Did the Heroic Spirit I conquered become a reality?

Outside the door came a slightly familiar, yet seemingly relatable, hoarse and... relaxed young voice.

"……it's me."

This familiar yet unfamiliar voice left Tokiomi Tohsaka stunned for a long while. For the first time, an incredulous shock appeared in his usually calm eyes.

Almost instinctively, he flung open the study door—

Outside the door, the soft morning light streamed through the corridor windows, gently bathing the visitor in its glow.

A slightly thin but upright boy stood there quietly.

His black hair was slightly disheveled, and a familiar, gentle smile graced his handsome face.

The boy slowly raised his hand and gently greeted Tokiomi Tohsaka, who was completely stunned at the doorway, "Father... it's been a long time."

"Yu...?"

Upon seeing the boy before him, Tokiomi Tohsaka's expression froze, as if he couldn't believe it: "How could you suddenly... finish your studies at the Clock Tower?"

His first reaction was astonishment, not only about his studies, but also about something more crucial... Why would Tohsaka Yu choose to return at such a sensitive juncture when the Holy Grail War was about to erupt in full force?

Because Tohsaka Yu deliberately concealed his aura as a Servant, in Tohsaka Tokiomi's eyes, he was not much different from the boy who went to study at the Clock Tower three years ago, except that his face had a more composed look that he hadn't had before.

"My studies have come to a temporary end, and I have some things I can't let go of, so I came back early."

Yu Tohsaka smiled and offered a casual explanation, then changed the subject, his expression turning serious, "Father, I've heard about Sakura's situation..."

When Sakura Tohsaka was mentioned, Tokiomi Tohsaka's eyes dimmed almost imperceptibly for a moment, but he quickly regained his usual composure: "I know what you want to say... but this is the most 'reasonable' choice made for the sake of the Tohsaka family's legacy and for Sakura to continue on the path of magic."

His tone was calm, revealing little emotion, as if he were stating a very rational matter.

Yu Tohsaka silently gazed at her adoptive father, letting out a silent sigh.

Tokiomi Tohsaka has a very typical 'magician's mindset,' so it's hard for him to understand how cruel the decision to send Sakura to the Matou family was.

Furthermore, the Tohsaka family had a long-standing relationship with the Matou family. While he wouldn't say he completely trusted the Matou family, he certainly held them in high regard... Therefore, even if Tohsaka Yu were to explain the dangers of the Matou family now, it's likely that Tohsaka Tokiomi wouldn't listen.

Instead of trying to persuade him, let him see for himself.

“Father,” Tohsaka Yu’s voice also calmed down, “I heard last night that the Matou family seemed to have been attacked. I was worried about Sakura’s safety, so I went to investigate without permission.”

Tokiomi Tohsaka's eyes flickered slightly, and he subconsciously asked, "You saw Sakura?!"

Yu Tohsaka nodded, a hint of relief in her voice, and continued under Tokiomi Tohsaka's surprised gaze, "Sakura is safe now, she's recuperating with me for the time being."

"With you?" Tokiomi Tohsaka finally showed a clear look of surprise.

He never expected that after the Kiri family was attacked last night, it was Tohsaka Yu who took the people away.

Yu Tohsaka sighed softly at the right moment: "However, Sakura was quite frightened this time, and she has also developed some psychological problems... so I think she needs to rest and recuperate for a while."

"...She misses Rin and her mother very much."

Upon learning that his daughter was alright, Tokiomi Tohsaka breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I will arrange for Sakura to stay with Rin after this... so that she can rest for a while."

Regardless, we should at least wait until the Holy Grail War is over before considering Sakura's future.

At that moment, Tokiomi Tohsaka's voice suddenly pulled him back to reality: "Regarding the Matou family, there are some things I'd like to remind you of..."

Tokiomi Tohsaka raised an eyebrow and asked, "What do you mean?"

“When I went to the Matou family yesterday, I saw some things… It’s a bit complicated to explain in detail. If you have time, you might as well go to the Matou family’s insect storage room today to take a look.”

"Insect warehouse?" Tokiomi Tohsaka frowned even more deeply.

The Matou family's magic is renowned for its insect users, and their insect storage is a forbidden zone within a forbidden zone. Why would Yu suddenly mention that place?

Yu Tohsaka didn't say anything more. He knew that some things needed to be witnessed by Tokiomi Tohsaka himself to truly understand.

Seeing that the conversation had reached a point, Tohsaka Yu stood up at the opportune moment and said, "The Holy Grail War has begun, so please be careful... I have important matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."

After saying that, he turned and left without waiting for Tokiomi Tohsaka to ask any more questions.

Tokiomi Tohsaka stood alone at the entrance of the hall, watching the boy's departing figure, remaining silent for a long time.

The Matou family's insect storage... What exactly does Yu mean by sending him there?

A strong sense of unease, like a dark cloud, enveloped his heart.

That night, Tokiomi Tohsaka quietly left the Tohsaka family mansion and headed towards the Matou family's residence.

Last night's brief but intense battle clearly dealt a devastating blow to this ancient mansion.

The dilapidated gate was wide open, and the courtyard was a mess, with broken wood and stones scattered everywhere and signs of a battle. A faint smell of burning and... a nauseating, distinctive stench of the Crest Bugs filled the air.

The entire mansion was deathly silent, devoid of any sign of life, as if it had become a real haunted house.

Tokiomi Tohsaka frowned, as he could clearly sense several powerful magical fluctuations remaining here.

He didn't linger in other parts of the mansion. Relying on his knowledge of the Magic Workshop's structure, Tokiomi Tohsaka went straight to the entrance to the underground insect silo located at the deepest part of the mansion.

It was an inconspicuous wooden door hidden in a dark corner, exuding a rotten smell.

Tokiomi Tohsaka's expression turned extremely serious. He could sense that the space behind the door was filled with extremely unsettling magical fluctuations.

He took a deep breath and pushed open the heavy wooden door.

A nauseating stench, so strong it was almost tangible, mixed with putridity and a peculiar magical power, assaulted the senses. Even a resolute magician like Tokiomi Tohsaka couldn't help but feel a wave of nausea.

He stepped down the dark, damp stairs, and the sight before him caused his usually elegant and composed face to lose all color for the first time.

It was a huge, intricate underground cavity, like an anthill.

The walls, the floor, and even the ceiling were crawling with countless, densely packed, and terrifying insects!

Various kinds of marking insects, emitting subtle yet eerie rustling sounds, slowly and greedily wriggled in this sunless space.

Tokiomi Tohsaka's body trembled slightly, not from fear, but from an uncontrollable anger and... disgust that came from the depths of his soul!

Although he had some prior knowledge that the Matou family's magical crests required a certain degree of influence on the mind and body, Tokiomi Tohsaka was unaware that this influence, and the method of inheriting these magical crests, was accomplished through such a disgusting method!

In an instant, Tokiomi Tohsaka felt a surge of blood rush to his head.

He had always thought that adopting Sakura into the Matou family, though cruel, would at least allow her to have her own path as a magician.

However, at this moment, the "rationality" of being a magician and the "sense of responsibility" of being the head of the Tohsaka family were shattered in the face of the cruel reality before them.

"You're only realizing it now?"

Just then, a cold voice filled with deep-seated hatred suddenly rang out from behind him.

Tokiomi Tohsaka turned around abruptly and saw Kariya Matou standing in the shadows not far away, like a ghost.

His face was as pale as paper, and his body was slightly hunched from the corrosive effects of the Crest Worms, but his empty eyes burned with a fury that could consume everything, staring intently at Tokiomi Tohsaka.

Matou Kariya's voice was hoarse as he slowly said, "Is this the future you chose for her, Tokiomi?!"

Tokiomi Tohsaka frowned slightly and said, "If I had known that the Matou family had fallen to this state, I would never have sent Sakura here."

"You can save those kinds of explanations for when you're in hell—!!!"

Kariya Matou, whose reason had long been consumed by anger and hatred, was completely deaf to any advice.

He simply frantically activated the Crest Worms within his body, attacking Tohsaka Tokiomi.

Tokiomi Tohsaka's magic was precise and elegant, each strike carrying immense power, easily suppressing Kariya Matou and forcing him into a retreat.

He didn't want to kill him; he just wanted to subdue the man who was blinded by rage.

However, just as Tokiomi Tohsaka was about to use binding magic to end this farce completely—

"Roar--!!!"

A terrifying roar filled with endless resentment and a destructive will suddenly came from the deeper part of the insect chamber!

Immediately afterwards, a terrifying aura, several times more violent than that of Matou Kariya and filled with divinity, descended with a roar, like an ancient monster awakening!

Kariya Matou's movements suddenly froze. He seemed to remember something and almost instinctively shouted, "Berserker...stop!"

If he could, this man didn't want to kill Tokiomi Tohsaka right now... Even though he hated Tokiomi Tohsaka to the extreme, the other party was, after all, Aoi's husband and Sakura and Rin's father.

However, how could the Gorgon, which was already in a state of semi-out-of-control, possibly obey the orders of his weak Master?

A dark purple pillar of magical light shot into the sky, and a huge figure, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression, slowly emerged from the summoning circle—it was the Servant who had descended in Berserker class.

—Gorgon!

Her snakeskin danced wildly, and her eyes, covered by an eyepatch, emitted an ominous red light. That terrifying divinity, filled with destructive desire, instantly enveloped the entire insect warehouse!

At this moment, Gorgon's rationality was affected by Tiamat's 'Return Principle' yesterday, and coupled with the violent negative emotions of Matou Kariya, his rationality had been largely devoured by the Berserker class's berserk state, leaving only the purest fighting and destructive instincts.

She didn't even pay attention to her Master, Matou Kariya. The moment her "gaze" covered by the eyepatch appeared, it was firmly locked onto Tohsaka Tokiomi—the one with the strongest magical reaction in this insect warehouse, besides herself!

Gorgon let out a roar that was not human, and its huge and twisted figure transformed into a dark purple lightning bolt, carrying a terrifying power capable of tearing space apart, and pounced toward Tokiomi Tohsaka!

Tokiomi Tohsaka's pupils contracted sharply. He could clearly sense that the power emanating from this Berserker was far beyond the scope of a regular Servant!

That divine pressure even made him feel a slight...heart palpitation!

Without hesitation, he unleashed all his magical power, and several powerful fire serpent spells instantly materialized, heading straight for Gorgon.

However, the fiery serpent, powerful enough to melt gold and iron, melted away like ice and snow when it came into contact with the dark purple divine power shield around Gorgon!

"Not good!" Tokiomi Tohsaka's expression changed drastically. He finally realized that this Berserker's strength was probably far beyond his imagination!

Just as Gorgon's claws, imbued with terrifying power, were about to tear through his defenses and completely devour him—

A golden ray of light suddenly descended from the sky, illuminating the entire dark insect chamber like the sun!

Tokiomi Tohsaka suddenly turned his head and looked over, instinctively saying, "Your Majesty..."

Gilgamesh didn't even glance back at his Master; instead, he used his crimson eyes to scrutinize the terrifying Berserker before him.

The Gate of Babylon unfolded behind him, revealing countless Noble Phantasms gleaming with a cold light, emitting a humming tremor.

"I never expected there would be such a irrational individual in this Holy Grail War... It just so happens that my interest from last night hasn't waned yet, so I'll use you as an appetizer!"

Before he finished speaking, countless magical artifacts rained down like a storm, colliding violently with Gorgon's raging divine power!

The violent explosion echoed inside the insect chamber, and the entire Matou family mansion trembled violently under the terrifying energy shock!

Tokiomi Tohsaka stood behind Gilgamesh, watching the battle that was like a clash of gods, his expression growing increasingly solemn.

Originally, Tokiomi Tohsaka planned that the King of Heroes should be the strongest Servant in the Holy Grail War... However, judging from the current situation, it seems that there is more than just the King of Heroes among the exceptionally powerful Servants.

Therefore, it seems that the original plan may need to be revised and revised...

……

Meanwhile, in a luxurious suite on the top floor of the Shinto Hotel, Kenneth elegantly held a glass of red wine, standing in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the night view of Fuyuki City.

Tonight, Fuyuki City is destined to be anything but peaceful.

His keen senses as a top magician had already detected the magical fluctuations erupting from the direction of the Matou family mansion on the other side of the city... as well as the magnificent golden radiance that seemed to surpass everything.

"The King of Heroes... Gilgamesh."

Kenneth gently swirled the red wine in his glass, a faint smile playing on his lips: "It seems Tokiomi Tohsaka is eager to bring out his trump card."

The Matou family's Berserker, plus the Tohsaka family's Archer... The Holy Grail War has only just begun, and such a fierce conflict has already erupted between the two major factions, which undoubtedly provides him with an excellent opportunity for his next move.

Chaos often means opportunity.

"Lancer."

He turned his head and looked at the golden-haired lion king, who was shrouded in shadow and exuded a kingly aura.

—Artoria Pendragon.

"The show has already begun, and we can't always be spectators."

"...It's time for us to take the initiative."

……

Deep within the ancient castle of Eindzbern, in stark contrast to the chaos and battles of the outside world, tranquility prevails.

Merlin, the flower magician who descended in the Saber class, sat listlessly by the fireplace, holding a cup of black tea that Irisviel had specially prepared for him.

Unlike Kiritsugu Emiya, who was constantly on edge analyzing the battle, he was more like a detached spectator, enjoying the "opening show" unfolding throughout Fuyuki City with great interest through his omnipotent "clairvoyance".

"Oh my, the king made his grand entrance as always. I wonder if this battle will allow him to have a little more fun?"

"Hmm? The one he fought... was the Matou family's Berserker? I didn't expect it to be her again..."

Merlin clicked his tongue in admiration, his gaze constantly shifting between the magic mediums, capturing every interesting moment.

Just then, his gaze paused slightly as he swept his eyes toward the Xindu Hotel.