mtl008 Chapter 92 A Wish Under the Cherry Blossoms
Chapter 92 A Wish Under the Cherry Blossoms
Spring had arrived in 1994, and the air in Fuyuki City seemed to be compressed by some invisible weight, becoming viscous and heavy.
For ordinary citizens, this is just a slightly chilly and unpredictable season.
Cherry Blossom Festival.
At the foot of Mount Enzo in Fuyuki City, cherry blossoms bloom like pink clouds in the afterglow of the setting sun.
Kui carried a huge food basket, spread out a napkin on the lawn, and placed steaming black tea and delicate pastries beside her.
Rin, like a proud little red bird, was tugging at Arthur's sleeve.
She asked Arthur in a matter-of-fact tone to demonstrate how to precisely split a petal falling in the wind using an ordinary twig.
Sakura followed quietly behind Arthur, holding a small handful of collected fallen petals, her purple eyes reflecting the cherry blossoms falling all around her.
"Arthur, look this way!" Rin said, hands on her hips and chin raised. "There are bound to be some very skilled swordsmen in this war. You must be stronger than them!"
"The skill of swordsmanship is not just about cutting through the sharp edges of things, Rin."
Arthur crouched down, chuckled, and ruffled Rin's hair before looking at the quiet Sakura beside him. "Sakura, would you like to learn swordsmanship?"
Sakura shook her head like a rattle-drum and whispered, "As long as... as long as I can watch my brother wield his sword, I feel at ease."
A gentle evening breeze swept by, scattering cherry blossoms and enveloping the three figures in a hazy sea of flowers.
Tokiomi stood under the cherry blossom tree in the distance, watching this scene. His usually rigid and serious face showed a rare hint of gentleness.
During this time, Arthur's presence not only forcibly reversed his daughter's originally destined tragedy, but also brought more warmth to the Tohsaka family's lukewarm magic workshop.
"Make a wish," Arthur suggested gently, catching a fallen petal.
"In ancient British legends, wishes made when the first rain of spring flowers falls will be blessed by forest fairies."
Rin immediately closed her eyes, clasped her hands together, and declared in a strong voice:
"I will become the greatest magician, protect the honor of the Tohsaka family, and defeat all the bad guys who covet this place!"
Arthur chuckled softly and turned to look at Sakura.
Unlike her sister, Sakura didn't shout out loud. She gently closed her eyes, clasped her hands tightly in front of her chest, and her long eyelashes trembled slightly in the sunset.
Her petite figure appeared exceptionally frail beneath a century-old cherry blossom tree, yet she exuded utmost devotion.
I hope Arthur can stay.
She repeated this greedy wish in her mind over and over again.
For Sakura, she didn't care about her long-cherished wish to reach the Root, nor did she care where the Holy Grail would ultimately belong.
All she knew was that this blond knight had pulled her back from the edge of the abyss.
He gave her a shoulder to run freely on, a shoulder to lean on with peace of mind, and the right to be carefree under the falling cherry blossoms.
If all of this is just a dream, she can only pray that she never wakes up from it.
After making her wish, Sakura opened her eyes and met Arthur's clear, emerald-green eyes.
"What did Sakura wish for?" Rin asked curiously as she leaned closer.
"It's a secret." Sakura winked mischievously at her sister, a small dimple appearing at the corner of her mouth.
Rin paused for a moment, then gave a soft snort and turned her head away:
"Hmph, stingy."
Although she complained, she didn't actually ask any questions. She simply looked away nonchalantly, but the corners of her mouth unconsciously curved into a smile.
Arthur stood up, gently plucked another petal from Cherry's hair, and quietly looked at it in his palm for a moment.
Looking at the two children before him, the heaviness that had welled up in his heart due to the approaching Holy Grail War was replaced at this moment by a pure belief called protection.
This is a promise from the mentor who stands here now, trusted by them:
"I will protect your wishes."
His voice was low, but it carried a determination strong enough to sever his fate.
"Whether the Holy Grail ultimately brings miracles or curses, I will stand in front of you."
As the sun completely sank below the horizon, the distant city of Fuyuki lit up with a myriad of starlight-like lights.
In this final moment of tenderness, no one noticed that a black sedan was waiting to pick up the Tohsaka family by the forest road not far away.
Kirei Kotomine stood quietly in the shadows.
His empty eyes, as if observing an alien, were fixed on Sakura's happy smiling face and the knight standing in front of her, who was like a ray of light himself.
That kind of pure, unguarded happiness...
……
The calamity spiral known as the Holy Grail War is spinning faster than ever.
In the underground workshop of the Tohsaka Mansion, the candlelight illuminated the intricate array of magical formations.
Tokiomi Tohsaka stood at the table, his fingers tracing the report sent from the clock tower, his eyes gleaming with an almost fanatical light.
Kirei Kotomine stood behind him like a silent shadow, while Arthur leaned against the stone wall with his arms crossed.
"The essence of the Holy Grail War is a ritual of slaughter between seven Heroic Spirits and mages, ultimately ending with the collection of the returning souls of the Heroic Spirits."
They used their power to return to the Throne of Heroes, located on the outer edge of the world, to pierce the world.
They used the immense magical power accumulated within the Greater Grail to fix the hole, thus creating a gateway to the outside world.
The magician can then access the source through this hole.
Tokiomi pointed to the spiritual vein node on the map with his finger, his tone as elegant and rational as ever.
"Kiri, your Assassin will be the best eyes and ears in this war. Together with the Church's intelligence network, you will be able to see the enemy's trump cards."
And I will use the magical power accumulated by the Tohsaka family over a hundred years and the holy relic that is about to arrive to summon the strongest heroic spirit that can suppress everything.
If the plan goes smoothly, this Holy Grail will surely belong to the Tohsaka family.
"Master's strategy is flawless," Kirei replied calmly, his gaze seemingly drifting towards Arthur.
"Tokiomi".
Arthur, who had been silent all along, spoke, his voice echoing in the empty workshop, carrying an undeniable authority.
"I think it's necessary to remind you of another possible aspect of the Holy Grail."
Tokiomi stopped what he was doing and looked at him with a puzzled expression: "The other side? Mr. Arthur, are you referring to the rumors that the Holy Grail was corrupted during the Third War?"
"No, in the timeline I experienced, I personally ended a Holy Grail War."
Arthur slowly approached, his expression extremely serious, even exuding a sense of oppression that made Tokiomi tremble.
"In that world, what flows out of the so-called Holy Grail is not the power that can reach the source, but black mud that represents pure evil."
The temperature inside the workshop seemed to drop significantly in an instant.
"It was a viscous, malevolent thought, enough to curse a hero and corrupt his soul."
Tokiomi, don't have too high expectations for that cup... it's very likely just a bottomless abyss full of traps.
Tokiomi's hand holding the wand stiffened slightly.
As the heir to a traditional family of magicians, he always regarded the Holy Grail as the ultimate answer to the Tohsaka family's long-cherished wish, and never truly imagined that the miracle itself could be tainted.
However, these words came from the mouth of a king who had personally experienced the Holy Grail War... He had no reason not to take them seriously.
"This...is indeed an astonishing sight." Tokiomi took a deep breath, calming the turmoil in his heart, and then regained his dignified demeanor.
"Thank you for your advice, Mr. Arthur. The Tohsaka family's long-cherished wish remains unshakable, but I will take the risks you mentioned into consideration with the utmost seriousness."
Before fully opening the hole, I will confirm exactly where its exit leads.