Sumire Tohsaka

[Interlude] The Butterfly Emerge

The eve of the Holy Grail War.

Tohsaka Sakura came to the empty park alone.

The catastrophe ten years ago was a massive fire that killed hundreds of people tragically.The fire burned for a day and a night, almost burning the entire residential area to ashes.

On top of that ruin, this park was established in memory of it.

Because of the past, there is only this park, and no one comes no matter what time of day it is.

However, as a magus—as the second daughter of the Tohsaka family who possesses the Fuyuki Spirit Vein—Sakura knows more about the truth.

This piece of land has been polluted by resentment.The overly strong curse penetrated into every inch of soil, almost forming an invisible barrier.

This is where the final battle of the last Holy Grail War took place.

That miserable disaster was the sin of the magician.

However, due to her own magical attributes, this land, which is extremely harsh for ordinary magicians, is unexpectedly very suitable for her.

After drawing the summoning circle with snake blood, Sakura held the wrist of her right hand, and the command spell in the shape of a pansy, which had been concealed with magic, clearly emerged on the back of her hand.

"Shut it down. Shut it up. Shut it up. Shut it up. Shut it up. Round and round, followed by five."

The magic power in the atmosphere gathers here, the magic circuit is fully opened, and it becomes a tool for absorbing magic power.It seems that the body is no longer his own, and the magic power is like a centipede with fangs, swimming between the blood and nerves.

The girl had to grit her teeth, resisting the pain that seemed to dissolve in it.

"Declare—"

Under the cold winter night, in the deserted garden, the girl recited a long prayer alone.

"Your body is under me, and my fate is on your sword."

This is an action that must be avoided by my sister.Sakura is very clear.

My sister will definitely not agree, the only thing she doesn't want is to participate in it herself.

And... my sister will definitely not understand.

"If you follow the fate of the Holy Grail, follow this will, and this principle, please respond to me—"

The magic power was revolving in her body, like a high-speed rotating engine, and the high heat that almost burned her blood ran through her whole body.

Vision has been turned off.

Because the concentration of the fifth element in front of the eyes exceeds the limit that the vision can bear, in order not to be destroyed, the eyeballs automatically close the vision.

"Swear here.

I am the one who accomplishes all good deeds in the world,

I am the one who conveys all the malice in the world. "

Even so, she still needs the Holy Grail, this universal wishing machine.

Even if you want to be an enemy of your sister.

Even if... to be an enemy of the world.

"The three great words that surround you for seven days, come from the wheel of restraint, O guardian of the scales—!"

The magic power flowing in the body has exceeded the limit, the atmosphere is compressed around her, and the strong wind pressure makes people almost unable to stand still.

The sixth overhead element——ether, gathers here.

At that moment, Sakura felt very clearly——connected.

The path leading to the outside of the world, the passage connecting the Throne of the Heroic Spirits and the human world, is opened here.

In the dazzling brilliance, in the overwhelming storm, the tall and pitch-black figure appeared.

"Just ask—"

The woman's voice was so cold that there was almost no human breath.The long hair snaked down to the ground, like crystals of darkness.Those tightly closed eyes give people a strong illusion of being watched—perhaps, that is not an illusion.

"Are you my Master?"

This is the heroic spirit she summoned.A Servant (Servant) who served him during this Holy Grail War.

Tohsaka Sakura knew her name the moment she was summoned.

"Rider..." she murmured, "...Medusa."

The famous Gorgon in Greek mythology, the monster of Gorgon, Medusa.

"I'm Sakura. Tohsaka Sakura."

Although dreading the fame of the legendary monster, she gave her name here.

"During the Holy Grail War this time, please assist me with all your strength."

So, at this moment, her magic circuit was connected with the Heroic Spirit.

contract reached.

The No.2 magician of the Tohsaka family will join the battle as the Master of the "Rider".

"Master...what is the reason for participating in the Holy Grail War?"

After the summoning ceremony, the heroic spirit of Rider (cavalry) asked her this.

This is a natural question.

If you don't have a wish that you want to fulfill no matter what, you won't be chosen by the Holy Grail from the beginning.

The Holy Grail War held in Fuyuki City once every 60 years is a seance ceremony in which seven magicians are called Master (Master) and seven heroic spirits are called Servants (Servants).Heroes who have left their names in human history were summoned by the Holy Grail from the Throne of Heroes outside the world, and formed a master-slave contract with magicians who provided magic power.Then, in just a few days, a life-and-death struggle began.

In the end, the Holy Grail will reveal itself to the one and only victor.Only the final winner can make a wish to this universal wishing machine.

——Fight to the last one.

What is the desire to be fulfilled at all costs?

What Medusa asked was actually this question.

Sakura was silent for a moment, then lowered her face.Long hair slipped from her ears, blocking her expression.

It took a while before the female Heroic Spirit in black heard her voice.

"I have a younger sister." Sakura said softly, "We are twin sisters. I was very healthy when I was born, but her body is very bad. The usual methods... neither medicine nor magic can do anything. I want to use The Grail healed her."

"Do you want...to protect your sister?"

Medusa's voice revealed a hint of softness.So subtle it's almost imperceptible.

"Nice wish."

However, Tohsaka Sakura shook her head.As if she wanted to deny this compliment, as if she wanted to show that she was not as noble as she thought, her eyes became more and more gloomy.

"That's my responsibility."

For some reason, the girl's voice seemed to be covered with a shadow.She unconsciously grabbed her arm, and clasped it tightly as if she was enduring something.

"I killed her once." She paused and corrected, "No, I almost killed her."

"..."

The tall female Heroic Spirit listened silently.This speechlessness has now become the greatest tenderness, like the vast night, embracing the girl in front of her.

A Servant is a projection of a heroic spirit, a seven-day dream that only existed during the Holy Grail War, and will return to its seat after the ceremony is over.

In other words, it is a very short-lived fate.

Perhaps because of this, some words that cannot be told to others can be easily said to Medusa.

"Obviously I should be the one protecting her."

Because she is the elder sister, she is the one who has a healthy body and can practice magic.

"But she has been protecting me all along."

Tohsaka Sakura will never forget that day.

The day when my young self was going to be sent to Matou's house.

The adults have already made their decisions.Her father said "it's for your own good" and her mother said "I'm sorry".But no one would listen to her wishes.

The young Tohsaka Sakura could only endure desperately. In order to be a good child, she endured desperately and desperately.

The grandpa of the Matou family is so scary.

I can no longer call my parents mom and dad, and when I see my sister and sister, I have to pretend to be someone I don’t know at all, so I want to cry.

From now on, I will become someone else's child, I don't know how they will treat me, I don't know what the future will be like...

But young children can't do anything about any of this.

Sakura could only hold on to the ribbon that her sister lent her, as if she wanted to gain courage from it, desperately enduring the uneasiness and sadness that almost swallowed her up.

In order to escape the urge to cry, Tohsaka Sakura left the big house and ran into the courtyard.

Then, she saw her sister.

Xiao Jin's health has always been very poor, and she usually lives in the hospital, and she is rarely seen at home, but that day, she rarely stayed at home.

The little girl stood alone in the corner of the courtyard, looking at the pansies in full bloom.

Seemingly disturbed by her movements, the girl turned around and looked at her with those jewel-like green eyes.

For a moment, Sakura felt uncontrollably jealous of her happy younger sister...the younger sister who could stay at home all the time.

——Why, only me?

——Only I am different.

——Obviously the same sisters, born in the same family, but I have nothing. ①

After all, she was still a child, no matter how patient Tohsaka Sakura was, she couldn't completely suppress her emotions. After meeting her younger sister's gaze, she realized that her face was already wet. It turned out that tears had already flowed all over her face. She wiped it in a hurry, but she wiped more and more tears, and couldn't stop no matter what.

"Do you want to get out of here?"

A cold little hand rested on her face, and then Tohsaka Sakura heard the girl's voice.

A thin, calm voice that somehow felt hollow.

"I……"

Seemingly having understood what she was about to say, the doll-like little girl shook her head and looked into her eyes quietly.

"Don't talk about what parents think." The child said to her softly, "What is your real wish?"

——Sakura is a good boy.

Who had ever said that to her?

In order to be a good child, the young girl has been forcing herself.Reluctance, reluctance, reluctance... Reluctant to the end, finally crossed the limit of his patience with such a simple question.

"I want to stay...continue to live with everyone..."

The young child was sobbing, and finally expressed the most sincere desire in his heart.

"...I don't want to be sent to someone else's house."

Then, in the field of vision blurred by tears, Tohsaka Sakura saw Sumire smiling slightly.

That was the first time she saw her sister smile.The child who had always been expressionless, like a doll, smiled at her for the first time.

"Yeah." The child said with a smile, "Your wish... will come true."

then……

What happened next?

Even Tohsaka Sakura can't remember clearly.

The only thing she clearly remembered was the blood red.

"Father—— Sumire, little Sumire—"

Awakened by his sister's scream, he stared blankly at his feet.

The blood splashed all the way to her skirt, and the flowing crimson expanded little by little, covering her feet, and even the ground under her feet was soaked in her blood.

Why is there so much blood in a person's body?

Sakura Tohsaka stood in a pool of blood, thinking blankly.

She couldn't understand that question until now.

However, one thing is clear.

"Xiao Jin saved me."

Eleven years later, Sakura Tohsaka, standing here, stated her wish in a firm tone.

"So, this time it's my turn to save her."

— No matter how many people you want to kill, no matter who you want to be enemies with.

"yes."

Medusa nodded lightly, for some reason, her tone sounded a little gentle.

"Then, I will help you realize this wish."

Even though she couldn't see her eyes, she could feel the gaze of the Rider (cavalry) heroic spirit.

"why?"

Sakura felt a little puzzled.

Even if the Heroic Spirit summoned by the Holy Grail is bound by Command Spells and Servant (Servant), since she is a woman who can leave her name in the history of mankind, there is no reason why she should be a master-slave contract because of a mere master-slave contract. Obedient to her wishes to such an extent.

"Because we're similar."

Although the summoning is basically done by the Holy Grail,... the nature of the Servant (Servant) will change according to the summoner.

A summoner with a dark side in his heart cannot summon a hero who is on the light side. ②

And no matter how you look at it, Medusa, who is dubbed "Gorgon" and "Gorgon's monster", is not a heroic spirit that can be called a hero.

A distorted summoner will summon a distorted heroic spirit. ③

However, the similarity that Medusa said is not what it means at that level.

That's a more fundamental similarity.

"I also had two older sisters."

The woman in black continued speaking in a somewhat lonely tone.

"It's a good thing to want to protect your sisters...but it's not okay to not notice."

He used to fight constantly to protect his sisters, but in the end he became mad because of it, and was awakened as a "Gorgon (horrible thing)" skill, and completely lost his reason in the endless battle... In turn, he devoured his two Sister, turned into a complete monster.

Medusa recalled her absurd life, paused for a moment, and said her last advice.

"What you really want is her happiness. In this happiness, you can't exist without you."

After saying this, Rider took a step back, and the astral form disappeared.

Only words like sighs were blown away in the evening wind.

"I will take the Holy Grail for you, Master."