"…I understand. Follow me."
Zouken Matou looked at Zuke, pausing for a moment, likely calculating his odds of winning if they fought.
But he quickly realized he couldn't break through the strange spherical space surrounding Zuke, so he gave up and agreed to take Zuke to find Sakura Matou.
Initially, Zouken thought Zuke was just a mage connected to the Holy Grail War. But now, he realized Zuke might actually be a Servant.
Though Zouken wasn't sure why Zuke, as a Servant, hadn't arrived in spirit form, his strength was unmistakably real.
"It would've been better if you'd done this from the start."
Zuke nodded and followed Zouken, who turned to lead the way with a sullen expression.
Naturally, Zuke had no fondness for this old parasite. If he didn't need to find Sakura Matou, he would've already dealt with him.
While Zouken had initially extended his life for the Holy Grail and a vision of justice, he had long forgotten those ideals, now merely existing for the sake of living.
Before long, under Zouken's lead, Zuke arrived at a staircase leading down to the basement, where he felt an unsettling presence.
It wasn't that there was a powerful threat down there—just something that made him feel slightly disgusted.
Zuke knew that this was likely the Matou family's infamous worm pit, a place filled with vile creatures used to modify human bodies.
"Could it be that this old man has already thrown Sakura into the worm pit?"
As Zouken led him to the pit's entrance, Zuke felt a chill. Had he arrived a step too late?
There was no point in overthinking it, so he followed Zouken down into the pit.
Sure enough, the bottom of the pit was packed with a multitude of writhing insects, the sight alone enough to make anyone with a fear of clusters faint.
Standing by the edge of the worm pit was a visibly frightened Sakura Matou.
Zuke glanced at Sakura. Her hair was still black, which meant her body had yet to undergo the Matou family's worm magic transformation.
"…Grandfather?"
Sakura, upon seeing Zouken leading Zuke into the worm pit, instinctively shrank back and spoke timidly.
At this moment, Sakura was still gripped with fear toward her new "grandfather." She had barely managed not to run away, using every bit of her courage.
Seeing her reaction, Zuke confirmed that she had not yet undergone the transformation.
On one hand, her hair and eye colors hadn't changed as in the original story; on the other, her reaction to Zouken still resembled that of a normal child.
The worm pit transformation would also have drastically altered her personality, making her numb from the horrific treatment she endured.
But now, seeing her expression of fear confirmed that she had not yet gone through such an ordeal.
Since Sakura was standing here near the pit, today was likely the day she was supposed to be thrown in.
Zouken had brought her to the pit and was just about to send her down when the manor's defenses were triggered.
After leaving Sakura at the worm pit, Zouken had rushed to confront the intruder—only to be unable to return.
Realizing he couldn't defeat Zuke, Zouken had no choice but to obediently lead him to Sakura.
"Sakura, come here. Your sister wants to see you."
Zuke reached out a hand toward Sakura, disregarding Zouken, who stood watching nearby.
"You don't need to stay in this wretched place anymore."
Though Sakura was young, she was already mature for her age. She likely understood why Zouken had brought her to such a terrifying place.
Yet, due to her gentle nature and lack of power, she couldn't resist, even if she didn't want this fate.
Her trembling body made it clear just how terrified she was.
Upon seeing Zuke's outstretched hand, she clung to it instinctively, as if grasping her only hope.
"Friend… are you certain you want to do this?"
Zouken's face darkened further as he watched Zuke calmly "abducting" Sakura right in front of him.
Although Zouken had anticipated this outcome when Zuke asked to see Sakura, he couldn't hold back when it came to taking her away.
He had little hope for the Fourth Holy Grail War, so he couldn't care less if Zuke targeted it. But Sakura was his key piece for the Fifth Holy Grail War. If she was taken, his entire plan would collapse.
"So? What do you intend to do?"
Zuke held Sakura's hand and looked sideways at Zouken—this old man was good at survival, but his combat abilities left much to be desired.
Since Sakura had not yet been transformed, Zouken couldn't hide any worms inside her body.
If it came to a fight, Zuke wouldn't need to worry about her safety.
"That child was promised by Tokiomi Tohsaka. You mentioned Tohsaka's daughter, which means you must be connected to the Tohsaka family, correct?"
Zouken spoke in his raspy voice, staring at Zuke.
"The Tohsaka and I are cooperating, you see—"
Smack!
Before Zouken could finish, Zuke suddenly raised his hand, clenching it into a fist in the air—a motion that emitted a grating sound.
Sakura didn't understand why Zuke had made a fist as Zouken spoke, but Zouken's face paled.
"Old man, is this your attitude?"
Zuke opened his hand to reveal a tiny black remnant—a crushed worm.
Zouken had attempted to divert Zuke's attention with his words, stealthily sending an almost invisible worm toward him.
But Zuke, with his keen sense for "Ki," detected the worm's approach and crushed it effortlessly.
This was a clear sign that Zouken was ready for a fight, right?
Even if Zouken hadn't made the first move, Zuke didn't plan to let this parasite off easily.
"Wait…"
Feeling a chill, Zouken tried to stop him.
But before he could finish, his upper body vanished instantly—a black bird had materialized beside him, and a spherical void tore through half his body.
To be continued…
Gilgamesh appears for the first time!
Jojo world's mission is here!
Ai Hayasaka wants to be dominated?!?
Find out on my Patreon!
Psst, Ningen, you are under arrest. Hand over your Power Stones if you wanna Live!
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