C73

"Ahh----, ahh ahh ahh ahh ahh ahh!!!"

A blood-curdling scream echoed through the Matou mansion.

Byakuya's face is a mess of tears and snot, his eyes darting back and forth in fear.

The priest from the Church has decimated the endless swarm of insects with ease.

Like a demon, the assassin penetrated the Matou residence, effortlessly destroying all of their Bounded Fields.

"What do you want--? What do you want, Kirei?" Zouken is held captive by the demonic assassin, his voice quivering.

"I heard you're seeking immortality," Kirei replied with a sly smile. "So, I've come to offer you the secret of immortality."

"What secret of immortality?" Zouken was momentarily intrigued, but his many years of experience made him wary. "Why are you offering me this secret, and what exactly is it?"

"I am a priest, acting in the name of God. It is my duty to be His angel," Kirei explained. "As for what it entails, you'll find out in due time."

Kirei slowly advances toward Byakuya and Shinji, who are huddled in the corner, with 100 one-body assassins in tow. The killing intent in Kirei's gaze is palpable, but a hint of curiosity still lingers on his face.

"I've heard that you became the head of the Matou family just to enjoy its wealth. Is that true?" Kirei asked in a soft tone.

"No, no!" Byakuya cried out in desperation.

"Really?" Kirei's expression of interest faded, replaced by an aura of killing intent.

"Yes, yes!" Byakuya wailed, his face a mess of tears and snot. "I was just greedy for everything in the Matou family. I'm just a bastard, a worthless piece of trash. I don't care about magic or magecraft. I just wanted everything, without having to earn it. I just wanted it all for nothing."

"Is that so?" Kirei's tone remained gentle. "Interesting. Can you provide proof of your family's assets? Give it to me, the messenger of the gods."

"I surrender! I surrender!" Byakuya frantically handed Kirei the land deed.

Kirei didn't even bother to look at it, tossing it into the nearby sea of fire and watching as it burned to ashes.

"What schemes are you hatching, you lapdog of the church?" Zouken sneered.

"Everything is the best choice," Kirei replied simply.

He then commanded the hundred-in-one Assassins to raze everything in the Matou family.

With a smirk, Kirei turned to Byakuya and said, "As the head of the family, you make quite an entertaining sight, burdened with debts and problems. I eagerly anticipate relishing every moment."

The fire of destruction illuminated Kirei's face, casting an angelic and demonic smile upon his lips. He had discovered the true meaning of life, filling the emptiness within him with joy.

It was the joy of destroying the precious things that others held dear, of forcing them to live on, unable to escape their misery. This realization brought Kirei a sense of fulfillment that he had never felt before.

Ah, this feeling...

This — is the voice of God.

Kirei departed with a hearty laugh.

Yet, the most delightful surprise was yet to come.

The first was the stunning, divine embodiment of black mud, and the second was the presence of something incredibly enjoyable in Gilgamesh that promised to bring Kirei immense delight.

The thought of destroying the king who had once guided him and reveling in the anguished and mournful expression of the golden king filled Kirei with immense pleasure.

This emotion...

It was the true essence of life!

As the fire consumed the surrounding structures and forests, Byakuya gazed at his blazing mansion, tears streaming down his face along with sweat and mucus.

Death had already departed, but a living nightmare lay ahead.

His assets had turned to ash, and crippling debts loomed on the horizon.

Amid this economic depression, what should he do?

"Daddy...Daddy..." Shinji sobbed.

Byakuya embraced him tightly.

At least, he still had his son.

...

Kirei brought along Matou Zouken with him.

Gilgamesh cast a disgusted look and his eyes gleamed with disdain. "In the end, you resort to using a corrupted soul? It doesn't matter. A wicked king, a wicked general, a wicked knight, a wicked mud, and now a wicked worm. With this, all necessary evil is complete."

Gilgamesh commanded Assassin to immerse Matou Zouken in the black mud.

Kirei asked, "Is the Lesser Grail not required to complete the Holy Grail?"

"The substance of the Grail is embodied in this mud. The substance is present, and all that remains is a container. The key is no longer needed," Gilgamesh replied.

"To bypass the Lesser Grail... Did you uncover the flaws in the Holy Grail system, servant of the Tohsaka?" Matou Zouken queried.

But Gilgamesh only responded with a sneer of contempt.

These modern-day mortals thought they had achieved something remarkable with their magecraft, little did they know that 6,000 years ago, the magi of Sumerians had already dabbled in such practices.

It wasn't necessary to be so serious, but now that the flame had arisen, it was time to be serious. For it was a flame that was similar yet different from him.

"Ahh... Ahh... This feeling... This intense vitality... Hahaha... So this is it... This is what I've been searching for... Immortality!" Matou Zouken exclaimed, laughing heartily.

Kirei asked, "Old man, aren't you feeling unwell? If you were to be fully consumed by this mud, you would become the Grail with no freedom left to speak of."

Matou Zouken laughed heartily, stating, "That is exactly what I desire. Immortality... Immortality... Even if I am forever transformed into an object, so what? This only proves that I am immortal. The world changes, but I am eternal! Immortality... Hahaha!"

Kirei displayed a look of disgust.

Gilgamesh snorted, "It seems you caught the wrong person."

Kirei showed a frustrated expression as if he was disappointed that he wouldn't get to witness the beautiful scene he had envisioned.

"So, only Saber remains," Gilgamesh said.

"Should we proceed to pollute them? If so, leave Kiritsugu to me," Kirei said.

"No," Gilgamesh said, turning to Kirei. "That pure soul has already trapped herself on a dead end. If it's directly contaminated, there's no beauty in it. Let her destroy herself beautifully on that dead end. Kirei, I'm granting you a ticket to the show."

"Oh, you're truly generous, King," Kirei replied, though he was thinking to himself, I'd rather see you destroy yourself beautifully on a dead end.

Gilgamesh gazed at the surging black mud. "When the Grail is complete, they will come to us. All you have to do then is hand it over."

"And where are you going?" Kirei asked.

Gilgamesh gave a wicked grin. "To enjoy an even more beautiful flame." And with that, he left.

Kirei watched Gilgamesh's departure, a puzzled expression on his face. "Why? Why is Gilgamesh so invested in that child?"

His eyes narrowed, glinting with a dangerous light.

The black mud surged and crept into the worn-out worm, overtaking its once decrepit form. As the mud consumed the mother's body, it continued to grow and gestate. With a haunting cackle, the body finally gave way, collapsing and giving birth to a towering tower of black mud.

This tower burst through the roof of the Holy Church, its shadow casting a sinister aura over the sacred grounds. The mud overflowed the land of God, spreading its filth and tainting the once pure statue of God.

The black mud tower loomed high above the earth,

Evil had arrived!

...

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