I, Fu Yuan, Smash the Holy Grail War

"Of course not. Before going to Little Sakura's room, I have to let you see the 'treasures' of my Matou family."

Treating those utterly disgusting Magic Crest Worms as treasures—Matou Zouken had clearly become twisted to the extreme.

Matou Sakura looked at the open doorway ahead. Beyond it was pitch-black, like an entrance leading straight into hell. Fear welled up inside her, and she could not help tightening her grip on Fu Yuan's hand.

Fortunately, Matou Sakura was not alone now. Otherwise, she would have had no one to rely on.

Fu Yuan gently squeezed Matou Sakura's little hand, then bent down and picked her up.

"Eh?! Big Brother Fu Yuan..." Matou Sakura looked at Fu Yuan in surprise as he suddenly lifted her into his arms.

Matou Sakura did not struggle much when Fu Yuan suddenly picked her up. She and her older sister, Tohsaka Rin, had already grown accustomed to Fu Yuan's affectionate hugs.

She was merely wondering why Fu Yuan had picked her up at a time like this.

"It looks very dark inside. I'm worried you'll trip, so let me carry you in," Fu Yuan said to Matou Sakura.

"Mm~" Matou Sakura nodded her little head and obediently let Fu Yuan carry her, looking utterly adorable.

Then, under Matou Zouken's watchful gaze, Fu Yuan carried Matou Sakura through the open doorway ahead and entered Matou Zouken's Magecraft Workshop.

Swift Feather Transformation: Azure Pine!

"Hehehe."

Matou Zouken watched Fu Yuan and Matou Sakura enter the Magecraft Workshop. After letting out a harsh laugh like a night owl's cry, he followed them inside and shut the open door behind him.

Once Matou Zouken shut the door, every source of light was cut off. Naturally, sunlight could not reach the windowless underground workshop.

Thus, the place became a space of absolute darkness where one could not even see their own hand.

But this darkness could not obstruct Fu Yuan's eyes.

The true qi of Great Void Sword Qi circulated through Fu Yuan's body before gathering in his eyes. With his senses sharpened, he could see every corner of this dark place clearly.

This underground workshop built by Matou Zouken was filled everywhere with huge, disgusting Magic Crest Worms. The worms, with their feelers and many legs, were quietly spread throughout the underground workshop.

As if they were asleep.

After seeing the terrible state of the place, even Fu Yuan, who had already expected it, could not help frowning deeply. If Matou Sakura saw these disgusting Magic Crest Worms, she would probably be frightened unconscious.

"Little Sakura, close your eyes now. Don't look around," Fu Yuan softly said to Matou Sakura, who was nestled in his arms.

"Mm."

Matou Sakura did not know why Fu Yuan wanted her to close her eyes in a place that was already dark. But since this gentle big brother had said so, she obediently listened.

Matou Zouken heard what Fu Yuan had said to Matou Sakura as well, but before he could even react in surprise, a pure white, dazzling light shone directly into his eyes.

The intense light made Matou Zouken close his eyes involuntarily.

Fu Yuan was now holding Matou Sakura in one arm, letting her little bottom rest on his forearm, while his other hand held a phone with its recording function activated.

The light shining into Matou Zouken's eyes naturally came from the phone.

Seeing Matou Zouken with his eyes shut and full of openings, Fu Yuan struck swiftly!

Holding Matou Sakura, Fu Yuan stood on one leg. With his free foot, he hooked the sash beneath Matou Zouken's dark-blue kimono.

Swift Feather Transformation: Azure Pine!

Then blazing lightning flashed as Fu Yuan violently swung the leg hooked around Matou Zouken's sash toward the left wall of the Magecraft Workshop.

Matou Zouken only felt a gentle force at his waist, followed by a numb sensation like an electric shock.

Wrapped in blazing lightning, Matou Zouken was hurled into the wall of the Magecraft Workshop by Fu Yuan. Then his withered body exploded together with the lightning, and the burst of light illuminated the entire workshop.

The sudden turn of events made Matou Sakura forget Fu Yuan's earlier warning. She curiously opened her eyes...

Then Matou Sakura saw the rough state of the underground workshop. Countless terrifying insects filled the dim place.

The instant she saw this, Matou Sakura's little face turned pale. Trembling in fright, she hurriedly buried her head in Fu Yuan's chest.

At this moment, only Fu Yuan, this big brother, could give Matou Sakura even the slightest sense of safety.

Fu Yuan glanced at Matou Sakura, who was clutching him tightly, and knew she had opened her eyes and seen the underground workshop. He said nothing, merely gently stroking her back to soothe her fear.

Then Fu Yuan turned his attention to the underground workshop.

Because of Fu Yuan's sudden attack, Matou Zouken had just exploded along with the blazing lightning of Azure Pine. Yet the exploded Matou Zouken was not dead.

The Magic Crest Worms throughout the underground workshop began wriggling madly, as though a riot had broken out.

Under Fu Yuan's gaze, the worms gathered together. Amid sickening rustling sounds, they formed Matou Zouken's withered figure once more.

Matou Zouken was not dead. What Fu Yuan had blown apart just now had merely been one of Matou Zouken's bodies. As long as the original Magic Crest Worm housing his soul remained alive, he could use the Magic Crest Worms to "revive" again.

The once-quiet underground workshop became noisy and chaotic. The Magic Crest Worms inside began crawling, their legs and bodies scraping over the floor and walls with ear-piercing sounds.

Together with the hoarse insect cries coming from the worms' mouths, it became even more irritating and maddening.

Yet Fu Yuan, maintaining a Clear Sword Heart, watched it all coldly. Matou Zouken, whose body had been reconstructed, stared at Fu Yuan gloomily and said in a chilling voice, "Why?"

"Why?" Fu Yuan raised an eyebrow and sneered. "Matou Zouken, shouldn't I be the one asking you that?"

"Tell me, why did you bring Little Sakura and me to this disgusting place?"

"Of course it was to perform Magecraft Modification on Little Sakura. Her magecraft element is 'Hollow,' which does not match the Matou family's magecraft element of 'Water.' She cannot use the Matou family's magecraft, so I must modify her with Magic Crest Worms before they can parasitize her body."

Matou Zouken made no attempt to hide his intentions toward Matou Sakura and directly told Fu Yuan and Matou Sakura his plans.

Matou Sakura, trembling with her head buried in Fu Yuan's chest, whimpered, "Modify me? Parasitize me? Father never told me any of this..."

"Why would he tell you? You are merely a child abandoned by the Tohma Family. All Tohsaka Tokiomi cares about is whether he can win the Fourth Holy Grail War. Like me, he is a mage who will stop at nothing to reach the Root Calamity," Matou Zouken said coldly.

To ordinary people, the mages of this world were all a group of deviants who defied common sense.

Those mages would do anything to achieve their goals. Abandoning wives and daughters was hardly unusual for them.

That was why Matou Zouken believed that Tohsaka Tokiomi, who sought victory in the Holy Grail War, was the same kind of person as him.

"..." Matou Sakura fell into complete despair. She had originally thought she was merely leaving her mother and sister to live with an unfamiliar family. She never expected to face such terrifying insects.