Creaaak... creaaak...
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed in the Japanese-style house. The footsteps made the wooden floor creak loudly. "Anata, you must calm down. This is not good for your health," a woman's voice was heard. It was Amane and Kagaya, who had just returned from the meeting at Chaldea.
"I know, Amane. But my thoughts about the meeting earlier make me restless. I didn't expect Miss Animusphere to accept Koko's proposal. This worries me."
"What makes you so worried?"
"Many things. But what worries me more is Koko's potential danger. I can guess where her mind is heading; it's not far from a tyrant. And most likely, she will definitely use Ritsuka. I am afraid, Amane. A child as good as Ritsuka could be ruined by Koko." Kagaya looked at the night sky, his face full of worry.
"Of all times, why did all of this have to happen when he isn't here? Zelretch said he is currently undergoing training."
As Kagaya was pondering what had happened at the meeting, a black cat appeared by his side. The cat opened its mouth, but it wasn't a cat's voice that came out.
"Kagaya, it's me. How was the meeting earlier?" The voice belonged to L.
"Oh, L, it's you. Where have you been? I really needed you at the meeting earlier. Why didn't you come?"
"From your tone, which sounds like you're angry, I can guess the meeting at Chaldea didn't go well, right? Is this because of Koko Hekmatyar?" L guessed, hearing the tone of Kagaya's voice, which sounded like he was panicking.
"As you guessed, L. This is all because of her."
A heavy sigh from L was heard from the cat. "I can guess the direction of the meeting earlier that made you like this. It definitely isn't far from world domination." The sound of L chewing something could be heard from the cat.
"Yes, you are right."
"Alright, Kagaya, we need strong allies. With just the two of us, it is impossible to win against that woman. She already has strong allies. Oda Nobunaga sided with her, even though she is not an original member of the organization, she possesses very strong power. And most importantly, she is close to Ritsuka, so her voice will likely be able to influence him. As for Zelretch, that man chose to be neutral, not taking anyone's side. Meanwhile, the original members of the organization who just joined, Balalaika and Shikama Doji... Balalaika is already confirmed to side with Koko. As for Shikama Doji, I can't guess whose side that man will take. He is full of instability. I can tell he is a manipulator. That man is very dangerous; we will keep our distance from him for now." L's voice was very heavy, sounding as if he was exhausted.
"Your words are true, L. However, for allies, I have already secured one from Chaldea's side. Dr. Romani will help us, but he is only one person. The majority of the other Chaldea members sided with Koko. Miss da Vinci and Sima Yi, the new Servant summoned by Rikka's younger sister, she also sided with Koko. And as for the Chaldea staff present there, almost all of them accepted Koko's proposal, and the others didn't voice their opinions. They just stayed silent, including Artoria. I had the chance to speak with her, but her answer was that she would only follow Ritsuka's orders." Kagaya bowed his head; he looked as if he had lost all hope.
"Damn it, we have already lost the vote. This is a huge victory for Koko. Our only hope now is Ritsuka. I hope he makes a wise decision when he returns later."
"Where are you now, Ritsuka?" Kagaya's voice was soft, his head looking up at the starry night sky.
. . .
*Thud!*
Ritsuka fell back to the ground after seeing Sakura's face. "Impossible, you—"
"My, my, Senpai. Why are you looking at me like that?" Ritsuka watched as Sakura got up and stood. "I'm not a ghost, you know. Why are you so scared?" Sakura approached Ritsuka.
"Th-that tone of voice. B-BB?"
Sakura leaned down, her face very close to Ritsuka's, then smiled. "Yes, exactly, Senpai. Your beloved BB is here to accompany your journey again, Senpai." BB got even closer, her hands holding his cheeks.
Ritsuka gasped, then he heard another voice. "B-Brother!" Rikka shouted, seeing how close the two of them were. Sakura looked at Rikka, who was staring at her, and smiled.
"Ei!" Sakura let out a small noise. She was now sitting on Ritsuka's lap. "Senpai, I love you," she said, rubbing her head against Ritsuka's chest.
Ritsuka looked behind him. Mash and Rikka were standing there. "S-Senpai, c-could it be that you—"
"No! There's no way Brother became a lolicon!" Rikka screamed, her hands clutching her head. "I have no hope left! Why couldn't it be a siscon!" Rikka's face looked full of despair.
"You idiot, I'm not like that!" Ritsuka shouted. He then turned to Sakura, who was sitting on his lap facing him. "B-BB, do you remember me?" he asked, confirming something.
"Mouu, Senpai. What do you take me for? How could I forget our entire journey? I remember all of it. Every single thing, every touch you gave me, my beloved Senpai." BB leaned in closer.
"See! Brother became a lolicon! Waaaa!" Rikka cried loudly.
*Smack!*
A stone flew and hit her forehead, making her fall backward. "Say I'm like that one more time, and you are banned from sleeping with me ever again," he said. Then Ritsuka looked at Sakura. Ritsuka's hands moved to Sakura's body, lifting her from his lap and placing her on a bench to sit. "The three of you, leave the two of us here. I need to speak privately with Sakura."
Rikka got up, rubbing her forehead. "No, I can't leave you with that little kid. She is dangerous. She will definitely turn you into a—" Rikka's words stopped when she saw Ritsuka's hand already holding a small stone, ready to throw it at her again.
Rikka flinched. Mash patted Rikka's shoulder. "If it's an important conversation like this, Senpai, how about we leave you two for a bit?"
Hearing that, Rikka nodded. "Alright. But Brother, if you become *that* because of her, I will never forgive that little girl!" she said. She turned around and walked away, leaving Ritsuka and Sakura in the park.
"Wow, Senpai, your female version is quite barbaric too, huh."
Ritsuka ignored BB's remark. He glared sharply at BB. "BB, why did you appear in this body? Is Sakura alright?"
"I possessed this body to meet you, Senpai. I am very happy to see you. And as for the real Sakura, don't worry, she is fine. Her real soul is currently in the Imaginary Numbers."
Ritsuka smiled happily hearing that Sakura was fine. However, upon hearing what BB said at the very end, Ritsuka's eyebrow twitched. But before Ritsuka could ask, BB continued her explanation.
"You know, Senpai, it was very tiring waiting for you to appear in this world. I had already calculated all the possibilities with my brilliant brain—which timeline you would likely appear in. With a very slim probability, I managed to find this timeline on my first try. Haaaaa." BB let out a heavy sigh. She swung Sakura's little legs. "And that old worm geezer is quite annoying, you know. I've been living in this body since Sakura was a baby. And when she arrived at the Matou residence, the three of us worked very hard to restrict our powers so that this body wouldn't be corrupted by those disgusting worms or destroyed by the power of the three of us. And now, Sakura's body in this timeline has not been corrupted by those worms at all. Praise me, Senpai." BB puffed out her chest and smiled.
Ritsuka listened to all of BB's rambling. He smiled, seeing how playful his little kouhai was. However, some of her words made Ritsuka think. "Wait, you said the three of us?"
"Oh right, I haven't given the others a chance." BB seemed to realize something, then shouted. "Hey, you guys can come in now, I'm done." After saying that, BB closed her eyes.
Ritsuka felt something was wrong. "B-BB, don't joke around—" he stammered, unable to believe what BB just said. Various possibilities popped into his head. And at that exact moment, Ritsuka's eyes widened. Sakura's hair slowly turned silvery-white. Ritsuka immediately grabbed both of Sakura's shoulders. "BB, this isn't funny at all. I know t-this must just be your joke, right?" he said. He panicked even more seeing her hair completely change color. Ritsuka stepped back.
"This is bad." Ritsuka turned around, his magic circuits lighting up. He was preparing to leave. But suddenly, a voice called out to him.
"Where are you going?" The voice was full of boredom, but to Ritsuka, the tone made him stop dead in his tracks. Ritsuka turned his head and saw Sakura sitting with her legs crossed. Ritsuka raised his gaze to look at Sakura's face. When he saw Sakura's face, Ritsuka was stunned. His eyes widened.
"Master?" "My child?" Two voices were heard simultaneously from Sakura's mouth. But that wasn't what shocked Ritsuka. In Sakura's eyes, there was an 'X' mark.
*Gulp!*
"I hope this is the last one."
. . .
"So this is Sakura's house. Right, Sakura?" Ritsuka was carrying a little child on his chest; the girl was Sakura.
"That's right, Big Brother. This is my other house. Father—no, I mean Uncle Tokiomi brought me here once before." Sakura answered Ritsuka's words with a bit of hesitation. Her voice was soft, but when she almost referred to Tokiomi as her father, she changed her tone.
Ritsuka turned to look at her. "Sakura... have you really not forgiven your parents?"
Sakura looked away. "I..." she said softly. She was confused about how to answer Ritsuka's question. But suddenly, she turned to look at Ritsuka. "What do you mean, Senpai?" Her tone of voice changed. "Those two are the cause of Sakura's suffering in the past. If it weren't for the three of us, she would definitely suffer even more. And Sakura, don't hesitate anymore. I told you, my Senpai will protect you. He is the knight you have been waiting for to save you. Your knight is already here in front of you."
After saying that, Sakura closed her eyes, and her expression changed into that of a shy little girl. Both her cheeks flushed red.
"BB, you are ruining this child's mindset," Ritsuka said. He regretted coming to this timeline even more. First, he attracted Manaka's attention, and now BB, Tiamat, and Kama were here, possessing Sakura. Now she had three dangerous beings capable of wiping out humanity protecting her.
Ritsuka sighed. "Sakura, listen. No matter what happens, do not listen to the purple-haired girl. Understood?"
Sakura turned to him. "Wh-what do you mean, Big Brother? Do you mean Big Sister BB?"
Ritsuka nodded.
"But why? Then what about Big Sister Kama? And Mother Tiamat? Both of them are very kind to me. They also protected me in that scary Matou house."
"Just listen to your Big Brother. I've dealt with BB a lot, and the results left me with many bad memories. As for Tiamat, you can trust her. She is a good woman. But Kama..." Ritsuka was a bit hesitant about the last one. Then, he saw Sakura's hair change to silvery-white.
"What's wrong with me? Are you afraid of me too, Master?" Sakura's tone of voice changed now.
"Kama!"
"Did you tell this little girl to keep her distance from me?!" Kama looked closer at Ritsuka. "Do you find me disgusting because I am Kama?!"
"N-no, Kama. You are not disgusting. I trust you. But please, don't hurt Sakura, okay?" Ritsuka said with a sincere tone.
"Hmph. You don't need to worry. I will take good care of this little girl. Because with this body, you don't have to see my disgusting form." Immediately after that, her hair color returned to normal.
Ritsuka sighed. Then he felt a gentle pat on his head. Ritsuka turned his head and saw Sakura's eyes had an 'X' mark in both pupils. "My dear child, you have grown up." Tiamat took over Sakura's consciousness.
"Now it's Tiamat? Ugh... Since your voice is using Sakura's voice, you can speak fluently," he said. But Tiamat ignored him. She just kept stroking Ritsuka's head like a mother who loved her child.
After a few moments, Ritsuka noticed an adult woman coming out of the gate of the luxurious house. "Rin, where are you?" she shouted.
Upon hearing that, Sakura instantly returned to normal. Tiamat had returned the main consciousness to Sakura. "Mother—" Sakura almost called the woman 'Mother', but Ritsuka heard it clearly.
"So she is Tokiomi's wife, Aoi Tohsaka." Ritsuka approached Aoi. He was going to hand Sakura over to her.
Sakura, who was being carried by him, trembled. She lowered her head, refusing to look at Aoi.
While Aoi was busy looking around and shouting, Rin heard a voice behind her. "Lady Tohsaka," Ritsuka called out. Aoi, who was suddenly called, was startled. She immediately turned around.
"Sakura!" she shouted in shock, seeing Sakura's presence in front of her. She immediately approached the two of them. "What are you doing here—" Her words stopped when she realized that Sakura was now in the arms of a stranger.
"Who are you—" She was cautious, looking at Sakura. She was afraid that the teenager in front of her was a magus and an enemy of Tokiomi.
"Calm down, Lady Tohsaka. I am not a dangerous person." Ritsuka put Sakura down. "I found this child on the street. It seems she was lost, so I helped her. When I asked her where her house was, she led me here," Ritsuka said, smiling at her. "Now, Sakura-chan, go back to your mother—"
"She is not my mother," Sakura cut in coldly.
Aoi gasped upon hearing what Sakura called her. "Sa-Sakura..." Aoi covered her mouth. She could see the disappointment in Sakura's eyes towards her. But why? She didn't know the reason. "Sakura, are you still angry because Mother let you be adopted?" Aoi lowered herself to match Sakura's height. Both her knees were on the ground. Aoi held both of Sakura's shoulders. "Listen, this is for your own good. Your father already planned this carefully, Sakura. You will be happier—" she said. But Sakura brushed her hands away, rejecting the touch.
"Shut up, Auntie! You are not my mother anymore!" Sakura raised her voice. "You don't know!" Sakura pointed at Aoi. She stepped closer to Aoi. "What I went through in that cursed house!" Her purple hair grew longer, changing color to silvery-white, and her eyes changed to have an 'X' mark. Sakura's footsteps felt heavy to Aoi. At the tips of her fingers, light slowly formed. "You and Tokiomi are the source of my suffering." Fangs grew on her teeth.
Aoi backed away in fear, seeing Sakura's form. "Sa-Sakura, what happened to—" But before Sakura could do anything to Aoi...
"Sakura!" Ritsuka raised his voice. He immediately pulled Sakura closer to him, hugging Sakura's body, trying to calm her down. "Calm yourself. Even though Aoi is the person who let you be taken by the Matou family, she is still your mother. She is the one who carried you and gave birth to you." Ritsuka stroked Sakura's head gently. "She is the one who raised you, fed you, and took care of you until you could be like this. Maybe you still haven't forgiven her actions, but give her a second chance, okay?" Ritsuka smiled sincerely at her.
Aoi had trembled in fear seeing Sakura's form earlier. But when she saw Ritsuka's actions to calm Sakura down, she began to calm down. Seeing Ritsuka acting like an older brother to Sakura, Aoi admired him. She began to gather her courage. "Could you please explain what happened to Sakura?"
Ritsuka, who was still calming Sakura down, looked at Aoi and saw that the sky was still afternoon, approaching dusk. "We still have time. I will explain to you what the Matou family truly is."
. . .
"That is what happened to Sakura, until I saved her from that hellhole. It's up to you to believe it or not," Ritsuka said, finishing his explanation to Aoi about what happened to Sakura in the Matou house.
The afternoon light shone over Fuyuki City. In a small park not far from the Tohsaka's temporary residence, Aoi was with her daughter, Rin. Aoi, Ritsuka, and Sakura were sitting on a park bench.
"This is all Tokiomi's fault!!!" Aoi's voice suddenly rang out loudly. She stood up from the bench. Sakura, who was sitting next to Ritsuka, flinched in shock hearing Aoi's scream. She had never heard Aoi scream like that.
"This is all his fault!" Aoi shouted again, then looked at Sakura, who was there. Aoi hurriedly ran towards her, lowering her height. Without her realizing it, the shawl on her shoulders that protected her from the cold fell off. "I'm sorry, Sakura. Forgive me, my daughter. I didn't know the Matou family would do that to you." Aoi sobbed heavily. Tears flowed from both her eyes. "You have the right to be angry with me. I'm sorry, Sakura." Aoi bowed her head on Sakura's lap.
Sakura, seeing that, was confused about what she should do. She wanted to call her Mother, but she still hadn't forgiven her. Then she looked at Ritsuka, asking for his help.
'Lancelot, Tristan. Lend me your power,' Ritsuka thought.
'Eh, Master. What's wrong with the two of them?' Arthur replied. He was wondering why Ritsuka called upon his two knights.
Ritsuka, ignoring Arthur's words, stood up. He walked towards Aoi's fallen shawl and picked it up. Ritsuka unfolded it, then placed the shawl back onto Aoi's shoulders. "Lady Aoi, do not cry like that. A woman's tears are very precious. You are not at fault at all. Your husband is the one who caused all of this. So do not blame yourself. I will help you gain Sakura's forgiveness," he said with a gentle tone.
Aoi turned her head. "Ritsuka..." Their eyes met. The afternoon light illuminated Ritsuka's and Aoi's faces in a very calm atmosphere. Then, suddenly, a voice was heard behind him.
"Mom, look! There's a couple being intimate in public!" a little kid shouted, bringing Aoi back to her senses. She immediately looked away, her cheeks blushing red.
"Hush, child. Don't disturb them," the mother said.
Ritsuka turned to Sakura. A sly smile was visible on her lips. Ritsuka stared at her. 'That smile! BB, what are you planning?' he thought, terrified of seeing Sakura's smile. Then, suddenly, Sakura changed her expression. BB had left.