The Insect's Lair

Two weeks after embedding the pseudo-magic circuits into his body, Matou Shinji was surprised to find that a command spell appeared on the back of his hand.

It was in the shape of an irregular long and narrow hexagon, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, similar to the shape of the Tree of Life (Kabbalah) .

Seeing it he didn't make much noise, after all he had already anticipated this result when he created the pseudo circuit to accumulate magical energy.

For a period of time after that, he basically lived behind closed doors.

The accumulation of alchemy and mage craft owned by the Matou family was enough for him to study for a long time.

He wished there were 48 hours in a day, so he could dedicate every waking moment to his magical research.

Indeed, Shinji was passionate not only about magecraft but also about understanding his own origin.

In this world, life is determined by the Root. Magic flows from the Root, following its rules. The existence of the world isn't coincidental.

If one can observe, one can influence, much like quantum mechanics.

Time, space, rules, life, everything is engraved on a certain system.

In the world of "Fullmetal Alchemist," it was easy to get started, but if one wanted to master the truth and become a complete existence like Homunculus, they would have to pay a corresponding price.

Contrary to it..it is quite difficult to get started in the Type-Moon World, and there are very strict requirements for learning magic.

But once initiated, there are numerous avenues to explore. The truth of the world isn't hidden.

Even the Holy Grail War is an endeavor to reach the Root, to actualize the Third Sorcery.

At night, Matou Shinji once again exhausted his magical energy and embedded the simulated circuit into the internal organs of the body, and his heart felt like it was being burned by fire.

"Sakura hasn't stayed here all this time, probably because she's afraid of disturbing my study of magecraft."

Matou Shinji wiped the sweat from his forehead with the towel Matou Sakura put on the table.

There was a lot of food on the table, about enough for two adult men.

A certain stupid king once said: "Hunger is the enemy!"

Now, he believed this sentence deeply.

One of the sequelae of consuming a lot of magical energy was a strong sense of hunger.

The pseudo-magic circuits Shinji created could rapidly digest food to replenish his mana, a function not typical of standard magic circuits.

So, after transforming into the Big Eater and eliminating all the food in a few minutes, he fell asleep directly after taking a bath and entered a deep sleep state to replenish his lost mental power.

······

"Elder sister······"

In a dark and quiet room, Matou Sakura lay on the bed with her young body curled up, closing her eyes and calling out to her elder sister.

The little girl's eyes were filled with tears.

Even though she was accompanied by Matou Shinji at Matou's house, she was not happy at all.

The Matou family was cold and strange, and the mansion didn't feel alive at all.

Except for her new brother, she didn't feel any warmth from anyone else.

The warmer and happier her memories of her family were, the lonelier and sadder she felt now.

Matou Sakura held the gem necklace around her neck in her right hand, and now she could only feel a touch of warmth from here.

Suddenly, she felt something and sat up, her gaze fixed on the bedroom door, looking in confusion.

Grasping the necklace tighter, she got up and carefully came to the door and hesitated for a long time before opening it.

The scene outside the door shocked her, and she exclaimed in a trembling tone: "Grandpa!?"

The thin, rickety figure stood in front of her door, holding a cane in one hand.

From the outside, he looked exactly like a mummy with both feet in the coffin.

Matou Sakura subconsciously distanced herself from the weird old man in front of her.

She could feel an unacceptable foreign body sensation from Matou Zouken's body, and her instinct told her that the old man in front of her was a monster more terrifying than a beast.

Matou Zouken just stood as still as a dead tree, and his voice was raw and hoarse: "Sakura, come with me."

"Grandfather?"

She watched as the old bug turned around and walked and hesitated for a moment before choosing to follow him.

She was extremely smart, and after being adopted into the Matou family, she immediately knew that Matou Zouken was the real person in charge of the Matou family.

So even though she didn't even want to breathe the same air as him, she could only follow his order.

Following him all the way to the study room on the first floor.

The towering bookshelf moved away to reveal a dark passage leading underground.

Matou Zouken walked down first, and the sound of crutches hitting stone bricks echoed in the quiet room.

Matou Sakura stopped in front of the door leading to the basement.

Her eyes widened, and her legs trembled.

Just now, she heard the strange sound of rushing water, like a surging tide.

These were the sounds that made her unable to sleep for several weeks.

Humid air surged up from the basement, mixed with a disgusting stench.

The passage leading to the basement was more like the entrance to hell.

"What's wrong, come on." Matou Zouken's laughter came from the depths of the darkness.

It was sharp and hoarse, and it perfectly matched the strange neighing sound.

Biting her lips, Matou Sakura's face was pale, and suddenly the smiling face of Matou Shinji appeared in her mind because he once said he would protect her.

She smelled danger.

However, the one in front of her was the head of the Matou family...

Hoping against hope, Sakura took a step down into the underground, following Zouken into the abyss.

The strange sounds became louder and louder, more numerous and denser, like a large number of insects squirming or like the continuous lapping of the tide against the stones.

Entering a basement, Matou Sakura finally knew the source of the abnormal noise.

"Ka~~ Ka Ka Ka Ka ~ Ka~~"

Bugs, densely packed, countless bugs, each one the size of a fist, overlapping and squirming, their ugly appearance and staggering number were enough to send chills down anyone's spine.

Such a horrifying sight in the Insect's den was even more terrifying than the most macabre depths of hell.

"Ah..." Matou Sakura covered her mouth and screamed, then took a few steps back and collapsed on the ground, her shoulders trembling.

Fear caused her young body to convulse, and she clutched her stomach, retching.

Just a glimpse of this insect nest was enough to sap all the courage from Sakura.

After a prolonged moment, she stammered, "Grandpa..Grandfather... what... what are these?"

Matou Zouken grinned his old tree-bark face and smiled strangely: "Why are you making such a fuss? This is a secret technique passed down in the Matou family."

Matou Sakura couldn't accept it: "These...are they also magic?"

"Magecraft is not limited to the Tohsaka family's gem magecraft. The Matou family is good at insect manipulation.

Sakura, go down and become a breeding ground for these insects. These insects will transform your body and make you more suitable for the Matou family's magus inheritance. "

"No... don't!" the little girl was frightened to tears by his words and shook her head hurriedly.

"Haha, what are you talking about? Your father, Tohsaka Tokiomi sent you to the Matou family just to inherit the Matou family's Magecraft, didn't he?

Magecraft is a path that deviates from common sense. No matter how shocking it is, it itself is an honor, your father thought so and sent you here."

Matou Zouken's hoarse voice was full of teasing, and even though the other person was a little girl, seeing the struggle and pain on her face still made him feel happy.

In his long life, this hobby was the only thing that could stimulate his numb and twisted heart.