Broly’s Multiversal Foodie Adventure

"Sakura, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

Aoi Zenjou noticed her younger daughter's strange reaction and felt a pang of worry. She quickly asked.

"I... Waaah..."

Young Sakura couldn't hold it in anymore. The half-eaten piece of apple fell from her mouth as she threw herself into her mother's arms and began to cry.

Then, just as she had confided in her father, she told her mother about the悲惨 (tragic) experiences she had endured after being sent to the Matou household.

Aoi Zenjou listened as her daughter described being pushed into a basement full of worms, being covered in crawling insects, and the pain and fear she had felt during the ordeal.

Only now did she realize the true extent of her daughter's suffering at the Matou household. She covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face as she held her crying daughter, her heart aching.

"Sakura, don't be afraid. It's all over now. From now on, Mom, Dad, and I will protect you."

Tohsaka Rin, hearing about her sister's ordeal, clenched her small fists. Her mature demeanor made her feel both angry and fiercely protective of her sister. She patted her chest and promised.

"Really?"

Young Sakura looked up from her mother's embrace, her tear-streaked face resembling a little kitten, and asked her sister.

"Really, as true as pearls. If you don't believe me, ask Mom. She feels the same way."

Tohsaka Rin spoke with confidence, even using her mother as a guarantee.

"Mom..."

Young Sakura looked up at her mother expectantly.

"Sakura, you'll be fine."

Aoi Zenjou couldn't bring herself to answer her daughter directly. Sending Sakura to the Matou household had been her husband's decision, and as his wife, she had to be prepared to support him unconditionally.

This time, when Sakura was sent to her, her husband—Sakura's biological father—had wanted her to persuade Sakura to return to the Matou household.

If she revealed this plan now, her daughter would surely break down and lose trust in her as a mother.

Aoi Zenjou's heart ached as she held her daughter tighter. Young Sakura, comforted by her embrace, gradually calmed down, and her happiness value began to rise again.

In young Sakura's heart, she believed her family would protect her and never let her suffer in the worm-filled basement again.

---

Late at night, at the Tohsaka residence, Tohsaka Tokiomi was still awake.

"Kirei, how are things?"

He sat in front of a gramophone, a magical communication device that was more隐秘 (secretive) and harder to eavesdrop on than modern telephones.

"Caster was driven back by the combined efforts of Saber and Lancer. Lancer's Master was severely injured and was rescued by his Servant..."

At the Fuyuki City Holy Church branch, Kirei Kotomine stood in front of a similar gramophone and reported: "That's the situation at the Einzbern Castle tonight.

Earlier in the evening, Rider and his Master found Caster's workshop in the sewers.

There, they discovered a group of missing children from Fuyuki City. The children had been hollowed out and turned into human instruments, kept in a半生不死 (half-alive, half-dead) state by magic.

Rider's Master vomited upon seeing the scene. At the time, I thought it was an opportunity to assassinate him, so I ordered Assassin, who was following them, to strike.

Unfortunately, Rider detected Assassin's presence, and the assassination failed. I apologize, Master, for revealing that Assassin is still alive."

"Don't worry, Kirei. While it is a significant loss to reveal Assassin's survival before fully understanding Rider's capabilities, learning that Rider's Master is a third-rate magus is already a valuable gain. Continue monitoring the other Masters and Servants, and report any developments to me."

Ending the communication, Tohsaka Tokiomi leaned back in his chair. The chaotic battles outside were exactly what he had hoped for.

"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind." With calm and elegance, Tohsaka Tokiomi believed he would emerge victorious and claim the ultimate prize of the ritual—the Holy Grail.

"The path of magic..."

Even he couldn't help but indulge in some fantasies about transcending the world and reaching the根源 (Root).

But soon, the ringing of the telephone interrupted his reverie.

"Who could it be at this hour?"

Tohsaka Tokiomi frowned and went to answer the phone, only to find it was his wife calling.

"Aoi, what's wrong? Why are you calling me at this hour? Are you calling to tell me the good news that you've helped Sakura regain her spirits?"

His wife, Aoi Zenjou, was an exceptional woman who had already borne two children with excellent magical potential for the Tohsaka family. Tohsaka Tokiomi never doubted her qualifications as a wife.

"Tokiomi, can we not send Sakura away? Can we let her stay with us, in the Tohsaka household?"

However, the words from his wife on the other end of the line caused the elegant gentleman's expression to change.

"What's wrong? Why are you suddenly saying this?"

"Sakura told me tonight about what she went through after being sent to the Matou household. It's not something a child her age should have to endure, so..."

"So, you don't want to send her away. You want to keep her."

"Yes."

The voice on the other end confirmed.

"Aoi, you must understand that a child with exceptional talent, without the protection of a magical family, will face many dangers in the future, right?"

"I know, but Sakura still has her sister. Rin is an excellent child who will inherit your magic and become a great magus. She should be able to protect Sakura."

"So, you want to cut off your other daughter's path in magic and let Sakura live as an ordinary person?"

"Tokiomi, seeing Sakura cry tonight broke my heart. If she can live peacefully and never cry again, I can accept that. Please, let her stay, with me and Rin."

On the other end of the line, Aoi Zenjou pleaded.

She had already made the decision to send her daughter away once. Now that her daughter had escaped from the terrifying Matou household, she couldn't bear to send her back.

"I understand your love for our child, because I love them just as much as you do.

But you must understand that we are not an ordinary family.

Being born into a magus family, having talent is a blessing.

We cannot let our love for our children cause them to become ordinary.

We cannot let them stumble on the path of magic and prevent them from running forward..."

The elegant man maintained a calm demeanor as he tried to persuade his wife.

"I've learned about the Matou family's magical practices. They changed their magical attributes to adapt to their environment.

The suffering Sakura endured there was actually a transformative process, like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. Although it was painful for Sakura, we should believe in her resilience and encourage her to move forward despite the hardships..."

"Sakura is still young. There are many things she doesn't understand yet. As her father, I sincerely hope her future will be one of soaring in the skies, not remaining in the mundane world, and perhaps even resenting us for keeping her ordinary..."

Tohsaka Tokiomi's eloquence was effective. Aoi Zenjou, who had been heartbroken by her daughter's tears, began to waver in her desire to keep Sakura.

"If you truly can't bear to part with Sakura, then let Rin take her place and become the Matou family's heir."

"What?"

"This is the only way to ensure neither of our daughters wastes her talent and both can walk the path of magic."

Tohsaka Tokiomi said.

"I understand. I will encourage Sakura to regain her spirits, or convince Rin."

After a moment of silence, as if realizing that Tohsaka Tokiomi wouldn't change his mind, Aoi Zenjou finally accepted this either-or outcome.

"Aoi, you are an excellent wife and a good mother. I am grateful that you still support my decisions."

Tohsaka Tokiomi said sincerely.

"It's late. You should rest."

"You too."

After hanging up the phone, Tohsaka Tokiomi sat alone in the moonlit room. Deep down, he felt uncertain about arranging his daughters' futures in this way. As someone who had walked the path of magic, he knew how arduous it could be.

He couldn't help but wonder if his wife's desire for their younger daughter to live an ordinary life might not be such a bad thing. Perhaps Sakura could find happiness, not as a magus, but as an ordinary person.

Even if it meant wasting her magical talent, even if it meant losing her perspective as a magus, as long as she could be happy...

"Ha, it seems my cultivation is still lacking. I'm actually entertaining such mundane thoughts. Children born into magus families should strive for higher magic, no matter the hardships, even if it costs them their lives..."

Pouring himself a glass of red wine, Tohsaka Tokiomi swirled the glass to aerate the wine and reaffirmed his resolve. He believed he was not wrong.

"Rin, Sakura..."

Returning to the room, Aoi Zenjou looked at her two daughters, who were already fast asleep in bed. All she could do was hug them tightly.

Before one of them left her side, she wanted to cherish the memories of holding them like this.

---

With just over two days left before returning to Planet Vampa, Broly was once again drowsily driven to Mifune Elementary School by the scar-faced man.

As soon as he entered the classroom, he saw his new "wife" from yesterday. Broly walked over and sat down in his seat, greeting the girl beside him.

"Good morning, Tohsaka."

This was something Fujimura Taiga had taught him—to greet his classmates politely when he arrived at school.

"Good morning, Broly."

Tohsaka Rin nodded in response. Many of their classmates were also greeting her.

Her mature demeanor made her the center of attention in the class.

Many of the girls her age liked to gather around her.

Although Broly had only joined the class during the last period yesterday, thanks to Tohsaka Rin, he received friendly greetings from many of the students.

However, while the girls were warm toward him, the boys were less welcoming.

"You hang out with the girls and even have a ponytail. Why don't you just become a girl?"

Even in second grade, children were already aware of the differences between boys and girls. Boys had their circles, and girls had theirs.

Seeing the new kid getting along so well with Tohsaka Rin, the core figure of the girls' circle, Shinjo, the class's alpha male, couldn't help but make a snide remark.

However, at this age, boys often teased girls not because they disliked them, but because they wanted to get their attention.

So, if the target of their teasing was a boy who got along well with a girl, it was likely just plain jealousy.

"Let me tell you, don't even think about becoming friends with us boys."

Tohsaka Rin was cute, cheerful, and helpful. Who wouldn't like a girl like that? Even though she was strong-willed and often stopped the boys from bullying others.

In this class, many of the boys had a crush on her, including Shinjo, the alpha male.

"If you don't want to be friends with Broly, then don't. It's not like the only friends you can have are boys, right?"

Facing this inexplicable act of exclusion by the boy, Tohsaka Rin stepped forward and stood in front of her desk mate, confronting the situation head-on.

"Don't mind Shinjo. If he doesn't want to be friends with you, then I'll introduce you to my friends. They'll be your friends."

Young Tohsaka Rin's "boyfriend energy" was off the charts. She had many female friends, and under her encouragement, Broly quickly experienced the feeling of being surrounded by a flock of cheerful little girls.

Before Broly could even figure out the dynamics of the class and the elementary school social circles, he was passively introduced to many of Tohsaka Rin's friends.

They were all little girls with rosy lips and pearly teeth, their skin soft and bouncy like children's. But despite their numbers, none of them triggered a notification from the Crystal Palace.

Clearly, aside from Tohsaka Rin herself, none of the newly met little girls were potential "wives" for him.

However, although Broly didn't fully understand what was happening, he was still happy about suddenly having so many little girl friends, similar to his relationship with Baaya.

"Strange, why isn't Kotone here?"

After the first class of the morning, Tohsaka Rin frowned slightly. Noticing Broly's questioning look, she pointed to the empty desk nearby and explained, "Kotone was the girl who sat here yesterday. She's my best friend, but I don't know why she didn't come today."

"Oh."

Broly nodded to show he understood, but he didn't have much of an impression of the girl who had sat there yesterday.

"By the way, it seems like you don't know how to read?"

Tohsaka Rin asked.

"I only know five characters, and I just learned them yesterday."

Broly didn't hide his illiteracy.

"Then let me teach you how to write your name, okay?"

Tohsaka Rin was very enthusiastic.

"Okay."

The morning passed quickly, and Broly learned how to write his name—but in Japanese.

Aside from learning about writing, Broly also learned how to play cat's cradle from some of the little girls that morning.

Broly went from clumsily fumbling with the string to creating a recognizable five-pointed star pattern, earning applause and praise from the girls.

Meanwhile, the boys, led by their alpha male Shinjo, grew even more disdainful of Broly, even warning the other boys not to talk to him.

They especially warned the boys who had been interested in Broly's Saiyan identity yesterday not to hang out with him.

Broly, however, didn't react to this. He was simply immersed in the experience of playing with human friends for the first time.

This was different from playing with Baaya. These friends talked to him and taught him new knowledge and games.

Broly felt a pure, childlike joy that he had never experienced before—a joy that could only come from playing with friends.

To sum it up, it was a childhood he had never had.