Rin looked at Chihiro with a hint of excitement. "But this way, we'll have another powerful Servant on our side!"
Chihiro shook his head. "Don't be so optimistic. Even though Sigurd has divinity, he's still vulnerable to Gilgamesh's Heaven's Chain."
Rin's face fell. "Ah, what are we supposed to do about that then?"
Chihiro smiled confidently. "Don't worry. With so many of us here, do you really think we can't handle Gilgamesh?"
"Oh, did you summon another Servant?"
At that moment, Zhang Jiao, who'd heard the commotion, came down from upstairs.
[Name: Zhang Jiao; Class: Caster; Gender: Male; Alignment: Chaotic Good.]
[Strength: E; Endurance: E; Agility: D; Mana: A+; Luck: A; Noble Phantasm: A.]
[Class Skills: Territory Creation B; Item Construction B.]
[Personal Skills: General of Heaven B-; Great Teacher A; Way of the Taiping EX.]
[Noble Phantasm: The Azure Sky is Already Dead, the Yellow Sky will Soon Rise (Rank A, Anti-Army, Range: 1-100, Max Targets: 500).]
"Hello."
Sigurd nodded politely to Zhang Jiao.
Rin looked at Chihiro. "So, should we start our operation tonight?"
Chihiro shook his head. "No, there's something else I want to take care of first."
She raised an eyebrow. "What are you planning?"
He gave a cold smile. "Time to get some revenge for your sister."
"Wait, you mean…"
Rin immediately understood.
Chihiro smirked. "That's right. Tonight, we're taking care of the old worm."
He'd already despised Matou Zouken beyond words, but after seeing Zouken spying on Kariya the day before, Chihiro decided he couldn't delay getting rid of him any longer.
It would be disastrous if the system made an error and allowed Zouken to join the group.
Remember, Zouken was also connected to the Holy Grail War. He was like a time bomb waiting to go off.
So, after returning the night before, Chihiro started planning to eliminate the old worm for good.
The reason he hadn't acted right away was twofold: he didn't want to act rashly, and he needed to make sure Zouken was still at his residence. After all, Zouken knew he had a Servant now; if he got scared and ran, hunting him down would be a hassle.
Killing this old monster was no easy feat.
Zouken's physical body was a mere shell; his true form had become a swarm of crest worms, created from fragments of the Holy Grail itself. If Chihiro wasn't careful, Zouken might just slip away.
---
Nightfall, at the Matou Estate.
"Damn it, what the hell is going on with that brat Kariya?"
In the depths of the worm pit, Matou Zouken scowled.
He'd been observing Kariya for days but hadn't gleaned anything useful.
What kind of magic could this be, that he a 500-year-old magus couldn't decipher?
"Huh? What's this?"
Suddenly, Zouken sensed something strange: the Matou residence was enveloped in magical energy. He quickly sent out his insects to investigate.
Outside, a thick fog now surrounded the Matou property.
One of Zouken's insects ventured into the mist, only to retreat immediately, disturbed.
"That damn kid!"
Realizing what was happening, Zouken seethed. Only one person could have set up such a mystical barrier without his knowledge, the young magus with that Caster from overseas.
And he was right. The dense fog outside was indeed Zhang Jiao's handiwork.
The night before, Chihiro had asked Zhang Jiao to scout the Matou residence and confirm Zouken's presence. After confirming that Zouken hadn't left, Zhang Jiao planted a surveillance charm in the shadows.
Today, after ensuring Zouken was still at home, they came prepared.
To prevent the old worm from escaping, Chihiro had Zhang Jiao set up a maze barrier around the house.
Better safe than sorry when dealing with someone as slippery as Matou Zouken.
Zouken had been so focused on monitoring Kariya that he hadn't noticed what was happening around his own home. By the time he realized, it was already too late.
"Master, what should we do with these two?"
Sigurd had dragged out two unconscious figures from inside the house: the Matou family head, Byakuya Matou, and his son, Shinji.
"Throw them in the storage room and lock the door."
Chihiro wasn't interested in killing them, so he dismissed them with a wave of his hand.
"Where's the old worm hiding?" Rin asked.
They'd practically announced their presence, yet Zouken hadn't shown himself.
"He's probably in the worm pit."
Chihiro ruffled Rin's twin tails. "You stay here."
"Hey, why?" Rin asked, looking at Chihiro in confusion.
"Have you forgotten what it's like in that worm pit?" Chihiro replied, giving her a knowing look.
Rin paused, shuddering as the memory came back to her. Rubbing her arms, she muttered in disgust, "Fine. I'll wait here."
Chihiro chuckled and then descended into the depths of the Matou mansion with Zhang Jiao by his side.
Guided by Zhang Jiao's sensing abilities, they easily bypassed the hidden spells, finding the entrance to the underground passage leading to the worm pit.
Descending into the depths, a familiar yet revolting sight greeted them: a circular basement, filled with an entangled, writhing mass of insects that made a sickening sound as they squirmed.
"There you are."
Across the pit, Zouken glared at Chihiro, teeth bared.
"You old worm, you've lived long enough. It's time you retired."
Suppressing his revulsion, Chihiro glanced around the worm pit.
He was glad he hadn't let Tohsaka Rin come down, he was barely holding it together himself.
"What did you say?"
Zouken's voice dripped with venom as he processed Chihiro's words.
Had this boy somehow learned his secret?
No, that couldn't be. It was impossible. The secret of his soul-transference was known only to him; there was no way this young mage could have figured it out.
***
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