After parting with the girl named Emiya Ritsuka, Matou Sakura walked on the way home, gradually approaching the depths of Miyama Town.
A gloomy estate sat at the end of her sight. It was a two-story villa-style building with a Western flair, yet it gave off a haunted feeling.
Without pausing, Sakura took out her key and opened the estate's gate, passing through the Matou Family's magic barrier and entering the grounds.
The house seemed empty, a quiet and dark environment that looked quite terrifying.
Having lived here for quite some time, Sakura had already adapted to the atmosphere of the Matou Residence and felt no fear in her heart. She held the little panda plushie Senpai had given her in her arms and quietly walked toward her room.
"Sakura, you're back."
"...I'm back, Grandfather."
Sakura paused, forcing a smile onto her face.
Zouken Matou, the aged patriarch of the Matou Family, stood not far from the stairs. He looked at Sakura as she prepared to go upstairs and gave a kind smile.
Unfortunately, due to personal appearance issues, this old man's smile appeared somewhat sinister instead.
The hunched old man leaned on his cane as he walked toward the small Sakura. A trace of doubt appeared on his face as his gaze lingered on the plushie in Sakura's arms, an unreadable emotion flashing in his eyes.
The corners of his mouth quirked up slightly. "Sakura, this plushie... did you buy it yourself?"
"...Yes, I bought it myself. I'm sorry, Grandfather, I spent money recklessly."
As children of the Matou Family, because the family's assets were quite substantial, they were given a certain amount of allowance, much more than other children their age.
Out of some unspeakable factor, Sakura instinctively lied to Zouken Matou.
She didn't want to involve her newly made friend in her own troubles... "Well, it's just a small plushie. Grandfather won't say anything. Be a good girl, Sakura. Put the plushie in your room first, and then go to the basement."
Sakura said nothing more, but her body instinctively began to tremble, and a trace of fear appeared in her pupils.
Watching Sakura leave, Zouken Matou stood quietly at the stairs, thinking for a moment. Behind him, a man suddenly stepped out from a corner.
"Father, Sakura's plushie was given to her by a girl named Emiya Ritsuka. Her father's name is Emiya Kiritsugu."
Emiya Kiritsugu.
Hearing this name, Zouken Matou narrowed his eyes and looked at the son who was reporting to him, Matou Tsuruno, the nominal head of the Matou Family.
"The Magus Killer. He's a difficult character to deal with. Could he be targeting Sakura..."
Zouken Matou muttered. He had naturally heard of the famous 'Magus Killer.' It was said the man had specialized methods for dealing with Magicians and was very formidable.
But he wasn't particularly afraid; after all, he had the foundation of having lived for several hundred years.
"Father, do you really not intend to tell Sakura the truth?"
"Tsuruno! Shut up."
With an angry shout and a glare from Zouken Matou, the man named Matou Tsuruno didn't dare to say another word.
Turning around and confirming that Sakura had entered the basement, Zouken Matou looked at his nominal son and couldn't help but sigh.
"Don't you hate me? For devouring your father."
"..."
Matou Tsuruno remained silent and didn't respond, simply keeping his head down as if he could see a flower blooming on the floor.
"You and Shinji have no talent, and the Einzberns are pressing us step by step. Sakura is my only choice. Butterfly Magecraft is capable of contending with that Displacement."
"Go. Your task is to manage the Matou Family's assets and provide support for Sakura's magecraft training."
"I understand, Father."
The two parted ways. Matou Tsuruno left the Matou Residence, while Zouken Matou walked toward the basement. At the same time, he began using magical energy to awaken the swarm of insects inside. His body also underwent slight abnormalities.
A caterpillar can eventually break its cocoon and become a butterfly. The Crest Worms had all been replaced, and his days were numbered... In the cold and damp environment, the swarm in the basement rose up in a cloud, enveloping the small figure. Imaginary Numbers magical energy manifested, and Sakura, who had only learned the basics of magecraft, struggled to fight against the sea of insects controlled by Zouken Matou.
"Work a little harder, Sakura. Otherwise, Grandfather's insects will eat you right up."
The twisted smile on the aged face made Sakura feel terrified, especially when his mouth pulled back and insects even fell from it.
Fear broke through her limits, and for a moment, the magecraft Sakura was using nearly collapsed.
Frowning, Zouken Matou immediately controlled the swarm, reducing the number of insects rushing forward to a level Sakura could handle.
Even for a genius remnant of the Tohsaka family, she was still far too young. Zouken Matou didn't have much time left, so he had to be a bit harsher; only then could he provide more protection for the Matou Family before he departed.
For example, by training an heir to the magecraft.
However, just granting knowledge and combat experience wasn't enough. Since he was holding back completely, Sakura's improvement would hit a plateau. She needed a more extreme stimulus... Controlling an insect with magical energy, he made it fly past Sakura's magic shield, its razor-sharp wings cutting her tender cheek.
"Ah!"
The magic shield shattered instantly, and the lightning-like offensive magecraft vanished along with it. The insects swarmed forward, tearing at Sakura's hair as pain flooded her entire body.
Butterflies fluttered. Sakura, who was not yet proficient in Butterfly Magecraft, brought out her trump card. The Butterfly Magecraft, which specialized in illusions, briefly 'affected' the swarm and even 'affected' Zouken Matou himself.
Flames rose up—the best attribute for dealing with insects—and were held in Sakura's hands. In an instant, several fireballs 'overturned' the sea of insects.
Sakura possessed extremely outstanding magical aptitude; her magical attribute was the very rare Imaginary Numbers.
Although it hadn't been fully developed, because of its unique and powerful characteristics, Sakura's learning speed for other types of magecraft was still very fast. After pulling back some distance, she gripped two jewels.
With the help of tools, if she couldn't hold out in a direct confrontation, she would work harder using other things.
Fire and lightning pulverized countless insects, and the overflowing magical energy crushed many of the fragile bugs. Sakura, having consumed a lot of magical energy, began to pant.
Jewel Magecraft, known as one of the most wasteful types of magecraft, actually had some connection to Sakura. This was because she was originally from the Tohsaka family, which had been wiped out years ago during the Holy Grail War. That family had believed the lies of the Einzberns, and out of the four family members, only Sakura survived thanks to Zouken Matou's protection.
While Jewel Magecraft itself didn't consume her own magical energy, the difficulty of maintaining Butterfly Magecraft to'successfully' interfere with Zouken Matou was still a bit too high. Her performance today was definitely beyond her usual level.
"Very good, Sakura, but you're still far from it."
The Butterfly Magecraft was broken by Zouken Matou, who had been 'affected' for quite a while. The magical backlash instantly knocked Sakura over, and countless insects rushed up to begin biting her body.
In just a moment, Sakura fell unconscious.
The sea of insects went silent instantly and then all burrowed deeper into the basement, leaving Sakura, who had many bloody marks on her body, lying quietly in the center of the pit.
Zouken Matou picked her up gently and walked out of the basement—
"You held out for nine minutes today. With this rate of progress, Sakura, you will surely be able to shoulder the burden of the Matou Family."