Did the Heroic Spirit I conquered become a reality?

These three words echoed in Tohsaka Yu's mind like the most vicious curse.

The smile vanished from his face, replaced by incredulous astonishment.

...How could it be the Matou family?!

He had a long talk with Tokiomi Tohsaka before heading to the Clock Tower.

At the time, Tohsaka Yu used almost every reason he could think of to hope that Tokiomi could give Rin and Sakura a happy childhood, instead of pushing them into the cruel and cold fate of a magician too early.

Tokiomi had even agreed to this.

Even Yu Tohsaka didn't expect that Tokiomi Tohsaka would make such a cold-blooded decision after he left.

Moreover, they sent Sakura to the infamous Matou family.

"Why...didn't he say back then that he hoped you and Sakura could grow up happily?" He suppressed his anger.

Rin Tohsaka whispered, "Father said that the Tohsaka family's magical crest can only be inherited by one person... Sakura also has the talent of a magus, so going to the Matou family... is for her own good. Although the Matou family has declined, it can still provide her with a path to learn magic..."

For her own good?

Yu Tohsaka closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, the depths of her dark eyes were eerily calm.

"I see."

His voice regained some composure as he said, "You should rest first. I'll handle this matter."

Sakura... the Matou family... no matter what, we have to go and check on Sakura's situation.

He still has a lot to say to Rin Tohsaka, but right now, Sakura's matter must be resolved as soon as possible.

However, just as Tohsaka Yu made up her mind—

A peculiar magical fluctuation, like a gentle breeze across water, was transmitted without warning through the contractual connection between him and his Master, carrying an irresistible "drawing force".

It's Aika Sajou... Is she using some kind of special magic to summon herself? (Yi Lingyin Qi Si Wu Jiu Shi Shi)

Yu Tohsaka abruptly stopped, a hint of doubt rising in his mind.

Why was she calling me at this moment? Had something happened at the apartment? Or... had she sensed my departure and his current emotional fluctuations?

After a moment's hesitation, Tohsaka Yu reached out and touched the girl's soft hair, saying, "Rin, I have some urgent business to attend to right away. You stay here and wait for me to come back and see you, okay?"

Although her heart was filled with reluctance, Rin Tohsaka could still sense the boy's anxiety and seriousness, and nodded obediently: "Yes... Be careful."

Yu Tohsaka took one last deep look at the girl, then turned and quietly left the apartment.

……

A moment later, in a luxury apartment suite in the new city district.

Yu Tohsaka's figure appeared silently.

In the living room, it seemed that Aika Sajou had already woken up from her dream and was sitting elegantly on the sofa. Under her skirt, a pair of feet as smooth and delicate as white jade swayed back and forth.

Upon seeing him appear, a knowing smile flashed in Aika Sajou's emerald green eyes. The smile was still innocent, yet it seemed to carry a sense of knowing everything.

“You’re back, Caster.” Her voice was soft and pleasant.

Yu Tohsaka felt a chill run down her spine; it seemed she really did know she had just gone out.

"Master, what can I do for you?" He tried to keep his tone calm.

Saya Aika put down her water glass, tilted her head, and looked at him curiously with her pure and innocent eyes. She asked softly, "Hmm... I sensed that you were having a lot of emotional fluctuations just now, so I was a little concerned."

She paused, her smile still innocent, but her tone carried an undeniable force: "Where did you go just now? Why do you look...so pale?"

Yu Tohsaka remained silent for a moment.

Sajō Aika was born connected to the Root, and could be considered an omniscient and omnipotent being. There is no point in hiding or lying in front of her.

Ultimately, he had no reason to lie about something like this... He was, after all, Ayaka Sajou's servant.

Thinking of this, Tohsaka Yu took a deep breath and briefly explained to Saya Sajou about Tohsaka Sakura being adopted into the Matou family, as well as her worries and plans.

"...Therefore, I must go to the Matou family immediately to check on the situation." He said this with an unwavering determination in his voice.

Sajou Aika listened quietly, her innocent smile remaining unchanged, as if Tohsaka Yu was talking about something trivial.

“The Matou family…” she repeated softly, a thoughtful glint in her emerald green eyes.

Then, she looked up at Tohsaka Yu, a bright and charming smile on her face, and said in a light tone, "Okay~ In that case, I'll go with you!"

Yu Tohsaka was stunned for a moment, looking at the smiling girl with some surprise, and even doubting her own ears.

He had initially thought that Ayaka Sajou wouldn't be interested, or at most would only offer a token expression of "concern," but he never expected that she would... insist on going with him without saying a word?!

She didn't even ask questions like "Why should I go?" or "What will happen if I go?"

Just as Tohsaka Yu was still bewildered by Sajou Ayaka's unconventional reaction—

“Aaaa?”

Tiamat, who had been quietly sitting to the side as if dozing off, suddenly raised her little hand, her ruby-like eyes sparkling as she looked at Tohsaka Yu, making a clear and melodious sound, and nodding her little head vigorously.

That expectant expression on his face suggested he was going on a trip to relax.

Yu Tohsaka pondered for a moment, then finally nodded slightly: "Alright... In that case, let's go to the Matou family now."

……

Fuyuki City, the Matou family residence.

Unlike the Tohsaka family's modern and sophisticated mansion, the Matou family's residence exudes a decaying, dark, and nauseating aura from the inside out.

The old wooden structure warped slightly in the damp air, and the walls were covered with indescribable stains, as if countless tiny insects were whispering in the dark corners, sending chills down one's spine.

In the underground insect warehouse, which is perpetually shrouded in darkness and filled with a stench and a distorted magical field, the atmosphere is extremely oppressive.

“——Announce!”

Matou Kariya's face was ashen, his body hunched over from the damage caused by the Crest Worms, and it looked as if countless tiny worms were wriggling beneath his skin.

He endured the excruciating pain and nausea, and following Zouken Matou's instructions, he laboriously chanted the incantation to summon the Servant.

His voice was hoarse and weak, and his empty eyes were filled with despair, resentment, and a deep-seated hatred for the demon-like figure before him—Zoken Matou.

But for Sakura, for the child he regarded as his daughter, he had no choice but to drink the bitter wine brewed by his own family and become a participant in this Holy Grail War.

"You shall obey my commands, and my life shall be as enduring as your sword!"

"—Respond to the call of the Holy Grail; if you wish to follow this will and this reason, then respond!"

As the incantation was chanted, the summoning circle on the ground, drawn with blood and special materials, began to emit an ominous dark purple light.

The magic in the air became increasingly viscous, and countless tiny imprinted insects surged out from every corner of the insect silo, hissing excitedly as they circled the magic circle.

"Hehehe...That's it, Kariya, that's it..."

Zouken Matou's aged and hoarse voice echoed in the insect storehouse, like a demon whispering in one's ear.

His cloudy old eyes gleamed with greed and excitement as he stared intently at the snakeskin fossil in the center of the magic circle, a sacred relic stained with ancient divine blood.

"Pour in all your anger, your resentment, your hatred... pour in all your jealousy of Tokiomi Tohsaka, born from your own incompetence! They will become the best catalyst, summoning the most powerful vengeful spirit for you!"

The summoning target he chose for Matou Kariya was none other than the Gorgon, a snake-haired monster embodying beauty, terror, and vengeance!

Of course, it is not the god's true form, but a Servant form weakened by the rules of the Holy Grail War.

Even so, Gorgon's unique petrifying magic eyes and terrifying ability to manipulate magic are enough to make him a powerful trump card.

"With it, this Holy Grail War... heh heh, while not a sure thing, at least gives us a better chance of winning."

A sinister smile appeared on Zouken Matou's aged face, as if he could already see the moment when he would achieve his long-cherished wish and gain immortality.

But then, the smile on his face faded slightly, and a shadow of gloom flashed in his cloudy eyes.

"However, we can't let our guard down completely..."

He recalled the brief yet incredibly intense conflict earlier that night between the Hero King Gilgamesh and the mysterious Caster.

Although he didn't witness it firsthand, he got a general idea of ​​the situation from the familiars that were scattered throughout Fuyuki City.

Both the King of Heroes and the suddenly appearing Caster made him feel uneasy.

What bothered him even more was Tokiomi Tohsaka.

Ever since Tohsaka Yu, the adopted son of the Tohsaka family, said something to Tokiomi many years ago, the head of the Tohsaka family, who always took "reason" as his code of conduct and was willing to sacrifice everything for magic, actually chose to personally visit the Matou family to "see" Tohsaka Sakura every now and then. Although it was only a short and formulaic visit, his words were still based on the cold logic of a magician family.

However, Tokiomi Tohsaka's actions did make Zouken Matou hesitant to immediately "take action" against Sakura Tohsaka and carry out his inhumane magical modifications.

"Hmph, Tokiomi Tohsaka... Do you think this will stop me?" Zouken Matou let out a sinister laugh. "After this Holy Grail War, I'll get rid of you, you eyesore, first. Then, Sakura will naturally become my perfect 'Holy Grail vessel'!"

His plan was flawless. As long as he eliminated Tokiomi Tohsaka and used Sakura as the Lesser Holy Grail, he could achieve his long-cherished wish of immortality and get rid of this decaying body.

However, just as Zouken Matou was immersed in his calculations, and the light of the summoning circle was about to reach its peak—

The smile on his face suddenly froze, and his cloudy old eyes snapped up, looking in a certain direction outside the mansion, a hint of surprise and uncertainty flashing in them.

He sensed... an incredibly unfamiliar yet powerful magical aura approaching the Matou family at an extremely rapid speed!

"Oh..."

Zouken Matou let out a meaningful hum, his aged voice carrying a hint of cold mockery, which slowly echoed in the dark insect storage: "It's been a long time since anyone dared to visit the Matou family in the dead of night...."

"Looks like tonight is going to be quite lively."

……

The gate to the Matou family mansion, shattered by Tohsaka Yu's magical power, was wide open, like the gaping maw of a giant beast, foreshadowing the ominous and dangerous things within.

“Caster, Sakura is inside, in the deepest room.” Ayaka Sajou’s voice rang in Yu Tohsaka’s mind. Her perception was like an invisible thread, easily penetrating the layers of barriers surrounding the Matou family.

Yu Tohsaka nodded without hesitation, his figure blurring as he rushed straight into the depths of the mansion.

He could clearly sense that every corner of the mansion was permeated with a nauseating aura of magic unique to the Crest Worms, and... a deeper, more ancient, and more malevolent will, like a venomous snake, coiled at the heart of the mansion.

Clearly, that was the owner of this mansion, Zouken Matou.

Yu Tohsaka ignored the swarms of familiar insects that had become agitated upon sensing the intruder. Under the pressure of his EX-rank magic, those filthy creatures didn't even dare to approach.

Soon, he arrived at the door of the room that Sajou Aika had indicated.

The door was tightly closed, but Yuu Tohsaka could clearly feel the incredibly familiar presence behind it.

It's Sakura!

Yu Tohsaka took a deep breath and slowly pushed open the door.

The room was dimly lit. On a simple white bed, a small figure was curled up in a thin blanket, seemingly sleeping restlessly, with a slight frown on her brow.

Yu Tohsaka's gaze instantly locked onto that figure.

The girl's hair... is black!

Upon seeing that familiar, obsidian-colored hair, Yu Tohsaka's tense heart finally settled down, and she let out a long sigh of relief.

Black hair... means that Sakura has not yet been modified by those disgusting insects, and her magic circuits and her body have not yet been corrupted by the Matou family's filthy magic.

This is undoubtedly the best news ever!

Perhaps the noise of the door opening startled the girl on the bed, or perhaps she sensed that incredibly familiar presence; Sakura Tohsaka's long eyelashes trembled slightly, and then... she slowly opened her eyes.

Her beautiful eyes held a hint of confusion and doubt as she subconsciously looked at the figure standing against the light at the doorway.

"...Who is it?" Her voice was soft, carrying a hint of barely perceptible timidity and... wariness.

The time Sakura Tohsaka spent being adopted into the Matou family was a nightmare.

The unfamiliar environment, the cold "family," and the "grandfather" Zouken Matou who always looked at her with a chilling gaze... all of this made her feel helpless and afraid.

She even felt a deep sense of disappointment and...despair towards the Tohsaka family, and towards her father, Tohsaka Tokiomi, who had personally sent her here.

No one will save her, and no one cares whether she is happy.

Like an abandoned doll, discarded in this cold and malicious corner, awaiting the fate of the so-called magician.

However, as Sakura Tohsaka's gaze gradually focused and she clearly saw the outline of the figure at the door, as well as that face that was so familiar to her from the depths of her memory, her pupils suddenly widened!

Shock, disbelief, and a tremendous sense of injustice that almost overwhelmed her, along with... a faint hint of surprise that she herself couldn't believe, surged into her heart in an instant.

"elder brother?"

Her voice trembled slightly with disbelief, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Soon, she got off the bed, barefoot, and walked step by step to the door.

Then she reached out and gently touched the boy's palm, as if to confirm something.