Rumors
Aoko observed Sakura's life so far.
Sakura was a competent cook in both washoku and yoshoku. She admits to stealing money from banks undetected with magic to keep herself funded as she's a self-made orphan by running away from the Matou and ensured she's several miles away from Zouken.
She has a vast collection of manga series. Her furniture is cute, but the expensive kind.
As for her magical education? She spent years reading the Fundamentals any magus is expected to know. She is also knowledgeable with Jewelcraft. Thanks to her abilities, she can directly go to motherlodes countries away, take as much as she wanted and polish them herself.
Living well, was her revenge. Compared to the dying Matou Bloodline, and the older sister who is living with the guy who possibly killed her father to obtain his Archer Servant for himself...not that she knows that yet. And Jewelcraft is an expensive field. With Kotomine being Tohsaka Rin's guardian, his mismanagement of her estate led to her being 'poor by jewelcrafter standards'. What was left to her were two avenues not even Kotomine can screw with. Patents from Clock Tower. The one other, was a family secret not even he knows.
'Sakura...are you aware of the Holy Grail War?' Aoko asked Sakura during dinner one day.
'Yes. I got front seats to everything.' said Sakura coolly. 'And ten years ago, Uncle Kariya would tell me things as a bedtime story when he's home, until the worms got worse for him.' she said softly. 'By learning how Servants fight, I incorporated that in my fighting to survive this job.' she said. 'But the war occurred too soon...so I investigated the Greater Grail beneath Mt. Enzo.' she continued.
'What did you find?'
'It's corrupted by a Servant's wish during the Third War. I had to clean it up using Kyubey.' said Sakura with a cold gleam in her eyes. 'Angra Mainyu, the zoroastrian god the Einzberns summoned in hopes to win by creating the Avenger Class, but he's no God, he was the weakest servant, a mortal man. Out of disgust, they threw him into the Grail and summoned another Servant when one of the competitors died, unaware that in Angra Mainyu's hatred, he manifested his legend...by wishing for a billion curses to inflict mankind should the Grail be used as his revenge.'
'Using a Grief Seed as bait for Kyubey to come, I had him convert Angra Mainyu into energy for the universe and he's happy to do so as Angra Mainyu was powerful in his current state. Problem solved and the Greater Grail is clean again. The mana in it unspoiled. It was beautiful to look at too.' said Sakura wistfully. 'But that machine is just like Kyubey...will interpret wishes word for word but at least with no nasty twist.'
'Right now the surviving masters are five. A teacher at neesan's school. Neesan. A schoolfriend of hers. The lesser grail herself. And my foster brother who's just Zouken's puppet.' Sakura continued. 'By the way, Kotomine's a cheater with game-breaking cheats. Have fun with the Church investigating him.'
'OOOOK? Whaddya mean by that?'
'Somehow, he's contracted to my father's old Archer when neesan has her own Archer already, and he stole Bazett Fraga McRemitz' Lancer after killing her. So he has two servants under his control.' Aoko's jaws dropped. 'She's alive in my storage room rehabilitating her cut-off arm no thanks to magic circuits just having been mended. It took us three weeks to figure it out. I had to convert that into a bedroom which is why I put you in the couch.'
Aoko's reaction was priceless. For three reasons.
The Church was cheating in a ritual by having two Servants for himself.
A participant he killed is alive in Sakura's apartment and recovering from the ordeal. Normally its impossible to mend the damages Bazett got from Kotomine but thanks to Sakura's brand of magic, she could heal completely with god-like effects as she basically warped reality with healing as thanks to her wish, it was her innate magic she gained from Kyubey.
'WHAT?! Where's your phone?'
Sakura tossed Aoko her cellphone as they went to the storage room to check on Bazett. Indeed, she was there having dinner, dressed in a tanktop and boyshorts.
'Whoa, who's that?' Bazett asked Sakura after putting down her bowl of soup.
'Fifth Magician in the flesh.'
'WHAT?!'
xxx
The two women had a talk in the room regarding Bazett's circumstances in war, which they forwarded to the authorities in concern.
The problem? While they can easily snatch Lancer as he was used as a scout, they cannot fight GILGAMESH. They're not that crazy.
However, Kotomine must still be dealt with and to do so without Gilgamesh, he was summoned to the organization himself under the guise of needing all Executors on hand to deal with a Dead Apostle Ancestor recently located, and it will be a long trip, so he has to fork the spells over to his daughter Caren Ortensia who will replace him as Supervisor.
Once the transfer was made and Caren was far away...all hell broke loose as authorities from the Mages' Association came out as well.
xxx
Caren found herself in Fuyuki instantly after packing her belongings because of this older girl's impossible magic.
'Miss Tohsaka, what did you do?' from the Vatican to Fuyuki City instantly as soon as she retrieved her luggage from her temporary hotel?
'Secret~' Sakura smiled as she opened the Church's doors. 'Well, this is where your grandfather and father has been living for years. Your father sucks at housecleaning and maintenance so that's taken care of so its now a fit place for people to visit. I'm sure you were told of the situation?'
'Yes.' Caren frowned. 'To think father...well, never know him. Just his identity.' she said. 'I was raised in the organization after my maternal relatives entrusted me to the church.'
'I see. Well, here's something to think about so when not in duty, you can go to school after the war and things Japanese Schoolgirls mostly concern themselves with so you won't be out of place.' Sakura touched Caren's forehead and gave her a copy of Japanese Education and things considered trends to teenage girls. She also stole the Command Spells meant for Gilgamesh on the sly that Caren felt nothing when usually, getting the spells is painful...
'I see...I'm grateful nonetheless.' Caren smiled at Sakura's thoughtfulness. 'High school education when I'm only 14...I should be a junior high schooler then at my age. I should be a freshman, I believe?'
'Yes. They tasked me to make arrangements for you as a transfer student when the Grail War ends as they already gave me your falsified files. You'll do well then.' with that, Sakura left Caren in the Church because once Bazett shows up, Caren will give her back Lancer's Contract as ordered for the war to go smoothly as it should.
Meanwhile, Gilgamesh who was told to lounge in a hotel felt his contract shift three times. What's going on?
This last one is strong at least. There's a contract transfer due to the mission Kirei got so he's replaced as Supervisor. So who is his Church Replacement?
'His replacement is his 14-year-old daughter.' Gilgamesh, startled by the sudden appearance as he didn't even sense her, turned to see a young girl clad in a school uniform.
However, her appearance got him figuring her out through his boring master's memories.
'You're his second daughter.' he noted. 'You're suddenly my Master now?' Gilgamesh asked haughtily with a raised eyebrow.
'Well, Kotomine was discovered to be cheating. His deed nearly caused war between Mage Association and the Church until facts were sorted out before things went to political hell.' Sakura smiled as she clearly did not give a fuck. 'Don't worry, I'm up-to-date with local events, your majesty. The thing is, what do you want to do from now on? I'm not interested in the Grail nor affairs of the ritual. I'm more interested in my revenge which I already accomplished, so I am simply living well and capable of actually obtaining my goals compared to those who condemned me to misery who will be forever hungry for things they can never have. Your decisions will be respected even if we live separately while still contract-bound...as long as the Counter Force won't act of course.'
'Heh. Live separately?'
'I live in Tokyo.' said Sakura. 'And after High School its the life of a magus for me while doing my other job. Freedom is my personal landmine so lets not infringe on each other's as long as it's nothing criminal.'
'Very well.' Gilgamesh smirked as in a short span of time with this girl, he understood her. Well, given his incarnation and rise in Independent Action ranking, he really doesn't need a Master to stick around anyway. Not interested in war nor interested in any attempt to command him, given her landmine as she claims. So they'll basically do what they want to do as long as a bottom line's not crossed. 'I should meet Kirei's daughter then.' he said, standing from his couch. 'Hope she is as interesting as her father.'
'Hehe, she's definitely weirder.' Sakura snorted. 'Let's have our own fun.' and she vanished before his eyes like a ghost.
"...she didn't use mana at all..." he noted. When he felt his contract form for the third time which was her, he felt strangely...cleaner? His mind and heart was also clearer, and felt himself revert to what he could have been.
The current him is the person before Enkidu and the Herb happened even if he knows his history from start to end thanks to the Grail when summoned by Tokiomi and then contracted to Kotomine. And then his alignment and mentality changed to the King he could have been after Enkidu's death and post-herb when his master changed to Sakura. He's still incarnated though, thus even Masterless with no Upkeep, he will remain here in Earth forever till his second death, once he runs out of mana to even use his Gate to consume his potions to stay young.
Sakura's strange power made this possible. She possesses two powers. One as a magus and the other...he can't figure out.
But something more is there. He just can't figure out what. Not even he is all-knowing but he supposed he'll know when that annoying dream sharing happens.
xxx
Considering Sakura revealed a lot to Aoko, it wasn't just Kotomine in the hot seat, but also the Einzberns whose actions would unleash a billion curses on humanity by letting their Servant stew in the Greater Grail for sixty years. If someone had foolishly wished on the prize at its current state, they would open the gateway of death upon the world, themselves included BECAUSE they are human. The curses will attack humans! Search and curse down to the last infant!
Sure they have defenses they bragged about but not even they want to be in 'a cage forever'! Resources WILL run out before the Counter Force acts!
Thankfully averted by Sakura and Kyubey. But they don't want a repeat, dammit!
So yes, it's havoc and mayhem in the Association and the Church.
Once that was done, topic switched to the situation caused by the Incubators who trick countless young girls into becoming Magical Girls when he started on Earth during the Age of Man, when the Age of Gods ended.
Sakura's not exactly unique as there are millions of girls like her so she's not a Designate. Same source of magic, different manifestations based on the girls themselves.
There was nothing anyone can do as no Magus can fight Witches as their magic is that different. Aoko certainly tried she can't even scratch a Witch. Adashino who's a better mage than she ended the same.
One thing left.
Monitor Sakura, their only tie to the situation. She studies as a magus and as a normal student in a school and in her apartment. She was mostly familiar with Bazett and Aoko, thus Bazett is assigned to her and Aoko coming along just for fun when she got wind of it.
But when they got to the apartment?
'Oh! You must be Aozaki-san and Fraga-san?' the janitor called out. 'I was told that if I was ever to see you, Tohsaka-chan said to tell you 'go to Kamihama City'.'
'Eh? But why?' Bazett asked him.
'Beats me, its all she instructed me to do in exchange for a classy boxed lunch!' the janitor grinned goofily.
'Guess we gotta go...' Bazett scratched her head.
'Man, right after we left traffic not long ago too!' Aoko complained as Sakura just got off a taxicab leading her to Kamihama City's Mizuna Ward. She chose to be here out of convenience. She rented a 3SLDK incase she has guests again in an apartment building styled in architecture befitting an 'old town'. And she moved her old stuff and placed them where she wants them, thus can immediately settle in, before enrolling herself in the local school that she hopes, has no perverts. Mizuna Girls' School.
Thankfully, employees all female too. Hopefully no lesbians. Uniform is a cute purple dress.
It seems things are normal here, but no telling who magical girls here are. She hid her magical tattoo on her middle fingernail, a feature unique to all magical girls.
She came here to follow a rumor.
Have you heard?
Has anyone told you?
You know, that one about Magical Girls?
Magical Girls? Isn't that a fairytale?
No, they're very real. You make a bargain with a White Fairy and it'll grant just one wish. However...you're made a Magical Girl and forced to kill Witches in exchange.
Are we talking Good Witches or Bad Witches?
Bad Witches, duh! They capture humans and munch and crunch on them like candies!
They have to fight things like that?!
That's right, so Magical Girls are always risking their lives.
Well, I would never become a Magical Girl! I hate pain and scary things!
Yes, but on the other hand, anything you wish for will come true.
Anything? Really, anything?!
Anything!
Ah~! I want to become a Magical Girl too!
That, was what Sakura heard. From naive schoolgirls.
Yup, a wish is good. But nothing is ever free, so you gotta wish SMART.
Your wish affects the innate magic you gain by the end of it. Really, always ask questions, know the fine print, and find a way to get what you want while not losing yourself, quite literally! Until the end of your term.
Magic of Magical Girls are like stars. It fades in time. That by the time you're approaching adulthood, you lose your magic. Your body also turns back to normal as well, that your soul is back in your body. Well, assuming you live that long, that is! But you're unluckily in paranoia forever because you'll never know when a Witch will appear and you'll be helpless against it afterward unless a Magical Girl rescues you. The only thing you'll have left from your time as one, is your hard-earned physical skills gained from years of fighting.
Thus she made it her job to advise Magical Girls in Tokyo to know what she knows after healing them. They were understandably horrified and lamenting how stupid they were.
Considering she has a 'really long lifespan', she told them to invest in training first while she handles all else even if it was tough, by the time she gained the 'pattern' to do things her way. She also places compulsions on little girls dumb enough to make a wish, unless...some things just can't be helped.
In the meantime, she had a dream...of a little girl, clearly in magical girl clothes but has the typical...er look of a witch.
She said,
'Come. Come to Kamihama City. Here, Magical Girls can be saved.'
'...if it can be done that easily, Kyubey will try again for sure.' she mused. So she had come to this city to investigate on her own. 'If it's a fool-proof deal...'
Meanwhile, in Fuyuki City, northernmost of Honshu...
Rin was in deep thought, as she was at her home.
She had a phone call from the Association regarding her younger sister and what she got herself into, in exchange for being 'worm free' and her unique brand of magic that helps her cleanse off curses and heal souls. She had also cleaned up Fuyuki's Grail of Einzbern's secret mess. Kotomine lost his 'right' as Church Supervisor of Fuyuki after being put on trial so his daughter Caren now has the job. The Einzberns had to deal with getting out of the mess their secret got them into, because their stunt allowed a billion curses to breed and fester within the Greater Grail as the Grail granted Avenger's wish, and allowing anti-heroes to be summoned as a result.
So Sakura basically fed Angra Mainyu and all his curses to Kyubey for use to stave off Entropy, cleaning up the Grail to be safely used in future Grail Wars.
She still keeps authority over Fuyuki City and her patents on it, but the caverns of the Greater Grail will be kept watch from now on by the Association to prevent tampering. Well, she didn't cause trouble...the Einzberns did.
Sakura can't clean it up forever as the closer she ages to adulthood, her powers as a Magical Girl wanes till she loses her boons from Kyubey's magic and becomes a normal human again. Magi and Magecraft cannot harm Witches nor get out of their Labyrinths no matter how strong one is as a Magus nor how strong your Mystic Code is. Adashino tried.
'So, what do you think?' Archer asked Rin. To be fair, he never saw this change coming either. About Sakura in all times he's repeated this over and over...
'...I have no idea how to face Sakura.' said Rin glumly. 'I'm truly all alone now. She hates me and our father with good reason. We will meet in Clock Tower someday when she retires as a Magical Girl.'
Her sister understandably hates her. For being 'such a good daddy's girl' for not checking on her. Had she done so, the situation could have been found out sooner! She could have been rescued! Their father sold her to Zouken, fully-aware of her fate, but he didn't care as long as she gains the boons of the Matou FOR the Tohsaka as she lived a life of being violated for years and expects she comes out of that sane and a good dutiful daughter to a man who threw her away?
Sakura lost all hope until Kyubey, and saved herself. Their mother was mind-wiped that she forgot she had a second daughter when Sakura tried to approach her! Thus her hatred of their late father. She had no one to turn to.
Sakura is living in another city as a normal high schooler while studying magic by 'pilfering books' and training in a no man's area so there's no security breach, thus can hone her magic to be better at Witch-Fighting till retirement day and has fighting capabilities of a Servant, basing her style off of their Uncle Kariya's Berserker Servant in the previous war and how he sees Servants fight. Aozaki has a lot to say about Sakura's fights.
Considering she can heal and cleanse both body, soul and magic, she may have no worries for Shirou now? But he'll have to go alone...or else.
