Kariya Matou walked swiftly through the familiar scenery of his hometown, a ce he thought he would never see again.


    Even when he returned to Fuyuki City a few times in the past, he never crossed the river to enter the area of Miyama Town. It had been almost ten years since hisst visit. Unlike the ever-changing urbanndscape of the new district due to city development, this area remained untouched, as if time had stood still here.


    The quiet alleys and street scenes were exactly as he remembered. However, despite slowing his pace to immerse himself in the nostalgic sights, none of the memories that surfaced were pleasant. Especially after his conversation with Aoi an hour ago, he finally understood the unease and fear that drove him to change his flightst night and return to Fuyuki City earlier than nned.


    It was the pitying gaze of his young travellingpanion, the tear at the corner of Aoi''s eye as they parted, that revealed the truth he had been afraid to face.


    He had seen his childhood friend safe and sound in the park, along with her two daughters she had with her husband, the head of the Tohsaka family. But upon learning that Aoi''s younger daughter, Sakura, had already been sent to the Matou family to be "Sakura Matou" that afternoon, a new, gaping wound tore open in his heart.


    "Was this truly the right decision, Aoi?"


    "...I''vee to terms with it... It was wrong to dream of a normal family''s happiness, to begin with..."


    Those words were lies.


    When Aoi epted the Tokiomi''s proposal eight years ago, the expression on her face, of her believing she would find happiness was a stark contrast to her current weak and helpless smile. These images alternated in Kariya''s mind, and he regretted ever trusting that smile and epting defeat.


    Perhaps if he had stopped Aoi back then and held her back, the future might have been different. If she hadn''t married into the Tohsaka family, maybe she could have lived a life free from the cursed fate of a magus family.


    Now, standing in front of the Matou mansion''s gate, the low rumble and bright shes ahead signalled that something was terribly wrong.


    ''What''s happening?''


    Kariya wondered, quickening his pace. He was finally back at the ce he had vowed never to return to after ten long years.


    And there, at the gate, he saw a familiar figure once more.


    Golden eyes shimmered brilliantly in contrast to the dark sky, but what captured Kariya''s attention was the monstrous weapon in the young man''s hands.


    "...Sakatsuki?"


    "Hmm?"


    Turning around, Sakatsuki saw Kariya Matou standing frozen with his mouth agape and smiling, despite holding an RPG-7.


    "You''re just in time, Kariya! Though I don''t know why you''re back early, you''re just in time to witness this historic moment with me!"


    "What... What are you nning, Sakatsuki?"


    Facing Kariya''s incredulous question, Satsuki beamed like a child and loudly dered.


    "Of course—I''m going to blow this bug nest to smithereens!"


    Before Kariya could react, the 84mm rocket sted through the mansion''s fragile defences and struck the Matou house directly.


    Boooom!


    As the mes erupted, Sakatsuki cheered and charged into the eerie mansion, clutching a stack of incendiary bombs.


    "Burn it all down!"


    "Wait! Stop! Don''t go in there!"


    Kariya shouted, his heart conflicted as he saw his family home being destroyed. But despite his turmoil, he chased after his youngpanion.


    ***


    Explosions.


    Fire.


    Destruction.


    Amid this apocalyptic scene, the agonized cries of countless arthropods echoed through the mansion.@@novelbin@@


    Eggs,rvae, pupae, adults.


    Crawling, slithering, pping wings.


    The swarm, sensing imminent doom, emerged from hiding and fled towards the exit.


    But merciless mes reduced them to ashes.


    "Hahaha! Hahaha!"


    Sakatsukiughed wildly, the methrower in his hands spewing fiery tongues that engulfed everything, cleansing all filth and corruption in a ze of crimson.


    Behind him, Kariya Matou watched in shock, as if seeing his youngpanion in a new light.


    Just moments ago, he had watched Sakatsuki exhaust his supply of incendiary bombs, only to conjure a methrower from nowhere,ying waste to everything magical within the house.


    His mind was filled with one thought—why hasn''t this decrepit house copsed yet?


    "I wondered who dared to visit the Matou house with such crude weapons... It seems you''ve truly fallen, Einzbern!"


    Amidst the mes, a stunted old man appeared before Sakatsuki and Kariya, the surrounding fire seemingly extinguished by his presence, shadowed by his ominous aura.


    "Matou Zouken."


    Kariya muttered with seething anger, ring at the head of the Matou family.


    The true age of this man was unknown. Officially registered as the father of Kariya and his siblings, yet the family records listed him as the progenitor for generations past. No one knew how many lifetimes this elder had presided over the Matou family.


    An immortal magus using unspeakable methods to extend his life repeatedly, Kariya''s most detested ancestor of the Matou lineage, a living monster in the modern age—this was Matou Zouken.


    Kariya could feel an overwhelming urge to strangle this decrepit man and end his tyranny, imagining little Sakura falling into the clutches of this fiend.


    But he also knew. Despite his frail, withered appearance, Zouken was a magus. Any physical confrontation would result in Kariya''s immediate defeat.


    Suddenly a chilling gleam shed through the air, and before the methrower even hit the ground, Sakatsuki had already wielded Kanshou and Bakuya, slicing Zouken''s figure in half with inhuman speed.


    "Old relics should return to the earth. Your stench of decay is as foul as Jubstacheit von Einzbern''s."


    Sakatsuki said coldly. His body released a bone-chilling killing intent and dered.


    "Your time is over, Makiri Zolgen!"