...
A pitch-black void.
In this endless darkness, Tokiomi Tohsaka "opened" his eyes.
Perhaps "opened" wasn't the right word—for though he thought he had opened them, the surrounding darkness did not recede. Whether his eyes were open or closed made no difference; the all-encompassing blackness remained, like a heavy curtain drawn over his vision.
"So this… is the world after death?"
The thought came instinctively. The final scene of his life replayed again and again in his mind.
Up to the moment his body was pierced, he had never imagined that the one to ambush and kill him in this critical Holy Grail War would be his own disciple—Kirei Kotomine.
Even more puzzling was that his Servant, Archer, had given neither warning nor reaction.
"So… complete betrayal, then? After the Matou family, even the Servants of the Grail prove unreliable…"
In the darkness, Tokiomi took a slow breath. His disordered thoughts gradually settled into calm.
The environment around him remained pitch black, but at least he could still sense the flow of magical energy within his circuits. Strangely, it even felt stronger than before.
Instinctively, he reached toward the spot where Kirei's Black Key had pierced him.
But the movement was far more difficult than he anticipated. It was as though his body were submerged in mud, the air itself thick and heavy, pressing down on him. Even lifting his arm required several minutes of effort.
When at last his hand reached the wound, an unfamiliar sensation met his touch—followed by a surge of electric numbness that coursed through his entire body.
Tokiomi froze in shock.
That feeling—such vivid, physical feedback—was something no dead man should experience.
"Then… am I not dead? But what was that feeling just now?"
Puzzled, Tokiomi activated his magic circuits and released a simple illumination spell.
The sight that greeted him was that of a completely enclosed chamber. Surrounding him was a massive, blood-red hexagram drawn on the floor.
At each of the six corners stood a partially unrolled scroll, each pinned to the ground by a kunai.
From the scrolls, a strange energy was continuously flowing into his body.
Only then did Tokiomi find the chance to look at himself—and what he saw shocked him beyond words.
—He had become a woman.
The area where the fatal wound should have been was wrapped neatly in bandages, but the unmistakable curves beneath them left no room for doubt.
The tearing wound from the Black Key was gone, as though it had never existed. In the dim red light, what he saw instead was a slender waist—delicate and unfamiliar.
"What… what is going on here?"
The revelation shook his very worldview—but as a magus, his first instinct was not panic, but inquiry.
Had another magus rescued him? Or had he never truly died, but been captured instead?
"Is… anyone… there?"
"Is anyone there…?"
The voice that escaped his lips was weak, feminine, and utterly unlike his former, low-toned voice. Some unknown factor made speaking itself agonizingly difficult—likely no one beyond himself could even hear it.
Realizing this, Tokiomi abandoned the futile attempt and instead focused on manipulating the magical energy within his new body.
The moment he did, he realized just how exceptional this vessel was.
The sheer quality of its constitution made him question whether this body was naturally born at all—it felt more like an alchemical creation.
Both physically and spiritually, it was perfect by magus standards. In such a body, the very concept of "failure" in spellcasting seemed impossible.
Even more astounding was the density of magical power surging through his circuits—far beyond what he had ever possessed before.
"This body… just what in the world is it?"
Just as Tokiomi Tohsaka was puzzling over his situation, a strange vortex suddenly formed above his head.
Before the body he was controlling could react, it was instantly sucked into the swirling current.
Boom—
Without even understanding what had happened, Tokiomi crashed heavily onto a bed.
The mattress was soft, yet the impact still left his head spinning.
Once he arrived in this new space and instinctively began to move, the suffocating sense of restraint that had bound him earlier finally dissipated.
Gradually, his blurred vision cleared—and a figure took shape before him.
"You… you?"
"I remember you once sent me a letter seeking an alliance. Don't tell me you've already forgotten who I am?"
Standing before him was none other than Iphis.
"No… I just… my thoughts are a bit disoriented," Tokiomi replied weakly.
As he sat up on the bed, he glanced around the room—only to realize, to his utter shock, that he was completely naked.
Reflexively, he grabbed the bedsheet and wrapped it tightly around himself, his cheeks flushing red as he stammered, "Pardon me, but… might there be some suitable clothing for me to wear?"
Even though he had been a composed, middle-aged man in life, the experience of waking up in a woman's body was beyond mortifying. The fact that he hadn't screamed outright spoke volumes of his restraint.
After all, when Angra Mainyu had been forcibly turned into a woman by Satsuki, his reaction had been far less composed.
"Here. Take this."
Iphis, seemingly prepared for this outcome, tossed over a complete set of clothes.
From undergarments to outerwear—even black tights and a short black pencil skirt—everything was included.
The outfit was unmistakably familiar to Tokiomi: a crimson long coat, his signature style. However, this version was clearly tailored for a woman.
Every detail had been carefully adjusted to highlight feminine curves without appearing indecent—elegant, yet alluring.
Aside from a brief moment of embarrassment, Tokiomi quickly regained his composure.
However, there was still one thing he felt obliged to say.
"Would you mind turning around while I get dressed?"
"Relax. I've no interest in watching a middle-aged man change clothes—no matter what body he's in."
With that dry remark, Iphis turned around and exited the room, closing the door behind her.
After awkwardly changing into her new set of clothes, Tokiomi Tohsaka immediately stood before a mirror large enough to reflect her entire figure, carefully examining the body she now inhabited.
The woman in the reflection possessed long black hair and light golden eyes. Even in her resting expression, the corners of her lips curved slightly upward, as though holding a faint smile.
Her beauty needed no elaboration. Even with Tokiomi's cultivated sense of discernment, he could only judge this body as possessing an unquestionably peerless level of allure.
From appearance alone, she seemed around eighteen or nineteen years old, yet her physique was far beyond what that age could naturally possess.
Roughly—96/58/86 cm.
Even when she tried to suppress her chest as best she could, its sheer size refused to yield. Her narrow waist and shapely legs only added to the impression of a flawless figure that made even herself feel a ripple of unease upon seeing it.
"This body possesses magical potential… yet even I cannot accurately determine its limits."
Through sheer willpower and the discipline of a magus, Tokiomi restrained all lingering human impulses, focusing instead on the implications of what had happened.
A vessel of such exceptional quality—why had it been granted to her? For what purpose?
When she finished dressing and stepped out of the room, Iphis—the current Master—was momentarily taken aback by the sight before her.
"You really have terrible taste," came a teasing voice from Satsuki's telepathic link. "Do you enjoy turning men into women or something?"
Satsuki's calm reply followed within Iphis' mind: "You'll understand soon enough."
Despite inhabiting a new form, Tokiomi remained the same person of manners and composure. She pressed down her confusion and bowed gracefully toward Satsuki and Iphis.
Though her movements reflected the etiquette of a man, even Iphis found the gesture oddly pleasing to watch.
"Tokiomi Tohsaka," Satsuki said coolly, "your previous body was killed by your disciple. You should be aware of that by now."
As her words fell, a swirl of black mandala petals drifted through the air, and Satsuki's figure appeared before Tokiomi.
Her sacred bearing, distant eyes, and the overwhelming aura of divinity emanating from her presence—all spoke of a being beyond comprehension.
"You are the Saver of this Holy Grail War, aren't you?" Tokiomi asked cautiously.
Satsuki waved a hand dismissively. "That's not the kind of question someone of your intellect should ask. At this point, I expect you to take matters more seriously."
"Hah…"
"Then," Tokiomi asked, bowing slightly, "what must I do?"
At that, Satsuki gave a small nod. "Not entirely foolish, at least. Your continued existence serves two purposes."
"First, as my Master's instructor in magecraft, you will guide her in her studies—particularly in matters related to the Third Magic: Materialization of the Soul."
At this, Satsuki cast a brief glance toward Iphis before turning back to continue. "As one of the founders of the Holy Grail system, your family should be well-acquainted with that field of study."
The woman before her fell silent for a moment, then nodded.
"The completion of the Third Magic has always been our family's wish. If I can contribute even a little toward that goal, it would be my honor."
"Hmph, sounds nice when you put it that way…" Iphis muttered under her breath.
As the embodiment of All the World's Evil, she understood all too well how far magi were willing to go in pursuit of the Root.
Satsuki, however, passed no judgment—neither moral nor emotional.
"As for other aspects," she continued, "you are to teach her the basic knowledge and conventions of magecraft. Within one year, I expect her to be qualified for admission into the Mage's Association."
"One year…"
Tokiomi hesitated briefly before choosing her words carefully. "Without the proper connections, admission to the Association requires a lengthy process and considerable expenses. I fear that—"
"There's no need to worry about that," Satsuki interrupted calmly. "Preparations have already been made. You need only handle the instruction."
Her tone carried no explicit command, yet all three in the room understood—the offer left no room for refusal.
However, Satsuki was not the type to demand "I want it all." While Iphis' body possessed remarkable potential—and her true nature was that of All the World's Evil—that did not mean she was without limits.
After her brief contact with the envoys from Chaldea, and upon understanding certain possibilities of the future, Satsuki had already chosen her future foundation within the Mage's Association. Among the Twelve Departments, she had selected the Department of Astrology as her base of operations.
As for the Tohsaka family's lineage of magecraft, Satsuki had little interest. First, its prospects were limited; second, Iphis did not possess the necessary affinity for conversion-type thaumaturgy, making that path unfit for her.
"As for the second matter," Satsuki continued, "it concerns your current body."
Her words immediately drew Tokiomi's full attention.
"Your body was created using the existence framework of a Pseudo-Servant I once encountered, infused with my authority to reverse All the World's Evil, thereby forming what is now All the World's Good. In essence, your current vessel is no longer that of a human—it is closer to a Heroic Spirit or Pseudo-Servant in nature."
"I… became a Pseudo-Servant?"
Tokiomi's mind reeled in shock. Was such a thing even possible? This was no mere magecraft—it had unmistakably crossed into the realm of True Magic.
"Though you've become All the World's Good, your body's self-defense capabilities are still weak," Satsuki explained. "You'll need to strengthen its combat potential as soon as possible." Then, as though recalling something, she added, "If you're not completely dull, you've likely already noticed—this body possesses immense potential, as well as a powerful allure toward others. That is both a blessing and a curse."
"As the embodiment of All the World's Good, you will unconsciously attract the attention and fascination of intelligent beings. I'm sure you've already sensed it yourself…"
Those words immediately brought to Tokiomi's mind the flicker of desire she'd felt earlier when looking into the mirror—desire that had arisen from deep within herself.
She nodded instinctively. "I'll make sure to appear in public as little as possible."
"Good. And now that you've been reborn, you should take a new name."
With those words, Satsuki's form dissolved once more into a swirl of black mandala petals and vanished from sight.
"Host, you still haven't revealed your ultimate goal," the system's voice echoed within her consciousness, its tone curious. "Have you changed your plan? Or… could it be that you're finally showing a bit of Buddha-like compassion?"
Satsuki's calm reply resonated in the void: "Nothing like that. I simply decided there's no need. After all, for me—this was nothing more than a passing experiment."