Chapter 314: The White Prince

Sakura Matou returned home from school and, as usual, prepared dinner before beginning her daily "magic."

The upperclassman didn't come to class today; though I wanted to see him, of course.

Until the Holy Grail War ends, it's better not to contact the upperclassman.

If the upperclassman knew I was also a Master…

"Didn't you go to the Emiya household today?" Kirei Matou leaned on the staircase from the second floor to the first, looking down at Sakura.

"That Emiya guy actually joined the Holy Grail War too—if you're bored, go find out some information for me!"

"Understood, right?!"

"Yes, brother," Sakura said, forcing the words out.

"Damn Sakurazuka! After rejecting me, you went and allied with Emiya! Tch!"

Kirei Matou's expression twisted gradually, then relaxed, as he regarded Sakura with the posture of a superior.

"That Emiya guy must be completely bewitched by Sakurazuka, but it doesn't matter—I'll make them know who the true victor of this Holy Grail War is."

"Sakura, cook dinner. I'm hungry."

After saying this, Kirei Matou returned to his room. Hearing his footsteps fade away, Sakura let out a faint breath of relief.

"Sakura, come to the basement. Today's lesson has been moved up."

The voice of Zouken Matou came from a corner of the house. She turned to see the withered, mummy-like old man leaning on a wooden cane, standing in the shadowed end of the corridor, watching her.

Her body trembled slightly as she respectfully addressed Zouken Matou: "Yes, Grandfather."

Rider's figure materialized beside her, as if waiting for Sakura to give an order.

"Please step aside, Rider," Sakura said, head bowed, hands folded before her, using honorifics.

"." Rider silently moved aside, then, after glancing back at Sakura as she walked into the corridor's end, reverted to a spiritual form.

She stripped off her clothes, naked.

Sakura entered through a hidden stone door and descended step by step along the stairs.

A faint glow of magical energy illuminated the dark, damp space from beneath the massive Shi Shi's floor, like countless arthropods skittering in the dark; soon, gray-white creatures with fangs and mouthparts flooded the empty chamber like a stream.

A cacophony of shrill noises piled into a scream of despair, urging the sacrifice to arrive.

Under the old man's gaze, Sakura walked into the sea of insects along the circular stone staircase, allowing the slimy, writhing creatures to engulf her.

Sakura made no reaction; rather, she had long grown numb. Day after day, year after year, her body had been occupied and her magical circuits altered by those insects that fed on human bodily fluids.

Her eyes were hollow as the unspeakable insects burrowed into her body.

Zouken Matou watched this scene with satisfaction from the stone steps, admiring his masterpiece slowly taking shape.

Eleven years, every single day filled with thousands of punishments, thousands of poisonous insects implanted within her—all to mold her toward the direction he envisioned.

He didn't care about this Holy Grail War; the odds were too low, so for now, he had no intention of fully participating.

Let his useless grandson fight for control of the Servant—he didn't care. As long as the vessel named "Sakura Matou" remained alive, that was enough.

If Kirei Matou survived, he could sire offspring with Sakura later if he wished; otherwise, he had never expected anything from him anyway.

"Hmm?"

Zouken Matou sensed a slight shift in the surrounding magical energy. The insects scattered around the Matou mansion transmitted a vision: a red-haired boy, wielding a sword and a spear, had broken into the Matou residence.

The moment he inserted a sword resembling a piece of craftsmanship, the vision was severed—as if he had come prepared.

"The adopted son of Kiritsugu Emiya?" Zouken Matou smiled. "So that's it—he's discovered traces of Kirei's involvement in the Holy Grail War?"

Creak!!

The insects stirred restlessly, clearly growing agitated—even showing signs of fear?!

Sensing something wrong, Zouken Matou tried to take Sakura and flee through the passage, but he found all the insects he had dispersed had lost control and could not advance.

"Are the sewers blocked?"

A ripple passed through the air—an unfamiliar force had triggered his barrier.

In a moment of dizziness, he locked eyes with something—something was coming!?

"Could the target be…?"

The instant Weigong Shilang arrived at the Matou mansion's gate, he plunged a royal weapon into the ground; divine energy spilled from the Purple Jade Sword and spread beneath the earth.

As if rehearsed countless times, he pulled out a formation disc, pressed his index and middle fingers together like a brush, and inscribed a decree.

Immediately, a second seal activated, deploying the inverted Five Elements Array, the Illusionary Path Array, and the Sword Severance Array around the exterior of the Matou mansion, concealing its true appearance within the arrays.

Whoosh—

Weigong Shilang didn't dodge or evade; in an instant, sword shadows flew like rain, spear points fell like a storm. The dense, cloud-like swarm of insects was shattered in a single glance.

Amidst the thick, nauseating insect fluid and nearly transparent, invisible wings falling, a blade of light, swift as thunder, swept them all away, leaving only swirling dust drifting and dispersing.

Weigong Shilang held a crystalline white longsword in his left hand, radiating a faint chill, and the Spear of the Rainbow in his right, standing tall, spear tip pointing downward, stepping out from the surrounding haze.

He looked up at the grand three-story mansion. On the second window of the third floor to the left, a figure filled with fear and cowering stared back—her eyes now brimming with disbelief.

"Kirei…"

Weigong Shilang had indeed once been friends with this man named Kirei Matou; during middle school, Kirei Matou, though awkward, had truly been harmless.

The coldness in Weigong Shilang's eyes was piercing; sword qi coated the blade.

His hesitation lasted only an instant—the past Kirei was dead. Sakura Matou might forgive this man, but Weigong Shilang's heart now held only rage.

This long-suppressed rage toward the Matou family,

jealousy or lack of magical talent is not an excuse to abuse Sakura.

Clatter-clatter

The sound of chains dragging echoed.

Ding!

A clear chime rang from directly before Weigong Shilang's face; the Jade Barrier Shield flickered once as a short sword flew backward.

Weigong Shilang withdrew his gaze from Tohsaka Shinji and fixed his eyes on the Rider before him, now solidified from a spiritual form—a tall woman with purple hair and a leather outfit, wearing a mask etched with scale-like patterns over her eyes.

Her true name is Medusa, the mythic figure from Greek legend.

She wears the mask to seal her Magic Eye, a "Rainbow-Class Magic Eye" capable of petrifying anything it sees through magical energy erosion.

"I've come to take Sakura away from this nest of worms."

Without wasted words, after her first strike failed, the Rider attacked again—her speed exceeding human perception, dragging chained short swords to encircle and lock down the surrounding space.

Weigong Shilang ignored her entirely, walking straight toward the front door. The next instant, the Rider appeared at his left, dagger in hand, striking at him.

Weigong Shilang spun his longsword in a flourish, then slammed the hilt downward with force.

Boom—

In an instant, the Rider was blasted backward, smashing through a cluster of trees in the Tohsaka estate.

"Thank you," Weigong Shilang murmured, flinging several longswords to embed themselves near the Rider's position. Instantly, the ground beneath her sank, and plants erupted from the soil, binding her in place.

His spiritual sense surged outward, beneath the mansion.

A withered, hunched old man, his limbs as emaciated as a mummy's, suddenly lifted his head and met Weigong Shilang's gaze.

Soul trembled, spirit stirred—suddenly, swordlight flared.

The Sword of Dragged Shadow rose into the air, unfolding—Weigong Shilang left behind a lingering afterimage; in that instant, his heart held only the Dao of cosmic motion, human emotion receding.

In the moment he merged nearly with the world, the next instant he appeared—thunder and fire shattered the dark, damp stone door of the worm chamber; the roars of dragon and tiger echoed as his sword slashed at the demonic worm-creatures.

Sword intent surged vast, lightning split the heavens.

"Zangyan!"

Within his pitch-black eyes, utterly void of light, suddenly reflected the furious face of a boy.

Behind him, Bai Guang blazed forth—like the sun that had not shone in this room or the night for centuries since Tohsaka Zangyan took residence.

The light was too intense; he could not even perceive what pierced his body. Tohsaka Zangyan's form rapidly oxidized and blackened, as if exposed to scorching wind.

Tohsaka Zangyan stared at the boy, stunned: "So… you've come to take Sakura away?"

Yet he still could not comprehend the source of this power. For all these years, he had used Tohsaka Sakura to spy on this brat.

Weigong Shilang said nothing. The instant he withdrew his blade, Tohsaka Zangyan's body crumbled like weathered stone, dissolving into the wind.

Weigong Shilang leapt directly into the sea of worms, sword intent spreading around him, coalescing into countless sword threads that sliced through the air, shredding the worms clinging to the girl and her surroundings.

"Senior…" Tohsaka Sakura felt as if she were dreaming. She, long accustomed to poison, suddenly witnessed a scene she had never dared even imagine.

"Don't look at me."

"Please…"

What first surfaced in her hollow, numb eyes was not hope of salvation, but shame—the veil of lies and daily pretense she had woven to conceal herself now ripped away, exposed before the one person she cared for most.

"Don't…"

Tohsaka Sakura, who had grown accustomed to all forced burdens, who had learned to endure and submit, suddenly burst into tears. She feared—wanting to cover her face, wanting to cover her body.

Is Senior really this strong? Even Grandpa was killed by him… is he here to kill me, the true Master?

In this moment, she secretly wished for it—Tohsaka Sakura, this girl, had long been broken. If she could die in Senior's hands…

That would be fine.

Weigong Shilang took out a blanket and draped it over the girl. The worms still screeched in the labyrinthine sewers around them, their shrill cries igniting a flame within him.

He saw every expression on Tohsaka Sakura's face; only after witnessing it himself did he realize he was angrier than he had ever imagined.

"You must come home on time every night, or Grandpa will get angry."

This girl, whom he regarded as a sister, had suffered such violations since childhood, tormented by poison worms.

After enduring each night, she would come to his house the next day to cook, shop, and wake him for school—repeating endlessly.

"It'll be alright now, Sakura."

"Nothing like this will ever happen again."

He held the girl, gently comforting her.

"You won't have to endure this anymore."

"Mikan is waiting outside for you. She wants to see you."

Tohsaka Sakura felt as if she had heard a dreamlike voice—the kind of words that shouldn't exist even in fairy tales. Once, long ago, she had truly dreamed this.

Eleven years ago, when she was sent to the Tohsaka household.

When she was thrown into the worm nest, she had dreamed that the next day, her father, mother, and sister would come to take her home.

A man named Tohsaka Enya had once said this to her—and then he…

"Is it really possible?"

"Yes, of course it is."

A glimmer of light appeared in her hollow, violet eyes. Her sobs echoed through the worm nest, gradually shifting from restrained stifling to unrestrained emotional release.

"Aaaah!!!"

Tohsaka Sakura clung tightly to Weigong Shilang before her—even if she died in his hands the next moment, it didn't matter. At least now, she felt something long stripped away returning to this filthy body.

"I'm sorry, Sakura, for disturbing you now—but if we wait too long, troublesome people might come."

He gave her no more time to release her emotions. Moments later, Weigong Shilang lifted one corner of the blanket.

"Senior…"

Weigong Shilang placed his hand three inches in front of Tohsaka Sakura's chest—without lowering it.

"Do you trust me?"

Tohsaka Sakura blushed, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

"Mm."

Tohsaka Sakura didn't know what Weigong Shilang intended to do—but if it was him, anything…

A beam of light flared in Weigong Shilang's hand—it was the one-time power Su Lin had lent him.

Puff—a spray of blood erupted.

Kiriya Sakura trembled, her pupils trembling with a flicker of regret and despair.

"Trust me," Weigong Shilang said again, gripping the heart that kept throbbing.

"Mm."

A faint smile touched Kiriya Sakura's lips; she could feel her life force draining away.

"Filth returns to chaos; light grants me redemption."

A briefly elementalized arm plunged into the heart, sinking deep into the nerves, pulling out a worm.

As Weigong Shilang withdrew his arm, threads of elemental light swiftly stitched the flesh—like the most efficient 3D printer repairing a wound.

The worm screamed in panic.

"You—"

Crunch.

Weigong Shilang crushed the worm, giving it no chance to speak.

He tucked the blanket around her, held the frail girl in his arms, and whispered softly:

"It's over, Sakura. Sleep if you want to."

Kiriya Sakura shook her head, leaning against Weigong Shilang's chest with a blissful smile.

Weigong Shilang glanced around, projecting a crimson long spear from his hand—the Builder's Legacy, traded for ten weapons, perfect for this occasion.

If the pests dwelling in this mansion were left unchecked and escaped, they would cause great harm.

Amber flames writhed at the spear's tip, stirring the cold air; the damp basement instantly dried, and thunderous sonic booms roared like heaven splitting open.

Star had told him: before using this spear, he must assume a stance and cry out:

"Flame Lance."

Archer stared, stunned, at Kiriya Manor surrounded by sword arrays; since Weigong Shilang entered, he had vanished entirely—the manor showed no visible change to the naked eye.

'At this point in time, he can not only project but also perform these magics—no, this isn't ordinary magic; it looks like a precise ritual setup.'

'He still holds a genuine conceptual artifact.'

'The Spear That Pierces the Rainbow—what is that spear?'

'What has happened to Weigong Shilang in this timeline?'

When the opponent revealed two distinct arrays and weapons, Archer understood this timeline was utterly different from his own—vastly so.

At this point, his past self should have been nothing but a magic novice.

"You're taking too long, Shilang," Dada Liya muttered, sitting on Heracles's shoulder. "Does killing bugs really take this long?"

Tohsaka Rin said nothing, only glanced at Dada Liya and lightly bit her nail—her mind still echoed with the truth Weigong Shilang had told her about the Kiriya family's worm magic.

If anyone was most anxious now, it was her.

Though his claims might be true or false, the fact that Kiriya Shinji had set up magic at school and Sakura's changes over the years made them highly plausible.

"Archer, go inside," Tohsaka Rin clenched her fist. "What is that idiot thinking? There's a Servant in there!"

"No need, Rin," Dada Liya stopped her. "The Shilang now is no longer the one you knew in the past. Let him handle it alone."

"Hey, brat," Tohsaka Rin snapped. "Aren't you close to Weigong-kun? Why don't you go in with him? Judging by those posters, I thought you two always fought clinging to each other."

"Wouldn't that make Sakura too pitiful?" Dada Liya's smile faded as she gazed at Tohsaka Rin.

"She's finally gotten her white knight—wouldn't it be cruel to have another girl watching?"

"That Shilang belongs to me—this is true. But only tonight."

Crack—!

A sound of shattering fragments rang out.

As the barrier shattered, fire blazed skyward, reddening the dark night; a tornado surged upward and slammed into the array Weigong Shilang had first set.

In that instant,

the sky seemed ready to tear apart.

As the Flame Pillar appeared, a red-haired boy stood atop it; he swung his arm, and the spear along with the flames vanished.

Dada Liya looked at Kiriya Sakura in Weigong Shilang's arms and said: "Lend Shilang to her—for now."

Archer watched Weigong Shilang flying through the sky, his hawk-like eyes filled with worry and shock.

"To possess such power..."

"Do you also wish to become a Partner of Justice...?"

(End of Chapter)