Does a Doll Deserve to Live a Happy Life?

Chapter 14: Only Three Remain

It wasn’t long before we reached our destination—barely even a minute had passed. I immediately analyzed the situation in front of us.

As expected, Kirei was crouched beside Kariya’s fallen form, his hand glowing over the man’s chest as he attempted to heal him.

Not slowing down for even a second, I charged straight for him.

By the time Kirei registered my approach, it was already too late.

The haymaker I threw connected clean with his chin, sending him flying backward. But the moment my fist landed, my instincts screamed a warning.

I dodged back—just in time—as a dagger materialized from thin air and stabbed the space where I’d just been.

“Oh no you don’t!”

That was the only warning my would-be assassin got before they were incinerated by Curse: Fiery Heaven.

Tamamo landed beside me a heartbeat later, taking a guard stance—her eyes sharp, her aura flaring dangerously.

“You know what to do, Caster,” I ordered, already moving.

I knelt down and scooped up Kariya’s body, leaping backward with practiced ease.

“Leave it to me, Master~” Tamamo purred, her voice sweet but her smile bloodthirsty as she turned to face the wary figure of Kirei Kotomine.

It was a chilling contrast—beauty and fury fused into one terrifying presence.

“It’ll be my absolute pleasure to rid the world of this dog who dared to harm you.”

“Here, let me give you a boost,” I said, raising my right arm.

“By the power of the Command Spell—Caster, defeat Assassin and his Master!”

The mark on my hand flared, and one of my Command Spells vanished.

Instantly, I felt Tamamo’s magical energy spike like a sun igniting in front of me.

Her already feral grin twisted into something utterly terrifying.

Then—pop—a fourth tail bloomed from her back, and the space around her was saturated in her divine aura and raw mana.

“As you command, my Master~” Tamamo purred, voice dripping with dangerous delight.

“Remember,” I said, giving her a serious look. “You are not allowed to die.”

A smile flickered across Tamamo’s face—brief, soft—before vanishing as quickly as it came. She nodded in understanding, eyes sharp and focused on Kirei… and the many new figures materializing around us—Assassin’s other selves.

With her silent confirmation, I leapt back to a safe distance. I couldn’t fight and protect Kariya at the same time. Luckily, Assassin’s attention was locked onto Tamamo.

Not that I blamed them.

I had never seen her this angry before—and I definitely didn’t want to be in the line of fire.

Quickly summoning my Stamp, I pressed it to Kariya’s body, marking him. But I held back from biting him using Treasure Hoard to speed up the capture.

I knew exactly what was writhing inside this man.

As I worked, I heard the battle behind me erupt into chaos.

Tamamo unleashed devastation—curse after curse raining down on Assassin like divine judgment.

Curse: Chaos Heaven. Curse: Frigid Heaven. Curse: Fiery Heaven. Curse: Thunderclap. And finally, to lock them in place: Curse: Void Cleft Great Chaos Heaven.

She wasn't giving them a second to breathe.

Kirei had already tried to escape—more than once—but Tamamo was done playing.

In a matter of seconds, she had erased dozens of Hassan’s many faces from existence.

Suddenly, I felt a chill crawl up my spine—something was approaching from behind.

I tensed, drawing my sword and facing the direction of the presence.

“Come out!” I ordered.

A raspy, unnatural voice replied with a mocking chuckle.

“Khehehehe… are you the one who took Sakura, perhaps?”

The voice echoed unnaturally—then an old man stepped from the shadows, skin pale and withered, eyes crawling with age and malice.

“Zouken,” I muttered with a frown, immediately recognizing the creature before me.

I held back the very real, very tempting urge to unleash a full-powered Balmung into his shriveled face—knowing full well he was probably just a clone.

“And you already seem to know who I am. The pleasure is not mutual, though,” Zouken muttered with a laugh as he inspected me closely, paying extra attention to my features—which, thankfully, remained hidden thanks to my perk.

“Trust me,” I said with a scowl, “I want nothing more than to erase your name—and your foul presence—from the face of the Earth, you abomination.”

I didn’t bother answering his question about Sakura. I had no reason to.

“Khehehe… abomination, eh?” Zouken laughed again, clearly amused. “Wouldn’t that also apply to you? After all, no mere human could take on a Servant.”

“I see. So you’re able to observe through the worms inside Kariya.” I frowned slightly. I had suspected as much—but now I was certain.

“Of course,” he said. “That’s why that little disguise of yours is useless to me.”

His eyes gleamed.

“What I find more interesting is how a homunculus like you managed to acquire so much power.”

An ugly smirk twisted across his withered face.

‘Figures he’d put the clues together…’ I thought, keeping my face neutral.

Only homunculi had red eyes as far as I knew—and he had no doubt seen my true appearance before. Once with Sakura, before purging the worms... and now again with Kariya.

“What do you want?” I asked at last, tired of these little games.

“Khehehe… I’m right, aren’t I?” Zouken grinned, eyes gleaming with smug delight. “I still have use for my dear son, at least for a while longer—especially now that I’ve lost my replacement in Sakura. So… I want him returned.”

I nearly scoffed aloud. What utter bullshit.

Zouken didn’t care for Kariya, or anyone. He wanted him for some twisted purpose.

The problem was—I couldn’t fight properly while defending Kariya.

‘Wait… He’s already Stamped. Can I just store him in Pocket Space?’

Seeing no harm in trying, I summoned my Pocket Space/Inventory. Thankfully, it remained invisible to all but me and those I had Stamped. I focused… and a moment later, Kariya vanished into the ether.

Success.

“…What did you do?” Zouken asked, his voice sharp now—clearly wary. He hadn’t sensed any magic and had only seen Kariya vanish into thin air.

“Hehehe. There’s no need for you to worry about that,” I replied with a shake of my head.

Then I let it all go.

Every restraint. Every limiter.

Mana surged from me like a breaking dam, kicking up strong winds around my body. My grip tightened around my sword, both hands steady.

“With Kariya out of the way,” I said, eyes locked on his, “this presents the perfect opportunity to kill you.”

“You’re too dangerous to remain alive.”

With our talk over, I moved.

Using all the natural strength granted by my draconic body, layered with the power of a Campione, and enhanced further by my natural magical ability wishing for destruction, I took off in the blink of an eye.

I appeared before Zouken—his face just starting to register surprise—and mercilessly bisected him down the middle.

Landing a short distance away, I readied myself for traps, tricks, or counterattacks.

But instead… his body began to dissolve.

Hundreds of writhing insects erupted from his sliced form while the rest were obliterated, scattering into the air before flying off in every direction.

“Tsk. Don’t expect to get away. You’re dying tonight,” I muttered, clicking my tongue.

Without hesitation, I turned and gave chase. Zouken Matou would not live to interfere again.

{Tamamo, how are you holding up?} I asked casually through our link—no real worry in my voice. I could still sense her clearly, her mana levels steady and high.

{I’m doing fine, Master~} she replied sweetly. Too sweet. {Just give your Tamamo a few more moments to squash these cockroaches, and she’ll be back by your side~}

She was clearly enjoying herself—if a little annoyed at Assassin’s death-by-a-thousand-faces strategy.

{Good. Kariya’s been secured. I’m heading to the Matou residence now—going to finish off Zouken. He’s too dangerous to be left alive, and I don’t want him interfering with our plans.}

{P-Please be careful, Master. If anything happens, use a Command Spell to call me. I’ll finish up here and come straight to you.} Tamamo’s tone turned serious, a thread of worry laced through her words—then she redoubled her attacks.

{Will do. You stay safe too,} I replied, and continued on my path—faster now, heading straight for the residential district.

‘I’m just glad that Tokiomi and Archer aren’t using the Tohsaka residence anymore…’ I thought with relief, noting that the map still showed their dots stationed elsewhere.

=====

Moments Later

Just as I was about to reach the Matou residence, the sound of buzzing and wings flapping filled the air.

Breaking through the trees, I saw the source—and felt my lip curl in disgust.

Thousands of insects swarmed the residence like a living wall of filth.

“Tsk… I’m starting to hate bugs,” I muttered, Reinforcing my sword as I charged forward.

Each step cut a path through the swarm, blade of steel flashing with magical strength. But the deeper I got, the thicker the swarm became. They stabbed with poisonous stingers, their numbers endless.

“Seems he was expecting me,” I said in annoyance. “How cautious of him.”

It became too much. I could keep cutting—but not forever.

With no other option, I activated Dead Count Shapeshifter, transforming into the form of Siegfried.

Instantly, the difference was felt.

My aura burned like divine fire, and the insects disintegrated before they could even touch me. The few that managed to push through were deflected by the invulnerable protection of Armor of Fafnir.

This is better.

While I could have used this opportunity to Stamp Zouken and potentially earn Company Credits, I decided against it. That man was far too slippery—and I had no intention of letting him escape and cause more damage.

Eventually, I reached the front of the house and came to a stop.

I gripped Balmung tighter.

There will only be one chance.

My attack would undoubtedly alert the remaining Servants—especially Archer, who, knowing what I knew of him, would be livid with both Tamamo and me.

Still, I had to go through with this.

I checked the HUD—Zouken’s signature was still inside. He hadn’t escaped while I was carving through his swarm.

This would be the first life I’d take since arriving in this world.

But I had already made peace with it.

He deserved it. For everything he made Sakura go through, for everything that awaited her in the future.

I steeled myself.

A moment later, Balmung sang to life—exploding with a surge of azure energy that reached the heavens like a divine blade forged from will and fury.

Using the precise control that Siegfried possessed over Balmung, I swung with all my might—directing the strike solely at the Matou residence and the hidden filth beneath it.

Nowhere else.

A second later, an explosion of azure light split the night sky. Clouds parted as the ground shook violently beneath me.

Still, I didn’t look away.

My gaze stayed locked on my HUD, tracking Zouken’s signal.

=====

Back With Tamamo — A Little Earlier

“Tsk… Truly, the term cockroach fits you better than Assassin,” Tamamo muttered with disdain.

Another Hassan of the Hundred Faces froze solid in mid-lunge, only for her to flick her tail—shattering his body into crystalline pieces.

She turned calmly as several Black Keys sailed through the air toward her, swiping them away with a lazy flick of another tail.

The man who’d thrown them—Kirei Kotomine—was a wreck.

He was barely standing now. One arm missing, dragging one leg behind him.

Tamamo’s lips curled into a sneer.

Oh, how she wished she could inflict more pain on this pathetic hound who had dared to bring her Sieg-kun to the brink of death.

But she had already completed the task her wonderful (future) boyfriend had given her.

Kirei Kotomine was Stamped.

It was only a matter of time now.

Soon, he would vanish from this world—never to crawl back again.

The only reason she hadn’t returned to Sieg’s side yet… was because she still wanted to make these two suffer.

He hadn’t given her specific instructions about what to do with Assassin, so she had taken it upon herself to interpret.

And her conclusion?

Kill them. All of them.

Every last one of the hundred faces—or the ones that remained after Archer killed some of them.

She would ensure not a single shadow of this cursed Servant remained.

And she’d enjoy every moment of it.

Tamamo suddenly paused, her ears twitching.

A heavy, familiar presence surged in the distance—his.

She turned her head just in time to see the clouds cleave open, parted by an azure blade, and then—boom—the sound of an explosion rippled through the air like thunder.

“Hmm~ Seems I’d better wrap this up~” Tamamo sang sweetly, a smile curling across her lips. “My beloved Master seems to have finished his task… so I should return to his side. I bet he’s already missing me~”

She turned back to face her remaining enemies, her happy smile sharpening into a wicked grin.

Just then, her Mirror materialized in front of her, glowing with divine energy.

Across the field, the dog—Kirei—tensed. For the first time since the battle began, worry crept across his battered face.

Good.

Tamamo smirked wider, basking in his reaction.

With a delicate gesture, she prepared to unleash her Noble Phantasm, ready to wipe out the remaining bodies of Assassin in a single, glorious purge.

“Prepare yourselves, Assassin~ For ruining my date with my cute Master last time, it’s only fair I pay you back properly, right?”

=====

Back with Sieg

I stood at the edge of the crater—waiting, watching.

The dust was still thick in the air, swirling in slow, glowing spirals from the aftermath of Balmung’s wrath.

But the dot on my HUD told me everything I needed to know.

Zouken was still alive.

Somehow.

Tch. Persistent bastard.

I stepped forward cautiously, approaching the massive wound carved into the earth.

Leaning over the edge, I tilted my head on instinct—just as a large insect buzzed past it, missing me by inches.

My arm rose with a quick swipe and the bug was no more, splattering harmlessly into the ground.

Looking down again, I spotted Zouken, slumped against a pile of rubble in the corner of the crater. His body was a ruin.

So that insect was his last desperate effort to harm me.

With a silent sigh, I jumped down into the hole, landing softly in the dust and ash.

I walked toward the pathetic creature that had once been Zouken Matou.

His legs were gone. His arms too. Only his torso and head remained—barely clinging to life as his chest rose and fell in shallow, wheezing gasps.

“K-K-Khehehe…” he chuckled weakly. “To be done in… by a homunculus of all things... who ascended beyond his station…”

His words were slurred. Bitter.

“The height of irony…”

And then—stillness.

He breathed no more.

I checked my HUD to make sure he was truly gone.

No dot. No trace.

Only then did I let myself relax.

A moment later, I felt Tamamo’s Noble Phantasm go off—followed by her signature magical pressure racing toward me at top speed.

I looked down one last time at the corpse of Zouken Matou, frowning slightly before raising my hand.

“Strasse Gehen.”

A pulse of magic consumed what remained of his broken body—erasing it completely.

Finished with my task, I turned and walked away, leaping out of the crater in a smooth motion—only to pause as a figure suddenly landed in front of me with a dramatic flair.

“Your beautiful Tamamo has returned~!” she sang, striking a playful pose, tails swishing behind her, chest proudly out, fan fluttering at her side.

I smiled at her and finally let my shoulders drop. With a flash of light, I returned to my normal form.

“Great job, Tamamo. Let’s go home,” I said, extending a hand.

Her smile widened.

“Hihihi~ Of course, Sieg-kun~ Our lovely little den is waiting for us~” she giggled, taking my arm and pressing it into her chest with no shame.

I was about to answer—until the sky flared again.

A massive spike of magic burst in the distance.

Excalibur.

I turned my gaze in the direction of the blast—and so did Tamamo, her expression sharpening.

“Seems Saber and Rider’s battle has ended,” I said, eyes narrowing. “We can’t linger.”

We turned quickly toward the portal—thankfully, this was a point of interest, meaning a Demiplane portal was only a few feet away.

“Hihihi~ Of course, Master~” Tamamo chimed cheerfully, her happiness as radiant as ever.

Enough that I felt my own lips curl into a smile.

Just before we stepped through the barrier, I paused.

I turned, looking back over the broken battlefield one last time.

With only Archer, Rider, and Saber remaining…

The next battle might be our last…