Anime: Fight Sukuna at the beginning?.

Chapter 308: Stepping on a bug without crushing it is a skill
Matou Zouken looked at the man in white clothes outside the iron gate. His face could not be seen clearly, but he exuded an inexplicable attraction and sensed "kindness" from him.

He thought he had seen through the true nature of this new magician who was coming for him.

The other party did not hesitate at all during the entire process of heading to his house. It can be said that his goal was very clear.

Basically, they came for me and obviously wanted something from me.

Matou Zouken, who originally acted cautiously and did not want to make enemies out of thin air, also wanted to see what the other party wanted and try to communicate with him.

However, he soon discovered that the other party's ability and quality as a magician were too poor and terrible.

He was completely unaware of the [Marking Bugs] he had planted in the bodies of passersby as [Familiars] to monitor the surrounding area.

The [Marking Worm] he buried in the other person's body also sensed that when the other person used the simple magic of [Suggestion Magic] on ordinary people, it actually failed once.

The ridiculous and poor magic skills of the opponent reflected in all the above events have already revealed his true colors to me.

This is a completely ignorant, wild novice magician with no family background.

It is only slightly better than my own somewhat unrealistic idea of ​​obtaining the [Master Qualification] within a year.

Now, it is still unknown whether he can use the 'backdoor' mastered by him, the developer of the Command Spells, to manifest the stigmata and obtain the qualification to summon Heroic Spirits.

He then summoned himself to torture him and instigate his foolish son, Matou Kariya, to control a Servant.

Therefore, rather than calling Fang Yi in front of him a magician.

Matou Zouken felt that it would be more appropriate to call the other person an 'ignorant and fearless layman'.
-
After realizing all this, Matou Zouken basically lost interest in communicating with the other party.

This thought reached its peak when he saw the other person and felt an inexplicable attraction from the other person.

In his opinion, this uninvited magician might have some strange bloodline, mastered some strange magic, and also had something to ask of him.

Therefore, he could sense a kind of deliberately created 'goodwill' from the other party and a similar aura of evil as his own.

But when Zouken Matou, who has lived for countless years and is extremely experienced, faces this kind of magic that is like a charm.

But there was not the slightest hesitation or doubt in my heart.

Rather, it was the other party's cunning tricks that angered him.

[A half-baked magician actually wants to use these crude means to try to gain some benefits from me, Matou Zouken? ]

Filled with rage, he immediately made up his mind to trick the other party into letting down their guard, so as to annihilate them and continue to live a secluded life.

As for his unprecedented use of the [Marking Bug] to "cultivate" [Matou Kariya], which was a hassle for him, I hope he has some qualities as a magus.

Still preparing to open a backdoor for him today to let him reveal the stigmata, so that he can summon heroic spirits to participate in the [Holy Grail War] and fight against others is not a matter of kindness or abandoning the idea of ​​his own secluded life.

Although he longed to win the Holy Grail War and obtain the Holy Grail, he never believed that [Matou Kariya] could win.

All he did was just to torture this unfilial descendant who had disobeyed him and given up on entering the world of magicians, and for his own amusement.

With his foresight, he had already set his sights on the next Holy Grail War, which would theoretically take place sixty years from now.

That's why he asked [Tohsaka Tokiomi] for [Tohsaka Sakura], a girl with extraordinary talent who would definitely give birth to offspring with excellent qualifications.

They planned to implant [Marking Worms] into her that could arouse women's lust, and gradually transform her into a reproductive tool that could only have intercourse with men and continuously produce offspring.

So that in sixty years his descendants with high Master qualifications and high magical literacy can participate in the Holy Grail War and win.
-
Suppressing the complicated thoughts in his mind, looking at Fang Yi who wanted to touch the knife in front of him, Matou Zouken used the [Insect Magic] and began to control the [Winged Blade Insect] that had been released long ago to kill the other party.

"What a pathetic magus! Even though he noticed my [Bug Magic], he wasn't going to use magic against the enemy, but was going to use weapons instead?"

【madness! 】

[However, we should be cautious with the magician and use the [Winged Blade Bug] which can gnaw a buffalo to its bones in an instant.]

After harvesting this vitality, it's time to go back and see if [Matou Kariya] can reach the minimum standard to open the 'back door' and participate in the Holy Grail War today.

He tapped the ground with his cane and prepared to retreat into the shadows.

[Really, I'm a little confused too.]

[He actually kept his promise and, out of kindness, didn't modify the 'placenta'.]

"I just put my Crest Bug, which was my main body, into her heart, wasting a year."

Although he said it out of kindness, Matou Zouken knew very well why he did it.

He was just worried that if he pushed too hard on [Matou Kariya], the still-alive fool whom he only wanted to torture to death, he might become desperate and do something desperate.

Then try to contact those strange people under the [Holy Church] who like to accept various commissions and don't follow the rules.

There was even an 'Agent' (Reincarnation) who broke into the Magic Association and stole a high-value 'Magic Seal', almost wanting to break the law.

This simply caused the [Cathedral Church] to come and cause trouble for him, disrupting his secluded life.

But all his plans were shattered after the other party touched the knife at his waist.

Because facing his dense swarm of insects, they will turn the opponent into bones.

The opponent did not use magic or swing a knife.

He just stood there and said something quite arrogant.

"Old bug, you know what?

"It's quite a skill to step on a bug without crushing it.

“And luckily, I just happened to have that skill.

"So you should feel lucky to have met me."

The scene that happened before his eyes next posed an unprecedented challenge to Zouken Matou's cognition, which had lasted for many years.
-
The 'newcomer' magician in his eyes reached for the knife at his waist and uttered these 'arrogant' words.

Facing the dense swarm of [Winged Blade Insects], he did not draw his sword to fight the enemy, but stood quietly in place.

Until the swarming [Winged Blade Insects] are about to touch the opponent's body within half a meter.

As a smile appeared on the other person's lips, an indescribable "aura" appeared around him.

Under this 'momentum' that only showed for a moment, his tough and terrifying [Winged Blade Insect] lost its vitality at the speed of light.

Like hailstones that suddenly fall in the summer, they made extremely loud and dense falling sounds after hitting the ground, and then they lay 'obediently' on the ground and could no longer move.

All the [Winged Blade Insects] he released were killed by the opponent in an incomprehensible way.

The [Insect Magic] that he relied on for survival and used against the enemy was thus dissolved by the opponent in a way that he had never seen before.

The carefully cultivated insects also turned into a "mycelium" made up of several layers of insect corpses outside the empty circle drawn with the other party as the center and a radius of half a meter around the body.

The crutch in Matou Zouken's hand immediately slipped from his palm, his mouth opened slightly, and his heart was instantly filled with unprecedented fear of facing unknown means.

[This, this, what kind of means did the other party use? ]

[There's no magical aura! It's not a magic trick to manipulate gravity, nor is it a magic costume.]

[Just touching a knife can do such a thing? ]

I've never heard of such a person!

Before Matou Zouken could continue thinking, he let the fear continue to spread in his body.

The next moment, he felt a flash before his eyes, and Fang Yi, who had just been standing outside the door, disappeared in an instant.

Just as he began to be wary of the opponent's attack, Fang Yi's 'gentle' and 'friendly' voice came to his ears.

“Your crutches fell off.

“I was kind enough to pick it up for you.

"I hope you will stop doing those 'dangerous' things and sit down and have a good chat with me.

"You should be able to do it, right?"

Matou Zouken subconsciously lowered his head and saw that the crutch that was about to fall to the ground abnormally appeared close to him.

It was being held in the man's hand and handed to him.

Behind the man, between himself and the other person, there was a 'fungal blanket' made of densely packed insects, but there was no sign of being trampled or damaged.

The other party faithfully fulfilled his promise of "stepping on the bugs without crushing them".

Even though he knew clearly that as long as the crest worm he placed in the heart of the girl who changed her name to [Matou Sakura] did not die, he would never lose his life in this battle.

But all the scenes before him, and the obsession with survival that had persisted in Zouken Matou's body for countless years and had urged him to keep moving, told him something abnormal.

"If I continue to fight this man here, I will definitely die."

He trembled and leaned down towards the man in front of him, making a humble gesture and expressing his willingness to communicate.

"What do you want to do here?"
-
Although he appeared humble and submissive to Fang Yi, he was ready to listen to his requests.

But in this crisis, it only took a second.

Zouken Matou's survival instinct and hundreds of years of experience allowed him to quickly regain his composure, and then he seized the opportunity to turn defeat into victory.

"If he let me go, it means he must have something to ask of me. Thinking about it, it can only be about the Holy Grail War. "I'll just play along with him for a while. Once I find his weakness, I'll figure out how to deal with him."

After thinking about the original body [Sealed Bug] that he placed on [Matou Sakura], Zouken Matou regained some confidence.

He has come to his senses.

No matter how powerful this magician is, he can't possibly know his own background and details, let alone know that his true form is in that girl.

[I will never die from the beginning. No matter how incredible his methods are, they can't kill me.]

【He still needs my help, so what should I be afraid of? 】

Fang Yi's subsequent words also confirmed his guess.

"My name is Fang Yi, and I have no interest in killing you, nor in the Holy Grail.

"I just want to participate in the Holy Grail War and compete with those Masters and Heroic Spirits, and train myself through fighting.

"The Matou family is one of the three great families, right?
"Get ready. Assign me a Master position and draw the magic circle for summoning the Heroic Spirit. I'm going to summon the Heroic Spirit."
-
[What a clueless, foolish magician! How dare he boss me around?]

Hearing the other party's rude and arrogant request, the murderous intent and hatred in his heart surged again.

But under Zouken Matou's lowered face, a strange smile appeared.

He made a gesture of submission and spoke in a humble and submissive tone.

"Respected Lord Fang Yi, thank you very much for showing mercy and sparing my life.

“I can naturally satisfy all the requests you have made. I am the developer of the Command Seals, Matou Zouken.

"I naturally believe that after you, the incomparably powerful one, participate in the Holy Grail War, you will surely achieve final victory and obtain the Holy Grail, which will be of no use to you."

Matou Zouken paused, praised the other party for a while, and then began to design a trap for Fang Yi.

“I just wonder if you, who are sure to win, would be willing to give the Holy Grail, which is useless to you, to me for a few days of research after you obtain it.

"I am willing to present you with some books on magical knowledge and share with you the traditional magic of the Matou family.

“I believe this will be of some benefit to you as well.

"Of course, these tomes and magic will be given to you in advance before you obtain the Holy Grail."

Matou Zouken lowered his head and used the [Seal Bug] beside him. After observing that Fang Yi's face showed an expression of "intention", he felt a little contempt in his heart.

I knew that these magicians, like "savages" with no heritage or family background, would not be able to refuse the opportunity to gain family magic and experience as a magician.

[Sure enough, he was persuaded by me and was about to step into the trap I set, allowing me to control him.]

Matou Zouken did not raise his head, but continued to maintain a humble attitude and spoke to Fang Yi in rather confusing words.

"Magic is a rigorous and vast subject that requires a lifetime of study. If you don't believe that the person who just became your enemy is willing to teach you wholeheartedly,

"I am willing to use the [Self-Enforcement Certificate] to sign a contract with you to ensure that this promise can be implemented without compromise.

"As long as you agree to a few harmless terms, I will grant you the [Master Qualification], prepare for the [Heroic Spirit Summoning], and pass on these magician experiences and classics to you.

"It's just that I'm not planning on joining the battle, so I don't have any Holy Relics here. I don't know if you're interested."
-
Fang Yi couldn't help but laugh when he heard Matou Zouken mention the use of the [Self-Compulsory Certificate] and inquire about his [Holy Relic].

After using [Shi·Who Else But Me] to show his strength, he was worried about how to propose the signing of [Self-Compulsory Certificate] in a 'normal' way without arousing the other party's suspicion, so that the other party would feel at ease and give him a wave of gold coins.

As a result, the other party took the initiative to put forward the request he wanted to make.

This old bug obviously thought the same as me.

The other party was simply preparing to do as he had originally intended, to paralyze the enemy through this contract, and then wait for an opportunity to exploit a loophole and kill the enemy.

But he knew the 'script'.

His previous act of not noticing the [Marking Bug] was naturally to paralyze the other party.

As long as he enters the Matou family and comes into contact with [Matou Sakura], he will use [Transparent World·Strengthening] to sweep her away.

It can basically be confirmed whether the [Marking Bug] of Matou Zouken as the real body is in the girl's heart according to the "script".

After determining the opponent's main body's location, use the opponent to complete the [Heroic Spirit Summoning].

Then he used his own "efficient learning" combination of [Human Pill Method], [Extraordinary Gravity], and [Diligent Study and Improvement] to make the opponent explode all the magician-related gold coins.

He would then use the highly targeted [Baptism Chant] to kill the old bug.

Miss Zhuang's [Baptism Chant] is extremely abnormal, and has the same [High-Speed ​​Chant] effect as those magicians of the Age of Gods.

Naturally, he was not afraid that the old bug would run away.

Therefore, after hearing what Matou Zouken said, the smile on his face became even more pronounced.

[The old guy's dropping gold coins pretty quickly. In return, I'll ask Miss Zhuang to work faster.]
-
During the conversation, Matou Zouken hid the [Holy Relic] originally left for [Matou Kariya] to summon [Lancelot] without leaving a trace, preparing to wait for an opportunity to attack Fang Yi.

The [Marking Worm] that he had just placed in [Matou Kariya]'s body, which could turn him into a puppet, had sent him "good news".

[Matou Kariya] has already manifested the stigma on the back of his hand on his own, obtaining the qualifications of a Master. The only thing left is to [Summon the Heroic Spirit].

Then his chances of winning would be a little better, so he asked the other party to sign a [Self-Compulsory Certificate].
-
Any acts of revenge between Fang Yi and Matou Zouken against each other will be prohibited.

As long as Fang Yi can learn it, Matou Zouken will do his best to teach him all the magician knowledge he has mastered.

When Fang Yi obtains the Holy Grail, if both of them survive, they must lend it to Matou Zouken for at least one month.
-
[Self-enforced Certificate] is a [Curse Magic] that can force both parties who have [Magic Mark] and signed a contract to fulfill the terms of the contract.

He also believed that as long as he added the magician's books and knowledge, which were extremely attractive exchange conditions for "savage" magicians, into the contract, the other party would definitely not refuse his proposal.

But it was not a violation for him to let [Matou Kariya] secretly summon the heroic spirit and use [Matou Sakura] to force the other party to kill Fang Yi.

[His technique just now was indeed miraculous, but no matter how strong he is, can he be stronger than a Heroic Spirit?]

[His heroic spirit can't follow him all the time. I'll always find the opportunity to strike.]

[Not to mention that [Matou Kariya] will definitely summon [Lancelot], who is a Berserker. How can the opponent resist if he launches a sneak attack without any intention?]

He concealed the [Holy Relic] and also took this opportunity to find out the [Holy Relic] prepared by the other party, to find out the background of the Heroic Spirits summoned by the other party, and then to think about the factors when he would let [Matou Kariya] take action.

However, what Matou Zouken didn't expect was that after hearing his question, the other party said something that he had never expected.

"[Holy Relic]? There's no need to prepare something like that.

"I want [Compatibility Summoning]. Rather than using powerful Servants that might conflict with me, I prefer those that suit my taste.

“Besides, as long as she becomes my Heroic Spirit, she will definitely be the winner of this [Holy Grail War].

"The reason is very simple. Together, she and I will defeat the heroic spirits of all other Masters in this [Holy Grail War]!"

Hearing the other party's usual arrogant words, Matou Zouken laughed in his heart.

【How can there be such a stupid and arrogant person? 】

[As I expected, he knows a little about the Holy Grail War, but not much.]

[This kind of lunatic who dares to humiliate me, I only need to use a few tricks and some of the wisdom of an old man to kill him effortlessly.]

Although he was ecstatic, he lowered his body a little and spoke more humble words.

"Master Fang Yi, please follow me.

"I will grant you the [Master Qualification] and prepare the [Heroic Spirit Summoning] array for you.

"At the same time, I will teach you the relevant knowledge of magic according to the agreement of the [Self-Compulsory Certificate]."

Matou Zouken doesn't feel bad about the books and knowledge about magicians that he promised.

He didn't think that Fang Yi, who had no foundation, could quickly master those obscure knowledge.

[After just a few days of practice, I don't think he'll learn anything.]

As he led Fang Yi, Matou Zouken thought this in his heart.
-
A few minutes later, Fang Yi stood in the basement of the Matou family.

After the careful instruction of Matou Zouken, he has mastered the entire process of [Summoning Heroic Spirits].

He was now standing in the magic circle and chanting the magic circle's activation spell, preparing for the summoning of the heroic spirit.

“Its foundation is silver and iron, its foundation is stone and the great prince of the covenant;

"The gates are opened on all sides and all are closed. From the crown, one goes out and circles around the fork in the road to the kingdom.
"Full, full, full, full, full, full;

“The cycle repeats itself, and the next is five;

"However, when it is full, it is the time to discard it."

After seeing the magic circle light up, Fang Yi knew that he could proceed to the next step of [Summoning Heroic Spirits] and recite the summoning words to summon the Heroic Spirits.

After recalling some classic scenes, Fang Yi began to recite the words to summon the heroic spirit.

“Declare:
“Your body is at my service, and my life is at your sword’s.

"Answering the call of the Holy Grail."

(End of this chapter)