[62] : Zouken's Demise! Merlin Wisdom! Iskandar's Chariot of Fire!

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...

"Just as I suspected," Mika chuckled, looking at the grinning Merlin. "As expected of someone at the pinnacle of magecraft, even within Avalon, you can still influence the outside world."

"Of course, as long as it piques your interest, right?"

"Precisely!" Merlin replied without a hint of concealment. "To be honest, after spending millennia in Avalon, I've witnessed countless events. Therefore, I haven't had much desire to involve myself in the affairs of the outside world."

"However, if something truly captures my attention, I won't hesitate to act, just like now."

"So, let us embark on this fascinating journey together!"

Mika naturally trusted Merlin's words. He knew that in Fate/Grand Order, upon witnessing the journey of Ritsuka Fujimaru and their companions, Merlin emerged from Avalon during their darkest hour to participate in the final battle to save humanity.

Moreover, as one of the most powerful Casters, summoning Merlin wasn't a disadvantage. After all, he was a candidate for the Grand Caster position!

"Now it's your turn, Waver!"

"Ah, I understand!"

Stepping forward to the magic circle where Merlin had appeared, Waver placed the relic from the case onto the center and began chanting the incantation.

"Let silver and steel be the essence."

"Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation."

"Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall."

"Let the four cardinal gates close."

"Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate."

"Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill. Fill."

"Repeat every seven days, if you would submit to this will and this reason, then answer!"

"An oath shall be sworn here!"

"I am that which is the achiever of good."

"I am that which is the summoner of evil."

"Thou art to be born from the overflowing cup of poison and chaos."

"Thou art to be the one enchained by the three virtues of the heavens."

"Spiral of origin, converge towards the terminus."

"Thou art the one that presides over the scales."

"Answer me, Guardian of the Scales!"

Once again, a brilliant light filled the air. This time, a towering, muscular figure emerged.

"Is this the divinity of Zeus? It's… quite impressive," Mika thought to himself, observing Iskandar's imposing physique.

After all, Iskandar, the King of Conquerors, was known for his youthful beauty in his younger years. Both his appearance and physique were remarkably handsome.

However, after awakening his divinity, his appearance shifted towards a more imposing and majestic form.

"Well, young man, are you my Master?"

"Y-Yes, I am your Master!" Waver stammered nervously, perhaps intimidated by the legendary King of Conquerors.

"Excellent! Then the contract is established!" Iskandar declared with a hearty laugh, then turned his gaze towards Mika and the others.

"So, you are our allies?"

"Indeed," Mika replied with a smile. "Waver is one of us, so we are natural allies without the need for a contract. Furthermore, due to certain circumstances, we have no interest in the Holy Grail. Therefore, please feel free to unleash your full power in this battle."

"Of course, if you could also offer some guidance to this young man, it would be greatly appreciated."

"Hahaha! As his Master, it is my duty to show him the true meaning of kingship!" Iskandar roared with laughter, slapping Waver on the back with such force that the young mage collapsed onto the ground.

"Perfect!" Mika exclaimed. "However, before we proceed, there's one more matter we must attend to."

As everyone turned their attention to him, Mika spoke with a serious expression. "As our first act in the Holy Grail War, we will launch a surprise attack on the Matou household."

"The Matou are a prestigious mage family in this region. Their current head, Zouken Matou, has lived for over five hundred years. He was once an aspiring young man determined to save the world."

"He joined forces with the Einzbern and Tohsaka families to create the current Holy Grail system. However, five hundred years is a long time, long enough for him to forget his original aspirations and become a decrepit old worm who will stop at nothing to cling to life."

"Our next objective is to eliminate this former hero, plunder the Matou's wealth, knowledge, leylines, and their right to participate in the Holy Grail War!"

"King of Conquerors, are you interested in such a battle?"

After listening to Mika's explanation, Iskandar burst into laughter.

"A prestigious mage family, you say? It will suffice as a meager conquest for my first battle after descending into this world."

"Besides, apart from the spoils, I'm also quite interested in putting an end to that former hero's misery."

Iskandar's words carried a hint of pity. As a renowned king who had left his mark on history, he valued talented individuals. This was why he attempted to recruit both Saber and Lancer in the original story.

Throughout his life, Iskandar had witnessed countless heroes who had lost sight of their original goals as time passed. Compared to their decades-long lifespans, Zouken Matou's five hundred years were an eternity.

"Such a man should be put out of his misery," Iskandar declared resolutely.

...

Walking through a spacious corridor towards his son Kariya Matou's room, Zouken Matou let out a sinister chuckle.

"Another day endured, Kariya. You're one step closer to becoming a worthy Master."

"At this rate, you'll reach the minimum requirement for a qualified Master in a few days."

"Aren't you thrilled?"

Ignoring Zouken's taunts, Kariya Matou struggled to rise from the floor. Compared to his former self, after a year of torment, his once-blue hair had turned white, and his entire body was riddled with an unhealthy pallor.

As he moved, something seemed to writhe beneath his skin. These were Zouken's Crest Worms.

In his relentless pursuit of immortality, Zouken had explored various techniques, including transforming his family's inherited magic into the ability to control Crest Worms.

Now, he only had two remaining desires.

First, to prolong his own life.

Second, to ensure the continuation of the Matou's Magic Crest. This was crucial for maintaining the family's power and potentially producing an heir capable of obtaining the Holy Grail.

Apart from these two objectives, Zouken had nothing left to cherish, including his own bloodline. He viewed his two sons as nothing more than tools.

Having grown up in such a twisted family, Kariya Matou had long seen through his father's true nature and harbored an intense hatred for him. Therefore, he left the Matou household upon reaching adulthood.

His return and willingness to subject himself to the horrors of the worm-infested mansion were solely for the sake of Sakura Matou, the young girl adopted from the Tohsaka family.

Kariya Matou had a beloved childhood friend, Aoi Tohsaka, Sakura's mother. Despite his deep affection for her, he never dared to confess his feelings. He couldn't bear the thought of her marrying into the Matou family, which he considered a living nightmare.

Therefore, Aoi eventually married Tokiomi Tohsaka and gave birth to Rin and Sakura Tohsaka.

Kariya viewed the two girls as his own daughters.

Therefore, when he learned a year ago that Sakura had been adopted into the Matou family and renamed Sakura Matou, he returned to the home he had abandoned years ago.

He was determined to rescue Sakura from the clutches of the worm-infested hell and save her from the gruesome transformation she was being subjected to.

---

"Tokiomi, Tokiomi, Tohsaka Tokiomi, this is all your fault!"

Stumbling and clutching the wall for support, Kariya Matou muttered these words repeatedly under his breath.

To save Sakura from the gruesome fate of being transformed by Crest Worms, Kariya had resolved to win the Holy Grail War in her stead. Only then could Sakura be freed from the clutches of the Matou family.

However, Kariya lacked the inherent abilities to become a proper Master capable of commanding a Servant. To overcome this limitation, he willingly submitted himself to Zouken Matou's Crest Worm experiments, enduring excruciating pain to gain the necessary qualifications.

Throughout this agonizing process, Kariya's emotions had gradually dulled, leaving only his love for Aoi Tohsaka and his burning hatred for Tokiomi Tohsaka.

He hated him for stealing Aoi away.

He hated him for sending Sakura to the Matou family.

He hated him for everything.

It was this hatred that fueled his unwavering determination.

"Such astonishing willpower, Kariya!"

Zouken Matou never believed Kariya could achieve victory. Therefore, he never intended to honor their agreement.

He saw Kariya's efforts as nothing more than the futile barking of a stray dog.

Zouken's interest in Kariya stemmed solely from a twisted sense of amusement. To further torment him, Zouken had even prepared a high-quality relic, intending to summon a Servant with an exorbitant magical energy consumption to maximize Kariya's suffering.

"I wonder how much you can endure, Kariya!"

BOOM!

As Zouken reveled in his sadistic thoughts, a deafening thunderclap resonated throughout the mansion. The Matou's front gates were shattered, along with their defensive barriers, by a forceful intrusion.

"What's happening?!"

Startled by the sudden commotion, Zouken rushed downstairs.

He was greeted by the sight of six figures.

Two of them exuded an overwhelming presence, instantly recognizable as Servants.

"Why are Servants here?" Zouken's face was etched with astonishment.

As one of the architects of the Holy Grail system, few could rival Zouken's understanding of its intricacies. He knew that summoning and maintaining a Servant, a Heroic Spirit's avatar, required an immense amount of magical energy.

In reality, the Holy Grail itself sustained the majority of a Servant's energy consumption during the Holy Grail War. Therefore, summoning a Servant typically occurred after the war officially commenced.

However, the Holy Grail War was still three days away.

"Are they sustaining their Servants with their own magical energy? May I inquire as to the purpose of your visit to the Matou residence?" Zouken questioned cautiously.

"What's our purpose?" Mika responded with a mischievous grin. "We're here to rob you!"

With that, Mika leaped onto Iskandar's chariot, the Gordius Wheel, which had effortlessly crashed through the Matou's defenses. He gestured towards Iskandar and continued.

"Allow me to introduce the renowned King of Conquerors, Iskandar!"

"As a former ruler who conquered vast lands, Iskandar will undoubtedly achieve victory in this Holy Grail War and embark on a new conquest of the world."

"And your Matou family will be the first stepping stone in his glorious campaign. Therefore, please surrender your land deeds, assets, leylines, treasures, fine wines, grimoires, and women!"

"Once you offer these tributes, you may depart unharmed!"

After Mika's audacious declaration, a heavy silence descended upon the room.

"Wow, Mika, that's harsh!"

"Even I wouldn't resort to such blatant robbery!"

"This is your true nature, Mika? Quite domineering!"

Instead of a response from Zouken, Mika was met with disapproval from his companions.

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't talk about me behind my back!" Mika retorted, annoyed, before turning back to Zouken.

"Well? Have you made your decision?"

"It seems you are determined to make an enemy of the Matou family," Zouken finally spoke, realizing that their intentions were far more sinister than mere robbery.

If he surrendered everything they demanded, how could he possibly obtain the Holy Grail?

"It appears you're unwilling to cooperate," Mika said, jumping down from the Gordius Wheel. He turned to Merlin and said, "Then I'll leave it to you, Merlin."

"Very well," Merlin sighed, though he would have preferred to avoid combat.

However, this was his first battle since being summoned. He couldn't allow his other self to look down on him.

"Truth be told, I'm not particularly skilled in combat. However, against this opponent, I possess a method for assured victory."

Stepping forward, past Mika and the others, Merlin slammed his staff onto the ground.

"Remember, Makiri Zolgen! Remember your original aspirations!"

As Merlin's staff struck the floor, pink petals swirled through the air, filling the entire hall.

"What is this?!"

Enveloped by the pink petals, Zouken attempted to resist, but visions of his past flooded his mind.

He saw himself pursuing his ideals, striving to make them a reality.

"What have I done?!"

As memories of his past deeds resurfaced, his virtuous past clashed violently with his villainous present.

The conflict shattered his very soul.

Makiri Zolgen's soul had already fractured into countless pieces over the five hundred years of his existence.

Confronted with his past and his long-forgotten aspirations, the unbearable weight of his sins overwhelmed him. He chose to end his own existence amidst the swirling pink petals.

Before his final breath, his soul, momentarily regaining its youthful appearance, apologized to Mika and the others. "Please, make amends for me to that child..."

With those final words, his soul dissipated completely.

"He's… dead?" Airmid asked, bewildered by the scene.

"Yes, he's dead. In a way, it could be considered suicide," Mika replied, gazing at the remains of Makiri Zolgen. "As I mentioned, he was once a righteous young man filled with noble ideals."

"However, the relentless passage of time eroded his spirit, leaving only a desperate desire to survive. To cling to life, he committed countless atrocities."

"After five hundred long years, his soul was on the verge of collapse, held together solely by his obsession with survival."

"But under Merlin's illusion, he was forced to confront his past and remember his original aspirations. Unable to bear the weight of his sins, he chose to end his own suffering."

"To identify his weakness and exploit it so effectively… as expected of you, Merlin," Mika praised, turning to Merlin with a smile.

"Hehe, it was nothing but a minor trick. I'm not that powerful," Merlin responded humbly, his usual tendency to downplay his abilities kicking in.

"AAAHHH!"

Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream echoed through the mansion.

"It's Kariya Matou!" Mika instantly realized.

"Kariya Matou offered his body to Zouken Matou's experiments to become a Master. His life is sustained by Crest Worms."

"But now that Zouken Matou is dead, his Crest Worms must have perished as well. He doesn't have much time left."

As they listened to the agonizing cries from upstairs, Mellie suddenly asked, "Is that girl, Sakura Matou, in the same predicament?"

...

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