Sometime later, in one of Fuyuki's narrow back alleys.
"Well now, tonight was quite an entertaining evening, wasn't it, Master?" Arthur mused as he strolled deeper into the darkness. His steps were light, almost careless.
Kariya followed a few paces behind, shoulders tense.
"…Yeah," he answered quietly. "Are you sure you're alright, Berserker?"
Arthur glanced back over his shoulder. "No need to worry. Captain Golden Sparkles didn't so much as scratch me."
"That's not what I meant," Kariya said, unease clouding his face. His eyes drifted toward the mask. "I meant your current… state."
"Ah." Arthur tapped the edge of the mask lightly. "This thing? Don't fret. Give it a day and it'll settle down."
He waved dismissively, as though discussing a mild headache rather than something far more unnatural.
"So… where are we going?" Kariya asked, glancing around at the deserted street.
"Nowhere in particular. I'm simply looking around."
They emerged from the alley into an open stretch of road overlooking a grand hotel, tall, illuminated and imposing.
Arthur slowed.
"You know, Master… when I was young, I used to think that if I became powerful enough, something vast and unshakable, like a towering structure everyone could lean on, I'd be able to save them all. Protect their dreams. Carry their burdens."
He chuckled softly.
"How painfully naive, hm? Such childish thinking."
His crimson gaze fixed on the building ahead.
Crowds were spilling out of its entrance now, faces pale, movements frantic. Smoke curled from the lower floors. Flames licked at the windows.
"And yet," Arthur continued quietly, "after a very long time… I finally learned something."
Kariya frowned. "What was that?"
Arthur's smile widened beneath the mask.
"No matter how large you grow. No matter how strong you become… all it takes is one thing."
The fire surged.
"One small push."
The hotel shuddered.
"And it all comes crashing down."
An explosion tore through the structure in a thunderous roar. Glass burst outward. The lower floors collapsed inward as if swallowed by their own weight.
"Fate doesn't care," Arthur laughed, sharp, ringing, almost too loud. "It takes what it wants. HAHAHA"
"Berserker…did you…?!" Kariya's voice broke as he stared at him in shock.
"Hey, hey!" Arthur raised both hands in mock surrender. "Not my doing~ that little display belongs to Saber's Master. I merely noticed an opportunity and enjoyed the view. Don't be so dull, Master."
The mask shifted into an exaggerated playful expression.
"Saber's Master? That white-haired lady from the Einzbern family?"
Arthur tilted his head.
"No… but you may think of it that way if you prefer. It makes the story more amusing."
Kariya's jaw tightened. "She looked innocent…"
He shook his head bitterly. "I suppose I was right. Magi can't be trusted. But shouldn't we reinforce the house? If someone that dangerous is moving around… I'm worried about Sakura. …And Byakuya is still there too."
"Nah~" Arthur hummed lightly. "The barrier "I" placed is more than sufficient. There's no need to panic."
His tone was casual, but something behind it felt absolute.
"And besides," he added, turning away from the burning ruin, "tonight's entertainment has ended. Nothing interesting remains."
He began walking back the way they came.
"Let's return, Master, "I" have quite a busy day tomorrow."
Behind them, the hotel continued to crumble, sirens beginning to wail in the distance.
Arthur did not look back.
....................................…
The next day
Sakura's pov.
My name is Sakura Matou.
That is what I am called now.
Before that… I was Sakura Tohsaka.
Father said this was necessary.
He said I was talented.
He said I would be happy here.
The Matou house is dark.
It smells like old wood and something wet.
Grandfather said the Matou family's magicraft is different from the Tohsaka's.
He said I needed to be reshaped to become a proper vessel.
He took me to the basement.
There were no books.
No candles.
Only the pit.
When he pushed me in, I did not understand.
Then the worms crawled over me.
Into me.
They were cold at first.
Then they began to bite.
They entered through my skin, my mouth, my ears.
I remember screaming.
Grandfather watched from above.
He said it was proof of my talent.
He said only someone with strong circuits could endure it.
"It will make you a true Matou."
It hurt so much I could not breathe.
After some time, I stopped screaming.
There was no reason to scream.
No one would come.
Father had already left.
Mother did not look back.
Big sister…
I try not to think about her.
Every day was the same.
The worms.
The dark.
The smell.
They nested inside me. I could feel them moving even when I was in my room. Sometimes I thought I could hear them in the walls too.
Grandfather said this was love.
That this was education.
Eventually, I believed him.
Because if it wasn't education… then it was simply cruelty.
And that would mean Father knew…..
It is easier to believe it is education…..
Then Uncle Kariya returned.
He argued with Grandfather.
After that, the training changed.
I was no longer thrown into the pit every day.
But Uncle Kariya looked worse each time I saw him.
Something moved under his skin.
The same way it moved under mine.
He told me he would save me.
He said he would take me home.
Home....
....I do not know what that means anymore.
Then that day finally came…
Grandfather and Uncle Kariya went to the basement.
Grandfather told me to sleep.
When I woke up, it was quiet….
Too quiet….
I could not feel the worms.
I waited for them to move.
They did not.
The house smelled different.
Like smoke….
Sunlight reached through the curtains….
Something that has never happened before….
As she walked to the living room, she saw "father byakuya" sitting opposite to a masked big brother looking…tense.
She was scared…was he there to throw her in the pit ?… he had watched before when she was taken to the basement.
He never stopped it.
She was scared…
As she did so, she found herself drifting closer to the masked big brother. Even if the mask was frightening, he gave Sakura a warm feeling whenever she looked at him, and "Father Byakuya" seemed to be afraid of him. So she moved closer… and closer… and closer still, until she found herself sitting beside him, clutching the edge of his cape.
Even though Sakura was… dirty, and her touch surely ruined his clothes, he did not scream, shout, or hurt her.
When his eyes looked down at her, all she could see in them was pity… and kindness.
Being near him felt safe.
He was like the heroes from the stories Mo…Miss Aoi used to tell her… and Rin.
And Sakura was right… Big Brother was a hero, just as Uncle Kariya had said.
He chased Grandfather away.
He destroyed the pit and all the bugs.
He cured Uncle Kariya of the worms.
…and he cured her too.
So even if Sakura is dirty… even if she does not deserve this…
Big Brother is Sakura's hero.
And he will always be her hero.
"Big brother is a peerless gem!"
"Big brother is an unrivaled genius!"
"Big brother is an inimitable beauty!"
And for the first time since she came to this house.
Sakura smiled.