Matou Sakura's Resolve

On this rainy day, a strange little animal's head suddenly emerged from the roadside bushes. It seemed to have burrowed into the bushes to take shelter from the rain. For some reason, Sakura sensed a loneliness in the little animal's eyes, a feeling of shared sorrow welling up within her.

"Kitten? Squirrel? Are you alone too? Or are you lost?" The girl crouched down, looked at the fluffy white animal, and asked with a soft laugh.

"Fou?" The little animal opened its innocent big eyes and looked at the girl in front of it. Its curled tail with some purple stripes swayed gently.

"Come here~, you'll still get rained on if you stay in here." Sakura reached out her hand to the little animal.

"Fou ~!" The little animal sniffed at the girl's hand, then opened its eyes wide, as if confirming something. It lightly leaped into the girl's arms, hugged the collar of her clothes, and wouldn't let go.

"Wait, be good, be good, don't be nervous." Sakura, who had hugged the little animal, stood up and wanted to pat Fou's back to soothe it. But then she noticed a small bundle tied with a belt on its back, with a bulging space inside, about the size of a pocketbook.

Thinking that the package might contain information related to the child, Sakura unpacked it and opened the lid. What peeked out was a black screen, a thin, rectangular machine with a technological feel that was ahead of its time.

"This is a smartphone? You're definitely not an ordinary little animal. Are you Magecraft's familiar? This world is just a tourist attraction, even Great Clock is just an ordinary tourist spot. Where did this Demonic Beast come from?" Sakura grabbed Fou's soft flesh by the back of her neck, lifted her up, and asked.

"Fou ~?!" Fou tilted its head innocently as it was lifted up, looking confused. It had simply followed its instincts and completed the task that Da Vinci had entrusted to it.

At this moment, Fou, having reshaped Mash's physical body at the cost of her accumulated wisdom and magic over a thousand years, has to start all over again. Her intelligence is now comparable to that of a pet dog that is equivalent to a ten-year-old elementary school student.

"Alright, alright, I'll forgive you since you're so cute." Sakura hugged Fou again, tapped its little face with her finger, and said with a smile.

Now that she had completed her search and couldn't return to Chaldea for the time being, Fou went back into the girl's arms and simply bit the bow on the girl's collar, determined not to leave.

"What? You want to come home with me too?" Sakura asked with a smile, looking at the little animal in her arms.

"Fou ~!" Fou snuggled against the girl's chest in a cute way, calling out in response.

"That's fine, the house is big, we can keep each other company." Sakura said with a smile, stroking Fou's head.

However, what the girl didn't know was that, besides Fou, the little beast lying in her arms, there were also alien beings from this world that had broken through the protective barrier of the world and invaded this world during this heavy rain.

Dozens of kilometers away from the city, in the mountains, there is a small village surrounded by terraced paddy fields. Under the eaves of the houses, several elderly people with gray hair are sitting together on wooden chairs, chatting.

This is a rural village with a severe aging population. There are hardly any young people left to live here, and those who farm are mostly elderly. They are not used to city life and are unwilling to move to the city with their children. But their children can't give up the years of hard work they've put in to achieve some success, get a stable job, and pay for a house, to return to the countryside to take care of their parents.

In the mountain villages, there are many examples of elderly couples relying on each other for survival, and those elderly people whose partners have passed away due to old age are left to live alone here.

"The rain came just in time this year. The crops are growing well; it'll probably be a bumper year," an old man with a palm-leaf fan said with a contented smile, admiring the heavy rain outside.

"Brother Tanaka, didn't you say you weren't going to plant this year? Your old bones are no good anymore," an old man with crescent-shaped age spots on his cheek said with a smile.

"If that's the case, I think I heard someone say something similar two years ago," said the squinty-eyed old man beside him.

"That's right, old man, the two of us can't manage on our own. It would be a real problem if you hurt your back," the old man's wife said, bringing over tea and snacks and placing them on the small table.

The old man with the palm-leaf fan turned around and shouted, "What do you know! Do you even know what silver relic is? Only rice grown by ourselves is called silver relic, and that kind of rice is the most delicious! My grandson says every year when he comes home that Grandpa's rice is so fragrant!"

"Alright, alright, isn't your sister-in-law just doing this for your own good? Otherwise, what about my family's rice?"

"What are you saying? No matter how good other people's crops are, they can't compare to the fragrance of crops grown in your own fields. I'm still young! I can eat two bowls of rice in one meal! It would be a waste not to plant crops during such a good season!" The old man with the palm-leaf fan stood up and said.

"Alright, we know you're young, you're still a cycle short of a hundred years old," the old man with age spots replied cheerfully.

The old man with the palm-leaf fan didn't reply. Instead, he took out his reading glasses from the pocket on his chest and looked into the distance.

The crowd followed his gaze with curiosity and saw a hunchbacked old man in a kimono, carrying a large black umbrella, walking slowly through the rain from the path outside the village.

"Hey! Old brother, I've never seen you before. Which family are you looking for in the village? Come and take shelter from the rain here first." An old man sitting under the eaves with a palm-leaf fan called out to a hunchbacked, bald old man carrying a black umbrella as he walked by.

"..." The hunchbacked old man stopped when he heard the sound, slowly raised his umbrella, revealing his eyebrowless pupils with all the whites of his eyes turned black, and gave an unsettling, eerie smile.

"Slippery devil?!" The old man with the palm-leaf fan took a step back in fright and exclaimed.

"What? Brother? You look like a human being, don't you? It's rare to have guests in the village, you're being very inconsiderate." The squinting old man looked at the old man outside the door and turned around to say.

The old man with the palm-leaf fan waved his fan and said, "No! Didn't you see that guy's face and expression? It's very bad! That's definitely not someone a human should entertain. Let's go inside."

"What's wrong with you? Luckily it's raining, so they probably didn't hear you. If you don't want to, brother, you can take me to my house." The elderly man with age spots stood up and said.

"Heh..." The hunchbacked old man standing in the distance clearly heard the conversation on the other side. He looked up at the old men under the eaves and grinned.

The old man with the strange eyes raised his hand and gently tossed the umbrella, the black umbrella he had just been holding drifting towards the other old men.

The umbrella, which should have fallen to the ground quickly after being battered by the rain, defied the laws of nature and floated steadily at the same height in the air, slowly rotating until it drifted to the eaves where the elderly people were.

"What? What's going on?" The squinty-eyed old man rubbed his eyes, looking completely bewildered.

All that could be vaguely seen was a black umbrella drifting by, its surface seemingly rising and falling. Despite the absence of any external force, the umbrella was trembling up and down. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the surface and handle were made up of all sorts of insects. The outer layer consisted mostly of black scorpions, spiders, and centipedes, while the inner layers were wriggling, unidentifiable fleshy worms.

A gray worm with eight sharp, spiky claws pounced on the squinty-eyed old man's face. Its sharp claws pierced directly into his narrowed eyelids, tearing them open to reveal large, protruding eyeballs stained red with blood. The worm bared its pincer-like fangs, trying to bite into the eyeballs and burrow into the eye sockets.

"Ouch!! It hurts so much! My eyes!" The old man collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony.

However, he didn't struggle for long before he convulsed and stopped breathing. Insects that had fallen from the umbrella had now covered the ground under the eaves, and a poisonous insect bit the old man, sending him to his death.

"Whoa! Monster! Monster..." The old man with age spots widened his eyes and cried out.

Just then, a flesh-colored worm with a round sucker appeared under the umbrella and lunged at the old man's mouth, biting his tongue. The old man looked terrified and tried to scream, but his mouth was blocked and he couldn't make a sound. The worm's tail remained outside the old man's mouth.

"I'll save you!" The old man with the fan reached out and grabbed the insect's tail. He pulled it out with all his might and threw it away.

"Waaaaah... Waaaaah..." The old man with age spots opened his mouth, but it was a black hole; his tongue was gone, and blood gushed from it. He clutched his neck and collapsed to the ground.

"How could this be... Brother!" the old man with the palm-leaf fan exclaimed, looking at his old friend from the same village.

"My dear husband! Waaah..." The old woman cried, her entire body covered in black, poisonous insects.

"My dear wife!" The old man with the palm-leaf fan rushed to save his wife, but was stung on the hand by a scorpion. The wound oozed a purplish-black color and quickly spread to his entire arm. He collapsed weakly to the ground.

Countless insects crawled all over the four corpses and began to devour them.

Zouken Matou walked to the eaves, observing the rain outside, and said calmly, "There aren't any young bodies in this village. Well, I'm immortal now, so I don't need to be too picky as food for insects."

As he spoke, Zouken Matou's body continued to shrink, and countless insects crawled out from under his kimono, joining the army that devoured the corpse.

After that, centered on the old man's house with the palm-leaf fan, swarms of insects, under the rain curtain, moved through the surrounding houses.

From time to time, a hoarse scream could be heard from inside the village, only to be drowned out by the pattering rain.

That night, the telephone rang in the old man's house, where he was using a palm-leaf fan.

Ring ring ring...

Ring ring ring...

"That's strange. Grandpa and Grandma always answer the phone after it rings once."

In another part of the town, in an apartment building, a primary school boy was reclining on a sofa, holding a phone between his ear and shoulder, while playing with a transparent Game Boy game console.

"She's probably asleep. It's all your fault for being so engrossed in playing video games. What's so fun about that!" the housewife scolded as she tidied up the clothes.

"No way! It's only 8:30 now. Grandpa and Grandma don't turn off the lights until 9:00! I timed it perfectly. They're really looking forward to my call. They won't be able to sleep if they don't hear my voice for a week!" The boy looked at his mother with dissatisfaction and corrected her.

The housewife said, "Okay, go take a shower now, and call again tomorrow. Tell them that Dad has time off next weekend and will drive home to visit them."

"Yes~ yes~!" the boy replied, drawing out his words.

The problem of unanswered phone calls in the village is not unique to this one family. However, given that it is a rural village with only a dozen or so elderly people living alone, it is not uncommon for the signal to drop from time to time, for some areas to lose radio waves, and for calls to go unanswered during bad weather.

Ring ring ring...

The rain had stopped, and in the quiet village, the telephone rang very loudly.

The creatures in the room where the telephone was placed were no longer human. In the dark room, the chirping of insects could be heard from time to time, and something was crawling on the ground. The moonlight shining through the window was covered with moths that focused on the light, and insects blinked their eyes, flashing red pupils.

The wooden beads on the walls were covered with cobwebs, small mounds of earth were pasted on the walls, and holes were dug out of the ground.

This time, connected to the Holy Grail, the being filled with Black Mud is the Grand Mage Zouken Matou, Mage of the Insects user with inexhaustible magical power. He is constantly incubating new bugs with his body, and in just a few days, the entire village will become a nest for bugs.

Chapter 404 Sakura Matou's Determination

Drip, drip, patter, the rain stopped and started again, stopped and started again, and the dark clouds in the sky lingered for a long time. Water accumulated everywhere outside, and the mud in the neighborhood park became bumpy and uneven. Under the big tree, ants were lined up in a long army, carrying out an emergency relocation.

Winged flying ants clung to the lit windows of the residents' homes, trying their best to squeeze inside. Meanwhile, water spiders glided across the surface of the pond on the other side, and dragonflies with their wings drooping flew across the water's surface atop the lush lotus leaves.

A light drizzle fell, and a breeze brought a cool, damp chill.

Housewives are complaining about the inconvenience of going out; the continuous rainy season means there's no sun, so clothes can't dry and end up with a strange smell.

Fortunately, with this kind of weather, primary school students don't have to go to school, because after a week of school, they've just welcomed the weekend holiday.

The purple-haired girl is now in her own home in this life, except that there is a new member in this home: a big-tailed, fluffy pet named Fou, whose pet is so soothing to touch.

Sakura was wearing a pure white Western-style dress, with a red ribbon tied in her hair on the left side. She was as delicate and beautiful as a begonia flower. At this moment, the girl was sitting on the sofa in her living room watching TV, gently stroking the small animal lying on her lap.

Three days have passed since I last brought it home, and the little animal seems to have gotten used to life here. After bringing Fou home, Sakura tried feeding it all sorts of food and found that Fou had a very strong appetite. It didn't discriminate between meat and vegetables. Whether it was meat, biscuits, vegetables, or nuts, as long as it tasted good, it could use its surprisingly hard teeth to chew it up and swallow it.

At that moment, on the television in the lobby, the news anchor was reporting the latest news with a serious expression.

"Recently, several car accidents have occurred on the village road near the mountain. Cars braked suddenly and crashed into the fence, causing rear-end collisions. All four vehicles were left on the road. Bloodstains were found in the cars, but no one was present. It is understood that most of the car owners were families returning home for the holidays. The victims are missing and their whereabouts are unknown. There are seven adults and three children among them. Photos of the missing persons are provided here. Anyone with information is urged to contact the police station immediately."

"Next news item: the continuous heavy rains have led to damp and humid weather. According to the epidemic prevention station, insects are breeding in large numbers. Please take precautions to prevent pests, do not open windows unnecessarily, clean up garbage promptly, and keep your kitchens clean."

People living in a world of peace are unaware of the true danger, hidden in news reports with only a few selected photos released, making it impossible to ascertain what actually happened. However, the girl seems to have sensed something.

Sakura gazed at the gloomy sky outside the window and said melancholy, "Something feels off. Is it because of the recent weather? It seems like something bad is happening in this town. It's really strange. It's just like back then..."

"Fou?" Fou raised its head to look at the girl, flicked its tail, and touched the girl's arm, as if to comfort her.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," Sakura said, gently stroking Fou's head.

"But something really did happen in this world, and... what is this function...?" Sakura took out her smartphone from her pocket and turned on the screen.

Although she's not particularly good at electronic products, Sakura is definitely much better than her older sister, since she's the kind of girl who can achieve anything if she just puts in the effort.

Caesar Caesar...

Squeak squeak squeak...

Suddenly, a series of discordant insect chirps came from outside. It was a rainy day, and not summer, the season when insects are most active, yet the insect chirping outside was unusually lively.

Sakura's expression changed. She stood up and looked outside. Suddenly, a flying insect was perched on the window, its eyes flashing red, as if it were greeting the girl.

The girl realized something, hid her phone, clenched her small hands into fists, and silently walked forward to push open the living room window facing out.

Along with flying insects, a swarm of crawling insects pushed and shoved their way in through the window.

After the reptiles landed on the ground, they gathered together and piled up, seemingly forming a human shape.

The appearance of this uninvited guest was all too familiar to her; even now, whenever she had a nightmare at night, that figure would definitely appear in her dreams.

Sakura saw the unexpected visitor, lowered her brows, and softly called out, "Grandpa..."

"Fou!" Fou leaned out from the girl's arms, baring her sharp teeth, her tail taut, and adopting a defensive posture.

"Sakura, you're acting like this again. Is it because of your physical condition that your mentality has reverted to that of a child? No, you're not an ordinary person at heart. Unlike Shinji and those other good-for-nothings, you truly possess excellent qualities as Magecraft. You endured the implantation of the Crest Worms and the modification of your attributes."

"You are indeed an obedient and good child. Even when you cried from the pain, you didn't run away. Although I often see you looking towards the mountain, you've never secretly gone to the Tohsaka household there. But you're not just that kind of person, are you?"

"Grandpa, no! That time was..." Sakura lowered her head and said softly and weakly.

"What are you thinking, putting on this victim-like, passive act? Because of your inaction, I had no choice but to give up on the Holy Grail War. I really don't know who killed me back then," Zouken Matou asked.

"Grandpa... I never intended to rebel against you. It's just that you wanted to hurt Senior, so... Grandpa! Since you're here, does that mean Senior! Emiya- senpai might also be here?!" Sakura's eyes lit up as she thought of the gods and looked at the gloomy old man.

"Hehehe, now you're finally showing some semblance of being the heir to the Matou family. It was indeed my carelessness back then, and I can't blame you for the loss. Besides, your performance really surprised me; you're clearly a little girl who doesn't even have the courage to participate in a battle."

"I only nurtured you as Lesser Grail, without teaching you many combat techniques, yet you ultimately reversed my modifications, broke free from my control, and turned the Holy Grail into yours. But that also proves my foresight."

Zouken Matou smiled grimly and said, "But unfortunately, Shirou Emiya won't be coming. Indeed... in a sense, he accomplished a miracle no less than reaching the Root. The formation of this world is also thanks to him. That brat who once dreamed of becoming Hero of Justice has unexpectedly become a concept, a true immortal god. It's truly enviable."

"Senior... he really is still alive?" Sakura clutched her heart and said joyfully upon hearing Zouken's words.

"Sakura! Don't delude yourself. But because of this, the high and mighty gods have forgotten this world. They won't come here, so you'd better not have any futile expectations."

"Wait a minute! Grandpa! What's going on?!" Sakura called out.

"I'm about to begin a new Holy Grail War in this city. Join in as you are. Now that I'm here, the Lesser Grail is no longer needed. Fight for the Holy Grail here and provide your magic power wisely. Hehehe... Make good use of your abilities, and don't die easily. I'm looking forward to your performance."

With a rustling sound, Zouken Matou left behind these words, then transformed into an insect and flew out the window.

"Senior... where are you? What happened?" Sakura asked.

In a past life...

He was sent to the Matou family by his parents and became their adopted son.

Her nominal adoptive father, though kind to her, possessed a cold and distant quality. Although nominally the head of the family, he was in reality nothing more than an assistant to her grandfather, handling miscellaneous tasks. Aside from that, he squandered the family's savings, indulging in a life of extravagance and debauchery, eventually dying from excessive alcoholism.

Although the Matou family's older brother is essentially the kind of petty thug who does small evils but is incapable of committing major ones, he was initially quite kind to her, albeit somewhat awkwardly.

But ever since he learned he had no talent for Magecraft, he became hysterical. Although he did some terrible things to her, she had long since become numb to things that were far more painful than that. She simply felt sorry for him, after all, she had taken away everything he had ever dreamed of.

From the day she moved into the Matou family, she began to undergo her grandfather's transformation, her attributes were changed, and Crest Worms was implanted to transform her into Lesser Grail. At first, she screamed in pain.

After three days, she gradually got used to it. Although her body was still in pain, her heart was numb, and her emotions were completely shut off. At that time, her eyes were empty, without any luster, and she was just like a puppet obeying orders.

So when Uncle Kariya died because of his grandfather's punishment, he didn't feel anything at the time. When he heard that his father and mother had died, he didn't feel anything either...