Anastasia raised a total of nine ice walls, barely managing to block the impact of the crimson wave of light.
A bead of sweat rolled down her smooth, pale forehead.
She let out a long breath. Taking advantage of the moment when Ayame was too preoccupied to notice her, she gazed through the cracks in the ice wall, her eyes filled with mixed emotions as they fell upon the distant figure standing like a demon god.
Unlike Anastasia's flexible defensive tactics, Ayame, now in a frenzy, chose to take the attack head-on.
Infused with the power of the Abyss, the dark gray liquid metal shield was riddled with cracks from the impact of the crimson waves. Yet, as Ayame continuously poured more energy into it, the shield slowly began to repair itself.
The terrifying forces clashed repeatedly, with the liquid metal shield caught at the center of the tug-of-war.
Crimson energy shot through the gaps, striking Ayame's body and piercing through her, leaving holes that went clean through her form.
"Ah~!"
However, instead of showing pain, Ayame's face flushed. Her legs unconsciously pressed together, rubbing repeatedly. The color of her red dress darkened below her abdomen, as if wet, and a few suspicious droplets on the ground evaporated into steam, releasing an alluring scent of hormones.
The crimson waves quickly lost strength and soon dissipated completely.
Ryou's face showed a hint of dissatisfaction. The power of vengeance had only accumulated less than a third of its potential, reducing its overall force.
Even so, it had posed a significant threat, especially to Ayame, who, in her frenzied state, refused to retreat even a single step, looking utterly wretched.
Her once-elegant gown was now tattered, riddled with holes and burn marks, exposing her bloody wounds. The most severe injury was her left arm, which had been completely severed at the root.
Yet, what flowed from the wound wasn't blood—it was a thick, black liquid, resembling crude oil.
Compared to Ryou, her regenerative ability was far weaker, and the wound showed no sign of closing.
Through the wound, one could see the crimson power of vengeance and the black power of the Abyss fiercely battling each other, devouring and consuming one another at the injury site.
Ordinarily, this kind of pain would cause a regular person to pass out from sheer agony.
Ayame, however, only grew more excited. Her face flushed, her legs rubbed together even more frantically, and in the end, her entire body shook, her eyes rolled back, and she looked utterly spent.
She even muttered softly:
"This is Father's love~," "So intense~ so good~," "I want more~"
Her scandalous words could easily be misunderstood.
At that moment, all three of them tensed simultaneously.
A powerful presence was approaching quickly from afar.
Their battle had attracted someone's attention—perhaps a Heroic Spirit coming to investigate.
"Tch! How annoying, interrupting my reunion with Father!"
Ayame's face was full of displeasure as she waved at Ryou.
"Next time, please treat me more roughly, Father~"
She threw a flirtatious gaze at him, even blowing him a kiss.
At that moment, Sakura who had fused with Ayame's body at the start of the battle reappeared behind her.
As if suddenly returning to her senses, Ayame's crazed demeanor vanished.
Though she remained disheveled, her aura shifted back to one of quiet elegance, like that of a noblewoman raised by a prestigious family.
She bowed gracefully to him.
"Father, I'll be taking my leave now."
With that, Ayame retreated into the darkness.
Anastasia also withdrew from the scene.
"..."
A thoughtful look appeared in Ryou's eyes. Judging by Ayame's bizarre state, her connection with Sakura seemed far deeper than he had initially imagined.
Perhaps… this was the best opportunity to eliminate the disaster that was Sakura!
A cold glint of killing intent flashed briefly in his eyes.
Sensing the unexpected visitor approaching, Ryou swiftly scooped up the unconscious Medea in a perfect princess carry and flew into the sky.
The battlefield below, now desolate and ruined, seemed to silently recount the fierce battle that had just taken place.
...
Mid-air, Ryou flew quickly toward their base, holding Medea in his arms.
While Heroic Spirits didn't die from excessive blood loss, they could still weaken. Moreover, he didn't want to risk letting the strange Abyssal power linger in Medea's body for too long.
Held tightly in his embrace, Medea glanced at his face, so close to hers. Her small nose twitched, and his thick masculine scent hit her, causing her cheeks to flush slightly.
Medea quickly lowered her head as if embarrassed, her eyes darting around nervously.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Sensing the slight movement in his arms, Ryou looked down.
At such proximity, Medea could feel the warmth of his breath on her cheeks and neck, making her heart flutter.
"No… I feel fine..."
"Is that so? Good. If you feel uncomfortable, let me know immediately."
Ryou nodded.
The two fell into silence. Medea was shy, while Ryou was focused on getting them back quickly.
After a long while, Medea spoke softly.
"Master…"
"Hmm? What is it?"
"I'm sorry… and… thank you."
"Silly girl, you're my woman. It's my responsibility to protect you."
Ryou responded with a teasing smile.
Unexpectedly, this time, Medea didn't refute him. Instead, she shyly lowered her head.
"Mm..."
If it weren't for his sharp hearing, he might not have caught her words at all.
Once again, silence fell between them. But this time, a sweet, ambiguous atmosphere slowly began to spread.
...
The Fuyuki City wasn't large, and with Ryou flying through the skies, they soon reached their secret base.
When Medea saw the familiar building, a trace of regret crept into her heart. Being in her master's arms felt too warm, too safe. She almost didn't want to leave.
Ryou flew through the window and into the room.
Carefully, as if handling a delicate piece of porcelain, he placed Medea gently on the bed.
He then opened the system shop and selected a variety of top-tier healing and purification potions, placing them on the bedside table.
First, Ryou broke off the arrowhead embedded in Medea's shoulder, then gripped the arrow's shaft.
With a serious expression, Ryou looked at her.
"Medea-chan, I like you."
"Eh? Eh?!"
Medea's mouth opened in shock.
What!?
Did happiness just hit her out of nowhere?
Before she could recover from her surprise, Ryou suddenly pressed his lips against her soft, pink ones.
"Mmm!"
Medea immediately felt a strong, masculine energy invade her body, and her tense form soon went limp.
At that moment, she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder, but it was fleeting. Soon, her mind was lost in the sweetness of the kiss...
Ryou successfully used a distraction technique to remove the arrow from her. Though there were some side effects, the overall result was quite good.
With the help of healing potions and Medea's powerful Noble Phantasm, she quickly returned to her original state.
The two then began discussing how to deal with the current crisis.
"What! Master, are you saying...?"
Medea's eyes widened in shock, her face still pale from her recently healed injuries.
"That's right. While the other participants are temporarily intimidated, we'll take the initiative this time!"
Ryou declared decisively.
Coming back to her senses after hearing his bold plan, Medea clenched her fists in front of her chest, making a determined gesture.
"Yes! Master, I'll follow your lead!"
"So, here's what we'll do next..."
Ryou began to explain his strategy, and Medea nodded repeatedly in agreement.
However, a look of hesitation appeared on his face as he spoke with some reluctance.
"But there's a critical part of this plan, Medea-chan. I need to borrow one of your Noble Phantasms..."
"Of course, no problem. What is it, Master?"
Medea agreed without a second thought.
At this moment, her heart was entirely devoted to him and she was naturally willing to do anything he asked.
Ryou took a deep breath and, gritting his teeth, uttered the name of the Noble Phantasm.
Medea's expression immediately shifted to one of shock. She hesitated for a moment before biting her lip.
"Although the goddess once warned me not to use it unless necessary... if it's a request from you, Master..."
As she spoke, Medea summoned the Noble Phantasm, cradling it in both hands and handed it to him.
When Ryou took the Noble Phantasm, Medea's face displayed a deeply complex expression—attachment, hesitation, confusion, and fear. She trembled all over, like a small, frightened animal.
"Please don't make me turn into that... Master..."
Her words seemed vague and disjointed, but Ryou quickly understood her meaning.
He pulled her into his arms. If her wounds hadn't just healed, he would have wanted to hold her even tighter, as if to merge her with his own body.
Gently brushing aside a strand of hair near Medea's ear, Ryou leaned in close to her pointed, elfin ear and whispered tenderly, with a hint of affection:
"You silly girl, what are you worrying about? Don't fret. I'm not the kind of fool who would let a good girl like you slip away. I'd regret it for the rest of my life."
Medea's face instantly turned red, the blush spreading from her neck to the tips of her ears. Then, with a light "poof," a puff of white steam shot out from the top of her head, and she fainted dramatically.
...
Time passed quickly, and another day dawned on the peaceful Matou household.
Since the sudden death of the Matō family's patriarch, Matou Zouken, the entire Matou family had fallen into chaos.
When the Matou relatives heard that the old master had left his entire estate to a newly adopted six-year-old girl, they immediately erupted in outrage.
Some wanted to expel the child who had taken over the Matou family's assets, others maliciously proposed adopting her themselves, and still others wanted a share of the inheritance.
However, with Matou Zōken's eldest son, Matou Byakuya, stepping in to stabilize the situation, and the second son, Matou Kariya, returning from his travels, the situation gradually calmed down—especially after some of the most troublesome relatives mysteriously died.
The young girl, now renamed Matou Sakura, gradually secured her position as head of the family with their help.
But today, the Matou household welcomed a special guest.
As she gazed at the familiar figure—dressed in a red suit, holding a gentleman's cane topped with a ruby, and sporting a goatee—Sakura, or rather Matou Sakura, subconsciously clenched her fists and pressed her lips tightly together.
"The head of the Matou family, I presume? I am Tohsaka Tokiomi..."
His flawless diplomatic greeting shattered the last bit of hope in Sakura's heart.
As expected, she couldn't rely on her father, mother, or sister. Only her lord cared about her. Only her lord was truly trustworthy...
With that thought, Sakura's gaze turned cold.
Tohsaka Tokiomi, oblivious to Sakura's change in demeanor, continued speaking.
"The Tohsaka family and the Matou family have been close for generations. I was deeply saddened to hear of Matou Zouken's passing. However, as the new head of the Matou family, without mastery of the family's magecraft, it may be difficult for you to command respect. The Tohsaka family is a long-standing magus lineage, and I am willing to assist an ally in need. Why don't I personally teach you the necessary magical knowledge...?"
On the surface, Tokiomi emphasized the close relationship between the Tohsaka and Matou families, speaking about how they should join hands to create a bright future together.
But in reality, his words were filled with veiled suggestions that Sakura should hand over the Matou family's magical tomes and research materials.
The once-kind and familiar face now overlapped with the faces of the Matou relatives who had come to claim the family's wealth.
The only difference was that those relatives sought the Matou family's money, while Tokiomi's target was its magical achievements.
Sakura's heart swirled with a mix of emotions, all of which could be summed up in two words: disgust!
At that moment, the door to the drawing room was suddenly thrown open.
Hearing the commotion, Sakura instinctively turned her head and let out a surprised cry.
"Uncle Kariya!"
Matou Kariya burst into the room, his face livid with anger.
He first smiled at Sakura before pointing directly at Tokiomi and shouting:
"Tohsaka Tokiomi! You bastard, how dare you show your face here! You abandoned Sakura-chan back then, and now that she's inherited the Matou estate, you come crawling back? I've never seen anyone as shameless as you!"
Even someone as well-mannered as Tokiomi couldn't help but frown, his face showing displeasure at being insulted so openly.
"Is this how the Matou family treats its guests?"
Matou Kariya sneered.
"This is how we treat uninvited scoundrels!"
Tokiomi turned his gaze to Sakura.
"Is this also the will of the head of the Matou family?"
"I..."
Sakura was momentarily at a loss, caught off guard by his question.
But when her eyes met Tokiomi's insincere, distant smile, memories of being abandoned, falling into despair, and being saved by Anastasia flashed through her mind like a fast-forwarded movie.
The scene finally froze the moment Anastasia rescued her, gently comforting her.
"Sakura-chan will grow into a fine lady one day. So, you must forget those painful memories from the past and look forward."
That's right—I need to sever all ties with the past!