"So, Caster, what did you learn?"
Luvia's voice carried through the quiet room as she sat elegantly on her couch. She'd already bathed and changed out of her school uniform, her hair falling neatly over her shoulders. She looked relaxed, but Rudeus could tell she'd been waiting for his report.
He stood nearby, arms crossed, thinking over everything he'd seen that day. He knew this question was coming.
"Well," he said after a moment, "I learned there are at least two mage families at the school." His tone was serious. "You probably noticed one of them. That girl, Sakura, she's Matou."
Luvia tilted her head, brows furrowing slightly.
"I see. I should've expected as much," she said, her expression tightening into something colder. "If the Matou are moving again, then it's likely they'll join this Grail War. They've been a part of it since the beginning."
Rudeus nodded. "It makes sense. I'm not sure how active Sakura is as a magus, but I could feel her circuits. They were strong… though they felt strange somehow. And she isn't the only one. There's also her brother. But he's useless. I couldn't feel his circuits."
Luvia leaned back in her seat, listening carefully. Rudeus continued.
"Once this Grail War starts Sakura would be the one summoning a Servant. Her brother lacks any potential."
He had no notes in his hands, but everything he spoke came from careful observation. He'd even placed tiny tracking marker-style magical "bugs" on both Sakura and Shinji.
The technique was something he'd picked up from Luvia's old texts. It wasn't complex, but it was considered outdated it was like a mini bounded field. Magi saw it beneath them.
He didn't understand their thinking.
They called themselves seekers of knowledge and power, yet they ignored simple, effective methods just because of pride. That arrogance would be their downfall one day. He didn't share that kind of pride. For him, knowledge was power no matter the source.
The spell itself wasn't flawless. It constantly drained mana from him, and the farther the target was, the more focus and energy it demanded. Worst of all, it was easy to detect. Magi who focused could sense the faint signature of a bounded field attached to their bodies. Once they entered their estates, the bounded fields layered over their homes would likely erase his spell as it wasn't very strong.
That was fine. His goal wasn't long-term surveillance, it was reconnaissance. Once he found where they lived, he could study them properly.
He hadn't told Luvia all that. He doubted she'd approve. Magus' pride ran deep, even in her. So, for now, he'd keep it quiet.
Luvia's lips curved into a small smile. "You've done well. Continue observing them. If you get close to them, we'll have a significant advantage."
Her tone was confident. She stood and stretched slightly before heading toward her room. Rudeus's eyes followed her as she walked away. Her stride was composed, elegant… and distractingly rhythmic.
When she disappeared behind her door, the silence settled again.
Rudeus let out a quiet sigh. The next second, his expression hardened. He felt the faint ripple of his magical markers vanishing one by one. Both Rin and Sakura had entered their houses, and the connection was gone.
He stared toward the window. The city lights flickered in the distance.
He thought about who to visit first. The Tohsaka estate was tempting but The Matou household interested him more. Because there was Sakura. Something about her eyes lingered in his mind.
She reminded him of himself. The emptiness after losing Eris. That quiet, invisible kind of pain that no one else could see.
He made his choice.
His clothes shimmered as his casual outfit shifted into his mage attire. With a breath, he vanished from the room.
The night sky stretched above him as he flew, mana flaring softly beneath his feet. It didn't take long to reach the Matou estate.
He landed on the edge of the property, hidden behind a cluster of trees. From there, he could feel the faint hum of layered bounded fields surrounding the mansion. He dared not step closer. One misstep would alert whoever maintained them.
So he waited, activating his Mystic Eye to extend his vision through the walls.
Inside, he saw her.
Sakura sat on her bed, motionless. The room was dark except for the dim light from a small lamp. She wasn't asleep. Her eyes were open, staring blankly at nothing.
She looked alive, but barely.
Then, the door opened. Shinji stepped inside.
Rudeus recognized him instantly.
"I heard you showed that boy around the club," Shinji said. His voice carried irritation, his face twisted with anger.
Sakura didn't respond. She just looked down, her hands clenched on her lap.
"You think I didn't notice?" he spat, stepping closer. "You embarrass me in front of everyone everyday and then you showed him around the club to him behind my back? What were you trying to prove?"
She still didn't speak.
"Answer me, damn it!" His hand shot out, striking her across the face. The sound echoed sharply even through Rudeus's magic.
Sakura's head snapped to the side. She didn't cry. She didn't even react.
"You're just a filthy whore," Shinji continued, his voice trembling with twisted anger. "Bet you were smiling at him too. Bet you enjoyed it. You probably"
"Stop," Sakura tried to say, her voice small and shaky, but he didn't let her finish.
He shoved her backward onto the bed, his face twisting into something cruel. "I'll show you what happens when you go behind my back."
Rudeus's body froze as he watched Shinji reach for her. His hand pressed against her chest, groping her like she wasn't even human.
Sakura didn't move. Her expression went blank completely hollow.
Rudeus's breath caught in his throat. For a moment, his mind went silent.
What… What am I watching?
He clenched his fists. His stomach twisted. This wasn't just cruelty, it was routine. She'd accepted it because he could tell by the way she looked she had accepted this long ago.
His heart pounded. She's my enemy. She's a Matou. She'll summon a Servant. I should stay out of this.
But that thought disgusted him. This was beyond his moral compass. He couldn't sit idly while this happened. He wasn't that kind of person.
Rudeus bit down hard on his lip. He could already feel the bounded fields around the mansion indecision plagued his mind. He was running out of time.
He whispered under his breath, drawing mana from deep within. The air around him grew heavy, the night trembling.
Dark clouds began to gather above the Matou estate. Thunder rumbled low and distant at first, then closer.
Inside the room, Shinji began to unbutton his shirt, grinning like a man who'd lost all reason.
Rudeus raised his hand toward the sky.
Lightning split the clouds.
The bolt struck the house with an earsplitting roar, tearing through the roof and shaking the foundation. Debris flew across the courtyard.
Shinji stumbled back, screaming as dust and plaster rained down.
Sakura didn't move. Her body remained limp on the bed, eyes wide and empty.
Before Shinji could recover, a gust of wind burst through the shattered ceiling. Rudeus descended like a shadow through the smoke, landing silently beside her. He didn't hesitate.
He grabbed her and vanished in an instant, the world around them collapsing into streaks of light.
Shinji could only stare, dumbfounded, his body shaking.
He hadn't even seen the man's face.
Then, something else stirred in the room. The air thickened. Shadows writhed near the door.
The old man appeared Zouken Matou. His frail form floated through the entrance, the worms beneath his robes slithering across the floor. His face twisted with fury.
He could feel the traces of foreign mana still clinging to the room.
Someone had broken through his bounded fields. Someone powerful. And worse they had taken Sakura.
His only viable heir. His vessel.
Zouken turned toward Shinji, who was trembling, stammering excuses. The old man didn't care.
He left immediately, the air growing colder as he vanished into the night to hunt whoever had stolen her.
Every 10 power stones there will be an extra chapter
Bro I've been on the type moon wiki researching for this fic and goddamn there's so much I have learnt a lot of magecraft and mystic codes though I don't think I'll be using much mystic codes.