Although he could clearly sense the disdain in Noah's eyes, Zouken didn't care.
On the contrary, he was very pleased with Noah's honesty.
It's much better to show dissatisfaction on the surface than to plot in private; at least he wouldn't have to waste his Command Seals on trivial obedience.
Although he didn't believe Noah truly didn't want the Holy Grail, Zouken thought that conflict was a long time away.
As for Mana?
It was just a minor issue.
"No problem, please rest assured. Sakura is an excellent master. After my modifications, she will definitely be able to provide you with the Mana you need. At that time, please fight without restraint."
Noah stared silently at Zouken, then at the girl whose face was filled with fear and despair, and finally at the few worms still lingering in the corner of the basement. He fell silent.
"Why are there so many perverts like you who prey on young girls everywhere?"
"What?!"
When Zouken sensed the hostility emanating from Noah, the first thing that came to his mind was not fear or anger, but confusion.
Although Zouken could tell from the other party's attitude that their cooperation would probably not be very pleasant...
It was only natural that such upright and unyielding heroes would dislike someone like him, who exuded a dark and corrupt aura.
But weren't they having a good chat just now?
Why the sudden change of heart?
I was clearly expressing my sincerity, so did I say something wrong?
Hundreds of years had erased the joys and sorrows that ordinary people felt from Zouken's body, replacing them with a desire to live at all costs and a purer Magus's ideal.
What is a Magus?
Magi are humanoid monsters who give everything and sacrifice everything to reach the Root.
Most Magi have transcended common morality, are not bound by worldly laws, and are not swayed by family, love, or friendship.
There are countless Magi who, in the pursuit of magecraft, turn against their fathers, betray their friends, and indiscriminately kill innocent people.
If the world knew of the existence of Magi, it might regard this group as antisocial killers.
Little did they know, Magi are even more twisted than serial killers.
The reason why serial killers feel pleasure when they kill is that they feel a sense of superiority and the ability to control the lives of others when they take them away.
But Magi generally don't feel pleasure or even experience any psychological fluctuations when they kill.
Because once a Magus can easily acquire power, wealth, honor, and a lifespan far exceeding that of ordinary people through magecraft, it becomes difficult for them to continue regarding themselves as the same species as ordinary humans.
The only thing that can arouse a Magus's interest and obsession is reaching the Root, which symbolizes the origin and end of all things and grants omnipotence.
In the process of striving to reach the Root, killing someone to study magecraft is as natural and uninteresting as a student using up pencils and paper while studying for an entrance exam.
'How could anyone kill you just because you used an extra sheet of paper while doing calculations? What kind of lunatic is that?'
This was probably how Zouken felt at that moment.
If Noah were to take action against him for the sake of seizing a spot or vying for first place, it would be somewhat understandable. But this?
Despite his many questions and uncertainties, Zouken dared not be negligent in the slightest and immediately took action.
Those were Servants; even the weakest of them possessed power far exceeding that of ordinary Magi.
Without offering any explanation, the silver-haired swordsman drew his sword and unleashed a simple, unadorned horizontal slash.
The sword flashed, and the light connected into a single line.
Like a fleeting shooting star, it shone brightly in the basement.
In an instant, Zouken's body was pierced through.
A few stray waves of sword energy spilled out, carving deep furrows in the walls and floor, causing dust to scatter everywhere. The aftershocks even made the basement shake slightly.
However, Noah frowned.
It doesn't feel real.
Visually, Noah's slash that sliced Zouken across his chest and ribs would undoubtedly be fatal to anyone.
However, the sensation transmitted through the blade told Noah otherwise...
As for the reason, Noah understood when he saw the thick black clouds pouring out of Zouken's body.
The black cloud that emerged from under the clothes was actually a super dense swarm of worms.
It wasn't that Zouken was hiding worms under his clothes, but rather that he himself was composed of a large number of worms.
That's really disgusting!
Thank goodness we didn't shake hands!
Although a considerable number of worms were reduced to dust by Noah's attack, a large swarm still surged toward Noah, emitting a deafening buzzing sound.
Without saying a word, Noah retreated.
Instead of running away, he rushed toward the girl who had been standing there dumbfounded.
The swarm's counterattack seemed to be merely a delaying tactic; they did not pursue Noah immediately, allowing him to successfully scoop the girl into his arms.
After confirming that his Master was safe, Noah turned around and looked at the swarm of worms.
At this moment, Zouken, whose body had been mostly shattered, gradually returned to his original form.
Cracks began to appear on the floor, walls, and ceiling, from which countless worms emerged.
These worms swarmed together, flowing and spreading like a waterfall, converging and merging into Zouken's body, forming a distorted scene that would drive a normal person mad.
Sakura, held in Noah's arms, finally came to her senses amidst the rapidly changing situation.
Why did this person suddenly start fighting with Grandfather?
It seems like they're still talking about me?
Although she didn't know exactly what was happening, Sakura quietly looked up at Noah's profile, feeling the warmth and scent that enveloped her, and a sense of peace rose in her heart.
Although she didn't know who this person was, Sakura thought that no matter what, he couldn't be worse than the old man who wanted to push her into the worm pit, right?
"Hehehe, do you really deserve to be called a savior? You actually turned against me because of a girl. I really can't get along with people like you."
Amidst the buzzing of the worms, Zouken's hoarse voice was surprisingly clear.
On that skeletal, withered face, a chillingly kind expression appeared.
"But, I'm not that stubborn and cruel. If you want to protect this girl, you can have her. I only want the Holy Grail, how about that?"
Zouken knew that even from the perspective of a Magus, his behavior of actively tormenting ordinary people and even descendants of his own bloodline was so abnormal that it would be despised and scorned by others.
Most Magi do not save people because of emotion, nor do they kill people because of emotion, and they certainly do not engage in time wasting acts such as torture.
Zouken knew that he had once been like that, but those past memories had faded.
He knew he had forgotten so much, and was still forgetting, and this sense of collapse and dissipation tormented Zouken's already twisted heart.
One can imagine that in a few hundred years, Zouken will not even be able to maintain his human form, turning into a pure worm driven only by instinct, eventually being exterminated by the Clock Tower for causing a disturbance.
Therefore, Zouken frantically tried to grasp the last trace of the image remaining in his heart.
He had forgotten how he felt when he first saw that scene, but he was certain that it must have been deeply etched into his bones, otherwise, it wouldn't still remain in his soul.
Like clinging tightly to the last plank in a stormy ocean, Zouken knew that the moment he let go, his ego would completely collapse.
I can't.
I must not die.
I want to live!
Even if he forgets why he wants to live, Zouken will fight with all his might to exist!
Sakura's heart suddenly tightened, and she couldn't help but secretly peek at Noah.
As a child who was just abandoned by her parents today, the helplessness and despair of not getting a response no matter how much she cried out still enveloped her.
Um?
Why are you looking at me?
Feeling the gaze of the young girl in his arms, like that of a lost kitten, Noah realized that he really wasn't suited for this trip.
One of his teammates was a perverted old man, and the other was a young girl who was a few years younger than Ais.
What a terrible system! What kind of matchmaking algorithm did you use to pair me with this team?
"Hey old man, do I look that stupid?"
Noah stood tall and proud, amidst the bewildered gazes of Zouken and Sakura.
"Fool! I'll kill you! This girl and the Holy Grail are mine!"
Looking at Noah, Zouken fell silent.
Why do I feel like you're even worse than me?
It's confirmed. This guy might seem like a good person in terms of his intentions, but he's absolutely rotten to the core!
What a villain!
"Well then, although it's a pity, you should just die!"
Suddenly, Zouken stretched out a hand, and the skin on the tip of his finger peeled off, transforming into a giant beetle which shot toward Noah like a missile.
Although it was an insect, when it spread its sharp wings in mid air, it emitted a metallic chirping sound, like metal slicing through the air.
This was a Winged Blade Insect bred by Zouken for many years. It had penetrating power and lethality greater than a bullet and could easily bite through the bones of even a strong bull.
If used in a sneak attack, Zouken believed that this Winged Blade Insect would be enough to kill most Magi.
However, since the opponent was a Heroic Spirit, Zouken did not expect to kill him in one shot.
Fortunately, this was his home turf, his Workshop.
Even a third rate Magus, given a few decades, can build a Workshop that can hinder a powerful Magus, let alone a great Magus like Matou Zouken!
This basement, and indeed the entire Matou residence, had been his Workshop for five hundred years; it could be said that every step was a trap and every corner was filled with magecraft.
Ultimately, most Magi are not good at direct combat; their main fighting style is to rely on their Workshops and prepared positions to meet their enemies.
As Mana surged, Zouken stared intently at Noah, secretly activating the mechanisms hidden in the ceiling and floor.
In an instant, accompanied by countless chilling, shrill sounds, countless worm eggs appeared all over the basement, and one after another they cracked open, giving birth to worms with flapping wings.
Almost in the blink of an eye, countless worms swarmed toward Noah like a tidal wave, engulfing him in shadow.
Furthermore, Zouken's target was not Noah, but Sakura in his arms.
Even the most powerful Heroic Spirits must rely on their Master's Mana to fight.
If even one worm attacks this girl, the Spirit will lose his ability to fight.
Fortunately, this is my Workshop, and fortunately, the opponent has an obvious weakness.
If any one of these factors were missing, I would have chosen to run away immediately.
Just as Zouken was feeling relieved, something suddenly pierced the darkness in the basement.
That was lightning!
The moment Zouken realized it, a low rumble echoed through the basement.
Countless white arcs of lighting spread. The moment the swarm of worms came into contact with it, they were swallowed up and annihilated without even uttering a cry of pain.
The lightning attack continued to spread outward, engulfing Zouken before he could even process.