It was a tranquil plain of colorful flowers. There were no signs of human life. The only thing obscuring the view was a distant, ever-green forest, which evenly divided the cloudless blue sky and the verdant earth.
"Ah, I was killed." Merli lay in a sea of flowers, basking in the spring sunlight and the summer air, inhaling the fragrance. In the distance, the faint sound of a clear spring and the laughter of fairies could be heard.
The succubus's lighthearted words held no anger at having just been pierced by a thousand arrows, killed in a manner akin to death by a thousand cuts. Instead, they were filled with a sense of innocent foreboding.
'Clairvoyance'. The mark of a Grand Caster. Without these eyes, one could not attain the title of 'Grand'. Though different from Solomon's, which could see the past and future, or Gilgamesh's, which could see the future, Merli's Clairvoyance was somewhat 'niche'. It was like the satellites that had become popular in the last century or the ubiquitous cameras on every street corner, allowing her to observe everything happening in the world at the present moment. But for a nightmare who had lived for over a thousand years, extrapolating future events based on current information to achieve a degree of future sight was not difficult.
"But, since I was killed by her... it's only natural that Aika would sense a bit of his aura, right? Ehehe~ After all, it's all Tokiomi's fault!"
Tokyo, Sajou residence, Sajou Aika's bedroom.
Just before dawn. Sajou Aika was lying in bed, deep in sleep like any girl her age. Her sleeping face was like that of a princess from a fairy tale, waiting for a prince's kiss—serene and gentle.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, she murmured and slowly opened her eyes. A hint of confusion appeared in her sky-blue eyes. "That's..."
The girl slowly sat up. Her sky-blue eyes seemed to pierce through space, falling upon the underground of Fuyuki City. "Eh?"
Her confused and bewildered eyes were replaced by curiosity. She got out of bed.
Tokyo, hundreds of meters underground.
A massive, cavernous space had appeared without warning, deep beneath the earth where even the most precise modern scientific instruments could not reach. A colossal golden Holy Grail stood at its center.
Tap, tap.
The light, elegant footsteps of a princess echoed. Aika, now changed into a princess dress, arrived at the edge of the cavern, her gaze fixed on the great golden Grail. It was clean inside. Only the golden, mana-filled walls, from which she could see her own reflection even from a distance. Nothing seemed amiss, but...
"Why?" Aika tilted her head, her curiosity once again replaced by confusion. The future she had seen years ago, before she had sealed her 'Clairvoyance', was not like this.
"Why?" she murmured, the confusion in her eyes gradually giving way to joy. Whatever the reason, however the little one she was meant to raise had escaped her, whatever had blocked her senses and prevented her from realizing he had left... she was certain of one thing. The boring future, which she could see to its end at a glance, had changed.
"How interesting." A bad boy who, for some reason, had sensed his fate and tried to escape, to get away from the mama who was supposed to raise him? Aika's lips curled slightly. A smile appeared on her serene and gentle face.
"But it's okay, little one. No matter where you go, Mama will find you."
The Tohsaka Residence. After breakfast.
"Jiuan, I'm going upstairs to prepare your bath."
"Okay." Lin Jiuan, sitting on the sofa watching TV with Sakura, replied without turning his head. After being brought back by Gilgamesh, who had promptly vanished after her defeat, he had a moment of peace. He'd had breakfast with the Tohsaka mother and daughter and was now watching TV with Sakura.
"Multiple disappearances were reported in the city last night. Citizens are advised to be cautious when going out."
"Onii-chan, is it really that dangerous outside?" Sakura asked, snuggling into his arms as if frightened by the news report.
"I guess so." Looking at the cute girl in his arms, a thought suddenly crossed his mind: 'It wouldn't be so bad to live like this forever.' But it was just a thought. Having seen countless novels, TV shows, and movies, he knew full well the fate of powerful beings who tried to retire to the mountains. Hadn't Thanos retired to be a farmer, only to have a group of murderers break into his home and chop off his head?
In the living room, Rin watched her sister acting cute with Lin Jiuan, a sour feeling in her heart. When she heard her mother's footsteps disappear completely, she made up her mind and stood up. "I need to talk to you."
"Oh, okay. Sakura, can you watch TV by yourself for a bit?"
"I'll listen to whatever brother says!"
Lin Jiuan gently ruffled Sakura's hair, then followed Rin out of the living room. They went up to the second floor and into her room. Rin closed the door and stared at him intently. "What happened to my father?"
"He's dead."
Even though she had already known this outcome, Rin's eyes couldn't help but turn red. "Wh-Why?" she asked, her voice choked with tears. "Who killed him?"
Lin Jiuan was silent. Looking at this girl, who was only seven or eight years old yet trying so hard not to show weakness by crying, he didn't know if he should tell her the truth. He couldn't very well tell her that her mother killed her father, could he?
"I did."
Rin lunged at him, crashing into his body. Such speed and strength were nothing to him now, but he didn't dodge or resist, letting her push him to the ground. She sat on top of him, her small hands gripping his neck tightly. "Why? Why?!" Tears she could no longer control streamed down her face like a broken string of pearls, splashing onto his.
"Because he was going to kill me, so I killed him." Lin Jiuan's expression was indifferent, his red eyes devoid of any emotion. "A life for a life. It's fair."
"My father would never kill you without a reason!"
"Because I seduced your mother. Because I'm a monster. Are you satisfied with that answer?"
"You...?!" Hatred filled Rin's eyes. Her hands tightened around his neck. "I'll kill you!"
"If killing me will make you feel better, then you can kill me."
Hearing this, Rin felt all her strength drain away. Kill him? And then what?
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