— — — — — —
"How… could this happen…"
Tokiomi Tohsaka lay sprawled on the floor, his whole body radiating despair and defeat, his face stinging from the blows he'd taken.
He had been crushed—completely denied by another version of himself, beaten in both words and fists, dragged across the ground without dignity.
The impact was overwhelming. Ideals, convictions, pride, willpower, even strength—everything shattered at once. He looked as though he had aged ten years in a single moment, spirit drained and hollow.
It wasn't like losing to anyone else. For a proud, traditional magus like Tokiomi, nothing was more humiliating than being utterly rejected and destroyed by himself. Worse still, that other "him" had chosen a path he despised, one he had always dismissed with scorn. Now, to be proven wrong on every front made the sting unbearable.
Watching him sink in misery, Kaito almost couldn't resist creating a new "iconic scene." It would have been perfect meme material.
But no. That would break character, maybe even end the borrowed character card early. And Tokiomi was too good of a source of Fun Points to waste on one reckless gag.
There was no need to kill the golden goose. The main quest was clear: participate in the Fourth Holy Grail War and rack up Fun Points. With a whole year to go before the war even began, Kaito had plenty of chances to milk Tokiomi again.
For now, he decided to retreat. An hour and a half had already passed since he activated the Iron Man Tokiomi card, and time was running short.
Just then, the swarm of nanobots he had deployed earlier zipped back, fusing seamlessly into his body.
Tokiomi noticed, and even though this wasn't his first time seeing them, his worldview cracked further. The sheer sci-fi spectacle of it all was like magic from the far future—impossible to believe it could exist just decades ahead.
And to be fair, it didn't make sense. It wasn't science, and it wasn't magic either. It was pure "Because I Said So" logic.
That's how character cards worked under the Fun System: as long as the setup was accepted, no matter how absurd, it became reality. The legendary power of 'I Think Therefore It Works.'
Kaito wasn't about to explain any of this. Wearing the mask of Iron Man Tokiomi, he absorbed the data the nanobots had gathered, narrowed his eyes, and muttered coldly:
"Heh. As expected, no matter the world, Zouken Matou is nothing but a rotten old parasite."
The words snapped Tokiomi out of his daze. He blinked in confusion at his counterpart.
Kaito clicked his tongue. "Fine. Get up and see for yourself."
He gave J.A.R.V.I.S. a command.
"At once, sir," the AI replied politely.
Nanobots floated into the air, forming a projection matrix. A moment later, a 3D hologram flickered into existence, showing the scenes they had recorded.
It began with the exterior of the Matou estate, then smoothly slipped past the barriers into the halls inside.
Tokiomi's eyes widened.
Kaito smirked. "A hybrid of magecraft and nanotech. Idiot. This isn't something your rigid, hidebound traditions can handle. Your so-called magecraft barriers are nothing but tissue paper to this."
Another insult. Tokiomi's face darkened further, but what could he say? He had just been flattened in every way. He still hadn't recovered from the shock.
Then the projection shifted underground, into the Matou basement.
The image froze him in horror.
A writhing nest of Crest Worms, endless and crawling, packed the dark, damp chamber. Even for a magus used to cruel methods, the sheer grotesque reality was unbearable.
"What… what is this? Why are there so many insects?"
Tokiomi's body trembled. His skin went cold. He recognized at once that this was insect magecraft—already considered depraved even by the inhumane standards of the magical world.
Kaito curled his lip. "Your intel is outdated. The Matou family abandoned their original path long ago. Their magecraft has been completely replaced."
He paused, then added: "Also, their head of house? He's never changed. Since the family's founding, it's been the same man. He just adopts new names as centuries pass."
Tokiomi whipped his head around, stunned. "I–impossible! If the head of the Matou family hasn't changed… then Zouken… Zouken has lived over two hundred years?"
"Try five hundred," Kaito said coldly. "He keeps himself alive by hijacking the bodies of his descendants. That's why the family's bloodline has degraded into nothing. He's desperate for a high-quality vessel for his next transfer."
Kaito's gaze burned into Tokiomi with disdain. "So tell me, idiot. Do you finally understand how stupid you were to hand Sakura over to him?"
"…!"
Tokiomi clenched his fists, lips pressed tight. His whole frame shook. Fear, rage, and regret swirled in his eyes.
He knew exactly what kind of horror insect magecraft was. If what Kaito said was true, then his daughter would face nothing but agony—her body warped, her insides infested by writhing swarms.
The very thought of little Sakura enduring that torment nearly snapped his sanity. A primal urge to storm the Matou estate and kill Zouken on the spot flared within him.
This was the real Tokiomi. For all his pride, he was one of the rare magi who actually cared about family. And that made the fear and regret cut even deeper.
At least he hadn't sent her yet. That much was a small mercy. If he had, he would never have forgiven himself. Even if he managed to rescue her later, the scars would remain forever.
So now, instead of anger, gratitude seeped into his expression as he looked at Kaito.
And then, in the middle of this heavy moment, Kaito's form began to flicker. His body turned translucent, glowing with specks of white light.
Tokiomi froze. "What's happening to you?"
"Didn't I tell you?" Kaito said calmly. "I'm from a parallel world. This was just a spiritron transfer experiment. Time's up—I'm heading back."
Tokiomi opened his mouth, then lowered his head. "...Regardless, thank you."
Kaito clicked his tongue. "If you weren't me, I wouldn't have bothered. Forget it. Do it for Sakura. If you really can't protect her, then send her to the Edelfelt family."
Tokiomi blinked, startled. "The… Edelfelts?"
He thought quickly. "That's right. Their magic crest specializes in twin sorcery. But this generation only has one child. If Sakura were sent there, she'd be properly cared for. And since the Edelfelts are distant relatives of the Tohsakas, there's a blood tie. It really would be the best option…"
Before he could finish, Kaito vanished completely, leaving Tokiomi standing dazed, face still sore, mind reeling with questions.
Meanwhile, in the system's hidden view, a notification popped up just for Kaito:
[Ding~]
[Achievement Unlocked: Iconic Scene Creator.]
[Reward: +500 Fun Points.]
This time, the snapshot showed two halves: on the left, Tokiomi deep in troubled thought; on the right, young Sakura outside with her mother and sister, happily playing.
The caption read: {A Changed Future — Sakura Tohsaka Sent to the Edelfelt Family.}
.
.
.