At dinner, Irisviel barely touched her food.
When everyone else had finished eating, she quietly excused herself and went straight to her room. She curled up on the bed with her knees drawn to her chest, staring at nothing in particular.
The discovery of that ledger had made everything painfully clear. Her being here was putting serious financial pressure on Yuu, and there was no way to pretend otherwise.
She wasn't completely naive, over the past few weeks, she'd picked up ...
2025-07-29 04:26:41 +0000 UTC
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Manaka's expression softened as she watched him, and there was something almost wistful in her eyes. "I'm really glad you noticed my efforts, Master. It's been such a long time since it was just the two of us in the mornings like this." She clasped her hands together, looking genuinely pleased. "Actually, since you came all the way to the kitchen, is there anything special you'd like me to add to today's menu? Another dish, maybe? I want to make sure our guests have everything they could poss...
2025-07-28 04:18:55 +0000 UTC
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At the Tohsaka residence, after making sure Sakura was safely away and relocating Aoi and Rin far from the leyline, Tokiomi prepared for the summoning ritual.
In the end, he decided to follow Yuu's advice—including the specific chant Yuu had provided.
He began the summoning.
Then light exploded across the room.
A figure more brilliant than pure gold materialized at the center of the circle, radiating an ancient, noble presence that felt absolutely untouchable.
...
2025-07-28 04:18:12 +0000 UTC
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By the time they made it back to the Akihabara bookshop, the sun was already sinking behind the rows of high-rises, casting long shadows across the street. Yuu looked like a pack mule, weighed down with shopping bags of every size and shape. Irisviel practically bounced along beside him, chattering away like an excited bird.
"Lancer, we're back—" Irisviel stopped mid-sentence when she saw what was waiting for them. "Wait, why are you wearing armor?"
Artoria sat across from Manak...
2025-07-27 07:21:21 +0000 UTC
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Sakura was still upstairs, buried in her programming homework like always. The kid never seemed to take a break. By the time Manaka came back with the tea, Artoria was the only one left in the lounge, working her way through another slice of tiramisu.
When Manaka walked in, Artoria carefully placed her spoon on the plate and looked up to meet the blonde girl's eyes.
Manaka's smile looked like it had been painted on. "Master went out?"
"Shopping," Artoria said. Then, after a ...
2025-07-26 01:45:52 +0000 UTC
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Once they got upstairs, Yuu noticed Irisviel hadn't touched any food yet. He rummaged through the fridge and came back with two portions of tiramisu.
"Thank you," Artoria said quietly.
It was the first time she'd actually spoken to him, and Yuu couldn't hide his surprise. Here was someone who'd probably lived through centuries of history, yet she wasn't nearly as intimidating as he'd first thought.
"Don't mention it," he said, setting the plates down. "There's more in there ...
2025-07-26 01:45:21 +0000 UTC
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Even Manaka, whose gaze met those cyan eyes without flinching, felt a flicker of unease pulse in her chest. Artoria, too, stiffened slightly, though she couldn’t have said why. A chill passed through her spine—nothing aggressive, just a quiet sense that something didn’t quite belong.
“Are you here to have a relic appraised?” Manaka asked, recovering her tone. “If it’s a high-grade one, we charge extra. Just so you know.”
Before she could elaborate, the sound of sof...
2025-07-24 07:07:08 +0000 UTC
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"The way someone chants tells you a lot about who they are," Yuu explained. "Some magi get so attached to their particular style that it becomes a kind of mental trap. In some cases, it even turns into a binding ‘curse’ of their own making."
He studied Sakura's face, making sure she was following along. "That's why I want you to understand the fundamentals first. Don't get caught up in fancy wordplay. Find the essential parts and build from there."
"I understand, Onii-sama," S...
2025-07-24 06:59:05 +0000 UTC
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The next morning brought bright sunshine streaming through the maze of rooftops outside. Birds were making their usual racket in the trees, and the whole world felt alive in that particular way mornings do.
In her room by the window, Manaka sat on the edge of her bed with a pair of white stockings in her hands. The sunlight made her skin look even paler as she stretched her legs out, wiggling her toes before carefully working one foot into the fabric. She pulled the stocking up slowly, ...
2025-07-23 03:32:46 +0000 UTC
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The highest mountains in Southern Europe stretched endlessly in every direction, their peaks capped with snow that never melted. At 2,000 meters up, the temperature stayed at freezing year-round.
The Einzbern castle sat tucked away in these mountains, surrounded by endless cold and nearly a thousand years of single-minded determination that bordered on madness.
Today, Irisviel von Einzbern had been called to meet with the family head in the castle chapel—though calling it a chap...
2025-07-23 03:32:08 +0000 UTC
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"You weirdo! Stop being so obsessed with your teacher!"
Another heated argument erupted from downstairs.
Since the New Year, this had become a regular weekend tradition, happening about every other visit. Yuu had long since stopped bothering to react to it. Being popular was nice and all, but Misaya was still just a kid, and her father was an old friend of his.
Down in the living room, Manaka was wearing one of her sweetest smiles while staring down the furious little girl.<...
2025-07-22 03:21:20 +0000 UTC
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Speaking of education, Yuu had gone out and bought three computers, installing one in each of their rooms. He was determined that there wouldn't be any more Tohsaka children who couldn't figure out how to operate basic electronics.
Yuu had this growing suspicion that the internet age was right around the corner, and he wanted to make sure they were prepared for it. If magecraft could somehow be integrated with computer technology, especially when combined with the Astromancy Department'...
2025-07-21 03:20:14 +0000 UTC
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At the lobby, Yuu ran into Cornelius Alba.
He knew Alba through Touko, though that wasn't exactly a pleasant connection to have. The man was wearing his usual long red coat and that ridiculous tall cylindrical hat, walking around with a black Doberman at his side like he owned the place. Alba had one of those faces that looked deceptively young, but Yuu knew the guy had to be at least fifty by now.
The moment Alba spotted him, his face twisted into what was probably supposed to be...
2025-07-21 03:19:14 +0000 UTC
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Mage's Association, Tokyo Branch.
Yuu had received the letter two days earlier, a formal request for his expertise in authenticating some relic that had been dug up somewhere in Central Asia. The timing wasn't ideal, but then again, it never really was with these Association jobs.
There was one thing about Yuu that anyone who worked with him learned pretty quickly though—he absolutely refused to work on weekends. It didn't matter if the world was ending or if someone was offerin...
2025-07-20 03:36:48 +0000 UTC
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Misaya had finally quieted down and stopped pestering him and Manaka, and Yuu noticed that familiar warmth creeping back into Manaka's expression. It was a relief, honestly.
When he'd first arrived in Tokyo a year ago, he'd known immediately that there was something fundamentally different about Sajyou Manaka.
Most people understood the world through opposites. Beauty meant something because ugliness existed. Good had meaning because evil provided the contrast. Without those refer...
2025-07-20 03:11:10 +0000 UTC
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Morning sunlight poured through the windows, illuminating the square wooden table where two girls, one young woman, and one young man sat down together.
The silver bracelet on Misaya's wrist kept drawing attention. There was something engraved on it in English letters—PLOY.
"Did you get that from the Kuonji Foundation?" Yuu asked.
"Hmm? I have no idea," Misaya blinked and then laughed. "But it's cute, right?"
"Yeah. It suits you." Yuu smiled, his eyes lingering on th...
2025-07-19 03:58:13 +0000 UTC
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The morning after the rain was bright and crisp, the kind of clear summer day that made everything feel possible.
Sakura woke up to find Yuu still sitting beside her bed, her fingers still wrapped around his hand. His eyes were closed, and she realized he must have stayed there the entire night.
Something warm spread through her chest. She pressed her cheek against his arm, breathing in the familiar scent of him.
"Onii-sama..." she whispered.
"You're awake."
"Ah....
2025-07-18 03:08:06 +0000 UTC
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Sakura's hand was warm in his, her face pressed against his arm as she slept. For the first time since she'd come to Tokyo, she looked completely at peace.
Yuu watched her breathe quietly. "Imaginary Number," he murmured to himself.
It was about as rare as magical affinities got. He'd made a promise to Tokiomi that he'd help Sakura reach her full potential. The question was—what did that even mean?
The thing about Imaginary Number was that so little was understood about it...
2025-07-18 00:51:08 +0000 UTC
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Human-faced dogs that stalked the subway tunnels.
The slit-mouthed woman who asked if you thought she was pretty.
Staircases that sprouted an extra step when you weren't counting.
Department store mannequins that wandered the aisles after closing time.
Old portraits whose eyes tracked you across the room.
And of course, the classic—Hanako-san, lurking in school bathroom stalls.
Manaka had an absolute gift for ghost stories, and she deployed them like weap...
2025-07-17 05:09:33 +0000 UTC
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A Śarīra was a relic formed when a holy monk reached nirvana—an object that existed somewhere between life and death.
It might not quite match the legendary molten skin of the serpent that stole Gilgamesh's immortality elixir, but to a monk, a Śarīra was like dangling a beautiful woman in front of an ascetic who'd been celibate for ten years. The value of either depended on who you asked. But if you were talking about universal appeal, the serpent's old skin won hands down. Histor...
2025-07-17 02:07:40 +0000 UTC
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The head of the Reiroukan household grew solemn. He met Yuu’s gaze, then slowly raised his teacup, as if buying time to choose his words. After a quiet sip, he finally spoke.
“Yesterday, around 3:30 in the afternoon… a magus visited the Museum. He purchased the serpent’s skin. Paid a substantial sum.”
He set the cup down, looking genuinely regretful. “I tried to intervene, but without a deposit to hold the item…”
“I see.” Yuu’s voice didn’t waver. No ...
2025-07-15 23:28:36 +0000 UTC
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Breakfast was... relatively normal.
Soft, fluffy steamed buns. Elegantly twisted fried dough sticks. Rich, fragrant soy milk steaming gently from porcelain cups.
Manaka had taught herself to cook all kinds of dishes just to stay here. Her skills were impeccable—one of the main reasons Yuu hadn’t sent her away. Constantly eating out was a hassle, and he had no interest in hiring a maid.
He took a bite, then glanced across the table. “Sakura, did you sleep well?”
2025-07-15 23:28:03 +0000 UTC
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Yuu’s old bookstore sat tucked away in a quiet pocket of Akihabara—a three-story white building that looked more like a mountain lodge than something you'd expect to find near Japan’s loudest electronics district.
Just a short walk from the front door, around the corner, you could already see the buzz creeping in: clustered neon, glowing signage, narrow roads choked with vending machines and blinking lights.
Manaka stood in the doorway for a moment, her eyes drifting toward ...
2025-07-15 05:48:29 +0000 UTC
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Mrs. Tohsaka was a skilled cook. She set her apron aside, revealing a light green silk dress. From the side, her figure had the kind of curves that made dresses like that look expensive.
The two Tohsaka sisters had clearly inherited the best of her features—pale skin with a healthy pink flush. Even at their age, it was easy to imagine how beautiful they’d grow up to be.
But Yuu wasn’t thinking about that. He was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he was abou...
2025-07-14 00:30:33 +0000 UTC
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Suddenly, a snowball smacked into the back of Shirou's head, sending snow cascading down his neck.
"Direct hit!" Mordred crowed, already packing another snowball.
"Nice throw!" Arcueid laughed, high-fiving the younger girl. "Think you can get him again?"
"Oh, you two are asking for it now," Shirou said, wiping snow from his hair with a grin. He quickly scooped up some snow and launched it back at them.
"Everyone pile on Shirou!" Mordred called out gleefully.
"Tha...
2025-07-13 22:55:01 +0000 UTC
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Next, Shirou found himself at the Black Princess's castle, its gothic spires reaching toward a perpetually overcast sky.
"Okay, but seriously—why did you drag us into this place too?" Altrouge stood in the courtyard with her arms crossed, looking distinctly unimpressed.
"Come on, wouldn't you want to witness your sister's happiness?" Shirou replied with an innocent smile.
Altrouge visibly shuddered. "Ugh, don't say things like that with that expression. It's creepy. And do...
2025-07-13 22:54:24 +0000 UTC
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The study fell into the kind of silence that made every small sound—the tick of a clock, the rustle of fabric—seem unnaturally loud.
Tokiomi's composure was cracking. His hands were getting clammy, and he kept trying to read Yuu's expression. This whole conversation was a gamble, and he knew it. He'd spent weeks working up the nerve to even bring it up.
"I'm not sure I follow," Yuu said carefully, clearly trying to choose his words. The rejection in his tone was subtle but cle...
2025-07-13 01:23:17 +0000 UTC
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He took a deep breath and looked directly at her. "I love you, Artie. I have for a long time. And I'm asking—would you marry me?"
The question struck her silent. She stared at him, the rose trembling slightly in her hands, her usually composed expression completely shattered by surprise.
"Shirou... I can't..." her voice cracked, and she took a step back. "I'm not good enough for this. You should find someone else, someone who hasn't made the mistakes I have..."
Her eyes d...
2025-07-13 00:05:12 +0000 UTC
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The final battle was over. The ancient evil that had festered at the world's foundation for eons—the thing that had slowly poisoned reality itself—was finally gone. People had watched the Savior of Light deliver the killing blow, seen that terrible presence finally snuffed out like a candle in the wind.
There were still problems to solve, loose ends to tie up, people to help rebuild their lives. But for the first time in years, none of that weight pressed down on Shirou's shoulders....
2025-07-13 00:04:25 +0000 UTC
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Summary: Yuu graduated from the Clock Tower’s Department of Archaeology with a rare affinity for Imaginary Elements. He opened an antique bookstore in Tokyo, where his greatest joy was peacefully immersing himself in research.
But everything changed when he received a letter from his old friend, Tohsaka Tokiomi.
After taking in a young girl, strange occurrences began happening one after another.
Whispers murmured indistinctly in his ears.
Visions of ancient times fla...
2025-07-12 03:39:48 +0000 UTC
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