Sumire Tohsaka

Nine years ago, Abyss (ABYSS).

This is the fifth floor of the deep world, the sea of ​​dead bones.It is the frontline base established by Li Mingqing, a stronghold prepared for adventurers who explore the abyss.

Tohsaka Sakura walked in the aisle with a plate in hand.

This base is rebuilt from an altar left over thousands of years ago, and it is the only way to the sixth floor of the abyss.The old passages are fully enclosed, and the pipes and cement walls look increasingly dim under the lights.She walked all the way to the corridor before the light came in from the French windows.

She stopped and stared at the light that penetrated the entire fifth layer of the deep world like a pillar.

No matter how many times I watched it, Tohsaka Sakura couldn't help but feel... very amazing.

Outside the window is the frosty wasteland, the endless desolate scenery, only a purple beam of light runs through the sky and the earth.Because the sound insulation effect of the windows is too good, the sound of the outside world cannot be heard, whether it is the sound of the base rotating or the roar of the collapse of the water pillar.Staring out the window, Tohsaka Sakura saw the collapsed waterfall.

"Are you going to take a look outside today, Sakura?"

A man in black stands in the shadows, with only a slit of light on his mask, giving the illusion that he is being watched.His tone reminded Tohsaka Sakura of her father, with the same elegance and calmness, with a slightly raised tone.It's just that I don't know if it's because of wearing a mask, but this person's voice sounds a little mechanical.

In this completely strange world, this person was the first to pick them up.

Limingqing, Bordeaux.

It was he who used some kind of injection to restore Xiao Jin's almost collapsed body, but it seemed that the equipment left on the ground could not support his treatment plan.He said, "For specific treatment, you still have to go down to my base," and brought them to the fifth floor of the abyss.

To be honest, Tohsaka Sakura was a little afraid of him.

During the fall, he kept Xiao Jin in his arms, showing her the scenery of the abyss.

"It's dark, isn't it? Nice that you're not scared at all. A brave boy."

"That's a corpse weeping bird. Look, it's very beautiful."

"Why are the forests and waterfalls turned upside down? Because this is the second level of the deep world. Indeed, everyone who has been here will show your eyes. What eyes? Hmm... the eyes that are obsessed with all of these."

"Don't worry, my subordinates are very powerful, even if they are besieged by those monsters, it doesn't matter. Oh, even so, are you not afraid?"

"You said you like this piece of green? It seems that although they are all forests, the Giant's Cup on the fourth floor is more in line with your wishes. Do you prefer the green in the mist... It seems that I guessed it right."

The abyss fell layer by layer.Down, and down.The further down you go, the more frightened you feel.

Tohsaka Sakura could hardly understand why Sumire could always be so quiet...but eagerly watching everything outside the window.

It's like not feeling scared at all.

It's as if you have been completely confused by this abyss.

What unfolded before their eyes was a world like a fairy tale or a fantasy novel.Beautiful, incredible, full of everything a child can and cannot imagine.But this world is also very scary.Terrible beyond what a child can imagine.

Even children who don't understand life and death can understand the horror of being divided and eaten by corpse-weeping birds.Even children who don't know what fighting is, can understand what the monsters that crashed into their craft want to do, and... many of the people who fought them never came back.

Every night, Tohsaka Sakura feels uneasy.

When the aircraft was shaken by the monster's attack, and when those terrifying sounds echoed in the small space, she would feel heart palpitations one after another.

But she still stubbornly stayed by her sister's side, her eyes wide open, and she watched this beautiful but terrifying world together.

There is no other reason, just because she is a sister.

"The relationship between the two of you...is very good."

When Li Mingqing said this, he would always reach out and touch her head.

His head-touching movements are very skilled, not as painful as their father, who is not used to this kind of intimate movements, he is so unfamiliar that he can only scratch his head and turn around.

And Li Mingqing's strength is always just right, it has nothing to do with being rude at all.The whole palm is open, touching her head while combing her hair.Intimacy does not make people feel uncomfortable, and it can even be called gentle.

But Sakura Tohsaka was still a little afraid of him.

Not just because this man never showed his true colors, nor was it because she once saw a hideous scar in the gap between his mask very accidentally, nor was it because he always wore a black dress with a lizard-like appearance big tail...

Small children can easily overcome their fear of strange-looking creatures.What's more, the way Li Mingqing treated them was infinitely close to the way their father treated them.

Friendly, tender, guiding, pampering, proud... strict and loving coexist.

In some ways, he was even closer than their father.

Even my father had never sat down with Xiao Jin in his arms.Tohsaka Sakura couldn't help but think so.

And the reason why she was afraid of Li Mingqing was actually very simple.

Because Li Mingqing is a very scary person.

This point, I am afraid that it is difficult for anyone to know better than himself as his disciple.

Just like now, he was standing in front of her, asking her in such a gentle tone if she wanted to go out—in fact, he was asking her if she wanted to go out to "hunt".

This man, when they met for the first time, discovered that the two sisters were not residents of this world.

"Easy to spot, right?"

When she asked him how he could tell, Li Mingqing answered her like this.

"You can tell at a glance because it's completely different."

To be honest, Tohsaka Sakura didn't understand at all.

Then, he quickly discovered their [talent].

"The 'Shadow' connected to another dimension... and the 'Wishing Machine' connected to all records?"

Even though she couldn't see her face at all, Tohsaka Sakura felt inexplicably that this man was smiling when he said these words.

"It's wonderful. You two, it's a miracle."

Speaking of such praise-like words, as soon as he arrived at the base located on the fifth floor of the deep world, Li Mingqing took a natural attitude and started nurturing the two sisters respectively.

Only then did Tohsaka Sakura truly know the identity of this person.

He is not only an outstanding abyss adventurer, but also the most outstanding scholar, scientist... and doctor in the world.

For Xiao Jin, he carried out all-round treatment with the best attitude that the best doctor and the best scientist can do.Whether it was medicine, equipment or those magical relics from the abyss, he used it on her without hesitation.As long as she can take good care of her body, even if it is to consume all the rare treasures in his hands, this man will not hesitate at all.

For Sakura, after in-depth research on her body and magic circuits, combined with the magic knowledge the child remembered, he personally taught her how to use her own imaginary number attributes, combined with the characteristics of shadow and flow, to personally create for her Designed a fighting style that suits her.Under his two years of nurturing, even without the magic engraving and the magic knowledge inherited from the Tohsaka family, Tohsaka Sakura still developed her own shadow manipulation magic.

The so-called "hunting" was also carried out under Li Mingqing's teaching.

People in this base are not allowed to go out without Li Mingqing's permission, and many people who are brought here don't even have the freedom to leave the room.However, after Tohsaka Sakura mastered the magic of imaginary number attributes, Li Mingqing often took her out to hunt creatures on the fifth floor of the deep world.

At first it was just some young blood-sucking worms.Later, as Tohsaka's mastery of shadows became more adept, he began to take her hunting some bigger game.

Not without injury.It's not that there haven't been times when you want to back down.

However, whenever he feels that he can't hold on, the man will put his big hands on her shoulders, squat down, and let the eyeless mask "look up" at her face, with the kind of expression that seems to be always smiling, never changing. voice, said to her, hoping she would persevere.

"Sumire is still waiting for you."

She always felt that this person was smiling when he said such things.

"…………"

Tohsaka Sakura withdrew her thoughts from the memories.She glanced down at the food and water glasses on the dinner plate, and shook her head slightly.

"Xiao Jin's condition is not very good recently." She whispered, "I want to spend more time with her."

A month ago, Li Mingqing performed a heart operation on Tohsaka Sumire.He transplanted a precious relic from the sixth layer of the abyss into her heart.After that, although Sumire Tohsaka had fewer attacks, the rejection reaction made her extremely weak, and she didn't get better until this time.

Tohsaka Sakura also searched for information about the relic, but she is a young child after all, no matter how precocious she is, it is difficult to fully understand the function of the relic.

All she knew was that the relic could accurately measure the "price".

The so-called price is naturally invisible, intangible, difficult to measure and difficult to figure out, so it can be called "price".

However, that relic can measure the invisible "price" to a specific value and dissolve it.

The specific principle is as elusive as the other relics in the abyss, and Li Mingqing's explanation is also a bit confusing.

He only said that Tohsaka Sumire's physical ailment was not a specific disease.It is the "cost" of opening the channel.Fulfilling her wish does not require her to pay any price, but opening the channel that can realize all wishes is a price in itself.

The more open it is, the closer she is to the existence inside the passage.And this is contradictory to her "definition" and "body" as a human being, and it is difficult to coexist. Therefore, when she opens it, her human body will begin to collapse.

And the relic he placed on her heart can measure the price of opening the channel for her, and let her understand the extent of her wish.And to a certain extent... dispelling this price.

"Probably can reduce the price she should have paid to one-tenth."

This is the explanation he finally gave.

"For example, if she originally wanted to realize a wish, opening the channel would cause her internal organs to rupture. As long as there is this, it is only the degree of finger fracture. Depending on the degree of opening required by the wish, the price will be different."

Tohsaka Sakura believed in his statement.

Although she was a little afraid of him, in her heart, she still trusted this man.

In any case, he did give them the best for their sisters.And many times, he gave them two great freedoms, allowing them to do whatever they wanted.

Just like now, Li Mingqing just nodded slightly when she heard Tohsaka Sakura refused to go hunting.

"Rejection is a bit uncomfortable, and when you are sick, you need the company of your family." His tone was completely understanding, without any condescending meaning, "And, don't you feel relieved? Well, stay with her at this time , is good for both of you."

"I'm going to deliver food to Xiao Jin." Tohsaka Sakura also bowed slightly, and hurried away with the food tray, "See you tonight, Master."

How should I put it, although it is very important to accompany her sister, she does not want to give up hunting.

After going around another corridor, she finally arrived at her sister's ward.

After opening the door of the ward, as expected, Tohsaka Sakura saw Sumire holding Mitty and a picture book in her hand.

To correct it, it is not so much that she is holding Mitty, it is better to say that her whole body is nestled on Mitty.The pink strange creature has no bones, but is a mass of soft fluid that can wrap the little girl on the hospital bed like a mass of water.Only one eye of Mitty is intact, and now she is making a sound like a kitten or a lamb, muttering vaguely, and grabbing Sumire Tohsaka's hair with her sharp claws, pulling it into her mouth and licking it. bite.

"No hair, Mitty."

Seeing this, the orc girl who was helping Tohsaka Sumire change the infusion bottle lightly slapped Mitty's paw to snatch out those strands of wet black hair, and then hit Tohsaka Sumire's head reproachfully.

"Really, and you too, don't always let Mitty go. Stop giving her that bad habit of chewing hair."

"Well... I remember." The little girl on the hospital bed rubbed her forehead, "Nanachi is so fierce... Mitty won't eat it."

"Even I can't guarantee this, but you are very confident."

The orc girl called Nanaki put her hands on her hips and let out a long sigh.She has round golden eyes, soft fur, two long rabbit ears that stand up, but she has a long, fluffy tail that a rabbit would never have.Her tail flicked twice, making people involuntarily want to reach out and touch it.

So Tohsaka Sakura habitually reached out, and gently pulled her tail.

"Wow——" Nanachi jumped up like a frightened rabbit, turned her head and saw that it was her who had just relaxed, "Really, don't touch it suddenly, Sakura."

"I'm sorry, but Nanachi is too cute."

Tohsaka Sakura put the plate of food on the table, trying to explain to Nanaki "I really can't control it" by looking at her.There will never be a shortage of children in Li Mingqing's base. As Li Mingqing's chief assistant and key care object, Nanaki is also used to the children's reactions when they see her, so she won't get angry because of it.

She just sighed again, and when her eyes fell on the food plate, she couldn't help showing a little disgusted expression.

"Wow, is it number four again?"

"Yes."

Tohsaka Sakura also sighed, picked up a small plate containing dry food, and handed it to Tohsaka Sumire.

Action Food No. 4.This is dry food specially prepared for cave explorers below the fourth floor. The nutrition and shelf life are very commendable, but the taste is... very bad.

"No matter how many times I eat it, I feel like I'm eating the wall."

Sumire Tohsaka picked up a piece of Li Mingqing's special dry food from the plate, and ate it crunchily.

"No way, this is the only one in the base." Nanaki comforted the two sisters instead, "There's no kitchen here—after all, you can't expect Boduer to cook more."

The two sisters shivered at the same time.Even Nanaki herself, who said this, couldn't help showing a disgusted expression.

God, Li Mingqing cooking, what a terrifying imagination.

"I've forgotten what a normal meal tastes like."

Tohsaka Sakura also picked up a piece of dry food and gnawed on it.Anyone can forget what normal home cooking tastes like after two years of gnawing at the wall.Even the home that I didn't want to lose no matter what, has become blurred in my memory.The so-called taste of home is the same as the existence of home itself, leaving only a vague and warm shadow.

"I almost forgot, you two came in from the outside." Nanaki changed the medicine bottle and sat on the edge of the bed to rest, "Speaking of which, I remember you two are not orphans...then why did you Come in here?"

"because……"

Tohsaka Sakura suddenly began to be in a trance.

Because of what?

Because Li Mingqing can provide the best conditions?Because they have nowhere to go in this world but by his side?Because he can cure Xiao Jin and teach her how to use her power?

No, in the final analysis, the reason... there is only one.

"Because I want Xiao Jin to live." She said softly.

——You can do whatever you want, you can become whatever you want, don’t let Xiao Jin die.

That wish was fulfilled in such a way.

The person who can save Xiao Jin is neither a god nor a demon, but Li Mingqing.

"Is that so..."

For some reason, Nanaki's voice sounded a little gloomy.She lowered her head, the shadow of her forehead covering her expression.

"Then, let me give you a piece of advice."

The orc girl's paws held Mitty's paws, and the fluffy paws were pulled together with the soft paws. When she raised her head again, her golden pupils were as cold as ice.

"Don't trust Bordeaux." She gritted her teeth, "He's a complete jerk."