"Hello."
The moment I greeted her, she jolted and quickly turned away from the window to look at me. Surprise spread across her face as if she couldn't process how I had suddenly appeared in the middle of the room.
Well... that was fair. A little girl materializing out of nowhere would shock anyone.
But instead of shrinking back, her expression slowly changed. The tension in her shoulders loosened, and her eyes widened for a different reason.
"Woah..." Sakura whispered under her breath.
That wasn't the reaction I expected. I thought she would be wary of me.
Instead, she was staring.
"Nee-san... your eyes are so pretty."
My eyes?
Oh.
I was still using my Mystic Eyes.
So that's what caught her attention.
"Do you like them?" I asked with a small smile, lowering my head slightly to meet her gaze.
She was still two years younger than me, and a little shorter, so I had to look down just a bit for our eyes to line up.
Sakura nodded instead of answering, still staring at my eyes as if she couldn't look away.
I couldn't really blame her. The first time I saw my own Mystic Eyes in a mirror, I'd been mesmerized too. The color, the shape... they really were beautiful.
If they didn't give me a headache every time I used them, I'd probably admire them more often.
"What's your name?" I asked, even though I already knew. It was the easiest way to keep the conversation going.
The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted it.
Her expression changed.
The light in her eyes dimmed, and her shoulders trembled slightly before she answered.
"Sakura... Matou?"
She said it like a question. Like she wasn't sure it belonged to her.
My chest tightened.
That stupid Tokiomi. I swear, I'm going to punch him at least once before Kirei gets to him.
Before I could think too much about it, I reached out and gently took her hand. She flinched a little, confused by the sudden contact, but she didn't pull away.
"My name is Rikka," I said softly, trying to make my voice as warm as possible.
Then I sat down on the edge of the bed and gave her hand a small tug. "Come here."
Slowly, I pulled her closer so she could sit beside me.
"Sorry... did I pull you too hard?" I asked when I noticed how tense her body felt beside me.
Sakura quickly shook her head, but she didn't say anything.
Right... maybe I moved too fast. I should calm her down first before talking about anything serious.
"Do you want to see my eyes up close?" I asked gently. She seemed really interested in them earlier, so maybe that would help.
Her head turned toward me immediately. "Can I?"
The way her eyes lit up made it hard not to smile.
"Sure. Just don't touch them, okay? It'll feel uncomfortable for me."
I leaned a little closer so she wouldn't have to move too much.
The tension in her shoulders slowly eased as she focused on my eyes again, studying them carefully like they were something precious.
"They're so beautiful... Can I have eyes like yours too, nee-san?"
"Hehe... I was just born like this, so I don't know if you can," I replied softly.
I let her look for as long as she wanted. A few quiet minutes passed, and the stiffness in her posture gradually disappeared. At least she wasn't trembling anymore.
"Thank you, nee-san, for letting me see them again," she said shyly.
"No problem."
After that, the room grew quiet again.
The earlier awkwardness returned, but it wasn't as heavy as before. She didn't look as frightened now - just... sad.
"Hey, Sakura," I asked gently, "why are you making that face?"
Sakura didn't answer at first. She looked down at her hands as if she didn't even understand what she was feeling.
This morning she had still been playing with Rin.
Now she was here.
"I don't know..." she finally whispered, but her voice broke halfway through. Her shoulders began trembling, and she pressed her lips together like she was trying to force the tears back.
"My papa and mama said I need to be here... They said this is my home now..."
The way she said it made it sound like she was trying to convince herself.
Her small body shook harder. She was doing her best not to cry - probably because she thought she had to be strong. Or obedient.
That was enough.
I pulled her into a hug before she could stop herself. "It's okay," I murmured softly. "You can cry. Just let it out."
For a moment she stayed stiff in my arms.
Then the first quiet sniff escaped her.
The sniff turned into small, broken sobs, and soon she was clutching my clothes as if I might disappear too. I felt the warmth of her tears soaking through my shirt, but I didn't loosen my hold.
I just let her cry.
While she buried her face against me, I kept my eyes on the door.
I really wanted to let her cry for as long as she needed.
But I didn't have that kind of time. That old man could return at any moment, and if he did, leaving would become much harder.
"Sakura..." I gently wiped some tears from her face. "Do you want to come with me? I can bring you back to your family."
"R-really?" she asked between sniffles, hope mixing with her tears. "But... they said I need to be here..."
"Yes. But you'll have to stay with me for a few weeks. Maybe a month at most. After everything calms down, I'll bring you back."
During the Holy Grail War, it would be too dangerous to return her. Especially while Tokiomi was still alive.
I already had a place in mind where she could stay safely.
"For your mom and dad... don't worry. They didn't want you to come here either. They just didn't have a choice." I decided to tell her a small lie.
Well... not entirely a lie. Her mother didn't want this.
"They just... had circumstances. As long as you're safe, that's what matters."
"They were worried about me? But why didn't my onee-chan come with me? They're not worried about her?" Sakura said as she let go of my hug and looked up at me.
...well fuck i don't know how to answer that.
I start thrashing my brain thinking of a quick excuse i can give her until finally one idea comes up.
"That's because your older sister has been crying nonstop and begging your mom and dad to take her to Germany to buy jewels."
The moment I said that, I knew how stupid that sounded.
"Eh?" Sakura said in confusion.
'Please be working please be working please!!!'
I kept hoping that excuse worked and fortunately-
"Really? I rarely see my sister crying like that but... hehe... I know she loves jewels, but I didn't think she'd cry like that."
Sakura giggled, trying to imagine Rin crying over jewels.
At least she didn't realize how I know her family situation even though this is the first time we met…
Now all I need is just a little push before she lets me bring her with me.
Unfortunately, it seems like the rescue plan isn't going to go as smoothly as I assumed.
"!?"
I jolt my eyes toward the door. I can feel it.
The sense of urgency and danger — even the atmosphere in the room changes drastically, like something dangerous is going to be here soon.
"I'm sorry, Sakura, but we need to go now. I'll explain more later."
I grabbed her hand before she could say anything and immediately ran toward the window, reinforcing my body again.
But before we could reach it, the window suddenly opened as a strong wind pushed in.
"What is that?" Sakura said, her face turning scared and disgusted. I'm probably making the same expression as her.
Around the window, worms were already crawling in. They squeezed through the frame, through the gaps, through every small crack they could find, their bodies twisting and piling over each other as they forced their way inside. More kept coming, spreading across the floor and walls.
The worms kept crawling in, spreading across the floor and cutting off any clear path to the window. Before I could think of another route, the door behind us creaked open slowly.
"And who might this intruder be?"
Sakura's hand tightened around mine immediately. I could feel her body go stiff beside me.
I turned around.
An old man stood at the doorway, leaning lightly on a cane. His body was so thin he almost looked like a walking skeleton, skin stretched tightly over bone.
His back was slightly hunched, but there was nothing weak about the way he stood there. His cloudy eyes rested on me.
So this is him.
Zouken Matou.
"I do not recall allowing visitors into my home," he continued, voice quiet but clear. "Sakura, have you made a friend already?"
Sakura didn't answer. She just lowered her head slightly, her grip on my hand trembling.
I stepped half a pace in front of her without thinking.
"I'm not here to cause trouble," I said, even though that was obviously a lie. "We were just leaving."
His gaze shifted from Sakura to me, slow and deliberate. It felt like he was peeling layers off me just by looking.
"Leaving?" he repeated, almost amused. "How unfortunate. You arrived without invitation, and now you wish to depart without permission."
The worms around us kept writhing, forming a loose circle as if waiting for a signal.
"And yet," he added softly, eyes narrowing just a little, "you possess quite an unusual pair of eyes for a child."
"Everyone says the same thing," I replied, looking around us.
Me and Sakura were completely surrounded. The worms covered the floor, the walls— even the window wasn't visible anymore, buried under layers of them.
This is the worst situation I could think of. I really don't want to use plan B.
"I'm sorry for suddenly intruding into your home. I won't do it again, so please forgive me," I said, putting on the most regretful, pitiful expression I could manage.
Zouken just stared at us.
No… he was staring at me.
More specifically, at my eyes.
Then his gaze shifted to my hand, the one holding Sakura's.
"You may leave," he said, tapping his cane lightly against the floor. The worms near the window began to part, slowly creating an opening. "But leave the girl behind."
"Ehhh? But I like her though. I want to bring her with me to play~"
"That won't do. Sakura just arrived. She's tired and needs to rest," Zouken said, naturally refusing me.
"Really? You mean resting in a bed? Or in the basement where you're planning to turn her into your worm?"
For a split second, Zouken looked surprised.
I don't think I've ever seen that kind of expression on his face before. Not even in the anime.
But it disappeared almost immediately.
His face settled back into that dry, unreadable look before he spoke again.
Zouken's fingers tightened slightly around his cane.
"…You speak boldly for a child."
The worms shifted again, not attacking — just adjusting.
"What you describe is not cruelty. It is tradition," he said calmly. "Every magus family has its method of engraving the Crest upon their descendants. Pain is irrelevant. Compatibility is irrelevant. Only continuation matters."
His gaze sharpened.
"Your family is no different. Do not pretend ignorance. No lineage capable of producing Mystic Eyes such as yours would be exempt from sacrifice."
I let out a small breath.
"Heh."
"Unfortunately for you," I said, tilting my head slightly, "I don't have a family."
The worms closest to me paused.
I tightened my grip on Sakura's hand.
"And even if I did? I wouldn't care."
I looked at him directly.
"That's not how kids are supposed to grow up."
Sakura wasn't born a Matou.
"She's a Tohsaka. Her body wasn't made for your worms."
"You call it inheritance," I continued, my voice steady. "I call it breaking something before it even has a chance to choose."
The air felt heavier.
"I'm taking her with me."
At this point I'm just buying time.
'Help. Emergency. SOS. Help, help' I repeated in my head, trying to reach her.
"Ya hallo~ This is me, your onee-chan. I'm currently busy with my idol work. If you have a message for me, please leave it after the beep~"
That's all I got.
This damn succubus is doing idol work at a time like this?
My eyes stayed locked on the old man. I could see it clearly now — a small chuckle, dry and faint, like old wood creaking.
"Then this has all been a waste of time," he said as his gaze sharpened.
"You leave me no choice, child. I will place you somewhere after I am finished."
Right.
He's not trying to kill me.
Not yet.
He's cautious because of my eyes. He thinks I belong to some hidden magus lineage and hiding it from him. And someone like him prefers moving pieces in the dark rather than smashing them outright.
I still can't protect Sakura by myself with this many worms.
If I get distracted for even a second, that old man will take her from my side.
I glanced at Sakura.
Her small body was trembling. It looked like she was thinking about something.
She noticed me looking at her and slowly turned her head. Her eyes were filled with tears.
"I'll be fine, nee-san… You can go home. Tomorrow we can meet again. I'm tired too. I want to sleep…" she said, trying to force a smile even though she was clearly scared.
Ugh.
I can't.
I've had enough of this.
"No. Can't do. I'm bringing you with me, whatever method I have to use."
I pointed straight at Zouken.
"Even if I have to beat you up, old man."
The worms immediately reacted, bodies shifting and writhing as if they were about to lunge, but their owner still hadn't given the order.
"I warned you, child. Do not blame me for what happens next."
"We'll see about that," I said with a smile.
No choice.
Time for Plan B.
I let go of Sakura's hand and took a step forward, keeping my focus split between her small trembling form and the room filled with worms.
"Stay close," I whispered. "Don't move, no matter what happens."
Sakura clutched my coat tighter, and I could feel her heartbeat trembling against my back.
My chest burned as I pushed prana harder, heat searing through my arms and neck, my veins glowing like fire.
I raised my right hand and began the chant, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Faraway paradise… a garden beyond reach." Pain shot through my skull, a sharp, splitting ache behind my eyes, and my nose burned, blood pricking at the tip.
The wind began to stir, curling around the bedroom, rustling the sheets and brushing the curtains. The nearest worms twitched violently, confused by the sudden pressure.
My shoulders ached, and my arms trembled from forcing so much mana through circuits already taxed to the limit.
I forced another breath and continued. "A breeze that does not wither, a light that does not fade." The heat in my chest climbed, my muscles screaming, my skin almost burning from the surge.
Every word tore at my body, every syllable a strain on circuits pushed beyond safe limits.
The wind strengthened, twisting more aggressively, forcing some worms to recoil, jerking unnaturally under the magical pressure.
My head throbbed as if it were splitting in two, but I couldn't stop. To survive with Sakura I needed to use it.
"Even if I cannot touch it—Even if I cannot become it—Lend me a fragment." My knees trembled, my body drenched in sweat, nose bleeding more, every breath a stab of pain.
Yet the wind grew, coiling like it had its own life, keeping the worms at bay. I could feel my strength fraying at the edges, but I had to keep control. I had to keep Sakura safe.
"Bloom, if only for a moment…" My voice cracked, my chest burned, and my vision blurred at the edges.
I can't… I can feel tears unconsciously flowing from my eyes. It hurts so much.
I only needed one more chant, but my body was already at its limit. I could feel something flowing from my nose, and my insides felt like they were being crushed.
I don't know why I'm even torturing myself this hard just to save a character from an anime.
"This… Reality marble?? What are you!?" I could hear Zouken's voice, filled with surprise. Even someone as old as him had never seen a kid using something like this.
The prana I released isn't like a normal eight-year-old's.
But who cares if Sakura is an anime character?
I'm already reincarnated into this world, so everyone isn't just a character from the show.
Everyone in the orphanage, Manaka, Lady Ava, Sakura, Ayaka. Everyone is a real person I've met now.
With a smile, I looked at that old man with determination.
"Fragments of Avalon."