That protagonist is trash; I could do better!

After a long silence, Matou Sakura staggered to her feet, leaning against the damp wall. Standing atop the steps, she looked down at the nest covered by swarms of insects, a grotesque and disgusting sight. She couldn't imagine what would happen to someone who fell into this nest.

Eaten piece by piece by thousands of insects?

There was only one staircase leading to the insect hive. She took a step with trembling steps, and all her strength was instantly drained. She almost fell directly into the insect hive and sobbed softly.

Sakura Matou was, after all, just a little girl, and she didn't have the slightest courage to step into the insect hive.

But when she retreated out of fear, the images of her family members—her father's doting smile, her mother's warm hands, her sister's gentle voice—flooded her mind. All those memories seemed to transform into an impenetrable wall, blocking her way back. She had lost all of that, and it was as if all of that had been severed and sent here.

She had no choice; whether intentionally or unintentionally, the Tohsaka family deserves credit for her being here.

This is the path her father, Tokitomi Tohsaka, hoped she would follow.

Sakura Matou turned and looked up at Zouken Matou, her voice weak and filled with despair: "Grandpa, will I be eaten by bugs?"

Zouken Matou's lighthearted tone made no attempt to hide his mischievousness: "You'll only feel a little pain, just bear with it and it'll pass."

"No...this shouldn't be like this..."

Sakura Matou wiped away the tears from her face with both hands. She couldn't control her overwhelming emotions and fear. While crying and going down the stairs, she accidentally missed a step and lost her balance, falling into the insect nest.

"Ahhhhh~"

The little girl let out a desperate scream. Before she could get up, the swarming insects around her, as if injected with stimulants, wriggled around her body and engulfed Matou Sakura. The sound of the waves grew even louder.

Zouken Matou chuckled as he watched the little girl struggle in despair: "I wonder how long you can hold out, a day? Or two? Your body will be played with and devoured by insects from head to toe, and you'll eventually become their breeding ground. You'll become my masterpiece. How delightful! How delightful! Is there anything more enjoyable than this?"

After a brief silence, the smile on Zouken Matou's ugly face froze. He sensed an unusual aura emanating from the thousands of insects covering Sakura Matou, and the life force of a large number of the insects disappeared.

"What happened?" Zouken Matou looked at the center of the insect nest in astonishment.

A faint light appeared there, quickly breaking through the swarm's blockade.

"boom!"

The swarm of insects covering Matou Sakura's body was blasted away. A surge of heat, accompanied by blinding light, filled the entire underground insect nest. The insects, which were only suited to living in damp and dark corners, were startled and retreated like a tide. Those that couldn't escape died within seconds of being exposed to the light.

Sakura Matou lay on the ground, looking dazed. Apart from her disheveled clothes, she had no obvious external injuries. The light was emanating from the necklace around her neck, which briefly protected her.

"When did Tokiomi Tohsaka give her such a costume toy?" Zouken Matou's expression was grim. Raising the lewd insects and Crest Insects in the Insect Nest was no easy task.

The necklace was activated by Matou Sakura's emotional breakdown, protecting her from the insects, but that was all; the necklace had no other function, and it would return to its original state once the magic power stored in the gem was exhausted.

Because of the poor quality of the gemstones, the process cannot even last ten seconds.

“Brother…” Matou Sakura stared at the glowing necklace on her chest, recalling the days she lived with Matou Shinji after being adopted into the Matou family. This memory became her only solace.

Sakura Matou did not expect Shinji Matou to come and save her, because the person who brought her here was the head of the Matou family, an existence that even her brother could not defy.

Sakura Matou clutched the jewel to her chest with both hands; it was her only remaining treasure, and she had promised Shinji Matou to cherish it.

Thank you for staying by my side until the very end...

As the light emanating from the gem gradually weakened, the swarm of insects hidden in the shadows began to stir again, crawling from all directions toward Matou Sakura's location, preparing to devour the girl's body once more.

"Ok?"

Above the insect nest, Zouken Matou exclaimed in surprise, turning his head to look at the dark and damp basement passage behind him: "Someone came in. Was it Tsuruno...? No, something's not right... Shinji!"

It was Matou Shinji who entered the basement of the Matou family's house. As soon as Matou Sakura activated her Mystic Code, Matou Shinji immediately sensed the magical fluctuations and hurriedly found this place.

Previously, Shinji Matou had learned the location of the basement where the insects were kept through alchemy.

Shinji Matou rushed into the basement in a panic. The first thing he saw was Sakura Matou lying in the center of the insect nest below. He jumped down the stairs, stomping on several insects, and picked up Sakura, asking with concern, "Are you alright, Sakura?"

Shinji Matou was glad that he had developed a habit of being easily awakened by the slightest noise while playing Fullmetal Alchemist. Otherwise, if he hadn't been able to save Sakura tonight, things would have been much worse. Not only would his completion rating have been terrible, but Shinji himself would have been in a very bad mood.

Sakura Matou, who was bracing herself for a hopeless fate, looked up, her eyes suddenly brightening as she stared in surprise at Shinji Matou who had rushed over: "Brother...brother?"

Upon seeing Shinji Matou, most of her unease and fear disappeared.

Why is her brother here? Is he here to rescue her?

"Shinji, what are you doing here! This is not a place for you!" Above the insect hive, someone asked the question on her behalf, Zouken Matou's hoarse voice unable to hide his anger.

Next.

Sakura Matou must be saved, and the Insect Lord must be killed, though not now.

Shinji Matou remained calm; it was time for the actor to step in.

Chapter Thirteen Command Seals

Having traveled through many worlds, Shinji Matou was already used to role-playing.

Shinji Matou glanced back at his grandfather, whose face was filled with barely concealed anger. His features were still as thin as a mummy, with black eyes and white pupils, making him look quite eerie. Zouken Matou, whose real name was Machiri Zorgen, came from a prestigious Russian magic family and was an immortal being who had lived for at least five hundred years.

As a human being, his standards and ideals have long been eroded by time. The current Zouken Matou is a remnant of the obsession left by Machiri Zorgen five hundred years ago. His personality, characteristics, words and deeds are very much like the worms he raised.

With a year to go before the start of the Fourth Holy Grail War, Shinji Matou did not believe that he, who had only recently come into contact with magic, would be a match for a monster who had lived for five hundred years.

Before summoning your Servant, try to avoid direct conflict with Zouken Matou and play the role of a good older brother.

The damp, cold temperature stimulated Shinji Matou's skin, and a surging swarm of insects surrounded Shinji Matou and Sakura Matou. The horrifying scene made Shinji Matou shudder.

"I had no idea there was such a basement under the Matou family's house. Grandpa, I should be the one asking. Why did you bring Sakura to a place like this?" Shinji Matou shielded Sakura behind him, his questioning voice filled with awe for Zouken Matou.

Zouken Matou has a deep-rooted influence in the Matou family, so Shinji Matou must act naturally and in accordance with his proper attitude. It would be remarkable if a child could still speak after seeing such a horrifying scene as an insect nest.

Behind Matou Shinji, Matou Sakura, who had stood up again, grabbed the hem of Matou Shinji's clothes with her small hand and hid behind him, trembling with fear.

Zouken Matou looked down at the two of them and said, "Shinji, since you've read the secret manuals treasured by the Matou family, you can't possibly not know what kind of magic the Matou family is good at."

"You mean you want Sakura to inherit the Matou family's secret techniques!?"

"Otherwise, why do you think I would ask the Tohsaka family to let Sakura be adopted into the Matou family?"

Shinji Matou stepped forward and retorted loudly and righteously, "I admit that Sakura has outstanding magical talent, but she does not have the blood of the Matou family. The one most suitable to inherit the Matou family's magical secrets should be me!"

Rather than protecting his sister, a qualified magician should be more concerned with how to inherit the legacy of a prestigious magic family.

Zouken Matou scoffed dismissively, "Shinji, why do magicians care about their background?"

"..."

The thin, hunched old man paced back and forth on the steps, his cane striking the bricks with a dull thud. The restless insects quickly quieted down, and he explained, "The longer a family of magic has a long history, the more valuable its magical heritage becomes. Magical imprints are one aspect, but that's not the key. The offspring of a magician who possesses magical genes and manipulates magic often have higher magical aptitude than ordinary people. The Matou family can no longer produce offspring who can become magicians. The most important magical heritage of the Matou family is destined to be cut off. Not to mention Tsuruno, you don't even have a single magic circuit in your body. How can you talk about inheriting the Matou family?"

Clearly, Zouken Matou was unaware that Shinji Matou had created the pseudo-circuit.

In the year since Matou Shinji traveled through time, even Matou Zouken wouldn't believe that he hadn't noticed anything unusual. Every month, Zouken would control insects to monitor Matou Shinji's movements.

However, Zouken Matou did not probe further. The reason was simple: without magic circuits, Shinji Matou was not even qualified to be a pawn. Any changes that occurred in Shinji Matou would only arouse his curiosity.

Moreover, given Zouken Matou's worm-like nature, he spends almost all his time hiding in some dark corner of the Matou family home, and it's normal for him to not show up even once a week.

Shinji Matou lowered his head, still unconvinced, and replied, "I studied magic diligently precisely to overcome this."

The old man sneered in a hoarse, unpleasant voice: "Haha, I never thought such childish words would come from the mouth of the Matou family. Effort is just self-comfort for mortals who lack the qualifications. No matter how hard mortals try, the threshold for magic will not be lowered in the slightest. If you have been studying magic for a year, you must know this principle, Shinji."

"What do you plan to do to Sakura?"

"It's just a minor surgery. The Tohsaka family's belly has produced some good material. If we want to use it, we have to process it and modify its magical properties. This level of pain is nothing to a magician. Since you are born into a prestigious magical family, you must bear the corresponding price if you enjoy the convenience of magic." Matou Zouken lectured Matou Shinji in a matter-of-fact tone. Then, his tone changed, and his face turned cold and sinister as he questioned, "Do you want to stop it? Do you know what this means for the Matou family? Tsuruno's education is truly disappointing. The Matou family doesn't need a second Kariya."

"elder brother···"

Sakura Matou tugged at Shinji Matou's sleeve and shook her head at him, indicating that she should not continue to clash with Zouken Matou over this matter. Her face was pale with fright, her eyes were slightly red, and the tears had not yet dissipated.

Shinji Matou held her cold little hand and gently comforted her, "You don't need to worry about anything. Just leave it to your brother. Otherwise, I won't have the right to meet Rin."

"but···"

Shinji Matou patted Sakura Matou's head, giving her a confident and composed smile. He then turned to the old man, thinking it was about time to get straight to the point and take control of the conversation. He said in a deep voice, "Are you in such a hurry to modify Sakura's body for the Holy Grail War a year from now?"

Zouken Matou's eyes widened slightly, filled with surprise and doubt: "Oh? Shinji, it seems you really have been studying the secrets of the Matou family and already know about the Holy Grail War. One year? One year of training is far from enough. The Matou family doesn't have a suitable pawn for this Holy Grail War either. Putting Kariya aside for now, your father Tsuruno is unable to control the Servants. The Matou family is already at its end, which is why they need Sakura to inherit the legacy. With her talent, after being modified by the Crest Insects, she will surely win the Holy Grail War sixty years from now."

After speaking, the old man gripped his cane and muttered to himself, "It's been a long time since I've heard the Holy Grail War mentioned. I unconsciously said some unnecessary things. Shinji, no matter what, none of this has anything to do with you. You just need to live as an ordinary person, inheriting the Matou family like your father. The secrets of magic will be passed on to Sakura."

Shinji Matou said with a serious expression, "Grandpa, you're wrong about one thing."

"what?"

"The Holy Grail War is not unrelated to me." Shinji Matou raised his right hand, pulled down his sleeve to reveal a bright red Command Seal, which emitted a faint red glow due to the magical energy within Shinji Matou.

Command Seals are proof of being chosen as a Master in the Holy Grail War.

Zouken Matou gripped his cane tightly in astonishment, his mouth agape as he exclaimed, "Command Seals!? How is this possible! Why are they in your hands?"

By the way, Sekiro was released tonight.

I want to watch a video walkthrough of Kobolds & Catacombs.

After several days of adjusting my sleep schedule, nothing worked. I was exhausted at work, and sleepy while writing my novel. I didn't even know when I fell asleep.

I was watching a video yesterday and suddenly woke up in bed.

Chapter Fourteen Proof

The Matou family devised the Command Seals system, the Tohsaka family provided land (spiritual veins) as support, and the Einzbern family was responsible for constructing the Holy Grail system. Each of the three founding families that created the Holy Grail War had one spot to participate. Three of the seven spots were taken up initially, and the remaining spots were chosen by the Holy Grail itself to select the Master.

Currently, Zouken Matou still holds the Matou family's participation quota, which means that Shinji Matou is the Master chosen by the Holy Grail system.

Zouken Matou is one of the founders of the Holy Grail War and understands its meaning better than anyone else. The Holy Grail system believes that Shinji Matou meets the minimum requirements to become a Master and acknowledges that Shinji Matou is a magician with the ability to command Servants.

The six-year-old Master was just an ordinary child without magic circuits a year ago...

absurd!

Even Zouken Matou, who had lived for five hundred years, couldn't help but curse inwardly. As the creator of the Command Seals system, he could easily distinguish between genuine and fake Command Seals.

Shinji Matou's unique magical fluctuations and massive magical reaction from the Command Seals he used could not possibly be counterfeit.

This situation was not what he had expected.

"hehe."

Zouken Matou let out a chilling laugh as he stared at his grandson, who felt like a stranger to him: "Shinji, do you want to commit suicide? Although I don't know why you've changed so much in just one year, a six-year-old participating in the Holy Grail War is a ridiculous joke."

"If your goal is the Holy Grail War, and now that I am qualified to participate, does that mean I am qualified to inherit the Matou family's secret techniques?"

Zouken Matou shook his head. "It's too early to draw conclusions. Tell me, Shinji, what do you want?"

"I promised the eldest daughter of the Matou family that I would protect Sakura, and this is also my responsibility as her older brother."

"Wow, that's really touching. Is someone who's been your sister for less than two months more important to you than the Matou family?"