She held Rin in her arms, tears streaming down her face, as if Rin might suddenly disappear at any moment… "Who's there?" Tōsaka Aoi suddenly shouted in a certain direction.
A figure wearing a hoodie stood silently.
"I thought that if I waited here, I would surely find you."
The man mumbled, a lost look in his eyes.
"…Kariya?" Tōsaka Aoi softly breathed out the name.
Matou Kariya walked over, his body no longer having that sickly, dying appearance.
"Did you save Rin?" Tōsaka Aoi asked, looking at Matou Kariya.
"…No, it was the Master who saved Rin." He paused, then added, "…And Sakura!"
"Sakura? What happened to Sakura?" Hearing Matou Kariya mention Sakura, Tōsaka Aoi asked anxiously. Regardless of anything, that was, after all, her child!
"No, Sakura is fine! The Master saved her, and even that old man Zouken Matou is dead!" Matou Kariya spoke excitedly, with great reverence for the 'Master' he mentioned. A large part of his hope had been realized!
Tōsaka Aoi breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that Sakura was fine. However, when she heard that Zouken Matou was gone, her heart still skipped a beat. She naturally knew who Zouken Matou was.
"The Master? Who is the Master?" Tōsaka Aoi asked, puzzled and curious about the person Matou Kariya spoke of, as his reverence was clearly from the heart.
"Aoi, you don't need to ask! You just need to know that soon, very soon, we'll be able to play here together again, and Rin and Sakura will quickly become good sisters once more!" As he spoke, Matou Kariya became more and more excited, gesticulating wildly. Tōsaka Aoi also noticed the Command Seals on his hand.
"What's that?" Tōsaka Aoi asked in surprise.
"Yes, that's right, I've joined the Holy Grail War! My Servant is very strong, and as long as I help the Master, we will surely achieve the final victory! Then, that man, it's all his fault…" Clenching his fists, Matou Kariya was firm in his belief, but the last sentence he mumbled, and Tōsaka Aoi didn't hear it.
"Oh, God…" Hearing Kariya's answer, Tōsaka Aoi felt a pang of pain. This meant that her husband and her childhood friend would engage in a brutal struggle!
At the same time, she felt an inexplicable fear towards the 'Master' Matou Kariya spoke of… "Kariya, you—" She wanted to say something, but Matou Kariya had already turned around… "Don't worry, Aoi! I will take good care of Sakura, she will get better soon, very soon…" Leaving a silhouette, Matou Kariya walked into the distant darkness.
"Wait—" She reached out her hand, wanting to stop him, but Tōsaka Aoi didn't have the courage to catch up… Tears streamed from her eyes. Thinking about what might happen in the future, she couldn't help but feel sorrowful… The mother's tears fell on Rin's sleeping face. Feeling the slight movement in her arms, Tōsaka Aoi quickly changed her expression, forcing a smile: "Are you awake, Rin?"
"Mmm, I think I had a dream…" Tōsaka Rin mumbled, but deep down, her heart told her that it wasn't a dream, and the shadow of a young boy lingered within it.
"Did he only say that much, Kariya?" In front of where Matou Kariya had departed, Ryougi Raku stood silently.
"Yes, Master! The top priority now is to help you win this war!" Matou Kariya said respectfully to Ryougi Raku.
"…Tōsaka Tokiomi's wife… She's your childhood friend, isn't she?"
"…Mmm!" He nodded in acknowledgment to Ryougi Raku's question, and at the same time, said nervously, "…Master!"
Ryougi Raku waved his hand, interrupting him. "Don't worry, I haven't fallen so low as to attack ordinary people!"
"Phew, thank you very much!" Matou Kariya breathed a sigh of relief, relaxing. He was very afraid that Ryougi Raku would use Tōsaka Aoi to accomplish something.
"…You like her very much, don't you?" Ryougi Raku suddenly asked out of the blue.
Matou Kariya's breath hitched, but he still answered, "…Mmm, I like her very much, but…"
"But she's already married to Tōsaka Tokiomi, isn't she?" Ryougi Raku's eyes held a strange magic, making Matou Kariya unable to resist staring.
"…Heh!" With a light chuckle, Ryougi Raku didn't continue the topic, but Matou Kariya didn't see the smile at the corner of Ryougi Raku's mouth.
'Prepare to thank me, Matou Kariya!'
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That night at the Matou household, Ryougi Raku had a dream. He dreamt of Lancer's life, the life of a tragic hero.
"Exchange my love for your sacred vow, my dear, please stop this absurd marriage. Take me away… to the ends of heaven, to the other side of the world!"
The princess's words to the knight still echoed in his ears, but Ryougi Raku would not grieve over these things. He believed that all of this was an inevitable outcome of chance. If Lancer had been strong enough, none of it would have happened… Yes, weakness is a sin… Ryougi Raku thought.
Standing by the window of his room, Ryougi Raku quietly gazed at the distant sky. This was a room in the Matou mansion, decorated very luxuriously. After delivering Tōsaka Rin to her mother, Ryougi Raku and Matou Kariya returned here.
It was already late at night then, but young Sakura was surprisingly still awake, obediently waiting for their return… For Ryougi Raku, the obedient Sakura was actually more likable than the tsundere Rin.
Sakura was a child after all. Not long after seeing the two return, she fell asleep. After taking her back to her room, Ryougi Raku also fell into a deep sleep.
However, this dream woke him. He didn't like dreaming. Since his Origin awakened, he had never dreamt. He always believed that dreaming was a sign of weakness… And now, due to his Servant, he had once again dreamt about a tragic hero.
"Oh?" A magical ripple came from the distant sky. In Ryougi Raku's perception, it was as if he saw a flash of lightning.
"Rider?" Thinking this, Ryougi Raku did nothing. He never casually participated in things he wasn't interested in.
He had met Kotomine Kirei not long ago and learned of his pursuit. So what was he, himself, pursuing?
This confusion lasted only a moment before Ryougi Raku remembered the vow he had made in his heart when he gained the power of Origin: to transcend, to surpass everything in this world! That was the decision he made upon acquiring this power with limitless potential for development, so as not to disgrace it.
Quietly gazing at the burning flame in his hand, in just 10 years, using this power, he was even able to compete with Servants. And his time was still very long, very long. No matter time, space, or even the entire world, one day all of this would no longer be able to stop him.
"…As long as the people I care about are safe, that's enough. Only by having stronger power can I achieve this." With a slight smile, Ryougi Raku spoke. He had always been so indifferent and selfish; as long as the people he cared about were safe, he wouldn't feel sad even if everyone else was destroyed.
Having no interest in continuing to sleep, ever since the awakening of his power, not sleeping for long periods didn't make him feel particularly tired. It was just that when sleep became a habit, it was difficult to change… Habits are indeed terrifying things… He silently brewed a pot of tea, then sat by the window, feeling his power, silent.
The next morning, when Ryougi Raku came downstairs, breakfast was already prepared.
"Big brother…" Sakura called out with a slight smile when she saw Ryougi Raku.
Sakura was still as silent and quiet as when she first came to the Matou household, but occasionally she would show some smiles. Perhaps it wouldn't be long before these shadows receded, and she would laugh cheerfully? Children always forget quickly.
"Sakura? Is breakfast ready?" Ryougi Raku ruffled her hair, smiling.
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(TL : More Chapters @patreon.com/c/Gooberilla)