The Ultimate Lich King of the Multiverse

Originally, Tohsaka Tokiomi had thought only the Einzbern had fallen. But to his surprise, the Matou family had also declined.

With a sigh, the head of the Tohsaka family couldn't help but reflect on this.

In the blink of an eye, among the once-proud Three Founding Families, he alone still remembered the noble ideal—to fight in pursuit of the Root. Once, the Einzbern and Matou shared that same goal. But as generations passed, they had lost their way, forgetting their original purpose. As for the five other Masters summoned from outside, they were only chasing shallow desires.

Thankfully, the Tohsaka still had the support of the Church. With his disciple, Kirei Kotomine, on his side, he was certain that this Holy Grail War could be won with ease.

That was the kind of man Tohsaka Tokiomi was—prideful to the core. He had labored alone for half his life to revive the Tohsaka family, swallowing countless hardships without complaint and converting them all into pride and self-respect.

He was a man of both arrogance and integrity.

Even the Holy Grail War—a death game—was not something he took too seriously. In his mind, victory was already his.

But there was one important matter he still had to resolve: the future of his two daughters.

Only one could inherit the Tohsaka crest. The Tohsaka family could only have one heir. That meant one of his daughters would eventually live as a normal person.

That, in itself, might already be the best-case scenario. It wasn't uncommon for siblings to turn on one another in a struggle for inheritance.

To magi, concepts like familial love and friendship were mere jokes. Magi pursued only the pinnacle of the magical path. As children of the Tohsaka family, that was the fate they were bound to.

However, recently, Tohsaka Tokiomi had stopped worrying about this dilemma.

That was because Matou Zouken, the old head of the Matou family, had approached him with a proposal—to adopt one of his daughters as the Matou heir.

Tokiomi was well aware of the current state of the Matou family. Their heirs lacked magical talent altogether. For this Holy Grail War, they had, like the Einzbern, brought in an outsider to fight on their behalf.

Tokiomi had heard of that outsider—Emiya Kiritsugu. But he paid the man no mind. To him, that kind of underhanded individual could hardly be called a magus. It pained him to see the Matou family fall so far.

At least the Einzbern's son-in-law was said to be a proper, powerful mage—far superior to that trickster and mage-killer from the Matou side.

When Matou Zouken first asked to adopt one of his daughters, Tokiomi had hesitated. The Matou family was a shadow of its former self, after all.

But they had once been one of the Three Founding Families. For their magical lineage to vanish would be a tragic loss. Since Tokiomi had already been troubled by the issue of which daughter should inherit the Tohsaka legacy, in the end, he agreed to the arrangement.

◇

It was a peaceful holiday afternoon. Warm spring sunlight blanketed the park's grassy lawn, where children played joyfully and parents watched with smiles. The plaza, with its fountain, was a favorite spot for families to relax together.

Yoru had been in Fuyuki City for nearly a month now. After receiving his Command Seals, he'd spent time familiarizing himself with the area. At this point, he understood it well enough.

He was planning to return to the Einzbern estate soon. Though it had only been a month, he missed both Irisviel and Illya terribly.

Still, before leaving, he considered visiting the Matou and Tohsaka families.

Whether to scout out potential opponents or to greet them as a possible ally—it seemed worthwhile either way.

As he was thinking this, a commotion broke out not far away. Along with it, he sensed a faint magical pulse.

A magus? Here?

Curious, Yoru turned to look.

By a large tree stood a well-dressed man in a red suit, speaking politely with a thin, hunched old man.

And in the tree's shade sat a sorrowful woman, holding two little girls who were sobbing bitterly.

At first, Yoru paid them no mind—but when he noticed the crimson Command Seals on the red-clad man's hand, his interest piqued.

A participant in the Holy Grail War.

He had to take a closer look.

As he stood and walked over, the conversation between Tohsaka Tokiomi and Matou Zouken came to an end.

"Come now, Sakura. Come to Grandfather," the shriveled old man said with a forced smile, beckoning to the girl who clung to her mother's arms.

His appearance was unsettling enough to make even the adult woman tremble—let alone the young Sakura.

"No… I don't want to. Papa, I don't want to go!"

"Be good, Sakura," Tokiomi said gently. "This is for your own good. Grandpa Matou is a powerful magus—no less capable than I am. The Matou family's magic is very strong. Going to their home is a blessing, not a punishment."

"No! I don't want to be separated from Mommy and Sister! I don't want this!"

"Enough!"

Losing patience, Tokiomi's face darkened. He roughly grabbed Sakura's arm, trying to pull her toward Matou Zouken.

At that moment, Yoru approached—and having overheard the exchange, his expression darkened into a deep frown.

As a father of a daughter himself, he found Tokiomi's actions utterly disgraceful.

No matter the reason, handing over your own child like this—it was beneath contempt.

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