Tohsaka Tokiomi, a legitimate magus born into an aristocratic family, was haughty and deeply proud of his status as a Magus, aiming for the "Root."

Although his innate talent as a magus was mediocre, lacking any exceptional aptitude, his current esteemed and respected position was entirely the result of his own hard work and an iron will.

Composed, elegant, confident, powerful, and calm—almost every virtue one could find in a magus was present in him. As a magus, he had achieved considerable success, but...

"The Naive Magus" encountered Tohsaka Tokiomi face-to-face for the first time. Facing the man who would presumably become his father-in-law, Lin Luo showed none of the deference he offered Tohsaka Aoi. He ignored the aura of authority emanating from Tokiomi, instead looking down upon him from a higher vantage point.

Tohsaka Tokiomi frowned. The first sentence the youth uttered upon entering the room immediately unsettled him. Naive? He, a legitimate magus striving unwaveringly for the "Root," how could such a thing exist within him?

Seated firmly, gazing across at the youth who was equally seated and meeting his eyes with a challenging glare, Tohsaka Tokiomi instinctively tried to crush him with sheer pressure. The result, however, was deeply disappointing.

He already knew the entire sequence of events and the outcome. Half an hour ago, seeing Tohsaka Aoi return holding Sakura in her arms, he admitted there was a moment where he felt utterly lost. Afterward, from his wife and daughter, Tokiomi learned that everything was because of the youth before him.

"What exactly do you want?" After a long silence, Tohsaka Tokiomi finally spoke. Though unwilling to admit it, he knew he had lost the battle of wills.

"As you can see, I have merely brought Sakura back to the Tohsaka family," Lin Luo smiled faintly. The idea that Tokiomi could overwhelm him with mere presence felt like a joke. Undeniably, Tohsaka Tokiomi was strong; as a magus, as a superior, he possessed an innate authority that compelled deference.

But how could he compare to the power of Aoi Allendor? Or Sieg? Even people like Sola-Ui or Laura were beyond the league of a mere Tohsaka Tokiomi. Having encountered such high-caliber individuals, how could Lin Luo possibly be subdued by Tokiomi's aura?

"Sakura must be sent to the Matou family," Tohsaka Tokiomi stated with a calm, firm tone.

Lin Luo paused, then looked at him with slight amusement. "Oh? Did Rin not inform you just now? The Matou family no longer exists."

"What did you say?" Tohsaka Tokiomi shot up from his seat. For the first time in a long while, his customary composure vanished, replaced by palpable unease. "The Matou family doesn't exist? What does that mean?"

"Literally what I said."

"You did this?"

Lin Luo shrugged and countered, "If it wasn't me, was it you?"

"You..." Tohsaka Tokiomi gritted his teeth, speechless, perhaps from anger or something else. A surge of killing intent flashed through him, though he quickly suppressed it. He knew that despite being far younger, this youth possessed strength that could not be measured by his age, given that he annihilated the entire Matou household in under half an hour. He calmly analyzed Lin Luo’s combat prowess.

"Do you realize what you have done? The Tohsaka family manages Fuyuki City. To commit such an act—do you intend to make an enemy of the Tohsaka family, or even the Mage's Association?"

"You're overstepping your bounds a little," Lin Luo chuckled lightly. "The extermination of the Matou family might indeed cause a stir in Fuyuki City for a short while, but for a declining magus lineage like theirs, it’s hardly enough weight to warrant the Mage's Association getting involved. While I am not a magus, don't treat me like a three-year-old."

Tohsaka Tokiomi gave him a cold look. Indeed, the Matou family had declined for too many years and held little standing in the mage world; their plight was too insignificant to mobilize the Association. However, he challenged, "What if it were I, Tohsaka Tokiomi? What if it were the Tohsaka family?"

"Hey, hey, I'm the savior of your daughter, aren't I? It’s one thing if you don't thank me, but are you planning to repay kindness with enmity?" Lin Luo spoke with exaggerated pretense.

This flippant attitude deeply irritated Tohsaka Tokiomi, who snorted coldly. "What do you know?"

"I know everything." As if his expression shifted, Lin Luo became intensely serious. "I previously told Kariya Matou that if I ever met you, I would slap you hard across both cheeks to teach you how to be a proper father. But precisely because I know the reason, I withheld those slaps from you. And that reason is... the Curse of the Magic Circuit, isn't it?"

In that instant, Tohsaka Tokiomi seemed to stop breathing, glaring fiercely at the person before him—a hatred born from having his most painful secret exposed.

The demonic nature invites 'demonic nature'; those who stand out conspicuously beyond the established order are bound to attract equally aberrant experiences. This is beyond one's conscious control; there is only one way to deal with such destiny: to consciously step outside the established order oneself.

For Rin and Sakura, they never had a choice from the start.

One possessed all five elemental attributes overlaid, while the other held the phantom element, the Attribute of Emptiness. Both sisters possessed rare aptitudes equivalent to miracles, exceeding the scope of mere talent and bordering on a living spell. This was both their fortune and their misfortune.

Tohsaka Tokiomi's two daughters had no recourse but to delve into the Mystery and practice to handle the demonic nature latent in their blood. But...

The Tohsaka family's blessing could only be bestowed upon one. The one not chosen as the heir would be plagued by strange occurrences due to her own bloodline, drawing calamity upon herself. If the Mage's Association discovered such a 'normal person,' those people would undoubtedly rejoice in treating her as a specimen, soaking her in formalin under the guise of protection.

This reality had tormented Tohsaka Tokiomi for an unknown duration.

Given this, the Matou family's request to adopt Sakura was tantamount to a divine gift. It offered a method for both beloved daughters to inherit first-rate thaumaturgy, free from the constraints of blood ties, allowing them to forge their own lives. At that moment, Tohsaka Tokiomi could finally feel liberated from the heavy burden of fatherhood.

But Lin Luo had annihilated the Matou family, destroying this heaven-sent opportunity. This was the true source of Tohsaka Tokiomi's hatred for him—not the demise of the Matou family, but the destruction of his beloved daughter's only path forward.

Furthermore, since Lin Luo could mention the Curse of the Magic Circuit, he clearly understood the situation. Yet, under the banner of saving her, he had severed Sakura's only chance at survival... The resentment and anger in Tohsaka Tokiomi's heart intensified.

"And so, you are just a naive magus..." Lin Luo sneered mockingly. "Did you truly believe that method would succeed?"

Could it really succeed?

When questioned honestly, Tohsaka Tokiomi certainly lacked confidence, and this very issue tormented him incessantly. Yet, with a roar bordering on a scream, he countered, "At least that way Sakura had a future! But you..."

"Naive!" Lin Luo slammed his hand onto the table before him, retorting with equal fury, "To pin your hopes on the fragile unknown dwelling in others, Tohsaka Tokiomi, you are truly too naive!"

Before Tokiomi could argue back, Lin Luo pressed on. "Kariya Matou—an ancient monster who has lived for several hundred years since the Holy Grail War began. Don't tell me you don't know about him."

Tohsaka Tokiomi was instantly silenced, overpowered by Lin Luo's presence. Kariya Matou—as the head of the Tohsaka family, if he didn't know that, he shouldn't be involved in this line of work.

"Then what about the Crest Worms?"

"Crest Worms?"

"Insects created from fragments of a corrupted Holy Grail. Kariya Matou implants these into others' bodies to modify them, controlling and monitoring their every move. The modified individuals become pseudo-Holy Grail vessels, serving as 'vessels' in the Holy Grail War. Of course, the most terrifying aspect is not that; the Crest Worms are also known as Yin Worms... I hardly need to explain those two characters to you."

"Crest Worms... Yin Worms?" Tohsaka Tokiomi was stunned.

"When I arrived at the worm cellar beneath the Matou residence, Kariya Matou was preparing to implant a Crest Worm into Sakura. If I had been three seconds later... Tohsaka Tokiomi, is this the hope you spoke of? The path you called a way to live? It was certainly a path to life, but one worse than death."

"This... is impossible..." As if genuinely unable to believe it, Tohsaka Tokiomi collapsed back into his seat.

"Impossible?" Lin Luo gave a cold laugh. "Then go ask your own daughter. She saw everything clearly. Although she is only five, she surely knows the difference between someone doing good for her or doing evil. Of course, if you don't even trust your own daughter, you can visit the Matou residence. Though I destroyed it, there should be some remains left."

Saying this, Lin Luo looked down at him as if scrutinizing a criminal. "Well? Do you have the courage? Go verify whether what you gave Sakura was a path filled with hope, or a road worse than death."

Tohsaka Tokiomi was not a man lacking courage. Minutes later, he left the room with a look of profound doubt. Ten minutes later, when he returned, the authority of a distinguished magus was entirely gone, replaced by remorse, agony, and self-reproach.

"What are your thoughts now?" Lin Luo asked gravely, looking at Tohsaka Tokiomi, who sat opposite, completely changed from before.

"...I failed Sakura. It is my fault. You were right," Tohsaka Tokiomi said, head bowed in pain. He didn't need to check the Matou residence for proof; he could see it plainly on Sakura's face—that was no longer the innocent, carefree look of the girl who used to frolic behind her sister Rin like a puppy.

The normally innocent child had displayed profound terror upon seeing him, clearly traumatized by what had transpired. She likely resented him, the father who sent her to the Matou family.

While blaming himself, Tohsaka Tokiomi couldn't help but offer a bitter smile—but who could he blame? Only himself.

"So now... what do we do?" Raising his head once more, Tohsaka Tokiomi turned his gaze to Lin Luo, his eyes devoid of former hostility, filled only with a deep sense of helplessness.

"What do you mean?"

"Rin and Sakura..." Mentioning his daughters, Tohsaka Tokiomi's tone was laced with worry. "There can only be one heir to the Tohsaka family. If one of them cannot walk another path in the Mystery, she is bound to suffer the Curse of Magic..."

"You don't need to worry about that. I have a proposal..." Lin Luo looked at him, pondering for a moment. "Give your Magic Circuit to Sakura. Let her inherit your Tohsaka lineage in thaumaturgy."

"This... are you asking me to abandon Rin?"

Tohsaka Toki

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