It was almost evening when Rhodes arrived in Fuyuki City.
“That will be 14,700 Japanese Yen in total,” the taxi driver said to him through the rearview mirror.
“Okay, please wait.”
A taxi driver whose rates could rival premium entertainment—perhaps only in Japan could one encounter such prices.
While silently clicking his tongue at the transit fares, Rhodes pulled two large bills from his wallet.
“Thank you. Please take care.”
Rhodes stepped out of the automatically opening car door and walked towards a somber, lifeless mansion bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun.
This was the Matou Residence, a notorious landmark within the hidden side of the magus world.
Amidst the low hum of evening insects, a withered, mummy-like old man stood near the entrance.
Sharp, calculating eyes gleamed within his sunken sockets, and his frail frame exuded a disproportionate sense of oppressive pressure.
“Long time no see, Rhodes.”
“Oh, Makiri.” Rhodes waved his hand casually.
“It’s truly remarkable to see you remaining so resilient.”
The old man was Matou Zouken, the master of this estate and the head of the Matou family, one of Fuyuki’s Three Founding Families.
He was a pioneer of the Holy Grail system, a brilliant magus who had long since deteriorated into a grotesque entity, sustaining his existence for five centuries through unnatural means.
Unable to bear the purity of direct sunlight, he was a creature of absolute darkness.
After a brief exchange at the gates, Rhodes walked through the gloomy corridors of the mansion and took a seat on the sofa in the reception room.
“The qualification has been secured.” Rhodes raised his right hand, displaying the three scarlet stigmata that had manifested on the back of his hand upon entering the Fuyuki region.
“Ho… a fascinating pattern indeed. This ritual seems more promising than anticipated. But Rhodes, you did not journey here merely to display your marks to this old man, did you?”
Matou Zouken’s cloudy eyes narrowed.
“Which means?”
“Which means, according to our pact, you may initiate the integration of the Crest Worms into her vessel tonight,” Rhodes said indifferently.
Hearing this, Zouken’s frame trembled slightly, and a cruel grin spread across his withered face.
“Hmph. This old man did not misjudge you. You are truly an intriguing individual.”
“The feeling is mutual.”
In the dimly lit room, the handsome youth and the grotesque elder locked eyes, both wearing a chillingly sinister smile.
As the fading sunlight filtered through the curtains, Zouken’s mind drifted back to the day they had first met a year ago.
…
It was a few days before the Matou family formally brought in the second daughter of the Tohsaka lineage.
Upon his first sight of Rhodes, the centuries-old magus felt an instinctual dread.
The slender youth standing in the dead of night possessed an aura completely incompatible with his youthful appearance.
What unsettled Zouken the most were Rhodes’s dark, bottomless pupils.
Merely looking into them felt like staring into an absolute void.
“I am a devil,” Rhodes had introduced himself, and the old man had readily accepted it.
While Zouken was a parasite that prolonged his life by consuming others, Rhodes was an entity that grew by absorbing the very essence of spiritual energy.
Their scales of existence differed, but they shared a profound malice hidden beneath human guise.
A year ago, Rhodes had approached Zouken with a proposal: “I will represent the Matou family in the upcoming Holy Grail War. In exchange, you will postpone the integration of the worms into Sakura’s body for exactly one year. During this time, she remains untouched, and I will visit occasionally to interact with her. Do not worry, I have no desire to claim her; she remains the property of the Matou. Once the year concludes, you may dispose of her as you see fit.” You are reading on g.com, the official source.
“What is your objective?” Zouken had asked, unable to fathom his intent.
“I simply wish to build a bond with her,” Rhodes had replied with a cold, mocking smile, “…before her spirit is utterly broken by your methods.”
Understanding the depth of the youth’s design, the old magus had been struck with a rare sense of awe.
Rhodes wanted to elevate an innocent, unsuspecting girl to the heights of security and trust, only to ensure her eventual descent into despair was absolute.
The sheer volume of negative emotion, betrayal, and sorrow she would experience at that moment was beyond measure.
Rhodes was a monster that sought sustenance in psychological ruin.
Thus, the pact was forged.
Zouken ensured Sakura’s absolute well-being for a year, and Rhodes secured his compliance.
Over the following months, Rhodes traveled between Tokyo and Fuyuki, bringing the young girl expensive gifts and creating a facade of warmth within the cold, gloomy estate.
Naturally, the isolated girl opened her heart to him, viewing Rhodes as her ultimate emotional anchor.
She smiled, calling him “Brother,” growing more expressive than she had ever been.
Zouken had watched it all unfold with dark satisfaction, recalling the old adage: Whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad.
Now, the year was up.
Rhodes had given notice weeks in advance for the preparations to be finalized.
Two predatory entities disguised in human form were about to dismantle the sanctuary of an unsuspecting girl living in a dream.
Tonight.