Chapter 32: The Strange Guest
Sakura Matou felt her gaze linger on the strange 'guest' a moment longer than it should have as she turned away, walking back into the dark, gloomy manse that had been her prison for the better half of her life with whatever grace she could manage, afraid of even slightly sullying the reputation of the Matou family.
The reason for just why she did that was a bit strange.
Being adopted into a family centuries old would excite some, being adopted as a prospective heir would excite everyone.
Not her though, not the former Sakura Tohsaka.
Sold off by her own father for 'her own sake', she had been violated and ruined in every meaning of either word in the name of preparing her for her eventual succession of the current patriarch, Zouken Matou.
She'd been deprived of all worth, tainted and felt entirely undeserving of even the slightest of joys, not that any could blame her for that in the face of the suffering she endured day after day.
That didn't quite matter at the moment though.
The guest silently following behind her, each step making a thud against the wooden floor because of his heavy steps was tall, undeniably attractive even past the scar running down his face, and by his gait, noble and possibly rich.
Why then, did he feel so familiar?
Sakura shook her head as she walked, driving the question out of her mind.
She knew why.
How many times had she herself seen the same face he had in the mirror?
Every morning.
A gentle smile that gave no hint to his past, suggested a good upbringing and put others at ease.
Dull eyes that held no light, the eyes of someone who'd seen enough suffering, suffered enough to just not give a damn anymore.
Sakura supposed that his grey hair should have told her all she needed to know and couldn't help her twitching fingers, suddenly finding herself with questions upon questions that would possibly never be answered.
The foremost being whether or not she was right in her conclusion.
Then how it had come to be.
He was a magus, was he not? How could such cold pragmatic individuals even register something like suffering? No, that was unfair.
Lost in her own thoughts, Sakura failed to notice the door in front of her and bumped her head on it. She was quick to cut off her reaction, numb to the pain, and bowed to the guest, "My apologies." She spoke in a tone devoid of emotion.
"I wonder, did I have such a phase?" The tall foreigne-no, Aston put a hand to his chin, smirking at her, "You should not believe yourself undeserving of happiness." His words suggested he'd seen through her in moments which, of course he did. He'd seen many with a gaze like hers and took an educated guess.
Freezing up, Sakura stuttered and moved ahead hastily, only acknowledging his words with a weak, barely audible whisper, "I.. I do not understand." She hurried away, leading Aston to the main dining hall before bowing her head and almost running off, afraid that she might disgrace herself before a complete stranger.
His words had hit too close to home.
Her rapidly beating heart, mild annoyance at his denial of a belief she'd had since she was but a child and desire to hide from someone who possibly 'understood' was proof of that.
Aston could only shrug in response, staring at the leaving girl with his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall facing the door, "Might be wrong." He was here to help, but not to that extent unless asked.
Instead, he chose to contact the witch he wanted to gut for using his nature to her advantage, "Do you wish to make something of this situation, witch?" Aston had no doubts in his mind that she was spying on him, only further assured by his instincts.
"Ah yes, I saw her before. An intriguing creature if nothing else."
Aston pursed his lips, waiting for the woman to get to the point annoyed not because she talked too much but because he just disliked her a lot.
"That said, you're in the home of Rider's Master. You may slaughter everyone there, even save the girl if you wish to.." She paused for a moment, "Of course you do, heroes and their complexes and all that."
"Huh.." Aston tilted his head slightly, as if genuinely surprised, "While it might be something lost on your vile self, decency is still a virtue." He could help her, so he would, that was really all there was to it. The only thing that would annoy him was if he just ignored the accursed matter.
"Whatever you prefer, Lancer. Inform me once all enemy presence is dealt with."
Aston opened his mouth, wanting to say something but found himself cut off.
"Nevermind, I'll know."
The Knight of Atrocity felt the witch was actually trying to get on his nerves, "Maybe if you knew to listen, you wouldn't be betrayed and fall for the first person that showed you kindness.." Aston smirked, "Loose woman."
"Yo-"
The servant tuned her out entirely, taking a seat at the table as soon as the door opened and a short, hunched over elderly man in traditional Japanese robes that honestly looked malnourished to him walked in smiling, both hands behind his back.
"Did anyone ever comment on the fact that you look like you shouldn't be touched with a sarissa lest the person approaching catch some horrid disease?" Aston quickly put a hand over his mouth, even if it was a little too late and smiled harmlessly, staring down at, who he presumed to be, the family Patriarch. He attributed his vulgar words to the rather inhumane actions of the man before him.
"Perhaps." Zouken Matou unamusedly observed the Lancer for the Fifth Holy Grail War, slightly scrutinising the figure of a supposed hero of legend, "What brings a servant here?"
As the head of the Matou family, there was little that went on in Fuyuki that he was unaware of even if he'd mostly decided to sit this war out due to the threat some servants and masters posed.
That said, there was probably no point in acting coy with one of the strongest servants now that he was in his home. There was no way to subdue or kill Aston either and Zouken wasn't a man to bank on something as fickle as luck or hope.
So he decided to look for an opportunity.
Aston openly gestured to Sakura, appearing behind the girl and putting both hands on her shoulders, "You wouldn't be as stupendous as to believe I would think this is not your handiwork, worm?" The Knight smiled gently, amused by the startled Sakura looking around like a confused child.
"Am I correct in believing you impressed?" Zouken clenched his fists behind his back, terribly annoyed with the situation. Servants weren't meant to target uninvolved parties, "Am I also correct in believing your Master has no interest in abiding by the rules?" And of course, the one servant that did was one who could see through the nature of his being.
"If you are aware of as much as you want me to think you are, need I answer?" Aston felt disgusted by the writhing mass of ugly, black worms trying to converse with him.
Feeling the guest draw blood by swiping his nail across her bare neck, Sakura Matou only grew further confused by the situation. Were they not acquaintances? Was someone actually truly disgusted with her grandfather?
If that was the case then he was most certainly disgusted with her too considering the worms nestling inside her flesh.
Also wait, servant? Master?
Sakura looked down in shame, forgetting the pain in her shoulders, and embarrassment that had never been there. She'd thought there was someone who understood but it had simply been wishful thinking, of course it had. How could good things come to one as disgusting as her?
Taking in a deep breath, Zouken Matou stared at the servant with eerily calm eyes, "You might survive, she will not." He chose to play the one card that would no doubt work.
There was no way he could notice Sakura freezing up, or her fearful yet accepting eyes when she felt her blood run cold and her body disobey her mind, coming to a complete halt she thought was encroaching death unknowing of the fact that it had frozen the worms inside her in place.
Why though, she did not understand. Why would the guest go for her?
That was also why Zouken Matou was thrown off when his face was shoved into a wall by a cold metallic hand, and the Crest Worms that made up his being screamed in pain, shrivelling up as they were set alight by lightning.
It was then that Zouken knew Aston had no intention of leaving him alive.
The floor of the mansion was blown open as droves upon droves of slithering, slimy black worms swarmed out into the open, biting through the ceiling when coming up with their sharp teeth.
(A/N: Left is original design for crest worms and right is the new version. Yes, these are the things that enter and live inside Sakura.)
It was still strange however, that he'd not felt the servant nor Sakura making contact with the familiars he shared senses with.
Outside the Matou Compounds, Shinji Matou fell back in shock, and stared at the scene in astute horror, knowing full well the atrocities his 'dear' grandfather was capable of. It didn't help that even he had never seen this happen before.
Shinji screamed and fell back when moments later a fiery explosion enveloped a significant part of the compound he'd called home since he was born, "Rider! Rider?!!"
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In case you forgot, Aston's spear grants him a degree of haemokinesis. He knows a little bit of Runecraft too.
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