Fuyuki Police Station.
"Mr. Matou, please give your statement..."
Kariya Matou was there to hand over a child he'd rescued last night, claiming he found them by the roadside.
"No problem, officer. When will the child's family come?"
"..."
The officer's expression darkened. After a pause, he said, "The child will be sent to Fuyuki's district orphanage. Their parents died in the killer's attack, and their grandparents passed away earlier. No relatives within three generations."
"What?"
Kariya couldn't believe it.
"Sigh... Last night, twelve children were abducted. Including the one you brought, nine were recovered, three dead. Most of their parents were killed. The murderer broke in, killed, and took the children. The others have distant relatives willing to take them, but this one..."
The officer trailed off, and Kariya understood.
Distant relatives didn't care, and close family was gone, leaving the child for the orphanage.
The officer didn't linger, retreating to the office. Last night's thirty casualties, including two armed officers, had swamped the station.
He had no time for further talk with Kariya.
In the lobby, only Kariya and a duty officer remained.
"What... should I do?"
Kariya whispered, but the "other self" that always guided him didn't appear.
"...?"
Confused, he scanned the room. The guiding figure was gone.
A wave of disorientation hit him.
"Gone?"
He recalled novels about split personalities, where a secondary persona protected against fears. Once overcome, it vanished, no longer needed.
"I... have to decide alone now?"
Unprecedented confusion clouded his mind—his path, goals, next steps...
All unknown.
His greatest uncertainty was the child he'd saved.
Perhaps pity, perhaps compassion, Kariya wanted to adopt them...
But danger loomed, and he wasn't sure. His deepest hesitation... he didn't even know what he was hesitating about.
He'd called for his "rational" self to forbid adoption.
But...
"I'm alone again."
Once more, he faced the world solo.
"So..."
"Officer, I'm the child's father!"
A demonic "charisma" radiated from Kariya, infused with ancient evil god mana and the mystery of the "unknown," forming a potent "suggestion."
...
Elsewhere...
"Father Risei, please gather the Church's records on the Matou family!"
A disheveled Tokiomi Tohsaka arrived at the church.
He'd searched his basement for surviving records after the battle, finding little on the Matou family. So, he came to his old friend for help.
Uneasy about Kariya's words and fervor, he sought answers.
"Grandpa, someone's here!"
A white-haired, golden-eyed girl shouted into the church's inner chambers.
"Caren, how many times have I told you not to yell in the church... Hm? Lord Tohsaka, what's wrong?"
Risei Kotomine, the Holy Church's overseer of the Holy Grail War, emerged, eyeing the haggard Tokiomi.
"This is?"
"My granddaughter, Kirei's daughter, Caren Ortensia, taking her mother's name!"
"Oh, Father Risei, please, lend me the Church's Matou records."
Tokiomi's urgency was palpable.
Risei's face hardened. "Lord Tohsaka, my ally, you know the Church's rules. I can't comply."
"Father Risei, it's urgent. I swear not to speak of it."
Tokiomi's usual elegance was gone, his desperation clear.
"...It's not that I don't want to help, my friend, but..."
Risei saw Tokiomi's urgency. Years of alliance showed Tokiomi's pride—yet here he was, humbled. It was serious.
But Church rules forbade sharing intelligence, especially with mages.
"Father, if sensei is this anxious, it's important. The Matou records aren't critical. Let him see them."
Kirei Kotomine entered, his Executor ears sharp.
"...Fine. But only Matou records, nothing else..."
Risei valued their generations-long bond and Tokiomi's Church leanings.
"Thank you!"
Risei led Tokiomi to a room, producing a ten-centimeter stack of parchment—the Church's full Matou and former "Makiri" records.
As the Grail War's overseer, they thoroughly investigated the three families, deepest on Tohsaka, then Matou, with least on the distant Einzberns.
The parchment, activated by mana resonance, let Tokiomi scan it quickly.
It was mundane—occasional disappearances, a few people entering and not leaving.
Some leyline addresses, estate details.
And guesses about their water magecraft.
Typical mage family stuff—sacrifices for experiments were normal.
Tokiomi, due to his talents and magecraft, didn't need such methods.
He was puzzled, unable to grasp Kariya's demeanor...
As a Matou, Kariya knew more than Tokiomi.
And, perhaps psychologically, recalling "Zouken Matou's" demonic presence filled Tokiomi with dread.
From their first meeting, Tokiomi knew Zouken was a formidable mage, his "demonic" aura and shedding-like presence marking a powerful mage.
Not all strong mages were like him, but those like him were always strong.
"What does Kariya know... I must ask him myself... like he once asked me..."
Tokiomi's mind drifted to the past, to his engagement announcement with Aoi Zenjou.
Kariya confronted him...
"Do you love her?"
"I..."
Facing Kariya's question, Tokiomi wanted to lie and say "love," but couldn't.
"You don't!"
Kariya's blunt words cut through.
"Why marry her?"
"I..."
He couldn't answer.
"Why? Why not choose me? Because of society's eyes? We could leave, find a free place!"
His beloved's desperate questions tore at him.
He wanted to flee with his love, but as a mage family heir, his duty to fulfill his family's wish and uphold magecraft bound him. He needed Aoi, a prime vessel, for a worthy heir.
His gaze hardened, mage duty crushing emotion. "Kariya, you don't understand. You fled, but I can't and won't. The family's wish must be fulfilled, magecraft's duty mine to bear... I'm sorry!"
Slap!
A sharp slap struck Tokiomi's cheek.
"I hate you and won't forgive you!"
With those words, Tokiomi never saw him face-to-face again, only watching through a crystal ball as Kariya played with Aoi and his daughter.
Lovers parted, few remained friends. Kariya likely avoided him forever.
Seeing Kariya's love for his daughter Sakura, and Sakura's for him, Tokiomi chose Matou over better options for her adoption...
But...
Was that the source of Kariya's pain? Why?
Tokiomi needed to know, so he sought Kariya.
He knew where to find him...
Central Park.
Their meeting place, where they became friends, then lovers.
There he sat, as always, a boy playing before him.
Like countless scenes Tokiomi glimpsed through his crystal ball.
"Kariya..."
"Don't call me that! If we weren't here, I'd kill you!"
Kariya's face darkened at Tokiomi's sight.
"I want to know what the Matou family is!"
"Heh, I'll tell you then!"
***
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