Chapter 226: Choice
"How could this happen…"
Tohsaka Rin stood quietly in place, staring at the backs of Hikigaya Hachiman and Sakura as they walked farther away.
She had thought there would be a touching reunion between sisters after so long apart, but she hadn't expected her younger sister to outright deny her…
And wasn't Sakura supposed to have been adopted by the Matou family?
Why was she following that man so closely, even affectionately calling him "big brother"…?
In this year they'd been apart, what exactly had happened to Sakura?
Squish, squish…
Suddenly, the sound of chewing came from behind Rin.
"Eh?"
Startled, Rin froze. The chewing grew louder and clearer…
No way…
Trembling, Rin turned her head. From Ryunosuke Uryuu's corpse, a tiny creature covered in tentacles poked its head out of his abdomen. It was gnawing at his body through the hole it had crawled from.
"If it's that small…"
Her legs trembling, Rin shaped her left hand into a gun, aiming at the monster crawling out of the corpse.
But then, as if sensing her hostility, the monster writhed and turned what seemed to be its face toward her.
"It's fine, just like in training…"
Taking a deep breath, Rin tried to encourage herself, channeling magical energy into her body before firing a mana shot at the creature.
Crack!
The glowing projectile shot forward, trailing a faint tail. As it closed the distance, Rin's heart tightened.
Just a little more, almost there…
But at the last moment, an adult beast leapt down from a nearby rooftop, blocking the mana shot.
"!!!"
The beast's mouthparts atop its head let out a low-pitched roar toward Rin, before it crouched submissively in front of the newborn king.
The sound resonated outward. On the rooftops, the beasts that had halted after Ryunosuke's death suddenly leapt down into the street.
In an instant, Rin and the newborn king were surrounded.
"How can this be…?"
Looking at the dense mass of beasts around her, Rin collapsed onto the ground.
That mage had already taken down so many of these monsters, and their summoner was dead—so why were there still so many?!
But the beasts paid no attention to the lone human among them.
They prostrated themselves before their king, expressing obedience. The newborn king, meanwhile, jumped onto the back of one beast and thrust several tentacles into its body.
The beast gave a few wails before shriveling up entirely.
Having absorbed all its nutrients, the king, originally no larger than a human fist, had already grown to the size of a small dog.
Without pause, the king jumped onto another beast, repeating the process…
Rin sat still for a moment, realizing the creatures weren't focused on her. Quietly, she got up and tiptoed toward the edge of the encirclement.
But just as she stepped past the last beast, a dreadful sensation of being watched seized her mind.
Without hesitation, Rin bolted in the direction where Hachiman had gone.
Behind her, the monster king—having consumed over a dozen beasts and grown to elephant-like size—let out a roar to its remaining followers before leading the chase.
.
.
.
Hachiman hadn't gone far with Sakura.
Rather than go searching for Karna, it was faster to simply wait for Karna to return to them.
The two sat quietly in a small park on the swings, enjoying the cool night breeze while waiting.
Suddenly, the quiet street filled with the roar of an engine.
Two white headlights pierced the darkness, and a sedan came into view.
The car slowed near the park, its driver scanning anxiously. Behind the wheel was a refined middle-aged woman, graceful in bearing, with a traditional Yamato Nadeshiko air.
When her eyes landed on Hachiman in the park, a flicker of hope crossed her face.
She parked but didn't shut off the engine, rushing quickly over to him.
"Excuse me, have you seen a girl with twin—"
Before she even reached him, Tohsaka Aoi began describing Rin's appearance by rote.
But then her eyes fell on the girl beside Hachiman.
"Sakura…"
She involuntarily called out her daughter's name, hurrying toward them.
But facing her mother, Sakura only tilted her head and coolly, politely replied:
"Good evening, Mrs. Tohsaka."
"Mrs… Tohsaka?"
Hearing her own daughter address her so distantly, Aoi felt as though her heart were being torn apart.
But remembering that her husband had indeed sent Sakura to the Matou family, she had no choice but to accept that Sakura was no longer hers.
"Good evening, madam. Are you perhaps looking for your daughter?"
Hachiman had noticed Sakura's body stiffen when the woman appeared.
From Sakura's formal address, he could roughly deduce that this woman was her biological mother.
Combined with their earlier encounter with Rin, it was obvious why this woman was out driving around at night.
"Rin?"
Hearing Hachiman mention her elder daughter, Aoi snapped out of her grief.
That's right—this was no time to mourn that her younger daughter no longer recognized her.
The priority was finding Rin, who had cut class and come to Fuyuki City, and bringing her to safety.
"And you are…?"
Having calmed herself, Aoi scrutinized the man beside her daughter.
Because of Tokiomi's concealment, she—like Rin—didn't know Sakura had left the Matou household.
So she instinctively assumed Hachiman was from the Matou family.
"He has nothing to do with you, Mrs. Tohsaka! If you're looking for your daughter, just follow this road straight ahead!"
Before Hachiman could respond, Sakura cut in coldly, pointing the way to Rin.
Looking at her daughter's strangely distant tone, then glancing at the street where she might find Rin, Aoi clutched her chest, torn between the two.