Type-Moon World.
The young Sakura fell into despair—the despair of being abandoned by her father, and the despair of being trapped in a dark, damp insect pit.
Under this double despair, Sakura forgot how to cry for a moment...
The cold bit at her skin, and the stench overwhelmed her brain, leaving her only able to open her mouth in terror, emitting only 'ah, ah' sounds.
"My lovely granddaughter, please enjoy this. After this, you will be a brand new person..."
Matou Zouken curled his wrinkled lips, turned to reveal a smile full of malice, and twisted the handle, preparing to leave.
Whoosh—!
Tohsaka Sakura sat on the ground with her head hanging, her legs tucked in a duck-sit position. Centered on her, a silver-white shockwave Swirl outward in a circle, keeping the disgusting insects at bay.
"I declare—"
A trembling, childish voice echoed in the cold basement. Sakura's eyes were filled with large tears, and her tiny fists were clenched tightly.
Just as she was about to give up, a gentle voice suddenly rang out in her mind.
That voice told her not to be afraid, to follow her lead and recite, and then everything would be alright~
The ethereal and healing voice calmed Sakura's fearful heart. Driven by survival instinct, she followed the voice, gently opening her mouth to recite the prayer.
"Your body shall be under my command, and my fate shall be upon your sword."
"Responding to the call of the Holy Grail, if you submit to this will and reason, answer me!"
"I am the achievement of all good in the world, I am the one who shall personify all evil in the world."
Tohsaka Sakura slowly recited the prayer, not knowing its purpose, following the voice in her head. But she knew that voice was now her last hope.
"Interesting. To think my Matou family would have two Servants in this Holy Grail War; this is truly an unexpected surprise."
While Tohsaka Sakura was reciting the Heroic Spirit summoning prayer, Matou Zouken walked toward her with a disgusting smile.
Upon approaching the pressure surrounding Tohsaka Sakura, Matou Zouken felt a powerful repulsive force preventing him from getting closer.
"Well, let's wait a moment."
To allow Tohsaka Sakura to complete the summoning, Matou Zouken stood in place, leaning on his cane.
With his cockroach-like vitality, he wasn't afraid of the Heroic Spirit Tohsaka Sakura might summon at all.
Setting aside the strength of the Servant, the total mana in young Tohsaka Sakura's body was nowhere near enough to support a Servant's actions.
This was why Matou Zouken remained unfazed; any Servant participating in the Holy Grail War must have their own wish.
If they didn't want to dissipate right at the start due to the Master's lack of mana, they would have to cooperate with him obediently.
As he waited, the summoning prayer finally reached its final part—
"Seven days clad in the three great words of power—"
"Come forth from the Circle of Restraint, Guardian of the Scales, my... Deliverer...! Save Sakura from here...!"
Sakura pressed her hands together, looking up and shouting with a sob.
Hum—
A silver-white, liquid light as smooth as Milk traced the Heroic Spirit summoning circle.
In an instant, a destructive aura poured out. Thunder and lightning filled the night sky of Fuyuki City, like a prelude to the end of the world.
But soon, this destructive aura dissipated, turning into a soothing gentleness.
The summoning circle emitted a dazzling light. Under Tohsaka Sakura's hopeful gaze, a figure appeared in the center of the circle, kneeling down to pick her up.
"Servant Foreigner, I have come in response to your summons. Little sister, are you this young miss's Master?"
Kiana gently stroked Tohsaka Sakura's head. Her gentle tone smoothed over the fear in the girl's heart. Once her body and mind relaxed, Sakura couldn't help but burst into tears.
"Waaaah...!"
"There, there~ You're safe now. Leave everything to this young miss to solve, Sakura."
Kiana looked at the sobbing Tohsaka Sakura clinging to her chest with heartache. Then, her eyes gradually turned cold, slowly shifting toward Matou Zouken.
Once Matou Zouken was locked in her gaze, he felt as if a mountain were pressing down on him, making him unable to move at all.
But Matou Zouken didn't panic; his true body wasn't here. It didn't matter if this body died.
"Heh heh heh, Foreigner... a Class I've never heard of. Is it a special Class like the Einzberns had last time...?"
Matou Zouken looked Kiana up and down, as if studying an object.
This look made Kiana's brow furrow slightly, her gaze becoming even colder.
This old geezer...
If he survives tonight, she won't be the General Taiyin!
Although her power was incomplete upon descending to this world—only having the attributes of a top-tier Servant—killing this old bug would be simple.
Learn about the Clearance of Consciousness, bro!
Matou Zouken shook his head in disappointment; it seemed the Matou family hadn't hit the jackpot this time.
He thought having two Heroic Spirits would make victory certain, but this special Class Servant looked no different from an ordinary person.
Even with Presence Concealment, standing right in front of him like this, it was impossible to feel absolutely nothing.
Plus, since the Avenger from the last Holy Grail War was killed by a normal attack, Matou Zouken didn't think Kiana could be that strong.
In that case...
Matou Zouken's lips curled into a lewd arc as he waved his hand toward Kiana and Tohsaka Sakura.
"Become a breeding ground for insects. Let the insects remodel you and grant you the qualification to participate in this Holy Grail War...!"
Matou Zouken had no intention of wasting words; he chose to act immediately.
But what he didn't expect was that his judgment was entirely wrong.
Snap—
The sound of a finger snap echoed in the insect-filled basement, and the air instantly became scorching hot.
Whoosh—!
Flames ignited on the insects, and Matou Zouken was no exception.
"Ah!!! What's with these flames!!!"
Matou Zouken turned into a man of fire, rolling continuously on the ground and emitting raspy, ear-piercing screams.
Ordinary flames burning him might only cause a sensation of heat.
But these flames were different!
He felt his consciousness and soul being scorched. This heart-wrenching pain was a first for him!
At this moment, he lost his previous composure; he felt death.
Even if his true body wasn't here, he could feel that when the flames died out, it would be when his soul was burned away.
Kiana gently massaged the girl's hair while soothing her mind with the power of consciousness.
Gradually, amidst Matou Zouken's heart-wrenching screams, Tohsaka Sakura closed her eyes, breathing evenly.
"The mana is too low, it's not enough..."
Kiana's brow furrowed slightly, her face showing a rare look of annoyance due to the lack of energy.
She never thought she would run out of energy. What was the counter force of this world doing? It didn't even give her a self-sufficient body.
To avoid consuming too much of her own energy, Kiana made a grasping motion toward Matou Zouken across the Akasha.
Snap—
"Ugh...!"
With just that gentle grasp, Matou Zouken instantly lost consciousness and slumped onto the ground.
After a few breaths, Matou Zouken's body began to rot, and the corpses of countless insects emerged from the surface of his body.
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