2 months before the Holy Grail War starts
My familiars are butterflies, more specifically the blue morpho species. The reason? Not much, I just find them pleasing to the eyes. They're easier to overlook compared to other types of familiars, and that makes them useful for surveillance, drifting through the city without drawing attention while carrying my prana with them.
Lately though, I've been reducing how many I send out.
Some of them have been disappearing.
Not all at once, but enough to notice a pattern.
I have a pretty good idea who's behind it.
Probably that priest.
I've been seeing Kotomine going on patrols more often than usual, moving through the city at irregular intervals. It doesn't feel random either, it's too consistent in the way it covers certain areas, like he's actively searching rather than just passing through.
Which means they've likely noticed something. Maybe not me directly, but at least the presence of my familiars in the city.
So for now, I've stopped being as active with them outside.
I'm staying put in the house. Keeping things low-profile.
No unnecessary movements, no overextending my reach where it could be traced back. If they're already on alert, the last thing I want is to give them a clearer target or confirm their suspicions.
Instead, I've been keeping my familiars closer, using them sparingly and only when necessary, while focusing on maintaining control rather than expanding my presence.
Although
I could probably handle them in a fight… but that would only end up drawing the attention of the old fossil as well.
He's been around far too long. Someone like him isn't just another magus, you don't last that many years without surviving encounters that should've killed you. If anything, he's likely fought Servants in previous Holy Grail Wars and lived to tell the tale.
That alone makes him a problem I can't afford to casually provoke.
So for now, the better option is to stay patient and keep a low profile. Acting recklessly here wouldn't just risk exposing me, it would put everything I've been preparing at stake before the war even begins.
For now I should think about my arsenal in the upcoming war
First is the sword. It's the most straightforward of my tools, used for close-range offense and defense. There's no complication to it, just me, the blade, and whatever stands in front of me. When my other options aren't available or when I need something reliable, the katana is what I fall back on.
Then there's the spatial ability, the core of my current fighting style.
It has two functions.
The first is translocation, which allows me to slip out of space itself. In practice, it's short-range repositioning, more like stepping out of one point and appearing at another rather than actual teleportation. During experimentation, especially when Touko was observing, it became clear that I can only reposition myself at the moment. I can't bring another person along or reposition multiple targets at the same time. For now, it's limited to my own body, which makes precision and timing even more important. With further training, that limitation might change, but at the current stage, that's as far as it goes.
The second function is what I've been experimenting with more recently, compression.
By "grabbing" space, I can distort it in a way that alters how incoming attacks behave. Instead of letting an attack reach me directly, I can compress or bend the space around it, causing it to redirect, lose its trajectory, or in some cases, be effectively nullified. It's not something as simple as blocking; it's closer to interfering with the path an attack takes before it even reaches me.
I'm not going to lie to myself.
What I have right now… it's basically cheating.
A spatial ability like this, something I didn't even build from scratch but copied and shaped into my own, most magi would spend years trying to reach even a fraction of this level of control. And here I am, already using it in ways that could decide a fight before it even begins.
I exhaled quietly, shaking my head slightly.
"Still..."
If I somehow die even with all of this, then that's on me.
Not bad luck, not circumstances, just my own failure.
"If even Waver can survive this…"
He wasn't the strongest.
Not the most experienced either.
But he made it through.
I let out a slow breath.
"…Then I should be able to do it too."
...
The Tohsaka residence remained as composed as ever, but within one of its rooms, Tokiomi and Kirei stood in quiet discussion, their conversation centered on a matter that had recently come to their attention.
"There have been traces of familiars." Kirei said, his tone even as always. "Butterflies. They've been appearing intermittently across the city, though their presence has diminished recently."
Tokiomi's expression remained calm, though his gaze sharpened slightly at the mention. "Butterflies… blue morpho, if the reports are accurate."
Kirei nodded. "They were being used for surveillance. However, after increased patrols and the removal of several of them, their numbers in the city have noticeably decreased."
Tokiomi turned slightly, considering the information. "So they noticed."
"It would appear so."
A brief silence followed as Tokiomi processed the implications. The use of familiars suggested a magus operating with caution, someone observing rather than acting openly. Yet the fact that they withdrew once their presence was discovered told him something more important.
"Whoever it is." Tokiomi said at last, "they are not confident enough to continue once their methods are exposed."
His tone carried no uncertainty.
"In other words, they've chosen to retreat rather than risk confrontation."
Kirei remained silent, listening.
Tokiomi folded his hands behind his back, his posture as composed as ever. "That tells us enough. An unknown magus who avoids direct engagement after detection is not someone acting with full confidence in their capabilities."
He glanced briefly toward Kirei. "There is no need to pursue them further."
Kirei's eyes shifted slightly. "Even if they remain active within the city?"
"For now, yes." Tokiomi replied. "We have more important matters to focus on. Diverting attention toward an unknown variable without clear necessity would only introduce risk."
He paused, then added, his tone lowering just slightly in emphasis, "However, remain aware. If their behavior changes, or if they begin to act more openly, we will reassess."
Kirei gave a small nod. "Understood."
Tokiomi's gaze returned forward, his expression steady. "We cannot afford mistakes at this stage."
"…Father?"
Rin stepped into the room, her eyes shifting between the two of them, clearly having caught the tail end of the discussion. She carried herself with the same composure she had been trained to maintain, though there was a hint of curiosity beneath it.
Tokiomi turned toward her smoothly. "Rin. You should be in your study at this time."
She tilted her head slightly. "I heard you mentioning familiars. Is something happening in the city?"
Tokiomi's expression remained measured. "Nothing you need to concern yourself with at the moment. Just minor activity that is being monitored."
Rin didn't look fully satisfied with that answer, but she didn't press further. Instead, her attention shifted briefly toward Kirei before returning to her father.
"…I see."
Tokiomi gave a small nod. "Continue your studies. You will understand these matters in due time."
Rin straightened slightly. "Yes, Father."
...
5 days before the Holy Grail War starts
The news reached me in fragments at first.
Whispers in passing conversations. Unclear reports. People talking about something unusual happening in one of the quieter parts of the city, though no one seemed to have the full picture. Just vague accounts of disappearances around the city.
I didn't ignore it.
If anything, it made the feeling in my chest tighten slightly.
Uryuu
That was the only name that came to mind.
I moved out shortly after, sending out a few familiars ahead of me to quietly scout the area while I made my way there on foot. This time, I didn't send many, just enough to observe without drawing unnecessary attention. With Kotomine already on alert, I couldn't afford to be careless.
I stayed in the area longer than necessary, letting my familiars spread out and retrace what little could still be observed.
Even without clear mana traces, they could still pick up on physical evidence. My familiars drifted low and wide, landing quietly in corners, along walls, and on surfaces most people wouldn't bother to examine closely.
What they found wasn't magical in nature.
Just… traces.
I crouched slightly, narrowing my focus as one of the familiars relayed what it had picked up.
"Blood. Lots of it."
I followed the trail my familiar had marked, moving carefully through the streets until I reached a small, unassuming apartment building. From the outside, it didn't look like anything out of place, just another residence among many. But the consistency of the trace leading here told me otherwise.
I paused at the entrance, checking my surroundings once more before proceeding.
Then, quietly, I used magecraft to unlock the door and stepped inside.
I moved slowly through the apartment, scanning each room, taking in the details without rushing.
Clothes. Supplies. Basic necessities.
The conclusion settled in my mind.
This was where he returned.
And when he did...
I would be waiting.
...
Time passed in silence.
I stayed within range of the apartment, keeping my presence hidden while maintaining awareness through my familiars
Eventually, I felt it.
Footsteps
The door opened.
Uryuu Ryuunosuke stepped inside first, moving casually as if returning from a routine errand. Behind him, someone else followed, unsettled, hesitant, clearly out of place in this environment.
I didn't move at first.
I waited until both of them were fully inside.
Then—
I activated translocation.
Space shifted in an instant.
My position changed, closing the distance in a single step that bypassed the space between us entirely. I appeared right beside Uryuu, my movement silent and immediate.
The moment he registered my presence, it was already too late to react properly.
I followed through without hesitation.
A quick, decisive slash to his neck.
SHINK
His head separated to his body.
The room fell silent.
I remained where I stood, my posture steady, eyes still fixed on him in case of any further movement, even though he was just an ordinary human. I wanted to be absolutely certain, despite already knowing he wasn't capable of magecraft.
But there was nothing.
No follow-up.
Just stillness.
"It's over." I muttered quietly.
I glanced at the other person in the room. Based on their condition and the way they had been restrained earlier, they were likely someone Uryuu had brought in against their will.
I moved closer, checking their state briefly before deciding on the next step. With a quiet focus, I applied a light sleep spell to keep them undisturbed, then followed it with a subtle alteration of their recent memories—enough to blur the events they had just experienced without causing further complications.
It wasn't perfect, but it was enough to ensure they wouldn't carry something dangerous back into their normal life, nor attract unnecessary attention to what had just occurred here.
I exhaled slowly, then reached for the phone.
After a brief moment, I made a call to the police and reported what needed to be reported, keeping the explanation simple and avoiding unnecessary details. Once the call ended, I didn't linger any longer than necessary.
That should be enough
There was no reason to stay.
If the police arrived and began their investigation, it would only complicate things if I were still nearby. I turned away and left the building, keeping my presence low as I moved through the streets.
...
The moment I returned home, the familiar quiet of the place settled around me. I closed the door behind me and locked it out of habit, letting out a slow breath as the tension from earlier began to ease. For a brief moment, it felt like everything had returned to normal.
I moved into the kitchen and started preparing a simple meal. The routine motions helped clear my head, cutting, heating, and arranging everything without overthinking. It wasn't anything elaborate, just enough to eat and regain some energy. By the time I finished, I brought the food to the table and sat down, leaning back slightly as I finally allowed myself to relax.
"Haa..."
The quiet was comforting.
But then, without warning, a sharp pang shot through my arm.
"—!"
I flinched, my hand instinctively moving to the source of the sensation. It wasn't an external injury—it came from within. I pulled back my sleeve, my eyes narrowing as I looked at the mark that had appeared on my skin.
A Command Seal.
"...You've got to be kidding me"