Shirou's Return from the Fae Kingdom

However, what Shirou Amamiya did was the complete opposite of demolition.

Merely to delay the enemy, he had no intention of blowing up the entire mansion, so the amount and placement of explosives Shirou set were meticulously chosen.

Using bombs underground without affecting the building above—this was clearly an explosive technique far more advanced than mere demolition.

Of course, it was also one of the skills he had honed in Britain.

"Nngh! Damn it...!"

Seconds later, Zouken Matou crawled out of the rubble, covered in dust and grime.

He couldn't understand how Shirou had managed to infiltrate, evade the Blade Worms' watch, and plant the explosives tonight.

Of course, he couldn't possibly imagine.

Because the explosives weren't planted tonight.

It was much earlier—

On the very first day he stayed at the Matou Residence.

When Shirou had sneaked out at night to inspect the Magic Workshop, he had "casually" left a small parting gift for the worm master.

A Magic Workshop was a Magus's domain.

A Magus was invincible within their own workshop, which was why Shirou had judged that if he were to fight Zouken Matou, he would need to stay as far away from that workshop as possible.

The explosives, originally prepared just in case, had actually come in handy.

Meanwhile.

Being toyed with single-handedly time and again, Zouken Matou's rage reached its peak.

His hunched body trembled with the writhing of the worms within, and he glared furiously at the two figures before him—

"?"

Shirou Amamiya was gone; only the girl stood quietly at the end of the corridor.

By the time he realized it, it was too late.

"Swish!"

Shirou emerged from the darkness behind the old Magus and swung his blade towards his neck.

Zouken Matou's head flew off, rolling to the side with a "gurgle."

Having landed a successful blow, Shirou pressed his advantage, his second strike slashing diagonally from his left shoulder.

"Screech!"

The blade passed through the human body unimpeded. The monster that had ruled the Matou Family for centuries was thus cut in half without resistance... or so it seemed?

In an instant, the old man's small body transformed into an endless swarm of Blade Worms, assaulting the red-haired youth like a black storm!

"Brother Shirou!"

Sakura Matou cried out upon seeing this.

As expected, ordinary physical attacks dealt extremely limited damage to Zouken Matou.

Shirou remained unhurried, his expression calm, as if he had anticipated all of this.

He allowed the worms to bite at his skin, releasing his chain blade, his right hand reaching directly into the depths of the swarm.

He seemed to be searching for something, then grasped one of the worms.

"Ah, found it."

"Hiss hiss hiss!"

Instantly, the swarm of worms gnawing at the youth stopped moving as if a pause button had been pressed.

Although Zouken Matou's body was small, it stored a vast number of worms, exceeding a thousand, densely covering the surrounding area.

Yet, from the nearly thousand worms, Shirou had instantly located their leader—the single Brain Worm imbued with Zouken Matou's consciousness.

This was a miraculous skill.

On one hand, it was the continuous effect of his "Boundless Mage's Eye," and on the other, it stemmed from the keen insight developed through countless battles, his "True Eye of the Mind."

Within Zouken Matou's "life system," the Brain Worm only served as a nerve center, lacking any corresponding countermeasures. After all, he had never imagined his own core would be captured alive.

Thus, Shirou injected only a small amount of Magic into the Brain Worm and used a simple spell to seize control of the swarm.

"Alright, let's try issuing a command—"

The red-haired youth said calmly as he plucked the wings off Zouken Matou (the Brain Worm).

"All worms except for the old man... commit suicide."

Crackling...

A black rain of worms fell in the underground passage, and shattered insect husks instantly covered the ground.

The battle, his first since returning, was thus decided.

Volume 1, Chapter 011: True Nature

"So this is the main body."

Shirou examined the Brain Worm writhing in his hand.

The little thing was quite cute.

"Guh... Kill me!"

Despite lacking vocal organs, the Brain Worm emitted a sharp, comical voice, like a defeated knight.

"I refuse."

Shirou saw through Zouken Matou's lie and his secret to immortality in an instant.

"Just as I expected, you transfer to the next worm (vessel) the moment you're killed... You set up a spell like that? Hmph, I won't fall for it."

His amber eyes reflected the old Magus's ugly and frail form.

Would even Zouken Matou falter upon seeing his own disgusting true appearance?

Shirou sensed the worm's emotional fluctuations in his hand, but he remained unfazed, speaking words that plunged the Magus into despair in an utterly calm tone.

"You go to such lengths to survive. You could have used your genius mind for good, but you've wasted it.

Don't worry, I can't truly kill you in my current state, nor will I let you escape easily.

I still have many things I want to ask you, about the mysterious side of this world. I'll make you spill every last bit of information."

As he spoke, Shirou glanced at Sakura Matou, who was cowering nearby.

"But before that, I need to give this pest an eco-friendly disposal.

Look, your beloved granddaughter is scared by how Grandpa looks right now, isn't she?"

Shirou smiled, his slender fingers toying with the Brain Worm's body like a mischievous child.

"What?"

"Didn't you want to 'live'? I'll grant your wish."

"Little... little brat, what are you planning... What are you going to do to me!?"

Zouken Matou felt a bone-chilling dread that pierced his soul and struggled even harder.

Shirou Amamiya now wore a bright, innocent smile that reminded one of the kind creatures found in fantasy—Fae.

"I'm going to help the ugly Grandfather become someone his grandchildren will like."

As he spoke, Shirou pulled out something astonishing.

If the Brain Worm had eyes, they would have bulged like a fly's right now.

"This is the new body (vessel) I prepared for you. Isn't it cute?"

Appearing in Shirou's hand was Shinji Matou's favorite little yellow duck, floating in a bathtub.

"No--!"

Zouken Matou thrashed with all his might, but the boy held him firmly.

At the same time, Shirou began to cast Magic.

Transferring a soul attached to a Brain Worm to another object and fixing it there is typically an extremely difficult curse.

It was impossible for Shirou, a third-rate Magus, let alone for a genius witch in Britain.

Fortunately, this old worm had thoroughly modified himself to facilitate repeated reincarnations for survival.

It was a literal case of weaving one's own trap.

Although he couldn't manipulate the soul itself, Shirou could at least transfer the consciousness without preserving the soul.

"Ahhhhhhhh!!"

Zouken Matou screamed in panic as he felt himself being ripped from the worm's body.

He indeed yearned for eternal life.

But that was as a living being, not as an object!

And this was a toy meant for splashing around in a bathtub!

If it were attached to an object with mystery, like a grimoire, he could at least maintain his sanity...

But this was just an ordinary toy yellow duck!

It had no history, no lineage, no mystery whatsoever—just his grandson's toy!

Zouken Matou would surely lose himself... If this was the price for eternity, he'd rather be swatted to death by a slipper!

"Stop, stop... You can't do this..."

Zouken Matou wailed in agony.

"You can't do this... You can't do this...!"

"I'm just sincerely trying to help you achieve your wish for eternal life, old man."

Shirou watched him, sighing, "It's true, no matter where he goes, he's never understood. The work of a Savior."

...I've been deceived.

This old man, Shinji, the Tohsaka daughter... everyone was fooled by him!

Gentle? Stable? Hating evil? Full of justice, unable to stand wrongdoing?

That brat isn't that kind of person at all!!!

Hidden beneath those layers of disguise was—

As a living being, Zouken Matou's final thoughts ended here.

The next instant, his soul was annihilated, and his consciousness was eternally imprisoned within a toy rubber duck.

From this point on, Zouken Matou would no longer possess any freedom or independent consciousness.

Only when Shirou needed to use him, when Shirou infused magic into the toy rubber duck, could he be awakened.

Zouken Matou's current existence was quite similar to that of his ally, the head of the Einzbern Family, Ahadon.

An artificial intelligence storing five hundred years of magical knowledge from the Renaissance to the modern era, with the personality of Zouken Matou—

"Magic Terminal Makiri."

Looking at the toy rubber duck in his hand, Shirou Amamiya was full of satisfaction.

Returning to this world, what was most lacking?

Information.

Knowledge.

Understanding of this world.