The night sky was painted orange as flames engulfed the Matou manor. The structure stood no chance against the divine fire that consumed it. The wood cracked and collapsed under the intense heat, the windows burst as smoke and embers poured out, and the air was thick with the scent of burning filth.
Tamamo-no-Mae stood in front of the inferno, her fox tails swaying as she extended her hand, her delicate fingers moving as if conducting an orchestra of destruction. Her normally cheerful expression was replaced with something cold, something deeply satisfied.
"Hehe~! That takes care of this disgusting den!" she said, flicking her wrist as another burst of flames surged, ensuring that not a single trace of the mansion would remain.
Issei, standing beside her, watched the scene with a mix of grim satisfaction and unease.
"Are you sure you got everything?" Issei asked, his arms crossed as the heat radiated against his skin.
"Fufufu~ Of course, darling! I made sure every room, every little crevice, is reduced to cinders. Not even a roach is escaping this purification ritual!" Tamamo giggled, her sharp golden eyes glinting as she admired her work.
Despite her cheerful tone, there was something disturbingly final about it. The people inside—if any remained—were gone. There were no screams, no desperate cries for help. Only silence beneath the roaring blaze.
Issei exhaled. He wasn't about to feel bad for any Matou. The things they had done, made them irredeemable.
The entrance wasn't hard to find. Beneath the remains of the burning manor, hidden beneath loose stone and scorched wood, was a staircase descending into pitch-black darkness. The fire above cast eerie shadows along the walls, flickering with every movement.
Tamamo summoned a ball of light, its red glow illuminating the tight corridor. The air grew thick, damp, and suffocating the deeper they went.
Tamamo wrinkled her nose. "Ugh~! It reeks of decay and filth down here!"
Issei frowned. "Yeah..."
As they reached the bottom of the staircase, the space opened into a series of dimly lit corridors. The walls were coated in a slick, dark substance, and the sound of something squirming echoed in the distance.
Tamamo shivered. "Ew ew ew! I hate this already!"
Issei stepped forward cautiously, peering into the first room.
His stomach twisted.
The floor and walls were crawling—no, infested—with writhing, pulsing worms. Some were small, but others were grotesquely large, their slimy bodies pulsating as they slithered over one another. He could see remnants of torn clothing, bones half-buried in the filth, and something that might have once been a person reduced to an unrecognizable state.
Tamamo covered her mouth. "Oh my~! Disgusting doesn't even begin to describe this!"
Issei clenched his fists. "So, this is where Zouken held all his worms… He let these things fester down here."
"Keep going," Sherri's voice urged through the link. "Sakura is at the lowest level. Zouken is with her."
Issei exhaled through his nose, keeping his fury in check. "Then let's end this."
Tamamo's eyes flashed dangerously. "Yes~ Let's make sure that wrinkled worm never slithers away again."
The deeper Issei and Tamamo ventured, the worse the infestation became. The walls pulsed as if breathing, the floor squirmed beneath their feet, and the sickly scent of decay and rot thickened in the air.
Then the worms reacted.
A low, grotesque chittering sound reverberated through the corridors, followed by a wave of writhing masses surging toward them from every direction.
"Ugh, seriously?!" Issei grimaced, summoning the Boosted Gear with a flash of crimson light. "Of course, they weren't just gonna let us walk through."
Tamamo narrowed her eyes, golden pupils gleaming as she lifted her hand. "Disgusting little things… Burn."
With a flick of her wrist, blue cursed fire erupted in a swirling wave, consuming the first swarm of worms in a raging inferno. They screeched, their bodies sizzling and bursting as the flames reduced them to ashes.
But more kept coming.
Some were the size of snakes, slithering along the walls and ceiling before lunging. Others were massive, pulsing like grotesque larvae, their slimy bodies bulging with some unknown liquid. The worst were the ones that hissed, their bodies excreting a poisonous green mist that corroded the very stone around them.
Issei didn't hesitate.
"Boost!"
The familiar surge of power flooded his body. He smashed his fist forward, sending a shockwave through the corridor. The impact crushed a mass of worms into paste, splattering their disgusting fluids everywhere.
Tamamo leapt gracefully onto a ledge, conjuring another set of flames to clear a path. "My my, these creepy crawlies are persistent~!" She pouted. "It's like they want to be exterminated!"
Issei ducked as a particularly large worm lunged from the ceiling. He grabbed it mid-air, his grip tightening as he crushed it with his enhanced strength.
He punched another one, sending its remains flying against the wall. "Sherri, what the hell are these things?!" he asked, his voice sharp as he stomped on another worm trying to slither toward him.
"Modified familiars," Sherri replied. "Zouken has been breeding them for years. They're resistant to conventional attacks, but Tamamo's flames should be enough to burn through them."
"Yeah, I noticed," Issei muttered, side-stepping another acidic spray. He looked at Tamamo. "Think you can clear the rest of this hallway?"
Tamamo smirked, holding out her hand. "Fufufu~! Leave it to me, darling!"
With a single gesture, a massive torrent of curse fire erupted from her palm, sweeping through the entire passageway. The worms shrieked as the flames consumed them, their slimy bodies blackening and crumbling into ash.
When the flames settled, nothing remained but smoldering remains and charred walls.
Tamamo clapped her hands together. "All done~!"
Issei exhaled. "Damn… These things weren't playing around."
Then a slow, mocking clap echoed from further down the corridor.
A deep, raspy chuckle followed the sound. From the shadows of the ruined passageway, a hunched figure stepped forward, his silhouette barely visible in the dim glow of the fires.
Zouken Matou.
The old magus looked almost amused, his withered face stretching into something resembling a smile. His sunken eyes gleamed with a mixture of irritation and intrigue.
"My, my… what a mess you've made," he said, his voice dripping with condescension. His gaze flicked toward Tamamo. "And here I thought my worms were resilient. I suppose fire from a Servant has a certain finality to it."
Tamamo scowled, her tails bristling. "Ugh~! You're even more revolting in person. I was expecting some terrifying monster, but you just look like a dried-up old raisin."
Zouken merely chuckled. "And you must be the Caster Servant… A most troublesome one at that." His eyes shifted to Issei, analyzing him with quiet amusement. "And you… A boy in way over his head."
Issei cracked his knuckles. "We're here for Sakura."
Zouken's expression remained neutral, but there was a flicker of interest in his gaze. "Oh?" Zouken let out a dry, humorless laugh. "So that's what this is about. You're not here for me—you're here for the girl." He tilted his head slightly. "I see… Kariya must have told you."
Issei's eyes narrowed. "You got that right."
For the first time, Zouken's expression darkened. "Hmph. I had hoped Kariya would remain a useful pawn, but it seems he's grown… defiant in his last days." He let out a sigh, shaking his head as if he found the situation mildly disappointing rather than threatening. "No matter. I can always make another plan."
Issei's grip tightened. His anger flared, but he kept himself in check. "Not this time. We're taking Sakura, and we're ending this."
Zouken's lips curled into a slow, sinister smile. "Ah… But you see, boy—"
Suddenly, the air in the chamber shifted.
A deep, crawling sensation slithered along the walls, as if something massive and unseen had stirred.
Zouken's raspy chuckle echoed through the underground chamber, his hunched frame barely shifting as he regarded Issei with amusement.
"Save Sakura?" He sneered. "You're a fool, boy. Do you truly believe you can just take her?"
Issei's fists clenched, his Boosted Gear glowing faintly as his power surged. "That's the plan."
Zouken shook his head, feigning disappointment. "How naïve. You have no idea what you're interfering with." His sunken eyes gleamed as he took a step forward, his frail body barely making a sound against the damp stone floor. "Sakura is mine. Her body, her mind, her soul… They belong to me to be used as I see fit.
Tamamo scoffed. "Ugh~! You sound like a slimy old pervert claiming ownership over a girl. Creepy and disgusting!" She twirled a lock of her pink hair, her golden eyes flashing. "Besides, your so-called family is already a pile of ash! What's left for her here?"
Zouken's expression didn't falter, but his voice turned colder. "I can always rebuild the Matou. The current generation were nothing but failures. Sakura will learn her place soon enough." His smile widened cruelly. "And Kariya? That pathetic boy will suffer for his betrayal. His punishment will be… enlightening."
Issei's blood boiled. He had already hated this guy before, but hearing him talk about punishing Kariya and owning Sakura like some object? That was it.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm. "You talk too much."
Zouken chuckled again. "And you don't think enough. You act like a hero, but you don't understand how this world works. Power isn't something given freely—it is taken. And those too weak to claim it, like Kariya and that girl, exist only to be used by their betters."
Issei stepped forward. "That's funny. You think power means you get to control people?" He lifted his gauntlet, the green gem glowing with energy. "Nah. It means I get to punch creeps like you in the face."
Zouken sighed dramatically. "Hmph. I suppose I'll have to remind you of your place." The ground shifted. The walls pulsed. Dozens—no, hundreds—of worms slithered out from the cracks, merging together in grotesque, writhing masses attempting to attack them.
Zouken's voice echoed from the mass. "Let's see how long you last."
Issei didn't wait for the worms to come to him.
He surged forward, power flooded his body, and he closed the distance in an instant. His fist collided with Zouken's malformed body, sending a shockwave through the chamber. The impact crushed dozens of the writhing worms, splattering their vile fluids across the stone floor.
Zouken's form reeled back, but it quickly reassembled, the severed worms regenerating as the writhing mass thickened.
Tamamo waved her mirror. "Tsk tsk~! That won't do, darling. Let me help!"
With a flick of her wrist, another surge of curse fire erupted, engulfing the mass in flames. The worms screeched, writhing and twisting as the blue fire ate through them.
Zouken's voice hissed through the chamber, no longer amused. "Annoying pests—!"
Issei didn't give him a chance to recover.
"Boost!"
With his second boost, he launched another devastating punch, this time aiming for the center of the mass. The impact shattered the worm construct, sending parts of it flying across the chamber.
The remnants burned in Tamamo's flames, and for a moment, silence filled the air.
Tamamo placed a hand on her hip. "Well~! That was disappointing. I was expecting more of a fight."
Issei exhaled, his Boosted Gear dimming slightly. "Yeah… That was easier than I thought."
Then something twitched.
Tamamo frowned. "Wait a minute…"
Issei tensed. "Guess that was too easy."
A slow, mocking clap echoed from the darkness.
From the far end of the chamber, Zouken emerged again, completely unscathed.
"My, my… Such enthusiasm." He smirked, looking completely unfazed. "But I suppose I should have warned you. That was merely a shell."
Issei's eyes widened. "Tch—!"
Tamamo sighed dramatically.
Zouken tilted his head. "You managed to destroy my copy faster than I expected." He chuckled, his withered hand gesturing to the charred remains of his false body. "But I am not so careless as to confront you in person. No, no… I prefer to let my creations handle such messy affairs."
Issei clenched his fists. "Then where the hell are you?"
Zouken smiled. "Far enough. But don't worry—I'll be watching."
Then his body disintegrated, the worms collapsing into lifeless husks.
A deep silence filled the chamber.
Tamamo huffed, crossing her arms. "Well, that was extremely annoying. So what now, darling?"
Issei exhaled, shaking his head. "We keep going. Zouken's just stalling, trying to buy time." He turned toward the darkened passage ahead. "Sakura's still here. And we're not leaving without her."
Tamamo smirked. "That's my darling~! Let's go save the girl."
With renewed determination, they pressed forward into the depths of the underground lair—ready to face whatever horrors awaited them next.
The descent grew darker, the air thick with an oppressive, putrid stench. The deeper they went, the more the stone walls became slick with an unnatural slime. The faint sound of writhing filled the silence.
Issei's Boosted Gear hummed with faint power, the green jewel pulsing like a heartbeat. He kept his steps steady, eyes scanning every corner. "This place just keeps getting worse."
Tamamo wrinkled her nose, waving a hand in front of her face. "Eugh! It smells so vile! Like rotten meat mixed with an old man's breath. Just awful~!" She pouted. "I'm burning this entire place down the moment we leave."
"Fine by me," Issei muttered.
Ahead, the passage widened into a massive underground chamber. The ceiling stretched high above them, lined with grotesque, pulsating veins embedded in the rock. At the center, a massive pit of writhing, wriggling worms churned, their movements sluggish and unnatural.
And at the very center of that pit—
"Sakura!"
Sakura Matou was barely visible beneath the writhing mass. Her pale skin was slick with whatever vile fluids the worms excreted, her violet hair matted and tangled. Only her face and one of her arms remained above the surface, her body twitching weakly.
Her eyes were open, unfocused, clouded with pain and exhaustion. A faint, rasping breath left her lips, barely more than a whisper.
Tamamo's ears flattened. "Oh, that poor girl…" Her golden eyes narrowed. "We need to get her out of there.
Issei didn't hesitate. He moved forward, ready to dive into the pit if he had to. His fist clenched, ready to tear through anything that got in his way.
Then—
BOOM!
The entire chamber shook.
A massive figure came crashing down from above, smashing into the ground between them and the worm pit. The impact sent dust and debris flying, cracking the stone beneath.
Issei skidded back, throwing up his arms to shield himself from the force. "What the hell—?!"
As the dust settled, a monstrous black knight rose from the crater.
His entire body was wrapped in thick, black armor, pulsating with a malevolent, corrupted energy. His helmet had no eye slits, only a shadowy abyss where his gaze should be. A massive, jagged blade was clutched in his hands, dripping with a dark aura.
Tamamo groaned. "Ugh~! And just who invited this guy?!"
The knight raised his head.
A deep, inhuman roar echoed through the chamber.
"Berserker."
Issei's eyes widened as the sheer rage radiating from the Servant hit him like a tidal wave and he was coming for them.
The massive blade swung—
Issei barely had time to react.
Issei barely dodged the first swing, the massive jagged blade slamming into the ground where he had stood a second before. The impact cracked the stone, sending tremors through the chamber.
"Damn, he's as fast as ever!"
Berserker didn't stop. With unnatural agility, the hulking knight lunged again, his blade cutting through the air in a wild arc.
Issei stepped back, landing beside Tamamo, who had already summoned several floating orbs of fire that hit the knight. Her golden eyes narrowed. "Tsk! He's relentless!
"Yeah, no kidding," Issei muttered, keeping his stance low.
But something felt off. Berserker's aggression made sense, but why was he targeting them specifically? Wasn't he supposed to be Kariya's Servant?
And then—
He sensed it.
A presence.
Issei turned his head—
And froze.
Behind him, standing near the entrance of the chamber, was Kariya Matou.
His body was hunched, his posture unnatural. His white hair, once disheveled and wild, now hung limply over his face. His skin, already pale, had taken on a sickly, almost translucent quality. His breathing was shallow, his chest rising and falling unnaturally.
But it was the eyes that sent a chill down Issei's spine.
Kariya's dull, half-lidded gaze was empty, void of the man's previous desperation. He stood there like a puppet on strings.
And then—he spoke.
"Oh my… What a delightful reunion."
The voice that emerged was not Kariya's.
It was Zouken Matou.
Issei's blood turned ice-cold. "No way—"
Tamamo stiffened beside him. "Eugh! Disgusting!" Her ears twitched in alarm. "That's not his voice!"
Kariya's lips curved into something that resembled a smile—forced, mechanical. "Ah… It feels good to have a young body." He slowly lifted one hand, curling and uncurling his fingers as if testing them. "And all thanks to you… my dear guests."
Issei's fists clenched. "What the hell did you do to him?!"
Zouken—no, Kariya's body—tilted its head. "What did I do? Oh, no, no… The real question, boy, is what you did."
A slow, mocking chuckle escaped Kariya's throat. "You healed this broken, pathetic fool. Strengthened him. You undid the damage I let fester. And just as I promised, I have rewarded him accordingly."
The mocking smirk widened. "By making his suffering permanent."
Issei felt his stomach churn.
Zouken had taken over Kariya's body.
The man who had wanted nothing more than to save Sakura… was now nothing more than a vessel for the monster he hated most.
"You sick freak…" Issei growled, his Boosted Gear sparking to life.
Tamamo's tails bristled in fury. "You're the worst kind of parasite! You ruin everything you touch!" Her eyes flashed dangerously. "I'm going to burn you out of that body and turn your soul into kindling!"
Zouken—Kariya—merely laughed. "Oh? You wish to burn me? Then by all means…"
He lifted his stolen hand—
And snapped his fingers.
Berserker let out a deafening roar.
The ground shattered beneath him as he surged forward, his corrupted blade howling with dark energy.
"Kill them," Zouken ordered, using his Command Seals to power up Berserker, his tone completely indifferent. "Go all out. Break them."
Issei's eyes widened. "Wait—!"
Berserker swung.
Issei barely managed to block, crossing his Boosted Gear against the oncoming strike. The impact sent a shockwave through his arms, nearly knocking him off his feet.
"Damn! He's even stronger than before!"
Tamamo leapt back, barely dodging a second strike that cleaved through the stone floor like butter. "Tch—! This bastard isn't even trying to control him!"
Zouken—still using Kariya's face—watched with detached amusement. "Oh, don't hold back, Berserker." His hollow smirk widened. "After all… This body is just a disposable toy now."
Issei's stomach twisted.
Kariya had sacrificed everything to try and save Sakura. He had endured hell just for the chance to free her.
And now… Zouken had reduced him to nothing more than a meat suit, throwing his own life away like garbage.
The rage inside Issei ignited.
"You're gonna pay for this!"
His Boosted Gear flared to life, the green jewel glowing responding to his desires.
A deep, guttural roar erupted from Berserker as his corrupted armor pulsed with a dark light. His entire body trembled with unstable energy before he raised his blade high.
And then—
The blade shifted.
Dark energy coiled around it like living shadows, warping its form into something far more menacing. The jagged edges smoothed, forming a sleek yet wickedly sharp longsword brimming with destructive power. A heavy, suffocating aura filled the chamber as the very air seemed to shudder at the weapon's presence.
Issei immediately felt something wrong the moment that blade took shape.
Then—
(Partner! Beware that sword!)
Ddraig's voice boomed inside his mind, more urgent than ever.
(That is a blade forged for slaying dragons! You must not let it touch you!)
Issei's breath hitched. A dragon-slaying sword?!
"That sword is Arondight! Then that means—Berserker is Lancelot! The Lancelot of the Knights of the Round Table!"
Tamamo's ears perked up. "The Lancelot?" She grimaced. "Ugh, So it's one of Arthur's messed-up knights?!"
Issei swallowed hard. "A knight of the Round Table… and he's got a sword meant to kill dragons."
A cold bead of sweat dripped down his temple.
Berserker's red eyes flashed violently beneath his helmet. With a distorted, inhuman growl, he gripped Arondight in both hands—
And vanished.
Issei barely had time to react. The sound of barriers breaking.
CLANG!
A violent shockwave exploded as Arondight's blade crashed against the Boosted Gear. Even with his enhanced strength, the sheer force of the strike sent Issei flying backward, slamming into the stone wall hard enough to crack it.
"GAH!"
He barely had a second to breathe before Berserker was already upon him again, his blade flashing through the air with terrifying speed.
Issei twisted his body—
Barely dodging as Arondight's blade sliced through the stone where his head had been moments before.
"Shit, he's too fast!"
Even with three Boosts, even with his enhanced speed and strength—
He couldn't keep up.
Ddraig's voice rang in his mind. (You cannot block him, Issei! That blade will cut through your armor like paper!)
Issei gritted his teeth.
Dodging. That was all he could do.
He jumped back just as Berserker's sword sliced downward, the force of the impact splitting the ground apart. A jagged fissure tore through the stone, sending debris flying as Issei rolled away.
Tamamo wasn't faring much better.
Despite her power, her flames and curses were barely slowing the corrupted knight down. Every time she summoned a curse, Berserker charged through it, his armor shrugging off the magical assault like it was nothing.
Her tails bristled in frustration. "Tsk! What is this guy made of?! Why won't my curses stick?!"
Zouken—still smirking in Kariya's stolen body—watched from a distance with sick amusement.
"Oh dear, is something wrong?" He chuckled. "Surely a mighty hero and a grand sorceress can handle a mere knight, yes?"
Issei clenched his fists, his mind racing.
He couldn't let that sword touch him. Even one solid strike might be enough to end him.
Tamamo clicked her tongue in irritation as she barely dodged another swing from Arondight, the corrupted knight's relentless assault keeping her and Issei on the defensive.
Her golden eyes flicked toward the back of the chamber—toward the pit where Sakura was barely conscious, still submerged in the writhing mass of cursed worms.
Time was running out.
They had to get to her.
With a sharp breath, she made a decision.
"Issei!" she called out, dodging another devastating slash. "Go to the girl!"
Issei, still trying to evade Berserker's relentless strikes, stumbled at her words. "What?! Are you crazy?! This guy will cut you down if I—"
"Just do it, you dummy!" Tamamo growled, baring her fangs. "You're the only one who can pull her out in time! Leave this knight to me!"
Before Issei could argue further, he felt a sudden shift in the air.
A surge of power erupted from Tamamo as her fox-like ears twitched, her eyes glowing a fierce glow. The golden tails behind her multiplied—three, four, five—each one flowing with raw magical energy.
The sheer pressure of it made the chamber tremble.
Zouken—still watching from Kariya's puppeteered body—narrowed his eyes. "Oh? This is new. What a fascinating creature you are…"
Tamamo didn't even spare him a glance. Her entire focus was on the towering knight before her.
Berserker tilted his head, almost as if acknowledging her increased power.
Then—
The two clashed.
A shockwave of magical energy and raw strength erupted as Tamamo's cursed flames collided with Berserker's might. The force of their battle sent cracks through the walls and floor, shaking the very foundations of the underground chamber.
Issei shielded his face from the blast of energy.
Tamamo had him covered.
He had to move.
Issei clenched his fists and turned his gaze toward Sakura.
Between him and her—
A swarm of writhing, grotesque worms.
Some were the size of his arm, others barely the size of a finger, but all of them twisted and snapped as if reacting to his presence. The air was thick with the stench of rot and decay.
A shudder crawled up his spine.
"Boost!"
His muscles burned. His breathing was heavy. But he couldn't stop.
He had to reach her.
He had to save Sakura.
Issei's boots skidded against the stone floor as he sprinted toward the pit. The sickening squelch of the worms filled his ears, the writhing mass shifting like a sea of cursed flesh.
And at the center of it all—
Sakura.
Her body was barely above the surface, her pale skin covered in slimy, pulsating creatures. Her eyes were half-lidded, dazed, her breathing weak.
"Hold on, Sakura!"
The moment he reached the edge, the worms reacted.
Like a tidal wave, they lunged at him, hundreds of them twisting unnaturally, their grotesque bodies seething with malice. Their fanged maws snapped open, their acidic saliva dripping as they tried to consume the intruder.
But Issei didn't stop.
With one final step—
He dove.
The air around him rushed as he plunged straight into the pit, reaching toward Sakura's limp form.
The instant his arms wrapped around her, the worms swarmed.
They latched onto him, their slimy bodies wrapping around his limbs, their grotesque teeth gnawing at his Boosted Gear. A burning pain seared through his skin where their toxins tried to eat away at him.
But he held on.
He wasn't letting go.
Sakura stirred slightly in his grip, her voice a barely audible whisper.
"I've got you!"
But he was trapped. The writhing mass dragged him down, trying to pull him deeper, to consume him just like they had tried with Sakura.
His heartbeat pounded. His muscles strained.
He needed a way out—now.
(Then unleash it, Partner.)
Ddraig's voice echoed in his mind, deep and resolute.
(Let your desires roar.)
And then—
Something clicked.
A surge of power ignited in Issei's core. His Boosted Gear pulsed with a burning heat, a power he had never used before.
His instincts screamed at him to release it.
So he did.
Explosion
"—DRAGON SHOT!!!"
A brilliant burst of energy erupted from his gauntlet, a concentrated blast of pure dragonic force.
The chamber shook.
A pillar of searing, red energy engulfed the entire pit, incinerating the cursed worms in an instant. Their twisted screeches filled the air as their bodies disintegrated, burned away in the dragon's wrath.
The sheer force of the blast sent Issei rocketing upward, blasting him out of the pit with Sakura in his arms.
With a final burst of momentum, he landed hard on the stone floor, skidding to a stop. His arms tightened protectively around the girl as the last remnants of the worms crumbled to ash.
The pit behind him was now nothing but a scorched crater.
His breath was ragged. His body ached. But—
Sakura was safe.
Issei panted heavily, his body still buzzing with the aftereffects of his Dragon Shot. His arms remained firm around Sakura as he knelt on the scorched floor, making sure she was stable.
She stirred weakly in his grasp, her fingers trembling as they barely curled around his sleeve.
Slowly—her dull, violet eyes fluttered open.
For the first time—
She saw him.
Her vision was blurry at first, her body still reeling from the torment of the worm pit. But through the haze of exhaustion, she could make out the figure holding her.
A boy.
His hair was a wild mess of brown, sweat clinging to his skin. His face was rough with exertion, his breaths heavy. And yet—his eyes—
Warm.
A deep, rich brown filled with nothing but determination. Relief.
And anger—not toward her, but for her.
Sakura's lips parted slightly, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Who…?"
Issei looked down at her, his grip still steady, and offered the smallest, reassuring grin.
"Just some idiot who hates seeing a girl suffer."
Her breath hitched.
Someone had come for her.
Not to use her. Not to punish her.
But to save her.
A stranger… who had no reason to care… was here.
Her chest tightened. A warmth she had long forgotten flickered faintly inside her.
Her vision blurred again—not from exhaustion this time—but from the tears forming in her eyes.
The ground trembled as Tamamo and Berserker's battle continued to rage in the distance. The sheer force of their clash sent shockwaves through the underground chamber, stone walls cracking under the intensity of their attacks.
Issei gritted his teeth as he glanced up, still cradling Sakura. He had no idea how long Tamamo could hold her own against the corrupted knight, but with the amount of power she was pushing out—
She had been waiting for his signal.
No more delays.
"Tamamo!" Issei shouted over the battle's chaos.
Her ears twitched at the sound of his voice, her sharp blue eyes snapping toward him mid-dodge.
He held Sakura a bit tighter and yelled—
"I got her! Do it!"
Tamamo's expression shifted—her lips curling into a feral grin.
"Oh~? Finally! About time, you slowpoke!"
She pivoted on her heel, dodging another devastating swing from Arondight, and slammed her foot down.
A surge of pure magical energy erupted around her—
Her fox tails fanned out, her aura blazing like a divine inferno.
The air itself vibrated as she raised her arms, chanting.
Issei felt the change instantly.
She was about to unleash everything.
Tamamo's smile widened as golden light surged around her.
The temperature in the chamber spiked, the very air humming with divine power. Then—
Torii gates materialized around her in a perfect circle, each one glowing with ethereal radiance. Levitating Ofuda inscribed with ancient kanji floated between them, pulsing with raw energy.
At the center of it all, Tamamo stood tall—the mirror in her hands shimmering as she channeled the power of the Sun Goddess.
"O sacred light of Amaterasu—bless me with your divine radiance!"
The mirror flared—a beacon of divine might. The moment the light enveloped her, Tamamo's tails fanned out fully, her entire form glowing with an otherworldly presence.
"Eightfold Blessing of Amaterasu!"
The entire chamber shifted.
The oppressive darkness that had plagued the Matou underground was banished. The presence of the worms, the filth, the corruption—all of it was now overwhelmed by Tamamo's divine power.
Issei flinched as the energy rushed through him.
The divine radiance from Tamamo's spell enveloped him, Sakura, and even Tamamo herself. The warmth seeped into their bodies, mending wounds, rejuvenating exhausted muscles, and purging lingering curses.
The bruises on Issei's skin vanished, his body no longer aching from the battle.
Sakura—who had barely been clinging to life—shuddered as the divine energy washed over her. The pain that had been her constant companion slowly began to fade.
Her fingers weakly gripped Issei's sleeve.
The warmth… It felt kind.
Tamamo's eyes flashed.
With a flick of her wrist, the Ofuda shifted.
"Oh, and let's not forget the little pests hiding inside this poor girl~!"
The Ofuda shot toward Sakura's body, glowing brightly as they hovered over her.
Then—
Sakura's body convulsed as something inside her screeched. From deep within, the cursed worms that had been implanted into her reacted violently—as if trying to fight back.
But against Tamamo's divine curses?
They stood no chance.
The Ofuda pulsed, sending shockwaves of exorcising force into Sakura's body. One by one, the writhing, disgusting creatures were torn from her body, their very existence unraveled as they were erased from reality.
Sakura's lips parted as she gasped, her entire body trembling.
For the first time in years—she was free.
She barely registered the tears running down her cheeks.
The curse that had bound her—the torment that had defined her—was gone.
Tamamo clapped her hands together, her fingers forming an intricate gesture as a new spell took shape.
A translucent barrier of glowing energy formed around Issei and Sakura, cutting them off from the outside battle.
"This should keep you two safe while I deal with the leftovers~!"
The barrier shimmered, reinforced with divine protections. It was unbreakable.
No worm. No spell. No Zouken.
Nothing would get through.
Now, all that was left—
Was the purge.
Tamamo's expression darkened.
She slowly raised her mirror, and the floating Ofuda around her shifted once more—now glowing with searing golden flames.
Her eyes gleamed with a dangerous glint. She spread her arms wide.
"May Amaterasu's flames cleanse this forsaken place—forever."
With a snap of her fingers—
The entire chambererupted into golden fire.
The walls, the floor, the tunnels—everything was engulfed in the divine flames of Tamamo's curse. The heat was absolute, incinerating everything in its path.
The remaining worms screamed as they were reduced to ash. The foul remnants of the Matou bloodline's darkest secrets were erased from existence.
The mansion—no, the entire underground hell was burning.
Tamamo took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling as she tried to steady herself. Her legs wobbled slightly, and she placed a hand on her knee to keep from collapsing.
The underground chamber—if it could even be called that anymore—was unrecognizable.
Everything was burned beyond recognition. The once foul, infested tunnels had been cleansed by divine fire, reduced to nothing but scorched earth and ash. Zouken had been completely erased.
Tamamo smirked, despite her exhaustion.
"Hahh~ That… should do it."
She let out a satisfied sigh, stretching her arms and swaying slightly. Her tails drooped, flickering weakly from overuse.
And then—
(Not bad, fox. But it's nothing compared to my flames.)
Tamamo twitched.
Her ears snapped up, and she slowly turned her head toward Issei's gauntlet, where Ddraig's booming voice echoed through the underground ruins.
She narrowed her eyes.
"…Excuse me?"
(Your fire is impressive, but it lacks the sheer might of a dragon's blaze. No flame can match the true fire of a Heavenly Dragon. Your little light show is cute, but compared to me? It's a mere flicker.)
Tamamo's eyebrow twitched.
Her exhaustion was momentarily forgotten as her tails bristled.
"Oi, oversized lizard—" she growled, jabbing a finger at the Boosted Gear. "Did you just call my Eightfold Blessing of Amaterasu a light show?!"*
Ddraig huffed.
(I'm just stating facts.)
"Oh-ho~? You wanna go, dragon? I swear, if I had the energy, I'd roast you like a holiday meal—!"
Issei, still holding Sakura in his arms, sighed.
"Oh great," he muttered. "Now they're arguing."
Sakura, despite her weak state, made a tiny noise—something almost like a giggle at the strange people that rescued her.
Issei finally turned his attention to the devastation around him.
The underground chamber, once a place of nightmares, was nothing more than scorched earth. The oppressive darkness, the stench of decay, the endless swarms of worms—it was all gone.
But amidst the destruction, something caught his eye.
A charred body lay motionless in the rubble, its form barely recognizable.
Kariya Matou.
His flesh was blackened, his once wild hair now reduced to nothing but ash. His twisted, suffering-filled existence had come to an end in the very home that had tormented him for so long.
Issei exhaled slowly, shifting Sakura gently in his arms before lowering her onto the ground.
He stepped forward and knelt beside the burnt corpse.
The sight was haunting, but there was no disgust in Issei's expression. Only solemnity.
He had seen many types of people in his journey, but Kariya Matou.
He was just a man who lost everything.
A man who had suffered and failed—but had still tried to fight for what he believed in.
"You weren't a hero," Issei murmured. "But you tried."
He bowed his head, pressing his hands together in silent prayer.
"Rest easy. I'll take care of her. You don't have to worry anymore."
The words were simple.
But they were a promise.
The air around them was silent, save for the gentle crackling of the dying embers around them.
Sakura wondered who the burnt man was or why her hero was praying to it, his body was unrecognizable for her and it was probably for the best.
Issei stood up, taking Sakura back into his arms. He turned to Tamamo, who was still swaying slightly from exhaustion but managed to offer him a small nod.
"Ready to get out of here?" he asked.
"Absolutely," Tamamo huffed. "This place was a dump anyway."
Issei chuckled before glancing upward.
The hole they had created in their battle was still wide open above them, leading back to the surface. He tightened his grip on Sakura before boosting himself upward, Tamamo following close behind.
And when they finally emerged—
The warmth of the sun greeted them.
The sky was clear, a golden morning light washing over the ruined remains of the Matou estate.
The trio started walking away from the scene. As finally in the distance the sound of sirens could be heard coming to manor.
The moment they were as far away as possible, they released a breath of air. The neighborhood was quiet as it was too early for people to be about. The three walked down the streets with Sakura between them.
She kept fidgeting looking at her two rescuers with Tamamo wearing her casual clothes and her tail and ears hidden.
"Oni-chan." Sakura asks,
"Yeah." Issei responds looking down at her with a gentle smile..
"Wh-why did you save me? Who are you?"
Issei's smile softened as he looked at the young girl walking between him and Tamamo. Her small hands clutched at the hem of her oversized sleeves, uncertainty and lingering fear still evident in her violet eyes.
"Because you needed saving," Issei said simply. "And who am I? I'm Issei and the beautiful onee-chan next to me is named Tamamo-no-Mae. We're people who couldn't stand by and do nothing while you suffered."
Sakura looked down, biting her lip. "…But I don't even know you."
"You don't have to," Tamamo spoke up, her voice gentle but firm. "A child shouldn't have to endure such suffering. That alone is enough reason to help."
Sakura's steps slowed slightly, her fidgeting growing more pronounced. "But…what happens now?"
Issei and Tamamo exchanged a glance before Issei knelt down to her level, placing a reassuring hand on her head. "That's up to you, Sakura. We won't force you to do anything, but if you want, you can come with us."
Sakura's fingers clenched, doubt and hope warring in her eyes. "…I don't want to go back."
Tamamo smiled softly. "Then you don't have to."
As they walked through the quiet streets, the tense atmosphere finally seemed to ease. Sakura was still fidgeting but clung closer to Issei, as if seeking reassurance. Tamamo remained alert, her instincts telling her that something was off.
Then, in an instant, Sherri's voice rang in Issei's mind.
"Move!"
Without hesitation, Issei grabbed Tamamo and Sakura, pushing them away as a barrage of swords rained down from above. The weapons impaled the pavement, sending shockwaves through the empty street.
Tamamo quickly caught Sakura in her arms, shielding the girl as the dust settled. Issei turned, his gaze narrowing at the golden glow illuminating the morning sky.
A figure stepped forward, clad in ornate golden armor, his crimson eyes burning with disdain.
Gilgamesh smirked, his presence radiating overwhelming arrogance as he looked down at Issei like he was nothing more than an insect.
"I finally found you, clown."
The air grew heavy with the promise of battle.