Chapter 51: The Death of Matou Zouken

A Heroic Spirit? No, that's not right; it's still a year away from the Greater Grail gathering enough magical energy.

And this isn't how a premature summoning works, is it?

Not to mention that there isn't even a Command Spell on Sakura's hand.

"Is that so?"

Matou Zouken twisted his hideous face into a fawning smile, even though he had aged to such a degree.

But he was not yet senile, so he did not believe what Su Nian said.

Even though, in his eyes, Su Nian was as dazzling and powerful as the sun.

He leaned on his cane, standing in place and stalling for time.

On the other side, he controlled his core worm and began to flee frantically.

After slightly soothing the frightened Sakura, Su Nian turned around gently and looked at Matou Zouken.

"Truly disgusting."

The decaying, filthy, and foul-smelling soul entered Su Nian's sight, and perhaps the only thing worth praising about Matou Zouken was that initial ideal of his.

It was just that, in Su Nian's view, that original wish had already been twisted into an obsession with staying alive.

"Wait! I am your Master's grandfather..."

Matou Zouken subconsciously wanted to beg for mercy, wanting to buy time.

Yet, how could Su Nian possibly give him that chance?

He had been setting up a Barrier from the very beginning, all to prevent Matou Zouken from escaping.

However, his body—that Avatar of his composed of worms—was scared to death the moment it faced Su Nian's malice.

Matou Zouken didn't even have time to say a single word before he turned into a pile of rotten meat.

Finally, he was burned to nothing by Su Nian's flames; he didn't even have to use the Sun Wheel Golden Wing Flame.

He felt that if he used the Sun Wheel Golden Wing Flame, it would be an insult to such a divine fire, and Jialing would beat him to death if she found out.

However, after Matou Zouken's corpse completely turned to ash.

Somewhere under the tree roots in the courtyard of the Matou residence.

A worm with exceptionally vigorous vitality recovered from a state of feigned death.

This was Matou Zouken's core worm; as long as this worm did not die, Matou Zouken would not die.

"Cough, cough, that radiance—it is definitely not a Servant, nor a magus, and certainly not a Phantasmal Species. What kind of existence is that?"

The hideous, sticky, disgusting worm spat out a large mouthful of blue blood, even though it had only looked directly at the radiance Su Nian emitted.

It had caused significant damage to his soul, and that was merely a tiny bit of malice Su Nian had radiated.

That radiance, that will, that ability to see through the soul.

This made Matou Zouken think of only one kind of existence: a Divine Spirit.

Why would a Divine Spirit appear in the Matou house?

Thinking of this, Matou Zouken froze for a moment, and his core worm scrambled to escape with all its might.

Although he did not know why the other party had not chased after him, he believed that with a Divine Spirit's discernment, they would surely be able to see that he was not dead.

If the other party chased after him, no matter how many methods he had, they would be nothing in the eyes of a Divine Spirit.

And as long as he escaped and passed the news of a modern-day Divine Spirit descent to the Mage's Association.

He would surely be able to reap unimaginable benefits from it.

With these gains, the next Holy Grail War would definitely have hope.

Thinking this, Matou Zouken's core worm quickened its wriggling speed, desperately crawling outward.

However, just as he was about to leave the Matou residence, as his body crossed the threshold of the Matou gate.

A flame ignited upon him, setting his core worm and soul ablaze.

In just an instant, his soul along with the remaining worm was burned to ash, to the point that Su Nian didn't even realize Matou Zouken had died.

"Wait? He's dead already?"

Su Nian was stunned for a moment; if he hadn't felt the darkness that had shrouded the Matou house for hundreds of years being dispelled, he wouldn't have even realized the Barrier had been triggered.

"So, that's all there is to Matou Zouken?"

Fine, Su Nian shook his head helplessly; as expected, he had overestimated Matou Zouken, thinking the other party would be able to use some kind of method.

Afterward, Su Nian looked at the black-haired little girl, Matou Sakura, who was clutching him tightly and holding onto the corner of his clothes.

Or rather, Matou Sakura, who was still a little girl and had not yet been subjected to the modification of the Imprint Worms.

"Alright, Sakura, you're safe now."

Su Nian changed his posture to support Sakura with his arm, making her more comfortable in his embrace.

"Excuse me, are you the Knight who came to save me?"

Perhaps infected by the sunny atmosphere Su Nian carried with him, or perhaps because the grandfather who brought her fear and shadows had disappeared.

The darkness shrouding the Matou residence had also been dispelled, and at this moment, Sakura had regained some of her vitality.

Facing the black-haired young girl's hidden expectant and fearful gaze.

Su Nian smiled slightly, gently stroking Sakura's head, and revealed a tender smile.

"Knight Arthur, here to protect my Master."

Sakura's eyes suddenly burst with bright colors, and after hesitating for a moment, she jumped down from Su Nian's arms.

Following the story in the fairy tale picture book she had read with her sister Tohsaka Rin, she clumsily performed a bow to Su Nian.

Then, she placed her small, delicate hand into the hand of the Knight King, Arthur, Su Nian.

"Mother said that at times like this, one must say thank you!"

Just mentioning her mother, Sakura's eyes dimmed for a moment, but she quickly cheered up again.

"Thank you, Brother Arthur."

"Hiss, I still feel a bit unaccustomed to this."

Hearing Sakura call him Arthur, Su Nian felt goosebumps rise all over, but facing Sakura's shining eyes, Su Nian persisted.

"Let's go, Sakura, from now on we will live together."

Su Nian crouched down, scooped up the black-haired young girl, and took Sakura away from the basement that had once been an insect nest.

Hearing this, Sakura nodded obediently.

"Mm."

Just as Su Nian carried Sakura out of the basement, a gloomy man with blue hair and slovenly attire walked toward them and saw Su Nian and Sakura.

"Who are you? Why are you holding my adopted daughter? Where is my father?"

The gloomy man was, in fact, the current Head of Household of the Matou family, Matou Kariya, and also Sakura's nominal adoptive father.

A fellow who only indulged in a drunken stupor, wanting nothing more than to obtain the Matou family's assets and live a carefree life.

"Your father? The old bug is already dead."

Matou Kariya froze for a moment, then burst into laughter that was excited to the extreme.

"Hahahaha, the old bug, that old thing, is finally dead! The Matou family's assets are finally mine!"

"Hahahaha!"

"So, can you move aside?"

Su Nian said with some annoyance; he felt this guy's laughter sounded terrible and was somewhat irritating to his ears.

(End of chapter)