Night fell over Fuyuki like a velvet curtain steeped in ink.
The Tohsaka estate.
This house—where traditional Japanese aesthetics and Western magecraft coexisted in harmony—looked especially quiet and solemn as dusk deepened. Costly mana-crystal lamps cast a soft, steady glow, bathing the rosewood shelves and the occult tomes from around the world in warmth. The air carried the rich scent of old pages and the faint aftertaste of a fine cigar.
It was the meticulous, authoritative atmosphere that belonged to the current head of House Tohsaka—Tohsaka Tokiomi.
But now, that ingrained calm and order was broken by a fierce, wordless emotion.
"Father, please!"
Rin—barely eight—rose from the soft leather kneeling cushion. The eyes she'd inherited from her mother, bright as the finest gems, were wide with agitation and disbelief, a thin sheen of moisture gathering over them. Her hands clenched at her sides, trembling, as if trying to hold on to something precious that was slipping away.
"Are you sure the Matou family will treat Sakura well?"
Her voice had the clear ring of youth, sharpened by urgency into something almost cutting—like a small dagger trying to pierce a decision that seemed immovable.
"I've heard… I've heard Matou Zouken is terrifying! That old man is uncanny, and the Matou estate is creepy—at night there are even strange sounds!"
Seated at his desk, Tokiomi's brows knit at once. He was a man who prized bearing and etiquette, always maintaining the composure and dignity expected of a magus family head. His daughter's loss of decorum and near-slander crossed a line.
He set down the gem he'd been polishing. His fingertips tapped the desk—not hard, not soft—each dull knock like a judge's gavel.
"Rin."
Tokiomi's voice was low and stern, brooking no defiance. "You must not speak so rudely about your elders—least of all the head of the Matou family, our long-standing ally. Matou-sama is the master of a renowned line of magi, a man of deep heritage worthy of respect. He will take Sakura as his adopted daughter and have her inherit the Matou Magic Crest. That is an acknowledgment of her talent and a safeguard for her future. He will raise her properly, in the Matou way."
"B-but…"
Rin wanted to push back. A storm of worries and fears crashed through her mind—Sakura's timid gaze, the two of them racing through the garden, the warmth of whispering under the covers at night. Was all of that to end with a single appeal to "a magus's logic"?
Why was having two children with precious magic circuits not a double blessing for House Tohsaka, but a "flaw" that required discarding one?
"No buts."
Tokiomi's voice rose, cutting her off like a blade. He stood, his tall frame casting a long shadow that engulfed Rin beneath the lamplight. The unseen pressure made it hard for her to breathe.
"This is a decision Matou-sama and I reached after careful consideration. It is best for House Tohsaka, for House Matou—and above all, for Sakura. As the future heir of House Tohsaka, you bear the duty of upholding our honor, and you should understand and obey. The world of magi is not a child's game of tender feelings. It follows rules that are colder, yes—but older and more refined."
"…Understood."
Rin bit her lip so hard it nearly drew blood. She forced back the tears spinning in her eyes. She knew that crying, pleading, or open defiance would be powerless—worse, counterproductive—against a mind fully hardened by "magus pride" and "family tradition."
Her father had bound himself to that cold framework of magus logic. He could not see—or chose not to see—what such a "reasonable" decision might mean for Sakura at her age. It would not just be separation. It would be the beginning of a plunge into the abyss.
A wave of helplessness washed over her—then, beneath it, a hotter, tougher resolve took root.
She could not give up. Absolutely not. If even she gave up, Sakura's future…
Rin lowered her head, long lashes curtaining the gem-bright eyes now glittering with a resolve far beyond her years. She gathered every bit of strength to make her voice sound as gentle and compliant as possible, though each word scraped her throat like glass.
"I… I understand, Father. Please give me some time to accept this on my own."
Seeing his daughter appear to relent, Tokiomi's severity eased a fraction. He stepped forward, as if to stroke her head like an ordinary father. Halfway there—perhaps remembering a magus family's reserve, or perhaps feeling a wordless pang of guilt at sending away his other daughter—his hand settled instead on Rin's trembling shoulder.
"…Sigh."
A barely audible breath escaped him. "I know this is hard to accept, Rin. I'm not blind to the pain of losing a sister. But believe me—this is what's best for Sakura. The Tohsaka Magic Crest can be inherited by only one. With her talent, keeping her here would bury her—and might invite needless trouble. The Matou can give her the future and standing she deserves. That is truly thinking of her."
Truly thinking of her?
Rin screamed silently in her heart. If it's really for her sake, shouldn't someone ask Sakura what she wants? Shouldn't we truly investigate whether the Matou are as polished as they seem?
She swallowed those words and bowed deeper. "Yes, Father."
Then she turned, keeping her steps as steady as she could, and backed out of the study one pace at a time. When the heavy wooden door closed softly behind her, shutting out her father's gaze, she felt as if she'd used up the last of her strength.
Like a deer hounded by the hunt, she fled down the dim corridor, running as fast as she could toward her room.
~~~
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