In Type-Moon, it all starts with adopting Sakura.

He looked out the window.

Just then, the snowflakes outside the window suddenly started falling even harder, and the view in front of me gradually became blurry.

The snow is still falling...

Amidst the sweeping gale, the bugle call of war has already sounded.

※※※※※※※

……

……

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Chapter Fifteen: Two Old Foxes (Part Two)

One late night before the story begins.

The night was gentle and tranquil, the city lights shone brightly, the Milky Way overhead was dazzling, and the moon in the night sky shone on the earth like a silver plate, making pedestrians strolling on the street unconsciously fall into the beauty and tranquility of the city.

The Matou family residence in the suburbs of Fuyuki City.

After navigating the winding, twisting woods, Rowe arrived alone at the centuries-old mansion. He pushed open the closed gate and stepped inside naturally, ignoring the magical barriers deliberately placed at the entrance to test him, and paying no attention to the terrifying insects circling in the night sky as a warning. He chose to ignore these things and continued forward with a calm expression. However, the old man had more to say than just that.

"You've arrived... Interesting lad, daring to enter another magician's workshop alone. In that case, let this old man test your skills."

In the dark mansion, an old voice echoed continuously.

Immediately, a withered hand emerged from the darkness, then made a slight waving motion in mid-air before issuing an attack command to the insects that had been lying in wait outside.

Buzzing—!

Outside the mansion, having received their master's command, the insects that had been lying dormant in the sky, observing quietly, suddenly became agitated. A sharp sound, like metal scraping against metal, rang in their ears, and then a terrifying killing intent immediately filled the mansion.

Even under the cover of night, the hidden murderous intent could not be hidden from Luo Wei as he walked on the earth.

Send out insects to surround yourself...

"Are they trying to kill me right here?"

He looked up at the swarm of insects hidden in the sky and began to ponder for a moment.

After thinking about it for a moment, he quickly dismissed the idea.

If that old insect truly wanted to kill me, given its ruthlessness, it would never have sent only one type of insect familiar. Therefore, this was most likely a test.

Without a doubt, that old bastard Zouken Matou didn't trust me so easily, which is why he set up this thing here today, just to test my strength.

If he passes this test, he will surely step forward openly and prove that it was just a misunderstanding. But if he fails, then his death will be in vain, and the other party will only laugh at his incompetence and then take back his magical legacy to continue participating in the Holy Grail War.

Old bug, you're really playing dirty...

Luo Wei couldn't help but sigh.

Compared to Zouken Matou, an old monster who has been living in the world for who knows how many years, Tokiomi Tohsaka and the other magicians seem much purer.

However, since you're testing the waters, go ahead and test them. I don't mind playing along.

Moreover, it is common for each other to demonstrate their skills and strength before forming an alliance, so Luo Wei did not mind showing off a few moves. While satisfying the old man's curiosity with his strength, he also wanted to dispel the other party's doubts by showing some of his strength.

Then, Luo Wei made his move.

Before the insect familiar hidden in the sky could launch a fierce attack on him, the magic crest on the back of his hand emitted a dazzling light. Then, with a flick of his wrist, a container of a viscous, mercury-colored liquid slid out of his sleeve and was smashed onto the ground.

"Snap—!"

With a crisp shattering sound, the container filled with mercury shattered like glass, splashing the Moon Spirit Essence liquid inside.

"This is?"

To Zouken Matou's astonishment, Rowe raised his finger and quickly began to draw. Soon, silver magic runes floated in the air, outlining a mysterious array. In the blink of an eye, a sizable red transmutation array suddenly rose in the Matou family's courtyard. Rowe, standing in the very center, raised his head slightly, looked at the insects in the sky, and then slowly snapped his fingers.

Hey!

With a crisp snap of fingers, a faint, elusive magical energy rippled in the air, and the transmutation array beneath their feet flickered with a few rays of light.

"……What's this?"

Inside the Matou family mansion, Zouken Matou, who controls insects, observes the scene outside through visual sharing. This naturally includes the makeshift transmutation circle beneath Loewe's feet, and the snap of his fingers just now.

only……

Even though he saw it, he still didn't understand what had happened, but the magic floating in mid-air indicated that something must have already occurred.

So, what exactly happened?

Although Zouken Matou didn't understand what had just happened, the experienced man knew he couldn't give Luo Wei any more time to prepare. So he didn't hesitate any longer, raised his arm, and quickly controlled the Winged Blade Insect in the night sky to swoop down towards him in the courtyard.

Stimulated by the magic command, hundreds of mantis-like, bluish-green insects buzzed up, their transparent wings emitting a whistling sound as they cut through the air, and their blade-like claws sending chills down one's spine.

"A scale of over a hundred... well, that's not bad."

Seeing the swarm of winged insects rushing towards him, the young man standing in the courtyard showed no fear whatsoever. Instead, he sneered and stretched out his right hand: "Flame, the majesty of the gods, born in light. Now I bestow upon you death with holy flame."

The incantation escaped his lips, and a surge of powerful magic was immediately drawn into his body and rapidly channeled into his output. As his fingers moved slightly in the air, streaks of silver magic runes floated out, forming an intricate array that silently appeared around the winged blade insect, then began to expand and illuminate.

"what?"

Even Zouken Matou, who was hiding in the mansion, was shocked by this horrifying scene.

But before he could be shocked, with a crisp snap of Luo Wei's fingers, hundreds of winged insects were engulfed by the flames that suddenly rose up around them, like moths to a flame, and immediately made a sizzling sound as the flames roasted flesh.

In a mere instant, the once ferocious Winged Blade Insects were reduced to mere remnants, some their bodies consumed by flames, others their claws burned off, falling from mid-air to twitching on the ground. The few that survived the flames were pierced by spikes made of Moon Spirit Essence before they could even attack Luo Wei, encasing them in their thorns as they fell to the ground.

"Humph."

Looking at the ugly insect lying on the ground, completely unable to move, Luo Wei ignored it and continued walking towards the gate of the Matou family mansion.

As he took a step, the surrounding Moon Spirit Essence was manipulated as if by his outstretched arms. In the night, there were constant whooshing sounds from the air, like flexible tentacles that relentlessly pierced through the insects lurking in the surrounding path and dragged them into the burning flames.

"Hey, Matou-oki, is this pointless testing over? Are you satisfied with the strength I've demonstrated? Of course, if you want to continue this meaningless test, I'm happy to oblige!"

Standing on his family's magic alchemy grounds, with Moon Spirit Elixir protecting him, Lovi, whose magic power had increased several times over, was brimming with confidence. He immediately pulled out two gems of different colors from his pocket, preparing to throw them toward the Matou family's mansion.

At this moment, seeing all the insects he had arranged die, Zouken Matou, who had been hiding in the mansion, could no longer sit still.

Although he had overestimated Luo Wei's strength as much as possible before testing him, Luo Wei was, after all, just a priest magician who had only recently entered the magic path. Compared to his century of accumulation, Luo Wei was like a child. So what if he was talented? Therefore, he thought that while testing Luo Wei, he could see if he could seize control of the cooperation.

As a result, watching the insects he had carefully cultivated and introduced fall one after another under Loe's flames and mercury, Zouken Matou's heart couldn't help but bleed.

Not only does it allow for the creation of a transmutation circle on the spot with the aid of that silver, liquid-like Mystic Code, but the power of fire, one of the four basic elements borrowed by this alchemy, is also far beyond what a mere priest can easily control.

This kid didn't give him the feeling of a priest; he seemed more like a Lord, and a practical one at that.

Are those useless idiots at the Clock Tower blind? How could this be just a sacrificial altar!

While inwardly cursing the blind fools at the Clock Tower, at this last moment, Zouken Matou hurriedly used magic to open the gate of the Matou family's house and remove the magical restrictions that had been placed in the yard, and retrieved the last remaining insect familiar.

"Oh? So you've finally come out? The test is over?"

As the gate to the Matou family mansion opened from the inside, two figures, one old and one young, stood facing each other, separated by only a dozen meters...

Despite the brief contact, after tonight's events, Zouken Matou has gained some understanding of the power wielded by Loe.

He was astonished by the young man's immense strength. Despite being only a priest, he had already reached this level. Even a high-ranking magician would not have been able to handle the combined swarm of insects he had just encountered with such ease.

Although he harbored doubts, Zouken Matou understood at this moment that the pointless probing could end here. Continuing would only result in needlessly depleting his own power.

Although this was his own workshop, giving him a significant advantage, the alchemical array beneath Luo Wei's feet was no pushover. Alchemists were far more troublesome than ordinary magicians.

When well-prepared, these guys can mobilize forces that are unmatched by ordinary magicians, making them even more powerful in positional warfare. However, since alchemy differs from traditional magic, it requires a corresponding transmutation array for support. Therefore, alchemists can only fight in pre-prepared arrays, because there isn't much time to draw transmutation arrays on the battlefield.

As for Luo Wei, that kid was quite something. Using that bottle of mercury-like liquid of unknown material as an aid, he was able to complete his own transmutation array in a short time and stand on it, thereby mobilizing the four elements of water, fire, earth, and wind to assist in the battle. This really startled him. He was a walking magician of the battlefield.

It's important to know that a magician's power can be doubled within their own territory, so Matou Zouken understands better than anyone what a territory magician who can move freely truly represents.

At least if he encountered Rowe outside, he would definitely turn and run as soon as he realized that the other party's transmutation circle was complete. No one would be a fool to fight with other magicians in someone else's territory.

Through this test, Zouken Matou probably realized that Lo Wei was hiding his true abilities, and he could confirm that if Lo Wei were used properly, he would indeed be a very powerful ally.

If I, who knows more about the Holy Grail's inner workings, were to team up with a mobile magician and two Servants, the probability of winning this Holy Grail War would be greater than ever before.

As for what happened after they eliminated all the remaining Servants and Masters...

There is only one Holy Grail. No matter how eloquently Loew speaks or what guarantees he makes, the two of them are destined to fight over it.

Therefore, the first thing he would do after eliminating his other competitors is to turn against them and find a way to eliminate Lovi as well, so that he could monopolize the Holy Grail alone.

Although Lovi's in-situ alchemy base is indeed troublesome, it is not without its problems. At least in terms of summoned Servants, the Berserker he chose is definitely far superior to the Caster summoned by Lovi in ​​terms of attributes and compatibility. Once the other opponents are eliminated, the summoned Berserker can be used to eliminate them.

"...Patriarch Crowley is joking. Since we are allies, how could I possibly engage in such impolite behavior as testing them?"

"It's just that I didn't expect you to arrive so early, so I didn't have time to remove the insect familiars I had set up in advance, which has led to so many misunderstandings. Please forgive me, Patriarch Crowley."

Even though Luo Wei exposed his thoughts to his face, Zouken Matou's expression remained incredibly calm, and his tone was so sincere that he almost believed it himself.

"It seems Mr. Marich Zolgen is much more shameless than I thought. But I don't care about this matter. Let's use my flames and your insects as the opening ceremony for the upcoming war."

"However, I hope this kind of thing won't happen again. One pointless test is enough. Otherwise, I will also consider you my enemy. Do you understand what I mean, Matou family head?"

Luo Wei's eyes narrowed slightly, and he spoke in an icy tone.

"Of course, this was my mistake. After all, I've lived for so long, and my eyesight is failing me. It's inevitable that I'll make a mistake now and then. But since I've already made such a rash mistake once, I certainly won't repeat it. In the Holy Grail War to come, until the very last moment, I will stand shoulder to shoulder with Patriarch Crowley and fight together to achieve victory in this Holy Grail War."

Zouken Matou said with a smile.

'It only mentions victory, but doesn't specify who will receive the Holy Grail... This old bug is still playing word games here.'

A cold smile appeared on Luo Wei's lips, but he did not point it out.

While the other party was scheming against him, wasn't he also harboring the same thoughts?

...Matou Zangen,

...Marich Zorgen, this Holy Grail War will also become your funeral.

"Hmph, if that's the case, then I look forward to seeing how each other performs."

"Naturally, in order to achieve the final victory in this war, I will do my utmost to help Patriarch Clarley."

Zouken Matou nodded, then smiled calmly and answered sincerely.

"I see. Then I'll leave the rest to the Matou family head to keep a close eye on things."

Luo Wei also exchanged a few pleasantries with him in a very professional manner.