Matou Mansion - The Patriarch of the Matou

Tokiomi led the procession down the street, four blocks to the Matou mansion.



Though the architecture itself wasn't dissimilar from the Tohsaka mansion, it still somehow looked much more dark and brooding. A few lights were still on inside, so Tokiomi came up and rang the bell. Yui and Berserker held back nervously.

A young man answered the door, a timid looking man with short blue hair and dark bags under his eyes. Even from back where Yui stood, they could smell the alcohol on his breath. His eyes widened in terror when he saw the Tohsaka family head, followed by three Servants.

"T-Tokiomi?!"

"Byakuya," Tokiomi said calmly. "Is your father home?"

The young man shuddered at the doorstep, then nodded and quickly retreated inside.

Yui muttered under her breath. "Three guesses why he drinks himself into a stupor every night."

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"What a dreadful looking place..." Caster held up a sleeve to his nose, Rider scooting behind nervously him to hide.

"Hmm...Zouken, Zouken...and...my last guess will be Zouken, I think," Lazarus teased quietly.

Yui mimed as if she were a game show presenter, quietly mouthing, "You win a brand new car!!" Goofing around was all she could do to keep from freaking out.

A moment later, Zouken came to the door. The shrivelled old man looked them all up and down with his creepy, all-black eyes, before smirking.

"Tokiomi. And the participants of the Fourth Grail War. I suppose I should be feeling honored, shouldn't I?"

Tokiomi frowned, already irritated. "Zouken--"

"And is that little Hitoshi, I see?"

Yui froze.

He laughed dryly. "For a second, you really fooled me. You almost don't look like a boy anymore."

The knuckles on Yui's balled fists were already turning white. She already looked on the verge of leaping at the old man's throat. Berserker's mace was already in her hands, her pupils shrinking to pinpoints.

"Zouken!" Tokiomi yelled, though his futile attempt to reproach the old man was met only with another dry laugh.

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Lazarus chuckled at the joke as they waited for the old man.

He was certainly a strange looking one, but almost as soon as he opened his mouth Lazarus could see why Yui seemed to have looked so ill, and now why she was raging. He put a hand on hers, "Worry not, Miss Tohsaka. Clearly he's gone rather senile..." he couldn't say it, but as soon as they had the information they needed from this man, Lazarus was going to find a way to kill him. Three servants should be enough.

The scrape of Astolfo's sword drawing from its sheath cut through Matou's dry laugh. Before he could raise his arm to swing, Caster stopped him with a hand, his tone icy.

"Hold, Astolfo. We still need it to answer questions, although its arrogance seems a shield to hide its incompetence. If experience has taught me anything, however, it's even the smallest, most worthless shrew can ruin a proud village, but like any pest it will be dealt with, in time."

Zouken laughed hoarsely. "Ah, I see that no matter what age they're from, people do not disappoint when they get angry!" He turned his grin back to the Tohsaka father. "So, what do you want, Tokiomi? My time is valuable."

"Believe me, Zouken, I do not intend on staying here a second longer than I have to. We need to discuss the Grail."

"Ahhh," Zouken said, folding his hands atop his cane. "So, you finally figured out it was corrupted, did you? Took you long enough."

"What?" Tokiomi muttered.

"I've been watching you all. I realized as soon as that one red-haired whore was summoned that the Grail had erred. Something had happened to it that allowed it to summon someone that wasn't a Heroic Spirit. That alone should have been a dead giveaway."

Lazarus butted in, "It was, actually, but to find out more we decided to keep pursuing it. Miss Yui noticed right away. In any case, we were wondering if you knew anything else about it, since you've been keeping such a close eye after all."

Caster huffed. Damnation. His wording was uncouth, but he wasn't wrong about Lancer. What a thorn in the side she was.

Zouken chuckled. "I know nothing about what has corrupted the Grail. The last three wars passed with no such peculiarities. Given the Einzberns handle the vessel, they are the most likely suspect. Jubstacheit is a deeply impatient man, and isn't above breaking the rules if he thinks it will give him an edge. The only question being, is he stupid enough to risk the purity of the Grail in doing so? I cannot say."

"Well you're just as good of a suspect," Lazarus pointed out, "Your family line is dying, and you definitely seem the type to corrupt the grail somehow out of spite."

"Oh?" Zouken raised an eyebrow. "I won't say I wouldn't get a laugh out of doing so. But, unlike Jubstacheit, I am a very patient person. I have not given up on the Grail simply because my descendants are incompetent. I would not intentionally poison the water when I may yet drink of it."

Yui grimaced. She didn't want to believe any claims of innocence that came out of his rotting mouth, but they had little choice but to take him at his word.

He wasn't wrong, either; Zouken wasn't the type to give up on the Grail while he still drew breath.

"I see," Tokiomi said finally. "For the time being, I will believe you. Until I have heard from the Einzberns, at least. I do hope you'll let me know if you find out anything else."

"You'll be the first, Tokiomi," Zouken laughed dryly as he turned away from the door. "Do take care of your household. Though, I suppose that won't be a problem with your three new Servants."

Yui grimaced. She was amazed that this quivering asshole could somehow make having three nigh-superhuman familiars sound like an insult.

After they left the house, Lazarus sighed, " Well...I suppose we'll be on to Germany soon?I've always wanted to visit!" He held Yui's hand comfortingly. He didn't want to be too affectionate in front of her father, but if he could he would give her the best hug.

Caster's hand gripped the back of Rider's collar just in time to keep him from charging after the old man, making Astolfo whine.

"This isn't over yet. God willing, he'll be dead by the next war." Rider sighed, putting his sword away, and trudged back over to the group. He hugged Yui tight, mumbling sympathies - something about a butthead and Cesar pooping on a bedroll.

"That will be easier said than done," Tokiomi muttered as they walked back to the mansion. "At this point, the Einzberns consider the other two families as little more than mortal enemies. Though Acht isn't as cruel, he's somehow even less friendly than Zouken. Let's start by sending a letter."

Yui snorted a little bit as Rider mumbled, and hugged them both tight. "Thank you guys. I'm sorry you had to deal with him."

"Oh he will definitely be dead by the next war," Lazarus stated matter of factly. "And don't apologize to us Yui. You were the one hurt the most and I promise he'll pay for it."

"Well!" Caster put his hands together, shaking off the tension. "I suppose we'll be writing a few letters, then? I hope we do get to visit, it's been such a long time since I last saw those beautiful rolling hills!" He sighed wistfully with a bright smile.

"Oh my god." Yui turned white. "Before you do anything reckless, you should know he's extremely powerful. Better mages than you or I have tried to kill him. He was literally blown to pieces one time and then just... got better. I don't know how."

"Oh I can be patient too...I'll find a way," the mage said calmly, "I'm also excited! You'll definitely have to show me around when we get to Germany Phillipus! Even if we don't go to see the Einzberns, perhaps we can take a vacation!"

Yui just gave a worried groan as she walked in step with Lazarus and Berserker. She really didn't want to worry about her new boyfriend getting murdered by the oldest douchebag in the world.

As soon as they returned home, Tokiomi got straight to work drafting a letter to the Einzberns, respectfully and humbly asking for assistance regarding the corruption of the Grail. "It will be a few weeks before we get a reply... hopefully."

"Well, perhaps then we can spend a little time investigating our sample while we wait! If you like, we can use the workshop I set up in the basement. It's the closest to an emergency mana source if we end up needing it..."

"Magic can't touch me, I'll take him on!" Rider stood boldly with his hands on his hips. "He looks way too old for a classic duel." Caster shrugged, slightly teasing.

"I don't know about that, Astolfo, he could be hiding superhuman strength along with mysterious immortality. Lazarus, I'll gladly assist in making a contained laboratory, just let me know when." It was Rider's turn to roll his eyes and flop on the couch, Caster gently swatting his feet off of the clean cushions and onto the floor. Rider lazily kicked at Caster, only to have his foot caught and boot removed. His eyes widened as he shook his head in horror, then he squealed helplessly, twisting on the sofa as Caster tickled his foot with a chicken feather.