At night, Tia and Waver rode Alexander the Great's ox-drawn chariot, flying straight down into the Matou estate, smashing right through the front gates without any politeness.
"Tia, kid, where is it?" Alexander asked, meaning Sakura's worm pit.
"I don't know exactly, but it should be in a hidden basement," Tia answered.
Hearing this, Waver pulled out a sheet of paper, muttered a chant, and in the next instant it turned into a paper bird flapping clumsily through the air—so clumsily it looked like it could crash at any moment.
Tia stared at the paper bird, doubting it could really lead them anywhere.
"Let's go! This bird will automatically find the closest underground entrance!" Waver said.
"Oh! My Master really is amazing!" Alexander clapped Waver on the back again, and the chariot rumbled after the paper bird down the hallway, smashing everything in its way.
This time, Waver was ready. The moment Alexander slapped his back, his body went stiff on instinct.
"Ha ha ha!" Alexander burst out laughing at Waver's reaction.
Tia was still wondering why they hadn't met anyone when, all of a sudden, a swarm of bugs flew out and tore the paper bird apart.
"King of Conquerors, visiting this old man's humble home. Forgive me for not welcoming you sooner. But I wonder, did you come tonight to start a war with me?" Matou Zouken appeared in the hallway.
Alexander spotted him, and with a loud roar, stopped the chariot.
"So you're Matou Zouken? The head of the Matou family? Hand over the girl named Sakura Matou! Do that, and I'll let you live! This is the word of a king, and I always keep my word!" Alexander glared at him, filled with disgust for no reason he could name. Still, conquest, not slaughter, was his way. He didn't intend to wipe them out.
At that moment, Berserker Lancelot suddenly appeared, grabbing a weapon and turning it into his Noble Phantasm as he charged.
"What are you planning to do to Sakura!" Kariya Matou rushed out, ordering Lancelot to attack Alexander. He thought the king meant Sakura harm.
"Hmph!" Alexander knew he couldn't fight Lancelot in close combat, so he immediately turned the chariot straight at him.
But this time, Lancelot jumped, dodging the trampling charge.
Just then, Tia raised her hand. The hidden arm under her sleeve glowed with magic crests, and three ordinary swords appeared out of thin air.
They were like the first sword she'd created—born from origin, not projection. Unlike Emiya Shirou, she didn't chant "Trace, on." She simply called them into being.
The three swords appeared right in front of Lancelot mid-jump. But they didn't even slow him down. He grabbed one sword with ease, broke the other two with a flick, and then—
The sword in his hand vanished.
Tia had canceled it herself. She knew any weapon Lancelot touched would become his Noble Phantasm.
Though he still held his long weapon, his focus had been thrown off. Alexander seized the chance, leaping the chariot high and slamming into Lancelot. This time, the long weapon in his hands was useless.
"Seems you won't talk, then. Fine, I'll find it myself!" Alexander's voice was calm, but his chariot stormed deeper down the hallway, ignoring the Matous completely.
After a while—
"That door leads underground!" Tia spotted it from afar.
Alexander saw it too. Without hesitation, the divine bulls smashed the narrow doorway to pieces and barreled down the staircase, stopping on the platform above… the worm pit.
"Ugh! Gross… so disgusting!" Waver's eyes widened at the sight, his stomach turning. "Rider! Get Sakura out of there!" Then, seeing her body buried in swarms of worms below, he shouted again.
"Ha!" Alexander roared, and lightning crackled from the chariot, wiping out nearly all the worms in the pit, leaving only the ones on Sakura's body.
He leapt down, grabbed Sakura by the collar, and with his other hand smacked the remaining worms off her, killing them one by one. Then he tossed her gently into the chariot.
Waver pulled a potion from his coat and splashed it over Sakura, cleaning her instantly.
By then, Zouken and Kariya finally caught up. But Lancelot was badly wounded and could barely move. Kariya couldn't supply mana to heal him—if he tried, he would die himself.
"Master of Lancelot, hand over your Command Seals, and I'll give Sakura back to you. Otherwise…" Alexander drew his sword and laid it against Sakura's neck.
At this moment, Matou Sakura just stared blankly at Alexander the Great, showing no trace of fear.
Tia and Waver both stayed silent.
"Fine! I'll hand it over to you, but I have one condition! Kill him! I'll cut off this hand right now, and from then on Lancelot will be yours!" Matou Kariya agreed without a second thought.
"No problem!" Alexander the Great stepped right over Matou Zouken without hesitation.
But Tia knew Zouken wasn't dead. His main insect had already been planted inside Sakura's heart, fused with her nerves.
Still, Tia didn't say a word, just quietly watched Zouken's body being crushed.
Kariya didn't hesitate. He used magecraft to break off the hand with his Command Seals and handed it to Waver. Waver pressed it against Tia's hand, and in no time, Tia became Lancelot's Master.
(End of The Chapter)