Sakura was desperate.
Even though she had mentally prepared herself after witnessing her tragic fate through the chat group, reality still hurt far worse.
This time, it was no longer just a shadow of memory—this was real.
Her father didn't believe her. No matter her pleas, he was still going to send her to that cursed place—the hell that was the Matou family.
She was only six years old.
Too young to understand betrayal, but old enough to feel it carve deep.
Whether her father's intentions were noble or naive… it no longer mattered.
Because in the end, it was her father who was pushing her into hell with his own hands.
The copy of her memories had terrified her once.
But this—this second time, in the real world—shattered her completely.
Her little heart, fragile but bright, had been crushed by the very man who should have protected it.
"Brother Daemon!!"
Tears poured down Sakura's cheeks as she cried out the name with all her heart.
Brother Daemon will save me! He always does…!
"Daemon? Sakura, who is that? Where did you even hear that name?"
Tosaka Tokiomi froze, his outstretched hand hovering in the air, surprise tightening his features.
Even the old worm, Zouken Matou, narrowed his eyes at the name, a rare flicker of wariness in his expression.
Just before the Holy Grail War began, an unknown name like this surfacing? Suspicious, to say the least.
"Sakura, answer me! Haven't you learned to obey your father's words?"
Tokiomi's voice grew colder, more commanding.
The Holy Grail… it was the dream of the Tosaka family for generations. He couldn't allow any disruption now, not even from his own daughter.
As she stood silent, trembling, his anger grew. He stepped forward again to grab her.
But then—
"No need to ask," a calm yet commanding voice spoke behind them. "Because I've already arrived."
Everyone froze.
"Who's there!?"
Tokiomi spun around, alarmed. Zouken stepped back slightly, face tightening. Even the seven-year-old Rin Tosaka turned her head curiously.
There, bathed in golden light, a figure emerged. No, two figures.
A man and a woman stepped from the glow.
"Could it be…?" Tokiomi's voice trembled with barely-contained excitement. "Has Sakura been chosen by the Grail? Did she summon a Heroic Spirit early?"
The aura was undeniable. Power rippled through the air—mystical, divine.
A Heroic Spirit. He was sure of it.
His heart pounded. Luckily, I didn't send her away yet. If I had, I'd be giving my rival a Servant…!
Zouken, standing nearby, was thinking the same, though his expression soured.
Still, since Sakura hadn't officially changed families yet, he tried to negotiate quickly: "Tokiomi, you remember what we agreed on. Technically, Sakura hasn't been transferred yet…"
"Of course not!" Tokiomi cut him off immediately. "Sakura is still part of the Tosaka family. You've got no claim on her."
This is a Heroic Spirit, after all. He wasn't about to give that kind of power away. Did that old worm really think he was that foolish?
Zouken was furious, but he couldn't show it. Not now. Not in the Tosaka household. Who knew how many wards and traps were in place?
Worse—there was an unknown Heroic Spirit standing right there.
And it looked like that Spirit's master… was Sakura.
Even a weak Heroic Spirit was nothing a normal magus could fight.
So, gritting his teeth, he chose silence—for now.
The golden light finally faded.
Daemon stood tall, calm, and unreadable. Beside him, Utaha Kasumigaoka wore a sharp glare, her disgust plain.
Neither acknowledged Tokiomi.
Neither acknowledged Zouken.
Only one face mattered to them—and when Sakura saw them, all her despair melted into joy.
"Brother Daemon!!"
Sakura bolted forward and threw herself into Daemon's arms, sobbing.
"Don't worry, Sakura-chan," Daemon said softly, gently holding her close. "Brother Daemon is here. You don't have to be afraid anymore."
Utaha, standing beside them, watched the little girl cry into Daemon's chest with a hint of envy in her eyes.
"I… I was so scared!" Sakura wailed.
She clung to him like a drowning child pulled from the sea, her sorrow finally given permission to burst out.
Tokiomi watched silently.
He opened his mouth as if to speak—but stopped.
Seeing the raw emotion on Sakura's tear-streaked face, he finally wondered, Did I really make the right choice?
Zouken, on the other hand, tried to slip away.
"Well then, since it seems Sakura has a new guardian, I'll just—"
"Did I say you could leave?" Daemon's voice cut in, sharp as ice.
His eyes locked onto Zouken with a cold fury that made even Tokiomi recoil.
The air turned heavy with killing intent.
That oppressive presence… that overwhelming force…
Is he really a Heroic Spirit? Tokiomi thought. Could he be… an Assassin?
"Heh…" Zouken chuckled lightly. "The Tosaka manor isn't a prison. Surely you wouldn't hold a guest against his will?"
He took a careful step back, trying to make his escape.
But Utaha had already opened the live stream in the chat group.
Miyuki Uchiha: "Can this disgusting bug die already? You're too slow, Daemon!"
Esdeath: "Shockingly—this Uchiha brat actually said something sensible. Hurry up, Daemon. This trash isn't worth the breath."
Luo Hao: "Hmph. Pathetic creature."
Erina Nakiri: "Agreed! Disgusting. Sakura-chan looks so pitiful!"
Jibril: "I just want to see something glorious. Please do something dramatic, Daemon!"
Erina Nakiri: "Eh!? Miss Jibril, do you… like Daemon?"
Yamamoto Mei: "Relax, Erina. She probably just wants to dissect him."
Miyuki Uchiha: "Erina-sama's tsundere switch is fully activated!"
Erina Nakiri: "WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT!?"
Luo Hao: "Shh, quiet. Daemon is about to begin."
Across the multiverse, the girls in the group watched with shared disgust toward Zouken.
Ugly, manipulative, creepy—and worst of all, his magecraft was insect-based.
Truly repulsive.
Daemon, meanwhile, had no plans to waste time. The mission deadline was tight—just one day.
And this old worm? He was slippery, like Orochimaru or Muzan—better to kill fast than risk anything.
"Let's start by removing your filthy body from this world."
A dazzling golden sword shimmered into Daemon's hand.
He raised it calmly, power coiling around him.
And then—
"God Avoid!"
A streak of gold tore through the air.
The golden light of the sword seemed to split the world itself in two.
It was a strike that ignored all logic—space, time, distance, even the concept of defense.
A slash destined to land the moment it was swung. Not even the gods could hope to escape it.
Among the countless Noble Phantasms Daemon wielded, Divine Avoidance stood proudly among the strongest—an existence beyond reason, beyond resistance.
Even Yamamoto Mei had once remarked, "If Daemon ever acquired a treasure akin to my [Straight Death], the value of God Avoid would rise beyond imagination."
And now—
A hideous scream tore through the air as the mutilated head of Zouken Matou was flung skyward, trailing black blood like ink.
"... That sword... is it really a Heroic Spirit's treasure?" Tosaka Tokiomi's eyes widened, but even as the question left his lips, it answered itself.
Of course it was. Only a being from the Age of Gods could wield such might. Compared to modern magi, a Heroic Spirit was a force of nature.
But something gnawed at him. Sakura's command spell—it had vanished from the back of her hand. A hidden contract? A special summoning ritual? The mystery deepened.
Jibril: "That Noble Phantasm is ridiculous! Ignoring space and time? That's like hacking reality itself!"
Miyuki Uchiha: "Exactly. I've always suspected Daemon is the admin of this chat group. He has to be the protagonist—we're just background characters."
Esdeath: "That disgusting worm died too easily. Pathetic. I expected more."
Luo Hao: "Something feels off"
Miyuki Uchiha: "Don't worry, that bug's probably hiding inside some creepy insect body like always. Typical Matou filth."
Erina Nakiri: "His true body is a worm?! That's... absolutely revolting."
Luo Hao: "Immortality at the cost of humanity... how pitiful. He chose to become an insect rather than fade with dignity."
Jibril: "Tch. Even if I lived for thousands of years, I wouldn't debase myself like that. He's not even worthy of being added to my collection."
Though Daemon surely knew all this, his act of destroying Zouken Matou's body held deep meaning.
First, for Sakura—curled up quietly in his arms since moments ago.
As she watched the nightmare that haunted her life be effortlessly cleaved apart, something in her broke free.
Her small hands trembled, but her eyes were no longer clouded with fear. Instead, they shimmered—full of admiration, full of something deeper.
Then there was Tosaka Tokiomi, Sakura's estranged father.
He stared at Daemon with wide eyes, a mix of reverence and fear clouding his expression.
And finally, a little girl, no older than seven—Rin Tosaka.
Her ruby eyes sparkled as she whispered in awe, "So cool..."
To her, Daemon was more than just a strong man. He was like a knight out of a storybook—handsome, powerful, saving her sister like a divine warrior from heaven.
She couldn't help herself. She stepped forward, cheeks pink.
"Hello, big brother! Thank you for saving Sakura. I'm Rin Tohsaka, her older sister."
She tried to sound dignified, like a proper lady of a mage household. But the admiration shining in her eyes betrayed her. She had already been swept away.
Daemon smiled, soft and warm. "Nice to meet you, Rin. You're very cute."
"Wh—! C-Cute?! You can't just say something like that to a girl you just met, that's too straight forward!"
Rin immediately turned red, hiding her face in her hands. But her flustered joy was impossible to miss.
Watching from the side, still held close to Daemon's chest, Sakura tightened her grip.
Her sister was always the one who had it all. Even in the fragmented memories she saw during the time-loop experiment—memories of a future yet to come—Sakura was the one cast aside. The obedient one. The one sent away.
And Rin? Rin got to stay. Rin got the love, the home... and now, was she going to take Daemon too?
A dark seed of doubt grew inside Sakura's heart.
She knew Rin loved her. Rin had defied their father to protect her. But even so...
Why was happiness always so far away?
Drip.
A tear fell onto Daemon's hand.
"Sakura-chan?" he asked gently, surprised. "What's wrong? Aren't you okay now?"
Sakura buried her face in his shoulder, voice trembling. "I-I just... I'm still scared... what if the bad old man comes back?"
Daemon's heart softened. He didn't suspect a thing. Of course a child who suffered so much would still be afraid.
"I understand," he whispered. "But it's over. I'll protect you from now on."
He held her close as she sobbed quietly, not realizing that fear wasn't the only thing stirring inside her.
Utaha Kasumigaoka, who had remained silent in the background, watched Sakura with narrowed eyes. Something in the girl's expression... it wasn't quite right.
But she said nothing—for now.
"Let's go," Daemon said calmly, rising with Sakura in his arms.
"Go...? Where?" Tokiomi asked instinctively. "Wait—Lord Heroic Spirit, where are you taking my daughter?"
"To wipe out the Matou family," Daemon replied, voice low and cold. "Only then can Sakura truly sleep without nightmares."
A chill ran down Tokiomi's spine.
It was clear: the Matou legacy, centuries old, was finished.
Modern magi stood no chance against an enraged Heroic Spirit. Even Tokiomi, proud and ambitious, knew that.
And yet... he found himself pondering something else.
This being—Daemon—was no ordinary Heroic Spirit. He might even be a divine figure from the Age of Gods.
If Sakura could bear a child with him... if that bloodline could be passed to the Tosaka name...
Age was no obstacle. A magician always had methods. The real question was:
Would Daemon allow it?
And was he truly a god?
Tokiomi decided to follow and witness the fall of the Matou family.
Perhaps, in that destruction, he would find his answer.
--------------------------------------
Support me at patreon.com/Arthorain and read upto 50 Advanced Chapters!