[Extracting initial talent.]
[Black Shadow that Changes Fate: Your appearance in this world will drastically change someone's destiny.]
[You have entered the Throne of Heroes.]
[You slumber here, waiting for a summons of some kind.]
[On the eve of the Fourth Holy Grail War, you feel yourself arriving in an unfamiliar place.]
[And at the same time, certain things are quietly happening in Fuyuki City.]
Fuyuki City, inside a certain hospital.
The sound of crying echoed in the air of the hospital room, silently narrating the arrival of a new life.
In the corridor outside the room, a nurse was communicating with a nervous-looking man.
"Congratulations, Tohsaka-san." The nurse said with a smile.
"Mother and daughter are both safe."
"Is that so?" The man, hearing this, let out a sigh of relief. "That's... wonderful."
"Then——" Tohsaka Tokiomi asked, his voice filled with a mix of relief and anticipation.
"Can I go in and see them now?"
"Of course, you can." The nurse gave a friendly smile. "But please calm down a little, don't be so excited."
"I will." The man replied, trying to compose himself.
The man's name was Tohsaka Tokiomi, the fifth head of the prestigious magic family, the Tohsaka family.
And the one who had just been born in the hospital was his second daughter.
Swish—— The door to the hospital room was gently slid open by Tohsaka Tokiomi.
He deliberately lowered the sound of his footsteps, quietly approaching the bedside.
Looking at the woman lying there, her face pale, the man said with considerable heartache,
"Aoi, are you alright?"
The woman on the bed was named Zenjou Aoi, Tohsaka Tokiomi's wife.
Although she looked very weak, upon hearing her husband's voice, Zenjou Aoi still opened her eyes and forced a faint smile.
"Tokiomi, you're here." Aoi said softly, her voice still weak.
"..." Listening to his wife's voice, which deliberately concealed her exhaustion, Tohsaka Tokiomi reached out and gently stroked her hair.
"Aoi." Tohsaka Tokiomi said gently, his dark eyes filled with concern.
"Thank you for your hard work."
"It's nothing to thank me for." Zenjou Aoi gently grasped her husband's hand. "A wife should give birth to children for her husband."
"This is a very happy occasion." Aoi smiled faintly.
"However——" Zenjou Aoi looked towards the prepared baby crib beside the bed.
"This child is quiet so quickly, completely different from Rin." Aoi remarked, her gaze softening as she looked at the infant.
Tohsaka Tokiomi smiled slightly upon hearing this.
"But she's just like you, isn't she?" Tokiomi said, his voice filled with affection.
"I like children like this the most."
"Liar." Zenjou Aoi looked at her husband and pouted slightly. "You said the same thing back then with Rin."
"But that's not a lie, is it?" Tohsaka Tokiomi retorted with a smile. "Both children are like you, and then I like them all, what's wrong with that?"
After a bit of back-and-forth, the two looked at each other and laughed.
"Have you thought of a name for the child?" Tohsaka Tokiomi asked, his gaze returning to his wife.
Zenjou Aoi shook her head.
"Not yet." Aoi replied.
"Why don't... you choose this time?"
"..." Tohsaka Tokiomi didn't rush to answer his wife.
He looked out the window.
Just at this moment, a cherry blossom petal fell, drawing a beautiful trace in the air.
The man spoke again at this moment:
"Aoi, how about we call her 'Sakura'?" Tokiomi suggested, his eyes reflecting the gentle beauty of the falling petal.
"Tohsaka Sakura?" Zenjou Aoi murmured the name, the corners of her mouth curving into a slight smile.
"Hmm, it's a good name."
[You know nothing of the outside world.]
[You are still sleeping.]
[You can only feel yourself being placed inside some kind of box.]
[Apart from that, you know nothing.]
Unseen undercurrents continued to influence the yet-to-begin Fourth Holy Grail War.
Inside the Tohsaka family's residence.
Zenjou Aoi, dressed in a kimono, was kneeling on the tatami mats, arranging freshly cut flowers one by one into a vase.
At this moment, her expression was serious and composed, making her appear to be an incredibly elegant woman to anyone who looked at her.
Swish—— The sliding door to the side was pushed open.
Tohsaka Tokiomi walked in, but his expression seemed a little off.
Zenjou Aoi quickly noticed the unusual look on her husband's face, so she asked softly,
"Tokiomi, what's wrong?" Aoi asked with concern.
"That look on your face... did something bad happen?"
"..." Knowing that he definitely couldn't hide it from Zenjou Aoi, Tohsaka Tokiomi didn't hesitate for too long before speaking directly,
"Aoi, do you still remember the magic aptitude tests for Rin and Sakura that I mentioned to you last time?" Tokiomi asked, his voice serious.
"..." Although the Zenjou family had already left the ranks of mages starting from her parents' generation, Zenjou Aoi still had some knowledge about this.
After all, her husband was a genuine mage, so she would inevitably come into contact with some of it.
"Hmm." Zenjou Aoi nodded. "I remember."
"What were the results of their magic aptitude?" Aoi asked, her gaze fixed on her husband.
"Very bad." Tohsaka Tokiomi covered his forehead with his hand.
"Their magical aptitude is too perfect, so perfect that it's impossible to find any flaws." Tokiomi said, a hint of frustration in his voice.
"Rin is all elements, a five-element composite attribute."
"Sakura is a non-existent element, a void attribute."
"Either one... is extremely suitable to become a mage."
"This..." Zenjou Aoi's understanding made her feel a little confused.
"Tokiomi, isn't this something to be happy about?" Aoi asked, tilting her head slightly.
"If they are both so outstanding... we should be proud of them."
"No." Tohsaka Tokiomi shook his head.
"Aoi, it's not that simple." Tokiomi said gravely.
"If it were talent in other areas, I would be very happy."
"But——" The man's voice began to deepen. "If it's magical aptitude, then the problem is serious."
"Why is that?" Zenjou Aoi became increasingly perplexed.
As an ordinary person, she found it difficult to understand this situation—how could her husband be sad because of his daughters' excellence?
Knowing that his wife only had a superficial understanding of this, Tohsaka Tokiomi sighed, then began to explain seriously,
"Aoi." Tokiomi began, his voice gentle but serious.
"A situation like Rin and Sakura's can no longer be called 'normal'; it's an unimaginable existence, like a miracle."
"This level of magical aptitude will affect their temperament as they grow older, causing them to lose their rationality."
"If we don't restrict it early, they will sooner or later go mad because of this aptitude in their blood."
Hearing the man's explanation, Zenjou Aoi suddenly understood.
The more excellent a mage is, the more easily they fall into unfathomable obsessions.
Then, as the mother of the two girls, she immediately realized the seriousness of the problem.
"Tokiomi, according to what you're saying, won't Rin and Sakura go mad sooner or later?" Aoi asked, her voice filled with worry.
"Is there no way to solve this at all?"
"There definitely is." Tohsaka Tokiomi's brow furrowed deeply. "Our family's protection can exempt those who receive it from this erosion."
"Is that so——" Zenjou Aoi wanted to breathe a sigh of relief, but she noticed that her husband's expression was even more serious than before.
She realized that the situation was not that simple.
"Tokiomi." Aoi said softly, her eyes fixed on her husband's troubled face.
"It seems there are other problems, right?"
"Yeah." Tohsaka Tokiomi looked troubled. "Because the protection can only be given to one of them."
"What?!" Upon hearing this news, Zenjou Aoi felt as if struck by a bolt from the blue, and almost collapsed.
Fortunately, Tohsaka Tokiomi supported her in time, avoiding a dangerous situation.
"How could this happen?" Zenjou Aoi felt her breathing become a little difficult.
She had completely not expected the final result to be like this.
Only one person between Rin and Sakura could receive this protection to avoid the influence of their blood?
Wouldn't that be equivalent to letting the other person wait to die?
Zenjou Aoi absolutely could not accept this.
However—— Looking at Tohsaka Tokiomi, who was equally in pain before her, she couldn't say anything.
Yes. If she felt pain, wouldn't he feel the same way?
After thinking for a long time, Zenjou Aoi finally didn't put any more meaningless pressure on Tohsaka Tokiomi. She just asked gently,
"Then——" Aoi looked at her husband, her eyes filled with concern.
"Tokiomi, what are you planning to do?"
"..."
"I haven't thought about what to do yet." The man's voice became even lower, faintly revealing a sense of helplessness.
"But Aoi, I will definitely try my best to find a solution."
"Before that——" Tohsaka Tokiomi looked at the arranged flowers beside him, his eyes filled with a hint of sigh.
"I think... it would be better not to let Rin and Sakura realize that they are sisters."
"...Hmm." Zenjou Aoi nodded.
"I understand."
[The undercurrents of the Fourth Holy Grail War continue to surge.]
[But you, still asleep, know nothing of these events.]
[However, you can clearly feel your consciousness becoming clearer and clearer.]
[You feel that you might awaken at some point.]
[And this premonition was realized not long after.]
Inside the large study of the Tohsaka residence in Fuyuki.
Tohsaka Tokiomi was on the phone with someone.
His expression looked quite excited, as if he had discovered some priceless treasure.
And little Tohsaka Sakura was standing beside him, tilting her head with a puzzled expression, looking very cute.
"I see!" Tohsaka Tokiomi replied to the voice on the phone, his face beaming.
"The Matou family happens to need an adopted daughter, is that right?!"
"Understood, I'll bring Sakura to your place in a few days!"
"Yes, it's a deal."
After a hearty conversation, Tohsaka Tokiomi put down the phone, walking around the room excitedly, almost shouting out loud.
And seeing her father like this, the obedient Tohsaka Sakura also began to wave her hands and feet.
Even though—— She actually didn't know what had happened at all.
And Tohsaka Tokiomi quickly noticed this.
He composed himself and coughed lightly a few times.
"Cough cough." Tohsaka Tokiomi cleared his throat.
"Um... Sakura, was Daddy's behavior just now very embarrassing?"
"No~o~" Tohsaka Sakura giggled foolishly.
"Daddy's happy face... is ve~ry~ cu~te~"
"..." Hearing this, Tohsaka Tokiomi suddenly felt a lump in his throat.
But as an adult, he still knew how to manage his emotions.
He reached out, smiling, and patted Tohsaka Sakura's head, then said,
"Sakura, would you like to go see someone with Daddy in a few days?"
"Mmm~" Tohsaka Sakura nodded obediently—she never refused her father's arrangements.
This was completely opposite to her older sister, Tohsaka Rin.
And seeing her like this, Tohsaka Tokiomi felt even more joy in his heart.
Just like he had felt before, both Rin and Sakura had inherited a part of his wife, Zenjou Aoi.
The former was her appearance, and the latter was her personality.
This resulted in Tohsaka Tokiomi being unable to easily part with either of them.
But fortunately, the Matou family happened to need an adopted daughter.
Then—— If he left Rin behind and sent Sakura over, he could use the Matou family's crest to ensure her safety.
Both daughters could live—there was nothing more joyful than this!
Thinking of this, the man turned around and took a long, exquisite box from the bookshelf.
As the fifth head of the magic family, the Tohsaka family, Tohsaka Tokiomi also had one thing he had to do—participate in the Holy Grail War.
And what was placed inside the box was one of the things he had prepared in advance.
The man opened the box, revealing a somewhat old-looking scabbard inside.
The degree of rust made it seem as if it would break at any moment.
But even so, as long as anyone glanced at it, they could feel the warmth it exuded, a wondrous existence.
Of course. Tohsaka Sakura had never seen this thing before.
So the first time she glanced at it, she tilted her head and asked with considerable curiosity,
"Daddy, what's this?"
Tohsaka Tokiomi, in a very good mood, didn't plan to avoid this question.
He explained in a roundabout way, "This is something Daddy prepared in advance, it's the scabbard of Excalibur Galatine."
"The scabbard of Excalibur Galatine?" Tohsaka Sakura blinked her eyes.
"It sounds so amazing~"
"Of course." Tohsaka Tokiomi patted his daughter's head. "This is something Daddy put a lot of effort into getting back."
"If it doesn't work——" Tohsaka Tokiomi frowned slightly.
"Daddy will have to collect other things."
"Then what is Daddy going to do with such an amazing thing?" Tohsaka Sakura tilted her head and asked further.
"..." Realizing that he seemed to have said a bit too much, Tohsaka Tokiomi coughed lightly a few times.
"It's a secret." Tokiomi said with a wink.
"Alright." The man pretended to look at his watch. "Sakura, it's time for bed."
"Otherwise, you won't be a good girl."
"Eh?! I'll go to sleep right now!" After saying these words, Tohsaka Sakura curiously looked at the scabbard one last time.
[This was a glance that decided fate.]
[Tohsaka Sakura didn't know that her magical aptitude was extremely powerful.]
[She completely didn't realize that just this curiosity about the scabbard was enough to be converted into magical power through "Imaginary Numbers".]
[And this magical power affected you, who were still asleep.]
[You established a contract called "Shadow" at this moment.]
[But Tohsaka Sakura knew nothing about this—at least for now.]
Did the scabbard just light up? The little loli blinked her eyes.
She didn't know that her life would begin at this moment, heading in a completely different direction.