I, Kurumi Tokisaki, Am a Wanderer

The world has denied me!

When her eyes opened, everything in sight had collapsed and been destroyed, leaving only scorched earth behind.

All that was on the surface seemed to have been wiped away as if God had obsessively erased the "weeds" from the landscape with an eraser.

—Spatial Quake.

The source of this terrifying disaster was a girl dressed in a black and red gothic outfit—Kurumi Tokisaki.

...

Her unusual eyes gazed up at the sky as if observing the one watching all of this—her.

Her expression was one of sadness and loneliness, completely different from the image of the witch 'she' had known.

...

—Saber awoke from a strange dream.

The dreamscape she witnessed felt like someone else's life, so real that it was as if she had been there herself.

The sorrowful fate she saw left her speechless for a long time.

Typically, a Master who forms a contract with a Servant may sometimes glimpse the Servant's memories through dreams. But the situation with the Einzbern family was somewhat special; with two Servants on the same side, some unusual occurrences were bound to happen.

After a while, Saber finally collected herself, her emerald eyes shimmering.

Not thinking about Kurumi for the moment, she had something more important to deal with—she was hungry.

...

Perhaps due to that strange dream, Saber rarely slept in and by the time she awoke, it was already past 8 o'clock. She went to the castle's dining room and ordered the maids to bring the dining cart directly.

At this time, the only person left in the castle was Irisviel.

She sipped her fine tea leisurely while conversing with Saber.

As a member of the Einzbern family, Irisviel had been born with a natural sense of nobility as ordinary as air itself. Her innate grace and ladylike demeanor made her seem like a princess worthy of a knight's protection.

In this castle, she was the one who made Saber feel the closest.

Emiya Kiritsugu had not appeared before her. In the morning, a summons had been issued by the Church, and he was using his familiars to see what those hypocrites were up to.

Kurumi was also absent; she had taken Sakura out to wander around Fuyuki City.

Kurumi Tokisaki... When this name came up, Saber fell silent.

That person who had killed tens of thousands of people with blood-stained hands, that person who looked at the sky with sadness and loneliness... Which side of her was real?

—

Kurumi held Sakura's hand as they strolled around Fuyuki City.

The passersby hurried along, but the overly glamorous girl and the little girl still attracted a lot of attention.

Unfortunately, the little girl's eyes were so empty, as cold and gloomy as a doll.

Children's hearts are fragile and more easily closed off.

Because they have not yet experienced hope, they are more prone to despair.

"Ah—" Kurumi sighed deeply. This kind of little kitten wasn't very likable. She reached out and ruffled Sakura's soft purple hair, making it messy, then gently touched the girl's warm chin, lightly tickling her.

Hearing Sakura's soft whimper, like a kitten, Kurumi felt completely satisfied.

"But something is still missing," Kurumi thought as she looked at Sakura. The reserved girl was far more obedient than others her age, but she was too lifeless.

"Of course!" Kurumi's eyes sparkled as she made a fist and struck her palm. "A cat needs ears and a tail!"

She led Sakura to Fuyuki City's most bustling shopping district.

...

Kurumi dared to walk around Fuyuki City with Sakura so openly for a reason.

One was that the primary rule of magic was secrecy; it was unlikely they'd be attacked in the busy city center during the day.

The second reason... Kurumi's lips curled into a slight smile. To be blunt, among the Servants currently summoned, there wasn't a single one who could defeat her. They were all...

—

Even in the bustling city center of Fuyuki, the two were still so conspicuous.

Kurumi took great pleasure in dressing up her little cat, while Sakura silently allowed herself to be cradled in Kurumi's arms, letting her do as she pleased.

But when Kurumi held the girl's small foot and lifted it high to put on the white stockings, Sakura finally blushed. Even though she had been carried back home naked, being in this position still made the girl feel a bit shy.

Where Sakura couldn't see, Kurumi smiled slightly, almost maliciously.

She did it on purpose.

Within a few hundred meters of them, several "Kurumi" figures were moving around. Some stopped at a roadside dessert shop, while others strolled casually. Her wine-red eyes, though seemingly indifferent, vigilantly observed everything around them.

Someone was following them.

It was a "monster."

A head of lifeless, withered white hair hidden under a hood.

Half of his face was a deathly gray, with cloudy white pupils, but in his right eye, there was deep sorrow and loneliness—Matou Kariya.

He followed them from a distance, seeming to observe the strangely charming girl and Sakura.

Kariya didn't dare approach, but when he saw Kurumi gently tickling the girl's chin, causing her eyes to narrow slightly, he finally exhaled a long breath.

Tears began to well up in the one eye that could still move.

Thud—

The girl in the black winter uniform stood in front of him, long bangs covering her left eye. Her wine-red eye, as beautiful as a rose, was full of warning.

Matou Kariya looked at the girl before him, who was nearly identical to the one far away with Sakura.

He wasn't surprised; this was just how irrational and legendary Servants were.

"Please..." His voice was ragged, like a broken bellows, but unexpectedly gentle and refined. "Please... you must take good care of her."

Kurumi didn't respond, just silently stood there.

Matou Kariya, breathing heavily, turned and limped away.

His life was nearing its end, but at this moment, his final concerns had been laid to rest.

Beneath his hood, his lifeless eyes glowed faintly with blue magical light. With nothing left to hold him back, Matou Kariya's eyes were now filled with the flames of revenge.

"Tokiomi... Tohsaka...!"

His deep-seated hatred caused passersby to instinctively avoid him. His solitary figure was like a lone wolf at the edge of a cliff.

—

"Uncle Kariya..." Sakura tilted her head, watching the lonely figure walk away. Her violet eyes finally showed a hint of emotion.

"Ah... Yes."

Sakura tightly grasped Kurumi's hand. Her childlike intuition told her that she might never see him again.

"Liar..."

Liar...

Saying he'd take her, Mother Aoi, and Rin far, far away together.

It was all a lie.