Sakura Matou Rewrites Destiny

"Yes, Master!"

Another enormous wave crashed in. Sakura's bones groaned under the crushing pressure, but at the reminder from the palace-robed beauty who appeared no older than a maiden not far away, she immediately accelerated the circulation of the Yellow Court Scripture within her body.

More than a month had passed since her conversation with Tokiomi Tohsaka, and nearly twenty days had passed since she arrived on this small island in the North Sea.

If Sakura had to describe her experiences over the past month, only one word would suffice: miserable.

Bringing along an entire family, half of whom were ordinary people, and secretly reaching this nameless island right under the Clock Tower's nose had been no easy task.

There had been several moments of extreme danger along the way...

But in the end, with the help of certain people, Sakura still managed to reach this island safely.

And she brought the Matou Family here to settle down.

The following twenty-odd days were no longer fraught with danger, nor was she disturbed by anyone...

Yet after Sakura summoned the person she now called "Master" upon landing on the island, a new round of hardship began.

Training, cultivation, learning... the same three things filled every day of Sakura's past twenty-odd days.

But hardship forged greatness. After more than twenty days of tempering, the Sakura who had once been delicate and easy to knock over was gone for good. In her place stood the Sakura now facing the towering waves on the shore.

The palace-robed beauty nodded approvingly as she judged Sakura's current condition. The translucent flowers she had planted seemed affected by her mood; their buds slowly opened and bloomed.

Her surname was Luo, her given name Cuilian, and her courtesy name was Hao!

This God Slayer had existed for over two hundred years, yet she looked like a peerless beauty of seventeen or eighteen. This was Sakura's current "Master," the new character Sakura had summoned for a total of ten thousand units—the one who stood at the pinnacle of martial arts, the leader of the Five Prisons Holy Cult from a world where gods danced in chaos, the Wuxia King of Jiangnan, God Slayer Luo Hao—Luo Cuilian!

"Sakura... enough. Come back."

"Yes, Master!"

Sakura secretly let out a breath of relief. Though she was the summoner and should have held the dominant position, she had forcefully demanded that Luo Cuilian treat her as a disciple and teach her without mercy... and now she knew her efforts were finally about to pay off.

She maintained the circulation of Qi within her body as she clumsily climbed up the jagged, rocky shore.

When the utterly bedraggled Sakura reached Luo Cuilian, she was greeted by the peerless beauty's admiring and approving gaze.

"The Qi in your body has now been properly nurtured. Starting tomorrow, you shall formally study martial arts and Daoist Arts under me."

"...Master, can't we start right away?"

"Sakura, I know you are eager to test yourself against those barbaric outsiders across the sea, but haste makes waste. Once you have learned my skills properly, those barbarians can be destroyed with a turn of your hand. There is no need to rush..."

At that, the King, naturally jealous, narcissistic, and prideful, suddenly paused. She frowned and turned toward Kurumi, who was walking slowly toward the shore with a basket in her hands.

"Kurumi Tokisaki, I told you that no one was allowed to disturb Sakura during her lessons, did I not?"

Kurumi stopped walking. Carrying the basket with both hands, she tilted her head with a flower-like smile, looking every bit the refined lady on an outing.

"So what? Do I need to obey you?"

"How dare you! This Cult Leader—"

"Wait, Master!"

Sakura hurried forward and grabbed Luo Cuilian. With Sakura there, she naturally would not allow a conflict to break out...

"Never mind. For Sakura's sake, this Cult Leader will not argue with a barbarian like you."

"Tch. If it weren't for Sakura, do you think I'd even acknowledge you... Luo Cuilian?"

Provoked again and again, how could Luo Cuilian's personality possibly tolerate it? Yet Sakura held her tightly, and Luo Cuilian did not dare move recklessly for fear of hurting her. In the end... she could only trade verbal blows with Kurumi.

In truth, this was not the first time Kurumi and Luo Cuilian had clashed.

From the very day Luo Cuilian was summoned, whether because they were incompatible or for some other reason, Kurumi and Luo Cuilian had disliked each other on sight.

Especially after Sakura became Luo Cuilian's disciple and was trained until she was covered in injuries every day, their hostility only grew worse.

Fortunately, whenever the two started arguing, Sakura was always nearby. So far... they had not actually come to blows. But if this problem was not resolved, the Matou Family would probably never know peace again...

PS: Four updates again today. Also, readers, please be a little more active =.- It feels like I'm playing solo here!

Luo Cuilian and the Godslaying Ritual

Discord within a household was fatal to any family, especially when the conflict involved irreplaceable members of that family.

Therefore, for Sakura, resolving the conflict between Kurumi and Luo Cuilian was naturally the most urgent matter.

But Sakura did not even know the reason behind their conflict, so how could she possibly clear up the "misunderstanding" between them so easily?

For now, she could only serve as the buffer between them and do her best to prevent their conflict from escalating.

Holding the hand of a peerless beauty in each hand, she returned to the Matou Family's current base.

After entering this "small castle," built from stones gathered on the island itself...

Sakura looked at the two beauties beside her, both wearing unpleasant expressions, then glanced at the piles of gold, silver, yen, and dollars casually stacked in the corner. At that moment, she was beginning to regret leaving Fuyuki City.

Yet it was fortunate that Sakura had left Fuyuki City. Otherwise...

In Sakura's original destined route during the Fifth Holy Grail War, a situation similar to the one she currently faced had occurred after the Holy Grail War ended.

The Mage's Association learned the truth of the Holy Grail War and learned that the Fuyuki Holy Grail could reach the Root...

For a result all Magi dreamed of, Fuyuki City on that Timeline naturally became extremely lively. In the end, it even drew out that elusive big shot, Zelretch.

And on the Timeline Sakura now inhabited...

Although the information that the Holy Grail could achieve the Third Magic and lead to the Root had not yet been leaked, the ability to grant most wishes and summon a genuine Servant was enough to drive the Magecraft world mad.

No, because Lords had intervened this time, the Magecraft world was even more frenzied than it had been on the original HF route.

Not long after Sakura took the Matou Family and left, Fuyuki City had completely descended into a chaotic den of demons.

The Association, the Church, the Thousand Tree Realm... and countless ambitious people whose desires had been stirred, all wanting to seize the knowledge used to create the Holy Grail and make one of their own, had already turned Fuyuki City's shadows into rivers of blood and mountains of corpses.

If Sakura had remained in Fuyuki City, unless she directly began a slaughter and killed until This Timeline completely collapsed, twisting it into a Lostbelt or Singularity...

Then... leaving that most insane vortex called Fuyuki City had absolutely been the correct choice.

After all, even if those madmen could not harm Sakura physically, they could still disgust her to death mentally.

The days passed one after another.

On the North Sea, thanks to the efforts of several hundred combat maids, life for Sakura and the Matou Family gradually began to improve.

Though they still had no choice but to eat seafood as their staple diet every day and live in a stone castle lacking all modern comforts, constantly battered by the tides.

Another day came to an end as the sun set.

Inside the dim castle, the darkness made it unsuitable for Sakura to continue studying Daoist Arts and martial arts under Luo Cuilian. After saying goodbye to Luo Cuilian as usual, Sakura took Kurumi, who hid in her shadow, and felt her way along the wall back to her room.

Kurumi happily leaped out of Sakura's shadow. Having been unable to touch Sakura all day, impatience was obvious on her face. The instant she emerged, she wrapped Sakura in her arms.

"Mmm~ I really do prefer holding you, Sakura."

An awkward expression flashed across Sakura's face. She had just finished training with Luo Cuilian, and she had not bathed today.

Feeling sticky all over, Sakura truly could not withstand Kurumi's increasingly excessive enthusiasm.

"Sister Kurumi... let me go first. I haven't bathed yet..."

"No. Let me hold you for a while first..."

"I feel uncomfortable when I'm all sticky... and Sister Kurumi, you're getting clingier and clingier..."

"Tch. This island is so boring. Other than Sakura... there's only that annoying Luo Cuilian and those dull maids. If I didn't replenish my 'energy' from you, Sakura, I would have gone crazy long ago..."

A few words flashed through Sakura's mind: Her chuunibyou is acting up again.

Faced with Kurumi like this, Sakura could only feel helpless. In the end, she used the Daoist Arts she had only recently learned from Luo Cuilian. Forming a hand seal, she summoned a great deal of water mist and washed the sweat from her body.

Naturally, Kurumi was cleaned along with her.

After the thick water mist summoned through Daoist Arts turned both Sakura and Kurumi into drenched chickens.

Sakura took out her Magic Wand from her sleeve, then cast "Scourgify," finally leaving herself and Kurumi refreshed...

"Although that Luo Cuilian is annoying... her abilities really are impressive..."

Luo Cuilian was naturally impressive...

Or rather, among the characters Sakura had summoned, where was there one who was not impressive?

After all... Sakura had not summoned them randomly, nor had she summoned them based on personal preference. She had made targeted summons based on her own circumstances and the problems she might face in the future.

And that was not all. When summoning each character, Sakura had also considered the composition of her team.

For example, Orochimaru's primary role in Sakura's future team was scientific research, long-term development, and cultivating new talent. Kurumi, meanwhile, would absolutely be the core of Sakura's future journey. Not only could she use her time abilities to protect Sakura at crucial moments, she could also travel across Timelines...

Then what about Luo Cuilian?

With Sakura currently lacking high-end combat power, Luo Cuilian was the combat-oriented character she had chosen for the best value and the greatest potential.

In terms of combat power, Luo Cuilian as a God Slayer could rival, or even surpass, top-tier Servants. Combined with her own unfathomable martial arts and Daoist Arts from a world equally steeped in mystery.

It could be said that Luo Cuilian could not only serve as a top-tier fighter in Sakura's team, but also help Sakura, who hoped to follow an Eastern system, advance further.

Moreover... those ten thousand points had not merely exchanged for Luo Cuilian herself. Along with Luo Cuilian, Sakura had specifically exchanged for Luo Cuilian's exclusive Godslaying Ritual—the Pandora Ritual!

Yes, this was why Luo Cuilian had the greatest potential among the characters Sakura could currently summon.

With this ritual, no matter which world Luo Cuilian slew gods in... as long as she and Sakura remained in the same world, Luo Cuilian could plunder the "Authorities" of the gods she killed just as before!

Luo Cuilian with the Twelve Labors?

Luo Cuilian who gained the Authority to summon extinction-level dinosaur meteors?

Luo Cuilian who could summon the Bull of Heaven?

In short, none of this was merely fantasy... it was even possible that Luo Cuilian might one day descend like a god from a machine and smash the solar system apart with a single palm!

The alliance of the "maiden" and the young girl, Lorelei and Lineas

A typical European-style castle, decorated in a style brimming with history.

This was the headquarters of the Clock Tower's Aristocratic Faction—the El-Melloi clan.

"Zouken Matou" walked through this historic building with a radiant expression, constantly smiling and nodding at the servants who bowed to him along the way.

He had now reached yet another peak in his life.

Invited here jointly by the two Lords, Marisbury and Kischur Zelretch, "Zouken Matou" held a position in this headquarters of the El-Melloi Faction that was second only to those two and above everyone else.

Not only was he treated with great courtesy by the El-Melloi faction, but Marisbury, who needed his assistance, and the occasional visiting members of the Animsphere clan treated him with considerable respect as well.

Even... those family members in Fuyuki City who had once betrayed him had now traveled all this way to pledge themselves to "Zouken Matou" once again.

If this "Zouken Matou" had been genuine, then he truly would have reached the pinnacle of life.

Unfortunately, he was fake.

This "Zouken Matou" had previously been one of Orochimaru's clones. Now... he was the result of Orochimaru using a Transformation Technique.

"Old Man Matou, I've been looking everywhere for you... so you were here."

Just as Zouken Matou walked through the corridors of El-Melloi Castle, intending to arrange today's cultivation tasks for Shinji and Shirou.

A very cute little loli with bright golden hair, a round little face, and two tiny tiger fangs suddenly blocked his path.

"Kehehe... what does Lineas need from this old man? Has the Lord of Astronomy come to visit again, or does my elder brother wish to discuss something with me?"

Ever since her "paralyzed" elder brother Kischur Zelretch returned with Zouken Matou, Linez El-Melloi Archisorte had always disliked Zouken Matou intensely.

Yet after hearing Zouken Matou answer in that old, grating voice, Linez showed not the slightest disgust toward him. Instead, her eyes even revealed a trace of admiration so convincing that ordinary people would never notice it was fake.

"The Department of Law and Order has come looking for you again, Old Man Matou... I'm very sorry, Old Man Matou. This time, even people from the Bartholomello family have arrived. No matter what we do, we can't stop them... But rest assured, the El-Melloi Faction swears upon its honor that we will never allow anyone to threaten your safety!"

We will never allow anyone to threaten your safety... in other words, they would only guarantee his safety.

On the isolated island in the North Sea, most of the Matou Family had indeed been moved there—Sakura, Kurumi, Luo Cuilian, Irisviel and her daughter, Shirou, Shinji, Noyoru...

But not everyone had been relocated to the island.