When he entered the basement—
What greeted Matou Kariya's eyes was a sea of worms.
Countless insects surrounded a small girl with black hair and blue eyes, endlessly violating, devouring, and gnawing at her.
The horrifying sight made Kariya instinctively nauseous.
Then came the rage.
And the crushing self-blame of helplessness.
"AAAAAAAH!"
"What the hell did you do to this child, you bastard?!"
Kariya rushed forward.
Ignoring the Crest Worms crawling toward him, he grabbed Tohsaka Sakura—now Matou Sakura—and pulled her into his arms.
One by one, he tore the worms that were burrowing into her body out with his bare hands.
Then he used his own body to shield her from the rest of the swarm.
Seeing this scene—
Matou Zouken let out a cold chuckle.
It was a laugh full of mockery toward Kariya's reckless courage and powerless weakness.
Zouken tapped the ground lightly with his cane.
Immediately, the countless Crest Worms that had been surging toward Kariya stopped.
The basement floor cleared, revealing a large empty area.
At its center—
A circular magic formation about 2.5 meters wide.
After all, Kariya had now become something of an "insider."
Zouken had no intention of letting the worms devour him before he could be of any use.
"The first three days, she cried and screamed endlessly," Zouken said casually.
"But starting from the fourth day… she didn't make a single sound."
"This morning I placed her in the worm pit just to see how long she could last."
"And yet after being ravaged by the worms for half the day, she still hasn't died."
"The material purchased from the Tohsaka family really is worth the price."
His tone was as casual as if he were discussing what he had eaten for breakfast.
Every detail of what he had done to Sakura—
He described them all to Kariya.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Be angry.
Hate me.
Negative emotions made human life burn much more brightly.
"…."
Holding Sakura in his arms, Kariya's eyes silently shed bloody tears.
His body trembled violently.
His anger had already reached its limit.
He wanted nothing more than to rush forward and tear Zouken apart.
But the cruel truth was—
He couldn't.
In fact, the power he sought…
Had to be borrowed from this very monster.
At that moment—
"Uncle… Kariya…?"
Sakura's lifeless blue eyes slowly regained a faint spark.
Her weak voice sounded like the final redemption of humanity.
Kariya broke down instantly.
He held Sakura tighter and began sobbing uncontrollably.
"Well?"
Zouken continued leisurely.
"This girl has been thoroughly ravaged by worms from head to toe."
"She's only one step away from complete mental collapse."
"If you still want to save her after seeing all that…"
A dark, twisted smile spread across his wrinkled face.
"…then perhaps I might consider investing a little in my rebellious son."
"I'll save her!"
Kariya turned around violently, his teeth grinding.
"If I don't, who will?!"
"Tokiomi—the demon who personally sent his own daughter here?!"
In his heart, Kariya screamed:
This is all Tokiomi's fault!
"Don't look at me like that," Zouken said lightly.
"Yes, I have my own motives."
"But ultimately it's all for the continuation of the Matou family."
"If the Matou magecraft cannot be passed down, our existence loses all meaning."
"Of course…"
"Until you produce results convincing enough for me—"
"Her 'education' will continue."
"I will still place my greatest bet on the next Holy Grail War."
"If you don't want her to break completely…"
"Then struggle harder."
"Hehehehehe…"
His sinister laughter echoed through the basement.
Then—
Zouken's body dissolved into countless worms and disappeared.
Leaving behind only Kariya and Sakura—
Two powerless souls clinging to each other for warmth.
One Year Later
Snow covered the land.
The wind howled through the mountains.
Einzbern Castle
The head of the Einzbern family personally handed a gold-and-blue scabbard to the man they had hired—and married into their family—the strongest sword they possessed.
"Emiya Kiritsugu," the patriarch said.
"The Einzbern family specializes in alchemy, not combat."
"This has been the reason for our defeats in previous Holy Grail Wars."
"That is why you exist here."
He gestured to the scabbard.
"This holy relic is the greatest assistance we can offer."
"With the scabbard of this legendary sword as the catalyst—"
"You should be able to summon the strongest possible Saber-class Heroic Spirit."
"You must repay this trust with victory."
"Destroy the other six Servants."
"And complete the Third Magic — Heaven's Feel."
"Yes… Father."
Standing beside him was a beautiful woman with white hair and crimson eyes.
Her gaze toward Kiritsugu was full of warmth and love.
Kiritsugu accepted the legendary scabbard of Excalibur.
On the back of his hand—
A sword-shaped Command Seal glowed faintly.
Awaiting the Servant who would share his fate.
Elsewhere in Fuyuki City
In the dim Holy Church.
In the elegant Tohsaka mansion.
In a pitch-black room.
Inside an apartment transformed into a magical workshop.
And within the simple yet warm home of "grandparents."
Different people prepared for the same ritual.
A pilgrim of nothingnessA fallen magus family headA young murderer who finds joy in killingA Clock Tower Lord and his incompetent disciple seeking recognition
Whether by accident or design—
The Masters chosen to participate in the Holy Grail War began their final—and first—rituals.
The Matou Household
Inside a dark hall.
Only one year had passed.
Yet under the endless torture of the Crest Worms, Kariya now looked decades older.
His hair had turned gray.
Deep wrinkles covered his face.
Occasionally, worms wriggled visibly beneath the bulging veins of his skin.
The sight was grotesque.
But when Kariya looked at the crimson Command Seals on the back of his right hand—
Three twisted marks resembling hooked fingers—
All the suffering felt worthwhile.
He had finally gained the right to change fate.
"Barely made it in time."
Zouken approached slowly with his cane.
Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating his unchanged, sinister face.
Only the lower half of Kariya's body was lit by the moon.
Everything below his waist was already swallowed by darkness.
"Being chosen by the Grail means you've been acknowledged as a magus worthy of participation."
"But your appearance is truly disgusting."
"Your lifespan is probably no more than one month."
Zouken mocked him casually before walking deeper into the mansion.
"Oi."
"Aren't you coming?"
"You've sacrificed so much for this moment…"
He glanced back with a smirk.
"Or has your left leg already stopped moving entirely?"
"Do you expect an old man like me to carry you?"
"Shut up!"
Kariya slammed his fist against the ground and cursed.
Gritting his teeth, he used both hands to lift his nearly numb left leg.
Slowly—
Painfully—
He forced himself to follow Zouken forward.
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