Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

Then, the demon, who had made the sign of the cross on his chest, lowered his arms, turned his head to look at the setting sun outside the cave that was about to sink below the horizon, and muttered to himself.

Tsk, this is entrapment, it's taken so long and they only managed to catch one person.

Well, never mind, the sun is about to set, let's call it a day and find a place to stay.

In any case, modifying the Holy Grail system is a massive undertaking that will take a considerable amount of time.

As Samael stroked his chin in thought, he looked up and gazed wistfully at the mountaintop hidden by the dense forest, his eyes gleaming with a mysterious light.

I've heard that the vegetarian food at Ryudong Temple is quite delicious?

As the sun sets, a "tourist" carrying a suitcase walks out of the cave and heads towards the mountaintop.

Meanwhile, at the Matou family home, in the basement.

With blue hair and purple eyes, Matou Tsuruno, the nominal head of the Matou family, dressed in a loose kimono, stood shakily by the edge of the pond, leaning against the wall, gazing down. His pupils contracted sharply in his drunken, drowsy eyes.

The insect enclosure, which was once a dense, dark mass crawling with various arthropods and mollusks, was now deathly silent, its bottom layer covered with blood and corpses from the insects' infighting.

The demonic insects are all dead? How could this be!

These damned things are all the old man's treasures, and we have a certain degree of symbiosis with them. If he finds out that I've killed all these insects, he'll definitely throw me into the insect cage to feed the insects!

Matou Tsuruno trembled and slumped onto the cold cement floor, his eyes filled with terror.

Wait, symbiosis?

Could it be that……

In a daze, Matou Tsuruno seemed to have grasped a lifeline, his eyes first filled with wild joy, then with trepidation.

No, things aren't certain yet, we can't jump to conclusions so quickly, otherwise when the old man comes back, he'll skin me alive.

Rather than...

After much deliberation, the man leaned against the wall, got up from the ground, walked out of the dark basement, and made his way to the living room. He carefully dialed a number, forcing a fake look of sorrow onto his face.

"Hey, Kariya, something might have happened at home."

Chapter 132 It's All Tokiomi's Fault (4.3k)

A few days later, the news of the unfortunate passing of Matou Zouken, the patriarch of the Matou family, quietly spread among the major prominent families in Fuyuki City.

Many high-society figures who had connections or collaborations with the Matou family went to pay their respects.

The funeral was held at the old Matou residence, with the head priest of Ryudou-ji Temple, Ryudou Reikan, and his monks assisting in the arrangements—a truly traditional Japanese affair.

The Matou family is severely understaffed because their servants frequently resign or disappear without cause.

Early in the morning, Matou Tsuruno, the head of the Matou family, dressed in black mourning clothes, and accompanied by his son Matou Shinji, greeted the family friends who came to pay their respects with a somber expression.

As the grandson, Shinji Matou wasn't particularly saddened by the sudden death of his grandfather, Zouken Matou. In fact, he felt a sense of relief, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his heart, allowing him to breathe freely.

After all, in his memory, his grandfather was a rigid and gloomy old man who had no feelings for his children. His attitude towards this grandfather was more fear than affection.

Whenever that gaunt figure appeared, the atmosphere in the house would become unusually oppressive and gloomy. As that gaze from the darkness swept over him, Shinji Matou felt as if slippery slugs were crawling on his skin, filling him with fear and horror.

However, these things will not happen again in the future, which is a cause for celebration.

In addition, there is something even more gratifying.

The boy with the blue seaweed-like haircut secretly turned his head, his purple eyes excitedly glancing at the opposite side. He secretly observed the tall figure who was greeting the mourners with his father several times, his heart filled with excitement.

That was his second uncle, Matou Kariya.

Just as rumored, he has black eyes and black hair, which are different from the rest of the family.

Perhaps it was because of this difference that his second uncle was extremely rebellious. After reaching adulthood, he defied that terrible old man, severed ties with the family, and went out on his own to make a living.

Shinji Matou asked himself, neither he nor his father, who had been so thoroughly arranged by the old man, had the guts to do it.

Therefore, the boy was filled with longing and yearning for his second uncle who had broken free from his cage.

Sensing the gaze from the shadows, Matou Kariya looked slightly surprised, then quickly regained his composure, gave his nephew a warm smile, and nodded slightly.

The greeting and recognition from his idol made Shinji Matou feel excited, and his feet even felt a little unsteady.

However, the exchange of glances between the uncle and nephew did not last long.

As mourners arrived one after another, Matou Tsuruno and Matou Kariya, who were in charge of receiving them, also began to get busy, exchanging polite greetings with the celebrities who entered.

Around noon, a red car pulled up in front of the Matou family's house, and Matou Tsuruno's gaze instantly became more eager.

As the car door opened, a man dressed in a well-tailored, solemn black suit, holding a ruby ​​cane, with black hair, blue eyes, and a mature mustache, and with elegant and graceful manners, stepped out of the back seat with his wife, who was also dressed in plain black, and politely presented the condolence money to the couple at the door.

Two adorable little girls, hand in hand, followed behind their parents.

"Head of the Tohsaka family, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to attend my father's funeral. Please come in."

Matou Tsuruno took the initiative to step forward and personally greeted the Tohsaka couple who had arrived, leading them into the inner hall.

Throughout the journey, the excessive politeness even seemed somewhat deliberate.

Matou Tsuruno, who had no great ambitions, didn't feel any psychological burden about this.

After all, the old man is dead, and there's no one to keep him in check, but there are also potential dangers.

Right now, the biggest problem is that after the old man's death, the Matou family, although a demonic family, no longer has any significant deterrent power.

Even though Matou Tsuruno wasn't a formal magician due to his limited talent, he was well aware of the cruelty of the magician's world.

The Matou family nowadays are basically defenseless little rabbits.

This is precisely why he called his younger brother, with whom he didn't have a very good relationship, back from outside.

It's always better to have one more person to share the burden than one less.

Right now, whether it's for self-preservation or survival, he needs to cling to the Tohsaka family's coattails in order to continue to eke out a living in his small corner of Fuyuki City.

Given the alliance between the two families and Tokiomi Tohsaka's character, he at least doesn't need to worry about the Matou family being annexed for the time being.

After completing the simple memorial service, Matou Tsuruno originally intended to personally lead the Tohsaka couple to the backyard to rest, as a sign of respect.

However, as more and more guests flooded into the front yard, Matou Tsuruno, as the head of the household, found it difficult to leave for a while.

"Brother, you go ahead with your work. Let me receive the Tohsaka family head and his wife."

Then, Matou Kariya stepped forward and offered to take over the job.

“Uncle Kariya!”

Rin and Sakura Tohsaka, the two little girls, looked delighted and cheered instinctively, while Kariya Matou smiled in response.

However, as their father looked at them reproachfully, the two little girls immediately realized that the situation was inappropriate. They quickly stuck out their tongues, shrank their necks, and hid behind their mother.

When someone offered to take over, Matou Tsuruno didn't hesitate and readily agreed, handing over the task of guiding the Tohsaka couple to his brother. He watched the five of them walk away, and then, relieved, went to greet the guests who came to pay their respects.

After navigating the winding, damp corridors, Matou Kariya smoothly led the Tohsaka family to the living room, then stopped Tohsaka Tokiomi at the back of the group and whispered something to himself.

"Head of the Tohsaka family, I would like to ask you privately about some of the arrangements for my father's funeral."

Since it was a matter of death and loss, Tokiomi Tohsaka, as a former ally of the Matou family and a local strongman in Fuyuki familiar with the mysterious world, naturally had this obligation. He nodded in agreement and turned to follow Kariya Matou's footsteps, heading towards a side courtyard.

"The Tohsaka family is deeply saddened by the unfortunate passing of the old man. I will do my utmost to assist you in any way you may need."

As soon as the two arrived in the empty courtyard, Tokiomi Tohsaka made his stance clear. Leaning on his magnificent ruby ​​cane, he stood still, elegantly waiting for the other's request for help, with a hint of condescension in his manner.

However, this unintentional display of superiority was not directed at the Matou family, but merely expressed some dissatisfaction with Matou Kariya.

In reality, although the Matou family's magician bloodline is gradually dwindling, it has not been completely severed. Matou Kariya is someone with the aptitude to shoulder this responsibility.

However, this man, for the sake of so-called freedom and his own selfish desires, shamefully evaded the mission that was originally his.

Conversely, Tokiomi Tohsaka, who also faced the decline of his family, spent half his life in hardship, silently licking his wounds and turning them all into self-respect. With his not-so-outstanding talent, he revitalized the Tohsaka family.

Therefore, Matou Kariya's cowardly behavior was simply incomprehensible to Tokiomi Tohsaka, who valued the honor of a magician.

However, the issue is not the person. Although Matou Kariya betrayed his family mission, he is still a relatively kind and harmless person, and there is no obvious conflict of interest between the two sides.

In addition, due to the relationship between the Matou, Zenjo, and Tohsaka families, Matou Kariya also extended his affection to Rin and Sakura, and was very clear about their respective preferences. Every time he returned from out of town, he would bring the children gifts they liked, which made him very popular with his two daughters.

Therefore, their relationship is fairly harmonious.

Now that the other party has reformed and returned home from his debauchery, it can be considered a kind of growth. Tokiomi Tohsaka will tentatively acknowledge this improvement, and if the other party asks, he will be willing to lend a hand out of consideration for the many years of friendship between the two families.

However, the question that Matou Kariya asked when he turned around was something he hadn't expected.

"Zoken Matou wants to adopt one of the Tohsaka family's daughters as his heir. Have you agreed to this?"

At the same time, the fact that the man addressed his father by his first name caused Tokiomi Tohsaka, who adhered to tradition, to frown slightly.

"Yes……"

However, despite the unexpected turn of events, Tokiomi Tohsaka disdained lying and therefore did not conceal anything. His face was filled with deep regret and distress at having his plans disrupted.

"If the old man were still alive, the adoption process might have already begun."

"Are you planning to send Sakura to the Matou family?"

“That’s right, Rin’s aptitude is more suited to inheriting the Tohsaka family’s magic.”

"That's it..."

Having received a definite answer, Matou Kariya nodded, raised his hand to hold up a sealed metal box, and a smile appeared on his face.

"Coincidentally, Zang Yan has something he asked me to pass on to you."

Upon hearing this, Tokiomi Tohsaka had a sudden thought and subconsciously walked towards Kariya Matou.

Before the Holy Grail War even began, Zouken Matou suddenly passed away, completely disrupting his plans. With the Matou family without its pillar, he couldn't help but hesitate about whether to send his youngest daughter, Sakura, to a magic family that was already destined to decline.

If the old man had left a will before he died, the problem might have been much easier to solve.

However, just as Tokiomi Tohsaka was pondering and approaching, Kariya Matou, who handed over the metal box, suddenly changed his expression and turned cold the moment they met. He raised his fist, which he had been holding back for a long time, and slammed it hard into Tokiomi Tohsaka's face.

"boom!"

Caught off guard by this sudden and unsportsmanlike attack, Tokiomi Tohsaka was hit squarely, letting out a muffled groan and staggering backward.

A delayed, burning pain spread, and Tokiomi Tohsaka, clutching his dark bruised eye socket, looked up at the figure that had inexplicably attacked him, his eyes filled with a mixture of astonishment and anger.

"Kanetsuya Matou, have you gone mad?!"

"This punch was for Sakura!"

Meanwhile, Matou Kariya had already dropped his feigned smile, his face darkening as he coldly snorted.

"What do you mean?"

Tokiomi Tohsaka, somewhat bewildered, looked completely lost.

A cold smile appeared on Matou's lips as he casually tossed the metal box in his hand.

"Haven't you always been interested in the Matou family's magic? Open the box and take a good look!"

Filled with doubt, Tokiomi Tohsaka instinctively took the metal box and opened it with his bare hands.

Instantly, a nauseating stench filled the nostrils, and the bottom of the box was filled with the corpses of dozens of insects that resembled flies, earthworms, or slugs.

This...this is the Matou family's insect magic?

It's simply... heretical!

A strong sense of distortion and nausea permeated Tokiomi Tohsaka's mind. The sour stench that constantly challenged the limits of human olfactory endurance made him gag uncontrollably, almost vomiting up his dinner from the night before, completely losing his composure.

"You can't even keep going at this level, Head of the Tohsaka family?"

Immediately afterwards, Matou Kariya pulled out a few torn pages from his pocket and coldly threw them at Tohsaka Tokiomi's face, his eyes full of mockery.

"I have more here! Didn't you want some? Show them to me properly!"

As yellowed pages fell on him, Tokiomi Tohsaka, already vaguely aware that something was wrong, instinctively picked up the pages around him and quickly scanned the contents.

With the explanation and comparison of the pictures and text, the usually elegant man's pupils contracted sharply, his face turned ashen, and the hand holding the paper trembled violently as if he had Parkinson's disease.

"What, aren't you going to say anything? Do you need me to explain for you?"

Matou Kariya glanced at the dejected Tohsaka Tokiomi in front of him, raised the corners of his lips in a mocking smile, and spoke in a cold laugh.

"That worm-like thing is called a Crest Worm. After being implanted into the human body and cultivated, it becomes a nerve similar to a magic circuit. It combines with the original nerves and spreads throughout the body. The magic of the Matou family is water-attribute. In order to inherit this power, incompatible outsiders need to have a large number of Crest Worms implanted to modify themselves."

However, the magical crests generated by the Crest Worms are normally inactive, but once activated, they invade the host's nervous system, feeding on the host's life force—magic power—and operating continuously. When the magic power is depleted, the worms will devour the host's flesh and blood to obtain nutrients.

"How about that? Pretty good technique, right?"

To inherit the Matou family's magic, is it necessary to implant this kind of insect?