The ghastly specter that emerged was none other than the soul of Zouken Matou.
Once, he had been a man who clung to life by binding himself to insects. But with his host insects incinerated by divine fire, his wretched soul was forced to crawl out, naked and decayed.
The sight was revolting.
For five centuries, Zouken had experimented ceaselessly, slaughtering countless humans in his pursuit of longevity. According to ancient records, a strong soul could maintain a host for fifty years before requiring transfer.
But his soul had rotted so thoroughly that now he required a new body every three months.
He glared at the maid who still struggled to breathe, his twisted face contorted with rage.
"You bitch! To destroy my treasure… I'll wipe out the entire Tohsaka family for this!"
His shriveled soul let out a keening scream. The runes carved into the floor glowed ominously, and from beneath the ground came a chittering chorus.
The Matou family's greatest legacy—the engraving worms that had festered underground for generations—poured forth in endless swarms.
Billions of them.
For Zouken, there was no need for heirs. As long as he lived, that was all that mattered. Everything else—the family name, the house, even Shinji Matou—could be discarded at will. Insects could do the rest.
Yet what shocked him was the reaction of Rin Tohsaka's maids.
Not fear.
But eagerness.
Their eyes burned with zeal, as though they longed for the battle.
Zouken narrowed his gaze. What did this girl do to cultivate such loyalty?
"Smelly brat," he hissed, voice dripping venom, "are you not afraid? This sea of insects is my masterpiece!"
Rin only smiled coldly. Then, in a deliberate motion, she knelt.
Zouken blinked in surprise, then cackled. "Too late to beg for mercy, child. You destroyed my immortality. Kneeling won't save you."
Rin tilted her head, her lips curling. "Do you think I'm kneeling to you?"
Zouken's grin faltered. "…Aren't you?"
"There is nothing in this world worthy of Rin Tohsaka's kneeling," she declared. "Nothing except God and His messengers. Come forth… Eternal Executor."
Her voice rose into a chant. Blood spattered the altar stones as the summoning seal ignited.
Zouken froze. A shiver stabbed into his soul. His scalp prickled. He tried to flee—only to discover his spirit couldn't move.
From the shadows, a pair of abyssal eyes opened.
"What a stinking soul," a voice whispered. "A believer cries out—this foul thing seeks to harm God's own people?"
"Yes, Master Executor!" Rin's voice rang out, sharp with conviction. "This monster has slaughtered humans for centuries. Now he dares threaten the servants of God. Please—take him away."
"Oh… yes," murmured the Executor. "I feel his malice."
The sound of clashing steel rang in the air, though no blade was visible. Zouken's eyes bulged in terror. The sound sliced through his soul, shredding him bit by bit.
What is this? What did that Tohsaka girl summon? This… this isn't a Heroic Spirit!
He could tell at once: this was no half-formed heroic soul. This was something entirely beyond that—an entity of terrible, perfect will.
The Executor's scythe cut clean. Zouken's soul split in half with a single strike.
From within his husk, countless trapped souls spilled forth, scattering across the sky like fireflies.
Their faces were lost, their memories incomplete. Yet upon sensing the Executor's grace, they bowed low before vanishing into the Sea of Reincarnation within God's Realm.
Each would be reborn anew. Perhaps as children of the fairy world. Perhaps as beasts of divine realms. Each was a rare resource to the Eternal God.
The two great restraints of the world—the very consciousnesses that governed earth—fell silent.
For even they could not comprehend this being.
It had no emotion. It could not be measured. It was beyond their control.
"If you encounter such sin again," the Executor said, its voice like rusted iron, "you may summon me. Now I return."
Its form faded into nothing.
Only when the last trace of its presence vanished did the maids finally exhale.
They practiced meditation daily. Yet even so, the pressure of the Executor had nearly broken them. A single glance from it had felt like death itself.
"What… what kind of existence was that?" one whispered.
"It felt like… the god of death."
"No," another corrected in a trembling voice. "Something worse. Beyond death."
Rin Tohsaka straightened, her face like iron. She swept her eyes across her maids.
"Do not address me as 'Lady Rin' anymore. You must call me 'High Priest.' You are not the slaves of the Tohsaka family now—you are believers of God."
"Yes, High Priest!" they chorused.
"Another thing," Rin continued. "Do not compare the Eternal God's messengers to those false 'gods' you know. They are nothing but humans who crowned themselves. False divinities. Did you see the Executor just now? That was no god—it was the incarnation of law itself. The rule of death, walking in the world. Even such a messenger outstrips all your so-called gods!"
Her pride swelled with every word.
There was only one true God. The Eternal.
Everything else was a lie.
The Executor was no deity, only an incarnation of divine law. Such beings traversed worlds, aiding believers, punishing rebellion, and ferrying wayward souls.
Should one be misused, the punishment would not fall on the enemy—it would fall upon the priest who summoned wrongly.
That was the rule.
The maids exchanged glances, then bowed in unison.
"Yes, High Priest!"
"Good. Now we move forward. It's time to bring Sakura home."
Rin strode ahead, her steps echoing with fury and purpose.
The Matou family was already in ruins. Every servant dead, their estate collapsing into chaos.
As Rin and her followers advanced toward the villa, a scream rang out from above.
"No! Don't! Please!"
Her sister's voice.
Rin's blood ran cold. Her face darkened instantly. In the next instant she vanished, reappearing in the top room of the villa.
The sight that met her eyes froze her to the marrow.
Sakura Matou was bound to a wooden frame, her body battered and scarred. Her once fair skin was nothing but bruises and welts, lash marks crisscrossing her flesh.
And Shinji Matou, sneering, stood over her with a knife poised above her heart.
Rin's fury exploded.
Her kick struck Shinji square in the chest, blasting him through the window. He plummeted from the upper floor, crashing to the ground with a sickening crack.
The maids rushed at the sound, but before panic could spread, Rin's voice thundered down:
"Heal him! Then lock him away. Without my permission, he is not allowed to die!"
Her tone was ice, sharp enough to cut.
Her anger was absolute.
Shinji was nothing but a worthless human—no magical talent, no strength. One kick had left him broken and near death.
But Rin had chosen her maids carefully. Among them were healers of every attribute. Nearly twenty specialized in restoration.
Shinji would live. But his life would be Rin's to command.
Rin hurried to her sister, tears stinging her eyes. "Are you okay?"
Sakura looked up weakly, her body trembling. Then, instead of thanking Rin, she collapsed into her sister's arms and struck her with a trembling hand.
Her sobs burst forth.
The cries echoed through the chamber, filled with years of torment.
Rin's heart twisted. Her eyes darted around the room. Whips. Rods. Chains. Implements of torture lay scattered.
Her sister's body was broken. Every part of her flesh hidden beneath clothing was scarred, festering, ruined. Only magic had kept her alive this long.
"I'm sorry," Rin whispered hoarsely. "I'm so sorry… I came too late."
Her sister's weight pressed against her shoulder. Rin could barely breathe through the pain of it. Why, Father? Why send her here? Why sacrifice Sakura to these monsters?
At last, Sakura fainted, unconscious in her arms.
Rin cursed herself. She had never learned healing magecraft. She had chosen wrongly, focusing on gem magic instead. If only she had studied healing—if only she had been ready—her sister's pain could have been mended at once.
Her voice trembled with fury.
"The Matou family… from this day, wipe them out!"
The order echoed coldly.
Moments later, flames engulfed the Matou estate. Centuries of legacy burned to ash at the command of a sixteen-year-old girl.
The world of magi trembled.
When Yanfeng Kirei received the report, he was silent for a long time.
Gilgamesh only sneered. "So this is the state of the magus families now? Pathetic."
Kirei shook his head slowly. His gaze lifted to the statue looming above him. "Something is wrong with Rin Tohsaka. To defeat Zouken Matou in one stroke… whose support does she have?"
That old worm had been feared for centuries. For Rin to destroy him with nothing but two hundred maids… impossible.
Gilgamesh sipped his wine lazily. "Worry about the Holy Grail War, priest. It is upon us. Our contract is nearly fulfilled. Once it is, our cooperation ends."
"…I understand," Kirei murmured, though his thoughts wandered.
Far away, in the Einzbern castle, the intelligence reached Illyasviel von Einzbern.
She sat curled on an ornate sofa, her expression weary. The strain of sustaining Hercules pressed heavily on her.
Yet when she read the news, her eyes glimmered.
"The destruction of the Matou family… good. One less competitor."
Her lips curved into a sly smile. "But Rin Tohsaka… she's interesting. To crush a family so easily—surely she too has a cheat. Heh… this will be fun."
She leaned back, her gaze sharp with anticipation.
"The next time we meet, Rin, I'll take you on myself. But not yet. Not until the moment is right. When the time comes, I will win the Holy Grail War."
Her laughter echoed through the empty halls, cold and determined.