Two small figures, dragging somewhat heavy suitcases, walked aimlessly through the evening streets of Fuyuki City.
The cold wind grew even more piercing, and the streetlights began to flicker on one by one, casting long, lonely shadows behind them.
"Sister... can we really find Uncle Kanjuro?"
Sakura's voice was filled with fatigue and unease. Her small face was pale from the cold as she tightly gripped the edge of Rin's coat. "It's almost dark, and we don't even know where Uncle Kanjuro lives..."
In truth, Rin's heart was also starting to waver. The world was vast, and Fuyuki City was much larger than they had imagined. Coming here on a whim to find a specific person was no different from searching for a needle in a haystack for two children.
But she didn't want to show weakness in front of her sister. Just as she was about to say some encouraging words—
"Rin! Sakura!"
A voice filled with urgency and worry came from not far away.
The two girls looked up at the same time and saw Kariya Matou walking quickly toward them. His face, somewhat distorted due to the Crest Worms, was now filled with relief. Behind him, Lancelot followed silently like a black mountain, bringing an invisible sense of pressure.
Sakura's eyes lit up as if she had seen a savior, and she subconsciously prepared to run over: "Uncle Kariya!"
Rin, however, frowned slightly, her small mouth pouting involuntarily as she sighed in her heart.
She held back Sakura, who wanted to run over, and looked at Kariya as he approached. Her tone carried a bit of the guilt and dissatisfaction of being caught: "Uncle Kariya, why are you here? Did Mommy ask you to find us?"
Kariya Matou tried to force a gentle smile and knelt down to eye level with them: "That's right. Aunt Aoi was very worried about you; she even called me. How could you two children come to such a far place by yourselves? It's too dangerous!"
His gaze lingered on Rin's face for a moment longer, carrying a subtle scrutiny.
"That's great, Uncle Kariya!" Sakura didn't think much of it and said happily, "We were looking for Uncle Kanjuro, that's why we came to Fuyuki City! Do you know where Uncle Kanjuro is?"
Hearing the name "Kanjuro" from the innocent Sakura, Kariya's expression changed almost imperceptibly, and his muscles twitched slightly.
He suppressed the disgust and worry in his heart, maintaining a smile as he reached out to stroke Sakura's hair. "Looking for Uncle Kanjuro... Sakura, Rin, it's too cold outside. Come back to the Matou Family Mansion with Uncle first to warm up and have something to eat. As for Uncle Kanjuro... we'll look for him slowly, alright?"
His tone was coaxing.
Although Rin was full of reluctance, seeing the sky grow darker and her sister shivering, she knew wandering around outside wasn't the answer. She could only puff out her cheeks and nod helplessly.
The Matou Mansion was still permeated with a gloomy atmosphere, but the aged Matou Zouken unexpectedly showed "enthusiasm."
Leaning on his cane, he looked at the two girls Kariya had brought back, especially Sakura, his cloudy eyes flashing with a shrewd light.
He could clearly perceive that this girl possessed an extremely outstanding talent for magecraft, like an unpolished gem.
However, Kanjuro, who stood behind her, was someone Matou Zouken was wary of.
"Welcome back, Sakura, and the little girl from the Tohsaka Family." Matou Zouken's voice was hoarse, but he tried his best to sound kind.
Kariya Matou was busy directing the servants to prepare hot tea and food, wanting to create a safe and comfortable environment for the two girls as much as possible.
At dinner, Sakura seemed to relax a lot. She whispered to Rin, "See, Sister? Although Uncle Kariya likes to keep a straight face sometimes, he's actually quite nice. Let's ask him to help us find Uncle Kanjuro. He'll definitely have a way."
Rin lowered her head and stirred the hot soup in her bowl with a spoon, not answering.
There had always been a knot in her heart. Since they were young, Uncle Kariya's kindness toward Sakura always seemed to carry an extraordinary level of attention, an attention that made her vaguely uneasy.
She always felt that Uncle Kariya had ulterior motives toward them, especially toward Sakura.
"What's wrong? What are you chatting about?" Kariya finished arranging things and came over to sit beside them, a forced smile on his face. "Are you thinking about Kanjuro? Don't worry, he's a good person. I'll help you contact him later."
"When?" Rin immediately looked up and pressed, her eyes sharp.
Kariya was taken aback by the question and stammered, "Tomorrow... tomorrow I'll find a way to contact him."
"Really?" Upon hearing this, a happy smile immediately bloomed on Sakura's face.
"Yes, really." Looking at Sakura's innocent smile, Kariya's heart was filled with mixed emotions—both a protective urge and a deep wariness of Kanjuro.
At night, the Matou Family prepared guest rooms for the two girls.
Rin lay on the unfamiliar bed, unable to sleep.
Beside her, Sakura had already fallen into a deep sleep due to the day's exhaustion, even restlessly kicking off the covers.
Rin sighed and carefully got up to tuck her sister in.
Just then, the muffled sound of Uncle Kariya's lowered voice came from the room next door, as if he were on the phone.
As if possessed, Rin tiptoed to the door and pressed her ear against the cold wood.
"...Is that you, Aoi? Yes, they're fine, don't worry... I'll personally send Rin and Sakura back tomorrow," Kariya's voice came through.
After a short pause, his tone seemed to carry a hint of excitement and... pain?
"...You've really worked hard, Kariya." On the other end of the phone, her mother's voice was faintly audible.
"Aoi! I've always liked you! And you should also know that Kanjuro... he's simply a demon!
To Sakura, he..." Kariya's voice suddenly rose, filled with uncontrollable emotion.
"Enough!" Aoi's voice interrupted Kariya with an unquestionable firmness. "I don't want to hear you speak ill of Kanjuro! If it weren't for Kanjuro, you know what would have happened to you and me! We might have already..."
"But! Kanjuro, he wants to... to Sakura..." Kariya seemed to want to argue further.
"Shut up!" Aoi's voice coldly cut him off. Then, the call seemed to be hung up, and the next room fell into a deathly silence.
Rin covered her small mouth, her heart pounding wildly, her large eyes filled with shock and confusion.
Uncle Kariya's words, her mother's attitude in defending Uncle Kanjuro... Uncle Kanjuro is a demon? What does he want to do to Sakura?
Question marks exploded in her little mind one after another.
She glanced back at her sister sleeping soundly on the bed, oblivious to everything, and a strong protective urge and impulse to seek the truth surged in her heart.
She couldn't stay here anymore! Uncle Kariya clearly held great hostility toward Uncle Kanjuro and seemed to be hiding something terrible about Sakura.
She had to find Uncle Kanjuro!
Not only to ask clearly about his relationship with her mother but also to understand whether he was truly the "demon" Uncle Kariya spoke of, and what exactly... he wanted to do to Sakura!
Having made up her mind, Rin carefully pushed open the door and, like a nimble cat, silently slipped out of the Matou Family's gloomy Mansion, merging once again into the cold and dangerous night of Fuyuki City.
She had only one goal—to find Kanjuro and get the truth!
Little did she know that this child's stubborn search was pushing her toward the center of an even deeper and more dangerous vortex.
Rin's small, stubborn figure soon disappeared into the interwoven lights and shadows of Fuyuki City at night.
Not long after she left the vicinity of the Matou Family's residence, in the shadows of an alley not far from the Mansion, a tall figure clad in silver armor slowly stepped out.
Jeanne d'Arc's eyes, which had seen countless wars and betrayals, calmly watched the direction the girl had disappeared in. Then she turned, her figure flickering a few times as she returned silently to Kanjuro's hotel room with superhuman speed.
Inside the room, the smell of blood had not yet completely dissipated. Diarmuid's body had been casually disposed of by Kanjuro using Black Magic, leaving only some dark red stains on the floor that were difficult to erase.
Kanjuro was standing by the window, as if admiring the city's night view, or perhaps just waiting.
Jeanne d'Arc pushed the door open and entered. Her cold voice, carrying a hint of imperceptible irony and teasing, broke the silence: "Your 'precious' daughter, Zenjou Rin, seems quite attached to you. She's running around Fuyuki City at night like a headless fly looking for you."
She deliberately emphasized the word "precious" with a playful tone.
Hearing this, Kanjuro did not turn around, but only let out an ambiguous chuckle.
He slowly turned his head, looking at Jeanne d'Arc with a strange, almost gentle expression, but beneath that gentleness lay an unsettling undercurrent of excitement.
"Jeanne d'Arc," his voice was calm but carried an unquestionable decision, "come with me to the Matou Family Mansion."
This decision made Jeanne d'Arc startle slightly, her brows furrowing suspiciously. "Now? What about your Rin? Are you just going to let a little girl run wild in a strange city late at night? You heard it just now—she's looking for you."
Kanjuro spread his hands, his face showing a smarmy and helpless expression, as if discussing an interesting matter that had nothing to do with him. "That little girl has been smart and quite mischievous since she was a child. If she insists on looking for me herself, what can I do? Even if she's unlucky and something really happens... that's her own choice, isn't it?"
His tone was outrageously relaxed, as if Tohsaka Rin's safety was just an insignificant gamble.
The doubt in Jeanne d'Arc's eyes deepened. "You could clearly have me go protect her. Guarding a child from the shadows is not a difficult task."
Kanjuro waved his hand dismissively, rejecting the suggestion. "No need. The matters on Sakura's side will be 'dealt with' soon. Surely that girl Rin won't encounter some catastrophic danger in just one night? Her luck has always been quite good."
The certainty and indifference in his tone made Jeanne d'Arc feel a chill.
"??" Jeanne d'Arc completely failed to understand Kanjuro's logic. She stared at him. "When there's clearly a safer choice, you choose to take a risk? That's not like you."
The lazy look on Kanjuro's face suddenly vanished, replaced by a grim, abyssal coldness.
He looked directly at Jeanne d'Arc, his voice low and full of allure. "Because, Jeanne d'Arc... I want you to witness for yourself the darker, more interesting things that are about to happen. This is far more interesting and... far more important than following a little girl throwing a tantrum."
Jeanne d'Arc took a deep look at Kanjuro, her gaze seemingly trying to pierce through his soul. "So, in your heart, having me witness so-called 'darkness' is more important than your own daughter's safety?"
There was a trace of a very faint ripple in her words that even she hadn't noticed.
Kanjuro's face showed an undisguised, almost hideous smile: "That's right. Because I don't believe, Jeanne d'Arc... that this path of depravity you've followed me on will always remain so peaceful. Even facing a demon like me, isn't there a spark of something belonging to a 'Holy Maiden' struggling deep within your heart? I want to see how you'll react when an even more extreme darkness is placed before you."
He was like conducting a cruel psychological experiment, and Jeanne d'Arc was his most important subject.
Jeanne d'Arc was silent for a moment, finally letting out a barely audible sigh, one filled with resignation, but also a hint of awakened curiosity and numbness: "Fine.
Since you insist, I'll see what kind of tricks you're going to play.
However, I've long since been without desires or needs, having even seen through my own faith and end. I'm afraid there's nothing left in this world that can easily move me again."
"I don't believe it." Kanjuro sneered, spitting out those three words with absolute certainty. He had absolute "confidence" in the "resilience" (or rather, fragility) of human nature.
"Then what exactly do you plan to do?" Jeanne d'Arc pressed, her gaze sharp. "This has something to do with Sakura, doesn't it?"
She keenly captured the key point.
Kanjuro gave up searching for Rin and wanted to go to the Matou Family immediately; the target was obviously Sakura Matou, who had been taken back by Kariya.
The twisted smile on the corner of Kanjuro's mouth widened, his eyes flashing with excitement and malice, but he didn't answer directly, only turning to walk out the door.
"Let's go, Jeanne d'Arc. The show... is about to begin. I hope you can really maintain that 'indifferent' look as you said."
His figure blended into the darkness of the corridor. Jeanne d'Arc watched his back and silently followed.
She knew that what awaited them ahead was definitely not some warm reunion, but an unknown storm meticulously planned by Kanjuro, aimed at that little girl named Sakura Matou.
And she, the Holy Maiden who should have protected goodness, was to become a witness to this storm in the form of a Fallen Servant.
She still couldn't guess Kanjuro's purpose, but that ominous premonition quietly entwined around her heart like cold vines.
---------------------------------
I hope you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! If the story has you hooked and you can't wait to see what happens next, you can unlock 30 chapters in advance over on my Patreon: patreon.com/TLHimejima1
Every bit of support means the world to me so if you're loving the ride, don't forget to drop a Power Stone and let me know.