[FGO]: 173

A damp, gloomy basement, with various types of worms crawling over the floor, walls, and even the ceiling.

Just one glance would make anyone collapse to the ground in terror.

Sakura's pupils dilated to their extreme as her body instinctively recoiled, desperately trying to escape this horrifying place.

However, her escape route was blocked by a person.

Matou Zouken's voice, like two pieces of sandpaper grating harshly against each other, echoed once again.

"Since Tohsaka has given this gift, I'll gladly accept it without hesitation."

"You want to inherit the magecraft of the Matou family? Your current attributes aren't sufficient. You'll need to undergo some serious modifications. Why don't you get acquainted with my little darlings? Keh keh keh!"

With a sinister laugh, Matou Zouken pushed Sakura forcefully from behind, and she instantly fell into the insect pit.

"No! Don't come near me!"

Sakura screamed in terror.

The worms, as if sensing a delicious treat, swarmed toward her.

"Help! Father! Mother! Sister! Someone, please save me!"

Tears streamed down Sakura's face, and a wet stain appeared on her small skirt, which continued to spread.

Frightened and helpless, Sakura lost control of her bladder.

Smelling the pure scent of a young girl, the worms seemed to grow even more excited.

Those at the front—the crest worms specially cultivated by Matou Zouken—rushed toward the terrified Sakura as if they had just discovered a rare delicacy.

Someone, please save me~!

That desperate plea seemed to pierce through the barriers of dimensions, reaching an unknown, dark space.

Suddenly, a bright, scarlet glow appeared on the back of Sakura's hand.

"Oh!!! What is this?!"

The situation had completely exceeded Matou Zouken's expectations, and a shadow of gloom appeared in his eyes.

Soon, a pitch-black summoning circle manifested in the center of the worm pit.

As a figure emerged from the summoning circle, snow fell in the pit.

The insects let out sharp, terrified screeches and frantically tried to burrow into the cracks.

But their efforts were in vain.

In the blink of an eye, the entire insect pit was completely frozen, transformed into a world of frost.

All the filth was covered by pure white frost, leaving only Sakura and Matou Zouken, who stood on a high platform.

The ground, walls, and ceiling were all coated with a thick layer of frost, and the light refracted and reflected off the surface, creating colors as beautiful as gemstones. The previous hellish, nauseating scene had disappeared, replaced by something akin to a fairy tale.

Faced with such a dreamlike scene, Sakura couldn't help but stare in awe.

On the high platform, however, Matou Zouken wore a furious expression, his withered hand gripping his cane tightly.

Through some mysterious connection with the magical worms, he quickly realized a disastrous truth: 95% of the precious magical worms he had spent centuries cultivating had been wiped out instantly!

It was like playing League of Legends, finally completing all the rune pages, only to have someone melt them all overnight; or playing Fate/Grand Order, painstakingly reaching a 100% collection rate, only to have all the gold cards fed as fodder to other characters.

Such a deep grudge—how could anyone bear it!?

But Matou Zouken did bear it.

After all, he was known as the biggest coward in the Type-Moon universe.

He had no choice—it was either endure or perish.

Had it been someone like Shakespeare or Andersen, Matou Zouken would've taught them a lesson in basic manners.

But just from the aura of the Servant that had appeared, Zouken, who had survived for 500 years, knew he was no match.

Still, he had to say something to save face.

"You've destroyed my precious collection the moment you arrived. Don't you think that's a bit much?"

The figure that emerged from the summoning circle was dressed in an imperial gown from the Romanov era, with a black cloak draped over her shoulders as dark as the night sky. Her silver hair cascaded down like a river of stars, her long bangs covering her right eye, giving her an air of elegance mixed with a hint of playfulness.

If Ryou were here, he would surely recognize that the figure emerging from the summoning circle was none other than Anastasia, the last princess of Russia, with whom he had deep ties in the world of Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress.

Compared to their last meeting, Anastasia's appearance had not changed much, but her temperament had undergone a dramatic transformation.

She was pure, aloof, and cold, perfectly embodying the phrase "the unattainable flower."

In contrast to her previous innocence and naivety, Anastasia now stood as a fully matured princess, not just a pretty face.

With just a glance, her eyes pierced through and saw the essence of Matou Zouken's soul.

Anastasia's delicate brows furrowed in disgust.

"To think that such filth as you exists in this world. Your soul is nothing but decay, yet you still cling to the mortal realm. The stench of your kin clings to your soul—those must be your relatives. You offered your kin as sacrifices. There's no saving you."

As Anastasia spoke, her deep blue eyes lit up with a brilliant azure glow, and the temperature in the worm pit plummeted.

Just as Matou Zouken sensed something was wrong and before he could react, his decayed body, made up of countless worms, was instantly frozen and shattered into pieces.

From that moment, there wasn't a single worm left in the Matou household.

Deep in the sewers beneath the Matou residence, a strange-looking worm was crawling deeper into the darkness.

The worm's eyes glinted with cold, hateful, and very human expressions.

Suddenly, a blue light, cutting through layers of barriers, traced the karmic link on its soul and shot toward the worm.

In the worm's terrified gaze, the light hit it directly.

Crack!

With a soft sound, the worm-turned-ice sculpture shattered into a pile of ice shards.

A faint, anguished wail echoed through the void as if it were Matou Zouken's voice.

It was no surprise that Matou Zouken, known as the Bug Lord, met such a miserable end.

His actions had touched upon Anastasia's deepest rage.

Her father, Nicholas II, may not have been a good emperor, but he was undoubtedly a good father.

Having grown up doted upon by her parents, Anastasia held familial ties in the highest regard.

Matou Zouken's actions had thoroughly desecrated the sanctity of the family in Anastasia's heart.

Thus, Matou Zouken had to die!

And not just die—his soul had to be erased!

After completely obliterating Matou Zouken's soul, Anastasia turned her gaze toward Sakura.

Seeing the trembling figure, Anastasia seemed to see a reflection of herself, trembling under the Soviet machine guns.

Without any concern for the filth or the smell of Sakura, Anastasia gently lifted her and wrapped her in her cloak.

"Anastasia, summoned in response. It seems you are my Master now. Well then ~ pleased to make your acquaintance, little Master!"

...

At the same time, Ryou and Medea had spent almost the entire day exploring Fuyuki City, avoiding a few sensitive places such as the Fuyuki Hotel, the Fuyuki Church, and the bases of the Three Great Families.

Since the Holy Grail War had not fully begun yet, and because he couldn't hide at Ryuudou Temple like last time, he was being extremely cautious, careful not to alert any potential enemies.

At this moment, he and Medea found themselves in the shopping district of the new district, just in time for dinner.

Although Japan's dining industry in 1994 wasn't as developed as it would be 20 years later, this bustling shopping street was already taking shape.

Various traditional Japanese snacks were releasing rich aromas, tempting both Ryou and Medea.

Takoyaki, freshly grilled and drizzled with sauce, sprinkled with bonito flakes or seaweed, emitted a mouthwatering fragrance as the smell of oil and dried seafood combined.

Oden, simmering for hours in a secret broth, featured various ingredients skewered on wooden sticks, bobbing up and down in the hot soup.

Skewers of grilled chicken brushed with a special sauce, sizzled over the fire, releasing an enticing scent of oil and soy sauce.

Meanwhile, Medea's attention was drawn to Japanese sweets like crepes and taiyaki.

"Master~, I want that one~,"

Medea leaned on him, shaking his arm and pouting.

Ryou sighed inwardly. As expected, girls had zero resistance to sweets, especially when they had the body of a Servant who didn't gain weight. Their resistance must be in the negatives.

Just then, an unexpected figure appeared in front of them.

It was a girl with short silver-gray hair, golden eyes like a dragon's, and delicate facial features.

However, the corners of the girl's mouth were curved into what seemed like a smile, and her gaze was sharp, giving off an air of cynicism.

She wore a black dress, its short hem exposing part of her pale thighs, with a deep blue fur-lined coat draped over her shoulders and long high-heeled boots on her feet.

In her hand, she held a half-eaten grilled sausage, casually biting into it while scanning her surroundings.

"Ah~! It's Jeanne!"

Medea cried out in surprise.

Ryou's eyes narrowed. He immediately recognized that this wasn't the same person and quickly identified her true identity.

If Jeanne was the type to be gentle and a little ditzy most of the time, but serious, composed, and reliable in crucial moments…

Then this girl standing before them was the exact opposite — someone constantly brooding, with a serious case of edgy teen syndrome.

Without a doubt, the girl who resembled Jeanne was none other than Jeanne Alter, summoned according to the wishes of Gilles de Rais after Jeanne's execution by fire in a certain mobile game's first arc. She held the Avenger class and was known as the Dragon Witch.

At that moment, the Dragon Witch also noticed him and Medea.

The moment she saw Ryou, her pupils widened in shock and disbelief, which quickly turned into burning rage.

Faced with the Dragon Witch's undisguised hostility, Ryou instantly became alert.

If it were another Servant, they might hesitate to start a fight in such a crowded public space.

But this one? Not likely.

Ryou figured the most likely scenario was her screaming, "I'm so pissed!" as she charged in to fight without a second thought.

While he guessed the outcome, he didn't predict the process.

The Dragon Witch took a large bite out of her grilled sausage as if she were biting into his head. After wolfing down the sausage in a few bites, she snapped the wooden skewer in half with a crack.

Then, she shot him a cold glance and turned to leave.

Ryou, however, understood the meaning in her eyes: Follow me, or I'll kill you.

He shrugged and followed her.

He wasn't a saint, but he also wasn't a villain who disregarded human life.

If his alignment had to be categorized, it would probably be Neutral Evil leaning toward Order.

If the Dragon Witch chose to start a fight in the middle of a crowded shopping street, he wouldn't hesitate to fight back, regardless of the bystanders.

But if the conditions allowed, he preferred to fight in a place where civilians wouldn't be caught in the crossfire.

Following the Dragon Witch's lead, they wound through several alleys until they arrived in a secluded area where almost no pedestrians could be seen.

The Dragon Witch stopped, turned around, and coldly stared at him.

Ryou couldn't quite figure out what she wanted, so he greeted her.

"Hello, my name is…"

Unexpectedly, the Dragon Witch waved her hand dismissively, her face full of impatience.

"I know your name is Nguyen RYou."

Ryou's heart skipped a beat. He tentatively asked,

"Have we… met before?"

This question seemed to ignite the fury in the Dragon Witch's heart.

"You bastard! After what you did to me, now you pretend not to know me? I'm going to burn you to ashes! Die!"

Enraged, the Dragon Witch summoned her black Dragon Sword and swung it fiercely at him.

A crimson flame with a purple tinge appeared out of thin air around the Dragon Witch and surged toward him.

Unlike ordinary magical flames, the fire released by the Dragon Witch was filled with endless resentment. This terrifying flame could use the opponent's evil thoughts, filth, and even selfish desires as fuel to burn them to ashes.

It was a conceptual attack.

Unless one was a true saint, devoid of all desires, even a moral exemplar like the regular Jeanne would be reduced to ashes by it.

Knowing the Dragon Witch's abilities well, Ryou had no intention of confronting her directly. He quickly called out to Medea, and the two of them flew into the sky with a swoosh.

The flames from the Dragon Witch turned into a sea of fire, igniting the ground around them, but without enough fuel, they quickly disappeared.

Everything the flames of resentment touched showed no signs of being burned as if the sea of fire had been nothing but an illusion.

Seeing this strange sight, Ryou frowned deeply.

This conceptual flame was far more dangerous and bizarre than ordinary magical fire.

"Do you think flying into the sky means I can't touch you?"

At some point, her casual clothes had been replaced by a pitch-black suit of armor, and her entire being exuded a wicked aura.

Her once silver hair had lengthened down to her ankles under the influence of her magical power.

In her left hand, she still held the Dragon Sword, while her right hand now carried a battle standard adorned with a dragon emblem.

With a sharp flick of her battle standard, countless fireballs made of resentful flames appeared before her and shot toward Ryou and Medea in the sky.