Chapter 3: Changing the Plot

"Dad! Please save Sakura! Go save her!"

Young Rin had no choice but to tug desperately at Tohsaka Tokiomi's trouser leg, her voice frantic.

"Sakura… Sakura!"

Tohsaka Tokiomi finally snapped out of his stupor, his voice erupting like the roar of an angry lion. "Matou Zouken, you vile old monster!"

"What happened, Tokiomi?"

Tohsaka Aoi had noticed something was terribly wrong. Her tone was laced with worry as she asked, "What's going on with Sakura?"

"Stay here and take care of Rin. I'll bring Sakura back immediately."

Without taking the time to explain, Tokiomi dashed out the door, his mind racing. Sakura had only been handed over to the Matou family recently; if he moved quickly, it might not be too late.

As Tokiomi disappeared from view, Rin began hurriedly explaining everything to her mother.

***

Meanwhile, Chihiro was observing the chaotic situation through the Type-Moon Communication System.

"I didn't expect the system to drop a bombshell right from the start," Chihiro mused, shaking his head. "Tohsaka Tokiomi must be losing his mind right now."

It wasn't that Tokiomi didn't love his daughter. The problem lay in his poor judgment when it came to people. Chihiro recalled that in one of the alternate timelines, Fate/Hollow Ataraxia's "Hanafuda Wars" scenario, Tokiomi had discovered the truth about Sakura and stormed the Matou estate by himself to rescue her. After the Fourth Holy Grail War, he had even sent her to live with the Edelfelt family, a distant branch of the Tohsaka lineage in Europe.

It was ironic how this revelation echoed the famous line, "It's all Tokiomi's fault," which Matou Kariya had shouted before his death in another world.

Still, Chihiro couldn't help but smirk. "Such a tricky question right out of the gate…"

Anyone unfamiliar with the infamous meme would probably assume the correct answer was A or B.

***

Golden King: "What a disgusting scene."

Princess: "Who is that old man? How could anyone treat a child like that?"

Radiant Glance: "If such evil were to appear before me, I would destroy it without hesitation."

Foolish King: "Agreed. I would take that old man's head with a single stroke, in honor of my knightly code."

King of Conquerors: "This question is a challenge for me. I don't recognize any of these names."

Director K: "Rebellious Spirit, do you know the person in the video?"

However, Matou Kariya wasn't paying attention to the chat. He was too consumed by the emotions stirred by the revelations.

The five minutes allotted for answering the question passed swiftly.

***

[The time for answering has ended. The correct answer will now be revealed.]

[A new image appeared on the screen, showing Matou Kariya from the previous video.]

[This time, his hair was streaked with gray, and his face was marred by grotesque blue veins. He looked almost monstrous.]

[At Kariya's feet lay a corpse, the unmistakable figure of Tohsaka Tokiomi, tagged with his name for clarity.]

[Kariya's voice rang out, filled with rage and despair.]

["It's all this man's fault! Everything is because of him!"]

***

[The correct answer is D: Tohsaka Tokiomi.]

[Congratulations to "Princess," "Background Character Chihiro," and "Golden King" for correctly answering and earning 5 Saint Quartz.]

[Participants who answered incorrectly: Director K, The Showman, Foolish King, King of Conquerors, Radiant Glance, Knight of the Lake, and Troupe of Acrobats will have 1 Saint Quartz deducted.]

[For those with 0 Saint Quartz, the deduction will be recorded as a debt.]

[Participants who abstained from answering: Mage Killer, Jewel King, Mapo Priest, Rebellious Spirit, Red Devil, Tragic Sakura, and Bluebeard.]

***

Red Devil: "Dad, how could this happen?!"

Rin's face went pale as she processed the video. Her father, Tohsaka Tokiomi, was shown dead, and his killer was none other than Kariya, the kind uncle she had always trusted. The shock was too much, and her innocent worldview seemed to shatter with each revelation.

Tohsaka Tokiomi and Matou Kariya, still rushing towards their destinations, were also shaken.

"I… was killed by Kariya? A man with no magical talent?" Tokiomi's mind spun.

"I… I killed Tokiomi?" Kariya was equally stunned.

But they didn't have the luxury to dwell on these thoughts. They were both focused on a single goal, saving Sakura.

***

King of Conquerors: "Princess, Background Character Chihiro, Golden King—how did you know the answer?"

Princess: "I just guessed. I don't actually know who any of the people were."

Background Character Chihiro: "Same here."

Golden King: "Hah! It was simply inevitable that I would know. This king is never mistaken."

The truth was, Golden King had only been lucky. He had tried to use his "Omniscient and Almighty Star" to discern the answer, but found that the system's mechanisms were beyond even his power. Everything connected to the Fourth Holy Grail War had been completely sealed off.

***

[This concludes the warm-up round. Today's session featured just one question as an introduction.]

[Starting tomorrow, the daily Q&A will open at this time, featuring three questions. Please prepare accordingly.]

[As "Princess," "Background Character Chihiro," and "Golden King" achieved equal scores, they will each receive a golden treasure chest. Please check your inventory.]

***

In the real world, a golden treasure chest materialized in the hands of Chihiro, Waver Velvet (aka "Princess"), and Gilgamesh in the Throne of Heroes.

The chest was about the size of a palm, but despite its modest appearance, Chihiro knew it could contain valuable rewards.

Since he had earned double rewards thanks to his special privileges, Chihiro now held two golden chests.

"Should I open them here?" Chihiro pondered, but ultimately decided against it for now.

***

Just then, a car rolled past slowly.

Chihiro caught a glimpse of a little girl with purple hair in the back seat, staring out the window with a fearful expression.

Sakura. This must be when she was first taken in by the Matou family.

But hadn't this happened a year ago?

Confused, Chihiro didn't hesitate and quickly pursued the vehicle.

He already knew the location of the Matou estate. In fact, he had contemplated saving Sakura from her tragic fate a year prior. But at the time, there was no viable reason for him to leave the mountain, and he was still too young to travel alone.

Moreover, there was no exact date for when Sakura had been adopted by the Matou family, so staying in Fuyuki City indefinitely hadn't been an option.

But now, fate seemed to have presented him with a chance. There was no way he could sit idly by.

Using a secret Onmyōdō technique that enhanced his speed to supernatural levels, Chihiro managed to reach the Matou estate before the car carrying Sakura even arrived.

This technique, a mystical art from Japan, allowed its user to cover vast distances in mere moments, as if their legs were powered by motors.

With some time to spare before the car reached the mansion, Chihiro decided to open his two treasure chests, hoping for some useful items.