Did the Heroic Spirit I conquered become a reality?

It seems that although Sakura was brought back from the Matou family, her psychological trauma has not been healed.

Sakura doesn't trust Tokiomi Tohsaka these days, and she hasn't even fully opened up to Aoi Tohsaka and Rin Tohsaka... Is that why she's been somewhat withdrawn lately?

But thinking about it, it makes sense. She was 'abandoned' to the Matou family all alone, and may have even witnessed the horrors of the 'insect silos' firsthand... In that moment of despair, no one helped her.

The only person who reached out to her was Tohsaka Yu.

Perhaps that's why girls these days react with such excessive intimacy...

Yu Tohsaka sighed softly, gently stroking the girl's hair in silent comfort.

It took a while for Sakura Tohsaka to calm down.

She remained nestled tightly in Tohsaka Yu's arms, as if it were the safest haven in the world.

Looking at her still tear-stained face, Yu Tohsaka thought for a moment, then asked softly in as light a tone as possible, "Sakura, do you... have any 'wishes'? Maybe I can help you..."

He originally intended to use this method to test whether his sister harbored any unknown "obsession" deep within her heart, or rather... whether she had been "bewitched" by some external force.

Upon hearing this, Sakura Tohsaka slightly raised her head, a hint of confusion flashing in her dark eyes.

She thought about it seriously for a moment, then gently shook her head: "No... Sakura doesn't have any particular wish."

Yu Tohsaka breathed a slight sigh of relief.

However, at that moment, Sakura Tohsaka seemed to suddenly remember something, and for the first time, a strange light flashed in her dark eyes.

"If... if I really have any wish..." A shy yet intensely expectant expression appeared on her small face as she whispered, "In the future, I also want to participate in the Holy Grail War."

"Participate in the Holy Grail War?" Upon hearing this, Yu Tohsaka was taken aback, his heart filled with confusion. "Why? Is it to... help Father fulfill the Tohsaka family's long-cherished wish?"

He knew that reaching the "root" was the supreme goal passed down by the successive heads of the Tohsaka family.

However, Sakura Tohsaka shook her head vigorously again. Her dark eyes shone brightly as she looked at Yu Tohsaka. Although her voice was still childish, it carried an undeniable firmness and... a touch of chilling persistence:

"No...it's not for Father, nor for the Tohsaka family."

“I just…I just want to…summon my brother to be my Servant.”

Under Yuna Tohsaka's astonished gaze, the girl continued in an utterly matter-of-fact, innocent tone:

"That way, brother can always stay by Sakura's side and protect her forever, right?"

Volume 1: Chapter 72 Tohsaka Yuu's Thoughts - The Root of Connections

Faced with her younger sister's innocent and expectant words, which were almost like a confession, Tohsaka Yu's heart skipped a beat.

Looking into the girl's bright, dark eyes that were gazing at him, and at the innocent, matter-of-fact expression on her face, he instinctively wanted to nod and agree.

However, when his gaze met his sister's unfathomable eyes, his initial intention to respond easily froze.

Because Yu Tohsaka clearly saw that beneath the girl's seemingly innocent expectations lay a kind of... undeniable, heart-stopping persistence and seriousness.

She wasn't joking, nor was it some little girl's wild fantasy; she was genuinely considering it seriously.

Yu Tohsaka held back what she wanted to say and gently stroked her sister's soft, short black hair.

He spoke softly in an incredibly gentle yet exceptionally firm voice, "Sakura, even if you weren't a Servant, your brother would always protect you."

This was not a perfunctory promise, but a brother's most solemn commitment to her.

Sakura Tohsaka was visibly taken aback upon hearing this, seemingly not expecting such a response.

But after a moment, the persistence and expectation on her face gradually melted away, replaced by a sweet smile from the bottom of her heart.

"Ok!"

She nodded vigorously and buried her little head in her brother's warm embrace again.

But in his heart, he was increasingly looking forward to the next Holy Grail War.

……

Yu Tohsaka left the villa silently. Just as she reached the front door, she heard a clear, cool, and somewhat languid voice.

Judging from your expression, it seems... you didn't get the answer you wanted?

He turned his head and saw Morgan, dressed in a gorgeous dark witch's gown, had quietly appeared beside him.

Yu Tohsaka paused slightly, raised his head to look at his nominal Master and "collaborator," and said, "Princess Morgan, while I was inside, did you... notice anything unusual around that villa? For example, any traces of other Servants' activities?"

Morgan shook his head slightly: "Within the area of ​​this villa, apart from you and me, and those few humans inside the villa, there is no trace of any other Servant activity."

Upon hearing this answer, Yu Tohsaka couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

There was no trace of other Servants... This at least indicates that Sakura is not the Master of this Holy Grail War.

Perhaps the attacker truly possessed some extremely sophisticated method of concealment that even Ruler could hardly detect?

Morgan's cold eyes swept over the boy for a few moments, a mocking smile curving her lips beneath her veil: "You seem quite nervous, don't you? If... I mean, if your sister really is the murderer hiding behind the scenes, how would you face her?"

Yu Tohsaka shook his head: "That assumption doesn't hold true. Sakura... she would never do such a thing."

He paused, seemingly unwilling to continue the topic, and turned to Morgan, asking, "There's something I've always wanted to ask you... Now that the Greater Grail has been devoured by Tiamat and can no longer fulfill any wishes, what is your purpose in participating in this Holy Grail War? And how do you plan to fulfill the 'long-cherished wish' you mentioned before?"

A playful glint flashed in Morgan's icy blue eyes. She stopped, turned around, and quietly looked at Tohsaka Yu.

A moment later, a pleasant voice said, "Who told you... that the Greater Grail can only be wished upon by defeating various Servants?"

Yu Tohsaka froze, his eyes filled with utter confusion and bewilderment: "What do you mean?"

“What I mean is…” Morgan’s smile became even more meaningful, “The ‘prize’ of the Holy Grail War may be gone, but the ‘Holy Grail’ itself has not disappeared.”

She extended her slender finger and gently touched Tohsaka Yu's heart, the very spot where his soul was anchored to Tiamat.

"As long as enough magic power is collected, the Greater Grail's 'wish-granting' power can also be realized through Tiamat... provided that she is willing to let the Greater Grail manifest."

Yu Tohsaka pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked up and said, "Since Tiamat is now the Greater Grail itself, if there's a way to directly supply her with magical energy, could that magical energy be transferred directly into the Greater Grail?"

If that's the case, wouldn't it be possible to bring down the Greater Grail without defeating other Servants?

Morgan paused for a moment, then quickly shook his head and chuckled: "It sounds like a great idea... but it won't be so easy to implement."

She paused, then continued, "The reason the Holy Grail War requires the seven Servants to fight each other is because the Servants' soul cores are copies of the returned hero's soul. Their essence is pure 'magic crystallization,' and their 'quality' is far beyond that of ordinary magic. Only by gathering the soul energy of at least five Servants can enough 'power' be generated to create a hole on this planet leading to the 'outside world,' thereby connecting to the Root and fulfilling the wish."

“In other words,” Morgan’s icy blue eyes calmly gazed at Tohsaka Yu, “even if you possess the immense magical power of an EX-rank, even if you can supply Tiamat with that power without reservation, you cannot replace the seven Servant souls who serve as the ‘keys.’ All you can do is, at most, make that ‘mother’… well, eat a little more ‘filling’.”

Yu Tohsaka listened quietly to Morgan's "explanation" of the nature of the Holy Grail War, her brows furrowing slightly.

Immediately afterwards, a thought flashed through his mind like lightning piercing the darkness, without warning.

Wait a minute... The purpose of the Holy Grail War is to open the "hole" connecting to the Root.

What if they already have a ready-made "hole"?

“Princess Morgan,” Yu Tohsaka suddenly raised her head, her eyes shining with a strange light, and said, “You just said that the ultimate goal of the Holy Grail War is to use the soul energy of the seven Servants to break through a ‘hole’ that leads to the ‘outside world’ and connects to the Root, right?”

A hint of confusion flashed in Morgan's icy blue eyes, but she nodded nonetheless: "That's right, this is the most fundamental rule of the ritual."

"What if... what if we don't need to 'drill holes' anymore?"

Looking at Morgan's increasingly confused expression, he said, word by word, "What if we could find a ready-made 'door' that's already connected to the 'root'? Like... Ayaka Sajou."

Even Morgan, the Fairy Queen who had seen it all, couldn't help but pause for a moment when she heard this idea.

Yu Tohsaka nodded gently: "Aika was born connected to the Root. Her existence itself is a 'passage' to the 'outside world' for this world. Since we already have the 'door', why do we need to go through all the trouble of collecting seven 'keys' and then chisel open another wall?"

“Tiamat is the ‘wishing machine’ herself; she possesses immense power to turn wishes into reality. And I can provide her with the most basic ‘fuel’ needed to activate that power. What we lack is simply the path to the ‘root’!”

"And now... we've gathered all three core elements to activate the wish-granting machine... Do you think this plan is possible?"

Morgan listened quietly, and by the end, the icy blue eyes hidden behind the veil gradually transformed from initial confusion and surprise into utter astonishment and admiration.

Her breathing, which was always cold and arrogant, became somewhat rapid at this moment.

Yes, even she overlooked something extremely important.

The Greater Grail needs to be connected to the Root to descend and fulfill wishes... But now, the Root, the Greater Grail, and even sufficient magical energy have all been gathered!

There is absolutely no need for other servants.

Perhaps... they themselves can unlock the root of the problem and summon the omnipotent wish-granting machine?!

……

Sunlight pierced through the thin mist and fell on the streets of Fuyuki City.

Exhausted, Tokiomi Tohsaka returned to the secluded villa where his family was temporarily staying.

Dealing with the aftermath of the Xindu Hotel bombing proved to be far more complicated than he had imagined.

He exhausted almost all his energy trying to cover up the magical remnants that could hardly be explained by a "natural gas leak" and to appease the alarmed authorities.

Tokiomi Tohsaka pushed open the villa door, ready to enjoy a moment of peace.

As he watched his wife approach, a hint of weariness crept into his voice as he asked, "Aoi... are all three children home?"

Aoi Tohsaka looked confused and said, "Sakura and Rin just had breakfast... It seems that Yu left early this morning; his room was already empty when I woke up."

Upon hearing this, Tokiomi Tohsaka frowned slightly, the strange feeling that had been lingering in his heart since last night growing even stronger.

Ultimately, Yu Tohsaka's sudden return has been shrouded in mystery from the very beginning, and his whereabouts last night, as well as his relationship with Sakura, reveal something unusual.

Just then, a small figure ran down the stairs; it was his eldest daughter, Rin Tohsaka.

"Father!" Upon seeing Tokiomi Tohsaka, Rin Tohsaka's face lit up with a joyful smile. She ran quickly to her father and threw herself into his arms.

The gloom on Tokiomi Tohsaka's face, caused by fatigue and irritability, dissipated slightly when he felt his daughter's closeness.

He reached out and gently stroked Rin's smooth black twin tails, his voice softening considerably: "Rin, did you sleep well last night?"

Rin Tohsaka thought for a moment, then nodded obediently: "Hmm...it's fine, isn't it?"

Although she had been somewhat worried about the Holy Grail War, she didn't want her father to be too concerned.

Tokiomi Tohsaka's smile softened further. After a brief conversation with his daughter, he turned his gaze to his wife, his tone tinged with concern: "How is Sakura doing?"

When her youngest daughter is mentioned, a deep worry involuntarily appears on Aoi Tohsaka's face, which is always adorned with a gentle smile.

She sighed softly and said, "It's still the same... Ever since we came back from the Matou family that day, Sakura has been locking herself in her room, not saying much and not coming out much either. I always feel that the child... seems a bit withdrawn."

She paused, looked at her husband, and said with a pleading look in her eyes, "Why don't you find some time to have a good talk with her? I always feel like she has a lot on her mind."

"And... please don't send her to other places anymore." Aoi Tohsaka's voice carried a hint of a mother's plea. "I don't want to see Sakura like that again. Perhaps... it would be better for her to grow up like a normal girl."

However, Tokiomi Tohsaka frowned involuntarily upon hearing his wife's words.

In his view, becoming an excellent magician, continuing the family's glory, and reaching the other side of the origin is the ultimate pursuit.

Compared to this, what is the meaning of an ordinary person's mundane and short life?

Just as the couple were talking, a petite figure appeared again at the top of the stairs.

Sakura Tohsaka had already appeared there at some point. She was wearing a clean, plain-colored dress, and her short, jet-black hair hung smoothly beside her ears. Her black eyes, which always carried a hint of timidity, were now looking at them with unusual calmness.

Tokiomi Tohsaka crouched down, beckoned, and said in a gentle tone, "Sakura, come here for a moment."

Sakura Tohsaka stepped forward and timidly called out, "Father..."

Her demeanor was elegant and poised, perfectly befitting the manners expected of someone from a prestigious magic family; however, beneath that politeness lay a subtle, indescribable aloofness.

"What do you need me for?" she asked cautiously.

As Tokiomi Tohsaka watched this scene, he couldn't help but feel a mix of complex emotions.

He opened his mouth, intending to ask something, but in the end it turned into a soft sigh.

He shook his head, his voice unconsciously softening: "It's nothing, I just wanted to see you. Were you scared last night?"

"Yes, I'm fine with my brother here," Sakura Tohsaka whispered.

Seeing his daughter's overly "sensible" appearance, Tokiomi Tohsaka's eyes softened.

She wanted to pat her daughter's head from behind, but Sakura Tohsaka immediately took a half step back.

His hand hung awkwardly in mid-air, and silence filled the hall.

A moment later, Tokiomi Tohsaka silently withdrew his hand. He didn't say anything more, but gave his wife a few more instructions, telling her to take good care of their two daughters, before turning and leaving the villa.

Instead of returning immediately to the Tohsaka family mansion, he went to the Holy Church in Fuyuki City.

As one of the three founding families, he had already established a certain degree of cooperation with Father Risei Kotomine, the supervisor of this Holy Grail War.

The atmosphere inside the church was solemn and respectful.

Led by a young priest, Tokiomi Tohsaka soon met Risei Kotomine in the prayer room.