Inside the Tohsaka residence.
Tohsaka Rin sat at the desk in her room, thick tomes of magecraft spread open before her. But she couldn't focus at all—the only thing in her head was what she'd just seen in the group chat.
Her younger sister Sakura sat quietly on the edge of the bed, clutching a stuffed doll. She looked curiously at her distracted sister. "Sis, what's wrong? You've been zoning out since earlier."
Rin snapped back to herself and forced a smile. "N-no, it's nothing. I was just thinking about some magecraft problems."
Looking at her sister's innocent face, a wave of unease rose in Rin's chest. The words of the one who called himself Rei Ao kept echoing in her mind.
Sakura tilted her head, concern in her eyes. "Sis, you look weird. Are you sick?"
Rin shook her head, walked over, and gently hugged her. "It's okay, Sakura. I'll always protect you."
Just then, a semi-transparent chat screen popped up again in front of Rin's eyes. New messages were streaming in:
Tohsaka Rin: "My sister is right next to me. Tell me exactly what's going to happen to her—spell it out!"
Rei Ao: "Before long, your father will hand your sister over to someone else."
Tohsaka Rin: "What?! That's nonsense!"
Yukinoshita Yukino: "@Tohsaka Rin, please don't get too worked up. Try to stay calm."
Busujima Saeko: "Rei Ao-kun doesn't speak without cause. If he said that, he must have his reasons."
Miyamizu Mitsuha: "Yeah, Rei Ao-kun's a good person. He's helped us solve a lot of problems—he has no reason to lie to you."
Sakurajima Mai: "@Rei Ao Rei Ao-kun, you said her father would abandon his own child. Can you elaborate?"
Rin's heartbeat quickened. She gently eased Sakura aside and, keeping her voice steady, said, "Sakura, I just remembered there are a few magecraft experiments I haven't finished. Can you play by yourself for a bit?"
Sakura nodded obediently. "Okay, Sis. Don't work too hard."
Once Sakura left the room, Rin focused fully on the chat.
Tohsaka Rin: "@Rei Ao, when you say Father will send Sakura to someone else, what exactly do you mean? Make it clear!"
Rei Ao: "In the near future, your father may send your sister away—and that place will mark the beginning of your sister, Tohsaka Sakura's, tragic future."
Rei Ao: "Naturally, this has to do with the ties between your Tohsaka family and the Matou family, and those traditional rules of magus lineages."
"This is impossible…" Rin muttered. Her hands clenched on their own. "Father would never do that!"
Yet deep down, a voice told her the mysterious group owner might be telling the truth. As the Tohsaka heir, she understood better than anyone how cruel magus families could be. The Magic Crest can only be passed to one child—an iron rule that cannot be defied.
Rei Ao began to explain why Tohsaka Tokiomi might send Sakura to the Matou.
As a prestigious magus house, the Tohsakas follow the rule that "the Magic Crest can only be inherited by a single heir." Both Rin and Sakura displayed rare talent in magecraft, but the family crest cannot be split, forcing Tokiomi to find another path for his second daughter.
Within Fuyuki's Three Founding Families, the Matou bloodline had weakened and faced a crisis of succession, urgently needing an heir with magecraft aptitude. Adopting Sakura would allow the Matou line to continue and keep her talents from being wasted under Tohsaka rules—a "win–win."
Tokiomi believed that if Sakura stayed with the Tohsakas and could not inherit the Crest, she might end up an ordinary magus or be coveted by other factions.
Entrusting her to a fellow Founding House—the Matou—fit magus ethics and would ensure she received proper, orthodox training. Sending Sakura to the Matou would also strengthen the alliance between the two houses and secure a better position for the coming Holy Grail War.
As Rei Ao explained, others in the chat chimed in:
Misaka Mikoto: "What?! You'd give your own child away for that? These magus families are way too cold-blooded!"
Shiba Miyuki: "It does sound cruel, but among magus families it's common—for the sake of lineage and purity…"
Tohru: "Humans are strange creatures. Among us dragons, all offspring are raised free-range."
Sui: "Every world has its rules. It sounds inhumane, but from a magus family's perspective, it is the most rational choice."
Yukinoshita Yukino: "Rational doesn't mean right. Children shouldn't be sacrifices to family interests."
…
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 it—and 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 pain—far 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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