Late at night in Fuyuki, the streets were already covered with a thick layer of snow, and the streetlights on both sides looked especially desolate.
Whether it was the new district or the old district, on such an early-winter late night, very few people would go out.
—Except for the Masters and Servants participating in the Holy Grail War.
Alvin had never imagined that he was merely going out to investigate certain matters, yet would end up being kept in the room by Matou Sakura in this way.
"Then, let me first ask a question that I'm rather curious about—"
The girl sat sideways on the floor, holding a cup of hot water with both hands, as she raised her head and looked at the young man in front of her, asking softly, "For Senpai to come to the Matou household so late at night… did something important happen?"
At the moment ..the expression on her face was quite calm, as if she had already thrown all the awkwardness that had just happened completely to the back of her mind… or rather, it was precisely to ease the awkwardness and shift the topic that she went straight to the point the moment she spoke.
"This is a long story…"
Alvin likewise tacitly skipped over what had just happened and gave a light cough, roughly explaining what had occurred near Mount Enzou not long ago.
When she heard the end of it, a thoughtful look appeared on Matou Sakura's face as she said softly,
"So in other words, Senpai suspects that Rider, or rather, the person who damaged the Greater Grail, is related to the Crest Worms, which is why you came over in the middle of the night to investigate?"
"If you really have to put it that way, then yes…"
Alvin nodded silently, then unconsciously looked at the girl in front of him a few more times.
Soon, a bit more emotion rose in his heart.
Sakura really has grown up… in every aspect.
If it were the Matou Sakura of the past encountering such an awkward situation tonight, she would probably already be so shy that she'd cover her face and not dare to see anyone… but tonight, the way she handled things was extremely mature and calm.
Even Alvin couldn't help but feel a bit impressed.
"Then… did you find any suspicious points?"
At this moment, Matou Sakura's voice once again pulled the young man back to reality, as he opened his mouth, but in the end gently shook his head.
"For now, I haven't found anything suspicious… after all, I didn't come to the Matou household just to investigate tonight's matter."
"Then why?"
Matou Sakura tilted her head in confusion.
Alvin stared into the girl's eyes and said seriously, "Rin and I are both a bit worried about you, so we came to check on how you're doing."
This wasn't entirely an excuse.
Alvin really was somewhat worried about Matou Sakura being alone, especially during a time like the Holy Grail War...when a Master by themselves was even more likely to be attacked.
Sakura froze for a moment, then her gaze softened a little and she said quietly, "Senpai, don't worry. I'm different from before now… even if I'm alone, there won't be any problems."
Yes… the current her was already completely different from the past.
Whether Master or Servant, most of them would no longer be her match.
And as long as some more time passed, she would become "the strongest," even leaving her own sister far behind.
"By the way—"
Alvin secretly observed the girl in front of him and suddenly asked,
"Where is your Servant? You should have already performed the Heroic Spirit summoning, right? Why haven't I seen them yet?"
Matou Sakura seemed to come back to her senses, her expression turning a little unnatural.
She gently turned her face away and said, "She isn't very convenient to come out right now… when there's a chance in the future, I'll let Senpai meet her."
"Would you be disappointed by that?"
She suddenly asked.
"Everyone has their own secrets. Even if you want to keep it confidential, that's fine." Alvin smiled. "As long as you're not doing anything bad, it's fine."
As he said this, the corner of his eye inadvertently glanced toward the doorway.
Even though the other party deliberately concealed their presence, Alvin's keen perception still captured their existence.
It seems this must be the Servant Sakura summoned…
Although he was somewhat curious about the Servant Matou Sakura had summoned, since she still wished to keep it a secret for now, it was better to respect her…
After the two chatted idly for a while, Alvin stood up and prepared to leave.
Before leaving, he hesitated for a moment and stopped his steps.
"You should be a bit more careful over the next few days… if it really comes to it, move to Rin's place and stay there."
"Okay… I'll think about it."
After Matou Sakura finished speaking, seeing that Alvin was about to leave the room, she suddenly spoke up to stop him.
"By the way, Senpai—"
Watching the young man stop, the girl hesitated for a moment and said,
"If one day I were to become a bad child… would you still like me?"
"That assumption doesn't hold from the very beginning, does it?"
Alvin shook his head and laughed.
Just as his words fell, he heard the girl continue, "But I want to know the answer."
Alvin froze for a moment, unconsciously looking at the girl a few more times.
The shyness from the beginning had long since faded from her eyes; her gaze was incomparably serious as it fixed on him.
"It seems you're seriously thinking about this?"
Alvin's smile faded a little.
He pondered for a moment, then stepped forward until he stood before Matou Sakura.
Then, under the girl's incredulous expression, he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her soft, enticing body into his embrace.
Warmth surged in an instant.
That overwhelmingly reassuring sensation made Matou Sakura subconsciously close her eyes, unable to help but immerse herself in it.
Alvin lowered his head to look at the girl in his arms, his expression gentle, and said, "Even though I still think the assumption doesn't hold, if Sakura really were to become a bad child… I would personally pull you back out of the mire."
Matou Sakura froze for a moment.
Her fingertips unconsciously digging into the fabric at Alvin's back, as if trying to carve those words into her very bones.
Outside the window, the softly falling snowflakes were dyed a dim yellow by the streetlights.
Even after Alvin left, Matou Sakura still kept her eyes closed, as if she were still immersed in the warmth from just now.
At this moment, in the empty room, a slender and graceful figure quietly coalesced beside her.
She silently gazed at the girl, her voice crisp and pleasant.
"He's gone far away."
Matou Sakura softly replied with an "Mm." "It's so late and he still went out—Big Sister would probably worry about him too. He should head back early."
"After all, he is Big Sister's Servant."
Rider silently glanced at the girl, her tone low. "Someone entered the worm storage tonight… I think it was very likely Assassin."
"I know."
Matou Sakura's voice remained exceedingly gentle.
Rider froze for a moment and said,
"If that's the case, then why didn't you keep him here just now—"
"With my current power, even if I were to invoke the rules of the Holy Grail, it would still be very difficult to keep Senpai here."
Matou Sakura slightly tilted her head and looked at the woman beside her. "The one who can truly command him… from beginning to end, has only ever been my sister."
Rider hesitated. "He should have already noticed something."
"But he still chose not to ask."
The girl slightly turned her head again to look at the woman beside her.
Those violet eyes that were once bright now seemed much deeper.
"Why do you think that is, Rider?"
Rider fell into a brief silence.
"Because he still chose to believe in me."
Matou Sakura revealed a self-mocking smile and slowly extended her right hand, spreading open her palm.
A creature that had mutated into a "Desire Worm" quietly spread its wings in the center of her palm.
Zi…
A sound like an electric current echoed through the room.
For a fleeting moment, Matou Sakura's loose, cascading hair seemed to be dyed in colors as brilliant as a starry night.
She looked in the direction where Alvin had left, and a gentle curve quickly formed at the corner of her lips.
"But he shouldn't have believed in me."
—Even though, even if Alvin had exposed her tonight, it was already too late.
Inside the worm chamber, more and more eggs pulsed violently like beating hearts.
Then, tens of thousands of "Desire Worms" quietly hatched…
…
Late at night, the lights in every household had already gone out, yet the mansion of the Tohsaka family remained brightly lit.
The fireplace in the living room burned fiercely, bringing a hint of warmth to the cold night.
Tohsaka Rin lay sideways on the sofa, sleeping with her eyes closed.
She had already been waiting in the mansion for nearly two hours.
Perhaps due to unease, even in her dreams the girl's brows were tightly furrowed, her expression looking somewhat heavy.
At this moment, in the previously quiet living room, a figure appeared silently beside the sofa like a ghost.
Alvin immediately noticed the sleeping girl and stepped forward, gently patting Tohsaka Rin on the shoulder, softly calling, "Rin…"
The latter frowned slightly and slowly opened her eyes. A rather handsome youthful face was vaguely reflected in her blurred vision.
She rubbed her eyes and said drowsily, "You're back… how did it go? Did you find any clues?"
Alvin froze for a moment, then gently shook his head. "For now, I haven't found any clues about the Rider's Master…"
If Tohsaka Rin were fully awake right now, she would probably notice at a glance that Alvin's expression was somewhat off.
However, her mind was still hazy at the moment, and with a slightly sleepy tone, she comforted him, saying,
"It's fine. Investigation can be done slowly."
"I'll take you back to your room to rest first."
Alvin said helplessly, "How did you end up being this sleepy tonight…?"
Logically speaking, magi are creatures that operate at night.
Although Tohsaka Rin was still a high school student, she was, after all, a Master participating in the Holy Grail War, so she should have long been accustomed to nighttime activity.
But tonight, for some reason, even Alvin was seeing Tohsaka Rin this sleepy for the first time.
He lifted the girl's delicate body in his arms, pushed open the bedroom door, and placed Tohsaka Rin onto the soft bed.
However, just as Alvin was about to leave, Tohsaka Rin suddenly opened her eyes and abruptly wrapped both arms tightly around his neck.
With a flip of her body, she instead pressed down on top of Alvin, bracing her hands on the bed as she lowered her head and stared straight at him.
Lying on the bed, Alvin looked up at the girl in a daze.
Although he couldn't understand the meaning of her actions at all, he still remained still and asked, "What's wrong…?"
"Alvin… I want to ask you a question."
Tohsaka Rin looked at the boy with a complicated expression in her eyes.
"That night, the thing between you and Sakura in the living room… was it really just something I dreamed of?"
Why is it this question again…
Alvin felt a bit helpless inside, but his face showed confusion and puzzlement instead. "Rin… I don't understand what you're talking about."
However, just as his words fell, accompanied by a red glow lighting up on the back of Tohsaka Rin's hand, Alvin's expression gradually became rather colorful.
"…A Command Spell?!"
.
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