That protagonist is trash; I could do better!

It's absolutely hell for people with claustrophobia.

After checking, Shinji Matou confirmed, "This is definitely the place."

"Then please go in first. Irisviel will follow Caster, and I will guard from behind."

Shinji Matou did not refuse and easily squeezed into the narrow gap. The child's body was unexpectedly useful here, and he did not feel the pressure of the narrow space at all.

After walking for a while, Shinji Matou heard a mournful sigh coming from behind him.

"Ugh... Is this place too cramped? It's so tight... Ugh... I can't breathe." Irisviel murmured to herself, because her figure was so voluptuous that she was practically squeezed against the wall.

Shinji Matou's Mystic Eyes have night vision, allowing him to clearly see this inappropriate scene for children. In the end, what is the purpose of designing androids in such a way to cater to the aesthetics of human men?

Shinji Matou fell into deep thought.

Considering the original design concept of the androids, the people who established the Einzbern Magic Workshop were, in a sense, a group of hardcore otaku.

The cave was deep and narrow. After stumbling along for about ten minutes, the cave, which was originally only wide enough for one person to pass through, suddenly widened. The darkness was also illuminated by a faint light, which was some kind of luminescent moss, not a common plant species.

Blue moss

Shinji Matou had seen it in the Matou family's collection of books. It is a plant that only grows in areas with abundant magical energy, and is considered one of the more precious materials. It can generally only be found in primeval forests.

As Irisviel entered the corridor, her expression changed slightly. The corridor was filled with even more exaggerated magical power than Shinji Matou's Magic Workshop; the flow of magical power could be seen with the naked eye.

However, although it shone with the radiance of life, the filth contained within the magic was nauseating, and she murmured in disappointment, "This magic has been corrupted."

"Keep going, there's still a long way to go."

After traversing an underground space the size of half a playground, the group finally arrived at the underground void where the Greater Grail System was located.

Emerging from the darkness, the magnificent scene before him almost made Shinji Matou forget that he was underground.

Before your eyes is an endless, dark sky, like twilight. In the distance, a towering stone pillar stands on a high rock wall, with a black sun suspended above it.

The desolate land is no longer a cave; it extends for at least two or three kilometers to the rock walls. Climbing the high rock walls, you can see the huge crater, which is the Great Grail system that has been in operation for two hundred years.

Above the altar, darkness surged, like a heart, each beat revealing a nauseating, evil magical fluctuation.

Even from a distance, it was enough to prove the truth or falsehood of what Shinji Matou said.

The Holy Grail system has been corrupted by Angola Maneuver. It is no longer the Holy Grail that can realize the ideals of the Einzbern Factory, but a womb that breeds evil, solely for the birth of someone named Angola Maneuver.

Irisviel murmured in despair, “How ironic. I thought I could win this time and fulfill that long-cherished wish, but I never imagined that I would have already destroyed it with my own hands. That is no longer the Holy Grail that we Einzberns pursue.”

Shinji Matou thought to himself: Really? Ahadeon didn't think so.

Irisviel turned to Saber and apologized: "Saber, I'm sorry."

Seeing this, Saber's expression was incredibly complex, as if she had breathed a sigh of relief but was also filled with resentment. She forced a smile and said, "This is not Irisviel's responsibility."

Chapter 41 My Sword Is Entrusted to Your Command

An endless void, a desolate land like the end of the world.

"This evil thing is not the Holy Grail I seek, nor should it remain in this world. Irisviel, please allow me to destroy it and end this farce." Saber gripped the invisible holy sword in her hand and said solemnly, as a storm surged and a faint golden light flickered.

This should have been Saber's answer after more than a thousand years of reincarnation. Knowing that the Holy Grail had deteriorated, she was able to make a decisive decision and destroy it herself. This decisiveness is worthy of the name of the King of Knights.

But there's no rush.

Shinji Matou shook his head and advised, "Don't rush, Saber. Acting rashly will only backfire."

Irisviel nodded solemnly: "I think so too. I was created to complete the Holy Grail War, and I am a degraded version of the Greater Grail system. So we have a strong connection. Now I can clearly see that the Greater Grail system has become a terrible cursed device."

"It's not that exaggerated. Although the filth inside has overflowed and the Holy Grail War is not over, at most it is a collection of ambiguous curses without any direction. It's like a powder keg. Without external stimulation, it remains stable. Before we have the combat power to blow the whole powder keg away, it is not advisable to act rashly."

Saber asked solemnly, "Caster, do you mean that the two of us combined can't break this ritual?"

Shinji Matou nodded: "If we break the container and fail to deal with the ambiguous curse in time, imagine the scene of a volcanic eruption. The entire Fuyuki City will probably face annihilation. I think it will take at least four Servants to destroy the container and deal with the ambiguous curse."

This wasn't something Shinji Matou made up on the spot; it came from the conclusion of El-Melloi II (possessed by Zhuge Liang).

El-Melloi II (possessed by Zhuge Liang) is certainly no weaker than Shinji Matou (possessed by Paracelsus von Hohenheim). In addition, Lancer Diarmuid, Mash Kyrielight, and Saber are also needed. Only four Servants in total would have the confidence to come here to dismantle the Greater Grail system.

Irisviel asked anxiously, "Four Servants? Can we really gather so many Servants to assist us?"

Saber confidently replied, "It shouldn't be a problem. Although they are all enemies, the Servants are heroes from different eras, and they must have a sense of honor in their hearts. Besides, the Holy Grail has been tainted, so there will be no reward for victory."

Their gazes then turned to Shinji Matou, waiting for him to speak.

Shinji Matou shrugged: "Not entirely. First of all, Berserker is out of the question. The Servant itself is fine because it has perfect rationality, since two negatives make a positive. The problem is that its Master is no good person. It's the murderer Ryunosuke Amusei, a guy who takes pleasure in killing."

"Then there is Archer, the King of Heroes Gilgamesh, who even wanted to use this cursed device to wipe out most of humanity during the Fifth Holy Grail War, leaving only those he considered valuable."

Saber exclaimed in disbelief, "How is this possible! No matter what, he is the King of Heroes, the starting point for all heroes. How could he have such a foolish idea?"

Unfortunately, that was the oldest king of chuunibyou (delusional teenagers) among humankind.

"If you've met him, you won't find it strange. The remaining ones we can try to win over are Lancer and Rider. I've already asked Lancer for cooperation. As for Rider, we can communicate, but his personality is too unpredictable. He's willful and acts according to the interests of his opponents, which means he's a busybody. He won't care about the crisis of world destruction and may even become our enemy depending on the situation."

"Heroes are simply outstanding figures from different eras, which is why they stand out from ordinary people. Saber, you should understand this deeply." After saying this, Shinji Matou glanced at Saber.

The storm raged and trembled, the invisible sword swirling around her. Saber lowered her head, obscuring the expression on her beautiful face. Shinji Matou's words pierced her heart like a sharp sword.

In her time, a group of remarkable heroes surrounded her, forming the Knights of the Round Table. They were supposed to share glory and protect Britain, but for various reasons, they fell apart, and the country was destroyed.

"He's just a kid, but he's as reliable as Saber," Irisviel said with a smile, squatting down and ruffling Shinji Matou's hair.

Saber smiled wryly: "Irisviel, that's hardly a compliment for Caster."

Did I say something strange?

Saber joked, "Compared to Caster, I am not mature enough. My vision and depth of thought are far inferior to Caster's."

Shinji Matou shook his head: "Saber, there's no need to be so modest. Have you ever heard the saying that cooks have their talents, wise men have their talents, and kings have their talents? Even a king who governs a country into a golden age is certainly not as good as a cook when it comes to cooking. I am playing a similar role right now."

Saber faced Irisviel, her expression and tone more solemn than ever before: "Irisviel, my Master, are you now certain that you wish to form an alliance with Caster?"

Irisviel gazed at the distant, rocky wall at the edge of the sky, where the evil of this world, born from the Greater Grail, was beginning to take shape. Her gentle tone carried an unusual firmness: "Yes, as a homunculus of the Einzbern family, I have an obligation to assist Mr. Caster in dismantling the Greater Grail. This is an unchangeable fact."

"I understand."

"Om~"

As the storm subsided, the holy sword finally revealed its true form: an enamel hilt, a snow-white blade, engraved with elven script, emitting a hazy glow, sacred and inviolable.

The holy sword stood before Shinji Matou, and she solemnly swore: "Caster, my sword is entrusted to your command, and you will guide our destiny onto the right path."

Bathed in the radiance of the holy sword, Shinji Matou bowed and said, "It is my greatest honor, King of Knights."

This marks the formal establishment of a cooperative relationship.

······

Since they can't touch the Greater Grail system for the time being, Shinji Matou brings Irisviel and Saber back to the Matou family. With the magician assassin Kiritsugu Emiya absent and two Servants present, there's not much to worry about enemy attacks.

Irisviel stopped at the door: "This is..."

"As you can see, the Matou family."

Irisviel asked hesitantly, "Um, Caster, how is that old man now?"

"Irisviel, could that old man be referring to Zouken Matou?"

"Yes."

Zouken Matou, the archenemy of the Einzbern family.

"Don't worry, I've taken care of him."

"..."

Irisviel was taken aback: "Solve what?"

Shinji Matou casually remarked, "He is no longer the Machiri Zorgne of five hundred years ago. His ideal of eradicating human sins has been worn down to ashes over the past 500 years. He has become a monster who survives by devouring the lives of others. He won the Holy Grail War in order to gain immortality, and he even went so far as to activate the Holy Grail system, which he knew was corrupted."

"Are these things going to happen in the future?"

"pretty close."

Chapter 42 Tokiomichi Tohsaka's Decision

Shinji Matou did not hide the fact that he killed Zouken Matou. The Matou family is now completely destroyed. On the night he learned that Zouken Matou had been killed, Tsuruno Matou absconded with a large amount of the Matou family's property and disappeared without a trace, leaving behind only the real estate and the Matou family's magic secrets.

This is understandable, after all, his son killed his father whom he had respected for many years, and Matou Shinji probably became an even more terrifying monster in his eyes.

Shinji Matou created a simple artificial spirit to take care of Sakura Matou's daily life.

There is still one missing person, Matou Kariya. Matou Shinji regrets encouraging him to learn magic. It is a field that is unimaginable to ordinary people, containing too many unknowns and dangers. Even an official magic organization like the Clock Tower has no morals.

If a magical prodigy of Matou Sakura's caliber didn't come from a prestigious magical family, his fate after being discovered by a magician would basically be to be taken back to the Clock Tower and sliced ​​up.

Back at the Matou residence, Matou Sakura, hearing the commotion, came down from the second floor. A red ribbon was tied to one side of her hair—a gift from her older sister, Tohsaka Rin. Overjoyed, she rushed into Matou Shinji's arms, her soft, sweet voice reassuringly saying, "Brother, welcome back!"

She glanced curiously at Irisviel and Saber behind Shinji Matou, but since Shinji Matou didn't introduce them, she didn't ask any further questions.

Irisviel bent down, tucked her long silver hair behind her ear, and revealed a maternal smile that was more than 1,000% effective against children: "Hello, I'll be bothering you for the rest of the night."

Sakura Matou blushed slightly and bowed gracefully to Irisviel: "Hello, my name is Sakura Matou. You are my brother's guest, please make yourself at home."

Shinji Matou stroked Sakura Matou's head and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Sakura, I won't be able to stay home and take care of you these next few days."

"It's okay, brother must have an important reason. I will wait for brother to come back."

Shinji Matou pinched his younger sister's nose: "Okay, you go back and rest. I have something very important to discuss with my guests."

A hint of disappointment flashed in Matou Sakura's eyes. She had finally waited for Matou Shinji to return, but they couldn't be together. She understood the situation and didn't want Matou Shinji to notice her little feelings. She put on a bright smile and said, "Then I'll go back to my room. Good luck, brother."

Sakura Matou bowed to Irisviel and Saber again before leaving, fully demonstrating the demeanor of a well-educated young lady.

“What a lovely child! Her magical talent is amazing. If Mr. Caster teaches her, she will surely become a great magician in the future,” Irisviel said with a smile.

"Irisviel, do you like children?" Saber asked curiously, now dressed in a black suit.

“Yes, because children are very lively and active, which is the most beautiful aspect of life, a trait that is difficult for androids to imitate,” Irisviel replied softly. Even as the most perfect android, she could not completely imitate the appearance of humans.

Irisviel and Saber followed Shinji Matou upstairs and into his room.

Irisviel looked around the room curiously: "Is this your room? It's so simple, just like the dwellings of androids, devoid of any sense of life."

She sat down on Matou Shinji's bed without any hesitation, stretched lazily, and her thick fur coat couldn't hide her impressive curves.

Shinji Matou knelt on the ground, his right hand touching the ground, and instructed, "Irisviel, please adjust your physical condition while I prepare the transmutation circle."