A certain crossover anime's nuclear-powered sword immortal

Shirou said.

……

Miyama Town.

In the still of the night, the bright moonlight casts its silvery glow upon the earth, and Shirou, walking on the cobblestone path, seems to radiate a soft, luminous glow.

Because of the curfew, even in this remote mountain town far from the hustle and bustle of the city, there are hardly any pedestrians to be seen at night.

Unlike the rapidly developing and ever-changing new cities and capitals, this remote mountain town seems to have stood still, still full of rural charm.

Before long, under the moonlight, Shirou saw the outline of the Matou family mansion.

"This is it."

Shirou, who was about to step into the front yard, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Now that Shirou possesses the power of a Heroic Spirit, he can easily detect the heavily guarded protective barrier surrounding the Matou residence.

As he channeled his magic, Shirou's eyes shone with a blue light, and he immediately saw numerous barriers, dozens of which, upon closer inspection, were quite deep.

Karna also dispelled his spirit form and appeared behind him, looking up at the Matou residence.

"Barriers... Although there are many of them, they are such inferior spells."

To Karna, a top-tier Heroic Spirit, the magical barriers set up by Zouken Matou were as fragile as bubbles.

And so Karna swung the golden spear in his hand.

Click————

A sound like shattering glass echoed around the Matou residence.

The numerous barriers blocking his path shattered as Karna gently swung his "Undying Blade."

Image: "Karna", Location: "Images/1678783058-100352746-109772389.jpg"

"Great!"

Shirou exclaimed in admiration, then looked toward the gate of the Matou residence.

After the barrier was broken, Karna walked towards the tightly closed door of the Matou family's residence.

Shirou had already told him about Matou on the way.

Because of the situation at home, Karna did not hesitate at all and kicked open the tightly closed door of the Matou mansion.

Bang!

With a muffled thud, the wooden door shattered, sending splinters flying into the air.

Chapter Six: Fear Itself

Shirou stepped into the entrance hall, looked around at the surroundings, and then went straight up the stairs.

crunch...

The old staircase creaked and groaned as Shirou arrived on the second floor.

In the dimly lit living room, a hunched figure appeared.

"Sir, what brings you here to trespass into the Matou residence in the dead of night?"

The old man who spoke cast his cold, bloodshot gaze over.

Shirou reached out and pressed the switch next to him, and the lights in the living room turned on immediately.

The blinding light shone on the gaunt old man, causing him to squint in disgust.

And because of this, Shirou saw the old man's appearance more clearly.

She wore a kimono in a combination of ultramarine and dark gray, and held a wooden cane in her hand.

The head and limbs of the body have shrunk to the point that they could be mistaken for ancient mummies, but the eyes, though sunken in their sockets, still shine brightly.

Having long since abandoned his original physical body, he now resembles a Crest Worm.

He constantly exuded a nauseating, rotten odor.

Matou Zōkō.

Over the course of time, he forgot his original name.

Hating the increasingly rotting soul and decaying body, yet unwilling to die without accomplishing anything, this eventually becomes an obsession, transforming oneself into an insect, parasitizing others to prolong life.

His body is no different from that of a monster. He dislikes sunlight and usually prefers to hide in dark places, which makes him somewhat like a vampire. However, in terms of both characteristics and personality, he is more like a damp slug.

Shirou had no intention of wasting words with Zouken Matou, whose body and soul were already corrupted.

"kill him."

The instant Shirou finished speaking, a sonic boom erupted in the air, and Karna, who had been standing behind Shirou, suddenly vanished.

Whoosh!

Zouken Matou's eyes didn't even have time to catch a glimpse of the golden light rushing towards him before his head was pierced by the surging spear tip.

Karna gripped his spear tightly, driving a brain worm deep into the wall behind him, piercing right through Zouken Matou's brain.

Stab it!

The insect pinned to the wall was writhing its ugly body and hissing.

"Just as you said, Master, this is this guy's true form. It's disgusting."

Karna said in a somewhat disgusted tone.

Then, he flicked the tip of the gun, crushing the insect into a pulp.

Zouken Matou is terrifying to ordinary people, but to Karna, he is really just a slightly disgusting insect.

"He died so easily, it feels like he got off too easy."

Shirou glanced at the small patch of crimson on the ground and pursed his lips.

Just then, footsteps came from the direction of the corridor, seemingly because of the series of commotions Shirou had just caused.

A young man with blue hair walked towards the living room, swaying unsteadily, looking every bit like a drunkard.

……

To avoid noticing the darkening night, Matou Tsuruno had been immersed in alcohol ever since night fell.

Nothing happened last night; it passed peacefully.

This should have been a cause for celebration, but Matou Tsuruno felt inexplicably terrified.

He always felt that this calm sea would eventually be swept away by waves.

Nothing dangerous happened last night, which probably means there will definitely be dangerous disturbances tonight.

Matou Tsuruno was naturally much more aware than the ordinary people who were completely unaware of the strange things that had been threatening the nights of Fuyuki City for days.

After all, he was the eldest son of the prestigious Matou family.

—The Holy Grail War.

This impending event, which is tantamount to stepping into a battlefield for Matou Tsuruno, has filled him with constant fear.

However, even though he wanted to escape, he had no way to do so.

Even though Matou Tsuruno is the current head of the Matou family, he is not actually the one who truly controls the family.

In Matou Tsuruno's mind, the gaunt old man, Matou Zouken, who had existed for an unknown amount of time, was the true ruler of the Matou family.

Their descendants were nothing more than puppets of that old man.

Thinking about these things, Matou Tsuruno felt a sense of inexplicable fear.

Shinji, the only son, went abroad under the guise of studying abroad, and Tsuruno Matou really didn't want to stay in Fuyuki City.

However, he was no longer able to leave the Matou residence.

The old man summoned him to the Holy Grail War tomorrow, to participate in this terrible life-or-death struggle.

The thought of starting tomorrow and having to devour blood at night...

As the meat fodder turned on each other, Matou Tsuruno felt that Fuyuki City was now practically a demon world.

Under immense pressure, Matou Tsuruno only wanted to numb his senses with alcohol during the nights when he could be alone.

But why do I not want to sleep at all tonight?

Starting in the middle of the night, Matou Tsuruno felt inexplicably restless, as if even the air had suddenly heated up.

"I guess I still haven't drunk enough!"

goo go go go...

Matou Tsuruno finished the bottle of wine, and immediately felt as if a thousand little people were dancing the cha-cha in his brain, with intense dizziness coming over him.

"vomit----!"

Matou Tsuruno lay on the floor and began vomiting violently. Only after his stomach was almost empty did he manage to recover a little from his drunken state.

"No, this can't continue!"

Startled by the sudden clarity of his mind, Matou Tsuruno quickly grabbed another bottle of sake and chugged it down.

Before long, he didn't feel sleepy, but his bladder felt like it was about to burst.

Matou Tsuruno stood up and walked towards the door. Just as he was about to open it, he suddenly heard a loud noise coming from downstairs.

Bang!

The sudden noise sobered up Matou Tsuruno considerably.

"What happened?"

He opened the door and stepped into the hallway, then swayed and walked towards the living room.

As the living room drew closer, the bright lights made it difficult for Matou Tsuruno to open his eyes.

Normally, the lights in the house are not turned on at night because Zouken Matou dislikes sunlight, and the same goes for lamplight.

"Someone's coming, Master. Should we eliminate him?"

The man's voice reached his ears, and Matou Tsuruno, who had finally opened his eyes, saw two figures, one large and one small, appearing in the living room.