weak but full of gratitude.
Kariya's eyes were extremely teary. - "T-Thank you." - Kariya said, crying a lot.
"You're welcome, Mister Matou." - Itadori said, bowing.
"As I won't be able to go with you.... Here is the map of the city, I had left it circulated for you.... In case anything happened..." - said Kariya, panting heavily.
"Thank you..." - Itadori said visibly worried.
"Itadori.... Make this girl smile again...." - Kariya said, slowly closing his eyes.
Itadori stayed by Kariya's side until the end, holding his hand and making sure he didn't leave alone. When Kariya's last breaths ceased, Itadori felt a mixture of sadness and relief. He had kept his promise, and Kariya had found peace.
With one last look at his fallen friend, Itadori stood up, determined to continue his journey. He knew that no matter what challenges he would face, he would carry the memory of Kariya and all his friends with him, always remembering the importance of redemption, hope and the promise he made to his grandfather.
"Did I make the right choice, Grandpa?..." - thought Itadori.
A few minutes later, Itadori called an ambulance to pick up Matou Kariya's body, which had rested in peace.
Itadori walked to where Choso was. The older brother was next to a lake.
"Come on, Big Brother... Now I know exactly where that girl is." - Itadori said, trying to force a smile.
"What happened?... And Mister Matou?" - asked Choso confused.
"He's not going with us.... He has other matters to attend to." - Itadori said lying.
".... Little brother, you know you don't need to lie to me, don't you?" - said Choso, reading his younger brother like a blank page.
"I-I know!... Let's go." - Itadori said, ending the conversation.
Choso saw that Itadori didn't want to talk about it, but he didn't insist on talking about it. - "Let's go then..."
The pair of brothers ran to the Matou mansion to rescue this child.
"I will fulfill your promise, Mister Kariya."
End of chapter 21
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