C325

"My father?"

Emiya Shirou frowned upon hearing the name Matou Zouken. He was a survivor—rescued by Emiya Kiritsugu ten years ago—and it was under Kiritsugu's influence that he aspired to become a champion of justice.

"Do you expect me to believe my father would be friends with you? Don't joke around. Who the hell are you?"

Matou Zouken's withered body was frail and thin, reeking of decay. He coughed frequently, and his sunken eyes gleamed with darkness.

Emiya Shirou simply couldn't believe that Kiritsugu would ever associate with someone like this.

"Hehehe… your wariness is impressive. In that, you truly are similar to Emiya Kiritsugu. Very well, I'll reveal my identity. I am the grandfather of Matou Sakura and Matou Shinji—the head of the Matou family, Matou Zouken."

"Sakura and Shinji's grandfather? Then how could you…"

Shirou trailed off, shocked. He quickly recalled what Tohsaka Rin had told him and remembered his disturbing visit to the Matou household. A terrifying possibility crossed his mind.

"As you might have guessed, I escaped from the Matou residence. If not for some tricks, I would've been killed by a Servant summoned by Matou Sakura."

Zouken's words eased Shirou's suspicion—partly because of his identity as Sakura and Shinji's grandfather. Still, Rin's warnings lingered in his thoughts, keeping him cautious.

"The Servants summoned by Sakura were an accident. I heard what happened at the church as well. Whatever power Sakura summoned has thrown the Holy Grail War into complete chaos."

Zouken's eyes darkened with hatred as he recalled that day. After decades—centuries—of meticulous planning, he had never been closer to the Holy Grail. And yet, because of Kain, not only had he failed, but he'd nearly lost his life.

"When I summoned two Servants, I knew something was wrong. Shinji had no magic circuits and didn't even recognize the Servant. He probably angered it somehow and was killed on the spot.

Later, I too was attacked. But the Matou family has its life-preservation magic, which allowed me to barely survive. I don't know what happened afterward.

But tell me, Emiya Shirou—do you really believe all that was Sakura's doing?"

"Sakura has a kind heart," Shirou said, shaking his head. "Invade the Tohsaka estate? Kill Shinji? She would never do something like that."

After hearing Zouken's explanation, Shirou's trust in him grew slightly.

But the truth was… he didn't even have Saber anymore. He wasn't a magus—barely even an amateur. What strength did he have left to fight in the Holy Grail War?

If not for Rin Tohsaka saving him, Shirou was certain he'd be dead by now.

Zouken gave a faint smile and said weakly, "I understand your concerns. Participating in the Holy Grail War without a Servant is indeed difficult. But I can provide you with one."

With that, Zouken revealed a Command Spell on the back of his hand.

"I hold the rights to a Servant. But my magical energy isn't enough to sustain it in battle. If you wish, I can transfer the Assassin class Servant to you."

Shirou was tempted—but still wary.

"Assassin? Then why didn't you fight in the Holy Grail War yourself?"

"My magical capacity is far weaker than yours. I simply can't sustain a Servant. But if you agree to take part in the war, I want one thing in return—help me reclaim the Matou estate. I cannot bear being cast out of my ancestral home."

Zouken could sense Shirou's lingering doubts. So he offered the most believable excuse: the helplessness of an old man, unable to return to his centuries-old home.

As for the Servants—no one understood their contracts better than Zouken, the man who developed the Command Spell system itself. Even if Assassin was transferred to Shirou, Zouken had other methods in place.

After a long, silent struggle, Shirou finally looked at Zouken with determination.

"I promise. If I get the chance, I'll help you take back the Matou estate."

"Hehehe… Let's begin the transfer of Command Spells and the Servant."

Matou Zouken let out a hoarse laugh as he extended a withered hand bearing three Command Spells.

At the Tohsaka residence:

"I thought you had school today, Tohsaka. Are you planning to skip class?"

Tsunade pulled the quilt off Rin Tohsaka, snapping her out of a sleepy daze. Startled, Rin shrieked before remembering she had classes that day.

After hurriedly freshening up and packing her things, Rin was about to leave when she noticed the dining table was empty.

"Where's breakfast?" she asked.

"Don't count on me," Tsunade replied, rolling her eyes. "If you want, I can cook for you tonight—but you have to finish it."

Her cooking had been rejected by Nawaki, Kain, and even her daughter. Ever since becoming a daimyo's wife, she rarely cooked at all.

In fact, if not for needing to restore a bit of magical energy, Tsunade wouldn't have eaten anything in this world. No matter how delicious the food here was, it couldn't compare to the finest dishes gathered from across several worlds.

"Forget it. I'll just eat more at lunch."

Sensing the subtle message behind Tsunade's words, Rin shook her head, declined the offer, grabbed her bag, and left for school.

Last night, she had lain awake, thinking about the Holy Grail War, and as a result, she felt drained and unfocused.

Still, her sense of duty as a student compelled her to get up and go to class.

The same was true for Matou Sakura. Kain had wanted her to stay home and rest for a month, but she had insisted on attending school. Her will on that matter was surprisingly unshakable.

During lunch break, Rin Tohsaka quickly finished her meal and made her way to Sakura's classroom.

In the past, because of the strained relationship between the Tohsaka and Matou families, Rin hadn't been able to speak to Sakura openly. Even small talk had to be avoided—too much interaction might have been interpreted as an attempt by the Tohsaka family to uncover Matou family secrets.

That was something even her father, Tokiomi Tohsaka, would never have dared. He had warned Rin about it more than once.

But things were different now. The Matou family was finished, in name and in power. Their magical knowledge was now stored in the Tohsaka family study. Rin had to speak with Sakura, no matter what.

"Senpai… Tohsaka," Sakura said nervously as Rin pulled her aside in front of curious classmates, leading her all the way up to the rooftop.

"Still calling me Senpai, Sakura?" Rin crossed her arms. "The Matou family is no more, and the agreement between our families no longer stands!"

"You're the heir to the Matou family, aren't you? I should've realized sooner. Back then, my father entrusted you to them because there was no one in the Matou line who could inherit the magic crest."

Sakura trembled slightly at Rin's words. She remembered all the pain she'd endured—and thanks to Kain, she now knew that her suffering had been nothing more than Zouken's sadistic indulgence.

In truth, inheriting the Matou family's magic crest could take as little as a month with strong aptitude, or half a year at worst. And none of that process required being thrown into the worm pit.

Sakura clenched her fists slightly and replied in a flat voice, "Sister, if you have something to say, just say it."

"Alright. Let me ask—are you still able to control your Servant?"

Sakura answered calmly, "I was never able to control him. He just told me to stay out of the way and provide a stable supply of magical energy. That's all he needed."

Rin covered her face with a groan. "Unbelievable… That idiot Shinji, and Matou Zouken—"

"They're already dead," Sakura cut in. "And, Sister… I'm glad they're dead."

Rin's eyes widened in shock. "What!?"

"You heard me," Sakura said, her voice quiet but firm. "When I saw them die in front of me… it felt like a weight was lifted from my chest.

I was a little disturbed at first—seeing their corpses—but after a moment, I was relieved. Truly relieved."

A faint smile formed on Sakura's lips.

The crest worms inside her were slowly disappearing. Her hunger for magical energy was finally fading.

And though she didn't show it, Sakura had developed a bit of cunning. She had even begun timing her tea offerings to Kain to match his good moods—hoping to subtly extract bits of information.

It was thanks to that approach that she had learned about the inheritance of the Matou magic crest.

"Sakura… how could you become like this?" Rin murmured, stunned.

Such indifference toward life...

"If you want to accuse me, Sister, at least try living through what I did! Otherwise, you have no right!"

Matou Sakura couldn't suppress her emotions and raised her voice.

Her outburst stunned Tohsaka Rin.

After more than ten seconds of silence, Sakura turned to leave, clearly intending to end the pointless conversation. But just before walking away, she paused and said in a low voice,

"Why wasn't my sister the one sent to the Matou house?"

Rin didn't snap out of it until the school bell rang, signaling the start of afternoon classes.

"Tch... what exactly is the Matou family's magic crest hiding?"

Rin Tohsaka frowned, biting her finger in frustration. She could sense that Sakura carried deep resentment toward the Matou family—resentment born from years of unjust treatment, maybe even abuse.

"If it was just about inheriting a crest, Sakura shouldn't feel this strongly... Looks like I need to go back and examine the Matou family's magecraft records myself."

She glanced around the school, noticing that Emiya Shirou hadn't shown up today either.

"Maybe he's still shaken from yesterday..."

As for her own classes that afternoon?

She had no intention of attending.

School was important, yes—but right now, Sakura took priority.

"That woman's got some tenacity."

In the basement of the Matou household, Medea gritted her teeth in frustration.

She had promised Kain that she would turn Saber into a useful pawn as soon as possible—but the Knight King was proving stubborn.

Saber now stood in the center of the room, dressed in a white wedding gown. Her smooth shoulders were exposed, her expression tight with resistance. The sheer effort it took to oppose Medea's magic was visible on her face.

Medea took a strange kind of pleasure in corrupting pure souls—watching their gradual fall into darkness. But Saber had held out far longer than expected.

Clatter. Clatter.

Footsteps echoed from the stairs. Medea looked toward the doorway just as Kain entered the room.

He took one glance at Saber and asked,

"Still haven't succeeded? I'd love to let you keep 'training' the Knight King, but time's running out. I plan to end this Holy Grail War soon."

Medea bowed her head slightly.

"My apologies, Mr. Kain. Her resistance is unusually strong—I haven't been able to break her will yet."

"Persuade her?"

Kain gave Saber a longer look. Despite the corruption tainting her mana, Saber could still speak—though even that seemed painful.

"So you tried sweet-talking her? Trying to mimic my methods?"

He chuckled.

"That sort of thing doesn't work on someone like her."

He stepped forward.

"You don't need to keep trying. Knights are full of honour. I might find that old-fashioned spirit irritating, but I have to admit—her chivalry is harder than steel."

A swirling black mist formed in Kain's hand. It twisted and pulsed before shaping itself into three dark runes.

Medea's expression hardened. She instinctively took a half-step back.

"That… what is that?"

"The evil in this world," Kain said calmly.

"It's the curse energy rooted in the corrupted Holy Grail. The bane of Heroic Spirits… or rather, of all mankind. But it works especially well on spirits like her."

He looked at Medea.

"When we fought, I used that same energy against you. You felt it, didn't you?"

Medea's lips tightened.

"Yes… I remember. That power… it's impossible for a Servant like me to resist."

As soon as she finished speaking, Kain hurled the puppet rune into Saber's body.

"Ahhh!"

Saber screamed as the curse of the Evil in This World surged through her. She was now engulfed by the most impure, malevolent force imaginable—like a powerless prey caught in a quagmire. No matter how fiercely she struggled, she could only sink deeper down this path.

Boom!

A massive burst of magic erupted from her body—but this was nothing like the energy she once wielded. It radiated pure malice, warping even her Noble Phantasm and armor.

Clad in pitch-black armor, her face now partially obscured by a darkened mask, and wielding a corrupted version of the Sword of Promised Victory, Saber had transformed completely. The power she exuded made even Medea feel outmatched.

"Th-this…"

"It's done," Kain said calmly. "She obeys me completely now. But I'm entrusting her to you. With Saber as your shield, your weaknesses will be covered."

He handed Medea a bracelet—an alchemical artifact containing the puppet rune. Through this bracelet, Medea could now command Black Saber at will.

Medea's eyes lit up in delight.

"She's under my control? Mr. Kain, thank you—truly!"

"No need for thanks. You're my subordinate. It's your job," Kain replied coolly, cutting her off before she could say more.

"The three of you—Medea, Rider, and Black Saber—will hunt down any lone Servants. You don't need me for that."

With this lineup and a steady supply of magic, even Golden Sparkles would be within reach. There was no need to hold back, nor to worry about Jeanne d'Arc's so-called divine judgment. She could no longer track every Servant's whereabouts—so it was best to eliminate as many as possible, as soon as possible.

The more Servants returned to the Grail, the stronger Sakura would become.

As for Kain himself, he had other priorities. Hunting Heroic Spirits was a chore—he'd much rather spend time with Tsunade.

He still had to create the Zero Tail.

The materials were nearly ready, but the curse energy leaking from Matou Sakura wasn't enough. Two more Servants would need to die to gather what was required.

Once Zero Tail was complete, Kain felt confident that he could even consider purifying the Holy Grail itself.

…

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