Seeing that Su Mo had agreed, Erica immediately announced the good news in the group.
Madoka: "Congratulations, Rin-oneechan."
Kanae: "With Lord Su Mo here, there's no need to worry at all."
Rin Tohsaka: "Waaaaah, I suddenly feel the joy of being chosen by a god!"
Rin Tohsaka: "Although, Lord Su Mo is pretty much a god himself at this point."
Rin Tohsaka: "Thank you, Lord Su Mo! To repay you, Erica will do anything!"
Erica: "?"
Kanae: "?"
Madoka: "?"
Rin Tohsaka: "I mean, I will do anything."
Rin Tohsaka: "And by the way, thanks to Erica, too."
Erica: "Oh, Rin! There's no future in being a tsundere."
Erica: [Smirk.jpg]
Rin Tohsaka: "You're the tsundere! Your whole family are tsunderes!"
Looking at the cheerful atmosphere in the group, a hint of envy appeared in Kanae's eyes.
If I could also get Lord Su Mo's help on my end...
Wait, that's a bit too greedy. Lord Su Mo has already provided the optimized Breathing Style. I just need to save up points for a while longer, buy it, and learn it. Then I can end this era of rampant demons with my own hands.
It would just be a little slower, a little more dangerous, a little less efficient, and there was a chance she wouldn't even be able to find Muzan Kibutsuji.
Huh? How did I end up back at latching onto a powerhouse being the better option?
After thinking it over, Kanae really wanted to give up on trying. Unfortunately, she didn't have an opportunity like Erica's to swear fealty.
She wasn't as smart as Rin, nor as strong as Erica. It seemed there was no other good way to win Lord Su Mo's attention.
As she was thinking this, her gaze unconsciously drifted to her younger sister, Shinobu, and her adopted sister, Kanao.
Personality aside, her two younger sisters were quite beautiful.
"Mmm, if only Lord Su Mo needed a maid..."
In the end, too embarrassed to speak up, Kanae could only let out a helpless sigh.
---||---
In the Type-Moon world, Rin Tohsaka, having received Su Mo's promise, was so excited she jumped right out of bed.
"This is great! With Lord Su Mo here, Sakura's matter will definitely be fine!"
If Erica's help was a sure thing with a small chance of failure, then Su Mo's help was a complete certainty.
"Sakura! Listen, I have some good news to tell—"
Her heart completely at ease, Rin didn't even have time to change out of her pajamas. She rushed out of her room and burst into her younger sister, Sakura's, room.
To avoid getting Sakura's hopes up for nothing, Rin hadn't revealed her plans to anyone before. Only now, with Su Mo's confirmed help, did she plan to tell her younger sister the good news.
But to her surprise, after bursting through the door, she didn't see Sakura.
"Eh? Mother?"
She only saw a rather empty room and her mother, looking sad, packing various accessories into a suitcase.
In Aoi Tohsaka's suitcase were Sakura's daily personal items, including dresses and toys, all neatly organized. Sakura's room, which had once been full of her things, now looked very plain, as if all traces of her sister were being locked away.
Noticing this, Rin's heart skipped a beat, and a bad feeling washed over her.
"Mother, what's going on? Weren't there still a few days left?"
Rin had kept the adoption date that her father had arranged with the Matou family firmly in her mind. It wasn't supposed to be today!
"Oh, it's you, Rin."
Looking up at her eldest daughter, Aoi Tohsaka forced herself to cheer up, revealing a strained smile.
"The head of the Matou family suddenly said he wanted to move the adoption up, so that Sakura can inherit their magecraft. I don't really understand the specifics, but Tokiomi seemed very happy and agreed to his request."
"I'm afraid Sakura will have to go live with the Matou family today..."
As she said this, Aoi Tohsaka suddenly realized how downcast she sounded. Not wanting to upset Rin, she quickly changed her tone.
"Rin, don't worry! The Matou family is also a prestigious magus family in Fuyuki. Sakura is going there to be their heir, so she definitely won't be bullied. You can rest assured!"
As she spoke, Aoi Tohsaka repeated the last part a few times, as if muttering to herself. It was unclear if she was trying to comfort Rin or herself.
With Rin's sharp eyes, she could naturally see that her mother was also sad, but she didn't have time to worry about that now. Her sister was more important.
"The adoption is today? Does that mean Sakura hasn't left yet?" she asked, getting to the point.
It wasn't really a question. Since Aoi was still packing, Sakura obviously hadn't left yet. But her worry had clouded her judgment. Even though she knew this, Rin still felt more at ease after confirming it.
"Mhm." Aoi Tohsaka nodded. "It's still early. The head of the Matou family hasn't arrived yet. I'm just preparing in advance."
"Then where is Sakura now?"
"She's downstairs. Tokiomi is teaching her about the etiquette of a magus." After answering, Aoi looked at her eldest daughter again. "If you want to see Sakura, you should go now."
"I know!"
Rin turned and ran out. As she reached the doorway, she suddenly remembered something and stopped, looking back at her mother.
"Aren't you going to see Sakura, Mother?"
They would still be living in the same city, so this naturally wouldn't be their last meeting, but its significance was still special.
"No, I won't."
Aoi Tohsaka's eyes dimmed, and she shook her head. It was unclear if she couldn't bear to face her daughter's eyes or her own heart.
"Then... Mother, if... and I'm just saying if... I succeed in stopping Father from giving Sakura up for adoption, can Sakura still stay with our family?" Rin asked tentatively after a few seconds of hesitation.
"Stop Tokiomi?" Hearing this, Aoi Tohsaka was stunned for a moment, then immediately shook her head.
"Of course not! Tokiomi said that with Sakura's potential, the best future for her is to become the heir of another magus family. I know you can't bear to part with Sakura, but your father and I are doing this for her own good. You mustn't do anything foolish!"
The reason she was willing to give up Sakura was simple: it was for Sakura's own good.
"So Mother thinks so too."
The young Rin lowered her head, her eyes covered by shadows.
"Rin!"
Before Aoi could say anything more, she had already rushed downstairs. The first thing she saw was her younger sister, standing in the middle of the living room with her head bowed.