Type-Moon: Upgrade Trait, Join Chat Group at Start Chapter 4

As a member of the Magus association, Tokiomi Tohsaka was naturally well aware of this.

Yet he was about to participate in the Holy Grail War.

He himself couldn't be sure he would return alive from that war.

Therefore, before that, he had to settle his family affairs.

Giving Sakura Tohsaka up for adoption to the Matou family was one of those arrangements.

This move was meant to obtain the Matou family's Magic Crest, ensuring Sakura's talent wouldn't go to waste and that she'd have better prospects in the future.

At the same time, when Sakura eventually became the head of the Matou family as Mato Sakura, the Tohsaka family could rely on her connection to them to firmly align both houses on the same side, expanding the Tohsaka family's influence.

However, no matter how much Tokiomi Tohsaka calculated, he never accounted for the Matou family having already switched to the Bug Arts.

Zouken Matou's soul had long since rotted and fallen—he was nothing but an old worm through and through.

At this point, the Matou family was a genuine insect nest.

Sakura Tohsaka... no, now she should be called Mato Sakura.

Mato Sakura looked up at Zouken Matou with some fear; a child's sharp intuition made her sense something ominous about him.

But she knew she had already been given away by her father to the Matou family, and from now on, she would be a part of this household.

With that thought, Mato Sakura mustered her courage, walked up to Zouken Matou, and said, "Grandfather."

Chapter 5: Type-Moon Main Quest: Kill the Bugs, Save Sakura

"Hahaha, what an obedient and sensible granddaughter." Zouken Matou was startled at first, then burst into hearty laughter, a deep greed flickering in the depths of his eyes.

"Rest assured, my dear granddaughter, I'll give you all the best things."

"In that case, I entrust Sakura to the Matou family head." Tokiomi Tohsaka looked at Mato Sakura, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

Then he performed another aristocratic bow to Zouken Matou, turned, got back into the car, and left the Matou estate.

Seeing this, Zouken Matou could no longer suppress the curl of his lips, a sinister smile spreading across his aged, wrinkled face.

"Follow me, Sakura. I'll take you to inherit the Matou family's Magic Crest." With that, Zouken Matou eagerly led Mato Sakura into the villa.

A sudden foreboding rose in Mato Sakura's heart, but as a child, even if she had her own thoughts, she had to obey the adults' arrangements.

Mato Sakura followed Zouken Matou through the villa's long corridors, winding their way down to the basement.

They descended the stairs step by step until they reached the platform, where Mato Sakura finally saw the basement in its entirety.

Countless insects swarmed in a pool at the bottom of the basement, crawling with a rustling sound, accompanied by sharp, piercing chirps.

Even an adult would feel a chill down their spine and break out in a cold sweat at such a sight.

Let alone a child like Mato Sakura.

Her cute, fair face had already turned pale, and her body trembled uncontrollably.

"Grandfather... what are we doing here?"

Zouken Matou looked at Mato Sakura, who, despite her inner fear and weak limbs, still hadn't collapsed to the ground, and felt a flicker of surprise.

She was just a child, yet her performance far surpassed that of his previous family members.

This girl Mato Sakura had greatly exceeded his expectations.

"Why, this is the Magic Crest I've prepared for you!"

"Hahaha—that fool Tokiomi Tohsaka really thinks I don't know what he's plotting!"

"Isn't he just trying to use his youngest daughter to get his hands on the Matou family's Magic Crest and magical influence?"

"Good intentions, indeed—but little does he know his 'kindness' has thrown his beloved daughter straight into a pit of fire."

Zouken Matou didn't bother hiding it; he bluntly spoke the truth.

After all, Mato Sakura was just a child—what power did she have to resist him?

"As thanks for delivering such fine 'material' right to my doorstep."

"Tokiomi Tohsaka! I'll make sure to raise your daughter into an excellent Magus."

With that, Zouken Matou fixed a malicious gaze on Mato Sakura.

Before he could make a move, a deafening BOOM rang out as the ceiling was suddenly smashed into a gaping hole!

A figure dropped from above, landing heavily on Zouken Matou.

"What the hell! Old worm." Su Luo looked down at Zouken Matou under his foot, as if stepping on something filthy, and kicked him straight into the "sea of insects."

His face twisted with utter disgust and revulsion.

Then he turned to look at the terrified Mato Sakura. Seeing she was unharmed, he wiped the non-existent sweat from his forehead.

"Phew, good thing I made it in time." Su Luo let out a long sigh of relief.

Back on the Vimana, he had pulled out plenty of magical potions and elixirs from the Gate of Babylon to boost his mana and physical abilities.

Like eating a meal, he downed them all in one go.

With that reckless behavior, his physical condition skyrocketed, and he even generated mana within his body.

In just a few minutes, his physical constitution and magical power underwent a tremendous transformation.

The quantity and intensity of his magic had already surpassed most mages in the Type-Moon world, and his body had become tough enough to survive a fall from high altitude without a scratch.

If it weren't for his current incredibly strong adaptability, he probably would have exploded from the inside the moment he swallowed the potion.

"Master, I'm back." Melly ran back to Su Luo's side, her heart full of joy.

"Is everything ready?" Su Luo asked.

"Of course. I've already dealt with the backup plans that old bastard left behind, and I even set up a barrier on top of that. There's no way that old worm is getting out of the Matou family alive!" Melly patted her chest, brimming with confidence.

As the legendary Court Mage of Britain and the tutor of King Arthur, if she let a modern mage slip through her fingers, she might as well just find a block of tofu and bash her own head in!

"Good. Then I'll leave that old worm to you."

"Eh?! Master, no! How can you bear to send a Magical Girl like me to face a swarm of bugs?"

"What if some R-rated scene pops up? I'd be in big trouble. Why don't you use your Gate of Babylon and think of something!" Hearing this, Melly grabbed Su Luo's sleeve with her small hand, her beautiful face instantly taking on a pitiful expression.

She perfectly embodied the meaning of 'utterly adorable.'

Su Luo really couldn't tell if Melly was a Succubus or a Dream Demon.

After making that mental jab, Su Luo forcefully suppressed the fluttering feeling in his heart.

He turned his head to look at an inconspicuous bug in the swarm that was trying to sneak away, and said flatly, "Are you sure you're not going to act? He's trying to escape."

Hearing this, Zouken Matou immediately commanded his insect body to fly at top speed toward the basement exit.

He had heard every word of Su Luo and Melly's conversation just now.

He knew how powerful Servants were.

If it had been any other Servant, he might have been able to stall with magecraft and use it to escape.

But from their conversation, it was clear that the silver-haired Servant in front of him was a Caster.

Trying to beat a Caster at magecraft was almost impossible.

Especially in his current half-crippled state with his original body destroyed.

So he hadn't even entertained the thought of resistance. He only wanted to find a chance to slip away while Su Luo and Melly let their guard down.

But he never expected that even while flirting, the two of them would still notice his intention to flee.

Since that was the case, he had no choice but to go all out!

Zouken Matou directed the majority of the insect swarm to surge toward Su Luo and Melly, while a small remaining group clustered around him, escorting him as he fled the Matou estate.

Melly's gaze fell calmly on Zouken Matou. Her bright purple eyes, like amethysts, emitted a captivating, soul-seizing light.

The rapidly fleeing Zouken Matou suddenly felt a powerful force forcibly intrude into his soul, and he let out a pained shriek.

The next moment, Zouken Matou's soul, along with the bug that housed it, exploded!

The scene was quite a mess.

This was Melly's innate skill, Succubus's Shore.

With just a single glance, she could intrude upon an enemy's spirit and absorb their magical energy.

Of course, Melly found Zouken Matou's rotten, degenerate soul disgusting, so she didn't bother absorbing his magic. Instead, she chose a more direct method—she simply erased his spirit and soul.

For her, the last Dream Demon on Earth, this was a trivial matter.

After eliminating Zouken Matou, the disgust and nausea on Melly's face transformed into a sly smile.

She sidled up to Su Luo, linked her arm through his, and said in a tone that invited all sorts of speculation, "Master, everything's taken care of. Since I worked so hard, couldn't you give me a little reward?"

Chapter 6: I'll Take Care of You From Now On

Su Luo glanced down at his arm and said flatly, "Fine, but we'll talk about it after we find a place to settle down."

With that, Su Luo stopped paying attention to Melly.

He didn't give her a chance to say what kind of reward she wanted.

After all, from the look in Melly's eyes, he could tell that whatever reward she had in mind was definitely not appropriate.

If they were somewhere else, it would be fine. Even if Melly didn't ask, he would have properly rewarded his Servant for her hard work.

But not now. Mato Sakura was still here.

If he let Melly say something explicit in front of a child, who knew what kind of weird direction Mato Sakura might grow up in.

Thinking this, Su Luo crouched down to be at eye level with Mato Sakura.

His warm, large hand rested on Mato Sakura's head, giving the girl a gentle headpat, and he offered her a soft smile.

"Little girl, what's your name? You're not too scared, are you?"

"No, I'm not. My name is Tohsaka..." Mato Sakura had already calmed down from her fright. Looking at the Big Brother who had saved her, she instinctively started to say her original name.

But then she suddenly remembered what Zouken Matou had said earlier, and the fact that she had already been adopted out by Tokiomi Tohsaka to the Matou family. Her eyes dimmed, and she quickly corrected herself, "No... I'm Mato Sakura. My original family gave me away to the Matou family."

First, she experienced the pain of being separated from her family. Then, she endured Zouken Matou's ill intentions. And finally, the noble, shining image of her father was shattered.

Now, Mato Sakura was lost in confusion.

She didn't want to go back to the Tohsaka family. If she returned, she would most likely be given away to another family by her father again, enduring the pain of separation from her biological parents.

Zouken Matou was already dead, and there was no one else in the villa. A child like her couldn't possibly survive alone in that house forever.

She had no choice but to seek help from an adult.

With this thought, Mato Sakura's gaze turned to Su Luo. "Big Brother, can I follow you from now on?"

"I can wash clothes, cook, clean—just don't make me leave, and I'll do anything."

Her voice carried a hint of tears as she spoke, her eyes filled with hope and anxiety.

Compared to returning to the Tohsaka family, she preferred staying with this Big Brother who had saved her from the suffering of the Matou family.

"Mm, don't worry. I'll take care of you from now on." Su Luo gently patted Mato Sakura on the head.

Then he picked up Mato Sakura and, together with Melly, returned to the Vimana.

But before leaving, he looked back at the Matou family villa. No matter how he looked at it, he felt a lingering unease in his heart, so he turned to Melly and asked, "Melly, how strong of an attack can the barrier you set up withstand?"

"It's alright. I set it up in a hurry, so it can only block an attack from an ordinary Servant using a Noble Phantasm."

"You're not thinking of using the Ancient Nuclear Warhead here, are you?!" Melly first humbly showed off her abilities, then suddenly realized something and stared at Su Luo in shock.

It was hard not to jump to that conclusion.

On one hand, from Su Luo's name alone, it was clear he was from the neighboring Eastern Great Nation, which naturally harbored a deep hostility toward people from the Island Nation.

On the other hand, Su Luo was currently piloting the Vimana.

And the Vimana was equipped with all sorts of Noble Phantasm systems and weapons.