"Shiro-o! More!" Drawled one tigress, who had taken the guise of an English teacher in human society, accompanying the words with hand waves.
"Yes-yes, coming right up..."
"Senpai, let me."
"No need, I can..."
Any objections from the house's sole guy were simply ignored by the young girl with loose lilac hair as she headed to the kitchen for another serving for the inquiring tiger.
"Fuji-nee, you could've gotten seconds yourself instead of using Sakura's kindness."
"It's fine, Senpai. It's no trouble at all." Sakura said with a smile, handing Taiga another portion.
"Thanks, Sakura-chan! I knew you were a miracle! Your future husband will be so lucky with a wife like you..." Both girls shot me a quick glance with different expressions. My guardian with a foxy smirk, and Sakura with a sweet smile and slightly flushed face.
"Don't tease Sakura. Though I agree with you, that's no reason to tease her." Sakura blushed even harder after my words. Gotta admit, she really looks adorable when embarrassed.
"Really?.. But I'm sure with her beauty and sweet personality, Sakura's super popular at school. And when she gets to high school..."
"Fuji-nee! / Fujimura-san!" Sakura and I said in unison, trying to stop the overly chatty woman's verbal tirade.
"Fine-fine! I won't anymore..."
If her word holds till dinner's end, that'll be a miracle. The only living adult supposed to look after me acts like a kid most of the time.
Russell doesn't count—he's not exactly alive, and Dad's in "storage." There's also Illya, but she's my little sister even if older. Main thing is not to tell her that. She's cute when munching my conciliatory cookies with puffed cheeks, but no need to abuse it.
The rest of dinner passed peacefully. Fuji-nee quickly ate everything offered and headed home, as she had a pile of unchecked student work. Sakura and I cleared the table and washed dishes together while chatting about trivial things. It was just nice being together. At least, until her face, as we sat side by side watching TV news, took on a distressed expression.
"Sakura? Something bothering you?" I asked, looking into my kohai's eyes.
"Ah? No... Yes." Sakura first wanted to say no, but seeing my undoubtedly worried face, she changed her mind.
"It's about Shinji?" I voiced my suspicion, getting an affirmative nod.
The day I killed Zoken, something else happened. Shinji vanished without a trace. Police started searching a few days later, but Sakura's older brother wasn't found even after four months. Sakura and I also searched using familiars and other means at our disposal, but it led nowhere. Even Raiga joined after his granddaughter's request. Unfortunately, no traces of the missing were found.
None at all.
Sakura now lives alone, luckily her family was quite wealthy, and Raiga-san handled the bureaucracy, making Fuji-nee her guardian until adulthood. Though she spends most time at my house, including rare overnights.
Logically, one might assume I had a hand in Shinji's disappearance. I even asked Sakura why she didn't suspect me, and got this answer:
"Senpai, it couldn't be you, simply because it's unthinkable for you to harm anyone without good reason, which you didn't have. You're the last person I'd accuse of this."
Sakura trusts me deeply. As I do her. I can't recall a day without seeing her face in my home. Though we don't say it aloud, we've long been family. That thought embarrasses me a bit, especially when I first realized this simple fact.
To be totally honest, the mere thought of Sakura one day leaving and not returning to this house for any reason causes a dull ache in my chest.
Anyway, that's the future. Now back to the talk.
"We'll find your brother. I asked Tohsaka for help with this."
"Tohsaka?.." Sakura's eyes widened in surprise at my words.
"Yes. She's already contacted her guardian. The one temporarily in charge of this territory until she reaches adulthood. But total silence there too." Rin said Kotomine found no info on Shinji. They were also intrigued by the disappearance of two Matou family members. Not every magus can make an old Worm vanish.
"I see?.." Sakura's face grew even gloomier. Not surprising. From what I know of her family ties... Losing her last relative must hurt deeply. She's effectively alone, not counting Rin Tohsaka, who avoids their blood tie. Though I occasionally see her secretly watching her little sister.
"Wu-uf..." Mark whined, approaching and laying his big head on Sakura's lap, lifting his blue eyes to her, as the girl began absentmindedly grooming his soft, thick fur.
Silence fell over the living room. Not the uncomfortable kind from unpleasant company or silly situations, but another. No one needed to say anything. The big TV droned in the background, though no one really listened. Mark quietly melted under the touches of the girl with silky lilac hair, and I just watched the scene, left elbow propped on the table.
At some point, Sakura fully regained her good spirits. An easy smile appeared on her face... Until it shifted to something more pensive?.. For several minutes I watched various emotions play across her face. That happens when Sakura's deciding something, so I just waited for her to speak.
"Thanks, Senpai." Sakura said at some point without lifting her gaze.
"For what? I didn't..." Any words were cut off as the girl met my eyes with her amethyst ones. She smiled, and I couldn't find a drop of prior tension in her body. Her face embodied what I could only interpret as... Happiness?
"You know? Before meeting you, I'd never felt at peace. No one could give me the warmth you get only from family."
I did?.. Warmth?..
"Senpai, you probably know this already, but I used to be a Tohsaka. I was given to the Matou to become their Heir, instructed not to mention my blood tie to my real family, even to my actual sister..." I knew all this. My Father investigated all possible info long ago. But...
"Since then I 'learned' Matou family magic. At first it hurt a lot, but I got used to it. Only my uncle, Uncle Kariya, once tried to help... But he couldn't do anything and died in the previous Holy Grail War. Grandpa... Zoken was merciless. He didn't care about his own family. Shinji was a good brother at first, but soon his envy of me... That I could be a magus, and he couldn't..." Sakura shook her head slightly and looked at me again.
"Then you appeared... At first I didn't know what to think of you. You were the first in a long time to try helping me. You saved me from bullies and kept watching over me after. Ha... You even invited me to your home, though you surely knew I was a magus." She stared unblinking, still stroking Mark, who breathed steadily with eyes half-closed. I could only listen, as my tongue refused to move for some reason.
"I'm grateful for everything. For the time spent with me. For teaching me to cook and other housework. For always being so kind, not just to me. For giving me hope for a bright future." In one moment her face changed. Amethyst eyes burning with determination locked onto mine, and even the previously content wolf opened his lids and pricked his ears.
"...Sakura, what is it?" I barely got my numb tongue working before the girl across from me continued:
"You've done so much for me, Senpai. And keep doing it. But I've done nothing for myself. I can't even repay you..."
"You owe me nothing, Sakura. I... Just wanted to help..."
"...So I'll ask one selfish favor... Senpai, will you teach me magic?"
My multiply enhanced brain, powerful enough to calculate a bullet's trajectory, giving me reaction speed and perception sharpness to examine said projectile in detail, now managed only:
"What?.." Probably my surprised face looks pretty dumb right now. More than that, I'm sure.
"I want you to teach me magic." Sakura repeated with the same determined expression.
"Sakura, I can't..."
"Please, Senpai. You said you'd participate in the Holy Grail War?"
"Yes, but!.." I tried replying, but was interrupted again...
"You'll fight, like with Grandpa? Protect people, like you usually do. Protect me, even if I can't do anything. I don't want that! I want to care for myself! I also want to help you! I..." The girl spoke with fervor I'd never heard from her before, full of determination. She'd always been strong—I knew that—but if before a heavy burden on her heart prevented even thinking of her future... Now Sakura was free to choose what she wanted. That's probably why she's asking to learn magic? Despite all the horrific memories she endured?..
"Fine..." ...Slipped from my throat, interrupting the girl across from me.
"Ah?.. You'll..." Sakura said, slightly surprised by my sudden agreement.
"Yes, I'll agree to train you..." I said calmly, matching her determination with mine.
Why did I agree? Not sure. I don't want her in the coming war. The thought of something happening to Sakura terrifies me. But is that reason for me to deny her the chance to defend herself? To defend what she wants? Who am I to refuse her a weapon when I'm ready to use it to protect her? Isn't that hypocrisy? Besides, she's Matou. The Holy Grail War prioritizes founder families as Masters, and Sakura will almost certainly be a Master in the next as possibly the last remaining member. Better if I prepare her to survive intact.
"Senpai?..
"Note I won't go easy... You'll have to learn not just skills from me, but what you learned before... And I won't tolerate objections or complaints. If you're truly resolved to fight in this war, use everything you can." My words had the desired effect, making Sakura's face thoughtful... For a whole instant.
"I agree." Sakura simply replied, maintaining her serious expression.
"...Good. It's late, so we'll start tomorrow after school. Go home and rest now. Mark will go with you and spend the night for safety. He'll do it anyway."
"Wu-f..." The big gray wolf replied, rising on all fours from Sakura's lap. Lately he's stuck close outside school to guard against possible unknown attackers who might've taken Shinji.
Soon I was seeing Sakura to the door.
This evening was surprisingly... Heavy? Sakura poured her heart out, and I couldn't refuse her request to get stronger. From her side, didn't I save her from a possible fate of being devoured later? But she became family to me too... Damn, I think this whole situation threw me off... At one point I thought she'd confess like in some movie...
"Senpai?" Sakura's voice snapped me from my thoughts. She was dressed for winter, ready to leave and...
"Yes?.. Ah-m!.." ...Suddenly stepped to me and kissed my lips.
"I love you, Senpai!" ...And flitted outside with Mark following.
"...
...
"...Huh?
"Uh... She actually did it." A familiar voice sounded in my head. "Maybe movies aren't total lies?.."
I stood frozen as my brain tried processing what happened.
And only Russell knows how long that took...
...The next day. From Rin Tohsaka's perspective.
"Ha... I guess on my own I won't find anything..." I said to no one on the way to school.
Several months have passed since the strange event when almost the entire Matou magus family vanished in MY city. I'd like to be calm about it, but my sudden paranoia won't let me relax!
Think about it! I used to see Kotomine as unpleasant but at least competent as overseer. And now! First it's revealed an unknown magus lived in the city all this time, and now the Matou disappearance! All slipping like sand through HIS fingers!
Well, it'll give me another chance to jab at him...
One comfort: Sakura's alive and well. From what I gathered, Emiya took her under protection and even assigned his pet... Seriously, what kind of dog is that? Familiar? Where do you get such an advanced familiar? Some chimera? What does Emiya even do? I couldn't pinpoint his abilities from what I saw. Feels like he knows a bit of everything. I haven't even seen him use any aria...
For a while I even suspected him in "disappearing" Zoken and Shinji, but then why take Sakura? Plus she seems even happier around him...
"...Ah!.. Sorry..." I apologized to the girl I bumped into while lost in thought, ignoring my surroundings.
Damn! Tohsaka Rin, watch your surroundings better. Don't get so lost in your head while walking the street...
"Ah? It's nothing... Tohsaka-senpai?.." Great, who else could I bump into this morning but her?
"Oh... Hi, Sakura. I was lost in thought and not watching the road..."
"M-m... It's fine, Tohsaka-senpai..."
Awkward silence hung between us. She's probably surprised by the encounter too. Though, thinking about it, it's not surprising. After all, we live close by, and at some point our paths cross since we go to the same school...
Wait... Why is she taking this route?..
"Sorry if I'm prying, but I haven't seen you take this road to school before." I asked out of simple curiosity. Though she might think there's more to it... She definitely knows I'm a magus.
"Ah? I just left later than usual today..." Sakura answered, surprised by my question.
Fine, let's try something else...
"Really? I usually see you with Emiya. Something happen to him?" I asked with a hint of concern.
Since I plan to succeed in the Clock Tower with all its intrigues, I had to learn proper speech, voice control, and more. Luckily Father left plenty of literature for self-study... Kirei doesn't count—he tried stabbing me painfully more than teaching.
Sakura was surprised I brought up Emiya but quickly gathered her response.
"Senpai's fine. We just skipped our morning run today." The lilac-haired girl said with a light smile.
"You run together in the mornings? You must be really close to do that together..." I said slightly surprised, as Sakura's smile brightened further.
"M-m..." All Sakura's response, paired with a happy expression.
For seconds I could only stare at her face in surprise. I was glad Sakura found family in another person, but felt a dull heart pain from not being part of it.
Sometimes living by magus rules is way harder than I'd like...
"Wu-uf..." The four-legged guardian by the Matou heiress finally spoke up.
"Ah... Right! Thanks, Mark-san. Tohsaka-senpai, we should hurry if we don't want to be late..."
True enough, can't ruin perfect attendance. I'm, after all, the Tohsaka Heiress.
"You're right... Since we're headed the same way anyway, mind if we go together?" Sakura shook her head, not dropping her bright smile.
"No, not at all. Mark-san and I don't mind." Her left hand evenly stroked the thick, soft fur of her fluffy companion, who responded with a muffled but clearly pleased bark.
"Mark…-san?" I voiced the question that arose about the suffix to the gray dog's name.
"Mm… Fujimura-san called him that once…" Sakura began her story as we walked toward school…
Even though we're not supposed to act like sisters, no one can stop me from showing a certain closeness from time to time.
Even if I have no moral right to do so…
***
Read the story months ahead of the public release — early chapters are available on my Patreon: Granulan