Opinions collided across the chat.
Rin stared blankly at the discussion, feelings tangled. She had to admit that, from a magus's point of view, her father's plan had a certain logic. The Tohsaka Crest could only go to one heir, and as the elder daughter compatible with the Tohsaka Crest, she was first in line. So what about gifted Sakura? Was her talent supposed to be buried?
At that thought, Rin's expression dimmed. She realized that if this was how things stood, Father really might do itand she might not be able to stop him. As the Tohsaka heir, she knew better than anyone how inviolable the rules were.
Tohsaka Rin: "If if it's just that, then maybe it wouldn't be bad for Sakura. At least she could keep studying magecraft and use her talent"
She tried her best to see it in a positive light. But Rei Ao's next words left her stunned.
Rei Ao: "If it were only that, then there'd be no issue."
Rei Ao: "But the problem is that the Matou family head, Matou Zouken, has other designs on Sakura."
Rei Ao continued.
First, attribute incompatibility: the Matou family's magecraft element is Water, while Sakura's is Imaginary Numbers. To make her fit Matou magecraft, crest worms would be implanted to forcibly remodel her body, subjecting her to extreme painfar beyond anything Tokiomi imagines.
Second, Matou Zouken's true intention is to raise Sakura as a vessel for the Holy Grail, using her magic circuits to pursue his own immortality. Tokiomi's lack of insight into the Matou family's inner darkness turns his well-meant decision into tragedy.
~~~
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Chapter 952: Rin's Determination...
Sakura will suffer inhuman torment in the Matou household.
She'll be shut away in an underground worm cellar, her body and soul gnawed day and night by crest worms. Those things will alter her magecraft attribute, but at the cost of endless pain.
She will lose her own name, be called "Matou Sakura," and gradually grow numb to her past in the Tohsaka home.
Worse still, Matou Zouken plans to raise Sakura as a vessel for the Holy Grailmeaning her body will be remade into a "container" capable of holding immense mana, to be used as a sacrifice in the Holy Grail War.
Tohsaka Rin: "No that's impossible. Father would never let that happen!"
Rei Ao: "Your father doesn't know. Matou Zouken hides himself well. On the surface, he's only looking for a suitable heir to carry on the Matou bloodline. Your father has been deceived."
Rei Ao: "Of course, that doesn't mean he's blameless."
Busujima Saeko: "That's too cruel How can anyone do that to a young girl?"
Yuzuriha Inori: "So sad such a heavy fate."
Miko Yotsuya: "Just imagining it gives me chills. Worms are terrifying!"
Aihara Enju: "Rei Ao-nii, can't you stop this from happening? I know better than anyone what it's like to be treated as a tool!"
Rin was trembling all over, barely able to hold the pen in her hand. She pictured her sister locked in a dark basement, devoured by countless worms, and her stomach lurched.
Tohsaka Rin: "W-what should I do? I can't let Sakura suffer that fate!"
Rei Ao: "That's why I'm telling you. Knowing the future is how you change it."
Yukinoshita Yukino: "But be careful. Confronting your father head-on may not be wise."
Julis: "She's right. You need a thorough plan."
Stella: "Hey! Need help? I can make those creeps pay."
Tohsaka Rin: "Thank you but I want to try convincing Father first"
Rei Ao: "Are you sure he'll believe you?"
Rin's gaze grew complicated. She could secretly investigate the Matou family's historyespecially anything about crest worms and Grail vessels.
The Tohsaka archives might already contain such records. Or she could ask Father to take her to visit the Matou estate and use the opportunity to scout the groundsparticularly places not open to outsiders.
She could also feign interest in Matou magecraft and ask Father for more about Matou Zouken and their system. Above all, she had to be careful and avoid tipping them off. If Matou Zouken sensed something, he might move against Sakura even sooner.
Tohsaka Rin: "Thank you for telling me, Group Owner Rei Aoand thank you, everyone, for the advice."
Tohsaka Rin: "I'm going to try!"
Miyamizu Mitsuha: "You've got this! We're all behind you!"
Akiyama Mio: "Exactly. If you need anything, just say the word."
Rei Ao: "All right. If you can't manage, come to me."
Rin closed the group chat, took a deep breath, and a resolute light flashed in her eyes. She walked to the window, looked toward Sakura, and made a silent vow.
"No matter what, I won't let that future happen. I'll protect you, Sakura."
Just then, a knock sounded at the doorTohsaka Tokiomi's voice came through. "Rin, are you there? I have something to discuss with you."
Rin's heart lurched. She forced herself to stay calm and opened the door. "Father, what is it?"
Tokiomi's expression was grave. "It's about your sister Sakura's future. I have some decisions to tell you. And I need your opinion as the Tohsaka heir."
Rin's heart sank. Had Father already decided? Time was even tighter than she'd thought!
She followed him to the study, mind racing for countermeasures. Based on what Rei Ao had told her, she had to find a way to stop thisor at least stall for time until she could gather proof of the Matou plot.
"Sit, Rin," Tokiomi said, gesturing to the chair opposite. "You're nearly eighteen; it's time you learned more about the Tohsaka responsibilities and the rules of the magus world."
"Yes, Father," Rin answered respectfully, even as she thought hard about how to steer the conversation.
"As for Sakura" Tokiomi began calmly.
Rin mustered her courage and cut in. "Father! Before thatmay I ask a few questions about the Matou family?"
She spoke cautiously. "I saw some entries about Matou magecraft in the archives, and I was curious about their Magic Crest."
Tokiomi looked surprised, then smiled with approval. "Good. Curiosity befits a magus. The Matou system is indeed unusual"
Rin listened intently while watching for anything that might confirm Rei Ao's claims. Strangely, she heard nothing about insect users.
"I heard the Matou line hasn't produced an outstanding magus in recent generations. Is that true?" Rin pressed on. "Then how have they maintained their status among the Three Families?"
Tokiomi frowned slightly. "Rin, those questions may be beyond what you need to concern yourself with right now."
Rin tensed and knew she couldn't push directly. She shifted tactics. "I'm sorry, Father. I was just thinking if the Matou have no suitable heir, won't their magecraft be lost? That would be a shame."
Tokiomi looked at his daughter, a complex light in his eyes. "A magus lineage is indeed a serious matter. Sometimes, to preserve precious magecraft, we must make difficult choices."
Rin's heart sank. His words all but confirmed Rei Ao's warninghe really was considering sending Sakura to the Matou.
"Father!" Rin couldn't help raising her voice. "You don't mean to send Sakura"
Tokiomi stared at her in surprise. "How did you?" He sighed. "It seems you've already sensed it. Yes. I am considering adopting Sakura into the Matou family. It's the best choice for hershe can develop her talents, and the Matou bloodline can continue."
Chapter 953: Helplessness
Night fell over Fuyuki like a velvet curtain steeped in ink.
The Tohsaka estate.
This housewhere traditional Japanese aesthetics and Western magecraft coexisted in harmonylooked especially quiet and solemn as dusk deepened. Costly mana-crystal lamps cast a soft, steady glow, bathing the rosewood shelves and the occult tomes from around the world in warmth. The air carried the rich scent of old pages and the faint aftertaste of a fine cigar.
It was the meticulous, authoritative atmosphere that belonged to the current head of House TohsakaTohsaka Tokiomi.
But now, that ingrained calm and order was broken by a fierce, wordless emotion.
"Father, please!"
Rinbarely eightrose from the soft leather kneeling cushion. The eyes she'd inherited from her mother, bright as the finest gems, were wide with agitation and disbelief, a thin sheen of moisture gathering over them. Her hands clenched at her sides, trembling, as if trying to hold on to something precious that was slipping away.
"Are you sure the Matou family will treat Sakura well?"
Her voice had the clear ring of youth, sharpened by urgency into something almost cuttinglike a small dagger trying to pierce a decision that seemed immovable.
"I've heard I've heard Matou Zouken is terrifying! That old man is uncanny, and the Matou estate is creepyat night there are even strange sounds!"
Seated at his desk, Tokiomi's brows knit at once. He was a man who prized bearing and etiquette, always maintaining the composure and dignity expected of a magus family head. His daughter's loss of decorum and near-slander crossed a line.
He set down the gem he'd been polishing. His fingertips tapped the desknot hard, not softeach dull knock like a judge's gavel.
"Rin."
Tokiomi's voice was low and stern, brooking no defiance. "You must not speak so rudely about your eldersleast of all the head of the Matou family, our long-standing ally. Matou-sama is the master of a renowned line of magi, a man of deep heritage worthy of respect. He will take Sakura as his adopted daughter and have her inherit the Matou Magic Crest. That is an acknowledgment of her talent and a safeguard for her future. He will raise her properly, in the Matou way."
"B-but"
Rin wanted to push back. A storm of worries and fears crashed through her mindSakura's timid gaze, the two of them racing through the garden, the warmth of whispering under the covers at night. Was all of that to end with a single appeal to "a magus's logic"?
Why was having two children with precious magic circuits not a double blessing for House Tohsaka, but a "flaw" that required discarding one?
"No buts."
Tokiomi's voice rose, cutting her off like a blade. He stood, his tall frame casting a long shadow that engulfed Rin beneath the lamplight. The unseen pressure made it hard for her to breathe.
"This is a decision Matou-sama and I reached after careful consideration. It is best for House Tohsaka, for House Matouand above all, for Sakura. As the future heir of House Tohsaka, you bear the duty of upholding our honor, and you should understand and obey. The world of magi is not a child's game of tender feelings. It follows rules that are colder, yesbut older and more refined."
"Understood."
Rin bit her lip so hard it nearly drew blood. She forced back the tears spinning in her eyes. She knew that crying, pleading, or open defiance would be powerlessworse, counterproductiveagainst a mind fully hardened by "magus pride" and "family tradition."
Her father had bound himself to that cold framework of magus logic. He could not seeor chose not to seewhat such a "reasonable" decision might mean for Sakura at her age. It would not just be separation. It would be the beginning of a plunge into the abyss.
A wave of helplessness washed over herthen, beneath it, a hotter, tougher resolve took root.
She could not give up. Absolutely not. If even she gave up, Sakura's future
Rin lowered her head, long lashes curtaining the gem-bright eyes now glittering with a resolve far beyond her years. She gathered every bit of strength to make her voice sound as gentle and compliant as possible, though each word scraped her throat like glass.
"I I understand, Father. Please give me some time to accept this on my own."
Seeing his daughter appear to relent, Tokiomi's severity eased a fraction. He stepped forward, as if to stroke her head like an ordinary father. Halfway thereperhaps remembering a magus family's reserve, or perhaps feeling a wordless pang of guilt at sending away his other daughterhis hand settled instead on Rin's trembling shoulder.
"Sigh."
A barely audible breath escaped him. "I know this is hard to accept, Rin. I'm not blind to the pain of losing a sister. But believe methis is what's best for Sakura. The Tohsaka Magic Crest can be inherited by only one. With her talent, keeping her here would bury herand might invite needless trouble. The Matou can give her the future and standing she deserves. That is truly thinking of her."
Truly thinking of her?
Rin screamed silently in her heart. If it's really for her sake, shouldn't someone ask Sakura what she wants? Shouldn't we truly investigate whether the Matou are as polished as they seem?
She swallowed those words and bowed deeper. "Yes, Father."
Then she turned, keeping her steps as steady as she could, and backed out of the study one pace at a time. When the heavy wooden door closed softly behind her, shutting out her father's gaze, she felt as if she'd used up the last of her strength.
Like a deer hounded by the hunt, she fled down the dim corridor, running as fast as she could toward her room.
~~~
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Chapter 954: Eh...?
Tohsaka Rin's heart pounded wildly inside her small chest, thudding against her ribs so loud it almost deafened her.
Fear, anger, worry, defianceso many feelings tangled together they threatened to swallow her whole.
She burst into her room, locked the door behind her, then slid down with her back against the cool wood onto the carpet, gulping for air. At last the tears she'd held back broke free, spilling in big drops and soaking the hem of her pretty dress.
Don't cry! Now isn't the time!
A voice screamed from deep inside.
Rin scrubbed her cheeks with the back of her hand, drew a few long breaths, and fought to steady the storm inside her.
She remembered her last hopethe mysterious "Trading Group Chat." The people in there spoke in strange ways and seemed to be from worlds that sounded impossible, but the owner, Rei Ao, gave off an unfathomable, almost omnipotent aura.
She forced herself to focus. In the depths of her awareness, a translucent interface threaded with faint streams of light quietly unfolded. She typed with her mind, every word etched with desperate urgency:
Tohsaka Rin: "Father's already decided to send Sakura to the Matou family! What should I do? Pleasesomeone help me!"
Her message hit the once-casual, often odd, day-to-day chatter of the group like a boulder dropped into a lakewaves surged, ripples raced.
Misaka Mikoto: "What?! That fast?!"
Misaka Mikoto: "Weren't you just saying he was still considering it? That's way too sudden!"
