"Sigh..."
Sitting upright in his chair, Tokiomi Tohsaka let out a long sigh, unable to let go of the unease in his heart.
About four days had passed since the deaths of Kirei Kotomine and Kiritsugu Emiya.
During this period, Fuyuki City had returned to a long-lost calm. No further chaos had erupted, and the riots previously caused by Lancer had been thoroughly quelled.
Now, only three Servants remained: Archer, Rider, and Berserker.
"Rider has been missing since that encirclement."
"He hasn't even gone to the Church to claim his reward..."
Furrowing his brow, Tokiomi worried slightly about the whereabouts of the Rider team.
It was as if they had evaporated from the face of the earth. He had dispatched numerous familiars to scout every corner of Fuyuki City, but none had found a trace of them.
If the war weren't explicitly still ongoing, he might have assumed it was already over.
"Hmph..."
putting aside the question of Rider's hiding spot for now, Tokiomi had a more pressing headache to deal with: "Sakura."
"I have to go see for myself..."
Ever since Risei Kotomine had delivered the news, he had hesitated for a long time. It was only today that he finally made the decision to pay a visit.
Considering that Archer should have recovered sufficiently by now, he wasn't too worried about encountering danger.
With his own skills as a Magus, holding out against a Servant for a short while wouldn't be an issue. If trouble arose, he could simply use a Command Spell to summon Archer for support.
Holding onto this confidence, he adjusted his attire, left his mansion, and headed towards the Matou residence.
It didn't take long for him to arrive at his destination.
However, the one who received him wasn't the head of the household, Zouken Matou, but rather the "half-baked" Kariya Matou.
"If it's about Sakura, it's best you don't see her right now."
Hearing Tokiomi's request, Kariya's tone was filled with dissatisfaction, but Tokiomi dismissed it as a boring emotional outburst.
Eventually, he was granted permission to enter the Matou estate.
It was only then that Tokiomi realized the mansion had undergone significant changes.
The most immediate difference was the arrangement of the entire house, both inside and out.
The courtyard was manicured with precision, and the furniture was placed with meticulous care.
The rich, orderly scene was truly pleasing to the eye.
Just from this, one could tell that the Matou family employed a highly skilled gardener and servant.
"Truly incredible..."
Sensing no magical traps or intent to attack, Tokiomi offered a word of praise.
Looking at Kariya leading the way, he didn't believe for a second that this was Kariya's doing.
Such detailed work definitely required an experienced "master."
If it weren't for this special period, he might considered hiring the person to help tidy up the Tohsaka estate as well.
"..."
Glancing back at Tokiomi, Kariya still held a deep prejudice against him.
However, since Sakura was living well now, he didn't harbor excessive hatred.
He knew why Tokiomi had come. Initially, he wanted to turn him away, but Berserker had insisted on asking for Sakura's opinion.
When Sakura learned that her former "Father" had arrived, she showed no joy whatsoever—only a sense of estrangement.
Having experienced Zouken Matou's repeated, albeit failed, malicious attempts, she held a heavy guard against others.
Even now, Sakura was only close to Berserker. Perhaps attracted by him, she had developed a severe dependency.
She needed coaxing to sleep, care for eating, walking, playing, combing hair... everything.
Although Kariya didn't know where Tokiomi had learned that Sakura was a Master, he was very clear on one thing: if Tokiomi was here to persuade Sakura to give up, it would be a wasted trip.
That girl would never abandon the chance to make a wish.
She only wanted Berserker to stay by her side forever.
Because that was her exclusive "Hero."
Click.
Opening the gate to the rear courtyard, the two men saw the Master and Servant tending to the flowerbed.
"Hm?"
Seeing Berserker wearing an apron, sleeves rolled up, holding large shears and pruning flowers with relish alongside Sakura—this spectacle truly opened Tokiomi's eyes.
This appearance didn't look like a Servant at all... it looked more like a meticulous gardener.
Sensing his arrival, gazes from both the large and small figures shifted over.
Tokiomi noticed that Berserker merely uncared-for glanced at him before losing interest, while Sakura walked over somewhat recklessly.
Noting the distance between them, Tokiomi breathed a sigh of relief.
With Berserker staying "harmlessly" in the back, it proved the other party had no intention of attacking.
Imprinting the hero's face deeply into his mind, Tokiomi tried to deduce his True Name.
Heroic Spirits who could repeatedly tangle with the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, were few and far between.
As for "Sakura's" thoughts? He hadn't counted on them from the start.
But when he actually engaged Sakura in conversation, Tokiomi realized things were not as simple as he had imagined.
She didn't display the frailty and quietness he remembered.
On the contrary, she was filled with an unyielding attitude.
Even when he put on the face and majesty of a "Father" to persuade her, she wasn't intimidated.
"When I was in despair and needed help the most, the one who came to save me wasn't you, nor was it Mother."
"It was..."
"A real Hero!"
That tone and expression, filled with incomparable admiration and happiness, truly fit a child's demeanor.
"In this war, even if the opponent is 'Father,' I won't back down! Please go back."
At such a young age, she seemed to have become slightly more sensible, yet she also made her stance to fight to the end clear.
"Foolishness! Do you understand what you are saying?"
"To become my enemy, you..."
Unable to believe that the daughter who was once his second child would defy him, Tokiomi's hand, resting against his leg, began to tremble.
"I understand very well. Precisely because of that, I won't give up."
"I don't want him to leave."
She interrupted him. That firm yet childish tone gave Tokiomi an urge to scream in frustration.
A Magus not aiming for the Root? The wish she wanted to grant was simply to keep a Servant by her side?
How preposterous!
In Tokiomi's eyes, this was nothing more than a child's willfulness and naivety.
"As I thought, I shouldn't have said so much to you from the start."
"Detailed explanations are wasted on you; you cannot comprehend just how childish you are being."
"At this moment, the distance to the Root is..."
Covering his face, Tokiomi realized he was casting pearls before swine.
Expecting a six-year-old child to understand his grand ideals was fundamentally impossible.
It would have been more realistic to say, "I'll take you to the amusement park."
"..."
Watching Tokiomi's defeated expression, the corners of Kariya's mouth curled up slightly, though he tried hard not to make a sound.
He had anticipated this scene long ago.
Tokiomi Tohsaka possessed a standard Magus mindset.
But unfortunately, Sakura was not a "Magus" right now.
Or rather, Sakura was currently closer to a mortal with worldly cognition.
Arrive at the Root?
You're talking about that to a child who doesn't understand Magus society?
Truly meaningless...