Chapter 192: The Truth of the Holy Grail War

Gazing at the anxious yet resolute expression on Tohsaka Rin’s face, an indescribable pang stirred the softest part of her heart.

Sakura Matou finally couldn’t hold back; she set down her teacup, summoned courage she’d never known before, and gripped Tohsaka Rin’s hand in return.

“Senior… no, Rin…”

“Why didn’t you come sooner…”

Before the words were fully spoken, large tear drops slid down her cheeks.

Watching Sakura begin to sob and wipe her tears, Tohsaka Rin’s joy turned to panic; she hurriedly scrambled around the low table and pulled the trembling girl into her arms.

“I’m here, I’m here…”

Tohsaka Rin knelt beside Sakura, wrapping her arms around her shoulders and back, gently stroking the long purple hair, her own eyes reddening as she choked back tears.

Seeing this, Medusa—the only one still in the room—was moved.

After a moment’s hesitation, she stepped forward, knelt on one knee behind Sakura, and gently drew both sisters into her embrace.

Perfect. The outcome is settled!

Lin Yu’s face broke into a satisfied expression.

The group members in the livestream chat flooded the screen with comments, clearly delighted by this heartwarming scene.

Only Bai Zeming noticed the faint, almost imperceptible silver glow—and instantly understood, typing a comment into the livestream.

【Bai Zeming: Brother Lin, is the seal on Sakura your doing?】

【Lin Yu: Correct.】

【Lin Yu: Before going to the Kiritsugu household, I happened to meet this girl…】

So that’s how it was!

Bai Zeming’s expression cleared—he had finally confirmed his suspicion.

No wonder the Sakura Tohsaka Rin saw seemed perfectly normal; with Lin Yu’s protection, Matou Shinji couldn’t abuse her, and Matou Zōken’s imprint worms could never touch her body!

…

…

Ten minutes later, Bai Zeming and Kiritsugu Shirou also entered the room.

The four sat facing each other, their respective Servants standing behind them.

Kiritsugu Shirou glanced at Tohsaka Rin and Sakura Matou’s reddened eyes, then turned to Bai Zeming and said gravely: “Can you explain now?”

“Of course.”

Bai Zeming nodded, looking at Sakura Matou: “First, the seal on Sakura’s body…”

Tohsaka Rin interrupted: “It’s Tohsaka Sakura!”

Kiritsugu Shirou froze, staring at Sakura in surprise: “You’ve returned to the Tohsaka family?”

“Mm.”

Sakura Matou blushed faintly and nodded shyly.

Kiritsugu Shirou’s face lit up: “That’s wonderful—I…”

Bai Zeming rolled his eyes: “Do you two even want to hear the explanation?”

The three snapped back to attention and fell silent, waiting for Bai Zeming’s words.

Bai Zeming said: “First, the seal on Sakura—unless I’m mistaken, this is my brother’s work.”

Tohsaka Rin blinked in surprise: “Your brother?”

Bai Zeming didn’t answer; instead, he turned to Tohsaka Sakura: “When you got off school yesterday, did you meet a mysterious man—strikingly handsome, wise and majestic, elegant as a celestial being?”

【Lin Yu: Good wording—very accurate to reality.】

【All group members: ?】

【Lin Yu: Why the question marks? Isn’t he telling the truth?】

【All group members: …】

Tohsaka Sakura blinked, hesitating: “There was… someone like that.”

Bai Zeming asked again: “Didn’t he pat your shoulder?”

Tohsaka Rin nodded, astonished: “How did you know?”

“Then there’s no doubt!”

Bai Zeming smiled and nodded: “With my brother’s protection, Matou Zōken’s soul won’t escape either!”

“What? Matou Zōken’s still alive?”

Kiritsugu Shirou’s face turned pale: “Didn’t we already clear the ruins and exterminate every single worm in and around the house before we left?”

“We did—but we missed one.”

He turned his gaze to Tohsaka Sakura.

Seeing this, all three froze.

Tohsaka Rin stood abruptly, frowning in disbelief:

“You mean… there’s a worm inside Sakura?!”

“….”

Bai Zeming sighed softly and slowly nodded.

Tohsaka Rin staggered back two steps, dazed: “How could this happen…”

Bai Zeming’s expression grew complex; he hesitated whether to reveal the full truth.

“Let me explain.”

At that moment, a soft sigh echoed through the air.

The next instant, silver light flared—and a handsome man in white robes materialized, stepping into the livestream’s frame.

Seeing Lin Yu appear suddenly, Saber and Rider, who had never met him before, froze, then narrowed their eyes, instinctively shielding their Masters.

“…You?”

Sakura Matou stared at him, stunned.

Lin Yu glanced at her and smiled slightly: “Yes, it’s me.”

He turned to the room, his voice calm: “Matou Zōken’s secret art is called the Imprint Worm—a type of artificial Three Corpse Worm, a familiar.”

“It can parasitize the human body, sustaining itself by consuming the host’s magical energy, like a magical surveillance device.”

“Once cultivated and implanted, these worms fuse with the host’s nervous system, becoming neural pathways akin to magical circuits.”

“Normally, these worm-formed circuits remain dormant—but when activated, they invade the host, feeding endlessly on their magical energy to launch…”

So this was the truth behind the Matou family’s magic?

Tohsaka Rin stared blankly; when she came to, she turned to the bowed, sorrowful Sakura, her heart swelling with a tangled mix of anger, guilt, and shame.

Kiritsugu Shirou and the Servants felt the same.

Only Bai Zeming sighed inwardly—he knew Lin Yu was still hiding much of the truth.

Like how the Imprint Worms craved not just magical energy, but also human blood, semen, and bone marrow…

Lin Yu continued: “Inside this girl’s heart lies a special Imprint Worm—one cultivated by Matou Zōken using a fragment of the Holy Grail as a catalyst, capable of transforming her into a Lesser Holy Grail.”

“What?!”

Tohsaka Rin cried out in shock and fury.

Lin Yu glanced at her coolly: “Don’t panic. The Lesser Holy Grail formed this way is incomplete.”

“But as a vessel for Matou Zōken’s soul? More than sufficient.”

Before he finished speaking, brilliant silver light burst from Sakura’s shoulder.

Everyone was caught off guard—they could only watch as the silver light arced across her shoulder like a silver arrow, piercing straight through her heart!

“Pthsh—”

With the sound of flesh being pierced, a stream of silver light erupted from her back and returned to Lin Yu’s hand.

Everyone gasped; Medusa instantly appeared beside Sakura, pulling the wounded Master into her arms while brandishing chains and a short sword, glaring at Lin Yu with fury and suspicion.

“You—huh?”

Medusa froze, her eyes locked on the wriggling worm between Lin Yu’s fingers.

“That’s the Imprint Worm inside Sakura’s heart?”

“Correct.”

Lin Yu glanced at the terrified, squirming worm—without any motion, crimson flames erupted spontaneously, devouring the worm’s body.

Hellfire!

A magic flame that targets only the soul.

It inflicts no physical damage—but brings unbearable agony straight to the soul.

Lin Yu had long despised this old worm; now that he had the chance, he intended to make it suffer.

He held the worm within the hellfire, then walked to Sakura, who was clutching her chest, and gently placed his free hand on her shoulder.

As red light flared, the blood on her skin retracted, her damaged heart and flesh began to heal.

Slowly, Sakura’s furrowed brow relaxed; her face softened, and soon she slipped into deep sleep.

“Done.”

Lin Yu released his hand and spoke softly under everyone’s gaze: “Today’s events exceeded her limits—I took the liberty of calming her spirit… Let her rest.”

As he spoke the last words, Lin Yu turned to Medusa.

Medusa blinked, then nodded silently, rising with the sleeping Master in her arms and leaving.

Lin Yu turned back, glanced at the writhing, tormented worm in the hellfire, and said coolly: “Makiri Zolgen, when you abandoned your humanity and prolonged your life with the flesh of others, you should have foreseen this day…”

Upon hearing these words, the twisted mark-worm paused for an instant, seemingly shocked that Lin Yu had spoken its true name.

Lin Yu shook his head. “Forget it. Torturing you is pointless. Just go quietly and become the contents of the Holy Grail.”

With that, he clenched his fingers—the worm inside the karmic fire exploded instantly. A semi-transparent soul emerged from it, and under Lin Yu’s control, it turned into a wisp of black mist that surged into the sigil on Bai Zeming’s wrist.

This time, the black mist bore faint facial features, and one could barely make out a terrified expression.

Tohsaka Rin and Emiya Shirou both froze, unable to help asking: “Is that Kiritsugu’s soul?”

Bai Zeming nodded. “Correct.”

Tohsaka Rin frowned. “Why are you collecting souls?”

Bai Zeming whispered: “That’s the other thing I wanted to tell you.”

He turned to Lin Yu. “Brother, shall you speak, or shall I?”

Lin Yu smiled. “You go ahead. I won’t steal the spotlight.”

Bai Zeming nodded, his gaze sweeping over the group before settling on Tohsaka Rin’s face. “Tohsaka, you said earlier that the battle among seven Masters and their Servants is a necessary ritual for the Holy Grail’s descent, correct?”

Tohsaka Rin nodded. “Yes. That’s common knowledge.”

Bai Zeming shook his head. “No. That’s knowledge they implanted in you.”

“In truth, the Holy Grail never needed to be summoned, nor did it require any ritual of the Holy Grail War—because it had already descended before the war even began!”

“...How is that possible?!”

Everyone, including Tohsaka Rin, stared in shock.

Even the usually composed Saber wore an expression of disbelief.

“If the Holy Grail had already descended, why hold the Holy Grail War at all? Isn’t that pointless?”

“Who said so?”

Bai Zeming glanced at her, then spoke slowly: “Summoning the Holy Grail was a lie—but the ritual wasn’t pointless. Its purpose isn’t the Grail itself, but its contents!”

“...Contents?”

Everyone stared at him, dumbfounded.

Bai Zeming continued: “Though the magi crafted the Holy Grail, they never prepared its contents. To truly unlock the Grail’s power, you must first summon what lies within.”

“So now the question arises: what being is worthy of becoming the Holy Grail’s contents?”

Tohsaka Rin’s pupils shrank sharply. “Servants?”

“Exactly!”

Bai Zeming spoke in a hushed tone: “The purest magical energy to fill the Holy Grail—the guardians seated upon the Throne of Heroes, beyond the world’s edge!”

“Those souls deemed the strongest are precisely what the magi behind the Holy Grail War crave as its contents!”

“In their calculations, if six Servant souls serve as fillers, the Holy Grail’s power might finally achieve the effect of an omnipotent wish-granter...”

(End of Chapter)