The building was adorned with four-cornered floating eaves and intricate carvings, with large red Japanese lanterns lighting up the space, sparking curiosity in Miyu.
However, her attention soon shifted to the timid purple-haired little girl standing behind her. Remembering what Sakatsuki had said, she reached out her hand to Sakura.
"Hello, my name is Miyu..."
Meanwhile, at the table in the hall, the two men simultaneously withdrew their gazes, looking at each other, and then at the backs of their hands. Three different red markings were inscribed on them, resembling dried blood and carrying an eerie beauty.
Before summoning a Servant, these marks were known as "Saints' Marks," but after the Servant's arrival, they became Command Spells, which granted the master the ability to issue commands to their Servants.
"Kariya Matou, Master of Servant Berserker."
"Sakatsuki, Master of Servant Caster."
If this introduction were heard outside, it might seem like something out of a chuunibyou phase. However, there was no jest in their tone as they seriously introduced themselves to each other—both aware that they would inevitably become rivals.
"Didn't expect you to choose this path, Kariya."
Berserker was a unique class among the seven classes in the Holy Grail War, one where the Servant loses their reason in exchange for a "Madness Enhancement" ability, boosting their physical stats to the highest possible level. Looking at the Servant's status alone, it could be considered the most powerful.
Kariya had chanted a spell to apply the "Madness Enhancement" to his Servant, thereby fulfilling the conditions for summoning Berserker.
In the original work, Zouken Matou had manipulated Kariya into summoning Berserker to further torment him, as this class was one of the most burdensome for the master. But now, with Zouken dead, Kariya still chooses the same path to fight Tokiomi Tohsaka and fulfil certain personal desires.
"Even after a year of training, my magical abilities are still lacking compared to Tokiomi."
Kariya's voice was resolute, his will unshaken. He crushed a worm specimen like an agate, feeling the surge of mana replenishing him.
The worm specimen had been prepared earlier and served only one purpose: to restore his magical energy, a way of compensating for the Berserker class's high mana consumption.
"Though worm magecraft is disgusting to most, crushing these bugs feels oddly satisfying. Quite the stress reliever."
Kariya chuckled, seemingly in good spirits.
"You could have raised Sakura until she grew up without joining this war."
For Kariya, that would have been the best choice.
However, Kariya raised his hand, signalling Sakatsuki to hold his tongue.
"Did you know, two months ago, Tokiomi Tohsaka and Aoi visited the Matou house?"
Kariya looked at Sakatsuki, flames burning in his eyes.
"That man still maintained his damn elegance, even deliberately blocking Aoi and Rin from getting close to Sakura."
In Tokiomi's view, since Sakura had been adopted by the Matou family, she should sever all ties with the Tohsaka family, including any emotional bonds, to focus solely on her magical training. However, for Kariya, a man who still retained a normal human heart, Tokiomi's actions were cold-hearted, and his attitude hurt both Rin and Aoi.
"I couldn't protect Aoi back then, so I ran away. Aoi chose Tokiomi because of my inadequacy. I don't blame him for that."
Kariya clenched his fists.
"I entered the Holy Grail War to make that bastard Tokiomi understand that if he keeps treating magic as everything, I'll knock some sense into him. To hell with his damn elegance!"
"Geez... you're such a fool."
Sakatsuki lightly sipped from his teacup, not letting Kariya see the admiration in his eyes, while still not holding back his words.
"An excellent backup."
"Hey! Are we going to ally or not?"
Kariya slammed his hand on the table.
"You're here to turn this place into a magecraft workshop, aren't you, little brat?"
Throughout the history of the Holy Grail Wars, Casters would use magecraft to protect their bases from enemy Servants, and clearly, Sakatsuki had the same idea. As an old acquaintance, Kariya's objectives didn't conflict with Sakatsuki's, so an alliance was a great option.
Besides, Sakatsuki's goal was the Holy Grail, while Kariay only wanted to teach Tokiomi a lesson—so their desires didn't clash.
"You need to explain what's going on with Sakura."
Sakatsuki tapped the table, asking.
"Why has her hair and eye colour turned purple?"
Yes, the most noticeable change in Sakura over the past year, apart from her progress in magic, was her appearance. Her once black hair and blue eyes, inherited from the Tohsaka family, had transformed into a dreamlike purple, similar to the changes caused by forceful magical alterations in the original storyline.
Had Sakatsuki not sensed that Sakura's current condition and emotions were unaffected, he would have already drawn his sword.
"I was puzzled at first too."
Kariya didn't hide anything.
"When Sakura became an apprentice magus, her hair colour started to change. Later, I consulted with Melvin Weins, and according to him, it was due to the influence of practising magic."
"Imaginary Number Magecraft..."
Sakatsuki murmured, his golden eyes reflecting a faint blue glow.
[Record Conditions Completed, Rewards Pending.]
[009: Sakura Matou (Young)]
[Character Information: A "miracle" born from the Tohsaka family, Sakura possesses an extremely rare Imaginary Number element. To hone her magical talent, she was adopted by the Matou family. At present, she is a child unaware of the cruelty of fate and still clueless about the meaning of life.]
[Hidden Information: B85... What are you thinking? Though in some timelines she might be a lover, right now, she's just a child!]
[Record Conditions (2/2)]:
[•Earn Sakura Matou's approval. (Completed)]
[•Teach Sakura Matou Imaginary Number Magecraft. (Completed)]
"Looks like that's the hidden condition."
After the first condition was met, he received a small increase in his mana. What would the reward for completing the hidden condition be? It was bound to be even more valuable.
[Hidden Condition Reward: Permission to use Imaginary Number Magecraft.]
As if a divine revelation, Sakatsuki suddenly understood the hidden potential of Imaginary Number Magecraft, and now he could call upon it freely.
Imaginary Number Magecraft, as a non-existent element, was notoriously difficult to master. But once learned, its power was considered extraordinary.
With the reward in hand, Sakatsuki didn't immediately use it. Instead, he clapped his hands loudly and announced.
"It's getting late, girls. Time to go to bed!"
After washing up, the lights in the house were dimmed, and soon silence fell over the room.
Sakatsuki lay on his bed, staring at the moonlight. His eyes gleamed golden as he accessed the Fate Compendium, making the decision he had regretted for so long.
"Alright, let's see what Imaginary Number Magecraft is really like..."