Chapter 44: Zod and the 5th Holy Grail War (11)

"How dull.... Is this truly all you amount to? Heracles?"

Zod gazed at the Berserker as the Heroic Spirit faded away before his eyes despite his desperate struggles. Originally, Zod had intended to set Altria upon him to slowly wither him away, but he had changed his plans. Choosing instead to personally put him down in a one-sided slaughter, the result was a death far too easily achieved.

It was a hollow end for a hero whose name was etched into the very foundation of myth.

"■■■......."

"Do not fret, Berserker... I shall claim your Master as my little sister (trophy) and dote upon her with great care. So, you may die in peace...."

Watching Zod’s distorted, predatory smirk, Berserker let out a faint, powerless roar as he resisted dissolution, yet there was nothing he could do.

The only thing left to him was to pray to the gods that Zod would treat Illya gently, sparing her from suffering.

"Berser....ker......."

Illya collapsed on the spot like a doll whose strings had been severed. Her expression was vacant, staring into the empty void.

"Oh my~ How pitiable."

Step by step, Zod approached her. Terrified, Illya scrambled backward away from him.

The most reliable shield in the world—a presence that was both family and a father figure—had vanished so fruitlessly. Terror, rather than anger, now consumed her.

"Illyasviel.... I shall make you a proposal."

"Wh... What..."

"Become my little sister... then I shall cherish you for the rest of your life."

"W-What are you talking about....."

"Exactly what I said. Become my sister. I will take care of you as my little sister (trophy) for as long as you live."

"Haha..... That's impossible. I am a homunculus with a fixed lifespan... I was modified solely for the purpose of winning the Holy Grail War. My time is already nearing its end...."

Even at her words, Zod didn’t blink. He placed his hand on her head and began to sift through her memories.

"Hmm... You were modified as a Lesser Grail to facilitate the advent of the Greater Grail, and as a Master for this war, resulting in a short lifespan. A simple matter, then..."

With a derisive snort, Zod began to 'remodel' Illya’s body. Having a body that had already absorbed a Sub-Greater Grail, he extracted the Lesser Grail embedded within her and assimilated it. He then rewound the time of her physical form to a point before the modifications, restoring her natural lifespan—all while meticulously layering mental suggestions into her psyche.

"There, it is done."

"Huh? My body.... Huh?!"

Illya could not hide her shock at the changes within herself. The Lesser Grail, which had been forced into her body to serve as a vessel for the Greater Grail’s advent, was gone. Furthermore, while the countless Magic Crests and Command Spells (Magic Circuits) equivalent to Great Command Spells had vanished, her original lifespan had returned.

Such a feat would normally require a top-tier Magus from the Age of Gods to perform, yet Zod had completed the entire process in mere seconds.

Of course, this was only possible because he was one with a Sub-Greater Grail, but Illya, ignorant of that fact, could only stare in sheer amazement.

"How is it, Illya.... Will you come with me?"

Zod smiled and offered his hand. Illya flushed red as she eventually nodded her head.

"Yes... Onii-sama...♡"

Illya took his hand. Zod nodded in satisfaction, while Shirou Emiya, witnessing this scene in real-time, couldn't fathom what was happening.

"What on earth is going on here......"

This was a situation far beyond the comprehension of a mere civilian who had only stumbled into the Holy Grail War system by summoning a Servant a couple of days ago.

"Forget...."

"Ah..... Yes....."

Shirou Emiya’s memory of Berserker and Illya coming to find him today was completely wiped clean.

"Now, shall we head home? Illya... do you have any other family besides yourself?"

"No.... My mother passed away, and Kiritsugu abandoned me for Shirou over there and never returned... eventually dying.... There are homunculus maids named Sella and Leysritt, but...."

"Discard them... Bringing you alone is more than enough."

"Okay! I'll throw away those useless dolls. All I have is Onii-sama anyway!"

There was no strength or light left in Illya’s eyes as she spoke with a bright smile about discarding the companions who had served her since birth and had been as close as kin.

Only a fanatical love remained—a gaze where her new brother, Zod, had become the entirety of her world.

"Then, shall we depart? Ah, by the way, Shirou—I'll be taking Saber with me. You don't mind, right?"

"Ah.... Yes......"

Even as Saber was snatched away right before his eyes, Shirou felt nothing out of the ordinary.

.

.

.

The Matou Household.

"This is far beyond the expected parameters. Not only has the Archer summoned by the Tohsaka girl already retired Berserker, but he has even stolen the Master of the Einzberns... The Einzberns were eliminated far too early."

".................."

Matou Zouken frowned at the course of the Holy Grail War which was drifting away from his predictions. He crushed a worm crawling across his hand and flicked its remains at a girl with purple hair and dead eyes. However, a glamorous woman wearing a pale pink blindfold swatted it away. While she prevented the girl from being covered in the insect’s carcass, the blindfolded woman glared at Zouken, looking as if she were ready to pounce at any moment.

"I am fine, Rider."

"But Sakura!....."

Sakura Matou simply stared into space, telling Rider—Medusa—that she was fine. Rider ground her teeth at Sakura’s state, but knowing there was nothing she could do, she suppressed her rage.

"You will surely regret this, you cowardly, filth-ridden Worm User...."

"Heh heh heh... For a former Divine Spirit fallen into the state of a Magical Beast, you certainly are in a grand position to lecture me. Pretending to be pure while claiming to cherish Sakura, when you are the very creature that devoured her own sisters?"

"Y-O-O-O-U-U-U-U!!!!"

Provoked by Zouken, Rider surged forward, attempting to sever his neck with her chain-scythe and dagger. However, Sakura quickly stepped in front of Zouken, forcing Rider to halt mid-strike.

Rider clenched her jaw so hard it seemed her teeth might shatter as she glared at Zouken.

Though her eyes were hidden by the blindfold, they were clearly overflowing with a bottomless rage.

"I will kill you.... I will definitely kill you!!"

"Heh heh, I should hope so. If you truly wish for that, knowing full well what would become of Sakura if I were to die... then I shall look forward to it~"

"!!!!!..... Grr...... (creak)"

Faced with Zouken’s mocking taunts, veins bulged on Rider’s forehead as she ground her teeth. Since Sakura was effectively held hostage, her hands were tied.

And so, Matou Zouken wore a greasy smile. Looking upon Sakura—his next vessel and his perfect, mindless puppet—he checked the Command Spells on the back of his hand. He began to ponder how to bring this suddenly volatile Holy Grail War back under his control.

"Senpai......."

Sakura Matou looked at the hair clip given to her by Shirou—the only thing in her possession not bound by Zouken’s control. Thinking of Shirou, her only hope, she continued to endure this hell.

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