My Fates Codex of Type-Moon

[011: Iskandar (Rider)]

[Character Profile]: A famous strategist and statesman from ancient world history. He inherited the throne at the age of 20, unified all of Greece, and then marched east, creating one of the few great empires in pan-human history, profoundly influencing human history. His dream was to see the sea at its end. Because of this unwavering dream, the wills of his warriors faithfully guarded Iskandar even after their deaths.

[Hidden Information]: Insufficient conditions

[Record Conditions (3/4)]:

1. Gain the King of Conquerors' approval 2. Defeat/Kill Iskandar 3. Victoriously defeat the Noble Phantasm "Ionioi Hetairoi" without using an anti-world Noble Phantasm

[012: Waver Velvet (Child)]

[Character Profile]: Originally a young student at the Clock Tower, he was full of confidence in his youth. He submitted a paper criticizing the theory of bloodline to Kayneth, a leading figure of aristocratic principles, and was publicly humiliated. In order to prove himself, he stole Kayneth's holy relic and secretly came to Fuyuki City to participate in the Fourth Holy Grail War.

[Hidden Information]:

[Record Conditions (0/1)]

"Onii-chan, is that red-haired old man really Alexander the Great from the legends?"

The silver-green motorcycle had already left the forest and was now slowing down, proceeding along the dimly lit street. Miyu sat sideways on the seat, looking up, as if she could still see the thunderous chariot from the starry sky.

In front of her, Sakutsuki, blowing in the cool night breeze, heard her and smiled, "What's wrong, doesn't he seem like it?"

"Mmm~" Miyu, who had removed her Mystic Code and was wearing what looked like a school uniform, blushed slightly and shook her head, "It just feels... strange."

"Is that so?" The youth's laughter carried on the wind. "The brilliant stars of history, their originally unrelated trajectories converge in this small city. They converse through the clash of swords, sing of their lives at wine and feasts, and heartily unleash their second lives. And we, tiny humans bathed under the stars, can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them, fight against them... that feeling is indeed strange."

"The night is still long, Miyu." On this tranquil night before the storm, the most special Master in this war spoke his wish to his equally special Servant, his sister.

"With anticipation and joy, enjoy this dreamlike journey with me."

"Okay." After a soft affirmation, Miyu turned around and hugged Sakutsuki's waist, feeling the reassuring presence of his body.

Is it Zhuang Zhou dreaming of butterflies, or butterflies remembering Zhuang Zhou?

Which is true, which is false, yes or no?

Even though her past memories were a blur, the girl clearly knew who she had to protect.

"Look, Miyu." Her brother's call brought her back from her daze.

Following the direction of Sakutsuki's finger, Miyu's eyes suddenly widened, and she let out a small gasp.

"Wow..."

Kawasaki kept driving forward. The buildings on both sides of the road had disappeared, and the moist sea breeze gently brushed against their cheeks.

They were driving on the Fuyuki Bridge, a bridge spanning the entire Mion River not far from the estuary. Standing on the bridge and looking out, the magnificent view of the sky and water merging into one was unobstructed.

And the Mion River below the bridge was shimmering with a dreamlike glow under the brilliant starry sky.

"If it were daytime, this place would have a different charm," the young man said, tilting his head slightly and smiling with satisfaction as he looked at his sparkling-eyed sister. "If we have time tomorrow, we'll go further and I'll take you to see the real sea."

From beginning to end, Sakutsuki had not forgotten the man who had given his all for his sister, his last wish before his consciousness faded.

He had said he wanted to show Miyu the sea, so Sakutsuki would take her to see the sea.

Even though this war was filled with cruelty and blood, even though Miyu had lost her past memories, and was herself an anomaly summoned by Sakutsuki.

In the time that followed, the brother and sister didn't speak again. Kawasaki's engine hummed gently, carrying them across the Fuyuki Bridge, and finally stopped in front of a Chinese-style mansion.

"Let's get off, Miyu." Taking his sister's hand, Sakutsuki snapped his fingers. The silver-green motorcycle dissolved inch by inch, turning into the most basic magical particles and merging into the ley lines.

"Where is this, brother?" Miyu curiously examined the door, whose style was completely different from the surrounding buildings. After removing her magical girl transformation, her aura was almost indistinguishable from that of an ordinary person. "Is this our home?"

"Home... Hmm, you could say that?" Sakutsuki pondered, not denying it. "But there are other people living here. Besides an old man, there's also a little girl I rescued. Miyu, you'll have to be prepared to make friends."

"Eh?" Miyu froze on the spot, then quickly became flustered. "But, but, I..."

Before Miyu could react, Sakutsuki stepped forward, knocked symbolically on the door, and then directly opened the magical lock and pushed it open.

What greeted him was an incredibly enthusiastic slash!

"Clang!" The twin blades were thrust out and collided with the cleaver emanating dark energy, shattering both. Sakutsuki raised an eyebrow and looked at the Knight in bizarre black armor in front of him. Instead of retreating, he advanced. The shattered Gan Jiang and Mo Ye recondensed, transforming into a ferocious feathered sword with scales fluttering, and slashed down at the black Knight.

"Boom!" The narrow entrance was shaken by the shockwave of the clash. The giant Yin-Yang sword roared as it slashed towards the Knight, only to be blocked by the Knight's gauntlet and gripped tightly.

Feeling the control of the weapon gradually falling into the opponent's hands, Sakutsuki stepped forward, let go of the sword, and didn't care about the twin swords falling into enemy hands. He brought his shoulder and body together, smashing heavily into the Knight's abdomen.

Amidst the vibration of the armor, the black Knight was heavily pushed back several steps. Without even a grunt, he twisted his body and swung his twin swords towards Sakutsuki's neck and chest!

"Stop it, Berserker!"

The man's scolding came a moment too late. Upon hearing his Master's voice, the black Knight's eyes, burning like flames, flared with red light. Finally, he obediently lowered his hands, and the Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, now adorned with crimson patterns, clattered to the ground, dissipating into mana.

"Brother!" Only then did Miyu snap back to her senses and quickly ran behind Sakutsuki, tightly gripping his clothes.

She had never expected her brother to be not only so skilled in magic but also capable of engaging in close combat with a Servant and even suppressing him!

Sakutsuki patted Miyu's head, then his gaze moved past the black Knight to the two figures, one large and one small, behind him.

Kariya Matou, with three Command Seals on his left hand and a complicated expression, and Sakura Matou, hiding behind him, timidly.

After a year, the two grown men, each with the girls they wanted to protect, reunited in the entranceway.

And the first thing upon their reunion was...

"Yo, isn't that Kariya? You've gotten so weak in just a few days?"

"Get lost!"

With four-cornered eaves, carved beams, and painted rafters, the bright red Chinese lanterns cast a warm glow, filling Miyu with wonder.

But she soon withdrew her gaze, looking at the timid, purple-haired little girl standing behind her. Remembering what Sakutsuki had said, she reached out to Sakura Matou.

"Hello, my name is Miyu..."

Meanwhile, at the table in the hall, two men simultaneously withdrew their gazes, exchanged a look, and then looked at the backs of each other's hands.

Three red markings of different designs were drawn upon them. The dark red ones looked like dried bloodstains, possessing a strange aesthetic beauty.

Before summoning a Servant, they were called Command Seals. Once the Servant descended, they became the Command Spells that held the power to forcibly command them.

"Kariya Matou, Master of Servant Berserker."

"Sakutsuki, Master of Servant Caster."

If they were outside, such introductions would surely be mistaken for chuunibyou by onlookers. However, neither man spoke with any hint of jest; they were earnestly introducing themselves to a friend who was destined to become an opponent.

"Servant Berserker. I didn't expect you to walk down this path too, Kariya," Sakutsuki sighed.

Berserker, a relatively special class among the seven classes of the Holy Grail War, is a class that grants the Servant the "Mad Enhancement" class skill at the cost of stripping the Servant of their sanity, in exchange for the highest base stats among the seven classes. Looking solely at the Servant's stats, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them the strongest.

The two short incantations Kariya added during his summoning were precisely to grant the Servant the "Mad Enhancement" skill, thereby fulfilling the conditions for summoning Berserker.

In the original story, Zouken, in order to torment Kariya further, incited the already wishing-he-were-dead Kariya to summon Berserker, because Berserker was the class that placed the greatest burden on its Master among the seven classes.

But now Zouken was dead, and no one would incite Kariya to summon Berserker. However, in order to defeat Tokiomi, and for certain unspoken reasons, Kariya still made the same choice as before.

"Even with a year of training, my abilities as a magus are still far inferior to Tokiomi's. The Master's abilities affect the Servant's base stats. If the Master can't compare to Tokiomi, I can only try to compensate with the Servant."

Kariya's voice was resolute, containing an unshakeable will. He took out an agate-like insect specimen and crushed it forcefully.

A dense stream of magic flowed into his body, restoring Kariya's depleted reserves.

The manual Sakutsuki gave Kariya not only contained water-attribute magic but also the insect magic that Zouken excelled at.

The insect specimen Kariya crushed at this moment was prepared in advance; its sole effect was to replenish the magus's own magical power depletion. Clearly, he intended to use this method to solve the problem of Berserker's excessive consumption.

"Although most insect magic is disgusting, the feeling of crushing these bugs is quite good. It's quite stress-relieving," Kariya chuckled, making a joke as if he were in good spirits.

"Was it worth it?" Sakutsuki sighed. "With your current state, you could completely raise Sakura until she grows up. You didn't have to join this war."

For Kariya, this would have been the best choice.

However, the man raised his hand, signaling Sakutsuki not to say any more.

"Do you know, two months ago, Tokiomi Tohsaka and Aoi visited the Matou family," Kariya looked at Sakutsuki, a fire burning in his eyes. "That man still maintained his damned elegance, and even deliberately prevented Aoi and Rin from getting close to Sakura because of the adoption."

In Tokiomi's view, since Sakura had become a child of the Matou family, she was completely severed from the Tohsaka family and should not be influenced by past familial affection on her path to mastering magic. However, to Kariya, who was still a normal person at heart, Tokiomi Tohsaka's actions were undoubtedly heartless. This attitude not only hurt the young Sakura and Rin but also nearly made Aoi cry on the spot.

"Back then, I thought I didn't have the ability to protect Aoi, so I chose to run away. Aoi ultimately chose Tokiomi because of my incompetence, and I don't blame her for that," Kariya clenched his fist. "The reason I'm participating in the Holy Grail War is to let that bastard Tokiomi know that if he still sees magic as his everything, then I'll give him a good wake-up call. Screw his elegance!"

"Tsk tsk... what a fool," Sakutsuki picked up his teacup and took a sip, hiding the admiration in his eyes from Kariya, yet still speaking without mercy. "A perfect backup."

"Hey! Do you still want to form an alliance or not?" Kariya slammed the table in embarrassment and anger. "Didn't you come here to turn this place into a magic workshop, you little brat?"

In past Holy Grail Wars, Caster's group would use magic to protect their stronghold from sneak attacks by other Servants. Clearly, Sakutsuki held the same idea. As an old acquaintance, Kariya Matou had non-conflicting goals, making an alliance a good option.

Moreover, Sakutsuki's goal was the Holy Grail, while Kariya Matou's goal was merely to teach Tokiomi Tohsaka a lesson. Their wishes did not conflict.

But...

"First, explain to me what happened to Sakura Matou," Sakutsuki tapped the table and asked. "Why did her hair and eye color turn purple?"

Yes, if one were to mention the biggest changes in Kariya and Sakura over the past year, besides their progress in magic, it was Sakura Matou's appearance.

Her black hair and blue eyes, originally inherited from the Tohsaka family, had turned a dreamy purple—as if they had been changed to this color by forced magic after suffering abuse, just like in the original story.

If Sakutsuki hadn't sensed that little Sakura's condition and emotions were normal, he would have already drawn his large blade and started attacking.

"I was confused at first too," Kariya did not hide anything. "The day Sakura became an apprentice magus, her hair color gradually began to change. Later, using the business card you gave me, I invited that tuner named Melvin. According to him, it was the influence of practicing magic."

"The influence of Imaginary Numbers Magic..." Sakutsuki mused, a pale blue screen reflected in his golden eyes.

[Record condition met, reward pending]

[009: Sakura Matou (Child)]

[Character Information]: One of the miracles born from the Tohsaka family, a "Gems" with extremely rare Imaginary Numbers attribute. To unleash her magical talent, she was adopted into the Matou family by her father. Currently, she is just a child who cannot face cruel fate with willpower and does not yet understand the meaning of life.

[Hidden Information]: B:85... What are you thinking? Although in a certain timeline they were lovers, she's just a child now!

[Record Condition (1/2)]:

1. Gain Sakura Matou's approval. (Completed)

2*. Enable Sakura Matou to learn Imaginary Numbers Magic. (Completed)

"So that's it, the hidden condition is this," Sakutsuki murmured to himself.

After the first condition was met, the reward was a slight increase in magic power. Then what about this hidden condition? The reward must be even more substantial, right?

[Record condition 2 met, reward "Imaginary Numbers Magic Usage Authority" obtained!]

It was as if a sudden enlightenment had struck him, and Sakutsuki suddenly felt the latent Imaginary Numbers Magic, able to wield it at will.

As an imaginary element, the difficulty of practicing "Imaginary Numbers" Magic was exceptionally high, but once mastered, its power was widely recognized as immense.

With the reward in hand, Sakutsuki didn't use it immediately. Instead, he clapped his hands forcefully and shouted, "It's getting late, girls, time for bed!"

"Okay~~"

After washing up, the lights in the room were turned off, and the interior quickly fell silent.

Sakutsuki lay on his bed, gazing at the moonlight, his pupils turning golden. He then communicated with the Fates Codex and made a decision he would long regret:

"Come on, let me see what Imaginary Numbers Magic is like..."

Imaginary Numbers Magic is a magic based on imaginary elements, defined in magic as "possible, but unmaterializable." It is the opposite of the attribute "Void," meaning Imaginary Numbers Magic is the magic of possibility.

And in Sakutsuki's opinion, the most useful ability within Imaginary Numbers Magic should be this.

"Imaginary Numbers Pocket."

A short incantation was uttered, and invisible particles streaked through the void, peering into the emptiness within through a torn opening.

Sakutsuki stared at the space others couldn't see and casually tossed the nearby water cup into it. With a wave of his hand, the imaginary particles flowed, closing the Imaginary Numbers Pocket as if zipping it shut.

Then, Sakutsuki's fingertips glowed faintly.