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Roder had a painting framed and hung in the most prominent spot in his home, depicting him and dozens of women partying in a bedroom.
"What is this disgusting picture?" Manaka Sajyou angrily demanded after arriving home.
"My Mother, Manaka Sajyou."
"And what about me?"
"You're my mother, aren't you?" Roder replied.
In 1991, in early spring, Tokyo, Japan.
Beneath the city, in a massive, lightless cavern, stirred a black chaos, a mass of despair embodied and desire as its core. The very essence of existence in this dark abyss was a collection of the world's densest darkness.
Looking up at the towering sewer ceilings, the black sludge sighed, as though resigned. With the sigh, the black sea of flesh writhed in response, just like the black waves described in the Book of Revelation, rushing toward the city.
The name of this black sludge was Roder.
Originally, he wasn't this mass of black mud. He was just an ordinary person who had traveled across worlds. Thanks to the excellent matching mechanism of a certain website, Roder had successfully crossed into Type-Moon's version of Japan. Quite rare indeed.
Roder worked hard to prepare for his new life, eventually landing his first job—in the sewers of Tokyo.
But to his dismay, on his very first day, he was consumed by some unknown black sludge. It seemed that even in this new life, he couldn't escape a miserable fate.
Yet, despite his body being devoured, his soul wasn't extinguished. Instead, it continued to resist fiercely. Perhaps it was because Roder's soul originated from a higher dimension, or maybe his spirit resonated deeply with the black sludge.
Whatever the reason, after six days and seven nights of battle, the black sludge's will was defeated. Roder succeeded in taking over. At the same time, he realized what he had become.
In the annals of human history, his new form bore many terrifying names:
The Beast of Revelation.
Number of the Beast.
666.
Master Therion.
Seven Heads and Ten Horns.
Antichrist.
The Beast of Sodom.
Satan.
The Great Red Dragon.
But in this world, the most appropriate name would be:
The embodiment of desire and gluttony, the world's king, wielding the power to desecrate all things.
The Sixth Beast, Beast VI.
That said, Roder was still just an unhatched cocoon. To fully realize his power, he needed to gather the souls of seven heroic spirits through the Holy Grail War.
"But I don't want to destroy the world…" Roder sighed again.
He was so hungry. Since becoming the Sixth Beast, an unending hunger gnawed at him every moment.
How much time had passed? A day? Three months? Ten years? 65 million years?
With his senses dulled, even the concept of time became difficult to grasp.
Then, one day, suddenly—though no one had declared "let there be light"—a bright ray broke through the darkness underground.
"Huh? Didn't I set up a barrier to keep ordinary people out?"
The ethereal voice stirred Roder from his stupor. He lifted his formless face and looked up. A small girl stood above him, her tiny frame clothed in a green dress that emitted a faint glow in the dark.
Her light blonde hair framed her pale blue eyes, and her doll-like face was filled with confusion.
A beautiful flower blossoming in the midst of the black mud—her name was Manaka Sajyou.
With the knowledge of his previous life, combined with memories embedded in his Demon King's Divine Core, Roder understood everything.
This was the one who had stolen a Christian relic from the Holy Church and placed it beneath Tokyo to nurture the Beast's egg.
Manaka Sajyou, the one responsible for turning him from a human into a monster.
Yet, unexpectedly, Roder didn't harbor any resentment toward her. After all, the girl, more beautiful than any flower, gazed tenderly at the grotesque creature that should not exist in this world.
"Have you been a good child here?"
The melody of her voice echoed through the vast underground, and for a moment, Roder, who had no internal organs, felt his heart throb violently.
The remnants of the black sludge's will sent out its final ripples. A surge of desires beyond human comprehension flowed from the dark sea of flesh.
The Beast seemed to want to speak to her.
It wanted to devour.
It wanted to violate.
It wanted to destroy.
It wanted to kill.
It wanted to desecrate.
It wanted to fall from grace.
But before all that, there was an even more primal desire—one that transcended all others.
It wanted to be born.
Yes, I want to be born.
Then, Roder uttered the first sound humans make upon birth, a sound that transcends borders, races, and colors:
"Mother."
The black sludge churned like a tsunami in the windless cavern, releasing its first cry.
"…Impossible."
Facing the Beast, who had gained both reason and speech prematurely, Manaka Sajyou looked confused at first but soon smiled.
"There's still three years until the Fuyuki Holy Grail War, and you're already eager to be born?"
She smoothed out her dress and crouched at the edge of the black sludge.
"Well, this is troublesome. If you want to hatch, you'll need to offer seven heroic spirits' souls or a few thousand human souls as sacrifices. Can't you wait a little longer?"
"Mother. Mother. Mother."
The black sludge writhed, trembling with the desire to be born.
The faceless, hornless, headless sea of flesh howled, but in response, Manaka Sajyou extended a loving hand toward the darkness.
"What a spoiled child…"
But as soon as she touched the black sludge, her slender, white fingers began to dissolve.
"Huh?"
Watching her fingers disintegrate and the crimson blood spurt forth, Manaka Sajyou's face didn't contort in pain. Instead, she smiled, as though she had discovered something new.
"Ah, I see…"
Like a mother speaking to her child—or perhaps to herself—she muttered:
"If it's a living sacrifice you need, there's one right here, isn't there?"
"Mother… Mother…"
Realizing her intent, Roder's form surged upward in panic, letting out a piercing cry.
You shall go no further.
But the girl, now a mother, mistook his throbbing for the joy of imminent birth.
With a smile, she extended her arms, kneeling before the now-mountainous mass of black sludge.
"Come, child. Eat me. Good boy."
She embraced the looming darkness, her smile unwavering.
"…Ugh."
Her frown only lasted for a moment as she was instantly dissolved by the black mud.
Her luxurious dress, pale skin, delicate limbs, and beautiful face—all were mercilessly disintegrated upon contact with the black sludge. Even the mother praised as the Empress of Babylon was as fragile as a pile of salt before the Beast wielding the power of death.
The boiling sea of flesh calmed after consuming the girl, as though nothing had happened.
"Hmm, I see."
In the silence that followed, a boy's voice suddenly echoed from above the dark sea of origin.
"Though the human body is somewhat restrictive, this feeling of confinement isn't so bad."
At the same time, two pale figures rose from the dark depths.
Roder cradled Manaka Sajyou in his arms as he slowly walked out of the black sea.
Beast VI had manifested in the world.
Roder glanced down at the girl in his arms, who had already opened her dreamy eyes.
The exhausted mother lifted her hand and gently caressed the boy's face.
"Roder, let's go home."
After leaving the sewers, Roder and Manaka Sajyou walked through the bustling streets of Tokyo late at night. Roder somehow found a blanket and wrapped it around their unclothed bodies. Their two heads, peeking out from under the blanket, leaned against each other as they walked hand in hand, perfectly in sync on their way home.
From a distance, they looked like a cloaked wanderer, out of place against the modern city backdrop. Though Roder looked like a young boy, he was actually a beast in human form. Standing at 150 cm, with pale skin, short black hair, and cold dark eyes, he carried an air of aloofness.
"Why did you do something so reckless?" There was a hint of reproach in Roder's voice.
"If I hadn't spit you out in time and reformed your body, you'd be dead by now!"
"Reckless? No, not at all. That was my plan from the beginning," Manaka Sajyou shook her head slightly, resting her head on Roder's shoulder. "From the start, I intended for you to consume me—consume my world."
Manaka Sajyou Manaka Sajyou, Roder's creator, was a girl who embodied truth. She was capable of achieving anything. If she wished for life, life would sprout. If she whispered of death, death would spread. One could say that the world was connected to her, and she to the world—a girl who was omnipotent. She could control, achieve, or destroy anything.
However, she found no joy in her omnipotence. So she imposed a single rule on herself: Do not look into your own future. Though she was as vast as the world itself, she restrained herself. Rules. Limits. Chains. Without them, omnipotence was too boring. In hindsight, this approach proved to be the correct one. She could at least go on living, but that was all it was.
Seeing everything, understanding everything, and possessing everything, she was like a god at the end of her existence, gazing into a pure white purgatory from her throne. There was nothing left for her but to live like a specter. She had no expectations for the future, especially in a world "where no prince would ever appear." Though Manaka Sajyou ruled the world, she was not the protagonist of fate.
For her, living was an eternal torment—a never-ending cycle of living while dead, dead while living. No pain, no suffering, no joy. Just one hollow day after another. Finally, her spirit reached its limit, and Manaka Sajyou made a decision that went against everything her ancestors stood for.
Destroy this boring world. Destroy it all, along with the history of humanity.
"And that's what you are, my beloved child," Manaka Sajyou paused, reached out from under the blanket, and cupped Roder's face. "You are a beast, a calamity born from the tainted Holy Grail."
In Christian history, there were two Holy Grails. One was the true Grail that held the blood of the Savior and could perform miracles. The other was the Grail from the Book of Revelation, symbolizing human greed and arrogance, carried by the Beast and the Whore of Babylon. Both Grails looked identical, but what they had once held made them different—one held sacred blood, and the other, filth.
Manaka Sajyou had stolen the false Grail from a Cardinal of the Church, who mistook it for the real one. She placed it deep under Tokyo, using it as a catalyst to raise a king powerful enough to destroy this painful, boring world. That king was Roder, Beast VI.
What is a Beast? If Manaka Sajyou was the princess of the world, then Roder was the beast that would destroy it.
"With a single roar, you could make people scream and cities burn. The land would crumble, and the seas would turn red. If you opened your mouth, everything life has woven—worlds, histories, dreams, wishes—even time, space, and causality would be devoured."
With a faint smile on her perfect face, Manaka Sajyou spoke with soft, moist eyes. "That's why I once longed for you to devour me, to devour my world."
"Once?" Roder asked.
"Yes, once," Manaka Sajyou nodded. "I no longer need that. Whether you destroy the world or kill me, none of it is necessary anymore."
Roder fell silent, deep in thought. What had changed her mind so drastically? She had been filled with despair over the world just moments ago. "Did something good happen?" Roder asked, half-expecting her to say something like, Your presence made me realize the world isn't entirely boring. He leaned in, awaiting her answer.
"Yes, something wonderful happened. Today is a special day… There is no day more important than today," Manaka Sajyou suddenly let go of his hand and ran off, her steps light.
Spinning. Spinning.
"My dear, you've touched my heart!"
"My precious one, you've saved my life!"
In the dim, polluted alley, Manaka Sajyou twirled innocently, her petite body elegant, radiant, and dazzling. "Happy birthday, Roder!"
"Hey! Wait… don't run off! Cover yourself with the blanket! What if someone else sees you?"
Oh boy, this girl's driving me nuts. Roder threw the blanket over her, successfully catching her. Manaka Sajyou, now on the ground and a bit disheveled, huddled under the blanket like a little hill. Roder stood over her, hands on his hips, and said, "Stop fooling around. I don't want to spend my birthday getting arrested with my mom for public indecency."
"…It's so dark. I can't see anything," Manaka Sajyou whimpered, poking her head out of the blanket like a kitten.
"I'm sorry, Roder. I think I misunderstood your nature. You're not a beast of calamity after all."
Roder was confused. "Huh? Am I not Beast VI, the Anti-Messiah?"
Manaka Sajyou gazed at him and gently nodded, her cheeks tinged with a soft pink. In a quiet voice, she said, "Roder… you are the Messiah, the savior who belongs only to me."
—-
"Roder, how have you been? You've been in Tokyo for three years now. Have you gotten used to living here?"
It was a bright morning, and the Manaka Sajyou family was quietly enjoying breakfast in their dining room. The man who spoke to Roder, seated at the head of the table, was Hiroki Manaka Sajyou, a black magician. He was Manaka Sajyou and Ayaka Manaka Sajyou's father. Despite his intimidating title, Hiroki was an approachable, friendly middle-aged man.
Roder, seated at the far end of the table, swallowed a mouthful of dumplings and replied, "Yes, I've gotten used to it. Thanks to Manaka Sajyou and Ayaka, and also to you, Mr. Manaka Sajyou. I'm very grateful to all of you."
"You don't need to be so formal. Consider this your home. Ayaka agrees, right?" Hiroki said with a warm smile, taking a sip of miso soup.
"…Yes." Sitting across from Roder, Ayaka, who would soon enter middle school, nodded slightly. On the surface, she seemed like a quiet, reserved girl with brown hair. However, this shy demeanor was merely an act in front of her beloved father and her sister, whom she felt inferior to. When Hiroki and Manaka Sajyou weren't around, Ayaka transformed into a confident, assertive person, with a switch-like ability to shift between personalities.
Hiroki chuckled and said, "By the way, Manaka Sajyou will probably get upset again if she hears you calling her by name. Would you like to call me 'Grandfather' instead?"
"Haha, no, that's…" Roder laughed awkwardly.
After that fateful day, Roder became an adopted member of the Manaka Sajyou family. However, he wasn't legally adopted by Hiroki, but by Manaka Sajyou herself. Roder didn't quite understand how a 14-year-old girl could adopt a foreigner, but after a trip to the Ministry of Health, Manaka Sajyou had made it happen. Neither Hiroki nor Ayaka seemed to mind becoming his grandfather and aunt.
—
It's best not to think too deeply about this.
Magic is truly convenient.
"I heard that," came a slightly annoyed voice from the other end of the dining room.
Walking toward the two men at the table was a girl with stunning beauty and dazzling blonde hair. Her petite frame was dressed in casual home clothes that resembled a maid's outfit, revealing snow-white skin, and her slender legs were wrapped in over-the-knee white socks.
She was Manaka Sajyou Manaka Sajyou, Roder's legal mother. Due to being swallowed and corrupted by black mud, her body hadn't changed at all over the past three years. Although she was already 17, she still had the flat chest of a grade-schooler. When standing next to Ayaka, who had just entered sixth grade, they looked like twin sisters. In a few more years, it would probably seem like Ayaka was the older sister.
Manaka Sajyou walked over to the table with a stern expression, placing a stainless steel bowl full of broccoli salad heavily in front of Roder.
"Roder, eat this. You never eat your vegetables, and I'm really worried about you as your mom."
"It's not as nutritious as leek dumplings, though…" Roder didn't even glance at the salad and continued devouring the pan-fried dumplings on his plate.
"Manaka Sajyou, humans didn't ascend to the top of the primates just to eat plants."
Manaka Sajyou put her hands on her hips and pouted, "Well, if you keep acting spoiled, Roder, I'll just stop giving you your weekly allowance."
Roder immediately straightened up in his chair.
"My allowance…! Come on, don't!"
Grudgingly, he started to eat the salad. "Fine, I'll eat it, happy now?"
During his stay with the Manaka Sajyou family, Roder had been demanding a huge weekly allowance of 1.5 million yen from Manaka Sajyou and would spend it all within five days. However, he had his reasons.
The Lord said, "Do not store up treasures on earth."
When false prosperity returns to nothingness, the new millennium shall come.
The symbols of wealth, the seven sins of man…
The filthy golden chalice, meant only to open the gate of heaven.
Roder was a larva of the Beast of Revelation, known as Beast VI… No, at this stage, he was less than a larva, just a mere hatchling.
As the nascent form of the Seven-Headed Red Dragon, Roder constantly fought against his instinctual urges to evolve. He yearned to kill, to devour souls, to transform into his perfect form, to destroy the world. To suppress these overwhelming desires, Roder lived like a Roman tyrant in modern Japan. Nightclubs, bars, racetracks, pachinko parlors—his lifestyle in Tokyo could be described as one of utter debauchery.
Living like this helped him stave off his hunger, in a way saving humanity through indulgence. But this kind of life was coming to an end. He was preparing to join the Fourth Holy Grail War in Fuyuki. Not to win the Grail, but simply for fun.
Being a "fun-seeker" was the only way for the Beast of Revelation to survive in modern society.
"I'm heading to Fuyuki today to make final preparations for the Grail War," Roder said to Manaka Sajyou, who immediately looked concerned.
"Huh? Why didn't you tell me earlier? If you had, I could've made you a bento for the trip."
"That's exactly why I didn't mention it until this morning," Roder snorted.
"No need for a bento, it's not a grade-school field trip."
"Roder! Did you just call me 'Mom'!?" Manaka Sajyou's eyes lit up as she grabbed his arm and started shaking it vigorously.
"No, you misheard."
"Yes, you did! I clearly heard it!"
"I said 'Mara,' not 'Mama.'"
"…Pervert."
On the side, Ayaka, who had been quietly eating, suddenly blushed at Roder's comment. (Note: Mara is a slang term in Japanese for a male organ.)
Manaka Sajyou wouldn't let it go, raising her voice again, "It wasn't 'Mara,' it was 'Mama!' I heard it loud and clear!"
"…Hahaha."
Faced with the awkward situation at the breakfast table, Roder's father could only manage a helpless smile, while his middle-school-aged sister blushed and looked down. The atmosphere in the room became tense and uncomfortable.
Roder furrowed his brow and muttered under his breath, "So noisy, this woman's so annoying."
"Waaah… Roder, you're so mean. Mama's so hurt," Manaka Sajyou pouted, pretending to sulk.
Roder placed his chopsticks on the plate and put his hands together in thanks.
"I'm full, thanks for the meal."
From across the table, Hiroki Manaka Sajyou looked up. "By the way, Roder. If you're heading to Fuyuki, please say hello to Matou-san for me."
"Understood, Lord Hiroki."
Roder stood up from the table, glanced at the still-pouting Manaka Sajyou, and placed his hand gently on her soft, golden hair.
"…Hmph."
The girl narrowed her eyes and puffed out her cheeks as she let him pat her head.
"If you think Manaka Sajyou is so easily placated, you're sorely mistaken…"
"I'll be back before tomorrow's dinner," Roder said, pausing before adding, "By the way, I'm craving squirrelfish. The Chinese restaurants in Tokyo don't make it right. Could you handle that for me, Mother?"
"Of course, leave it to me! Mama will do her best!"
So easy to please.
As a famous mage family in Japan, the Manaka Sajyou estate was quite large. The most striking feature of the Manaka Sajyou mansion was its garden. After washing up and walking down the corridor, one would open a glass door at the end to reach it.
The garden had been designed by the late mistress of the house, a witch from Britain. Lush plants and bright flowers grew in abundance, and countless pigeons thrived here. The pigeons, raised for black magic rituals, were sacrifices for Hiroki Manaka Sajyou's spells.
"Black magic and sacrifices are inseparable. The pain of the sacrifices is the source of black magic's power," the master of the house once explained.
As Roder pushed open the garden door, the pigeons scattered in all directions, as if fleeing from a predator. However, one gray pigeon flew straight to him, landing on his shoulder.
"You're the only one who's friendly with me," Roder said, gently stroking the bird.
"Good morning, Yahweh."
The gray pigeon cooed happily in response.
"Want to go to Fuyuki? Fine, I'll take you when the war starts."
After Yahweh flew off, Roder turned back toward the glass door.
"Are you talking to the pigeons again? Father said you shouldn't talk to them," a young girl who was technically Roder's aunt but much younger than him, approached with an air of superiority.
"Even if you've fooled Father and Sister, you can't fool me. You're an intruder in my garden… a demon."
The small black mage gazed at Roder with her clear, watery blue eyes, and he felt momentarily lost in thought. To get him into the house, Manaka Sajyou had used magic to suggestively influence her father, but she hadn't cast any spells on her younger sister, who had grown suspicious of him.
Manaka Sajyou was a genius who kept the household in perfect order, while Ayaka idolized her sister and practiced magic diligently, all while helping with chores. Father Hiroki not only provided for the family but also actively helped around the house, so much so that it was hard to believe he was a Japanese man.
Compared to them, Roder did no housework, stayed out all night, and frequently asked Manaka Sajyou for money. It was no surprise that Ayaka disliked him.
Roder suddenly felt a strange sense of tragic heroism. Hmph, they don't even know that I'm secretly protecting humanity… at the nightclubs.
"Who are you, really? And what's your relationship with Sister?"
Because her father had once told her that her sister didn't need the garden, Ayaka always considered it her treasure. Roder's frequent strolls through it likely intensified her resentment.
With a hint of mischief, Roder replied, "Well, the whole 'adopted son' thing is a lie. I'm actually Manaka Sajyou's biological son."
"…Biological son."
The girl's expression froze.
Roder wasn't entirely lying. Before turning from black mud into a human, he had only devoured two people: Manaka Sajyou and himself. Thus, his body was 50% derived from Manaka Sajyou's genes. The other 50%… well, that was himself.
Hail Mary! Father, Son, and Spirit, a trinity in unity. Even science fiction wouldn't dare try such a ridiculous setup!
Isn't that right, Yahweh?
"I-I don't believe you! Sister couldn't possibly have a child! You must be a demon infiltrating my house."
"So what are you going to do about me?"
"Hmph, don't be scared when I tell you," Ayaka said proudly, "I'm saving up my allowance to order holy water and a crucifix from the Church's catalog. I'll purify you!"
"Hahaha, please spare me."
If it was the real holy water sold by the Holy Church, it might actually work on him. If mixed into his food, he might end up with an upset stomach or an allergic reaction.
"…But maybe I could spare you," Ayaka suddenly looked a little shy and turned her face away.
—--
Roder raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? The noble magician, are you willing to let me off?"
"Yes, but there's a condition."
"What is it?"
After Roder asked, Ayaka lowered her head. After a moment of silence, she slowly lifted her face, looking a bit shy.
"Can you... pat my head like you did with my sister at the restaurant earlier? If you do that, I'll acknowledge you as my sister's child."
"Huh?"
Roder was stunned.
This kid should hate me.
It's common knowledge that Ayaka Manaka Sajyou, the eldest daughter of the Manaka Sajyou family, has a fixation on her father and brother, while the second daughter is a father-con and sister-con. Given that Roder had won the trust of their father and the affection of her sister, Ayaka Manaka Sajyou should be avoiding him.
Out of confusion, Roder asked, "Why?"
Blushing, the young girl grumbled, "Because you're a boy! I just want to know what it's like to have a boy pat my head. Father never does it, so you can substitute for him! That's all there is to it, nothing more!"
"... I see."
Roder nodded vaguely, and without much thought, he placed his hand on the young girl's head and gently patted her.
"Mm..."
Ayaka Manaka Sajyou closed her eyes, enjoying the affectionate gesture. But soon, she began to feel warmth building at the top of her head.
"Yoshi, yoshi, yoshi, yoshi..."
Ayaka raised her head, displeased, and asked the boy who was vigorously rubbing her head, "Am I imagining things, or is there some subtle malice in this?"
"It's all in your head," Roder replied firmly. "What you're feeling is nothing but genuine warmth from my hand."
Still innocent at her age, Ayaka accepted his explanation, bowed her head again, and timidly asked, "By the way... could you teach me how to talk to pigeons next time?"
"Sure, once I finish my business in Fuyuki, I'll help you in the garden."
Hearing this, the young girl brightened up.
"Hmph... Well, I suppose I can let you into my garden from now on. I mean, I *am* your aunt after all."
...
...
...
In the Manaka Sajyou family's kitchen after breakfast, a charming figure in an apron was at work.
With graceful limbs and elegant movements, the green sleeves of her outfit were rolled up high, revealing snow-white skin covered in frothy bubbles. Even though Ayaka Manaka Sajyou was just washing dishes, from an outsider's perspective, she looked like a figure from a fairy tale.
"I got a head pat from Roder... Hehe, that's a first."
A blush spread across the girl's refined face as her pink lips parted, releasing a voice tinged with mystery.
"How can I get him to pat my head again?"
---
At 7:13 AM, Roder left the Manaka Sajyou family residence in Suginami, Tokyo.
At 8:03 AM, he entered a private residence in Chiyoda, Tokyo.
As an aside, although East Asians in the real world are often thought to appear younger than Caucasians, this rule doesn't apply in the world of anime. In the anime world, foreigners with brightly colored hair and eyes often look even younger.
Standing before Roder was a foreign beauty, Elsa Saijo, a prime example. Half German and half Japanese, she had flaming red hair and vibrant green eyes. Despite being a mother and nearing thirty, her babyface made her look like a high school student.
"Even her figure is similar to that of a high schooler."
Mumbling to himself, Roder followed the woman past the entrance.
"Oh my, what did you just say, Roder?" Elsa's gentle voice came with a hint of menace, causing Roder to quickly shake his head.
"Nothing, really."
Though Elsa Saijo seemed like a cheerful and gentle woman, in reality, she was quite formidable—capable of things ordinary magicians couldn't manage.
During the Tokyo Holy Grail War in a parallel world, Elsa had used three Command Seals to forcibly charge her servant, Arash, to 300% Noble Phantasm power, forcing him to unleash a devastating attack. This was a result of being mentally corrupted by Ayaka Manaka Sajyou.
"Elsa."
As Roder sat on the sofa, he took a thick wad of cash wrapped in envelopes from his bag and placed it on the table.
"This is for this month. I won't be able to come here for a while."
"Thank you for going through all this trouble," Elsa replied, carefully stashing the money before bowing deeply. "I'm sorry. If I could be more useful, I would try to earn more myself..."
"No, you're already doing more than enough. I'm the one who should apologize, for burdening you like this."
Hearing this, Elsa smiled brightly.
"I don't see your child as a burden at all. If it weren't for her, I don't know where I'd be now. I don't know how to thank you enough, Roder. Without you..."
"Ah, so the ATM has arrived... What a rare sight."
A young girl's voice came from the adjacent room. Roder frowned and turned toward the door, where a girl was entering.
"You little brat, who are you calling 'rare'?!"
...That's where she took issue?
Elsa pretended to be annoyed, placing her hands on her hips as she scolded the girl entering the room.
"Karen, don't talk to Roder like that!"
...
The girl standing there had skin as pure as the first snow, deep golden eyes, and flowing silver curls. She wore a simple black dress, resembling a delicate doll—no, more like an angel far removed from the mundane world.
Her name was Karen Ortensia.
This five-year-old girl, whom Roder had stolen from a church in southern Europe a year ago, had experienced a tragic childhood. Her mother had committed suicide, and her father had abandoned her shortly after, leaving her to be raised by a strict priest.
Because suicide is a grave sin in Christianity, Karen, as the daughter of a sinner, was forced to do menial work in the church and was denied education. It wasn't until she developed stigmata at the age of nine that the church took notice, setting her on a harsh path.
However, her life took an unexpected turn when Roder impulsively kidnapped her.
"Apparently, this girl has the mysterious ability to attract and purify demons that try to violate her. I wonder if it would work on me?"
Driven by curiosity, the Demon King flew across continents to her church.
It didn't work at all.
To Roder, she was just a quiet child who sometimes gave adults disdainful looks.
Stealing Karen from the church had been a spur-of-the-moment decision.
"Hey, little girl, wanna come with me? I'll take you somewhere fun."
"..."
Without a word, Karen walked over to Roder and took his hand.
And just like that, Roder brought her back to Japan.
In the end, two people whose paths should never have crossed ended up together.
Elsa, a single mother who had lost her son at five years old.
Karen, abandoned by her father shortly after her mother's death.
Thanks to Roder, the two of them now lived together in Tokyo like mother and daughter.
By the way, Ayaka stole the Holy Grail, and Roder stole a saint. Like mother, like son.
"Hey, Roder. Are you leaving Tokyo?" Karen asked, sitting directly on his lap. Her golden eyes gazed up at him.
"Oh? What's gotten into you? Are you trying to make me stay?" Roder asked, half-joking.
Karen shook her head, her silver hair shimmering as it moved.
"Roder, don't die. When you get back, take me to Disneyland."
To her, Roder seemed like the type to constantly risk his life.
Roder agreed without hesitation. "Deal."
"...Okay."
A flicker of light shone in the depths of the young girl's golden eyes as she silently hopped off his lap, pulling a ¥10,000 note from the envelope on the table and heading toward the entrance.
Both Elsa and Roder stared in surprise.
"Karen, where are you going?"
"I'm meeting my friends at the park's sandbox."
Buying friendship with money isn't how it works, Karen. Roder smiled wryly.
Elsa raised an eyebrow, disapproving. "Karen, Roder rarely visits. Can't you stay at home a little longer?"
"Seeing that Roder is alive is enough. He's not the type to abandon children anyway," Karen responded, calmly sitting at the entrance while putting on her small shoes.
"And besides, you two are probably going to the bedroom next, right? I'd just be in the way. I'll leave first so I don't cramp your style."
---
"Wh-Wh-What!"
In an instant, Elsa's elegant face flushed a deep crimson, matching the color of her hair.
Lowering her gaze shyly, she stammered, "k-Karen, stop teasing me!"
"Elsa, Roder, I'm heading out. Don't go into my room."
Watching Karen's small figure leave, Roder couldn't help but think to himself: ...Is she really only five years old?
Thud, the door shut.
As soon as Karen left, Roder rose from the sofa.
"Well, I should be heading out too. My train leaves at 9:30 AM."
"I'll drive you to the station in the new city," Elsa said after a few moments of silence.
Roder, still not fully grasping her meaning, grumbled, "Huh? Do you know how much gas that's gonna burn?"
"But... I don't want to ignore her kindness," Elsa murmured, her expression soft.
With a teasing smile, she grabbed Roder's wrist and pulled him close.
The former mother then playfully pushed the shorter young man onto the couch.
Her tongue lightly swept across her lips as she leaned in close, breathing warm air into his ear.
"I've been waiting for this moment for a whole month..."
---
By the time Roder arrived in Fuyuki City, it was already late in the afternoon.
"That'll be 14,700 yen," the taxi driver said, glancing at Roder through the rearview mirror.
"Alright, give me a second."
Japanese taxis are pricier than escorts, Roder thought to himself, silently cursing at the exorbitant fare. He pulled out two large bills from his wallet.
"Thank you, sir. Have a nice day."
Roder stepped out of the taxi and walked towards a gloomy mansion, bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun.
This was the Matou residence, known among Type-Moon fans as a pilgrimage site for interdimensional travelers. A true fan could skip the Clock Tower or even Chaldea, but they could never bypass the Matou household.
As the sounds of cicadas filled the air, an elderly man who resembled a mummy stood in front of the Matou mansion.
His sunken eyes gleamed sharply, and his frail body radiated a surprising sense of intimidation.
"It's been a while, Roder," the old man said.
"Yo, Zouken Matou," Roder waved casually, "You're still in good shape—better than anything else."
The elderly man, Matou Zouken Matou, was the head of the Matou family and one of the founders of the Holy Grail War.
Once a talented magician by the name of Makiri Zouken Matou, he had now become a grotesque creature, subsisting by feeding on human blood for over 500 years. He couldn't even step into sunlight—a true monster in every sense.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with Zouken Matou at the door, Roder made his way through the dark corridors of the mansion and settled on a sofa in the reception room.
"I've already earned the right."
Roder raised his right hand, displaying the three scarlet command seals that had appeared on the back of his hand when he entered Fuyuki City two hours ago.
"Oh? Now that's... quite the intriguing design. It looks like this Holy Grail War will be worth watching after all. But Roder, I doubt you came here just to tell me about that."
"As sharp as ever, Zouken Matou. No, I came today to say my final goodbye to Sakura."
Zouken Matou's eyes narrowed. "So, you mean..."
"Exactly. As per our agreement, I request that you implant the Crest Worm into Sakura's body tonight," Roder said nonchalantly.
Zouken Matou's frail body trembled slightly, and a cruel smile crept across his lips.
"Heh. I knew I wasn't wrong about you. You're quite the delightful young man."
"Haha... the feeling is mutual."
In the dimly lit reception room, the handsome youth and the hideous old man locked eyes, both wearing sinister, chilling smiles.
As the setting sun cast its light through the curtains, Zouken Matou's mind began to drift, recalling the day he first met Roder.
---
One year ago, just a few days before the Matou family took in the second daughter of the Tōsaka family, Zouken Matou first laid eyes on Roder.
For a monster that had lived for 500 years, it felt as if time had frozen the moment he saw Roder. Despite his short, delicate frame, Roder exuded a powerful presence far beyond his appearance.
That impossibly beautiful face carried a smile that didn't reach his cold, calculating eyes. But it was Roder's jet-black pupils that weighed on Zouken Matou the most.
Just locking eyes with him made Zouken Matou feel as though he were being sucked into an abyss of absolute zero.
What kind of creature is this? Zouken Matou's first thought.
"I'm a demon," Roder intRoderuced himself.
Zouken Matou immediately accepted it. The elder was a decaying parasite feeding on human lives, while Roder was a dragon capable of devouring souls to evolve.
Though their natures were opposite, both shared the same vile core, hidden beneath a human facade.
A year ago, Roder proposed a deal to Zouken Matou: "I'll represent the Matou family in the Fourth Holy Grail War. In return, delay planting the worms in Sakura's body for a year. During that time, do not touch her. I'll also visit her occasionally to play. Don't worry, I have no interest in her. She's still the property of the Matou family. When the year is up, you can do whatever you want with her."
"What's your goal?"
Zouken Matou had been unable to comprehend his true motive at the time.
"I just want to build a good relationship with the Tōsaka girl before... well, before she's 'trained' by the worms."
"...!!!"
Understanding Roder's true intention, the old magician's eyes widened.
Roder wasn't just a monster; he was something far worse. His plan was to first earn Sakura's trust, only to betray her later in the most devastating way possible. He would raise the unsuspecting girl up, only to then smash her to pieces.
The despair, hatred, pain, and sorrow that Sakura would feel at that moment... it was all part of Roder's design.
Seeing the beauty in his malicious intent, Zouken Matou couldn't help but feel genuine fear. This boy fed on human suffering and took joy in it.
The deal was struck, and the devil and magician signed a contract. For one year, Zouken Matou would keep Sakura safe while Roder would represent the Matou family in the war, delivering the Holy Grail to them if victorious. The contract included conditions preventing either from harming the other—after all, Zouken Matou was the man who devised the command seal system, and no one could break such a contract.
During that year, Roder traveled frequently between Tokyo and Fuyuki, bringing gifts to Sakura each time in an effort to win her affection. As the Matou mansion was a cold, grim place for a young girl, Sakura eventually saw Roder as her emotional anchor, calling him "big brother" and smiling at him openly.
Zouken Matou had witnessed it all, and it only amused him further.
"Hmph... this is what they mean when they say, 'Before the gods destroy a person, they first drive them mad.'"
And now, the year was up. Roder had informed Zouken Matou two weeks in advance to prepare the worm chamber. The two disguised demons were about to prepare a grand blood-soaked ritual for the innocent girl that very night.
---
"Sakura is out playing with the other children at this time, so you'll have to wait until dinner for her to return," Zouken Matou said, shifting the conversation. "By the way, Kariya Matou visited me again yesterday. He's still spouting the same old nonsense, claiming he wants to join the war as the second Master of the Matou family."
Just as in the original Fate/Zero, Kariya Matou Matou had learned about Sakura being sent to the Matou family nearly a year ago. As the second son of the family, he was well aware of the nature of their magic.
Kariya Matou had approached Zouken Matou, volunteering to represent the Matou family in the Holy Grail War, on the condition that if he succeeded, Sakura would be freed. Of course, part of his motivation was also a desire to exact revenge on Tōsaka Tokiomi. However, Zouken Matou no longer needed Kariya Matou—he had already made a pact with a far more powerful magician.
Roder had only met Kariya Matou once.
"Are you a magician?" Roder had asked him.
"I'd like to think so," Kariya Matou replied.
Roder had simply sneered, then turned and walked away.
---
"So, Roder, what's your take on this? While Kariya Matou has never trained in magic, he does have the minimum qualifications to be selected by the Grail. He's even agreed to have the Crest Worms implanted in him, so his capabilities as a Master would at least be sufficient," Zouken Matou said, his tone calculating.
For Zouken Matou, this was the closest he'd ever been to attaining the Holy Grail.
---
---
Lately, he had been seriously considering the strategies for the Fourth Holy Grail War.
The old magician slowly said, "If we let Kariya Matou join the battle, it could reduce the number of competitors while using him as a meat shield. Not a bad plan, right?"
Hearing this, Roder impatiently shook his leg.
"Matou, have you gone senile?"
Matou Zouken trembled. "...Huh?"
"You mention the Fuyuki Holy Grail Wars, how many generations of the Matou family have participated with bug-user Masters? Has anything changed? It's just the same old story with a new face.
And who do you think I'm working with? I'm aligned with the prestigious black magic families of Tokyo, descendants of English witches."
Roder straightened up on the sofa, disdain evident on his face. "Who are your people, Matou? You expect me to lead them?"
Matou Zouken was secretly startled.
The usually mild and somewhat frivolous young man suddenly shifted his attitude, speaking harshly in the Matou mansion's reception room.
"What's the state of the Matou family now? Just a handful of people, and you think Kariya Matou can become a Master? Can he really? He's not capable! Don't you know that?"
Roder sighed deeply.
"Keep going like this, and you'll lose to some outsider rookie magus. Tohsaka's already losing ground to outsiders, and next, you'll lose to some murderous amateur. Then there'll be no one left to lose to."
"Cough... My initial plan was for the Matou family to prepare for the Fifth Holy Grail War…"
"Oh, thank heavens!"
Roder clasped his hands together sarcastically, cutting off Matou Zouken's words.
He looked at the old magician with a mix of disappointment and pity.
"I've already told you, the Matou family's magical bloodline is long gone.
Can you guarantee that the Matou family will win the Fifth Holy Grail War, 60 years from now?"
With such creatures around, how could magic flourish?
Matou Zouken remained silent.
Indeed, getting the chance to align himself with Roder was the luckiest thing to happen to him in over a hundred years.
Though his family was being criticized ruthlessly, Matou Zouken dared not breathe a word in opposition.
Roder sighed again, casting a glance at the defeated old magus. "Let's be practical. Leave this Fourth Holy Grail War to me."
"...Yes. I understand."
Matou Zouken accepted this, nodding. "Next time that Kariya Matou brat shows up here, I'll throw him out."
"Has Roder-nii-chan come by today?"
Suddenly, a sweet voice echoed through the corridor, accompanied by the sound of hurried footsteps on the creaky wooden floor.
A cute girl with short black hair and dark eyes burst through the door. Her face beamed with a joyful smile as she adjusted the pink ribbon tied to her hair.
The ribbon was a birthday gift from Roder months ago, something she cherished so much she rarely wore it.
Guessing that Roder would likely visit soon, the seven-year-old girl had been wearing it for the past few days, hoping to catch his attention.
Now, she was adorably trying to show it off, behaving in a way beyond her years to charm him.
"Sakura, mind your manners."
Matou Zouken's stern voice made the girl freeze.
"Yes... Grandfather. Good evening, Roder-sama."
Waving his hand as if performing a routine, Roder smiled. "It's fine, it's fine. Sakura is still just a child. Besides, this isn't the Tohsaka house. No need to be bound by those strict magus aristocrat rules."
The old magician, leaning on his cane, rose to his feet. "Well then, I'll be heading to the basement to make preparations."
"No, Matou. Take Sakura to the basement first. I'll come down in five minutes."
Roder walked over to Sakura, crouching in front of her and placing his hand on her shoulder.
"Starting today, little Sakura will be officially learning magic. Are you scared?"
"Learning magic? Is Roder-nii going to teach me magic?" Sakura blinked her wide eyes curiously.
At her age, she was beginning to understand some of the happenings within her family.
Roder was an ally of her grandfather, a powerful magus whose strength belied his youthful appearance.
If Roder was going to teach her magic, perhaps that meant they would get to spend more time together. The thought made her happy.
"No, I won't be the one teaching you. But I'll be right there with you, by your side."
"Then I'm not scared! I'll do my best, Roder-nii!"
"Good girl. Work hard at magic, and when you grow up, your sister will be amazed by your progress."
Roder gently patted her head with a smile, while Matou Zouken watched their interaction with cold eyes from behind.
Ah... So that's how it is.
The plan was for the old man to take Sakura into the worm pit, showing her the horror of her fate.
Then, when she fell into despair, Roder would arrive, appearing as if he had come to save her. At that point, Sakura would surely see him as her savior.
But in truth, the "brother" she admired was no angel. He was a demon, there to witness her suffering and ultimately deliver her to her doom.
From falling from the mortal world into hell, to seeing paradise, only to be cast into the deepest inferno.
The old magician was very satisfied with the script Roder had written, letting out a twisted laugh. "Heh heh heh... This is why you're special."
If only this boy were his grandson. The old man sighed as he opened the door to the reception room.
"Let's go, Sakura."
"Yes, Grandfather. See you later, Roder-nii!"
"See you~"
Sakura skipped out of the room, and after Matou Zouken closed the door, he could hear Roder murmuring to himself.
"Übermensch, a concept introduced by Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche in Thus Spoke Zarathustra," Roder said, walking leisurely toward the window, watching the orange sun sink below the horizon.
"Nietzsche believed that all species create something greater than themselves, and that humanity must evolve into the Übermensch. The Übermensch is to humanity as humanity is to animals; humanity is merely a bridge between the two.
God, having died from excessive compassion, leaves the Übermensch as the new god of the world.
This is the famous idea of 'God is dead.'"
---
A stench of rot and moisture filled the air, like the oppressive green darkness of the deep sea.
This was the insect pit hidden beneath the Matou mansion, which stood on a hillside in the mountains.
Facing the grotesque sight, Sakura covered her nose, her voice trembling.
"G-Grandfather, what is this place... What are these bugs?"
Several meters in front of the girl, a massive pit lay open.
Within the abyss, countless dark figures squirmed.
Hideous forms, suction-cup-like mouths, a mixture of slime and human flesh.
Teeming.
It was an ocean of insects, gathered together like a thick, black carpet.
It was a rotting city, reeking of decayed flesh, accompanied by a terrifying chorus of buzzing and clicking.
These were Zouken's beloved creatures, magic-infused worms that craved human fluids, brains, and bone marrow.
If a man fell in, his spine would be crushed, his brain devoured, leaving him a mindless husk.
For a woman, the worms would infest her body, taking control of her nervous system, turning her into a creature driven by insatiable lust.
While burning away her reason and ravaging her mind, the worms would feast upon her womb.
A woman overtaken by these creatures would have her heart and body completely destroyed.
The number of worms accumulated in the basement amounted to the stockpile of 200 years.
Per Roder's request, Zouken had brought out all his resources tonight to prepare a grand ritual for Sakura.
"Well then, let's begin."
"...Grandfather, no, please."
As Zouken described the process in chilling detail, tears welled up in Sakura's eyes, her voice breaking with despair.
"If you must blame someone, blame your arrogant father, who trusted his allies too much. Oh, wait, Tohsaka Tokiomi isn't even your father anymore, is he? Ha ha ha, ho ho ho."
The worm master, Zouken, chuckled as he moved toward the girl.
"Now, go and become the true Matou Sakura."
"No!!!"
Sakura screamed, her legs giving out as she collapsed onto the ground.
"Oh dear... Sakura, this won't do. Don't make this difficult for me."
Zouken walked over, grabbed her by the hair, and dragged her to the edge of the pit.
"No, no, no... Ah!!!"
With a swift motion, Sakura's small body was thrown into the writhing pit of insects.
The moment she fell, the worms, sensing a fresh, delicious prey, erupted into a cacophony of screeches.
The grotesque swarm surged forward, rolling and twisting as they swallowed up the small body.
Pain, screams, tears, endurance... become the best vessel the Matou family has ever known.
Zouken's face twisted into a vile grin.
Then—
"...Hmm?"
The smile vanished from the old man's lips, as an eerie silence slowly filled the air.
"Hah."
Suddenly, laughter echoed from the hellish swarm of worms.
"Haha, ahahahahahahaha!"
More chilling than the screeching and writhing of the worms was the pure, innocent laughter of a young girl.
The rotting sea quaked abruptly.
Fragments of broken insect bodies erupted into the air like a tsunami, while the surrounding worms frantically tried to flee.
"…What? What's happening?!"
Matou Zouken stared intensely at the depths of the worm pit.
From the spot where Matou Sakura had been thrown, several blue-black ribbons shot out.
The ribbons spun like the blades of a propeller, shredding the surrounding worms into pieces.
"Sakura! What are you doing? What is that!?"
Emerging from the endless swarm of insects, Matou Sakura's appearance had changed.
Though her body remained the same size, her short black hair had transformed into a watery purple, and her dark eyes were now stained with the color of blood.
"A fallen human has no value to be loved. Though I have no interest in you, I'll grant you this explanation as a gesture for the year you've raised me."
The girl, who resembled Sakura yet wasn't quite her, looked up at Matou Zouken, her face twisted in a mocking smile.
---
The moment their eyes met, Zouken Matou held his breath.
He had seen those eyes before.
Where was it?
Ah, right.
Those eyes—they were exactly like Rodo's.
"The Demon King of the Sixth Heaven, Mara. Descend now."
…
Zouken Matou's knowledge and intellect had reached the very limits of what a human could achieve.
He had the wisdom to recognize Sakura's potential and exploited it to the fullest.
Zouken's downfall wasn't due to his vile methods but because, despite his lofty vision, he remained bound by human limitations.
Sakura's capabilities far exceeded the old sorcerer's expectations, surpassing human boundaries.
Mara, also known as Beast III/L.
One of the seven evils of humanity, a Beast that governs the concept of "AI desire/fall."
Mara's alternate name is Kama, often seen as two aspects of the same being. Some even regard them both as one entity—Kama and Mara.
One year ago, Rodo used himself as the Holy Grail and summoned a Servant using the young Matou Sakura as a vessel—
The deity Kama.
The miraculous compatibility between Sakura's soul and the essence of Kama & Mara made this reckless summoning a success.
Since Kama wasn't a proper Servant summoned for the Holy Grail War and had no contract with Rodo, she existed as a weak Servant sustained only by her Master's mana and the Independent Action skill.
To conserve energy, Kama had hidden within the young girl's body, avoiding Zouken Matou's detection.
Until today, when Zouken prepared the culmination of his life's work for his granddaughter—his collection of worms amassed over 200 years.
To a Demon King, these mana-filled creatures were the perfect feast, enough to sustain her presence for quite some time.
…
A blue-black ribbon swirled through the inferno, cutting down evil souls within the swarm of worms.
Even as the filthy creatures tried to flee from Kama, they were trapped by the towering walls of the worm nest.
In the end, it became a one-sided massacre, the young demoness ruthlessly slaughtering the swarm.
"...Hahahaha! Grandfather, you hid so much delicious mana! I'm so happy!"
"Ahhh! Ahhhhhhh!"
Watching his 200 years of work being destroyed, Zouken Matou let out a panicked scream.
"Wait, stop! Sakura, stop this!"
"Oh, has it started already? Makiri, I told you to wait for me before we began."
A voice came from behind Zouken Matou, making him turn in a panic.
It was his ally, the orchestrator of the ritual—Rodo—casually chewing on a rice ball as he slowly approached the entrance to the worm nest.
"Hey, Rodo! What's going on?!"
"Huh? This?"
Rodo looked at the rice ball in his hand and said, "This is a rice ball my mom made for me. It's salmon-filled."
"...!?!!"
"Hey, even if you glare at me like that, I'm not sharing."
"I'm asking why Sakura turned into this!"
"Makiri, you said I could cultivate Sakura over the past year, didn't you?
Sorry, looks like I overdid it a bit. Accidentally brought out the dark side of her heart."
"What kind of cultivation would turn her into this?!" Zouken Matou screamed hysterically.
"I said I'm sorry. Geez, you want me to go 'Hehe~☆' and show you or something?"
Rodo shrugged and walked to the edge of the worm pit, looking down.
"Yikes, that's brutal."
He continued eating his rice ball, enjoying the sight of the girl dancing merrily amid the massacre.
"Ah… Satan-senpai, you've come."
Kama stopped slaughtering the worms and looked up at Rodo. "Care to join me in the fun?"
"Not a chance."
Rodo backed away from the edge with a look of disgust, moving to stand beside the now speechless Zouken Matou. He patted the old man's shoulder.
"Makiri, wasn't this supposed to be 200 years' worth?"
Zouken Matou, now realizing the severity of the situation, babbled incoherently.
"Wait, wait, Rodo, stop! We've already made a contract! You can't hurt me! I've followed all your conditions…"
"Well, Makiri, isn't it great?
The Matou family produced such an exceptional child—you should have no regrets now, right?
Well then, time for you to perform your final duty as a grandfather."
With that, Rodo kicked the old sorcerer squarely in the back, sending him plummeting into the worm nest below.
Go on, use your flesh to feed your beloved granddaughter.
"Ah~ It's Grandfather~"
The girl who had become the Demon King smiled elegantly, raising her slender hand.
Ribbons extended from her feet, tightly binding Zouken Matou's limbs.
Rip.
He didn't even have time to scream.
The old sorcerer's body was torn into pieces in midair, raining down as a shower of worm corpses.
And thus, in the depths of the Matou mansion, only two Demon Kings remained.
"Ahaha! Hahahahahahaha!"
The black flames flickered across the sea of worms, celebrating the birth of another Beast.
—--
Zouken Matou had not yet died.
The old man, whose body should have been destroyed by Kama, was still alive somewhere within the Matou mansion.
Naturally.
The Zouken Matou that had been defeated in the basement was merely a mass of worms. The true core of the old monster, the vessel that housed his soul—the brainworm—still existed.
Even the demonic king's anti-spirit attack couldn't completely kill this 500-year-old monster without destroying his true form.
However—
The immortal Zouken Matou was slowly dying.
When Mara descended, the Matou mansion was transformed into her demon king's castle.
This place had become part of her body, a universe of ashes from which no mortal could escape.
Zouken once thought that Sakura's womb could give birth to a superior heir, but he never imagined the girl's body could grow into something on a cosmic scale.
Most of his power had been destroyed. Now, Zouken's body was reduced to a dying worm, but it still retained consciousness.
He didn't want to die.
"Oh... oh... oh..."
His pained writhing was nothing more than a piece of decaying flesh twitching.
Even so, he was still alive.
Cursing his melting body, clinging to his obsession, he remained in the world.
He didn't want to die.
"Oh... oh... oh..."
Zouken squirmed across the ground.
But extinction was only a matter of time.
He didn't want to die.
The old magus, now a mass of flesh, was in unbearable pain, yet still clung to life.
As the decay reached its end, he would simply die full of regret.
"Oh... oh... oh..."
Was it the agony of death or his unfulfilled desires?
He didn't want to die.
What could he accomplish if he disappeared now?
Five hundred years.
Five hundred years of a painful journey, and if he died now, it would all have been for nothing.
"Oh... oh... oh!"
What came to mind was only suffering.
Makiri's long-held wish.
A family exiled from its homeland, cast to the far East, and unable to adapt to the foreign magical laws, leading to its decline.
But that was a lie.
If that had been the truth, then maybe there would be some salvation.
If that had been the reason his bloodline ended, perhaps he could accept extinction.
But it wasn't because of Japan's incompatibility with his magic.
External factors alone could never bring an end to the Makiri lineage.
For 300 years, since the time of his ancestors' pursuit of magic, the Makiri family line had thrived. But after 300 years, the family of magi reached its limit.
With Zouken, the decline of the Makiri lineage began.
The suffering started there. The old man could only deny it.
The Makiri family came to a halt in his generation.
His entire life as Zouken Matou had been about desperately concealing and resisting that fact.
He didn't want to die.
He didn't want to die, didn't want to die, didn't want to die, didn't want to die, didn't want to die, didn't want to die, didn't want to die, didn't want to die, didn't want to die, didn't want to die, didn't want to die, didn't want to die, didn't want to die, didn't want to die, didn't want to die, didn't want to die, didn't want to die...!!!
--
"Ugh, ah, ahh...!"
Indeed, there was no reason to die. The hatred for this decaying body burned fiercely. Pain, endless pain. For five hundred years, it had been nothing but pain. Life was pain and nothing more. So, is it wrong to seek eternity? The agony was unbearable, never satiated, only more pain. How could one disappear without leaving any trace after such a long life? How could one die in such torment? Reflecting on these five centuries, it was all like dust—just a stubborn refusal to die. But why, why is it so difficult!!!
Despite the searing pain, the mutilated body continued crawling along the ground.
What incredible obsession this is.
It shouldn't be able to move; no, it doesn't even have the means to act. Yet, driven solely by malice, it pressed forward.
It had become a creature formed entirely of pure obsession.
In its mind, only one thought remained: *survive*, like an insect writhing and rolling over.
"How wretched you are, Zouken Matou."
An ethereal voice, as if from a heavenly being, descended from above this abomination that should not exist in this world.
"What...?"
Through his blurry vision, the child born from the defiled Holy Grail stood before him.
Zouken Matou stopped crawling and raised his head to look at the boy.
But he wasn't seeing the boy—he was seeing her.
In the grotesque compound eyes of the insect, the dark, corrupted cup of despair had transformed into a pure white, heavenly chalice.
It was a face from ancient memory.
No matter how much time had passed, it never faded, always lingering in his mind—the golden saint of the Einzbern family.
Two hundred years ago, she had offered herself as a living sacrifice to create the Great Grail, a fellow saint of the heavens.
She hadn't aged a day since that moment.
"Answer me, my enemy. Why do you refuse to die?"
Her voice, so familiar, rose for the first time in ages.
The simple question caused Zouken Matou's painful thoughts to halt.
Why, why do I not wish to die?
Why do I have no reason to die?
If it were to end, there would be freedom from this torment. And yet, I still cling to life. But why?
"Ah... ahh, ahhhh!"
The memories came flooding back.
Yes, it had all started with a noble purpose.
Yes, Zouken Matou had one dream: to eradicate all evil from this world!
When he realized that evil could never truly be eradicated, that as long as humanity existed, evil would remain tethered to them...
When he realized that humans could never paint a true utopia...
If humanity had limits, then the only solution was to surpass humanity.
The original three who established the Holy Grail system shared the same wish: to turn all human souls into pure substance.
They pursued the Grail, seeking a world beyond human limitations.
Until that miracle was achieved, there was no reason to disappear.
No matter how many defeats, even if it became clear that the body could not reach that goal, as long as he still lived, he would never give up.
"...Ah, ah."
So, he would continue to survive.
Even if he became a monster, feeding off the lives of others.
Even knowing it was meaningless, he could only keep seeking.
Even if no reward awaited him in the future.
"Ah... ahhh... ahhhhh!"
This was Zouken Matou's original wish.
Compared to this impossible dream, the desire to avoid death seemed so insignificant!
"It seems you've remembered."
In a daze, Zouken Matou's eyes returned to the image of the black-haired, black-eyed boy.
"Ahh, ahahaha...!"
Even as the end appRoderched, the dying creature still asked the beast of evil,
"A world without evil... haha, can it be achieved?"
Roder replied calmly,
"God is dead."
–
After Roder spoke these words, a soul-shattering scream echoed through the void.
"Ah, ahhh, ahhhhhh!!!"
Like a butterfly breaking out of its cocoon, the creature known as Zouken Matou danced in mad joy.
Indeed.
Mankind had severed ties with the divine long ago, having ascended to the top of the evolutionary chain for thousands of years.
They had grown as a species, surpassing countless seasons and eons.
What were five hundred years in comparison?
A mere fragment of time would not bring about miracles.
Our wish is far grander, brighter, more noble. It will be fulfilled somewhere in the distant future.
The journey has only just begun, said the worm of evil.
"Consume me, my king! Let my knowledge become your flesh and blood! Let my obsession become your power!"
Without hesitation, the beast of evil nodded.
"I accept your resolve."
In the next instant, like a spatial distortion had occurred, the worm's head vanished, leaving a smooth severed arc on its torso.
With a second, then a third bite, the last of the original three who sought miracles disappeared without a trace.
The mage, driven by his long-held desire, had become a part of the Beast of 666.
...
"All gods are dead: now we must strive to live like the Übermensch." Let this be our final vow in the great moment!"
Thus spoke Zarathustra.
...
As a Beast born from the Grail of corruption, Roder operated similarly to the Fuyuki Grail. He could evolve into his complete form by consuming the souls of seven servants.
Beyond devouring servants, consuming human souls could also advance Roder's evolution, though it required vast numbers.
Roder had no interest in becoming a complete Beast, so he restrained himself from such actions.
As an aside, powerful enough beings devoured by him could continue to exist in an Alter form.
"Ah."
After the long-awaited feast, Roder stretched lazily.
He could feel his power slightly increase within him.
One result was an increase in HP.
Setting aside the abilities and skills of a Beast, Roder himself was a walking Holy Grail.
He possessed near-infinite magical power and absolute authority over servants.
While it would be easy for him to annihilate a certain gold-loving citizen in the Holy Grail War, on the other hand, his durability wasn't much better than that of a regular master.
Forget about surviving a Noble Phantasm designed for armies; even a passing priest's exorcism would permanently remove him from this beautiful yet cruel world.
In summary, Roder was a typical glass cannon.
Devouring souls slightly increased his health, for one thing.
More importantly, after swallowing Zouken Matou, he inherited all of his knowledge and gained access to Matou's secret arts.
Normally, consuming human souls would not grant Roder their abilities.
However, the old worm was special.
The Matou family's magic specialized in absorption, with water as its elemental attribute.
Note that water magic in this world didn't simply mean using water to attack or heal. Rather, it was a more abstract concept—water represented *flow*.
Thanks to this characteristic, Matou magic had a unique feature: it always returned its results to the caster's body.
By consuming Zouken Matou's soul, Roder absorbed his techniques as well.
This was one of the reasons Roder chose Zouken Matou.
Although he had no interest in using worms to drain human nutrients, the other magical assets left behind by the old man were quite useful.
For example, the soul-separation technique Matou had used to protect himself.
By separating his soul from his physical and mental body and storing it in a safe location, Zouken could revive again and again as long as his soul was unharmed.
This technique, reminiscent of a phylactery from fantasy literature, was one that Zouken Matou had mastered, perhaps better than any other human mage in this world.
Though the insect housing his soul slumbered elsewhere, his elderly body was no different from any other mage.
In this world, the mind was the operating system, the body the machine, and the soul the memory data.
Zouken Matou's technique was akin to instant data backup, uploading his memory to a terminal server.
For someone like Roder, with high offense but fragile defense, this technique was a perfect fit.
From now on, as long as Roder could find a suitable vessel for his soul, he could Roderm Fuyuki City freely.
No more worrying about being blasted away by a stray Noble Phantasm.
"Hmm... What would make a good vessel for my soul?"
As Roder combed through Zouken Matou's knowledge, he muttered to himself.
"It doesn't necessarily have to be a familiar or a living creature. Even an object, like a sword or a coin, could serve as a vessel for my soul.
But if someone were to steal it, a living being at least has a chance to escape, whereas an object would be doomed."
Pondering this, Roder made his way back to the mansion's first floor from Zouken Matou's secret magical workshop.