"All the souls are here. Do you really think you can escape alive, Zouken Matou?"
The chilling smile on the other's face was perhaps the most terrifying expression the old worm Zouken Matou had ever seen in his long life. That smile alone made it clear—his survival was anything but guaranteed.
And the worst part? He was truly about to die this time!
Zouken stared at the soul bead clutched in the other's grasp, his heart drowning in despair. Where had this calamity come from? Why was it targeting him of all people? What had he done to provoke such a monster?
"Spare me, my lord! If you spare this lowly one, I'll serve you in any way I can! I'll offer you everything I have!" In his desperation to survive, Zouken didn't even dare refer to himself as "this old man" anymore. He groveled before Takashi Kuroda in the most wretched manner possible.
"Serve me? Having an ugly freak like you as a servant would ruin my image. And 'everything you have'? What could this cursed place possibly offer? If I wanted to plunder treasures, I'd just go next door to the Tohsaka family. If those are your only words, then just lie down in your coffin quietly and save me the trouble of listening to your nonsense."
Takashi Kuroda looked at Zouken with disdain, but at that moment, the system's notification echoed in his mind: "Humiliating an elder and crushing their dignity aligns with the fine qualities of a villain. Reward: 20 villain points. Current villain points: 2180."
"Tch, even trash-talking Zouken earns me points. If the payout weren't so small, I'd take the time to really roast him." Kuroda prided himself on his verbal prowess—after all, he was a master of the art, honed in the fiery depths of online battles.
Meanwhile, Zouken, still clutched in Kuroda's grip, sensed a sliver of hope. If the man truly wanted nothing and only sought his death, he would have acted already. His dismissive words could only mean one thing—he wasn't satisfied with the offer. This was Zouken's last chance. If he couldn't produce something valuable, he'd never see another sunrise.
"I—I can also guarantee you a path to the Root!" This was Zouken's most deeply hidden secret. The Holy Grail War orchestrated by the Matou, Tohsaka, and Einzbern families was, at its core, a grand ritual to reach the "Root." And the Root was the ultimate temptation—Zouken was certain no great figure in this world could resist its allure. Unless, of course, this man knew nothing about it.
"..." Kuroda's expression darkened, sending a wave of icy dread through Zouken. Impossible! If even this couldn't sway him, then Zouken had no idea what else he could offer to save his life. In the next instant, Zouken prepared to split his soul once more, attempting to escape—even if it meant detonating the soul bead in Kuroda's hand to create a diversion.
If even a shred of his consciousness escaped, even if he lost all his intellect, he could eventually return.
But then, Zouken realized with horror that he had lost all control over that fragment of his soul. The bead didn't explode. Instead, all he saw was a flash of emerald light—right before it pierced through his skull. Zouken would never understand that the man before him had zero interest in the Root.
It wasn't that Kuroda didn't care about the Root. He simply knew the Holy Grail the Three Families had created could no longer reach it. Trying to buy his life with empty promises? Did Zouken think he was stupid?
So Kuroda drew the Blade of the Ruined King and, with a single strike, shattered the 500-year-old worm into nothingness—along with the soul bead. The once-legendary Makiri Zolgen met a pitiful end. But as Kuroda had said, Makiri Zolgen had died long ago. What remained was nothing more than a rotting insect, obsessed with immortality.
Yet, even after killing Zouken, Kuroda didn't stop. He summoned his Ruination energy and muttered, "The king's decree is final."
Zouken's dissipating soul was forcibly reassembled by the Ruination, transforming into a spectral wraith tinged with dark green energy. It still bore Zouken's form, but it had no will of its own—just a puppet under Kuroda's absolute control. Strangely, its power seemed even greater than before.
Ding—
"Not only have you committed murder, but you've also defiled the dead, turning their soul into your puppet. Truly, a model villain! Reward: 150 villain points. Current villain points: 2330."
"This works too? Nice. One villain trick a day—got it." Kuroda smirked, admiring his new puppet. Had he just… stolen the nest for himself?
"Host, didn't you want to kill Zouken? Why turn him into a wraith?" the system asked.
"The Ruined King's possession has a time limit. Since I don't know how long I'll be in this world, I need to plan ahead. Killing Zouken erased his consciousness, ensuring the wraith is completely under my control. And having a puppet means extra firepower after the possession ends. I poured a lot of Ruination into this thing—it'd be a waste if it just vanished when the possession's over, right?" Kuroda explained.
"That's true. It does let you retain some power. Even after possession ends, you'll still have the highest authority over Ruination. The Ruined King's strength depends on the Black Mist and the amount of Ruination energy. But… host, isn't this exploiting a bug? The system might patch this soon."
"Huh? A system patch?"
"Yes. As mentioned before, systems have rules. If there's an unfair exploit that contradicts the design philosophy, it'll be fixed. Like right now—if you keep Ruined King's power post-possession, wouldn't that turn a temporary boost into a permanent one? That's definitely getting patched. I can't stop it."
"Oh? So it still works for now? Then I've got an idea." Kuroda's eyes gleamed. "What if I make more wraiths? That'd let me stockpile more Ruination, right?"
"Host… the only ones left in this house are one adult and two children. The adult is one thing, but you're not planning to…?" The system sounded uneasy.
"Aren't you a villain system? Why the hesitation?" Kuroda asked, amused.
"Well, yes, but—"
"Relax, I'm not that insane. Besides, that kind of villainy is just pathetic—the kind that gets you killed in three episodes. Since I've awakened this system, I'm aiming to be the ultimate, most badass supervillain." Kuroda shook his head. "And I don't have to turn people into wraiths to use Ruination. Like with Sakura, I can just share some power to enhance her physique and abilities. As for the Matou father and son, I'll just use them as temporary vessels. I can reclaim the energy later without harming them."
"Still… this isn't nearly enough. Hey, system." Kuroda suddenly grinned.
"Yes, host?"
"What if I use Ruination to take control of Alaya and Gaia? How's that sound?"
"…?"