Chapter 153: The Man in the Ruins

Zouken Matou, as an ancient magus who had clung to life for centuries, left behind little impact upon his death. In Fuyuki City or at the Clock Tower, his passing went largely unnoticed. 

Perhaps the only ones truly affected were those within the Matou family itself. A magus who had fallen so far that he feared even transforming into a Dead Apostle lest the Church discover him—what more could one say? He was nothing if not pitiful.

Standing amidst the ruins of the Matou estate, Li Mo knew Zouken's demise was inevitable. He felt no joy over it, nor did his emotions waver much. A magus who should have perished a century or two ago was finally gone. That was all there was to it. At most, he might send Sakura Matou a slightly larger share of funeral money when the time came.

But would the Matou family truly hold a ceremony to mourn Zouken's death? His descendants had long lived in fear of him and likely welcomed his end far more than they'd ever admit. Reflecting on this, Li Mo couldn't help but let out a faint smile.

Koyanskaya noticed and asked, "What are you thinking about, Master?"

"Nothing much," Li Mo replied casually. "Just wondering how much funeral money I should contribute for Miss Sakura Matou."

"Already planning her wedding day?" Medusa quipped with a hint of amusement.

"Rider, isn't it customary for the Matou family to handle the funeral arrangements after Zouken's death? Surely, it'll fall under Sakura's name eventually." Li Mo mused aloud. "Hmm… or do Japanese customs differ from what I'm used to?"

Do they even hold banquets here?

He wasn't sure, so there was no point dwelling on it further.

"Let's see what remains of the Matou residence. My earlier attack may have been a bit too harsh—their Magic Crest is likely beyond recovery now. Oh well, it doesn't matter. If necessary, I can always compensate them with another crest."

Li Mo possessed a Magic Crest of his own—the one belonging to the Oil King. Though it lacked depth and had suffered damage following its previous owner's death, Medea had repaired it enough to make it functional. 

Besides, given Sakura Matou's uncertain path forward, the loss of the family crest might not matter much at all.

"Someone's approaching. How should we proceed?" Medusa inquired.

Among the three, Medusa handled detection duties. Her perception abilities seemed sharper than Koyanskaya's, though it was also possible that Koyanskaya simply chose not to exert herself.

"So, how many intruders? Are they ordinary humans or Servants? Can you tell, Rider?"

"Two Servants and two humans," Koyanskaya reported.

"Two pairs, huh? I think I know who they are. They're approaching from…" Li Mo paused mid-sentence as a sudden flash of light illuminated the dark sky.

A fleeting streak of brilliance.

"Rider, I'll leave this to you."

It was an attack. Li Mo entrusted the task to Medusa. Having expended considerable magical energy earlier through Koyanskaya's Noble Phantasm and subsequently erecting a bounded field, he needed a moment to recover before rejoining the fight. Meanwhile, Medusa drew power directly from Sakura Matou, whose innate talent ensured she could provide ample mana without strain.

Medusa sprang into action. Her chain-wrapped dagger swung through the air like a coiling serpent, intercepting the flash of light. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be an arrow.

"Is that Archer?" Koyanskaya remarked.

"Yes, indeed it's Archer," Li Mo confirmed thoughtfully. "Though I must admit, this Archer excels not only in ranged combat but seems capable of holding their own against Lancer in close quarters as well."

Moments later, as expected, the individuals they had discussed appeared. Just as Li Mo had predicted, it was Rin Tohsaka, Shirou Emiya, and their respective Servants.

---

Rin Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya had sensed something amiss long before reaching the Matou residence. The thunderous explosions echoed across the night sky, followed by a pillar of fire that lit up the heavens. Both immediately recognized the source: the direction of the Matou estate.

Fearing it might be a trap, each Master traveled alongside their Servant.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine. The Matou family has their own Servant; battles between Servants don't conclude quickly. We'll arrive in time," Rin reassured confidently.

Despite their haste, the distance between the Emiya residence and the Matou estate proved considerable. Along the way, Rin noticed nearby residents stirring awake due to the noise. The explosion was too loud, and the Matou estate wasn't far from residential areas. The disturbance had awoken the neighborhood.

Damn... Who would act so recklessly?! And how will we cover this up later? Should I use suggestion magic on everyone? That'd be tedious. Better leave it to that blasted priest afterward.

"Master, I'll scout ahead from a higher vantage point."

"Go ahead, Archer!"

Rin issued her command. Her Servant, possessing exceptional vision suited for long-range attacks, climbed onto a nearby rooftop for a better view. From this height, he could easily observe the Matou estate.

Using his skill *Clairvoyance*, Archer scanned the distant scene. The current state of the Matou residence came into sharp focus. The sight of devastation was eerily familiar—he had seen many similar scenes during his lifetime.

"Was this place hit by rocket fire?"

In his mind's eye, Archer pictured someone wielding a rocket launcher—a familiar image reminiscent of the previous Holy Grail War.

The use of modern weaponry to overwhelm traditional magi—a hallmark tactic of Kiritsugu Emiya, the Magus Killer, during the last war.

Next, he identified three figures standing in the ruins of the Matou estate—one Master accompanied by two Servants? Or perhaps another hidden Master lurked among them. Beyond these, no other individuals were visible. Scattered remnants of insect corpses suggested the Matou family had been wiped out.

Archer summoned a bow, nocked an arrow, and gathered mana to form the projectile.

**Whoosh—!**

The arrow left the bowstring, streaking across the night sky like a fleeting star.

"Archer, what are you doing?!" Rin exclaimed.

"Master, the Matou residence is destroyed. I see no survivors except the attackers, who field two Servants."

"We need to move faster. Shirou, catch up later. Archer, let's go!" Rin ordered urgently.

"Master, am I to fight alone?" Archer asked.

"If necessary, Saber can hasten our approach," Rin responded tersely, fearing what they might find upon arrival—Sakura Matou's lifeless body.

With assistance from their Servants, the group accelerated toward the Matou estate. When they arrived, the once-grand villa was now reduced to rubble. Standing amidst the wreckage was a casually dressed young man, his back turned to the entrance as if searching for something.

In Rin and Shirou's eyes, three spiritual bodies roamed the ruins of the Matou estate.

"Oh, you've come," the young man remarked, sensing their presence and turning around to speak.