Standing before the familiar yet distant house, Rin Tohsaka drew in a sharp breath.Just as Izumi assumed she was about to ring the doorbell, the girl simply reached under her skirt and pulled out a small key, slipping it smoothly into the lock.
The click echoed through the quiet yard.
Izumi blinked, utterly dumbfounded.
"Eh? You still have your house key from ten years ago? Seriously?"
Rin shot him a flat look and sighed.
"You're overthinking it. The lock just hasn't changed in ten years, that's all."
"Come on. Father's definitely sensed us already."
With that, she strode into the courtyard first.
The moment they stepped inside, a man in a tailored suit—well-groomed beard, dignified posture, and an elegance befitting a noble—was already waiting. He even leaned lightly on a cane, though Izumi doubted he actually needed it.
Rin froze for a second, emotions swirling in her chest.
Tokiomi Tohsaka.
Before she could say anything, Tokiomi's voice cut through the night.
"Pardon me, but barging into someone's home uninvited is terribly rude, wouldn't you agree?"
He was about to continue—until his gaze fell upon the small girl in Izumi's arms.
"…Sakura?"
His eyes narrowed sharply.
"Who are you people?"
Instinctively, he raised his cane, prana flaring as he slipped into a combat stance.
Izumi's expression twitched.
He ignored Rin completely. Completely.
Rin's face twisted with irritation. She sucked in several breaths before shouting:
"Dad!"
Tokiomi froze.
"…Dad?"
He stared at her, utterly baffled."My lady, that's quite the joke. I don't recall having a daughter your age."
His eyes drifted over Rin's features—her hair, her expression, the faint resemblance to Aoi and to the little Rin upstairs.
Then his expression shifted into something far less pleasant.
…Don't tell me.Did I—did I do something I don't remember? Some kind of… scandal…?
His face drained of color.
Seeing the man spiral into a silent panic, Izumi leaned toward Sakura and whispered:
"Look, another one lost to his own imagination."
Sakura tried her best to hold back a laugh.She didn't want to see this man… but seeing Tokiomi crumble under his own assumptions brought a tiny, guilty thrill.
Rin's forehead twitched so hard it almost pulsed.
"I'm Rin! Rin Tohsaka! From ten years in the future!"
She couldn't hold back anymore.Her own father was imagining her as some random illegitimate daughter—what kind of misunderstanding was this!?
The moment "ten years in the future" left her lips, Tokiomi stiffened.
"Ten years…? Then—The Second Magic? Have you achieved it, Rin?!"
Sudden, overwhelming excitement filled his voice.
Izumi cleared his throat loudly.
"Sorry to ruin the fantasy, Mr. Tohsaka. We're only here because of an accident. No Second Magic involved. Your daughter isn't a Magician, and the Tohsaka lineage hasn't attained the Second."
Tokiomi's expression froze mid-excitement, as if someone dumped a bucket of ice water over him.
His face tightened. "Then prove it. Prove you're truly my daughter."
Izumi nearly burst out laughing.
Ah. So the moment he hears she isn't a Magician, he demands proof. Truly realistic.
Rin felt her faith in her father's image crumble into dust.
Still grinding her teeth, she pulled out two items:
A crimson jewel—Tohsaka's heirloom.And a short ceremonial dagger—the Azoth Blade.
Tokiomi's pupils shrank.
"You… you really are Rin?"
Rin nodded firmly.
He stared at her again—longer this time. The resemblance, the family treasures, the aura resembling both Aoi and the young Rin—it was undeniable.
"…I see," he whispered, voice trembling with a strange mixture of awe and disbelief.
"My daughter has grown… to this age already…?"
Izumi saw him drift into sentimentality for a moment before the man shook his head sharply.
"Come inside. There's much we need to discuss."
Why Rin had appeared in this era.Why Sakura was here—and who the young man holding her was.He had too many questions.
The group stepped into the house.
Just then, footsteps sounded from the stairs.A gentle woman descended—soft features, long hair, an elegant presence.
Rin's breath caught.
Aoi Tohsaka.
"Mom!" Rin cried, voice trembling.
Aoi blinked, startled, and her eyes widened as she noticed Rin's face—this older, matured version of her daughter.
"Rin…? Is that… really you?"
Before she could finish, Rin threw herself forward, burying her face into her mother's chest.
Meanwhile, Sakura stiffened in Izumi's arms.The word mother echoed painfully inside her.
She wanted to move—wanted to run forward too—But her legs wouldn't.
She lowered her head, clinging tighter to Izumi's shirt.
Izumi gently patted her shoulder.
"It's alright. I'm here."
Sakura nodded faintly, saying nothing.
After a long embrace, Rin finally pulled away. Aoi cupped her cheeks, still stunned.
"Rin… how…?"
Rin wiped her eyes and took a breath.
"I'm the Rin from ten years in the future, Mom. Something happened… and I was sent back here."
She gazed at her parents—alive, whole, together.
The warmth she thought she had lost forever flooded back into her chest.
And the night inside the Tohsaka household quietly shifted into a reunion born from the impossible.