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The Matou family's villa wasn't bad, but the overall atmosphere was rather gloomy. Dense woods and overgrown flowerbeds surrounded the exterior, making it difficult for sunlight to reach the house.

Additionally, the villa contained several dangerous traps—not that they posed any threat to Kain. Still, some of them were more revolting than harmful.

Kain thoroughly searched the entire villa, incinerating every bug he found. Aside from a few that managed to fly away before he could catch them, not a single insect was spared—not even those growing in the garden.

No matter how faint the life force, Kain's senses could detect it. The infestation within the Matou household was truly repugnant. The stench was nauseating, and he couldn't help but wonder how they had managed to cultivate such horrific creatures.

After clearing out the bugs, Kain gathered all the Matou family's magical tomes, preparing to study the nature of magic in this world. However, he quickly realized that mastering this world's magic wouldn't be easy.

From what he could tell, only the Second and Third Magics among the Five True Magics had been passed down here. Tracking down the Second Magician, however, would prove difficult.

But to Kain, the Five Magics weren't truly necessary—not if one could reach the Root. With a clear path already laid out before him, there was no need to rely on traditional magic to reach it.

The Holy Grail War was the fastest method to achieve that goal.

Having collected all the relevant books, Kain sat down to analyze this world's magical system. In the Harry Potter universe, he had also been a powerful wizard—though not quite at the level of a Divine-class mage.

Observing the world, dissecting its laws, discovering truths, and eventually controlling it all—that was the essence of true Magecraft.

That was his pursuit.

Kain found the magic of this world fascinating. To him, it resembled programming: structured, efficient, and with a far higher potential than wizardry. Not that one system was inherently superior to another—it all came down to how one understood and applied their worldview.

The concept of magic circuits made it easier for magi to activate spells. But the belief that they were entirely innate seemed foolish. Surely, there must be a better way to increase or modify the number of circuits—one that the magi had yet to uncover.

As someone whose foundation lay in genetic modification, Kain believed that a human body could be reshaped into a godlike vessel through transformation.

He was living proof.

Kain possessed the ability to manipulate lightning, controlling it at a microscopic level through electromagnetic forces. Yet even this godlike feat was just a step—one that still relied on external factors. It wasn't true omnipotence.

"Engraved worm cultivation… worm-based rituals… it looks like Matou Zouken focused entirely on insect familiars. Are all of the Matou family's records centered around this? There's nothing on the Command Spell system. Was it never passed down—or did that old man just hide it?"

Determined to find out, Kain began scanning the villa thoroughly with electromagnetic waves. He had only done a cursory sweep earlier. Now, he wasn't going to overlook even a chamber buried 20 meters underground. There was likely something hidden by Zouken down there.

He realized he had acted hastily. He should have used the Imperius Curse or Legilimency to extract all of Zouken's magical knowledge. But the old man's appearance and foul odor had been so revolting that Kain killed him on sight.

Just as Kain focused his electromagnetic senses, he detected someone approaching. Moments later, a striking figure with long purple hair entered the room—Rider.

"The Master's wounds have been treated. He's asleep now," Rider said coldly. "What do you plan to do next?"

Though they were technically allies under the same Master, Rider clearly regarded Kain with suspicion. After all, he had stormed into the house, killed the Master's family, and knocked the Master unconscious. His demeanor was far too aggressive for a mere Servant.

"Wait and observe," Kain replied calmly. "If you've come to this world, you need to understand it thoroughly. Once the Holy Grail War begins in full, the Grail will be hidden—and so will that old freak, Matou Zouken."

As he spoke, a faint smile crossed Kain's face. He had just discovered a hidden chamber within the villa.

It likely contained the true magical inheritance of the Matou family.

"Sakura Matou, please call me when she wakes up, Rider."

After speaking, Kain gathered all the magic books and took them down to the hidden underground chamber to study. Although he had no intention of using bug-based familiars, he believed in learning through analogy. If one could control insects, one could adapt that knowledge to command other familiars as well.

Restriction and control formed the foundation of the Matou family's Magecraft. Whether it was manipulating insect familiars or creating the Command Spell system, Matou Zouken clearly specialized in control-based magic. Even the use of bugs was ultimately just another medium for enforcing control.

However, Kain couldn't reclaim his full power—not in this form. This was not his original body, but the temporary shell of a Servant constructed from his data. Even the information wasn't perfectly replicated, let alone the energy his real body once held.

If the Holy Grail could truly simulate the chakra of the Ten Tails and his immense magical reserves, Kain would possess enough power to obliterate the Earth.

After Kain left, Rider let out a soft sigh and approached the bookshelf. She, too, enjoyed reading—but unlike Kain, who read with a clear purpose, Rider appreciated reading for its own sake. While he hunted knowledge, she savored it.

She didn't understand why there was an extra Servant in this war. Though Kain hadn't shown any hostility, she had a bad feeling. Something about this Holy Grail War felt wrong—like a storm was coming.

The Matou family wasn't the first to summon a Servant in this war, nor were they the last. In fact, before Matou Sakura performed her ritual, two or three other Servants had already been summoned. But Sakura was the most unusual Master of all—she had summoned two Servants simultaneously.

This deviation altered the balance of the Holy Grail War and forced the Grail itself to recalculate the future. A new element was introduced: an unorthodox Ruler-class Servant.

But the Ruler could not manifest as a spiritual entity. Instead, they had to possess the body of a living person—requiring food, rest, and physical existence.

To manifest, Ruler needed someone who believed in them. Typically, only devout individuals could be possessed by a Ruler like Jeanne d'Arc. Unfortunately, Fuyuki City wasn't home to many people with deep, historical faith—at least not the kind needed.

If no one suitable could be found in Fuyuki, the Grail would widen its search. The Ruler's appearance was centered on the Grail's presence, but not necessarily restricted to its location.

Einzbern Castle

As the artificial lifeform that housed the Lesser Grail, Illya could feel the Grail stir with energy. Though she didn't yet understand what was happening, she knew one thing with certainty: the Holy Grail War had begun.

"Be filled. Be filled. Be filled…"

The summoning ritual proceeded smoothly. Though there were a few minor disruptions, Illya successfully called forth her Servant—the legendary hero Heracles, son of Zeus.

However, he was summoned under the Berserker class, which stripped him of reason. What remained was pure instinct: obedience and an unstoppable will to fight.

"Miss, congratulations on your success. With such a powerful Heroic Spirit, victory is within reach."

Sella, one of the Einzbern homunculi, smiled as she spoke. But Illya didn't share her optimism.

As the Lesser Grail, she could faintly sense the Holy Grail's movements—and in just two days, it had shifted twice.

"There may be unexpected developments in this Holy Grail War," Illya said calmly. "Sella, investigate the other Masters and their Servants immediately."

Though the artificial Holy Grail had only participated in one previous war, it had recorded many useful details. Normally, the container shouldn't be able to sense the Grail before summoning it—but perhaps the Einzbern family still lacked a complete understanding of the Lesser Grail's potential.

"I understand, Miss."

With a slight bow, Sella went to arrange the investigation. Learning about the Masters would be difficult—but not impossible. Information on Servants, however, was a different matter. Unless a Servant revealed their identity, it would remain hidden.

The Holy Grail War was meant to be fought in secret. In theory, battles were to remain concealed from ordinary people. But once the fighting began, such discretion often became impossible.

Traditionally, the Church served as the arbiter of the war. But without the Ruler-class Servant, the Church lacked true authority. Neutral in name only, it was not hard to buy off its loyalty.

The Church's arbiter for this Holy Grail War is a pleasure-seeking monster—Kain knows this all too well. He has no intention of dealing with him and is already considering how to eliminate Kotomine Kirei when the opportunity arises.

After understanding the nature of this world, Kain clarified his goal. While death wouldn't mean the end for him—he could technically return—it would still mean losing all his progress and connection to this world. His purpose was simple: reach the Root and then return.

The Root in this world is akin to the six Infinity Stones in the Marvel Universe—cosmic entities capable of fulfilling all desires. Even without reaching the Root itself, the five Magics associated with it already grant tremendous power. However, without Infinity Stones, it's nearly impossible for Kain to replicate the feats of these five True Magics.

"So the Command Spell system works like this... Matou Zouken may be revolting, but his magical talent is undeniable. He even managed to modify magic circuits... Maybe I can do that too."

After reading through Matou Zouken's collected grimoires, Kain was flooded with inspiration. He was now eager to experiment. If one could fully master the four key elements—life force, mana, magic circuits, and magic crests—it should be theoretically possible to create an extremely powerful magician.

"Forget testing on myself. I'll wait until I've fully confirmed the method."

After all, a Servant's body could still die. If Kain perished here, he would lose all connection with this world. It was safer to start experimenting on other subjects first.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Footsteps echoed through the quiet underground chamber, followed by a knock on the door.

Kain rose and opened it, revealing Rider on the other side. Without hesitation, she spoke:

"Master is awake. She wants to see you."

"She's awake? How long was she unconscious?"

"Twenty-five hours," Rider replied. "Also, someone claiming to be her friend is lingering outside. He's been pacing around the front gate for a while now. If no one goes out, he might climb over the wall."

"Then just send him away."

Rider answered calmly, "That's not appropriate. You should greet him yourself—at least after you change into something modern. Besides, you're also her Servant now. Handling this sort of thing is part of your duty."

"Alright, alright, I get it."

Kain waved her off with a sigh, then used magic to return the books in the chamber to their shelves. The ones he hadn't finished reading floated alongside him—he intended to continue later.

After emerging from the underground chamber, Kain didn't immediately visit Matou Sakura. Instead, he headed toward the front gate to deal with the visitor. If Sakura had people showing up uninvited, he needed to establish boundaries.

At the gate, he spotted a red-haired high schooler awkwardly pacing around. The unmistakable red spiky hair told Kain everything—Emiya Shirou had arrived. Barely a day had passed since Sakura reappeared, and here he was already.

"This classmate—who are you looking for?" Kain asked coolly.

"Ah! Sorry!" the boy replied, quickly bowing. "I'm Emiya Shirou, a second-year student at Homurahara Academy and a classmate of Sakura Matou."

He straightened up and continued politely, "Sakura didn't come to school today, so… the teacher asked me to check in on her."

"It's just a small cold. I should be fine by tomorrow or the day after," Kain said casually, offering a random excuse. "I forgot to notify the academy today—sorry for the trouble, Emiya-san."

He then tried to send him off as quickly as possible. "Today's been a bit hectic, and it's not convenient to entertain guests. You should head back now, Emiya-san. If anyone sees you loitering around the neighborhood, it might raise suspicion—or worse, someone might call the police."

After all, this was a high-end residential area. With Emiya Shirou's student-like appearance, it wouldn't be strange for a passerby to mistake him for a suspicious person. If he kept lingering, Kain really would have called the police himself.

Shirou frowned slightly. "So it's just a cold? May I at least say hello?"

"No," Kain replied firmly. "It really isn't a good time. If you're still worried, you can come back tomorrow. It's getting late—be sure to head home soon, Emiya-san."

With that, Kain turned and walked back into the villa, closing the door behind him.

Outside, Emiya Shirou stood in silence, frowning in thought. Not only had Sakura Matou been absent from school today, but Matou Shinji was also missing. And now, a stranger had come out of the Matou household.

Although Sakura and Shinji rarely spoke about their family, Shirou had heard enough to know that there were supposed to be no outsiders living with them. So where did this man suddenly come from?

Inside, Kain quickly used magic to establish an invisible barrier around the estate—layered with Muggle-Repelling Charms and protective wards. It would be enough to keep out both regular people and ordinary magi.

With Matou Zouken now dead, Kain had taken over the Matou household as his temporary base. It was a large estate, after all. He also planned to use the Matou family's wealth to fund his research—buying magical items like mana-infused gems or storage artifacts.

The only source of concern now was Sakura Matou. Kain wasn't sure how to deal with the girl. She couldn't be allowed to die—not until he had completed his research into independent existence—but he also worried that she might use her Command Seals to make trouble for him.

If Sakura tried to resist or take action against him, Rider would likely be the first to oppose it. And any misstep could be extremely risky.

Kain scratched his head as he ascended the stairs. I'll have to question her carefully later…

…

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