If Kaguya's memory served her correctly, the grand mansion before her was none other than the Matou family estate, home to the Matou family's infamous patriarch, Zouken Matou. This mansion had been inhabited by the Matou lineage for generations.
Kaguya stood still for a moment, piecing things together. If this was indeed the Matou mansion, she turned her gaze to the timid, shivering girl by her side.
Could this girl be Matou Sakura, or rather, Tohsaka Sakura?
Kaguya's lips twitched slightly. What a coincidence. She had barely arrived in the world of the Holy Grail War and had already run into one of its key characters.
Matou Sakura's tragic backstory came to mind—she had been adopted into the Matou family from the Tohsaka household, only to endure years of abuse and inhuman torment by Zouken's cursed worms. It was a wonder that someone could survive such horrors without breaking down, but Sakura had, against all odds, clung to her will to live.
"You dare return here?" came a hoarse and raspy voice from the shadows.
At the sound of this voice, Matou Sakura flinched, hurriedly hiding behind Kaguya and clutching tightly onto her clothes.
At the same time, a small, shriveled figure emerged from the darkness. His body was hunched and gnarled, his limbs like those of a mummified corpse, and his sunken eyes gleamed with a sharp, sinister light. His figure, twisted and decrepit, left no doubt. This was Zouken Matou, the despicable head of the Matou family.
As Zouken approached, his malicious gaze fell upon Kaguya. At first, he appeared puzzled, but soon his eyes widened with disbelief, staring at Kaguya as if she were an apparition.
Kaguya furrowed her brows. If there was any character in Fate she despised the most, it had to be this wretched old worm. The sight of him alone filled her with disgust, but the rancid stench of decay that emanated from him made her stomach churn.
Zouken Matou hadn't always been like this, she recalled. He had once been a decent man, but over the centuries, he had lost sight of his original purpose, consumed by his obsession with immortality and power. He had become a grotesque shadow of his former self.
None of that, however, excused the atrocities he had committed. Kaguya felt no sympathy for him, and his presence only worsened her mood.
"And who might you be?" Zouken asked, leaning on his cane, his tone dark and menacing.
"Well, well, if it isn't you, old worm," Kaguya chuckled. "Looks like we were bound to meet."
"Hmph, you have quite the mouth on you, girl," Zouken rasped, his laughter like nails scraping against stone. "Has no one taught you to know your place when addressing your betters?"
With a wave of his cane, a swarm of insects rose from the ground, their wings buzzing in a deafening cacophony as they surged toward Kaguya in a cloud of black filth.
Kaguya smirked at the display, raising her delicate hand and clenching her fingers into a tight fist.
CRACK
Before the swarm could even reach her, the insects were torn to shreds, pulverized into dust in midair. Their remains rained down like ash, the air thick with the stench of rot and decay.
Kaguya had utilized her ability to manipulate gravity and repulsive forces. In the past, she could only use these powers individually, but ever since merging with that mysterious stone, her ocular powers had been further enhanced. Now, she could control both forces simultaneously, causing the space around her to twist like grinding millstones, obliterating anything caught between them.
"Oh?" Zouken muttered, momentarily taken aback. But then his lips twisted into a grin. "I see. You have some tricks up your sleeve, little girl."
"Though you're praising me, I can't say I'm flattered," Kaguya sneered. "I have no interest in the compliments of a disgusting, rotting creature like you."
"Girl, disrespecting your elders can lead to some very unfortunate consequences," Zouken's voice dripped with venom, his eyes flashing with malice.
"And I see no reason to respect a walking corpse that reeks of the grave," Kaguya replied casually, toying with a lock of her silver hair as she spoke, her tone laced with disdain.
"Such sharp words," Zouken said, his grin widening into something more sinister. "Perhaps you need a lesson in manners to remind you how to speak to your superiors."
With that, Zouken slammed the tip of his cane into the ground. Instantly, the earth beneath their feet glowed with a complex magic circle, intricate runes lighting up the surface. Energy rippled outward from the circle, washing over the surroundings like a wave.
"If you beg for mercy now, maybe I'll take pity on you and spare you some pain," Zouken cackled, his laughter sending chills down Sakura's spine.
"Funny," Kaguya scoffed, "because I was just about to say the same to you, old worm."
"Hehehe… You brought this on yourself," Zouken said with a wicked gleam in his eye. "A Servant without a Master… Let's see how long you can last without a mana supply."
Kaguya's brow twitched slightly at his words. It seemed the old worm had already figured out her identity. That wasn't entirely surprising, given his centuries of experience and his involvement in the creation of the Holy Grail War. His insight was expected, even if it was irritating.
"Die!" Zouken's eyes gleamed with malice.
From the magic circle, a swarm of massive, grotesque insects surged forth. Each insect was as large as a man's hand, its body slick and black with a long, needle-like proboscis, and its legs bristling with barbs. The sight of them alone would send shivers down anyone's spine. One bite from these creatures, and they'd tear away chunks of flesh.
These were Zouken's prized creations, mutated through dark magic and saturated with mana, turning them into lethal, aggressive creatures.
The swarm descended upon Kaguya like a dark cloud, their sheer numbers enough to overwhelm even the strongest defenses. Zouken sneered, convinced that even if Kaguya could fend off the first wave, the continued assault would drain her mana reserves, rendering her powerless.
But in the midst of the buzzing chaos, a serene, melodious voice cut through the noise.
"Amaterasu."