The Death of Zolgen Makiri / Obtaining a Reality Marble

If Saber finds her true self, she will possess the true regal aura of the 'King of Knights'.

"Ah... indeed." After hearing Arthur's words, Kariya Matou nodded slightly in agreement.

Arthur was the one who saved him. Kariya Matou, who already had feelings for Arthur, trusted this ancient 'great king' very much, even though they had only known each other for less than half a day.

Indeed, the reason why Kariya Matou became like this is because Arthur used the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit to destroy the Crest Worms had become integrated into his nerves, and used the power of the Avalon to help him restore his body, which was on the verge of collapse.

Through the power to liberate the Avalon, Kariya Matou also learns Arthur's true name.

This is the basis for the deal between Arthur and Kariya Matou. After learning Arthur's real name, Kariya also chose to believe in this Servant who had won his favor.

Meanwhile, having recovered, 'Berserker' retired from the scene.

Within just a few days of the Holy Grail War beginning, 'Assassin' and 'Berserker' had already left the battlefield, leaving only five Servants in the war.

"The Matou Family mansion is just ahead. Please, King Arthur!" As they chatted casually, the silhouette of a building in a gloomy environment gradually appeared in Arthur and Kariya Matou's eyes.

That was the Matou Family, one of the Three Founding Families from which the Holy Grail originated.

"Don't worry, I'll kill that old man. Even if I can't, I'll rescue the little girl you want to save," Arthur said reassuringly. "Your 'Berserker' is out of the picture; with your strength, you shouldn't interfere."

"Please!" Kariya Matou bowed slightly and pleaded again.

"Ah..."

'Sizzle sizzle...!'

Arthur responded softly, then his figure transformed into a bolt of Inazuma and vanished from the spot.

Only Kariya Matou remained, his face filled with worry.

The interior was dimly lit and had a gloomy atmosphere.

The Matou Family mansion is arguably the most unique among the Three Founding Families.

It doesn't seem like a mansion; it looks more like a haunted house.

The reason for this is naturally due to the head of the Matou Family — Zouken Matou.

This is a Monster, an old Monster that has lived for five hundred years.

Although he is registered as the grandfather of Sakura Matou and Shinji Matou, and the current head of the Matou Family, he is actually the first head of the Matou Family.

Originally named Machiri Zolgen Makiri, he was a great magus who, together with the 'first head of the Tohsaka Family's Justeaze Nagato Tohsaka the 'Winter Saintess' Justesarezresh von Einzbern, constructed the ritual known as the 'Heaven's Feel' in Fuyuki City Magecraft.

Arthur's help to Kariya Matou was not without purpose.

He knew Zouken Matou's true identity and understood his weakness; this immortal Monster was nothing to him.

More importantly, Zouken Matou most likely possesses Magecraft books related to Reality Marbles.

Arthur absolutely needs that ability to materialize mental landscapes.

From the vast ocean, Arthur clearly understands that this world may not be his final destination.

He might go to a world with even higher combat power in the future, or even a world where the power system is above that of Type-Moon, where the three Noble Phantasms would no longer be his trump cards.

He needs to find a way to become stronger!

The 'Reality Marble' that allows one to materialize mental landscapes is definitely a skill worth learning.

"Distinguished guest, are you here to see me, or my good-for-nothing son?"

As soon as Arthur appeared, a hoarse voice reached his ears.

Turning my head, I saw a scene that would frighten a child so much that they would wake up from a nightmare at night.

Chapter 305 The Death of Zouken Matou

At Arthur's feet, a large, fat insect, large enough to terrify any woman, slowly crawled past.

Following the direction the insect was climbing, Arthur saw a small figure in the dim light.

It was a short, bald old man with limbs as thin as a mummy. He was hunched over and leaned on a cane, half of his body hidden in the dim shadows. His deep-set eyes gleamed with a sharp light as he stared at Arthur, giving off an eerie and terrifying aura. Even from this distance, Arthur could smell the stench emanating from him, a stench that was hard to tell whether it was from his body or soul that was decaying.

"I never expected that 'Lancer,' who shone so brightly in the Holy Grail War, would appear here. This old man is truly astonished!" Zouken Matou's lips twitched slightly, revealing a smile that was both kind and sinister. He chuckled softly in an unsettling tone.

'Call out--'

Arthur frowned slightly, offered no response, and raised his hand to fire a laser beam.

The laser beam formed by blue and white lightning was like an indestructible blade. It barely grazed Zouken Matou before completely severing his right arm.

'Snap--'

A crisp sound rang out as the severed arm, thin as a rake, oozed a bluish-purple liquid that transformed into a swarm of insects that crawled outwards.

Only a few charred insect corpses remained on the ground.

"So that's how it is. I'm your target?"

Zouken Matou glanced down at the insect corpses on the ground. The insects that had crawled out quickly slithered down to the severed part of his arm, and the severed arm, as if it had been Elemental Transformation by Logia Devil Fruit, instantly returned to its original state.

Zouken Matou stared at Arthur with a sharp, piercing gaze, his eyes holding an inscrutable expression. He continued, "Or perhaps I've seen Servant, and your Master has ordered you to eliminate me?"

"Grandfather..."

Just as Arthur and Zouken Matou were locked in a stalemate, a soft voice suddenly reached their ears.

Following the direction of the sound, Arthur saw the figure of a little girl with short purple hair.

'Swish--'

When Arthur saw those charred, lifeless eyes, he suddenly vanished from the spot.

The next moment, he returned to his original position, but this time he was holding a little girl in his arms.

"So that's how it is. No wonder I lost contact with that good-for-nothing son!" Seeing this, Zouken Matou said with a hint of realization, "I thought he was dead, but I never expected him to have betrayed me."

"Uncle Kariya, what's wrong with him?" Sakura Matou, held in Arthur's arms, offered no resistance. Her calm eyes gazed at Arthur as she asked in a composed tone.

"Mr. Kariya, he's doing well now." Arthur smiled slightly. "He asked me to come and rescue you!"

Are you taking me away from here?

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of light appeared in Sakura Matou's lifeless eyes, and her tone took on a touch of humanity.

This shows how much this environment has affected the little girl.

"Ah..." Arthur nodded, responding softly, and said, "But wait for me a moment! Don't worry, it'll be ready soon!"

'Sizzle sizzle...'

The instant the words were spoken, wisps of electric arcs appeared in the air around Arthur, except for his left hand holding Sakura Matou and that part of his body.

'Call out--'

'Call out--'

With just a light tap of the foot, the body leaned slightly forward.

All that remained of Arthur's location was a blue and white afterimage.

When he reappeared, he was already standing next to Zouken Matou.

His right hand, crackling with electric arcs, gently rested on Zouken Matou's shoulder, which was devoid of flesh and blood, consisting only of bones.

"50 million volts of discharge!"

A whisper came from Arthur's mouth.

'Sizzle...'

'Slap slap--!'

In the next instant, bursts of violent electric current suddenly flashed, flickering continuously like alternating current.

The blue and white light illuminated this underground chamber, which was previously untouched by sunlight.

As the sound of electric currents clashing rang out, instead of the electric heating sound emanating from Zouken Matou, who had no reaction time, the sound of bubbles being popped could be heard.

And the sound rang out one after another, countless in number.

Under the electric torture of '50 million volts discharge', Zouken Matou's emaciated body swelled up like an inflated balloon, with bluish-purple sacs swelling up in various parts, from which strands of liquid oozed.

Immediately, the fleshy sacs burst open, releasing the charred corpses of the Crest Worms.

Before long, Zouken Matou's body disappeared.

The ground was covered with the corpses of insects, emitting a foul, burnt smell.

"Grandpa, is he dead?" Held in Arthur's arms, and witnessing the gruesome death of her 'grandpa', Sakura Matou asked softly.

Her tone remained emotionless, revealing nothing about her feelings.

"Not yet, wait a little longer..." Arthur released his Observation Haki and then said.

"80 million volts discharge--"

With a casual wave of his hand, Arthur tossed out a series of blue and white electric nets.

'Sizzle... slap!'

The electric grid had fallen to the ground, stuck to the walls, or affixed to the ceiling, spreading throughout the entire underground chamber.

The electric currents converged, accompanied by the sound of bubbles bursting, and the sound rang out again.

Ignoring the voice in his ear, Arthur put Sakura Matou down from his arms, lifted her clothes, and ran two fingers across her smooth skin, past that flat area, and finally stopped at her heart.

"Here, hold this!" Arthur placed his finger against Sakura Matou's heart, then took out a sword sheath with his other hand and handed it to Sakura Matou.

Chapter 306 The Reality Marble is Acquired

"Brother... can I know your name?" Sakura Matou held the 'Avalon' that Arthur handed her, and whether it was the flashing lightning or just her imagination, she still saw a glimmer in her eyes.

The 'Avalon' scabbard that Arthur took out was not the bladed scabbard that was attached to the Excalibur.

Or rather, although it has a bladed scabbard, the blade itself can be concealed.

At this moment, the 'Avalon' scabbard that Sakura Matou was holding was the 'Avalon' with its blade already concealed.

"Me? My name is Arthur Pendragon!" Arthur pressed his two fingers against Sakura Matou's heart, feeling the little girl's heartbeat. He looked directly into her eyes and smiled as he spoke.

"Arthur, come on!" Holding the 'Avalon' sword sheath, Sakura Matou said understandingly, "I'm not afraid of pain."

Upon hearing this, Arthur's smile widened, and he praised, "Sakura is so good!"

"Don't worry, it'll be over in a second... Avalon!"

'Sizzle--Pfft!'

The instant he finished speaking, a flash of electricity erupted.

Arthur's two fingers formed a laser blade, which suddenly pierced Sakura Matou's heart, and then he quickly pulled it out.

The suffocating pain caused Sakura Matou's pupils to contract repeatedly.

Her petite body stiffened for a fleeting moment.

Immediately, golden light emanated from the scabbard of the 'Avalon' sword in her arms, and a transparent white light shield spread out, completely enveloping her body.

The laceration near the heart healed in the blink of an eye, before any blood could even flow out, as if time had reversed.

"Why... why... you're clearly just a Heroic Spirit, how could you possibly discover my true form?"

Arthur pulled down Sakura Matou's clothes, then looked down at the small insect held between his two fingers. From the insect's mouth came the voice of Zouken Matou.

This voice made even the previously numb Sakura Matou turn pale.

"Want to die? Zouken Matou, no... I should call you Machiri Zolgen Makiri!" Arthur stared at the insect between his fingers and sneered.

"No... don't kill me! Please, please don't kill me..." Zouken Matou pleaded in terror. "I'll give you anything you want, Sakura or the Matou Family, I'll give you anything! Just don't kill me!"

"Very good..." Arthur smiled with satisfaction, then asked seriously, "Do you have any methods for cultivating Reality Marbles, or any Magecraft books related to them?"

"Reality Marble? That Magecraft that materializes mental landscapes..." Zouken Matou paused slightly, then said excitedly with a hint of joy, "I did indeed have some in my collection back then. As long as you let me go, I'll take it right away... sizzle!"