Matou Zouken's voice oozed malice, making Souta frown. Everything about this old man was repulsive.
Holding Sakura in her arms, Rin stared at the writhing worms below, a chill crawling down her spine. Just imagining Sakura suffering long-term body modifications here, being gnawed to pieces by worms until she couldn't even scream...
Rin clenched her teeth, two words bursting out of her throat in a hiss:
Without hesitation, Rin threw three gemstones at Zouken's decayed body.
"Anfang (Beginning)!"
(TL Note: Anfang(Beginning): Flips open Rin's Magic Circuits.)
The gems floated midair, radiating magical energy.
She visualized a knife piercing her heart—a mental image to activate her magic circuits. As she chanted a few lines of what sounded like German, the gems released a violent magical surge. Dark red energy engulfed Zouken.
Before he could even scream, his body was annihilated by the blast, filling the room with the stench of burning garbage.
Illya pinched her nose and complained,
"Rin, that was so rude!"
"Something's off... that old man died way too easily."
Rin frowned, confused. This was Zouken's magic workshop—if Souta hadn't vouched for their safety, she wouldn't have dared storm in alone.
Could Zouken really be this weak?
"Oh? Gem magic... heh. In Fuyuki, only the Tohsaka family uses that. Girl, what's your connection to them?"
Zouken's voice echoed again. The body Rin had blasted apart dissolved into countless bugs scattering in every direction—utterly nauseating.
"Knew it! He's not dead!"
Rin drew more gemstones, ready for another round. She wasn't overly worried—with Souta and a heroic spirit like Heracles, Zouken was no real threat.
Still... how to kill this guy for good?
"I see now. You're here for the little brat, aren't you? She was given to me by Tokiomi Tohsaka himself. What's this, the Tohsaka family backing out of our agreement?"
"He didn't give you Sakura so you could torture her!"
Rin snapped and raised her gems, ready to bombard the area and destroy the barriers.
But Souta stopped her.
"Hold it! That's another 1.5 million yen down the drain."
Souta remembered: Rin's combat gems averaged around 500,000 yen each. Her luxury magic kept her perpetually broke, forcing her to take shrine maiden jobs every winter and even try to scam money with Shirou's projected paintings.
Where the hell did she get the guts to throw three at a time?!
Souta stepped forward, scanning the worm nest.
Zouken's creepy voice echoed again:
"Hmph, a powerless brat playing hero? You're all going to be worm food!"
With that, the nest exploded into motion. Worms surged from every surface—ceiling, walls, floor—flying toward them.
Crawling bugs bared their fangs, flying ones unsheathed blade-like wings.
Rin and the trembling Sakura shuddered at the sight.
"Ugh! This is disgusting! Souta, can you handle it?"
Souta didn't answer. He lifted his right foot and stomped.
Golden light burst from beneath his foot. Divine power converted into massive energy, pushing his "Quirk" far beyond normal.
Instantly, the entire chamber turned into an icy hell.
Thick frost coated every surface. Moisture in the air froze, immobilizing the bugs midair. Frozen insects clattered to the ground with sharp cracks.
The chilling air pierced to the bone.
Souta exhaled a puff of white breath. With just one move, he had completely shut down Zouken's attack.
Rin clutched Sakura tightly, legs squeezing together, shivering.
Even Illya looked visibly uncomfortable.
Only Souta, protected by divine power, seemed completely at ease.
"Ah, sorry. Forgot about you guys."
He hurried over, patting their shoulders. Warm divine energy flowed into them, raising their body temperature.
"Mmm... something hot just entered me... feels so nice..."
Illya moaned softly, cheeks flushed.
She's doing that on purpose, isn't she?
"Big brother's amazing! Is the creepy old man dead?"
Feeling better, Illya sprang to life, tapping her little boots against the ice.
"Probably not... Zouken's soul is housed in a special crest worm."
Rin looked around the frozen pests, unsure. "Looks like he's dead, but I doubt it."
"He's alive. I can still sense his soul. It's intact."
He walked over the ice, scanning the area. With divine power flowing, his presence had changed.
Golden light flickered in his eyes, his aura commanding attention, impossible to ignore.
Rin and Illya stared—surprised by his sheer presence.
"He's alive... then he's still hiding somewhere in the mansion."
Rin scowled. Zouken was notoriously hard to kill.
"This is his workshop. No way he'd hide elsewhere—it's his safest place."
PS: Adjustments were made in Chapters 114–115 regarding Sakura—essentially akin to Origami accepting Shido's offer to alter her past. Let's not dig too deep; time-travel logic gets dark fast.