In Type-Moon, it all starts with adopting Sakura.

"What a bustling city... it's so lively even at night."

'Despite its relatively short history, it has nonetheless flourished—that's the progress of the times.'

As if talking to himself, Luo Wei, standing atop the tower, quietly looked down at the bustling city below and let out a sigh.

He preferred the modern city below to the quiet London at night, where he didn't know what kind of supernatural events might occur. This was the right environment for humans to live in.

"However, as time went by, the darkness that was once feared by mankind was gradually conquered, and colorful lights encroached on the space that the night originally possessed, causing many mysteries hidden in the darkness to dissipate more quickly..."

"But can this really be considered a good thing for us?"

A hoarse voice rang out from the shadows, followed by an elderly man with a hunched back and an appearance like a withered tree, leaning on a cane, slowly emerging from the darkness of the tower.

Like his vengeful voice, the old man's face resembled that of a corpse feigning death, looking sinister and terrifying. His entire body exuded an undeniable aura of decay, and even the most basic function of walking seemed to be on the verge of collapse, as if he might die on the spot at any moment.

Although he has long since disappeared from public view, and even the family he once ruled has been handed over to a useless descendant, he has remained behind the scenes for many years, and even his own family members rarely see him.

However, how could Luo Wei, who had many advantages in intelligence, not know the old man's identity and the secret he had hidden for many years?

"Hehe, since the dawn of humanity, which has possessed infinite possibilities, we have tried to conquer all sorts of things. Humanity first conquered the land, then the ocean, and later the sky. So it is only natural that we will conquer the night."

"Not only that, but humanity is now even moving towards a realm that even the demonic path finds difficult to reach, the world beyond the stars, the universe."

"This is progress of the times, the wheel of history, and an inevitable trend that we cannot stop. All we can do is embrace this change. And as a human being, seeing humanity conquer the night and conquer the planet naturally makes me feel proud."

"Heh... Despite being a magician, it seems that the head of the Crowley family is not averse to technology."

Zouken Matou shook his head and then let out another strange laugh.

"Not all magicians reject technology or the progress of the times; I simply accept it calmly. And in my understanding, I have always believed in an important truth: that is, all people are stars."

"You, who personally experienced that era of technological revolution, should be able to understand the greatness of humanity even more, right?"

"However, compared to the changes brought about by the progress of the times, the changes that have occurred in you seem to be even more earth-shattering, don't I agree? Former comrade-in-arms, Mr. Marchi Zorgen."

With a slight smile, a cold and somewhat mocking expression appeared on Luo Wei's face, as if he were mocking the old man in front of him.

His words were as sharp as a dagger, piercing directly into a hidden truth buried deep in Zouken Matou's heart.

This caused Zouken Matou's pupils, which were as dull as withered wood, to suddenly contract.

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……

……

There will be another chapter this afternoon.

P.S.: Now we're getting to the main event, the performance begins.

Please look forward to it, and please vote to support the author. Thank you.

Chapter Twelve: Forging an Unbreakable Alliance for the Old Bug (2/2)

The decaying body creaked like twigs, the aging soul wandered an unknown distance. Looking back, it realized it had long since lost its way.

……

……

"...Hehe, this really surprises me."

In the darkness of night, an old and strange voice echoed from the top of the tower.

"Machiri Zorgen is indeed a familiar name. I haven't heard of him from anyone for many years."

Upon hearing this name, which was both incredibly familiar and utterly unfamiliar, Zouken Matou visibly paused for a moment.

Their gazes involuntarily drifted toward the mysterious young man who had suddenly appeared in Fuyuki City, disrupting their original plans, their eyes filled with apprehension.

Because of the rebellious and incompetent behavior of this generation of Matou family members, the entire family's magic has stagnated and even declined, and they can't even produce a decent magician right now.

Zouken Matou was thus forced to give up participating in the Fourth Holy Grail War and instead place his hopes on the next Holy Grail War.

However, given that two good-for-nothings, Matou Kariya and Matou Tsuruno, one of them betrayed the demonic path for a mere woman, and the other is an extremely incompetent fellow, no matter how many years they were given, the result would be the same.

As for himself, he was unable to show his face for many reasons, and his aging body could not support high-intensity battles. Therefore, Zouken Matou began to look for talent to prepare for the next Holy Grail War.

It just so happens that the Tohsaka family, one of the three founding families and with a long history, has produced two geniuses who meet the criteria. Tohsaka Tokiomi, the current head of the Tohsaka family, is also worried about the succession of his two daughters. This is undoubtedly a godsend for Matou Zouken.

So he began to plot against Sakura Tohsaka, planning to use a magical crest to induce Tokiomi Tohsaka to adopt his daughter into the Matou family, and then use magic to slowly transform her into a useful tool to help him win the future Fifth Holy Grail War.

However, before he could even take action, Loe suddenly intervened, completely shattering his original plan and ruining Zouken Matou's dream.

The alchemical nobles, far away in the Clock Tower, beat them to the punch and adopted Sakura Tohsaka, whom they had their eye on.

When he learned of this news, even his long-decayed soul was unusually enraged.

However, this didn't help at all...

The other party was a legitimate magical noble of the Clock Tower, and had a close relationship with a certain Lord. Their power was far beyond what the Matou family could currently match. Moreover, he didn't have the guts to break into the Clock Tower and take Sakura Tohsaka back. In the end, he could only grit his teeth, swallow his anger, and accept the situation before thinking of other solutions.

But just when he was about to give up completely, a strange letter was delivered to him, with an address and the words "To be opened by Marchi Zorgen" written on it.

This is why Zouken Matou is willing to personally investigate the truth and find out who the person who knows his identity is.

When he arrived at the agreed-upon tower in Fuyuki City, Lovi, who had been waiting for him there, made no attempt to conceal his identity and directly revealed it to him.

“That’s right, I delivered that letter, and I also know your true identity: the magical genius from a hundred years ago, Marich Zolgen.” He spoke calmly and casually, “You are actually the same person as the current head of the Matou family, Matou Zouken.”

"Wow, I really didn't expect that the Crowley family head, far away in the Clock Tower, would know so much about my affairs. He even managed to find that name that had been buried for a hundred years, a name that I had almost forgotten. Such methods are truly extraordinary..."

"However, you must have called me out at this time not just to confirm this matter, right? Moreover, your purpose in coming to Fuyuki City is far from as simple as I imagined. It seems that Tohsaka Eito's incompetent descendant has not realized this at all."

Zouken Matou glanced at Luo Wei in front of him, casually made a disparaging remark about Tokiomi Tohsaka, and then sneered.

"Is there something you need from me?"

"Oh dear, you've almost forgotten your own name. It seems you've truly fallen to the bottom... It's utterly pathetic that a former champion of justice has fallen to this state. But none of that matters. The reason I called you out is actually quite simple."

Luo Wei didn't mind his attitude or the murderous intent lurking in the shadows; he simply asked with a cold smile.

"Machiri Zolgen, how about it? Interested in cooperating with me to win the Holy Grail War? Anyway, you don't have any other choice now, do you? After all, a magical genius as outstanding as Sakura Tohsaka isn't easy to find, and given your current state, you don't have much time left. Even if we find someone of similar talent, there won't be time for you to train them..."

Instead of passively waiting to die, why not join forces with me? You can also take this last chance to fight back.

"You mean... you want to join forces with me to seize the Holy Grail?"

Upon hearing Luo Wei's words, Zouken Matou's expression immediately changed, and even the previously unrestrained smile on his lips silently disappeared.

"Of course, we have no grudges against each other. Otherwise, what do you think I'm here for?"

"..."

He remained silent, seemingly deep in thought about Luo Wei's words, before finally speaking again in his hoarse voice.

"are you serious?"

Zouken Matou hesitated, because what Loewi said was true. Without Sakura Tohsaka, there was no need for him to wait any longer, and there was no point in dragging it out. Cooperating with Loewi now and going all out would undoubtedly give him a better chance of winning, but...

"Did you adopt Sakura Tohsaka just to cut off my escape route and force me to cooperate with you?!"

As if he had thought of a very close answer, Zouken Matou's dry pupils suddenly contracted, and then he stared intently at Luo Wei in front of him, speaking in an incredulous tone.

"Yes, there was indeed some element of coercion in this. However, it was probably more because I wanted to save her, so I did. That girl has great potential, and the Imaginary Number attribute is such a rare physique, why let you waste it? Forcibly modifying a rare Imaginary Number physique just to fit your flawed plan, only you could do something so wasteful."

Lost in thought, Luo Wei spoke calmly.

At the same time, he was also conveying to Zouken Matou the crucial information that he knew what Zouken was planning and that he actually knew everything about him. This made Zouken Matou, who realized that his plans had been seen through, even more terrified.

It should be noted that both his identity and his plans have always been kept secret, and he has never revealed them on his own initiative in the past few hundred years. Not to mention other magicians, even his two useless descendants, Matou Kariya and Matou Tsuruno, were completely unaware of them.

But how does this guy know all this so clearly?!

Zouken Matou looked into Rovi's eyes again, but all he got in return was Rovi's slightly smiling and unfathomable gaze.

Is it futuristic vision?!

And to be able to predict things to this extent—where on earth did this monster come from?!

"...If I agree to cooperate with you, then what will happen to the Holy Grail?"

Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, Zouken Matou continued speaking.

Zouken Matou had to admit that he was indeed tempted. If he really cooperated with Loewe, then their side would have the combat power of a Rider Servant, thus gaining an absolute advantage in the Holy Grail War.

Furthermore, with the addition of himself and the formidable but undeniably powerful Lovi before him, their chances of victory in this Holy Grail War are quite high. However, he cannot guarantee what will happen when the Holy Grail finally descends…

“No need to worry, Matou. I have already investigated. Since the establishment of the original Holy Grail ritual, so much time has passed, the magical power accumulated by the Greater Grail has already reached a level that is beyond our imagination.”

"After the souls of the seven Servants were sacrificed, the power they possessed was enough to allow someone to directly reach the Root. And from what I understand, you are dedicated to regaining a new life and want to achieve immortality on a life level. If that is all you desire, then it is more than enough for the two of us to share."

Luo Wei said with a calm smile.

"I do not intend to use the power of the Holy Grail to reach the Root; what interests me is only the Holy Grail War itself."

"If you're still worried, we can sign up for the magic writing contest."

Zouken Matou: "..."

"So... what class of Servant do you plan to summon? Have you obtained the summoning qualification as a Master?"

After a long silence, Zouken Matou asked.

"Caster, for some reasons, I'm going to summon Caster this time. But you don't need to worry about the quality of the Servant, the summoning catalyst I've prepared is top-notch."

Luo Wei removed his gloves, revealing three bright red Command Seals he had recently seized from a murderer on the back of his hand, and then spoke calmly.

"...Alright, come to the Matou family in a few days, and I will give you an answer."

After a long internal struggle, Zouken Matou finally made his choice.

"Okay, then I look forward to your reply."

The final result was not unexpected for Luo Wei. With no way out and such great hope, Matou Zouken had no other choice.

Even though he knew that Lo Wei had his own schemes and that adopting Tohsaka Sakura was a trap set for him, there was nothing he could do to force him to cooperate.

This is an open conspiracy, an open conspiracy that is completely unsolvable for him.

However, if the other party only threatens him with his identity and hidden secrets, Zouken Matou would rather fight to the death than do as Loe wishes.

He agreed because he was well aware that this was a rare opportunity. As one of the first few people to know the truth about the Holy Grail War, and with his centuries of magical accumulation and the assistance that Lovi could provide, the success rate of this plan was much higher than he had originally planned.

Compared to entrusting it to a bleak future, this might truly be a rare opportunity.

After leaving those words, Zouken Matou did not linger any longer. His old and frail body transformed into insects and flew away into the night sky.