"Sakura... don't you recognize me?"
Tears welled up in her eyes, and Tohsaka Rin's voice carried a sob.
Illya poked her head out curiously, looking at Rin who was on the verge of tears, and then at Hansen.
"Big brother, is she a new friend? Can we play together?"
Hansen took off his suit jacket, draped it casually over his arm, and led little Sakura into the hall with long strides.
"No, she's a captive."
As everyone followed into the hall, Hansen sat down on the sofa, crossed his legs, and even had the leisure to pour himself a cup of tea.
"If she doesn't behave, I'll throw her out to feed the fish, or..."
Hansen glanced at the bewildered Tohsaka Rin, his lips curling into a wicked arc.
"Making her into a specimen and hanging her on the wall as a decoration wouldn't be bad either."
Tohsaka Rin bit her lip hard, tears falling pitter-patter, yet she stubbornly remained silent.
However.
Hearing this, the girl who was originally hiding by Hansen's side suddenly had a burst of light in her eyes.
It was the determination of wanting to protect something.
Under everyone's surprised gaze, Sakura timidly shook Hansen's arm, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz yet exceptionally clear.
"Big brother... please..."
"Please, don't make big sister into a specimen..."
She looked up, her amethyst-like eyes filled with tears, carrying a hint of pleading.
"She is... she is a very good big sister."
Boom—!
This one sentence became the last straw that broke Rin's psychological defense.
"Sakura! Wuwuwu..."
Rin could no longer hold it back and squatted on the ground, wailing.
So Sakura hadn't forgotten her.
The younger sister who always followed behind her had actually stood up to protect her at the first opportunity.
Hansen lowered his eyes, looking at the little girl before him who had summoned such great courage.
The Platinum Divine Fire deep in his eyes softened slightly.
He reached out his hand.
Sakura instinctively closed her eyes and curled her body up, thinking she would receive punishment like before in the Matou Family.
However.
What landed on her head was a warm, large hand.
There was no pain, only a somewhat rough ruffling that turned her originally smooth short hair into a bird's nest.
"Since Sakura pleaded for mercy, there's no helping it."
Hansen withdrew his hand and took a sip of tea.
"Fine, as long as she doesn't cause trouble, I won't do anything to her."
Sakura opened her eyes wide in surprise and nodded vigorously, a smile that was childish yet full of life blooming on her face.
Turning around, she ran toward Tohsaka Rin.
Although the sisters still didn't hug, the barrier between them melted away like spring snow at that moment.
The crisis was resolved.
As the only optimist, Illya immediately rushed over excitedly and pulled up Tohsaka Rin, who was still wiping her tears.
"Great! No matter what kind of captive she is, as long as big brother brought her back, she's a partner!"
"Hey, hey, let's play hide and seek! This castle is very big!"
Tohsaka Rin was a bit bewildered by this sudden enthusiasm.
She messily wiped the tears from her face and glanced at Sakura, who was looking at her expectantly; her innate tsundere young lady temper flared up again.
"Hmph! Don't lump me in with you guys!"
Tohsaka Rin's eyes were red, yet she had a stubborn look, her arms crossed and her chin raised at a forty-five-degree angle.
"I am the heir of the Tohsaka Family, the Magus who will seize the Holy Grail in the future! I won't play such childish—"
Thump—!
A crisp yet dull sound rang out.
"Ouch—!!"
Tohsaka Rin instantly held her head in a defensive squat, her eyes watering from the pain as she glared incredulously at Hansen sitting on the sofa.
What was that just now?
An air bullet?
"Children should act like children."
Hansen withdrew his finger after flicking a long-distance forehead poke, his face full of disdain.
He pointed to a pile of stuffed toys over there.
"Don't keep that bitter and resentful look all day; it leads to premature aging."
"Go, play with them. That's an order."
"Unless you want your butt to be spanked."
Rin held her forehead tight, feeling an immense sense of humiliation and frustration.
This demon!
This is definitely revenge!
But in the face of absolute force, the future head of the Tohsaka Family could only yield in tears.
"Fine, I'll play... who's afraid of who!"
Watching the three little girls chasing and playing in the hall, Saber stood to the side, having just removed her armor and changed into a suit, an unconscious smile appearing on her lips.
"Ruler, actually you never intended to..."
"Shh—"
Hansen suddenly raised his hand, cutting off Saber's words.
His originally relaxed and lazy expression vanished in an instant.
He set down his teacup, his eyes burning with faint golden flames as they looked through the floor-to-ceiling window toward the dark, deep forest outside.
"Another guest has arrived."
At almost the same time.
The ahoge on top of Saber's head stood up like a radar, her expression turning serious as invisible wind pressure gathered in her palm.
"This magical energy... an undisguised fighting spirit."
Saber frowned, looking out the window: "Is it Lancer? He actually dares to come back?"
Outside the castle gates.
The cold wind was biting, blowing the withered branches in the courtyard.
Lancer, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, held his twin spears, standing alone under the moonlight.
Unlike his spirited appearance at the warehouse district last time, this time, the Son of Light's face had less composure and dash, replaced by a deep sense of helplessness and determination.
That sharp spear intent soared into the sky, as if making some sort of tragic declaration.
Hansen stood up and walked to the second-floor balcony, looking down at Lancer from above.
Without needing to sense specifically, with just one glance, he saw through the magical link on that man that seemed a bit discordant at this moment.
The thick magical line that originally connected to Kayneth had already broken.
In its place was a new link that, though abundant in mana, seemed superficial and distorted.
"Heh..."
Hansen's lips curled into a playful, cold smile, his eyes full of mockery.
"A transfer of command spells? Has a new master been produced?"
Saber was stunned and walked to Hansen's side: "You mean, Lancer changed masters?"
"Not only changed, but to a stupid woman."
Hansen commented bluntly.
Director Kayneth might be arrogant, but at least he knows tactics.
And now controlling Lancer is clearly his fiancée, a woman blinded by love, Sola-Ui.
Because of her own selfish desires and affection, she wants to keep the Heroic Spirit in this world, not hesitating to forcibly seize the command spells and, under such an absolute disadvantage, order Lancer to take the initiative to attack.
"Making a Lancer give up mobility to fight a positional war in a place like this?"
Hansen shook his head, as if watching a low-quality farce.
"Truly... an overestimation of one's own capabilities."
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