Kariya's body was riddled with Crest Worms; every drop of blood or mouthful of fluid he coughed up teemed with larvae or eggs.
Conventional healing magecraft was completely ineffective on him.
This was because healing magic essentially generates life force—precisely the food source for the Crest Worms—and the creatures would even devour the magical energy itself.
Medea's Argon Coin: The Golden Fleece, however, was different. It was a miracle known as a Noble Phantasm—the crystallization of a Heroic Spirit's legend. Furthermore, the staff she held was a gift from her teacher, a treasure that could well be described as a divine artifact.
The effect of Argon Coin was akin to reversing time; under the power of the Noble Phantasm, the Crest Worms inside Kariya were relentlessly forced out of his body—expelled from his mouth, nose, ears, and even his pores.
The scene was incredibly bloody and... repulsive.
Medea was so horrified she squeezed her eyes shut. Yet, driven by a kind heart and the desire to save the man before her, she did not halt the activation of the Noble Phantasm, despite her intense physical and psychological revulsion.
Takatsuki immediately unleashed Demonic Flames, precisely controlling the temperature to incinerate the disgusting insects the moment they left Kariya's body, vaporizing even the blood clinging to them.
A foul, acrid stench of burning flesh permeated the Matou estate.
The cycle of destruction and restoration continued for several minutes before finally concluding.
"It's... finally done."
As soon as the healing was complete, Medea rushed out of the Matou estate.
"I'll go look after her."
With those words, Durandal also left the foul-smelling room. Judging by the sounds from outside, Medea was retching; however, due to her constitution as a Heroic Spirit, it amounted to nothing more than dry heaves.
"How do you feel, Kariya?"
Takatsuki shook his head and looked down at Kariya, who lay sprawled on the floor like a dead fish, utterly spent from the excruciating agony.
The pain he had just endured was enough to shatter anyone's sanity. However, the year spent undergoing the violent physical transformation within the insect pit had long since accustomed him to such agony.
His body was now completely healed; the only lingering issue was the mental trauma he had endured.
After catching his breath, he hauled himself up from the ground. He surveyed the area—scorched earth and bloodstains seared by flames. The insect carcasses were nowhere to be seen; only faint traces remained to prove they had ever existed.
"My body... it's actually healed."
He gazed at his own physique—a healthy body he hadn't possessed in ages, one that was even stronger than it had been before he entered the insect pit.
"So, does following me put your mind at ease? Kariya..."
Kariya—who had initially dismissed the man as merely a powerful "chuunibyou"—immediately dropped to one knee before Takatsuki. He had originally submitted solely to ensure Sakura's survival, but now, he truly saw a glimmer of hope that she could be saved.
Mimicking a pose once struck by Lancelot, he knelt on one knee like a knight and bowed his head.
"My Lord, I pledge to follow you and never betray you. I ask only that you save Sakura."
...
Although the process of treating Kariya had been repulsive, Medea did not refuse to treat Sakura.
After all, she valued helping others more than her own personal aversions.
But before that...
"You're telling the truth, then? That old man, Matou Zouken, is hiding inside Sakura's heart?"
How could anyone survive with a bug hiding in their heart? Durandal found the concept incomprehensible. "When have I ever lied to you? Do you think I call him 'Old Bug' because he plays with insects? It's because he literally is a bug now."
Backing up Takatsuki's words, Kariya chimed in: "That's right. Old Bug's ability to stay alive is incredible; no one can kill him. If his true form is actually a bug hiding inside Sakura's body... well, that's not impossible. Damn that Old Bug!"
Even Kariya had started calling Matou Zouken "Old Bug" just like Takatsuki did. The Matou family had suffered under Old Bug's tyranny for far too long; aside from the clueless Matou Shinji, everyone else would surely be happy to see him eliminated.
However, it was a near-impossible task. Matou Zouken's survival instincts were too strong; even if others managed to "kill" him, he would simply reappear, creating the impression that he was unkillable.
"It's absolutely disgusting—hiding inside a young girl's heart like that. But... I wonder if my Noble Phantasm could force him out."
Medea sounded a bit unsure; after all, Matou Zouken was nothing like the ordinary insects they had dealt with earlier.
"Don't worry. I'll handle Old Bug's true form. You two just keep an eye on the surroundings and make sure he doesn't escape—though that's just a precaution."
Takatsuki had already worked out a plan before he arrived.
Medea asked with a hint of concern, "Takatsuki-nii, can your magical energy hold up? That Noble Phantasm you used earlier consumed quite a lot of mana."
Normally, Medea's Noble Phantasm wouldn't need to be active for so long. However, healing Kariya wasn't a simple matter of repair; it involved constantly generating flesh to force the bugs out and then repairing the damage—a repetitive process that took a significant amount of time.
"Don't worry, I still have plenty of magical energy."
"Plenty" was an understatement; his reserves were overflowing. That was not to mention the physical potential unlocked by the "Blessing of the Gods"—the unique skills granted by those blessings were constantly replenishing his magical energy and stamina. It was absurd—the act of burning away those Crest Worms was classified as combat, which triggered the massive regenerative effects Takatsuki possessed—effects that normally only activated during a fight. While this didn't quite offset the heavy mana consumption of Medea's Noble Phantasm, he was confident that in a low-intensity skirmish, he could sustain Medea's unrestricted use of her Noble Phantasm for a full half-hour before running dry.
"This is the place—Sakura's room."
Unlocking the door, the group saw a young girl with purple hair sitting inside, staring blankly into space.
"Sakura..."
Hearing Kariya's voice, the dazed Sakura looked up, her hollow eyes fixing on the four people at the doorway.
"Uncle Kariya... you look..."
The first thing Sakura noticed was that Kariya had returned to normal; his hair, which had previously turned grey and white—a sign of his life force being drained—had fully regained its original color.
"Uncle Kariya found someone who can save you—these older brothers and sisters here. You'll never have to go into the worm pit again."
Kariya forced a kind expression and spoke in a gentle tone.
"Really?"
Even upon hearing this news, Sakura's expression remained unchanged; due to severe psychological trauma, the emotions of this six-year-old child had become incredibly muted.
"Mm-hmm. The treatment might be a little painful, but once it's done, you'll be fine. Look at me—look at how I look now."
Although her emotions were suppressed, Sakura could still perceive the change in Kariya.
"But what about Grandfather..."
"Don't worry, Sakura. Matou Zouken will never appear before you again."
It was Takatsuki who spoke, stepping out from behind Kariya.
"However, he left some troublesome magecraft on you. I'll remove that first, and then have that lady over there treat you. Is that alright?"
Sakura glanced at Takatsuki, then at Medea—who was standing behind him clutching her staff—and nodded at Takatsuki.